Chapter 62

After Ulan Disappeared.

The dining hall regained its energy again. Students chattered away as if they had never been quiet. Most of the talk was about the Special Operations Division agents who had visited and Ulan.

But not everyone felt that way.

In the very center of the dining hall, there was a place that had lost its vibrancy.

Where Ulan had just been.

“……”

Delia, with her expressionless face.

Ivella glanced at her.

Even Noa, who was caught in the middle.

The three girls sat in silence. Though they were in the same dining hall, it felt like this spot was isolated.

‘Ugh, it’s suffocating!’

The awkward atmosphere was almost unbearable. Noa clenched her fists.

Suddenly, a voice shattered the silence.

“Your order has arrived!”

Honey Spider Stew, Basil Pasta, and Chicken Sandwiches. Each corresponding to the orders of Delia, Noa, and Ivella, respectively.

And then, at that moment.

Boom!

The table shook violently.

A staff member had just placed down a massive plate piled high with meat.

“Ten servings of roast turkey!”

It was a truly enormous amount.

Clearly, Ulan had placed the order, but the actual chef was nowhere to be found.

What should we do about this?

As Noa frowned, a dry voice spoke up.

“You can eat, if you want.”

It was Delia. She popped a chubby spider into her mouth and continued.

“After all, there’s no one else to eat it.”

“Okay, well then I’ll dig in.”

Ivella responded to the invitation.

She slightly lowered her head and started serving herself some meat. Naturally, she tried to engage in conversation.

“Ulan always ate this so I wanted to try it at least once.”

No immediate reply came back.

However, thanks to Ivella breaking the ice, the atmosphere at the table improved compared to earlier.

At that moment, Noa glanced at the two.

‘They met much earlier than in the original story.’

The Sword Saint and the Star Witch.

The two heroes would originally meet only after the Gate of the Abyss opened. They would then grow close as they traversed the battle lines, eventually becoming as close as sisters.

‘That’s why there are so many fanworks.’

Novels, comics, and more.

Works dealing with their relationship enjoyed explosive popularity among fanfiction of “Chronicles of Arsen Continent.” Noa even had a couple of them in her collection.

‘Now that they’re meeting earlier than in the original story…’

They might get closer.

Perhaps they could develop a relationship that exceeded what was shown in the original.

With countless possibilities flooding her mind, Noa suddenly broke into a goofy grin. Without realizing it, Delia who saw her made a disgusted face.

Just then.

“Delia Arpen, right?”

Out of nowhere, Ivella spoke up.

While slicing into the turkey with her knife, she looked at Delia and asked.

“If it’s not too rude, could I ask what your relationship with Ulan is?”

“That would be quite rude.”

The answer was blunt.

Delia stared at Ivella intently.

“I don’t even know who you are.”

“Ah, I haven’t introduced myself yet.”

Ivella chuckled awkwardly.

Then she introduced herself.

“I’m Ivella Elea’ad, a first-year in Class 3. I’m taking Weaponry class with Ulan.”

“Uh, I’m in the same class! We saw each other once in the special room, remember? The food we had…”

“……I didn’t ask you.”

Whoops. My bad.

Noa quietly zipped her mouth. As the surrounding fell silent, Delia flicked her lips again.

“Class 1, 2. Delia Arpen.”

After spitting out just the necessary information, she soon answered Ivella’s question.

“I’m friends with Ulan.”

“Oh, just friends then.”

Ivella nodded in understanding.

A gentle smile appeared on her lips. For some reason, she looked somewhat relieved.

But that was only for a moment.

Delia added a follow-up explanation.

“But, we’re not just ordinary friends.”

“Huh? If you’re not ordinary friends, then…”

“We have a special relationship.”

“Special? What do you mean?”

“It’s a thing that exists.”

No detailed answer came back.

Delia kept her mouth shut, smiling faintly.

It was a smile that oozed a peculiar sense of superiority. Did it provoke her somehow? Ivella furrowed her brow slightly.

Then, as if a thought had crossed her mind, she suddenly made an exaggerated cough.

“Hmmm! Now that I think about it, I’m not ordinary either.”

“What’s with the sudden declaration?”

“I’ve met Ulan one-on-one for training. And he told me he’d help me whenever I had a problem.”

Ivella emphasized the ‘help anytime’ part. But what Delia focused on wasn’t that bit.

“……One-on-one training?”

“That’s indeed the case.”

Ivella smiled broadly.

Delia, returning the same energy, now wore a somewhat relieved expression. But Delia’s face now seemed as cold as ice.

The atmosphere turned icy in an instant.

Noa smiled as if liberated.

‘Ugh, I just want to go back to my room.’

This wasn’t the sort of environment to share a meal.

Nor was it a chance to get cozy with the two.

So she sped up her eating.

Thinking to finish up and leave quickly. Just as she continued her silent meal, a sudden conversation from the table across caught her attention.

“What? Really?!”

“Is it true that he came here?”

“It is! I saw him clearly.”

The students looked excited as they chattered away.

As if they’d seen a celebrity.

“Who came that has everyone in a frenzy?”

“The famous Ice Golem from the Desert!”

“Ice Golem?”

“Wait a minute! Don’t tell me the Master of the Empire…?”

“That’s right! Count Deorg has arrived!”

As soon as that short shout died down,

Silence!

Ivella’s knife came to a halt mid-air.

As if someone had yanked on it. Only Noa noticed what had happened.

‘Well, I get it.’

Ivella was the illegitimate daughter of Count Deorg.

From childhood to now, she had faced discrimination and hardship. Just reading her character story, it was clear she hated her family to a significant degree.

Meanwhile, the students continued their chatter.

“Aha, so it makes sense.”

“Yeah. He doesn’t leave the front lines unless it’s an important matter.”

“Then the reason he’s here is…?”

“He must have come to see Himel!”

As soon as Himel Deorg was mentioned, the conversation came to a halt. One student murmured with a grave face.

“…Isn’t that barbarian going to die?”

No answer came back.

It implied there was indeed a high possibility. The only heir of the family had turned into a rag. It wouldn’t be surprising if a bloody riot broke out at any moment.

However, the silence only lasted a moment.

The topic of conversation returned to its original state.

“Phew, I want to meet him at least once.”

“Where is he now?”

“I think he was heading towards the Source of Magic.”

“Huh? Why would he suddenly go there?”

“I don’t know. He must have business to attend to.”

Count Deorg was headed for the Source of Magic.

And so was Ulan.

Upon realizing that both characters at the center of attention were headed to the same place, Noa’s face turned stony.

‘No way…!’

Suddenly, a sense of foreboding washed over her. And she wasn’t alone in her dark thoughts.

“Sorry, I’ll be leaving first.”

Ivella abruptly got up from her seat.

She stabbed her knife into the turkey torso and turned her trembling gaze away.

“I suddenly remembered a place I need to go.”

Those turquoise eyes directed straight to the Source of Magic.

5.

At a similar time.

Ulan arrived at his destination, following Rodeil.

At the entrance, a squad of Special Operations Division agents who seemed to have arrived beforehand were waiting for the two.

“What is the Count’s location?”

“He’s in the Military Department hospital.”

“I heard you contacted Dean Berge.”

After an inexplicable conversation,

Rodeil silently nodded.

Then he resumed walking. Ulan quietly followed behind him.

Just as they entered Zone 1.

Suddenly!

Ulan felt a strange sensation.

A faint vibration was occurring near his waist. Moments later, Ulan figured out the source of the vibrations.

‘This is…’

The Axe of Devouring, Gula.

The axe itself was trembling slightly.

As he faced this phenomenon, Ulan recalled a certain piece of information he had read in a book.

“…Magical weapons that have pairs from the moment they are forged vibrate when they encounter their counterpart. And this vibration increases the closer they are.”

And Gula also has a counterpart.

If anything, its name was even Twin Axe.

‘Does that mean…’

The remaining Twin Axe.

It meant that the Demon-Slaying Axe, ‘Ose,’ was nearby. Realizing this, Ulan’s eyes sparkled.

‘Should I go look for it?’

Ulan was supposed to stay at the Source of Magic for a week.

There would definitely be free time given. He certainly had enough time to search for the axe. As he eagerly thought about this new goal,

“We’ve arrived.”

Rodeil’s voice broke through.

Soon, what came into view was a cabin that looked like it had been built relatively recently. It was large enough to accommodate over a dozen people comfortably.

Knock! Knock!

After lightly knocking on the door,

Rodeil spoke politely.

“Dean, I’ve brought Ulan Bator with me.”

“Yes, come in.”

That voice sounded familiar.

Who was it again?

Ulan quietly racked his brain for the answer.

But there was no need to think hard. The door swung open quickly, and soon the owner of the voice appeared before him.

“It’s been a while, Ulan.”

A girl with a similar build to Noa.

Her apricot-colored hair fluttered in the wind, exposing her pointed ears.

With a cuteness that would turn heads of those passing by, Ulan, without a moment’s hesitation, scowled.

“…What are you doing here?”

The girl was Diplyn Cernio.

Dean of the Magic Department and someone Ulan wasn’t particularly fond of. Meanwhile, upon seeing Ulan’s attitude, Rodeil’s expression hardened.

“You, what kind of rudeness are you showing to the Dean….”

“It’s okay. He’s special.”

But Diplyn didn’t seem to care.

Rather, she waved her hand quickly.

A signal for Rodeil to withdraw. He hesitated for a moment but then bowed his head.

“I’ll be waiting nearby. If you need help, just call me.”

After finishing a courteous greeting,

He soon vanished from sight.

Diplyn closed the cabin door and turned to Ulan again, speaking.

“You asked earlier why I’m here, didn’t you?”

Ulan nodded.

Then Diplyn continued with her reply.

“The reason is simple. I’ve been appointed as the leader of this investigation team.”

“I didn’t hear about that.”

“Of course, I kept it a secret. You might refuse to cooperate if you knew in advance.”

That was obvious.

Diplyn was someone who hid her true intentions and spread lies.

She was the type Ulan disliked the most.

Moreover, just being around her made him feel weirdly uncomfortable.

As Ulan regarded her with displeasure, suddenly her gaze shifted to the ground.

Then she tilted her head in confusion.

“What are you looking at?”

“Oh, I just thought the shadow looked a bit weird.”

Her eyes narrowed. No, it seemed she was looking beyond his shadow.

‘Could she possibly be sensing the White Wolf?’

While Ulan’s reddish-brown eyebrows twitched, Diplyn shrugged her shoulders, as if it didn’t matter.

“Well, it’s probably just your imagination. But first, sit down. I heard you missed a meal because of me, so I hurriedly prepared some food.”

As the tightly shut door opened, a delightful smell that tantalized the nose filled the air alongside a spread of delicacies.

Most of them were meat-oriented dishes.

Among them were meals hard to find in the student dining hall. This confirmed that Rodeil hadn’t been lying earlier.

“Alright, then I’ll explain what we’ll do over the week you stay here, in order. Ah, and you can eat while listening.”

Diplyn said as if considering Ulan’s comfort.

But he felt it was unnecessary. He was already seated, greedily digging into the food.

With an awkward smile, she turned her body away.

“First, we’ll conduct a simple physical examination. Unusual magic was detected in the ruins you stayed at.”

The calm eyes were directed towards the boundary separating Zone 1 and Zone 2. The point where Ulan had gone missing after being swept away by the torrent.

“If there’s anything harmful to your body, it’ll be a big deal, so I plan to check your mana flows and sensitivity to mana.”

Of course, it was all a lie.

It was merely an excuse to conduct the examination.

She had turned away on purpose because she knew Ulan could tell when someone was lying just by looking into their eyes.

However, that worry turned out to be unnecessary.

“After the examination, second, we’ll revisit the ruins where the Trial of the Hero took place. The Special Operations Division will also join us for this investigation.”

Crunch! Nom nom!

All that returned were the sounds of him voraciously devouring his meal. Diplyn frowned like she lost her patience and asked.

“…Are you listening to me?”

“I’m listening.”

Obviously a lie.

Ulan was counting the remaining pieces of meat on the table, not bothering with her.

Diplyn sighed heavily.

Of course, only on the surface. Internally, she felt relieved.

‘Honestly, this is much better.’

It was way more comfortable to have someone uninterested than to pry overly into something. Her eyes sparkled like stars.

‘This is a hard-won opportunity.’

By preventing the two from meeting, she gained the right to get Ulan involved in her research.

Moreover, the research period had greatly increased.

Originally, Diplyn wanted it to last three days, but Berge extended it to one week.

Although this came with the condition that the research would be conducted during Ulan’s stay at the Source of Magic.

‘The timing doesn’t matter.’

As long as a space and time for research were secured, that was sufficient. Consequently, Diplyn methodically prepared research, examination, and experiment plans.

‘Preparations are perfect.’

She had abundant reagents and materials for the experiments readily available. Not only that, she spent all her savings to procure top-tier magic stones.

Everything was solely for Ulan’s research.

At this point, as she glowed with excitement,

“I’m done eating.”

Before she realized it, the meal had come to an end.

The plates were squeaky clean. Just as she emerged from her thoughts, she smiled brightly and asked.

“So, how was it? Good, right?”

“It tasted good, but it was a bit lacking.”

“Huh? Lacking? But there were five servings!”

“I eat ten servings in a single meal.”

“Ahaha, that was my mistake. Then I’ll prepare ten servings for dinner.”

After sharing laughter,

Diplyn soon revealed her true purpose.

“Now that we’re done eating, I’m ready to start the physical examination we talked about. Is that alright?”

“What kind of examination is it?”

“It’s simple. We’ll observe your mana flows and check if everything is normal, as well as look for any potential risk factors.”

Of course, the real reason lay elsewhere.

Diplyn’s eyes sparkled.

She wanted to check the two mana utensils Ulan possessed.

She aimed to confirm the mana vessel created in his body and see how the mana flowed.

‘And there’s one more thing.’

Something she wanted to uncover.

This question arose when she heard about Ulan being one of the strong masters.

‘According to existing theories, masters shouldn’t be able to create or activate mana vessels.’

The opposite should hold true as well.

Yet Ulan was a master who owned two mana vessels.

That was the reason she wanted to examine him. After concluding her thoughts, Diplyn opened her mouth.

“Alright, I’ll start the examination now.”

“Got it. What should I do?”

Ulan replied bluntly.

Since they’d fed him, he was willing to cooperate with a simple examination. Seeing this cooperative attitude made Diplyn smile brightly as she said.

“Strip.”

“What?”

“Your clothes. Hurry and take them off.”

This was a request Ulan never anticipated.

He replied in a flat tone.

“I’m always undressed.”

“I mean you should strip completely.”

“Why?”

“So I can examine you thoroughly.”

Her eyes were filled with intense curiosity for research.

She certainly didn’t seem like she was lying.

Meanwhile, as Ulan looked at her with narrowed eyes, Diplyn chuckled as she said.

“Come on, there’s no need to be shy. At this age, I’ve seen plenty of men naked, different races included… Oh my.”

Diplyn’s eyes went wide.

As Ulan suddenly lowered his pants.

Doing something so daring, there was absolutely no trace of embarrassment. Diplyn momentarily lost her words, but quickly collected herself.

“Wow, that’s really big. Um, I mean, in several meanings.”

“Well, I’ve got a large build.”

Ulan replied nonchalantly.

As if he was hearing something trivial.

Meanwhile, Diplyn couldn’t seem to keep her eyes off Ulan’s body. With her mouth slightly agape, she stared at him blankly.

“How long are you planning to stare?”

“Ah, sorry! What was I going to do again?”

“You said you were going to examine me.”

“Yes, that’s right. I remember now.”

She flustered, spoke gibberish.

Ulan eyed her, half-squinting.

“Didn’t you say you’ve seen naked men a lot?”

“…I’ve never seen anything like this.”

With a response that sounded like an excuse, Diplyn slapped her cheeks a few times.

Her cheeks turned bright red. Soon after collecting her wits, she clear her throat hesitantly.

“Ahem! Anyway, let’s go to the next room. The experiment, no, the examination materials are in there.”

“Okay.”

Ulan stood up right away.

As he was about to follow Diplyn into another room, suddenly the front door burst open.

“Dean! We have a big problem!”

It was Rodeil, entering with a panicked expression.

He hadn’t finished his sentence after seeing Ulan in his birthday suit.

What on earth was going on? As he frantically scrambled to grasp the situation,

“What’s happening?”

A voice broke the train of thought.

It was Diplyn’s voice. Upon regaining his senses, Rodeil drew near with a serious expression. Then he whispered a report.

“…The Count has arrived nearby.”

“What? What did you say?”

Her eyes widened slightly.

A moment later, Diplyn’s delicate eyebrows sharply furrowed, as if she was in an uncomfortable mood.

“I could’ve sworn I heard something about keeping a real-time watch earlier.”

“Y-Yes, but he disappeared for a while and suddenly showed up at the entrance.”

The explanation sounded like an excuse. She looked at Rodeil with displeasure. However, her displeasure was only temporary.

Well, it couldn’t be helped.

Count Deorg was a master.

No matter how skilled the Special Operations Division was, perfectly monitoring a master’s presence was impossible.

“Phew, there’s no helping it.”

For her, there was no other choice but to make a quick trip.

Diplyn threw on her outer coat.

Almost in preparation to step out. Ulan muttered quietly.

“Looks like you have business to tend to.”

“Yes, but it won’t take long. So please wait patiently here.”

As she responded she gave additional instructions.

“Oh, and all the tools and materials here are necessary for the examination, so don’t touch anything.”

“Noted.”

“Especially the magic stones on the shelf; those are extremely expensive, so make sure you don’t break any of them.”

“Sure.”

After several reminders, Diplyn looked relieved. After a moment, as her presence faded into the distance,

Wiggle wiggle!

Ulan’s shadow began to stir.

Suddenly, a thick fog billowed up.

[Grrr.]

It was the White Wolf. It stretched like it was yawning and then leapt lightly. As if it had a destination it had been eyeing all along.

[Grrr! Grrr!]

The White Wolf let out a satisfied laugh.

Its landing spot was exactly where Diplyn had made a point to warn against approaching. An incredibly expensive magic stone was right there.

Chapter 17. The Visit

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