"A place where ordinary people can't go?"

What kind of place could it be for a mage like Marias to give such a definitive answer?

At first, I thought she was just saying it casually, but judging by her expression, that wasn't the case.

Marias wasn't the type of person who would lie to deceive in this situation.

Moreover, her momentary surprised reaction wasn't something that could be faked - it was genuine.

"Do you know exactly where it is?"

"If what I'm thinking is correct. Of course, it's not exactly the same, just similar in fragmentary aspects."

"So it might not be the same place."

"Personally, I hope it isn't, to that extent. But such a unique level of scenery must be the same."

Marias shook her head as if troubled.

"I don't know where you're trying to find such a place, but it would be better to give up."

"Whether to go or not is for me to judge after hearing about it. Just tell me where it is."

"Even if I tell you that you can never return once you go?"

Marias asked sternly.

Because he hadn't expected her to speak so strongly, Rudger's response was momentarily delayed.

"That place is truly dangerous. Of course, I haven't been there directly, and I've only accessed the information indirectly...but there are no fools who need to touch the sun to know it's hot. I firmly want to believe that my sister's fiancé isn't such a fool."

"A fool, you say."

Rudger chuckled at those words.

"Why are you laughing?"

When Marias wondered about that reaction, Rudger took the initiative.

"I hope you'll keep your end of the deal."

"...So you intend to check even after being warned. Are you really going to make this mistake?"

"You said one needs to touch the sun to know it's hot, but who knows? Maybe when touched, it could be colder than anything else in the world."

Perhaps somewhere in this universe, there might be a frozen sun.

That's how the mysteries of the world were.

Who would have known they would die and be reborn in a new world?

And who could have imagined that the new world would have magic and mysteries?

Everything in the world is unknown until experienced firsthand.

"The knowledge and wisdom of previous generations should certainly be respected. But blindly following them is a bit much."

"There's no smoke without fire. There's a reason stories like this exist."

"That might be true. But that doesn't mean it's 'absolute.' When you clash and explore, new paths will surely open."

Rudger snapped his fingers.

The frost barrier that Marias had created for their private conversation melted away smoothly.

Marias' eyebrows curved slightly at that sight.

To interfere with magic implemented by a Colour Mage, even if it was done casually?

"I will find it. Continuously from now on."

Meanwhile, Casey, who had been trying hard to eavesdrop from beyond the barrier, opened her eyes wide when the barrier disappeared.

"What were you two talking about?"

"Nothing important."

"What was it?"

Marias privately let out a small gasp while watching Rudger's back.

Though Rudger was a teacher at Theon, his mindset was rather more open than anyone else's.

'Though they say mages are those who explore the world, in fact, it's hard to find people more bound by formality than mages.'

Especially as a teacher who had to teach students, one had to focus more on that 'formality' because what needs to be taught to children is standardized knowledge but Rudger's actions, and what he pursued, were rather the opposite.

'A person who seeks paths.'

Looking at his tendencies alone, he was closer to a dreamer than a realist.

But who could really mock him?

These were the words of the creator who invented [Source Code] magic that others couldn't even imagine.

At least regarding credibility, it absolutely couldn't be said there was none.

'Besides, he's not demanding an answer right away.'

He's asking to be told as a reward if this request is successful.

Even though he could just ask if he was really curious, the fact that he doesn't means he has his own principles.

'Perhaps he thinks that if I tell him easily, that alone would erase the debt. Huh. Interesting.'

What an impressive man, almost too impressive to hand over to her sister.

'What am I thinking, being so silly? I should focus on work now.'

Marias clapped her hands with a smiling face.

Casey, who had been persistently asking Rudger what they had discussed, turned her attention this way.

"That's enough lover's quarrel. Shall we talk about work now?"

* * *

The capital of the Seville Kingdom, Tartenon, borders the nearby North Sea.

Inevitably, the port was well-developed, and the Caliros Port was something the Seville Kingdom prided itself on.

Befitting its massive scale, the Caliros Port was a distribution hub where all kinds of goods and people came and went.

As such, it was very suitable for illegal immigrants and criminals to establish themselves.

The dark mages who had hidden in the warehouses near the port were no different.

"The mercenaries we hired have failed, sir."

At the report from the dark mage with sunken cheeks and protruding cheekbones, the man in his 40s clicked his tongue.

"You're telling me this now?"

The man, who looked too neat and tidy to be a dark mage, didn't hide his displeasure.

A neatly styled slick-back hair, long sideburns, and a well-maintained beard.

Between the black robe worn as an outer garment, the clothes visible underneath had a uniform-style design with black and red base colors.

He was a man reminiscent of a gentleman or nobleman from somewhere.

"And these were supposedly the most trustworthy locals we could hire. What kind of mess is this?"

"I apologize. It seems the opponent was more skilled than we thought."

"I wasn't expecting success, but leaving a trail is problematic, isn't it?"

"Their handling of the job wasn't careless. Rather, it seems Casey Selmore’s abilities were beyond expectations."

They were well aware that Casey Selmore had returned to the mansion.

Targeting that point, they thought her sister Marias would rush out in anger if they killed her sister but Casey didn't die, and instead personally tracked down those who had targeted her.

They had hired an incredibly skilled sniper, but how did she manage to find them?

From the perspective of a dark mage well-versed only in magic, it was difficult to guess.

"With one more Colour Mage, perhaps we should be careful..."

"Stop talking nonsense! They're already aware of our existence."

Just recently, their newly established branch was destroyed in an attack by Magic Intelligence Department agents led by Marias.

Since some 4th Circle dark mages who were considerable fighting forces were mixed in there, from the man's position, this loss was bound to be deeply painful.

"What changes if we cower and hide here? They'll persistently target us anyway. We have no choice but to fight now."

"But..."

"What do you think you can do with such a shallow mindset!"

The subordinate bowed his head at his superior's rebuke.

"Look at the state of our Hell Magic School! Now that we've been driven out of Isla Machina, look at where we are! How long must we stay in this warehouse storage, corroded by salt and full of mold!"

"B-but for now there's no suitable way..."

"That's why we're trying to eliminate the annoying Marias Selmore and establish ourselves in this city!"

Caloto, the man who was shouting, stamped the floor several times, unable to contain his anger.

"How did we end up like this! There wasn't anyone who dared touch our Hell Magic School even in Isla Machina! How did it come to this!"

Though he was crying out as if lamenting, in fact, Caloto himself knew better than anyone that they had lost in a fight against one organization.

Like bubbles rising from the deep sea, they suddenly appeared from the underworld of Isla Machina.

It was unbelievable.

The dark mages, who were well-versed in the underworld, hadn't noticed their existence at all.

What's more unbelievable was the course of action they showed.

Like locusts that devour everything, they suddenly appeared and clashed with nearby dark mage organizations, openly dismantling them.

It was natural that the Hell Magic School was included among them.

In fact, the Hell Magic School was among the lucky ones.

At least they were able to withdraw while preserving their school's fighting force.

Other schools that couldn't do so suffered devastating blows.

The Corpse Decay School, Skeletal Transformation School, Body Modification School, and so on, dark mage organizations that were quite renowned in the underworld were dismantled or absorbed.

When such prominent ones fell, the Hell Magic School had no means to do anything about it.

They fled, and planned to build new forces in this Seville Kingdom to devour one kingdom and establish the strongest dark mage school ever and then return to Isla Machina once again to exact revenge on those who had reduced them to this state.

For that, they first needed to escape from this crude port warehouse and create their own hideout.

They shouldn't be held back in a place like this but things were difficult from the start.

In the Seville Kingdom, which they had underestimated as a small to medium-sized country, there was a formidable opponent, Marias Selmore, and the Magic Intelligence Department she managed and led.

Having stayed only within the island of Isla Machina for so long, Caloto wasn't well-informed about outside circumstances.

In the end, he had to take a big hit for underestimating the opponent but Caloto, with his high pride, couldn't accept that failure.

If he was hit, his principle was to revenge several times stronger.

"Get ready. They know where we are and will come soon."

She doesn't have to come herself.

Since she said her sister would move instead, it would be enough to eliminate that sister.

Rather, if the sister dies, it would give Marias herself sufficient reason to move, which is even more welcome.

'The only concerning thing is that the sister also holds a Colour title...'

Caloto snorted.

What's the big deal about a Colour Mage?

'Isn't it just an excessive title they give to those with a bit of talent among light-side mages?'

Caloto always thought.

‘Why do people look down on dark mages?’

Dark mages living in darkness isn't because they're weak, it's just because they don't want to face troublesome things!

Rather, the destructive power and force of their magic was far stronger than ordinary mages but in public, they say dark mages are inferior to ordinary mages.

Caloto had long disliked such nonsense.

'Colour title? Ridiculous. It must all be exaggerated anyway, why do they make such a fuss praising it as if it's something great?'

Mages are cunning ones who secretly conduct illegal experiments while claiming to maintain unnecessary morality.

With such dual attitudes, they must have widely spread propaganda that they are superior to dark mages.

'Arrogant bastards. I'll show you how great the dark mages you've looked down on and ignored are, how narrow your vision was living in your own world.'

Hunting a mage with a Colour title is the starting signal to show this.

Now the world will know how fearsome the dark mages they so despised are.

* * *

"There it is."

On a dark night when even the sky's light was covered by thick clouds, Casey, who arrived at the port, pointed to a large warehouse.

"If my sister's information is correct, dark mages are hiding there. Hell Magic School, was it?"

"They're ones who use elemental magic with tremendous firepower."

"You seem to know them?"

"Because they're skilled enough to make quite a name for themselves."

"It's strange that dark mages of that level were driven here like they were being chased. What exactly is happening in Isla Machina? And what is the New Magic Tower doing? I really don't understand."

“Isla Machina isn't entirely under New Magic Tower's jurisdiction. Though it serves as their base, that island is composed of countless mage collectives. The New Magic Tower's share isn't even half."

The other half consists of various large and small mage collectives.

In fact, it was remarkable that the New Magic Tower held nearly half the stake in Isla Machina to begin with.

"Are there any points to watch out for with this Hell Magic School? I haven't fought dark mages that much."

"You're asking as if I've fought them a lot."

"Haven't you?"

"I've fought some."

"..."

Casey glanced at Rudger with half-closed eyes.

It probably wasn't just "some."