The moment Blake's spell was cast, the temperature in the entire mine shaft plummeted to the freezing point.
The moisture in the air condensed into fine ice crystals in a fraction of a second, and a layer of white frost rapidly spread along the rock walls.
“Fifth-Circle magic?” Ilovina didn't quite understand, her long golden hair gently fluttering in the draft of the mine shaft. “Teacher Shirwin, what Circle is this? It looks so powerful!”
Shirwin didn't answer. She kept her right hand raised, her golden defensive magic barrier trembling slightly under the continuous impact of the ice spikes.
“...Interesting,” Shirwin murmured. She drew a silver-white wand, its surface embedded with seven magic gems of different colors, each one glowing with its own light in the darkness.
Blake's pupils shrank. He recognized the arrangement of those gems—it was the standard magic rank insignia of the elves, a Seven-Star Wand!
“My name is Shirwin Guy,” her voice was not loud, but it echoed clearly through the mine shaft. “Chief Instructor of the Second Magic Academy of the Yegati Empire, Seven-Star Grand Mage.”
Ilovina muttered from the side, “You finally introduced yourself, Teacher... even though you always make me get beaten up first...”
“Ilovina,” Shirwin turned her head.
“Yes! I didn't say anything!” Ilovina immediately stood up straight.
“The test is over.” Shirwin lightly tapped her silver-white wand on the ground. “Please cease all hostile actions.”
Ice shards fluttered down through the mine shaft. Blake stood in place, his breathing slightly heavier than before. He could clearly feel that his previous attack had been effortlessly neutralized by her.
“To dare attack a Seven-Star Grand Mage with Fifth-Circle magic, your courage is commendable,” Shirwin tossed her hair. “But there is still a long way between courage and strength.”
“You...” Blake grit his teeth. “What on earth are you elves doing down here in the underground?”
Shirwin was in no hurry to answer. She tilted her head, glancing at Ilovina, who was still muttering under her breath.
“Ilovina.”
“Ah? You called, Teacher?”
“You controlled the first half of your illusion well. But the problem is—you shouldn't have used the deceased to provoke your opponent.” Shirwin's tone was calm. “Using emotional anchors to construct an illusion is a basic technique, which is why you must use intelligence magic to assess your enemy beforehand...”
“...I understand.”
Blake stood there. He naturally knew what a Seven-Star Wand represented—in the elves' Yegati Empire, the number of mages who could carry a Seven-Star Wand could be counted on one hand.
“What are you elves doing in the underground?” Blake repeated, his voice dropping even lower. “This is not your territory.”
“Apologies, esteemed Blue Dragon. We have no intention of making an enemy of you.” Shirwin bowed slightly to Blake. “As you can see, this is the Third Princess of the Yegati Empire, the youngest daughter of the Holy Sovereign of Yegati.”
Ilovina lifted her chin, looking incredibly proud.
“I am her teacher, responsible for guiding her on her travels across the continent.”
“Travels across the continent?” There was clear disbelief in Blake's voice. “Traveling all the way into the deep underground?”
Shirwin did not take offense, merely giving her silver-white wand a gentle spin.
“Blue Dragon, the Yegati Empire bears no grudge against the dragon clan. In fact, during the war thirteen hundred years ago, the elven race remained neutral throughout.”
“Neutral?” Blake sneered. “So neutrality means watching the dragon clan get slaughtered by the angels and doing absolutely nothing?”
Shirwin spoke unhurriedly, “You are right. Neutrality itself is a choice. I do not intend to defend the decisions of our ancestors.”
“As for me now, I only wish to help my student complete her travel curriculum. That is all.”
Blake wanted to say more, but a rush of footsteps sounded from behind him. He turned his head and saw Leopold running over from the entrance of the mine shaft.
“Blake! Are you okay?” Leopold stopped, his gaze quickly sweeping over the situation inside the mine shaft. Blake stood in front, while opposite him stood two female elves—one holding a Seven-Star Wand, and the other with long golden hair cascading over her shoulders.
Leopold had originally planned to help Isabella, but things on her end were wrapped up very quickly. She had transformed back into her human form and was sitting alone on the ruins in a daze, not responding no matter how Leopold called out to her.
Just when Leopold was at his wits' end, he suddenly sensed Blake's magical resonance, so he rushed over immediately.
Leopold's arrival broke the tense atmosphere in the mine shaft.
Shirwin's gaze shifted from Blake to the newly arrived Leopold. Her eyes lingered on him for two seconds, narrowing slightly.
“...Another dragon.” No surprise could be heard in her tone. “A Night Black Dragon. Rare.”
Ilovina poked half her head out from behind Shirwin, her long golden hair hanging down slightly.
She stared at Leopold for a good while, then asked Shirwin in a whisper, with clear curiosity, “Teacher, why did this dragon run here? Aren't dragons supposed to be able to fly?”
Leopold's footsteps paused.
“...I can't transform,” he coughed dryly, admitting it frankly.
“Can't transform?” Ilovina's eyes widened, then narrowed. “You don't happen to be completely unable to use magic, do you?”
“This...” Leopold didn't know how to answer.
“Did you not receive your dragon clan's inheritance? That is truly...”
“Ilovina,” Shirwin's voice sounded flatly.
“...Sorry,” Ilovina pulled her head back.
Standing in place, Leopold quickly steadied his breathing, his golden slit pupils calmly assessing the two elves in the dimness of the mine shaft.
Leopold took a step forward and bowed slightly. “Pardon our lack of welcome for guests who have traveled from so far. I am Leopold Aldrick von Tann.”
Shirwin's brow twitched slightly.
“Von Tann,” she repeated the surname, her gaze lingering on Leopold for another two seconds. “An ancient family of the Night Black Dragon.”
A trace of emotion appeared in her eyes as she looked at Leopold.
“You dragons have always disdained to associate with lesser races. Yet you are willing to stand up for the Bronzebeard Tribe—it seems the disasters of this past millennium have indeed changed you a great deal.”
Leopold did not take the bait, instead glancing sideways at Blake.
Blake was still standing there, arms crossed, his grayish-blue slit pupils fixed on the wand in Shirwin's hand, clearly still on guard.
“Blake, stand down for now,” Leopold said in a low voice.
Blake's lips twitched as if he wanted to argue, but in the end, he merely gave a heavy snort, and the ice crystals forming in his palm slowly dissipated.
Shirwin withdrew her wand into her sleeve, her movements elegant and poised. “Black Dragon, we truly harbor no ill intent. One of the subjects in Ilovina's travel curriculum is 'understanding the ecology and order of the underground world,' which is why we came to the Eisenberg Mountain Range.”
“Then why cause explosions in the north of the capital?” Leopold pressed.
Shirwin closed her eyes and shook her head. “Black Dragon, we did not cause any explosions.”
“Besides,” she slowly opened her eyes, looking deeper into the mine shaft, “some restless things have pursued us here...”
Rate on N.U.
