Chapter 119
Ulan clasped Dilia's hand.
And the 『Eyes of the Watcher』soon vanished in the direction of the mist, likely heading to the spot where the black smoke had been seen.
“Anything yet? Can you see anything?”
“Not yet.”
Of course it was too soon to see anything.
The 『Eyes of the Watcher』had only just entered the second zone. It would take at least thirty minutes to reach beyond the mist.
'And even if something is seen...'
She had no intention of sharing immediately. She wanted to stay like this a bit longer; a shy, flower-like smile bloomed on Dilia’s lips, a smile of contentment.
“Alright, then let’s wait a bit longer,” Ulan said, nodding.
The Fountain of Magic was vast enough that the term "expansive" suited it well. It was only natural that it would take some time to pinpoint the exact location.
With an expression that showed he understood the situation, just as he was about to urge her to keep moving,
"...What are you two doing right now?"
Suddenly, Ibella's voice rang out; a chillingly cold voice.
Her face radiated frost just like her tone as she glared at Ulan and Dilia, "Why are you two holding hands?"
"Ah, that's..."
"I wasn't asking you."
She cut off Dilia’s attempt to explain with a curt remark. Then, staring directly into Ulan's eyes, she spoke, "Tell me what the situation is."
Her gaze held an odd sense of pressure.
Yet Ulan's face remained calm,
As if completely unaffected by the chill emanating from Ibella. So without hesitation, he answered her question, "That's just how it is."
"..........."
Some time later,
After the full explanation was finished —
From seeing something suspicious beyond the mist, to Dilia currently casting a spell to determine what it was.
In contrast, Ibella still seemed unable to understand. After a moment, she shot Dilia with an annoyed look.
"Then couldn't you just stop for a bit, use your magic first, and then continue moving? Wouldn't that solve it?"
This reasoning wasn't wrong per se; however, Dilia’s thoughts differed.
"If we stop, moving, it inconveniences, everyone..."
"But if it's just for a bit, I'm sure they'd understand?"
"No, no need to stop, I, can handle, this just, fine..."
After shaking her head, she suddenly took a half-step sideways.
This naturally brought her into close contact with Ulan, and upon seeing this, Ibella's brow furrowed immediately.
"What are you doing right now?"
"Hm?"
"Do you really need to be that close?"
"It, helps me, concentrate, better..."
"That's a ridiculous excuse...!"
Just as Ibella raised her voice in protest, Dilia tilted her head quizzically, "Why is it, ridiculous...?"
"Well obviously because..."
"Do you know, magic, better than, me...?"
The sharp retort left Ibella momentarily speechless.
As someone ignorant of magic, she had no way to refute Dilia’s words.
“Magic requires, concentration, which is influenced, by a sense of, psychological stability,” Dilia continued calmly.
"......"
“And for me, Ulan is the only one who provides that stability. Understand?”
Dilia's bright smile drove the point home — she was helping Ulan, and Ibella should back off.
Ibella, grasping the implication, trembled with frustration and turned away sharply. She needed to verify Dilia's claim.
"Noah!"
"Uh, yeah?"
"Is what she said true? Is psychological stability really needed for using magic?"
Ibella interrogated her.
Noah gave an awkward laugh.
'Well, it is true to some extent.'
To cast and maintain spells, concentration was required, and the more stable the environment, the easier it was to sustain that concentration.
'However....'
This only applied to ordinary mages.
In contrast, Dilia was a genius. Moreover, she was a blessed mage who has received the Blessings of Mana itself.
Therefore, even when using a new spell, she did not struggle to cast it clumsily.
'Just like last time when she succeeded effortlessly.'
Last month, when the Abyss Rift opened,
She used the Rank-7 constellation spell Meteor Shower at that time. It was undoubtedly her first time using it, yet Meteor Shower was successfully cast.
So why did she give that kind of answer?
There was only one plausible reason to speculate.
'It must be to monopolize Ulan.'
Like Ibella, she also had feelings for Ulan. With Noah not saying anything, Ibella prodded her again.
"Answer me. Was what she said true?"
"Well, about that..."
Once more at the crossroads of a difficult choice.
No matter whose side she took, her favorability was bound to drop. So she was about to mumble an evasive answer, looking troubled, when suddenly —
"It is indeed the truth."
"...!?"
Someone snatched away the chance to answer.
Perhaps startled by the abrupt voice,
Noah and Ibella were taken aback. The man who spoke then had an awkward look.
"My apologies. I didn't mean to startle you."
The owner of the voice was Count Dermore.
Seeing him bow his head apologetically, the two girls waved their hands dismissively.
"Ah no, it's okay."
"More importantly, what did you just say...?"
Before Ibella could finish her question,
The Count's reply came swiftly, "All acts of composing a spell formula, calculating the required mana, and supplying it require a high degree of concentration."
The Count answered as if driving a nail home.
"To achieve maximum concentration, the caster's mind must first be stable. So the young lady's words can be considered true."
"I...I see."
Ibella readily resigned herself.
Since Count Dermore was a considerably skilled mage, she judged his words to be correct.
Of course, she did not simply back down.
Leaving behind her clearly vexed expression as she watched for an opportunity to counterattack, Noah silently let out a relieved sigh.
'Whew, that was a save.'
Thanks to the Count answering at an opportune moment, she was able to extricate herself from a predicament.
As she felt relieved once more,
"By the way, Noah."
"Yes?"
Out of the blue, the Count inquired after her.
“How is life at the academy?”
Noah smiled brightly as she answered. “Thanks to your support, I’m enjoying it and making lots of friends.”
"Glad to hear it. No inconveniences, I hope?"
"None so far."
“Good. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. You’re the student of a dear friend, after all.”
"Thank you, I appreciate your kindness."
After the formal conversation ended,
The Count returned to where the investigation team was. Watching his retreating figure, Noah's eyes soon narrowed.
'...A lie.'
His words about her being the student of a dear friend were a blatant lie. The real reason became clear when she considered his true objective.
'Count Dermore's objective.'
It was to resurrect his daughter, who had passed away three years ago from a sudden illness, and to find a vessel for her soul. This vessel had to be a human body, specifically someone around his daughter’s age and capable of wielding mana. This would greatly increase the likelihood of his plan's success.
‘So, the reason the Count is being so kind to me…’
Was because he saw Noah as a potential vessel for his daughter's soul.
Fully aware of this, Noah always kept an appropriate distance from the Count. As she was brushing aside these lingering thoughts about the Count,
'Ah, that's right.'
A memory suddenly resurfaced.
She remembered another girl whom Count Dermore had considered as a potential vessel.
'Sylphy Ludric.'
The person using the alias Sylphie Ludhina.
However, in reality she was a descendant of Kazan Ludric and one of the heirs of the Desert Order.
She had wanted to investigate her separately, but gave up due to a lack of adequate information or materials.
'Come to think of it, I haven't seen her at all lately.'
Not since the delegation from Eloden arrived. Noah had a good guess why.
'Well, she is a heretic after all.'
There would be no good in her encountering the Holy Kingdom's students who detest the Desert Order intensely.
Just as she was finishing these arbitrary speculations,
The instructor guiding the Eloden students around the Fountain of Magic turned around.
“This marks the end of Zone 1.”
The destination they had arrived at.
This also signaled that the field trip was coming to an end. Of course, Ulan's group cooperating with Count Dermore's investigation team was an exception.
"Then let's wrap up today's tour here. If anyone has any questions..."
Before she could even finish speaking,
Someone shot their hand up. The turquoise girl, Laurea.
"Oh, student Laurea? Did you have a question?"
"No, not a question."
"Then...?"
"I want to also tour Zone 2."
"...Pardon?"
The dumbfounded instructor repeated her words.
She responded with a flustered expression.
"But, that is..."
"The Abyss Rift."
Laurea cut her off again.
Mentioning the incident that occurred in Zone 2 last month, her amber eyes soon flashed.
"I want to at least look over the area where that event happened. I even went ahead and got the permissions."
Ending with a smile,
Ian who was beside her took something out from his coat.
Three envelopes, containing permits that allowed entry into Zone 2.
"........!"
They were genuine permits.
The seal of the Dean of Magic Department, Deflyn Chernihiv, imprinted on them proved their authenticity.
"But when did you...?"
"We got them yesterday. You see, our side has a very well-prepared senior."
Along with Laurea's words, the Eloden Student Council President Theron shrugged.
The professor, now even more flustered, momentarily lost her composure due to the unexpected deviation from the schedule. And observing this, Count Dermore interjected.
"Allow the extension of the tour."
"Count?!"
“The Holy Kingdom should be aware of this matter as well.”
His brown eyes met Laurea's as he continued, “Besides, we’ll accompany them to Zone 2, so there will be no danger.”
In fact, it might be more dangerous, but Noah suppressed the urge to voice this concern. The conflicted professor eventually sighed and nodded.
"...Very well. I will permit entry only for those students with permits."
There were three entry permits.
Meaning only three students could enter Zone 2. And this had already been predetermined.
Eloden's Student Council President, Theron Schlagen.
The Next Saintess, Laurea Lo Charpel.
And lastly, her guard Ian Marcus.
With the final group decided, the party split into two. One group, consisting of those who had completed the scheduled tour, headed outside, while the other, comprising those heading to Zone 2, prepared to move forward.
"Then we’ll proceed immediately.”
At the professor's signal,
Ulan's group marched forward vigorously alongside the Imperial investigation team. Towards the location where monsters poured out last month when the Abyss Rift opened.
The Fountain of Magic Power, Zone 2.
* * * * *
Meanwhile, at that very moment—
—In the Fountain of Magic, Zone 3.
Was it due to the thick mist blocking the sunlight? The area around Zone 3 was so dark that one could hardly make out anything right in front of them.
Then, at that moment,
Whoosh!
A small flame ignited, devouring the darkness.
The flame was from a magic lamp. Nearby, a voice full of exhaustion groaned.
"Oh dear, how troublesome."
A voice filled with fatigue and weariness.
The voice belonged to a girl with apricot-colored hair, clad in an ashen robe — the Dean of Magic Department, Deflyn Chernihiv.
Groaning, she rapidly waved the wand in her hand, drawing a magic circle on the ground.
After quite some time passed like this,
The wand, which had been moving without pause, finally halted.
"Whew, almost finished now."
All that's left was positioning the magic stones and inscribing the circle. Letting out a sigh, she sat down on a nearby rock, perhaps to take a short rest.
After wiping the beads of sweat from her brow, she glanced at the object placed in the center of the magic circle, tilting her head in curiosity, "By the way, what is that thing?"
The object was a black pendant.
It was something handed over by Estelle, the abyss worshiper, three days ago. She had given it as an offering for the ritual to open the Abyss Rift.
"I tried to figure out what it was, but..."
But in the end, she couldn't identify it; the only thing she could determine was that Abyss mana existed inside the pendant.
Moreover, ever since entering Zone 3, black smoke had been continuously billowing out from the pendant.
That was the Abyss mana she mentioned.
"Well, it has nothing to do with me anyway."
For ordinary mages, simply seeing Abyss mana filled them with dread, driving them into confusion.
Deflyn, however, was different.
Though she used to be similar in the past, ever since interacting with the Abyss worshippers, seeing that no longer fazed her much.
Giving a light shrug of her shoulders, she turned her attention elsewhere.
"Rather, I'm quite looking forward to this time."
Her sparkling eyes resembled twinkling stars.
Her current interest was focused solely on the Abyss Rift that would soon open.
Because far more bait capable of ensnaring the Abyss creatures' attention had been prepared this time compared to the last.
'Last time there were only about two.'
Dilia Arpen and Noah Noah Darshen.
The mere existence of those two girls blessed by mana's love was enough to draw out nearly a thousand Abyss creatures through the rift.
Not only that, but a colossal dragon presumed to be an Ruler of the Abyss also appeared.
'But this time, we have the same conditions as before plus two new baits added.'
First was the Imperial investigation team.
Comprised entirely of intermediate-level mages, and their leader Count Dermore was also a considerably skilled mage himself.
Not quite as potent as Dilia or Noah, but still sufficient to attract the Abyss creatures' interest.
'And the second bait is...'
The Eloden Academy student representative group.
Among them, the one really worth noting was Laurea Lo Charpel, known as the Next Saintess.
'According to the Abyss worshippers, the Rulers of the Abyss intensely hate the devotees who worship the Holy Spirit.'
Let alone the Next Saintess — she was the proxy closest to the Deities themselves. An absolutely perfect bait to provoke the Rulers .
'So that's why...'
Yesterday afternoon, when the student named Theron Schlagen came to request the permits, it felt like a godsend opportunity had fallen right into her lap.
Without any cumbersome procedures, she issued the three permits he asked for.
Finishing her recollection up to this point,
"Right, let me wrap up this work then."
At the very least, she needed to complete it before the Imperial team entered Zone 3.
Leaping down from the rock, she gripped the magic lamp and headed straight for the magic circle to resume working.
Was she perhaps too absorbed in her work?
There was one thing she failed to notice.
At the boundary between Zone 3 and Zone 2, beyond the curtain of mist hanging thickly over the surface - a small orb was approaching from the other side.
The orb emitting a faint light
It was none other than the 『Eyes of the Watcher』.
Translator’s Notes :-
If you can’t wait to read what lies ahead, you can read upto 24 advanced chapters on my KOFI
Do not forget to join Discord to keep up to date with any announcements