Chapter 69

Chapter 69: Tracking Clues (3)

After school that day.

“Is this for real?”

The Holy Magic Department students, who had finished all their classes for the day, left the campus while speaking with excited expressions.

It was because, just as class was about to end, the Holy Magic Department professors had come to the lecture hall and delivered a major announcement to the students.

‘You all probably know by now that the wanted man Aron Bayonel is hiding in Saengterminum.’

‘Therefore, in preparation for any possible incident, two transfer students from the Holy Order and one professor are scheduled to come to the Holy Magic Department.’

‘Even if they will only be here temporarily, I hope you will not make them feel too burdened and will get along with them.’

The tone of the Holy Magic Department professors who delivered the announcement was heavy, but among them, there were also a few professors who looked subtly moved.

Members of the Holy Order were elites recognized even by the Holy Empire. 

Yulia and Viole, who were currently among the top-ranking first-year students, were good examples of that.

From the perspective of professors who taught students, it was only natural that their spirits would rise when outstanding students were coming.

Of course, Professor Dave, the Black Mage, was the only one with a face like he had bitten into a bug.

“So two more people from the Holy Order are coming to our department? This weekend?”

“Is this not the first time someone from the Holy Order is coming to Saengterminum as a professor?”

“Wow....... We are experiencing all sorts of things because of Aron.”

“It is probably more because of Yulia than Aron, though.”

“Hm?”

There were students who were excited, but among them, there were naturally also students sensitive to rumors.

“I heard it at the committee. Aron is aiming for Yulia’s life.”

“…What? Is that true?”

“Think about it. They said they are coming into this class, not some other department, right? Is that not all to protect Yulia?”

“The professors just deliberately did not say it. There are probably almost no kids who do not know.”

“Ugh....... I am scared Aron might kill me.”

“Me too. What if sparks fly at us because of Yulia?”

“You are saying some amusing things, are you not?”

Viole, who had slipped affectionately into the group of students, shaped her mouth like a fox.

“The wanted criminal Aron is the one at fault. It is not Yulia’s fault, is it? I would like you to say things properly.”

At the appearance of Viole, who was close to Yulia, the chattering first-year students hesitated and scattered.

Watching those first-year students, Viole puffed out her lips in displeasure.

“Hmph! Yulia, are they not too much? It is not even your fault.”

“…….”

“…Yulia?”

“Ah.”

Yulia, who had been looking around here and there, suddenly came to her senses at Viole’s question.

Seeing that, Viole smiled bitterly.

“You are looking for Damon, are you not?”

“I am worried, after all. Whew....... I thought I should at least say something to him separately about those people.”

The Holy Empire treated Black Magic as Forbidden Magic, but even among people of the Holy Empire, the degree to which they accepted that differed from person to person.

The ones coming this time belonged to the fairly extreme side even among them.

“‘Inquisitors’....... I heard they are coming here?”

“Yes. Since they are coming because of Aron, after all.”

Inquisitors.

They were the elites of the Holy Order, specializing in hunting down and purging criminals who used Black Magic.

Since Yulia and Viole were also from the Holy Order, they were acquainted with those people.

Considering Damon’s personality, which defended Black Magic.......

“He will fight them if he meets them, will he not?”

“He will fight them if he meets them.”

The two women shook their heads with fed-up expressions.

***

As soon as today’s classes ended, I moved to the first-year lecture hall of the Weapon Department.

“You came.”

Jaeger, who had been standing at the entrance to the lecture hall, found me and lightly jerked his chin.

“I came because you told me to, but how is it? Did you fix it?”

“Of course. It was troublesome to put off the requests I had received before, though.”

Jaeger had been a well-known Blacksmith even before entering Saengterminum, so I remembered that he had received quite a number of requests related to all sorts of Equipment Crafting from the moment he enrolled here.

Normally, even if one submitted a request, one would have to wait more than a week.

“But if I get to handle a ‘High-Grade Mana Crystal’ as a material, I have to put everything else aside.”

“Heh, nice.”

That was why I had shown Jaeger the ‘Mana Crystal Dagger.’

Skilled Blacksmiths were naturally more drawn to handling good materials than to money.

He handed me the Pocket Watch from inside his coat.

“Check it once. I took care of every part I could touch.”

After receiving the Pocket Watch and opening its lid, I was rather impressed.

The cracked piece of glass had been replaced with a smooth one, and the clock hand that had fallen off was firmly fixed in the center.

To think he had repaired it this neatly in a single day. 

As expected of a Blacksmith, he had good hands.

However.

“As expected, it still does not work, though. Hmm... if I had to give it a ratio, saying it is about half repaired would be accurate.”

On the outside, it looked perfectly fine, but the hands attached to the artifact remained still without the slightest movement.

“The formulas are one thing, but one of the core parts that makes the artifact move is missing. Since it was probably disposable, I think it was consumed the moment it activated....... I do not know what its power source is.”

“So that is how it is.”

Of course, I was not particularly worried. 

I knew what that power source was.

Since it had been repaired this much, it should activate smoothly as long as I satisfied the activation conditions.

“Let us meet tomorrow and talk about the ‘Mana Crystal Dagger.’ I have something else to do today.”

“Where are you going?”

“It is nothing much. I was thinking of loosening up in the Artificial Rift.”

After shoving the Pocket Watch into my back pocket, I quickened my steps.

If my memory was correct... the proper place to activate this artifact was already prepared inside the Artificial Rift.

***

The Artificial Rift entrance was still crowded with students and visitors.

“Good grief, there are still a lot of people?”

Well, it would be fine.

The place I was about to go to would inevitably have few people.

FLASH!

Without hesitation, I threw myself into the Artificial Rift’s ‘Swamp Field.’

As I entered deep into the rift, I headed toward the place I had already thought of.

“I knew it would be like this.”

Before my eyes, a long fence made of ice stretched around the area.

The warning written on the fence was as follows.

This was the place where the Fallen Cult Leader had spread a barrier before in order to summon a demon.

“Let us see.......”

The moment I placed my hand on the fence, cold ice climbed up my palm, so I hurriedly withdrew my hand.

Rubbing my chilled right hand, I removed the pieces of ice.

“Damn it... You really blocked it thoroughly, Headmaster.”

In a way, it was only natural.

Demonic Aura had disappeared from other places, but in this area, it still remained in the ground and air.

That was because the Fallen Cult Leader, who had been severely contaminated by Demonic Aura, had prepared the demon summoning ritual at the altar for a long period of time.

Because of that, Corrupted Bodies contaminated by Demonic Aura had begun appearing from time to time.

They said that since the source producing the Demonic Aura had died, the degree of Corruption was decreasing as time passed. 

However, it would still take time for the Demonic Aura to disappear completely, so access had been restricted.

Well, that was good for me.

‘If there is a place where I will not be seen right now, there is nowhere better than here.’

I straightened my right hand.

‘Authority Activation.’

A purple snake bloomed from my right hand and raised its upper body.

Before, there had been one, but this time, there were two.

The snakes twisted their bodies around each other and formed a knot, then became something similar to a bracelet and seeped into my wrist.

Reptile Ignorance, improved form.

I touched the fence with the right hand that had used the authority.

“Good.”

It was still cold because of the ice touching me, but unlike before, the ice did not try to encroach upon my skin.

This was the result I had produced by researching ‘Reptile Ignorance’ for a little over a week.

Because it was the improved ‘Reptile Ignorance,’ I was able to break through Headmaster Levia’s Security Formula again.

“Then... shall I go in?”

I jumped over the fence.

***

I avoided the puddled swamp ground and used tree roots as footholds.

After going inward for about twenty minutes like that, I looked around.

‘...There is still quite a lot of Demonic Aura.’

The altar where the research had ended had been removed, but because of the Demonic Aura, my breathing felt slightly stifled.

Black smoke was also faintly visible around me.

“This should be enough.”

Since I had come this far, I would not have to worry about sound leaking outside.

After making that judgment, I took out the Pocket Watch I had received from Jaeger.

I raised mana in the palm holding the Pocket Watch.

Then, narrowing my eyes, I brought the Pocket Watch close before my eyes and slowly observed the parts where formulas had been engraved.

‘Hmm... did it break from this part?’

CRACKLE! SPARK!

As I searched my memory, I used mana to engrave the damaged formulas anew.

Since I was not deeply versed in the crafting side, a process this precise would normally have been impossible.

However, I had seen the completed version of this artifact.

When ‘Abyss’ had gained great infamy, the Black Mages, including me, had repeated research upon research in order to analyze this artifact.

Because of that, I had also reached the point where I could draw the shape of the formula engraved on the artifact with my eyes closed.

It was simply a matter of engraving the formula I had memorized onto the artifact as it was.

Had about an hour passed like that?

“Whew…….”

I wiped the sweat that had formed on my forehead.

After succeeding in engraving all the formulas, I took my eyes off the Pocket Watch and rubbed my aching eyelids.

With this, about ninety percent of the artifact’s repair was finished.

Only the final process remained.

‘Authority Activation.’

After declaring it inwardly, I sent out a Thought-Message.

-Hey, Valak, can you hear me?

Had a few seconds passed?

-You damned bastard…….

Valak’s Thought-Message rang inside my head.

Since I was his only Contractor, Valak had no choice but to respond to my call.

-It has been more than a week since we made the Slave Contract, and you are still grumbling. Are you really a demon? Why not act your age?

-Do you even have any intention of giving me a price? If you want to keep using my authority, you will have to give me a price, will you not?

-Do not get full of yourself. The one who is most desperate is you anyway, is it not? If a demon cannot receive any price for a long time, their power gradually weakens, does it not?

Of course, cases like that were rare. 

Before their power weakened, they could solve it by luring in a suitable person and making a contract with them.

But Valak was in a state where he had made a Slave Contract with me. 

Without my permission, he could not make a contract with anyone.

Mm Was this not precisely the proper relationship between master and servant?

All that suffering had been worth it.

-You know that, yet you still will not give me a price?

-I was planning to pay you a price today. If you do not want it, then forget it.

-…What?

-I do not want your power to weaken either. I plan to work you to the bone, so it would be troublesome if you became weak, would it not?

-You demon-like bastard…….

Hearing a demon call me a demon felt strange in its own way.

I brought the Pocket Watch close before my eyes.

-How do you plan to give me a price?

-You see this Pocket Watch, right? This is the medium for you to obtain a price.