Chapter 66

◈ Chapter 66: The Witch's Trap (2)

When they arrived at the entrance of the forest, most people had already retreated, leaving only a few of the on-site supervisors.

Among them, the most noticeable person was undoubtedly the Chancellor.

Her distinctive two-tone hair was so striking that it could be seen even in the middle of the night.

"Chancellor."

"Oh. Professor Rudger."

The Chancellor greeted Rudger with a gentle smile.

Then, her eyes widened when she saw the two female students fidgeting behind Rudger.

"Oh? What are these two students doing here?"

"I was just bringing them out after they entered the Silent Forest on their own and got lost."

"The Silent Forest?"

The Chancellor narrowed her eyes for a moment.

Sheryl Wagner, who was trembling, seemed to find it hard to bear and shivered even more, while Flora Lumos tightly pressed her lips together.

"Hmm. To go to such a dangerous place as the Silent Forest in the middle of the night. What could have been the reason?"

"Well, I, I..."

Sheryl's voice was choked, and she couldn't speak properly.

At that moment, Flora stepped forward.

"It's my fault."

"Fl, Flora."

"I entered the Silent Forest on my own. Sheryl just followed me to chase after me."

"Flora Lumos, the student?"

Flora Lumos, the top student of Seolron's second year, was also a student whom the Chancellor had been watching with interest.

Her family background, appearance, and magical talent.

For such a girl to enter the Silent Forest on her own?

While she usually caused minor troubles, she had never gone to such a dangerous place on her own.

"What happened?"

"It's nothing. I just walked without thinking and ended up there. Then Professor Rudger rescued Flora and me."

"Hmm. I see."

The Chancellor didn't press Flora on why she had entered the Silent Forest.

She already knew that Flora was innocent.

It wasn't entirely implausible that she had entered the forest by accident.

The Silent Forest is so vast that it's practically impossible for Seolron to manage every area.

Especially on a dark night like this, students could be drawn in by the forest's magic without realizing it. This time, it was probably the same reason.

She was just enchanted by the forest's magic.

The Chancellor looked at Rudger, who had brought the two students.

"Thank you for coming all this way, Professor Rudger."

"It was my duty."

"But I'm so sorry. The situation is already resolved."

"Did you handle everything, Chancellor?"

"Yes. It was quite urgent."

The Chancellor, feeling apologetic, carefully observed Rudger's reaction.

But Rudger's expression remained unchanged.

He didn't show surprise, relief, or even annoyance at having made a wasted trip.

He simply accepted the situation as it was.

"I understand."

"Oh? You're not upset? I asked you to come and then resolved it on my own."

"I know you are more capable than I am, Chancellor. I believe you handled it properly. That was the most efficient and quick way to deal with it."

The Chancellor nodded, somewhat taken aback by Rudger's response.

"That's... Yes, I suppose so."

"I have no complaints. I don't feel disappointed or hurt over such trivial matters."

"..."

Rudger's honest and straightforward answer left the Chancellor speechless.

Perhaps it was fitting for someone with a military background.

Rudger had been consistent from the moment they first met until now.

"By the way, what's that in your hand, Chancellor?"

"Oh, this? It's nothing."

"Is that so?"

Since the Chancellor said it was nothing, Rudger decided to drop his interest.

Though in reality, he had already noticed it.

Rudger nodded and subtly gestured to the two students he had brought.

"So, what should we do now?"

"Oh, well, students can make mistakes, right? I think it's best to scold them and send them back to the dormitory."

"Shouldn't they be given demerits?"

"Oh, come on, Professor Rudger. I'll let it slide this time. Just send them back."

"Chancellor!"

Sheryl looked up at the Chancellor with a face full of gratitude and awe.

Flora, on the other hand, stood quietly, seemingly uninterested.

"Then I'll take responsibility for sending them back."

"Yes, Professor Rudger. Please bear with it a little longer this late at night."

"I understand."

Rudger ended the meeting with the Chancellor and left.

* * *

"So, how was it?"

After Rudger left with the two students, Wilford, who had been watching from a distance, approached the Chancellor and asked.

"About Rudger Chellis."

"This incident has completely cleared any suspicions."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. He didn't show any particular reaction when he saw me. If he had any connection to them, he would have shown some signs of unease, but he didn't."

Moreover, Rudger had brought out the two students who had gotten lost in the forest.

He must have discovered the students while hurrying to the scene after being called.

"His handling of the situation was quick, and his attitude is commendable. Most importantly, he has a strong mental fortitude that isn't swayed by my enchantments."

"It seems you're quite impressed."

"Well, shouldn't I be? It seems you are too, Mr. Wilford."

"Hehe. Well, I won't deny it."

Wilford, a former knight, was particularly impressed by Rudger.

His disciplined and sharp aura was incomparable to other weak-willed mages.

Especially, the well-trained physique subtly visible through his clothing showed that he was different from the average mage.

He hadn't neglected his physical training.

This aspect gave Wilford a very good impression.

"Hopefully, this will instill some caution in them."

"I doubt it. But I hope so."

"Or should we have captured and interrogated them?"

At this, the Chancellor shook her head vigorously.

"You know very well that such methods wouldn't work on them, Mr. Wilford."

"That's true."

They are members of a secret organization that has infiltrated Seolron.

No matter how many of them we capture and interrogate, they won't reveal any information about their organization.

If they were that weak, they wouldn't have been chosen in the first place.

Moreover, to prevent any accidental leaks, certain measures might have been taken.

Interrogating and capturing such extreme individuals would consume a significant amount of time and mental energy.

It would be better to eliminate them as they appear.

"I hope this will bring some peace for a while."

* * *

"Go back now."

After escorting Flora to the dormitory, Rudger turned around without hesitation, as if his job was done.

"Um..."

"Why are you hesitating?"

The night was deep. If you have nothing to say, I'll go."

Rudger, regardless of who he was talking to, didn't show any consideration or concern.

He disappeared like the wind, leaving Flora behind.

Sheryl, who was standing nearby, was so impressed that she stuck out her tongue.

"Wow. That's Professor Rudger for you. He's really ruthless. Flora, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"I was worried. Why did you suddenly go into that forest?"

"Just..."

"Just?"

"I just felt like wandering around without thinking. I ended up in that forest by chance."

"Phew, I get it. But be more careful next time. I was really scared!"

"Sure. Thanks for worrying about me, Sheryl."

Flora smiled weakly and returned to the dormitory.

After washing up and changing into her pajamas, she lay down on her bed.

She couldn't stop thinking about Rudger's appearance in the Silent Forest a little while ago.

'Teacher, what you were holding was definitely some kind of medicine bottle.'

When she asked about it, Rudger had flinched slightly.

Even when she first saw him from a distance, she could only see his back, but Rudger was definitely trembling.

Why was he doing that in an uninhabited place?

'Maybe he's sick?'

A sudden hypothesis came to mind.

Flora involuntarily sat up.

'Could it be true?'

Once the thought entered her mind, it wouldn't let go.

It certainly seemed that way.

A body trembling from pain, and the act of secretly taking medicine in a secluded place where no one could see him.

'There's no way Professor Rudger would take bad medicine. Could he have been pretending to be strong, but actually be unwell?'

Flora shook her head, telling herself she was overthinking.

'No, I don't have enough evidence yet. I shouldn't think too deeply about it.'

But no matter how much she denied it to herself, similar thoughts kept coming back.

Next time.

If there's an opportunity, I'll confirm it then.

Flora closed her eyes, thinking this.

Tonight, she didn't feel like having a nightmare as usual.

* * *

Past midnight, when everyone was deeply asleep.

The Chancellor finally confirmed with her own eyes where the real <Omni-Stone> was kept.

"It's all set."

To divert attention, she had moved the real stone to a safe place while creating a fake one.

She had done this herself, keeping it a secret from others.

It was necessary for proper handling.

Still, it was fortunate.

Thanks to the bait, some of the enemies were eliminated, and the real stone was safely stored.

In a space that resembled an altar.

The Chancellor sighed in relief as she looked at the <Omni-Stone> placed at the center.

It looked the same as the replica, but the real relic was dangerous enough that one shouldn't approach it carelessly.

As a stone that grants wishes, it responds to the deepest and darkest desires of its owner.

'The problem is that it doesn't have any limits.'

That's the terrifying aspect of the Omni-Stone.

It responds to the darkest and strongest desires hidden deep within the user.

Even if someone wishes for a lot of money, if it's not their true desire, it won't grant it.

Instead, it often forces the user to achieve something they didn't wish for.

Most humans' intense desires are based on dark 'evil.'

They secretly wish for the downfall or suffering of someone they hate more than their own happiness.

The stone grants such wishes.

'If there's no user, the relic itself emits magical waves to attract people who can sense them.'

That's why the Omni-Stone had to be stored in a sealed space with countless barriers.

To prevent its power from leaking out.

And the people guarding the area had to be those who wouldn't be easily swayed by magic.

'It's that dangerous an item.'

There are few remaining documents, but one of them records that a kingdom was destroyed in the past due to this stone.

One might wonder why such a dangerous item is stored at Seolron, but in a way, Seolron is the only place where it can be stored relatively safely.

If it had fallen into the hands of a magic tower or another kingdom, a war would have already broken out.

'It's a relief that everything went smoothly.'

After confirming the Omni-Stone one last time, the Chancellor closed the entrance to the barrier completely.

The 3-meter-thick metal outer wall, which blocks magical waves, closed with a thud, and darkness descended inside.

Only the faint green light emanating from the Omni-Stone dimly illuminated the surroundings.

The Omni-Stone would remain here, unseen by anyone for a long time, if not for the shadows stirring in the darkness.

Swoosh.

A figure rose from the shadows.

"Hmm."

Rudger, who had been hiding, shook his head to clear his muddled thoughts and sighed, then looked up at the Omni-Stone in the center of the sealed space.

'This is the real one.'

It looked similar to the fake, but the aura it emitted was qualitatively different.

Rudger's keen eye immediately identified the genuine article.

The Omni-Stone, sensing the presence of a human, emitted even stronger magical waves.

Rudger felt it through his skin and frowned.

"Are you trying to tempt me?"

The stone that grants wishes.

If there is a being within a certain range that can be mentally influenced, it emits magical waves to make them wish upon it.

It doesn't just affect the body.

It penetrates deep into the mind, touching the hidden desires within.

"Interesting."

But this only works on mediocre individuals.

Rudger, on the other hand, approached the Omni-Stone.

He extended his hand and grabbed it.

"I'm sorry, but I don't intend to let you realize my desires on your own."

Rumble!

The Omni-Stone vibrated as if resisting Rudger.

Someone experiencing it for the first time might have been caught off guard and allowed a weakness.

"How many artifacts do you think I've seen?"

He was an expert in this field.