The Great Hero is a Schoolteacher

I startled. “Is Sir Pernel gone, or did he turn invisible?”

All Senior Magi squinted at me. “Invisible? How would he even do that?”

“I don’t know, illusion magic, something…”

Senior Magus Malin shook her head.

“It was a warp step.”

Short-range teleport spell. Faur used it on us, back in Sanajec.

“Then he must still be around. We must go after him!” I said.

I struggled to escape the soldiers’ grip, but they still held me. They looked at each other, then at their officer, who silently asked the king for instructions. Esthar was still looking wide-eyed at the place where Pernel used to stand. He finally sighed.

“You can let her go, but keep a close eye on her. Someone please warn every guard in the building that Sir Pernel should not be allowed out!”

As soon as the soldiers freed me, I took off the coat I’d been wearing. My broken rib made me wince.

“We must find Sir Pernel,” I insisted.

“Why?” asked King Esthar.

Senior Magus Naenar nodded. “Whatever he does now won’t matter. He attended all our meetings, so any information he might have given to Inabar, he already knows. He’ll probably hide somewhere and wait for tomorrow’s confrontation to happen.”

“Tomorrow, we will arrest him,” added the king.

“He won’t attack us in the meantime. He’s no match for the four of us.”

I shook my head.

“I don’t mean to deny your competence, or my own ignorance, but…”

I put my hands on my hips. Why do they keep denying the obvious? I could expect it from four-year-olds, but not from grown-ups trying to manage an emergency!

“Your Majesty, Princess, distinguished Senior Magi and advisors, I think I mentioned the dragon Kossi was under a spell, as some of us suspected from the beginning.”

Princess Nigella nodded. “You did, Great Hero Al.”

“The spell was bound to him by two seals. And Pernel, or rather, Uturi, vanished as soon as he saw the flame coming out of my mouth, because he understood what it meant. He knew I’d been physically close to Kossi, enough to break the first seal.”

I even got closer than needed, but I didn’t volunteer for it.

“Now, only Uturi can break the last remaining seal! This is why he wants to hide. We must find him now, and devise a way to make him free Kossi.”

The female Senior Magus who wasn’t Malin, a short woman with dark gray hair kept in a long plait down her back, walked to me.

“Great Hero Al. One moment, it sounds like you know nothing about magic, and the next, you say you broke one seal and know how to break the other. How is it even possible?”

I rubbed my loose bun.

“I have little to no theoretical knowledge of magic, excuse me, I don’t remember your name…”

“Kseya. Go on.”

“But during my journey, I discovered my natural power. I can understand a spell if I look at it hard enough.”

Kseya gave me a skeptical look.

“Really? What kind of seal is it, then? Is Sir Pernel really the only one who can break it?”

At this point, king or no king, official meeting or not, I rolled my eyes.

Is it a game? Are we trying to waste as much time as possible while Uturi goes the Almighty knows where?

“It’s a seal of magic. Yes, I’m sure. I was able to break the seal of the people by fulfilling the right conditions and saying the right words, so please trust me on this one. Only the caster can break that seal. According to Kossi, Uturi is the caster, and Sir Pernel’s behavior hardly leaves any doubt about his true identity. Can we go after him, now, please?”

Given my situation, I couldn’t just run on my own, so here I was, begging for a chance to save the very people who kept delaying my action. It made me feel like a small kid asking to use the bathroom, even though thousands of lives were at stake.

The four remaining Senior Magi exchanged glances, then Naenar stroke his beard.

“Indeed, a true Seal of Magic can only be undone by the caster themself.”

I could literally hear the capital letters in his voice.

“But do we really need to catch him?” asked Malin.

I pointed to a direction I hoped was north. “There’s a Gold Dragon out there, who’s about to roast an indefinite number of King Esthar’s subjects, and who really wishes he didn’t have to. I’d also sleep better if I could save those lives. Wouldn’t you?”

Malin nodded slowly. “Of course. But he might be far away as we speak. Do you know where to look?”

It took me all my willpower to refrain from facepalming. I’ve been trying to get you all to move for at least three minutes! I sighed.

“I’ll know it in a moment.”

“Your natural magic again?”

“No, my power as Great Hero.”

I focused on calling Cherub.

“Hello, friend, I need to know where Uturi is and where he’s heading.”

“Hello, Al. Uturi is currently heading to the service door of the Royal Sword Academy, intent on reaching Green Inn, on the west bank of the river Rekario.”

“Can you give me more detail, Cherub?”

The angel was gone. I spoke as fast as I could.

“He’s about to leave the Academy through the service door.”

King Esthar gave an angry look at his officers, who mumbled some reply about not disrupting the personnel’s work. Any council member not using a warp step spell had to go through a guarded door before reaching utility rooms, but the service door itself was unguarded, as servants needed to come and go.

Of course. And it must be exactly why Uturi chose to teleport himself into that area!

“Let’s not lose any more time. Sir Pernel is going to Green Inn, on the west bank, so I suppose he’ll use a bridge for that. Can we intercept him at any point? He doesn’t expect us to know where he’s going.”

Malin scratched her nose.

“I don’t like it, but I suppose we can.”

The king nodded.

“General Lassentia, send a squad to escort the Senior Magi. Your men will both protect and oversee Al, who should be with you at all times. Bring back Sir Pernel and see what he has to say. Should Al do anything suspicious, restrain her and bring her back as well.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The officer gathered a group of soldiers and we ran out of the Academy through the main entrance.

Right into the protest that was still going on.

“Can’t these people go elsewhere?” sighed Kseya as chanting drowned us.

Technically, they could, but one, they’re here because of me, and two, what’s the point in protesting if you do so in a place where nobody can see you?

The Senior Magi didn’t let the situation deter them. They used magic to push people out of the way, causing a lot of trampling and shouting.

“Watch it!” said someone.

“A boy fell, stop pushing!”

I tried to protest. “Maybe we could…”

I couldn’t finish my sentence. What could we do? Stop using magic? Elbow our way and lose our last chance to find Pernel before he reaches his inn? Once again, I had to accept that we couldn’t reach our target without being the bad guys to someone. Besides, I was already hurt, and I certainly didn’t want to get pushed around by angry protesters.

We advanced through the crowd, soldiers pushing me forward, sorcerers ignoring the cries that rose all around. But one person still stood in front of us, a young human man with dark blue hair and a proud stance.

“What are you doing?” asked Vilo Jozin, looking me in the eye.

“Chasing the traitor for King Esthar to interrogate him!”

With a raised hand, General Lassentia held back the soldiers who wanted to run at Vilo. He probably knew the political leader would evade all attempts. Can he do it all day, though? I haven’t had a chance to use my natural power over an extended period of time, so I don’t know its cost, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t come free. One must get tired at some point.

Vilo gave a good look at the officer and the four remaining Senior Magi. “Can I bring him back to you?”

Naenar shook his head. “Sir Pernel is a powerful sorcerer. You should stay out of his way!”

“Why should I? I’m the only person he won’t be able to hurt.”

Kseya tried to protest, but I spoke faster.

“Taller than average, pale skin, round face, rose gold hair. He’s heading to Green Inn, I don’t know where it is but it’s on the west bank…”

“Al, please!” shouted the last Senior Magus, a man with a single horn on his forehead. It was the first time I heard the sound of his voice.

“I know what I’m doing. Vilo Jozin is aware of the situation. I think he’s our best asset in this situation.”

Even if it means he asks more from me in the future.

Vilo ran out of sight, and one soldier scratched his helmet.

“Does this count as suspicious behavior, Sir?”

General Lassentia shrugged. “Not yet. Keep an eye on Al.”

I just shared crucial information with an opponent. He should consider me extremely suspicious. But I suppose, since Vilo spontaneously volunteered to help, the officer is giving me the benefit of the doubt.

“Chase Sir Pernel with your squad while we prepare to ambush him,” said Senior Magus Malin.

There was sadness in her voice, but resolve in her eyes.

General Lassentia nodded, and we ran west, to the river Rekario. A bridge was visible a few blocks ahead. I could only hope Uturi hadn’t crossed it yet. Running was painful to me, but the pain was bearable. Catalin and Chess were probably suffering a lot more than I was.

“Over there!” whispered a soldier.

In the direction he pointed, I spotted the sorcerer’s rose gold hair in the distance. Uturi was wearing neutral clothes, which kept him from standing out of the crowd in his ornate Senior Magus purple robe. He’d probably taken it off as soon as he teleported. Either he’d been wearing a full set of clothes underneath, or he’d stolen pants somewhere before walking out of the service door.

After all, we gave him plenty of time to change, with all our useless chatter.

A squad of armored men couldn’t stay unnoticed forever. Uturi froze in place as we charged, then he turned back, his face distorted with rage. It only took half a second for him to decide we were expendable. He raised an arm, his hand near his shoulder, visibly incanting.

He was attacking us in the middle of a busy street. The very thing Mistress Jemos had chosen not to do, back in Merumo.

My heart felt like a burning stone.

Then, a blink later, someone bumped into Uturi from behind his back. As the sorcerer faltered and lost his focus, I recognized Vilo Jozin.

“What are you doing right here in the open?” shouted the young man.

Uturi glared at him and shot a burst of fireballs, the same kind Catalin had used against the dire bear. The projectiles flew right through Vilo and crashed into the nearest wall.

Vilo looks furious, and he has a dagger at his belt. Why doesn’t he draw it?

A second burst from Uturi shot right at us, while the sorcerer himself kept an eye on Vilo. Soldiers pushed me aside, so I wasn’t hit, and I could only watch them jump back and scream. One received half a dozen fireballs. He collapsed on the cobblestones, smoke rising from his tabard.

“Water, please!” I shouted at the neighboring houses.

New fireballs lit at Uturi’s fingertips, but they crashed into an invisible wall that turned into a transparent, iridescent bubble enclosing him and Vilo. The other four Senior Magi had appeared round a corner.

“You’re not hurting anyone!” said Malin, her hands twitching with the effort. Apparently, she was maintaining most of the forcefield.

Uturi smirked at her. “Watch me.”

Now that the Senior Magus wasn’t paying attention to him, Vilo drew his dagger, but he didn’t have time to strike. A lightning bolt stroke him, and he fell on his knees.

“He’s stuck with me, so I can hurt him!” bragged Uturi.

He tried to kick Vilo’s stomach, but he went right through him again. A woman brought a bucket of water from a nearby house, and we used it to cool down the burned soldier. When I looked up again, Vilo had crawled out of the forcefield.

He can evade anything. Even a powerful spell.

We let him disappear. He’d done his part in the chase, slowing down Uturi so we could catch him.

But how could we bring back to King Esthar a man whose lightning spells made the bubble around him look like a plasma ball?