Chapter 97: Volume 7 - CH 93

The figure was too publicly visible.

People passing by looked back one after another. It was no surprise. The figure in the shabby leather armor and tattered cloak, with a long sword at his waist, was that of a well-traveled adventurer. The cloak makes it hard to tell, but her body is that of a young woman.

Of course, if that were all, it would not be unusual, but there are two clearly odd features.

One is that her face is covered with a horrifying metal mask with rust floating on it.

Another unusual feature is that she is walking with a Gryphon, a rare beast in this region, which is probably four times her size.

The woman is walking proudly through the crowded streets of Ares, not heeding the unreserved stares she receives. She is heading for the Academy of the Wise, the highest academic institution in the world, located in the center of the city. She is accompanied by a gryphon, which is a dangerous creature by nature, so people do not approach her casually. There are knights in this world who sometimes walk with flying dragons, not to mention horses, so the city is never in an uproar, but it is still unusual to walk with a gryphon.

While many people were watching the woman's movements from afar, she was strutting around without a care in the world, but her movements were indeed stopped at the entrance to the Academy of the Wise. Normally, the academy is open to the general public, but dangerous people cannot be allowed inside the Academy of the Wise. A few patrolmen working as gatekeepers came up to her looking nervous. The woman, however, does not seem to be bothered by this and asks the gatekeeper, who approaches her timidly, spreading out a letter.

「Is the High Mentor present?」

Seeing the engraving on the letter, the patrolmen froze in unison. The beeswax imprint shown at the end of the letter was unmistakably that of High Mentor Graham Coogan. Moreover, it is written in his own hand 『for the utmost convenience of the bearer of this document』.

After being told to wait a moment, the woman waited with the gryphon by her side. The gryphon calmly sat down on the spot. The gryphon should rarely be accustomed to people, but the gryphon is clearly obeying the woman's instructions.

Although she is only slightly taller than the average woman, her regal appearance makes her look bigger. The patrol, as well as magicians belonging to the academy and citizens of Ares who have come for business, look at her strangely, but they do not give her a second thought.

A woman with flaxen hair stood in front of the woman, who seemed to have come to meet her. Her white sheet metal, gold-rimmed metal armor, and crimson cloak are the official equipment of the patrol. After looking at the woman with her face covered by the metal mask without carelessness, the patrolwoman ― Sheryl Maylander ― condescendingly thanked the woman.

「Does the head of the clan live by the sword?」

「Indeed」

「We have been waiting for you. Please, come this way.」

It's just as I heard ― Sheryl mentally recalled. Her grandfather had told her that the heads of the Holy Sword Clan were covered with metal masks so that their faces would not be recognized. The metal masks are black and the paint seems to have peeled off in places, giving them a gruesome atmosphere. She thinks it would be much more conspicuous to wear something like that all the time, but she guessed it is not a question of conspicuous or inconspicuous.

Even so, although it can only be said because it is through a cloak, she has an unexpectedly young atmosphere. Also, she did not expect her to be a woman. She had imagined a big, rugged man who would not lose to Satoru.

Sheryl accompanied the woman and the gryphon to the Chalk Tower. The woman did not need to say anything, just held out her ring and said one of the words. In a flash, the gryphon becomes smaller. The ring is probably filled with grant-type 【Shrinking】 art. The gryphon seems to be accustomed to this and quickly jumps on the woman's shoulder as it becomes smaller. The fact that the gryphon was walking around the town without being reduced in size was probably also to intimidate. It is a measure to keep people away.

After a nod, Sheryl began to lead the woman to the office of the High Mentor, located on the fourth floor of the eight-story Chalk Tower. Two knocks at the heavy door.

「High Mentor. The head of the Holy Sword Clan is here to see you.」

「Ohhh. Let her come in.　」

In response to a voice from inside, Sheryl opened the door and invited the woman inside. The woman nodded gracefully and entered with her sword. Normally, the High Mentor's office is not allowed to be entered with a weapon, but the woman does not seem bothered.

「Excuse me.」

High Mentor Graham Coogan, who was seated at the large desk in his office, stood up and bowed deeply before leading the way to the sofa beside him. The woman responded by removing her cloak and taking the sword she was carrying at her waist by the sheath and placing it at her side. Her face was covered with a metal mask, so her face could not be seen, but looking at the glimpse of her complexion, the High Mentor's thick eyebrows rose and fell.

「...... You are young. With all due respect, you must be the head of the 『Holy Sword Clan』?」

「Indeed. It was only last spring season that the clan replaced the predecessor.」

High Mentor who breathes a sigh of relief. He doesn't know in detail the origins of the Holy Sword Clan, but he does know that the system is that it is passed down to one person from generation to generation.

And.

「!!」

Sheryl, standing diagonally behind the head of the Holy Sword Clan, had a sword suddenly thrust at her throat with its entire sheath. Sheryl is in a cold sweat as she is completely blinded by the movement.

「How rude of you. You dare to probe my soul without telling me. The quality of the Academy of the Wise has fallen, indeed」

Right. Sheryl tried to use 【Covert Soul-Search】 against the head of the Holy Sword Clan. From behind. But the art was never activated. Before she could, the sword was held against her throat, making it impossible for her to concentrate.

For a moment, the atmosphere was grim, but then the High Mentor laughed aloud and the grim mood eased, albeit slightly.

「My apologies. I apologize for my rudeness.」

It was the High Mentor who had ordered the testing of the head of the Holy Sword Clan using the 【Covert Soul-Search】. To be able to sense the activation of a completely hidden type of art without even seeing it, without even having the power of speech, is indeed a feat for the head of the clan that defeated the Demon King. The woman, who was wearing a mask so she could not see her opponent's expression, nevertheless silently retracted her sword.

She looks like a simple light warrior. The sword that she just thrust at Sheryl is probably the Holy Sword, and the sheath that holds it is also decorated, but made of wood and leather, it is chipped and the paint is peeling in some places. It must have seen a lot of age.

On the contrary, that's all there is to it. There is nothing glamorous or divine about it. It is hard to believe that this is a Holy Sword, but there is nothing else to do but believe.

And He didn't think that the head of the current Holy Sword Clan was young, let alone female, but He's not so old as to be misled by appearances or gender.

「Can we get right down to business?」

「By all means」

Sitting down opposite her, the High Mentor placed a psychic statue stone from his pocket on the tabletop and caged it with magic. A large male and female figure emerge.

「The target is him. He possesses a soul that cannot be measured by 【Covert Soul-Search】. That person is our witness.」

「Hou」

Glancing back at Sheryl, the head of the Holy Sword Clan raised her voice. This area had already been explained in the letter of invitation, but also for confirmation. The High Mentor then disclosed information that had not been explicitly stated in the letter.

「In his shadow, he has placed the 【Immortal Family】. The one who is in it is probably Leia Löwenstadt.」

There was a twitch and a reaction. She seems to have developed an interest and is leaning forward a little more than before. The name Leia Löwenstadt carries so much weight. He nodded in satisfaction at the reaction of the head of the Holy Sword Clan.

「Although it is not confirmed, this man is probably an Otherworlder summoned by Leia Löwenstadt in her 【Otherworldly Summoning】. He did refer to himself as a 『Foreigner』」

The term 『Foreigner』 is rarely heard in this region. People from islands a little bit far from the continent that makes up most of this world sometimes refer to themselves as such, with the implication that they are different from the continentals, but the atmosphere Satoru has is clearly different from these.

「He has caused two magical tremors in rapid succession of a class that I could not have caused, and he conquered the 『Labyrinth of No Return』 in just three days.」

Bitterness laced the High Mentor's voice. From Sheryl's point of view, she wonders if there is anger towards Satoru for causing mischief and causing a stir in the world. She never imagined that it came from jealousy.

「And just the other day, he was the one who caused a tremendous explosion on the outskirts of the 『Dark Green Forest』. That's him.」

「...... The sheer scale of the explosion is...」

The voice emanating from within the mask sounds a little muffled, but it still sounds young, even from the quality of the voice. Perhaps even younger than Sheryl.

The High Mentor unfolds a map with damage reports and presents it in front of the head of the Holy Sword Clan. His wrinkled, withered fingers stroke the map.

「It is approximately 30 miles in a circle. A party of adventurers we had dispatched through our academy was caught in one of the explosions and blown to pieces.」

「...... I see.」

The head of the Holy Sword Clan growled heavily.

High Mentor had sent the neighboring elves away through Raymond into the Dark Green Forest as a trick to keep them away from Satoru, and as a result, only Raymond and his party, a total of six, had been killed. Compared to the extent of the damage, the human toll is thought to have been small ― ironic, really. Of course, the actual situation has yet to be investigated, so a few people may be still missing among the dead.

It is inconceivable that any magic in this world would be powerful enough to blow up an area of land 30 miles in diameter.

The High Mentor patiently waits for a response from the head of the Holy Sword Clan, who seems to be in silent contemplation. After a few moments, the head of the Holy Sword Clan opens her mouth gravely.

「I acknowledge that my clan is a worthy opponent to wield that sword.」

「Ohhh, then.」

To the High Mentor, who looked pleased, the head of the Holy Sword Clan held out her hand to seal his speech.

「However, it is indeed difficult for me to do anything on my own. If this man truly possesses a soul capable of burning away most of the Dark Green Forest, even my sword will not be able to reach him easily. I would like to ask for direct cooperation from the academy as well.」

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「No, that's...」

The power of the Holy Sword Clan has only been transmitted on a folklore level. The power of the Holy Sword is considered useless in human society, and since the first heroes went into hiding, they have a history of defeating demon races and other races in response to the invitation, but they have never been seen outside of the demon race. This time will be an exception.

The success rate of defeating the discovered demon race has been 100 percent, as far as they have been told. In other words, there has never been a failure. The High Mentor was a little bewildered when she was declared that they would not be easily killed him, even with their power over the demon race, which no human could ever reach or match.

Behind the mask, the eyes of the head of the Holy Sword Clan gleam.

「Do you want us, the 『Holy Sword Clan』, to be the only ones to take the risk, High Mentor?　If I were to challenge him and I was defeated, he would undoubtedly eradicate our entire clan.」

Without changing his expression, the High Mentor inwardly clicked his tongue. He was certain that he should have left it to the Holy Sword Clan. He thought that even if they were to face Satoru, they could not bring the Academy of the Wise directly to the fore. It would be too dangerous to send the entire academy against a single enemy, in case they were defeated.

The Academy of the Wise is not a simple organization for the study of magic. It is also the headquarters of Magic Guilds scattered all over the world. It has its own information network and has been useful at the national level through the exchange of letters using the art of 【Transfer】. If the Academy of the Wise were to collapse, the loss would be more than just the destruction of one major country. It would affect the whole of society.

「If the academy refuses to lend a hand, then I, as a representative of our clan, refuse to accept this proposal. I am not willing to take a one-sided risk.」

The head of the Holy Sword Clan spoke in a rather indifferent manner and arrogantly turned her chest. From behind her face, a price-gouging gaze fell on the High Mentor. It did not take long for the High Mentor, who had been contemplating with his eyelids closed, to sigh deeply.

「...... We can't help but take risks too. We've already crossed a dangerous bridge once. So what are you going to make us do?」

「There is a camp that has been handed down in the academy from generation to generation. If only you could contribute one of them.」

「What do you want?」

「What is known. The Forbidden Art of Magic Sublimation, Reversal Magic Circle」

「That's....」

The High Mentor was crestfallen. The history of the Holy Sword Clan, which has continued since mythical times, is far older than the Academy of the Wise itself, which was founded after the destruction of the Ancient Magical Kingdoms.

However, the head of the Holy Sword Clan spoke of a secret that has only been used once since the founding of the Academy of the Wise. The fact that the existence of this art was known was a surprise, but the decision of the Holy Sword Clan to use it was also a surprise.

「If, as you report, we are dealing with someone that close to evil, it should be the most effective.」

The High Mentor thinks with rapt attention. Reversal Magic Circle is the art of sublimating magical power. Basically, it is ritual magic that requires a minimum of four operators. Although it has never been used on people, it is an art that sublimates the magical power of any object in the camp, so it is certainly an effective art. The main purpose of this art is to dissipate the magic power of the labyrinth, but it is not useful for the progress of research because it sublimates the magic power of the magic tools and other objects in the labyrinth, and it also sublimates the magic power of the air, water, and soil in the ritual, turning it into barren land.

「I lure the target to the place where we have set up the camp and slaughter him with my sword. I believe it is the shortest and best way.」

The High Mentor turned a rather stern gaze on the head of the Holy Sword Clan, who spoke without changing the mood of her voice. The High Mentor does not believe that he can win against Satoru without the power of the Holy Sword Clan. He declared that if he refused this now, the Holy Sword Clan would refuse to defeat Satoru. In order to dispose of that extremely troublesome person──.

「...... is it unavoidable, huh? By the way, is there any problem with you being in that camp?」

「I have the blessing of the Holy Sword」

The head of the Holy Sword Clan clanked her sword, which she had never let go of. Even the best of him doesn't know what the blessing of the Holy Sword is, but if she says it's nothing, he has no choice but to believe her.

「Sheryl」

「Y-Yes」

The High Mentor, with a reluctant look on his face, shuffled his chin at his own pretty granddaughter, who stood diagonally behind the head of the Holy Sword Clan.

Sheryl did not know what it was that the head of the Holy Sword Clan was talking about, much to the dismay of the High Mentor. No, she could guess to some extent since it was mentioned as the Forbidden Art of Magic Sublimation. If it is as Sheryl imagined, it must be a very dangerous art.

「I have entrusted the investigation of this matter to this person. She will give you the details.」

The High Mentor reluctantly agreed, and the head of the Holy Sword Clan also nodded her head. This meant that the contract to defeat Satoru had been concluded. The thought that perhaps she had become a witness to history flashed through Sheryl's mind.

「Give us three days to launch the strike. Sheryl, in the meantime, you will be in charge of the Head Clan.」

「Yes, sir.」

The other party is also a woman, and it is only natural that I, in my position, should take care of the head of a Holy Sword Clan, a clan with great power. Now that it is not convenient for her to go back to her father Edward's house, and she is also staying at the academy, she has no objection to it.

「If you want to make a Reversal Magic Circle, you can't do it with a few simple skills. We must gather people」

「I don't mind」

With her business done, the head of the Holy Sword Clan stood up and turned around to look back at Sheryl. There was no sign that she was angry with her for doing the 【Covert Soul-Search】

「You are Sheryl-dono, right? May I speak with you at once?」

「Of course. Now, please come this way.」

Sheryl left the office of the High Mentor accompanied by the head of the Holy Sword Clan. The High Mentor may be considering the members to form a Reversal Magic Circle, buts he probably will not be one of them. If that is the case, then there is no telling what Sheryl can do here.

Sheryl led her to the women's dormitory at the Academy of the Wise, not far from the Chalk Tower. The High Mentor had arranged for her to have a room here since the other day. She will be living and sleeping with the head of the Holy Sword Clan for a few days, and the High Mentor has also instructed her not to have too much contact with other people, so he has sent her to this room.

Sheryl pointed to one of the two beds and said, "Go ahead," and Sheryl removed her own equipment. I know that all I can do is to make her comfortable until the moment of confrontation.

However, the head of the Holy Sword Clan, without any sign of relaxing, just took off her cloak and put it down, and turned to face Sheryl squarely.

「And the current location of the target is...」

Perhaps it's the idea of an ever-present battlefield, Sheryl thought with a small sigh and straightened her own residence.

「The last known location was the center of the explosion. No response from there for the past two days.」

「Maybe he was blown up together?」

Sheryl shook her head resolutely from side to side in response to the question from the head of the Holy Sword Clan.

「The timing is different. Even immediately after the explosion, there was a reaction. It was not until a second after the explosion that the reaction disappeared.」

「I see. So you are saying that he was trapped in some kind of ward and could not be found.」

「Yes」

Sheryl gave a small tilt of her head and spread the map on the desk. The map showed Satoru's movements to date as far as she had been able to detect.

「The target is not aware that we are targeting 『Giant Killer』 for detection.」

Sheryl explained the back and forth. She explained that the target had been crushed her sensing-type arts such as 【Distant View】 and 【Distant Hearing】 in the past and that the target had threatened the academy when he learned of this. If he had knowns that the academy was tracking him by 【Detection】, he would have taken countermeasures earlier, and he have not responded to the academy despite his threats.

Sheryl does not know what caused the explosion. Derek, the deputy leader of the team, is currently scouting the area with a telescopic distant view tube and a calling stone, but he hasn't reached the site yet. He is riding his horse to the site, but it will probably be tomorrow or the next day.

At present, Satoru does not seem to be moving. If he had abandoned the 『Giant Killer』 or hidden it inside the ward and moved on, they would be in over their heads, but that seems unlikely from the way things have been going so far. Something must have happened to Satoru or those around him, which is also true. Thanks to this, they had the time they had hoped for.

「I see. I guess he's right.」

After listening to Sheryl's detailed explanation, the head of the Holy Sword clan nodded deeply, as if she was finally convinced.

「Depends on when he makes his moves. ...... Do you honestly think he will come to this town?」

「Probably. When he was leaving the town, I told him to give us the items he found in the labyrinth when we made contact with him, so it is highly likely that he will be heading here to give them up.」

He will also need to equip himself for the journey. We will be heading into winter. This town is the most suitable town in the vicinity for such equipment.

「I see... ...... you're a woman of talent.」

"Ho," cried the head of the Holy Sword Clan. Of course, these analyses did not come from Sheryl alone, but it seems that she was complimentary. After smiling wryly, Sheryl dropped her finger on the map.

「The problem is that the target has a flying dragon and is moving. They don't seem to ride directly into town.」

「If they are going to travel by flying dragon, I'll manage...three days, the High Mentor said. If we start moving, it will be just in time.」

And the gryphon on the shoulder of the head of the Holy Sword Clan makes a high-pitched cry. Sheryl smiled at the head of the Holy Sword Clan as the heavy atmosphere suddenly eased with the appeal of the beast tribe, as if to say, "Leave it to me".

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