Chapter 88: Solda Promotion (2) (1/2)

Sylvia held the remaining map fragment in her hand. Staring at the mere corner of it, she closed her eyes.

Magic series or attribute. Those things didn’t matter now.

She remembered the feel of the map she had touched. She recalled its texture, its function.

Her three primary colors appeared.

The map they stole. The object that Sylva had felt began to regenerate, wobbling from the corner.

She never tried it before, but she restored it to perfection.

The mended map wasn’t any different from the original.

Even its red circles were moving the “same way” they did before.

“Reylie of the Red Garnet Adventurers,” Sylvia muttered coldly, clenching small fists.

‘Using anger as nourishment, an Iliade grows. An ordeal that can’t be killed only makes us stronger.’

Was this the growth Glitheon was talking about?

Reylie. Dozmura.

She naively believed in their achievements from fairy tales.

However, she thought they had better start preparing for the price they’d have to pay for betraying her. Knowing they would surely meet again during this test, she decided never to forget their misdeed.

“I won’t be fooled anymore.”

Admitting that she lacked experience and learning from her past stupidity, she gradually integrated the lessons she gained from what just happened into her arsenal.

“…”

Sylvia looked up at the sky.

The sun was already setting.

Taking out a mana stone from her pocket, she weaved it into a bat, which then flew, sharing its vision with her.

After setting up a patrol around her vicinity, she looked at her map.

Why did Reylie say three maps were necessary?

As she pondered about it, the chairman’s words from just before the exam came to mind.

‘No matter how I think about it, a thousand people are too many!’

At that moment, Sylvia realized it.

They weren’t looking for a destination.

They were searching for a target.

If everyone on this map was a target…

Then this was easier than she realized.

“Reylie of the Red Garnet Adventurers.”

Her eyes had already turned cold.

*****

Walking on the outskirts of Training Island’s seashore, Dozmura murmured. “Glitheon is a very strange guy. Why is he giving us money for bullying his own daughter?”

Reylie chuckled. As part of the Red Garnet Adventure Team, they received an unreasonable request from the Iliade family Head as soon as they applied for the Solda Test.

“Don’t try to understand wizards. We’ll never understand them.”

“We’re wizards too.”

“We ran away because we didn’t like that society, remember? Well, I think I can at least deduce Glitheon’s intention. Sylvia’s young and naive. He probably thinks her being wounded by small bites from us is better than being fatally deceived all at once due to inexperience.”

Lions raised their cubs harshly.

Reylie pulled out a total of four maps, including Sylvia’s.

“Now that I’ve caught them all…”

As soon as the supervisor gave the instructions, she already knew what he meant.

The nine circles on the map represented targets. However, it wasn’t necessary to take all nine maps.

Just overlapping three maps was enough to reveal a “part” of the magic circle hidden inside. With her level of insight, that was enough for her to make an educated guess about the rest of it.

“Hey!”

Whoooooooong—

A [Short-Range Portal] in the form of a blue vertical vortex appeared.

“Done~”

Clap—!

After high-fiving Dozmura, she stopped as she tried to go inside, feeling someone approaching them.

“Huh?”

To be more precise, she found a group of people wearing robes jumping out of the Training Island’s sea and advanced into the bushes.

“How did they get here?”

“… Is it the Altar?” He asked, to which she replied with a pout.

“I don’t know. Well, we should go. Isn’t this the responsibility of the ‘Security Officer’?”

“You mean the seventh strongest?”

“Yes. Deculein’s.”

Laughing, the two entered the [Short-Range Portal] together.

*****

A dark night.

—Reylie of the Red Garnet Adventurers. I won’t forgive you.

I turned off the control tower’s glass, the screen of which reflected Sylvia.

A large moon appeared on it. I took out my [Untitled Notebook] from my inner pocket, illuminating it with the dim light.

“…”

A journal-like artifact containing Deculein’s memories.

There was a part of it that I wasn’t aware of.

Sylvia and that child’s mother.

Glitheon and Deculein.

Yukline and Iliade, as well as Deculein and his father.

However, as Kim Woojin, I was afraid of it.

If his memories in the diary and mine were mixed, then I might no longer be Kim Woojin…

“… This is funny.”

This feeling didn’t suit me. This was just a diary.

No memory could overcome the strong mental power of my ego.

─Can you hear me?

The moment I was about to explore the diary, the crystal ball in my inner pocket rang.

It was Julie’s voice.

“Yeah.”

—Oh, are you okay?

Unfortunately, she couldn’t get to the Isle of Wizard’s Wealth. She once attended my Symposium’s Place of Proof, but it had been stricter since then.

“Yes.”

—Is that so? That’s fortunate.

Her tone was very serious. I laughed quietly.

“How do you not get sick of being so worried about me?”

—Now isn’t the time to joke like that.

That was surprising.

“… What’s going on?”

—All of the airships on the floating island have stopped working due to a magical disaster.

“Hmm.”

Airships were the only means of transportation connecting Training Island and the Isle of Wizard’s Wealth.

—However, another flying object has been detected by the radar. It seems that someone’s broken into Training Island. Determining this as a state of emergency, I’m going to go over there now.

“You said the airships stopped working.”

—There is a way. Please wait. I’ll be-

The call was cut off.

An event was about to unfold.

“This is trouble!”

Louina came down from upstairs. Deciding to stay one more day, she held a fountain pen while holding her breath.

“This is trouble!”

“You mean about the airships?”

“… Did you know about that?”

Her face was strangely distorted.

“I just got the report.”

“Gosh. The project is in full swing… Why did you tell me to stay, boss?”

“…”

It was because of the it, but the fact that there was one meant that a risk factor existed around me.

But I didn’t think she would really stay.

She was oddly cooperative these days.

“… You don’t even talk.” Louina pouted and poured a cup of coffee, then handed me a piece of paper filled with complicated formulas.

It seemed to be her ongoing project.

“I’m stuck here, so can you give me a hint at least, boss?”

“A hint?”

I looked at it with [Understanding], identifying its magical structure as a ‘remote shield,’ an invention that would be quite helpful in defending against beasts.

It was related to the book [Advanced Magic Book: Principles of Protection] that I had read before.

“It’s a shield, but its circuit is too inefficient, boss. It takes 10 kg of mana stones a day to maintain it. Nobody would use it.”

“Let me check it.”

I took Louina’s fountain pen with [Psychokinesis] and edited her work as my mind directed me.

Scratch- Scratch-

With my brain in a trance, my analytical ability amplified. I swiftly gave her paper all the necessary corrections.

I consumed about 2,000 mana on it, but I considered it her reward for staying.

“… Take it.”

“Huh? That was too fast, boss. You must’ve just scribbled random…”

Her eyes widened as she pouted and read the corrections.

“… Things? My goodness.”

Louina’s reaction was honest. Like a genius, she understood it quickly. I shrugged.

“I recently read a book that can help you with your project. I’ll lend it to you when we return. In return, you can help me with my work here.”

“By work… Do you mean security?” She asked, keeping her eyes fixed on the corrections.

“Yes.”

“But would I be helpful? You’re the seventh—”

“Don’t say ‘strongest’ in front of me.”

“… Why, boss? It’s true.”

Louina raised her head and blinked in confusion, but soon after, she let out a small sigh and nodded.

“Well… They’re empty. Such titles.”

I didn’t know why, but her tone seemed melancholic.

“Alright. I’ll help you. You shouldn’t overwork yourself.”