Episode 1013

Episode 1013

Jinon, persuaded by the other wizards’ words, accepted their reasoning.

The letter’s contents were a bit odd, but not unreasonable.

“Then I’ll gladly accept her kindness. Lady Erindarbel didn’t really have to go this far…”

“She’s one of the few archmages in the Empire worthy of respect.”

The wizards straightened their collars and showed their respect.

In an Empire teeming with eccentric archmages, a responsible mage like Erindarbel was always respected by her juniors.

“By the way, how did the search for the monster’s traces go?”

Because Green Jade Tower had many combat wizards, there were more wizards active in the field than researchers inside the tower.

Jinon was naturally one of those wizards.

What the Green Jade Tower wizards were preoccupied with now was tracking a monster that had crossed over from another dimension.

For ordinary folk, an extra-dimensional monster was simply a target to be eliminated, but for curious wizards, it was walking treasure.

It was full of secrets and rules from other worlds.

“The wizards are tracking the signs where it fled, so we’ll have results soon. Please be cautious.”

“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”

Jinon nodded.

Although an experienced combat wizard, Jinon never let his guard down.

Who would go after such dangerous business with a light heart?

• * *

“…?”

Arriving at the abandoned warehouse district outside the capital, Lee Han was puzzled by the alien aura welling up from underground.

It was the kind of energy from another dimension he had encountered inside and outside Einrogard a few times before.

‘What is this? Did a dimensional gate open?’

A wizard with keen senses could imagine the scenery beyond just by seeing a gateway between dimensions.

The extra-dimensional energy streaming from the basement now was quite foreign and sinister. It was definitely not some warm and friendly realm.

‘…Something’s off.’

One of the lessons Lee Han had learned at Einrogard was that a trusted staff could hit you in the back of the head at any moment.

After all, his own staff had once tried to hit him, so the lesson was especially well-learned.

Even if the headmaster vouched for Erindarbel’s character, she was still Yukveltire’s mother.

‘Headmaster could have been fooled, or maybe they’re accomplices from the start.’

“Wardanaz?”

“!”

Lee Han was delighted to see the penguin beastkin wizard waddling up behind him.

“Lady Alsicle!”

“What are you doing here… Ah. Well. I guess it’s not even surprising.”

She was startled to see Lee Han at a job tracking a monster from another dimension, but Alsicle understood quickly.

Come to think of it, the fight with evil god worshippers the last time had been just as incredible.

“…??”

Lee Han sensed something odd, but Alsicle shook her staff first.

“Hurry up, let’s go down. The others are waiting.”

“Uh… Sure. By the way, Lady Alsicle, what brings you here? Did you get an invitation, too?”

“Hm? Something like that.”

Alsicle nodded.

Thanks to Lee Han, Alsicle had found a new patron recently, so she had come to the capital to pick up some necessary magics and supplies.

During that process, the other wizards asked for her help.

-We need an excellent ice magician to track the monster that appeared this time.

-I’m not particularly interested in monster tracking…

-It’s an unidentified monster from an unconfirmed dimension. If captured, you’ll get first investigation rights.

-Best promise ever! I’m in!

“???”

Even after hearing the conversation, Lee Han cocked his head.

“At what point during that conversation were you convinced?”

“What? Wardanaz. It’s an unidentified monster from an unverified dimension. What if it has the secret to the magic I want? Isn’t that why you’re here?”

“I don’t think that’s likely…”

Optimistically speaking, it was hard to imagine that an unknown monster would hold the vision to eliminate the world’s suffering.

At best, it might not even know how to improve Einrogard…

“I was invited by Lady Erindarbel, actually.”

“Lady Erindarbel?”

Alsicle looked surprised for a moment, then murmured,

“If it was Lady Erindarbel who invited you, there’s nothing to worry about… Hm. It really was needless concern.”

She had a tiny lingering worry that even Wardanaz might be too reckless, but the mention of the archmage’s name banished it completely.

“What was that?”

“Oh, nothing. Wardanaz. Capturing a monster from a yet-unfound dimension is as exciting as exploring an unexcavated ruin. I’m sure it will help you, too.”

“Mm. All right.”

Erindarbel aside, when Alsicle spoke with such confidence, Lee Han dropped his suspiciousness and accepted.

Maybe it was just his imagination.

Flash!

Having found the stairs into the basement, Alsicle summoned luminous ice atop her staff.

“This used to be an old underground sewer sector. When the Empire was built, it was abandoned after new facilities were made.”

Not just the Empire—kingdoms before it also built large sites where the flow of magic was strong.

They had to ensure there was enough magic for the spells used.

Naturally, this abandoned underground sewer was richer in magic than elsewhere.

But…

“The mana here is quite turbid.”

“You can tell? Right. It’s pretty polluted. It should have been purified quickly, but they kept putting it off…”

“Why put it off?”

Lee Han tensed slightly.

Mana itself was just a pure force, but once its nature shifted, it became a storm whose effects could not be predicted.

Polluted mana could bring in other-dimensional beings or even attract evil god worshippers…

“Budget issues?”

“Ah.”

Lee Han was immediately convinced.

If it was a matter of budget, not some evil bureaucrat or wizard’s plot, he could accept that.

“The monster probably used the mana here as a gateway to come through to this sector.”

“Does the monster have any known traits?”

“Hm. Not much yet. It’s stealthy, agile, and very gluttonous.”

It was obvious it was stealthy and agile.

A monster crossing over from another dimension had to be, to escape all the sharp-eyed wizards.

But gluttonous?

“Did it steal food or something? Like an Einrogard student?”

“Why that comparison… It eats everything. Not just food, but inorganic material, organic matter—devours it all. Where it goes, it’s wiped clean.”

‘Sounds like Gainando.’

Lee Han thought of a rather rude comparison as he walked on.

Following the musty sewer tunnel, a pale light appeared from afar. The advance team had arrived first.

“You’re here. …Wait, who’s this wizard?”

The advance team member pointed at Lee Han in surprise.

Alsicle had met these wizards before, but the unfamiliar wizard beside her was an issue.

‘Isn’t that an Einrogard student?’

“This is Lee Han of the Wardanaz family. Lady Erindarbel recommended him.”

Thanks to Alsicle’s introduction, the other members began murmuring.

“Lady Erindarbel did? She did say she’d introduce a wizard…”

“What year are you? Fifth?”

Though Alsicle was always a confident, arrogant wizard, she hesitated.

A remnant of conscience.

“Uh… a bit lower.”

“Fourth year, then? I mean, I know Einrogard wizards are skilled, but isn’t this risky? Not even a fifth-year, but a fourth?”

“But Lady Erindarbel personally recommended him, didn’t she?”

“Hmm, that’s true, but…”

The members discussed among themselves.

They trusted the archmage’s recommendation, but still—a fourth-year student, not even graduated, from Einrogard?

This was a fairly dangerous expedition.

Even knowing the skill of Einrogard wizardry, they wondered if he could manage.

“I heard Sir Voladi guaranteed his ability…”

“That’s right! This Wardanaz is Professor Baegrek’s protégé, too.”

Alsicle, overhearing the murmurs, quickly replied.

At that, the others’ expressions changed slightly.

“Really?”

“Then it makes sense… Wait, Lee Han of the Wardanaz family? Isn’t he a second-year?”

A member who was about to accept recalled an old rumor and shouted.

Alsicle looked at Lee Han with a slightly resentful gaze. Lee Han felt wronged.

‘This isn’t my fault.’

• * *

There was even greater confusion and shock, but the members eventually accepted it.

With recommendations from Erindarbel and Professor Voladi, it was hard not to trust—even if he was just a second-year at Einrogard.

“If you’re all ready, let’s reveal it.”

“Reveal what?”

At Lee Han’s question, the wizards who had arrived first grinned—

As if they’d been waiting for that question.

“You probably assumed we’d open a dimensional gate and chase the beast, right?”

“Isn’t that it?”

Alsicle was surprised too.

Chasing monsters with dimensional crossing abilities was essentially a game of tag.

You had to be prepared to leap from world to world.

They naturally thought this monster would require pursuit like that…

“Ah. So instead of fleeing to another dimension, the monster is hiding here beneath us, causing dimensional erosion? Wait, if so, it would have been discovered sooner… So it has camouflage, and these spells are to unmask it?”

Lee Han guessed based on his knowledge and experience.

Sometimes, other-dimensional intruders caused erosions.

Like when the Frost Giant King came to Einrogard and brought a season of extreme cold, spreading his dimension.

Now that he thought about it, the energy he felt above was too strong to be just a dimensional gate—it was more likely the site of dimensional erosion.

So the monster wasn’t fleeing to another dimension but hiding underground.

Since it wasn’t discovered until now, it must have powerful camouflage…

“…That’s right…”

The wizards who were about to explain became visibly disappointed.

They’d planned to surprise him, but his immediate deduction stole their thunder.

“I… I was surprised!”

“Thanks. Pengerine. …Wait, you’re saying you didn’t explain it to him?”

“I didn’t know…”

As she spoke, Pengerine felt her face flush with shame.

Had she been objective, she could have guessed by the mana flow and the spells the expeditionary team had prepared!

“I only got a separate invitation from Lady Erindarbel.”

Lee Han consoled Alsicle.

“Oh. Lady Erindarbel explained it to you?”

“Not really.”

“…Shut up, will you.”

Alsicle wanted to peck—no, smack—Lee Han’s beak, or mouth.

He’d faced a lot of jealousy from other wizards, but being in this situation himself made him very reflective.

‘Should’ve acted less smug.’

After this expedition, Alsicle thought she should write a letter to catch up with her old friends.