Chapter 180: What to Prepare Before Departing on an Adventure (2)
"Hmm."
Roberta furrowed her brow.
She glared at the puzzle floating in midair.
A 32-sided puzzle made of tal. A disposable artifact called the 'Labyrinth of Existence'. Roberta had received it from Abel several days ago. Under the pretense of having completed the practical evaluation without incident.
"What on earth is this……"
With a light tap,
the mont Roberta touched the Labyrinth of Existence,
"……What principle is this?"
The 32 faces began to scramble with tallic sounds. Engraved on each face were enigmatic words. If arranged correctly, it was supposed to grant a wish. The scope of the wish would be limited, but the fact remained that it was tempting.
"Co off it, you trap of a thing."
anwhile, Ernst passed by Roberta.
It was the 4th training grounds of Cia-Harphe Academy, a ti when the frost from the night before had not yet lted. The wooden training dummies arranged for practice were covered in pale frost.
"That is not sothing just anyone can solve."
Ernst reached out his hand.
He swept away the frost on the wooden dummy while continuing to speak.
"I heard it from my grandmother. The words scrawled on the puzzle's surface are indicators related to you. If you develop in the right direction according to the indicators, before long the puzzle will activate and produce the answer. In other words, your future is the answer to the riddle."
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
Count Tresckow, and.
Roberta whispered in a playful tone, and,
"Did I not tell you not to call that?"
Ernst wrinkled his expression.
"The one currently governing the territory is Grand Duke Sharma in the first place. I am just a figurehead and sothing like Grand Duke Sharma's disciple. You could even call prey."
"Do you think Grand Duke Sharma will take Count Tresckow's territory?"
"I said not to call Count. Call a son of a bitch instead."
"Good grief. Anyway, do you think Grand Duke Sharma will take Ernst Oppa's territory?"
"Who can say."
How would I know what that old man is thinking?
Ernst grumbled while folding his arms. No matter how hard he tried, he could not see through his thoughts. The head of Sharma, Christophe, mocked, reproached, occasionally praised, and supported Ernst—nonchalantly, as if none of it was sincere.
"Everyone arrived first!"
At that mont, a voice reached Ernst and Roberta.
Monika was running toward the two of them, waving her prosthetic arm.
"Hello, Roberta. And Count Tresckow."
"O Goddess of Amber. Please, if you could do sothing about that Count title……"
"That is my line."
Monika scratched the back of her neck with an expression as if she was getting goosebumps.
"How long are you going to speak to like a madman? Just call a son of a bitch instead."
"How could this Ernst von Tresckow speak such foul words to a lady?"
"Never mind that. You can speak casually to like you do with Demian Senior, so please sohow……"
"Did Demian Oppa leave without saying goodbye?"
Roberta asked, and Monika and Ernst fell silent.
All three of them knew. A pilgrimage journey must be undertaken without notice. Demian had disappeared suddenly without any farewell, as if he were just going for a walk.
They felt no worry toward Demian. They thought he would surely complete it well. The problem was the vacancy that actually existed. When the sester began, there had been five students in Abel's class, but by the end of the sester, only three remained.
"Will students…… be reinforced?"
"Probably so."
At Monika's question, Ernst nodded.
"A class with only three mbers does not exist. They will be reinforced around the ti the spring sester begins."
"And then Ernst Oppa will graduate soon after?"
At Roberta's question, Ernst shook his head.
"I still have a year left. Do not make an expression like you are looking at soone who will disappear soon."
"Is one year not quick?"
While muttering so, Roberta reached out her hand.
She grabbed the Labyrinth of Existence floating in midair. The mont she looked down at it and sighed,
"You have all gathered."
Abel was walking toward the students, bringing along two boys—Dietrich and Emilio.
"The day has dawned again. That the day has dawned ans the appropriate ti to train has co. Fatigue is evident on your faces. Practice is necessary to secure the efficiency of rest as well. You are clumsy even at resting."
You only pick the words that make want to punch you, Professor.
Thinking so, Ernst narrowed his eyes. By the way, what are those fellows? Ernst glared at Dietrich and Emilio standing beside Abel. One fellow does not seem accustod to walking. Did his ntal faculties regress to infancy?
"You are……"
Next, Ernst's mouth opened toward Emilio.
Emilio, who had been hesitating, bowed at the waist to greet him.
"Good morning! I am Emilio Mackenzie from the Elental Studies Departnt!"
"I know that."
Monika spoke while folding her arms.
"I saw you once before. You look healthy."
"I heard the story! You rescued , did you not? Thank you so much. How can I repay this favor……"
"No need to repay it. I just got caught up in it by chance. By the way, that person with you……"
Monika's gaze shifted toward Dietrich.
It was not only Monika. Roberta was also looking at Dietrich. And for good reason—Dietrich was not staring straight ahead. He was looking down at his feet with a bewildered expression, as if he could not believe he was standing upright.
"He looks familiar."
Roberta whispered toward Monika's ear.
It truly was so. His expression was gloomy as if dark clouds had been lted down, and his long red hair was neatly grood, but,
"This child is Dietrich Leinhart. The twin younger brother of Lizer Leinhart, who helped with your practical evaluation."
It was as Abel said.
Dietrich resembled Lizer.
He resembled him while at the sa ti seeming to be opposite.
Lizer's expression was always cheerful, and he would have left his distinctive red hair grown carelessly.
"……Dietrich Leinhart."
Dietrich nodded his head slightly while revealing his na in a small voice.
"First year of the Elental Studies Departnt."
First year?
Monika pursed her lips.
Did he not say he was Lizer's twin brother? Then he should have already passed adulthood. He should be of an age to have graduated from CIAR.
"Dietrich did not pass the first year course."
With a light touch, Abel spoke while placing his hand on Dietrich's shoulder.
Because he muttered in an indifferent tone, it could have been taken lightly, but the more one chewed on Abel's words, the stranger they were. A student of the Elental Studies Departnt who had passed adulthood had not even passed the first year course. Then would learning magic not be aningless?
"You will be sparring with Dietrich today."
Would sparring not also be aningless?
Toward the students thinking so,
"Co out one at a ti. It would be better to abandon thoughts of victory."
Abel muttered while wearing a faint smile.
"You will not be able to win no matter what you do."
* * *
"No, what is this……"
Ernst was panting.
He sat on one side of the training grounds and turned his gaze. Roberta sitting beside him was panting just the sa. Both of their expressions were scattered as if they could not believe it.
And for good reason—Ernst's training longsword had only the hilt remaining. The blade had evaporated due to a Spell Formula. Roberta recited an incantation toward her bruised arm. She squeezed out her depleted Divine Power to use a healing Spell Formula.
"We lost miserably. Does this make sense?"
"……I do not know."
Ernst and Roberta exchanged words with blank expressions.
They had just finished sparring with Dietrich. Where on earth did such a monster spring from? Both of them had been knocked out in less than five minutes. By Dietrich's Spell Formula.
'He said he wanted to beco his friend, did he not?'
Ernst recalled what Lizer had said.
It surely must have been so. While exploring the encampnt at Portsmouth, Lizer had spoken to Ernst about his younger brother.
But it was strange. Even Ernst, whose ears were sharp, knew nothing about Dietrich. If he was the younger brother of the promising Lizer from the Elental Studies Departnt, and moreover if that Lizer's younger brother was a repeating student, it should have been the talk of gossip……
"Heave-ho."
anwhile, Roberta rose to her feet.
The bruise spreading on her arm had disappeared.
"Ernst Oppa, get up too."
"Why?"
"We should cheer."
For Monika Unni, and.
Roberta shrugged her shoulders and muttered, and,
'I cannot believe it.'
While Ernst and Roberta withdrew, Dietrich looked down at his palms in a daze. He could feel Mana circulating cleanly. He should not have been able to control even first-tier magic, yet for so reason Mana was flowing within his body according to his will.
'Not only can I use Spell Formulas……'
The very fact that he was standing without a wheelchair right now—everything was unbelievable.
Toward Dietrich thinking so,
"Your skill is impressive."
Monika opened her mouth while facing Dietrich, gripping a training longsword.
"You are worthy of being Lizer Senior's younger brother. You seem incredibly strong, so why are you a first year?"
Dietrich raised his head.
He stared at Monika standing with a blank expression.
More precisely, he looked at Monika's prosthetic arm.
"Your right arm……"
Dietrich narrowed his eyes.
So she had replaced her severed right arm with a prosthetic. By the look of it, there seed to be no problem with operation. And so Dietrich wore a smile.
"……That is fortunate."
What is he suddenly saying?
Thinking so, Monika scratched the back of her neck.
"I wish I too could have overco it."
Dietrich whispered while smiling carefully.
"If I could have replaced my body through sothing, I probably would not have remained a first year."
While looking at Dietrich speaking so,
"It is a temporary effect."
Abel muttered in an indifferent tone.
He had been watching the situation from a distance with Emilio beside him.
"I am rely sustaining Dietrich's body by injecting my Divine Power. Since his broken body is being restored, it seems Mana is also circulating properly."
"……Does that an he has been healed?"
At Emilio's question, Abel shook his head.
"Did I not say it is a temporary effect? The Divine Power will evaporate before long. At that ti he will not be able to walk again. There is no thod to completely heal Dietrich's body."
Because he was probably completed that way, and.
Abel thought but did not speak it aloud.
"By the way, Emilio Mackenzie."
Therefore, Abel decided to speak of sothing else.
He looked at Emilio and continued speaking.
"I have sothing to ask you."
"Ah, yes……"
Emilio's gaze beca blank.
What could he be curious about? He was just a student with no remarkable talent.
Toward Emilio thinking so,
"Did your father truly die?"
Abel spoke in an indifferent tone.
"If so, tell of your father's final monts."
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