Episode 96. Entrance Preparation Materials (4)
“her…….”
Benitez’s eyes filled with surprise. The professor stopped his wave attack and came down to the floor. To be exact, not on the floor, but on the ice Rubin had made.
I bent down and touched the solid surface of the ice. Such solid ice. This was a realm only possible for magicians who specialized in ice.
“You never cease to amaze me, Mr. Luden.”
Rubin shrugged and walked across the ice. As he came out of the lake, Haneke’s voice rang in his head.
-I think this guy is mistaking your movements for magic.
‘I think so.’
It was possible. Explosive movement through the darkness, or the ability of the blood frost to create a path on the lake. For a wizard’s mind, it was nothing but magic.
It wasn’t a bad mistake for Rubin either. In order to properly learn movement magic, it was important to catch Professor Benitez’s eye.
“I guess there’s nothing I can do. A promise is a promise.”
Benitez sighed at the sight of Rubin waiting silently.
If I had known the student’s ability in advance, this wouldn’t have happened, but that doesn’t mean I can break the bet I made with the student now.
Phew.
Benitez took off the ring he was wearing on his little finger and let it float on his palm. Something like paint flowed out from the ring that stayed in the air for a moment. Subspace was unfolding.
In the subspace that resembled a night sky embroidered with stars, various magical tools that Benitez had collected were floating around, glowing.
The professor manipulated the subspace so that the magic tools would come in front of Rubin’s eyes, stop for a moment, and then flow away again.
“If you have any questions, feel free to ask, Student Luden Poinen. By the way, there are no low-grade items among these magical tools. Only intermediate and high-grade ones.”
That was true. The magical tools were ones that Professor Benitez had collected while traveling around the eastern part of the continent during his vacation.
A magical robe that provides resistance to fire magic, a necklace that increases magic casting speed, earrings that temporarily increase memory, etc…
‘If it’s a mid-level or high-level product, that means it’s going to be difficult to use.’
The closer a magical tool gets to a higher grade, the higher the required mana requirement becomes. If your mana hasn’t grown enough and is at this level now, it means that you may never be able to use it even if you live your entire life.
Of course, there were exceptions. Glayton’s bracelet was one such example. These legendary magical tools had nothing to do with the wearer’s level. All one had to do was have mana to fully utilize the magical tool’s abilities.
“Hmm… … .”
Rubin thought seriously. He needed to be careful, because he might pull out a magical tool that would never be usable.
Right then.
“wait a minute!”
Rubin spoke urgently to Benitez, who was flipping through the magic tools.
“Hmm, was there something?”
Then Benitez returned the magic tool he had let go.
A blue-tinged orb the size of an adult’s fist. It didn’t have any mana flowing through it or any magic installed. At first glance, it looked like just a decoration.
“Ah, this… this isn’t a magic tool.”
-What is that?
Haneke continued to ask questions, but Rubin did not answer. Instead, he watched as Benitez reached into the subspace and pulled out the marble.
“Student Luden, this is just a souvenir. I found it by chance in an alley while visiting the Imperial Capital.”
The bead was beautiful. A design depicting a flame was clearly engraved in the center of the bead.
‘This pattern is certain.’
-Is that something you know? It’s not a souvenir like the professor said?
‘A souvenir? Absolutely not. This is ‘The Heart of the Gryphon’, Haneke.’
-What? If it’s a griffon… …?
At this point, Rubin stopped talking to Haneke and nodded to Benitez.
The meeting with the professor was about right. I had even received unexpected good fortune, so it was time to leave.
“I’ll see you in two months, when the semester starts, Professor Benitez.”
“Luden Poinen. I don’t think you’ll forget the student’s name. But are you really okay with that? Just this robe and necklace… … .”
“No. According to the rules, I didn’t even have a chance. The noble student I discovered ‘first’ was that girl. So I’ll be satisfied with this.”
It was just an exaggeration. In fact, Rubin had obtained the best magical tool.
If Professor Benitez had known that this blue orb was the heart of a griffon, he would not have given it to him no matter how much he begged.
“Then let’s go.”
“Okay, I guess I’ll have to wait until midnight for another student to come find me.”
Rubin climbed back into the gondola and headed out into the middle of Lake Capotin. Then he paused for a moment and took out the blue orb.
I looked again at the pattern engraved in the center of the blue bead, and it was unmistakable. This was the heart of a griffon.
-Rubin. I thought you were joking earlier, but I was wrong. Aren’t griffons an extinct species?
‘At least for now.’
Griffin. A creature with the upper body of a bird of prey and large wings, but the lower body resembles that of a tiger.
As Haneke said, it was an extinct species whose traces can now be found only in old books. The last record of its appearance was a thousand years ago.
It is said that it once carried riders and flew across the sky, but now even that story is considered legend.
-At least for now? Does that mean the future will be different?
‘You may not believe it, but I saw it clearly before I returned. A living griffon.’
No, it wasn’t just a simple witnessing. Before his return, Rubin had even fought a griffon with a single blue eye.
‘Blue eyes.’
The assassins called the gryphon that, and whenever they said that name, they ground their teeth with anger and hostility.
Dozens. Dozens of assassins had to die by the Blue Eyes.
-Dozens? If so… … .
‘That’s right. We fought as enemies in the war against the Emperor. It was the Griffin’s job to protect Per Lorenzini.’
Per Lorenzini, the vanguard of the Assassin Sword Suppression War. The wizard’s abilities alone were incredible, but they didn’t stop there. Whenever there was a battle, Blue Eyes was always by Per’s side.
The blue eyes were slightly different from the griffon I had seen in the picture. The bird of prey’s upper body was made of blue feathers, unlike the eagle in the picture.
‘I have never fought against Per. Our battles have always passed each other. But one day, when he and Blue Eyes were separated, I finally killed the griffon with my own hands.’
Even the highest level assassins were wounded by a single griffon, but the most serious casualties were suffered by the Roinecrows.
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In the fierce battle that took place across the sky, dozens of Roinecrows were killed.
“… … .”
Rubin’s hand, holding the blue orb, trembled. It was this heart that Rubin had pulled out himself that day when he killed the griffon.
Only after the Blue Orb of the Griffin was extracted at great sacrifice did the Blue Eyes stop killing.
At that time, Rubin was so angry that he immediately destroyed the heart after removing it.
-If this is the heart of the griffon as you say, can you revive the griffon with it? How?
‘I don’t know about that. But I’m sure that while Per was at school, he got this heart from Professor Benitez.’
It was fortunate. If I hadn’t met Benitez today, if I hadn’t checked the subspace, this griffon’s heart would have belonged to Per someday.
-So you plan to destroy it now? Like before the regression?
‘no.’
-Then what are you going to do?
Rubin put the blue orb back in his pocket.
The future where Blue Eyes is resurrected will come true. It will show its grandeur to the whole world just as it did before its return.
But, not by Per’s side, but by Rubin’s side.
‘If Perga resurrected you before the return, I will do it this time.’
-You don’t know what to do?
‘I don’t know, but Per would be different.’
Another reason to meet Per.
* * *
“Did you have a good freshman outing?”
A few days later, Rosenthaler came to the annex. The large manager puffed on a cigarette and looked at Rubin.
“Was it fun?”
“So-so.”
“Have you made any friends? If possible, I’d like to play the role of a somewhat lively magic student.”
Rubin chuckled at those words.
“Rosenthaler, don’t interfere with my role. I will give you all the information you want.”
“If you’re that confident, then I’m good.”
Rosenthaler wanted to report in detail on his experiences at school, but Rubin left out some things.
Regarding the friction with Eric Ielos and Professor Benitez whom he met as a hidden merchant. Of course, the heart of the griffon was also hidden.
Just as the Imperial Command uses Rubin, Rubin also uses the Imperial Command.
“I’ll be moving into the dorm soon. Maybe starting today.”
“How can I contact the imperial office once I enter the dormitory?”
“As expected of the Assassin Swordsman. I thought you’d be as excited as kids at the thought of entering the dormitory.”
Rosenthaler then told Rubin how to contact him.
First, through Kuze. Kuze worked as a non-magical book manager and was able to enter and exit up to the school district boundary. However, since Rubin could not consistently go to Kuze’s location, this was not the main method of contact.
So Rosenthaler came up with the idea of hiring a fireworks dealer on the outskirts of town. He would use the fireworks that were set off every night in Capotini.
“When there is an order, fireworks will be set off in a certain color arrangement at around 7 PM. When you see that, you can get the contact location from Kuze. If there are any changes to the contact method, I will let you know then.”
“So, is that the end of our business?”
“No, there’s one more.”
Just as Rosenthaler was about to say another thing,
A small insect flew into the open door. It was a insect whose body color changed depending on the light that touched it.
Whistle, whistle, whistle.
A strange cry rang out quite loudly. A fly flapped its wings and flew between Rosenthaler and Rubin.
“My guess was right, you’re moving into the dorm today.”
Rosenthaler said.
The fly turned its body toward Rosenthaler, then quickly turned around and headed toward Rubin. It seemed to be looking for its owner. It made a whirring sound as it continued to flap its wings in front of Rubin’s eyes.
yet.
The body of the fly was covered in gold. At that sight, Rubin recalled the information he knew.
“Key bug.”
It was one of the Capotini dormitory systems. The Key Bug was, as the name suggests, a single key.
When the locksmith came, the students who had been staying at Capotini that day were to move into the dormitories.
“Wait a minute, I have something to say before you go into the dorm.”
Rosenthaler made a chin gesture indicating that the keybug should be pushed back, and Rubin complied. Rubin gave it a slight push with his hand, and the keybug flapped its wings and flew a few meters away from Rubin.
Next, Rosenthaler put into operation a soundproof magic device he had developed himself in the Imperial Office.
There was no story about the Keybug having any kind of recording magic built into it, but Rosenthaler was very suspicious of wizards.
“Are you already giving orders?”
“Don’t be afraid, Rubin. This is a simple task. Keep a record of the inside of the Magic School dormitory. You can describe it as well as you want.”
“If it’s a magic school dormitory, it’s already well known, right?”
“No, there have been changes at the Capotini dorm recently.”
“change?”
There were originally two buildings used as dormitories by Capotini. One was called ‘Rhapsody Hall’ and the other was called ‘Humming Hall’.
Since Rhapsody Hall underwent renovation 50 years ago, only Humming Hall has been used as a dormitory.
“The construction was completed last year. That’s why the students who entered last year are using Rhapsody Hall as their dormitory. By the way, Rhapsody Hall is a building that has a considerable amount of magical architecture.”
There are many omissions in the royal decree regarding the Rhapsody Hall, and it is not yet known how it was renovated.
“As you continue to stay, report on what facilities there are. Tell me about the dormitory system. Also… if you’re confident that you won’t get caught, you can go into suspicious places.”
Rubin, who had heard up to that point, stood up from his seat. He had confirmed the order, so it was time to go to the dormitory.
As Rubin left the soundproof area, the keybug, its golden body glowing, swooped closer.
Soon Rubin came out of the camouflage. Rosenthaler took out a new cigarette and smoked it, watching Rubin’s back as he walked away.
