Chapter 99

◈ Chapter 99: The Source of the Sound (1)

The giant of fire had completely disappeared, and the incident was quickly brought to a close.

The injured were treated, and those who were unharmed were all sent back home.

Outside, the area was bustling with citizens who had gathered to see what had happened.

There was no way to hide it.

The rumor of the giant of fire that appeared at the banquet had already spread widely.

Journalists swarmed to find out what had happened, and the police blocked them with their bodies.

"Are all the students safe?"

"Oh, Mr. Rudger."

A makeshift medical station for checking the injured.

Selina and Merida, who had been waiting nearby, brightened up when they saw Rudger approaching.

"Mr. Rudger! You're safe, as expected!"

"Yes. Are you two all right?"

Merida waved her hand in response.

"We're fine. We just helped evacuate the students and guests."

"I see. Where are all the students now?"

"They've all been sent home. It was almost a disaster. To experience such an event while working part-time... Fortunately, all the students are safe. But why are you asking about the students?"

"No reason. I was just wondering if they all got home safely."

If he asked persistently about Joanna Rabbitt's whereabouts, it would only raise suspicions.

Rudger smoothly made an excuse.

Merida seemed surprised by Rudger's answer and smiled slightly.

"Mr. Rudger, you're really amazing. When I first met you, I thought you wouldn't even bleed if someone stabbed you, but you're so concerned about the students. You must have a lot of affection for them, huh?"

"I hear that a lot."

Rudger glanced around while giving a casual response.

The injured had been taken to the hospital, and those who remained were cleaning up the scene.

Some people were talking to the police, explaining the circumstances of the incident.

This incident was clearly defined as a terrorist attack and resulted in 12 deaths and about 80 injuries.

Considering that most of the victims held significant positions in society, the impact was even greater.

'If Esmeralda had planned this, she could be considered half successful.'

Taking advantage of the chancellor's absence, she used a summoning medium to summon the highest-ranking fire spirit.

She must have intended to kill everyone around using that spirit.

Fortunately, due to the fierce resistance of the guards and mages, the casualties were not as severe.

However, it was not as if there were no casualties.

Although it was an unstable summoning, it involved a spirit comparable to a 6th-tier mage.

The shock of this incident was indescribable.

It had ingrained in everyone's minds that no matter how much safety was pursued and security was tightened, a terrorist attack could still happen.

"Mr. Rudger?"

At that moment, someone called out his name as they approached.

The first thing he saw was a pointed ear.

It was Vieran Dantis, one of the people who had fought the giant of fire until the end.

The elf teacher who had performed admirably alongside Angela before Rudger stepped in.

"Yes. What is it?"

"Can we talk for a moment?"

"Sure, but..."

Before Rudger could finish his sentence, the quick-witted Merida immediately grabbed Selina's arm and moved away.

"Ms. Merida?"

"Hehe. Ms. Selina. Let's go this way."

Once they were alone, Vieran bowed to Rudger.

"Thank you. Thanks to you, we were able to end the situation before more casualties occurred."

"I just did what I had to do."

Despite his response, Rudger began to see this elf teacher in a different light.

At first, he seemed very delicate and found everything bothersome.

But he had been the one who performed the most significantly in the fight against the highest-ranking fire spirit.

Especially as a teacher for the 4th year, he seemed much more skilled at handling spirits than Angela, who taught the 5th year.

Considering that higher-ranking teachers usually handle older students, this was unexpected.

'Actually, he might have taken charge of the command. In terms of skill, he's above Angela Anderson, but perhaps he finds such a position burdensome and deliberately stays with the 4th year students?'

Elves, due to their longevity, are likely much older than they appear.

If he was more skilled and older but didn't handle the 5th year students, it was highly possible that he had refused the position.

"So you came to thank me personally?"

"That's part of it. I also have a question."

"What is it?"

"Did you know that the fire spirit was summoned through a medium?"

"Yes. I found out later, though."

Rudger explained to Vieran how he had discovered that the fire spirit was summoned through a medium.

"The lower half didn't come out properly."

"Probably because the spirit's power was too great for the medium to handle. I found that out by chance."

"Indeed. Still, it's impressive. Even though it was by chance, Mr. Rudger, you immediately recognized that weakness."

"Anyone in that situation would have noticed. I don't think I'm special."

"No, I wouldn't have realized it even if I had seen it."

Vieran smiled bitterly, perhaps realizing his own shortcomings in this situation.

"Even though I'm well-versed in spiritology... No, perhaps because of that, I didn't recognize it. This incident was completely unexpected."

"..."

Rudger didn't blame him.

In reality, spirit mages rarely, if ever, attempt to summon a spirit through a medium.

Spirits are beings of nature, and summoning them through a contract is done using mana, which is the energy of nature and the aura of the contract holder.

Conversely, summoning through a medium is a very artificial process, and most spirits dislike it.

Especially high-ranking spirits, with their strong pride, reject such medium-based summonings even more.

Spirits are not forced into a contract but enter into one as equals, so such actions are absolutely forbidden.

"I overlooked it, thinking it was too obvious. I never imagined a spirit mage would summon a highest-ranking spirit through a medium. Yes, it must have been possible."

"The opponent might have been a very skilled individual."

"Indeed, but the spirit itself was also different from ordinary spirits."

Different from ordinary spirits.

Rudger also felt this deeply.

It was already surprising that a spirit could speak human language, but the content of its words was even more shocking.

"A spirit that hates humans. I've never heard of such a thing."

"Ordinary spirits don't usually hate humans, right?"

"Yes. As you know, spirits are beings that embody the energy of nature. Nature is so vast that it can be considered the origin of the world."

"I understand."

"Such spirits naturally take on the perspective of nature. And the mother of nature has no particular thoughts about the beings within her."

Rudger suddenly recalled a teaching from his previous life.

─Heaven and Earth are not benevolent; they treat all things as straw dogs (天地不仁 以萬物為芻拘).

A saying from Laozi's Tao Te Ching.

People often wish for heaven to have some will and do something for them, but in reality, it doesn't.

All things live intertwined with nature, like grass or dogs.

Even if something goes wrong and a terrible event occurs, nature doesn't become a particularly fearsome entity.

Whether a typhoon arises, a flood occurs, or a drought comes,

No matter how many lives are lost,

It's just that what was supposed to happen did happen. Nature is not an irresistible terror.

Nature is just nature, and so are spirits.

But the fire spirit that appeared this time was different.

Clear hatred.

Rudger could distinctly feel the spirit's hatred for humans.

"I never thought such a spirit existed. To hate humans and not care about being summoned through a medium. And for someone to have contracted and controlled such a highest-ranking spirit."

"Quite a serious matter, indeed."

"That's why I was slow to understand the situation. But Mr. Rudger, you did your best in such a situation. Especially the magic you used at the end."

Vieran immediately recognized what magic Rudger had used.

"That. It definitely transcended space, didn't it?"

"..."

"You don't have to be so sensitive. I've seen a lot in my long life as an elf. So I think what I saw was correct."

"It's correct. It's called a coordinate designation spell, which involves fixing magical power in a specific space to manifest magic in that location."

"Setting coordinates? Is that even possible?"

"At first, it's difficult, but once you get used to it, it's easy."

"..."

Vieran didn't believe Rudger's words at face value.

If an ordinary person heard this, they might accept it, but he was an elf.

Despite his youthful appearance, he had lived for more than a century.

Even if his main focus was spiritology, he could proudly say his knowledge of magic was not inferior to others.

That's why he knew.

The coordinate magic Rudger used was far from ordinary.

'He couldn't have done that so easily.'

Perceiving everything in the world as 'coordinates' from the center of the world he stood in and designating spells to them.

That was not an easy task.

If it were possible, it would be one of two things.

Either he was born with an innate spatial perception far beyond that of others.

'Or, his brain's limiter is completely removed.'

An ordinary person might think the former, but Vieran couldn't shake off his doubts.

The thought that this man in front of him might be the latter.

Could even a person with a good mind designate the coordinates of space so calmly in such a tense situation?

Moreover, inventing a bizarre magic like source code.

Vieran asked, slightly worried.

"Are you okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"When you use magic, or perhaps when you're not feeling well."

Rudger, about to ask what he meant, realized Vieran's expression was very serious.

"This might be an old man's unnecessary concern or my own worry, but please listen. When I was very young, I heard a story."

"What story?"

"Occasionally, there are people whose thoughts (思考) are expanded to an extreme degree compared to others."

Vieran took a deep breath and continued.

"Often called geniuses by the world, but they are a bit different from true geniuses. True geniuses advance in a specialized direction within a given framework, but these people are completely different."

"How are they different?"

"There is no given framework."

"..."

Rudger was momentarily speechless before he spoke.

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Having no framework means having no limits. Some might see it as a blessing, but it's not. People don't realize that the framework that suppresses them is actually a sturdy wall that protects them from the 'outside'."

The moment the word 'outside' was mentioned,

Rudger unconsciously clenched his fist.

But Vieran didn't notice Rudger's unusual reaction.

Seemingly engrossed in his explanation, he looked at Rudger with a slightly sharp gaze and asked.

"Just asking, Mr. Rudger. Do you ever hear strange sounds?"