The Academy was a densely populated region with resident personnel numbering in the tens of thousands.
Naturally, the demand and profits generated from it were also formidable. It was not something that could be supported solely by the small-scale market economy within the Academy.
As a result, a bustling area naturally formed around the Academy.
Population calls for capital, and capital calls for markets.
And then, the market calls for population, thus forming cities. The space commonly referred to as “the city” within the Academy was no exception.
Originally, the Academy was said to have been established in a remote wilderness.
A long time ago, a great mage gathered renowned figures to share wisdom, and young individuals with purpose gathered to receive their teachings.
Afterward, as excellent talents emerged, the Academy’s reputation grew day by day.
And as the rumors spread widely, more and more people flocked to it.
Even the wealthiest, such as royalty and nobility, began to visit the Academy, prompting the establishment of shops that matched their standard of living around it.
The result of such a long passage of time lay before me now.
The streets of the city were teeming with people. The crowded alleys radiated the liveliness characteristic of a central area.
At this point, it was hard to find traces of its distant past as a secluded countryside.
The only remnant of that time was the fiercely competitive culture that still existed within the Academy.
It had become a tradition for renowned figures to compete over whose disciple was more outstanding.
Like in the past, it seemed that teachers were folks who simply could not let their students go.
Suddenly, I thought of Professor Derek. When I visited him recently, he warned me to prepare for hellish training, but it seemed I should put that off for the next opportunity.
There were simply too many urgent tasks at hand.
I happened to visit the city to take care of one of them.
I took out a note from my pocket. There was a short address written in a rounded handwriting. It was something Emma had written down for me.
She said it was the place where a vendor selling “eye frost” was staying.
Despite my persistent demands, Emma couldn’t shake off her anxiety as she wrote down the address. She kept sneaking glances at me, and finally asked me cautiously.
“…You’re not going to do anything, right?”
As if I would.
If I intended to do nothing, I wouldn’t have a reason to visit in the first place.
However, I had to swallow those words that almost made it to my tongue.
There was no need to make Emma frightened unnecessarily.
She was kind and good-hearted. No matter how much she had been deceived, it was only natural for a long-time acquaintance to worry.
So, I simply offered her a vague smile and reassured her.
“Well then, what could I possibly do?”
“Maybe, cut off your limbs…?”
With that remark, I had nothing more to say.
In the end, I had to reassure her until her trembling gaze calmed down. I then headed straight to the city and finally arrived at the place Emma had written down.
It looked like a shabby shop from the outside.
Inside, the one who had deceived Emma was probably lurking.
First, I cleared my throat deliberately to make some noise. My hand then knocked on the shop’s door.
Soon, a polite tone came from my mouth.
“…Is anyone there?”
It was a courteous and reasonable response, in line with the agreement I had with Emma.
At least with this, Emma could not blame me.
But no matter how long I waited, there was no response from beyond the door. Even after knocking several more times, it remained silent.
I swallowed and placed my hand on my chin.
The blood feud with the Corpse Giant had taken much from me, but it had also taught me many things.
One of them was how to handle aura.
Until not long ago, I was merely at the early stage of being an expert.
At that time, I couldn’t fully harness the power of the aura, nor use it more than just wrapping it around a sword. I was truly just a “drunken chick in its infancy.”
But now I was different.
I was gradually beginning to tap into the characteristics of aura. By applying it, I could use more advanced detection skills.
Holding my breath, I spread my aura.
Aura was an embodiment of imagination. As my refined magic power spread out, the surroundings became clearer in my heart.
It felt like a new sense had awoken, one beyond the five senses.
It didn’t take long to find a singular point inside the shop.
A faint breath and warmth could be felt.
It meant there was someone alive inside.
Realizing this, I hesitated no longer.
Boom, the explosion sounded.
My kick infused with magical power struck the shop’s front door.
The air was torn apart as a blade of wind rushed in. The splintering wood scattered, hinting at the force of the impact.
I thought I could faintly hear a small scream from within.
Stepping over the remnants of what was once a door, I asked again.
“Is anyone there~?”
It was still a polite greeting.
Yes, until now, I hadn’t broken my promise with Emma.
However, I still did not achieve the purpose I had hoped for by breaking down the door.
It was because I could not find a shadow of a person inside the shop.
I sensed a presence but could not see a figure.
The only one looking at me with startled eyes was a single cat.
Then, it was clear where I had to suspect.
Tilting my head in confusion, I muttered to myself.
“Hmm, is no one here?”
As I began to stealthily scan the interior of the shop, I could feel tense gazes directed towards me each time.
Clumsy ones might have been deceived.
Vision holds a particularly significant portion among the five senses. If one can confuse that, it’s easy to throw the rest into chaos.
But for me, there was merely another sense.
My hand shot out like a lightning bolt.
Meowww-!
A gray-furred cat struggled and let out a scream. Its claws scraped at my hand, but the skin reinforced with magic didn’t even flinch.
Before I knew it, my hand was gripping the cat by the nape.
The cat’s blue eyes looked up at me in terror.
My gaze had long since turned cold.
“…I’m asking if you’re there.”
At that single sentence, the cat’s struggles abruptly ceased.
Instead, it started to tremble, eyeing me cautiously. Even though it was clear its disguise had been seen through, it still seemed to be holding on.
In such a moment, there was only one effective means of conversation.
With a sigh, I pulled out a hand axe. Only then did the cat scream, acknowledging its mistake.
“I-I’m here! I’m right here, so please…!”
Hearing human language from a cat’s mouth.
I couldn’t help but smile at the rare sight.
I had heard that some mages had the ability to do such things. It was a form of magic closer to a rough trick, and not many legitimate mages could handle it.
Finally, the minimum condition for conversation was met.
I threw the cat to the ground without hesitation. As expected, the cat performed a somersault and transformed.
He was a man with a frail appearance and gray hair.
He was wearing a robe, a common feature for those involved in magical professions. It seemed he was no exception, as he dealt with rare alchemical materials.
Emma had referred to him as “Abiyang.”
I stood there crossing my arms and glaring at him as he trembled and looked around anxiously.
“Abiyang… why were you hiding?”
Abiyang hesitated for a moment and couldn’t answer.
After a long pause, he barely managed to come up with an excuse.
“Well, um, it’s a holiday today…”
“Cut the nonsense… I’m busy.”
Simultaneously, I slammed the hand axe down onto the desk.
Seeing that, Abiyang’s complexion went even paler.
It was an overt threat.
If Abiyang had no guilt, that would be one thing, but he had deceived Emma. Moreover, he had hidden himself, which only deepened my suspicions.
Above all, the reason I was being so sensitive was different.
Even now, my eyes were keenly observing Abiyang’s appearance.
Regardless of my scrutiny, Abiyang merely closed his eyes tightly with a look that said it was over.
“I understand… I suppose the day has finally come. Even after over ten years of doing business, I’ve never been in a situation like this; I’ll confess everything without holding back…”
He dropped his shoulders, raised both hands as if to surrender.
“I did deceive you. But I had my reasons, and I plan to refund you as soon as I can prepare the funds…”
“You said you’d confess everything.”
But Abiyang’s excuses could not continue.
At my cold remark, he looked at me with eyes that said he didn’t understand.
His acting skills were excellent.
To crack his brazen facade, I stated why I was still wary of him.
“Then why do I still feel a sense of incongruity from you? It’s like that’s not your real form.”
That was the signal.
Abiyang’s previously timid demeanor shifted dramatically.
A cold, tense silence settled like dry frost. Abiyang’s blue eyes shot daggers at me like icy needles.
Yes, it should have been like this from the start.
A taut tension, as if it might erupt at any moment.
The outcome was clear.
With a clap.
Two flashes of light intersected.
In Abiyang’s hands, a dagger made of ice had appeared. I blocked it with my arm.
Of course, that wasn’t the end.
With a swift kick, I struck Abiyang in the solar plexus. He flew away without even a groan and crashed into the corner of the shop.
From among the pile of scattered luggage, a coughing sound emerged.
I smiled as I dusted my hands off.
“Why is a mage engaging in close combat with a swordsman?”
However, unexpectedly, Abiyang was a man of considerable grit.
Though I had controlled my strength, even after suffering a strike to a vital point, he got back up.
From his wobbling stance, it was clear he was not unscathed.
After all, the shop was cramped.
It would be safe to say he had no means to escape from me.
As I was sure of my victory and was about to take a step forward, I suddenly found myself frozen in place by a sight that caught my eye.
“Hey, what about your ears…”
At my observation, Abiyang jumped and covered his ears.
But by then, it was too late.
Perhaps due to his disrupted breathing, the magic faltered, and his ears had revealed their true shape.
They were long and pointed—a hallmark of a particular race.
The realization struck me so unexpectedly that all I could do was dumbly repeat his identity.
“…You’re an Elf?”
Abiyang grimaced harder at my dazed tone.
He glared at me with sharp eyes and then leaped toward me, kicking the ground.
“Die!”
Fueled with malice, he seemed to wish for just that.
It was a completely unexpected encounter.
