Chapter 323: The Invitation
Chapter 323: The Invitation
The Old Dormitory that Rebecca lent me in its entirety is smaller than the current one... but that’s strictly a relative statement.
After all, there’s no way a place built by the Hero’s Party’s Archmage—who poured in all his connections and personal fortune—would be "cozy."
Furthermore, even back then, this was a dormitory reserved for top-tier students. I didn't have to go far to find a garden attached, perfect for a light stroll.
Unlike the building, however, this area hadn't been maintained at all and had turned into a literal jungle...
But isn't this exactly why magic exists?
I burned the whole thing down, flipped the topsoil to bury the debris, and in an instant, a decent open lot was finished.
Come to think of it, when I rose to the rank of Intermediate Magician recently, they said they’d build me a new personal training room since I could no longer use the old one.
I never dreamed I’d become a High Magician before that new training room was even finished.
According to Iona, it’s almost done. I feel a bit bad, but I’ll just have to ask the Academy to build me another one.
A training room designed to withstand up to Intermediate Magic won't be able to handle me as I am now.
Iona told me to leave that part to her, so I decided to do just that.
In the meantime, I decided to use a target with its magic resistance forcibly boosted—an Alchemical Steel scarecrow Fay made for me, treated with chemicals and further enhanced by Iris’s enchants.
For the next few days, I spent my time testing the limits of what I could do with Spirit Language magic and casting small-scale High Magic, internalizing the enlightenment I had gained.
Just as I was thinking it was about time to start practicing in real combat...
I received word through Rebecca that the cultists had begun a full-scale offensive across the continent.
It seems there hasn't been massive damage yet, but unlike their previous acts of terror, it has taken on the appearance of an actual war.
In fact, some small villages on the outskirts have already fallen to those cultist bastards.
In H&A, the cultists started by going all-out to seize a strategic point right from the beginning, so I was a bit puzzled by these minor skirmishes... but then I realized that point was Solaris.
Not only was their decisive strike blocked by me, but Fiona’s identity was exposed, awakening the world's vigilance against the cult.
In the process, a significant number of the Spies of Silence were captured, so it must have become difficult for them to push forward like madmen based on internal information.
Naturally, the explosive momentum they showed in the early stages of H&A was bound to diminish.
A sense of pride welled up within me, knowing that what I’d done so far wasn't in vain. With that thought, I stepped out of the dormitory to focus on my training for the day, but then...
"Huh?"
A single letter was tucked into the old mailbox.
In the center of the high-quality envelope was the seal of Alfheim, the kingdom of the elves.
*
"Let’s see. 'I seek the fragrance of the one who bloomed first on a continent where dark clouds loom and a long rainy season has begun. If the opportunity arises, it would be well to straighten a leaf that was wrongly pruned together.' ...What the hell does that mean?"
Three more pages of incomprehensible content followed.
Based on the signature in ancient Spirit Language at the end and the enclosed Leaf of the World Tree, I could tell it was a letter sent by Chancellor Milone, the practical ruler of Alfheim.
But no matter how many times I read it, I couldn't understand the content at all.
I know from the lore in H&A that when elves send formal correspondence, they have a custom of talking in circles and using all sorts of metaphors related to nature.
I even learned at the Academy that every major noble house makes sure to hire at least one person fluent in the Elven language.
They say it’s because their exceptionally long lifespans allow complex ancient cultures to be passed down without distortion.
But receiving it in person is a bit bewildering. So, what is this saying? I can tell from the nuance that it’s friendly, at least.
I stared at the letter, furrowing my brows. It smelled strangely good, which kept my annoyance from boiling over.
Is this... the scent of the Leaf of the World Tree? To think just one leaf could make me feel like I’ve stepped into a forest.
It certainly is a treasure.
Nodding to myself, I handed the letter to Elisha.
"I have no idea what this means. Can you translate it for me?"
"...Um, excuse me? How old do you think I am?"
"Aren't you twenty?"
"At twenty, I'm practically a child among elves. I don't know these difficult words either."
"Ah."
Right. This is a particularly old-fashioned culture even among elves, so that makes sense.
Even if she is a High Elf, the fact that she was born in an era where their authority was limited to religious symbolism probably played a part.
Anyway, since Elisha didn't know, I turned my gaze to find someone else.
"……."
Iris was looking up at me with sparkling eyes.
Her lips were twitching, and she was repeatedly rising onto her tiptoes and back down. Seeing her strangely smug expression, I didn't need words to know what she was thinking.
She’s full of anticipation, imagining herself giving a cool interpretation, isn't she?
Hmm. Fine. I’m definitely not asking her.
Pretending I hadn't seen a thing, I walked past Iris with an indifferent face and handed the letter to Iona.
"Professor? You can translate this, right?"
"Oh? Oh? Are you asking me?"
Iona tilted her head with a puzzled look, but it didn't take long for her to catch on to my plan. Her lips curled into a mischievous smirk.
"Well, I can translate it! I am a professor, after all!"
"I knew it! Man, you really are reliable."
"Right, right! You can't compare this Professor Iona to some five-hundred-year-old High Elf brat!"
"Wow! You're so cool, Professor! I love you, Professor!"
"Ahem! Ahem!"
"……."
Watching our little skit right in front of her, Iris’s expression turned as pitiful as a platypus being held upside down by its tail.
She couldn't bring herself to say anything, but her whimpering was actually quite cute...
Maybe I’ve been teasing her too much lately because I was so excited about living with her. Elisha, standing next to us with her arms crossed, was giving me a rather sharp look.
I should stop here for today.
Iona must have had the same thought; she met my eyes, nodded, and then held the letter out to Iris.
"But! Just in case I misread something, I think it would be better to ask Iris! She’s a High Elf born with the thickest blessing, and she was educated as royalty during the period when these convoluted metaphors were in fashion!"
"My goodness! Then Iris would be able to give a much more detailed interpretation! Iris is amazing! Iris is cute!"
Once Iona and I joined forces to praise her, Iris finally returned to her usual expression, shrugged, and took the letter.
"Hmph. Well, if my Master and Iona insist on asking so earnestly, I suppose I have no choice but to lend my strength. Wait just a moment."
Iris read through all four pages without hesitation, and a faint groan escaped her lips.
"Hooo..."
"What is it? What does it say? Is it bad news?"
"Ah, no, don't worry, Master. It is a type of invitation."
"An invitation?"
"Mmm. To put it simply, the recent movements of the cultists are unusual, so they wish to ask for help from the Master, who has clashed with them before and thwarted their plans. They said to come to Yggdrasil, the capital of Alfheim, whenever you wish, and they will treat you as an honored guest."
"It’s a bit sudden, but it makes sense. They want me to catch spies inside Alfheim or give them countermeasures, just like with the Levantine Empire, right? That’s not hard. In fact, it’s exactly what I wanted."
Alfheim, along with the Levantine Empire, is one of the nations that must be protected.
If Alfheim... if its capital, Yggdrasil, falls, it means the World Tree and the Cyclic Life residing within it fall into the hands of the cultists.
It also means the priests of Cyclic Life, who display overwhelming power in the field of healing, would be gone.
Since there are no believers of Cyclic Life in our group, it wouldn't be a direct problem for us... but for others, the situation is different.
An army that loses more than half of its healers would collapse in an instant, and those who died would become undead through the Authority of Jealousy.
It would only be a matter of time before the current war situation, which we are handling reasonably well, is overturned.
The reason I asked Rebecca for information on skirmishes across the continent was so I could immediately go support strategic points like Alfheim if they came under heavy attack.
So, having them ask me to come first is a good thing for me. However, there was one thing that bothered me.
"But why the long face? Is there something else?"
"Mmm. Yes. Master, did you not purchase me, Elisha, and Famila’s group?"
"I did."
"They say that after hearing the news of the Lindelheit lady being cleared of charges and Elisha’s treatment as a quasi-noble, if I was also framed, they would reinstate me and provide proper compensation."
"……?"
I tilted my head and asked.
"By any chance, was that spirit summoning incident a frame-up? Are you actually innocent?"
"……."
"……."
"……."
They say silence is the only answer when one has no excuse.
Iris, who had a mouth but nothing to say, pursed her small lips and unnaturally averted her gaze.
That was answer enough.
"That settles it. Iris, you have to be my slave for life."
"W-What! Did you not say you would release me once Elisha becomes a High Magician!"
"Yeah, I changed my mind. Unlike the wronged Elisha, you have nothing to feel wronged about. Just be my slave for life."
"Eek! Eeeeek...!"
Iris stomped her feet, acting angry. However, the corners of her mouth were twitching, making it feel like she didn't entirely hate the idea.
Chuckling, I gave Iris’s cheek a long tug and said,
"Let’s pack. We’re leaving right away. Oh, Professor Iona, is teleportation to Yggdrasil possible?"
"No, no. I’ve never been there, and the coordinates are private, so there’s no way. Even if I knew them, space travel is impossible in places where the World Tree’s power reaches, so it wouldn't matter."
"Then that means we have to go by land part of the way..."
"That will be fine, Master. We have the Leaf of the World Tree they sent. It will serve as both a pass and an invitation. Just show it and everything will be resolved, so keep it safe."
"...Can't I just steep it in hot water and drink it as an elixir?"
Iris’s gaze turned sharply cold.
Hey, what?
I thought it was a down payment...