Chapter 256: In search of the magical laboratory

Toral smiled ironically.

— The Mundane Forest of the Distant Mountain is filled with poisonous plants and diseases. We need someone with knowledge of Engineering and Alchemy to ensure our safety during the exploration.

He spread his hands.

— Among the Level 3 acolytes I know in Arcangrove Tower, you are practically the only person suitable for this.

I remained silent. Only then did I remember something. Arcangrove Tower had suffered a brutal reduction in the number of acolytes because of the total massacre.

Toral really didn’t have many options.

As I analyzed the situation, my thoughts began to turn.

Could the remains he had discovered belong to Grand Mage Redof?

I had no way to confirm it. But I had already received clues related to this matter through that ghost acolyte I had used as a reagent for my Life Shield Cube.

If a ghost acolyte had discovered traces... It was entirely possible that Toral had also found something.

But I didn’t let any of this show on my face.

I pretended to hesitate.

— The war has just ended. Leaving the Tower now is extremely dangerous.

Toral noticed my resistance and immediately began negotiating.

— According to my sources, the remains belong to an Official Mage.

He stared at me.

— There may be information and resources related to advancing to the Official Mage realm.

My eyes narrowed.

— Isn’t that exactly what you’re looking for?

He continued.

— And if you agree to participate, there will naturally be additional rewards.

Toral presented several conditions, and I listened to everything carefully. Then I put on an expression of inner struggle.

Finally, I replied:

— I need two days to think about it.

Toral nodded. He probably realized that I was seriously considering the proposal.

And, in fact... I was.

But not for the reasons he imagined.

On the second day, I went to see Toral.

— I’ve decided to participate.

Five days later...

The sun was beginning to rise.

Toral and I left the Arcangrove Tower complex on two black horses. The morning air was cold. Golden rays slowly illuminated the landscape.

Before leaving for good, I pulled on the reins of my large horse and looked back.

Arcangrove Tower stood in the distance. I stared at the enormous mountain for a few seconds.

I hoped this exploration would be successful. And when I returned... I hoped to have good news from Ruby.

Then I turned my horse around and galloped away at high speed.

Five days later...

Erna Kingdom, Western Region. On the outskirts of a province.

Three acolytes were waiting on the road.

Clip-clop... clip-clop...

The sound of hooves echoed in the distance.

The three people looked toward the horizon.

Two figures appeared in the distance—it was Toral and me.

We stopped in front of them.

Toral had disguised his appearance to avoid trouble. He pointed toward a man.

— George, allow me to introduce Mr. Mitral, of the Tubol Family.

My gaze fell upon him.

Black hair and a silver robe.

His appearance was extremely refined. If it weren’t for the acolyte insignia, I probably would have thought he was an Official Mage who had been injured and regressed to the acolyte level.

There was something else that shocked me as well: Mitral’s family name.

Tubol was one of the three great families of Arcangrove Tower. A family that had produced at least one Official Mage in every generation.

— Tubol is a very famous family...

Mitral noticed my reaction and immediately showed a proud expression.

— Indeed.

He slightly raised his chin.

— Furthermore, the president of Arcangrove Tower was chosen by the three great families.

I made exactly the expression he was probably expecting: surprise and envy.

So he could have direct access to high-grade meditation techniques?

That was truly impressive.

Internally, however, my thoughts were completely different.

Toral continued introducing the others.

— This is Marak.

I looked at the young woman with blue hair.

Then he pointed toward the last person.

— And this is Folbit.

Folbit had a large build. He was approximately half a head taller than me.

His face had a simple and honest appearance.

But I wouldn’t lower my guard.

Acolytes capable of surviving a bloodbath were not simple people.

None of them were.

I discreetly observed the three of them. All possessed energy fluctuations corresponding to the consolidated Level 3 realm, bordering on the Pseudo-Mage realm.

My Biochip confirmed it.

Furthermore, Mitral and Marak carried magical artifacts. Their auras were concealed, but not enough to escape my perception.

— Hello. I’m George.

— I’m an acolyte specialized in Engineering, and I possess some talent in Alchemy. I hope we can work well together.

Mitral smiled.

— The Mundane Forest of the Distant Mountain is extremely dangerous. But I’ve heard that your reputation in Engineering is second only to that of the genius engineer Chory.

He seemed quite friendly.

— I believe you’ll be able to handle our logistics and security.

— I’ll do my best.

Mitral smiled.

— Excellent. It’s getting late. Let’s get started.

The five of us began our journey.

But deep down, I was quite displeased.

Toral had added three people to the group without even consulting my opinion.

I didn’t like that.

Especially because Mitral’s identity gave me an uncomfortable feeling.

There was something about him that I still couldn’t identify.

Noticing my expression, Toral moved his horse closer to mine.

He spoke in a low voice:

— Mitral and the others discovered my plans by accident and insisted on participating.

I frowned.

— They insisted?

— Yes.

Toral smiled bitterly.

— Mitral even went as far as hiding his plans from his family and teacher in order to leave the Tower.

That made me even more cautious.

The Tubol Family was one of the major powers within the Tower. And right now, after the end of the war, its members should have been even more concerned about security.

But we were already here.

I could only be more careful.

The Mundane Forest of the Distant Mountain was located on the western borders of the Erna Kingdom.

It was also a border region between Arcangrove Tower and Black Bull Tower.

Two forces that had just emerged from a massive war.

And Toral carried a blood debt with him.

He had killed one of the geniuses of the enemy Tower.

If our group were discovered...

The consequences would be quite unpleasant.

Therefore, during the journey, the five of us changed our clothes.

We stopped looking like acolytes and began dressing like young nobles and their attendants.

The strategy was simple.

In regions controlled by nobles, this wouldn’t attract as much attention.

We continued advancing through the western borders.

Along the way, I tried to get closer to the other three.

Marak was relatively friendly, and so was Folbit.

It probably helped that I was a Pseudo-Mage and had some recognition in the field of Engineering.

Mitral, however...

He was different.

He possessed the typical demeanor of an elite among Mages—polite and refined.

But there was arrogance behind every gesture.

...

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