Chapter 40: Nightingale, I’m Crying My Eyes Out!

Grey Cat watched her breakdown with satisfaction and took a final step forward.

She then tilted her head slightly and, with a cruel tone, granted her the truth like an act of mercy.

“If you want to hate someone, go hate the Witch named Nightingale. It was she who told me the counter-spell for the Trap Magic! It was she who designed this plan!”

“Farewell, Celestia!”

The moment her voice fell, that silver edge symbolizing death tore through the air, shooting toward the noble girl who seemed to have lost her ability to react, paralyzed by the truth!

However, just as Grey Cat’s fatal blow was about to touch Tia…

*Hum — !*

A flexible, bright, pale gold halo erupted from around Tia without warning, forming a spherical shield that steadily blocked Grey Cat’s short sword.

Grey Cat’s thrust was forcefully bounced back.

Her pupils shrank, and her pretty face was filled with shock.

“What is this?!”

Inside the light shield, Tia also seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, though her face still showed the lingering fear.

She forced herself to stand upright, her voice trembling with the feeling of having survived a disaster, yet she tried her best to maintain her noble pride and her trust in magic.

“This… this is my personal protection magic! Lady Mephia… she already anticipated that you insidious witches might have a backhand to crack the traps! Witch, you can’t escape. You should just surrender!”

“Surrender?! How is that possible?!”

Grey Cat seemed provoked by this naive suggestion.

Violent Magic Power gathered on her short sword.

“Hmph, it’s just a Triple-nested Protection Magic! What’s the big deal?! Within 30 seconds, I’ll break it for you layer by layer!”

Grey Cat sneered, and the dark light on her fingertips condensed once more.

She began to perform the cracking technique with high efficiency.

The first and second layers of magic were like eggshells being struck; they were soon covered in cobweb-like cracks and shattered.

Now, only the final layer remained, which was also the most solid layer of the shield.

Grey Cat did not pause for a moment.

Almost the instant she broke the second layer, she pressed all her Magic Power into it, using the most aggressive cracking magic she knew.

However, 10 seconds, 20 seconds… 30 seconds were almost up.

Although the shield fluctuated violently and intense ripples appeared on its surface, looking as if it were on the verge of collapse, it stubbornly maintained its basic form, showing no signs of completely breaking down.

“Why? Why can’t I break it?!”

Grey Cat’s breathing began to grow ragged.

Her Magic Power output was nearing its limit.

For the first time, a look of shocked anger — beyond what she had planned — and an undetectable trace of panic appeared in her eyes.

Inside the light shield, Tia’s face was still pale.

But seeing Grey Cat’s anxious appearance, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly before being quickly pressed down.

A flash of extremely complex emotion flickered in her deep blue eyes.

With a power that carried some kind of confession or love, she explained, “Because that’s not just protection magic. It’s the trust between me and Lady Mephia.”

“… Are you joking?!”

‘Could this last layer of protection magic really block my attack because of some nonsensical bonds?! Bonds of friendship? Bonds of love?!’

Grey Cat cursed in her heart while desperately increasing the output of her cracking magic.

However, right at that moment, the words Nightingale had spoken surfaced in her mind.

“Remember, you have 1 minute at most.”

1 minute!

Grey Cat suddenly woke up.

She looked at that final layer, which was covered in cracks but still managed to endure, feeling incredibly frustrated.

“So annoying! So annoying! I was just one step away! I was clearly just one step away!”

1 minute was up.

According to the plan, she should have retreated by now.

It was only the unwillingness in her heart that made her hesitate, and it was precisely this hesitation…

“Stop! You damned witch!”

A roar came from the entrance of the top floor stairs, followed by a burst of Magic Holy Light!

As Mephia’s current subordinate, Inquisitor Raymond and two other Inquisitors appeared in the top floor hall.

Upon seeing Grey Cat, Raymond’s long-suppressed anger erupted completely.

“Witch, kneel!”

Raymond shouted.

The terrifying magic revealed by his Iron Rank strength instantly attacked Grey Cat.

Faced with this sudden assault, Grey Cat had no time to make an effective dodge or defense!

‘Oh no! I’m going down here!’

The desperate thought had just arisen when another change occurred!

The space within the Library vibrated violently without warning.

A dark figure appeared behind Grey Cat.

Simultaneously, the figure waved a hand, and a strange black curtain instantly swallowed Raymond’s magic.

Grey Cat turned her head sharply.

Upon seeing the familiar figure, she cried out in shock, “Nightingale?! Why… why are you here?!”

Nightingale, dressed in a black dress, tilted her head slightly.

Her beautiful face held a bit of helplessness.

“Sigh, I already guessed you wouldn’t be obedient.”

After saying this, she looked back at the entrance of the top floor hall.

More and more Inquisitors were gathering there, and even Mephia had appeared among them.

“Listen, Grey Cat, I can only stall them for another 30 seconds at most! Within these 30 seconds, hurry up and escape. Run as far as you can. It’s best if you don’t let them catch you.”

Hearing this, Grey Cat said anxiously, “Then what about you?! What will you do?!”

Nightingale seemed to let out a small chuckle.

The sound was very short, almost indiscernible, but it carried a sense of resolve.

“Don’t worry about me. I just suddenly felt like meeting an old friend.”

“Nightingale, you…”

Grey Cat’s heart shook violently, and for a moment, she was filled with mixed emotions.

‘Is she using herself as bait to create a chance for me to live?!’

Since when did they have such a life-and-death friendship?

Or did she value the favor of the introduction that much?!

Before Grey Cat could think further, Nightingale took action.

At the entrance of the top floor, a Magic Teleportation Circle suddenly appeared beneath the feet of many Inquisitors.

At the moment they and Nightingale were all teleported away, Raymond took a step forward and dodged the magic array.

In an instant, only Tia, Raymond, and Grey Cat were left on the top floor.

Grey Cat gritted her teeth hard and glared at Tia with resentment, leaving behind a harsh threat.

“Damned Daughter of a Count! Consider yourself lucky this time! But in the future… I will definitely kill you!”

With that, she turned and fled toward the glass windows at the top of the floor.

Raymond, who had luckily escaped the teleportation array, snorted coldly and blocked her path.

***

On the other side, almost at the same time the battle on the top floor resumed, Nightingale and the group of Inquisitors returned to the first floor of the Library.

That was right; the distance the teleportation circle moved was very, very short.

The destination was the first floor.

However, at this moment, the entrance leading to the top floor was sealed by a new magical seal.

Nightingale stood elegantly in front of this seal, her crimson gaze full of mockery.

Mephia was still wearing her maid outfit.

She didn’t seem surprised at all by the destination of the teleportation circle, as if everything that had happened so far was still within her grasp.

After a few seconds of silence, she said indifferently, her voice revealing no emotion, “You clearly didn’t have to show up. Even if you can stall us for 5 minutes, she won’t be able to escape.”

Nightingale’s answer was very concise.

“She did me a favor.”

The corner of Mephia’s mouth moved ever so slightly, as if she were smiling or perhaps feeling a colder emotion.

At the same time, she took a step forward, closing the distance between them.

“Then should I be impressed? Is the bond between you witches really that deep?”

Suddenly, her tone turned cold, carrying an overwhelming pressure as if she saw through everything.

“Or… do you think that just because you’ve appeared before me as a Magic Fake Body, I really have no way to catch you?”