TL/Editor: raei
Status: 5/week mon-fri
Illustrations: none
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anwhile, in the volcano giants' village.
After finishing his patrol, Saul returned straight to the village.
"[Welco back, Saul]"
"[Father! I experienced sothing incredible!]"
"[Sothing incredible?]"
Saul excitedly poured out his story.
About eting the mysterious giant, Predius.
Skipping the minor details, he went straight to the core.
"[You were right, Father! There really is an amazing wizard at the humans' school!]"
The chief burst out laughing.
Wizards were troublemakers even giants were wary of.
Underestimating them for their small size would get you badly hurt.
"[Wizards are always troubleso. But an amazing wizard, you say?]"
"[A wizard called Eredith, known as the 'Demon Lord' among humans!]"
"[Oh ho... Demon Lord...]"
Saul spoke directly.
"[Father! I want to learn magic too!]"
"[What?]"
The chief tilted his head.
He'd never seen a giant who learned magic...
'This one might be different.'
But Saul was a clever one. He might succeed at learning magic.
"[First I want to win the Demon Lord Eredith's favor.]"
"[That's not a bad idea.]"
Being friendly with a wizard fierce enough to be called Demon Lord would be diplomatically helpful.
"[But be careful. She's a cruel human who can't go a day without killing, she might attack you.]"
"[I know. I plan to send gifts to win her favor first, then et her in person later.]"
If nothing else, Saul really liked the sound of this wizard Eredith.
A bloodthirsty maniac!
Soone with amazing magical powers worthy of the title Demon Lord!
She seed like soone he'd get along with.
The chief had giants send gifts to the humans' magic school.
Tribute for the Great Destroyer.
The tribute passed through subordinates' hands and safely reached the 'magic school'.
"G-giants!"
"Invasion?! Is it an invasion?!"
There was a minor incident of panic when volcano giants suddenly appeared.
Hearing reports of giants arriving, the university's magic professors rushed out in a group.
"Huh?"
"What's this..."
And the professors were bewildered.
The volcano giants had appeared but...
They just threw sothing down and left?
"What is that?"
"Sulfur... looks like [Heart of Volcano], an extrely rare material for fire magic."
Eredith, an experienced fire wizard, imdiately recognized what the volcano giants had thrown down.
"As expected of Eredith! You really know your-"
Inglan, who was about to praise Eredith's extensive knowledge, startled when he saw the stone tablet with giant language.
Eredith tilted her head at Inglan's reaction.
"Professor? What did you see..."
Eredith looked at the tablet too.
And flinched.
[We present this gift to the Great Destroyer, Demon Lord Eredith.]
"..."
The professors stared at Eredith with blank expressions.
Inglan spoke in a trembling voice.
"E-Eredith... I had my suspicions about you but!"
"S-suspicions?! What are you saying! That's!"
Eredith shrieked.
She was confused.
What was this really???
The mystery of the inexplicable tribute from the volcano giants was only solved several days later.
"Oh. Master."
"Ian! Did you happen to et volcano giants on your way?"
Ian was startled.
Wait, how did Master know he t volcano giants?!
Then he looked at Eredith with eyes full of respect.
Ah!
Master must have been watching this area constantly!
She must have been waiting for Ian to return!
As expected of Master.
"Yes! I t them!"
"I thought so...!"
Eredith sighed, pressing her forehead.
"...?"
Ian couldn't understand Eredith's reaction.
Strange? He'd handled the volcano giants well???
Though he'd briefly traded on her na...
That was just to instill fear of the Imperial University and prevent giant invasions.
When Ian made a confused expression, Eredith sighed deeply.
Ian, that guy...!
Just what was he doing out there!
"Do you know what the volcano giants sent?"
"??? The volcano giants sent sothing?"
Looks like he really doesn't know.
Eredith showed him the giants' tribute with a sigh.
Ian was shocked.
"Wait, this is sulfur crystal that only grows deep in volcanoes? Where did they get sothing this rare..."
"..."
"...The giants sent it?"
Seeing Eredith nod sadly, Ian scratched his cheek.
...Maybe he'd gone a bit too far with the scam?
Seems he'd given the volcano giants so strange preconceptions.
#
Since Ian was also a recognized magic professor, few worried about his extended absence.
'That dark wizard Professor Ian. Where is he? Haven't seen him.'
'He went with Professor Demonite to find missing people.'
'Ah. Right. He'll be back soon.'
Wizards were often absent, so hardly anyone worried when Ian wasn't around.
All wizards were seasoned travelers, and experienced travelers could take care of themselves.
Professor Demonite had even refused when knights offered to escort them.
Why had he refused the knights' company?
The answer was simple.
He must have judged the journey wasn't dangerous!
"Oh. Professor Ian. You're back?"
"Did you study a lot of summoning?"
Ian gave chanical responses to the professors throwing out such pleasantries.
"Ah. Yes. Well..."
Honestly Ian didn't understand the professors' reactions.
Co on.
People had gone missing, and he'd gone to find them...
Was such a lukewarm response appropriate?!
But there was sothing Ian didn't realize.
This was Imperial University, a gathering place for accomplished wizards.
Searching for missing humans?
Troubleso, but not impossible if asked.
They were glad the most junior Ian had handled the annoying task.
But it wasn't an achievent worth high praise.
'...This really is a den of monsters.'
It was similar to modern universities in so ways.
Like how professors slouching around with coffee cups often looked like ordinary neighborhood uncles.
But start digging into their academic achievents and you'd find monster-class accomplishnts - similar principle.
"But... you t not just hill giants but volcano giants."
"Haha! Must have been scary!"
Only Eredith acknowledged Ian's efforts.
She knew how fierce volcano giants were as monsters.
Ian's quick wit deserved endless praise.
Yet they gave such lukewarm responses!
'Arrogant wizards.'
Unlike Ian, Eredith was annoyed by the other wizards' unnecessarily high pride.
Ian had done the work they found troubleso, yet far from being grateful they reacted like this!
"It's fine, Master."
"Ian...!"
"It was good experience."
That wasn't just empty words.
Not only had he gained summoning experience points from talking with giants, he'd learned transmutation from Demonite.
Though he had no imdiate use for it, it would surely co in handy while traveling.
'Should set a departure date too.'
Other university fossils sotis stayed attached to the university for over ten years.
To train successors and write magic books.
But Ian didn't plan to stay at the university long.
He needed to travel to complete Anor-lsil.
He couldn't waste ti idly eating up grants.
'I've studied quite a bit.'
Of course, defining "sufficient study" was endless.
Ian vaguely thought 'enough to withstand black wizard attacks' but it was hard to say exactly what level that ant.
It might be faster to wait for the Pope to actively wage an extermination campaign and root out the southern black wizards.
'Though if war breaks out before then, it's all for nothing.'
The Pope was winning public support by beating up small-fry black wizards, but that was temporary.
If war broke out in the south, even the Pope's army couldn't move freely.
It would be a field day for black wizards.
'For now... focus on investigating Maronius's mories.'
"Ian! Count Dranheim highly values your achievents! He's inviting you to a banquet..."
"Not going, nope."
Elia looked curiously at Ian's indifferent response.
Still young, he surely had ambitions for success...
Yet he seed so detached from power!
'Well. He's reached this level by being obsessed with magic.'
Attending magic school herself, Elia knew how difficult dark magic was.
Without Ian's incredible focus, he couldn't have stood shoulder to shoulder with professors at such a young age.
"But it's a lord's request..."
"Ugh. Fine, I'll just say hello and leave."
Ian stood up.
He'd thought entering university would let him focus only on study!
But a wizard's life had all sorts of annoying tasks too.
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