“…… You want...... Take them away? ”

When Joshua saw Maka leading a group of ragged children out of the dungeon, his face showed obvious haste.

Maca just glanced at him and continued on her way. Behind him, wounded children held each other and silently followed him.

Unlike Joshua, who had already been tortured and distorted in his heart, these children were not yet receptive to the poison, and somewhere in their hearts had not yet been invaded by obedience.

Even if they still dare not speak, they are surprisingly consistent in their actions.

"No, I can't...... You can't take them away...... The host would ......"

"Are you going to go with you too?"

Maca stood still and interrupted him.

“…… I? No, no...... I ......"

"Your master has abandoned you, hasn't he?" Maca still stood there, not looking back.

“…… I...... But...... Mark ......"

Hearing the word "mark", Maca couldn't help but feel a stir in her heart. He turned around abruptly and looked at Joshua calmly, but his eyes were unusually sharp.

"So......" Maca said as she looked at him, "if I helped you remove the Dead Hallmark, would you want to leave with me?" ”

"Go, remove? Impossible...... I ......," Joshua said incoherently, his hands trembling on his chest, where the brand mark was.

"Would you want to leave with me?"

No matter how shaken his heart was, Maca's voice remained flat.

Perhaps it is only at a certain point that the "master" will give these children a mark. From what Maca had previously observed, the brand mark must have been done by some kind of dark magic.

"I ...... Leave? Joshua stared blankly at Maca, and after a long moment he said, "Where can I go......

"Think for yourself."

Maca dropped the words, then turned around again and walked in the same direction she had been coming.

Joshua stood at the entrance to the dungeon, watching Maka's back grow farther and farther away from him, watching the children not even look at him, his hands gradually clenching tighter and tighter.

After living here for so many years, he had never thought about what it would be like if he was free, but now, this reality was clearly laid out in front of his eyes.

The wizard who was younger than himself...... Is it possible to remove the mark given to you by your owner? The imprint that torments itself day after day, year after year...... Can it really be removed?

Maybe, right? That wizard was terrifyingly strong...... Maybe, right?

“…… I'm going with you! Joshua suddenly cried out, "I don't want to be beaten again!" I'm going to...... Live the kind of life you had when your mom was still around! ”

The long-sealed page of memory quietly opened in his heart, and the faded picture seemed to reappear in front of his eyes.

“…… Is it? Maka finally turned around again, looked at him from afar, and said, "Unfortunately, I can't give you that kind of thing...... If you want it, you have to work on it. All I can give you is a chance. ”

With that, Maca led the children to continue in the direction of the restaurant, and Joshua, who was stunned, hurriedly chased after him.

……

"Take off your shirt and sit down in a chair."

In the monastery's dining room, Maca lit the wood in the fireplace and urged Joshua.

Joshua was swirling with mixed emotions, and in silence he removed his clothes, revealing his thin, equally scarred upper body.

And on his chest, the faint black and purple aura of the Deathly Holy Mark was actually inconspicuous, because around that mark, those strange tendons that spread out were much more eye-catching than that.

Once he had sat down in the chair, Maca came up to him with her staff and carefully probed the mystery.

“…… There is no doubt that the imprint has a curse attached to it. But......" Maca frowned slightly, sensing the fluctuations in her mana, "Huh? What is this extra magic point? ”

Unlike ordinary wizards, he can clearly sense magic at close range, and it will be easier for him to parse spells. Soon he spotted something suspicious in the subtle and complex fluctuations of magic.

He immediately took out a stack of manuscript paper and placed it on the dining table next to him, sometimes touching the brand mark with his magic power, and sometimes writing and drawing with him, as if he was calculating something.

However, just as he observed the magic feedback again, and leaned over to perform the deduction again, his hand holding the quill suddenly stopped.

While he was particularly adept at analyzing spells, it took time, and he was far from complete at the moment.

What made him stop the deduction process was a wave of magic fluctuations that were particularly obvious!

Maca turned suddenly, the quill in her hand tossed aside, and regained her grip on his staff. In his eyes, he saw a black-purple glow emanating from the Death Mark on Joshua's chest.

Maca frowned at the change in mana, and cautiously stepped back, placing the staff in her hand between him and Joshua.

Immediately afterward, Joshua suddenly fixed his eyes on him, and the cowardice in those eyes had completely disappeared. What Maca can feel at this moment is a kind of indifferent profundity.

“…… Hello, kid. ”

Without warning, Joshua spoke, but his tone was full of vicissitudes.

"Do you like the gift I gave you?"

Maca finally confirmed what he was deducing - a spell that could connect and forcibly control the soul of the caster.

“…… What do you mean? Maca looked straight into those eyes and said, "That parchment from Newmond Gaddri?" ”

A meaningful smile appeared on the other party's face.

"No kidding!" Maca snapped, "Your plot won't succeed!" I won't let you hurt any of my friends! With me, you won't be able to set foot in Hogwarts even half a step! ”

"Yes, I believe you have the strength," the other party nodded slightly, "but why don't you think about it, where are you now?" ”

As soon as these words came out, Maca's face changed suddenly, and after a brief moment of shock, his face was filled with intense anger. But before he could say anything, the other party smiled softly.

"Well, what a kind kid......"

Joshua turned his head, looked left and right, and nodded calmly.

"No wonder Albus chose you, it should be very much to his appetite, because 'love' is his truth!" As he spoke, Fu sighed again, "Saving a group of children trapped in the dungeon waiting to die doesn't count, even this child wants to be saved, you are a real Hufflepuff." ”

"But can you save all the people in this world?" He asked, looking at Maca.

"You don't have to worry about it!" Maca glared at him and said fiercely, "Professor Dumbledore has been locked up there for so many years, and you haven't had the slightest introspection?" I'm warning you! If you dare to do anything to Hogwarts, I'll find you even if I dig through every inch of the world! ”

"Really?" The other party nodded seriously and said, "I will wait for that day to come!" Also, as a good friend of your teacher, I would like to give you a word - why don't you go back to Hogwarts sooner? ”

"What's wrong with Hogwarts! You make it clear—" Maca roared.

"Hmm...... You've got a funny wand! ”

As soon as he finished saying this, the black-purple light on Joshua's chest suddenly dimmed again, and the depth in his eyes gradually faded, turning into a look of confusion.

Seeing this, Maca, who was standing in front of him, suddenly dissipated the anger on her face and regained her usual calm.

"Shhh ”

Although he was indeed a little angry, he was not angry to that extent. In fact, from the moment he saw the parchment at the Tower of Newmondgard, he began to suspect Greenwald's purpose.

The parchment was simple, and Greenwald told Maca that he was going to make a comeback and restart the cause of disruption that had been terminated by Dumbledore.

In it, he also specifically stated that Hogwarts would be completely destroyed without Dumbledore.

However, what is the point of leaving such an outright "crime notice"? Is it just to provoke those who go there?

That's right, it's a provocation! Maca noticed the suspicion on the spot.

There is no doubt that the guy who left this kind of text, if not a fool whose IQ does not reach the passing line, must be trying to divert the attention of others.

But what exactly does that Gellert Greenwald want to do? Maca has not had any answer to this question so far.

In line with the principle that "the enemy's flaws are his own weight", Maca smashed Nyumengard on the spot, and smashed it cleanly and decisively, releasing his anger to the fullest.

Even if he only had doubts in his heart at the time, that's all.

And just now, Greenwald's inexplicable appearance made Maca puzzled again. Because the other party's appearance this time was too abrupt, there was no reason at all.

What "as a good friend of your teacher, I want to give you a word", the first generation of the Dark Lord who will do anything to achieve his ends, would say such things?

Anyway, Maca didn't believe anything.

Of course, even then, he had to go back. Even if he knew that the other party had other purposes, the safety of Hogwarts was indeed a point he had to care about.

"But there's no need to be in such a hurry......"

Maca picked up the quill from the ground, checked that the tip had not been broken, and then dipped it in ink and continued to deduce it on the manuscript paper.

Just now, while he was feigning his anger, he sensed something else from the brand mark that was in motion......