Episode 324

Episode 324

“Senior, didn’t you tell me to do it?”

“If it could be done just by telling you… No, never mind. Enough. Junior, be quiet and focus on control. It must already be hard for you.”

Direte was right.

Unlike a stable water orb, the dark orb was wobbling quite unstably.

It felt like it could lose its form and scatter in all directions with a single mistake at any moment.

“In this state… launching it would be impossible, so if we’re to use it, it’ll only be good for close combat? Junior, are you good at fighting?”

At the sudden question, Gainando and Imirg coughed at the same time.

“I only learned it for self-defense.”

“Well, you’re from a noble family, so of course you’d have learned swordsmanship.”

Again, the two friends coughed simultaneously.

“A wizard doesn’t always need to be good at fighting, but sometimes you have to engage in close combat. In those cases, this kind of magic is more useful than you’d think. Junior, it would be more stable if you could control it with imbuement magic, but I suppose we can’t expect that right now.”

“If that’s the case, wouldn’t the fire element be better?”

“There are more enemies than you think who can withstand fire.”

From monsters with resistance to fire, to experienced adventurers who usually carried one or two fire-resistant protections.

That’s how common an element it was in everyday life.

“Indeed…”

“Junior, how long are you planning to maintain the dark element… Hurry up and dispel it.”

Han snapped out of his admiration at Direte’s point and dispelled the dark element.

“Back to what I was saying earlier, when a problem arises because you weren’t able to prevent it in advance, it’s good to use an item with an opposite element, but if you know how to handle the dark element, you can do things like this.”

Direte looked around at the remains left from Han’s earlier dark element explosion and grabbed his staff.

“Darkness, gather at this tip.”

It wasn’t summoning the water or fire element, but magic that controlled the existing water or fire.

“You’re gathering all the dark element in the vicinity?”

“Good guess. I’m creating a kind of vacuum. When a wizard seizes all the dark element first, undead and creatures of that sort become very vulnerable.”

Undead had both extreme strengths and weaknesses.

When facing such beings, it was more effective to target their weaknesses rather than collide strength with strength.

If they had known this method when facing the King of Ghouls, it would have been much more effective than turning the cave into a sea of fire.

‘Indeed, knowledge is power.’

“Isn’t it interesting, Gainando?”

“Huh? Uh? Uhhhh.”

Gainando, who had been yawning and dozing off beside him, was startled by Han’s question and responded.

He had no interest in dark elements at all.

“…This guy…”

“Calm down, junior. It’s not something you need to learn right now. It’ll only make your head more complicated while studying other things.”

When Han tried to pick up his staff, Direte stopped him. Gainando was touched inside.

‘S-senpai…!’

“Um. Magicians??”

The captured adventurers, who were holding shovels, cautiously spoke up.

Han answered in a bored voice.

“Oh. I said we’d let you go today.”

“No, it’s not that… We keep hearing strange noises inside the tower…”

“!!!”

• * *

The cemetery on the outskirts of Granden City contained more than just graves.

There was a wall surrounding the graves, and inside, there were several small towers.

These were used as rest spaces for gravekeepers, for storing equipment, or sometimes served as the core when black mages cast large-scale magic in the cemetery.

Of course, bodies were never stored inside.

‘If that’s the case…’

“Did you make sure to check the mana?”

Direte dropped his mentor’s demeanor and returned to being the black mage in charge of managing the cemetery.

Han took out the sheet he’d written notes on and answered while checking.

“Yes. The tower they said the noises came from was either Tower 1 or Tower 2, but both had normal mana levels.”

“What if a monster was hiding among the luggage and slipped in while things were being moved?”

“In preparation for that, we dismantled and separated the luggage that blocked the view. I used spatial perception magic and dark vision magic to check, and after finishing, I closed the windows, so I think that’s unlikely.”

“……”

Direte tried to focus seriously, but he suddenly found it hard to resist the ticklish pride he felt.

There wouldn’t be another junior like that in all the circles, even among those who boasted of having many new students.

Frankly, he wanted to take him out and brag about him.

‘Oh. But that junior is also taking classes from other circles…’

Direte belatedly realized the reality and felt bitter.

“Senior?”

“Maybe the adventurers misheard.”

“N-no! We all heard it clearly!”

“Or maybe it came from outside.”

“Is that possible?”

Han looked puzzled.

If it was hiding among the luggage, maybe, but an intruding monster coming from outside?

Even though this was a remote place, it was still within the city. If a monster wandered the main street, it would likely be eradicated in under thirty minutes.

“That’s what I’m wondering too, junior.”

“Are you sure those people didn’t mishear?”

“C-could it be something like…?”

Imirg raised his hand and said.

“S-sometimes the soil underground moves, you know. Since there are bodies underground here. If the underground soil moves and gets pushed out of the cemetery…”

“!”

If the soil was pushed out, shifting the corpse’s position, and if mana accidentally accumulated around it, an undead could be spawned not inside but outside the cemetery.

“That’s plausible.”

“Well done, junior.”

“Th-thank you.”

Imirg blushed at the praise from Han and Direte.

But Gainando glared at Imirg.

“W-why?”

“…From now on, you’re my rival.”

“……”

He had already defeated Raphadael (at least that’s what he thought), and Han was just someone to be excluded, so Gainando couldn’t overlook Imirg’s success.

“Hmph. Let’s see who is truly number one in dark magic.”

“T-that’s just Wardanaz…”

“Let’s start searching. Undead, reveal yourself!”

With the incantation, a wave spread from Direte’s staff.

A crashing sound and flash came from the upper floor of Tower 2.

“!!”

“It’s that way! Let’s go!”

“Please wait! You should equip defenses before we go, just in case.”

Han’s words made Direte hesitate.

‘What kind of defensive magic is he going to use?’

Both being defensive magic, it would be better for fourth-year Direte to cast it, but the opponent was no ordinary junior.

Direte honestly wondered what defensive magic Han would use.

This time too, would he show a magic beyond expectations…

“Hey! Adventurers! Take the lead!”

“……”

“Why?”

“It’s nothing.”

• * *

Han, Direte, and the adventurers headed up the tower.

Imirg and Gainando stayed outside the tower.

As they quickly ran up the stairs, Han asked,

“The thing must know its position has been found. Won’t it try to flee?”

“Not likely, junior. It’s a creature that came inside deliberately trying to increase its power, even though it spawned outside the cemetery. It’s aggressive and fearless.”

“Indeed.”

Just by its reaction after spawning, you could roughly figure out an undead’s character.

If it tried to get away quickly from the summoning spot, it was cautious and timid. If it tried to set up its ground instead of moving away, it was the opposite.

In this case, since it intended to absorb the mana flowing through the cemetery and grow stronger, it was likely to be aggressive and greedy.

-■■■■■!!

“Uwaaaaah!”

“It appeared!!!”

The adventurers going up ahead screamed.

A huge undead mass slipped down from the upper stairs. Seeing it, Direte groaned.

“Damn it… An undead chimera.”

Instead of fusing with a single corpse, strong negative mana had fused with torn and mashed-up corpses, producing this result.

With the personalities of multiple bodies mixed in, it was unpredictable and difficult for mages to deal with.

Direte prepared a weakening spell for the undead chimera right away.

“Wither…”

Bang!

An explosion inside the undead chimera blew away about a quarter of its body.

The explosion gave it momentum, and instead of immediately crushing the adventurers, the undead chimera smashed into the tower wall. The weakened part of the wall collapsed, creating a hole.

“?!?!”

Both Han and Direte were flustered as the ferocious creature broke through the tower wall, sacrificing part of its own body to escape.

They hadn’t even fought yet—why was it suddenly running away?!

“…Senior, could you listen for a moment without getting mad?”

“Why would I get mad at you, junior? Just say it! What is it?”

“I think… that thing ran away after seeing me…”

“……”

Direte almost got mad, thinking he was joking at a time like this.

The adventurers standing in front of them muttered unconsciously.

“I-I knew it.”

“Knew what?!”

“S-sorry!”

“Among undead, aren’t there some that are especially good at detecting mana? I think it sensed my mana and ran.”

“…!”

Only then did Direte understand Han’s words.

If it wasn’t just a ferocious and aggressive one, but an undead capable of detecting and understanding mana enough to retreat…

“This is going to get tricky, junior.”

-It’s running away!! That thing is running!! Hey, you punk! Hold it right there! Fire, bones! Imirg! Throw something! Throw a rock!

-I-if I throw wrong, someone might get hurt…!

• * *

As soon as Direte and Han came down from the tower, they began pursuit.

“Contact the city guards and tell them an undead chimera has appeared. We’ll pursue it ourselves, junior.”

“Yes.”

“Thank you, magicians!” The gravekeepers bowed their heads in thanks.

This had originally been the gravekeepers’ responsibility.

They should have checked in advance to prevent undead from being generated.

Of course, the gravekeepers also couldn’t help feeling wronged.

Who could have predicted that undead would be summoned outside the cemetery because of moving soil below?

But regardless, if an incident occurred and the damage grew, responsibility would have to be taken.

So the black mages offering to help could only be appreciated.

“There’s no need for everyone to thank us. This is the job of the black mages.”

“I-I see…”

When it looked like his senior would lose out just for being too honest and upright, Han butted in firmly.

“But everyone should know who solved this. Make sure to inform the city guards properly, and that proper honors are given as befits our efforts.”

“Understood!”

Direte looked at his junior in disbelief.

Did he really have to say that during an urgent situation?

“Senior. No matter how urgent, the necessary information must be given.”

“No… is that really so necessary…? Anyway, let’s just go!”

Direte tracked the mana left behind by the undead chimera.

The creature that escaped the cemetery was running through alleys, avoiding the main avenue.

“If it can sense mana and know to avoid it, it must also instinctively realize it should avoid people. If it manages to hide, it’ll be a pain.”

“We’ll catch it for sure.”

“I hope so. In the city, even a slight delay makes pursuit difficult… Oh, come on.”

Direte clicked his tongue.

After finally leaving the alleys, of all places, the thing had gone into the guild warehouse grounds.

“What is it? Let’s just explain and go in.”

“It’ll be tough, junior.”

Guilds were stubborn about things like this.

If they let outsiders in and the goods were compromised or confidences leaked, it would become an even bigger problem.

Even if the undead chimera had broken in, they’d probably insist on handling it themselves.

“Still, I’ll at least try asking.”

“All right. Give it a shot. Just don’t beg too much. No matter what…”

A short while later, Han returned.

“They said we can go in. Let’s go.”

“?!?!”