Chapter 24

There was no deescalation. Allisa’s stalagmites landed on the Consul, causing the consul’s invisible magic armor to explode and spread shards of ice magic all across the floor.

Joanne used her holy magic to create a barrier of light that prevented any ice from falling onto us.

“How rude of you! To strike without warning!” The Consul said.

Allisa smiled. “There are no rules in the real world. Deal with it kid!”

The Consul shouted the name of a spell;

[Ignis Compedium]!

The spell conjured a barrage of small but lethal rocks lit on fire.

Joanne’s holy shield shattered like glass. But while Allisa made a barrier of ice to shield herself and Joanne. I dodged the fireballs, and upon memorizing its movements, I caught one.

*MAAAAAAAAAH*

‘Fuck, fuck, fuck, it was hot!’

I was forced to drop the fireball, but Joanne heled my wound very quickly with her holy magic.

No one seemed to pay attention to my folly. The Consul and Allisa were having a rather static battle of magical attrition. Blasting one another, hoping that the other’s mana would run dry first. They barely even bothered to move from their entrenched positions.

‘Crap, I can’t let this fight continue.’

I had never fought someone who could blast from a distance, so I had no idea how reckless it would be to charge head first. But, this two clowns were just wasting their mana with relentless, uncoordinated attacks.

‘Hmmm. Crap, I wish I could tell Joanne or Allisa to cast a distraction.’

I had been instructed to keep my ability to speak a secret. But my options were running out.

Allisa seemed to be getting tired. Replenishing her barrier and throwing stalagmites was taking a toll on her, specially since her barrier also had to be big enough to cover Joanne.

‘Think Berry, Think…. Oh….’

I moved all of my Qi into my legs and sprinted towards The Consul. Who seemed to pay little attention to me until she suddenly noticed my great speed.

She clapped her hands, and a firewall spawned in between the two of us. But my momentum couldn’t be stopped. As I catapulted myself mid air, I threw all of my Qi into my hands and just dispersed the fire barrier away as if it was a mere curtain.

The cocky spell-caster had dread in her eyes. She tried to flinch back and chant an offensive spell. But I kicked her right in the stomach, causing her magic armor to implode inwards as my kick landed a mighty blow that threw her out of balance.

As she fell down the barricade, I fell down on top of her and began beating her up. Until students pulled me aside, as they shouted that they fight was over.

“Is over, is over,” they repeated. “The fight is over.”

Well, that was easier than what I thought. These magic students clearly had a lot of mana and magic potential, but they seemed to lack combat ability.

Allisa gave me a random hug.

‘Huh,’

It only gave me chills down my spine. That elf girl was never kind.

Before we continued deeper into the circles, I saw that Joanne healed our defeated opponent.

‘Sure, you do that,’

The rest of the circles in the Academy were rather quiet. It seems that the senior students did not care too much about our presence. Instead, they just occasionally threw glares of contempt. They seemed too busy studying for upcoming exams.

As we reached the last floor, a different type of enforcer awaited for us at the door.

“Be advise, I been informed of your presence, and I am aware that The Great Meister himself has approved of your rather sudden visit,” she said.

Unlike the other enforcers, she did not look like a student or an instruction. Yet she was rather young. ‘Perhaps a recent graduate?’

She clearly seemed to be the type to hold a clerical role.

My prediction turned out to be right.

She introduced herself as Margot, a direct assistant of The Great Archmage. She very well was his secretary.

As she guided us to the Great Archmage’s office, she seemed to be poking Allisa and Joanne for questions regarding their relationship with Belfar. For instance, she asked Joanne if she was pregnant. Or if Allisa was a prostitute that Belfar had scammed. Margot knew Belfar somehow, and her hatred towards him seemed to radiate towards us.

My companions tolerated her questions, as they surely would end once we reached the Archmage. But Allisa seemed to be on the verge of blowing up.

As soon as we reached the door to The Grand Meister’s office. It seemed like Margot was not satisfied with the answer to her questions.
“I am sorry, but. You are not allowed to see the Great Meister. Whichever matters you have with him. You will have to go through them with me. I have the authority to act on his behalf. If it is money that you want, I can give you hush money. But please stop tainting this academy with your intrusion,” Margot said.

Allisa could not take it any longer.

“I don’t care who you are. We came here to see The Great Meister himself. Which ever matters I wish to discuss with him are none of your bloody business, you low-class peasant,” Allisa said.

Margot turned an unfriendly kind of red.

“How dare you! I can tell that you have been tainted by that man!…. That scumbag, trash low-life, corrupts everything that he touches. I will not allow this matter to disturb the high Archmage even if it means I must die nailed to this door!”

Margot closed her eyes, and an eerie chill tickled down my spine. Unlike the encounters that we had before, in this one, I could feel resentment and malicious intent. My perception of time slowed down as my Qi shot out of my core and began flowing violently through my veins.

My body, out of cheer reflex, leaped forward, as Margot’s mouth opened and revealed her naked murder intent. I pushed my palm against her mouth, breaking which ever chant she attempted to cast, and naturally, as I gagged her and shoved her skull into the door, she began to kick me in panic.

I heard shouts from my companions. But my perception of time was so slow, I could not comprehend them. I gut punched Margot, and her vomit began burning my palms. But my body just would not allow her to cast. I kept pulverizing her entrails, punch after punch. She began scratching my face with her nails. Leaving red marks of blood as she desperately fought for another breath. Her murder intent did not cease. I pummeled her ribs and vomit became blood.

My soul, my instinct, every part of my body wanted Margot dead. I had lost control. My hands smothered the wizard with more force as she began to choke on her own blood as I broke rib after rib with every punch.

I felt as Joanne and Allisa attempted to pull me back, to let the battered mage go. But my resolve to kill did not cease. I stood firm with Baal’s Mountain stand. Margot finally made a macabre croaking sound as her arms and legs went limp, and just then, the door to the office of the Great Magus opened. Margot’s body fell to the floor in a twisted manner.

Before I was able to see who was on the other side of the door, a blue aura swallowed me whole and threw me into the depths of a dark ocean. Thunder and infernal winds blew and struck all around me.

I began to drown violently. For all the Qi in my body was released at once in an uncontrolled spasm. My arms attempted one last mighty and desperate leap out of the freezing waters. But it was to no avail.

I began to cough, as water went into my lungs. Then, unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, I was back in the dark hallway in front of the Grand Master’s office. It was as if nothing had ever happened.

There was no water in my lungs. Yet, I was still coughing. Had I been the victim of an illusion? Did I glance into the future? Was it a time loop? I did not know. But Margot was still alive in front of me as if nothing had happened.

“Even if it means I must die nailed to this-” Margot said. The killer intent returned to her eyes. But before she could shout a spell, she was interrupted. The door to the Grand Master’s office had opened.

Margot blushed in embarrassment.

“Oh, it seems we have guests. Splendid. Why do all of you not just come inside? I just made some tea,”

The giant of a man that opened the door had absolutely no emotions in his face. His tired and sleep deprived blue eyes burned with curiosity. Without a doubt, this man was The Great Archmage, The Grand Meister, The Legendary Magus, Felenhar.

Margot bowed down and changed her mannerism so drastically that she could very well have a split personality when in front of her master.
Felenhar stood tall as a giant, yet his back stood slightly crooked, as he took a single sip from his rustic tea cup. The Great Wizard could very well be the only human that could theoretically get close to meeting eye to eye with Baal.

The Great Archmage’s gray beard grew all the way down to his waist. But it was extremely well kept. It seems the wizard waxed it very well.
I peeked at Margot, salivating at the sight of the Great Meister. No. It was obvious that Felenhar did not wax his beard himself. That must be something that his disciples did on his behalf. The man’s tired eyes gave away the fact that he cared very little about anything but the mastery of magic.

“So what brings all three of you here?” Felenhar asked, while stroking his beard in curiosity. Yet he kept a low, monotone voice.
Did he not know that we fought our way to his office? Was he not the one who allowed us in after hearing that this matter was related to Belfar?

“The Great Meister has asked you a question. Bow down!” Margot yelled, like a fanatic.

“Margot, please, that is enough,” Felenhar said. His voice was calm as ever.

“As… As you wish, master,” Margot said. Quietly stepping back away from us, to stand idle next to the Grand Master, as if she was mere furniture for the Great Archmage to use when he pleased.

“Grand Master, please, we bring this document to your attention,” Allisa said. Pulling the dusty scroll from her pockets.

Felenhar pulled his finger once, and in an instant, the scroll flew into his hands.

“Illusion magic, how interesting,” He said. “Sophisticated, yet unpolished. Not the work of someone from the Academia.”

[DISPELL!] The Great Master shouted.

The dust around the scroll crumbled away, revealing a clean and elegant document of some sort.

“An official document, with the seal of one of the deacons of the church of light….,” Felenhar said. “Possession of this document is a great Heresy. I am unsure of what methods you used to obtain this, but deceitful they must be.”

Yet Felenhar was unable to help himself. For his curiosity, once raised, seemed impossible to contain.

He slowly extended the scroll, his eyes desperate to understand whichever forbidden knowledge he had just laid his hands on.

The moment the scroll was fully opened, Felenhar froze and stood silent staring at Joanne. As if his mind was questioning the authenticity of the document.

Felenhar’s gaze was harsh, but not malicious. Whichever doubts he had did not last long. For he quickly shifted back his attention to the scroll in his hand.

He cussed very softly. Then put his entire attention shifted once again towards Joanne.

Before I had any idea of what was going on, the Great Meister surprised all of us by stomping the floor, throwing a wave of chant-less wind magic at the door behind us. The door closed with the mighty blow.

“Grand Meister?” Margot asked, but she was ignored. For The Grand Meister was already chanting spell in his mouth.
[FORTRETA!] He shouted, turning the entire room a shade of blue.

“I am sorry for this,” He said, as he pushed his palm against the defenseless Margot, throwing her limbless onto the ground.

Both Allisa and Joanne trembled in terror. Felenhar seeing what he had done, sighed.

“Please relax,” He said, his voice completely devoid of emotion. “She is not dead. I merely put her to sleep and erased her memories of this event. I hope you understand. Even the ward that I just casted is merely to keep other people from listening to us. You never know who is listening here in the Academy.”

“Are you saying that you do not trust your own people?” I asked.

Allisa looked at me funny.

‘Fuck,’ I was not supposed to talk.

Felenhar walked up towards me, and the closer he got, the taller he looked. He completely towered over me. He had to bend over to be eye to eye with me.

“Interesting. Very interesting. A demi-human that speaks common,” he said, as he held his beard. “I thought you guys said that you were here in Belfar’s behalf. Yet here is a demi-human that can speak, and Belfar is not here, he would never, ever, allow such a finding to slip away from him. Which means….”

Allisa threw herself to the floor and began groveling in all four.

“Please forgive me, Grand Master. I did not mean to deceive you,” she said.

“Then Belfar… He must be?” Felenhar asked. His voice, calm, very calm. But the more calm he sounded, the more my Qi retreated deeper into my core as if magic itself was afraid of Felenhar.

“Dear sir, what is your relationship to Belfar?” Joanne asked. She was very polite, but her dignified stare did not shy away from staring at Felenhar directly in the eyes.

I wanted to scream at her, ‘Shut up! You are going to get us all killed!’

But Felenhar responded first.

“Oh?” Felenhar. “Could it be that you do not know? Did that Elf not tell you?”

Allisa hid her face deeper into the ground and began to tremble even more.

“Belfar is my older brother,” Felenhar said.

“What!?” I said. “H-he… y-younger b-brother… HOW!?”

Felenhar did not respond right away. “That does happen to be everyone’s reaction. However. I will ask one last time. Where is he now? And what is your true relationship with him?”

If that was his last warning before resorting to violence, it was hard to tell. For emotions, his voice did not have.

“Sir, I have you know. That your brother is a black-hearted, shameless scoundrel. He endangered all three of us, held some of us captive against our will, and most important of all, he peeked at my maidenhood!”

Joanne sounded very embarrassed and yet full of righteous anger.

‘Fuck, we are so dead.’

I closed my eyes. Knowing that all was lost.

But, instead of getting blasted to dead. The Great Meister began to laugh.

“Yes. That definitely sounds like my brother,” Felenhar said. “I keep telling him to stop being an asshole. But he just can’t help himself. Whenever he sees an opportunity, he takes it.”

Joanne nodded. “I tried to convince him to relent his ways, but his sinful behavior is deeply rooted within him!”

“Noooo! You have fallen for his trap. Nothing makes him happier than when people find out he is trash and try to change him,” Felenhar said.

Both Joanne and Felenhar went back and forth, complaining about Belfar. The Great Wizard just kept smiling. It was like seeing two kids talking about their favorite show.

Allisa quietly stood up after realizing we weren’t all dead. I stared at Allisa straight in the eyes. There was no way that man was Belfar’s younger brother. Not at all. Belfar was at most in his late twenties, while Felenhar with his bear looked at least thirty and he was way taller.
Joanne and Felenhar were done with their conversation rather quickly.

“Very well. I understand the situation perfectly well right now,” Felenhar said. “I am assuming you guys are here in order to request my protection, since my brother’s actions have put all three of you in great danger.”

Allisa nodded. “Yes, Grand Meister, that is indeed true.”

“Then I shall grant it. With the only condition that.”

“Condition?” I asked.

“Yes, you must assist me with my research,”

“What research?” I asked.

“The secret to demi-human communication. If we could unlock that secret , then we could change the world for the better, and also put an end to my brother’s unhealthy obsession with making that bloody demi-human talk.” Felenhar said.

‘Was he referring to Leah?’

“Very well. Then what must we do to help with your research?” Allisa asked.

“As you might see, your goat companion over here is the first demi-human in documented history that has the ability to speak. I would merely require her to come to the Academy once every other day for a few tests.”

“What type of tests?” I asked.

“Oh, do not worry. Is nothing out of the ordinary. They are nothing that wouldn’t be tested in a human.”

Somehow, that did not make me feel any better.

“Fine. But only if I can refuse the ones that I find absurd,” I said.

Felenhar pondered for a second. “Ah yes, indeed. That works too.”

By the end of the day, we returned to the safety of our crappy inn bedroom. Allisa just threw herself on the bed like a wet noodle and refused to tell me what the hell was in that document she showed Felenhar.

Lucky enough for me, Mantis knew how to cook, so Nike had made dinner for us in advance!