Episode 1111

Episode 1111

“No matter how I think about it, this is suspicious…”

“Th-that’s not it.”

Professor Garcia did her best to explain.

Still, since all the mages of the Magic Tower had been mobilized and suffered because of her student, she couldn’t let them be misunderstood as evil god worshipers.

“So, you’re saying the Magic Tower prepared all of this just to welcome a single guest?”

“That’s right!”

“……”

The adventurer companions behind her couldn’t hold back and whispered to Jute.

“Isn’t this some kind of trick?”

“But if it’s a trick, it’s such a weird one. Are there tricks where you lie about something so absurd?”

Just as her companions were confused, so was Jute.

Even after hearing the explanation from the mages in front, it still didn’t feel real.

The busy mages of the Magic Tower causing such a commotion over just one guest???

‘Does that even make sense?’

She knew the Magic Tower thirsted for talent, but this was beyond imagination.

No matter how much, this was just too much…

“…Alright.”

Jute nodded for now.

She was indeed confused, but her counterpart’s story was more convincing than believing the entire Magic Tower had fallen into evil god worship.

“Then… I’ll go look for the knights.”

“Ah. Yes.”

Professor Garcia and the rest of the party bowed politely.

Honestly, it was also because they had nothing more to say.

What could you say to people who looked at you with subtly suspicious eyes, wondering, ‘Aren’t these people in league with the Magic Tower mages, too?’

And the adventurers also had nothing particular to say, so they bowed politely.

They couldn’t say the thought ‘Aren’t these people in league with the Magic Tower mages, too?’ hadn’t crossed their minds, but the adventurers weren’t naive enough to press the issue.

If you’re suspicious, you investigate in secret. Who would answer if you asked directly?

“For now… let’s just find the knights.”

Jute shook her head left and right. She needed to focus, given how confused she was.

Her companions seemed to agree, as they nodded.

“Right. What’s important is the artifact. Let’s find the knights first.”

“Even if this Magic Tower is a bit… weird, that’s for the mages here to handle.”

“…But are we really sure this is okay?”

“I didn’t sense any evil aura… I can’t say for sure, though.”

Normally, Jute would have spoken confidently, but this time, her voice shook a little.

That was how shocking the scene she had witnessed was, and her confidence had vanished.

‘Is it time for the Ascension Lily Magic Tower to fall…?’

---

And so, the two parties reunited.

In front of the guest rooms where the White Oak Knights were staying.

“……”

“…Uh, what brings you here?”

Professor Garcia, unaware that the knights were still in their rooms, asked curiously.

“We came looking for the knights.”

“The knights?”

Professor Garcia paused and whispered quietly to Lee Han and Professor Voladi.

“Everyone. Looks like the dangerous spirit is hidden among the knights.”

“Ah. The White Oak Knights must have brought the artifact the spirit is hiding in.”

Lee Han immediately figured out the situation.

If the spirit had originally been trapped in the Magic Tower, Saratan probably would have noticed as soon as they arrived.

It made more sense that, rather than the seal being weakened by coincidence, outside knights had brought the artifact to the Magic Tower for help…

“This is a bit troublesome.”

“Why is that?”

“Looks like those adventurers over there are also tracking that dangerous spirit.”

Professor Garcia guessed their inner motives from her counterpart’s reaction.

As a mage, the most annoying moment was when a long-tracked object was taken away by someone else.

After deciphering ancient books and figuring out its whereabouts, intending to buy it at auction, it was infuriating when some nouveau riche noble who didn’t even know its value just swept it up with money.

“Professor. I’m okay with yielding. As long as we can prevent the danger, that’s enough for me.”

“Lee Han!”

Thinking her student was truly admirable, Professor Garcia felt a lump in her throat.

There were plenty of talented students in Einrogard, but it was rare to see a student who so willingly yielded without expecting anything in return.

How could he be so kind?

“So, if it’s alright, Professor, please forgive those adventurers as well.”

“…W-wait. I’m not mad. Lee Han, did you think I got angry because there was competition?”

Professor Garcia was dumbfounded by her student’s words.

From the way he spoke, it was as if he was trying to calm her down.

‘Is it just my imagination?’

In this situation, even if she met a mage who had been tracking it first, Professor Garcia could yield as much as needed.

As a fellow mage, she could show that much generosity…

“Of course not! I would never!”

“……”

At his suspicious words, Professor Garcia looked over at Professor Voladi.

‘Is it because I’ve been hanging around with Professor Baegrek lately that I’m getting this kind of misunderstanding???’

Otherwise, there was no reason for her student to doubt her like that.

No matter how she thought about it, Professor Garcia had always tried to be a role model for her students by living diligently.

“…Alright, I understand. Still, just in case, we should watch how those people handle things.”

Professor Garcia, separate from the matter of yielding, decided to watch how the adventurers dealt with the situation.

Even if she’d been tracking it first, she couldn’t entrust a dangerous object to those without the capability.

As the professor explained what had just been discussed, Jute flinched.

‘An Einrogard mage!’

No wonder she seemed different from the Magic Tower mages—the fact that she was from another magic academy.

And from her appearance, she was definitely a professor. Jute felt a bit intimidated.

A professor from a magic academy—especially Einrogard—wasn’t just anybody.

Only a truly honored mage known throughout the Empire could become an Einrogard professor.

‘Wait. If she’s an Einrogard professor, is that why the Ascension Lily Magic Tower held that event to invite a professor?’

Jute found it quite plausible.

If they could bring an Einrogard professor to the Magic Tower, an event like that would be worth it.

Of course, she wondered how effective it would be.

A professor from Einrogard wasn’t foolish enough to be lured simply by promises of rest and festivities.

‘Seems more like something that would fool a lowerclassman student, not a professor…’

“Thank you for yielding. Hmm. I feel cautious since I may end up showing my lack of skill.”

“Not at all. I am looking forward to it.”

With that, the mages knocked on the door of the guest room. The knights, who had been anxiously waiting inside, stood up in delight.

“It’s finally over… Wait, where did the Magic Tower mages go?”

The knights were flustered to see guests who clearly weren’t Magic Tower mages crowding in.

“You needn’t worry, Sir. We came to resolve the problem.”

Jute spoke with both politeness and a confident show of her ability.

In truth, among the people in this room, she was the one who knew most about the chained and sealed artifact.

She had been gathering materials, interpreting them, and preparing to confront it.

“Who are you? You don’t seem to be a Magic Tower mage.”

“I am Jute, leader of the -Guardians of Shadow Valley- adventurer party.”

“Ah! That party. I’ve heard the name.”

As they often traveled widely, the White Oak Knights had broad horizons.

They’d even heard of the -Guardians of Shadow Valley- party, which had been quite active recently.

“We have been tracking this artifact for a very long time. It contains an extremely dangerous entity.”

“I see, really!”

Even though a Magic Tower mage hadn’t come personally, the old knight reacted quite favorably.

That was how thoroughly prepared the dark mage in front of him seemed.

Professor Garcia, watching from behind, nodded as well.

“They are certainly well prepared. Their research is thorough, too.”

“Indeed.”

“But the references used probably need improvement. Among the old texts mentioned, the works attributed to Arlemergen are mostly forgeries. Relying entirely on them could lead to real trouble.”

‘Strange. She’s clearly a graduate.’

Lee Han felt a twinge of puzzlement.

Her opponent was neither an Einrogard student nor even a graduate, yet Professor Garcia was grading her.

If she had overheard, it would have seriously bothered her.

“I understand well. I can see how thorough your preparations are. In that case, may this old knight ask you something?”

After hearing the explanation, Banmandam spoke up, and Jute agreed readily.

“Yes. Please ask anything.”

“You say you intend to subdue this spirit; what method will you use to banish it?”

Spirits had strong resistance to normal attacks, and that was even more true for high ranking ones.

Unless there was a viable method to banish the spirit trapped within the artifact, the seal couldn’t be broken recklessly. Otherwise, an unexpected disaster could occur.

“Could you look at this?”

“!”

When Jute revealed the item, not only the knights but even Professor Garcia and Lee Han were shocked.

This was no ordinary object.

“That’s… a sword from another dimension, isn’t it?”

With her vast magical knowledge, as well as Lee Han, who had recently seen several spells using other dimensions, it was easy for them to tell.

No matter how similar the mana, items from another dimension gave off a clearly different energy.

“This was made by an angel. According to the records, the spirit’s weakness is a sword made by an angel.”

“Oh…!”

The knights marveled. Lee Han did too.

A sword made by an angel.

The resourcefulness of a famed adventurer truly exceeded expectations.

“How did you get something like that?”

When Lee Han asked in a surprised voice, Jute grinned.

Having mages from Einrogard express such admiration filled her with pride as a mage.

“I spoke to and borrowed it from a noble family to whom I owed a favor.”

“Really amazing. Most families wouldn’t easily lend out a sword like that. It must be due to your achievements as an imperial adventurer…”

“Hahaha. You’re too generous with your praise.”

As the dark mage enjoyed the rare shower of compliments, her companions looked at her as if pitying her.

‘Maybe it would have been better if she’d gone to Einrogard rather than Kalarogard.’

At that moment, Lee Han suddenly felt his vision tremble.

More precisely, his vision didn’t shake—the strong change in the domain of the astral world, which overlapped with reality, made him feel a sense of discomfort.

In the colorless world, a familiar angel appeared.

It was Apazragon, the angel he had met previously.

Professor Garcia and Professor Voladi, noticing the sudden arrival of a stranger from the astral plane, reacted, but others seemed unaware. Lee Han, surprised, asked,

-What is it? What’s going on?

-I have something to tell you.

-???

-That is not an angel’s sword. The mage seems to be mistaken. That’s all for now.

-…W-wait!

At the sight of the angel’s back, departing after giving advice so coolly, Lee Han got goosebumps for a moment.

To appear so precisely, as if he’d been watching.

This angel…

Where had he been, and what had he been doing until just now??