Chapter 283
Early the next morning.
Four committee mages, including the Mage Tower's director, visited the royal castle.
It was an uncoordinated visit, but they had good reason for it.
The Aquilonian youth who had supposedly received a commission from the royal castle had done trendous damage to the Mage Tower.
Not only had he damaged the great Eibon's statue, but he had also blown away an entire wall of the Mage Tower's records archive.
Mages, who were always weak in stamina due to research, had been using devices that allowed movent by injecting magical power.
But the Aquilonian youth had destroyed it and driven the mages to the stairs.
As a result, they couldn't et the ti limit, and naturally, the explosives the youth had installed blew a hole in the archive located on the Mage Tower's top floor.
This went beyond being impolite.
The Mage Tower intended to officially petition for the Aquilonian's punishnt.
King Oderus, who finally granted an audience after waiting more than half an hour, was as dignified as always,
But when the story of the Aquilonian youth ca up, he was both bewildered and greatly angered.
He too knew the importance of the Mage Tower and how significant a role mages played within Asgard.
King Oderus and the Mage Tower mages quickly agreed to confine the 'arrogant and rude brat' and send an official protest letter to Aquilonia,
But the knights and soldiers sent to arrest him returned empty-handed and reported.
"The Aquilonian's room is already empty. When we asked the servants, they said he escaped the royal castle early this morning."
"But that foreigner is holding a Mage Tower mage hostage!"
"A hostage? Did you say hostage?"
King Oderus asked back. A committee mage who couldn't contain his anger ground his teeth and poured out.
"That's right, Your Majesty. After causing that trouble last night, he kidnapped a mage to shake off the pursuing mages."
"That's serious. We must hurry to find that insolent bastard. If you provide the mage's description, the royal knights will identify him and guarantee his safety."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Please track down that wicked Aquilonian before the Mage Tower mage faces great danger. We beg of you!"
* * *
"It's refreshing since I've rarely left the Mage Tower."
"Can you solve all food, clothing, and shelter needs inside the Mage Tower?"
"It may look like an old tower built during ancient Acheron tis on the outside, but the interior has undergone repeated expansions and improvents. If there were a war, there would be no fortress more solid than the Mage Tower."
The white forest that the Mage Tower supposedly owned was located so distance from the Mage Tower.
There were no private houses around, not even a forest keeper's hut.
The size of the white birch forest was comparable to hunting grounds owned by the royal family.
Originally, it was a place where Mage Tower mages could freely obtain materials resistant to cold, alchemical ingredients, and minerals.
However, at so point, all paths leading into the forest were closed and committee permission beca mandatory.
The specific reason wasn't disclosed. There were only rumors that mages who secretly entered the white forest returned mad.
Everyone was curious about the reason. Then one day, soone casually let slip:
-They say monsters live in the forest.
Monsters. At first, everyone laughed it off, but when several corpses were found in the white forest a few days later, they could no longer laugh.
The bodies, incomplete as if torn by wild dogs, couldn't even be fully identified at first glance.
Initially, everyone protested about the safety of the white forest,
But the committee cut it off decisively.
-The committee has closed the paths to the Mage Tower-owned forest and established safety regulations allowing visits only with proper permission.
-This damage resulted from acts that betrayed the trust between the Mage Tower and mages. We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families and victims.
After that, it beca an established fact that dangerous monsters of unknown identity lived in the forest.
No one tried to approach the forest.
Only the committee and a small number of mages who were their confidants entered and exited inconspicuously.
On the path leading into the forest that had beco forbidden,
One mage and two ordinary people were walking side by side.
"Just looking at this, it doesn't seem like anything's blocking it. Isn't it all lies?"
The red-haired youth muttered while running his hand through his hair.
The navy-robed mage walking with him shook his head.
"Simply putting up walls or iron bars wouldn't stop mages."
"Then?"
"You'll understand if you go a little further."
But to the youth's eyes, there was only a clearly open path ahead.
It was when the youth, who was looking suspiciously at the path where no obstacles were visible, took a few steps forward.
"Huh. Suddenly?"
The silent escort knight suddenly stretched out his arm and blocked the youth's path.
The bewildered youth looked up at his escort knight.
But instead of responding to the youth, the knight tapped the air.
-Thud!
"Huh."
The youth responded in a voice that didn't seem surprised at all.
He reached his hand forward and felt around. But soon, when he approached a certain distance, he stopped and could go no further.
"It's like a solid wall."
"Air and water pass through. Wind blows too. But only people cannot enter."
"Only moving animals can't enter?"
"That's right. To explain the principles that co with this type of magic, I'd need to touch briefly on the difference between atypical magical power and standardized magical power. Atypical magical power existing in nature, that is, magical power in a completely unprocessed state, commonly follows tabolism that accompanies life activities and-"
"No. Don't explain. It's botherso. I wouldn't understand even if you told . Did I say I knew mages? Did I say I was interested in magic?"
The youth left the deflated mage and briefly explored the invisible wall.
It was solid and had no perceptible temperature. The texture was like compressed air.
He pondered and asked the mage again.
"If living things can't pass through, how exactly did the mages who entered this place get in?"
"That ultimately cos down to the difference between atypical magical power and standardized magical power-"
"Just tell the conclusion."
"...I understand there's magic that artificially induces deep sleep. To be precise, it's not putting soone to sleep but making them close to a state of suspended animation."
"Is that possible?"
"Theoretically. But who would lightly cross the boundary between life and death? This is just my speculation too. Only the dead mages would know what thods were used in the past."
The youth pondered the mage's words while looking up.
Suspended animation. Suspended animation.
After muttering briefly, he suddenly suggested as if a good idea had occurred to him.
"Since the Mage Tower might chase us, let's have just the mage and go beyond this point first. I'll have my escort knight stay here and guard."
"What? Weren't we supposed to bring him along because there are monsters inside?"
"You're also a mage. You can buy ti to escape if necessary, right?"
"I can't guarantee I'll be able to save you too!"
"I'm fine. I have my own counterasures. It looks like footprints will remain, so let's go where there's no path. Is that okay?"
The question was directed at the escort knight.
He stood for a mont as if flustered, then shook his head.
But despite the escort knight's refusal, the youth said shalessly.
"I understand why you keep following around. But you won't get in big trouble with your employer because of this. I'll say I forced you, so it's fine."
The escort knight only anxiously twisted his black-gloved hands.
anwhile, the youth left the escort knight behind and grabbed the mage's sleeve, leaving the path.
The mage made "uh, uh" sounds while looking back and forth between the escort knight and youth, then asked.
"I-is this okay?"
"It's fine."
The youth examined the ground as he entered the forest. The mage, trembling with anxiety, didn't notice the youth's strange behavior.
"What if a real monster jumps out? Won't we all die then?"
"Die? What scary things you're saying."
"But isn't that the truth!"
"Lower your voice. Unless you want to announce to all directions that we're here."
"How are we going to enter together? Do you have so 'mage you know'?"
"Ah. Right."
The youth thought briefly and said.
"Only I'm going beyond this point."
"...What? Earlier you definitely said you and I would go together."
"No. I'm the only one really going. I have no choice. You just need to push inside and wait here."
"But why..."
"Because it's freer that way. Ah, found it."
The youth bent down and rummaged through moss and grass to pick sothing.
It was a handful of small mushrooms with yellow and white spots here and there that definitely didn't look edible.
The mage began to stutter.
"Wh-what are you going to do with that? You're not planning to eat it, are you? Do you know what kind of mushroom it is?"
"Yeah."
The youth looked down at the mushrooms in his hand and said.
"Of course. I know well. Um... probably has so anesthetic effect, doesn't it?"
"'Doesn't it'? Is that a guess?"
"My plan is this. When I eat this and fall into a death, no, anesthetic state, you just need to push beyond this point."
"What?"
"The mushroom effect won't last long, so I'll wake up quickly. I'll go see what's happening inside there."
"What?"
"If anything happens, tell my escort knight. He's right over there, isn't he? So you'll be less anxious. Any other questions?"
The mage was completely stunned.
And he thought anew. This youth was insane.
With a more calm and plain face than anyone, holding mushrooms that were certainly poisonous in one hand, he was telling him to push him inside there.
If he had been rambling incoherently, he might have thought the youth was very excited or exhausted.
But the foreign youth was thodically explaining from beginning to end as if his thoughts were logical.
In front of the youth who seed like a terrible result born from reason and unreason combined, there wasn't much the mage could say.
At most,
"N-no, there isn't."
The youth shrugged. And then, without a mont's hesitation, he really began picking off mushrooms from his hand one by one and chewing them.
Watching this scene, the mage simultaneously felt intense guilt and the desire to run away.
This person was insane. Otherwise, there was no way he could do such a thing so calmly.
Or he was insane and seeing illusions. Yes, such behavior couldn't possibly be acceptable by common sense...
"You might want to turn around. I think I'm going to vomit soon."
"Y-yes."
Even as the mage creakily turned around, the youth was calmly brushing dirt off the mushrooms.
A few minutes later.
As the mage carried the youth, whose entire body was swollen blue and who wasn't breathing, and rolled him into the white forest,
He vowed to keep this matter secret until he died.
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