In the end, I had no choice but to follow Kaisel and get into the magic-powered carriage.
Honestly, I was hoping that someone would stop me. But both Cain and Senia just let me go with a resigned attitude, as if thinking, “If it’s Professor Kaisel, then there’s no helping it.”
“You seem to have made quite a few friends.”
“I have some people I hang out with, at least.”
“Is that so?”
As the carriage rolled down the darkened road, Kaisel spoke in his usual cold voice.
“Your battle strategy was good.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Depending on your opponent, you could have lost.”
“Well… that’s true.”
If my opponent had been Senia, the chances of my defeat would have been high.
“If Senia Artian or Cain Trigger had been your opponent, you would have lost.”
“Not just Senia, but Cain too?”
Charlotte had participated in the mock battle, but Cain had not.
Kaisel hadn’t seen Cain fight, so how could he be so sure?
“I can tell just by looking.”
“Hmm…”
I knew Cain’s abilities since I had seen him take down terrorists. But how had Kaisel assessed his strength?
I was curious.
“Even against Helios Chanetis, if the strategy had been different, you might have lost.”
“That’s true.”
“Don’t take it the wrong way. It’s a compliment.”
“This is supposed to be a compliment?”
“I’m saying you won despite the odds.”
“…”
Would it kill him to phrase it in a way that actually sounds nice?
“As promised, I’ll ensure you receive your provisional ranger certification.”
“Thank you.”
“No need to thank me.”
Even though I had earned first place and secured the qualification, Kaisel’s overly businesslike attitude made it feel rather anticlimactic.
‘Oh well. I’ll just have to find satisfaction in getting a nice dinner out of this.’
This was Professor Kaisel, after all.
He wouldn’t take me to just any mediocre restaurant.
It had to be an extravagant, high-end place.
‘I’ve always wondered what he eats on a daily basis.’
Honestly, I couldn’t really picture this man sitting down for a meal.
Just imagining him tearing bread apart with his hands felt… off.
‘And there’s no way he’d slurp noodles or anything like that…’
He probably didn’t eat steak every single day, either.
What exactly was his diet like?
‘Wait a minute.’
A thought suddenly struck me.
“Uncle.”
“What is it?”
“Does the Producing Department ever develop meal substitutes?”
“Meal substitutes?”
“Something like a pill or potion that fills you up and provides all necessary nutrients without the need to eat actual food.”
“Hmm… I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
I had assumed he might be sustaining himself with something like that instead of regular meals, but it seemed I was wrong.
“Interesting.”
“Huh?”
“If such a product were developed, there would likely be significant demand. There are many sick people who cannot chew and eat food on their own.”
“…”
“It’s a good idea. I’ll have to discuss it with the Alchemy Department.”
“Oh, so this would fall under their jurisdiction…”
I felt a bit awkward now that Kaisel was taking my idea seriously.
“If it becomes a reality, you’ll be paid royalties.”
“No, that’s really not necessary…”
“Intellectual property rights must be properly established.”
“…”
Kaisel seemed to be deep in thought, seriously considering the matter.
Having nothing else to say, I simply turned my gaze to the scenery outside.
“Oh, by the way.”
“What?”
“Where exactly are we going? This doesn’t seem like the southern shopping district.”
“We’re heading north.”
“Isn’t the north mostly mountains?”
The southern side of this island, where the harbor was located, was the center of trades.
The northern side, where the entrance to the Labyrinth was, had rough terrain and was not frequented by many people.
“There are stores in the north as well.”
“Really?”
“Yes. But they aren’t places you can visit without an introduction.”
So, they were exclusive, invitation-only establishments.
“I’m curious about what kind of shops are there.”
“For example, the suit I’m wearing right now was tailored at a shop in the north.”
Hearing that, I took another look at Kaisel’s attire.
A luxurious, heavy suit composed entirely of dark colors like black and deep purple.
It was probably imbued with magical defenses as well.
“But those shops wouldn’t suit you just yet. For the next few years, stick to the southern shopping district.”
“Understood.”
And with that, Kaisel’s explanation ended.
Before I knew it, the magic-powered carriage had left the academy grounds and was climbing an uphill road.
“Now that we’re up here, I hardly see any people.”
“Of course.”
“Will the restaurant we’re going to be empty as well?”
“There will be no people there.”
“…What?”
“There will be no chefs or staff either. The restaurant only serves one party per day.”
“…?”
I couldn’t quite wrap my head around what he was saying.
“Wait, then how does the restaurant even operate?”
A thought suddenly popped into my mind.
“Don’t tell me… the place has ingredients and cooking utensils, and you’re planning to cook for me yourself?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, you fool.”
“…”
I got my hopes up for nothing.
“There may be no chefs or staff, but there are serving golems. They will prepare and serve the food.”
“Oh…”
A rather astounding story… But will it taste good?
Somehow, this wasn’t what I was expecting.
“Uncle.”
“What is it?”
“Can’t we just go to a normal restaurant? It doesn’t have to be some special place up north.”
“Do you have a problem with that?”
“It feels more like a field trip than a meal. This is a bit…”
I wasn’t exactly looking forward to having a warm, heart-to-heart meal with Kaisel, but I wasn’t too keen on this either.
“You still can’t.”
“Do you like food made by golems?”
“Of course not.”
“Then why are we going to such a place?”
“Because there won’t be any people.”
“What?”
Did he have some extreme case of social anxiety?
Like, was he unable to eat in places where there were other people?
“It’s troublesome when people are around.”
“What do you mean…?”
“It’s dangerous.”
Just as I turned to look at Kaisel, unable to understand what he meant—
Something flashed in front of us.
“…!”
Boom!
A massive explosion, even larger than the fireball I had launched during the rookie match!
I braced myself, expecting the entire arcane four-wheeled carriage to be engulfed in flames. But fortunately, that didn’t happen.
A translucent barrier deployed automatically, protecting the vehicle.
“Uncle, what in the world is this…?”
“Not the best timing. Or maybe, it’s actually fortunate.”
The vehicle continued its rapid sprint through the flames.
But more giant fireballs kept raining down.
“Professors at Ars Magna Academy conduct various kinds of research.”
“…Yes?”
“But there are always those who don’t take kindly to that research.”
As I struggled to process what was happening, Kaisel spoke calmly while gripping the wheel.
“For example, the pill-type meal replacement we just discussed threatens the vested interests of liquid food companies for patients. Naturally, they wouldn’t want us to develop it.”
“Then…?”
“Of course, no company would go as far as sending assassins over something so trivial. That was just an example for you to understand.”
So this meant… someone who didn’t like Kaisel’s research had sent these attackers?
“Uncle, then the reason you wanted to go to an secluded restaurant was…?”
“It’s a hassle if civilians get caught up in a terrorist attack.”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A far larger explosion than before shook the vehicle violently.
“The tires are blown.”
“T-Tires?!”
“Driving any further is impossible now.”
Kaisel let go of the steering wheel and spoke.
“Get out, Eriol.”
Now, we stood in a dark mountain forest.
The academy’s lights were visible in the distance, but our immediate surroundings were pitch black.
“……”
And from that darkness, our attackers emerged.
They were masked figures clad in black.
“Professor Kaisel Valencia.”
The tallest among them spoke.
“The cipher that seals Duke Avilent’s will… are you still in the process of deciphering it?”
“No.”
“What?”
“I’ve already finished decoding it.”
“…!”
I could tell they all stiffened in shock.
“The contents of the will will be relayed via communication magic tomorrow morning. The original document will also be sent by express delivery.”
“Kaisel Valencia…!”
The tall man hastily shouted.
“We have warned you multiple times. Have you forgotten?”
“I haven’t forgotten. You warned me seven times, directly and indirectly.”
“We clearly told you not to break the seal on the will! That if its contents were revealed, a great deal of blood would be shed! That you should stop deciphering it!”
“You did.”
A chilling aura filled the air.
It was… bloodlust.
“I simply ignored your warnings.”
“Kaisel Valencia…!”
At that moment, the attackers moved as one.
Even I, a layman, could tell.
These people… they were all at least on the level of Cain or Senia in martial prowess.
But—
“That’s impossible.”
Shk.
A sharp, almost imperceptible sound rang out.
In an instant, hundreds of obsidian-like blades, thinly crafted as if from the finest glass, danced in the air.
It all happened in a blink.
“Ah…”
“Ugh…”
There wasn’t even time for proper screams.
Even the tall leader could only let out a final, weak groan before collapsing lifelessly.
Kaisel had not lifted a single finger.
Yet everything was over in mere seconds.
‘This is…’
Watching the scene unfold, I swallowed hard.
‘This is… Kaisel Valencia.’
One of the continent’s ten greatest mages.
The youngest head of Ars Magna Academy’s Principles Department.
I had just witnessed a glimpse of his true power with my own eyes.
“I hope you understand, Eriol.”
Kaisel stepped forward.
“I need to clean up this mess. I won’t be able to have dinner with you.”
“Honestly, after all this, I don’t think I could eat with you right now either…”
As he cast his magic, an immense spell formula unfolded in the air.
The overwhelming amount of information made my head throb slightly.
“Find dinner on your own.”
“Yes, understood.”
As I nodded, Kaisel reached into his coat.
Then, he pulled out a luxurious leather wallet.
“Uncle, this is…”
“Buy yourself dinner with this.”
He handed me a thick wad of cash.
“Keep the rest as pocket money.”
The first allowance I ever received from my uncle.
It was nearly the same amount as the top freshman scholarship.
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