Editor 85

Wizards (1)

“That’s enough, Leogunan. Get up.”

Fran’s tone had softened considerably.

While the two achieved a grand compromise of emotion, Cleio quickly worked his mind.

‘Dione’s words were true.’

Dione, who got along with all the weavers, was also well-informed about the news of working commoners.

She had said that since the failed assassination of Melchior, the ‘Flag of the People’ had almost collapsed, but instead, as Robert originally intended, it was transforming into a group aiming to expand suffrage and organize labor unions.

‘If so, Fran, who drew Melchior’s attention more than necessary, couldn’t possibly remain in the organization.’

Cleio also agreed with Fran distancing herself from Melchior.

“Fran, I’d like to make a suggestion. Would it be okay if I supplied you with useful materials for your long journey?”

What materials would be useful for an underground life?

It was obvious. Money and weapons.

At Cleio’s proposal, Fran eyed him with suspicion.

“The merchant’s son wants to make a losing investment?”

“I’m investing because I don’t think it’ll be a loss.”

“I can’t tell if your calculation is bold or stupid.”

“Investments are meant to be made with a long-term perspective.”

Cleio, just in case, pulled out the card he had prepared. What he took from his pocket was the key to a post office box.

‘I was going to get this to Fran one way or another, but this is the best timing. Should I call this the author’s blessing?’

Fran, who stared for a while at the ordinary key in Cleio’s white hand, silently accepted it.

Cleio recited the number of a quiet post office box at the Zeon district only once. It was a post office where only one old, dim-eyed and hard-of-hearing staff member kept watch.

Fran didn’t ask for the number twice. She must have memorized it at once.

“How long will you be at the school?”

“Until the end of this semester.”

“That’s a shame.”

“No need to be.”

“Hey, Fran, Ray, I can’t keep up with your conversation….”

“If you don’t understand, just stay quiet. Nothing bad will happen to you, Asher.”

“Hey, that’s too much. Ray….”

“Judging by the situation, I’ll put in contact through you, Asher.”

“Just send it to the same postbox.”

“Understood. If there’s anything I must send you in return, you can leave it at Bartleby & Bouvard Printing.”

The [Soundproof][Shield] magic faded, and at the window, the dim sunlight of early winter fell.

Although everything was an event not in the previous manuscript, in the end, the important elements were filled in their original places.

‘Even if she hasn’t fully changed her mind, it’s clear that Fran has reevaluated Asher.’

Cleio felt a slight sense of relief.

‘Vampire singer, red ether assassin, all of this never appeared in previous versions, and Fran is causing a revolution… I was so anxious about how it would turn out, but it looks like things have settled somehow.’

However, there was nothing to be completely relieved about.

Hydra’s poison and human experimentation were elements that far exceeded Cleio’s expectations.

‘Whether the mastermind is Aslan or Juleika, I don’t know, but for them to escalate things this much. This isn’t some kind of magic movie, are they trying to make a super soldier serum to get stronger?’

Even if they perfected Hydra’s poison, there would be a limit to how much could be produced from the blood of a single beast.

Besides, it was unclear if they could conduct enough experiments to completely eliminate side effects.

‘Is Aslan obsessed with dungeons just to obtain beast blood? Anyway, soon magical beasts will awaken everywhere… can’t wait for that?’

Even in the previous manuscript, Aslan purely pursued powerful strength, and in trying to raise his ether level, he overtrained and eventually ran wild.

But the pattern and process were completely different from now.

‘It’s nothing new for to go wild for a day or two, so that’s whatever. Melchior must know that Aslan is up to no good, so why is he leaving it alone?’

The answer came quickly.

That guy would tolerate anything that ruined this manuscript.

Just as he left Cleio alone.

At that moment—

Tatata—Bang!

Just as light footsteps seemed to fly up the stairs, someone violently flung open Fran’s recently installed door.

It was Leticia.

“You guys, why aren’t you coming out! In the end, I had to come all the way up here.”

“None of Fran’s ties were unwrinkled, so we struggled to find one too.”

Asher spoke smoothly to Leticia.

“What? Tie?”

“I just tied it for her.”

“It looks the same as usual.”

“See, it’s stiff.”

“Oh, whatever! Hurry up! The coachman’s been waiting for ages.”

“Ah, do I really have to go….”

“Asher, then you don’t go. I want to go quickly. It’s my first time getting a medal since I was born!”

Knowing the twins’ love for awards, Asher quickly changed his attitude and stood up before Leticia could get angry.

“No, I’ll hurry up.”

“You should have done that sooner!”

---

Dione visited the school for the first time in a while.

After casting [Soundproof][Shield] magic in the reception room, Cleio briefly explained the truth behind the opera house murder and the suspicions regarding Prince Aslan.

After hearing the whole story, Dione snapped her fan shut and smiled with her eyes.

“Anyway, our young master is going to receive two medals! It’s something to celebrate.”

“This time it’s a grade 9 medal, so there’s no obligation to wear the ribbon all the time.”

After this incident, Asher and his friends received a sort of ‘Brave Citizen Award.’

Since the police were late, while the audience was panicking, Ishiel, Chel, and the twins, who were outside the theater, organized people and quickly moved the wounded to the hospital. Nebo also helped save the soprano.

On the other hand, the Capital Defense Force’s reputation suffered.

Because the first report went to the police, the Defense Force only realized the next day that Geheim was an ether-sensitive.

Public opinion had to turn negative due to the Defense Force’s slow response.

The result was a group photo of Asher and his friends, standing together on the platform and receiving medals from Mayor Lundane.

Behind them, the Capital Defense Force’s commander, Pierce Clagen, and Chief of Public Safety Ronald Furnival, stood shamelessly. At least, perhaps out of embarrassment, the Defense Force’s magic commander didn’t attend the ceremony.

When a nasty incident occurs, they make up good stories and heroes to cover it up.

It was exactly the same pattern as the last magical beast incident.

Pointing at the clearly taken photo, Dione said, “With this, the third prince with hair more golden than pure gold and eyes bluer than the sea will surely have his courage imprinted in people’s minds.”

Indeed, it was so.

Should it be said he passed a kind of threshold?

The number of newspaper articles about Asher was several times greater than when he cleared the dungeon last time.

The adventure beyond the strict barrier, which no one saw, had little impact, but saving the soprano in front of hundreds of spectators made a big impression.

Asher was no longer an unknown prince.

“Well… it wasn’t something that could be hidden any longer anyway. His fame will soon surpass mine. It should.”

No one knew what the future held, but if he gained the support of the citizens, it would help Asher’s future.

“By the way, didn’t Headmaster Zebedi give a punishment? He’s strict about students being out at night.”

“When I cited the Public Safety Corps activity regulations, he just rubbed his forehead and told me to leave. I suppose he hadn’t thought about the rules, since it’s something that happens once in a millennium.”

“Hahaha! Really! I want to see the headmaster’s face at that moment! Ray, you’re getting clever!”

“It’s thanks to the teachings of a good teacher.”

“Hm, it’s a compliment, but not bad to hear. I’ll give you about 80 points. Didn’t your friends toss you in the air in celebration?”

As Cleio expected, by exploiting a loophole in the rules, everyone avoided punishment for going out at night. And at the next staff meeting, it was announced that the school rules would be revised.

‘Hey! It’s all thanks to you, Ray,’ Chel and Asher, of course, giggled.

“Everyone was happy. Really mischievous kids.”

Dione poured tea into Cleio’s cup and smiled gently.

“I’m very happy that you seem to have made many friends, young master.”

Crackle, crackle—

The fireplace logs burned with a sound.

The crimson glow of the fire shone on Dione’s left cheek, making her smile seem even warmer.

Coincidentally, sitting face to face with Dione in the same reception room as their first meeting, Cleio felt a strange emotion.

‘Really, so much has happened since then.’

Only the conifers outside the window were green, and all the broad-leaved trees had lost their leaves.

Before he knew it, snowflakes had begun to fall one by one.

“The final exams for the second semester are next Friday, right? What time is your turn, young master?”

After finishing written exams in subjects like history and classics, the final exam at the Capital Defense Force School, held on the last day, was traditionally a public demonstration.

Since the school produced Albion’s best knights and wizards, people from all walks of life came to observe, hoping to spot talent in advance.

The magic class students showed off the best magic they had learned over the year, and the swordsmanship students competed according to the match table.

The four swordsmen remaining, one from each year, represented their grades in the finals.

Usually, the experienced fourth year would win, but upsets were frequent, so the spectators most looked forward to the swordsman finals.

“There are fewer than ten first-year wizard aspirants this year, so if you come for the first session, that should be fine. The assistants will take turns casting [Warmth] magic on the audience seats, so it won’t be cold.”

There were originally ten first-year wizard candidates in the 977th class, but three had applied for transfer.

It was partly Cleio’s fault, but he didn’t know that.

“You should dress warmly for the outdoor exam, young master. What would you have done without the Summer Garden cape? Want to buy a ruby magic stone engraved with [Protection from Cold] magic?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Thinking of the price of the golden cufflinks with magic stones he had to pay for after crushing them to dust at the opera house last time, Cleio felt sick again and didn’t want to think about magic stones at all.

‘If I don’t want that to happen again, I have to get my ether level up to 5 and expand my circle range, geez.’

“For someone with a fortune, you sure are stingy. Here’s the fourth quarter profit summary. The first page is the value of the hotel site, calculated based on recent land prices in the Oreilles district, and the next page has the real estate rent, patent royalties, deposit interest, and the cost for repairing the top-grade bow you fixed last time. Taxes will be paid in February next year, and the estimate is at the bottom.”

Dione handed over a neatly organized ledger.

Cleio, reading the long numbers, looked up at the white wall once, then focused on the ledger again.

‘Wow… Land prices have skyrocketed.’

Last time he checked, the valuation was 5,500,000 dinar, but now the price had gone up even more.

“Oh, and the allowance your father’s been sending has piled up quite a bit. At the very bottom of the deposit, 500,000 dinar.”

“Oh, that.”

“You haven’t touched it. Are you saving it for something?”

Cleio, scratching the back of his neck in slight embarrassment, spoke the truth.

“Um, I thought I’d use it to pay the gift tax on the capital mansion later. Given my father’s character, I doubt he’d pay the tax for me.”

It was Cleio’s own big plan to use all his father’s money to pay the costs when he received the mansion.

“That title you’re supposed to get? My goodness. What a big dream!”

Dione laughed heartily and patted Cleio’s back.

At that moment—

KWAANG—!!!

The fire in the fireplace bent sideways, and the teacups on the table rattled.

It was a massive ether explosion!

Cleio urgently activated “Perception.”

The explosion’s location was near the school’s main gate.

‘An attack? Of all days, it had to be when Zebedi isn’t here!’

Royal Mage Zebedi had to attend the opening and closing of Parliament.

Today was Parliament’s closing day. Anyone who knew about the royal mage would be able to guess Zebedi’s absence.

Perhaps it was a calculated attack.

‘Damn it, this school must not be destroyed until the end of Part 1 at least!’

Thinking about the development to come, the school buildings and barriers had to stay intact at least until the end of the first volume.

Cleio hesitated for a few seconds, not wanting to get involved in something dangerous, but he felt more anxious staying inside.

In the end, he ran outside without even putting on his coat, and started running toward the main gate with [Leap] magic.