Freuden explained what he had seen.
Rene's magical power went berserk, and because of her power, she and Rudger disappeared somewhere together.
After hearing that, Elisa had doubts but realized it was true when she saw Freuden's calm expression.
"But how did you see that, student Freuden?"
"That's personal, so it's difficult for me to explain."
"Alright. Then do you know where the two of them went?"
"I don't know either. It's my first time seeing something like this."
"Do you have any guesses? Anything at all?"
"No."
"Hmm. Of all times, when we urgently need help in this situation, Professor Rudger is absent..."Noticing Elisa's behavior of searching for Rudger, Freuden suddenly asked.
"Is Professor Rudger that important?"
Elisa's eyebrows curved slightly.
Freuden, who had been responding only formally, showed an emotional reaction for the first time.
"Of course. Exceptional talent like Professor Rudger is hard to find anywhere."
"Exceptional talent..."
Freuden's lips twisted.
"Do you really think that man deserves such an evaluation?"
Freuden immediately regretted his words.
In his surge of emotion, he had said something he shouldn't have but it was too late to take it back.
Expecting a rebuke from the President, Freuden was surprised when Elisa said something unexpected.
"As I thought."
"...?"
"So you knew about Professor Rudger too?"
"That's..."
Freuden was about to say something but then asked Elisa.
"...Are you saying you knew as well, President?"
"I found out later. But it seems you figured it out earlier than me. My goodness. A suspicious person entered Theon, and a student knew his identity but stayed silent."
"...I don't know his identity. I just had bad blood with that man in the past."
"That makes me even more curious. How did the heir to one of the Empire's three great ducal families have bad blood with Professor Rudger in the past?"
"That's difficult to explain..."
"I understand. Another personal matter, right? And judging by your reaction, it wasn't a good relationship."
"...Why do you trust that man, President?"
"Because he's capable. Isn't that enough?"
"That's..."
"I prefer people with exceptional abilities. Of course, I don't employ villains. Professor Rudger may be quite suspicious, but being suspicious doesn't necessarily mean he's bad, does it?"
That was a firm belief Elisa held.
Rudger's abilities were too attractive to dismiss him just because he was suspicious.
Moreover, Rudger's dedication to the students so far showed that he was, at minimum, not a villain.
Could that be an act?
Looking at how hard he fought to protect people in Dreamland, other teachers would think the same.
"Haven't you seen it too, student Freuden?"
"I won't deny that part. But I have reasons why I cannot forgive him."
"It's because of Rene, isn't it? How passionate. I wish something so romantic would happen to me too."
Elisa, who had been speaking playfully, suddenly sharpened her expression.
"Coming all the way here to tell me this means you have another purpose. Tell me."
Freuden found himself standing straight at Elisa's attitude.
Although Freuden was treated as an untouchable noble wolf among students, it was different when facing Elisa Willow.
Besides, hadn't he seen the power of her magic from a distance?
The pink light tearing apart space itself.
'This is the dignity of a 6th-tier magician.'
But not wanting to bow his head, Freuden gathered his strength by gripping his thigh.
"I would like to visit my family."
"You mean you want to go out for a while?"
"Yes. I plan to talk with my father. About this incident and about future matters."
"Father..."
Elisa smiled as if intrigued.
It was impressive to hear Freuden's determination, and he was saying he would seek help from his father, the head of the Ulburg family.
"From what I've heard, student Freuden doesn't get along well with his father... Am I wrong?"
"It would be a lie to say we get along. I don't think highly of my father."
"Yet you'll seek his help. As the heir to the family?"
"If necessary, I'll seek help as a son too."
"Hmm. You're quite determined. I don't know what's motivating you to such an extent. It must be the power of love, right?"
"I felt helpless staying still, unable to do anything."
Isla Machina is an island made up of massive mechanical devices.
Its overall shape resembled a large wedding cake, with a structure that got higher toward the center.
The steel spire at the center of the island was the headquarters of the New Tower.
But that wasn't where Rudger was heading.
Rather, the opposite.
He was heading toward the less frequented, messier streets.
"Huh? What's that?"
Many people gather and live in Isla Machina.
There are cities and residents. And many people visit from outside as well.
Naturally, some residents make their living through violence.
"Hey, mister."
A large man sitting and snickering in front of a bar signaled to his companions and blocked Rudger's path.
"I haven't seen your face around here. Did you take a wrong turn?"
Rudger's appearance—wearing a neat frock coat and carrying a woman on his back—stood out in the dirty alleyway.
Especially since Rudger's beauty could remind one of a noble young master, his presence was particularly noticeable.
"No. I've come to the right place. Where's the gambling den around here?"
"Huh. Gambling den? You look like you've got money, shouldn't you go to a better place than this shabby gambling den?"
"A better place?"
"Right here."
The man said this while showing his right hand.
In simple terms, he was indirectly telling Rudger to hand over his money.
-Click. Click.
The large man's outstretched right hand made a sound like gears meshing.
One of his arms wasn't human, but a brass prosthetic.
And it wasn't a prosthetic for everyday use. From its size and shape, it was significantly larger than a normal prosthetic.
Anyone could see it was more of a weapon than a prosthetic.
The large man was trying to intimidate Rudger with it.
His companions sitting at the table in front of the bar snickered at the sight.
They too, like the large man, had prosthetics in various places.
Some had prosthetic legs.
Some had prosthetic eyes.
Others had steel jaws below their mouths.
Their appearance, looking like they were partially modified, seemed both comical and grotesque.
"What do you think?"
"Do you know the geography of this place well?"
"This place? Ha. We've been roaming here for over 10 years. Beyond knowing the geography, we know who's doing what and where."
"Then let me ask for directions. Where's the gambling den?"
"Didn't you hear what I just said? It's right here."
The man clenched and opened his prosthetic hand in front of Rudger's face.
"Or are you dense? Will you understand only after that pretty face of yours gets scarred?"
"You want a man-to-man talk?"
"Ha. Look at this guy. Seems he's got some pride."
Just as the large man was about to glare at Rudger, his entire body froze.
"If that's what you want, I won't refuse."
The look in his eyes.
From Rudger's gaze, the large man felt something he couldn't resist.
'I, I can't breathe...'
Perhaps noticing something wrong with the large man, his quick-witted companions stood up with stiff faces and slowly began to surround Rudger.
"I don't know where you're from, but you picked the wrong day."
"He's even carrying a woman on his back."
"Wait. She looks pretty cute. If we do this right today..."
That sentence was never finished because the man's head was roughly slammed into the ground.
With a thud, his head hit the ground, and somehow Rudger was now naturally stepping on it.
"It seems I need to teach you what manners are."
"Wh-what?"
There was no visible movement.
None of them had even been able to react before Rudger stepped on their companion's head.
But it was too late to run now, and as a gang that had operated in this area for a long time, their pride was hurt, and they couldn't easily back down.
"Attack all at once!"
Rudger slowly gathered his magical power as he watched them rush towards him.
"I only need one survivor."
In the aftermath of the battle, those with destroyed prosthetic limbs were writhing on the ground everywhere.
The large man stared helplessly at his completely shattered prosthetic arm.
"Why would a magician be here..."
As Rudger stood in front of the large man, he immediately bowed his head.
"S-sorry! We didn't recognize you were a magician!"
"Enough, just answer my question."
"Q-question...?"
"Where is the gambling den? The largest gambling den in this area."
The large man, pale with fear, gave Rudger detailed directions to the gambling den.
"B-but why would a magician want to go to a gambling den..."
"That's none of your business."
"S-sorry!"
The large man prostrated himself.
Lifting his head slightly, he realized Rudger had disappeared and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Sigh. Just my rotten luck."
They had approached him because he was an unfamiliar face, only to find out he was a magician.
His claim about roaming the area for over 10 years wasn't a lie. He had seen many things here and gained various experiences.
Most often, he'd learned that people with shiny exteriors usually had nothing inside.
But of all the possibilities, this time he had drawn the short straw.
"Should I be thankful I'm not dead?"
What about his unconscious companions, and what about his broken prosthetic?
As he was sighing deeply with these thoughts, a man slowly approached him.
"Huh?"
The large man frowned as someone approached.
Looking at who it was, he saw a person wearing a long black French coat and a wide-brimmed hat pulled low over his head.
"What, who are you?"
Just as he was becoming suspicious of the outfit meant to conceal identity...
The large man's eyes widened as he saw the pale face revealed beneath the hat.
"Y-you, what the hell are you...!"
Instinctively, he realized the figure wasn't human.
At that moment, the pale-skinned man rolled his eyeballs oddly and asked, tilting his head strangely to the side.
"Where, where did John Doe go?"
"What? Who's that...?"
-Crack!
Before he could even ask what that meant, the pale-skinned man's outstretched hand crushed the large man's head.
"Ah, ah. Failed to control my strength."
He scratched his cheek with his blood-stained hand.
Red blood smeared on his cheek along the scratch, but the man didn't care.
"Well, it doesn't matter. I'll just sweep through the whole area."
As the man in the black coat walked ahead, dark shadows swarmed behind him.
Nikolas' claws moved to choke the life out of Rudger.