Chapter 279

Chapter 279

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Chapter 279

The elderly mage put down the book he was holding and removed his glasses.

"Go on."

"I'm going to discuss the monster we encountered today."

Yuder didn't stretch out his explanation. He briefly shared his observations – the behavior of the Pethuamet, its voracious appetite, the traces it constantly left while prowling around the magic circles and the ruins, and even the shimmering light from its tongue as it tried to swallow the magic stone. After explaining all that he had seen, he succinctly conveyed his conjecture.

"...I think this monster possesses the ability to absorb magic, as you've mentioned before. Although I've managed to kill two of them, there may be more hidden or could appear in the future. We need to respond quickly."

"If that's the case, there's a high likelihood it truly is a magic-absorbing monster. By response, you mean... extermination?"

The astute mage was quick on the uptake. However, Yuder's objective was not merely about extermination.

"Yes. We need to find out how many more are in the forest and deal with them. I can handle that alone. However... I'd like to request that, in anticipation of any possible scenarios, apart from basic protection magic, we cease all other magic circle activities and momentarily deactivate them."

"Deactivate the magic circles?"

"Yes. Not only because of the monsters, but there are other reasons too..."

A momentary twitch appeared at the corners of Micalin's wrinkled eyes.

"That's problematic."

Cutting off Yuder's words, the elderly mage answered firmly, a low chuckle escaping his lips moments later.

"Look here. You may have learned a little about magic since coming here, but magic circles aren't so easily deactivated and reinstalled on a whim. If anything, pushing for a swift recovery might work, but deactivation is out of the question."

"So you're saying it's entirely impossible to deactivate."

"It's not about impossibility. If you deactivate the amplification circle set up there, all the effort we've put in thus far would go down the drain. It would mean restarting the research that has taken considerable money, time, and manpower to bring to this point. Do you think you can handle that?"

Micalin shook his head, murmuring "That's not going to happen."

"You said the monster is very weak. I don't think we need to go that far."

"I understand your concerns. But in a situation where we have no time to properly recover the damaged circles, what if the monster absorbs even a part of the amplification circle? Then... it won't be just a weak monster anymore."

"You've got quite an imagination. This isn't a matter for the Awakener to decide, but for us mages who understand magic. Let's leave it at that."

It wasn't mere imagination. In his previous life, this might have actually happened. But Micalin made it clear he didn't want to talk about it any further. By mentioning the Awakener and mages at the same time, he implied that Yuder's actions were being seen as excessive interference, an overstep of his bounds.

In the end, Micalin had turned away from Yuder's gaze.

"Would it not have been better if you asked to understand the principles behind the magic circle near the Magic Spring, the geography of the Great Sarain Forest, or offered swift assistance in monster subjugation? But the amplification circle... I did not anticipate having to intervene that far. There are too many here who stake everything on the outcome it could bring. I can immediately cooperate on anything else, but I need you to understand that it's difficult to decide this matter on my own."

"Didn't you say that it is shameful to turn a blind eye to what happens in the pursuit of truth? Yet you are saying this now?"

At the pointed comment, the ends of Micalin's pale brows trembled. The elderly mage was fiercely conflicted between his own shame, the intensely desired research objectives, and the audacious young man standing before him, eventually bowing his head.

"Was it not agreed that detailed cooperation would be discussed when your companions return, not now? It is not that time yet."

"..."

"Please leave."

The order to leave was finally issued. Yuder closed his mouth and turned around.

'If Kishiar and the others return as promised tomorrow, I'll start with this discussion.'

There was a possibility that Micalin and the mages of the Western Mage Union could completely reverse their cooperative stance before their return. Feeling a bit sorry at the thought that the returning Cavalry members might be dumbfounded or disappointed, Yuder decided not to regret the words he had just spat out to Micalin.

'After all, it might have been strange to hope everything would go smoothly with a partnership gained through a mere introductory letter from Thais Yulman.'

The mages weren't bad people. Both Lorna and Micalin were quite reasonable and intelligent. It was just that he hadn't properly understood that their reasonableness was only in areas outside of their research.

'So, this situation was bound to happen.'

If even Micalin, who was in charge of this place, couldn't be convinced, there was no chance for things to improve through conversation with those under his sway. If Micalin were to completely refuse cooperation afterward, it seemed better to handle the work alone, as he always had, rather than hoping for cooperation with them.

Moving alone had been his forte since his previous life. It was much more comfortable for Yuder than considering others.

However, he couldn't easily quell his troubled feelings.

'Have I become weak?'

It was worrisome. Now, more than ever, was a time when strength was needed. Yuder sighed, rolling the last piece of candy in his pocket with his fingers.

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