Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: The Birchwood Forest Incident
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Sophia and Ian followed the mage's guidance deeper into the Magic Tower.
Hop!
Sophia and Ian stepped onto a round disc that resembled a serving tray, right behind the mage. With a gesture from him, it sprang to life.
Vrrr!
The disc lifted them high into the air, carrying the three toward their destination.
"What an ingenious device."
"Hahaha, it's an artifact crafted using applied memory magic. Our tower's layout makes it tough to reach the upper floors without something like this."
The mage spoke as if it were nothing special, but this very structure bolstered the Magic Tower's defenses immensely.
Intruders wouldn't know about these artifacts, leaving them vulnerable to a barrage of spells raining down from above, turning them into sieves.
'As expected. Midas Alloin wouldn't manage his stronghold so sloppily.'
As Ian mulled over his thoughts, the disc reached near the top and stopped before a door.
Knock knock!
"Elder Lord, I've brought the guests."
-Come in.
Whoosh!
The assisting mage smoothly opened the door. A middle-aged man with neat glasses and fine wrinkles around his mouth greeted Sophia and Ian warmly.
"Welcome."
Was it his upright appearance despite his age?
This man, who looked far younger than his years, was the Magic Tower's fifth-in-command, Elder Lord Rocerto.
"It's an honor to meet you, Elder Rocerto. I've heard you're one of the geniuses Master Alloin, the Great Sage and Tower Lord, proudly boasts about. You look much younger than I expected."
"What's that? Hahaha!"
Elder Rocerto burst into hearty laughter, clearly pleased by the beautiful Sophia's praise.
"How could I compare to one of the Martial Clan's top talents destined to lead its future? Sophia Clonen—I never dreamed the Martial Clan would dispatch you. I can tell how much attention your clan has paid to our Magic Tower without you even saying it. We're truly grateful."
Swish!
"My insight falls short; I can't quite guess who you are standing behind her. Young lady Sophia, what's the name of the one behind you?"
Elder Rocerto asked Ian, who stood quietly behind Sophia.
"I'm Ian Lichtenauer, captain of the newly formed Latent Dragon Squad. I'm not as renowned as the Heavenly Flower Captain, but I'll give my all to the mission at hand."
"Oh? Captain of a new unit... Wait, Lichtenauer? Are you perhaps Patriarch Paon's son?"
Elder Rocerto's expression stiffened slightly.
"Yes, that's right."
"Hmm... I never imagined Patriarch Paon would send his own son. I, uh, I should express our thanks separately later."
Sophia shot Ian a sidelong glance at Rocerto's reaction.
His words sounded grateful on the surface for sending a direct heir, but far from it.
No one who's truly thankful would wear such a disappointed look.
The rumors of Ian charting a different path from his past were only circulating within the Martial Clan.
Since they hadn't leaked outside yet, this reaction was understandable—but for the man himself, being dismissed to his face was quite unpleasant.
'Well, how will you respond?'
Sophia watched Ian's reaction with interest.
But Ian paid no mind to Rocerto's expression.
"No need for that. The Heavenly Flower Squad is the core of this mission anyway, so please don't worry too much about me."
A faint glimmer of intrigue passed through Sophia's eyes at Ian's calm reply.
'Well, at least he knows his place.'
Rocerto, having lost interest in Ian, exchanged brief pleasantries with Sophia, laced with mutual praise.
In the now-softened atmosphere, Sophia slowly broached the main topic.
"Then, Elder, shall we discuss the request? Since it's from the Magic Tower of all places, our Martial Clan needs to prepare with utmost caution."
Clink!
Sophia set down the black tea Rocerto had served, her voice turning serious.
"What exactly is happening in the Birchwood Forest?"
"Ugh..."
Was it because Sophia's words dredged up the headache he'd momentarily forgotten?
Unconcealed worry settled on Rocerto's face.
"...Hoo! For a pillar of the Aslan Kingdom like our Magic Tower to make such a request is truly embarrassing... But this matter is regrettably too difficult for mages like us to handle alone."
Still feeling the shame of borrowing the Martial Clan's hand, Rocerto hesitated to speak.
"No need for such reservations. I know our clan often consults the Magic Tower when we're stumped on intellectual matters. The Martial Clan and Magic Tower are both pillars upholding the Aslan Kingdom, so please speak freely."
As Sophia pressed the still-hesitant Rocerto, he finally relented and began to speak.
"Since you've put it that way, I have no choice. Hmm... As you know, our Magic Tower strengthens the kingdom's forces through various researches, right?"
"Of course. Who hasn't heard of the Magic Tower's renowned mana application techniques across all of Agena?"
Sophia replied as if wondering why he was stating the obvious.
"Indeed. In those researches, the Birchwood Forest—with its many rare materials—plays a vital role."
Slurp!
Thirsty, perhaps, Rocerto gulped down his black tea.
"The truth is, recently... our mages entering the forest to gather materials have been vanishing one after another."
"What? Mages?"
Was it the unexpected nature of the problem?
Sophia asked in surprise.
"Is there any reason mages would go missing in the Birchwood Forest?"
Sophia posed the puzzled question, but Rocerto reacted as if it were perfectly natural.
"Hmm, we don't know the cause either. Something must have gone wrong in that once-peaceful forest..."
In truth, both Sophia's and Rocerto's reactions were understandable if one knew the forest's history.
In the past, the Birchwood Forest had been under troll dominion.
Trolls were upper-tier monsters more than a match for low-level knights alone—perfect overlords for a region.
The trolls, who ruled strongly within the forest, sought expansion outward, while the Magic Tower—one of the kingdom's pillars—coveted the forest's rare resources.
With these two powers bordering each other, conflict was inevitable.
In the ensuing human-troll war, humans—the Magic Tower—emerged victorious.
Though trolls still lingered, ever since their defeat, they avoided even approaching humans, cowering in submission.
Thus, up until now, it was safe to say nothing in the Birchwood Forest threatened mages.
"Hmm, at first, when the initial victim appeared, we didn't think too deeply about it. Given the location, we figured they unluckily ran into some monster that wandered in. The Great Wilderness is like a vast, ever-shifting living entity, after all. But... the situation isn't that simple."
Rocerto adjusted his glasses as he spoke.
"After the first disappearance, we strictly banned individual mage excursions. We mandated that they always move in groups of ten or more, accompanied by private soldiers."
For something they hadn't overthought, it was an impressively thorough precaution. Ten mages could obliterate even large monsters.
"Yet none returned. Not a single team out of the three that entered after the first incident."
"...!!"
Shock dawned on Sophia's face at Rocerto's words.
For a force of ten mages to be wiped out...
A ambush might explain it, but under soldier protection, their firepower could sweep away most monsters with ease.
Yet none returned...
"So, you're saying a monster powerful enough to annihilate mages has nested in the Birchwood Forest."
Rocerto nodded at Sophia's inference.
"That's my thinking too. Just personal speculation, but... I'm wary that the routed trolls have revived."
"Trolls?"
Sophia wore a baffled expression at Rocerto's words.
This wasn't some fairy tale.
A new power rising was one thing, but a fallen one regaining strength was never easy.
Those who knew its power would check it, and neighboring forces would covet its remnants.
"That would be true in normal cases. But..."
Rocerto countered.
"What if a powerful unifying force remained? One strong enough to rally the remnants' spirits?"
"A unifying force...?"
"In the past, the Magic Tower easily subdued the Black Rock Trolls who ruled the Birchwood Forest... not because they were weak. Trolls were quite a nuisance to us, in fact."
Pour!
Rocerto lifted the teapot from the table and refilled his cup.
"Care for some? This story's going to take a while. You too, sit down."
Inviting Ian to join as well, Rocerto began recounting the secret history of the Birchwood Forest war.
The Black Rock Tribe.
They possessed trolls' signature regeneration alongside rock-hard skin befitting their "Rock Clan" moniker.
Already holding vast territory in the Great Wilderness, they entered their golden age after enthroning a new king, dominating the widest expanse in their history.
Their might forced even the Magic Tower to commit significant resources to conquer them.
But the Great Wilderness was a realm of the survival of the fittest, where the strong ruled all.
The troll king, raging over his narrow domain, coveted the lands of Golden Heaven—one of the three great powers—and brazenly annihilated a small orc tribe under their protection.
Then came the night of reckoning.
The assault began: elite orc forces beyond their limits, led by Iron Mask, one of Golden Heaven's top warriors.
No matter their peak, the Black Rock Trolls were sandcastles before Golden Heaven's waves.
Amid the falling trolls, their king—slashed by Iron Mask's blade—took irrecoverable damage and fled into the Birchwood Forest.
The Magic Tower, brimming with sharp minds, wouldn't miss such a golden opportunity.
They assembled forces and marched on the forest. The Black Rock Trolls, bereft of their former glory, could only slink into the shadows.
Yet even in retreat, the trolls succeeded in protecting their king to the end.
"After that, we've harvested countless materials from the Birchwood Forest for our magic research. We thought we'd crushed them beyond recovery, but..."
Rocerto said regretfully.
"We're on guard that their king has revived. From his perspective, Iron Mask is the prime enemy, but his grudge against us for striking while he was weak won't be small either."
"Is there a specific reason you think the king has revived?"
Rocerto's tale was intriguing, but it didn't prove his theory.
Missing mages didn't directly link to troll revival.
"Trolls' magic resistance is beyond imagination. Against other monsters, at least some mages would have escaped. But not a single low-tier mage who entered the forest did. For them, troll resistance would be an unstoppable disaster. That's why trolls are our prime suspects."
"I see. So that's why you requested our Martial Clan to scout the forest?"
Sophia nodded, finally understanding.
Trolls were mages' natural predators.
Especially if this one bore the title of king—to suppress it would cost the Magic Tower dearly in casualties.
But the Martial Clan was different.
They had mages, but at heart, it was a martial clan.
They answered with swords and spears over spells, making trolls far easier for them to handle than for the Magic Tower.
"I understand the situation, Elder."
Sophia rose briskly.
"We'll make sure this mission succeeds."