Episode 25. pond (1)

The day after hearing about Sepia’s bullying situation from Frill and the real face of student council president Euril.

In order to deal with an urgent situation, there was something to be prepared for.

“Come on? You decided to go learn magic today. At least I should have the strength to protect myself. Where in the world is there a magic professor who can’t use magic?”

“Can’t we just ask Mina to protect us?”

“Say something that makes sense… .”

As I told you last night, Elma, who had been summoned from the morning, hadn’t even left the room yet, but started crying.

“Sir, do I have to go there? yes?”

“Hey. Meriel also willingly offers to help, but what if you, the goddess, are scared?”

“If you go there at the level of a teacher, you’ll just be killed! No matter how difficult it is to learn magic. It’s not like you’re self-determining!”

“It’s not like that, I have a plan. Did you forget that I am a possessor?”

“So far, the teacher has only picked up one ghost by using the contents of the novel. Can you trust me?”

“that’s! It is, but… .”

Fortunately, I had people like Professor Dana and Mint students who would be on my side, and thanks to Meriel’s help, I could now breathe in the problem of acting as an aristocrat.

Even though I’m definitely in the position of possessing a novel, I’ve lived a very honest life until now.

“I can’t just get help forever.”

According to Lien’s report in the morning, it seemed that I had no assignments given to me, except for the 3rd session of Mana and Magic Language Supplemental Class, which will be held five days later.

During that time, only vague instructions came from Associate Professor Hadley to discuss and set the direction for the joint research plan with Professor Dana.

I had to make good use of these five days, which were given like gold.

“You’re not a dragon hatchling, how do you learn magic in 5 days?”

“Of course, you can’t learn the standard way. I have no choice but to use an expedient.”

“Haa, why is that a ‘pond’… .”

“You hate it there?”

“Because I don’t even know what’s at the bottom! eww… . I feel bad already.”

An endless abyss, a place overflowing with ultra-high concentrations of mana.

A place infested with strange creatures that are hard to define and show hostility to humans.

Today’s destination is the ‘Pond’, a restricted area where, like the deep sea in reality, there is no light, and the deeper you go, the more dangerous it is, so related exploration is also being carried out very slowly.

In the original story, monsters crawl up to the ground from the year the main character of the novel enters school, one of the signs of the end of the world.

“Then why are you going to such a place!? Are there only real monsters out there?”

“Trust me. As long as things go according to my thoughts, I can easily surpass the level of most students in 5 days.”

A place that everyone avoids, an unknown space that has not been revealed.

Originally, fraudulent items are in such a place.

* * *

After observing Professor Ian’s class.

“Ahhhhh… .”

Dana has lost interest in the very act of research.

Dragons are not a species that seeks the truth, that is, asks why in research. I just do it because I’m a dragon. Because it’s natural, it’s reasonable, it makes sense.

‘Why am I holding on to this?’

A common thought among humans.

However, for a dragon, Dana was lying on the bed, thinking about something so unconventional that it would be like denying the world.

Even now, at this moment, her assistants must be suffering while fighting the Chimera, but they themselves have chosen the path of slavery, so what can they do?

Dana, whose tangerine-colored hair was undone, which was always tied in a ponytail, was lost in thought in a study uniform.

‘Stop doing this, should I study humans?’

One of the things I felt while taking Professor Ian’s class was that Dana had never tried to understand the heart of her sister who loved humans until now.

I’ve been looking for my sister for 100 years, and that failed, so I planned to wait here for 100 years.

‘I’ve been thinking about finding my sister, but I’ve never thought about her… .’

Even thinking about it, he was like a dragon.

‘If we’re going to study humans, the target should be Professor Ian, of course.’

It’s a completely different entity from the humans she’s studied so far. The singular case deserves a separate classification and a lengthy observation.

‘If other humans also have a side like Professor Ian… .’

smart.

At that time, someone came to the private room, and Dana’s face crumpled in an instant.

Until now, the only person who had come to visit her famously eccentric was Vice-Professor Hadley, who had come to nag her.

“You must have come here to say why you are not doing research, nasty lady… .”

Dana, who was bothered by everything, cried out as she pulled the blanket over herself.

“Professor Hadley!? I’m peeing in the bathtub right now!”

“… This is Ian. Excuse me.”

“Keee!!”

When Dana ran out barefoot, Professor Ian was standing in front of the door.

I had been thinking of him until a moment ago, but when I met him right in front of me without any mental preparation, Dana was taken aback to the point where it was strange even to think about it.

Ian said to Dana, who was speechless.

“… Are you done?”

“no! It’s not like that!”

“I’m sorry for coming so suddenly. But, there are things that deserve it.”

“Yeah? Is it worth it? Is it something you shouldn’t let others know?”

“Exactly. Can you sneak somewhere with me right now?”

“… Yeah?”

Professor Ian looked a little strangely at Dana, who had nothing to say.

“Professor Dana? Are you sick by any chance?”

“… yes? yes no! Yes, come with me! I don’t know where, but I was very bored.”

Effortless, Dana straightened the disheveled research uniform.

* * *

A small mountain south of the school. At the top of this nameless place, there was a hole so deep that the end could not be measured, and the inside was filled with unknown black water.

5 years ago. It was at that time that the monsters that the heroes had put to sleep suddenly gathered their forces and began endlessly challenging the borders.

In a situation where the country was in dizziness due to the war with demon beasts, the imperial family, who did not want to cause other confusion to the people, designated this place as the first-class secret of the imperial family and began secretly researching it.

As a result of top-secret research conducted by Kiruna’s professors, who were recognized by the Imperial Society, it was revealed that the black liquid that filled the pond had a high concentration of mana dissolved in it that could not be seen in nature.

It was even revealed that strange creatures that feed on mana, ‘unexplainable beings’ live in the pond like deep sea fish.

“No, it doesn’t make sense that such a suspicious and dangerous space is an hour’s walk from the school? It’s a place where kids go, so can I keep something like this around?”

“Isn’t there a saying that it is dark under the lamp? Moreover, five years ago, it suddenly happened without any warning. Considering the size of Kiruna, it would not be possible to suddenly relocate the entire school. But if you ask me if I can close the school… .”

“Well, it might have been at a different school, but Kiruna wouldn’t give up.”

“And, isn’t Kiruna the place where the best scholars gather? I was going to entrust the study of the pond to the trustworthy professors in Kiruna.”

“Then, very few of the professors know about this place and are doing research on it secretly. What do you mean?”

“It is as you said.”

On this cold day, the soldiers who surrounded us with spears were staring like crazy at the two of us chatting carefreely with our hands raised.

The identification process was taking a long time. Thinking I was wasting too much of my time, I challenged them.

“Even if you are not the manager of the pond, according to the regulations, the full professor of the Kiruna School of Magic can be allowed limited access to the pond for the purpose of research. Am I wrong?”

“Yes, your identity has been confirmed. but… .”

I looked at the teaching certificate containing the oath of the goddess more than 10 times, but the sentry under the direct control of the imperial family, who was still wary of us, asked me one last time.

“The professor requested limited access to the inside of the pond for research purposes. Since you are not a pond researcher, from the moment you enter the pond, you can be listed on the A-class observation list by the imperial family.”

It’s the same if I put a pond researcher on it.

I don’t like being watched by the imperial family, but since I have to learn magic right now, I don’t have the time to argue about likes and dislikes.

“In addition, if the professor discloses secrets about the pond to someone in the school or an act equivalent to it is identified, sanctions without trial may be imposed without trial under the authority of the emperor, and we cannot be held responsible for this. Do you agree?”

“I agree.”

“good. One more thing, Professor, if you reveal the contents related to the pond to someone who is not related to it, you must have a magic pattern stamped on a part of your body, which will be immediately reported to the imperial family along with pain.”

“You are thorough.”

“The pattern is preserved semi-permanently, and even if you voluntarily erase it, it is immediately reported to the imperial family. Do you also agree with this?”

“If possible, can you take a picture where you can’t see it?”

“… It is transparent.”

“is it? Then it doesn’t matter. I agree.”

The imperial family would keep an eye on it, but it was a condition that there would be no problem if you kept your mouth shut about the pond’s secrets. There is no reason not to agree.

“Guys, close the window. We will escort the professor now. I will guide you to the pond, so please follow me.”

Dana also followed me with her eyes shining.

The top of the mountain south of Kiruna, where the snow hasn’t melted yet.

At a glance, the small size of the black and strange lake contrasted with the white snow.

As if all the evils of the world were poured out with filth. Even just looking at the deep pond, where you couldn’t see an inch in front of you, made you feel rejected for an unknown reason.

For a dragon whose quest is his instinct and the meaning of life, only the imperial family’s monitoring and watchful mouth are required as a fee for completely new research data.

There’s no way Dana would refuse that.

“Eh? Wait.”

“Why is that?”

“How did you know about this, junior? As you said, no one else can know that a place like this exists unless the manager of the pond brought you here.”

Dana’s question was sharp, but unfortunately I had Elmaemon who could fill all the odds.

“professor. Do you see this light next to me?”

“Yeah?”

“… The Goddess told me this place.”

“No, what does that mean… . What is this and why is it real?”

After dismissing all doubts.

With a goddess shining nervously by the side, we arrive at the darkest and deepest place in the world.