“Are you hurt anywhere?”
When Ian asked this, Castro, who had been frowning, looked over in surprise.
He then waved his arms with a grin.
“Do you think I’d be hurt by something like this? I’m perfectly fine.”
“That’s a relief. You’ve worked hard.”
Ian bowed politely.
Castro patted Ian on the shoulder.
“You all did the hard work. We just landed the final hit. By the way, your skills are impressive. There’s a reason your name is well-known.”
“You flatter me. I need to tidy up the area for a bit. There’s quite a bit of damage. I’ll start handling it.”
“Alright.”
Had he been an ordinary noble, he might have reacted even a little to the compliment.
As he watched Ian nonchalantly turn away after speaking, his emotions became complicated.
The reason was simple.
‘He doesn’t let his guard down at all. Plus, his skills are exceptional. No, they’re beyond exceptional.’
He thought he could easily overpower a first-year student from the Department of Magic, but after witnessing Ian’s magic, he realized there was no room for complacency.
Isera’s magic was ordinary.
Her reputation was well-known within the academy, so that much was expected.
However, the two spells Ian used, “Increase Weight” and “Lightning Spear,” were powerful enough that a 2-star Lycanthrope couldn’t withstand them.
‘If I were to fight alone with him, could I defeat him?’
The answer didn’t come easily.
‘But the victory in battle isn’t determined solely by a quantitative difference in power.’
It depended on how effectively one used the terrain and took advantage of the right timing.
Right now, the immediate concern was that they had to enter the ominous-looking dungeon ahead.
‘If the monster that came out was 2-star, then the one inside is at least 3-star… If things go wrong, there might be a monster of 4-star or higher lurking inside.’
Roche stood idly by, merely observing Castro as he continued to ponder.
A face that betrayed nothing of what he was thinking.
Eventually, when Roche turned his head, he saw Ian calmly walking towards the fallen lycanthrope.
Ian, who was half-kneeling, examined the corpse.
Isera approached him.
“This is my first time seeing a 2-star monster sample. Until now, I’ve only seen regular monsters.”
“It’s the first for me too.”
“Really, even for you?”
Ian asked, pretending to be surprised.
Isera simply nodded in response.
“Indeed, I’ve never heard of a 2-star appearing near the capital.”
“When word gets out, it’ll surely cause a stir.”
“But it’ll only be news to those who need to know.”
Ian pulled out gloves from his pocket and put them on, as did Isera.
Even though the monster was dead, it was tainted with dark energy. It’s not wise to touch it barehanded.
“Let’s first check if there’s a magic stone.”
Magic stones are one of the rare magic materials used by mages.
Not only do they contain an immense amount of mana, but they are also used as tools to amplify magic. They are often crafted into artifacts.
As a result, while the demand is high, the supply is always limited.
In other words, they could demand a high price.
Previously, Ian had obtained a magic stone after defeating a golem in a training dungeon.
‘The magic stone I got then was good, but if it’s from a 2-star monster, it might be even better.’
With such a curious expectation, Ian pulled out a dagger and opened the chest of the Lycanthrope.
With a squelching sound, he reached inside and searched.
Not every monster contains a magic stone. However, the stronger the monster, the higher the probability it carries one, which was already an academic consensus.
‘As expected.’
Ian felt a very solid object against his hand.
As he touched its surface, a smile formed on his lips.
“It seems there’s a magic stone. It’s quite large.”
Ian pulled out the solid object clutched in his hand.
The magic stone, soaked in the monster’s blood, emerged and simultaneously caught Isera’s glittering eyes.
“Not bad, is it?”
“Looks that way, doesn’t it?”
After removing the tissues attached to the magic stone, Ian poured water over it, cleaning it meticulously.
Once he dried it with a cloth, it began to shine like a diamond.
“This seems like a top-grade one.”
“I think so too.”
“Don’t show it to Senior Gaus. He’ll definitely ask for it.”
“Of course, you’re absolutely right.”
Ian placed the magic stone into his bag.
“And another intriguing material is…”
This time, he focused on the horn protruding from the back of the lycanthrope.
Even in death, it emanated a very strong aura of magic.
“I think it would be best to remove this and send it straight to the lab. We can’t carry it around.”
Ian infused mana into his dagger, severing the horn in a single swipe.
Black blood oozed from the cut surface.
Just then, a soldier brought a magic pouch.
Ian placed the horn inside to dispatch it to the laboratory.
‘Though the horn itself is quite a rare item, it doesn’t have immediate use. I don’t even have the equipment for such experiments. Let’s just take what we can.’
Ian and Isera secured materials needed for enchantment and alchemy.
Being a 2-star monster, it had yielded highly valuable resources.
Blood and tendons alone were prized items in alchemy. Furthermore, the bones and hide were useful for item crafting.
Ian and Isera decided to get the bones and hide to the Department of Martial Arts.
“For a while, we won’t have to worry about experiments. How about conducting a magic experiment as our first club activity when we return to the academy?”
“That sounds like a good idea.”
“Crafting and stockpiling special potions would certainly aid us in our future endeavors.”
Their collection of items in preparation for looming threats had already begun.
As the two were about to finish organizing, Castro approached sternly.
“Have you finished the disassembly?”
“Yes, we’ve mostly finished. We’ll hand over all non-magic-related parts. It seems everything’s sorted now, so shall we?”
“No. This operation is halted. We plan to report to the higher-ups and await further orders.”
“Stopped?”
Ian asked in response, looking at Roche beside him.
Roche avoided his gaze, lowering his head.
“Why is it stopped? Even with some casualties, it doesn’t seem severe enough to halt the operation.”
“This isn’t something one can discuss lightly. There’s no way we can clear the dungeon with just the four of us!”
Castro’s voice rose in agitation.
The surroundings fell silent.
Realizing his mistake, Castro clicked his tongue.
His comment was a clear falsse step that could damage morale.
“You’re not wrong, are you? A 2-star monster emerged! What can we do with just us four? Three soldiers died just like that. I’m sure more terrifying ones are lurking inside!”
“That can’t be. You received an order, didn’t you?”
Ian smiled as he continued.
“It’s a royal order. This isn’t just some academy project or exam.”
“……”
With such nonchalance, Castro could only stare blankly at Ian for a moment.
“Once you receive the order, as a servant of His Majesty, you should not retreat. Even if it means dying, we die inside that dungeon. Is that the chivalry you uphold, senior? Such a waste of the medals on that sword.”
The one who felt the most shame from Ian’s blunt critique was not Castro.
It was Roche.
At last, Roche straightened up and met Ian’s gaze.
‘What a remarkable man, Ian Oracle.’
His gaze was filled with longing and admiration.
And Ian seemed to understand what that gaze meant. Their eyes met silently in the air.
‘Are you asking me to persuade him?’
Due to the recent battle, Roche was deeply impressed by Ian’s skill and mindset, feeling a sense of shame about his superior’s demeanor at the same time.
He wanted to enter the dungeon immediately.
Above all, he felt no greater shame than when a mage mentioned “chivalry” to someone walking the path of a knight.
“Interesting. I think I understand why Roche was assigned as a subordinate.”
Beyond skill, they were exploiting the inherent limitation that a commoner could not resist a noble.
Even for Edel, it had taken a while to speak comfortably.
Even now, with ease in their speech, an invisible wall remained This wall was not created by Ian or Edel.
It was a tradition established by the kingdom’s order.
This long-held tradition would not easily crumble until Edel received a title.
“It’s likely they prefer a commoner who certainly obeys over an unpredictable noble. Therefore, there’s a high possibility that Roche was unrelated to this incident.”
The situation became increasingly interesting.
Ian thought he should use this advantage even more actively. Castro was not in the position to think coolly and strategically at the moment.
“Well, I understand your concern, senior. Collecting those medals must have required considerable effort and time. It would be a waste to risk your life in the dungeon for nothing. Even if you become an honorary graduate, it’s meaningless if you’re dead, right?”
This was the reason why Castro, despite being a skilled individual, was being cautious.
There is the saying that the most fearful person is the one who has nothing to lose.
Thus, conversely, those not to be feared are those who have much to lose.
Castro belonged to the latter category.
“You bastard! Are you insulting me and my family now?”
“You once told me to call you brother, saying it’s better to be comfortable.”
“That’s not what it meant!”
“Brother! Let’s look at this logically. The decision to cease operations was made too hastily. It’s not like we achieved nothing. Anyone in my position would’ve said the same.”
“Ugh…”
Ian continued to shake Castro’s mental state by advocating a logical argument.
“We ultimately defeated a 2-star monster. Although we lost some soldiers, none of us were harmed. Given this, halting operations is difficult to justify. It’s like giving up without trying.”
“Whether you agree or not, the decision is made by me, the commander!”
“You weren’t the only one who received the orders, brother. We received them too. And we share the same right to correct a flawed plan.”
“You… intend to resist until the end?”
Castro clenched his teeth in frustration.
“You mentioned we’re in a quasi-war status just now, right? You must know the punishment for disobeying a superior’s orders.”
“No, what I was saying is slightly different.”
“Different, you say?”
Ian moved closer and quietly looked Castro in the eye.
“You received another order aside from dungeon exploration, didn’t you?”
“… What?”
“If you return without conquering the dungeon, your other task will fail, won’t it? That worries me.”
Castro stared at Ian, feeling that Ian unraveled his thoughts. Startled, Castro extended his hands to deny it.
“Another task? There’s nothing like that! Just the dungeon conquest.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Of course!”
Normally, Castro would have passed this off smoothly, given his sociable nature. However, with the unexpected appearance of a 2-star monster and Ian’s provocations, his composure was shaken.
‘Indeed, they were targeting me and the senior.’
Now, it was certain.
Ian exchanged glances with Isera.
Isera subtly nodded back.
“Hmm. It seems a decision is not easily reached. Let me lend my help, then.”
A gruff voice interjected.
The eyes of the four turned simultaneously in that direction. Marquis Hunka was approaching, hands clasped behind his back.