Great Teacher in a Defense Game

#47 The Magician of Time

Enoch considered the question for a moment.

A monster calling his name, for some reason.

And that monster possessing Clarena’s elixir.

Either one a sensitive matter.

Not something to jump to conclusions about lightly.

“Raceline-nim.”

-What?

“Is this the first time a monster has uttered my name?”

Enoch returned the question.

Raseline, within the screen, nodded.

-Aye. I’ve just clapped eyes on it myself. I was clearing out beasts, same as always, and stumbled upon it by chance.

“Do the other Archmages know of this fact?”

-How would I know? Am I the first to contact you?

“Yes, you are.”

-Then it seems I’m the first to discover it. …Judging by your reaction, you don’t seem to know the full situation either.

Raseline scrutinized Enoch’s reaction on the screen.

Unlike his usual demeanor, a disquiet was visible.

A hint of bewilderment was plain to see.

It couldn’t be a performance.

Her sixth sense as a Sentinel-class mage told her so.

-I’ll be reporting this matter to Rosita. What do you think, junior?

“Does my opinion hold weight?”

-The matter *is* the matter, after all. You must feel uneasy as well. Especially given you wield magic that resembles a beast.

Raseline grumbled.

In her own way, she was worried about her junior.

Enoch noticed this and offered his thanks.

“Thank you. For your concern.”

-Good that you recognize it.

“For now, it would be best to report to the Guildmaster. As you said, the matter is the matter. However, please add these words of mine.”

-Add to it? What?

Raseline asked, tilting her head in puzzlement.

Enoch retrieved a vial from within his robes.

A modified version of the stimulant Clarene had created moments ago.

He brought it close to the screen, so Raseline could see it.

“Do you see it?”

-What is it? …A vial? Looks exactly like the one I found?

“Not entirely. More precisely, the number written on the side is different. This signifies the version of the drug.”

-Version?

“Yes. Actually—”

Enoch summarized the situation briefly.

That he’d requested an awakening potion from a mage named Clareena.

That she had accepted the proposal and created a prototype.

Lastly, that what he held now was that first version.

-The first, you say. But, what I have in my hand…

“127. If things went as planned, it’s something that would only be made far later.”

-…Damn it. Never mind calling your name, but the vial seems woven with 『Time Magic』. You think the same, no?

“Yes. I can think of nothing else.”

Rascelin asked, and Enoch agreed.

The reason the monster sought Enoch was unknown.

But the vial, at least, was solid proof.

1 and 127.

The certainty was as vast as the difference in the numbers.

For now, they had to suspect time.

“The Time Mage, Esnos. We must find her.”

-I suppose so. …Or, failing that, find the Elven Seer.

Rascelin added to Enoch’s claim.

The Time Mage and the Elven Seer.

Their abilities were different.

But the results were very similar.

The Time Mage Esnos.

She could rewind time or read the approaching future.

Enoch knew the character well.

In the original game, she was none other than the NPC who handled restarts after a game over.

Similarly, the Elven Seer was an NPC who provided answers.

If you asked a question, they would tell you the answer.

The so-called Mage of Answers.

For reference, in the original game, she was the character in charge of the tutorial and Q&A.

‘Either way, it’s not bad to solve the mystery. But the easiest would be Esnos. If things were normal, I would have been the first to go and co-opt her.’

Enoch clicked his tongue, a needless sound.

A lament born of frustration.

Truth be told, Enoch had sought Esnos before.

Not long after he’d awakened in this otherworld.

He had assassinated the Imperial mages, then, to secure Esnos, tracked her whereabouts.

But alas, the pursuit ended in failure.

The reason was simple.

She had already been missing for quite some time.

‘She vanished a year before I even started looking. Seems the situation hasn’t changed.’

“Lady Raceline.”

-What?

“Was the mention of the Elven Oracle… because you do not know Esnos’ location?”

-…What? You knew already?

“Yes. I had cause to do some investigation.”

-Ignoring the prying… yes. No one knows where the Time Mage is right now.

“Not even the Guildmaster, or the Emperor?”

-Nope. I’ve even looked a few times, at their request, but I always come up empty. It’s like she vanished from the face of the earth.

Raceline grumbled.

Enoch was taken aback, just slightly.

That *she*, an earth-grade mage of her caliber, could not find her.

“In effect, we must assume she is no longer on this continent.”

-Yeah. Funny, isn’t it? It’s really the only thing that makes sense.

“Then, inescapably, we must seek out the Elven Oracle.”

-The problem is, that’s not so easy either.

“?”

Enoch tilted his head, puzzled.

There seemed to be no reason to prevent him from visiting Elven lands.

‘Back then, perhaps. But my identity is verified now, so there should be no problem. Especially with Raceline…’

At that moment, a faint memory surfaced in Enoch’s mind.

A conversation with the Golden Mage, Orban, from just recently.

‘Clearly, it was said the trafficking of narcotics had soured relations with other countries.’

“Lord Rachellein. Is there perhaps a problem with going into elven territory? Something like, say, the spread of narcotics?”

-…How did you even come to know that? It hasn’t even been officially announced yet?

“I happened to encounter the Golden Magician. The fellow was simply rambling on.”

Enoch stated without hiding anything.

It wasn’t something particularly worth concealing, either.

Hearing the answer, Rachellein clicked his tongue, as if dumbfounded.

-Unbelievable. Orban himself went around broadcasting that? The man has no shame, does he?

“?”

The reaction felt a touch odd.

Enoch promptly retorted.

“Does Orban have some sort of connection to this?”

-You said you already heard? About the narcotics distribution. The Guild suspects the Golden Magician is behind it all.

“…? I didn’t pick up on that kind of nuance. Quite the opposite, in fact. The individual seemed to detest narcotics.”

-Bah, you believe that? It’s all lies. The initial point where the narcotics began to circulate was, from the start, within the Golden Magician’s territory, you know?

Enoch momentarily bit back his words.

He was taken aback by it all.

“Are you certain?”

-Would I just say things for no reason? From the outset, how could a mere narcotic spread this quickly? It’s impossible without a mastermind leading the situation.

Rachellein grumbled, as if wondering how Enoch didn’t already know.

Enoch felt slightly wronged.

How was he supposed to know the spread rate of narcotics and such?

Unless he was involved like Clarena, it was impossible.

‘That aside, Orban, that b*stard. Could it all have been an act?’

Enoch cursed Orban belatedly.

His encounter with Orban was just a few days prior.

At the time, there wasn’t even a hint of it.

Didn’t he express disgust toward narcotics in the first place?

The possibility arose that it was all a performance.

‘What’s unsettling is that Rachellein’s words are rather persuasive.’

He’d peddled narcotics in the shadows, while openly voicing discontent.

Sowing discord between the Empire and foreign nations, lining his own pockets in the process.

Either scenario was entirely plausible.

The Orban that Enoch remembered was more than capable of such deeds.

“But, Master Raseline.”

-Why?

“If Orban is the mastermind, as you say, why hasn’t he been apprehended before now?”

-Because there’s still no definitive proof. Everyone we’ve caught so far are just lackeys. They have connections to Dimaira, but not quite enough to tie them together directly. We even catch the occasional lunatic.

“And Orban himself wouldn’t have shown his hand in public, either.”

-Exactly.

Raseline nodded on the screen.

Enoch paused, considering.

He sighed and spoke.

“For now, let’s put the conclusion on hold. The report should take precedence.”

-I suppose so. There’s no use in us speculating amongst ourselves.

“Yes. Just add a separate note about the vial I mentioned. I’ll leave the rest up to the Guild’s policy.”

-What about the monster calling your name? Should I include that as well?

“It doesn’t matter. I’m just as curious about the reason as you are.”

Enoch replied without hesitation.

He wore an attitude that showed he had nothing to hide.

Since he wasn’t involved, there was no reason to conceal anything.

‘It’d be fortunate if I could receive the Guild’s assistance. It’s better than investigating alone.’

It was Enoch’s attitude that seemed to trigger an odd reaction from Raseline.

A slightly worried expression flickered across his face.

Perhaps it was because Enoch was his junior.

He seemed to be trying to hide his complex feelings, which made Enoch feel a twinge of pity.

-No harm will come to you. So, don’t worry about anything. Understood?

“? Yes. I understand. Thank you for your concern.”

-Alright. I’m hanging up now. See you later.

-Click

Racheline gave a clipped reply, then ended the transmission.

The screen dissolved into static, then a blank, black void.

Enoch stood still a moment, the comm-unit still in his hand.

Then, understanding Racheline’s consideration, he chuckled softly and snapped it shut.

@

Enoch leaned against the rooftop railing and put a cigarette to his lips.

He flicked his lighter, and a thin veil of smoke curled around him.

‘…Feels like I’ve picked up some extra homework.’

He sank into quiet thought.

The monster that spoke his name, the awakening drug Klarena was creating, the time mage, the elven seer, and Orban Bacchus.

Truth be told, the last three didn’t particularly concern him.

Magic-related incidents were ever present, and while time magic was unsettling, the end results were never disastrous.

The other two were similar.

Unless there was a clear solution at hand, there was no need to act prematurely.

The missing would eventually surface, and the elven territorial issues would resolve with time.

Orban, though… he was a bit of a grey area.

Was he truly the mastermind behind the drug trafficking?

It wasn’t certain yet.

If he was, then he could just get his ass kicked when the time came.

Orban’s magic was Enoch’s worst nightmare.

The possibility of losing to him never even crossed his mind.

‘So, in the end, it’s the monsters. I haven’t been too worried about them until now.’

His thoughts returned to the monsters.

Enoch hadn’t paid them much attention previously.

The reason was simple.

They simply hadn’t been difficult enough to warrant worrying about.

But things were different now.

With an unexpected variable in the mix, an investigation into the monsters was necessary.

The problem was how to go about it.

The ecology of the beast, for the most part, was already laid bare.

Little remained to be gleaned in the way of additional information.

In the end, only one recourse presented itself.

To seek out, firsthand, the domain of the beast that Raceline had encountered.

‘A week, perhaps, will see it done.’

Enoch distilled his plan.

Originally, he’d intended to secure the allegiance of Lacrina and Ban, then recruit one last individual.

Lacrina, Ban Richter, and the one whose address he’d received.

This trio possessed abilities that stood apart, even when compared to other heroes.

First-tier, one might classify them, without undue exaggeration.

With their aid, Enoch himself intended to collaborate with the Emperor, to develop assault towers.

For the crux of the matter was the halting of the beast.

The boss monsters, the heroes would contend with.

For the maintenance of the front lines, the power of the Mage Tower Masters would be leveraged.

The remainder would be defended with towers and skills.

This was the plan Enoch had originally conceived.

According to the original narrative, the beast waves numbered thirty in total.

Presently, they had progressed to the third stage.

For clearing the game, this was more than sufficient.

‘First, investigate the beast, then proceed to recruit the remaining hero. The rest… I must lean towards investing should the opportunity arise. To intervene directly… the situation has grown somewhat ambiguous.’

Enoch silently extinguished his cigarette.

He intended to rouse Lacrina immediately, to board the airship.

Regardless of all else, the fact that the beast had called his name could not be overlooked.

Confirmation, of anything and everything, was paramount.

Just then.

“Greetings?”

“…?”

An unfamiliar sound snagged upon his ear.

A woman’s voice, a first-time hearing, emanating from behind.

‘…Unnoticed by my senses?’

Enoch instinctively reached a hand inside his coat.

Anyone who drew near gave off a telltale energy.

Even a boundary-class mage couldn’t escape detection.

But now, the impossible was occurring.

Enoch slowly turned.

To ascertain the identity of the one who’d spoken.

Then, his eyes widened.

It was an unexpected face.

“…You.”

“Why such a start? Aren’t we meeting for the first time? Or…had we met by now already?

The unfamiliar woman tilted her head.

A unique appearance, hair mingled with both ebony and white.

The Time Mage, Esnos.

She stood there.