Chapter 117
“Has it gotten a bit quieter?”
One of the black mages crouched in hiding muttered.
The black mage beside him perked up his ears.
“Seems like it’s quiet now?”
“Then can we go out now?”
“Let’s wait a little longer. Just in case.”
“Mm.”
The three black mages huddled together exchanged glances with the same look in their eyes, then let out deep sighs.
The place they were in was the basement of the dormitory used as the warrior academy.
In other words, they were hiding in the basement of the building where the academy’s exam was currently in full swing.
This had never been the plan from the beginning.
After the chimera attacked the academy children, the Guardians had abandoned this building for safety reasons.
Taking advantage of their hurried escape, Yan — the leader of the disaster — had ordered a thorough search of the building.
-The Guardians have all left, but just in case, the leader told us to search it once.
-Even if we search, what could we find? Those guys are so thorough.
-Still better than doing nothing.
So the black mages had entered the building without much worry.
They judged there was no danger since the Guardians had all left.
But that judgment was wrong.
-Damn it! Hey! You said no one would be here!
-Wha, what? Why is someone coming in?
The Guardians had returned to the building for the trainees’ exam.
So the black mages had no choice but to hide in the basement, and right then, an even more unfortunate event occurred.
-Just in case, I’ll set up a barrier before we go.
-Is there anyone in the world this thorough? Lady Daphne would fall for him if she saw this.
The half-white-haired man who had come with the Guardians had cast a magical barrier over the entire academy.
It was a barrier that prevented anyone inside from going out and anyone outside from coming in.
-Argh! Seriously! That crazy bastard!
-No one’s here and he puts up a barrier and goes nuts!
The black mages had struggled desperately to escape, but their power was far too weak to even scratch the barrier created by the great sage Shiosen.
After trying several more times, they eventually gave up and quietly hid in the basement.
They figured if they waited, someone would eventually enter the building, and they could slip out at that moment.
-Do we really have to live like this?
-I miss the leader……
After spending several days like that, the black mages — whose breathing was on the verge of stopping — finally sensed signs of someone entering the building.
We’re saved……!
They had started to cheer, but soon felt disappointed.
The ones entering the building were the academy trainees.
From what they overheard, it seemed the trainees were conducting training here.
It looked like some kind of treasure hunt, and only then did the black mages understand why the Guardians had returned and why they kept picking up and dropping items.
So they put their heads together and squeezed out one more escape plan.
-Let’s use those items.
-Use black magic on the kids. Once they all collapse, we run.
Their plan had been somewhat successful.
Up until now.
“It’s completely quiet now.”
“Then let’s get up. My knees hurt.”
The black mages stood up, rolling their stiff necks and shoulders, and quickly scanned the area.
When they extended their senses, they could no longer detect any conscious humans inside the building.
They had all apparently collapsed from the black magic.
“Thinking about how we suffered for days because of these crazy humans makes me so pissed.”
“Academy? Second warrior training ground? They’re really full of shit. So annoying.”
They clicked their tongues and frowned.
“Whatever, let’s get out of here fast.”
“Huh? Why run? Can’t we just kill them all?”
“Check outside first. It’s crawling with Guardians and mages like before. Even we’d die if we go out there.”
“What a shame…….”
One of them whined and hesitated.
“Then can’t we at least deal with the kids before we go? They’re already down, so it’s easy. Right?”
The other black mages didn’t react much, as if they were used to such whining.
“Why bother with kids who are going to die anyway? Just leave them.”
“Yeah. They’ll turn into corpses soon enough. Getting out of here comes first.”
The one who had been whining pursed his lips but didn’t cling any further.
As they said, escaping came first.
They could deal with the rest later.
Thinking that, the black mages sharpened their senses while checking the situation outside.
It was at that moment.
“But I’m curious about the reason. What benefit do you gain from killing the children?”
“Does there have to be a benefit? There’s no need to keep reactionaries who oppose the leader alive, so we just kill them…… Ack! What the hell!”
The black mages recoiled in shock at the golden-haired head that had suddenly poked out.
The golden head — in other words, Daphne — stood with arms folded, staring straight up at them.
“Wh-what? Where did this kid come from?”
“There was definitely no human detected?”
Daphne grinned wickedly at the greatly flustered black mages.
“I’m not someone who gets caught by your pathetic detection magic.”
“What nonsense……!”
“I am a great being.”
Daphne looked at the lunchboxes before her and felt unfiltered joy welling up fully.
“Therefore, I forbid meaningless killing. Understood?”
“Shut up! Dieeee!”
One of them charged at Daphne, but she evaded the attack with a light twist of her body.
Her movements were far more natural than before.
“You pitiful creatures who cannot understand my will. It’s truly lamentable, yet I see no particular reason to enlighten you.”
“Argh, stop spouting weird shit! Die! Die already!”
“Thus, I have made my decision.”
Daphne spread both hands wide.
On one side rose the aura of death resembling black magic, on the other pitch-black flames.
Soon the aura of death and flames merged into one, rising like a massive pillar of fire.
The black mages backed away with gaping mouths.
This was an unbelievable sight.
“If you’re lunchboxes, then be eaten quietly like lunchboxes.”
Claw-shaped tendrils of death extended from behind Daphne.
“I give thanks for the daily provision, O leader of the disaster.”
***
“O-oh…….”
The mages were all staring at one spot, marveling in unison.
“My god. I never imagined I’d see that person in my lifetime.”
“If I’d known, I would’ve brought all my research……! Just showing it once would have been enough……!”
They were looking at one person.
“That is the ‘Great Sage’……!”
It was none other than Shiosen.
If you asked mages who the most popular person was, they would name Shio.
If you asked who they most wanted to meet, they would name Shio again.
He was a mage who had accumulated countless achievements and the great sage who had succeeded in numerous researches.
“Ahem.”
Shio stroked his chin and puffed out his chest.
“Teiti. Can you hear it? This cheering directed at me?”
“I only hear whispering.”
“If you listen closely, it’s different. They’re all just too shy to approach me.”
“Getting popular with such insignificant humans, what’s so great about it…….”
Teiti, standing beside Shio, shook his head with an expression of disgust.
At that moment, someone came running while calling Shio’s name.
“Sir Shio!”
It was an elder of the Tower, practically the leader of the mage unit.
“The barrier! I saw the barrier! We just finished analyzing it! My god, my god! To create such a perfect barrier! You seem to grow greater every time I see you!”
The elder spoke politely and used honorifics toward Shio.
Judging by appearance alone, one might think Shio should call him grandfather and follow him, but among mages, age wasn’t determined by looks, so such external hierarchy reversals were only natural.
But,
“Didn’t it take you five whole hours? This is way too slow. Are you getting dementia?”
“Hey, you bastard, there are things you say to old people and things you don’t!”
Shio had gone a bit too far.
Teiti pretended not to know Shio, who was getting beaten by the elder’s son, and stepped back, while the mages rushed past Teiti toward Shio.
“Anyway! This barrier is truly incredible! It’s like an unbreakable shield, right?”
“We even tried gathering power to break it, but it wouldn’t budge. I’m curious how you achieved such strength. Could you share the formula?”
The mages eyes sparkled as they showered praise on Shio’s barrier, and Shio didn’t even think of lowering his puffed-up shoulders as he basked in it fully.
The magical barrier known as the unbreakable shield was one of the fields he was most proud of……
Boom boom boom!
……was?
Everyone’s gazes snapped to one point.
The magical barrier, once called the unbreakable shield, shattered with a crash.
And through the gap, claw-shaped black whips flowed out.
While everyone stood stunned and dazed, watching the scene, Shio muttered upon seeing the aura of death rising through the crack in the barrier.
‘Wouldn’t it be better to just hang a banner? Saying I’m a dragon.’
This was basically openly advertising it.
