The elderly mage put down the book he was holding and removed his glasses.

"Go on."

"I'm going to discuss the monster we encountered today."

Yuder didn't stretch out his explanation. He briefly shared his observations the behavior of the Pethuamet, its voracious appetite, the traces it constantly left while prowling around the magic circles and the ruins, and even the shimmering light from its tongue as it tried to swallow the magic stone. After explaining all that he had seen, he succinctly conveyed his conjecture.

"...I think this monster possesses the ability to absorb magic, as you've mentioned before. Although I've managed to kill two of them, there may be more hidden or could appear in the future. We need to respond quickly."

"If that's the case, there's a high likelihood it truly is a magic-absorbing monster. By response, you mean... extermination?"

The astute mage was quick on the uptake. However, Yuder's objective was not merely about extermination.

"Yes. We need to find out how many more are in the forest and deal with them. I can handle that alone. However... I'd like to request that, in anticipation of any possible scenarios, apart from basic protection magic, we cease all other magic circle activities and momentarily deactivate them."

"Deactivate the magic circles?"

"Yes. Not only because of the monsters, but there are other reasons too..."

A momentary twitch appeared at the corners of Micalin's wrinkled eyes.

"That's problematic."

Cutting off Yuder's words, the elderly mage answered firmly, a low chuckle escaping his lips moments later.

"Look here. You may have learned a little about magic since coming here, but magic circles aren't so easily deactivated and reinstalled on a whim. If anything, pushing for a swift recovery might work, but deactivation is out of the question."

"So you're saying it's entirely impossible to deactivate."

"It's not about impossibility. If you deactivate the amplification circle set up there, all the effort we've put in thus far would go down the drain. It would mean restarting the research that has taken considerable money, time, and manpower to bring to this point. Do you think you can handle that?"

Micalin shook his head, murmuring "That's not going to happen."

"You said the monster is very weak. I don't think we need to go that far."

"I understand your concerns. But in a situation where we have no time to properly recover the damaged circles, what if the monster absorbs even a part of the amplification circle? Then... it won't be just a weak monster anymore."

"You've got quite an imagination. This isn't a matter for the Awakener to decide, but for us mages who understand magic. Let's leave it at that."

It wasn't mere imagination. In his previous life, this might have actually happened. But Micalin made it clear he didn't want to talk about it any further. By mentioning the Awakener and mages at the same time, he implied that Yuder's actions were being seen as excessive interference, an overstep of his bounds.

Their hard-earned trust was at risk. Provoking him further wasn't a good move.

'I understand, but...'

Still, Micalin's attitude was disappointing. His somewhat changed demeanor from when they had promised cooperation before triggered Yuder's past memories. After defeating Pethuamet and witnessing Kishiar's figure swaying on the crumbling cliff, he had to take a deep breath to regain his composure. As he opened his eyes after a brief close, the surged emotions consumed his heart like flames.

'Indeed, stepping back just won't do.'

Yuder opened his mouth once more.

"I understand your perspective, Leader. But may I add one more thing?"

"As long as it's not about abandoning the amplification circle, feel free."

"This is a continuation of the cooperative discussion we had a few days ago."

Carefully observing any minor changes on Micalin's face, which looked somewhat colder than before, Yuder spoke.

"Both the Leader and we agreed that there may be a connection between the strange cracks and monster anomalies observed in the Great Sarain Forest and the Magic Spring, and we decided to cooperate. Do you remember?"

"I may be old, but my mind is still sharp."

"The period when the cracks began to be observed coincides with the time when the amplification circle was completed and changes began to occur at the Magic Spring. It's also roughly the same time when the monsters began to act unusually."

Yuder continued his train of thought.

"If all of these are indeed related, shouldn't we naturally consider the amplification circle that triggered the changes in the ruins?"

"That's..."

The expression swiftly drained from Micalin's face. Yuder watched him, sensing his great discomfort and anger at the mere mention of the amplification circle, but forcing it down.

"Since problems arose with the amplification circle surrounding the Magic Spring, new cracks have not been observed and the monster anomalies have not recurred. I can't deny that there's some correlation in all of these events. What do you think, Leader?"

In the two days of receiving reports from Lorna and reorganizing the base, Micalin, as the Leader, would have speculated similarly to Yuder. The evidence was clear in his gaze. However, he had kept silent all this while, even promptly changing the subject when Yuder brought up the amplification circle due to the monsters. In the end, he too was a mage who prioritized research.

Everything was connected. The magic power from the Magic Spring, the Great Sarain Forest, the amplification circle that changed the Magic Spring, and the subsequent appearance of cracks and monster anomalies. If traced back, all these events led to the mages' research. Would they have to disregard the amplification circle and abandon the research simply because it was a waste?

The answer was clear. The ones turning a blind eye were the mages.

"I didn't bring up the amplification circle merely because of the appearance of monsters absorbing magic. You, Leader, and the Western Mage Union have already suffered significant damages due to the monsters' anomalies. But let's also consider the other countries and imperial citizens in the western area who have suffered even greater damages, and continue to do so. We all know what the priority is now. It'll be too late once something else happens."

Yuder had said something similar when he first met Micalin and requested his cooperation. However, unlike then, Micalin didn't say anything, his brow furrowed.

The situation had changed so much that they might have to start the ongoing research from the beginning, or perhaps stop it altogether. His demeanor had changed so drastically just with the addition of this harsh reality. Within his piercing, eagle-like amber eyes, numerous worries surged like waves.

"It's difficult to give an immediate answer."

In the end, Micalin had turned away from Yuder's gaze.

"Would it not have been better if you asked to understand the principles behind the magic circle near the Magic Spring, the geography of the Great Sarain Forest, or offered swift assistance in monster subjugation? But the amplification circle... I did not anticipate having to intervene that far. There are too many here who stake everything on the outcome it could bring. I can immediately cooperate on anything else, but I need you to understand that it's difficult to decide this matter on my own."

"Didn't you say that it is shameful to turn a blind eye to what happens in the pursuit of truth? Yet you are saying this now?"

At the pointed comment, the ends of Micalin's pale brows trembled. The elderly mage was fiercely conflicted between his own shame, the intensely desired research objectives, and the audacious young man standing before him, eventually bowing his head.

"Was it not agreed that detailed cooperation would be discussed when your companions return, not now? It is not that time yet."

"..."

"Please leave."

The order to leave was finally issued. Yuder closed his mouth and turned around.

'If Kishiar and the others return as promised tomorrow, I'll start with this discussion.'

There was a possibility that Micalin and the mages of the Western Mage Union could completely reverse their cooperative stance before their return. Feeling a bit sorry at the thought that the returning Cavalry members might be dumbfounded or disappointed, Yuder decided not to regret the words he had just spat out to Micalin.

'After all, it might have been strange to hope everything would go smoothly with a partnership gained through a mere introductory letter from Thais Yulman.'

The mages weren't bad people. Both Lorna and Micalin were quite reasonable and intelligent. It was just that he hadn't properly understood that their reasonableness was only in areas outside of their research.

'So, this situation was bound to happen.'

If even Micalin, who was in charge of this place, couldn't be convinced, there was no chance for things to improve through conversation with those under his sway. If Micalin were to completely refuse cooperation afterward, it seemed better to handle the work alone, as he always had, rather than hoping for cooperation with them.

Moving alone had been his forte since his previous life. It was much more comfortable for Yuder than considering others.

However, he couldn't easily quell his troubled feelings.

'Have I become weak?'

It was worrisome. Now, more than ever, was a time when strength was needed. Yuder sighed, rolling the last piece of candy in his pocket with his fingers.