No one answered him. More accurately, none of them could muster the spirit to answer him. It was incredible enough that Orta had used a single spell to transfer them from the capital to the border, but then he had immediately followed it up with this bizarre spell that no one could understand.

Meanwhile, Theo was filled with admiration.

The magic power’s movement doesn’t even make sense, but it’s clearly stable. This is the White Tower Master’s magic!

He remembered what Veronica had said before they’d left. She had been disappointed that she couldn’t accompany them, but she had never been worried about his safety.

She said, “Well, there’s no need to worry if Orta’s coming along. He’s a more competent escort than me.”

Theo raised an eyebrow, “More than Sister?”

Veronica smiled, “Well, I’ll win in a fight, but there’s no way to catch Orta if he wants to run away. If there’s no way to tie him down, his mobility is the scariest thing to face. He managed to escape an ambush by three sword masters in the last war. Do you think you could do something like that?”

Theo had shaken his head in disbelief. Sword masters were humans who had broken past the limitations of their bodies. Their flesh had been shaped into a perfect vessel for aura, and honed to a fine point. They had the strength of an ogre and the durability of a golem. In fact, some sword masters were famous for causing shock waves with their movements. They could move several hundred meters in a breath. Once a person was caught in the eyes of a sword master, there was no way for them to escape.

But Orta can escape from three sword masters. 

Theo could see it now. A few hundred meters in a breath didn’t even come up to half of Orta’s steps. There was no way to prevent Orta from going where he wanted. The White Tower Master’s space magic had reached the level of transcendence.

Gluttony was the only one who realized the essence of the White Tower Master’s spell.

- Hoh, is that Shukuchiho?

Shukuchiho?

Theodore asked reflexively.

It was a word he had never heard before. Somehow, Gluttony seemed to know about the White Tower Master’s space magic, and Theo was feeling curious. Above all, if Gluttony initiated the conversation, then his right to ask a question wasn’t consumed. As always, the greedy grimoire responded to its owner’s expectations.

- Shrinking the earth. It’s an eastern immortal technique that allows the user to navigate large distances by compressing space between two points.

Immortal technique? Is that a type of magic?

- It’s a little different. It’s a little sloppy compared to magic systems, since it relies on one’s natural qualities and gradual build up of strength with mental power. It’s closer to a superpower rather than magic.

But Gluttony’s tone changed.

- However, it seems a magician recreated Shukuchiho using pure magic. He’s distorting space precisely and switching the points around himself. Humans really are capable of wonderful feats.

It was rare for the grimoire to praise someone, so it must be really impressed. It had never seen Orta’s spell before, so the grimoire respected the magic of modern humans. Theo wanted to ask a few more questions, but Gluttony fell back to sleep.

Theo looked up at the sky that was changing above him.

Space magic...

Space magic required a minimum of six Circles. Theo didn’t know if he had the aptitude for it, but he had many options. His biggest problem was the wall to the next Circle. Theo’s hands curled into fists as he renewed his resolve. He would make as much progress as possible in Elvenheim.

Meltor’s delegation to Elvenheim sped through the Red Plateau at an unprecedented rate.

***

In the end, the White Tower Master’s words were proven true. Just before the sun crossed the horizon in the west, the delegation stood before the Great Forest.

Someone quietly marveled, “This is the Great Forest in the north?!”

It was a place that had stayed free of human touch since ancient times. It looked like a lush and beautiful forest, but everyone knew that it was an illusion. Only transcendents who had reached master level could guarantee their safety in that forest. A country without a master level power was not qualified to trade with Elvenheim.

The White Tower Master brought them within walking distance of the Great Forest and said, “We will camp here tonight and enter the Great Forest when the sun rises. Please return the rings that you are wearing.”

He received questioning expressions, but the party pulled the ring off their fingers with awe-filled eyes. Orta stored the rings in the box and placed it inside his robe. It seemed as though the rings were what allowed the party to accompany him when he used Shukuchiho. Gluttony’s explanation flashed through Theo’s mind as he unloaded his baggage.

The ten of them quickly made camp, stashing their sleeping rolls in their tent as someone started a merry campfire. Magicians were often seen as desk jockeys, but Meltor’s magicians were often at war, so they could do something as simple as setting up camp blindfolded.

“... Master, how did you do it so quickly?”

“Experience, experience.”

Vince had set up his tent a few minutes earlier than Theo and was sipping tea by the fire. By the time Theo and Sylvia were finished with their tents, the rest of the group had already prepared everything for dinner.

As the two magicians sat down with red faces, the others chuckled and waved their hands.

“Hey! We were all like that when we were younger!”

“Don’t mind it and take a bowl. This is the best meal when eating outdoors.”

“You were still quite fast... At least, they were faster than your first time.”

“Ah? You wanna fight?”

Some of them comforted Theo and handed him a bowl, while others started talking about their youths. Despite the cold breeze, the Red Plateau felt like a warm and comfortable space. Theo ate a spoonful of the beef stew and looked around.

The White Tower Master was looking at the Great Forest while the rest were still busy eating. Vince had a serious expression as he discussed something with a Yellow Tower magician, while Sylvia was swarmed by two Blue Tower magicians giving her food.

Crunch.

At that moment, Edwin came to his side. “Benefactor.”

“Ah, Sir Edwin.”

The beef stew didn’t fit with Edwin’s tastes, so he was eating an apple. He threw the apple core into the distant Great Forest.

Edwin looked around for a while before sitting next to Theo and saying, “I didn’t know we would arrive so soon. It seems human magic has already surpassed our imagination. My species would doubt that anyone could cross the Red Plateau in just one day.”

“I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t experienced it myself.” Theo smiled as he empathized with Edwin. Theo would’ve had the same reaction if he hadn’t experienced the White Tower Master’s magic before.

A land where water and life didn’t exist… A land that killed those who weren’t fully prepared… Even the creatures of the Great Forest gave up crossing the Red Plateau in one day. Magicians truly transcended common sense. The magician and elementalist formed a consensus, and an easy conversation flowed between them.

“Benefactor, was there no change?” Mitra was quickly brought up.

Theo looked down at the ground and hesitated before saying, “Mitra.”

[Hoing!]

The little girl came out with a cheerful cry. Her size and tone had remained the same, except for the bud sprouting from her hair. It was cute, but that was all. Edwin was also confused, but he didn’t have an answer. He figured they would find out naturally once they entered the forest, just like Ellenoa had said. The conversation between the two people ended peacefully.

After they were done with their meals, the delegation went to bed. Theo and the White Tower Master were excluded from the guard roster as heads of the delegation, making Theo feel subtly uncomfortable as he entered the sleeping bag.

I understand that it is because of my position, but I feel bad sleeping while Master is on guard.

Sleep didn’t come easily to him. After tossing and turning around a few times, Mitra approached him from where she had been playing near the entrance. Her round eyes seemed to be asking what the matter was.

Theodore just smiled slightly and shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

[Weally?]

“Yes, really.”

Mitra repeated her worries about Theo several times before jumping onto his chest and sitting there. The weight was almost imperceptible, but it was embarrassing. Just as he was about to fall asleep, Mitra raised her head.

Wiiing!

The bud coming from Mitra’s head started to shine with a green light. It almost seemed like it was revolving rather than vibrating, as the bud spun in a clockwise direction like a waterwheel. Mitra was amazed as she too started to spin around.

Before Theo could take any action, something happened.

[Hoee!]

Mitra got dizzy from spinning and fell down on him. The collision wouldn’t hurt either of them, so Theo didn’t avoid it, but the shining green bud touched his forehead.

“Ah—” It was an inexplicable sensation, like his body had transformed into soil and trees. However, Theodore’s flesh was still human, and it was just an illusion.

Then, what was he hearing?

Kwaaaaah!

He heard a terribly loud roar. The source of the roar killed a goblin and became more excited by the smell of blood. A heavy paddle was being dragged behind it. Its thick belly was full of blood and oil, and its stubborn skin would quickly heal. Theo couldn’t count the number of creatures, but he could sense the shadows running through the trees and bushes like rats. They were heading towards ten tents.

“Heook!” The sensation was cut off, and Theo jumped up. He pulled Mitra away from his forehead and ran out of the tent. It wasn’t a mere illusion. He might’ve thought that it was just a bad dream. However, Theo was convinced by how real it seemed.

“Master!”

Vince was on guard duty. He was surprised by his disciple rushing out of his tent, and alarmed by the tension in his face. He didn’t bother asking for an explanation from Theo as he fired a spell into the Great Forest.

Flash! 

As the darkness was peeled back for a moment, the area around the camp brightened. The shadows lifted, and the light of the campfire was overshadowed. The intense fluctuation of magic power caused the rest of the magicians to wake up reflexively, and...

Kuwoooook!

Also alerted those who were approaching from a few kilometers away.