The Magic Academy's Physicist-Chapter 216: From Master to Slave (17)

‘Dad, I want to take down all the Beasts. What do I need to do?’

‘Study magic. Study hard and become strong.’

That was the answer her father gave, and that was about when she started to enjoy studying.

For the adolescent Klais, studying was a kind of drug with which she could momentarily soothe the pain.

Yet when she would turn from the desk, there was only an empty house. There were less and less people, and it became colder and colder. Before she knew it, half the cutlery had either been stored away or sold.

As the number of her older siblings dwindled, the more mistresses her father took. It was because his lawful wife, her mother, had also passed away.

Mother died?

Why?

By whose hands?

‘It’s because of the Beasts.’

By the hands of those monsters in the north.

‘Klara, can you please not go on the trip?’

‘If not us, who will stop them? We have to work hard, so that the people can sleep safely.’

When was the last time she had talked with Klara? It was probably the day of her Academy graduation ceremony.

Klara, who had given her a bouquet of flowers and left. The sight of her back from that day haunted her memories.

After losing so many of her family, she had made a friend named Heerlein, but....

‘Ha, look at this eye. I’m lucky to be alive.’

‘Still, she needs to take it easy. Your friend can no longer be in service since the field of vision is crucial for an Earth Mage.’

She almost lost that friend, too, for no other reason than her own mistake.

Now she was completely sick of Beasts.

But then she had learned something shocking–her sister Klara, who she had thought dead, was actually being held captive in the Demon Castle.

“Hey, hey!”

Klais’ body was jerked backwards. Not too weak, not too strong, only choking her a little.

As she wheezed for breath, the short flashback came to an end.

She was back to reality, holding the hand of her sister who was lying on the cart.

Yes, right.

Klais had just met Klara. She first had to see how her sister was with her own two eyes and hands.

“.......”

Her sister’s hand was cold, as cold as ice.

“S-sister.”

Her sister wouldn’t open her eyes.

Her face had turned pale, and there were also signs of having been strangled.

“Ah, uh, ahhh.”

There were even cuts all over her body. The wounds were so bad that it was difficult to tell when and how she had gotten them.

“Klara, Klaraaa.”

Panicking, Klais shook Klara tearfully. Why, why was there no reaction?

Just why....

Her head became hot like it had been burned. Her diaphragm felt like it was pulling up tight. It wasn’t easy to breathe, either.

“Klara, sis, open your eyes. Please? It’s me, your little sister. It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other.”

This couldn’t be.

“But why aren’t you opening your eyes? Are you tired? Why don’t you answer...?”

This shouldn’t be.

Aether pulled the leash further back. Although it choked her, Klais still stuck her head forward. To see the face of her beloved family.

“......Hah.”

If she pulled any more, she was going to suffocate. With that assessment, Aether loosened her grip on the handle a bit. Once she could breathe, Klais leaned down and embraced Klara with both arms.

Klara’s body was a mess. Faced with reality, Klais snapped her eyes open and glared at Rosemary.

“You, you......!”

Soon, she leapt forward.

“What did you do to my sister─!!”

Rosemary jumped in surprise like a rabbit, seemingly not expecting the soft-spoken Klais to scream loudly.

The speed with which she ran at Rosemary made the chain pull taut. In other words, it was dangerous to keep holding the leash like this.

But Aether couldn’t let it go, either. What if she ran rampant or fled? Not that she wouldn’t be able to catch her, but Gilach could hear and come running over.

If he were to see this, he was going to make a whole fuss. He could even kill Rosemary, as he was merciless even to his own kind.

Let’s say that was the case. What if he learned about Klara and Klais’ relationship, and tried to take Klais as well?

Or what if when he took Klara, Klais insisted on going with her?

It would clearly put kinks in her research.

There was nothing worse than that. Aether finished thinking and let go of the leash, then immediately used both hands to shove Klais sideways.

With an ‘oomph’, Klais hit the wall.

“Get in.”

Aether quickly looked around outside–no one had seen them. Then the best thing was for Rosemary to come inside as well.

Even as she hesitated, Rosemary followed her instructions right away.

Click.

Aether quickly locked the door and even put on an extra lock.

Aether pushed the cart to one side and hid Rosemary behind it. Even while gasping, Klais grit her teeth.

“What, are you doing...!”

A ferocious flame burned in Klais’ eyes.

Filled with hostility, wanting to kill the Beasts.

The feelings that had been diluted by guilt came alive again. Klais gathered every last bit of mana she had and summoned her staff.

“Huh, are you trying to fight us? That’s so stupid of you.”

Rosemary taunted Klais with a snicker.

“Be quiet.”

“Got it.”

Although she was stopped right away.

“And you stay put, too. Let’s get things straight.”

Even with a headache, she calmed Klais down. Aether brought the cart forward like Klais wanted.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

“Wait.”

But Aether didn’t permit her to touch because she was going to take a pulse first.

Even if she didn’t know much about medicine, she was one of the top executives of the Demon Army. She knew how to do simple first aid or figure out one’s state.

She was especially familiar with determining whether a human was dead or alive from all the books she read, because she had seen many humans in emergency situations during her travels long ago.

They’d die of endemics, accidents, from wars waged against each other without any Beasts. She had probably seen deaths of all kinds, and in the process, she gained a bit of medical knowledge. Checking over Klara was a piece of cake.

“Her body is fine, though she is a little fatigued.”

“I-is that true...? What about the eyes?”

“Her eyes are fine, too. They don’t even have a common corneal injury.”

Klais stuck close and rubbed Klara’s hand. Indeed, she was warmer than earlier.

“The reason that she’s cold is because she was outside. Should’ve been more careful.”

It was then that Klais regained her senses. She quickly put her staff away and sighed in relief.

Klara was alive. Thank goodness.

But the next moment was a crisis, because she had shown her intent to attack in front of her master.

“See, I told you, right? To make good use of her. Would I really have killed her and brought her? You think this place is some kind of vivarium?”

“I said be quiet.”

“Yes, ma’am....”

After silencing the Blueberry, Aether pondered for a moment.

Klais’ love for her family was serious, to the point that she thought her worse than Rosemary.

So it seemed she would have to take Klara in after all. If she didn’t, then Klais would probably not only refuse to research but also rebel.

But even if that was the case, as much as she would try to hide Klara, she was worried about Gilach. He was ridiculously good at picking up on the energy emitted by Elementals. If she tried to use Klara as research staff, she could see him scenting the mana wave and bursting in unexpectedly.

In other words, Klara lacked worth as a research slave.

“Damn it.”

Clicking her tongue, Aether pushed the cart away. She sat cross-legged and kept letting out hums.

How should she deal with this problem?

“Now food costs will double. And I can’t even use her for anything.......”

Ta-ta-tap!

As soon as she spoke, Klais ran up to her.

Klais knelt down immediately. She put her hands forward and raised her head like an obedient pup. Before Aether could even say anything, Klais teared up and began pleading.

“N-no, please don’t send my sister away...!”

The picture of Gilach’s malicious expression came to her mind.

Klara’s injuries had to have been caused by Gilach, and she would have suffered much pain, no doubt. It must’ve been so hard. And so she didn’t want to send her sister back to that Beast.

She’d finally met the family she thought she had lost, and she didn’t want to be separated like this again.

However, this was the Demon Castle.

The path to Klais’ wish coming true wasn’t at all easy.

“A moment ago you pulled out your staff and opposed me, and now you don’t want her sent away? Just want everything your way, don’t you.”

Aether’s mouth pulled down as she expressed her displeasure.