Chapter 115: Unraveling The Dark Conspiracy (2)
Ray and his party, having easily dispatched the monsters, conversed with a group of mercenaries.
To understand the precise situation, talking with those who had been at the scene the entire time seemed the best course of action.
However, the expressions of the mercenaries were not particularly bright.
This was partly due to being overwhelmed by the trios feat of quickly defeating a wyvern, but more so because they themselves knew nothing.
Ray scratched his head, watching the mercenaries consistently respond with their lack of knowledge.
This was problematic.
If even the mercenaries, who had been fighting the monsters from the start, didnt know, it meant the current situation was truly unknown.
Ray shook his head and said,
Well need people to transport the monsters carcasses to the Holy Kingdom. Im not sure why the monsters went berserk, but theres no rule saying they wont come again, so we need to strengthen the Academys defenses.
The monsters hides will make good armor material. Support troops should be arriving soon, so we can leave it to them.
The mercenaries felt puzzled by their words.
As adventurers, they should naturally be interested in the rare material of wyvern hides.
However, their willingness to hand it over to the Holy Kingdom without hesitation raised questions.
Were they related to the Holy Kingdom? If not, were they so skilled that wyvern hides were of little value to them?
Aira had been feeling a sense of discomfort.
More sensitive to the flow of mana than even Ray, she had sensed a disturbance in the mana since earlier.
But she couldnt figure out what was happening.
It was too vast.
She could normally sense even a moderate-sized magic circle at a glance, but the mana flow she was feeling now was different.
It wasnt just the quantity of moving mana, but the fact that the freely moving mana seemed to follow a pattern, repeatedly shifting.
She had sensed it before, but it had been only slightly bothersome, not as bizarre as this.
Unable to hold back any longer, Aira called out to Ray.
Ray, can we talk alone for a moment?
His expression grave, Ray followed her without a word.
After leaving the mercenaries with Iriel, Ray stepped outside and asked Aira,
Whats wrong?
Silence.
After casting a spell to prevent eavesdropping, Aira spoke up.
Being in the forest, my grasp of the situation isnt clear. So, may I share with you what Ive sensed?
Sure.
She sighed and continued,
Phew The area you refer to as the Academy, along with its wide surroundings, appears to be ensnared by a magic circle.
A magic circle?
Ray frowned as he responded, and Aira nodded.
Yes. And its a large-scale one at that. At first, the mana flow was subtle, but it grew stronger after we killed the monsters.
Ray looked around.
He expanded his mana to identify all the foreign mana in the vicinity.
Even Ray felt the enormity of this undertaking.
Foreign mana encompassed everything magical.
At that moment, every magical artifact in existence and the mana from those using magic entered Rays perception.
But after sifting through these minute fluctuations, Ray still couldnt discern anything.
He shook his head.
I dont sense anything. If its a magic circle, what kind of magic is it casting?
Im not certain. But considering its scale, it wont be easy to dismantle. Dont expect it to affect just one or two buildings. Be prepared for it to impact at least several areas.
Rays face turned even more solemn.
If the situation extended to one or two areas, the number of casualties, not to mention the injured, would be beyond imagination.
Such an event would inflict severe damage on the Holy Kingdom.
Although they could expect aid from the Lecian Empire and other kingdoms, maintaining a position of power among the kingdoms would become untenable.
Was it even possible to install such a large-scale magic circle without anyone noticing?
Ray pondered for a moment before speaking to Aira.
What if we start erasing the magic circle now?
Thats impossible. To interfere with the magic performed by a magic circle, at least 30% of it needs to be erased. Moreover, its even more impossible since we dont even know what the magic circle was drawn with.
If it had been drawn with chalk or bone powder, it would have been erased by now.
But since the magic circle was still active, it meant that it hadnt been erased and remained intact.
I cant cancel magic of this magnitude. Moreover, in my current state where I cant even sense the magic circle, blocking it is out of the question.
Ray began searching for something he could do.
However, even considering all possibilities, the tasks he could undertake in this situation were very limited.
Among them, evacuating the residents was the highest priority.
Ray clenched his teeth.
That was all he could do for now.
We need to evacuate the people. Can you find a high place nearby where everyone can see us?
Understood.
Ray hurried into a store.
There, he saw Iriel and the mercenaries conversing.
Ray grabbed Iriels wrist and pulled her outside.
Iriel was taken aback by his forceful demeanor.
Eh?
He quickly explained the current situation to Iriel, whom he had dragged out.
The existence of a magic circle spread across the Academy and the fact that the magic written in it was unknown.
And that they needed to proceed with evacuating the people.
Could she be considered the strongest among all the past saints?
Without showing any signs of panic, Iriel listened intently to Rays words.
Then, with a determined expression, she made a decision.
The residents below should evacuate to Silien, and those here should flee to Gehel.
Ray nodded at her words and said,
Well likely need relief supplies. Tell them to issue an emergency order when the support troops arrive from here.
Understood.
Ray stepped outside again.
Issuing an emergency order would halt all traffic coming to the Academy.
Closing the borders and restricting entry would minimize the damage.
As the saint, she had sufficient authority to do so.
If Ray had been alone, he would have found the situation much harder to manage.
It was a moment when Ray felt reassured by her presence.
All thats left is to issue the evacuation order.
They had discovered the magic circle too late.
In fact, had it not been for Aira, it would have gone unnoticed.
Even if they suddenly announced an evacuation, he wondered how many would actually leave, but he knew his role was to maximize that number.
As soon as he stepped outside, the sight of a massive cliff startled him.
Aira stood at the top.
He had asked her to find a high place visible to everyone, and she had done just that, earning his admiration.
From this height, everyone would surely see him.
Ray climbed the cliff with a dagger secured at his waist.
He couldnt activate mana in his body, nor did he know how to use Fly magic.
He had to rely solely on his physical strength to climb.
His method of climbing the cliff differed greatly from when he had climbed trees in the elf village.
He stabbed the dagger into the cliff and leapt up, yanking it out as he ascended. To the onlookers, his movements seemed almost miraculous.
Upon reaching the top, Ray gathered his mana.
He summoned the mana with determination, ensuring he could be heard throughout the Academy.
The tremendous flow of mana captivated the surrounding magicians.
Ray shouted loudly,
Everyone, evacuate to Gehel immediately! Staying here could mean death!
He spoke with urgency, but the expressions of the people didnt change much.
Didnt you see the monsters attacking!? Something worse than that is happening!
However, when he suddenly said this, how many would leave their homes and shops to evacuate?
A few seemed to be preparing to evacuate, but most just marveled at the sudden cliff and the young man climbing it.
Hes young, but quite talented
Creating a cliff like that Could he be the head sorcerer?
The outcry from such a powerful individual made only a few people evacuate.
That was all.
As amazed as they were, only a very few heeded his words to evacuate.
Ray gritted his teeth.
He threw off his robe.
Then his white hair and lake-blue eyes were revealed.
Although he wasnt wearing holy robes, his appearance matched that of a saint to anyone who saw him.
The nobles of the Academy might not have known his face.
After all, only nobles with titles could attend the baptismal ceremony where he had officiated.
The children of nobles without titles had no chance to be present.
They just waited in the lobby for the ceremony to conclude.
But it was different for the common people.
They had heard all the heart-stirring words Ray had spoken at the baptism ceremony.
No one else might remember, but the common people couldnt forget his face.
He wasnt known as the saint who captured the hearts of the people for nothing.
Ray, filled with mana again, looked around and declared,
In the name of the saint, I command you! Leave this place! Those who disobey will face the consequences!
To create a dramatic effect, he manifested magic in the air.
Ray cast spells lightly towards areas without mana reactions, places devoid of people.
Invisible blades of wind slashed at the buildings.
In an instant, several small buildings collapsed.
Boom!
Frightened by the noise, the merchants were the first to heed Rays words and evacuate.
After all, it was a command from the saint to the people.
Resisting would have led to imprisonment.
As though the previous events were a lie, the residents began to evacuate in haste.
In unison, Ray kept casting magic toward unpopulated areas.
Whoosh - Boom!
Forcing them to evacuate in this manner seemed the best option for the moment.
Ray felt as bewildered as the residents by the sudden barrage of events.
From the earlier start of the uprising forces to the necromancer and the bone dragon.
These events had culminated in the current crisis, with monsters invading the city and a magic circle cast over an area.
It became clear that someone was targeting the Holy Kingdom.
Yet the identity of the perpetrator remained a mystery.
There was only one individual who might know: the necromancer Ray had previously captured.
Ill make you confess everything when we get back to Selonia, even the color of the underwear youre wearing.
That perverse thought alone was enough to send a shiver down the necromancers spine.
The sourc𝗲 of this content is free(w)ebnov(𝒆)l