ALL NOVEL Chapter 41
The Forgetting Magic was ultimately not used. I decided to leave the dream alone for now.
Instead.
‘Adam Keynes.’
I was planning to learn more about the Finance Director.
If a Great Mage, that guy from the Magic Tower, or even Beatrice had appeared in my dreams, I would have accepted it. I could have thought it was a curse from someone who hates Chloe, or that my own insecurities had manifested in my dream. After that, I would have unhesitatingly used Forgetting Magic.
But why is it the one person I’ve met only once, the Finance Director Adam Keynes? Honestly, it wasn’t even a friendly meeting.
And why was I gazing at him longingly in my dream? What did the words that echoed like a monologue mean?
Chloe was troubled by it.
‘So I need to know more about the Finance Director.’
Well, couldn’t the Finance Director, who had secretly liked Chloe, have made an appearance in my dream? Even I thought it was a ridiculous idea, but I had to keep my options open.
Anyway, if I learned more about the Finance Director, I would likely get a clue about why he kept appearing in Chloe’s dreams.
So, Chloe began to investigate the Finance Director using her connections.
[Adam Keynes, Finance Director of Grandis Akademi, presumed orphan]
[Lived alone in a remote cabin in the Langria Mountains before suddenly coming to a nearby city]
[Worked various odd jobs in the city to pay his tuition before entering the administration field at Grandis Akademi]
[Maintained excellent grades for three years after admission, graduated with the top grade in 24 years, with a final score of Rank 2]
[Immediately employed at Grandis Akademi after graduation, promoted to Finance Director just a month into his job after catching the Headmistress's attention, and he is still employed there]
[Unusually, the cabin Adam Keynes is said to have lived in was considered abandoned, being located quite far from the village. It is presumed that Adam, an orphan, entered the cabin and lived there secretly]
[Lacks talent in Magic and Martial Arts]
[Has a title but the existence of the surname "Keynes" has not been confirmed, likely a fallen noble or self-identified nobility]
[Rumors circulate among the staff that he is the secret lover of the Headmistress]
…That was all.
What Chloe wanted to know wasn’t this. She desired more information related to herself, like a past that might involve Chloe or some magical talent that could cast a curse upon her, or someone familiar with the ongoing recurring dream curse.
But the information she had gathered was just mundane trivia. With this, there was no way to figure out why the Finance Director kept appearing in Chloe’s dreams.
Therefore, Chloe decided to use a last resort.
“It’s such nice weather, Finance Director!”
“…But it’s full of dark clouds.”
“Oh. Is that so? I just meant it’s nice!”
She decided to approach the Finance Director directly to find out.
For this, she had been secretly following the Finance Director for a while to grasp his daily routines. She had to approach him at the natural timing, not just simple greetings, but in a way they could interact more.
Finally, she found him just a while ago, the Finance Director walking with a pensive look.
She was certain it was just like her own habits. Of course, even if it was like that, it was uncertain whether the staff member, the Finance Director, would ask for help from a mere student like Chloe.
Fortunately, the Finance Director suggested she join him, so she was able to accompany him somewhat naturally.
“Chloe, just relax.”
“I’m already relaxed! I saw you during the duel last time, so of course I’m comfortable!”
“…Is that so? But you keep avoiding my gaze.”
“It’s just your imagination!”
She simply couldn’t face him.
Every time she faced the Finance Director properly, that dream kept coming to mind.
The voice that echoed in the dream.
──You care more about the woman who’s dead than me…?
‘Ugh.’
I found myself falling into a strange emotion for no reason.
Chloe wasn’t foolish. She recognized that this feeling was beyond mere goodwill, nearing the sensation of love.
But this wasn’t Chloe’s own feeling.
‘It’s similar to when I was at the Magic Tower.’
In the Empire’s Magic Tower, under the pretense of selecting talent through competition, all sorts of backroom dealings were rampant.
Hiring thugs to break the limbs of opponents, spreading false rumors that family members had met with accidents, or manipulating rivals with mental magic, you name it.
Chloe’s sensitivity to her dreams was because of that. She had experienced these false emotions many times before. Even with her beautiful appearance, there had been instances where others wanted to eliminate her competitors not out of genuine affection but for base reasons.
Of course, Chloe pushed past all that and won the competition to become the Great Mage’s disciple. All those who looked at her with lewd eyes had been chased away, injured.
Thus, she thought this time would be similar. Someone trying to make her believe she was in love to use her.
But she simply wanted to figure out why it was the Finance Director, and unlike the past, why there was such a strong urge.
That was all.
“So, what are we doing now?”
“I must clarify, I’m not trying to ask anything unreasonable of you, Chloe. You are still a student, even if you’re Rank 5. I just have something I can’t manage myself.”
“Something the Finance Director can’t manage?”
“I’m Rank 1, after all. I need a capable Mage.”
A capable Mage.
Just sweet talk, but why does it make my heart flutter?
‘Damn fake feelings.’
I want to know what kind of person the Finance Director is and erase it with Forgetting Magic. Even if he turns out to be the mastermind behind all this and this is a trap with ill intentions, Chloe was already well-prepared.
She had circulated her magic power so she could use it at any moment, and she also brought an escape scroll imbued with her Master’s magic. Even if there’s a powerful Mage behind the curse aimed at her, it wouldn’t be a problem.
In this continent, there are only two Mages objectively stronger than Great Mages, and both are Rank 8 in the Empire. They’re not people who would know about a mere Finance Director at an Academy.
With this level of preparation, approaching the Finance Director directly became an option.
Suppressing the urge to look at the Finance Director, Chloe waited for his words.
“I have to enter a place for work.”
“A place to enter…?”
“Yes. You can go in my place. The work is already done there, so it’s not dangerous.”
“What do I do when I get there?”
“I need you to verify what I tell you and make a record. Although I received a report, I have to confirm it myself for procedural reasons. I need your help because I’m not well-versed in magic, Chloe.”
“Magic? What kind of magic?”
After a moment’s hesitation, the Finance Director spoke in a voice as if he couldn’t believe it himself.
“…Summoning Magic.”
“Excuse me?”
“The one prohibited by the Empire and the Kingdom.”
*
Summoning Magic.
Literally, magic to summon something. From small household items to large spirits or monsters.
That’s precisely why Summoning Magic is forbidden in the Empire and Kingdom. Because it can summon monsters.
‘Although it hasn’t happened yet.’
Ruth, as usual, was polishing an old sword while recalling previous memories.
The incident that occurred when she was still the bottom of her class and in her first year.
Several professors had gathered to attempt Summoning Magic but ended up summoning a Rank 5 monster instead due to failure.
Though the impact had been somewhat diluted due to witnessing a manticore at the entrance ceremony and seeing the Headmistress crush a kraken during the midterms on a deserted island… fundamentally, a Rank 5 monster is a monster itself.
It could easily smash a small village and could level a city with weak walls.
To kill it safely, at least three Rank 5 knights or Mages would need to gather. Why couldn’t the Empire dare hunt the Rank 8 monsters in the western wilderness? Knowing there were all those precious resources like Magic Stones, why did they give up?
‘Even if all the 8th rank of the Empire joined together, it might be half and half.’
Though it’s convenient to refer to them by rank, monster ranks don’t equate to human ranks. After one of the Rank 8 monsters known as “Mountain King” nearly annihilated the former dominant nation of the Empire, the Empire wisely abandoned the western wilderness.
And seeing the empire that once held the dominance now barely breathing at the edge of the continent was a cautionary tale for the Empire and Kingdom, prompting them to immediately ban Summoning Magic.
Monsters are enemies of humanity, enemies of all living in the continent. And Summoning Magic is exactly what can unleash that enemy right in the heart of a city.
‘There have always been many incidents and accidents.’
It could be argued that other destructive magics should also be banned from such a perspective, but Summoning Magic has a long history of issues. It’s what terror organizations prefer most and is often associated with the downfall or massacre of nations.
Back in the days of the former Empire, Summoning Magic wasn’t banned, so it was just a capricious decree from the ruling country. The chances of it being available until the Empire falls are slim.
Putting that aside.
That’s exactly why the Summoning Ceremony that summoned a Rank 5 monster was quite a significant problem, but thanks to Kirke’s timely intervention, the monster was killed, and the professors were whisked away by the Kingdom for confinement.
It was a big enough incident that Ruth, who solely focused on training, recognized it, and it only boosted the already popular reputation of young genius female professor Kirke.
However, she had been speculating whether the future changed due to some unknown reason and that incident no longer occurred.
‘There they are.’
Ruth, having reached Rank 6, amplified her Ki through her sword. Her sensitive senses were on par with those of a Rank 7.
Coincidentally, this old sword was no ordinary sword.
Thinking back to how difficult it had been because of this sword, she wanted to snap it in two right away, but as she was currently benefiting from its aid, she couldn’t bring herself to do so.
“Let’s go.”
Rustle.
Lightly cutting her hand, Ruth smeared blood on the sword, and soon its form began to change.
The handle, the cross guard, the blade—all dyed black. The worn-out sword transformed into a cursed magic sword that looked ominous.
Dark Sword.
With the blade that once bore that name, Ruth put on the prepared mask and hood.
‘I’ll sort this out before things go awry.’
Perhaps due to how many times she had sliced through the Summoning Magic used by those zealots with the Dark Sword, she could vaguely tell when and where Summoning Magic would be constructed while holding the sword.
From her observations over recent days, the professors would only set up Summoning Magic for a brief moment during this timeframe before returning. Knowing it was a forbidden magic, they seemed to be moving slowly and cautiously.
It would be better to move at night, but since Ruth had to arrive at the Summoning circle before the professors, there was no other choice.
Without delay, she leaped out toward the window. Dressed in a hood and mask and cloaked in a dark robe, she looked suspicious to anyone.
“It looks like rain soon, doesn’t it?”
“Let’s hurry inside.”
“………….”
The students on the street didn’t notice Ruth passing right by them.
It was a plausible situation given the gloomy weather filled with dark clouds. If it was this dark, she could hide her appearance with the power of the Dark Sword.
‘But at least the future hasn’t completely changed.’
Ruth nodded at the fact that what she remembered was indeed happening. Even if the timing differed from her memory, the Summoning ceremony commotion was bound to occur. To be precise, it was slated to happen soon.
Ruth felt relieved at the least that something she was aware of was taking place instead of the future changing entirely.
‘The forest is… darker. Good.’
The artificial forest within the realm of the Field of Magic. Its considerable size is home to numerous herbs and magical plants.
Due to being artificially cultivated, the circulating magic energy was quite rough, making it impossible for anyone of Rank 1 or 2 to enter this forest.
Naturally, the Guard Force was stationed to prevent the theft of magical plants, but even among the guards, skilled individuals at Rank 6 or above were extremely rare. Ruth was able to enter without issues.
Somewhere in this forest, a neglected basement was her destination.
‘I’ve heard that in the past, incidents involving Summoning Magic occurred in this forest of the Field of Magic.’
With the location being identical, there was no doubt. Ruth confirmed that her future knowledge was essentially correct.
Normally, a fortuitous Kirke would slay the monster and emerge as a hero while rescuing the students. However, there’s no way Kirke would just happen to pass by that spot; it was certain the summoning was orchestrated by Kirke herself.
Now, Ruth only needed to wrap up the incident before Kirke would have the chance to shine.
With that conclusion, as Ruth began to enter the dark forest in order to change the future.
Rustle.
“…!!”
She quickly concealed herself with the power of the Dark Sword at the sound of footsteps approaching from somewhere.
Ruth’s alarm wasn’t prompted by the sudden footsteps alone. She was aware that someone beneath Rank 6 would not be able to spot her.
It was just that.
The voice accompanying those footsteps belonged to someone she recognized.
“Where the heck am I?”
‘…Chloe Pisty?’
What was she doing here?
The forest within the Field of Magic was a place that only students with prior permission could enter. Did she just happen to receive permission to enter today?
As Ruth was piecing together the unexpected appearance of Chloe, she soon heard,
“Oh, here.”
Without hesitation, Chloe discovered the hidden door to the basement amid the bushes.
Creeeak.
She stepped inside without hesitation, and after a brief moment, she reemerged through the door.
Watching Chloe exit and proceed out of the forest, Ruth was momentarily shocked, but then she followed her in through the door to the basement.
“…As expected, it is Summoning Magic.”
As predicted, inside the neglected basement was a massive Summoning Circle. However, apart from that, there was nothing else; notably, the Summoning Circle was devoid of any magic power.
Though it was suspicious that there was nothing apart from the Summoning Circle, Ruth inspected the basement. She had seen so many Summoning Circles that even with her lack of magical talent, checking them posed no problem.
The only peculiar point was that, rather than using Magic Stones to draw the circle, they had used cheaper materials. Professors were not short of money; why use such low-quality materials?
Regardless, the Summoning Circle was indeed there, though worn out in places.
‘Then Chloe must have seen the Summoning Circle too.’
Did she not realize it was Summoning Magic? It was hard to believe a student who was a disciple of a Great Mage and a Rank 5 Mage would react that way.
Moreover, there was no reason for Chloe to find and enter this hidden basement without a purpose; she must have had a specific reason for coming to this basement.
Why did Chloe seem unfazed upon seeing the Summoning Circle?
‘Could it be?’
Did she already know about Summoning Magic? That it was being constructed in this basement?
Who could have informed her?
…It was obvious.
‘Kirke.’
Was Chloe Pisty connected to Kirke?
The moment that thought flashed in Ruth’s mind, her eyes widened.
‘But Chloe followed Adam after the Academy’s collapse…?’
If she was a comrade or connected to Kirke, wouldn’t she have had to follow her to the Kingdom?
What other alternatives could there be?
‘Did she betray Kirke? Or is it to monitor Adam? Or perhaps they had only worked together momentarily concerning Summoning Magic?’
Thoughts became convoluted, and various possibilities surged forth, but one thing was certain.
Chloe was connected to Kirke. Without that connection, there was no explanation for how she found this underground room or exited calmly after seeing the Summoning Circle.
Regarding the Summoning Circle, only those professors collaborating with Kirke would know. In the past, the Academy hadn’t noticed the Summoning ceremony and had to publicly apologize.
No one else could have known about it.
In the dim basement, Ruth’s thoughts deepened.
‘…The professors will be here soon.’
Should she ambush them and put an end to the Summoning ceremony, or should she follow Chloe?
Her contemplation was brief.
Tap-tap!
With her mask and hood drawn tight, Ruth hid in the shadows, quickly catching up to Chloe, who was slowly walking out of the forest.
“Crazy…!? Who are you?!”
“………”
An unknown figure with a bizarre mask and ominous sword emerged from the shadows.
Of course, Chloe, who didn’t recognize Ruth in disguise, shouted at the figure that suddenly appeared in the darkness.
Clang!
The Dark Sword was directed at Chloe.
[Only answer the questions.]
“What the hell are you…?”
Thanks to the artifact mask, Ruth’s voice was distorted grotesquely. Chloe would absolutely not know who stood before her blocking the way.
Transformed from merely a Rank 6 newcomer to an unknown being unleashing her full power. It seemed she would frequently use this identity for various dealings in the future.
As the sharp blade pointed at Chloe, Ruth steeled herself.
If—just if, a thought so preposterous even she struggled to believe it—
‘After the Academy collapsed,’
Chloe didn’t follow the fallen Adam but rather,
──What if Chloe was the one who led Adam to fall?
If Chloe, connected to Kirke, had somehow manipulated Adam for some reason?
‘Kirke only used men as her test subjects. And Adam is a man.’
Such a ludicrous thought. An exaggeration. Just pure imagination.
Why bring Chloe into it when she could simply kidnap Adam? Was Adam, just a mere Rank 1, worth that much value? Wasn’t Adam clearly the dominant figure in the relationship he held with Chloe, whom they had met in a border kingdom? Wouldn’t half the world consist of men to connect on that basis?
Numerous rebuttals arose, but regardless, Ruth couldn’t halt the ‘ifs.’
After all, Adam remained a cherished memory, a benefactor, and a good person in Ruth’s heart.
Even witnessing Adam firsthand, it was nearly impossible for her to acknowledge his fall, leading her to project the guilt onto another as a means of self-defense.
The memories of Chloe, once a massacre mingled with the cries of the innocent, blurred with the image of the student she was now. Ruth could still hear the screams of people, still see the burning corpses.
In Ruth’s eyes hidden behind her mask, a hint of hostility began to build.
[You must have seen it in the basement.]
“…You, could it be?”
[Be completely honest.]
Through a multitude of hypotheticals—if it was truly by Chloe’s hand that Adam fell, if she could find evidence or grounds to confirm it.
Then, Ruth wouldn’t hesitate.
…For once, she had decapitated someone with this very sword.
Killing was something she had done countless times before.
[How did you find out about the Summoning Magic?]
The Dark Sword gleamed ominously.