Chapter 039. Stone of Truth (1)

"So, are you saying you want to go there in person?"

"Yes. I thought retrieving the item myself would be the most effective way to handle it."

"Cough…"

The old man stroked his beard.

Recently, the royal family had requested the transfer of the 'Stone of Truth.' This was based on the pressure from the royal family, claiming that the academy lacked the ability to protect valuable magical items in light of recent unfortunate events.

"I acknowledge your skills, even as your master. But do you really need to leave your post?"

After a moment of contemplation at the old mage's kind question, the girl shook her head.

"I must go. I believe that is the most efficient way to handle it."

"Is that so?"

The old man looked at his disciple with a pained expression.

Her talent was like a brilliantly shining gem. The girl who had come to the Magic Tower as a naive child had now become a respected figure among all mages.

But there was something regrettable.

'How cold she has become. She was such a cute child at first.'

The old man felt sorrowful. The fact that a once-in-a-lifetime magical genius who could illuminate the world had such a cold demeanor was disheartening.

Typically, mages live such lives. The mana they have trained to the extreme influences their personality.

"Well then, when would be a good time for you to leave?" "Tomorrow. I have already finished preparing to depart tomorrow."

The old man nodded at the stiff voice of his disciple.

She was a girl called a talent of the Magic Tower and the empire. Indeed, she handled every detail quickly and succinctly.

"Very well. Please take care of yourself while you're away."

"Understood."

The girl bowed her head. At first glance, it seemed like just a polite gesture, but compared to the past, her demeanor had changed so much that the old man couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.

* * *

The Stone of Truth is an object with powers that cannot be explained by mana studies or magic studies.

It is an object that can directly intervene in the statements or will of the subject, distinguishing whether what they say is true or false. It was one of the few remaining relics from the magical era of this age.

With such an object in the academy, and with the royal family's order to transfer its custody to the Magic Tower, the girl had no choice but to take action herself.

"The academy…"

As she gazed at the peaceful cityscape, the girl muttered to herself.

The carriage prepared in the name of the Magic Tower lord boasted an exceptionally luxurious interior. Sitting on the cushioned seat and looking at the scenery outside the window, she couldn't help but think of other things.

The academy. Originally, she would have been in her second year at the academy by now. But whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, the fact that she was training at the Magic Tower allowed her to postpone her enrollment.

And it was a simple matter that the girl felt a strange fever at the word academy. There was someone she missed there.

To speak coldly, it was a person whose face she could hardly remember now. Before she grew up, she only had vague memories of feeling shy even when they talked.

'…Could Gunther's words be true?'

The girl with the cold demeanor recalled the letters she occasionally received from her younger brother.

From the moment of enrollment until now, Gunther, being the talkative child he was, had written about all sorts of things in his letters.

The girl couldn't help but be astonished by the things he had done.

The unfair undervaluation during the entrance exam.

The duel with Gunther.

Meeting Saintess Cecilia.

Defeating the famous Sword Demon.

The appearance of the princess.

The incident with the Inquisition.

The elf, who was his attendant, awakening the legendary spirit sword.

Finding a ring that appeared to be a relic from the magical era inside a dungeon.

"The ring…"

As she gazed out the window, the girl muttered absentmindedly while pondering the letter.

Yes. It was said that he had given rings to the women around him. Even for a girl who was not particularly emotional, her head had inexplicably heated up while reading that letter.

But now, it didn't bother her much. After all, it was a betrothal arranged by their families. She had little will or reason to pursue that betrothal.

Thinking that way, the girl felt a bitterness in her mouth for some reason.

Perhaps she still missed him. Even though she could no longer recall his face.

"I don't know."

The girl murmured calmly. That was the truth. For some reason, thinking of him made her heart uneasy. It became even more pronounced when Gunther wrote long letters about Arwen and Cecilia, who lived with him.

Her younger brother referred to the two as "rivals in love." And recently, he had even warned her that one more person might be added to that list of rivals.

"…It doesn't matter."

The girl genuinely thought so.

It doesn't matter. After all, a training mage at the Magic Tower and a student at the academy would lead lives that were similar yet vastly different.

Of course, she would also become a student at the academy in the future, but by then, he and her rivals would likely not be there.

In fact, that might be why she was heading to the academy. It was a judgment she couldn't even provide a reason for herself. As her master said, there was no need for her, a disciple of the Magic Tower, to personally move for the escort of the Stone of Truth.

"Ha."

The girl let out a small sigh.

Strangely, perhaps because of the letters Gunther sent, she couldn't find peace of mind when thinking of him. She thought it was an illusion she was creating without realizing it.

* * *

"Why me?"

"Oh, come on, please consider our situation."

Veris frowned at the dean's earnest request.

He hadn't realized it when he was asked not to hide his power. He hadn't realized it when he was asked to clean the dungeon.

"Do you think I'm a pushover?"

"Ha ha! A pushover? Is there anyone who would use someone like you as a pushover?"

Seeing the dean joking around, Veris sighed.

The dean's opinion was simple. A messenger would soon come from the Magic Tower to carry out the royal family's orders, and he wanted to persuade him to jointly prevent the transfer of the Stone of Truth.

It was a situation that made Veris wonder why he should be involved. This wasn't even the academy's business; it was merely the dean's personal greed.

"The academy's prestige has been in shambles lately. Thanks to you, I'm able to maintain my position."

"That's true. The Inquisition from the Holy Kingdom has been wreaking havoc in the academy without your orders."

"…"

The dean fell silent. That incident was something he hadn't anticipated either. He never expected that the Inquisition from the Holy Kingdom would enter the academy with the intent to harm students.

Of course, it was said that the Inquisition had a hard time dealing with Veris.

"Please help me out. It may not matter much to you, but can't you help an old man just this once?"

In the end, the dean resorted to his last tactic. He appealed to Veris's sympathy.

He knew very well that this was not something a person in the position of the academy's dean should say. But what could he do? Veris had little interest in trivial honor.

"And the things that happened before weren't as bad as you might think. I've heard strange rumors about you not circulating within the academy."

That was true.

The dean had expected Veris to play a role like the academy's figurehead. But that hope had been thwarted in an oddly simple manner.

It felt as if someone powerful was working behind the scenes to prevent his reputation from spreading.

"So, what do you want?"

"After all, what difference does it make whether the relic is stored at the academy or the Magic Tower? Realistically speaking, isn't that the case? So, I would prefer that the item remains at the academy."

In a way, it was a pathetic statement. If that were the case, he should seek solutions from the faculty or ask a student like Veris, who looked desperate, for help.

It was a rather obvious situation. Thus, the dean was implying that he might demand Veris to demonstrate his abilities if necessary.

Veris couldn't hide his incredulous expression at the dean's shamelessness. It seemed the dean was also feeling a bit guilty, as he was subtly avoiding eye contact.

"Then where is the Stone of Truth now?"

"…Well…"

The dean turned his chair to look out the window. Just as Veris began to feel puzzled by the strangely evasive demeanor of the dean, he quietly replied.

"Actually, I've already sent it away."

"Sent it away? Where to?"

"To… the mansion in the southern district. The one owned by the academy's administration that you know of."

Veris raised his fist.

He understood the meaning of the dean's words all too well.

"Ha, ha! Don't be like that. I know the justification is that it's at the Magic Tower. So, I'll give you a tremendous gift this time!"

"…What gift are you talking about?"

"Hmm."

It seemed the dean didn't have a specific answer in mind, as he hesitated. When Veris raised his fist again, the dean hurriedly shouted.

"Alright! This summer vacation, all the expenses you incur will be covered by the academy!"

Hearing that, Veris's fist slowly lowered. The dean couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

In fact, using the academy's public funds in this way was tantamount to embezzlement. Therefore, to avoid punishment under the strict imperial law, it had to be presented as a legitimate expense, but the dean would have to dig into his own pocket to cover it.

"Let's give it a try for now."

Perhaps thinking it was not a bad deal, Veris nodded.

The dean stood up and shouted.

"Damn it! I knew I could count on you! As expected of a man who serves as a role model for thousands of students, you have a fiery spirit!"

"No need for flattery."

"Ha ha! I can't tell you how reassuring it is to have someone like you around."

The dean let out a hearty laugh.

It wasn't easy to butter up Veris, who possessed overwhelming power. But for now, he was positively supporting him, so it was indeed a reassuring matter.

* * *

"Wow, is this it?"

The Stone of Truth had arrived at the mansion where Veris lived, just as expected.

Disguised as an ordinary gift rather than a relic, it was wrapped in luxurious white silk, taking the form of a stone.

"I can't believe this is a relic."

Veris chuckled at the object that looked just like a stone.

At first, when he heard the name Stone of Truth, he thought it might be something like a rock. But since it was a relic from the magical era, he figured it wouldn't just be a simple stone. However, that was a misconception.

It was a stone. One that looked quite similar to the rocks lying on the ground.

Of course, the only difference was that it emitted a faint, strange green light.

"Can I touch it?"

"Sure. If it were going to break from that, I wouldn't have sent it like this."

"It's truly a fascinating object."

With a face full of curiosity, Cecilia carefully picked up the stone.

Watching her, Arwen's eyes sparkled. She had already heard from Veris about its usage and effects.

So, it was only natural for Arwen to be intrigued.

"Cecilia."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"What do you think of Veris?"

Cecilia's face turned to one of disbelief at Arwen's sudden question.

She hurriedly tried to put the stone back in the box, but unfortunately, her mischievous mouth was much quicker than her hands.

"I like Veris. I really like him. I like Veris. I really like him. I like Veris. I really like him. I like Veris. I really like him. I like Veris. I really like him. I like Veris. I really like him. I like Veris. I really like him. I like Veris. I really like him. I like Veris. I really like him. Eek!"

"…"

With a heavy breath, Cecilia threw the stone back into the box.

Bang!

As Cecilia, her face flushed, fled into the room, Arwen and Veris stared at the stone with astonished expressions.

Despite its unremarkable appearance, the power it possessed was real.

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