Chapter 27 - Deal Between Classmates
The crisp sound of a page being turned echoed softly in the royal palace’s library.
“Mn...” With his brow furrowed, Ryan let out a subconscious groan before clicking his tongue. “...Tsk. Nothin’.”
Closing the hefty tome, he dumped it atop one of three piles of books to his side.
Tap, tap, tap...!
Steadily tapping the table with his finger, Ryan stared down at the nearly two dozen books he had gone through in the past week. He couldn’t help but feel more disconcerted as his impatience grew.
A month had officially passed since the class had been summoned.
They had been physically training their bodies almost every day to the limit of what they could handle at their low levels; they had been educated on various fields about the basics of the world; and for those who had the talent and the mental capacity, they had even been taught the fundamentals of magic.
Tap, tap, tap...!
Still, Ryan was riddled with a sense of uncertainty.
Recently, he had been researching how the Kingdom of Seronia had been able to summon them in the first place.
Not only would finding a way to return to Earth be a one-of-a-kind negotiating tool for the others in the class, but he was also interested in the possibility of replicating the summoning ritual for himself.
He already figured that there were no such limitations like “the individual being summoned becomes a slave of the summoner”, as if that were the case then Jae never would have been able to escape the palace on the second day.
Well, if they could do something like that, then there was no need for the students to be regarded so highly and treated as heroes in the first place.
Still, Ryan wanted to obtain that ‘summoning ritual magic’ the kingdom had somehow casted, for his own benefit.
Unfortunately, the heroes had restricted access to the royal library’s forbidden section, and having already sorted and gone through all the magic-related books they were allowed access to, Ryan had yet to find what he was looking for.
Although he had considerably increased his overall understanding of magic as a result, it was only a side-effect of reading numerous magical tomes and grimoires.
Of course, the first place he visited was the room in which everyone was summoned, but when he arrived he found it empty―long cleared of any traces indicating that magic had been performed there.
And now, he was running out of time.
Those royal pigs...
Recently, rumours have been circulating around the class that in a few days, they would all be transferred to a class in the Seronian Royal Academy.
In other words, the students who became heroes would now return to being students.
What’s more, it was due to their growth becoming stagnant as a result of the lack of goblins―after all, their levels didn’t increase if they didn’t kill monsters, and sparring wasn’t something that could effectively replace real fighting experience.
I’m sure it’s ‘cause of that bastard, Jae...
Currently, Ryan was one of the only people in the class who knew that Jae was still alive, and considering there had been no sightings of him inside the capital city, he was certain about the latter’s presence in the forest being the cause for the disruption.
Incidentally, Nicolas had done some digging and found out the crown prince is due to return from his trip to the empire any day now―the reason that the class is still waiting to be transferred is due to the prince’s desire to see the heroes with his own eyes just once.
Once the prince was satisfied, the class would spend a lot less time inside the palace; it would thus take considerably more time to gather high-quality information.
Both fortunately and unfortunately, although the books in this unrestricted section of the library were of no use, there was still a lot that he hadn’t yet been able to examine.
There’s too much I haven’t gone through...
Still, recollecting everything he had gathered until now, he thought there wouldn’t be a whole lot of useful information left regarding magic possibly related to the summoning ritual.
Opening the Great Sage’s Records, Ryan entered some knowledge gained from the book he had just finished reading and took a look at the so-far assorted information.
Possible Magic Sources - Summoning | Spatial/Dimensional Travel | Linked Misc.
Summoning:
-- Summoning magic confirmed to exist but very rare. Heavily correlates with Spirits. Not an elemental magic.
-- Ordinary Humans (not Otherworlders or other humanoid species) can only summon Common, Lesser, and Intermediate-level Spirits and Spiritual Beasts (differential)
-- Humans and humanoid species ‘cannot’ be summoned* (incl. Demi/Semi-human species, e.g. therianthropes, elves, etc.) *Whether this includes Otherworlders is not known, however there is no recorded precedent.
-- References of alternate magics similar to summoning mentioned, though unconfirmed - potentially related.
Current Verdict - Despite the name, summoning magic is likely unrelated to the summoning event.
Spatial / Dimensional Travel:
-- Space magic confirmed to exist but exceedingly rare. Not an elemental magic.
-- From all the available records, space magic appears too weak to cross worlds.
-- Dimensional magic distinct from space magic?
-- Dimensional magic existence unconfirmed but referenced in ancient texts. Usually mentioned alongside the Great Sage / First Archmage, Avosa - title and class are likely related - maybe I can learn it? (to be tested)
-- Time magic not confirmed to exist but similar-sounding powers are referenced in ancient texts - potentially related.
Current Verdict - Low-medium chance for space magic to be related / High chance for dimensional magic to be related - needs a lot more research to confirm. Common denominator is Great Sage - GS is key - levelling up could reveal something?
Linked Miscellaneous:
-- Kin magic confirmed to exist - magic/powers unique to certain species or creatures? Potentially related.
-- Insignificant research of kin magic indicates too weak to cross worlds.
-- The room used for the hero summoning has been cleared - kingdom erasing evidence?
-- Mysterious door at centre of palace (leading underground?) - appears to absorb/nullify magic.
-- Divine magic confirmed to exist, though exceedingly rare - heavily linked to angel species ‘Seraphim’ - Potentially related. Theosse Holy Nation is likely to have answers.
Current Verdict - Not enough information. Further research and information required.
Examining everything once again, Ryan thought to himself for a minute before closing the window. Then, he glanced at the doorway leading to the forbidden section of the library.
Looks like Nico’s got some work to do.
Recalling how he also planned to have Nicolas do some reconnaissance on the prince when he returns, Ryan clicked his tongue when he thought the balance of workload was too skewed.
There’s too much important information we’re missin’ out on, but only one Nico to perform the job...
Truthfully, Ryan would gladly do his own reconnaissance work if he could, but within the royal palace―loaded to the brim with magic detectors and royal knights lurking around every corner―it was much too tall of a task for his current skills, and the same was true for Kaitlyn whose talent lied in duelling.
Nicolas was the only person out of the three who could afford to sneak around the palace without the risk of getting caught, and since they weren’t yet at the level where they would be able to fight off the knights and escape, they had no choice but to be patient.
I’m prolly the only one who can figure out that Sage guy, but everythin’ else is just Nico’s.
It was regrettable, but if they had no one else capable of infiltration to the level of Nicolas, then they would have to concede for now.
Tap, tap, tap-!
...No.
His fingers subconsciously tapping on the table abruptly ceased, and he muttered.
“There is...”
There was someone who might be able to compete.
The day of the magic aptitude appraisal flashed in Ryan’s mind. On that day, there was a strange, invisible presence in the room; it felt as if they were being watched.
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“Hah... How’d I forget?”
A certain loner classmate who appeared to be sharper than she let on.
You’re not gonna reject me this time, brat.
Jumping to his feet, Ryan made his way to Amy Purello’s room.
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Arriving in front of his classmate’s room before long, Ryan immediately attempted to open the door without hesitation.
Rattle-!
“Oi, Shorty.”
Rattle, rattle-!
“Open up.”
Rattle, rattle, rattle-!
“Tch. Locked.”
Frowning, he activated a combination of Magic Sense and Great Sage’s Eyes and stared intently at the door. Through it, Ryan could see a blob of swirling black energy in the rough shape of a human sitting in a strange meditative position on what was presumed to be a bed.
Aha. Look at this rude kid.
Rattle, rattle...!
He roughly shook the door more and raised his dry voice. “Oiii... I know you’re in there. Ain’tcha gonna welcome a guest?”
“......”
No response.
I see how it is.
His face expressionless, Ryan grabbed the door handle. “You wanna play? Let’s play.”
Rattle rattle rattle rattle rattle rattle-!
All of a sudden, a horrendous noise like gunfire reverberated throughout the girls’ dormitory hallway.
Let’s see how long you can hold this up. Maybe the door’ll break first?
At that moment, someone else’s door opened.
“Aaaaah! What’s that god awful noise!? Sniff! Please stop, I’m trying to nap over here!”
Julie Silva, a B-rank hero, exited out of her room, screaming; with bloodshot eyes, a pallid face and a runny nose, it was evident that she was unwell. Unfortunately, her state, alongside the silk pyjamas she was wearing, provided to her by the kingdom, only served to reduce her level of intimidation.
Glancing at her, the banging stopped as Ryan paused.
“Ryan!? You...!”
Glaring, she seemed furious at him, but remained hesitant to say anything as she seemed to freeze. Soon, Ashley Moore emerged from her room, chastising him in Julie’s place.
“What’s going on...? Ry-- My god... Of course, it’s you. Why are you causing trouble this time? What’s with all the ruckus?”
At the sudden commotion, some of the other nearby doors started opening with girls poking their heads out to see what was going on, and even a few boys.
It was a Sunday afternoon, so most people were resting at this time. Disrupting this rare peace and quiet earned Ryan the ire of everyone who he was disturbing, but none of them seemed to possess the courage to confront him directly other than Ashley.
“......”
Sweeping his sharp gaze across everyone present, his eyes finally settled on the one person actually willing to challenge him, and he stated simply.
“I’ve come to visit my friend, but she’s unresponsive, so I’m worried that somethin’ happened.”
“...Do you think I’ll believe that?”
“Does it matter if you believe me?” Ryan shrugged. “I’m just worried something may’ve happened to my friend, is all.”
“Are you gonna stand there’n blame me when I’m only worried ‘bout a friend’s wellbeing?”
Without waiting for a response, he turned back to the door and raised his hand.
Knock, knock, knock-!
“Amyyyyyy. It’s your best friend. Oi, you okay? I’ve got somethin’ special for ya~ You’ll prolly really like it, it’s called a blackout crystal~”
Ashley muttered as he took a small pouch out of his pocket and waved it around.
“‘Blackout crystal’...? Ridiculous...”
Through his magic-seeing eyes, Ryan watched a shadow filled with magic energy crawl from under the door and subtly peer at him for a moment before vanishing.
Heh. He smirked.
Clack-!
Subsequently, the sound of a lock turning was heard before the door opened, revealing a short, stone-faced girl.
“...Huh? N-no way, it worked...?”
“What’d I say? We’re buds.”
Wordlessly, Amy grabbed Ryan’s arm and pulled him into her room, closing the door before anyone could say anything.
As the rest were left speechless, Ryan examined the room’s interior.
“Hoh... This is an A-rank room, huh? As expected, it’s smaller than mine.”
Small room for a small person, I guess.
Dismissing the thought, he belatedly noticed Amy staring a hole in him. Only after he turned to face her did she open her mouth.
“I’m not joining your party.”
Her indifferent voice emitted a sense of coldness that served to establish a firm distance between them, making it clear where she stood in terms of joining hands, but Ryan simply raised his hands as if surrendering.
“Woah, chill. You said that last time. I know you wouldn’t’ve changed your mind already, so don’t worry about it. Anyway, you didn’t deny the ‘friend claim’, huh.”
“Get to the point.”
He stared at her for a second. “...Aight. Basically, you gather the info I request and give it to me. In return, you get a steady supply of blackout crystals.”
Amy wasn’t particularly surprised to hear that Ryan somehow knew that her abilities were well-suited for information gathering operations despite having been careful to not reveal what she was capable of, but that wasn’t the case for what he promised in return.
She glanced at the pouch in his hand. With Magic Sense, she could tell there was something inside the bag emitting magic energy, and if his words were to be trusted, then it would be the thing that would help bolster her abilities in just the right way.
“I’d like to see proof that you have it, first.”
“Eiii, come on~ Is my word not trustworthy enough?”
“I don’t think anyone would argue that it is.”
“Boo.”
“......”
“......”
Silence spread between the two as they stared at each other. Eventually, Amy opened her mouth again.
“Are you going to show me?”
“Oh, d'ya wanna see it?”
“I thought that was evident.”
“My misunderstandin’, then.”
“......”
“......”
Another break of silence occurred with neither party making a move, and then, Amy’s brow slightly creased as she showed a hint of an expression for the first time.
“Ryan.”
“Sup?”
“If you came to mess around, leave.”
At her warning, Ryan noticed all the shadows in the room behaving strangely.
“Woah. Freaky. Y’know, this bag,” He raised his hand holding the pouch. “I mentioned somethin’ about a blackout crystal or whatever, but would ya be mad if I said I didn’t actually have one?”
He pinched the pouch by its end and held it upside down, but nothing came out.
Definitely, when he was holding it before, there was something in the shape of a rock inside of it. However, using her Magic Sense, all Amy saw was the bag―previously filled with magic energy―now empty.
“......”
Amy made an expression as if to say ‘you can’t be serious,’ but before she could make a fuss, Ryan continued.
“But. Just ‘cause I don’t have one now, doesn’t mean I won’t have one in the future, right?”
“...You’re joking.”
“No? Listen, between you ‘n me, my S-rank title is special, y’hear? Well, that’s what it stands for, right? I wouldn’t come here to spout bullshit for no reason; you know that.”
Withholding the words ‘I think you would, though,’ Amy stared at him as if asking, "So what?”
“Y’see, the Great Sage was someone who created these things called ‘relics’. He ain’t just a genius mage, but a designer, inventor, innovator, and mastermind pioneer. So, don’t you think I, as his “disciple”, will also be able to do that?”
Relics, something mentioned only in rumours and legends, but that undoubtedly exist throughout the world.
Supposedly, they were mysterious objects of great power from the ancient past, but research indicates that they all share the same source.
That is, the Great Sage.
“And you think I’ll take your word for it?”
Ryan shrugged. “I only found out ‘cause of the library. If ya don’t believe me, check out the book ‘Untold Legacies of Avosa, the Great Sage’.”
“Anyway, here’s the deal. You’ll use your little shadows to get me the information I want, and in exchange, I make you some of those stones you seem to want so bad.”
After listening, Amy got stuck in her thoughts.
There was no need to go and read a book about it as she had already done her research on all the notable people in class and those who were deemed to have potential, and that naturally included stories on the Great Sage.
That’s why she considered his words seriously.
If Ryan really ended up inheriting the full talents of the Great Sage, then it wasn’t at all far-fetched to think that he would be able to create small things like blackout crystals in the future, and maybe eventually even relics.
Blackout crystals weren’t even all that rare, really―all they did was spawn a sudden curtain of darkness around the user when broken, like a smokescreen.
It was something Amy only wanted to get her hands on because she thought it could be used with her Unique Skill, Shadow Manipulation, and because the kingdom refused her request for some because there was no need for it.
In that sense, even if Ryan could produce and supply her with said blackout crystals, was it truly equivalent in worth to the information she would be digging for him?
Most likely, the answer would be ‘no’.
“I also want a relic.”
So, she came up with a solution.
“Whenever you become able to make relics in the future, you will make me a personalised one to the best of your ability. Also, whenever you guys plan to flee the kingdom, inform me ahead of time. Accept these conditions and we have a deal.”
Looking at her smug, expressionless face, Ryan scoffed.
“...Cheeky brat. Aight then.”
Like that, a deal between classmates―not heroes―was made.
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Some days passed and the crown prince returned from his trip to the empire.
He seemed satisfied after watching the heroes spar during training and quickly gave the official royal decree to transfer them to Seronia’s royal academy.
It had been confirmed that there were no more goblins left inside the nearby regions of Plaentic Great Forest―the Goblin Lord the king made a deal with was also missing―and the cheapest solution to the XP drought was to have the heroes join the students of the academy in their training instead.
They briefly considered the alternative of importing monsters from other regions, but it was found to be unnecessarily expensive and dangerous.
For a kingdom of prominence like Seronia, one might wonder why they were acting so stingy, but those in the know knew the kingdom’s intent behind saving as much money as possible.
“...War?”
“That’s right.”
According to Nicholas’ investigation, it appeared the crown prince was acting as an ambassador on his trip to the empire, but that negotiations had broken down.
Subsequently, he found out that the empire and Seronia had in fact been in a state of tension with each other for the past few years now for a number of reasons.
“You’re tellin’ me these pig bastards’ve summoned us to fight some foreign assholes on their behalf?”
“...I suppose so, yes...”
“What the fuck. Is this a fuckin’ joke?”
“Uh... No.”
“Are they okay in the head? Why the hell do they think we would fight for their country?”
Because the empire was so much larger and more powerful than Seronia, the latter decided to summon Otherworlders and raise them as a national force in the event of an invasion by the empire.
However, as it turned out, that very act of summoning the Otherworlders was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and now, the emperor was furious.
War was imminent, and the heroes had to be trained up as fast as possible to prepare for it.
“Wait. What happened to that thing with the Demons then? You ain’t seriously tellin’ me they’re at war with both of them at the same time or some shit, right?”
“Um... Well, actually--”
“Shut the fuck up. These crazy moronic pigs, the hell’re they doing?”
“No, well, there’s one important thing regarding the Demons...”
“Uh-huh. And what’s that?”
“Apparently, some Seronians have kidnapped the youngest Demon princess a couple of weeks ago...”
“Oh, fuck off.”
Adding to that the threat of the Demons, these problems were only stacking on top of each other, destined for a future of collapsing like a Jenga tower.
In the end, things did not bode well for the future of Seronia, and it only made Ryan even more determined to leave as soon as he could.