Great Teacher in a Defense Game

#17 I Never Said No

Archmage Jayne of the Magic Tower was in a foul mood.

Nothing had gone right all day.

It had all begun with Guildmaster Rosita Mantera.

-“A mage named Enoch will be arriving today. An unlicensed, outlaw mage. We intend to hold a Pankratos regarding him.”

-“Pankratos? An outlaw mage, you say. Are you planning to coax him to our side?”

-“Indeed. There was a strong recommendation from Archmage Nordilla of the Ice Tower. According to him, this Enoch may be a mage on par with us, Border-class mages.”

-“Madness… Old Man Nordilla is not one to spout nonsense. If it’s true, he’s done a fine job of hiding his skill. “

Rosita had sought Jayne out to tell her about this mage, Enoch.

Jayne had listened with interest. If he was a mage of a similar caliber, conversation alone would be a pleasure.

But the problem arose after that.

-“Jayne, in that vein, there is a favor I must ask of you.”

-“A favor? What is it?”

-“I’m sorry to ask this of you, but could you test him, once the Pankratos begins?”

-“Test him? Me?”

Rosita had requested that Jayne test Enoch.

Circumstances suggested that Enoch was a Transmission mage. Furthermore, they had even received information that he had fought against Imperial separatists.

In other words, this was a man of great power who had been hiding for a long time.

Whether Nordilla’s words were true or not, someone with that much cunning wouldn’t be won over by mere conversation.

Therefore, someone needed to take the brunt of it, and then the others could smooth things over. Misunderstandings could be cleared up later.

Such was Guildmaster Rosita’s conviction.

Jayne, for her part, didn’t particularly object.

It was a carrot and stick approach, of sorts.

The problem was that Jayne was the stick.

-“Are you crazy? You’re telling me to scold a junior who just showed up? You’ve been Guildmaster for too long, has your brain turned to mush?”

-“What can we do? None of us have a more severe countenance than you.”

-“You really want to die, don’t you…”

Jane made quite the ruckus, threatening Rosita.

Alas, nothing changed.

On sober reflection, even Jane had to admit there was a certain logic to Rosita’s words.

-Nordila is already too close, impossible. Raselin has such a delicate disposition, no. Vergo’s demeanor is so unlike his usual self, it would raise suspicion. That Severek… he’d be lucky if he didn’t end up groveling on the floor.

-Then what about you?

-I am the Guild Master, am I not? I must at least feign neutrality.

-You son of a…

Jane bit her lip, puffing hard on her hookah.

What truly enraged her was that there really wasn’t anyone suitable.

Even after lengthy deliberation, the conclusion remained the same.

Jane had no choice but to accept Rosita’s request.

-Thank you. Then I leave it in your capable hands.

-Shut it. I’ll only say what’s necessary, keep that in mind.

Fortunately, the task wasn’t particularly demanding.

At most, when the Pankratos began, she would step forward as a representative and pressure Enoch.

Nudging the atmosphere of the gathering towards censure of him.

That was all. Jane didn’t think it would be too difficult a task.

However, the reality that followed was far from what she had anticipated.

As soon as the meeting started, that mage Enoch unexpectedly started acting brazen.

-You pathetic lot.

-???

-Take those gazes of yours, as if you’re looking at a criminal, away immediately. Before I come and pluck them out myself.

A sudden outburst like that at the Pankratos?

That alone was surprising enough.

But Enoch even provoked Jane.

Constantly interrupting and presumptuously offering unsolicited advice.

All the while fully aware of the situation unfolding.

‘That impudent upstart. Does he take me for a fool?’

Jane’s patience snapped right there.

Ignoring the protests of those around her, she approached Enoch.

Having fulfilled Guildmaster Rosita’s request, now was the time to reap his due.

Meetings and formalities be damned. Jayne intended to show that presumptuous junior of hers what true bitterness tasted like.

@

Enoch met Jayne’s glare with a steady gaze.

She had closed the distance between them until she was practically nose-to-nose with the man.

A hair’s breadth separated their faces, an almost unbearable closeness.

With only that small space between them, Enoch spoke first.

“Master Magus, I implore you, compose yourself. The more you associate with a nobody like me, the more you stand to lose.”

“Thank you for your concern. But worry not. I’m not particularly one to care about such things.”

Jayne said this while twirling a finger.

“More to the point, something intrigues me. Old man Nordilla suspects you might be a Border-class mage like us. Is that the truth?”

Border-class mage. At the words that left the woman’s lips, the mages in the background buzzed amongst themselves.

-Border-class…? Him?

-…So this is why the Master Magi attended the Pankratos.

The declaration came from none other than the Master Magus of Water.

Its effect was tremendous.

Their very gazes shifted.

Unlike before, the mages could no longer take Enoch lightly.

Regardless, Jayne remained steadfast, voicing only what she needed to say.

“Well? Tell me plainly, are you a Border-class mage?”

“Does that question hold any meaning?”

“Are you mocking me again? Of course it does. It means everything. Because if you’re not Border-class, then you’re about to be in a whole lot of trouble.”

In that instant, jets of water erupted from the air.

The gushing liquid scattered like a net.

-Papat!

The liquid enveloped the man, shooting forth like bullets.

Approximately thirty in number.

Each one possessing the power to incapacitate even a Dominion-class mage with a single blow.

Yet Enoch did not panic.

His monocle already shimmered with Linked Harmony.

This much of an attack, Jane had already sensed it the moment her fingers began to twirl.

Anticipation made response simple.

Enoch, face serene, casually adjusted the coat he wore.

“Golden Metallization.”

– *Kkaang!*

The jet of water, unleashed, was instantly deflected.

The defense was his coat, black as pitch.

– Hmph, what’s that now?

– A machine? No, magitechnology, perhaps?

The mages muttered amongst themselves, once more.

Before they knew it, the hem of the man’s coat had transformed, like the tail of a serpentine machine.

That coat, shape-shifted in an instant, had batted away the incoming water.

“You wield some rather amusing magic?”

“Not as much as the Water Spire Lord, who manipulates humidity itself.”

“Thank you for the compliment. But is that coat a summoned creature? Or a medium, perhaps?”

“The latter is closer to the truth, for now.”

“I thought as much. There was moisture lingering within.”

Jane gestured.

The dampness stirred.

– *Kwajik!*

The extended tail shattered in an instant.

The culprit: the humidity.

The moisture trapped within the coat had utterly destroyed the machine-serpent from the inside out.

– *Kwajik! Kwajik!*

“Seems the toy is gone. Anything else?”

“As if I would.”

Enoch unclasped the watch from his wrist.

– *Kwajik!*

The watch was instantly pulverized.

“Nothing left now, is there?”

Jain chuckled, amusement dancing in her eyes.

A smile that promised no chance to even draw a breath.

Yet, Enoch remained unruffled.

He regarded Jain’s smiling face with a steady gaze, then sighed, finally speaking.

“Indeed, the Archmage is different. Every move will be shattered the moment I make it, leaving me scrambling to keep up.”

“Is that an admission of guilt, you worm?”

“Of course not. I’m still a man, you know. My pride still clings to life, for now.”

“Which means?”

Jain tilted her head, questioning.

Enoch touched his chest with a finger.

“Let’s play for keeps.”

-Whirr-

Enoch’s finger twirled near his chest.

Jain watched the motion, a flicker of bewilderment in her gaze.

Conversely, Nordilla, observing the scene, involuntarily widened her eyes, focusing her mind with intensity.

‘A gesture akin to unlocking a lock. My senses screamed danger.’

High-ranking mages possess an innate sixth sense that transcends the five.

Their magic demanded not only skillful design and talent, but also exceptional sensory awareness.

And Nordilla’s sixth sense told her that Enoch harbored a dangerous potential.

The brief encounter at the Magnusra Ice Tower branch.

When the man had made a similar strange gesture, Nordilla had felt a fragment of an unknown power within Enoch.

‘A magic I couldn’t even decipher. What effect does it have?’

Nordilla watched the proceedings with burgeoning interest.

The other Archmages, Guild Masters, and mages present were much the same.

Curiosity about the magic shone in every gaze.

But the amusing thing was, all those thoughts would have only earned a derisive snort from Enoch if he could hear them.

‘They’re getting carried away. This isn’t really magic at all.’

To reiterate, Enoch uses skills, not magic. And among the skills he possesses, none are triggered by such gestures.

Then what was that motion just now?

Simply, a routine.

To manipulate something that was neither Skill nor Reality, Enoch adhered to a pattern of his own devising.

And the object of his manipulation was none other than the Inventory.

– *Shwaaa…*

– *Charrrrrleuleuleuk…*

In that instant, objects cascaded from the ceiling.

Each and every one had been within Enoch’s Inventory.

Their prices began at a minimum of 100,000 Crowe and soared to a maximum of 40 million.

Countless objects of varying worth poured down like a rainstorm, as if a hole had been torn in the heavens themselves.

“…Spatial Magic? You were a Spatial Lineage Magician?”

“Think what you will.”

Enoch responded noncommittally.

Jane shook her head, a look of disbelief on her face.

“…How disappointing. I waited with bated breath to see what you’d do. And all you’re doing is pulling out items? Is that all you’re capable of?”

Amidst the downpour of treasures, Jane rotated her hand.

It seemed she intended to overwhelm him with sheer volume.

If that was the case, he would simply destroy whatever fell, no matter how much there was.

“…Hmm?”

However, an anomaly occurred.

The moisture that had, until a moment ago, moved at her command…

It was no longer moving.

“…What is this? What have you done?”

There could only be one culprit.

Jane questioned him directly.

Instead of answering, Enoch lightly tapped his foot.

– *Tung*

An invisible energy radiated outwards from beneath Enoch’s foot.

Chain Harmony.

Azure lightning permeated everything within the space.

The items Enoch possessed.

The falling treasures.

Even the damp, imbued with Jane’s mana.

Not a single particle escaped its pervasive embrace.

‘Harmonic Resonance, and Golden Convergence. Never did I believe I was limited to using it on my own possessions.’

Enoch’s answer to the earlier question had been simple.

Forced Convergence.

From the moment the objects rained down, Enoch had activated Harmonic Resonance and Golden Convergence.

The target of Resonance was everything strewn about.

The target of Convergence, likewise, was everything around him.

In other words, the mana and the humidity that Jane had wielded as her own were, in that instant, seized by Enoch, dominating the very space.

“Matapju-nim. You shouldn’t have given me time to act.”

Enoch uttered those words as he invoked the skill once more.

Instantly, the countless objects strewn around them twitched and writhed.

‘Broken and shattered things. They, too, possess their own value.’

Golden Convergence.

Some of the scattered debris coalesced, transforming into three immense mechanical serpents.

Fragments of wreckage, like makeshift armor, adhered to the mechanical serpents’ entire bodies.

‘Harmonic Resonance remains in effect. And the humidity, as well.’

Azure lightning flickered in the optical sensors of the three superior mechanical serpents.

Again, Golden Convergence.

Linked by lightning, the mechanical serpents fused into one amidst a golden radiance.

What emerged was a steel dragon with three heads.

Enoch named it, codename: End.

The cost, perhaps, amounted to approximately 700 million Crowe.

As if to prove its worth, the three-headed mechanical dragon spread its massive wings wide, unleashing a roar that threatened to shatter the very foundations of the earth.

-Kuooo!!!