About 15 minutes before Aria and Bianca faced each other.
“I found it. This must be the base where Bianca del Castana is hiding like a rat.”
Aria had a cold expression as she pointed her finger at the middle of a deserted field, where nothing seemed to exist at first glance.
In her left hand, she held the branch of the world tree she had received from Kyrie, and in her right hand, she clutched a splendid platinum tie pin.
Needless to say, the tie pin Aria held was one of the gifts Bianca del Castana had given to Duke Estel as a bribe.
When Bianca presented it to the Duke, she imbued it with various enchantments, including preservation and cleansing magic, intended for her prospective father-in-law. These enchantments left remnants of her magical power on the tie pin.
Aria, who had found the tie pin endearing at first sight, saw an opportunity when she learned about the branch of the world tree’s properties from Kyrie.
It irked her deeply how Bianca had fawned over Duke Estel, and this tie pin was the perfect item to exploit, as it still held vivid traces of Bianca’s magic.
By retracing Bianca’s residual magic within the tie pin, Aria and Iris succeeded in locating Bianca del Castana.
“…Huh, this is ridiculous. There’s no place bolder—or more foolish,” Iris remarked, clicking her tongue when she realized where Bianca had kidnapped Cain and hidden him.
Surprisingly, Bianca had concealed herself just a few kilometers from the main town of the Duchy of Estel, in the middle of a deserted field.
It was well-known that criminals often linger near the scenes of their crimes, but to live so boldly in front of the Duchy after such a daring kidnapping—was she fearless, or just insane?
“…Huh. I think that gloomy woman just wanted to create a honeymoon atmosphere with Cain,” Aria muttered scornfully. “From the first time I saw her, I could tell she was nothing more than a woman who reeks of sandalwood in a gutter.”
“…..”
Iris stared at Aria, stunned by her venomous tone.
When Iris had first met Aria at Lumentium, she had been an innocent and sweet girl. But now, her words dripped with malice, and her once-bright eyes burned with poison and murderous intent.
The saying, ‘When a woman harbors resentment, frost lingers even in May,’ came to Iris’s mind.
“Anyway, that witch Bianca is holding Cain here with a barrier, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right,” Aria confirmed. “She’s refracting the air to make it unnoticeable and using an invisible elastic barrier.”
“…So, to simplify, Bianca del Castana has set up an invisible barrier here. Is that accurate?”
“Yes,” Aria replied, nodding.
Iris frowned slightly, troubled. “Hmm. Breaking barriers isn’t exactly my specialty… especially invisible ones—they’re tricky.”
The Celestial Sword that Iris wielded could sever any material in existence. Her will manifested as an image that enforced its laws upon everything within her slash’s range. Yet, ironically, this overwhelming power made precise tasks, like breaking barriers delicately, outside her expertise.
A single misstep, and Cain could end up cleaved in two.
“Barriers are Bianca del Castana’s forte. But this time, she’s holed up inside like a slug. It’s almost funny,” Iris muttered.
Just as she contemplated a solution, a distinct cracking sound resonated in the air, reminiscent of a cookie being crushed.
Iris turned toward the sound and saw a fracture forming in the space ahead of Aria, as though the very fabric of reality had shattered like glass.
“…Ha, you built this pretty solidly, didn’t you?” Aria muttered sarcastically. Then, without hesitation, she struck the fractured space with her fist as if swatting an insect.
Clink!
A sound akin to breaking glass echoed, and the space splintered. A part of the barrier collapsed, leaving a hole just large enough for one person to pass through.
“…Unbelievable…” Iris whispered, stunned by the spectacle.
She didn’t know much about magic, but she could tell Aria’s feat was extraordinary.
Barriers were resilient magical constructs, difficult to penetrate without immense force.
Yet, Aria had shattered only a portion with precision—a miracle unheard of even for Bianca del Castana, the world’s strongest mage, 10 years in the future.
“Princess, that’s it. Let’s go in,” Aria said coldly, her tone dismissive.
Iris, though brimming with questions, recognized the urgency and followed Aria through the opening.
Inside the barrier, the space transformed into a vast, open meadow, far different from the desolate exterior. It seemed Bianca had poured considerable effort into creating this environment to live with Cain.
“This space must exceed 10 kilometers,” Aria noted. “Wouldn’t it be more efficient to split up and prioritize our goals?”
Iris smirked bitterly at the suggestion, realizing Aria had no further need for her help. “Fair enough. I’ll focus on finding Cain. What about you?”
“I have two objectives,” Aria said, her eyes burning with a terrifying intensity. “First, I’ll rescue Cain and bring him to safety. And second…”
Her voice dropped ominously as a chilling aura filled the barrier.
“…I’ll take out the trash.”
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Check out my other projects: Rehabilitating the Villainess, Pushover Extra Trains the Villainesses, My Wife is the Devil, Transmigrated as the Butler of a Defeated Heroine, My Summons Are Special