Book 1 Chapter 711

711

Rustle-

The sound of footsteps on grass echoed.

Kal, wearing a transparent cloak, and Eliza carefully left the clock tower dormitory and arrived at the common garden.

The season had already turned to late spring.

As summer was slowly approaching, it wasn't that chilly even at night.

Nevertheless, the empty common garden seemed to have an inexplicable chill.

"Doesn't it feel a bit eerie?"

"What does?"

"No, it feels like something might appear."

"What would appear?"

"Like a ghost."

Kal's words were met with Eliza's scoff.

"Where are there ghosts in the world?"

Ghosts.

Beings that wander the nine springs, their souls remaining in the world due to lingering attachments.

Of course, there are things similar to ghosts in this world.

Undead, resurrected from corpses using necromancy, borrowing the power of the Undead King.

And spirits, summoned using spirit arts, a branch of summoning arts.

However, both spirits and the undead are beings that manifest in the world through contracts.

Furthermore, they are personalities realized through traces left in mana, not souls.

Of course, even in mana, the person remembered as him remains the same person.

But the conclusion of the magic and summoning academic circles was that there are no beings that spontaneously occur and remain in this world semi-permanently, like the ghosts spoken of by common folk.

Seeing Eliza scoff, Kal shrugged.

"No, I'm saying it because it really feels like that."

Just like inside the dormitory a little while ago.

And this garden.

Perhaps because the moonlight was obscured by clouds, the atmosphere was eerie.

It felt like glimpsing the hidden side of a place I’d passed by without a second thought.

Moreover…

"About that blood-stained knight from earlier."

Remembering the blood-stained knight muttering about killing mages and summoners, Kal shivered.

"Now that I think about it, wasn't that really strange?"

"Is it really only today that there are crazy people in Lumern?"

Eliza seemed to have dismissed it as a knight department student with a strange concept.

"It looked dangerous, though…"

"There are always patrolling professors. Do you think something dangerous would roam freely in the dormitory? The only dangerous things at night are Leo Flove's strange magical beasts."

"…True."

As Kal moved to follow Eliza's words, he paused.

Thump-!

Eliza grabbed Kal by the nape of his neck.

"What is it?"

"Crouch down."

At her words, Kal immediately crouched down.

Eliza also knelt.

Swoosh-!

The wind blew.

After a moment.

A familiar face appeared in the garden.

'Abad.'

Kal held his breath.

'Did I get caught?'

He had used the function of the bracelet made by Dwenoga to block his presence.

However, the presence-blocking function wasn't omnipotent.

The bracelet's presence-blocking function was just a part of its overall capabilities.

It was equipped with various other functions for supporters.

Therefore, if a skilled mage were to deliberately use detection magic, they would be detected.

As Kal tensed, Abad spoke.

"Why don't you stop hiding?"

At his words, Kal glanced back.

Eliza was smiling, the corners of her mouth turned up.

Seeing her combative demeanor, Kal let out a small sigh.

'Looks like she's going to fight. I should just stay neutral.'

As a magic student, he couldn't help Eliza.

However, Eliza was also a partner for conquering the maze.

Therefore, it was difficult to take anyone's side.

'Abad is surprisingly persistent. Is he going to complain because I didn't help?'

Kal clicked his tongue, thinking of his persistent friend.

"Oh my?"

A voice from behind made both Kal and Eliza about to scream.

"How did you know?"

Chen Xia, who had appeared without a sound, passed by Kal and Eliza.

Even as she passed right next to them, Chen Xia's presence was undetectable.

It felt like a ghost passing by.

"The wind was ominous. You've been following since the dormitory entrance, haven't you?"

"Wow, you have good intuition. Abad-gun?"

Chen Xia, smiling brightly, looked around.

"But coming here pretending not to know… means I've fallen into a trap."

"That's how it is."

Abad nodded.

Generally, in a 1:1 battle between a knight and a mage, the knight has a significant advantage.

Especially when the opponent is none other than Chen Xia, one of the three monsters of the knight department.

Moreover, it was night, which could be considered Chen Xia's time.

In many ways, it was an unfavorable situation for Abad.

However, there is a way for a mage to gain an advantage against a knight in a 1:1 battle.

That is, fighting in one's own territory, meaning a fortified place.

And today, Abad had planted magic stones throughout the garden.

The moment Abad drew his staff, a powerful gust of wind began to swirl within the garden.

Kal and Eliza narrowly escaped Abad's territory.

"This is troublesome."

"You don't look troubled at all?"

Shaking his head, Abad swung his staff.

Simultaneously, the wind swirling around them blew towards Chen Xia.

Whoosh-!

Chen Xia dodged the wind by twisting her body.

Abad's attack didn't end there.

Fwoosh-!

Like blades of wind, they attacked Chen Xia, resembling a giant guillotine.

Left, right, below, above.

Blades of wind attacking from all directions.

Despite the endless barrage of attacks, which could have thrown her off balance, Chen Xia dodged Abad's attacks like flowing water.

Swish-!

Finally, Chen Xia spread her arms and legs wide, pressed herself close to the ground, and narrowed her eyes.

"Hmm?"

Thwack-!

Chen Xia leaped into the air, spinning once.

The wind blades narrowly grazed the top of Chen Xia's head.

Lightly-

Having dodged all the attacks, Chen Xia landed gracefully.

Despite the violent movement, not a single drop of sweat fell.

"I think I get the pattern."

"Really?"

Abad grinned and raised his staff.

"Want to test it?"

Chen Xia smiled faintly and disappeared from her spot.

Along with her, the wind within Abad's domain began to rage like a storm.

"This is our chance. Let's run."

Hearing this, Eliza nodded and moved.

Kal, having moved away from where they were fighting, clicked his tongue.

"Scary. So scary."

He looked back at the area where the two were fighting.

Despite the incredibly fierce battle, no sound could be heard.

It was silence itself.

This was possible because of the fight between Abad, who perfectly controlled the wind in his domain, and Chen Xia, who was stealthier than anyone.

"I was really surprised!"

Eliza irritably kicked a small pebble on the ground.

Her heart was still pounding from Chen Xia just moments ago.

"Xia is like a ghost!"

"…You said you weren't scared of ghosts, yet you're scared of them."

"Shut up!"

Eliza glared.

"Well, Chen Xia is scarier than a ghost."

She was usually gentle, but when angry, she was scarier than anyone.

Rumble-! Bang-!

"……!"

"……!"

Suddenly, a pillar of red flame shot up from the place where Chen Xia and Abad were fiercely clashing.

Seeing that, Kal's mouth agape.

"No, who is making so much noise this late at night!"

"Judging by the color of the flames, it looks like phoenix fire."

"Is it Fio? But Leo's summoned beasts aren't supposed to attack."

"It could be Celia Gerdinger too."

"Celia wouldn't be the kind of student to cause such thoughtless trouble."

"Then is it Leo Flove's doing?"

"Eh. Leo wouldn't attack random students at night…"

Kal stopped speaking.

If it were Leo of the past?

But lately, maybe?

'If they were more lenient in the first and second years, lately they've been brutal.'

It felt like they were actively training those around them.

Considering Leo's true identity, it was somewhat understandable.

'So they're not treating me like a child anymore?'

Kal put on a mournful expression.

"I don't want to grow up."

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

While Eliza frowned.

The two had already arrived at the maze.

Upon entering the maze, the two removed their transparent cloaks.

Eliza looked up at the sky.

The tall garden trees blocked her view.

"Is it reckless to try and break through this?"

"A few people tried, but a magic barrier was activated."

"Hmm."

Eliza crossed her arms.

"It's certainly suspicious."

"Right?"

Kal grinned.

Thump- thump-

They went inside.

Due to the towering garden trees, neither moonlight nor starlight entered the maze well.

It wasn't pitch blackness, but it induced a strange sense of unease and fear.

Eliza, walking at the front, suddenly stopped.

She couldn't summon a magical beast.

Using her spiritual power might alert students passing by.

'Seriously, why is it so unnecessarily dark!'

Eliza scrunched up her face in annoyance.

Although she said it wasn't, she was actually afraid of the dark.

It was, in a way, a primal fear.

If she could use a magical beast, it wouldn't be so scary, but the situation was not ideal.

Just then.

"Hee hee hee hee hee hee."

"Don't."

Eliza quietly told Kal, who was making a hushed laughing sound from behind.

Thump-

"Hee hee hee hee hee hee."

"I told you not to do it…"

Eliza, provoked, turned to hit Kal.

And seeing Kal shining a magic stone lamp from below, she screamed 'Kyaaah!'

Kal quickly covered Eliza's mouth with his hand.

Her heart racing, Eliza, with a flushed face, began to kick Kal violently.

"Die! Die!"

"Ah, no! I was just trying to lighten the mood…"

Kal, regretting his prank, curled up and defended himself from Eliza's attack.

After a moment.

Eliza, snatching the magic stone lamp from Kal, walked forward, huffing.

"Gurgle."

"You really want to die!"

"It, it wasn't me!"

But then, a breaking groan was heard, and Eliza glared back at Kal with a murderous look.

Kal desperately waved his hands.

Just then.

"Gurgle."

Splish- splosh-

A sound of something crawling through a wet place could be heard from the darkness.

Eliza and Kal froze.

Their bodies stiffening, they looked towards the front.

Splish- splosh-

The sound of something crawling through a damp place became clearer.

Eliza swallowed hard and shone the magic stone lamp light further into the distance.

Then…

"Legs… my… legs…!"

The lower half of the Lumern male student, desperately crawling, was empty.

It wasn't an illusion spell.

Nor did it feel like dark magic.

"My… legs… give them back…"

"Eliza."

"Yeah."

"Let's run."

"Okay."

The two turned around without hesitation.

"Leggggggs!"

And the student crawling let out a scream and began to crawl at a speed similar to the two running.

"Aaaaaaaah!"

"Kyaaaaaaaah!"

Kal and Eliza's screams echoed.

The next morning.

"Ghost?"

Chelsea looked incredulous.

"Pathetic! You call that an excuse? You're just saying that to cover up getting penalized by the professors!"

Chelsea, with her arms crossed and scoffing, saw the third-year magic students looking wronged.

The penalty marks were imprinted on their faces like brands.

"No! I definitely saw it! A blood-stained knight was wandering around!"

"It's probably the knight department students playing dress-up! Aren't there weird people there all the time?"

"We're weirder than they are…"

"Shh!"

Chelsea glared.

At that, the magic students who had received penalty marks last night flinched.

"They swung their swords at us like they were trying to kill us!"

"Then you should have shot magic at them like you were trying to kill them."

"It didn't work. Our magic just passed through."

As Chelsea narrowed her brow at that, the main entrance of the clock tower dormitory opened, and Halind entered.

The central hall, which had been bustling with the appearance of Halind, the Lumern's weeping wall, quieted down as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown on it.

However, as the two people who followed behind Halind with their heads bowed entered, the hall began to stir again.

"Huh? Why are they coming in from outside?"

"Why are their clothes messy?"

"No way…?"

As students murmured, Leo approached Halind.

"Professor. What's wrong?"

At his words, Halind turned around with his characteristic icy smile.

"They had the audacity to sneak out of the dormitory and spend the night out."

Leaving the dormitory during curfew already warrants severe punishment, and spending the night out?

And then they were caught by Halind.

The consequences were obvious.

"These two will be in the disciplinary room for two days. Follow me."

The two were dragged away by Halind.

After Halind, Kal, and Eliza disappeared down the corridor.

The students who remained there began to chatter wildly about Kal and Eliza.

"What! What! What's their relationship?"

"They spent the night out?"

"Amazing!"

Leo also looked at the corridor where Halind had disappeared with a slightly bewildered expression.

"Kal is always surprising."

Chelsea approached Leo and shook her head.

"How did he manage to make that haughty Eliza fall for him?"

At her words, Leo playfully smacked Chelsea on the head.

"Ouch! Why?"

Seeing Chelsea with a pouting face, Leo clicked his tongue.

"Don't say things like that carelessly."

Pouting, Chelsea suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, Leo-oppa, did you happen to create any traps like ghosts?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The kids keep babbling about seeing ghosts."

Seeing Chelsea's frown, Leo shook his head.

"No, I didn't create anything like that."

"So it was just babbling."

Chelsea clicked her tongue.

Seeing that, Leo looked puzzled.

'Why ghosts all of a sudden?'

The magic students claiming to have seen ghosts.

'Did they see something they shouldn't have?'

He thought that for a moment, but it was unlikely for Lumern students to hallucinate collectively.

As Leo pondered, he suddenly recalled what had happened last night.

Something he had tried several times with Artian's help yesterday.

'Soul summoning.'

Thinking that far, Leo moved.

"Leo-oppa, where are you going so early in the morning?"

"I have something to ask Professor Artian about."