Great Teacher in a Defense Game

#60 Where the Devil Did My Electric Car Go?

Enoch arranged a meeting with the Guild Master forthwith.

It was to bring closure to the matter concerning Orban.

-Very well. It is but a meeting, after all. I suppose I can manage that.

Rosita had accepted Enoch’s request.

It wasn’t an unreasonable favor; merely a conversation.

Considering all she’d received, it was the least she could do.

“Thank you. I shall be there anon.”

-Understood. Is there anything else you require?

“If possible, would you gather the other mage tower lords as well? Contacting them all individually would be rather time-consuming.”

-The mage tower lords? Agreed. So it shall be.

The Guild Master affirmed and severed the connection.

Enoch activated the comms again, immediately summoning an airship.

“Magnusra’s commercial district. My location is-“

-Understood, sir.

-Whorrr

Moments later, the airship materialized before Enoch.

It extended a stairway from its flank to receive him.

The crew descended the steps.

Facing their reappeared owner, the crew stood in rigid formation, delivering a unified salute.

-Welcome aboard, sir. We have been awaiting your arrival.

“?”

A peculiar feeling settled on Enoch.

Their demeanor was excessively deferential, somehow.

Not a trace of the former familiarity remained.

Perhaps Enoch’s emotions were catching.

One of the airship attendants cleared his throat, approaching Enoch to discreetly offer something.

None other than a newspaper.

[Breaking News: New Transcendent-Class Mage Appears in the Empire]

[A New Realm Created by the Guildmaster’s Authority. A Supplemental-Class Mage. Who is Enoch?]

‘Ah, so it’s only now coming to light.’

It seemed the power struggles between the Guild and the Mage’s Association had finally subsided.

Information about him, it appeared, had at last made its way into the world.

No wonder the attendants were so on edge.

Enoch said nothing further, immediately boarding the airship.

-Where shall we take you?

“The Mage’s Guild in the capital.”

@

The airship sped through the heavens.

Before long, it arrived at Akratheon, capital of the Valderich Empire.

Enoch, having made his preparations, disembarked.

Lakrina had yet to regain consciousness.

Regrettably, he had to leave her on the airship.

The full story could wait until she awoke.

More pressing matters were piling up at present.

-Creak.

Enoch arrived at the Mage’s Guild.

At the entrance, mages, following the Guildmaster’s orders, awaited him.

-This way, please. The Guildmaster is expecting you.

-We will guide you.

The mages bowed deeply toward Enoch.

They weren’t merely those who had heard of him through the newspaper.

They were those who had directly witnessed the moment Enoch was appointed to the Supplemental Class.

“Let’s go.”

-Yes, sir.

The place he arrived at was the same as before.

The very meeting room where the Pankratos had unfolded, no different.

– *Kreeeak*

Enoch opened the door and entered.

Familiar faces awaited him.

Vergo, Jane, Raceline, Sebek, Nordilla. And Rosita, the Guildmaster.

Their gazes turned toward Enoch, standing at the entrance.

Jane was the first to react.

The moment she saw Enoch, she shrieked.

“Hey! Where the hell have *you* been!”

“Just seeing to a few things. Why?”

“‘Why?’ What do you mean ‘why!’? Do you know how long we’ve been searching for you!? More beasts are swarming and you just disappear!”

Jane bounced in her seat.

That they’d been searching for a while wasn’t an exaggeration.

The other Tower Masters seemed to agree with her, adding their own comments.

“I must admit, I am curious. Where exactly *were* you?”

“Hey, Junior. Even if you don’t give a damn about anything else, at least apologize to Vergo-nim and Sebek. Those two Towers suffered the most.”

Vergo and Raceline reacted first.

Sebek, who had been slumped, responded to that.

“I’m alright… it’s not *me* who suffered, but the Wind Tower’s mages…”

“Now, now. Everyone calm down. Jane, enough of that. At this rate, we won’t be able to have a proper conversation.”

“Nordilla’s words are correct. What sort of meeting starts with shouting?”

It was Nordilla and Rosita who brought order to the situation.

“There must be a reason he summoned us. Isn’t that so?”

“Indeed.”

“Did you hear that? Let’s get him seated first, then we can talk.”

The two’s words had a considerable effect.

Rosita gestured, as if to indicate it was time to finish this up.

Only then did Enoch move his feet. He approached the round table at the center, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

“First, I must apologize. I am sorry. I had my reasons, and my contact was somewhat delayed.”

“A little? More like, what’s going on?”

“It better not be nothing, I’m telling you.”

Raceline tilted her head, a question in her eyes.

Jane simply raised a fist.

The Water Tower Lord’s fist wasn’t exactly a marshmallow.

Enoch, gesturing for calm, hurried to speak.

“I was just about to explain. First, let me cut to the chase.”

“The chase?”

“Yes. We need to attack the Golden Magician, Orban, right now.”

“?”

?

The Tower Lords’ gazes widened, round with surprise.

Out of nowhere, we’re supposed to beat up Orban?

He barely arrived and this is what he’s saying?

@

The explanation concluded shortly thereafter.

Enoch had conveniently omitted any details regarding his future self.

This left his reasoning and testimony somewhat lacking, but Enoch didn’t care.

The reason was simple. He was going to force the issue, come hell or high water.

Even if the story didn’t quite add up, so be it. Sometimes, you had to use force to make things fit, and now was one of those times.

‘Just push through it. Worry about the consequences later.’

The Tower Lords listened to the story and each pondered it over.

“Drugs and a secret society, huh…”

“He hasn’t been around lately, so he was investigating something like that?”

Rosita muttered, and Jane asked a question.

Enoch gave a vague nod in the affirmative.

“We had a run-in with that Orban fellow. After doing some digging, I came across some strange rumors.”

“What rumors?”

“That I can’t disclose. It’s too complicated to explain.”

“…?”

Jane tilted her head, a flicker of confusion in her gaze.

Raceline followed up, her tone laced with a touch of mock annoyance.

“Hey, you impudent junior.”

“What is it, Raceline?”

“Even so, suddenly wanting to attack, does that even make sense? According to you, there’s no proof.”

“No proof? Of course there is.”

“There is? Where?”

“Why, Orban surely possesses it. Why ask me about something the subject himself would know.”

“…?”

Enoch reacted as if she’d asked the most obvious thing in the world.

Raceline, wondering if she was at fault, cocked her head.

Nordilla, who had been observing the situation, spoke next.

“For now, I understand your intention.”

“Thank you.”

“However, even so, for all the mages of the Magic Tower to simply barge in without proof seems…well, a bit much, doesn’t it?”

The mages of the Magic Tower were not hired thugs.

Although, when one occasionally saw how things turned in the political arena, “hired thugs” didn’t seem entirely wrong, either.

They pretended to be aloof, yet in the end, they were the ones who used force to apply pressure.

The only difference being, was the weapon a blade, or magic?

Nordilla was invariably against such headlong, impulsive actions by mages.

No matter what, she felt it inappropriate to just march in and demand answers.

“I believe we should gather more information first.”

“That will not be easy.”

“Difficult or not, we must. Isn’t that the logical course of action? Especially for those in our position.”

“No. I disagree.”

“?”

“…? Vergo?”

The one who rejected the proposal was Vergo, Master of the Lightning Magic Tower.

He rose from his seat and formally announced that he agreed with Enoch’s suggestion.

“I agree with Enoch’s assertion. Anyone else, perhaps, but Orban, that fellow’s affairs should not be treated lightly.”

“But there’s no proof, is there?”

“Of course there isn’t. Orban, that fellow, knows how to wield the law as a weapon. It is precisely because of this that we must go to him directly.”

Vergo asserted, bold as brass.

A resolute stance, brooking no retreat.

In the end, Nordilla had little choice but to concede.

Enoch couldn’t hide his surprise at this.

‘Remarkable. I never imagined Vergo would agree with me.’

In Enoch’s mind, Vergo was a fairly reasonable man.

He would sooner expect someone else to agree and Vergo to object.

He never dreamed that he would actually endorse his plan.

“Of course, Nordilla-nim’s argument is not without merit. Therefore, let us do this.”

“Something?”

“Not all the Archmages need go. We shall appoint Enoch as our representative to send a missive to Orban. And attempt an inspection on the spot.”

Recently, matters concerning narcotics within the Empire were being treated with considerable sensitivity.

Even conflicts with other races were becoming frequent, and the general populace was reacting acutely.

Therefore, using that as justification, Enoch would be named the representative to deliver the letter.

Originally, guild communiqués were delivered by mages of Scroll-rank or higher.

Of course, no Ruling-class mage would deign to deliver mere missives, making it a rule more in name than in practice.

But now, the situation was different. That flimsy law could be exploited in reverse.

Enoch’s rank was Extra-class. He had long since surpassed the benchmark.

Meaning, the accuser would deliver the letter directly, and immediately commence the inspection on the spot.

Truly, a patchwork proposal, forcing pieces together where they didn’t quite fit.

But the letter of the law itself was not broken.

Vergo’s proposal added a minimum of practicality to Enoch’s argument.

“What do you say? Would this not suffice?”

“Hmm… it sounds plausible enough, but…”

“If it is about narcotics, even the Imperial Family will not be able to quietly ignore it. Even if we fail, we can use the justification of the greater good as a shield, and if we succeed, it will be a decisive blow, will it not?”

Vergo slammed his fist into his palm with a resounding crack!

A rather unfamiliar reaction, quite unlike his usual self.

“…Fine. Let us do it this way.”

Guildmaster Rosita, in the end, accepted his proposal.

She sorted her thoughts, then selected the personnel.

“Enoch and Bergo will move directly. The rest, we’ll leave to the Archmage’s discretion.”

“Rosita, what about you?”

“I have no choice but to remain here. If the guild’s management participates, the optics sour.”

Even with strong-arming, a bare minimum of decorum must be maintained.

It looks poor if the Guildmaster is present to pressure Orban.

Anyone would see it as the guild and magic tower allying to attack Dimaira.

One had to leave a final alibi, just in case.

“Good. Enoch, what are your thoughts?”

“Seems fine to me. I’ll finish preparations, then we depart directly.”

“Excellent! Finally, I get to see that man Orban’s face.”

Bergo chuckled, settling into his seat.

He seemed rather excited, positively gleeful.

It seemed something had festered within him regarding this Orban.

“Hey, Jane.”

“What?”

“The Lightning Archmage. Why is he being so proactive? Is there perhaps something between them that I don’t know about?”

Enoch whispered to Jane, who sat beside him.

Jane tilted her head, then let out an “Ah-,” as if something had clicked into place.

“Ah. That? Yes, there was a thing.”

“What thing?”

“Well, Bergo ordered an electric car, but he hasn’t received it in over a year.”

“…An electric car?”

“Mm. I think he *still* hasn’t received it. He’s probably built up some frustration over it.”

The Archmages, unexpectedly, cherish their hobbies.

Having done enough in their primary profession, they now pursue small, certain happiness in other aspects.

In that sense, Orban’s company, Dimaira, had committed a grave error towards Bergo.

Failing to deliver a new car for over a year.

It was no surprise Bergo was grinding his teeth.

“…Couldn’t he have just sent a letter? I’m the Lightning Tower Master, for crying out loud, when’s he going to arrive…”

“Vergo isn’t the kind of person to do that.”

Jane immediately retorted.

Vergo wasn’t one to wield his power in personal matters.

Enoch, too, had believed so.

Until just moments ago.

“I knew a day like this would come.”

-Crunch-

“I’ll have to go ask. Where the devil is my electric car gone to?”

Vergo gritted his teeth.

He looked as if he would transform into thunder and fly away at any moment.

Enoch, watching him, quietly closed his eyes.

‘Curious. The ecology of a mage.’