episode_0040

When we arrived at Ignolia, the knights were moving around Ignolia in rows and columns, as if they had already started patrolling. Of course, if I walked around like this, the intimidation would be so great that even the Demon King’s army’s spies wouldn’t be able to do anything, but I slowly moved towards the tavern, thinking that it would make me hide even more.

Ignolia’s guards were patrolling along the main road. A few of them were frequent customers at the bar, so I greeted them lightly and was asked if they were going to work. As I was answering with a smile, someone caught my eye. Senior Isabel was there.

Jeremy, who was on my right shoulder, looked at me and raised his right hand. Seeing that, I gave a small bow to my senior and Jeremy, and senior Isabel smiled brightly. Apparently he was busy, so the senior said hello and then moved somewhere again. I carefully placed this thought in my head, wondering if all the cores of the dead would disappear tonight.

But if all the cores of the dead disappeared, would that be the end of everything? I thought that was probably not the case. If there is a person who brought it, additional things will be possible. If not, he might be waiting for all of the dead’s core to disappear.

At that time, the main personnel of the academy went outside, so of course there was a senior guarding the school gate and there was a barrier, but it might be possible if a spy helped from inside.

With all these thoughts going through my head, I let out a long sigh and entered the bar, where there were no customers today. As I carefully went to the counter and changed into an apron, Aunt Toa looked at me and smiled.

“There are no customers today, right?”

“That’s right, the atmosphere is completely different from usual.”

“The security guard told me not to go around tonight unless I have something important to do, so there probably won’t be many customers today. Try a little business and if you really don’t want to come, just leave work.”

“Yes, of course.”

Then I started washing the dishes on the counter. I washed all the plates and cleaned all the cups and glasses, but no customers came, so I looked at my colleagues wondering what to do, and they were all sitting in their seats with their chins resting on their faces as if they were bored. When I saw it, I thought Aunt Toa would get angry soon, so I carefully went out of the tavern with a broom, saying I wanted to do some cleaning.

As I was sweeping the front of the tavern with a broom, I could see the knights moving around. As I was staring blankly at that scene, I saw employees at other restaurants and bars with similar thoughts as me standing in front of the doors holding brooms.

As I was blankly watching the knights march, I heard a sound from somewhere. A sound like a tearing sound or something exploding. I was startled by the sound and turned my head to see that it sounded like an explosive exploded in the north of Ignolia. Naturally, my hand went up on top of the cane. I guess it was the beginning, but since I was already working, I couldn’t move there. I didn’t like the situation where I had to just trust my senior and wait.

Just as I was sweeping the front with a broom, someone walked towards the bar. I naturally bowed my head to the familiar face.

“Hasn’t something happened?”

“Isabel is there, so there won’t be any problem.”

“Tonight all the cores of the dead will disappear. I already destroyed one, so I just need to find the other two… … It’s difficult. Detection wizards can find the flow, but it doesn’t seem like there’s something blocking the flow. Since the core of the dead is gone, it looks like they’ve made their own preparations.”

“Still, I think you will find it.”

“Isabelle is there, so if that doesn’t work, it might be possible to burn all the areas where the curse is detected.”

“… … Isn’t this a dangerous method?”

“So we have to find it before that, before Isabel gets really angry.”

“Because my senior is not an angry person… … I don’t think about that.”

“I think it was Isabelle who made that explosion sound… … There’s no other place that can make a sound that loud other than Isabelle’s magic.”

As I was slowly nodding my head and tidying up my broom, I heard the sound of an explosion again. … … Well, since he was the one who created the pillar of fire in that graveyard, I guess he’s weak when it comes to explosions. But that area is where private houses are gathered, so I guess there won’t be any problems.

Thinking that the guards had somehow managed to resolve this issue, we entered the tavern, put down the broom, and Toa opened her mouth to us.

“Alright, everyone get off work! There are no guests anyway, so go back and rest!”

At the same time as Aunt Toa said, my colleagues took off their aprons and left the bar, and I also took off my apron, said hello, and left the bar. Just when I was wondering if I should go back to the academy, someone was standing in front of the bar.

“Good night, right?”

Senior Erica, a familiar silver-haired woman, was standing there. The senior, perhaps on patrol, was standing in front of the bar holding a cane, and I bowed my head in greeting.

“I thought you would be at the academy today.”

“Isabelle told me to come help her if I have time since she is scheduled to finish by the end of the day. Are you off work?”

“They said the security forces controlled the residents of Ignolia, so I left work early because there were no customers.”

“So are you going back to the academy now?”

“Probably so.”

Senior Erica smiled at my answer.

“Then, shall we go somewhere with this teacher? Isabel is planning to destroy all the cores of the dead within today.”

“If I get the chance.”

At my answer, Erica smiled and swung her cane at me, and at the same time, I felt a slight shaking throughout my body. As I was dealing with the aftermath of the teleportation that was becoming more and more familiar to me, a familiar person stood before my eyes.

“I didn’t know Astan would come?”

“Erica senior will also come.”

And before I could finish answering, Erica appeared next to me, and Isabel looked at the two of us and smiled.

“Still, I feel reassured because I have support.”

“You know that it’s very funny when a person who can solve a problem on his own even without reinforcements says something like that, right?”

“I am a person who is not as good at detailed control as others, so I feel like I could burn down all the places where the curse was detected, but I don’t know if that will work.”

“So you called me?”

“I guess this is Isabel’s specialty.”

“You speak well.”

Then Isabel looked at me with a wand in her hand and smiled.

“Then shall we go? I’ll send you the coordinates now.”

And when Isabel senior lightly waved her cane, a memory seeped into my mind. I wondered if this was the concept of coordinates, but it felt a little strange. It felt like a specific location was immediately remembered in my mind.

“Should we go from the closest one, or split up?”

“Let’s share, Astan can also protect himself, right?”

“I will try my best.”

“If you don’t know, I can follow you.”

“It’s okay, here… … Because Jeremy is there.”

At Isabelle’s words, Jeremy walked out of the darkness, and before I knew it, Jeremy jumped up to me and sat on my left shoulder.

“Jeremy, I’d like to ask for Astan. And if you encounter the knights and guards, show them this token.”

When I arrived at the nearest coordinates, the knights were standing there, and I opened my mouth and showed a token to the knights.

“This is Astan from the Academy, I’m here to check the coordinates.”

“This is Barton from the Blue Rose Knights. As a result of checking the coordinates of the current detection wizard, the curse has been confirmed to be a curse belonging to a citizen.”

“Okay, then I will move somewhere else.”

I said hello to the knights and hurried to the second coordinates. While I was walking quickly, an alley caught my eye.

As I was heading towards the coordinates in the alley, for some reason, my feet naturally moved towards that place. A sense that something was there, and a sense that something was calling me.

I followed that feeling and walked into the alley, and there was a door. As I was looking at the door that looked like a trap to anyone, I thought I shouldn’t open it, but as I was looking at the door that caught my eye as if it was tempting me to open it, Jeremy pressed his foot on my cheek, and I opened my mouth towards Jeremy.

“Call me Isabel, Jeremy.”

At my words, Jeremy shook his head and let out a light cry, and not long after, senior Isabel appeared in front of him.

“I found something.”

“There is a door that feels strange.”

In response to my answer, senior Isabel turned her head to look at the door, and I cautiously opened my mouth.

“It’s like there’s a spell on me, when I hear a voice in my head telling me to open it.”

“Well, no matter who sees it, it’s a trap. Coming here could have been a trap.”

“Seeing as it doesn’t appear on the coordinates, it doesn’t seem to be where the curse is.”

“It is also possible if there is a tool that can interfere with detection magic.”

With those words, she aimed her wand at the door, and as soon as she aimed it at the door, the wind fired from her opened the door.

When the door opened, fear rose up through my body. And at the same time, the magic tool in his jacket pocket began to shake.

“It’s a curse. If someone had held the door and opened it, I might have died from the curse.”

“… … The right thing to do was to call your senior.”

“I don’t know what’s in there… … It will be difficult for us to enter as it contains a curse. Let’s call the knights.”

“Yep.”

Senior Isabel raised her wand towards the sky and chanted a spell, and the flames fired from her wand revealed a shape along with the sound.

“Astan moves to different coordinates, and if you find something strange like now, call me, Erica, or Leonard.”

“Yes, senior.”

As I was about to answer and turn around, Jeremy was already on my shoulder again.