The Strongest Gun Magus: I Cast Bullet!-Chapter 46: Naughty Children

’This is my revenge on the old asshole!’ Reynard thought, looking over the treasury with greedy eyes.

Then he began putting magical items into the bag one after another, without even looking at what they were! Coins to pack later, ingots of Blue Bismuth, magical blades, potions, orbs, wands, and scrolls... There was no time to identify them all!

Marien was more exploratory in her looting. She took only the ones that grabbed her attention, and her bag was filling much more slowly. Despite that, Marien decided that she had enough much sooner than Reynard did.

She wasn’t about to haul heavy stuff on her back.

"Enough," Reynard finally said, when his bag became full and so heavy with metal that he had difficulties carrying it around. "It would be very unfortunate if the Blue Bismuth School went bankrupt after today, after all."

The shelves of the treasury were much poorer than before. Almost every magical item from them has moved to Reynard and Marien’s bags. There were still plenty of coins lying around, but the artifact shelves were almost empty.

Marien shrugged without much care.

"That can’t happen! We are magi, we can’t be poor!" She glanced at Reynard. "Well, magi who are above First Cycle Nigredo can’t be poor."

Reynard rolled his eyes.

She really was too sheltered! Yeah, magi are privileged thanks to their strength, but there’s always a bigger fish...’

He was about to turn to the exit when his eyes fell on an item lying at the corner of a recently emptied shelf.

It was a half-melted piece of gold alloy, covered in a thin layer of dust, but still emanating powerful mana. Why it was abandoned in the treasury, Reynard didn’t know, but it looked like a perfect material for a gun.

He quickly shoved it in a pocket and went outside the treasury.

Marien closed the door behind the two of them and left the key lying on the ground.

Every step they took up the stairs and hallways echoed with the tinkling of dozens of artifacts, coins, and ingots.

"Reynard, you are too noisy!" she complained in a whisper.

Reynard winced.

"It’s hard to sneak with all these stolen things... But we just have to get outside. We aren’t THAT loud..."

But although Reynard jolted at every suspicious noise coming from the rooms, nothing actually happened.

The two magi made the entire way out of Marien’s window uninterrupted and even got down the rope without dropping any of their bags to the ground.

They were almost near the wall when Reynard heard the first shout behind his back.

A loud, angry shout...

"NOOOOOO!"

Marien winced.

"Oh, I think that’s Georg. Grandpa’s assistant. Uh..."

Reynard grabbed her hand.

"I don’t care who it is, it’s time to run! Run as fast as you can!"

"Aaaah!"

Reynard put the bag of stolen goods over his shoulder and put all his efforts into running. Wide-eyed Marien was right behind him, laughing excitedly.

Shouts of alarm and confusion followed them like waves following a boat.

Students and servants got out of their beds to stare at the source of so much noise. Lanterns and torches were lit... But Reynard and Marien were always a step ahead, and always not where the light was shining.

"Ouch!"

Reynard would’ve fallen face-first onto the ground if Marien hadn’t caught him by the shoulder.

"Thank you! Damn, who put this pothole here? Anyway, we are close! Look, the wall is just ahead!" he said, running again.

"He is close, too!" Marien shouted, glancing back. "If I close my eyes, I can sense him!"

"If you close your eyes, you will fall, too! Just look under your feet! Who is ’he’, anyway?"

Without waiting for an answer, Reynard threw the heavy bag of loot over the wall.

Marien stopped next to him.

"He is—"

"What in seven sins’ name are you doing, wretched children?! Master Bartholomew was right, the little devil IS a terrible influence on you, Miss Marien. Get away from him immediately, Master will have stern words with you soon!"

Georg was standing fifteen paces away, pointing a long metal staff at Marien. The usually unassuming man was ruffled from sleep, his white robe was barely closed over his chest, and he wore no shoes. But there was more fury and confidence in him than ever.

His white aura was blazing with it, too. Reynard barely needed to focus to sense it.

Georg was Second Cycle Albedo. Stronger than First Cycle, but not by much, and still way weaker than Final Cycle.

"Well, tell him to go... And retire!" Marien shouted right back. "He was unfair to me, and I’m just taking back what I owe. If not for him, I’d go on an adventure already!"

She turned toward the wall, but Georg whispered several words, and a spell formed on the tip of his staff.

"Careful, Mari!" Reynard shouted, swiftly shooting a Fire Bolt toward it.

A coiling wind serpent the length of several paces formed on Georg’s staff and slithered forward through the air—a proper Albedo spell, and not one given out to every other student.

Reynard’s Fire Bolt only wounded the creature, slowing it down.

It still lunged for Marien, trying to grab her, but she jumped away.

"You dare to attack me! Georg!"

"I would have spanked you if I could! Just don’t be in the way if you don’t want to be harmed!" Georg said, pointing his staff at Reynard this time.

The Wind Serpent changed directions accordingly. It opened its half-transparent mouth wide, showing a set of curved, wicked teeth.

’Is this staff tied to this specific spell?’ Reynard thought, while his hands were doing magical passes on their own.

Spirit Armor surrounded him an instant before the Wind Serpent’s teeth closed over Reynard’s shoulder like a bear trap. Spirit Armor rippled dangerously, but held on for now.

From Marien’s fingers, a bolt of lightning went at Georg, who batted it away with a gesture.

"I told you to stay away!"

Next, Georg returned the spell right back at Marien.