62. What does it mean to be the protagonist? (Leaning back)

Amidst the wind and snow, the raging tornado showed no signs of stopping. Since her identity was exposed, Professor Moriarty no longer pretended to be “so scared she couldn’t move” as she had when she was plotting against me.

Completely different from the ordinary wand-waving of spellcasters, the gale she conjured lifted her white robe, blowing off her glasses and stripping away the last barrier that concealed her cold gaze! Everything was reminiscent of the pursuers I had encountered while fleeing for my life in the Great Yng Empire, the “Great Yng Empire Patrol!”

Not just me; perhaps even Kephiel only realized at this moment that the professor’s usual playful remarks of “I’m also a seventh-tier, be careful or I’ll kill you” were definitely not a joke. I was, in fact, spending every day in the company of a reaper!

—

Even with Kephiel standing in front of me, just maintaining the range to protect me already showed her difficulty. However, she showed no sign of retreating, nor would she allow me to have any thoughts of retreating. Perhaps… this is what it means to be the protagonist.

“Professor… don’t you understand what I’m saying!?”

In terms of magic, both being at the seventh tier, Kephiel had no reason to be at a disadvantage. Perhaps she lacked experience, but she had the momentum! In the next moment, harnessing the ice and snow brought by this storm, Kephiel raised her sword, using that move I had dubbed “White Snow Blowing Up,” but I truly hoped she wouldn’t shout out that technique at this moment, sending the professor’s tornado back at her!

What a move of thunder and lightning… no, storm returned!

“Diviner, go watch that blonde shorty.”

“But you…”

“This time I don’t need you to predict for me; this is a matter between me and the professor…”

【The conflict between Kephiel and Moriarty is evenly matched.】

The script hung in the balance; I shouldn’t have let Kephiel fall into danger at such a time. However, when Kephiel glanced back at me, her eyes were filled with determination, an attitude that screamed “about to level up,” something I could have figured out without thinking. Unless I was foolish, I wouldn’t interfere at this moment.

I quickly found Letty leaning against the wall and took her “out of the battlefield.” On the other side, after resolving the crisis for me, Kephiel pointed her sword at Moriarty.

“Professor, why are you doing this!?”

“…It seems the Great Yng Empire has been so focused on turning you into a genius that they forgot to teach you the most important things. Kephiel, your growth… is still far from enough.”

“I’m asking you why you’re taking action against him!?”

“Don’t you understand yet? You are the genius of our empire, and right now…”

Before Moriarty could finish her sentence, I could no longer ignore the script unfolding before me!

【Moriarty killed Euclid!】

“Kephiel! She’s trying to deceive you!”

“You already have a weakness, Kephiel; that’s the reason.”

As soon as I shouted, Moriarty’s hand was already pointing at me! A sense of danger surged, as if it could bore a hole through me, making me doubt whether Moriarty had some kind of “death finger” skill.

Kephiel’s attitude could even determine how the Great Yng Empire treated the Rosia Empire! So Moriarty chose to use me! For a reason I couldn’t even be happy about: if something happened to me in the Rosia Empire, leading Kephiel to misunderstand something, she would definitely not let Ivan Letty off the hook.

Kephiel, the great and righteous one, you really don’t need to go this far for me.

But Kephiel wouldn’t care about that; perhaps I shouldn’t have reminded her, because as soon as I spoke, Kephiel realized something and, disregarding her own safety, chose to shield me from Moriarty!

The storm arrived in the blink of an eye! Kephiel couldn’t even construct a proper defense.

“Cough…”

In the next moment, accompanied by Kephiel’s painful cough, the fine sword in her hand broke in half, and she couldn’t withstand the impact, flying back toward me!

“Kephiel!”

Now was not the time to worry about my own image! I immediately stumbled to catch and steady Kephiel, and as for my own near-fall, I trusted Kephiel wouldn’t hold it against me.

“I… I’m fine, just that this is troublesome now.”

Kephiel clicked her tongue, tossing aside the broken half of her sword. “The sword is broken, and it was my casting medium. Low-level magic won’t work against the teacher, and if I can’t use high-level magic , then there’s no way…”

“Use mine.”

The next moment, a weak voice came from beside me.

Then, she shot a glare at Kephiel and tossed the sword I had finally retrieved for her forward. “What are you staring at, white-haired girl? Do you think I’m helping you? You don’t even know if you can survive Zeus’s lightning power, do you? Hurry up, Blet! We’re all going to kick the bucket!”

Kephiel unhesitatingly picked up Letty’s sword.

“Kephiel, stop! Let me finish my task, and don’t be so clever. Letty’s sword is filled with the power of lightning. If you don’t want your skin to turn black and age from the shock, just let it go . Your appearance is your second life.”

“But how would I know if I don’t try, teacher?”

Kephiel casually gestured, then turned to me with a smile before twisting her head back to start gathering magical power.

“And teacher, I don’t really care about bodily harm right now because… I already have a fiancé~”

Cough cough cough!

I coughed violently a few times, and Letty was still hitting my knee, which hurt a lot.

However, there was one thing I forgot to mention. Moriarty didn’t know, but I was very familiar with it.

The protagonist’s original weapon breaks, and then they casually pick up a new one. This is called the classic plot! So, it doesn’t matter what attributes the new weapon has; even if it’s a toothpick, that toothpick can turn into a divine artifact!

Don’t ask why Kephiel could pick up Letty’s sword without a scratch, even though at this moment, lightning surged around me, mixed with the surrounding wind and snow swirling up. Kephiel looked calm and composed.

It’s the protagonist’s halo!

“Kephiel… how can you accept… something like this…”

The professor was momentarily stunned, then suddenly woke up and began to defend! However, it was too late.

If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for targeting the wrong person, because I was just holding onto Kephiel’s thigh! Stirring up trouble with the main character’s group, I see you must be feeling lucky. Saying the protagonist can’t use someone else’s weapon? I think you’ve played with too much poison milk powder and forgotten that the protagonist has no equipment binding rules!

“I already told you, professor… you are not allowed to act on his intentions.”

Lightning fell from the sky, and the swirling ice and snow, with a momentum comparable to an avalanche, swept everything around Moriarty away in the next moment!