"I know I have no right to an answer, but... how did you figure this out?"
The man standing before Ermes turned around and posed the question.
From his appearance... his age was impossible to gauge. He was probably older than Ermes and the others, yet at the same time, he gave the impression that being the same age as Yurugen wouldn't be out of the question.
Dull grey hair, blue eyes. His features were terrifyingly well-formed, but that only added to the overall effect, lending him a somehow feral and dangerous air.
The man spoke again.
"I'd put a fair distance between myself at the moment the barrier went down, and I'd completely cut off my magic power with my own spell. I was certain tracking would be impossible..."
"It's nothing that complicated."
He certainly had no obligation to answer, but there was no need to hide it, either.
Besides, he wanted to draw out some information of his own, so Ermes obliged.
"In fact,
magic power,
unnaturally,
vanishing—
I traced the trail of its disappearance. Magic power still exists in the atmosphere, even if only faintly. So when you severed yours entirely, it left an unnatural void. I reverse-calculated your movement route from that and tracked you down."
"——"
The man was struck speechless.
...So that was it. It wasn't theoretically impossible. If magic power were like color, he hadn't been sensing the dense patches—he had detected and followed the spots that were thinner than everywhere else.
But—to make that possible would require a sensitivity to magic power so far beyond the norm that one could distinguish the minute fluctuations in atmospheric magic power that ordinary people, let alone average magic users, could never hope to perceive.
Naturally, it would be impossible for the man to pull off anything like that. Understanding that with perfect clarity, he broke into a cold sweat once more and spoke.
"...Haha, what kind of sensing ability even is that? I'm backing off."
"..."
Ermes, for his part, witnessed all of that—and only raised his guard further.
The man's movements screamed cornered desperation, yet his attitude remained utterly nonchalant.
And yet... despite that appearance, there wasn't a single opening in the way he carried himself.
Then there was the fact that this man had been maintaining a barrier of staggering output—one that blanketed the entire academy. Besides, he'd stopped hiding it now, or perhaps that was simply what had happened. An alien, bottomless well of magic power had become perceptible.
Without question, this man was a seasoned veteran.
The man watched Ermes—who refused to show a single careless move—for a while, then, as if shifting gears in his thoughts, he smiled.
"...Well, my cover's blown anyway. Might as well treat this as a good opportunity, right?"
Spreading his hands wide as if to say he had no intention of fighting, he made his proposal.
"Hey, how about coming over to our side?"
"...Excuse me?"
"Oh? That surprising? You seem pretty sharp—I'd think you'd have a rough idea of our goals and ideology by now."
Seeing that he'd caught Ermes off guard, the man spoke with a thin smile.
"We could certainly use strong allies. I've been watching, and you're unquestionably powerful... That's just my personal impression, but your way of thinking doesn't seem to match the other nobles'. If anything, I think you'd fit in better on our side."
"...Lady Niina said something similar to me, actually."
"Niina...? Ah, that spy girl. That's not really my jurisdiction, so I don't know the details... But if she tried to recruit you too, that just makes you even more of a catch. What do you say?"
His response had been packed with all manner of information.
Ermes was carefully piecing it all together in his mind... but when it came to his answer, there was no room for hesitation.
"I'm afraid I'll have to decline."
"Oh? Why?"
"Regardless of the ideology... I cannot join hands with those who stoke people's attachments and recklessly destroy places that were on the verge of change. I don't deny their beliefs, but I won't accept their actions."
"So that academy's transformation really was led by you, wasn't it."
The man murmured with a tone of understanding at Ermes's words.
"...Haa. How boring. Why bother defending those kinds of people? The only use for the likes of them is to crush them together and enjoy watching from above, honestly."
"..."
"Even you... no, precisely because it's you, you should understand, right? ...Just how hopeless this country is."
He wouldn't deny that. Because it was impossible to say that everything he had experienced at this academy had left only positive impressions on Ermes.
But Ermes steeled his resolve internally, and to express it, turned his gaze straight ahead.
"It's more than that. I believe so."
The man met that unwavering gaze, then let out a resigned sigh.
"...I suppose it's too much to ask you to switch sides right away. Got it, I'll give up for today. At least getting you to know about us is enough."
With that, he cut the conversation short and moved to turn away.
"Well, if you change your mind, let me know anytime. Unlike that Clau... what was it, that self-important little brat, this is a genuine invitation. If you end up on their side, we'll probably cross paths again someday."
"..."
"I'm actually fairly high up in the organization, you know. If you just say the word, I can make sure your request reaches the right people. ...So then! We've gotten to know each other a bit, so let's call it a day here and—"
"..."
"—ah, that doesn't seem to be an option, does it."
The man had been about to dissolve the gathering in a natural flow and slip away, but naturally, Ermes had no intention of allowing that.
At Ermes, who had dropped his stance to block the entrance, the man let out an exaggerated sigh.
"…Ugh. You're seriously doing this…? Come on, you're strong, aren't you? I'm the type who tries to avoid risky fights as much as possible…"
"I'm sorry, but I'd appreciate it if you could understand that this isn't something you can avoid."
"No way—even after that massive brawl at the academy, you can't possibly be at full strength. And I'm pretty worn out myself from maintaining that barrier at that level for so long. Can't we just call this a draw and move on…"
There was no reply.
And so, as though he had finally steeled himself, the man let out an even deeper sigh—and smiled.
"—Fine. Guess I'll have to show you the hard way, then."
"!"
The lethargic atmosphere scattered in an instant. He raised his head like a switch had been flipped, battle intent blazing in his eyes, and declared:
"You're strong. But…
just
straightforwardly
strong.
That's all. That won't be enough to survive from here on out. —Let me tell you something, as someone who's walked this road before: the 'bottom' of this country isn't as shallow as you think. The price will be serious injuries, but accept it as a necessary cost."
"Much appreciated for the advice. Now then—please, demonstrate it for me. With your magic."
The man, who had finally shown his willingness to fight, and Ermes faced each other head-on.
They exchanged their final words, both raised their Magic power, and completed their preparations for magic—
"Bloodline Magic—'
Evil God's Fire Curtain
'"
"Formula Replay—'
Ashen World Tree'"
'"
In the outskirts, unbeknownst to anyone, two powerful fighters clashed.
This was also split into two parts due to structural reasons. Next chapter coming soon!