Episode 1161

Episode 1161

But still, because of Saratan, Lee Han couldn’t help but be bothered and looked at his friends.

“Aren’t you really curious about what kind of magic it is?”

At Lee Han’s question, Catten’s ears perked up.

He had stayed quiet as a Senior because he couldn’t get in the way of his Juniors’ request, but among the students here, the fifth year was the most passionate about magic.

Regardless of whether he could master it or not, he wanted to hear what kind of magic it was.

“Actu…”

“Not at all.”

“I really don’t care at all. Even less than Adenart’s detective story short stories.”

“You just focus on mastering it. You have so many difficult spells that one more wouldn’t even make a difference.”

“……”

Catten, who was about to say he was a bit interested, drooped his head in disappointment.

Giselle, who had been watching from the side, felt a pang of anxiousness for no reason.

‘These guys… So clueless…!’

“Whoever said the last comment, come out.”

“Ugh. I thought I wouldn’t get caught.”

Bartrek was pushed forward with a look of resignation.

He thought it would just flow by, but as expected, Wardanaz was relentless.

After scolding his friend, Lee Han looked at the other students and gave advice.

The indifference they had just shown provoked Lee Han.

“No matter what, how could you not care about magic in these kinds of ruins? Are you even Einrogard students?”

“Then tell us…”

“I can’t tell you yet since I’m not sure.”

“……”

The White Tiger Tower students glared at Lee Han with their eyes.

Isn’t this too much, really?

“Moradi. Shouldn’t we go up now and call a Professor? Or at least Sir Ziklin…?”

“Stop with the foolish thoughts. Even if my sister comes down, she won’t take your side.”

Giselle replied nonchalantly. Her cold answer made her friends flustered and ask again.

“We’re from knightly families… And even several from the North?”

Most students from Imperial knight families were connected in some way, making them naturally close.

Especially more so than the mage family, the Wardanaz family.

“I said she won’t take your side.”

“We’ve even met Sir Ziklin?”

“Yes. She still won’t take your side.”

“Is it because of the political alliance between the northern Moradi family and the Wardanaz family you mentioned last time?”

“Amazing. In the Empire’s current political system made up of loyalists, noble factions, and neutrals, to make such a decision even though political enemies could band together. Especially since western nobles would be extra sensitive. They have a strong rivalry with the North.”

“Moradi. Don’t worry. Some of us are from the West, but as fellow Einrogard students, we’ll support this political alliance. Trust in your friends.”

Giselle quietly picked up the sword sheath.

And began to beat her friends.

“Argh! Aagh!”

Catten looked at the junior with eyes of renewed respect.

She always behaved so politely that he wondered if she lacked qualifications as a swordswoman, but seeing her now, he realized he’d been mistaken.

‘A swordsman should act like that. She really is Sir Ziklin’s sister.’

---

Outside, Professor Garcia was groaning. Seeing this, Professor Kirmin spoke with sympathy.

“Professor Kim. If you’re going to be like this, why didn’t you just go together?”

“Someone tricked me into believing I should trust and leave it to my students. It must have been a master of illusion magic.”

“…I’m sorry.”

At Professor Kirmin’s apology, Professor Garcia shook his head, clearing his thoughts.

“No, I’m the one who should be sorry. We made the decision together.”

The sincere advice Professor Kirmin had given in Marheim City had certainly moved Professor Garcia.

-Wardanaz is already skilled enough to blend in with the fourth-years, and took the initiative to subdue evil god worshippers. Rather than just blindly looking after him and protecting him, it might be better to grant him autonomy and wait for his growth.

Of course, right after hearing that advice, he thought about sending the student back to Einrogard, but as time passed, a bright person like Professor Garcia couldn’t deny the advice made sense.

Didn’t Lee Han and his friends ultimately resolve the incident in Marheim City?

So, for this ruins exploration, the two Professors only sent Catten with them and didn’t interfere or accompany them.

If the students could solve it on their own, there was no reason for the Professors to go with them.

Even if it was the same ruins excavation achievement, one led by a Professor and one done by students alone felt completely different. The former was ordinary and expected, but the latter was surprising and remarkable.

“If you’re really worried, I’ll go down and check.”

“……”

“……”

Ziklin abruptly interjected, and the two magicians were so dumbfounded that they couldn’t reply.

They were so dumbfounded even the Death Knights stared blankly.

‘You came down to try and earn the reputation that students solved it, but what will you do going down yourself?’

If this wasn’t Ziklin but a knight from another family, the Death Knights would have suspected him immediately.

Being of knight origin themselves, the Death Knights knew how base knights could become in pursuit of fame.

Now that the Einrogard magicians were down in the ruins, did he get greedy and want to take the credit, etc.

But fortunately, the Death Knights knew what sort of knight Ziklin was.

To be so young and yet already be counted among the Empire’s most renowned swordsmen was only natural.

Being born with talent on par with Catten, whom the Death Knights considered a swordsmanship genius, and having even more experience…

These exacting Death Knights were even willing to accept Ziklin into their ranks posthumously as a Death Knight.

‘It must be that he just wants to move together with his little sister.’

-This is the students’ achievement; what would it look like if you went down, Sir?

“Oh. Is that so. I didn’t think of that. …Then how about I disguise myself as Giselle? Then the credit I earn becomes Giselle’s credit.”

“……”

Professor Garcia mouthed in astonishment. His gaze already said, ‘Are you really saying that?’

The Death Knights sighed deeply, as if not surprised, and said again.

-Then what about Giselle’s honor as a student? Her pride as a knight?

“Indeed…”

Ziklin reflected deeply.

Letting familial concern come first nearly wounded her pride.

“Then how about I disguise myself as Wardanaz?”

-Go over there and look for suspicious people.

The Death Knights coldly drove Ziklin away.

The knight was stubborn and obstinate, and if left alone would definitely continue to be a nuisance.

Only after Ziklin withdrew did the Death Knights finally sigh in relief.

-…It would have been dangerous if the heir heard this.

-He would have certainly accepted it.

Being not from a knightly family and having no concern for such plots or tricks, he most likely would have gladly agreed.

People with strong pride in such matters wouldn’t come up with names like Stedal Nago.

“……”

Ibinta mumbled that she didn’t hear anything just now and shook her head.

---

“Phew. Everyone, you’ve worked hard.”

Garco greeted them while regenerating his half-gone arm with a magic scroll.

His arm regenerated swiftly, but his appearance did not return. His hat and cloak had disappeared somewhere, and his beard was half-burned. That was how fierce the battle was.

“Wh-what in the world was that thing?”

The guardian of the ruins was a chimera in a form even veteran adventurers had never seen.

It resembled the monster Bocabat but was by no means the same; apart from having six legs and wielding a long tail as a weapon, there were no similarities.

Particularly terrifying was its evil, cursed ultrasonic shriek when it opened its mouth. If not properly blocked, the body would freeze up as if petrified.

Then, with its tail’s sharp stinger, it would instantly drain all the victim’s blood. This powerful and menacing attack followed almost simultaneously with the ultrasonic scream.

If only adventurers had been present, they never could have won, and even if they ran, about half would have died.

But, fortunately amid misfortune, Garco was a truly outstanding magician. Even when the unfamiliar chimera appeared, Garco didn’t panic.

He immediately swelled his body to about five times the size like a lump of flesh golem, then split it off to create clones.

This clone magic was one of Garco’s specialties, distinguished by being made of real flesh and blood. The ruins’ guardian chimera couldn’t tell the difference and swallowed one whole.

-Plug your ears and prepare for the cursed noise. Also, be careful of its tail.

-Let’s retreat, Sir Magician! It’s such a threatening foe.

-No. We need to defeat it to find clues.

Wanting to go further down, Garco was determined to find a clue.

That chimera was a threat, but could also serve as a source of clues.

Garco instantly turned the floor into a swamp, immobilizing half the chimera’s body. Then he changed it to flaming lava, dealing additional damage.

Infuriated, the chimera ignored the other clones and focused solely on Garco, blasting out its deadly ultrasound again and again.

But by then, Garco had already transformed into a paradise bird. Immune to this type of sonic attack, the paradise bird easily pierced through its assaults and drove its talons into its shoulder.

Those talons were no ordinary talons. As soon as they touched, they transformed into dozens of vipers, poisoning the opponent.

The poison used by a master of transformation magic was never ordinary. Once inside the body, the poison continually changed, tearing the chimera apart from within.

The furious chimera made a last desperate attempt to bite Garco. No matter how rampaging the poison, it still had the strength to make such an attack.

But, incredibly, Garco willingly let one arm get bitten off. And at the same time, he shouted.

-Attack!

The moment the chimera bit off his arm, it could move no more. Garco had obviously imbued some magical trick into his arm.

The adventurers couldn’t keep up with the dazzling fight, stood stunned for a while, then belatedly sprang into action. As long as they could concentrate their firepower, the adventurers’ attacks were enough to tear the chimera apart.

They barely managed to defeat the enemy…

…but the adventurers were completely shaken.

With such a dangerous guardian in these ruins, wouldn’t it be better to withdraw and investigate later?

“It seems to be not an ordinary guardian, but one contaminated in some way. Most likely because of evil god worshippers.”

Ignoring the adventurers’ feelings, Garco explained kindly.

The chimera that had just appeared looked somewhat similar to the guardian monsters of ancient ruins sometimes seen elsewhere, but its characteristics were greatly different.

It was likely contaminated by contact with evil magic or power.

“You mean evil god worshippers? Wh-why mention them? Have they entered here?”

“Oh, that’s not what I meant. You said the North has been turbulent lately, didn’t you?”

A region being turbulent could mean many things.

Disasters, activities of evil god worshippers, contaminated or wildly surging local magic…

…and any of these could be the reason a hidden underground chimera got contaminated.

Even if evil god worshippers hadn’t entered here, such things could definitely happen.

‘That’s even worse!’

It almost sounded preferable if evil god worshippers had entered first.

“I-I see.”

“I’ll have to track where this chimera came from. We need a clue if we’re to go deeper down.”

“……”

The adventurers, seeing Garco’s firm resolve, wanted to cry. In their hearts, they wanted to leave the magician and escape alone.

But they weren’t irresponsible mercenaries. They were adventurers with reputations.

Since they’d promised to escort their client, they had to go together.

No matter how dangerous the place was!

‘Next time, no matter how reputable a magician is, I’ll check more thoroughly.’

‘Check nothing. I just won’t take such a commission.’

“Isn’t there any other way to get clues?”

“There isn’t.”

“Maybe one of the creatures wandering above has some information.”

“If that was so, they’d have found the passage and come down already.”

Garco maintained the refined air of a gentleman, but didn’t yield easily to the adventurers’ suggestions either.

A magician simply wouldn’t budge unless personally convinced.

“Huh. There’s someone who got here first?”

“We came in a bit late, right? Let’s not approach and cause misunderstanding—just pass by.”

“…?!!!”