Episode 952
Episode 952
In Ilendil's opinion, people who got along well with spirits usually didn't have smooth relationships with others.
After all, he himself was proof of that.
But the junior from the Wardanaz family was excessively sociable.
He was even separately contacting his friend's family members and making plans to meet up.
Ilendil might have been mistaken, but this seemed...
'Gasp. That makes sense.'
Nilia felt chills run down her spine at Ilendil's words.
The idea that those who got along with spirits struggled in other relationships—
For Nilia, who had dreamed of picture-book cakes while the hunters of the Shadow Patrol in the northern mountains feasted on the blood and livers of freshly caught beasts, this was an extremely relatable statement.
"Eh. Nilia has lots of friends and lots of spirits too."
"I think that senior is just forcing the issue because he has no friends himself. And if he doesn't have friends, it's probably because he secretly summons artificial spirits in the forest."
"......"
But the others were skeptical of Ilendil's words.
Even Adenart chimed in.
"Affinity with spirits has nothing to do with sociability. That's nonsense."
"See? Exactly."
When even Adenart—who had no desire to have her sociability questioned—kept shaking her head in denial, the others grew even more convinced.
Meanwhile, Lee Han returned with the permit. Strangely, he was carrying a new coat in his other hand.
"...Wardanaz. What's that?"
"Here. Ashan. Lord Daihal prepared this coat for you, apparently."
"What!? He didn't just criticize my test scores?"
"...Well, he did a little of that too, but anyway, that's not important. Here. Take it."
Ashan inspected the coat with deep suspicion.
He half-expected to find a note inside saying something like, 'Don't settle for 100 points—aim for 200,' but there was nothing of the sort.
"Hmm. Maybe I misjudged my brother..."
"I told you Lord Daihal does think about you."
Of course, when Lee Han had visited, Daihal had said, "Wardanaz! I was actually planning to give this to you as a gift next time we met—perfect timing," and handed over the new coat.
But that didn't mean he hadn't thought about his younger brother. He had kept asking questions about Ashan's magical achievements.
'But there's no need to mention that.'
"And Ashan. Here's Lady Haidan's allowance for you."
"Wait. The pouch says 'Leehan Wardanaz' on it?"
"That's because I swapped it with my own coin pouch on the way out."
'Isn't that fabric too high-quality for Lee Han to use?'
Yoner felt something was off but didn't say anything.
There were more important matters at hand.
"Senior. Once we get inside, where should we start searching?"
The barracks where Granden City's guards and senior knights stayed were larger than expected, with multiple buildings inside.
If they carelessly stirred things up, the enemies might notice them first.
"The underground temporary prison."
"Indeed. That's definitely the most likely spot."
Lee Han nodded as if agreeing with Ilendil's suggestion.
Other places like guard barracks, armories, or storage rooms could also serve as hiding spots, but they weren't ideal.
In the case of barracks, they'd have to bribe everyone stationed there, and armories or storage rooms came with too many risks if something went wrong.
In contrast, the underground temporary prison—dug out below—was dark, spacious, and unlikely to draw much attention...
'To figure that out immediately... As expected, you're amazing.'
"Mm... A spirit just told me."
"...Then let's go in."
Lee Han abruptly turned and strode forward. Ilendil, slightly flustered, turned to his friends.
"D-did I do something wrong...?"
"You did try to ambush Wardanaz with artificial spirits in the forest. It's only natural he'd be wary."
'That was ages ago...!'
Ilendil felt unfairly wronged inside.
"This is bad. Of all people, Akdin got caught."
"We can manage without that guy."
"Is now really the time to act tough? You evil—no, wait, you couldn't even handle this thing yet?"
The mercenaries had gathered in a hidden space behind the underground temporary prison.
Originally, this was a place where wooden barrels containing rations for prisoners were stacked, but now it had become a forgotten spot known only to a few servants and thieves.
The seasoned mercenaries had secured several such locations throughout the city to use as temporary hideouts whenever they conducted business.
Staying near inns or taverns with too many prying eyes was practically the same as sticking one's neck out to be caught.
Yet despite all their experience and cunning, the power of the Evil God was gradually consuming them.
The Ancient Artifact emitting its sinister glow.
This artifact—which they could neither discard nor throw away—was suffocating them.
Move... obey my command...
'Damn it all!'
What they truly wanted was to seek out a temple or mages to free them from this, but in their current situation, doing so would likely result in immediate betrayal.
For the mercenaries, this was an utterly maddening predicament.
Ting!
"!"
The moment the thread hung in the corner snapped, the mercenaries' expressions shifted.
They weren't just hiding idly—they had set up subtle detection devices near the entrance and pathways.
The bribed servant would only come at the designated time, so this was...
"A guard?"
"Shh."
One of the mercenaries drew a crossbow that emitted a faint bluish glow in the darkness.
This crossbow, said to have been enchanted by Zenbaya himself, boasted enough piercing power to tear through thick metal armor as if it were mud.
The fact that they were armed with such Artifacts alone proved the combat prowess of these mercenaries. It seemed mercenaries generally preferred this kind of immediate power boost over personal training or discipline.
'They're not coming in?'
When the door opened but no one entered, the mercenaries narrowed their eyes.
What was this?
Crash!
The sound of shattering glass echoed, and smoke abruptly billowed up from the inner part of the basement.
The mercenaries exchanged alarmed signals.
—Cover your mouths! Scrolls!
If they inhaled the toxic fumes concocted by an alchemist directly, they wouldn't last even ten seconds before collapsing. The mercenaries hastily tore open their scrolls.
"They used scrolls."
Yoner, who had thrown the glass bottle from above and waited, confirmed the activation of the scrolls.
Contrary to the mercenaries' assumption, the potion thrown wasn't a lethal one—just a smokescreen.
There was no reason to launch a full-scale attack from the start, as the enemy likely had countermeasures against poison.
For a mage of Einrogard, such deception was elementary.
"Understood."
Adenart fired a chakram-shaped Artifact into the smoke. The Artifact, designed to detect life force, went wild regardless of the disadvantage in visibility.
—Mages! Mages above!
—Break through the encirclement!
Once the ambush was confirmed, the mercenaries acted decisively.
They immediately activated all their potions and scrolls before rushing toward the side wall.
Though this underground prison appeared to have only one exit, the mercenaries had already identified a weak spot in the thin wall.
If they broke through here...
Crash!
A mercenary who had drunk a Potion of Enhanced Strength swung a hammer, shattering the wall—revealing the mages waiting on the other side.
Angrago and Rowena, fortified with Enhancement Magic and holding their ground behind a barricade of rocks, didn't seem easy to shake.
"The other way!"
"Too late. Just smash through!"
Without Akdin, confusion spread among the mercenaries. In that moment, a glowing purple arrow struck one of them with pinpoint accuracy.
"Turn left—one more!"
"They can see through the smokescreen!!"
With Ashan supporting Nilia using Divination Magic, the darkness and smoke in the basement became one-sided obstacles, hindering only the mercenaries.
"Gahk!"
One mercenary, unable to endure, charged forward, relying solely on his temporarily amplified strength.
Against mages, closing the distance was always the right move—even if it meant taking a few hits.
But the mages above had anticipated even that. Angrago disrupted his stance with an attack, and Rowena swiftly swung her staff, knocking him unconscious.
"Tutanta! Collapse the wall by the torch stand to block them off!"
"Wait. If we do that, the passage will become too wide!"
Realizing they were properly trapped, the mercenaries retreated further inside, cursing violently.
Then Yoner threw another potion. This time, it was a proper offensive potion.
'Again!?'
As the saying goes, having just one decent mage in a party makes them troublesome to deal with.
Because even a single mage fills the party's gaps and diversifies their combat capabilities.
But today, the mercenaries faced multiple such mages.
And they were exceptionally skilled at coordinating with each other!
A lone mage is already troublesome, but mages moving in such perfect synchronization?
For the mercenaries, it was practically a nightmare.
"We... we surrender! We surrender!"
"Got it! Keep inhaling that smoke over there!"
"......"
The mercenaries, who had been trying to create an opening, trembled with frustration.
They had no idea which Magic Tower mages those Granden City bastards had brought along, but they were far from ordinary.
Even the Lava Bird Magic Tower mages probably weren't this vicious...
Thud!
"Did we get them all?"
"Just to be safe, let's wait a bit longer before going in. Yoner, can you throw one more potion?"
At Lee Han's words, Ilendil exclaimed in shock.
"Wh-what... how...!"
"...Th-that seems a bit wasteful, don't you think?"
"N-no, that's not it. How is everyone so...?"
"???"
The unexpected reaction from the senior left the friends puzzled.
'Were we too harsh?'
'No way. Einrogard was way worse to us—what kind of nonsense is that?'
"Is it because we work well together...?"
"Ah."
Only then, at Ilendil's words, did the students realize what the senior meant.
It was indeed an unfamiliar sight.
Not just one or two, but so many people moving without the slightest misstep.
"Are you all close friends?"
"Wh-what? We're not close at all!"
"Alpha, you bastard. Move aside, will you?"
The students from each tower bristled and shoved each other away.
It was an extremely unpleasant misunderstanding. Truly befitting a weird senior, even their misconceptions were irritating.
As the friends who had just fought together pointlessly started bickering, Lee Han stepped in.
"We're not close. We've just cooperated many times, that's all."
'...'
Isn't that what being close means?'
Ilendil couldn't comprehend the second-year students at all.
Of course, he hadn't really understood the juniors before either, but this year's second-years were especially...
'I really don't get it!'
"Oh. A magic crossbow. Nilia, take it."
"Thanks."
"This armor would fit Angrago well. Wait. It has an intelligence-reducing curse."
"Does it matter?"
"What do you mean, 'does it matter,' you bastard, Tutanta?"
"It doesn't matter because you can wear it with this intelligence-boosting bracelet."
"...Ah. That's what you meant? Haha."
"Then what did you think I meant?"
Lee Han's group thoroughly looted the mercenaries.
Watching this bizarre spectacle, Ilendil shook his head in disbelief before refocusing on their original objective.
The Ancient Artifact, the Echo of the Demigod.
-■■■■■■!
"Ugh."
The corruption emanating from within was worse than expected, making Ilendil frown.
It seemed unwise to handle it carelessly.
"What's wrong?"
"The corruption is worse than I thought... We should purify it first..."
Ilendil pondered how to approach it.
Given its connection to an Evil God, half-measures likely wouldn't work.
"Should I ask someone?"
"Who?"
Instead of answering, Lee Han opened the Echo's stone and summoned the Crazy Doppelganger.
This is your last warning. If you're wasting time on nonsense again...
"This time, it's different. Master. This artifact..."
Upon seeing the artifact, the Crazy Doppelganger's anger subsided. In a much kinder voice than before, it spoke.
...I'll forgive you. You've done well. I didn't expect you to seek out the next spell on your own...
Snap!
Lee Han immediately shut the Echo's stone.
"...Huh???"
"Ah. It seems you don't know much about this."