**[EP.10 Slave Traders]**  
-Mounting Waves, Submerged Iron Bars-

Originally, this episode did not begin with a kidnapping.

The main characters went on a field trip to the sea: Regia, Irene, and Charlotte. While taking a late-night stroll, they stumbled upon a passing carriage of slave traders. The girls immediately decided to follow the carriage to rescue the captives and eventually arrived at a massive cargo ship used for transportation.

**-W-What do we do?  
-The professors won't be here for a while...!**

**-They're about to set sail.  
-This is our only chance.**

**-Right. If we hesitate, they'll leave.  
-Let's go.**

The girls boarded the ship and engaged in battle. Although the guards scrambled in confusion, Regia's unstable abilities at the time were offset by the others' growing prowess. They managed the crisis smoothly. When Charlotte's identity as royalty was revealed, Unknown retreated.

**-There's no need to get involved with the princess.  
-Hound... Unfortunately, our alliance ends here.**

The sudden betrayal reduced the difficulty of their mission. Despite the Hound's fierce resistance, the girls worked together and eventually defeated him. Just when they thought everything was over...

**BOOM!!**

A powerful explosion echoed. The ship was rigged to sink if the Hound, the person in charge, died. This measure was put in place to prevent their enemies from seizing the ship and its cargo. The damaged vessel began to sink into the sea.

**-W-We need to escape now!  
-It's sinking too fast!**

**-These maniacs...!  
-There are still innocent people trapped below!**

**-We don't have enough time.  
-At this rate, we'll go down with it.**

The girls did their best, but in their exhausted state, they couldn’t save everyone. The crashing waves. The sinking iron bars. They could only watch in helpless despair as the scenes unfolded.

It was not a bright ending. This heartbreak pushed the main characters to grow, serving as a turning point for future development. A typical narrative of growth through failure.

**'It was just... too cruel.'**

The portrayal of the three girls, broken and sobbing, was vivid. No matter how many attempts were made, the ship could not be saved. The story only progressed when the boss (the Hound) was defeated. Attempts to disable the explosive magic failed as the ship’s circuits were a complex network of hundreds of overlapping spells, embedded throughout the vessel.

**'It was unavoidable.'**

The same would have happened to anyone else. No matter how talented, they were still students who hadn’t completed their coming-of-age ceremony. That made it all the more painful. The image of the children weeping always came back to me.

**'Poor souls.'**

A bitter taste lingered. As I brushed aside my musings, I felt a tug on my sleeve. It was Irene, leaning against me.

**“W-What did I just hear? The ship is going to sink…?”**

Her black eyes were wide with fear, trembling at the mention of the ship sinking. Her voice quivered.

**“Is the ship really going to go down…?”**

Just when it seemed like we’d narrowly escaped, a far greater problem loomed. To her, it must have felt like a bolt from the blue. I replied calmly.

**“It hasn’t happened yet.”**

**“But that man said there’s going to be an explosion in 30 minutes. If we don’t free everyone now...”**

**“Irene. Stay calm.”**

**“But there’s no time...”**

**“Shh.”**

I placed my index finger on her lips. Her panicked words halted, and she slowly caught her breath, calming like a fading ember. She soon lowered her head.

**“...Is this my fault again?”**

The whispered words were tinged with agony. Was she blaming herself? After all, Irene had slain the Hound. What she had done to protect everyone had triggered their downfall. It was enough to make her mind go blank. I firmly denied her doubt.

**“It’s not.”**

I gently placed my hand on her head, playfully ruffling her red hair to reassure her. Her unfocused eyes met mine.

**“This time, it will be different.”**

I spoke with confidence. After gently setting Irene down on the deck, I said:

**“I’ll handle it.”**

*Snap!*

I clicked my fingers, channeling energy from the shadows around me as my senses expanded, searching through the entire ship for traces of the foreign mana.

---

*Beep!*  
[Remaining power level: 20.2%]

---

I had used quite a bit, but I could still manage it, barely.

**'The ship has 70 explosive spells installed.'**

Even if five detonated, the ship could still stay afloat. Thus, I needed to disable 65 spells at once. The circuits were intertwined like a massive web; touching one wrong node would trigger all 70 spells at once. I needed to disarm them with pinpoint precision.

**'First, I need a clear view.'**

The circuits were scattered evenly across the lowest level. To solve this at once, I needed a position where I could oversee all 70 circuits simultaneously. I clapped my hands.

*Clap!*

In the next moment, I was hovering above the sea, slightly away from the ship. The dark waves rolled beneath my feet, and the sea breeze brushed against my ears as I gazed at the massive vessel.

**“...”**

After a deep breath, I opened my eyes. The world transformed into one painted with mana, revealing the glowing threads binding the circuits. I pointed to their center.

**“Illuminate.”**

The intricate patterns of circuits sharpened into view. My fingers traced the pathways, untangling the spiderweb-like network. It required intense concentration, akin to threading a needle from across a room. I took a steady breath, focusing on the heart of the circuits.

---

*Beep!*  
[Remaining power level: 15.4%]

*Beep!*  
[Remaining power level: 12.1%]

*Beep!*  
[Remaining power level: 9.7%]

---

My power was draining fast. In that tense moment, I found the heart of the circuits—a brilliant, star-like node. I aimed my finger at it without hesitation, channeling my remaining energy into a single, shadowy projectile.

**“Break.”**

**“Obfuscation.”**

With a faint sound like air escaping, the shadow pierced through the heart of the circuits. The mana lost its glow, neutralizing the spell.

*Thud, thud...*

Even as the minutes passed, the ship remained silent, with only faint echoes in the distance. The vessel held firm.

**'It's done.'**

Just as relief washed over me, a familiar alert sounded.

---

*Beep!*  
[Remaining power level: 0%]

---

A screen flashed in front of my eyes. Moments later, I coughed up dark blood.

**“Cough...!”**

My sleeve became soaked with the blackened blood. The levitation faded, and I fell toward the sea. The churning water surged up, and the cold enveloped me. My vision blurred.

**'I need to surface, but my body... won't move.'**

My eyelids grew heavy.

**'This is bad...'**

Just as my consciousness faded, a final sight filled my vision:

A hand grabbed mine, pulling me up. The last thing I saw was a flash of red hair.

---

A short time later, back on the ship’s deck.

Two soaked figures lay on the cold surface, as if just pulled from the sea.

**“Wake up...!”**

The golden-haired boy lay motionless, not breathing. Irene, her face pale, was pressing on his chest, desperately performing CPR.

**“No... you can't die like this.”**

Despite her exhaustion, she didn’t stop. Tears dripped down as she clutched his face and breathed air into his mouth, determined to save him.

I regained consciousness two days later.