039. Stone of Truth (1)
“So, are you saying you’re going to go there yourself?”
“Yes. I thought retrieving the item would be the most effective treatment.”
“Kuhmm… ….”
The old man stroked his beard.
Recently, the imperial family has requested the transfer of the ‘Stone of Truth’. Regarding the recent unfortunate incident, the reason was the pressure from the imperial family that the academy was incapable of protecting valuable magic items.
“Your skills are acknowledged even by this teacher. But do you need to be away?”
The girl who pondered for a while at the old wizard’s benevolent question shook her head.
“I have to go. I think that is the most efficient process.”
“Yes, I guess.”
The old man looked at the disciple with his pitiful face.
Her talent was like a shining jewel. On the day she came to her magic tower when she was young, she was still a mere child, but now she has become a worthy giant who is respected by all wizards.
However, there were some regrets.
‘It’s so cold. He was a cute kid at first.’
The old man felt sorry for him. She is a rare magic genius who will shine the world, and the fact that she has such a cold face.
Mostly wizards live this kind of life. Mana that has been trained to the limit affects the user’s personality.
“Yes, then when would be a good time?”
“Tomorrow. We are ready to leave tomorrow.”
The old man nodded her head at the hard disciple’s voice.
A girl who is said to be a talented person of the Empire, of the Mage Tower. Indeed, every detail was handled quickly and concisely.
“Yes. Please come back in good health.”
“Okay.”
A girl with her head down. At first glance, she was just a polite greeting, but compared to the past, she looked very different, so the old man couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.
* * *
The Stone of Truth is an object with power that cannot be explained by mana or magic.
An object that is directly involved in the subject’s statement or will and can tell whether what he or she is doing is true or false. It was one of the few relics of the Age of Magic left in this era.
Since such things are in the academy, and there is an order from the imperial family to transfer their storage to the Mage Tower, the girl has no choice but to move.
“Academy… ….”
Looking at the peaceful city scenery, the girl muttered to herself.
The wagon prepared in the name of the owner of the tower boasted an extremely luxurious interior. Looking at the cushion on the chair and the scenery outside the window, a different idea came to my mind.
Academy. Originally, she would have been in the second year of the academy by now. However, fortunately or unluckily, she was able to postpone her admission because the fact that she was training in the Mage Tower was the basis.
And it was a simple matter that the girl had a strange slight fever at the word academy. At the academy, there is someone she misses.
In fact, to put it bluntly, she is a person who can’t even remember her face anymore. Before I grew up this far, I only have memories of being strangely shy even if I just had a conversation with them.
‘…… Are Gunther’s words true?’
The girl with a cold impression recalled the letters she received from her sister from time to time.
From the moment he entered school until now, Gunther, like a very talkative child, wrote everything in letters.
From noble mtl dot com
When the girl saw the letter, she couldn’t help but be amazed at what he had done.
Unreasonably underrated in the entrance exam.
The duel with Gunther.
Meeting Saint Cecilia.
The thing that defeated the famous sword demon.
The appearance of the princess.
Work with the Heretic Inquisitor.
The story of the elf, who was his attendant, awakening to the legendary spirit sword.
Finding a ring that appears to be a relic of the age of sorcery in a dungeon.
“Ring… ….”
The girl, looking out the window and chewing on the letter, muttered in a daze.
Yes. The man is said to have gifted rings to the women around him. Even though he was a girl without much emotion, the moment he read the letter, his head felt hot for some reason.
But as of now, I don’t really care. After all, it was a marriage contract decided by the family. Isn’t her will to push forward with her marriage in the womb, and her grounds weak?
Thinking so, the girl didn’t know why, her mouth felt bitter.
Maybe I still miss him. Even though I can’t even remember my face anymore.
“I don’t know.”
The girl murmured calmly. It was true. For some reason, thinking about him made a part of her heart uncomfortable. Especially when Gunther wrote long letters about Arwen and Cecilia, who were said to be living with him.
Her younger brother referred to them as ‘enemies’. And recently, I gave a non-warning warning that one person might be added to the list of rivals.
“…… Doesn’t care.”
The girl sincerely thought so.
It doesn’t matter. Anyway, the training wizards of the Mage Tower and the students of the academy are similar, but they lead very different lives.
Of course, she will also become a student at N Academy in the future, but at that time, neither he nor her rivals will be there.
In fact, that may be why she is heading to the academy. She is a judgment that even she herself cannot justify her. True to her master’s words, she didn’t have to move directly in the convoy of the Stone of Truth, as a disciple of the Master of the Mage.
“Ha ha.”
The girl let out a small sigh.
Strangely, thanks to the letter from Gunther, she couldn’t calm down when she thought of him. She thought the girl was delusional that she was unaware of.
* * *
“Why me?”
“Ai, don’t be like that, please look at our situation.”
Veris frowned at the dean’s earnest request.
She didn’t know when she accepted the dean’s bizarre request not to hide her powers. Even when she was asked to clean the dungeon, she didn’t know.
“Do you know who Hogu is?”
“Heh heh! Are you a hogu? Are there people like you who use teeth like hukou?”
Berris let out a sigh at the dean’s joke.
The dean’s opinion was simple. An envoy from the Mage Tower would soon come to fulfill the imperial order, so she was of the opinion that he should coax him out and stop the transfer of the Stone of Truth.
Verse Why am I? It was a word that came out. It’s not the academy’s job, it’s just the dean’s individual greed.
“The prestige of the academy is ridiculous these days. At least you are there so I can keep my seat.”
“I guess so. Because the Heretic Inquisitor from the Holy Land wandered around the academy without the direction of the dean.”
“… ….”
The dean was silent. It was unexpected even for him. I didn’t even expect that the Heretic Inquisitor from the Holy Kingdom entered the academy with the purpose of harming the students.
Of course, the heretic inquisitor, from what I heard, rolled hard on Berris and returned.
“Save me. It won’t matter much to you anyway, but can’t you help the old man once?”
In the end, the dean used his final special move. Just an appeal to sympathy.
In fact, he was well aware of the fact that it was not something he would have said as the dean of the academy. But what? It’s Veris who doesn’t have much interest in modest honor.
“And the things that happened before are not worse than I thought. Strangely, rumors about you weren’t circulating inside the academy.”
That was true.
The dean expected Berris to play the same role as the signboard of the academy. However, that wish was thwarted surprisingly easily.
It felt like the work was being done underwater, as if someone powerful didn’t want word of him spreading.
“Well, what do you want?”
“What does the storage of artifacts have to do with the Academy or the Mage Tower anyway? Realistically, isn’t it? So I want it to stay in the academy.”
In a way, that sounded pathetic. Then, why was he scratching the faculty to find a solution, or asking Berris, a student, to look desperate?
It was pretty obvious. So, the dean asked Berris to exercise his skills.
At the thought that he was such a shameless old man, Veris did not hide his absurd expression. He was secretly avoiding his gaze, as if he had a corner to be stabbed.
“Then where is the Stone of Truth now?”
“…… That is.”
It is the dean who turns his chair and looks out the window. Just as Veris felt puzzled at his strangely averting gaze, the dean replied in a low voice.
“Well, actually, I already sent it.”
“Sending? Where are you?”
“That…… I sent it to the mansion in the Southern District. To a mansion owned by the academy administration that you know.”
Veris raised his fist.
It was because I understood the meaning of his words so accurately.
“Ha ha ha ha! Don’t be too like that. I know that the justification is in the Mage Tower. So, I will give you a great gift this time too!”
“…… What gift do you mean?”
“Mmm.”
Perhaps he didn’t have an answer in mind, the dean drooled. When Veris raised her fist again, the dean hurriedly shouted,
“Yes! The academy will cover all the money you spend this summer vacation!”
Hearing that sound, his fist slid down. The dean could only breathe a sigh of relief.
In fact, using the academy’s public money like this itself amounts to embezzlement. So, in order not to be punished by the strict imperial law, it was only a superficial handling of expenses, and I had no choice but to cover it with the dean’s personal expenses.
“Let’s try it first.”
Perhaps she thought it was not a bad deal, Verice nodded.
At that, the dean stood up and shouted.
“Damn it! I believed you! As expected, Seongmi-kun is hot like a man who is an example to all students!”
“No need for rhetoric.”
“Heh heh! You don’t know how reliable it is to have someone like you.”
The dean let out a pleasant wide smile.
It was not an easy task to roast and boil Veris, who had overwhelming power. But now that I support him positively, how reassuring is this?
* * *
“Wow, is this it?”
As expected, the Stone of Truth arrived at Veris’ mansion.
Disguised as an ordinary gift rather than a relic, it took the form of a stone wrapped in luxurious white silk.
“This is a relic. I can’t believe it even when I see it.”
As the name suggests, it was shaped like a stone, and Veris laughed.
In fact, since it is a stone of truth, at first I wondered if it was something like a stone. But since it’s a relic from the age of sorcery, at least it’s not shaped like a stone. I thought, but that was an illusion.
This was a stone. It also has a shape quite similar to a stone rolling on the floor.
The only difference, of course, was the fact that it was radiating a little bit of strange green power.
“Can I touch it?”
“Yes. If he had been that much of a mess anyway, he wouldn’t have sent it so carelessly.”
“This is truly a novelty.”
Cecilia carefully picks up the pebbles with a curious face.
As Arwen looked at her, her eyes lit up. She had already heard about its use and effects from Berris.
So Arwen is bound to be interested as well.
“Cecilia.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Cecilia-sama, what do you think of Veris-sama?”
Cecilia’s face changed to saying “No way” To Arwen’s out of the blue question.
She hurriedly tried to put her stone back into the box, but alas, she was much faster than her hands in her wicked mouth.
“I like Veris. I really like it. I like Berris. I really like it. I like Berris. I really like it. I like Berris. I really like it. I like Berris. I really like it. I like Berris. I like it very much. I like Veris. I like it very much. I like Veris. I like it very much. I like Veris. I like it very much. I like Veris. I really like it. Kyaaak!”
“… ….”
Cecilia threw her stone into a box, breathing heavily.
Boom!
Cecilia dyed her face red. After disappearing into her room as if running away, Arwen and Veris looked at the stone with absurd faces.
For a clumsy subject, her powers were real.