The cool breeze hit my face as I flew with deafening speed.
My body was augmented to handle the strain, and my attire had been enchanted with the best of materials and Magic formula, so nothing I had on was reducing in durability.
It normally took about 5-7 days to get to Ainzlark Academy from my Household's Manor, however, it didn't even take an hour for me to see the Academy City from my heights.
"Oh? It has changed quite a bit…"
For one, I saw heightened security stationed to encircle the territory.
This didn't come as a surprise to me since I noticed the same thing happening in every territory I hovered above before getting here. It had to be as a result of the looming Demonic threat.
Since Ainzlark was one of the three major areas of the Kingdom—which even the Nobles revered—the level of security I encountered was warranted.
Still…
'… If I use conventional means to enter the city, it'll take too long..'
Why hadn't I simply requested a Letter of Introduction from my mother? If I used something like that, my identity would have been certified. Unfortunately, in my rush, I neglected such an essential factor.
'Well, I needed to get out of there as fast as possible…'
With that in mind, it was going to be troublesome going through the front gate.
"I'll just use teleportation, then…"
With that whisper, I raised my left hand—shrouded in a white glove—hand snapped my fingers.
Instantly, blue energy shrouded me, and I felt sparks of electrical currents envelop my immediate surrounding.
'Let's see… I'll go there!'
My eyes spotted an inconspicuous alley within the city, and I used that as my goal. In an instant…
>VWOOOOOOOSSSSHHHHH!!!<
… I appeared there!
***************
The city was quite lively—for a place that was bordered with such thick security.
'The general populace doesn't know about the looming threat, after all…'
Only the nobility and guardians in charge of their wards within Ainzlark were told of the incident. Plus, they were bound by Magic not to reveal whatever information they had received to a third party.
As a result, the common people were without a clue about the Demons. Even if rumors were to spread, most folks believed Demons to be myths. At the most, it would serve as a good bedtime story to tell the little ones.
'A threat of such massive scale in the past has been reduced to this… how pleasant…'
Their obliviousness was the cause of an Arcana called 'The Fool', which dealt with the minds of people.
My friends and I had to use this power to rid everyone of their fear of Demons—even if they could not completely be erased from memory.
As time went on, the remaining vestiges that were left in the hearts of people turned into myths and legends.
'… That Arcana…'
I had no idea where it was.
Unlike the ones I found in our Base, 'The Fool' was hidden from all of us. It was necessary—so that none of us would break the agreement we made, or use the Arcana to once again manipulate the minds of everyone.
"Whew! That's enough sightseeing…"
I removed my concentration from the innocent smiles—and frowns—of the denizens of the city, and looked at my goal.
A large wall and a grand gate stood at the end of the busy street.
One glance at the luxurious construct—even without the aid of my memory—told me that it was the entrance to Ainzlark Academy; at least the preliminary area.
"Now, then…"
A smile permeated my face, and I activated the effect of my white coat.
In an instant, my body became undetectable.
Yes, I had achieved a state akin to invisibility—no, even better. The sounds my feet made as they trod the streets were silenced. My movements made not a single peep, and my stride was smooth.
In moments, I passed by the Academy's entrance with no resistance.
The guards were vigilant, but were no match for me.
Even as I passed through the entrance, I felt the presence of a barrier, but the effects of my outfit made it easy to bypass—or, rather, simply pass through—the defensive layer.
In no time at all, I was inside Ainzlark territory.
'The defense is better than last time, but…'
When confronting Arcanas, or items tailored with them as a base, the Academy was practically naked. Given the nature of our enemies, I had to guess that it wouldn't be impossible for them to get rid of the school if they wanted…
… That is if they could get rid of one essential factor within it.
'That's most likely why this place is still standing…'
***********
Ainzlark Academy was divided into the outer area, and then the inner grounds. It went without saying that the actual school existed in the inner region, and the only way to get there was through the inter-space gateway.
'The Portal, uh…?'
While it was still within this space, the true Academy was shrouded in so many barriers that it would prove troublesome to bypass them all.
That was why even Legris Damien had to employ the portal to send Kahn within the Academy.
'But… I don't need to utilize the Portal, do I?'
I clearly remembered the grounds of Ainzlark Academy—at least the layout and general areas. With that, teleportation would prove to be no problem… but only if I employed the use of an Arcana.
My normal Teleportation Magic could still be interfered with, and even detected, if the layers of Magic in the surrounding area were dense enough. However, using an Arcana—which warped the very essence of the world itself—I could easily pull it off without any resistance.
'Out of the four that I have…'
There was only one fit for the job…
'The Tower!'
In an instant, a card appeared before me. Of course, it remained undetected in the large compound, and the phenomenal Magic it produced remained hidden. Its blue and white light surrounded me, and I felt the very space around me warp.
My entire body was being shifted from the current place I stood, to another location that belonged to memory.
The effects would be instant.
The risks would be null.
That was the power of an Arcana.
