Seeing them exit the building, the nursery teacher who had been restless the entire time let out a relieved cheer.

“Oh my goodness! Amy! Julie! You’re safe! Thank goodness! Well done! I’m so proud of you! Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Teacher! We were so scared. We missed you. Hic… *sob*!”

“But we didn’t fall. We’re not hurt anywhere.”

The two girls fell into the teacher’s arms. The teacher gently caressed the girls’ faces, covered in dirt and dust, and conveyed her gratitude to Veronia.

“Thank you so much for saving our children.”

“It was what I had to do.”

Just as they were catching their breath, a male teacher’s urgent voice was heard from behind.

“Teacher! Ted from our class is missing. I can’t find him anywhere. I think he’s still inside!”

Everyone was startled at once. Among them, Veronia was the most shocked. Thump thump, her startled heart wouldn’t stop pounding.

“I thoroughly searched the boys’ restroom, but Ted wasn’t there. Is there a possibility he could be somewhere other than the living room or restroom?”

“Ah, if that’s the case…”

The teachers pondered deeply at Veronia’s question. The male teacher who seemed to be in charge of Ted answered.

“He might have been on his way back from the restroom to the room when he got scared by the explosion and hid somewhere in the hallway or another room. He’s quite a timid child.”

As soon as the teacher finished speaking, Veronia quickly opened her mouth.

“I’ll go back in and look for him. Teachers, please quickly evacuate the children far away from the building.”

“But… the building is about to collapse.”

“That’s right. It might already be too late.”

The teachers couldn’t readily nod to Veronia’s proposal.

Although it was to save a child, rushing into a building on the verge of collapse seemed like a suicide mission. But Veronia had no intention of listening to the teachers’ dissuasion in the first place.

She lowered her voice so that only the nearby teachers could hear her next words. She didn’t want to unnecessarily frighten the children by letting them overhear.

“There are soldiers in front of the building. One of you should go and bring them here. Have them protect the children. The demon trapped in the basement might break out.”

“Ah, the demon…”

The teachers shuddered as they recalled the forgotten existence of the demon. Veronia was right. They weren’t safe yet just because they had left the building.

“Understood. Please be careful. We’re counting on you for our Ted.”

“Yes!”

After shouting a brief reply, Veronia immediately turned and headed towards the collapsing building. Running at full speed, she prayed silently. That it wasn’t too late. That she could return safely with the child.

The fire that had started from the basement had already begun to spread to the first floor. Massive flames were engulfing the building at a terrifying speed.

Veronia, momentarily halted by the thick smoke filling the interior, took off her jacket and dipped it in the fountain before pulling it out. She put the soaking wet jacket, dripping with water, over her head and dashed into the building without hesitation.

“Ted! Ted! I’ve come to save you! Ted!”

Veronia, who had rushed up to the third floor in one breath, called out the child’s name at the top of her lungs.

Although it was difficult to secure visibility due to the smoke, she carefully checked not only the corridor leading from the restroom to the living room but also the rooms in between.

“Ted! Come out! Let’s go together! Ted!”

But the child was nowhere to be seen. The wet jacket was gradually drying, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to see ahead and breathe in the thick smoke. But she couldn’t give up now.

‘Ah! Perhaps he could be on the lower floor!’

Led by a sudden thought, Veronia headed downstairs. The child who tried to flee from the explosion might have stopped halfway down the stairs out of fear.

“Ted! I’ve come to save you! The building is on fire. It’s going to collapse soon. So let’s get out together! Ted!”

She called for the child with all her might. Although her throat was already sore and stinging, Veronia raised her voice even higher.

That’s when it happened. She thought she faintly heard something like a child’s cry brush past her ear. No, it was definitely the child’s voice. Veronia focused all her senses on her hearing and searched for the source of the faint sound.

“Ted! Where are you? I’ve come to get you! Ted! I’m the healer teacher. Remember? I treated Ted’s pain, didn’t I? Right? Ted!”

As she was desperately calling the child’s name, hoping her voice and sincerity would reach the frightened child’s ears, it happened. With a thunderous boom that shook the entire building, the room at the end of the flame-engulfed corridor collapsed.

“Aah! Uwaah! Help… help me! Huu… waaah!”

“…Ted!”

This time, the child’s voice was heard more clearly. It was definitely coming from the end room that had just collapsed with a roar. Veronia rushed there in an instant.

“Ted!”

“Huu… uwaah! It hurts. Help me!”

Seeing the young child struggling with one leg trapped under the debris, Veronia felt dizzy for a moment. She approached the child.

“Ted, you’re safe! Do you remember me? I treated your stomach, remember?”

“Huu…”

The child nodded, tears streaming down his face, in response to Veronia’s question. Veronia tried to smile brightly as she wrapped her jacket around her hand. She wanted to reassure the frightened child even a little.

“Now, I’m going to lift the heavy bricks on your leg. When I give you the signal, you need to crawl forward using your arms. Understand?”

“…Yes.”

“It must hurt a lot right now, but as soon as we get out of here, I’ll treat you. Then you’ll be completely healed. Do you trust me?”

“…Yes.”

The child bit his lower lip firmly and nodded resolutely. Veronia grabbed the bricks with her hands wrapped in the jacket.

The huge bricks looked extremely heavy. She had never lifted, let alone attempted to lift, such weight in her entire life.

‘But I must lift it in one go!’

She couldn’t afford to lose strength midway and drop the bricks. She took a deep breath and lifted the bricks with all her might.

But the bricks didn’t budge. Ugh, even gritting her teeth and applying more force didn’t change anything. Tears welled up in her eyes. She resented her own strength that was of no help in this life-or-death situation.

‘This method won’t work!’

Veronia let go of the bricks. She roughly wiped away the tears that kept flowing and looked around. If she could find a suitable stick to use as a lever, it might work. But all she could see were bricks everywhere.

‘Ah… what should I do!’

Veronia became urgent as she saw the flames that had consumed one side of the wall rising to the ceiling.

If they wasted more time here, the burnt ceiling would soon collapse. They had to escape before that. Veronia decided to use her own body as a lever as a last and only resort.

‘Will this work?’

It wasn’t a situation to hesitate or consider various options. She immediately wedged her shoulder between the floor and the bricks. Then, firmly planting her hands on the floor, she pushed up the bricks with all her might.

‘It’s working!’

The bricks slowly started to move. Her shoulder felt like it was being crushed, but she didn’t stop. Finally, when there was enough space between the floor and the bricks, she called out gently.

“Now’s the time! Ted! You can get out! Hurry!”

At her signal, Ted struggled with his small arms and crawled forward earnestly. After confirming that the child’s leg was completely free, Veronia let out a sigh of relief.

“Well done, Ted! I knew our Ted could do it. Wait there for a moment.”

Veronia, who had been supporting the bricks on one shoulder, slowly lowered her body. When the floor and the bricks were close enough, she quickly pulled out her shoulder.

Thud- With a dull sound, the bricks fell to the floor. Veronia quickly got up. She felt a heavy pain in her shoulder, but now wasn’t the time to worry about that.

Ted, who had severely injured his leg, lay on the floor looking up at Veronia with tear-filled eyes.

Veronia took out a teleportation scroll. She had brought two, and this was the last one left. She extended her hand towards Ted and said,

“This is a magical item called a teleportation scroll. Come on, take my hand. If you close your eyes for a moment and open them again, we’ll both be outside the building.”

“…Okay.”

Smiling gently at the child who was still nodding with a frightened face, Veronia firmly grasped the child’s hand. Just as she was about to unfurl the scroll, it happened. The ceiling, weakened by the fire, began to collapse.

“No! Ugh… ack!”

Veronia embraced Ted’s small body with all her might. Wooden beams and bricks rained down on her body.

“Ugh… ack! Ah!”

Blood flowed down her face, perhaps from her head being cut by a brick. Her left hand, trapped under the bricks, seemed completely crushed, and she felt sharp pain from her side and thigh where they had been burned by hot wood.

“…Ted? Are you okay?”

Veronia, slowly raising her body, checked on Ted first. The child, face covered in tears and snot, nodded.

“Huu… What about you, teacher? You seem to be hurt more. Huuk!”