Soda Promotion. (2)
Sylvia clutched the remaining scrap of the map in her hand. She glared at the mere corner of it, then slowly closed her eyes.
Magic series, attributes. None of that mattered now.
She recalled the texture of the map she'd touched. She envisioned its structure. She reviewed its function.
Then, the Tri-Color took form.
The map they'd stolen—the object Sylvia had felt—was regenerating from that corner, oozing and reforming.
She'd never attempted it before, yet it was perfectly restored in moments.
The revived map was no different from the original.
Even the red circles were moving "identically."
"Reyli of the Red Garnet Adventure Team."
Sylvia murmured coolly. Her dainty fists clenched tight.
—The Illaydes grow by feeding on anger. Trials that cannot be killed only make the Illaydes stronger.
Was this what Gilteon called growth?
Reyli. Dozmu.
I trusted the feats I'd seen in fairy tales about you both.
You can look forward to the price of betraying me. We'll surely meet again during this exam someday, and I won't forgive today's treachery.
"I won't fall for it again."
Sylvia admitted her inexperience. She keenly felt her past foolishness. Little by little, she was learning through real combat.
"……."
She looked up at the sky.
The sun was already setting.
She pulled a mana stone from her pocket. Weaving it with her mana, she created a bat. It flapped away, sharing its vision with her.
While keeping watch on her surroundings via the bat, Sylvia examined her map.
Why had Reyli said she needed "three maps"?
Suddenly, she recalled the chairman's words just before the exam began.
She'd said a thousand was "far too many," no matter how you thought about it.
That was when Sylvia realized.
"It's not the destination."
Not a destination, but a target.
If everyone marked on this map was her target…
Easy enough.
"Reyli of the Red Garnet Adventure Team."
Her eyes, murmuring the name, had already turned ice-cold.
…….
Meanwhile, on the coastal outskirts of Training Island. As he strolled along the sea surrounding the Floating Island, Dozmu muttered to himself.
"Gilteon is one strange guy. Offering money if we mess with his own daughter."
Reyli chuckled. As members of the Red Garnet Adventure Team, they'd received an absurd commission from Gilteon the moment they applied for the Soda exam.
"Dozmu. Don't try understanding mages. You can't, anyway."
"We're mages too."
"We ran from that society because we hated it~ But yeah, I kinda get Gilteon's intent. Sylvia's young. Better she gets dinged up a bit by us than suffer a huge, fatal betrayal from her inexperience."
Lions raise their cubs harshly, after all.
Reyli muttered as she pulled out her maps. Four in total, including Sylvia's.
"Alright~ Now we've got 'em all…"
Reyli had grasped the meaning the instant she received the maps from the proctor.
The nine circles on the map represented targets. But she didn't need to steal all nine maps.
Overlapping just three would reveal part of the hidden magic circle, and with Reyli's insight, she could deduce the whole from that fragment.
"Hup!"
Vwooom—
A blue passageway appeared. A Near-Range Portal.
"Complete~"
Clap—!
Reyli high-fived Dozmu and was about to step in when she paused.
"Hm?"
She sensed a presence. More precisely, she spotted a group in robes emerging from the sea of Training Island.
Having come ashore from the ocean, they advanced into the underbrush.
"How'd those guys get up here?"
"……Altar, maybe."
Reyli pursed her lips at Dozmu's words.
"Who knows. Anyway, let's go. This is the 'Chief Security Officer's' job, right?"
"That seventh strongest, you mean."
"Yep. Senior Deculein's responsibility."
Chuckling, Reyli and Dozmu entered the Near-Range Portal together.
A dark night.
—Reyli of the Red Garnet Adventure Team. I won't forgive you.
I gazed at Sylvia's reflection in the control tower's panoramic glass, then turned off the screen.
Beyond it loomed a massive moon. Using its pale light, I pulled the [Untitled Note] from my inner pocket.
"……."
An artifact diary containing Deculein's memories.
It held a past I didn't know.
Sylvia and her mother.
Gilteon and Deculein.
Not just Yukline and Illayde, but Deculein and his father too.
Yet as Kim Woojin, I hesitated.
If the memories in this diary mixed with mine, would I stop being Kim Woojin altogether…?
"……Ridiculous."
An unfitting emotion. It was just a mere diary, after all.
My sense of self, my ironclad mentality— no memories could overcome that.
—Can you hear me?
As I prepared to delve into the diary, the crystal orb in my inner pocket hummed.
It was Julie's voice.
"I hear you."
—Ah, are you alright?
Unfortunately, Julie couldn't come to the Floating Island. She'd attended the "Proving Grounds" at the last symposium, but after that, things had been strictly enforced.
"I'm fine."
—I see. That's a relief.
But her tone was gravely serious. I chuckled softly.
"Are you falling ill from worrying about me?"
—This is no time for jokes.
I felt a bit embarrassed.
"……What is it."
—Reports of a mana disaster have halted all airships on the Floating Island.
"Hm."
Airships. The only transport between Training Island and the Floating Island.
—But radar has detected another flying object. Someone seems to have infiltrated Training Island. It's been declared an emergency situation, and I'm heading there now.
"Heading there? With the airships stopped?"
—There's a way. Please wait just a moment. Soon—
—Zzzt— The crystal orb cut off.
Something was bound to happen.
"Big trouble!"
From the upper level of the control tower.
Ruina came rushing down in a clatter. Having decided to stay one more day, she clutched a fountain pen, panting for breath.
"Big trouble!"
"The airships?"
"……You knew?"
Ruina's face twisted oddly.
"Just got the report."
"Ugh, seriously. The project's in full swing… Why'd you make me stay, boss?"
"……."
It was because of the death variable. I'd avoided it, of course, but its existence meant risks lingered.
I hadn't expected Ruina to actually stay, though.
She'd been oddly cooperative lately.
"……Not even a word."
Ruina pouted and poured herself a cup of coffee. Then she handed me a sheet of paper covered in complex incantations.
Seemed like her current project.
"I'm stuck here. If possible, could you give me a hint, boss?"
"A hint?"
I peered into it with Understanding. The structure was roughly a "Remote Barrier"—an invention that'd be quite useful for defending against mana beasts.
It tied into the book I'd read before: Advanced Magic Tome: Principles of Barriers.
"Yeah. It's a barrier, but the circuits are so inefficient. It takes 10kg of mana stones to maintain for a day—who'd use that?"
"Let me take a look."
I manipulated Ruina's fountain pen with Telekinesis. Then, following my traits and instincts, I scribbled corrections.
Scratch—scratch—
Amplified thoughts, a trance-like mind. The pen added apt notes and revisions to Ruina's project.
Mana cost: a whopping 2,000. A fair reward for Ruina sticking around.
"……Here."
"Huh? So fast. Boss, you didn't just doodle, did y—……."
Her pouting eyes widened as she read my edits.
"……ou? Oh my."
Ruina's reaction was honest. True to her genius, she grasped it instantly. I shrugged.
"Read a helpful book on the project recently. I'll lend it when you get back. For now, help me here."
"Help… with security?"
Her eyes fixed on the edits, she asked with her mouth.
"Yes."
"But can I even be useful? The seventh—"
"Don't say 'strongest' in front of me."
"……Why not, boss? It's true."
Ruina looked up, blinking. But soon, she let out a small sigh and nodded.
"Fair enough… Those titles are fleeting, anyway."
I didn't know why, but her tone was wistful.
"Sure, I'll help. You can't overdo it, boss."
Ruina's mood was off. Silently, I reactivated the magic panoramic glass.
The distant sky was replaced by the exam grounds.
And—
A suspicious group was spotted.
…….
As night fell and the chill set in, Ifrin dug a burrow. She reinforced it with supports for safety and covered it with fallen leaves for camouflage.
Drawing on childhood memories of "war games" in the countryside, she used magic in place of her hands from back then.
"Amazing~ So cozy~ Cozy~"
Mayho clapped in admiration.
"What's 'cozy'? There are rats here?"
"Cozy. It's Yuren for 'cozy.'"
"……You're from Leok, right?"
Ifrin eyed her suspiciously, and Mayho flinched. She laughed it off with an "ahaha—" and changed the subject.
"So, we spending the night here~?"
"Yawwwn… Kinda sleepy. But we can't sleep till we figure out these maps."
Ifrin yawned and set her map down.
"These circles keep moving. So annoying."
Bubble bubble— Then came the sound of soup simmering. Ifrin glanced over. Kariksel was cooking.
As Ifrin licked her lips, Mayho asked.
"Where're you from, Ifrin~?"
"Me? Imperial University Tower."
"Oh! So you know Professor Deculein~?"
Mayho clapped excitedly. Ifrin answered casually.
"Yeah. Took his class."
"Whoa! Amazing! So he's your master?"
"……Master? More like arch-enemy."
"Huh?!"
Mayho's eyes went wide, and even Kariksel paused his cooking to stare. Ifrin gave a wry smile and shrugged.
"Kidding."
Of course, not something to confess to just anyone.
Ifrin was still brooding. For the day of her revenge.
……Truth be told, she'd been hitting "wise man time" lately, in crude terms. Deculein and Yukline were too overwhelming to fuel her will on rage alone.
At first, she'd clashed hair-pulling with Sylvia and resisted the bully noble professors—strong prey on the weak.
But each time, she'd just piled up demerits, demerits, demerits.
And enduring the nobles' ostracism… Ifrin was gradually numbing.
Bit by bit, giving up.
Was this proof of growing up?
"Alright, soup's ready."
Then Kariksel served it in bowls. Pumpkin soup made from foraged ingredients on Training Island and adventurer spices.
Ifrin and Mayho scooped a big spoonful each.
"Wow. Delicious."
"Really~ So good, so good~"
"How'd you make this soup? No water."
"Think of it as my talent. Haha."
Kariksel pulled out a cup. It had been empty, but water appeared inside spontaneously.
"?!"
Ifrin jolted in surprise. Grasping the meaning, Kariksel explained.
"It's complicated, but I call it Midas' Hand."
"Super practical! If it's magic, teach me?"
"Not the learnable kind. Innate. Haha."
Kariksel smiled bashfully, and Ifrin looked disappointed.
Then.
"Shh."
Suddenly, Kariksel pressed a finger to his lips. Ifrin and Mayho ate silently, while Kariksel closed his eyes, focusing his senses on the ground above.
Rustle—rustle—
Multiple footsteps converging.
Location: nearby.
No—right on this hideout.
Kariksel bit his lip.
"We need to go up. Enemies above."
"Huh? Enemies?"
Staying underground would mean encirclement soon. Kariksel hurriedly opened the ceiling, and Ifrin and Mayho scrambled out.
"……."
Black-robed figures awaited. Thugs gripping daggers, not wands or staves. Ifrin preheated her bracelet immediately.
"……Sorry. Probably because of me."
Kariksel sighed ruefully. Ifrin glanced at him.
"You?"
Mayho shook her head. Her face was sad.
"No, no. It's me. I shouldn't have…"
What was with these two?
As Ifrin frowned in confusion, the thugs' murderous intent closed in relentlessly.
"I'll hold them."
Kariksel stepped forward. In that instant, ominous energy cloaked the assassins. Mingling with their killing intent, it radiated sharp mana. Kariksel bit his lip.
"You two, run—"
The foes lunged before he finished—but
A voice chilled the air.
"I warned you."
Whoosh— The leaping assassins froze mid-air. Their jumps faltered into awkward landings.
"Training Island during the exam forbids outsiders. Thus, you are trespassers."
The thugs glared toward the voice's source in the darkness.
Rustle……
Rustle……
Crushing underbrush, a man approached.
"If you take even one step toward harming an examinee."
Deculein.
Vmmm— Steel floated beside him.
Twenty wooden-handled steel daggers targeted the assassins.
"I will kill you."
The assassins didn't move. They'd heard him crystal clear. Sweat beaded on some temples.
Deculein was reaping the sole benefit of his reputation today.
The continent's seventh strongest.
Rohakan's acknowledged rival.
Recalling those titles, the assassins trembled.
No matter how fearless of death, if it ended in worthless dog meat, they'd rethink.
Not a matter of life alone, but "cost-performance."
They who couldn't touch Rohakan's hair—how could they face Deculein?
"Let's go! Hurry!"
Seizing the gap, Kariksel fled with Ifrin and Mayho.
The thugs, unable to do more than watch the trio vanish, whoosh—! fled in the opposite direction as if giving up.
Impressive speed, but Deculein assigned one steel dagger to pursue. Matching pace effortlessly.