The West Wind's Destination - Chapter 54
Bea lost her purpose and became a body without utility the moment her mentor died. It wouldn’t have been strange if she had died right then.
Therefore, there was only one reason for going to such lengths.
“To revive my master.”
Yes, that was it. The sole purpose of all her actions.
But, in fact, it seems she had forgotten about it while staying in the mansion until just now.
Why was that? Recently, it felt like her mind was becoming strange.
“Is that truly meaningful?”
“Yes.”
“But, Master, regarding the person you call ‘Master’…”
Bang! Boom!
The following words were drowned out by a loud noise. The heat and destructive force were the products of magic. Thanks to the anti-magic power, Bea and the homunculus were unaffected. Still, the homunculus reflexively hugged Bea tightly.
As the heat dissipated and mud soared into the air before falling with the rain,
Drip. Drip.
The surroundings were devastated, and only the spot where Bea stood remained intact, as if the earth had been scooped out with a round spoon.
Bea knelt at the entrance of a mine s***t she had been eyeing. After somewhat digging through the softened soil with her hands, she saw people huddled inside.
“What is this…”
“My God.”
“God have mercy.”
Apart from a few who had fainted due to the recent explosion and seismic shock, those awake looked at this side with astonishment.
It wasn’t the location of the aide known as Ruslan.
“…This isn’t it.”
“Master…”
The homunculus that Bea had set down hugged her from behind.
The little one seemed frightened.
Well. Even wild beasts were tender-hearted as cubs. It was startled by the huge explosion it had just shielded. Even if it was a replica, a baby was still a baby.
“It’s a success!”
“Quick, over here! There are people inside!”
“How could this be.”
Whether the rescue team rushed towards the hole she had opened or people emerged from it, Bea paid no attention and moved on to the next location.
As she walked, her face itched all over with sweat. Bea wiped her face with the arm not holding the homunculus before standing at the next spot.
And then, she signaled into the air.
“Master. Master.”
“What.”
Static mixed with the sounds through the hearing aid. Pressing the ear fitted with the device while moving, the homunculus whined.
“…Master, right now, you’re making, irrational decisions.”
His voice was shaky and mixed with moisture.
Bang! Boom!
As the next explosion followed Bea’s gesture, the homunculus stopped its words and buried its face in the crook of Bea’s neck.
Bea waited again until the dust settled before moving on without digging the ground this time.
‘If Ruslan is nearby, the rain should stop.’
Traveling with the homunculus wrapped in anti-magic, if they got close to his location, the continuous rain would cease.
Then, phew, she would wake him up, and take him with her.
Haah…
She stumbled and her body swayed.
“Master…”
“Yeah…”
Bea paused for a moment and removed her hearing aid. The noise seemed to be slowing her thinking. It seemed better not to hear anything at all.
With sound partially blocked now, Bea mechanically repeated the actions she had planned.
As she surveyed the entire mine, she realized there were more people trapped in spaces blocked by debris than she had initially estimated.
Whether they survived was not her concern.
Where was Ruslan?
Her efficiency gradually declined with each repetition.
Then, at some point, Bea noticed the sky brightening. Looking up, she saw the clouds dispersing and the rain stopping.
The homunculus had been tugging at her clothes for a while, so Bea looked down at the child in her arms.
For some reason, the homunculus’s face and eyes were red as if it was about to cry. Yet, it stubbornly pointed to a specific spot.
Approaching the spot indicated by the homunculus, Bea dug through the soil with her hands. Soon, she discovered a person buried inside. It seemed they were completely buried in the soil due to a deactivated magical device that had lost its protective barrier.
After revealing the person’s upper body, Bea grabbed his collar and slapped his cheeks several times. Despite hitting hard enough to make her hand tingle, the man didn’t wake up.
Was he already dead?
After all that trouble of finding him.
As she stared down blankly, someone forcefully pulled her away, causing Bea to let go of Ruslan’s clothes.
The strong scent of a man, mixed with mud and burning smells, was transmitted. Even though it was mixed with the smell of sweat, there was a strangely pleasant fragrance, indicating who had embraced her.
Aseph Vilkanos.
As a more potent and wider-ranging source of anti-magic power than the homunculus, he had cleared all residual magic in the vicinity. The air felt significantly lighter.
He effortlessly pulled Ruslan out of the mud pile that Bea had failed to extract moments before.
Ruslan, who hadn’t woken up despite all efforts, regained consciousness with Aseph’s rough handling.
Caught by the collar by Aseph Vilkanos, Ruslan’s blinking eyes tried to grasp the situation before looking at Bea.
The ceaseless rain had stopped, and under the clear sky and the peaceful sunlight, people, muddied and drenched, couldn’t openly rejoice in the unbelievable situation. Amidst the stunned silence, a thin cry swept through.
“Hiic, hnnh. Waaa…. uwaaah…”
The homunculus, teetering on the edge, finally burst into tears in Bea’s embrace.
Bea had felt this sensation before.
When she discovered the battered Aseph Vilkanos in front of her lab. For days on end, she had focused on a single task of trying to heal him and succeeded.
Just like then, a ticklish emotion filled her heart.
“Haha…”
Unknowingly, Bea laughed brightly.
“Hahaha…”
Then her eyes slowly closed. Just when she thought she couldn’t keep herself from falling to the ground, the homunculus clung to her, loudly crying out.
Bea saw Aseph Vilkanos running towards her.
And that was her last memory in the mine.
