Chapter 68.2 - The First Year at the Academy - Invisible Mansion 2 (2)
Chapter 68.2. The First Year at the Academy – Invisible Mansion 2 (2)
Early in the morning, Elphimia came to my house.
I brought her some fried sweets as a souvenir then we sat down to tea.
"We've been playing with information, both of us."
I sipped the General's tea.
Elphimia chewed on a piece of fried pastry and agreed.
"Yeah, I know. I assumed they'd be off the beaten path."
"It's not good that we found them so easily. If No. 2 hasn't pointed it out, I might have stuck to the outside. I'll send you a packet of General's tea next time. Let's thank the No. 2 too."
"Stop bothering Riz."
You don't understand. Characters like that are supposed to sip tea and nibble on rice crackers. I don't sell crackers, so I'll give her some fried snacks.
"Well, I'm not sure if there are any in town, but I'll have to check anyway. Can you find it with the flow of magic power? It'd be easier than out there, I'd think."
Elphimia shakes her head.
"On the contrary. There're too many magical objects in this city, so it's disrupted the natural flow. If the mansion had a disguise, it difficult to identify. And it's exhausting to watch the magic. I can't keep activating it."
"It's no use walking around randomly. Why don't you take a guess?"
"Then I guess you'll know – how do you narrow down the location?"
I was at a loss for an answer, and I pondered.
All things have magical power.
It was Virgil who taught me magic when I was a child.
The "Magic Sight" of Elphimia can see all such magic power, so it is probably impossible to discern the mansion unless you get very close. Moreover, it was like trying to find countless floating soap bubbles with different movements. No wonder she's tired.
First, let's organize the information.
The mansion outside was a shelter or supply warehouse.
There was no point in building it in the city, even with the warding. They could get daily necessities.
If that is the case, it is natural to think of it as another use.
Are there any valuables or rare magical tools stored there?
No. The rumor said it was erased.
If so, what about another facility – a villa or a laboratory?
The fact that rumors are circulating suggests the possibility of an unimportant villa. If that is the case, it would not be surprising if they invite dignitaries or close friends to the villa after it is completed. Since it was not a confidential matter, the guest loosened their mouth. They made rumors of an invisible mansion begin to circulate. And over the years, people forgot the mansion's whereabouts, and only rumors about it remained.
Elphimia nodded her head in agreement.
"That's a likely story. If so, is it in the center of town? There's an upscale residential area."
"In another town, maybe."
"Oh, Selene is full of wizards. No matter how much of an open secret it is, I wouldn't build it in a place where people could discover it."
"I guess. It's a slum on the other side of the street – but it stands out. A wizard of high status walking around."
Whenever I visited Nerio's house, I always attracted attention.
Strangely enough, even in plain clothes, people notice me. Is it a sign peculiar to the upper class, or is it simply that they can spot foreign objects? Whichever it is, you won't find it in the slums.
"So, a middle-class section? That's the widest."
"Yes, it is. We'll have to narrow it down to make it tight."
Elphimia and I pondered.
After doing so for a while, another question came to mind.
"Come to think of it, is Selene's invisible mansion the same ward? Trees in the forest are hard to distinguish, but in a town, it's not so easy. There are plenty of stores, temples, and prominent buildings."
"Maybe–I think it's the same."
Elphimia thought about it and continued.
"That's no ordinary ward. Even if there is a conspicuous building, it will mislead the perception of the building itself. And as soon as it comes into view, it's indiscriminate. It's the highest level of magic, and I think it's one of the best. But – I don't think they would set it up in a busy place. You know the barrier-wall type and the force-field-force type, right?"
"In a manner of speaking. Unfortunately, I can't use them."
If I can use the wall defense system, I can install the roof I have longed for.
I want to learn it, but I still have a long way to go.
"In a broader sense, they are also treated as warding magic. Their attributes and effects vary, but they have one thing in common. All of the magic has an effect at the cost of accumulated magic power. That's why they disappear when they are empty."
"So, invisible house wards too?"
"In theory, yes. But it's impossible. The most advanced wards absorb the magic power of the surroundings and recover their magic. Otherwise, it would not be possible to maintain it for hundreds of years. And the amount of magic power stored in it is enormous. I think we can destroy it someday, but I have no idea how long it will take."
"That's going to ruin our clandestine exploration."
A little in and out shouldn't consume much.
It would take a concentrated bombardment of long-range or magical attacks.
I thought about Elphimia's story, and then it occurred to me.
"If that's the case – maybe by the wall. If people are coming and going too fast, they will waste their magic, and if the wall is close, they won't head that way for no reason."
Elphimia thought for a moment and nodded her head.
"Maybe so. There's less chance near the walls than in the city, where lot of turnovers. If the invisible mansion is from the time of Alphas, it'd coincide with when they built the wall."
"So it's the most likely candidate. Now we have to figure out how to sear them out."
The candidate area is still massive.
We can't scatter ranged magic, and they can misinterpret my bolt. Elphimia's "Magic Sight" is the surest way, but it is too tiring for her to use frequently.
How about making a map?
If it is a mansion, it must be of a certain size. If we measure the area around the walls – that would be tough, too. After all, we would be misled, and there is no good way to measure it in the first place.
I crossed my arms and groaned involuntarily.
What a troublesome opponent this is.
Just by looking, I am affected by it. It would be better not to look at it, but if it comes within range, we'll misrecognize it. No matter how I do it, it can't let us recognize it, it can't let us get close to it. The elves are also unorthodox people since they can break through wards that are out of the ordinary.
Hmm, wait, if that's the case–.
"We just have to misidentify them."
"Huh?"
"It's a tour de force, though."
Hearing what I said, Elphimia was just stunned.
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