SMMA 83

Chapter 83

“Wadanaz, wasn’t this breach something you prepared in advance?”
“Sometimes I wonder what you all think of me…”

Ihan examined the smashed hole and clicked his tongue.
“Not good.”

“Why?”

“The debris is inside the Artificers’ Hall. The monster came from outside.”

If the creature that broke out was one kept by Professor Thunderstep inside, there would be little worry. But judging by the damage, a large monster from outside surely invaded.

Ratford looked at Ihan with a slightly impressed expression.
“You truly have the qualities of a master thief.”

“Heh…!”

“I can deduce that too, Ratford!”

The Blue Dragon Tower students showed an odd competitiveness.
Though they trailed in academic grades or magic skills, none wanted to fall behind in their thieving skills.

Nillia watched them, bewildered.
“Why are they like that?”

“Maybe they grew up reading stories about honorable thieves,” Yonellia guessed.

Nillia thought that was nonsense.
“Do the Empire’s nobles really grow up reading such ridiculous stories?”

“Are there stories featuring thieves who were hunters?”

“Uh… I’m sure there are thieves who were hunters in some tales…”

While the friends talked, Ihan made up his mind and opened the Artificers’ Hall door.

“Listen carefully. Our goal is not to sneak into the Artificers’ Hall.”

“?”

“???”

Not sneaking in? Then what?

Are they planning to spray paint ‘Blue Dragon Tower students were here’?

“We voluntarily gathered to stop the summoned creature that intruded recklessly and to protect the professor’s precious items.”

“Ah, I see!”

“Indeed!”

The invasion of summoned creatures wasn’t purely negative.
Later, if things went wrong, they could blame the summoned creatures.
Though whether that excuse would work with Professor Thunderstep was doubtful.

“Light.”

Ihan summoned a sphere of light, illuminating the dark first floor of the Artificers’ Hall.

The greenhouses and classrooms along the corridors.
Those who have walked the school by night knew it was completely different from daytime.
What seemed like ordinary classrooms might hide undead.
And plants thriving in warm greenhouses by day seemed to await an opportunity to attack in darkness.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Professor Thunderstep had deliberately prepared such plants.

The first floor was familiar, but the second floor was unknown.
What could be there?

“!”

Ascending to the second floor, a strong magical presence was felt.
The space itself was suffused with mana.

“Spatial Expansion!”

A vast conservatory greeted the students, much larger than the first floor.
Unfamiliar and gigantic plants grew everywhere, overwhelming the students.

“A great alchemist must be a great gardener,” murmured Priestess Siana in awe.
Gathering materials required exploring mountains and fields, so alchemists naturally had to cultivate plants themselves.
Despite this, the scale was impressive.

“Wow. What’s the name of this plant?”

Gainanado pointed excitedly at a vividly colored flower shimmering under moonlight.

Ihan kindly responded, “That flower is Nephelops.”

“Oh! What does it do?”

“It swallows whole any animal that touches its petals.”

“…”

Gainanado recoiled in fright.

“But the honey from that flower sells for a high price…”

“Is that relevant now?!”

“I was only answering your question.”

Ihan answered and looked around.
He knew fewer names than he didn’t; the same for Yonellia and Priestess Siana.

But…

The Artificers’ Hall wasn’t a dorm tower. It was a workshop used by Professor Thunderstep, so traps were unlikely.
Surely Thunderstep was coming and going.

Calmly, Ihan looked for a path. There must be a route Professor Thunderstep used to walk through the greenhouse.

Rattle—

“!”

The skeletal familiar rattled its belt and pointed a direction.
Surprisingly, fresh footprints were visible in the mud, apparently from a monster.

I see. A monster passed first!

It was certain the monster found the path before Professor Thunderstep.

Ihan was about to praise his familiar when Nillia whispered excitedly.

“Ihan, this is amazing! Those are definitely fresh footprints, meaning the monster came through here first. This must be the safe route.”

Ihan paused, then said, “…Really great, Nillia!”

Rattle, rattle!

“You must be from the Shadow Patrol, huh? Amazing. Glad you came. I shudder imagining what we’d do without you.”

“It’s nothing.”

Nillia waved off the praise, but her long ears twitched.

“Alright. I’ll find the way. Tell everyone to follow me.”

“Got it, got it.”

Ihan let Nillia lead and sighed with relief.

Rattle, rattle, rattle!

Apologizing to the rattling familiar, Ihan said, “Sorry. Friendship is more complicated than I thought.”

The skeletal familiar shook its fingers as if to say it didn’t understand.

Following the first monster’s footprints turned out surprisingly effective.

Moving along the greenhouse paths, the students encountered no attacking plants.

Professor Thunderstep had clearly not set traps along his usual route.

Thanks, professor, for your laziness.

Ihan appreciated Thunderstep’s laxity and pressed forward.

-■■■■…

“……”

But luck has its flip side.

At the third-floor stairway at the greenhouse’s edge, Ihan’s expression stiffened when he saw the monster guarding the stairs.

“A bull… right?”

“Yeah. It doesn’t seem like an ordinary bull.”

The damage to the first-floor main door wasn’t enough; the bull’s horns were tangled with debris, vines, and leaves from crushing the greenhouse plants.

Seeing it reminded Ihan of the bull Professor Thunderstep had once mentioned.

…Huh?

Up until then, he had believed the bull caught by Professor Ingdel had been the spirit bull. But now, the bull before him looked much more like the one Thunderstep described.

It had no spirit essence mixed in and was only physically enhanced by various potions.

So perhaps it was summoned by high-level students?

Ihan felt sorry for having blamed Thunderstep’s bull.

No, wait, no reason to feel sorry.

Looking back at the bull, the feeling vanished.

Had they really stationed this brute in the mountains?

“What will you do?”

“No need to fight, right?”

Though somewhat different, he recalled lessons dealing with spirit bulls.

You didn’t always have to beat an opponent into submission.

This place wasn’t suitable for fighting, nor had they come to fight the bull.

Besides, the bull seemed indifferent to the students, grazing while standing by the stairs.

“If that’s the bull Thunderstep reared… maybe it came back hungry?”

Yonellia’s suggestion sounded plausible.

It made sense that the bull knew the path well.

It would be difficult for a regular monster to avoid making chaos on the first floor and move straight here.

“Should we just leave it and let it eat and move on?”

“Highly likely.”

Relieved that they didn’t have to fight, the students sighed.

The bull looked more violent and fierce than the spirit bull just by size.

“…Um, Ihan…?”

Yonellia held Ihan’s sleeve, whispering.

“Are you sure this is alright?”

The bull ignored the students and bit a plant.

It chewed a few bites, then spat out the tasteless leaves.

It bit and destroyed several plants, seemingly enjoying itself.

The alchemy expert Yonellia and Priestess Siana turned pale, its not their plants but their hearts ached.

Ihan’s expression changed too.

Borrowing potions from the students and a monster wrecking the greenhouse were vastly different.

Together, this could attract the professor’s wrath toward the students.

“We must stop this! Hoof, trample the earth!”

Ihan shouted a spell and charged forward.

“Be paralyzed!”

Dark mana waves formed a shape and shot toward the bull.

The bull sensed danger and dodged the curse.

“Wadanaz! Why are we supposed to stop that?”

“It’s about honor! Wadanaz, I’m coming to help!”

Misunderstanding Ihan’s intent, Blue Dragon Tower friends raised their staffs and charged.

“Flames of power…”

Gainanado tried to cast a fire spell, but Ihan slapped his mouth.

Clack!

“?!?”

“No fires near the plants!”

“Ugh… Be paralyzed!”

“Paralyze! Paralyze!”

The friends fired paralysis curses learned in class. An elemental explosion could have burned the entire area.

Unlike the bull, which dodged some spells, it ignored most curses.

Several curses struck, but the bull was unfazed.

“What has Thunderstep been feeding that bull?”

The students cried out—it was tougher than expected.

“Intercept it!”

Ihan sent forth his skeletal summon and began to call water spheres.

The bull paid no attention to others waving staffs or horses, but watched Ihan warily.

That was no time to recklessly cast curses!

Striking a sharp-witted monster with curses was difficult.

Ihan’s hasty curses only raised the bull’s alertness, complicating matters.

He started launching water spheres in rapid succession.

Though the bull dodged perfectly, Ihan remained calm.

Pull it away from the plants.

His plan was to force the bull away by attacking around it.

“Everyone, take this weakening potion!”

Priestess Siana took out flask after flask, handing them out.

The students hurriedly threw potions.

Sounds of breaking and the bull staggering followed.

Yonellia noticed the bull’s magical resistance weakened.

“Everyone, curse again!”

“Paralyze! Paralyze!”

“Paralyze!”

The bull shook its head irritably but felt the curse’s effect penetrating its skin due to its weakened state.

Ihan launched water spheres around the bull on irregular trajectories.

The bull flinched and stopped moving.

Then Ihan’s curse burst out.

Faster!

Determined to cast faster than before, Ihan’s spell surged.

Before he finished chanting, the curse was shot out. So urgent, Ihan wasn’t even aware.

Thud!

The bull couldn’t endure Ihan’s curse and collapsed to its knees.

The students simultaneously sighed in relief.

“What on earth is going on?”

“!!!”

A tall, slender willow walked out among the plants.

Ihan immediately answered,

“We were protecting Professor Thunderstep’s plants.”

“…Yes! There was a strange bull eating the plants…!”