Chapter 150 – Pangaea (16)

There were a total of nine mage towers in all of Pangaea.

We sought out one of them, located in the Revad region.

The master of the mage tower was Amor Jenolf.

He was a mage and a dragon researcher.

The ultimate reason I came to Pangaea was to meet this very person, and I had finally reached the final destination.

“Unit Leader. The mage tower is much larger than I thought!”

This mage tower, standing tall in a secluded wasteland, was so different from its surroundings that it created a strange sense of dissonance.

It was about eight stories high.

Considering that Jenolf was the sole resident of this mage tower, it was a considerable size.

“The entrance seems to have a unique setting.”

“I thought it was just a regular main gate, but did you feel something, Unit Leader?”

“Yeah. The flow of mana surrounding this entrance is quite intricate.”

Still, Yoon Joo-hee had an expression of complete incomprehension.

She walked steadily towards the entrance.

“I’ll try pushing it.”

I nodded for the time being.

Though the expected result was obvious.

And a moment later.

“Why is this…….”

Yoon Joo-hee was struggling with the entrance with a bewildered look.

“……Why won’t it open!!”

Even when she strained and infused mana, nothing changed.

“That’s enough. Stop struggling.”

“Haah! Unit Leader. I can’t do it with my strength. I can’t!”

“A mage has played a trick on it. There’s no way you can open this with strength.”

“A trick?

“Step aside.”

I took a step towards the door.

A clear flow of mana could be felt from the entrance.

It was a definite fact that the master of the mage tower was involved in this power in some way.

Although I was a layman in magic, it wasn’t difficult to discover the series of mana patterns surrounding this door.

I placed my hand on the door and infused mana following that pattern.

‘Hmm.’

I didn’t know if this would lead to unlocking the lock function, but the mana of the entrance immediately began to fluctuate.

Soon, the wave of mana expanded throughout the entire entrance, and all the existing mana patterns disappeared, creating an even more intricate design.

This must be the harmony of magic cast by Jenolf.

At times like this, the mana utilization ability of mages was truly mysterious.

But finding the mana pattern within the new design was a separate issue.

I couldn’t imitate what a mage could do, but it wasn’t too difficult to interpret the harmony that a mage had created.

I immediately infused mana and began to trace the pattern in reverse.

And a moment later.

“U-Unit Leader! On the door…….”

Yoon Joo-hee shouted.

Finally, a tangible change had occurred on the entrance.

The shape of letters began to appear on the previously plain main gate.

And the completed message was.

『Not bad.』

Without a doubt, it was sent by Jenolf.

And a new message was transmitted in succession.

『I see you’re the ones the 3rd Princess mentioned in her letter, but I feel a little uneasy just letting you in.』

“Then what do you intend to do?”

『I will let you in if you pass a test.』

As expected, he responded immediately, so he must have been able to see and hear the situation outside the entrance.

They said he was an eccentric among eccentrics, and I could already feel that aura.

“For your information, I know nothing about magic.”

『Don’t worry. I won’t do something as childish as testing you with magic. Instead, I’ll give you a very difficult riddle.』

He meant that I couldn’t enter the mage tower until I solved this riddle.

To act like this even after receiving a letter from the 3rd Princess, the race of mages was definitely self-centered in any world.

『Listen carefully and guess what creature this is a description of.』

He really seemed to be giving a riddle.

It was absurd, but I had no choice but to listen silently.

Even if I broke down the door of this mage tower with force, I wouldn’t be able to open Jenolf’s mouth.

『Guess what this is that walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening. For your information, this is a riddle created by my genius brain, so it will be very, very difficult! Hahahaha!』

I felt like I could hear old man Jenolf’s laughter all the way here.

‘What kind of question is this?’

I had never heard of a creature whose number of legs changed with the time of day.

It might be a creature that only exists in Pangaea.

If so, that would be a disaster.

No matter how much I racked my brain, I would never be able to find the answer.

At that moment, Yoon Joo-hee tilted her head and whispered in my ear.

“Unit Leader, do you really not know?”

“I don’t know everything in the world. That’s only natural.”

“Are you kidding me?”

Yoon Joo-hee looked at me with a dumbfounded expression.

A look that said, ‘You really don’t know this?’

I leaned in and whispered in her ear again.

“Then what do you think the answer is?”

“A person……. Sir.”

“A person?”

“I’m talking about that famous riddle. When you’re a baby, you crawl on four legs, when you grow up, you walk on two legs, and when you’re old, you walk with a cane. Am I thinking too simply?”

The moment I heard Yoon Joo-hee’s words, I felt a jolt in my head.

Hearing it, it was so plausible and exquisite.

To think that this was a famous riddle on Earth, I once again realized that although their level of swordsmanship was lower than Kalia’s, they were much more advanced in this area.

“Yoon Joo-hee. You’re right. I think I was overthinking it.”

“Then, could this really be the correct answer?”

“Probably.”

“I’m so happy that I was of help, Unit Leader!”

Yoon Joo-hee looked like she was about to jump for joy.

『You two! What are you constantly whispering about!』

Not only could he hear, but he could also see us.

I didn’t know the principle, but it was certain that he was a mage of an amazing level.

“Then, I will tell you the answer to the riddle.”

『Go ahead and try. I don’t expect you to get it right away, though.』

“The answer is a person.”

At my words, Jenolf didn’t send a message for a while.

He was clearly flustered.

『Tell me the reason why you thought so!』

As expected, it seemed to be the correct answer.

I began to recite what Yoon Joo-hee had told me.

After that, there were no more messages from Jenolf.

Thud!

Because the firmly closed door had opened.

***

Amor Jenolf.

He was an old man with white hair.

According to the 3rd Princess Clera, he was the greatest mage in the empire. To the extent that even Deli would defer to Jenolf, I couldn’t help but have expectations for him.

“Amazing! I knew it from the moment you saw through my mana pattern, but you’re a truly amazing fellow!

How could you solve the riddle I created in one go?”

Jenolf greeted me with an exaggerated expression.

He continuously exclaimed in admiration and sprinkled a powder with magic on me.

Every time the powder touched my body, I felt my physical fatigue melt away and my mind become clear.

To think I would receive such a welcome for solving a single riddle.

“The reason the 3rd Princess sent a personal letter was not for nothing! By the way, why didn’t the woman who came with you come in?”

“Because I have something to talk to you about in private, sir.”

“Right. Whatever you want. You, who solved my riddle, are fully qualified for that!”

However, his goodwill towards me did not last until the end.

When I revealed my purpose for coming here, Jenolf’s face hardened, and he began to be wary of me.

“……You want to hear about dragons from me?”

“I heard that when it comes to dragons, you are the highest authority in the empire.”

“When it comes to dragons?”

“Including magic.”

In that moment, the corners of Jenolf’s mouth rose slightly, but his wariness remained.

Well, since I had come to get his life’s research for free, this situation couldn’t be pleasant for him.

“The princess earnestly requested it, but in the end, it was for such a troublesome matter.”

“I beg you.”

“But why do you want to hear about dragons?”

“Because I am looking for traces of the Red Dragon.”

“Then I have no choice but to ask again. Why are you looking for the Red Dragon? Of course, I’m not saying I’ve opened my heart.”

I needed to be honest to some extent.

I didn’t know if Jenolf had the information I wanted, but opening his heart was the priority.

“Actually, I’ve had a bad run-in with the Red Dragon before.”

“You’re talking such nonsense so confidently that I’m getting flustered. Are you saying that you’ve met the Red Dragon in person?”

“Yes.”

“That lie. Go on.”

I began to tell the story, embellishing it appropriately.

I changed Kalia to Pangaea. I glossed over any ambiguous parts by saying that it was the work of an unknown person.

Of course, the stories I was telling now were not absurd fabrications.

They were real events. Moreover, they were vivid, true stories that I had experienced myself.

As my story unfolded, Jenolf’s eyes began to waver more and more.

To judge it as a lie, many details would have fit together plausibly.

He would have no choice but to be in a state of half-belief, half-disbelief.

“You really fought the Red Dragon?”

“Yes.”

“And yet you’re still alive and well like this?”

“I also think it’s a miracle.”

To be precise, it was that I had been reincarnated.

“First of all, your story was very plausible.”

“Because it’s true.”

“But there’s no proof. The proof that I, as a dragon researcher, consider most important. At the very least, you don’t even have the weapon you were holding when you fought the dragon!”

“I have it.”

“Right. I thought you would say that……. What? You have it?”

The Holy Sword Bastian.

I took the Holy Sword out of my inventory.

Though I didn’t know if showing this would be proof.

“This is the weapon you used when you fought the dragon?”

I nodded.

It was this very Holy Sword that had taken the dragon’s breath head-on.

“To determine the truth of your words, I need to apply something to this sword. Would you allow it?”

“As long as it’s not anything strange.”

“Strange! Do you know how much that costs in money!”

My friend! What on earth are you worried about? Even the dragon’s breath couldn’t do anything to me!

Well, no matter what he did to the Holy Sword, it was impossible to harm it.

I immediately accepted Jenolf’s proposal.

A moment later, he disappeared somewhere and brought back a bottle of an unknown reagent.

Magic was not my domain, so I was a little anxious, but I decided to watch what he did.

He sprinkled the reagent on the blade of the Holy Sword, and he seemed to be working some kind of magic on it.

As time passed, his expression grew more and more serious.

And the words he uttered a moment later were very surprising.

“One of two things is certain.”

He swallowed hard and continued.

“Either you really fought a dragon with this sword, or.”

“Or?”

“This sword is a dragon’s legacy.”

“A dragon’s legacy?”

“This sword is imprinted with a dragon’s mana.”

My friend! What is this! A dragon’s legacy.

According to Deli, it was an item that could be used to create a map to the nest of the dragon whose mana was imprinted on it.

I felt like I was starting to understand something.

Devrias’s breath. And the imprinting of mana.

It felt like I had made an unexpected gain.

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