I Became the Savior of the Academy’s Villains

Chapter 110

Luca and his companions immediately returned to the village of Potro.

They sought out Bern and told him the rough outline of the situation.

"So there were remnants left. To think we have to fight those sorts again..."

Bern wore a devastated expression.

'If they wage guerrilla warfare from Albino, the people here won't be able to endure it...'

They had managed to stop Montana thanks to Luca's exploits, but this time wouldn't be so easy.

If they continued a defensive battle with villagers who refused to abandon Potro no matter what, they would surely lose in the end.

'In that case, Luca Traverse will...'

Bern glanced uncertainly at Luca.

Even though they were friends of Hav and Moula, he didn't believe Luca would keep helping such stubborn villagers forever.

Perhaps sensing his gaze, Luca spoke indifferently.

"No matter what, their officer was just killed, so Albino won't leave this place alone. Trying to block their main force with our numbers would be suicide."

Just as expected.

Hearing exactly what he'd anticipated, Bern replied bitterly.

"Right. I'm already grateful for everything you've done so far."

"You're not going to run?"

"I plan to do everything I can, as long as I can. This place accepted me, after all."

With a determined look on Bern's face, Luca fell silent for a moment.

Then he narrowed his eyes.

"You know, don't you? That nothing will change just because you try hard."

"... Even so, I can't just sit and do nothing."

At Luca's emotionless words, Bern bit his lips, but his resolve did not seem to waver.

At that, Luca remarked flatly.

"There is a way to make Albino not attack this place."

"What...!"

Bern's eyes widened.

He could hardly believe there was a way to turn the situation around.

"However, in this method, the risk to me is too great. It's not the sort of thing I can do just out of goodwill."

Bern immediately sensed the hidden intent behind those words.

"Is there something you want from me?"

"Bern Doyner. Aren't you too talented to remain in a place like this forever?"

Luca spoke in a flat tone.

"I won't make it long. Come under me."

"..."

Bern's pupils trembled, as if he was pondering it for a moment.

But once again, his resolve did not falter.

"I appreciate the offer, but I don't want to leave here either. Even if I die with them, I'll remain here."

"I think there's a misunderstanding."

Luca gave a faint laugh at that.

"I don't yet have the power to protect a wanted criminal like you. Even if you follow me, you'll only get killed by the alchemy association or the Marquis Kisen."

"Then...?"

Luca folded his arms as he spoke.

"They wouldn't have entrusted difficult and dangerous research like Hyperhemia to an ordinary person. Besides, if you have enough skill to reproduce the technique to restore lost life force in a place like this, you must have been at the very core of the experiments."

Alchemy is a field that greatly relies on equipment.

But here, without any great equipment, Bern had managed to reproduce part of the Hyperhemia experiments with only a magic circle and alchemy formulas.

That alone showed just how exceptional an alchemist Bern was.

"With capital on your side, I'm curious what results you might achieve. For the sake of the organization I plan to build, research here. I'll provide you support."

After a moment of silence, Bern slowly asked,

"What kind of research?"

"What other research could you do? Of course, Hyperhemia."

At Luca's answer, Bern bit his lip.

But Luca pressed on coldly.

"I know you must hate research into Hyperhemia, but most of what you know is likely related to it. You won't be able to escape it."

No one knew exactly what kind of experiments were done for Hyperhemia, but remembering Herote's "Just how many people died?" made it clear the experiments had been horrific.

Bern—as if not denying that—remained silent.

"But I'm not telling you to repeat the research as it was."

"?"

Bern looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Still folding his arms, Luca spoke nonchalantly.

"Research a way to strengthen life force without using up people. I mean a method clean enough that you could even use it on these villagers."

"... You think that's as easy as it sounds?"

Bern looked utterly dumbfounded.

If it were possible, he surely would have done so already.

"I don't care even if the effect is minor. I don't want something ridiculous like a overlife entity. Even a slight increase to physical ability or lifespan will suffice."

Luca met Bern's gaze squarely.

"You're not going to say something like, 'I'll just die with the village' in front of your proud students, are you? Not after such a proposal."

"!"

Bern suddenly froze.

He noticed Hav and Moula, who had been furtively paying attention to him nearby.

"... What do you two think?"

"Huh, what?"

Hav was flustered at Bern's sudden question.

Bern said once more, in a slightly bitter tone,

"How do you feel about staying here and dying with the village?"

"That's just dumb."

Hav answered immediately, as if it wasn't even a question.

Bern chuckled.

"Isn't it? But the villagers insist on it."

"Ha... Can't you just drug them and carry them away?"

"... That would have been a way."

Bern's eyes widened.

He couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't thought of it himself sooner.

After a slight laugh, Bern shook his head.

"It would have been nice if I'd thought of that sooner, but it's too late now."

"Too late? What do you mean?"

Hav tilted his head, and Bern looked at Luca.

"It means there's only one option left."

Sensing the attention, Luca replied indifferently.

"Have you decided?"

"Yes. I am foolish indeed. Muttering about dying in front of the kids."

Wearing a bitter smile, Bern glanced again at Hav and Moula before answering Luca.

"I'll come under you. So... please save this village."

As Bern said those words, he looked somehow lighter.

He had always been full of responsibility.

Whether as a member of the Doyner family or after settling here to help people—it was the same.

But his actions born out of responsibility hadn't brought great results.

The family was annihilated, and now Potro village was about to disappear as well.

But now, he had found someone to whom he could pass on that responsibility.

"So be it."

Luca answered flatly.

But there was an indefinable sense of trust that came from him.

'To think I'd feel this from a boy not yet of age. Strange indeed.'

Bern thought that with a faint smile as Luca brought the map Ottbo had prepared in advance.

"Well, since we have no time, let's get to the main point. I heard you reached Bizen with Hav and Moula in just a week on foot—how did you manage that?"

"Huh? Ah... There's a shortcut."

Bern, feeling a bit puzzled, accepted the map.

"If you take the road, you have to go around like this, but if you cut through the woods here, you can get there much faster. The trail is rough and there's a danger of monsters, so normal people should stick to the roads. On foot, using the road, it would take twice as long."

"How did you take Hav and Moula through such a trail?"

"I gave them a potion that temporarily boosts physical ability. But even so, it wouldn't have been possible to reach Bizen in a week with just that. At night, I carried the kids and walked farther."

Luca stroked his chin and said,

"So, if someone could move ten times faster than an ordinary person and took the shortcut, they could reach Bizen in about two days."

"T-Ten times? Well... in theory that's not impossible, but... Are you saying you could do that?"

At Bern's question, Luca smiled and nodded to the side.

"I can't, but my capable maid can."

"Master... Is this how you plan to turn things around...?"

Standing nearby, Bella pressed her forehead, as if dizzy.

Luca turned and looked at her.

"Is it impossible?"

"If you ask whether I can or can't... I can, but... What exactly do you want me to do after arriving early?"

"Go ahead and take care of the stragglers who are trying to inform the main force about Montana's death. Catching them won't remove the threat to this village, but it will buy us some time."

The most pressing problem was Montana's remaining men.

Dealing with them would buy some time.

"But that's not the end. If Montana doesn't come back, eventually Albino will become suspicious."

Even if they dealt with the remnants and news didn't get out, if Montana still failed to return, Albino would start investigating.

It would only be a matter of time before they followed his trail to this place.

"Afterward, I'll destroy Albino's hideout near Bizen myself and make sure they know I was the one who killed Montana. That way, Potro won't become a target."

"...!"

Bern, who had wondered just how Luca would save Potro, opened his eyes wide when he heard those words.

'So that's why he said the risk was high.'

Certainly, this way, Potro would be out of danger.

But Luca himself would be in considerable peril.

"Are you able to handle it? Albino will use every means to try to kill you."

"You don't have time to worry about me."

Luca twisted his lips.

"And I don't do things without a plan. I always move with contingencies. Albino is dangerous, but it's not as if there's no way around them."

"... If you say so, I'll trust you."

"More importantly, give Bella the potion to boost her physical ability—the same one you gave Hav and Moula. Finish preparing to restore my life force as soon as possible."

Bern looked at Luca with concern for a moment, but then nodded.

"I'll get right on it."

* * *

'My, this works better than I thought!'

Having taken Bern's potion for boosting physical ability, Bella was running through the woods like the wind.

Luca's words that she'd move more than ten times faster than a typical person had not been an exaggeration.

'At this pace, I'll really arrive by tomorrow evening or the morning after.'

If she traveled all night, she might arrive even sooner, but since Luca had told her "Don't overdo it," she planned to get a reasonable amount of rest.

'Anyway, just what is master thinking?'

From Bella's perspective, making an enemy of Albino was far too risky.

Of course, Albino only operated in the south, so if they moved to the central regions, it wouldn't be as big a threat.

Still, it was hardly wise to make an enemy of a criminal organization that could attack at any time.

'Still, since it's the young master, he probably has some sort of solution in mind...'

Considering what Luca had shown so far, he surely already had something planned this time as well.

But she couldn't help but worry.

'Hoo... In the end, I just have to follow his orders as best as I can.'

Worried, but with no choice, Bella let out a sigh as she dashed quickly through the forest.

* * *

As she had expected, Bella arrived in Bizen by the following evening.

Looking over the place, she couldn't help but click her tongue.

"My goodness... What on earth happened here...?"

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

Wait, did Wylde clear up Albino's base in Bizen?

Is that why they're taking so long to find Luca?

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