Chapter 10
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Northern Duke (3)
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The academy corridor bustled with people.
A pink-haired woman passed through the corridor and stepped outside the building.
"Elly! Are you heading out alone today?"
"I told you earlier. I have business with the Head Priest today."
"Let's go to the church together! By the way, how was the club run by Lady Scarlet?"
I recalled yesterday's club session.
Opening the clubroom door revealed members looking like zombies, their dark circles drooping down to their chins.
As I stepped inside, people approached with papers covered in magic theses, asking about improvement methods.
'Isn't magic just supposed to activate by moving mana however you think?!'
Papers filled with incomprehensible formulas and words that were clearly written in Imperial script, yet made no sense.
The status window had saved me in my panic.
'If it hadn't given me the answers back then... well, I could've just said sorry and left.'
Even among archmages, there are those who cast spells instinctively without grasping formulas or principles.
I could've brushed it off like those so-called true geniuses, saying it just worked.
"So! How was it?"
"Just people dead serious about magic."
"Ugh... I'm gonna study my butt off and join them!"
After suffering through it for ages, I finally signed up and escaped the clubroom.
'The end-of-semester trip to the Northern Duke's territory is for grade toppers... so I need to cozy up to Lady Scarlet, the second-year topper, right?'
In the original story, the second-year topper was some nameless extra, but now it was the genius mage Lady Scarlet.
'I was stressing about not making grade topper... good thing the status window helped.'
During the entrance exam, it had kindly walked me through every solution and answer.
I'd been fretting over failing it, but ended up enrolling as number one.
"So I've been wrestling with fourth-circle magic lately too..."
Listening to my brown-haired friend, a massive church loomed into view in the distance.
A towering structure over fifteen meters high, like something out of a pro European travel show.
In front of the building, nuns and priests in their robes hurried about.
"I'll be at the library—come find me when you're done!"
"Hey! If you're late, we might not make it!"
With my friend gone, I stepped through the church's open entrance.
I headed to the reception desk by the door and requested a meeting with the Head Priest.
After settling into the meeting room for a short wait, the Head Priest entered.
He brewed some fragrant tea and served it to me.
I lifted the cup and sipped carefully.
'Huh? Super sweet? Isn't tea supposed to be bitter?'
The unexpected sweetness lifted my spirits, and the Head Priest asked,
"So, what brings you here?"
"Ah... well..."
I recalled the original plot.
The abandoned old school building behind the academy.
(Who even knows why the academy has that thing.)
The original protagonist, sent there on a teacher's errand, exorcises a ghost alongside the tagging-along Second Prince.
(Beats me why they'd send someone to an unused building for a fetch quest.)
But the Second Prince right now wouldn't spare me a glance.
Normally, I'd handle it with light magic, but...
'Ghosts are scary! Send me there alone?'
I briefly thought of my ever-present brown-haired friend...
'No way I'd trust that! Better with the priest...'
"Elly, whatever's troubling you, speak your mind."
Maybe I'd dawdled too long. The Head Priest prompted me.
"Ah! Could you maybe come with me to the old school building...?"
The words tumbled out before I could organize my thoughts.
'He's not gonna agree just like that! Ugh, need a solid reason...'
"Shall we head there now? Finish your tea, and we'll go."
"Pardon?"
The approval caught me completely off guard.
I sighed in relief but reflexively blurted,
"Aren't you swamped, Head Priest?"
"Of course duties pile up. But if I won't heed students' requests, why bother dispatching me to the academy?"
The Head Priest gazed out the window.
"I'm here to aid students. Refusing their pleas would be wrong. Took me far too long to learn that..."
Tears glistened behind his glasses.
He turned away from me, pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to dab them dry, then rose.
I gulped down the rest of my tea, and we set off for the old school building.
The ghost there went down without a hitch.
The Head Priest explained that spirits sometimes spawn in lifeless places after long neglect.
He praised me for spotting the potential hazard early.
That night, I drifted off feeling pretty good.
"This wall... what the hell is it?"
"Spatial magic. Worked with a space mage from the Magic Tower once."
The man with the throwing dagger and the one with the bow eyed the opaque barrier blocking the passage.
"Shouldn't we bail now?"
"Drank a potion, but ribs still ache. Karik can't move, so we wouldn't get far anyway."
"Might as well help the space mage on the other side—better odds."
The throwing dagger man glanced at the mage tending to Karik.
"Lose here, and it's game over. We fight."
"Hah... fine. Not some rookie to crack over this."
The woman eased Karik to the floor and took up position behind the men.
"Barrier drops—unload everything on anything that moves. Ready?"
The opaque wall gradually cleared, revealing the far side.
"Good, right there... huh?"
Beyond the vanished barrier lay only men collapsed far off, blood pouring from heart and neck wounds—no sign of life.
"What in the..."
"Everyone alright?"
"Gah!"
I slipped behind the on-edge group and spoke up.
"Eric! You okay?!"
The plump, kind-faced woman from the carriage eyed me with worry.
"That's my line... you guys okay?"
"Hold on... this your doing?"
The bowman, inspecting the corpses, asked in a shaky voice.
"Eh... pretty much."
"No way—Kedran hit A-rank a decade ago..."
"Space mages shine in tight spots."
"That easy..."
"That the priority right now?"
The man finally clocked it and bowed low.
"Ah, sorry. Truly grateful for the save. Reward's a sure thing."
"Sorry for the casual talk before. Thank you."
Officially twenty, actually seventeen—I must look young.
Plus, no one half-asses respect to a fellow pro mercenary.
They showered me with thanks and apologies.
"U-um... not pissed, right?"
"Nah. Karik gonna pull through?"
The thanks hit different after so long—surreal, dazed vibe mixed in.
Not ideal, but whatever. Switched gears.
"Broken ribs nicked a lung, but top-grade potion—he'll live."
Top potions mend anything short of instant death.
Rare enough A-rank crews stock just a spare pair.
Prepped for the promotion exam, looks like.
'Was gonna loan mine if needed... oh well.'
Missed prime gratitude potential.
But Karik croaking mid-fight while I offed the examiner? Disaster.
Party death tips grief over thanks—no sincerity then.
Sometimes flips to rage.
'Chasing repayment later's a pain anyway—let it slide.'
Do favors right, or don't bother.
I unpacked a wheeled stretcher onto the cave floor.
Bumpy ground, but wheels would roll.
"Lay him here. I'll escort to the entrance. Not pushing the exam, right?"
"Hell no! Not a one-shot deal. We're tapping out."
"You don't have to go this far..."
Entrance has lighter monster traffic, but not risk-free.
Five-man party down a leader—monsters could spell trouble.
Overkill escort? Sure, but...
"Mage Eric's too kind. Thanks."
That meddling amps the gratitude.
Not everyone coughs up loot post-save, mind.
But overwhelming say thanks for their skin.
En route to the exit, the silent leather-armored man approached.
"Situation calms, hearts soften. My life fee."
"Jay! That's your retirement fund for a capital shop!"
"Nothing tops life."
He handed over a top-grade mana stone from his pouch.
"Sure you won't regret?"
"Dead? Bastards keep it. No chance to say proper earlier—thanks again."
Merc life: threats and saves galore.
Guild sets life-value tiers by rank, wealth.
Field? Spotty adherence.
Top-grade stone? Way overkill.
"Truth... first mage this nice. Future favors too."
Awkward grin, cheek scratch.
I pocketed it, fighting a smirk.
Kindness flops sometimes, pays dividends others.
"You take it—what about me! ...Mage, that's all I got—two high-grades..."
"One top-grade covers five lives easy. We're square."
"Makes me look cheap! Please."
The mage offered two high-grade mana stones.
Started meh, now top-tier decency among my saves this life.
"U-um... got zilch but healing potions maybe..."
"Me neither?"
"More and I'll get uneasy."
Push overt, thanks curdle.
Halted their rummaging, pressed on.
Short trek later, entrance neared.
Heavy mana pulsed from rear passage.
Party snapped battle-ready.
I soothed 'em—familiar signature from before.
"Chill. Other mage who went in."
"Exam barely an hour old... already?"
Soon, a white-robed, masked woman emerged from the passage.
Spotted us, halted flight, landed. We hugged the wall; she proceeded cautiously.
Her gaze hit mine—I swear she smiled behind the mask.
'Space magic perk? Peek faces through masks if I try?'
But masks mean privacy.
I dialed back mana deliberately.
She flicked between my glowing red magic tool and her green one.
I stonewalled; she bored quick, flew entrance-ward.
Post-pass, brief pause—we hit entrance.
"We're here."
"City meetup—dinner on me."
"Gifts say I owe you."
"Hah, cash can't buy life. Got a spot—let us treat."
Party cleared out; I located down stairs, bolted deeper.
At the fork, I eyed the passage prickling wrong.
'Knew something felt off—subtle downward tilt.'
Nigh-imperceptible to civilians, but pros clock it.
Karik party's rogue? Woulda sniffed it eventual.
Down stairs turned up fast.
Underground second floor entry: another curtain like the entrance.
No pause—next floor.
Glance back post-curtain: seamless wall.
'Second floor locks returns.'
Steady scan: webs strung everywhere.
Walls gooey with mystery white glop; near it, stench assaulted.
'Her quick exit no mere rivalry.'
Fouler reek; conjured oxygen mask magic, pushed on swift.
Sought sloped forks like above—web-choked passage soon.
Far side: hulking spider, legs meter-plus.
Behind: down stairs.
'Mid-tier dungeons got guards sometimes... looks manageable.'
Blasted mana past webs, lashed all eight legs.
Secured maw and spinnerets for backlash, warped over.
Spider freakout-thrashed, pinned immobile.
Drew prepped one-hander from sub-space.
'Sword drill time? Feels brute-force heavy.'
Closed on frozen bug, rammed blade home throat.
Full decap: stillness.
'Overkill spell on solo? No Philosopher's Stone, solo dream-killer.'
Muscling solo on mega-mana reserves.
Space magic peaks aiding squads.
Solo for free aid, but firepower demands mana glut.
Under ten minutes entrance-to-here; next floor.
Third underground: web explosion, baby spiders skittering.
'No traces others... multiple drops?'
Space-stepped air platforms, dodging floor webs.
Long haul: spotless passage.
'Ancient magic. Purification? This scope?'
Residual mana: under hour cast.
'This output and flyaway escape... heroine's rival ain't chump change.'
Seventeen-year-old fourth-circle prodigy, original's punching bag to heroine.
No shine sans worthy foe.
'Webs alone needed purge... walls/ceiling too?'
Dropped mask—no cave stink.
"Damn... deodorize spell?"
Dungeon no-no voicing needless, but mana squander stunned.
Blazed cleaned path—small chamber.
Spider egg remnants: shell shards strewn, room scrubbed pristine.
No Stone, fourth-circle pulls no such scale.
Eyed spent mana stones littering.
'Mids let fourth-circlers spam sans burnout.'
Stones infinite tire caster, but this one's original heroine-tier genius.
'Original Black Boar no-show makes sense.'
Ancient spells: brutal learn/use, god-tier payoff.
Ambush mid-delve ancient mage? Nah.
Registered shards to magic tool, exit-bound.
Web-skirted, fresh spiders nil.
Fork-slopes guided; thirty minutes flat, dungeon-free.