Returning to the North
The chaos subsided quickly once we returned to the North. Part of it was thanks to Owen using his Mystery powers to seal the passage connected to Hell, but the main reason was that the Flame of Doom's true objective had never been the destruction of the academy itself. Their goal was the massacre of the students. They had deliberately created a diversion to draw the attention of the strong, deploying only a mediocre force for the task. Without their leaders, the Flame of Doom stood no chance against the academy and the Empire striking back. And since the one who had been commanding them, Rhinoceros, was already dead, their plan had fallen apart the moment he fell.
"I've heard the story. I never imagined something like this would happen at the academy."
"Right? Honestly, are we sure the headmaster's skills aren't just inflated rumors?"
When Owen spoke, Veronika slyly poked fun at the headmaster. The man, who had been staring blankly out the window at the sky, suddenly trembled. The veins popping on his forehead made it clear he was furious, yet he didn't make a single move. Which made sense. The barrier he had placed so much confidence in had been pierced with pathetic ease. It had been breached several times last year for various reasons, but never the academy's barrier. That was why he had been so sure of himself. Having that confidence shattered and suffering an attack must have wounded the pride of a grand mage.
"Just what went wrong? There shouldn't have been any flaws in the barrier."
Watching the headmaster sink deep into his own thoughts, Veronika shook her head.
"Looks like he'll be running around reinforcing the barrier for a while."
"I hope it yields good results."
I watched the relaxed conversation with a puzzled expression. Both the academy and the Empire should be swamped with cleanup work. Was it really okay for them to be here? The headmaster was here because repairing the barrier was his top priority, but still.
Ruin, noticing my gaze, explained on their behalf.
"Professor Veronika has always hated being assigned annoying tasks."
"So she's just slacking off?"
"No, she dumped it all on the other professors."
"Is that allowed?"
"When Professor Veronika first took her post, there was some power struggle with a few other professors. But one rainy day, she called them all to the training grounds for a group spar. After that, the hierarchy was clearly established."
She had settled the ranks with pure Northern logic. I pictured the professors who were probably sweating buckets right now, handling her workload in her place. I hadn't met many of them, but considering their personalities, they wouldn't have let themselves get pushed around so easily. I didn't feel any sympathy. If you stir up trouble, you should be prepared to take responsibility.
As I clicked my tongue inwardly, Veronika, who had been sprawled lazily on the sofa in the headmaster's office, looked over at me.
"Oh, right. You kids should head up soon."
"Huh? Why?"
"The Empire has taken an interest in you. Those people aren't dangerous per se, but getting involved with them will be a huge hassle."
Her words made me think of Rhinoceros and Anton. A criminal filled with hatred toward the Empire, and a Special Affairs agent who gave off a shady vibe. I asked Veronika the question that suddenly came to mind.
"Is the Empire quite corrupt?"
"The Empire? It's the most prosperous nation in the Central region. It would be strange if it didn't have problems, especially with such a long history."
"The current emperor being a tyrant plays a big part too. That influence can't be ignored."
"Still, it's fortunate that not everything is rotten. There are opposing factions, right? Most nobles remain neutral, though."
Veronika's answer was supplemented by Owen's explanation, giving me a rough idea of the Empire's current state. It had always been somewhat corrupt due to its massive size, but the tyrant's influence seemed to be bringing those issues to the surface. A faction centered around the tyrant clashing with one united by loyalty to the Empire. It wasn't as hopeless as I'd feared. There was still a chance for recovery.
"Anyway, since you've all achieved your goals, head back up. If those noble bastards start scheming, Owen might be fine, but the rest of you could be in danger."
"I was thinking the same. After wandering around this much, they should have gotten the message by now."
Even if the Central region's level was lower than the North's, noble families with hundreds of years of history couldn't be underestimated. A cornered rat will bite a cat. The longer Owen stayed in the Central region, the more pressure the nobles would feel, and there was no telling what tricks they might pull. Owen knew this well, so he nodded without complaint.
Since we had planned to head back before the Special Affairs Bureau or the Imperial family could detain us over the academy attack, everyone stood up. Veronika pulled a small token from her pocket and tossed it to me.
"What's this?"
"It's a token for the academy's head professor or representative professor. It'll come in handy in the Central region."
It was certainly a useful token in the Central region. Given Veronika's position and fame, just the fact that I carried it would make dozens of people desperate to help me. I looked at her with a puzzled face. No matter how I thought about it, I couldn't figure out why she would give me something so valuable.
She gave a mysterious smile and nodded.
"If fate brings us together again later, come to the academy and play the role of guest instructor for a bit."
"Guest instructor?"
"I saw Ruin and Runa's combat style. It was incredibly efficient and interesting. I heard they learned it from you."
"Ah, so that's why."
After hearing the explanation, I immediately understood. She was talking about the techniques I had used in my past life memories. That would definitely catch Veronika's interest. They were methods created by experts from all over the world, making them extremely efficient and effective against monsters.
At the same time, I made a subtle expression. Strictly speaking, the twins hadn't been taught by me. They had simply watched a few times and learned it on their own. Their talent was truly absurd. Well, if it weren't for that, they wouldn't have achieved a seven-to-three win rate against me. At first glance the difference might seem small, but our sparring record had started when they were seven. Until they turned thirteen, I had won almost every match. Only after that did they gradually start to overwhelm me.
That was why I rarely showed confidence.
"I'm not sure if I'll be able to teach them properly."
"You can explain it like garbage and it'll still be fine. The students here have decent talent too."
Her words put my mind at ease. Ruin and Runa were also sending me looks that said to come visit again, and since we had to pass through the Central region to reach other areas, it wasn't a difficult request.
"I'm not asking you to teach them right away. Just come by when you have some free time the next time you're in the Central region."
"Alright. I'll accept that offer."
With my last remaining worry dispelled by Veronika's proposal, I accepted without hesitation. It was clearly beneficial for me, and since the twins were here anyway, I had been planning to visit occasionally. If I was coming anyway, putting in a little extra effort to earn Veronika's token didn't seem like a bad deal.
Veronika looked satisfied with my answer and sprawled lazily on the sofa again. Watching the headmaster sigh at the sight, I couldn't help but think of Vergo and Luna noona.
"Then we'll be on our way. It was short, but it was nice seeing you again after so long."
"It was good to see a familiar face too. Let's grab a drink together next time."
After exchanging warm greetings like old acquaintances, Owen stood up.
"Shall we get going then?"
"I'm all packed."
"Let's depart right away."
At Owen's words, everyone rose from their seats. The headmaster pulled a staff from thin air and spoke.
"I'll teleport you outside the academy. If you walk out now, those Special Affairs bastards will swarm you."
"Thank you for your kindness."
We expressed our gratitude for the headmaster's consideration as mana swirled around us. A large magic circle formed on the floor, and with a floating sensation, our view suddenly changed. We were transported to a forest not far from the academy.
The method was different, but I had experienced spatial movement once before. While everyone looked around with curious expressions, I created a summoning circle and called forth Ikelos, then climbed onto one of them.
"Should we set our destination for the North?"
"Yes. I've already taken care of the Seralis viscount matter, so let's head straight up."
So that's what he had been doing. I nodded at Owen's words and gave the order to the Ikelos to depart. Each carrying one person on their backs, the Ikelos raced toward the North, slicing through the wind.
Enjoying the refreshing sensation at the front, I fell into thought. This trip to the academy had been eventful. I had reunited with my old hometown friends, made new connections, and enjoyed some pretty good fights. I had even formed an interesting contract with the second daughter of the Golden Merchant Group, one of the top trading companies in the Central region. It had been a rather good journey. I decided that if the chance came again, I would come back to play.
Edenberg. Located in the northern part of the North, it was the capital of the Edenberg County and the city where the county's infrastructure was concentrated. Inside the adventurer guild located there, Luna sipped coffee while checking documents.
Since she had been assigned relatively little work today, she had come down to the reception desk. It wasn't strange for her to handle reception work as a way to pass the time. While examining the documents, Luna noticed an error and called over an employee passing by.
"Benel, can you take this up to the second floor? There's a mistake in the report."
"Understood."
She infused the document with mana and tossed it into the air. The paper floating in midair naturally landed in Benel's hand. It was a simple trick using mana, so none of the guild staff found it odd.
After handling the paperwork, Luna sat back in her chair and enjoyed the remaining coffee, savoring her rare moment of leisure. The receptionist next to her had a pitiful expression on her face.
"Haa... it's so hot..."
"Summer's coming, so it can't be helped. Still, it should be fairly cool, right?"
"I just have a hard time with the heat. If I'd known, I would've learned cold magic instead."
"You didn't learn it?"
"I spent all my time learning telekinesis magic..."
Luna smiled at the receptionist's regret-filled words, finding her adorable. Telekinesis magic was certainly useful in many ways. It had so many applications in daily life that it was easier to count the people who hadn't learned it than those who had.
"But don't people usually learn telekinesis magic when they're young? Even if they're late, they should learn it before turning fifteen."
"I only learned attack magic because I wanted to become an adventurer."
"Ah, I see. Then it couldn't be helped."
It was a common story. For Northerners, being an adventurer was a job filled with admiration and longing. It had been common for hundreds of years for people who dreamed of becoming adventurers to focus solely on martial techniques or attack magic, neglecting life-related magic.
The receptionist pressed her cheek against the cool desk to drive away the heat.
"I'm so jealous of Argo. He was already incredibly talented, and now he even gained a powerful Mystery."
"Argo is definitely a special case. Still, don't resent him for it."
"I don't resent him. No matter the reason, he's out there working as an adventurer, right? He's working hard as a Northern adventurer, so why would I hate him? I'm just a little jealous, that's all."
Despite her mature answer, the receptionist's cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk. Anyone could see she was jealous, but she looked so cute that Luna couldn't help but laugh. This was why she loved the North. Thanks to the Northern Breathing Method, people's minds were strong and resilient. It allowed them to take a step back from desires and dark emotions. Compared to the plains where she had lived as a child, the North was far better.
As she reminisced about the past, the entrance suddenly became noisy. Two women wearing guild employee uniforms came running in.
"Luna unniiiiiiiiii!"
"Anel? Coco?"
The two receptionists who had left for the Central region were standing right in front of her. Anel and Coco, beaming brightly, hugged her. The moment she caught their pleasant scent, Luna knew they had returned safely.
"We're back!"
"W-we completed our first mission beautifully!"
Seeing the familiar faces behind Anel and Coco, Luna smiled warmly in welcome.
"Welcome back. Was the journey difficult?"
"We're completely fine. It was nice to see old friends after so long."
"The request was handled perfectly. We'll write up the report and submit it soon."
The Argo party had completed their mission and returned.