An Offering (1)
Chapter 62
“Hmm.”
Ray calmly observed the flames erupting from the experimental building.
The Magic Tower was a place where all sorts of experiments were continuously carried out, so explosions like this one happened fairly often.
Surprisingly, there were rarely any casualties, since the mages always took good care of their own safety, and exchange students generally traveled with skilled bodyguards.
Whoosh!
Heat spread outward.
A mage engulfed in flames nonchalantly shook off the fire on his robe.
It seemed like the incident was about to be resolved, but then a beastly roar came from inside the experimental building.
“Grrr…”
A demon completely wrapped in flames revealed itself under the sunlight.
Its appearance was quite familiar, which made Ray chuckle.
“Wildboar?”
A monster resembling a wild boar.
Among similar-sized demons, it was known for its durability, making it a preferred material for mage experiments—a fact Ray had heard several times before.
‘Are those… Rune characters?’
Upon closer inspection, dozens of glowing characters engraved on the Wildboar’s skin resonated, spreading light.
It wasn’t hard for Ray to deduce that the source of the spreading flames was this Wildboar.
“Grrrk!!”
The Wildboar let out a painful roar from its snout.
Its saliva evaporated and dispersed upon hitting the ground.
It appeared the Wildboar was struggling to endure the heat emanating from its own body.
Boom!
Half-crazed, the Wildboar charged at Ropheiren, who was closest to it.
Despite quite a few people watching the scene, no one stepped forward immediately; they remained in place.
Clearly, the Wildboar looked like an experimental subject.
It was unclear how or where it had been enhanced.
Even if someone tried to subdue it, they might end up being blamed for damaging the experimental subject depending on the circumstances.
As expected, Florya spoke toward the calm Ray.
“That gentleman is Professor Ropheiren.”
“Is he?”
Ray confirmed Ropheiren’s face peeking through the flipped robe.
Memories of the Obelisk incident flashed through his mind.
‘That mage from back then.’
What a strange coincidence.
Ray relaxed his arm.
A professor at the Magic Tower should have enough means to protect himself, even if he couldn’t subdue a Wildboar.
Then, an innocent voice struck Ray’s ears.
“Go forth, Phoenix! Body slam!”
The wind swirled violently.
From the sky descended a hawk-shaped spirit that curved toward the Wildboar.
The enormous beasts collided at an incredible speed.
KABOOM!!
[Grrrkk!!!]
The Wildboar tumbled across the ground but quickly rose again.
With anger, the runes carved into its skin flickered, sharply raising the surrounding temperature.
Blood flowing from its deeply wounded side turned to powder due to the intense heat.
Toward the Wildboar glowing with fury, Alesya, who had suddenly appeared riding Fenrir, shouted.
“The demon is putting up a fight!”
Alesya glared down at the Wildboar, her neck tensed.
Unaware that Ray was watching, Alesya felt her emotions rise as she curled her lips upward.
‘Finally, my chance to shine has come!’
Back in Phillip’s County, Alesya’s self-esteem had plummeted after being overpowered by the orphans at Jimmy’s orphanage.
However, ever since coming to study at the Royal Magic Tower, the professors had all shown interest in her, bringing smiles to her face. She couldn’t help but feel elated.
Alesya wanted to show off her skills everywhere and receive praise.
But she had restrained herself for some time at Ray’s request, enduring quietly. Now, here was a grand stage prepared for her.
An opportunity to save someone and enhance her reputation—it was truly a two-for-one deal.
“Fenrir! Assist Phoenix!”
Fenrir charged straight at the Wildboar.
Ray sighed and looked at Florya.
“Miss, could you lend a hand?”
“Of course.”
“Then…”
Florya nodded after hearing Ray’s explanation.
“It’s not a difficult task, so don’t worry.”
“Thank you.”
KABOOM!!
Fenrir and the Wildboar collided.
The Wildboar rammed Fenrir again as it slid backward.
Due to the heated air around the Wildboar creating rising currents, Fenrir’s materialized body kept dispersing.
Their elements didn’t match well.
If Fenrir and Phoenix attacked together, they could likely overpower the Wildboar quickly, but the Wildboar was smarter than it looked.
“Grrrrk!!!”
Repelling Fenrir, the Wildboar charged toward Alesya, who controlled the spirits.
Alesya trembled slightly.
An unpleasant memory flashed through her mind.
But her panic didn’t last long.
Alesya prepared to cast a spell while both Phoenix and Fenrir once again lunged toward the Wildboar.
Had they left it alone, it would’ve been quite an exciting battle to watch.
But naturally, Sir Jenkins couldn’t just stand by and watch.
Chack!!
A sword aura-infused knife grazed the Wildboar’s flank.
Thrown off balance by the sudden impact, Sir Jenkins rammed the Wildboar with his shoulder.
BOOM!!
Sir Jenkins wrestled with the Wildboar’s charge and rolled along the ground.
No matter how much mana a knight could wield, there was still a significant mass difference.
The Wildboar’s momentum grew fiercer.
Despite the oppressive heat causing his armor to scorch and his hair tips to burn, Sir Jenkins held his sword without hesitation.
Arriving beside Sir Jenkins with a furrowed brow, Ray twirled his fingers above his shoulder.
In response to Ray’s signal, Florya created a strong gust using spirits.
Screeech!!
The flames clinging to everything were swept up into a whirlwind and ascended into the sky.
For a brief moment, Ray, Sir Jenkins, and the Wildboar disappeared behind the flames.
Ray extended his hand toward Sir Jenkins.
“Could I borrow your sword?”
“Aye.”
Sir Jenkins simply threw the sword to Ray.
Gripping the sword, Ray pressed his feet firmly against the ground.
“I’ll finish this quickly?”
“Yes, kill it with one strike.”
“It might start rumors that Sir Jenkins is an extraordinary knight.”
“Our pact is nearing its end. The Count mentioned that the family’s strength will gradually be revealed. Don’t worry and just wrap it up.”
“Understood.”
Ray nodded.
The Wildboar charged again as it rose to its feet.
Zzzzzip!
A brilliant sword aura formed around the sword in Ray’s hand.
The sword aura flowing down the blade compressed into a sphere at the tip.
Ray’s sword thrust forward.
Sssshhh!!!
In an instant, the Wildboar’s face caved in as it rushed to Ray’s very nose.
A shockwave erupted, lifting the Wildboar’s body into the air.
The Wildboar’s skin rippled like waves once.
With a thunderous sound, the Wildboar was flung backward.
KAGHAAAAANG!!
Breaking through the flames, the Wildboar skidded across the ground dozens of times before rolling back into the experimental building it had escaped from.
The rare spectacle drew gasps from the onlookers.
The flame vortex conjured by Florya subsided.
Ray returned the cracked sword to Sir Jenkins.
“You’re truly remarkable, Master.”
“Just control that mouth of yours, boy.”
Sir Jenkins accepted the sword with a wry expression.
Meanwhile, Lyon, who had been waiting behind and stepped forward to guard Florya, briefly marveled at the long streak of blood left by the Wildboar on the ground.
“He reportedly survived the combined attacks of Abensio and Mendes. Truly an outstanding knight. To create such destructive power with a sword aura…”
“Hmm. Is this really the work of Sir Jenkins?”
Florya chuckled with her fan open as she walked forward, feeling the cooling heat.
Ray glanced up at Alesya, who had her hand on the back of his neck.
He wanted to smack her forehead, but refrained because too many eyes were watching.
Grinding his teeth, Ray whispered to Alesya.
“Didn’t I tell you not to go overboard…?”
“Ahem.”
Sir Jenkins cleared his throat.
Adjusting his emotions, Ray rephrased his sentence.
“Miss, please refrain from dangerous actions.”
“Ugh, I understand…”
Alesya dejectedly nodded her head.
The resilience of the enhanced Wildboar exceeded Alesya’s expectations.
Absently stroking Fenrir’s mane and looking around, Alesya muttered disappointedly.
“The professor disappeared. I thought I’d get a thank-you at least.”
“Don’t just help others recklessly. You might end up taking the blame for something you didn’t do.”
“As you say that, your argument feels incredibly unconvincing…”
Alesya frowned and clicked her tongue.
At that moment, Florya approached Ray, holding a stack of books and extending her head abruptly.
“Here, these are the books you left behind.”
“Ah, thank you. I almost forgot they could’ve been damaged.”
“I’ll be going now. I have a schedule to keep. If there’s anything else, we can talk later this afternoon.”
“Then, after finishing lunch, could you spare some time?”
“Of course.”
As the two continued their cheerful conversation, Alesya alternately glanced between them.
What is this? When did they become so close?
Now that she thought about it, Ray had recently started mentioning Florya’s name more often.
Realizing the impending danger late, Alesya hastily asked.
“P, Florya! Surely you’re not eyeing my knight, are you?”
“Hmm.”
Florya narrowed her eyes and faced Ray.
Testing the height of Ray’s forehead, slightly above her shoulder, Florya smiled brightly.
“To eat him… It’s still a bit too early?”
“Ughh…”
While Ray grimaced, Alesya grabbed Florya and pulled her away angrily.
“No! Don’t covet him! I trusted you as a friend, yet you betray me!”
“It’s a joke, a joke.”
Using the spirits’ power, Alesya forcibly pushed Florya further away from Ray.
Shaking his head at the sight, Ray turned around with the stack of books.
Sometime later, the Royal Magic Tower handed over a sum of money equivalent to equipping a knight fully as compensation, along with apologies from the responsible parties.
It was a clean resolution.
*
Was it a coincidence, or a deliberate act?
Three days after the Wildboar escape incident,
Ropheiren’s bloodshot eyes trembled from having slept poorly for days.
It’s true that experimental subjects escaping due to lack of control can happen.
However, Ropheiren didn’t consider this event coincidental.
‘That Wildboar escaped right when I passed by the experimental room!’
The disciplinary committee would decide the level of punishment for the professor who led the Wildboar experiment within a month.
‘It’ll probably end with a minor penalty.’
Because someone must have been covering for him for the trouble caused.
But what if it ended with a severe penalty?
That itself would also pose a problem.
It would imply an intent to thoroughly disguise this as an accident to avoid further scrutiny.
Ropheiren firmly believed that this incident was a terrorist attack targeting him.
‘Is it telling me to leave? From the Royal Magic Tower?’
It wasn’t an attack aimed at taking his life.
An insane Wildboar wouldn’t suffice to claim Ropheiren’s life.
It was more of a threat suggesting that continuing to stay at the Magic Tower would expose him to greater danger.
‘Damn it, damn it!’
Walking down the corridor, Ropheiren gnawed on his fingernails.
His fingers were already bleeding profusely.
Though he wished to remain hidden in a secure private laboratory, staying alone in a silent space often brought overwhelming fear.
Ropheiren realized he was losing his mind.
Click!
After wandering around other crowded labs and being repeatedly driven out, he returned to his private lab after 12 hours.
This was a place he set up to repel intruders, mimicking the Obelisk’s space distortion field.
It was safe here.
Thinking that, the moment he stepped into his private lab, he met eyes with a young boy.
“Ah, hello, Professor.”
Ray awkwardly grinned.
*
Exchange students at the Royal Magic Tower can arrange meetings with professors.
Ray visited Ropheiren’s lab at the arranged meeting time set by Florya.
However, as Ropheiren didn’t appear even after the scheduled time passed, Ray cautiously peeked into the lab.
“…It’s open?”
Mages are pathologically obsessed with security.
If truly important research was being conducted here, either intrusion would have been impossible, or problems would have arisen after entering.
Looking around the lab, Ray inspected the papers scattered everywhere and the scribbled formulas on them.
‘I don’t understand the content.’
In this world, different magical towers or schools sometimes use different symbols for the same concepts.
Shaking his head, Ray used his ability.
The symbols that resembled codes naturally decoded themselves.
“Hmm…”
Ray instantly understood what Ropheiren was researching.
The symbols written on the paper weren’t related to magic studies but pure mathematics.
After pondering for a moment, Ray murmured discontentedly.
“Uh… I know all this?”
Furthermore, Ray figured out the concept Ropheiren was striving for and noticed, based on the ink barely dried, that the research was still ongoing.
‘I shouldn’t be here.’
Just as he realized that, the lab door burst open.
“Ah, hello, Professor.”
Ray awkwardly grinned.
