Chapter 45: Rowene Dungeon(5)

As with any profession, there were two types of adventurers:

Those who actively sought it.
And those forced into it by circumstance.

Henrik, a B-rank mage, was firmly in the latter category.

“…Let’s get this over with, kid.”

Henrik, dragged in by the receptionist, addressed the brown-haired girl with a look of utter boredom. Greasy hair, alcohol fumes, and unfocused eyes—he was a mess.

“Are you sure you’re okay, mister?”
“Mister… Yeah, I suppose. Fine. This isn’t even enough to get me drunk.”

Avalli, the examinee, was expressing concern for Henrik, the examiner. The surrounding adventurers chuckled at the absurdity.

“Seriously, Henrik!”, “Don’t embarrass yourself like that washed-up old timer!” ,“The ‘drunk’ excuse won’t work this time!”

It was a familiar refrain for Henrik.

Familiar, yet irritating. A familiar thought surfaced:

‘Wine when I get home. And… beer. Beer sounds good.’

He decided, focusing on ending this quickly.

“Here’s the test, kid. I’ll cast an attack spell, and you block it. Simple.”
“Easy.”
“Like this, for example.”

He mumbled, extending a hand. A torrent of water materialized instantly, hurtling towards Avalli.

Aqua Stream. A Water-based Kinetic spell.

“No chanting!”
“Typical Drunk Henrik!”
“Are you seriously ambushing a child?!”

Casting without chanting demonstrated mastery, complete control over magic power, bypassing hand signs, magic circles, incantations, and catalysts.

It wasn’t a skill a B-rank mage should possess. And no one expected this novice girl to block it.

More accurately, no one except Lucy, who knew the truth, expected it.

‘…I went easy on her, so she’s fine. It’s warm, so no risk of a cold either.’

Henrik yawned, dispelling the magic.

“Hopefully, you’ll get a competent examiner next time…”

He muttered, half-sarcastic, half-sincere, when—

“Huh? The test hasn’t even started yet.”

—a confused little voice startled him.

“…What?”

He turned, his vision still blurry from the alcohol. Avalli stood there, perfectly dry.

‘…Not even wet?’

Even a weakened, chantless spell was still fast. No novice could react to that.

But Avalli was unharmed. Which meant…

‘Ugh, sobering up is such a chore.’

She was no ordinary novice. He couldn’t afford to be complacent. The guild would reprimand him for giving a sloppy test while drunk.

“…Kid, Avalli, was it? Wait a moment.”
“Sure. Take your time.”
“Thanks.”

He pulled out a small wooden wand and touched it to his temple, chanting softly.

“Mischievous spirits, your games end here.”

Spirit Drain. A spell, supposedly created by an archmage, that could extract specific properties from a target. It was a high-level spell designed to banish spirits, but Henrik had adapted it to extract alcohol from his body, instantly sobering him up.

“Disgustingly refreshing. I hate it.”

He grumbled. Sober Henrik was irritable.

“Why hate a refreshing day?”
“Adults have their reasons.”
“Ah, I understand.”
“…You’re a cheeky brat.”

What could she possibly understand? Henrik scoffed, tucked the wand away, and drew a small circle on the ground with his foot.

‘Time to get serious.’

Henrik had become an adventurer against his will.

A mage from the Western Magic Tower, he had been expelled after being framed in a power struggle, his reputation ruined, unable to find proper work. To survive, he became an adventurer, but he couldn’t maintain his composure while sober.

So, he was perpetually drunk, rarely taking missions unless broke. He held his B-rank thanks to a unique magic.

“Hey, Henrik! Why the fuss over a kid?”, “What are you doing?!”

Unlike his drunken stupor earlier, Henrik, now sober, snapped back at the hecklers.

“…What’s he doing?” Hans asked a nearby adventurer, worried.

“A barrier. Henrik’s specialty.”
“A barrier?”
“I’m not a mage, so I don’t know the details, but… it’s incredibly strong. He once single-handedly defended a camp from a Drake attack.”
“…A Drake.”

Hans gulped. Though weaker than true dragons, Drakes were still high-ranking monsters. Why was Henrik preparing a spell powerful enough to defend against a Drake?

“Done.”

Henrik announced, sitting in the center of the magic circle.

“Did I pass?”
“…No, kid. I’m ready.”

He formed hand signs. A visible wall of mana shimmered into existence, following the lines of the circle.

“Break through this barrier and hit me. Then you pass.”
“I thought I was supposed to block? That’s what you said.”
“Shut up. You’d get hurt. You trying to get me in trouble?”

Avalli frowned at Henrik’s blatant rule change.

“…That’s unfair.”
“Adults are unfair. Get used to it.”

Henrik smirked and shrugged.

“Five minutes. Go.”
“Wait, I need time to think!”
“Ten seconds gone. Four minutes fifty.”

He fell silent. He dismissed the girl’s glare.

“…Here I go.”
“Four minutes forty-five.”

Henrik smirked, listening for her incantation.

She couldn’t possibly break through, but she was talented. He was curious about her magic. But she remained silent.

‘Did she give up?’ He thought, just as—

—a massive torrent of water erupted from the ground without warning.

“Whoa!”, “What the—!”, “Cold!”

The onlookers, drenched, yelled. It dwarfed the Aqua Stream he’d used earlier.

“That kid?”, “…Seriously? No chanting?”

Mages in the crowd gasped. Chantless spells were usually weaker, and Avalli’s mana signature wasn’t particularly strong. How had she achieved this?

How skilled was she with mana manipulation?

“Henrik?”
“He’s… fine!”
“As expected of Impregnable Henrik!”

Despite the devastation around him, Henrik was unharmed within his barrier.

“…Impressive, kid.”

He admitted, genuinely impressed. She rivaled the best rookies he’d seen. With a bit more mana, she’d be a contender for Tower Master.

“But that won’t break my barrier.”
“Probably not.”

Avalli nodded, then muttered, just loud enough for Henrik to hear,

“If I increase the output… someone might get hurt…”

‘…Hurt?’

Henrik, focused, was the only one who heard. Anger flared. It was a powerful spell, but it hadn’t even scratched his barrier. How dare she be so arrogant? He focused, reinforcing his barrier. The wall of mana solidified!

But Avalli, unfazed, casually walked towards it.

What was she doing?

Every eye was on her. She touched the barrier. Then, her finger poked him on the cheek, as if it hadn’t even been there.

“…Huh?”

Henrik’s mind went blank.

“Like this?”

Avalli asked, smiling innocently.

That sweet smile—
To Henrik, it looked like—