Chapter 151: Round Table (1) (1/2)

“It’s landing. It’s landing!”

“Yeah, it is!”

The airship landed. The two, dozing off after growing tired of looking at the sky, clung to the window again.

“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!”

The airship slowly landed on the runway, vibrating and shaking. Epherene and Allen’s bodies shook, and before long, the steward knocked.

—Professor Deculein. We’ve arrived.

I encrypted the Go board again, stood, and called to Epherene and Allen.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

As soon as I opened the door to the VVIP room, the steward and the captain were lined up in the hallway. I, familiar with it, walked between them, and Epherene and Allen followed hesitantly.

“…Wow.”

The moment we stepped off the airship, a magnificent sight greeted us. Allen was amazed, and Epherene stood with her mouth agape. The Round Table was that unique a place.

“What is all this…?”

The Round Table was a round table. A spacious, round plate-like space. Pink sunset over the horizon colored the world, and the glass floor reflected the light.

“Hey, Deculein.”

Someone called out to me. A familiar face approached from the other side of the runway.

“Oh. Did Leaf come too?”

It was Ihelm. He waved his hand as if pleased to see us.

“Gosh. Because of you, everyone in the tower is calling me Leaf.”

Epherene glared at Ihelm, but he merely shrugged.

“Well, that’s good. Much better than Epherene.”

“What’s wrong with Epherene?”

“I told you, it’s not such a good name. Anyway.”

Ihelm looked back at me.

“Deculein, the Round Table is calling you. Leaf and your assistant professor will follow me, and Deculein, you go there.”

With that, Leaf, no, Epherene and Allen tilted their heads.

“Follow him. I’ll go alone.”

“Oh. Okay…”

“Be careful~.”

Snap- Snap-

Ihelm snapped his fingers and guided them along.

“Follow me. The two newbies.”

“What. Who’s the newbie…”

* * *

‘The Round Table Glass’

A restaurant with an old-fashioned sign. Classical melodies flowed from the pure white interior, and famous wizards who could be recognized glanced sat at some of the tables.

“Oh… Assistant Professor. Look at that one. He is the head of the Zoble School.”

“Oh, right! Was he called Trajet?”

Epherene and Allen sat down, watching their faces. Thanks to Ihelm flagging them down, the waiter approached within 3 seconds.

“Can I help you with your order?”

“Oh, yeah. First, the 33-year-old fondue. And Parma Soup with Gersol. What else? Is there anything that came today?”

“Yes. Slehan and Roahawk-“

“Roahawk?!”

Epherene nearly began to drool, much to the surprise of both Ihelm and the server.

“Okay. I get it. Let’s have the Roahawk steak.”

“Yes. In addition, the special product of the Vholran region….”

While Ihelm was ordering, Epherene looked out of the window. Reacting to the Roahawk was embarrassing. Was this an unconscious reflex or something else…?

“Ahem! S-So here is the Round Table~.”

An island of glass located in the middle of the sea. The scenery of the Round Table was amazing.

“It’s a weird place.”

After completing their order, Ihelm commented. Epherene asked quickly.

“Did they say Roahawk is available?”

“Yeah. I ordered the largest.”

“…”

Nice. Epherene clenched her fist hidden under the table. It may not be as good as Pig’s Flower, but it would still be delicious because it was Roahawk.

“Anyway, this Round Table, as you can see, is an artificially created magical space. There are restaurants, houses, bookstores, anything you can imagine. But I don’t like to come here very often.”

“Why?”

“This is a hotbed of people watching you. If you do well, you will receive envy and jealousy. There are a lot of damn old people milling about.”

“Oh… but why was the Professor suddenly invited?”

“That’s right. It was so sudden.”

Epherene asked the question, and Allen nodded his head along with curiosity. Ihelm smirked and sipped at his teacup.

“It’s because of his achievements.”

“…What?”

“How much do you guys know about the Round Table?”

“It’s just a place where magic schools gather?”

If knights had an order, wizards had a school. Officially, there could only be three schools per magic branch, and it was said that the Round Table was a gathering of those schools.

“Right. It’s a gathering place of a total of twenty-four schools, but it’s pretty exclusive. They despise the creation of new schools.”

“Why? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a new school?”

“…You’re so simple.”

Ihelm shook his head.

“If they say only twenty-four, it’s ‘only’ twenty-four.” In this Round Table, there can be only three schools per class, for 24. Schools that are eliminated will fall out.”

“…Oh!”

Epherene and Allen only then realized what that meant.

“Then…”

“Right. That’s why Deculein was called.”

Ihelm put down his cup.

“On the Floating Island and the Round Table. The potential for Deculein’s thesis is slowly being proven. Oh, you know the Deculein/Luna thesis, right?”

“…”

Epherene closed her mouth. Ihelm didn’t think much of it and just continued.

“So there are a lot of schools that are desperate right now. To which department is Deculein’s thesis assigned? That’s also important, and when he’ll be recognized as an elder. Above all… the reason he published the thesis without telling them, that is the most important thing.”

“What does that have to do with it?”

“The Round Table is an old-fashioned society, and being treated as the head of a school at the Round Table is of great value, you know? If he had told them in advance, even if he were expelled, they would have tried to take advantage of him as much as possible. Why didn’t you give us time to discuss matters internally? Something like this.”

“Ah…”

It was an easy-to-understand explanation. Their appetizers came out while Epherene and Allen listened. Epherene asked a question.

“Then why didn’t Professor Deculein tell the round table in advance?”

“You know his personality. Confidence on the verge of recklessness. Self-esteem bordering on arrogance.”

Ihelm laughed lightly. Then, he sighed.

“He’s trying to break the hard-nosed order of the Round Table. It is a thesis published without anything held back throughout the Round Table, but it is a true revolution.”

Epherene and Allen’s eyes widened. As if the reaction was pleasant, Ihelm smiled and raised his spoon.

“You wouldn’t know. But when you stick around Deculein or others at our level, every action, every word, every gesture has a political intention.”

“Hmm… indeed.”

“It’s almost like a declaration of war. It’ll be pretty fun when he becomes an elder, right? I never dreamed that I would say something like this, but he is a reliable guy at times like this. I don’t like those damn old men at this Round Table either.”

It was then that Epherene sniffed the aroma of the appetizer. She was momentarily startled. The tip of her nose felt ready to melt just from that. Seeing that expression, a smile played on Ihelm’s lips.

“Eat. Enjoy now but be careful. Before long, a storm will rage around Deculein…”

* * *

I arrived at the Round Table president’s waiting room. I didn’t know what the meeting was about, but a quest notification popped up.

[Phase Quest: Keep the Round Table in Check]

◆ Acquisition of qualifications for the quest to become an elder.