CHAPTER 149
CHAPTER 149
Can a dryad be propagated by cuttings?
However, Heukrang felt displeased not with his own circumstances, but with how Parinelli was linking “conditional loyalty” to the Sanctity Tribe.
“Have you lost your mind? Are you openly discriminating against our tribe right in front of me?”
“Discriminating?”
Parinelli found Heukrang’s words strange. In the Holy Eldar Empire, it was in some sense natural for people to be distinguished and treated differently according to race and region. Because of that, words like “discrimination,” or even the concept itself, were not commonly used.
In a world where eugenics ran rampant, there was not even a widespread awareness that discrimination was something negative.
“That’s right. My master once said this. The choices one makes after being born are entirely their own responsibility, but those who look down on and despise others for things beyond their control are the truly foolish ones. Isn’t that a wisdom filled with remarkable insight?”
Heukrang seemed to have been deeply influenced by Idnia.
“Oh. There’s movement over there. Let’s stay quiet and go take a closer look.”
Parinelli ignored Heukrang, who was still caught up in emotion, and pointed ahead.
Seven mages cloaked in robes were forming a circle in the swamp, using their staves to shape the mud on the ground into strange formations, turning them into constructed objects.
Were they making something like small pyramids, or twisting tentacle-like shapes?
Parinelli observed them through a telescope so as not to be detected.
“Hey, I’m talking here…”
Heukrang grumbled as Parinelli remained focused on the scene.
“Even if we ask, they’re not going to tell us why they’re so loyal anyway.”
“Well, that’s something they might tell us once we get closer. I have no reason to share private information with the Scarlet Pimpernel, do I?”
“That’s true, right? So let’s just keep quiet and watch what they’re doing. It looks like a rather unusual ritual.”
“…But somehow, not asking also feels frustrating.”
“What do you expect me to do about it?”
“Beg me, desperately asking out of sheer curiosity. Then I’ll coldly refuse. And after that—”
“Ah! That….”
Parinelli quickly shut Heukrang’s mouth.
“What is it?”
“A transfer gate has opened. It’s a gate I don’t recognize… what in the world….”
“Eh? Really?”
Heukrang took the telescope from Parinelli and looked through it. Indeed, a transfer gate had opened, and suspicious mages were carefully entering it.
“Let’s approach after they leave.”
However, among them, three entered through the transfer gate while the remaining four stayed outside.
“Ah, as expected, they’re not easy opponents. We’ll have to investigate the residual magical traces later….”
Seeing four of them remain, Parinelli gave up on conducting a direct investigation.
But Heukrang asked,
“You’ve gotten awfully timid. Quite different from when you went after my master.”
“That was because I was trying to escape and didn’t mind killing them. But now, if I attack and kill those people, it would bring disgrace upon the young lady of the duke’s household, wouldn’t it? And dealing with four of them without killing them is no easy task.”
“Still, couldn’t you create a distraction, like a flash?”
“…What are you planning?”
“Do it when I give the signal. And meet me later at the hideout.”
Saying that, Heukrang kicked off the ground and disappeared. Parinelli was startled, but after a moment, he saw Heukrang from a bush near the group, gesturing with his hand and pointing at them.
‘No way… is this Sanctity Tribe kid out of his mind? What is he planning to do in a place where the Blue Tower, demons, and elves are all gathered… but if I don’t do it, he’ll complain to me.’
Thinking that, Parinelli cast a flash spell, detonating a burst of light right in the midst of the four mages.
But as expected, these mages were no ordinary individuals and had already prepared light-shielding spells.
Seeing a barrier appear before their eyes, reducing the brightness, Parinelli quickly turned around, cast a chameleon spell to blend his body with the surroundings, and began to flee.
Yet there was no pursuit.
‘What?’
After turning a corner and briefly leaving their line of sight, Parinelli looked back.
No one was chasing him.
‘What is going on?’
When Parinelli returned to his hideout in confusion, Heukrang was there, having brought along one of the mages.
“……”
Heukrang silently gestured for quiet and wrote in a notebook.
“From now on, don’t speak. You handle the interrogation of this one.”
[Why should I do it?]
Parinelli cast a telepathic communication spell toward Heukrang.
‘How did you do that?’
[It’s a telepathy spell. Just think of speaking with your mind. You can use it too.]
[Wow, this is great. Can you hear me?]
[Yes. So what happened?]
[The moment you used your flash and drew their attention, I ambushed them and struck their jaws.]
[...What?]
[It was fortunate I didn’t hit the back of the head or the medulla. If you try to knock someone out by striking those areas, they often die. It’s safer to aim for the jaw from behind using a curved blunt strike.]
Heukrang said this while showing a rounded, curved dagger.
It seemed he had sheathed the dagger, then held the sheath and used the hilt to strike from behind, knocking the mages unconscious by hitting their jaws.
Even though Parinelli had created a distraction with a flash, to incapacitate and abduct a mage in that brief moment…
[So that’s why there was no pursuit.]
[After knocking out two of them, I quickly abducted one. If you do that, they’ll assume it’s a trap and stay put rather than chase the caster.]
[…]
Parinelli marveled at Heukrang’s astonishing skill and shook his head.
He himself had considerable confidence in magic.
As a member of the Scarlet Pimpernel, he had also achieved respectable proficiency in martial arts and assassination techniques.
But Heukrang was truly a prodigy by nature.
‘I’ve heard the Sanctity Tribe’s assassination arts are fearsome… best not to provoke them unnecessarily.’
Impressed by Heukrang’s remarkable abilities, Parinelli examined the captured mage. Pulling back the hood revealed bright hair and pointed ears.
[An elf…]
[You handle the interrogation. I’m small in stature, so I’m easy to identify.]
[What should I ask?]
[Ask what I tell you through telepathy.]
Heukrang said this and stepped aside.
Parinelli sighed, checked the elf’s restraints, and then woke him.
After the council attached audit students, the intensity of classes increased in order to provide combat training.
Instructor Griselda had the students running, and those who had not regularly trained their bodies suffered from severe fatigue and muscle pain.
Moreover, other magic classes became harsher as well, and complaints of mana depletion increased across the board.
On top of that, alchemy classes continued to teach various transmutation spells while also resuming extraction practice.
“Mandrake again today?”
“Didn’t you teach us the medicinal synthesis spell? Then shouldn’t we practice that? Extracting potion bases from mandrake has been what we’ve been doing all along….”
“Yes. The potion base made from mandrake extract is very useful for preserving potion functions and storing magic. No matter how much you extract, it’s never enough. It’s the beginning and the end of an alchemist’s fundamentals. Isn’t it the same with swordsmanship? Even the greatest swordsmen in their later years always returned to refining how they held their blade. Likewise, even the greatest mages must ground themselves in this extraction and continue refining their fundamentals. It’s certainly not for earning extra income. Ohoho….”
Instructor Naili said this, but the students were no longer naive freshmen.
Anyone could see that she was clearly profiting by using the students’ mana.
“We’re completely exhausted in body and mind.”
“Oh, is that so… are you all having that much difficulty? Very well then. For your sake… I suppose I must sacrifice myself.”
“…Huh?”
The male students seemed to hold back their expectations while still feeling intrigued.
‘It seems the legend of the dryad is raising their expectations.’
Idnia smiled wryly, already aware of what event would unfold.
Naili smiled and spoke.
“At the academy shop, I’ve prepared potted plants that contain parts of myself and my kin. If you purchase them and nurture them well, a dryad might be born.”
“…What?”
“What did she just say…?”
The students were all shocked.
“So you’re saying pots containing parts of you and the dryads’ bodies will be sold at the academy shop?”
“Yes. I cannot personally comfort each of you one by one, but if a dryad is born in this way, wouldn’t that dryad be able to soothe your weary bodies and minds? Much like a pet, you see. Ah, and don’t say that I’m speaking of my kin in such a way despite being a dryad myself. Dryads require the attention and affection of humans in order to be born.”
“……”
“How immoral…”
“What are you imagining to call it immoral?”
“This is ridiculous. Even if you plant parts of a dryad’s body, there’s no guarantee it will become a dryad again. According to this book, the success rate is less than 5%.”
“…5%.”
“Why are you even reading a book like that? You’re quite interested, aren’t you?”
However, everyone knew. Most of the male students here would end up buying those pots despite knowing it was essentially a scam.
And indeed, at the academy shop, the dryad potted plants were prepared for sale. The display included a very conscientious disclaimer stating, “The probability of a dryad actually appearing is extremely low.”
“The font is incredibly small. In printing terms, this must be around 5-point size.”
Idnia admired the printing technology of this world while looking at the minuscule text. To think such tiny type could be printed.
Despite being a near-scam sales tactic, the male students all showed interest and subtly purchased them.
“Hey, you said it’s less than 5%. Why are you buying it?”
“Well, it’s purely for research. A sincere pursuit of academic curiosity.”
“It’s 10 Aca coins, and our dorm rooms are already cramped…”
“Then why are you buying one?”
“I’m going to put it by the window and water it. My room’s been feeling too barren lately.”
Idnia watched them with a wry smile.
At that moment, a Euros student approached her. He looked haggard, with sunken eyes and a pitiful expression.
“Ah, um, Lady Idnia.”
“Yes. What is it?”
“Would you… by any chance be willing to lend me some money?”
“…Pardon?”
Idnia was taken aback by the male student asking to borrow money from her.
Given Idnia’s position and status, how could a male student even dare approach her to ask for money?