"Who are you?" Sandra tried to soften her voice, attempting to use her natural feminine warmth to calm the little boy and ease his terror. But she forgot that she was a seasoned combat mage — no matter how hard she forced out a reassuring smile, her sharp, battle-hardened demeanor couldn't be concealed. The boy shook his head and scrambled backward into the corner of the secret chamber with all four limbs, crying out incoherently. He buried his head deep between his knees and the wall, as if the thing didn't exist so long as his eyes couldn't see it.
Lucian didn't urge them to hurry toward the binding chamber. That strange devil was far too bizarre, and whether it had actually died in the end was still an open question. So since they had found another survivor, they needed to question him carefully.
His gaze met Sandra's. Lucian lifted his chin toward Susan, who was restrained by Charlotte's "Douglas's Giant Palm": "Use a potion to steady her emotions, and have her talk to the boy."
As a female mage with extensive combat experience, Sandra's attentive and perceptive nature shone through in situations like this. Her storage bag and the hidden pockets of her magic robe held potions for all manner of contingencies — even if most of them went unused for years — and a mind-calming potion was among the common varieties. So she nodded, produced a vial of clear, transparent light-blue liquid, and used Mage Hand to pour it directly into Susan's mouth.
In truth, she would have preferred to simply cast Sleep Spell on the boy, then rouse him and use hypnotism, Charm Person, and similar methods for the interrogation. That was much more in line with her operational style. But whether something was wrong with the boy remained unknown, and if something went wrong while using magic to control him, they would lose a critical source of intelligence.
Lucian pushed up his monocle and activated the permanently inscribed "Fernando's Electromagnetic Transmission" on its surface. Although the devil was suspected to be fifth-order, the three of them together could certainly find a way to eliminate it — but since the situation had changed, it was better to contact Gaston through the prearranged means. After all, who knew whether this devil might just be the appetizer?
Dense, intricate ripples spread across the surface of the monocle. Lucian didn't bother hiding anything from Charlotte or Sandra and spoke directly: "Hello? Hello? Mr. Gaston?"
This fifth-circle spell could only convert sound vibrations into corresponding electromagnetic wave signals.
There was no response from the other end of the "Electromagnetic Transmission." Lucian raised his voice: "Hello? Hello? Hello?!"
The monocle remained as silent as death.
The situation had turned serious. Lucian gazed gravely at the wall at the far end of the bookshelf, where there was a glass window. Outside it, a thin mist had begun to spread. It rolled and twisted like ugly, hideous thoughts — as if, unless one could thoroughly comprehend the complexities of the human heart, one could never penetrate this fog.
"Similar to a Mind Fog, but not quite the same. It can block and absorb electromagnetic waves — a type of supernatural power I've never encountered before…" Lucian assessed the situation calmly, increasingly aware that his knowledge was insufficient and heavily skewed in focus. At least seventy percent of the books in the "Fundamental Arcane Library" remained unread!
Lucian's voice while using the "Electromagnetic Transmission" had been loud, and the name he called — Gaston, member of the Arcane Review Committee — naturally kept the other two paying close attention.
Charlotte followed Lucian's gaze toward the window. With his plain features and cold, austere bearing, he showed a bitter smile: "It seems we've run into trouble. The simple mission turns out to be 'not so simple.'"
I actually had a premonition, Lucian thought with puzzlement. The possibility of strange developments on this mission had always been within his expectations, yet when it actually happened, it still felt somewhat unreal. Too coincidental.
"Could someone really be targeting me? Who could it be? And how did they get past Lady Florence and Mr. Gaston?"
Similar questions surfaced in Lucian's mind but were pushed aside — now was not the time to dwell on them. Danger could arrive at any moment.
"Our most pressing concern right now is to quickly determine the situation and decide whether to retreat or press forward." Lucian glanced at Charlotte first, then turned his gaze toward Susan, whose emotions had been gradually stabilizing. A full minute had already passed since she took the potion.
Charlotte adjusted his black combat mage's square hat. Equally composed and unruffled, he replied calmly: "Earlier I scryed with Arcane Eye, but I only detected three types of low-rank devils — the Wasp Devil and two others — consistent with your findings, Mr. Evans. There was absolutely no trace of that monster just now. It seems to be hiding somewhere…"
"Charlotte, Sandra — do neither of you recognize what kind of devil that creature was?" Lucian asked, slightly surprised that Charlotte hadn't been able to identify it.
That meant it at least didn't appear in any ordinary "Complete Devil Compendium" or "Bestiary." And without knowing its identity, there was no way to fully understand what unique abilities it possessed. Whether they chose to retreat or attack, the decision would be difficult to make — for instance, when they first received the mission, it was made clear that low-rank devils, demons, and similar creatures were involved, so Lucian and the others hadn't bothered preparing Invisibility — dragons, demons, and devils could all see through invisibility by nature!
Both Charlotte and Sandra shook their heads with solemn expressions, confirming that they truly didn't know.
"Perhaps it's the kind of monster that only high-ranking mages have to face…" Sandra muttered. Seeing that Susan had recovered a good deal of her faculties and was now capable of communication, she pointed toward the little boy inside the secret chamber: "Do you recognize him?"
Susan turned her head in a daze, then cried out in shock: "Oh, Bill — you're alive?!"
The little boy, trembling all over with his head wedged between his knees and the wall, shuddered slightly. Then, very slowly, he turned his head around and said in a halting voice: "Su… Susan?"
"Who is he?" Sandra whispered in Susan's ear.
Susan gave Bill a reassuring smile: "It's me, Susan. We've come back to rescue you. Bill, don't be afraid — calm down, calm down…"
As she slowly moved forward, using hand gestures to soothe Bill, she turned her face — still etched with deep fear — toward Lucian, Charlotte, and the others: "He is Teacher Bertrande's youngest apprentice. He has outstandingly strong innate spiritual power, but very little talent for fundamental arcane studies, and the other apprentices often mocked him. Scott and I used to guide him often, so we're on good terms."