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chapter 58
The solution was simple. All they had to do was find the area where the lava’s magical power was flowing incorrectly.
Sherillotte first inspected the dam that blocked the lava and debris. She mobilized the knights to search the candidate sites and accompanied Eonian, a priest skilled in magical detection.
As they moved between bases, Eonian released his divine power in increments to locate the magical formation.
“…Found it.”
At last, the magical formation registered on his senses.
Before Sherillotte could even clap in delight, a blinding flash erupted from Eonian’s eyes and hands simultaneously.
Sherillotte stepped back, her tail flaring. The flash tore through the clouds like a massive signal flare. Soon, snow from the distant mountainside cascaded down in a rumbling avalanche.
The magical formation was in a valley, deeply carved, with a treacherous water channel in the middle that made access difficult.
Eonian reported to the knights via the communication channel that he had located the magical formation and provided the base number where they should gather.
Some time later, they descended the cliff-like valley and reached the vicinity of the magical formation.
Sherillotte took out a magic stone and channeled a small amount of magical power into her eyes. The brightness caused by the white snow dimmed, revealing the glow of the magical power.
At that moment, she nearly forgot the danger and gasped in admiration.
It was an incredibly beautiful collection of magical circles, reminiscent of emeralds.
“Balanced flow of magical power, and the design is flawless as well.”
External magical power, which could have harmed the caster, was first absorbed through conductive formulas to increase safety. Additionally, these formulas were positioned at multiple points in the formation to act as valves, preventing interference from the lava’s magic.
The activation coordinates of the magic were random, yet cleverly designed so as not to affect the caster or the surrounding area, with complex conditional formulas in place.
There were a staggering 187 such complex formations. Despite being installed in a tiny area with a radius of just a few steps…
“This is insane…”
“Why? Can’t you undo it?”
Sherillotte let out a quiet sigh, then snapped back to attention at Eonian’s question. She knelt and examined the formation closely.
“No, wait. Let me look a bit more.”
“…Alright.”
“Wow… they even made it unnecessarily difficult to dismantle.”
She took out a terrain-analysis magical tool and examined the vibrations.
‘The flow is definitely abnormal.’
A non-single-structure magical formation cannot simply be solved by breaking the circuit. And this formation was far more intricate.
“If we just try to remove it with divine power or magic, it’ll go out of control.”
“…What?”
Sherillotte gestured toward the LaBrue volcano, from which smoke rose sparsely.
“If we undo it incorrectly, it will explode.”
The formation installed by Odelle siphoned the lava’s magic. Undoing it would return the stolen power to its original flow.
In other words, the overflowing magic would trigger an eruption of volcanic gas and lava. Ash would fill the sky, lowering the surrounding temperature.
“…So basically, it’s designed to ensure the cold never dissipates, huh?”
Eonian crossed his arms in disapproval. Sherillotte nodded firmly, pressing her lips together.
At that moment, Eonian squinted subtly and glanced at her sideways.
“Well, I don’t think you’ll fail, though.”
Sherillotte scoffed and brushed her hair back dramatically.
“You think I can’t do it?”
“I never expected you couldn’t. I just didn’t know if it would take a day or two full days.”
“Hah!”
Sherillotte rolled her shoulders and twisted her neck.
“I’ll just focus on the lunch Cecile made for me.”
Taking out a fountain pen, she began drawing the core schematic of the formation in the air.
Even though the formation had been made by the top mages of the East, Sherillotte could undo it in less than an hour.
She briefly outlined the main theoretical branches of the formation, then listed the critical points to tackle first. One of her strengths was not just structuring this way but also nullifying magic through reverse calculations—a skill developed because she had no magical power herself—so the start was promising.
“First, keep people away from here. Knights, step back as much as possible—”
She would have finished giving instructions, if not for the rocks falling overhead.
“…!”
The stone wall collapsed rapidly. Startled, she grabbed a nearby branch to steady herself.
‘Damn Eastern kids.’
Swallowing a curse, she retrieved a floating magic stone from her inventory, smashed it, and, hugging Eonian tightly, flew up, violet light brushing her cheek.
“Hah.”
Sherillotte laughed at the sight of black-robed mages who had appeared seemingly like villains waiting for the perfect moment.
“Do you really have to appear like that?”
Sherillotte landed on the ground and had Eonian retreat.
Eonian, not realizing her intent, drew his sword and grabbed her shoulder, but she shook her head firmly.
“Those Eastern mages are brainwashed, right? They won’t understand reason, so why…”
“No.”
Sherillotte glared at the mage at the forefront of the black robes.
The mage finally removed his hood.
First to be revealed were round, bear-like ears and hair of a deep brown shade. A middle-aged man she had never seen before, yet his features seemed vaguely familiar.
Eonian’s eyes widened slightly.
“…Professor of Biology?”
“Finally recognizing me.”
He was Professor Lion, who had previously disputed the patent on mandrake-potato seeds.
He looked years older than months ago. His wheat-colored hair was dry and brittle, and a large scar she hadn’t seen before marked his face. Sherillotte frowned and twitched her lips.
“Punishment for failing your mission?”
“Punishment?”
The professor sneered.
“More like a slave contract, wouldn’t you say?”
Magical energy flowed through the rope wound around his neck. He coughed, spat blood, and bent his head sharply.
It was a curse. Fail the task, and you suffer.
…Crazy. Even if Freiyu was the king of the East, was this even possible? The opponent was a local power in the East capable of easily crushing minor nobles like senior Aquila.
Sherillotte blinked rapidly and asked the professor,
“Did they find your weakness? That’s why you ended up like this?”
“….”
Exhausted eyes rolled, and Professor Lion, tongue stiff, could not continue speaking. Then he smiled faintly.
“Indeed, families aspiring to be the continent’s royalty are quite different, aren’t they?”
“…Using people like this? Makes me want to vomit.”
“Haha!”
The professor’s hoarse laugh was tinged with fatigue.
“I envy the North. Such a kind ruler governs their land.”
It was hard to tell if his tone was sarcasm or bitterness.
Behind him, brainwashed mages quietly approached, climbing the rocks like goats to land gracefully on the ground where Sherillotte and Eonian stood.
“Well, there’s no turning back now, is there?”
Bang! Professor Lion slammed his staff on the ground. All the mages simultaneously augmented him with magic, and vines spread along the walls like wriggling caterpillars.
Overfed and combined with enhancement magic, the plants grew unnaturally fast.
Eonian, holding Sherillotte, launched himself with divine power like a small bomb.
“Eonian!”
“I know.”
He knocked aside a vine aiming to pierce his back and landed on a rock. Despite emanating divine power, he tried to stay as far from the formation as possible, which Professor Lion noted.
“Hmph, unfortunate. If you had released more divine power, the volcano would have erupted.”
“Did you think I wouldn’t know?”
“Well, you can’t help but hope a little. How can humans ever overcome nature?”
Sherillotte gritted her teeth.
There were over a dozen mages. But only two of them here, with magic far more offensively powerful than divine power, and considering the couple was the would-be bride and groom of a wedding, a frontal assault was too risky.
So Sherillotte decided to use another method.
‘Eonian already gave the knights the base number, right?’
She leaned slightly and whispered to Eonian.
“How much divine power do you have left?”
“Enough to fight.”
Then it was sufficient.
The problem wasn’t skill—it was the interfering mages.
The first step was already clear. She leaned slightly forward.
“Don’t use your divine power unless necessary. You might affect the magical formation.”
“Got it.”
Eonian adjusted his grip on his sword and set Sherillotte down. She smoothed her collar and spoke.
“…Professor, there’s one thing you’re overlooking.”
Her fingers pointed at the magical formation.
“Do you really think I can’t undo that formation?”
“It’s not about undoing it, is it?”
“Do you think I can’t undo it without side effects?”
Professor Lion flinched. Sherillotte, as if expecting it, chuckled and waved her hand.
“If I couldn’t undo a formation like this, my title as top of the Department of Magical Engineering would be meaningless. Of course I can.”
“…Hah, if you had stolen your student’s techniques, you couldn’t even decipher it.”
At that moment, Professor Lion’s expression twisted fully.
Sherillotte smiled, seeing her plan unfolding.
“Don’t get it twisted. You’re not Duke Freiyu.”
“Miss Sherillotte?”
“Even if the limbs are severed, one becomes a rare stuffed butterfly with a constantly renewed auction price, while you’re just slaughtered livestock.”
She needed to prick his pride further. That way, she could suppress the mages without further straining Eonian.
And, Sherillotte had no intention of forgiving someone who exploited a senior she cared about.
“In short…”
She added quietly,
“You’re pathetic.”
A chilling silence swept over the area.
Professor Lion twirled his staff made of entwined vines with one hand. He glanced briefly at the Duke’s castle and tilted his cheek.
“…I don’t care if I lose limbs. Magic can stop the bleeding.”
His bloodshot gaze pierced Sherillotte.
“Crush them.”
At the edge of her vision, golden branches shook. What was faintly white like heat shimmer thickened in an instant, striking toward their vital points like arrows.
Eonian slanted his sword to deflect it. Sherillotte dodged the spear-like branches and stood beside the magical formation, looking up at the sky.
Screeeek!
A sharp cracking sound came from above.
Startled, Professor Lion spun to avoid the attack. However, another mage assisting him had a vein burst in his neck.
Brown feathers scattered through the air, and a shout approached rapidly. A black-eyed boy with large folded wings released humanoids dangling from his legs, making Sherillotte smile.
Too many enemies, and too few fighters?
“North knights, it’s your mission.”
The answer was simple.
“Take them all out. Leave none.”
They just needed to buy time until reinforcements arrived.
