Chapter 84

(84)

In the long curved hallway where bright sunlight poured in through a large glass window, there were dozens of magicians, one duke, and one magic duke.

“Did that just… escape?”

“Where did it go wrong?”

We stammered, unable to comprehend the situation unfolding before us.

The red mist and white bones transformed into beads, swelling into bubbles as they touched blood, then flew away, forming a spine and escaping through the window.

I felt my head cool as I watched Sererassie dash toward the elevator.

Its speed was quick, and the mental waves were intense.

Even I, who had been trained in battle, had to momentarily close my eyes.

If Sererassie and I were to chase and try to capture it, we could find ourselves in danger.

Moreover, even if we captured it, that would only be the beginning of the problem.

It was a situation where we had caused an accident while conducting illegal research on the ancient artifacts without the Emperor’s permission at the Ivory Tower… No.

Didn’t Sererassie and I just say?

That the experiment was being conducted under our observation.

In other words, if damages occurred in this situation, we would bear a significant portion of the responsibility.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it was all our fault.

…What should I do?

I genuinely pondered.

I might need to tell Jeilliris that I would use the indulgence this time.

Then I would avoid execution, but I would ruin the precious trust I had earned.

This could not reach her ears.

I had to find a way to block it from my end.

To do that, I had to involve the Ivory Tower.

At the very least, I needed to ensure they couldn’t place all the blame on Sererassie and me.

“Haah.”

I sighed deeply and looked back.

The rookie magician, who had been excited about conducting the experiment, wore an expression that begged for self-destruction, while her master, Iphiza, gripped her red robe tightly, trembling.

The long ears of her high elf heritage turned bright red.

The reaction was better than expected.

At least, it seemed that they did not yet think of placing the blame on me.

I hated that I was the one thinking about things like this when an anomaly had just escaped, but I couldn’t let Sererassie be implicated along with me.

“Iphiza.”

“Your Grace, the Duke.”

She also wore a look of shock, similar to mine.

I turned my gaze to the grimoire instead.

When an accident occurs, we must first destroy the evidence.

“Is there any reason for that to remain here? It still seems there’s a red and white aura lingering. It seems dangerous to keep it here, since we have deceived Iphiza and everyone else.”

I emphasized the word ‘deceived.’

It was a term that turned us all into victims of the ancient artifacts’ tricks.

Iphiza twitched her ears and nodded.

“Your Grace, the Duke, is correct. It was a trap from the start. We have all been deceived. I did not expect it to be so pure until materialization.”

Blahan, whose head bore twisted horns, provided supporting fire.

“This has been an unheard-of case. Who would have imagined the elves’ records were wrong?”

After the ancient elf grimoire had been deciphered, he was the loudest to shout about using the knowledge related to the ancient artifacts.

I imagined I might soon rush to Jeilliris and plead for her to eliminate us all.

I locked eyes with the two elders.

They, too, were seasoned veterans who had survived in the Ivory Tower amidst schemes, conspiracies, and power struggles.

“Why don’t we burn it?”

“Let’s burn it.”

“I agree that would be best.”

We all agreed that keeping it around would benefit no one.

“The flames that consume until the end.”

“The dark flames that burn the soul.”

“Burn, fire.”

I invoked the incantation of fire, while Iphiza used high-level flame magic, and Blahan unleashed the flames of pitch-black magic.

A book the size of a person’s upper body was engulfed in flames, bursting forth with red and white smoke.

Blahan and Iphiza directed the magicians from their school.

“Clean up the laboratory.”

“Dispose of the reagents and do not allow any records.”

The moment Iphiza said not to allow any records, all the papers and parchments noting the experiment began to ignite.

There were magicians fumigating in confusion as smoke billowed from their robe pockets.

However, that fire did not affect people or the surroundings and extinguished after consuming only the papers.

* * *

After burning the books and records, we gathered to brainstorm.

True evidence annihilation meant resolving the issue at hand.

That could also be referred to as taking responsibility.

“Your Grace, Duke Valenciaunos.”

“Yes, Iphiza.”

“We have encountered unexpected results.”

“That’s right.”

“However, in the Ivory Tower, we bear the responsibility for the outcomes.”

“So does the Imperial Court.”

“I noticed you were able to endure the mental waves earlier. Could you assist in recovering the specimen?”

“As the Duke of the Empire and as the elder brother in the Imperial family, along with being an observer of the experiment, it is my rightful duty.”

Iphiza implying whether I could ‘assist’ indicated that the primary responsibility lay with the Ivory Tower, meaning they would not place the blame solely on Sererassie and me.

At the same time, the term ‘recover’ indicated that the Ivory Tower would take possession of all results from this experiment.

In other words, it meant they would collect all evidence and make the incident as if it never happened.

Through using the term ‘observer,’ I implied I would take responsibility alongside them while also subtly hinting that it might be difficult to pretend it never happened.

Iphiza nodded, as if to convey that she would accept that much.

Blahan cleared his throat and spoke.

“Being a dark mage, it feels a bit embarrassing to say this, but civilian casualties must be minimized. It should not head deeper into the capital. How about closing the castle gates and letting the summoned beasts loose to search?”

Interpreted, it meant that the incident should not reach Jeilliris’s ears or eyes.

However, it was also quite a commendable countermeasure.

As evening approached, most tourists who had come to the special zone would have already retreated into the Silentalouon or the hotels within the special zone.

“Thank you for your insights.”

As soon as I agreed, Blahan opened the nearby window and exhaled a black breath.

The misty breath transformed into dozens of bats, heading for each castle gate and the tenth floor.

“I’ve informed my apprentices and several dark mages of the situation.”

“Allow us to participate in the search as well.”

At that moment, a familiar voice chimed in.

Sererassie smiled coyly, flaunting her golden ornaments.

Behind her were Gestarte and several mages from the Lightning School, draped in blue robes.

“The recovery is the responsibility of the entirety of the Ivory Tower.”

At the same time, it indicated they wished to share the results of the search.

“Much appreciated.”

“Thank you.”

Blahan and Iphiza agreed.

I smiled with satisfaction and said, “Then I shall now go out and run around.”

It was a sorrowful thing to have to engage in such scheming when I did not even know what might be happening outside.

However, what I learned over my forty years before returning was that an alliance that had not negotiated on the distribution of spoils could not even start, and even if they managed to start somehow, they would find themselves fighting once again after the war ended.

Only those who can focus all their energy on resolving the immediate problem are truly righteous, have little to take responsibility for, or are simply fools.

And not a single one of those three types was present in this place.

“Little brother. Let’s go. Before that anomaly below holds a human buffet.”

Sererassie gestured and rushed ahead.

“Unexpectedly, such nice words come out?” I asked while following her.

“I wanted to say, how foolish do you have to be to not notice that an anomaly was being born right next to you while watching the experiment? But that would apply to me as well.”

“I already said it.”

As we entered the elevator and I repeatedly pressed the close button, a silhouette dashed through the door.

“Senior. Let’s go together.”

A magical apprentice with long cream-colored hair and proud brown eyes, she was currently Gestarte’s disciple.

Sererassie’s golden ornaments sparkled as though displeased.

However, her junior magician did not back down.

“I’m your master’s disciple, aren’t I?”

“!”

Sererassie’s face contorted as if she could summon thunder.

The blue aura gathered like mist around her hands.

“Calm down!”

“Your Excellency, the Magic Guild Leader Sererassie. Thank you for your cooperation?”

“If you don’t want to end up burnt black, keep your mouth shut.”

However, Sererassie did not strike with her staff.

She closed her eyes beneath the brim of her pointed hat and said.

“Surely, my master wouldn’t let in any riffraff.”

In a voice that concealed her emotions.

“I’m looking forward to seeing just what remarkable substitute you managed to obtain.”

Her disciple made a fleeting angry expression before smiling coyly and introducing herself.

“I’m Niar. Nice to meet you, Senior.”

“Call me Your Excellency, Duke Sererassie. You’re not even of royal blood, are you? To earn mutual respect from me, you would need to be at least of elder status.”

“Wow. What a dramatic shift in attitudes! Didn’t you claim that rank means nothing in the Ivory Tower?”

“That Ivory Tower abandoned me.”

* * *

The winter sun set quickly, and the streets of the Ivory Tower’s autonomous district, which had been bustling during the day, became relatively desolate.

Though the magicians did not enforce a nighttime curfew, tourists who had booked accommodations outside the autonomous district had to return before it got completely dark.

“Alright. Time to head home, right?”

A child from a wealthy family, holding a parent’s hand, walked eastward to return home.

However, what they faced was a massive iron gate firmly closed.

Even though it was evening, the remaining tourists numbered in the thousands.

“What’s going on?”

“Please open it.”

Voices of panic echoed from various directions, but the security guards remained resolute.

Anyone who defied the word of the Ivory Tower’s elder would surely not see the sun rise the next day.

Alchemist vendors who dealt with magicians had parked their carriages on the street and were engaged in conversation.

“Do you have any idea why they suddenly closed the gates? The eastern gate of the autonomous district is supposed to be shut by now, but why are the other three closed?”

“Looks like everyone’s in for a major loss. That friend is supposed to deliver thirty crates by tomorrow morning.”

“I heard the elder from the tower issued a hasty order. Rumor has it that some kind of chimera has escaped.”

One merchant sighed in disbelief.

“Ugh, the Ivory Tower really makes some blunders.”

Another merchant chuckled with amusement.

“It seems they too have unexpectedly clumsy aspects. Think about it. They’ve been going in there since they were 7 or 8 years old and didn’t come out until nearly 30. They’ve spent all that time practicing magic, magic, magic. How would they know anything about the world except for those few times they did practice outside?”

Another merchant roared with laughter.

“I see why the wizards in stories all seem mysterious and aloof. They’ve just been keeping quiet out of ignorance. Hahaha.”

Suddenly—

Accompanying the merchant’s laughter was an eerie sound of footsteps.

It felt like some enormous arachnid was scuttling across the stone pavement.

“Did you see that just now?”

“Yeah! It went into that alley!”

“Shouldn’t we report it right away?”

The merchant who had been laughing shook his head.

“Why report? We can just catch it and resell it. We know how much a chimera is worth, right?”

“Hah. This guy was rummaging through the practice furnace last time and selling magical tools along with chimeras. Can’t he kick that habit? That’s theft, theft.”

“What theft are you talking about? It’s picking up something discarded.”

He grabbed a tool from the carriage and jumped down.

“Come here, you cute little thing.”

He poked his head into the alley.

At that moment, a hissing sound was heard.

It sounded as if wrapping an egg in both hands and squeezing it would produce a similar noise.

The merchants gazed in astonishment toward the inside of the alley.

“Uh, what?”

“What is that?”

And they trembled in horror.

The aura of the ancient artifacts was so strong that their retinas couldn’t provide a clear image, and they only saw a vague shape.

Yet, it was unmistakable that it was definitely not human.

Swoosh!

A massive claw descended.

The merchants froze and could not move.

At that moment, a swordsman dressed in white attire dashed in like a meteor, inserting himself between them.

A sword, adorned with a golden mana blade, clashed with the gigantic claw, sparking flames.

“I found you! You despicable little bastard!”

A youth on the cusp of boyhood and young manhood, handsome but with a cruel and arrogant expression, with vertically slit golden eyes and platinum hair.

“V-Valenciaunos!”

“The Bandit Duke!”

The merchants gasped in horror as they gazed at the anomaly, and Valenciaunos shouted arrogantly.

“Is this your first time seeing me? What perfect timing! I’ll be taking my reward for saving your lives, so pull out your money. If you don’t, I’ll just take it by force.”

He had learned from his past life experiences that he needed to say this to make sure the people around him would not stick around and would run away.

As expected, they fled without looking back, and Valenciaunos stepped back with a bitter smile, regaining his stance.

“You pompous little bastard. You’ve changed again.”

The anomaly’s face and back resembled a white pinecone or chestnut.

Over red muscles, it bore a rough scale armor, almost directly.

Its two front limbs resembled those of a crab or lobster, crawling on the ground with four sharp-pointed legs.

Its ribs protruded forward, moving like another mouth, with some of them sometimes resembling small claw forms.

It was indeed a being, an unmixable other life form that released an overwhelming mental wave.

Simultaneously, Valenciaunos soared through the air, igniting flames.