Became a Childhood Friend of an Academy Genius

110 – Underground Battle (1)

With a strange sensation of a group of light covering their bodies, the four of them opened their eyes shortly after.

It was a very different feeling from passing through a dimensional gate used to travel between continents.

It feels like the body was temporarily disintegrated into light and then reassembled.

“… It’s not a very good feeling.”

“I agree.”

Bell, who was repeating closing and opening her hands, recalling the sensation she had felt a while ago, uttered something to herself.

Elisha also agreed with her bitter smile.

The dizzy feeling similar to motion sickness has no positive side at all, even if only Amman said it in a good way.

“Ugh….”

“Elua, are you okay? You might as well drink some water.”

“Thank you. Gustav.”

At least the three people who were in good shape were on the better side.

Lorne, who had a hard time even riding her carriage for a long time, was in particularly bad condition, to the point of staggering and gagging for a while.

When Pareon asked with her worried face, she didn’t show it as much as she could and took her canteen and drank it in one breath.

The cold water seems to wake up the spirit, so I feel better than before.

“Bell, wouldn’t it be nice to catch your breath for a while? Lone is in that state too….”

“That’s right. There’s nothing good about moving hastily anyway.”

Still, in case you didn’t know, the group decided to catch their breath and go, and then sat down in a suitable place.

The floor is all dirt and stones, but no one complained about it.

Both Elisha and Pareon grew up in a noble family, but it was a scene that seemed to prove that they were not hers.

“Anyway, the inside is more spacious than I thought. It will be easier to move.”

“It definitely doesn’t feel like an underground space at all. It’s dark, but it’s a flaw.”

Elisha nodded her head at Bell, who was sitting in her seat looking around at her insinuating words.

As he said, it is a space that does not cause much inconvenience for people who specialize in martial arts.

Even though the stalactites and stones and rocks scattered here and there are slightly flawed, they must be at a level where they can fight with enough tolerance.

However, if there is a problem, it is the field of view.

It’s not to the point where you can’t see people up close, but it’s not even at the level where you can clearly distinguish things that are far away.

In this kind of environment, mages who are sensitive and quick in detecting magic power would be comfortable.

Especially if you are a familiar who has strength in this or a wizard who is learning magic.

“Rone, how far can you detect magic power?”

Considering the situation that would arise later, Bell asked a question to confirm, thinking that it would be convenient to know Lorne’s power.

Lone, who had emptied half of his water bottle before he knew it, fell into deep thought for a moment, then answered quickly.

“I have never measured it accurately, but…. If it is within 10m, it will be possible without difficulty.”

At that, Bell wasn’t too surprised and just nodded his head with “Hmm”, But the surprised response came from somewhere else.

“10M? Incredible. Even if it’s limited to non-combat….”

“Well, I agree. Even if they are not in combat, there are few first year students who can perfectly detect magic power up to 10 meters away.”

Elisha and Pareon scrambled to praise it and opened their mouths.

By the way, detecting magical power doesn’t just mean a pattern-based search method that states that magic exists within a certain distance.

If there are many, the number of enemies with magical power.

Exact distance to each mana.

I can sense how big or small that mana is, and furthermore, whether or not it is mana flowing from the human body.

That’s why it takes a year to develop only the magic detection ability, and detection wizards who focus only on that are in the limelight.

In particular, the distance of 10m feels so close that you can touch it if you fall face down, but in reality it is not.

Although she didn’t know it, Elisha assured her that there were only a few people in class A that she belonged to who could detect her magic so extensively.

However, unlike the two who were surprised, Lorne was smiling awkwardly and had an expression that he didn’t know whether to say this or not.

“That, that…. It’s not a non-combat story, it’s a story that assumes combat….”

This is because the preconditions specified by the two are different from those assumed by her.

“Yes? Are you in combat?”

Elisha, barely hearing the answer she muttered at the volume of an ant crawling, widened her eyes and blinked a couple of times.

In the first place, detecting magic power requires finer adjustment than mighty magic power, so it is possible only during non-combat.

Being in battle basically means that you are using your magical energy somewhere else, and in such a situation it would be impossible to look left and right at the same time.

Some high-ranking mages use this magical power detection within a narrow range even during battle, but that’s just outside the standard.

But, doesn’t Lorne’s words sound like he can always detect magic within 10m even during battle, just like those high-ranking mages?

Having never heard of such a case, it is not unreasonable for her to react as if Elisha did not understand what she was hearing.

“Actually, it can detect up to 10m without difficulty even during combat. That doesn’t mean that the magic detection range increases during non-combat, but….”

However, the exception was Lornay.

If the wizard who was called the best effort in the original work was Lizerote.

On the contrary, she was the wizard who was called the greatest genius in the story.

Even the bowl of magical power she was born with was unique, but it was possible because Rone’s greatest strength lies in her innate magical control and excellent learning ability.

“Yes!? Really? Dang, how could such a god… ?”

“Poetry, it’s not to the point of being a miracle. Because it just happened by chance.”

At Lone’s comment, Elisha was surprised and asked back, but Lone waved her hand and showed a humble look.

This is not wrong in the first place.

Lorne didn’t put much effort into developing this level of mana sensing ability.

It worked because I just did it. That’s just the story.

Because it is her ability that she achieved so naturally, from her point of view, other people who cannot achieve this cannot be understood.

It may sound like a statement that someone might feel a bit arrogant to hear.

“… ….”

Meanwhile, she stood at a distance and a smile formed on Bell’s lips as he listened to the three of them’ conversation.

Even though he himself never showed much pride when he was praised, he naturally smiled when he saw that Lorne was being recognized among others for some reason.

She is probably her childhood friend, but in his eyes, it may be because Lorne is more like her sister or daughter.

I guess it’s a feeling of being happy and saying, ‘You managed to grow up well.’

However, it was not a situation where he could sit comfortably and chat like this, so he slowly got up and led the other three as Joe’s representative.

“Anyway, if you know, let’s move soon. It’ll be annoying if the other guys find the mark first.”

“You are right. It might be possible to steal it, but finding it first will be more reliable.”

One after another, Pare Ondo got up from his seat, grabbed the spear stick, and broke his neck.

Of course, if you find the mark first, there is a chance that you will become a target for the enemies.

However, this group is proud of their strength, and they are actually strong.

That’s why I thought it would be wiser to get out of this basement quickly, after finding the mark early and then avoiding the enemy’s pursuit.

Paradoxically, it’s funny that you’re strong when you become the stealer because of this strength, but that’s the privilege of only the strong.

“Rone, from now on, activate the magic detection and you stand in the rear. If you feel anything strange, tell me.”

“I will.”

Before exploring the interior in earnest, when Bell gave a final request, Lone shook his head with serious eyes.

“Then it would be good for Belle to protect Lorne. Because I and Pareon will be in charge of the vanguard.”

“… Yes, please.”

And since it is common sense that if there is a rearguard, someone needs to protect it, so Elisha added her words to complete the formation.

Paaah.

Soon, a thin, light wave of magical energy spread from Lornay to the surroundings.

“… What?”

At that moment, Lorne tilted her head at the feeling that something was caught in the detection range.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“Oh, no. I must have felt wrong for a second.”

Feeling strange about this, Bell asked, but after the sense of alienation she had already felt at that time had disappeared, Lorne thought it was because of her own mood and shook her head.

Since the most unstable moment during the mana detection was when the mana was first spread, it was worth considering that it was quite possible.

It was the moment when the practical exam, which all freshman cadets looked forward to, but on the other hand, did not want to come, was just about to begin.