Chapter 20

“You’re so harsh. If you talk like that, even I might end up hurt.”

The saint put on a sad expression. Seeing this, Luina realized her mistake.

“…Ah, I’m sorry. That wasn’t my true intention.”

“Hahaha, I’m just kidding.”

As if he had never made that expression, the saint’s drooping eyelids returned to normal.

“So, what’s this about? I think this is the first time you’ve called me to the academy, brother.”

“Luina, weren’t you leaving? Or did you change your mind?”

“…I’m going now. Mr. Jace, I apologize again for my disrespect.”

“No need to worry. Really, I’m fine. Hahaha.”

Luina cleared her throat and stepped into the hallway.

As soon as the door closed, the smile on Jace’s face disappeared.

“To be honest, I didn’t believe the rumors… but it looks like they were true.”

“Rumors?”

“That you’ve changed.”

Fernan responded with a shrug.

“Let’s skip the senseless gossip and get straight to the point.”

“Right, time is money.”

Fernan explained his goal and intentions, as well as the plan and the role Jace was to play in it.

Of course, his stated purpose wasn’t the mithril, but the spirit herb.

“Sounds fun. Very you, brother. Using the first-years’ survival training to search for the spirit herb…”

“If I’d known earlier, all this wouldn’t have been necessary.”

“I get it. If the first-years are wandering around, they might find the herb by accident. Not a bad approach.”

“Do you need time to think about it?”

“No,” Jace replied, shaking his head.

“Seeing you move this far, brother, can only mean this isn’t just any herb. I’m tempted, but I can’t risk going against the Pellenbergs. I’ll do it.”

He made a circle with his fingers.

“Just make sure to give me plenty of this.”

“The term ‘free donation’ doesn’t exist in my dictionary.”

“It’s an offering to the gods.”

“The gods my ass. I’ll increase orders from the academy’s headquarters. And I’ll make sure the merit goes to you.”

“That sounds like blasphemy, but if you pay enough, I’ll be satisfied.”

Jace gave a completely worldly smile.

“Then do it well.”

“Yes, brother. Leave it to me. After all, I’m the top student of the Department of Magic, first year.”

Exactly. And for that very reason, Fernan couldn’t help but wonder:

‘Why isn’t Jace Vynes Aint’s companion?’

Aint’s enemy was the demons. And those who fought most fervently against demons were precisely the members of the Cult of the Dragon God.

Because demons were a cursed race? Because they wanted to destroy humanity?

Sure, those reasons existed, but they weren’t the most important.

“Magic, a gift from dragons? Nonsense! Magic is a power created by us, our gift.”

A thousand years ago, a demon had uttered that blasphemy. And that phrase had struck the most sensitive nerve of the Cult of the Dragon God.

So then, why wasn’t the saint of the Cult fighting alongside Aint on the frontlines against the demons?

‘Will he join later? If it’s Jace, he might as well have been there from the start.’

He was as skilled as Valoshi, the top of the Department of Knights. Maybe even more.

Well, it wasn’t that important.

Aint would handle it his own way, as always.

“But there’s still a week until survival training, right? Is it necessary to wait until then?”

Jace’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Of course. If I get it before then, this conversation never happened.”

“Still, the fact that we’re talking now means you don’t yet know its exact location. Since I’m going to charge, I sincerely hope you don’t find it beforehand.”

“What a nasty comment.”

Fernan snapped his fingers. A gold coin clinked into Jace’s palm.

“Advance payment.”

“Brother.”

Jace lowered his gaze to the coin, his eyes gleaming with seriousness.

“The Dragon God detests those who make deals without signing a contract. Shouldn’t we first discuss the exact order details, how much, how, and everything else?”

Fernan clicked his tongue.

That’s why he avoided working with Jace when he could. There was no way to take advantage of him or negotiate halfway.

“Fine.”

He pulled out a sheet of paper.

Thus began a fierce negotiation, aimed at minimizing losses as much as possible.

***

“Thank you. I’ll do my best to live up to your expectations, brother. When you have a more detailed plan, call me again. In the meantime, I’ll keep perfecting my duplication magic.”

“Send the artifacts as soon as possible.”

“I’ll send most of them right away. The artifacts shouldn’t take more than five days.”

Jace left with a grin from ear to ear, as if the negotiation had been very satisfying.

And rightly so, since the items Fernan had promised to purchase weren’t exactly cheap. But that was only part of the story.

“He came out ahead…”

Of course, the amount he’d have to pay wasn’t small, but all those items were necessary for what he planned to do.

The Cult of the Dragon God was the largest magical organization on the continent, and their magical products were among the best.

“The location converter was also made by them.”

Moreover, many of Fernan’s favorite artifacts were religious in origin, acquired directly from the cult.

The Pellenberg family didn’t lack talented mages, but they couldn’t compare to fanatics who treated magic as a religion.

“The necessary items will arrive soon…”

Fernan unfolded a map.

It was the map of the southern forest where the first-year survival practice would take place.

Like the north, the south was divided into two zones: to the southwest was a beautiful forest with lakes, and to the southeast, a damp swamp.

Since the monsters in the forest were weaker than those in the swamp, the survival practice would most likely be held in the southwest.

“The southern swamp…”

The first time he was struck by lightning and ran to verify the prophecy book’s authenticity, he had gone precisely there. And it was in that swamp that he found Aint, discovered the dungeon, and looted the magical lamps installed there.

According to the assessment, those lamps were unparalleled by ordinary ones, showcasing extremely high technical and artistic quality. He would soon auction them off for a large sum.

That money would go directly to his secret organization: the Golden Column.

“The general framework is clear now.”

He now had the best ally possible: the saint of the Cult of the Dragon God.

What remained was defining the details.

“Let’s see…”

Reviewing the documents on the table, Fernan finally found what he was looking for.

【Imperial Year 999. Armian Academy of the Empire. First Year, First Semester. Integrated Survival Class Plan】

He had already secured the detailed plan for the survival training.

It included the distribution of teachers and assistants, the security scheme, and many other minute details.

Fernan memorized everything.

‘It’s just…’

Only one week remained until the start of practice. And there were a total of seven lakes in the southern forest.

In one of them was the spirit herb, the mithril, and the guardian spirit protecting them.

The problem was he didn’t know which of the seven it was.

In the prophecy book’s memory, Aint dove into the lake’s depths and discovered an underwater cave, but it didn’t mention which lake exactly he dived into.

That’s why Fernan had taken the assistant post and recruited Jace, as an extreme precaution.

A week remained, yes, but he wasn’t sure he could find the place while still attending classes.

“First, I need to go.”

His goal was to inspect as many lakes as possible during that week. With a bit of luck, he might find the right one from the start.

At sunset, as the sun was going down, students who had more classes that day were finishing dinner.

Fernan knew this was the time for the guard shift change.

‘All areas are managed with magic.’

The forest entrance was no exception.

It wasn’t a person managing everything, but a magical system with automated records to maintain order.

It was the only efficient way to monitor such a vast area, though not infallible.

After passing by Verian and leaving some instructions, Fernan stood before the southern forest entrance—or rather, a hidden path, not the official entrance.

‘The shift change should be happening right now.’

Taking advantage of the confusion, he presented the credential he’d obtained, and the hidden magic circle opened.

“Perfect. It works.”

With his camouflage cloak on, Fernan dashed into the forest.

***

Growl!

A pack of three-meter-tall hell hounds, with red fur, sniffed around as they roamed.

After wandering for a while, the hell hounds quickly disappeared in another direction.

Soon after, a black figure dropped with a thud from a tall tree.

“This works wonderfully.”

He never thought he’d be able to paralyze the hell hounds’ sense of smell so instantly.

As expected: it was a product of the Cult of the Dragon God.

“Let’s see… the lake…”

It didn’t take him long to reach a huge lake. In the southern forest, there were seven such lakes.

“I’m supposed to find a hidden cave here…”

[“If you don’t believe you’ll find it, you never will.”

That’s how well-hidden the entrance to the underwater cave was.

— How obvious. If it were easy to find, it would’ve been looted already.

“Yes, that’s true too.”

Aint slipped through a barely visible gap between rocks at the bottom, where pebbles and stones mixed.

It felt more like it led underground than into a cave.]

Recalling that prophecy fragment, Fernan grabbed his head and tore a scroll.

It was a timed underwater breathing spell that enveloped his entire body.

He dove in without hesitation, and the first thing he saw was the calm underwater landscape.

The water was clear and pure, and instead of monsters, only fish swam. He pushed aside a crayfish on the bottom and placed his hand on the bed of pebbles.

‘This is why I became an earth mage.’

Though his highest affinity was with fire, he chose earth as his specialty for a different reason.

To search for metals, veins, money.

His mana sank into the ground. With precision and detail, he inspected the depths. Hours passed. Just as the scroll’s effect was about to wear off, he confirmed it with certainty.

“It’s not here.”

A shame, but that was it. Six lakes remained. And so he kept diving for who knows how long.

Cutting into his sleep time, Fernan managed to inspect all seven lakes over the course of a week.

The cost of all this was considerable. And it was undeniable that he’d somewhat neglected his business guild affairs.

Even so.

“None of the seven?”

There were no results.

Could there be another lake he didn’t know about?

Impossible. He had checked the maps multiple times. There was no other lake in the southern forest besides those seven.

Thinking deeply, Fernan came to a conclusion.

“It’s hidden with magic.”

Someone had definitely cloaked it with some kind of magical protection. That’s why it had remained undiscovered for a thousand years.

He had underestimated it. He had taken the First Emperor too lightly.

“…At least I’m glad I was prepared.”

That was the only consolation.

Damn it. Fernan let out a curse.

***

And the next day, right after Fernan failed in his last search…

“From this moment on, the joint training between the Faculty of Knights and the Faculty of Magic will begin.”

“Originally, it was going to take place in the northern mountainous region, but due to a small inconvenience, the location has been changed. The survival training will be held in the southwestern forest.”

The joint survival training for the first-years had finally begun.