Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 883

Chapter 883

But even in that fear, no adventurer stopped or tried to turn back.

Those who would turn back out of fear wouldn't have become adventurers in the first place.

These were people who overcame fear with desire, and terror with greed.

Moreover, having worked under Antagondal for a long time, their greed was by no means weak.

"Death Knights. Scrolls!"

When Death Knights and bone wyvern flocks appeared in the sky above the forest, the adventurers belonging to the Shadow of Kangla all responded at once.

Not only invisibility magic, but also magic that erased existence and presence, and caused confusion when looking around.

"Is it done?"

"Wait a moment. Death Knights easily pierce through veils."

Even though the patrolling Death Knight had disappeared, the adventurers cautiously held out.

Just as they were about to move again, more Death Knights appeared from another direction.

"..."

"How many legions of Death Knights does this damn territory have?"

Death Knights were enemies such that even in ordinary ruins or dungeons, meeting one could be said to use up a year's worth of bad luck.

Yet here in Einroguard territory, Death Knights appeared and roamed around at intervals of just a few minutes. From the adventurers' perspective, it was chilling, as if a cold blade had been slid into their spine.

"...It's done. Let's move. Candle-maker. Have you confirmed the location?"

"Just a moment..."

The adventurer called the Candle-maker took out a long brass telescope and carefully checked the location.

Though they had crossed Einroguard's infamous barrier and entered the territory, they still had a long way to go.

As this territory was as vast as an ordinary region, they could easily lose their way and poke their heads into extremely dangerous places if they weren't careful.

Crack!

Suddenly, the lens of the brass telescope shattered and the Candle-maker collapsed forward.

The adventurers were terrified but couldn't even scream. The Bow-wielder quickly checked the Candle-maker's pulse.

"...He's gone. His soul was absorbed."

"D-damn... These cursed mage bastards. What kind of trap did they set?"

"He probably looked at the wrong place. He should have looked at the mountains, but it seems he looked at the magic tower where the mages stay."

The adventurer called the Craftsman judged coolly.

As the most experienced adventurer with the most knowledge about magic and artifacts among them, he could guess what had happened.

Mages usually cast defensive magic to protect the treasures stored in their workshops or magic towers.

The mages here in Einroguard must have cast such magic too.

It was hard to believe that his soul was absorbed just by observing from afar, not even approaching...

"That's impossible. No matter how infamous Einroguard is, it's not some great labyrinth located on an isolated island, how could they cast such threatening magic inside the territory? What about outsiders who wander around?"

"It's entirely possible. Lord Antagondal infiltrated, didn't he? It's not strange for them to be on guard."

"Hmm...!"

In truth, it was because of the mad doppelganger, not Antagondal, that the territory's alert level had risen, but the adventurers didn't know that much.

"We abandon the Candle-maker. Move quickly. His soul was absorbed, so our location might have been detected."

"But we haven't confirmed our destination yet..."

"We have no choice. We'll have to use a temporary measure."

The Blade-wielder opened a silver cover and took out a compass. The needle spun and then pointed in a direction.

This artifact, which indicated the destination's location with a 50% probability, was less certain than the Candle-maker's telescope earlier, but in a situation like this, they had no choice.

"Let's go!"

The adventurers ran without even breathing. The fear that Death Knights might swarm in from all directions if they hesitated even for a moment urged them on.

How long had they walked?

The Blade-wielder thought to himself.

'This is strange. There's no pursuit team.'

Since the Candle-maker's soul was absorbed, there should have been a pursuit team coming to find his body.

But looking at the sky or outside the forest, there was no pursuit team, just silence.

As if they didn't bother making a fuss over catching one outside adventurer who had happened to enter.

That silence rather made the Blade-wielder afraid.

"The mountains!"

As huge mountain peaks appeared before the adventurers who had emerged from the dark forest, they breathed sighs of relief.

They had arrived at the mountains within the territory that they had originally set as their destination, not the mages' magic tower.

The place Antagondal had indicated he was staying in his contact.

As it was a remote and barren place, they could take a breather now that they had come this far. If they started searching around the mountains for Antagondal...

Whoosh!

"Will we be able to find those intruders in the mountains? What if they've already gone inside?"

"Of course that's possible. But the inside of these mountains is tough even for Einroguard students. Those intruders won't be able to endure and will come down a few times. We'll aim for that moment."

Einroguard mages were having ominous conversations while setting magical traps here and there.

They were vicious magical traps that would activate the moment an outsider who wasn't an Einroguard student stepped on them.

That wasn't all.

"Tsk tsk. Those lazy ones. Do they think apples will fall just by waiting under the tree?"

"You're right, Hormasi. We should actively pursue them. It's because they don't properly take care of their mounts usually that they can't step up at times like this."

-Grrrr...-

There were also mages searching for traces while leading Cerberus, the three-headed dog that breathed sulfurous breath.

"Anpagon. Isn't this device too expensive?"

"It's an appropriate price. It's much better to observe like this than having people run around directly. If there are intruders who entered from outside, it will catch them right away."

"That Wardanaz kid. He makes such strange requests. I'll do it since I've received something from him... But why is he trying so hard to catch thieves who entered from outside?"

Some other mages were trying to observe the surroundings by floating magical devices in the air...

Seeing more mages than expected combing through the area near the mountains like catching mice, the adventurers froze in place.

No matter how experienced the adventurers were and how young the mage students were, with such a difference in numbers, they didn't dare to do anything.

Moreover, this was the mages' territory.

"Our location must have been detected when the soul was absorbed earlier. No doubt about it."

"Ugh...!"

The adventurers let out deep, dark groans.

They couldn't have imagined that, regardless of traps, one student was simply spreading a request.

  *

After setting the giants as guards, receiving some praise from the mad doppelganger, and petting the hamster once (the hamster tried to bite), Yi-Han returned to school and asked his seniors.

"Senior. I'm taking exams on my own this time, submitting exam materials to the club, and helping a lot with club work usually, so could you grant me one request?"

"Pfft, Wardanaz! Just one of those three would be enough for us to grant your request!"

"Intruders have entered the school, could you possibly mobilize club members to catch them?"

"It's not difficult... But why?"

"Pardon?"

"Why are you, Wardanaz, doing this?"

Falcrius tilted his head.

Intruders entering Einroguard was something that happened steadily all the time.

And catching them was the job of the skull principal or his underlings, or the professors.

It wasn't an issue for a 2nd year student about to take midterms in a few days to worry about.

"Well... You see..."

Yi-Han hesitated, finding it difficult to say that he had scammed a magic criminal and mocked his hamster state.

Then Falcrius nodded as if he understood.

"Pfft. I think I understand without you saying."

"Really?"

"Yes. It's because you're the principal's disciple, right? The principal is really too much. To make you do such a thing."

"...That's not it!"

When Falcrius made a strange misunderstanding, Yi-Han immediately started explaining.

Though it was a bit doubtful whether he was convinced, Falcrius promised to at least ask club members and close juniors to search the surroundings.

Falcrius wasn't the only one Yi-Han asked.

"Senior Hormasi. I'm taking care of a baby basilisk, unicorn, griffin, and Princess Jourin, could you possibly help me?"

"...A-are you perhaps asking me to vouch for you in the name of my family?"

Carnela was shocked.

What kind of request was he trying to make, starting with such a story?

"No. There are intruders..."

"Why are you, a junior, doing that?"

"...Well, you see..."

"Ah. Never mind. I think I understand without you saying."

"You don't think I'm doing this because I'm the principal's disciple, do you?"

"Isn't that right? What? How did you read my mind?"

"..."

The requests continued after that.

Various club seniors.

And seniors from Yi-Han's school (practically most of them) readily nodded at their rare junior's request.

Direth, who promised to patrol with dark magic school juniors, suddenly became curious and asked.

"By the way, junior."

"I'm not doing this because I'm the principal's disciple!"

"...Ah, no. What are you talking about?"

Direth was flustered.

She hadn't particularly thought Yi-Han searching for intruders was related to the skull principal.

If it was related to anyone, wouldn't it be the mad doppelganger?

"...You're right, senior. Senior Direth is Einroguard's best senior!"

Yi-Han cried out, slightly moved. At those words, Direth rather became a bit embarrassed.

"T-to that extent? There must be many better seniors than me."

"Who on earth? Just name one person..."

Pretending not to hear her junior's words, Direth returned to the main point.

"What I was going to ask about was the enchantment magic school seniors."

"Ah. I didn't ask them."

"Why... Actually, I think I know without asking."

Direth guessed the reason why her junior hadn't asked without needing to ask.

Unlike other magic schools, there was no need to ask as they didn't care much about what juniors did.

"There's a way."

"Really?"

"Yes. Tell them the intruders have expensive reagents or artifacts."

"Huh? I don't know what the intruders have, though."

"Yeah. I don't know either. But it doesn't matter."

"..."

Yi-Han was taken aback by the bold suggestion to deceive.

Was this perhaps Senior Yukbeltire disguised as Direth sitting here?

Noticing her junior's gaze, Direth hurriedly started explaining. If she left it like this, she might lose her position as Einroguard's best senior.

"No! I don't usually lie like this. But it's okay to do it to the enchantment magic school kids! ...It sounds strange, but it's true!"

Direth felt like she was sinking deeper into a swamp as she spoke.

She felt like it sounded stranger the more she talked.

But Yi-Han was indeed an outstanding junior. He immediately understood Direth's meaning.

"I see. I understand. Since the enchantment magic school seniors don't give me any reward even when I work hard for the school usually, it's a kind of self-defense if I deceive them."

"Uh... That's true, but... How did you understand that from what I just said?"

"Thank you, Senior Direth. I'll do that. You really are Einroguard's best senior!"

"Aw, come on. It's nothing."

Seeing his senior pretending to be nonchalant while waving her hand, but fluttering with pride behind her back, Yi-Han inwardly thought he should give her a cup with "Einroguard's Best Senior" written on it as a gift at the end of the year.