Chapter 13: Recipe (3)
The knights who had gone out scouting reported back with no traces found.
Upon hearing this, Popper’s expression darkened.
“The situation doesn’t look good.”
He seemed to be surmising that the ghoul had rejoined its group.
“Search the gardens, open spaces, and areas with weak grounds throughout the village meticulously.”
The streets of the village were all carefully paved with stones, making it difficult to find places where ghouls could have burrowed in.
The knights dispersed into multiple groups and scattered in various directions.
Silveryn and I joined Popper’s search team, with four knights following us.
The knights occasionally glanced at me while keeping watch on our surroundings as we rode on horseback, close together within Silveryn’s embrace—understandable considering the circumstances.
Silveryn had urged me to stay close to protect me from any sudden ghoul attacks, but in hindsight, even the risk of being torn by ghouls seemed preferable to walking.
I whispered with a small voice.
“Teacher.”
“Yes?”
“May I proceed on foot?”
“No.”
Silveryn quickly dismissed my suggestion.
The piercing stares made it hard to focus on searching for ghouls.
The search continued for an hour without a trace, and Popper’s face grew grimmer by the minute.
If we couldn’t find the ghoul this time, we would have to fortify the village by gathering more troops, which would be costly as it would constrain commerce and keep the residents in constant fear.
As we moved, something caught my eye.
“…?”
It was a house of an eerily familiar shape. It had been mostly hidden by a fence, but as we got closer, its form became clear, and I was certain.
The two-story red brick house.
It was the mansion from my dream.
Why is that here?
Silveryn noticed my fixed stare and found it odd.
“What’s the matter?”
What should I say? Would she believe me if I told her I saw that house in my dream? My dream only involved bookshelves and books—nothing directly related to ghouls.
If anyone, Silveryn might believe me, but mentioning a dream and insisting we invade someone’s private residence would undoubtedly earn me disapproval from the knights.
I was in a position where I couldn’t act rashly. Carelessly stepping forward and causing trouble could damage Silveryn’s reputation as my mentor. For now, I had no choice but to watch how the situation unfolded.
“It’s nothing.”
***
The search team, which Joyce had joined, was filled with discussions about the Archmage Silveryn.
The easygoing chatter suggested they didn’t take the ghoul problem seriously, treating it more like an event for earning accolades than a genuine threat.
Joyce restrained himself from interjecting, just quietly listening to their loud banter.
“I was shocked. When I first heard the rumors, I thought she was an old crone.”
“She’s said to be the youngest professor, why would an old crone come up in that?”
“When they say Eternia professor, even if she’s the youngest, I figured she’d be in her forties or fifties at least.”
“Hey, if there are any pretty crones like that, bring them to me. I’ll take good care of her.”
“I’ve never seen a person look like that in my life. Is it because I grew up in the countryside and have low standards?”
“What’s more, I can’t believe someone with such a soft face managed to subdue an Inferno Golem.”
Berelman, jokingly yet seriously, warned the group.
“Watch your mouths. If she hears you, you guys are going to be burned at the stake, you rascals.”
The senior knight Berelman looked at Joyce and mentioned,
“Hey, how about you? She might become your future professor.”
Joyce was aware. Even if he entered the Academy, Silveryn was a Magic Department professor, and he’d be in Combat; aside from a few collaborative classes, there wouldn’t be much interaction.
But what lingered in his mind was this.
“I’m curious about the skill of that apprentice she has.”
Only the highest of talents earned a recommendation letter.
No one Joyce had encountered so far had shown superior talent in swordsmanship compared to him. Although his prowess had only been tested within Weisel, he was confident he wouldn’t fall short against any peer his age.
And yet, Silveryn, established in the Weisel region, had written a recommendation letter for someone Joyce’s age.
It was a blow to his pride. He silently believed that, as Weisel’s most talented, he also deserved a spot on that recommendation list.
Another senior knight, Volk, piped in.
“Ah, that finely-featured lad?”
He continued,
“Isn’t he heading towards magic? He’s the sorceress’s apprentice. Looking at his appearance, he doesn’t seem to have gone through much hardship.”
“He was carrying a sword. What’s a mage doing with a sword? Look at the scabbard and handle, they’re worn. At a glance, he’s a swordsman.”
‘A swordsman?’
A small spark kindled in Joyce’s heart.
Going to Eternia Academy for swordsmanship, and under far better conditions than himself.
Volk snickered.
“Ah, did you see that? Kkk kkk. Riding the horse, snuggled up in her embrace. Seemed quite the lucky fellow.”
The knights began snickering at the comment.
“Is he some precious treasure, being coddled like a baby?”
The knights threw in remarks one after the other.
“Who knows, maybe he’s a noble or royal scion brought on by solicitation. Otherwise, why would she care for him so tenderly?”
“Be careful with your words.”
“No, I mean seriously. If he’s worthy of a recommendation, then he must be some kind of genius. But he doesn’t strike me as particularly exceptional.”
“How would you know without seeing?”
With an air of arrogance, Volk remarked,
“You can tell just by looking.”
Internally, Joyce partially agreed with their banter. Silveryn had taken a sword-wielding boy as her apprentice and put his name on the recommendation letter, without surveying other talents in the knight’s order of the domain.
There had to have been some underhanded solicitation, or perhaps she simply hadn’t discovered a better gem.
Berelman lightly tapped Joyce’s shoulder and said,
“Show what you got in this subjugation. Who knows? If you hack enough ghouls, maybe she’ll take notice?”
It was a casual remark, but there was an underlying message.
This subjugation mission could be an opportunity for Joyce.
If he could firmly suppress that boy’s ability in front of everyone, demonstrating a clear advantage,
If he could create a reason for Silveryn to reconsider,
Then a chance might come Joyce’s way. And he was more than confident.
“Fighting ghouls isn’t easy, is it?”
“It’s difficult. But hey, do you think that refined-looking lad has ever encountered a ghoul?”
A pair of knights should be deployed to face off with a ghoul. They’re tough as nails, with spines like a porcupine on their back, making it extremely complicated to combat with a blade.
They possessed enough brute strength to rip a human apart with their bare hands, there were quite a few knights that Joyce had seen who had been maimed by ghouls, unable to wield a sword ever again.
Joyce was skillful enough to tackle a ghoul alone if he pushed himself. Youths his age training at the Academy wouldn’t stand a chance.
Had Silveryn’s apprentice lived in the Weisel region, he would not have even glimpsed a ghoul.
Just properly dealing with a ghoul would put him at a distinct advantage.
Waiting for the opportune moment, Joyce fiddled with the sword at his waist.
***
Popper waited at the village’s central large intersection. As each report came in from the scouts who had returned, his face grew heavier and more somber.
Reinforcements seemed inevitable.
If the ghoul was not found, a vast array of troops would need to be indefinitely stationed in this village.
Watching the situation unfold, Silveryn remarked,
“There’s no easy magical beast. Whether big or small, strong or weak, they’re all difficult to deal with.”
“When it’s tied to humans, any magical creature becomes a challenge.”
Just form a subjugation team, defeat the magical beast, and be done with it—if only the situation could resolve that cleanly.
But reality was never that simple.
Silveryn mentioned that just rumors of a magical beast causing a stir could impact this region.
Thanks to Weisel’s reputation for being safe from magical beasts, traders could reduce their escort costs and use this place as a commerce route. This village had thrived quickly as it was situated at a midpoint of trade routes.
If news of a large military presence building a defensive line here spread, commerce would shrink, leading directly to decreased tax revenue.
The urgency of the subjugation teams to wrap things up quickly was precisely for this reason.
While this was all going on, there was something I particularly wanted to verify. Now, as the search parties had finished their tasks and a lull set in while awaiting reports, the timing seemed just right.
“Teacher.”
“Hmm?”
“There’s something I’d like to check on, if you’ll excuse me for a moment.”
Upon hearing this, Silveryn gazed into the void, thinking deeply for a moment before asking,
“Where to?”
“Just a spot that’s been nagging at me.”
Silveryn crossed her arms and eyed me carefully. After a short contemplation, she said,
“You don’t seem keen on sharing. Well, I’m not sure what you’re thinking, but go check it out anyway.”
“It might be nothing. I’ll be quick.”
“Wait a moment.”
As I was about to leave, Silveryn called out to me and fished something out from her robe’s pocket, offering it to me.
A small steel ball with an intricate pattern of waves engraved on it caught my attention.
I took it and examined closely. Between the engraved patterns, I could see an intricate array of gears and rune characters inside.
“This is a Stitch, a magical device used like a messenger. Just in case, if anything happens, throw it into the air. It will highlight your location.”
“And if I’m indoors?”
“Doesn’t it look like it’s made just the right size for breaking windows?”
She meant to throw it outside through a window if necessary.
“…Understood.”
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