The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 241

After about 40 minutes of sparring, we returned to the guest room.

For reference, only the four of us, excluding Stella, returned to the guest room.

Stella is currently sleeping like a dead mouse in her own room’s bed.

“That was clumsy. To waste such a golden opportunity with just a faint,” Saint clicked her tongue, looking utterly displeased.

She genuinely seemed unhappy that Stella had fainted during the sparring.

‘Her reaction is unexpected?’

The sparring lasted about 40 minutes.

During those 40 minutes, I pushed Stella to her limit.

A normal person wouldn’t have lasted even 10 minutes, let alone 40, before fainting.

If it were Soonchan, he might have lasted about 15 minutes.

The intensity of this sparring was that high.

Enduring for 40 minutes is something to be praised, not criticized.

Yet, she’s being criticized.

Does that mean Vinochuga’s training is that harsh?

‘Hmm. It doesn’t seem like it though…’

While I was tilting my head slightly in thought,

“She’s just jealous,” Lillian whispered into my ear.

“Saint said it herself. That such a chance encounter is something that might happen once in a lifetime. She was really envious. She even sang about how she wished she could experience such sparring again, you know?” Lillian glanced at Saint, who was grumbling, with a playful smile.

“To end such a golden opportunity with just a faint. How jealous must she be.”

I roughly understood what she meant.

“In short, she’s just being petty, so you don’t have to worry about it,” Lillian smiled softly and moved her mouth away from my ear.

“Lillian. I can hear everything.”

“Oh, you heard? Sorry.”

“You said it so I could hear it on purpose…” Saint glared at Lillian with sharp eyes.

She looked like she was contemplating whether to roast or boil her.

Lillian easily brushed off the gaze and smiled calmly.

“But honestly, it’s true, isn’t it?”

“It’s not.”

“Stubborn as always.”

Lillian’s eyes sparkled with even more mischief.

“You were like that before too. That useless stubbornness is the problem. Even at the ball before…”

“Stop,” Saint cut her off with a serious warning.

Her expression said, ‘If you want to die, keep talking.’

“If you bring that up, I’ll have no choice but to bring up things I’ve been holding back too.”

“Okay. Let’s stop,” Lillian readily backed down.

It seems that both of them, having known each other for a long time, know quite a bit about each other’s embarrassing pasts.

Both of them clicked their tongues with subtle expressions and then turned their gaze back to me.

“Ahem. Anyway, today’s sparring. You really did a great job. It must have been a great help to Stella,” She then immediately tried to change the subject.

It was quite a forced change of topic.

‘Personally, I’m very curious about their embarrassing pasts, but…’

If Soonchan or Adela had acted like this, I would have immediately pounced on them.

But the opponents are Saint and Lillian.

They are not people I can pounce on.

“Great job? I enjoyed it,” I answered the changed topic without saying anything.

“Your absorption is so good, it was fun to teach you.”

I understood why Kim Kang-in only takes promising students to train.

Watching a student grow in real-time was quite exhilarating.

“You really look like you enjoyed it.”

Did my enjoyment leak out of my expression?

Saint smiled as if she found it amusing.

“You find joy in teaching someone. It seems you’re suited to be an instructor.”

“Yes. I am suited for it.”

Teaching someone is enjoyable, and it’s also enjoyable to gain new insights through that act.

It would be strange if it wasn’t fun.

“This batch of students is lucky. To be able to receive lessons from an instructor like you.”

“That’s an overstatement.”

“An overstatement…” Saint took a sip of her tea and then chuckled.

“I said it before, but your humility is excessive, Ruan. You need to be a bit more confident.”

Then, with a serious expression, she began a lecture that wasn’t quite a lecture.

“The strong should act like the strong. I don’t feel that kind of aura from you at all. It’s probably because humility is ingrained in you…”

No, it wasn’t a lecture that wasn’t quite a lecture, it was just a lecture.

I didn’t expect a lecture to start here all of a sudden.

“You need to have pride in your skills. Remember that if you are looked down upon, even I, who recognized you, will be doubted…” Saint’s talk about humility, modesty, arrogance, and pride continued for quite a while.

* * *

Saint’s lecture continued for about 10 more minutes.

If it weren’t for Lillian, it might have continued until the end of the tea party.

‘I didn’t know Saint was such a nag.’

A haughty absolute being who isn’t very interested in worldly affairs.

That was roughly the impression I had.

But it was completely wrong.

‘I guess you can only know a person by meeting them in person.’

That goes for Saint too.

And Stella too.

Come to think of it, Lillian too.

They are all so different from the images they have in the public eye.

‘It’s natural for people to be different in public and private, but aren’t these three too different?’

Stella Vinochuga.

In the media, she’s the Ice Queen.

In private, she’s a very lively girl.

Saint Vinochuga.

In the media, she’s a lazy absolute being who has no interest in anything.

In private, she’s a playful and nagging mother.

Lillian Steart.

In the media, she’s a cold businesswoman and mage with almost no emotions.

In private, she’s a playful mother who can’t resist teasing Adela.

‘I’d believe it if you told me they were all suffering from multiple personality disorder.’

This is something I need to seriously consider.

“Sorry. Am I a bit late?” While I was having such pointless thoughts, Adela arrived.

As soon as Adela appeared, a person who looked like a butler got out of the car and opened the back door.

“Let’s go. I’ll give you a ride,” Adela immediately got into the limousine.

“I’ll be taking advantage of your kindness again today,” I followed her and sat next to her.

The door closed, and the back seat became completely isolated.

Now, there’s no chance of the conversation inside leaking out.

“Hoo. I’m so tired,” As soon as the car started, she immediately unbuttoned the top button of her shirt and took a long breath.

She’s been acting all the time, so she’s mentally exhausted.

“You’ve worked hard,” Adela’s expression melted.

She looked like she didn’t want to think about acting anymore, her expression was so limp.

“You’ve worked hard too.”

“…Is there anything I did? I was just watching.”

“It’s hard work. How difficult is it to just keep a straight face?” You can’t react to things you should react to. You can’t deal with things you should deal with.

Only those who have done it themselves know how difficult it is.

“Anyway, you really worked hard. It must have been difficult to act between those two.”

“I was worried that they might catch on. They’re so sharp…” Adela sighed softly.

Her expression showed that she was still feeling the pressure.

“Oh, right. Before I forget, I’ll give you this first,” Adela took out a box from her handbag.

“Here. It’s the mana freezing flask you asked for.”

It was a box containing a flask filled with frozen mana collected from the basement of the Palace of Versailles.

“Thank you,” I received the box and opened it right away.

“Are you going to check it right here?”

“Yeah,” Like the saying goes, ‘Strike while the iron is hot.’

I decided to check it right now.

I took the flask out of the box and slowly opened the stopper.

Just a little bit. So that the mana inside would flow out very slowly.

The mana flowed out faintly, like cigarette smoke.

I savored the mana slowly, as if tasting it.

‘Is it because it’s mana collected from the basement? It definitely has a musty feeling.’

First of all, the atmosphere of the basement is strongly felt.

Perhaps because it’s been managed, it’s much better than the secret passage next to the old research building.

But the unique atmosphere of the basement remains.

It’s narrow, dark, and musty.

‘This is it.’

While feeling the mana.

An alien mana that shouldn’t be felt in the basement was detected.

The mana of fire that I’ve already confirmed several times.

The energy that I’m now familiar with.

‘Ignis.’

The secret passage in the shopping district.

The secret passage in the research building.

The mana collected from the basement of the Palace of Versailles had the exact same energy as the two places.

This means that.

‘Ignis hasn’t been split, and all three passages are connected.’

That’s what it meant.

* * *

That dawn.

I slipped out of the hotel room and headed to the shopping district.

The floor where Mael Nadal’s blood had dried and hardened.

From there, I touched the wall about 5.73 meters away.

And just like before, I moved my hand around.

As soon as the manipulation was complete, the secret passage opened wide.

I entered the passage without hesitation.

And after about 5 seconds, the passage door closed.

‘I wonder what’s inside.’

Before. The day I accidentally discovered this passage.

I postponed exploring this place for safety reasons.

Let’s collect a little more information, including Ignis’s condition, and then start investigating when I have some certainty.

That was the conclusion I came to.

And now, all the information gathering is complete.

There’s nothing more I can do. All that’s left is to explore this passage.

‘Fortunately, I know that the inside is connected. Even if a problem arises, I can somehow get out.’

Since there are three passages, the probability of being isolated here isn’t that high.

I used ‘Factio’ [a spell or ability] to summon Miho, who was resting in the Book of Mimir [a magical artifact].

As soon as Miho was summoned, she rushed into my arms.

Without making a sound, she quietly nestled in my arms and stared ahead.

She had entered a state of perimeter security as soon as she was summoned.

“Tell me immediately if anyone approaches,” Miho nodded as if to say, ‘Leave it to me.’

‘Then, shall I begin?’

I took my eyes off Miho and activated the Divine Eye [a magical ability].

Then I began to observe the surroundings.

‘As expected, I can’t see anything.’

That’s not to say that there’s nothing suspicious around.

It’s just that I literally can’t see anything.

Even the most common mana can’t be felt properly.

It felt as if a mana detection blocking magic circle was engraved on the passage itself.

‘Even if it’s a mana detection blocking magic circle, it should be detectable if I’m this close.’

I really can’t feel anything here.

It even feels like there’s no mana around here at all.

‘But then again, if magic is being used, it means that mana itself isn’t completely absent.’

It was a very strange sensation.

I can’t feel any mana at all, but I can use it.

How should I describe this sensation?

It’s like eating food, but not feeling the smell, taste, or even the texture, but still feeling full.

‘This must be the reason for the secret passage’s perfect shielding?’

I think this is certain.

Even though I’m inside, I can’t feel anything.

How could I feel anything from the outside?

‘I don’t understand. How is this even possible?’

While I was racking my brain,

Miho, who was in my arms, poked my chin lightly with her nose.

Normally, she would have cried softly to call me, but since it’s a stealth mission, she has to refrain from making noise.

Knowing that, she turned my gaze with a touch.

“Did you find something?” I asked Miho in a voice so small that only she could hear.

In response to my question, Miho quietly turned her gaze.

She stared intently at a black stone embedded in one wall of the passage.

As if there was something there.

I slowly approached the stone.

And I put my hand on it.

But I still couldn’t feel anything.

“What is this?” Miho got out of my arms and stepped onto the floor.

Then, she took out her claws and began to write on the ground.

The letters of the Bytener Empire era.

Since the Book of Idred and the Book of Mimir are all written in this script, it has become as familiar to me as Korean.

[The eleventh—] Miho was perfectly fluent in the script.

“…What?” It wasn’t surprising that Miho could write letters.

I already knew that Miho was smart.

I wouldn’t be surprised just because she wrote a letter.

“The eleventh…” What surprised me was the content of what Miho wrote.

“Myth… magic… traces of Nubes?” Miho was saying that traces of the eleventh mythical magic remained in this black stone.

‘So, besides Ignis, there’s another medium of mythical magic inside here?’