Chapter 316 - Candidates (3)
A man came out from inside the ogre's stomach.
It was a corpse, already completely drained of blood, pale and cold.
Exposed, it had been exposed.
From that fact alone, thick cold sweat ran down the temples of Trolin the aide. Gulp. Sticky saliva slid down his throat.
"Th-that, I mean, this is..."
His fingertips trembled uncontrollably.
The heavy silence seemed to strangle his breath.
Adrian, who had been staring at the corpse, gave the order.
"Take it out."
"Y-yes?"
The sword tip pricked against his clothes.
Feeling the sharp killing intent through his skin, the aide flinched and stumbled forward two steps.
He reached out toward the ogre.
"Ugh... blegh...!!"
The sticky innards.
The faint lingering warmth twisted his expression. He retched again and again, yet in the end managed to resist vomiting up his stomach's contents.
The weight was far too much for an ordinary person to handle.
With all his strength, desperately, Trolin the aide barely managed to pull out the corpse and lay it on the ground.
Adrian's gaze followed it down.
'Rough fingertips. Old shallow scars on the limbs, the body somewhat trained.'
Traces as if from gathering materials or fighting against small creatures.
'An adventurer.'
In life, his rank must have been low.
White Crest rank at the very bottom, at most Bronze rank if generous.
But what did they intend to do with an adventurer's corpse?
To assume it was simple human trafficking... did not quite fit.
They could have treated it as a slave, since he was already dead, but more decisively, the scars were unusual.
The side had been gouged as if by sharp claws.
Organs torn out—clearly a fatal wound. Without receiving the miracle of Luas's Church, he must have died within minutes, bled out and writhing in pain.
In other words, he had died during battle with a demi-human. He had not been separately abducted and slain by humans.
'They trade only in corpses....'
And the Church of Luas was investigating this.
As far as Adrian knew, only two things fell into that intersection.
'First, demon worshippers.'
The distorted ones who stood opposed to the Church of Luas, praising demons, making contracts with them, gaining power and knowledge.
For them, human sacrifice was a way of life.
'But their activity should be in the central continent.'
They were hardly seen in other continents, since the Church of Luas strictly guarded the central border to prevent demon worshippers from spreading outward.
Of course, it could not be guaranteed that there were none at all, yet the probability was exceedingly low.
'If it had been them, they wouldn't have secretly hired adventurers to investigate.'
They would have dispatched inquisitors, experts in demon subjugation, to turn Riverungr's upper echelon into a wasteland.
The Church of Luas spared no blood when it came to matters related to demons.
Therefore, demons were not the answer.
Which left only one possibility.
'Black mages.'
Those who were trading with Riverungr's mayor. That was the conclusion Adrian had reached.
At that moment, the ceiling quivered.
Creak, creak.
The deck groaned in rhythm with dozens of footsteps. Many presences were descending the stairs.
'How convenient.'
He had needed evidence that black mages were involved, and now they were coming to him of their own accord.
"Urgh...!"
With a light chop to the nape, Adrian knocked Trolin the aide unconscious.
Then he tossed him, along with the adventurer's corpse, atop the ogre, and draped a large cloth over them.
From outward appearance, nothing seemed amiss.
Adrian vanished into the shadows.
Immediately after, the door opened and many people walked into the corpse hold.
"Ha-aam, every time like this, I'm sick of having to personally check each one. If it weren't for that damn mayor's paranoia, I'd have others do it. Isn't that so?"
"Apologies, sir."
"Tsk, tsk, calling yourself a knight and yet dodging words."
The man yawned arrogantly.
From the constant clinking of metal around him, all of them were in full armor.
'A knight order.'
One among them was especially different.
By Adrian's standards, that one was certainly strong enough to be considered a powerhouse in the world.
And then.
"Well, perhaps it wasn't completely useless."
The man twitched his nose.
"Since a rat snuck in."
In an instant, bowstrings tightened.
Two arrows shot through the air.
Adrian tilted his head aside.
Crunch. The arrows pierced halfway through the wall before stopping.
'A good sense of smell.'
He had noticed the stench of rot, stronger than usual.
The other arrow flew toward the ogre's carcass.
It struck Trolin the aide, piercing between the brows.
Unconscious, he felt no pain. One blow, instant death. His limp arm dangled out from beneath the cloth.
Knights rushed forward, drawing swords, and lifted the cloth.
The man raised a brow.
"Trolin? The man who went to meet the guild master is here hugging an ogre... I hadn't expected that. Well, dead is dead. More importantly, how long do you plan to keep hiding there?"
A magic stone lamp hanging on the wall was flung toward him.
Adrian's shadow stretched long in the dim light.
Slowly stepping forward, he lifted his head slightly. From under the robe, his gaze fixed upon them.
A man holding a dark gray metallic bow.
One who could insult the mayor casually, commanding knights.
"Are you Riverungr's guardian?"
"That's right, I am Sandorn Gooseav. Hm, to recognize me at once, it seems you didn't come here by accident. Where in the world did you catch the scent? So, who are you? Perhaps an adventurer dispatched from the guild headquarters... no, no. Forget it."
Sandorn shook his head.
"Once we take you in and interrogate you, we'll know anyway. No need to waste strength now. Just cut off a few fingers and drag him in. Don't let him die on the way."
A knight stepped forward in heavy strides.
His sword brimming with killing intent. At the sight of demi-human remains and human corpses stored together, he showed not a shred of surprise.
Sandorn and all the others were the same.
They were all accomplices.
"No need to take them alive."
Adrian placed his hand on the Demonic Sword Cadence.
Whoosh.
A faint wind blew.
In the blink of an eye, a blue blade flashed across the air. Adrian had already passed the knight approaching him.
"Uh...."
Squelch!
A fountain of blood burst forth.
The knight, armor and all, collapsed choking. The pool of blood beneath him spread wider, soaking the floor.
Adrian faced Sandorn.
"Take me to the mayor."
"Crazy bastard."
That was the signal.
Sandorn bared his teeth, drawing arrows.
At the same time, the knights took formation, charging, while those in the rear wove spells.
Adrian raised his blade without a flicker of unease.
The ship rocked violently.
Then came the explosion that rang through the dawn.
The beginning of chaos.
***
When he shifted through space, what came into view was a chamber sealed on all sides.
Air circulated smoothly thanks to the magical items installed in the ceiling.
At the center of the room stood three long sofas and a rectangular table, while in the corner lay an assortment of snacks and drinks.
'No one here.'
He had heard that new candidates for the Ark shared the same waiting room.
It seemed no one else had arrived yet.
Just as Verden thought so and was about to take a seat.
Magic power surged from the left corner.
A spatial teleportation circle formed on the floor, casting a shadow.
A person, robe pulled deep over their head.
Small in build, yet from outward appearance the form seemed closer to male.
Magic power emanated, there was no doubt he was a mage.
"Phew, finally here. So this is the candidates' waiting room..."
The unfamiliar mage met Verden's eyes.
For a moment, silence passed.
Blinking blankly, the mage belatedly came to his senses. Clearing his throat, straightening his back, puffing out his chest.
"Y-you must be a fellow new candidate. It is an honor to meet you."
A young voice, yet tense.
An awkward tone, trying to sound more mature.
The hand that showed outside the robe was pale and clean, yet calluses hardened the fingertips where a pen would usually be held.
A clear sign.
'An Academy student.'
***
The central continent's colossal city, Gargant.
A place where individuals, groups, magic towers, even nations, all coveted and sought to establish themselves. There, the Academy had long nurtured countless talents through its teaching.
Verden had never been to the central continent.
But he was relatively familiar with the Academy. He had seen students who came on field trips to the Bohemirn Magic Tower many times.
'In fact, as a low-ranking researcher at the magic tower, I even guided them once.'
That was before he became an unofficial test subject.
Anyway, for more than ten years he had seen and met such visiting students, from simple tower workers onward, so there was no way he could not recognize them.
A voice trying to sound mature despite youth.
Yet, unlike tower mages, he did not use the lofty tones of old men, nor did he carry the arrogant pride they did.
And on top of that—
"Ahem, while researching the mysteries of magic alone is indeed a joy, I find it truly pleasant to share company with one of like mind. Ah, the snacks and drinks here are delicious, would you like some?"
Truly enjoying fruit juice and sweets.
To anyone, he would not appear as some elderly mage.
'Seeing this is quite refreshing.'
Since coming to the eastern continent, such people had been rare.
Of course, there were exceptions.
For example, the adventurer Iris, an Academy graduate with scholarly zeal for magic, who had once taught Verden enchantment magic.
Verden did not bother pointing out the other's behavior.
Matching his tone just enough, he accepted the sweets and drink the mage offered.
"My thanks."
"D-don't mention it."
The mage smiled awkwardly.
Scratching his chin, he soon spoke again.
"So then... ah, right. Have you perhaps heard how the exchange bouts are conducted? I heard we new candidates must participate without fail..."
Before entering the waiting room, he had heard from Listener.
But Verden shook his head.
It would not do to cut off someone so eager to lead the conversation.
He had no urgent matters to pass the time with anyway.
Above all, Verden found the mage before him interesting.
For an Academy student, his rank and magic power were high, and he even wielded a new kind of magic—that secret as well.
Unaware of Verden's thoughts, the mage spoke with an excited voice.
"Haha, if you don't know, then I shall tell you. First, those who have awakened qi must display their proficiency in its use."
The basics of a warrior lay in body enhancement through qi.
After that came coating their weapon with qi, to enhance durability or destructive power.
For example, sword aura belonged to that category.
Later, the focus became whether one could maintain that aura while releasing it outward, or alter qi into other forms.
"Of course, there is no need to show full strength. This place is only for proof. How much to reveal is up to each person's judgment. It is the same when candidates later cross blades in the exchange bouts."
It was the same explanation Listener had given.
He must have heard it from a member of the Ark as well.
Verden asked.
"Then how is it for mages?"
"The order is similar overall. The difference is, for mages, the first step prepared is magic power measurement."
The mana measuring device.
The more magic power one breathed into it, the higher rank it displayed.
This too depended on one's capability. If one wished to hide their realm, they could, with no problem.
"I... am not so confident in my rank. To be honest, I worry I'll be mocked. In other areas I am confident."
The last words were those of a boy.
"Excessive worry."
He was young.
A student still in growth.
Would anyone here mock such immaturity? In the wider world, perhaps, but not in the Ark.
"There is no need to shrink. As you yourself said, this place is only for proof."
"Ah...."
The mage nodded.
"Y-yes. This is only for proof. Thank you for saying so. But are you confident?"
Magic power measurement, was it.
"Of course."
A truly vast reserve of magic power.
That was one of Verden's strengths.
Thus the conversation continued.
Meanwhile, in the Ark's fortress, Exodium, captains were gathering.
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