bookpower Chapter 247 : Chapter 247
Chapter 247 : Chapter 247
Kreee—!Hearing the griffin’s long cry, the Lizardmen transferred the soil they had been carrying on their backs into a large container.
The deeper they dug, the greater the problem became—the excavated earth itself. They could not leave it piled inside the pit, so once enough had accumulated, the Lizardmen hauled it outside.
After that, the griffin would grab the container full of dirt and sand, fly far away, dump it, and return. It was strange enough just to see a griffin, but seeing it help people with labor made it even stranger.
“How did they tame that thing?”
“No idea. I asked before, and they said students who study monster studies or something like that each have a magical beast.”
Geheram, chieftain of the Kau tribe, listened quietly to his tribesmen’s chatter.
“Students? You mean that place called the Academy?”
“Yeah. They do not just learn magic there—apparently they learn all sorts of things about surviving too.”
To be honest, even Geheram could not deny it. He had always known how powerful human mages were, but the students he had met this time were truly formidable.
From what his people said, they seemed to attend a place called the Academy.
The Great Chieftain’s second son said he attended the Academy too…
Geheram had always taken great pride in being a Lizardman warrior.
Lizardmen were born strong. Humans, on the other hand, were weak by comparison.
To Geheram, humans were an inferior race. That was why, when he heard that the Great Chieftain’s son was going to a human school, his blood had boiled.
Why should a Lizardman learn anything from humans who are not even warriors? I cannot accept that!
When the Great Chieftain refused to change his mind, Geheram had stormed out of the northern oasis. He had taken with him the warriors of his tribe who shared his beliefs, and they had wandered the desert without a destination.
They had eventually found a small oasis in the south—only to have it taken by the Horizon Knights.
To lose to human warriors…
Geheram’s pride had been shattered. Yet after challenging them again and again to reclaim the oasis, he had no choice but to acknowledge how strong the Horizon Knights were.
Once he accepted that, it was easier to bear. Even among weak humans, there were strong ones.
If they simply made their warriors stronger, they could take it back. With that goal, Geheram swallowed his pride and went to the Great Chieftain to ask for a shaman.
Even with a shaman, however, Geheram lost.
He had never imagined that a griffin would appear to aid the Horizon Knights—nor that the griffin’s owner would capture them.
And so, Geheram now held a shovel instead of a blade.
But it was not because of threats that he wielded the shovel. Nor was it simply because he was a prisoner earning his keep. The greatest reason was what the griffin’s owner had said.
“Hey, griffin’s owner. Why are you making us do this?”
“Didn’t I tell you? There’s water down there.”
“…Is that really true?”
“Yeah. So work hard. If it goes well, you might see another oasis.”
A desert warrior needed water. The reason Geheram and his tribe wandered was because they had no oasis where they could settle.
If the griffin’s owner was telling the truth—
If digging the earth could truly bring forth water—then Geheram was more than willing to throw away his blade and take up a shovel.
Kreee—!
After crying out once more, the griffin spread its wings. It seized the container filled with dirt and sand and soared into the sky.
Watching the griffin fly off, the Lizardmen prepared to head back down.
“Chieftain, are we returning now?”
“Yes. We keep digging. We might hit water today.”
Geheram led the way back into the pit. Until he saw water with his own eyes, he had no intention of stopping this tedious work.
***
After completing their reconnaissance, the Horizon Knights returned to their base. At the end of the procession came Radel and the third-year seniors.
Radel had his back loaded with monster by-products. The others were no different.
“That was a good hunt today, right, seniors?”
When Radel asked, the third-year seniors spoke up with flattery before they even realized it. It was almost automatic.
“Indeed, Your Highness. We caught quite a lot.”
“I was relieved when that red-haired scorpion showed up at the end.”
“Exactly. I thought we were heading back empty-handed, but this was a great haul.”
Seeing how the seniors now seemed to enjoy hunting, Radel smiled with satisfaction. At this rate, perhaps Shartea would remember the third-years before long.
“Then let’s hurry and process it. I’m excited to see how much usable meat we’ll get this time.”
He’s insane…
Hearing Radel’s voice brimming with anticipation, the third-years’ hands trembled.
They had never met anyone like him before. They had heard he was an integrated major, but there was no doubt—he was crazy.
Anyone would think so after watching him scour an empty desert to find monsters. There had been nothing but sand, yet he would suddenly stop, eyes gleaming, claiming he could see breathing holes. It sent chills down their spines.
And then he would hum while processing the monsters.
It reminded them of the monster-studies freaks they normally avoided.
“Even if we just sell the hides after drying them properly, that should cover next semester’s material costs.”
At moments like that, he even seemed like one of those alchemy majors obsessed with money…
In any case, he was an utterly unpredictable junior.
It was just as Radel and the third-years returned to the trainees’ quarters, their hands full.
“What do you mean you’re only getting back now?!”
Armandy burst out of the lodging, looking irritated. Sensing that something had happened, Radel asked calmly,
“Is the griffin hungry?”
“…No.”
“Then is Inette bored?”
“…That’s not it either!”
Looking as though he might tear out his own hair, Armandy rattled off his words.
“There are mage discriminationists here!”
***
Mage discriminationists.
Seeing Radel blink cluelessly, unaware of how dangerous those words were, made Armandy feel like his insides were about to explode.
“Do you really not think that’s serious?”
“Well, I’ve heard of magic supremacists, but I don’t really know what mage discriminationists are.”
“A mage discriminationist is someone who discriminates against mages! Filthy wretches who cannot understand or accept the beauty and nobility of magic!”
Radel scratched the back of his head. He was well aware of magic supremacists.
Magic supremacists believed magic was the greatest thing in the world and sought to solve everything with magic. People like Armandy himself, or followers of Leon.
If they simply pursued magic, that would have been fine—but they were so extreme that they belittled and scorned everything else. Some even mocked and discriminated against those with little magical talent or none at all.
That was why Radel found it strange to see Armandy—who looked down on non-mages—react so violently to the idea of mage discriminationists.
“You look down on people who can’t use magic too, don’t you?”
“I only think it in my head! I don’t attack people just because they can’t use magic!”
So he does think it…
Radel felt that was very much like Armandy.
“Wait. Then who attacked you?”
“I told you, that’s why I’m so on edge!”
If he had been attacked, then it truly was serious. As Radel’s expression hardened, Armandy pulled something from his clothes.
“Look at this. On my way back earlier, someone suddenly hit me and dropped this threat letter.”
Armandy said he had never expected someone bold enough to attack an Academy trainee inside the Horizon Knights’ base. The assailant had struck him on the back of the head, dropped the letter, and vanished.
“Let’s see.”
Radel unfolded the letter Armandy handed him. It read:
---
Threat Letter
Leave the desert immediately, you stupid mages.
Those who do not understand the beauty of the sword have no place in the Horizon Knights.
Just because you can use a bit of magic, stop being obnoxious and get lost.
If you are not gone by tomorrow evening, there will be dreadful, bloody retribution.
P.S. Watch your back.
---
While Radel read, Armandy’s hands trembled uncontrollably. He looked furious beyond endurance.
“You see? This has to be a mage discriminationist.”
Armandy had a point. The phrases “stupid mages” and “just because you can use a bit of magic” revealed deep hostility toward magic.
“But isn’t it strange? Retribution—it sounds like revenge.”
“Do you think those mage discriminationists have any reason left? They’re the type who want to wipe out all mages!”
Armandy went on to describe gruesome scenarios—being dragged away, tied to a tree and burned, or bound and pelted with stones.
His imagination was excessive, but the fact remained that he had been attacked. Radel gathered all the Academy trainees.
“This is war.”
After reading the letter, Inette’s eyes burned with fury. For someone with her fiery temperament, the letter was practically a declaration of war.
“Let’s tear the Horizon Knights apart and find out who did this. We need to teach them a lesson.”
“And how exactly will you do that?”
When Radel asked, Inette wreathed her fist in flames. Her meaning was obvious.
Gusto read the letter with a grave expression.
“It doesn’t look like a joke. And calling mages stupid… It sounds like someone who has bad memories involving mages.”
He looked at Radel.
“If Your Highness wishes it, I will prepare for combat.”
Seeing the look in Gusto’s eyes—like he truly meant to wage war—Radel shook his head.
“We should report this to the commander first. We’re here as trainees with the Horizon Knights.”
“…Wait.”
Shartea, who had been reading the letter, raised her hand.
“This part bothers me—the ‘beauty of the sword.’ I have a feeling the culprit isn’t a bad person.”
It was the perfect moment for Shartea’s long-held belief to shine: no one who was truly devoted to the sword could be evil.
“If they talk about the beauty of the sword, they must be serious about swordsmanship. I think we should find out who they are before reporting it. There must be a reason they sent this.”
Radel thought Shartea’s words made sense.
If someone went so far as to send a threat letter, there had to be a reason. And mage discriminationists…
Radel himself was curious about who had sent it.
“Agreed. Then let’s make a plan for what to do next.”
The situation seemed settled—for everyone except those who had not even been able to voice an opinion.
Is this just something we’re supposed to go along with?
Probably…
But why doesn’t anyone ever ask us what we think…?
Armandy and the third-year seniors exchanged mournful looks, bound together by a shared, inexplicable sense of kinship.