13 – Recipe(3)

Knights who went out to reconnaissance reported finding no trace.

Upon receiving the report, Popper’s expression darkened.

“The situation is not very good.”

He seemed to be foretelling that a ghoul would join the group.

“Search all the gardens, vacant lots, and places with weak ground in the village.”

All the roads in the village were meticulously paved with stones, so it didn’t seem easy to find a place where ghouls could dig in.

The knights split into several groups and scattered in all directions.

Sylveryn and I joined Popper’s search party. Four knights were following us behind us.

The knights occasionally glanced at me as they rode their horses and looked around.

It was only natural that he was riding a horse while still holding on to Silverin’s arms.

Silverin said that I had to stay close to protect me from the ghoul attack, but now that I think about it, it was correct to walk even if the ghoul would tear my flesh.

I said in a low voice.

“Teacher.”

“yes?”

“Can I go on foot?”

“no.”

Silverin firmly cut my will.

It was hard to concentrate on searching for the ghoul because the gaze was so stinging.

The search continued for an hour. No sign came out, and Popper’s complexion darkened somewhat.

If they couldn’t find the ghoul this time, they had to gather more troops and build a defense line for the entire village in preparation for an attack. More resources for defense were required, trade was reduced, and the residents had to constantly be in a state of anxiety, so the burden was high.

As I was moving, there was a place that caught my attention.

“… ?”

It was a very familiar house. I didn’t know it because it was mostly covered by a fence, but as I got closer, the shape was revealed, so I was sure.

Red brick two-story house.

It was the mansion I faced in my dreams.

why is that

Silverin was surprised to see that my gaze was fixed.

“what’s the matter?”

what to say Would you believe me if I told you I saw that house in my dream? In my dreams, there were just bookshelves and books. There were no images or allusions directly related to ghouls.

If it was Silverine, they might believe it, but it was clear that the knights would look down on her badly if she said that she would crawl into someone else’s house without saying that she had seen it in a dream.

I was in a position where I couldn’t step out. If I step out and cause trouble, the reputation of Silverin, who had me as a disciple, could be damaged, so I had to watch the situation for now.

“it’s nothing.”

***

The knights of the search party, joined by Joyce, were talking about the archmage Silverin.

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Judging from their leisurely flirting, it seemed that they did not take the ghoul issue seriously. I just think of it as a single event that makes an achievement.

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Joyce did not intervene and listened in silence to their chatter.

“I was surprised. When I only heard rumors, I thought you were a granny.”

“You’re the youngest professor, so why is a hag appearing?”

“Since he’s Professor Eternia, I thought he’d be 45 even if he’s the youngest.”

“Hey, if you have such a pretty old woman, come out. I will take you.”

“I’ve never seen someone like that in my life. Am I blind because I live in a rural area?”

“More than that, I can’t believe I subdued the Inferno Golem with a face that didn’t seem to have suffered like that.”

Berelman jokingly warned them.

“Watch your snout. If you guys get caught doing this, you’ll be burned at the stake, you bastards.”

Berelman, who was a senior driver, said while looking at Joyce.

“Hey, how are you? He might be your future professor.”

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Joyce knew. Even if she entered the academy, since Silverin was a professor at the Ministry of Magic and she was a member of the Combat Department, there would be no point of contact except for a few cooperative classes.

It’s just what’s on his mind.

“I’m curious about the skills of the disciple.”

A letter of recommendation given only to the best talent.

In terms of swordsmanship, no one had ever seen a talent that was superior to his own. Although the place where he tested his talent was confined to Lee Wiesel, he was confident that he would not fall behind anyone his age.

However, Silverin, who is rooted in the Wiesel area, writes a letter of recommendation to someone of Joyce’s age.

It was a strange blow to Joyce’s pride. He didn’t say anything, but he believed that Joyce, as Wiesel’s greatest talent, deserved to be listed on the letter of recommendation.

Another senior knight, Volk, intervened.

“Oh, that handsome friend?”

Then he spoke.

“Isn’t he going for magic? You’re a wizard apprentice. From the looks of it, it doesn’t look like you’ve suffered at all.”

“You’re being blacked out. what kind of sword is a wizard The scabbard and handle are burnt, he’s a guy who uses a sword.”

‘You say you’re using a sword?’

A small spark lit up in Joyce’s heart.

Go to Eternia Academy for swordsmanship. And that too on much better terms than yourself.

Volk said with a twitch of his clown.

“Oh, did you see that? hehehehe riding a horse and going away in your arms. It looked good to sell.”

The knights started to laugh at those words.

“What kind of gold is it, jade, you raised it like a baby?”

The articles added word by word.

“You never know. Maybe he accepted as a disciple at the request of a noble or royal family. Otherwise, is there any reason to cherish it so much?”

“Hey, be careful what you say.”

“No, nonsense. If you write a letter of recommendation, you are a genius. The way I see it, he doesn’t seem like a genius at all.”

“How do you know if you haven’t seen it?”

Volk said in a cheeky manner.

“If you pretend, you pretend.”

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Joyce, inwardly, agreed with them to some extent. Silverin accepted the sword-wielding boy as a disciple and put his name on the letter of recommendation. However, he stopped by the knights in the territory and made the decision without looking at other talents.

It must have been because there was an improper request, or because a better gemstone was not found.

Berelman tapped Joyce on the shoulder and said.

“Try to show off your skills this time. do you know If I cut more ghouls, will they keep an eye on me?”

It was a lightly thrown horse, but the horse had bones.

This subjugation could have been an opportunity for Joyce.

If you take down that guy with your skills. If you show an overwhelming superiority with your skills in front of everyone.

If Silverin makes a cause to reconsider his decision.

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Joyce had a chance. And he was more confident than anyone else.

“How easy is it to deal with ghouls?”

“It is difficult. But hey, do you think that handsome guy has ever dealt with a ghoul?”

To deal with one ghoul, two knights had to stick together. Its flesh is hard and it has spines on its back like a hedgehog, making it very difficult to deal with with a knife.

It has the strength several times that of an adult man, and can tear people to pieces with its bare hands. I have seen quite a few knights whose limbs were ripped off by ghouls and could never hold a sword again.

With Joyce’s skills, if she overdid it a little, she could deal with one ghoul alone. For practitioners of the same age, this is impossible.

Had he lived in the Wiesel region, Silverin’s apprentice would have never seen a ghoul.

Even if he properly dealt with the ghouls, he would have the upper hand to some extent.

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Joyce fiddled with the sword at her waist, waiting for a moment of opportunity.

***

Popper was waiting at the big crossroads in the middle of town. Popper’s face sank heavily as he received reports from those who had returned from reconnaissance.

Reinforcement of troops seemed inevitable.

If they couldn’t find the ghoul, they would have to station that many troops in this village without any promise.

Silverin watched the situation quietly and said.

“No monster is easy. Big or small, strong or weak, it’s all hard.”

“When you get involved with a person, any monster becomes difficult.”

When the monster appears, form a subjugation party and defeat it.

How nice it would be if things were neatly done like that.

The reality was not that simple.

Silverin said that the rumors of a demonic beast causing a commotion could damage the area.

Thanks to Wizel’s reputation for being safe from the Witchbeast, merchants were using it as a trade route to reduce escort costs. This village prospered quickly thanks to its location in the middle of the trade route.

If rumors spread that a large number of troops are stationed in the village and are building a defense line, trade will also shrink, which will soon lead to a decrease in tax revenue.

This was the reason why the subjugation team risked life and death to finish the work quickly.

It was inevitable that something had happened, and there was something I wanted to check right away more than anything else. Now, when the search team was in a lull waiting for a report after work, was the perfect timing.

“Teacher.”

“yes?”

“There’s something I want to check, but I’m going somewhere for a while.”

Silverin listened to my words, stared into the void, and pondered for a moment.

“Where is it?”

“I just had an uncomfortable place.”

Silverin crosses her arms and glares at me intently. After a moment of thought, she opened her mouth.

“Looks like you don’t want to talk. Yeah, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but go ahead.”

“It might not be a big deal. I’ll be back soon.”

“wait for a sec.”

As I was about to leave, Silverin stopped me and pulled something out of the inside pocket of my robe and handed it to me.

It was a small iron ball with a unique wavy pattern.

I accepted it and looked carefully.

Inside the iron beads visible between the patterns, intricate gears and runes were visible.

“Stitch is a magical tool that is used like a telegram. Throw this into the sky just in case something happens. This will give you your location.”

“What if you are indoors?”

“Isn’t the shape just perfect for breaking windows?”

I mean throw it out the window.

“… All right.”