Chapter 54 - Friend (5)

I picked up stones and threw them provocatively at the rock troll.

It seemed agitated, snorting through its nose.

After scraping the ground hard enough to leave marks, it charged at me, shaking the earth.

The moment the rock troll got close, I threw myself sideways.

Being such a heavy magic creature, it couldn't control its body once it gained even a little speed. Its movements were obvious and simple, making it too easy to dodge.

The rock troll crashed straight into the iron bars behind me.

Though the bars shook violently with an ear-splitting clang, they didn't break or even bend.

As expected, this won't be enough.

I took advantage of the time the rock troll needed to steady itself to create distance.

Then, I summoned my sword and cut through the chains and handcuffs, binding my wrists.

GRRRR, GRRRR

The rock troll turned and prepared to charge again.

I didn't give it a chance and immediately fired a sword wave.

The explosion was strong enough to make me worry the ceiling might collapse.

CRASH!

The rock troll's body was slammed into the iron bars.

With the second sword wave, the troll's rocky body was pulverized and flew away along with the bars.

"Whew..."

I dispelled the sword and brushed off the filth on my body.

Then, I quietly moved beyond where the iron bars had been and hid behind a side pillar.

The sound of jingling keys grew closer. The sewer manager was rushing over, apparently startled by the explosion.

He was shocked to see the shattered bars and rock troll.

"T-this is insane!"

When the footsteps got close, I spun around and kicked his back.

Then, I flipped him over, grabbed his collar, and threw a punch.

THUD.

"I warned you. Be careful who you hit."

The manager flailed his arms.

I returned exactly what I had received in punches. Blood from his nose splattered, dirtying my hands and clothes.

After completely subduing the manager, I took the handcuffs from his waist and bound his wrists.

Now, I needed to find Liria, but something felt off.

What was this Ella woman thinking? Rigbed was within Eternia's sphere of influence. No matter how powerful she was, if she had influence in Rigbed, she couldn't act this recklessly.

What is it? What am I missing?

Silveryn's advice had never been wrong before.

She hadn't sent me into enemy territory.

I stopped to analyze the situation.

Someone with enough status to entrust my identity-concealing mask and ignore Silveryn's opinion.

An information network that was good enough to immediately see through my lie about Erzsebet's introduction.

If I died fighting the rock troll, the aftermath would be difficult for anyone to handle.

But what if she knew I had the skills to come out unscathed?

This meant Ella wasn't just a bathhouse operator or skilled magic scholar.

Considering all circumstances, very few people could act like this.

If she was affiliated with Eternia...

Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.

"Could it be..."

I opened the door to the annex where Ella had been.

She was still half-reclining on the sofa in the same position.

Seeing me return covered in blood, she removed the pipe from her mouth and said indifferently, "Quick, aren't you? You have quite a temper, just like your master?"

I bowed politely.

"Let me properly introduce myself, Professor Ella. I am Damian, disciple of Archmage Silveryn."

Ella looked at me silently before sighing deeply.

"Well, that greeting came much too late."

"..."

Ella reached into the blazing decorative brazier and pulled something out.

It was Silveryn's letter. And the letter was completely intact, without any burn marks.

"Your master makes everyone else's letters burn while making her own fireproof. She's really selfish, isn't she?"

I've been had. She got me good.

After retrieving the letter, Ella suddenly stood up, walked past me out to the courtyard, and said, "Follow me."

Ella walked toward the main building with her arms crossed, saying nothing.

We arrived at a small hot spring bath discreetly hidden by partitions and plants.

Through gaps in the partition, I could see Liria wrapped in a towel, enjoying the bath with a completely carefree expression.

It would have been disastrous if I'd gone to find Liria first. She looked far too peaceful and happy to be a hostage.

Ella suddenly turned to face me and said, "Let me tell you what you need to fix. Firstly, don't assume everyone will be favorable to your master.

"Secondly, be extremely cautious and fully prepared when encountering unfamiliar groups. Don't let your guard down even in Rigbed. This is especially true for you, as a Masters Class student.

"Thirdly, act separately from people precious to you who could be used against you, in case of unexpected situations.

“And lastly, at least know the names of the professors at the school you'll be attending."

"...I'll keep that in mind."

"Good, now let's go inside and continue our discussion."

***

Ella sat with her legs crossed, wearing a disapproving expression.

My confiscated belongings were neatly arranged on the VIP room table.

I sat across from Ella and listened to what she had to say.

"She didn't tell you anything about me?"

"...No."

"Hmph, that's just like her. I know all about your master's flower-like teenage years and various secrets. Things that might surprise you a bit."

Silveryn's flower-like teens? That’s hard to imagine.

"Then, you and Teacher were..."

"Classmates. And best friends."

"..."

"And though Silveryn might not know, I was one of your Masters Class examiners."

So that was why she knew everything about me and threw me into the underground sewer.

"And forgive me about the sewer incident. When I saw that my best friend's disciple couldn't even recognize my name or face, I wanted to tease you a bit."

"...Please don't worry about it."

"I also personally wanted to test you. Be careful, all your examiners are dying to test you as they please."

This was confusing. To think there were more people who wanted to torment me. Could I handle it?

Ella burst out laughing at my gloomy reaction.

"Pfft, why are you so surprised? Think about what you did back then. How could we not want to?"

"..."

"Well, on the other hand, the situation has gotten quite bad because of the northern dark mage, so keep your wits about you."

"I'll be careful. But... what do you mean the situation has gotten bad?"

Ella stared at me blankly, as if finding it strange.

"Silveryn didn't tell you anything?"

"She just said there was something unpleasant."

"She's raising you quite gently. That’s unlike her."

I feel I would have had a much harder time if I were Ella's disciple instead of Silveryn's.

"Well, she must have her reasons. Let me ask you one thing. Does Silveryn cherish you?"

I thought about Silveryn. 

Cherish me? Of course, she does. If I didn't know that, I'd be the biggest fool in the world.

"Yes, she does."

"Then, you're Silveryn's weakness. What would you have done if I were a dark mage?"

"...I don't know."

Ella looked at me with eyes like a cat eyeing its prey.

"Dark mages don't care about means or methods, and they don't fight head-on. They just target what their opponent cherishes from behind. If a dark mage wanted to harm Silveryn, who do you think they'd target first?"

It felt like being hit hard from behind. 

Does this mean my actions could put Teacher in danger?

Just as I had been helplessly dragged to the underground sewer because of Liria, the same could happen to Teacher?

"I'm quite worried about you. Your master can't always stay by your side to protect you."

"I don't know anything about dark mages. I haven't even heard about them. I don't know how to identify or deal with them."

"That's the biggest problem. It's right that you don't know. They're not opponents you can handle at your level."

"How dangerous are they?"

"They're the most dangerous beings in this world. I can't think of a more accurate description than that."

It was hard to grasp. The most dangerous thing I'd seen in my life was Silveryn's magic.

Ella removed the pendant from her neck and held it out to me.

"Take it."

I hesitated briefly.

"Don't hesitate, take it quickly. It's something that could save your life."

As I took the pendant, she continued.

"It will vibrate when a dark mage is nearby. It's not perfect, so it won't catch them all. But it will detect the really dangerous ones, so it should be useful for you."

"What should I do if I encounter a dark mage?"

"Never confront them, just run away. That's what you need to do."

"I understand."

Ella lit her pipe and put it in her mouth.

"We'll talk about this later. Seems like there are more immediate problems to solve."

Ella turned her attention to my belongings on the table. She picked up my herb list and said, "By the way, why are you trying to get things like 'Tears of Fuglisi' and 'Alaker's Nail'? These are completely out of reach with the money you brought."

I'd brought the most money I'd ever had in my life, yet it wasn't even close.

"I had specific uses for them, but I had no idea they'd be so expensive."

"Hmm, there's quite a lot I need to prepare for you."

"...?"

"Well, I'm sure you came because of the mask, so rest here today. I'll take care of the rest, don't worry about it."

"Thank you."

"Go rest now."

Ella stood up.

Something occurred to me, and I asked. "Professor, I have a question."

"Yes?"

Ella seemed to be directly connected to the Masters Class. If so, maybe she knew other things too.

"Are there other Masters Class students besides me?"

Hearing my question, Ella made a meaningful expression.

"Of course, there are. Interesting question. I thought you all would know each other already."