episode_0171

“There’s not much time, Wade Heblon.”

Immediately after saying that, Veluid turned around.

Then, I turned my gaze and looked at the place where his back had been turned all along.

“Can you see it?”

All he could see in the direction he was looking was dense trees and thick fog filling the space.

However.

“… Yes.”

I affirmed his question.

Because I knew that the scenery, which was nothing special and looked the same as the road I had been on, was in fact not the same.

Because I felt it.

That there is something there.

And I also had a general idea of what that something was.

Because it was something I experienced several times on my way here.

“… It’s a border.”

That was a boundary.

The boundary that divides one space from another, crossing into another space with just one step.

“That’s right.”

Veluid nodded.

“In the space beyond this, the current head of the church… The cult leader is doing something. And it’s nearing its final stages.”

And then he turned his head to me again.

“That’s why I don’t have time to explain the situation to you. Because we have to stop the cult leader now.”

“… I see.”

I nodded.

I had no choice but to nod.

Because I also knew that what Veluid said was not a lie.

This is because the warnings sent by intuition become stronger as time passes.

“Then, I guess I should go in there.”

“That’s right. but… The problem is that it is not as easy as it sounds.”

Veluid shook his head with a dark face.

“This boundary is different from the normal boundary. It was created to block external access by stacking up the distortions of space.”

“… Are you saying you can’t go inside?”

“No. You can probably go in. However, you won’t be able to reach the other side unharmed.”

There was one thing that came to mind from Veluid’s explanation.

“… Closed dungeon.”

The explanation reminded me of the barrier of a closed dungeon that I am familiar with and have already experienced.

“That’s right.”

Veluid happily agreed.

“Strictly speaking, it is a little different, but the principle itself is similar. but… The main problem is that its level is nothing compared to the barrier of a closed dungeon.”

“… … .”

Definitely felt it.

The unusual energy emanating from that border.

Also, a strong warning from my intuition telling me never to stick my body in there.

“If a living human goes in there, even if he has some kind of defense, he will be turned into a handful of blood.”

“… Even if the principal casts a defensive spell?”

“That’s right.”

At those words, I once again raised my head and looked in the direction of the border.

Veluid is a great wizard.

He is so famous that if you stop anyone on the street and ask them to name the great wizard, they will always come out at least the third time.

The fact that his reputation was not in vain was also something I felt through the magic power that implicitly flowed from him.

At least he was by far the most outstanding wizard I’ve ever met.

But even if he were to cast a defensive spell himself, he wouldn’t be able to last even a moment.

I had no choice but to look again at the border in front of me.

“But don’t worry. I will do whatever it takes to open the way. I’ll somehow let you in here.”

Veluid made a serious expression.

And, a profound magical energy began to flow out of him.

The moment I sensed that, I.

“Wait a minute.”

stopped him.

“… What’s going on? I’m sorry, but I don’t have time. You have to get inside as quickly as possible─”

“No, that’s not it.”

I firmly interrupted Veluid, who had a clear look of urgency, and continued.

“I will try it.”

I will try to make a way.

“… Are you saying this?”

Hearing my words, Veluid looked at me carefully.

Then, he quickly shook his head.

“I know that you have excellent skills. But this is a different story. This is not a field for an unmanned person. So it would be better to just leave this to me.”

What he said wasn’t wrong.

Unlike wizards, warriors are generally just beings with strong physical power.

Therefore, it can be said that their ability to respond to various situations is significantly lower than that of a wizard.

This would be the case in general, but in a situation like this where higher-level concepts such as space were involved, it was safe to say that there was nothing an unmanned person could do.

however.

“It won’t take long. Let’s leave it to us for now.”

I did not back down my opinion.

“… … .”

Veluid looked intently into my eyes.

In a short moment, many thoughts passed through eyes that felt the depth of time.

“… I understand. Give it a try.”

Soon he nodded and stepped back.

It’s not like he’s doing that because he trusts me.

Perhaps he knew that my will was firm.

They must have calculated that progress would be faster if they took a step back than if they started a fight.

Because I knew what it meant.

I immediately drew my sword and walked forward.

Then, I concentrated my mind and looked ahead.

I still couldn’t physically see it, but I could feel it.

The fact that there is a boundary in front of us.

You can also tell just by looking at the waves coming out from there.

The border that exists in front of me is truly ferocious.

Beluid didn’t say that for nothing.

Suuu

Just by making up my mind to do so, magical power and intent naturally surged and began to flow into the sword.

“… … .”

Perhaps, even if I hadn’t done anything, Belluid would have created a path just as he said.

There was no evidence, but I had a vague intuition that it might be so.

Considering the area where my intuition reached, there is a high probability that it would have come true.

Even though I knew that, I came forward like this.

It was because I felt it.

Veluid’s determination.

Veluid was willing to risk everything.

I was trying to put everything on the line and build a road across this border.

This does not simply mean giving your best.

Beluid probably intended to risk literally everything he had.

The source of his magical power, and perhaps even his life force.

Knowing that, I stepped forward.

No matter how urgent the situation was, I had no desire to go forward and sacrifice someone’s life.

And more than anything, I felt confident.

I am confident that if it were me now, I would be able to make a way through this crack.

Wow─

The magic power and intent that flowed into the sword eventually created a sharp, yet soft blade made of light.

It looked like a sword at first glance, but it was not a sword.

So if you ask me what it is, honestly, it was difficult for me to answer.

Because I haven’t figured out everything about this area yet.

I was just using it with a vague sense.

I raised the sword covered in light.

And then, he swung it.

Towards the front where the border is.

OK.

Sigh─

The air was cut gently.

And, the space beyond was revealed.

“… … !!”

Feeling that Veluid was holding his breath, I turned and spoke.

“Let’s go in.”

***

Just like that, Veluid and I stepped inside the border.

Perhaps because the border was cut cleanly, we were able to step inside without being affected when we passed the border.

“… You really cut through the boundaries.”

After fully entering the border, Veluid looked at me and the porous border in turn with eyes full of indescribable emotion.

“What are you…? No, this is probably not the time to ask this.”

Vivid curiosity and interest overflowed from those eyes, but Veluid shook his head to calm those emotions.

It was because there was no way he didn’t know that the situation was urgent.

After catching a glimpse of Veluid, I immediately turned my gaze and looked around.

“… It’s a strange sight.”

After seeing the scene inside the border, that was my opinion.

It’s not that it wasn’t, it actually was.

The only word I can describe is strange… No, there was a scene unfolding there that even the word strange could not describe.

To get here, I have passed through many spaces, most of which were different from normal and somehow distorted.

However, even those strange scenes can be described as well-drawn, beautiful landscapes compared to what I am seeing now.

That’s why the scene unfolding before my eyes was strange, bizarre, and grotesque.

Forests, lakes, mountains, sea.

Nothing else.

An abstract painting-like scene, with various colors flowing and embroidering everywhere, was spread across my entire field of vision.

It was a sight that evoked an instinctive repulsion in those who saw it.

“It’s because the space itself is distorted.”

Veluid explained this strange abstract painting in a serious voice.

“Be careful. One wrong step can send you flying into an unknown space.”

Then, with a heavy face, he added a warning.

I nodded my head heavily, and soon we started moving forward.

With a slow gait unsuitable for the situation.

As Beluid said earlier, the reason was that space was unstable.

If I had moved hastily, I could have ended up wandering in a distorted space forever instead of moving forward.

Just like that, Veluid and I were on our way through the border.

“… By the way, why are you here?”

Suddenly I opened my mouth and asked him.

It was because I thought that if I inevitably had to slow down, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to use this time to resolve my curiosity.

Honestly, I was a little worried.

About which question is right to ask first.

Well, there were literally a mountain of things I wanted to ask him.

But, of course, I couldn’t ask them all at once.

Even if you do that, the story will only get complicated.

In the end, I decided on my own priorities and the first question to ask him.

Exactly, why he is here.

Veluid Demens, who rarely appears to the public despite his position as the academy’s principal, why was he here at this moment?

I was curious about the answer.

Belude responded to my question.

“I have been here all along.”

He gave an unexpected answer.

“… Yes?”

I immediately questioned myself.

Because the answer he gave was truly unexpected.

However, Belluid seemed not to care about my reaction and continued speaking in a calm tone.

“I have been staying here. Unless I have to show my face, I never step outside of this place.”

“… … .”

It was only then that I understood what followed.

Why has he never been seen doing anything other than an event even though he has served as the academy’s principal for quite a long time?

This was because he had always stayed here, on the mountain in the center of the academy.

According to the academy’s rules, access to this mountain is strictly prohibited.

If you didn’t step out of a place like this, it was natural that there would be no information about sightings.

“… Why is that?”

I asked him in a more serious voice.

Why did he continue to stay on this mountain?

Why, unless there was a special event, did no one step out of this place?

I thought there must be a clear reason for that.

“Why… .”

In response to my question, Veluid looked like he was pondering for a moment.

Then, he soon opened his mouth and spoke.

“To protect the academy and this continent… You could say that.”

“… Yes?”

It was a somewhat absurd statement.

My eyes naturally turned towards him.

The side of the old man’s face was visible.

With a face devoid of any trace of mischief, the old man continued speaking.

“To protect the academy and the continent, I couldn’t leave this place.”