Jinnon was persuaded by the other mages’ words.

Certainly, the contents of the letter were a bit strange, but not to an incomprehensible degree.

“Then I shall gratefully accept her kindness. Actually, there was no need for Lady Erindarvel to go this far...”

“She is one of the few respectable archmages in the Empire, after all.”

The mages straightened their collars properly, showing their respect.

In an Empire teeming with eccentric archmages, a responsible mage like Erindarvel always received respect from junior scholars.

“By the way. How is the tracking of that monster’s traces going?”

The Green Jade Magic Tower had many battle mages, so there were more mages active outside than mages conducting research within the tower.

Naturally, Jinnon was also that type of mage.

What the mages of the Green Jade Magic Tower were currently interested in was tracking a monster that had crossed over from another dimension.

To ordinary people, monsters from other dimensions were merely targets to be subjugated, but to ambitious mages, they were also walking treasures.

They were filled with the rules and secrets of other dimensions.

“The mages are tracking the traces of where it fled, so results should come soon. Please be careful.”

“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Jinnon nodded.

Though Jinnon was a battle mage from a tower with much practical experience, Jinnon never let down any guard.

Who would approach such dangerous work lightly?

***

“...?”

Lee Han, who had arrived at the abandoned warehouse district on the outskirts of the capital, was puzzled by the alien energy emanating from underground.

It was the energy of another dimension, something he had experienced several times at Einroguard and outside Einroguard.

What is this? Did a dimension gate open?

A mage with excellent senses could predict the scenery beyond just by looking at a passage connecting dimensions.

The energy from another dimension currently emanating from underground was quite alien and sinister. It certainly was not a warm and friendly dimension.

...Something is strange.

One of the lessons Lee Han had learned at Einroguard was that even the staff you trusted could stab you in the back at any time.

In fact, Lee Han’s staff had once tried to strike him in the back of the head, which had made it an even more painful lesson.

Though the Skull Principal had vouched for Erindarvel’s character, she was still Yukbeltire’s mother.

The Principal might have been deceived, or they might have been in league from the beginning.

“Wardanaz?”

“!”

Lee Han was very pleased to see the penguin beastman mage waddling toward him from behind.

“Alshicle!”

“Why are you here... Ah. Well. It isn’t really surprising.”

Alshicle was startled to see Lee Han appear at a commission site for tracking dangerous monsters from another dimension, but immediately understood.

Come to think of it, fighting evil-deity worshippers last time had been equally nonsensical.

“...??”

Lee Han felt that something was strange, but Alshicle waved his staff first.

“Let’s go down quickly. The others must be waiting.”

“Uh... yes. But what brings you here, Alshicle? Did you also receive an invitation?”

“Hm? Something like that.”

Alshicle nodded.

Having found a new patron thanks to Lee Han last time, Alshicle had come up to the capital to purchase and prepare several necessary spells.

During that time, other mages had made a request.

-We need the help of an excellent ice mage to chase the monster that appeared this time.

-I am not particularly interested in monster tracking...

-It is an unidentified monster that appeared from an unconfirmed dimension. If we capture it, we will give you priority investigation rights.

-Good. I’ll go with you!

“???”

Even after hearing the conversation, Lee Han did not understand and tilted his head.

“At what part of that conversation were you convinced?”

“What? Wardanaz. It is an unconfirmed monster from an unconfirmed dimension. What if that monster possesses the secrets of the magic I want? Isn’t that why you came too?”

“I don’t think that’s likely...”

No matter how positively he thought about it, an unidentified monster did not seem likely to know the secret to eliminating the world’s suffering.

Even if he gave it the highest possible evaluation, it probably would not know how to improve Einroguard...

“And I came here after receiving an invitation from Lady Erindarvel.”

“From Lady Erindarvel?”

Alshicle showed a surprised expression for a moment. Then he muttered.

“If Lady Erindarvel invited you, there is no need to worry... Mm. It was needless concern after all.”

He had felt a tiny bit of concern that even for Wardanaz, this might be too reckless, but hearing the archmage’s name made such worries completely disappear.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all. Wardanaz. Capturing a monster from an undiscovered dimension is as exciting as exploring unexcavated ruins. It will definitely help you too.”

“Hmm. I understand.”

Putting Erindarvel aside, when even Alshicle spoke so confidently, Lee Han bent his stubbornness and agreed.

It seemed it had been his own misunderstanding after all.

Pop!

After finding the stairs leading underground, Alshicle summoned glowing ice on his staff.

“This is the old underground sewer district. It was abandoned when the Empire was established and new facilities were built.”

Not only the Empire, but even the kingdoms that existed before the Empire had installed facilities above a certain scale in places geographically overflowing with mana.

They needed to secure the mana required for the magic being used.

Naturally, this abandoned underground sewer district also had more abundant mana than other places.

However...

“The mana is a bit murky.”

“You noticed it, as expected? Right. The contamination level is high. Originally, they should have purified it quickly, but they kept putting it off...”

“Why did they put it off?”

Lee Han tensed slightly.

Mana itself was just pure power, but once its nature changed, it became an unpredictable torrent that could cause anything.

Contaminated mana could summon beings from other dimensions suited to it, or call evil-deity worshippers...

“No budget?”

“Ah.”

Lee Han immediately understood.

If it was not a conspiracy by evil officials or mages but a budget shortage, he could accept that.

“The monster probably used this district as a passage to cross over because of that mana.”

“Are there any known characteristics of the monster?”

“Mm. Not much yet. It is stealthy, agile, and extremely gluttonous.”

Being stealthy and agile was obvious without asking.

Since a monster from another dimension had escaped without being caught by wide-eyed mages, it had to be stealthy and agile.

But extremely gluttonous?

“Did it steal food or something? Like an Einroguard student?”

“Why make that comparison... It seems to devour everything indiscriminately—not just food, but inorganic and organic matter alike. The places it passed through were devastated.”

Like Gainando.

Lee Han thought of a very rude comparison internally as he walked.

Following the musty sewer passage, he could see whitish light in the distance. It was the exploration team that had arrived first.

“You’re here. ...Wait, who is this mage?”

An exploration team member pointed at Lee Han with a surprised voice.

Alshicle was not surprising since he was a mage they had met several times, but the unfamiliar mage next to him was the problem.

Isn’t he an Einroguard student?

“This is Lee Han of House Wardanaz. Lady Erindarvel recommended him.”

At Alshicle’s introduction, the other exploration team members stirred.

“Lady Erindarvel did? She certainly said she would introduce a mage, but...”

“What year is he? Fifth year?”

Alshicle, who was always confident and arrogant as a mage, hesitated slightly at that question.

He still had a bit of conscience left.

“Well... a little lower than that.”

“Must be fourth year, then. No, I know Einroguard’s mages are excellent, but wouldn’t it be a bit dangerous? Fourth year, not even fifth year.”

“But Lady Erindarvel recommended him, didn’t she?”

“Hmm. That’s true, but...”

The exploration team members exchanged opinions among themselves.

They had trusted and accepted him because an archmage had recommended him, but he was still a fourth-year student from Einroguard who had not even graduated yet.

The exploration they were preparing for was quite dangerous, was it not?

They knew that mages from Einroguard had excellent magical skill, but they wondered whether he could accompany them on such a perilous exploration.

“I certainly heard that Professor Voladi also guaranteed this mage’s abilities...”

“That’s right! Wardanaz here is Professor Bagreg’s top student.”

Alshicle quickly responded after overhearing the whispering conversation among the exploration team members.

At those words, the exploration team members’ expressions changed slightly.

“Is that so?”

“Then that’s understandable... Wait, Lee Han of House Wardanaz? Then isn’t he a second-year?”

One exploration team member, who was about to be convinced, suddenly recalled a rumor heard before and shouted.

Alshicle looked at Lee Han with slightly resentful eyes. Lee Han felt wronged.

This isn’t my fault.

***

Despite even greater confusion and shock than before, the exploration team members eventually accepted it.

With recommendations from Erindarvel and Professor Voladi, it was hard not to believe, even if he was a second-year student from Einroguard.

“If everyone is ready, we will reveal it.”

“Reveal it?”

At Lee Han’s question, the mages who had arrived first smiled knowingly.

Their expressions looked as if they had been waiting for that question.

“Lord Wardanaz probably thought we would open a dimension gate and chase after the one that escaped by crossing over.”

“Wasn’t that the case?”

Alshicle was also surprised.

Basically, chasing monsters with the ability to traverse dimensions was close to a game of tag.

One had to be prepared to track them across multiple dimensions.

Naturally, they thought this monster would also require such a pursuit...

“Ah. Could it be that the creature did not escape beyond dimensions, but is hiding here underground after causing dimensional erosion? Wait. Then it would have been discovered much sooner... So it must have camouflage abilities too. You prepared this magic to strip away that camouflage.”

Lee Han speculated based on his knowledge and experience.

Sometimes beings that crossed over from other dimensions caused erosion phenomena.

Just as when the Frost Giant King came to Einroguard and brought a season of bitter cold with him, they would spread their own dimension across the continent.

Come to think of it, the otherworldly energy Lee Han had felt from above was quite powerful for energy coming from a dimension gate. It was more likely to be a space where dimensional erosion had occurred rather than a dimension gate.

That would mean the monster had not escaped to another dimension but was hiding underground.

Since it had not been discovered until now, it must also possess camouflage abilities that made it look normal from the outside...

“...Correct...”

The mages who had been about to explain became slightly dejected.

They had prepared to surprise them, so they could not help feeling deflated when their counterpart immediately figured it out.

“I... I was surprised!”

“Thanks, Pengerine. ...Wait. Didn’t you explain it to him?”

“I didn’t know either...”

As he spoke, Alshicle felt his face grow hot with slight shame.

If he had judged coolly, he would have noticed from the amount of dimensional energy felt from below and the structure of the magic the exploration team mages had prepared!

“Lady Erindarvel sent me a separate invitation.”

Lee Han spoke as if comforting Alshicle.

“Ah. Did Lady Erindarvel tell you?”

“That’s not it either.”

“...You keep your mouth shut.”

Alshicle wanted to punch Lee Han’s beak—no, mouth.

Living as a mage, he had received plenty of jealousy from other mages, but finding himself in such a situation made him reflect deeply.

I should have been less obnoxious.

Alshicle thought he should send a few greeting letters to old friends after this exploration was over.