“How is it?”
In a spacious office with a clear view of the lighthouse landscape, Lapis, who wore a fatigued expression as she rubbed her forehead, inquired.
“It’s not easy.”
Grisha, who had been standing behind her, nonchalantly replied with a pipe dangling from her mouth, which she had discarded onto the common floor earlier.
Despite being covered in dust from the floor, Lapis understood that Grisha paid no mind to such trifles. She was known for her eccentric behavior, consistent with her role as a Spellcaster.
The dust on the floor failed to capture her attention.
Continuing to chew on her pipe, Grisha elaborated,
“It’s more than I thought. I assumed his abilities were mediocre since he was just an assistant professor in a university lab, but it’s completely unexpected.”
“Can you be more specific?”
“Hmm, it’s hard to compare. He’s quite different from the wizards I know…”
Grisha, well aware of her formidable capabilities as a sorceress, infused weight into her words.
Lost in contemplation, Lapis attentively absorbed Grisha’s narrative.
“He was very proficient in combat using spells. Not only is he talented, but he also knows exactly which type of spells to use when necessary. Especially the final transmutation he used…”
Grisha reminisced about the sequence of spells Lennok had employed during their brief encounter. Lennok had conjured a spherical boundary of gravitational chains, freezing everything within its confines. He effortlessly transitioned between two distinct schools of magic, culminating in the creation of a lightning spear to dispatch his adversary. The vivid memory of that scene lingered in Grisha’s mind.
“It seems like he’s used to these kinds of situations.”
“Definitely. He didn’t even flinch when he saw my ‘South Mando Coast Guard.’ Though he’s not perfect, he’s definitely entered the realm.”
Though Grisha’s assessment was subjective and rooted in intuition, it surprisingly depicted Lennok as a wizard with remarkable accuracy.
She not only gauged the pinnacle of Lennok’s magical prowess but also recognized his combat proficiency. This indicated that Lennok’s battle instincts, honed through countless perilous encounters, were sharp enough to pose a threat even to Grisha.
“I’m seeing a wizard like him for the first time, and he never even changed his expression during the fight. From my life experience, when you come across such tricky fellows—”
“They are people who should not be underestimated.”
Lapis interjected.
Disregarding Grisha’s momentary silence, Lapis proceeded with caution.
“I also tried to maximize the use of my ‘Celestial Sight’ to gauge Evan, but I couldn’t get any useful information. As you said, he’s likely a man with many secrets.”
Didn’t Amon harbor continuous suspicions about Lennok’s true identity when he initially arrived?
It was only after witnessing Davi during the confrontation with Byzen that Amon became convinced. There was no need to elaborate on how expertly Lennok had concealed himself.
“I didn’t leave this cave specifically to maintain my ‘Celestial Sight’ for as long as possible… but it didn’t have much effect.”
The reason she remained within this cavern to hear Lennok’s account even after his duel with Grisha was not extraordinary.
As one ascended the levels of the lighthouse, ‘Celestial Sight’ grew more potent and distinct.
Although all the upper spaces had collapsed, forcing Lapis to rely on her meager abilities, the amplification she experienced within this cave was significant.
Yet, she couldn’t ascertain the depth of Lennok’s capabilities.
He was a formidable individual.
Lapis concluded, contemplating his sharp combat skills, refined through bloodshed and battles, as well as his adeptness at concealing his true self.
When confronted by a formidable sorceress like Grisha, Lennok displayed a detachment that viewed the situation as a mere business transaction.
It was a blade that could easily cut one’s hand if mishandled.
However, Lapis was aware that Lennok deliberately unveiled this aspect of himself to her.
If he had desired concealment, he would have acted as he did when they first crossed paths, assuming the guise of an inconspicuous college assistant professor.
Instead, Lennok demonstrated his worth by confronting Grisha’s provocations head-on.
This was possible because Lennok possessed unwavering confidence in his own abilities.
Lapis found herself in need of a wizard with such exceptional skills – no, even an additional comrade would be essential.
Even if their relationship started as a mere transaction.
He was a person worth having on their side.
“It’s risky, but he’s a person worth cooperating with. There’s no reason to make him an enemy, even if he doesn’t catch the Blue Dragon’s eye right away,” Lapis concluded.
“He’s after the Drug Lord’s vault, so there’s no reason for us to distance ourselves. I’ll get started right away tomorrow.”
***
The following day.
Lapis sought out Lennok early in the morning.
The office had transformed drastically from the spacious setting of the previous day.
One wall was adorned with a map of the eastern continent, while the other was lined with hundreds of books. It was in this room that Lapis greeted Lennok.
“You look quite tired,” Lapis observed.
Lennok absentmindedly rubbed his eyes. “…I had some personal matters to attend to.”
“Is it about interrogating the Tower Wizard? If it’s about tracking, there’s no need to worry too much. Once inside the lighthouse, it’s impossible to find us by any means.”
“Well, it’s not just that.”
On that night, Lennok had kept Byzen up until dawn, extracting the unique magic of Blaiver Tower.
The issue was that Byzen possessed few spells, but witnessing the level 5 fire mana firsthand had been enlightening.
After organizing and mastering the flow of fire-elemental mana, there had been little time left for sleep.
Gazing intensely at Lennok, Lapis gave a slight nod and got to the point.
“The idea of tracking down the medicinal herbs collected from the collapsed island is quite groundbreaking,” said Lapis.
“Not all herbs flowing from the collapsed island are considered precious, but they all share the unique characteristics of the now-submerged soil. It’s distinct yet rare enough to be specific… It’s an ideal basis for using color-spectrum spells.”
Lennok remained composed. Having conducted extensive research on color-spectrum spells, he wasn’t taken aback.
Concealing his identity and nature had mainly involved neutralizing color-spectrum magic.
Of course, he knew how to employ it to its full potential, especially when facing the Lighthouse Keeper, who possessed peak ‘seeing’ abilities.
It shouldn’t pose much of a challenge.
“If you use ‘Relational Vision,’ which is part of the abilities passed down from my grandmother, it should be possible to see through the security spells or concealment mana on the floating islands as you wish.”
“Let’s get started then.”
“However, there’s one issue.”
“What?
With a somewhat embarrassed expression, Lapis lowered her head slightly under Lennok’s gaze.
“Due to my lack of skill, it’s difficult for me to use complex abilities like ‘Relational Vision’.”
“What age are you now?”
“I turned sixteen last month…”
“…”
Given her young age, it was difficult to scold her for deeming her abilities inadequate.
Lennok was left momentarily speechless, never expecting that the granddaughter of an Ascender who had lived for hundreds of years would be so young.
“But that doesn’t mean there’s no way.”
“Go on.”
“Because I’ve been taught by the spellcaster Grisha, my abilities are biased towards spellcasting.”
Lennok, who quickly grasped Lapis’s implication, spoke.
“So you’re saying it’s possible to temporarily amplify the abilities of Celestial Sight through certain conditions.”
“…You’re quite sharp. Yes, there’s an item that can help with using ‘Relational Vision’. However…”
“However?”
“To procure the necessary item, some time will be needed. The item is located in the underground vault of the autonomous region’s government building, so it’s difficult to access without the assistance of a person involved.”
“…”
“To leave no traces in the boundary, a skilled wizard is needed, but all such skilled individuals are currently occupied with other operations.”
The government building… If what she’s saying holds true, then Lapis’s request begins to make sense.
Although the autonomous island territories may give off an impression of freedom and relaxation, Lennok understood.
The reason these territories could maintain peace, despite the influx of numerous outsiders – many of them spellcasters proficient in manipulating mana and various spells – was their overwhelming military strength relative to their land holdings.
Although not immediately apparent, the stationed forces responsible for handling terrestrial matters across the various floating islands had upheld public order amid the chaos.
This was also why Lennok and other spellcasters could undertake external contracts and work on the plant without encountering issues.
Byzen’s attack on Lennok had occurred at dawn when security was somewhat relaxed, and patrols were scarce. Even then, it had been risky to act hastily on the island.
Given these circumstances, there was no need to elaborate on the dangers of recklessly tampering with the underground vault of the autonomous region’s government building.
Lapis seemed reluctant to come across as if she were giving orders to Lennok, but he had no intention of delaying.
“I’ll go myself. What exactly needs to be done?”
“The senior executive in charge of the relics department at the autonomous government building has a long-standing cooperative relationship with the lighthouse. If you get his help, accessing the underground vault and retrieving the item should not be difficult.”
Lapis replied calmly.
“First, he will deactivate the security barrier for you to enter, and as you leave, you’ll use your mana to erase any trace that the barrier was opened. Once the system has been opened once, manipulating the mana shouldn’t be that difficult.”
Is it because it’s a barrier made by magic that even when they have a skilled sorcerer like Grisha, they feel a lacking?”
“If it’s related to the Drug Lord’s warehouse, then we must handle the situation decisively on our side. Regardless of what happens in an emergency, we need the capacity to track down and eliminate it.”
“Hmm…”
“If Evan takes the lead, then we will also add enough force on our side.”
Lapis stated this and glanced behind Lennok.
“Among the watchers, the busiest person has returned to the lighthouse, so let’s willingly borrow their hand.”
“You unlucky child.”
Grisha, with a cigar in her mouth, leaned against the office wall.
She grinned and waved at Lennok.
“Are you ready for a date with this young lady?”
***
“Honestly, I don’t understand.”
Whooosh!!
A gusty wind swept across the cliff.
Lennok spoke as he peered down at the distant grand palace.
“Why is a powerful sorcerer like you cooperating in such a matter?”
The largest floating island in the autonomous territory, Floating Island No. 1. It possessed its own designation, but that wasn’t of concern.
This area, with its dense congregation of large floating islands amidst the vast skies of the autonomous territory, was one of the busiest regions within the community.
And the government building overseeing all administrative affairs of the autonomous territory lay just beneath the cliffs of Floating Island No. 1.
Lennok and Grisha gazed at the rear of the government building from their vantage point on the cliff above.
Grisha crossed her arms and replied to Lennok’s query,
“Well, you probably have a rough idea already.”
“……”
Speculating and hearing it directly from her own lips were entirely different.
A potent sorceress like Grisha would undoubtedly rank among the upper echelons of regional powers or influential figures in her homeland.
The likelihood that she had journeyed this far to an autonomous region to collaborate with Lapis for reasons more intricate than a simple transaction was high.
Considering the tales she had recounted about her homeland while expanding her Domain…
With her cigarette in her mouth, Grisha responded,
“I made a promise with Grandmother. And I have my own reasons as well. Do you want me to tell you about them?”
