When Fantasy Glitches

“So, not only was one of our operations raided while you were supposed to be supervising it, but it also happened under your jurisdiction. And in the end, it wasn’t even the Archmage who dealt the injury to your physical body, but some guard and a young mage.” Heiman's voice held a casual indifference, his words causing Austra to drop to her knees, bowing deeply as she apologized repeatedly.

“Forgive me, my Lord! I underestimated them!” Austra’s voice quivered, her eyes fixed on the ground. Heiman’s dark and lifeless eyes narrowed slightly. He tapped his fingers against his leg, a steady rhythm that seemed more like idle impatience than fury.

“But that’s not all; somehow this mage... knows of our existence. Something even magic academics dismiss as mere stories. And you let him get away alive,” Heiman remarked, sounding more annoyed than angry as he let out a sigh.

If that mage spills our secrets to Takerth Academy, it’ll be a hassle. And that's assuming the Archmage who showed up to save him isn’t already aware of us. Worst-case scenario, I might have to relocate to another city, which would mean abandoning everything I've set up here these past few years. And ‘that’ man... He won’t take kindly to deserters. He’d definitely hunt us down if he found out I just up and left.

The thought of all the trouble he would have to go through alone made Heiman groan in irritation. Lorviel, who had regained her composure and had been quietly listening to Austra's account, broke the silence.

“It might not be the most elegant solution, but your best bet is to capture or kill the boy before he gets a chance to say too much. Then, wait and see how the academy reacts.” Heiman glanced at her, mulling over her suggestion.

“I suppose you’re right. But going after him directly won’t be easy—not with the possibility of that Archmage keeping an eye on him. We’ll have to wait for the right opportunity.”

Heiman turned his gaze back to Austra and asked, “You mentioned he had blonde hair, correct? That’s not common among humans, but it might not be enough for the Ravens to track him down. Was there anything else?”

Austra lifted her head slightly, sifting through her memories before responding, “I believe so, my Lord. I recall the guard shouting what I think was the boy’s name. If I remember correctly, it was... Magnus.”

At the mention of the name, Lorviel's eyes widened briefly, but then she chuckled in amusement, her expression shifting from surprise to delight. Heiman noticed and turned to her.

“What’s so amusing?”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Lorviel replied, her smile lingering.

“I just find it funny that the same boy seems hell-bent on causing us some much trouble. First, he injured Zeth, and now this.” Heiman's brow furrowed in brief confusion at what Lorviel was telling him, but then realization struck.

“Wait, are you saying...” He began, and Lorviel nodded.

“That’s right. If I remember correctly, the unranked mage who injured Zeth not long ago was also named Magnus. I remember because Zeth had already put in an order for the Ravens to keep tabs on him. It looks like Zeth’s actually saved you a bit of trouble for once.” Heiman’s lips curled into a grin, and he chuckled softly, mirroring Lorviel’s amusement.

“Huh, who would’ve thought? In that case, killing him comes with the added bonus of doing what even that arrogant bastard Zeth couldn’t,” Heiman murmured, his thoughts drifting for a moment. Then he refocused on Austra.

“It’s only natural for the one who made the mistake to handle the burden of cleaning it up, don’t you agree, Austra?” Heiman’s voice was calm, almost casual, but there was a subtle edge to it. Austra lifted her head, confidence settling in her expression as she nodded.

“Of course, my Lord.”

“Then consider this your punishment and potential redemption. Wait for the right moment, and deal with this Magnus discreetly—make sure nothing leads back to us. Do that, and you’ll be forgiven,” Heiman stated plainly. The relief that washed over Austra was palpable; her fears of punishment seemed to dissipate with his words. In truth, she had been more anxious about the consequences of her blunder than the task of dealing with Magnus.

But just as she was about to express her gratitude, Heiman added casually, with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, “Of course, if you fail again, I’ll have no choice but to kill you.”

Austra and the other vampires, who had been quietly listening, stared at Heiman in shock.

“M-My Lord?” Austra stammered, confusion flickering across her face.

“Well, like I said, it’s only natural you clean up your mess. And if you can’t, why should I keep someone who’s no better than a janitor at my side?” Heiman’s tone remained light as if he were discussing the weather. Austra’s mind raced, and for a few moments, she found herself speechless under his gaze.

Finally, she managed to respond, though her voice was subdued.

“Of course.”

•

Year 348 of the Great Sundering Era, 1st Month, 5th Day of the Mistveil Cycle.

"Magnus, I noticed you never reported the vampires to the academy. Is there a reason for that?" Eveline glanced at Magnus, who was seated at the very same table where Celia had been doing her research in the Research Station. He was flipping through her notebook, which she had left here and hadn't had a chance to retrieve due to her kidnapping. Right now, he was absorbing every detail she had recorded about the Knockout Brick.

As he memorized her notes, Magnus responded without looking up. "Things are already complicated enough without dragging Takerth Academy into it. Vampires use magic, right? If the academy finds out, they'd probably turn Arlcliff City upside down to hunt them down." Takerth Academy had little tolerance for unregulated magic, especially when tied to criminal activity.

Magnus knew that once the academy caught wind of it, they would initiate a purge of any vampires within Arlcliff City, and they wouldn’t stop there. Zeth's organization, which definitely had some ties to or was directly created with the aid of magic, would also fall under their jurisdiction and face the academy's judgment. On paper, this might not seem like a bad thing, but the resulting chaos would be catastrophic.

An organization deeply rooted in Arlcliff City being suddenly being attacked by Takerth Academy? Even if victory for the academy was certain, the fallout would affect everyone. Some criminals would resist, others would flee, and amidst the turmoil, if there were more Master-level vampires in their ranks like the one he encountered, it would mean multiple Master-level beings would end up clashing in Arlcliff City, with one, or perhaps neither side, caring about the destruction they caused in the fray.

Even if this place wasn't Magnus’s home, he still knew people who lived here.

There's no reason to involve Takerth Academy, especially when I can handle it myself. The Major General is already launching raids, which should force whatever organization Zeth is a part of to go underground for a while. I’ll use that time to get ready. And once I’m prepared... I’ll cut off the head of the snake and let the body collapse on its own.

"I see, I didn’t know you cared so much," Eveline teased lightly, making Magnus roll his eyes as he closed Celia’s notebook, satisfied with what he had read.

"Well, since you’re asking me, I should ask you the same, right? You’re on the academy’s council, so why haven’t you reported the vampires? Isn’t that part of your job?" Magnus countered, prompting Eveline to place a finger on her cheek and pretend to ponder thoughtfully.

"Well, I can't say my reasons are as noble as yours. I’m just curious to see who's really pulling the strings," Eveline replied, catching Magnus's attention.

"The one behind all of this? You mean behind Zeth's organization?" Magnus hadn't thought much about it, considering everything that was happening.

"Yes. Even though I know they exist now, it doesn't change one fact. Information on vampires is extremely hard to verify; it’s a difficult matter of trying to separate fact from fiction. But from what I understand, in nearly every account, they’re depicted as prideful, instinctual beings. It’s hard to believe such creatures would be content with running just a part of a human criminal organization instead of seizing control of it entirely."

Magnus mulled it over and had to agree. While the vampires in this world differed from those he was familiar with, it was common knowledge that they were haughty, immortal creatures of the night who looked down on humans.

"So, whoever’s actually in charge must be powerful enough to keep even Master-level beings in line," Magnus murmured, realization creeping in. If Zeth's organization had someone at the level of an Archmage or Champion in command, things would get complicated.

"Exactly. You’re on the right track, but your worries are unnecessary. Even if you reported your encounter, Takerth Academy would hesitate to act. They’d need concrete evidence first, and they’d have to consider the possibility of facing someone that strong. A clash between Master-level knights, mages, and vampires could cause significant damage, which the City Council and Royal Court could tolerate. But if someone on the same level as those on the academy’s council is involved..." Eveline trailed off, and Magnus didn’t need her to finish; he understood the implications.

"Of course, as it stands, only you and I know this threat might exist, so there's no need to worry." Right now, Zeth's organization was like a dragon’s tail. If Takerth Academy got involved, they'd likely cut the tail off at the base, scaring the dragon into hiding and keeping the true mastermind concealed. But if Magnus started at the end of the tail and worked his way up, he might just irritate the dragon enough to lure it out of its den.

Only then would Eveline step in and, by extension, involve Takerth Academy to take care of them.

"So basically, you're going to sit back and use me as bait?" Magnus remarked, eyeing Eveline, who responded with a sly smile.

"Uh-huh... Well whatever, either way, both our plans end with the organization going down, so I guess either way works for me," Magnus conceded with a sigh, shifting his focus back to the Knockout Brick. Holding out his hands, mana swiftly condensed into a small hammer and chisel, which landed in his grip.

"Oh, you’re planning to chip off a piece of the Knockout Brick?" Eveline observed, intrigued by what he was up to.

"That's right. I want to see if even a fragment retains the Knockout Brick's properties or if it’s bound to the whole thing," Magnus explained as he carefully aligned the chisel and hammer at the brick’s corner, preparing to break off a piece.

"Hmm, but isn't that a bit risky? There's no guarantee that breaking a part of the Knockout Brick won’t nullify its powers completely," Eveline pointed out as she teleported directly behind him, watching with keen interest. Despite her words of caution, her expression made it clear that she was eager to see the results and had no intention of stopping him.

Instead, she simply erected a barrier around them.

"Well, worst-case scenario, at least we know glitches can be neutralized by breaking them," Magnus said, concentrating as he tapped the chisel with the hammer, carefully breaking off a piece no bigger than his thumb. He then gathered the fragments into a pile and glanced at Eveline.

"Could you hand me a container?" He asked, and she quickly produced one from who knows where. If a fragment of the Knockout Brick truly did retain it's ability, then even the dust could be hazardous, capable of knocking out anything it touched as it drifted through the air. That’s why Eveline had set up the barrier. So, once the fragments were secured in an airtight container, there was just one more thing to test.

"Care to do the honors?" Magnus offered, holding the fragment up to Eveline.

"Of course," she replied cheerfully. Although the first encounter had caught her off guard, there was nothing more enlightening about a glitch than experiencing its effects firsthand. Even if she couldn’t resist it knocking her out, this was an opportunity to study it as long as she monitored her body through magic that didn't require her to be conscious. So, without further ado, Magnus touched the fragment to Eveline’s arm.

And just like before, she collapsed instantly, though this time Magnus caught her before she hit the ground. He gently settled her into his chair and examined the fragment in his hand, speaking as if to himself, "So, even when broken apart, the Knockout Brick works the same."

[In that case, Master, it seems your weapon plan is feasible after all.]

Yeah, though it means we’ll have to pay a visit to Celia’s brother, Jerel. Fortunately, he owes us one, so we won't have to fork over any money.

With that in mind, Magnus slipped the Knockout Brick fragment into his pocket and left the Research Station, not bothering to wait for Eveline to wake up. But as soon as he stepped through the door and walked back into his dorm, the Sigilbrand on his hand, usually invisible, began to glow softly, pulsing in a steady rhythm.

"Huh?" Magnus muttered, holding up his hand. As if sensing his attention, the pulsing stopped, and a woman's voice emanated from the Sigilbrand.

"We are aware that you wish to conceal certain information, so please only receive this message in a secure environment. Once in such an environment, say, 'Accept.'"

Huh, I wonder what this is about. The Live Examination is already over, isn't it? The voice sounds like the one from before, but this time it sounds a bit more like a recording. I guess there's no actual person on the other side.

Magnus kept his gaze on the Sigilbrand as he made his way to his bed and sat down. He was already in his room, and with Eveline’s help, there were few places more secure than this.

"Accept," Magnus said aloud. The Sigilbrand glowed once more, and the voice continued.

"Congratulations, Magnus Wright. After review by the academy, you have officially been promoted to Adept-level. As such, you now have access to various new areas within Takerth Academy. This includes the Mage’s Adept Compendium, where you can read and learn Adept-level magic and temporarily borrow copies of any material available. Please note, unauthorized sharing of these materials will violate academy rules and result in immediate expulsion and punishment."

Oh, so it's about my rank promotion. Huh, they didn’t let Apprentice-level mages borrow from the Mage’s Apprentice Compendium. I guess they're trying to build trust with students who’ve reached this level.

Magnus listened as the voice went on, "Additionally, you will gain access to the Academy Exchange Center, where you can exchange your Arcana Credits for a variety of items, including magical materials, rare spells, and equipment such as spell catalysts and magical artifices."

Magnus furrowed his brow in confusion at that. He knew about the Academy Exchange Center; he’d passed by it several times when Gerald was showing him around. From the outside, it looked like a shop, but even after becoming a student, he hadn’t been allowed inside. Now he understood why—it was exclusive to Adept-level students and above. The only question left was about the Arcana Credits they mentioned.

Luckily, his question was answered almost immediately.

"From this moment forward, you are also eligible to take on assignments issued by Takerth Academy that will allow you to earn Arcana Credits. These assignments may involve leaving Arlcliff City, so please be mindful. If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to speak with your professor or master. Thank you, and we wish you success on your journey to reaching the Master-level."