Lighthouse (6)
“How was it?”
In the spacious office, which offered a full view of the lighthouse, Lapis asked, rubbing her temples with a tired look.
“Not easy.”
Grisha, who had somehow appeared behind her, replied nonchalantly.
She had her pipe, which she had thrown on the floor earlier, in her mouth.
It was covered in dust from being tossed on the ground, but Lapis knew that she was the type to not care about such trivial things.
She was a person who was used to all sorts of eccentric behavior, as befitting a sorcerer.
The dust on the floor couldn’t even catch her attention.
Grisha chewed on her pipe as she answered.
“It’s more than I expected. I thought he was just an average mage since he was working as an assistant professor at some university, but he’s completely beyond my expectations.”
“Specifically?”
“Hmm, it’s hard to compare. He’s quite different from the mages I know…”
“……”
Knowing how powerful Grisha was, her words carried even more weight.
Watching Lapis deep in thought, Grisha continued her explanation.
“As you saw, he was very skilled in combat using spell formulas. Talent aside, he knew exactly which type of spell formula to use at the necessary moment. Especially the nature transformation he used at the end…”
As she said that, Grisha recalled the series of spells Lenok had used at the end of their brief exchange.
Lenok had spread out chains of gravity in a spherical shape to occupy the space, and using the chains as a boundary, he had caused a freezing-type nature transformation throughout the space.
The way he switched between two completely different types of magic as if breathing, and then prepared a lightning spear to cut off her breath at the end, remained vivid in her mind.
“So, you’re saying he’s someone who’s used to this kind of thing.”
“Definitely. And he didn’t even bat an eye when he saw my Southern Barbarian Sea Mirror… It’s not perfect, but he’s definitely stepping into the realm of domain [a powerful magic technique].”
Grisha’s words were merely a sensory and visual assessment, but surprisingly, her evaluation revealed quite accurately what kind of mage Lenok was.
She had first captured not just Lenok’s level as a mage, but how much of a seasoned fighter he was.
That meant that Lenok’s combat sense, honed through countless life-and-death situations, was so sharp that even Grisha felt it was dangerous.
“He said it was his first time seeing a sorcerer like me. But considering he didn’t even show it throughout the fight… he’s very good at hiding himself. When you live long enough, you sometimes see these unlucky bastards. And in my experience, these guys are usually-”
“Someone you shouldn’t turn into an enemy.”
“……”
The sorceress, who was about to lecture a teenager about life experience, quietly closed her mouth.
Ignoring Grisha, Lapis rested her chin on her hand and spoke carefully.
“I also tried to observe Evan using the Heavenly Eye ability to its fullest, but I couldn’t get any helpful information. As Grisha said, he’s probably someone with many secrets.”
When he first came to the autonomous territory, she wasn’t sure about Lenok’s identity, so she had kept an eye on him.
In the end, it was only after seeing Davi’s appearance in the battle with Weizen that Amon was able to be certain, so there was no need to say how well Lenok was disguising himself.
“I deliberately stayed in this common area to maintain the Heavenly Eye for as long as possible… but it wasn’t very effective.”
There was no particular reason why she listened to Lenok’s story in this common area after the fight with Grisha.
The higher up in the lighthouse, the stronger and clearer the Heavenly Eye ability became.
Now, all the space above was collapsing, and she had to endure it with her meager abilities, but the enhancement of her abilities in this common area was also significant.
Yet, she couldn’t confirm the bottom of Lenok’s abilities.
He was a dangerous person.
A seasoned combat ability honed through blood and fighting, and the skill to hide himself adeptly.
Even when facing a sorceress as powerful as Grisha, he didn’t get swept up in excitement and remained calm, thinking of them only as a business partner.
He was a knife that could easily cut them if they were careless.
But Lapis knew that Lenok had intentionally shown this side of himself to her.
If he wanted to hide himself, he would have just played the role of an ordinary university assistant professor, as he did when they first met.
But instead of backing down from Grisha’s provocation, Lenok fought back and proved his worth.
That was probably possible because Lenok was confident in his abilities.
And Lapis needed one more mage with such skills… no, a companion.
Even if it was a relationship that started with a hollow partnership.
He was someone worth keeping.
“He’s dangerous, but he’s someone worth seeking cooperation with. Even if he doesn’t catch the eye of the Azure right away, there’s no reason to turn him into an enemy.”
Lapis concluded.
“Besides, he said he’s looking for the drug lord’s vault, so it’s not something we should be concerned about. I’ll start working on it tomorrow.”
* * *
The next day.
Lapis sought out Lenok early in the morning.
In an office completely different from the vast common area of yesterday.
She greeted Lenok in a room where one wall was covered with a map of the eastern continent, and the other wall was filled with over hundreds of books.
“You look quite tired.”
At Lapis’s words, Lenok unconsciously rubbed his eyes.
“…I had some personal matters to take care of.”
“Is it about interrogating the mage from the Magic Tower? If it’s about tracking, you don’t have to worry too much. Once they’re inside the lighthouse, it’s impossible to find this place by any means.”
“Well, it’s not just that.”
That day, Lenok had kept Weizen until dawn, making him spill out the unique magic of the Blaver Magic Tower.
He didn’t have that many spells he could use, but there was something to be gained just by witnessing a fire-type unique magic reaching around level 5.
After organizing and mastering the flow of magical power of the fire-type magic he had learned, the problem was that he didn’t have much time to sleep.
She stared at Lenok, who was mumbling, and nodded slightly before immediately getting to the point.
“The idea of tracking the medicinal herbs collected from the collapsed island through the Basilisk mushroom is very innovative.”
Lapis said.
“Not all the medicinal herbs that flowed out from the collapsed island are treated as precious, but now the characteristics of the soil that has sunk under the sea are all shared. It’s characteristic enough to be distinguished, but not so rare that it’s difficult to identify… It’s a very suitable standard for using detection-type spell formulas.”
It was half a compliment for Lenok’s idea, but Lenok was indifferent.
He had studied detection-type spell formulas so much that he wasn’t surprised.
In order to hide his identity, Lenok had put the most effort into finding ways to break through detection-type magic.
It was only natural that he knew how to use it in reverse.
Moreover, the opponent was the lighthouse keeper who had inherited the power at the peak of this ‘seeing’ ability.
It wouldn’t be difficult.
“If you use the ‘Relationship View’ ability among the Heavenly Eye abilities inherited from your grandmother, you will be able to see through the security spell formulas and concealment magic placed on the floating island as Evan wishes.”
“I see. Let’s start quickly.”
“However, there’s one problem.”
“What?”
At Lenok’s gaze, she lowered her head with a slightly embarrassed expression.
“Due to my lack of skill, it’s difficult to use complex abilities like Relationship View.”
“How old are you now?”
“I turned sixteen last month…”
“……”
She was too young to be criticized for her lack of ability.
Lenok had never imagined that the granddaughter of an Ascended being who had lived for hundreds of years would be this young, so he was speechless.
“But it’s not like there’s no way.”
“Tell me.”
“Because I was taught by the sorceress Grisha, the standards for using my abilities are also biased towards sorcery.”
Lenok, who quickly understood what Lapis was saying, spoke.
“You’re saying it’s possible to temporarily amplify the Heavenly Eye ability through specific conditions.”
“…You’re very sharp. That’s right. There’s an item that can help with using Relationship View. However…”
“However?”
“It seems like it will take some time to procure the necessary item. Because the item is located in the underground vault of the autonomous territory government building, it’s difficult to enter without the help of someone involved.”
“……”
“In order not to leave any traces on the barrier, we need a skilled mage, but currently, all the observers of that level are away on other operations.”
The government building… If what she said was true, then he could understand why Lapis was saying this.
It was easy to be mistaken by the free and idyllic atmosphere of the floating island cluster, but Lenok knew.
The reason why the autonomous territory could remain peaceful despite so many outsiders, especially sorcerers who could handle magic and various spell formulas, coming and going was.
It was because the military power of the autonomous territory was incomparably stronger than the land it possessed.
Although it wasn’t very noticeable on the surface, the power of the garrison troops stationed in various parts of the floating islands and solving problems on the ground was what allowed the autonomous territory to maintain security even in this chaotic atmosphere.
The reason why sorcerers like Lenok could receive outsourcing work from the plants without any problems was also due to that reason.
The fact that Weizen attacked Lenok in the early morning sky, when the garrison’s security was relatively lax and patrols were difficult, and that too, at a considerable distance from the island, was also because it was difficult to act rashly on the island.
Given the circumstances, there was no need to say how risky it was to rashly touch the underground vault of the autonomous territory government building.
Lapis seemed to have spoken indirectly because she didn’t want to give the impression that she was ordering Lenok around… but Lenok had no intention of waiting for long.
“I’ll go myself. What exactly do I need to do?”
“The senior official in charge of the relic department at the autonomous territory government building has been in a cooperative relationship with the lighthouse for a long time. If we get his help, it won’t be too difficult to enter the underground vault and take the item.”
Lapis replied calmly.
“If he first releases the security barrier and enters, then Evan-nim can erase the traces of the security barrier being opened by using magic as you come out. Once the system is opened, manipulating magic won’t be that difficult.”
Because it was a barrier created with magic, even with a skilled sorceress like Grisha, they were feeling the lack of magical power.
“If it’s also related to the drug lord’s warehouse, we must handle the matter thoroughly. We need a force that can definitely shake off any pursuit in case something happens.”
“Hmm…”
“If Evan-nim is going to take action directly, we will also add sufficient force.”
Lapis said that and looked behind Lenok.
“The busiest person among the observers has returned to the lighthouse, so let’s gladly borrow her hand.”
“Oh, you unlucky bastard.”
Grisha, with a pipe in her mouth, was leaning against the wall of the office.
She smiled at Lenok and waved her hand.
“Are you ready to go on a date with this older sister?”
* * *
“Honestly, I don’t understand.”
Whoosh!
Lenok said, looking down at the old-fashioned palace far below on the cliff where a loud wind was blowing.
“Why is a powerful sorceress like you cooperating in this kind of thing?”
The largest of the autonomous territory’s floating islands. It seemed to have a separate name, but it wasn’t something to worry about.
This area, where large floating islands were concentrated in the vast airspace of the autonomous territory, was one of the busiest downtown areas within the cluster.
And the government building, which controlled all the administrative work of the autonomous territory, was located below the Cheonryeong Cliff of the first floating island.
Lenok and Grisha were looking down at the back of the government building from the top of that cliff.
At Lenok’s question, Grisha said with her arms crossed.
“Well, I think you already have a rough idea.”
“……”
Guessing and hearing it directly from her mouth were completely different things.
A powerful sorceress like Grisha must have been a prominent figure or a powerful person in her hometown.
There was a high possibility that there was more to it than a simple transaction for such a skilled person to come all the way to the autonomous territory and cooperate with Lapis.
Considering the story about her hometown that she had told while unfolding her self-domain, perhaps…
Grisha chewed on her pipe and answered.
“I made a promise with the old woman. And I have my own reasons. Do you want me to tell you about that?”