Doggone Academy

Chapter 36 The Magician's Sword

Not once did she anticipate that the woman’s head would burst.

Silveryn’s face was spattered with a few droplets of blood.

Such was the extent of her injuries, those few droplets, after killing almost a hundred people.

She was so lost in her vexations that she didn’t even think to wipe it away.

Apart from the blood-soaked silver hair, there was no remaining evidence. Even this was too scant to be used as proof of association with the family.

All she knew about the instigators was that they were ruthless enough to use and dispose of their own kin and retainers as instruments for their agenda.

Leaving the charred corpses behind, Silveryn trudged back to where the carriages were parked.

Damian’s past kept weighing heavily on her mind, and thoughts of that someone in Eternia incessantly flickered in her head.

The mental exhaustion from these nagging thoughts worried her more than the physical fatigue from battle.

Damian had stepped out of the carriage, gripping the door tightly, and met Silveryn.

From a distance, he watched her coming, finally sighing in relief, barely whispering.

“Teacher…”

Seeing Damian, Silveryn felt all her troubling thoughts dissolve instantly.

She approached silently and pulled Damian’s head into an embrace.

“You kept your promise. I am proud of you, my pupil.”

“…”

Damian stood stiffly, not sure what to do with his arms hovering in the air.

Then very slowly, his arms wrapped around her slender waist.

From the comfort of Silveryn’s embrace, he slightly lifted his head and said,

“I was worried.”

“The most unnecessary thing in the world is to worry about me.”

“What exactly happened in the village?”

“First, let’s get out of here. I’ll tell you on the way.”

She gently released her hold.

Allowing Damian to enter the carriage first, she followed suit.

Sitting down, she tapped the driver’s seat a couple of times, and the carriage started moving again.

The places swept by the flames were ominously quiet, devoid of even the whisper of the wind.

In a short while, the carriage reached the outskirts of the village.

Smoke was still rising from the piles of ash left where everything had been consumed by fire.

A pungent smell snuck its way in through the carriage door cracks.

As Damian looked out the window, Silveryn drew the curtain.

“It’s still too much for you to see.”

“……”

Then, a scream erupted from the following carriage.

“Aaaaaah!”

It was Liria’s voice.

The sight of nearly a hundred charred bodies was enough to traumatize anyone.

Damian might have to face this many magical beasts in his lifetime.

But there was no need for him to be exposed to this so early. At least while with Silveryn, Damian could remain a child.

“What’s been happening?”

“There’s a family targeting you. I don’t know why yet. I’ve made an example for now, so there should be some peace for a while.”

Damian nodded calmly as if he had been expecting this.

“…I understand.”

Silveryn resolved to avoid prolonged discussions about this incident, at least until after the entrance exam. She didn’t want to cause him undue stress.

Damian’s focus should be entirely on Eternia.

He fumbled in his pocket and handed Silveryn a handkerchief.

“Teacher, use this. Wipe the blood off.”

“…Thank you.”

She finally relaxed and wiped the droplets of blood from her face.

But it wasn’t quite over.

All Silveryn had managed to do was to extend the interval before the next attack.

They will come again. For reasons unknown, Damian remains a threat to them.

Next time their methods would be more cunning, leaving not even a single hair as evidence.

And they would strike when Silveryn was away.

Yet, she wasn’t particularly worried.

By then, Damian’s strength would have grown immeasurably.

***

A graceful river cut through the landscape, stretching for a long way.

The carriage made its way upstream, following the road along the midstream.

As they proceeded, encounters with carriages flanked by escort knights became frequent.

Each carriage bore distinctive seals of various noble houses.

There were quite a few merchants pulling their wagons, too.

As Silveryn admired the view outside, she remarked,

“We’ve now entered Eternia’s territory.”

“I didn’t know Eternia was located in such a remote area.”

“This vicinity isn’t well-known by map alone. Isn’t it quite beautiful here?”

I nodded.

Beyond the carriage window, I saw massive ships cutting through the river, heading upstream.

It felt somewhat alien, surrounded by primordial nature.

We were truly entering Eternia. A strange mix of excitement and anxiety stirred within me.

Half a day’s journey would take us to Eternia, but for now, that wasn’t in our plans.

Before going to Silveryn’s residence, we were due to stop briefly at a small town called ‘Rigved’.

As we turned the corner where the hill’s ridge ended, the vista of Rigved came into view.

With steep mountains behind and a river as broad as a lake in front, each house in the city spewed white steam from its square roofs.

The entire city was enshrouded in steam, as if a thin mist had settled over it.

I was captivated by Rigved’s enchanting atmosphere when Silveryn spoke,

“They brew potions all day long, which is why it’s also known as the city of steam.”

Silveryn said that Rigved was built for Eternia.

It was a central hub for transporting goods required by Eternia, brimming with shops selling various magical tools, alchemical ingredients, and an extensive array of textbooks and reference materials.

Due to its proximity to the continent’s premier academy, a deeply-rooted trade sector had developed over a long period.

Despite being located in a hard-to-reach area, tangled in mountains, there was a significant number of visitors for trade and material procurement.

Furthermore, with various high nobles residing in Eternia, embassies from the empire, duchies, and city-states were all gathered here.

The Eternian branches of the Magic Association and Alchemy Council were also located in this town, and it saw frequent visits from the kin, retainers, and servants of those attending the academy, bolstering the transient population.

Looking down at Rigved, I briefly lost myself in thought.

Could diverse origins congregate and live together in that densely built city on the narrow plains?

Suddenly curious, I asked Silveryn,

“Are there any other races living down there?”

She shook her head.

“As much as it is Rigved, the other races don’t live mingled together here.”

If that were the case, Rigved would have likely been reduced to ashes long ago.

As we continued on and reached the outskirts of Rigved, the Plantaras greeted us.

They stood firm, guarding the entrance to the city.

It was strangely heartening to meet them here again after a long journey.

Passersby repeatedly glanced at our carriage as it rolled through the streets.

Being an Eternian carriage, typically reserved for VIPs or professors, it naturally drew attention.

Perhaps due to the upcoming entrance examination, there were quite a few children around my age in the streets.

I had never seen so many people of my age group gathered in one place.

Silveryn closed the curtain to shut out the surrounding gazes.

“We’re going to acquire a new sword for you here.”

Silveryn handed me a pouch the size of a fist.

“Take this.”

“…?”

It was a weighty pouch. Upon opening it, I found it was filled with gold coins.

“Why are you giving me this…?”

“Choose for yourself with it. I need to stop by the Magic Association for a bit.”

“I don’t know anything about this place.”

I didn’t know what shops there were, where I was supposed to go, and I wasn’t even sure about the going rates for items.

“This market is not like those cutthroat bazaars. Also…”

Silveryn drew another ring from inside her robe and handed it to me. It bore the seal of Eternia.

“Show them this ring and say my name, and they’ll choose something suitable for you.”

Damian slid the ring she handed him onto his finger and asked,

“…Where should I go now?”

As if she knew exactly where they were, without needing to look, she pulled aside the curtain and pointed out a place.

“That way.”

Silveryn was pointing to a shop located at the center of a Y-shaped intersection.

“Filin’s Smithy?”

“Don’t go anywhere else but there.”

“Understood.”

“Pick something sturdy and durable. If you bring back something with a strange enchantment, you’ll be in trouble.”

Her manner was like a parent cautioning a child not to choose the wrong toy.

“…Don’t worry.”

Silveryn knocked thrice on the driver’s seat, and the carriage came to a halt.

“Get off here.”

“Should I put on the mask now?”

“Yes. Best to be cautious, though you don’t need to worry too much about Filin. That old man has deep ties with Eternia too.”

I lifted the mask I received from Erzebet onto my face and stepped off the carriage.

Silveryn waved lightly and closed the carriage door.

Soon, the carriage moved on, and inside the following carriage, Liria also saw me and gave a small wave.

People murmured softly upon seeing me disembark.

Exiting an Eternian carriage drew piercing gazes from those around.

I pocketed the heavy pouch and hurried towards Filin’s Smithy.

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