A black meteor storm descended from the sky.
“Binding…?!”
Yunia immediately realized that the storm wasn’t designed to “strike” enemies but to “restrain” them—it was a Binding Magic.
“Ahhh!”
“Kyaaah!!”
Members of Vinyudan who were trying to escape were struck by the black meteor storm one by one, their bodies freezing in place.
The black meteors, which fell like sticky bombs, spread out like slime and began to ensnare the Vinyudan members instantly.
Schrrrrk!
Black slime binding the targets.
The Binding Magic spread in a pattern resembling a tortoiseshell knot, cladding its targets in a manner reminiscent of hard leather restraints, even covering their mouths with black masks.
However, there was nothing obscene about its appearance.
“Mmph, mmph!!”
At one point, the Binding Magic momentarily loosened around the chest area of one Vinyudan member, nearly allowing them to escape.
However, as the magic detected movement below, it quickly tightened, perfectly restraining the target once again.
“Doesn’t this scene seem familiar to you?”
Descending slowly from the sky, like an ethereal being clad in a black dress, was a woman.
She had subdued the Vinyudan group in an instant—an S-rank mage.
“You never learn, do you? Even after my son warned you so thoroughly, you try to attack again like this.”
“Marchioness Ludvecia…!”
“Oh?”
Among the Vinyudan members, only one—Estella—managed to avoid the Binding Magic.
She widened the gap between them and glared directly at Ludvecia.
“You dodged that? Impressive speed. Perhaps it’s because you lack magic resistance?”
“You…!”
“I shouldn’t say much more. My son would disapprove. Isn’t that right, son?”
“Well, yeah.”
Marchioness Ludvecia winked playfully in my direction.
“Y-You deceived us!”
One of the still-unrestrained Vinyudan members shouted at me.
“You distracted us with nonsense about ‘buns’ and whatnot, just to stall for time until the [Black Witch] arrived!”
“Even if that’s true, what’s the point of discussing it now? What I told you earlier was the truth.”
“L-Lies! How can you say that after restraining us like this?!”
“As a rule, mobs must first be subdued before one can attempt persuasion or punishment.”
My words caused the Vinyudan members’ eyes to waver.
“M-Mobs?!”
“It seems you’re not used to hearing such terms, but your actions are tantamount to riots.”
Whether it’s attacking the magic train or ambushing Esdinas Academy students during their fieldwork, no matter how much righteous indignation you may feel about the world, your actions bring chaos and harm to innocent people, making them no different from riots.
“However, as a servant of love, it’s my duty to understand and embrace the actions of unbelievers. Mother?”
“Yes, dear?”
“Could you move them into the resort over there?”
“Hmm?”
Though Marchioness Ludvecia tilted her head as if not understanding, she reached out toward the Binding Magic, casting a new spell.
“Alright. I just need to move them inside, right?”
Squelch.
The black Binding Magic began to seep downward, forming a group of small slime-like humanoids that carried the restrained Vinyudan members.
“Kyaaah!”
“L-Let go, mmph!!”
Their screams were muffled as black energy covered their faces. One by one, their eyes rolled back, unconscious.
It wasn’t suffocation or sensory overload.
It was simply a spell to induce sleep and render them unconscious.
Watching as the Vinyudan members were subdued and transported—
“You witch!!”
Estella, the only unrestrained executive, aimed her parasol at Marchioness Ludvecia.
Bang!
At the moment the tip of her parasol shimmered with magic, a sharp mana bullet shot toward Marchioness Ludvecia.
“!!”
The bullet was so fast that even Ludmila couldn’t react.
“Urgh?!”
Instructor Esta, who had been observing the situation, tried to deflect it with her sword. However, even when deflected, the bullet curved and flew straight toward Marchioness Ludvecia.
“A curse?!”
Thud!
The black cursed bullet embedded itself directly in Marchioness Ludvecia’s heart.
The non-physical bullet struck her chest, and the Marchioness grimaced deeply.
“This is…”
“Ahaha! Trying to deflect it with a sword? Not a chance! Did you think this was just an ordinary bullet?!”
Estella laughed as she leapt backward.
When Ludmila rushed forward, thrusting her spear, Estella flipped midair, using her heel to knock the spear away and widen the distance.
“What the…?!”
“Be careful! Her equipment seems to be all A-rank or higher!”
“Marchioness Ludvecia!”
As Evangeline and Ludmila faced off against Estella, Yunia hurried toward Marchioness Ludvecia to check on her condition.
“…Huh?”
“…Ahhh.”
Yunia looked alarmed at the state of the Marchioness, who groaned, staggering.
Thud.
She collapsed toward me, and I caught her, supporting her from behind in a half-embrace.
“Ahh, the curse, ahhh…”
“…This is just an act for now.”
I whispered briefly into her ear before lifting her in my arms.
“It’s fine. It won’t be fatal. It’s just a cursed bullet.”
“A cursed bullet…?”
“Yes. It’s a mana projectile imbued with the grudge of the Vinyudan executives. It doesn’t cause physical damage. Instead, it disrupts the flow of mana, especially effective against those with abundant magical energy.”
This was the secret behind Vinyudan’s ability to cause chaos despite their own lack of mana.
“The Black Rose Bullet.”
This cursed bullet, crafted by Vinyudan executives, could significantly weaken even the most powerful magic users if it struck their mana core directly.
“…Although it wouldn’t normally affect a Grand Mage like the Marchioness.”
“Ahhh, the curse… the curse…”
Marchioness Ludvecia groaned as she slightly opened her dress at the chest to reveal the bullet’s impact site.
“…So, it looks like this? Something… something…”
“Doesn’t it look like a tattoo?”
The mark resembled the black rose tattoos that high-society women sometimes adorned near their armpits or along the side of their chest when wearing off-shoulder dresses.
If this curse lingered, the Marchioness might be mistaken for one of those [Tattooed Women].
“Hahaha! With this, the Black Witch’s remarriage prospects are done for!”
Estella laughed mockingly at the Marchioness.
“Who in their right mind would marry a widow with a child—especially one who adopted a blond and tanned delinquent as her foster son?! Any man who sees that mark on your chest will think, ‘Ah, her mana is drained! She’s a cursed woman!’ Hahaha!”
“…Well, she certainly has a way with words.”
Yunia muttered with a sigh, her hand tracing the cursed black rose mark.
“Even while fighting Ludmila and Evangeline, she still manages to taunt like that.”
“Well, her equipment is top-notch, isn’t it? Don’t you think so, Senior Yurha?”
“…Yes.”
Yurha replied quietly as she approached from behind.
“The Vinyudan executives are all equipped with magical gear produced by the Silverstar Magic Workshop. Even if they don’t look it, every piece—from their hats to their shoes, and even their underwear—is likely A-rank.”
“…Huh?”
“Miss Yunia, I didn’t sell them those items. The Magic Workshop produces a variety of magical tools, but it’s not uncommon for the workshop to be raided and its products stolen by certain groups.”
In short, it was all “gear power”.
“They likely compensate for their lack of mana with magic stones embedded in each piece of equipment. Their bodies must handle the strain. …More importantly, are you sure you’re okay?”
“Hehe.”
Marchioness Ludvecia, touched by Yurha’s genuine concern, stopped pretending and began to rise slightly.
“This is nothing. Hm, if my son were to soothe the curse with his healing touch, it would likely dissipate quickly~”
“If it’s on your abdomen, I could manage, but since it’s there, you’ll have to remove it yourself.”
“Tsk.”
The Marchioness, disappointed, placed a hand over the cursed bullet mark.
Fwoosh.
Red flames ignited in her palm, and the black curse burned away into smoke, vanishing instantly.
“W-What?!”
The most shocked person was none other than Estella.
“H-How did you dispel my grudge?! That cursed bullet forged from my hatred—how?!”
“It’s just magic in the end. Analyze it, deconstruct it, and it can be undone.”
“T-That’s impossible! Even for an S-rank mage, undoing my curse is unthinkable!”
“You fought under the assumption it wouldn’t be possible? That’s unfortunate.”
Estella’s confidence faltered, her face twisting with growing panic.
What had once been assurance now gave way to a clear sense of defeat.
“So, what will you do? Will you abandon the other Vinyudan members you brought here and flee? If you kneel and sincerely apologize, I might consider letting you off lightly.”
This place might officially be Yurha Silverstar’s resort, but the ultimate authority over this land lies with none other than Marchioness Ludvecia.
“I can’t just let a mob that’s committed two acts of terrorism in my territory off the hook. Still, she must have some sense of loyalty. Her subordinates are tied up like this—she wouldn’t just run off alone, would she? Don’t you think?”
“Grr, ngh…!”
The eyes of the gathered Vinyudan members gradually turned toward Estella, but she continued to back away, step by step.
“D-Don’t think this is the end!”
“Mmph!”
Just as Estella appeared ready to flee, and as the eyes of the Vinyudan members widened in panic—
“Oh, here it comes.”
Fwoooooosh!
From the depths of the sea, a massive surge of black liquid erupted toward the sky.
“Senior Yurha, this is a win-win situation, wouldn’t you say?”
“Wait, wait—don’t tell me that’s… an S-rank monster?”
“I don’t know about the rest, but I’m sure it’s been drawn to that orange beacon over there.”
A wave of black water large enough to cover the entire ocean surged.
Within the churning tides, a colossal entity glared ominously.
“The tyrant of the abyss, with eight legs, shall rise from the darkness.”
“P-Phoenix?!”
“Is that… a prophecy?”
It wasn’t. I was just narrating for fun.
“His legs are his hands, and his suckers are his tongues.”
From within the black waves, a multitude of tentacle-like legs extended outward.
“My lambs, do not let your backs face the abyss.”
At this moment, the only person with her back to the sea—
Was Estella.
“Kyahhh!!”
Schrrrrk!
“Careful now. The moment you’re caught by that monster…”
The S-rank monster [Gerrquan Wiperus] emerged, its enormous tentacles coiling around Estella.
“…It becomes strictly R-19 content.”
