-Crack!
The thick iron door shattered after a couple of axe strikes. He grabbed the torn metal plate firmly and crushed it to widen the hole.
Ivan walked forward silently. He no longer concealed his aura or suppressed his magical power.
-Weeeeeng—! Weeeeeng—!!
The alarm blared loudly. The magic detection devices burst with red light as if having seizures. Clank, clank—the sound of numerous security doors lowering throughout the research wing could be heard.
"Are you sure you know the way...?"
"It doesn't matter."
What Enrique had taught was mostly about training situations. Real combat couldn't be taught through explanation alone.
So Ivan needed to teach Lucia the protocols for actual situations.
"If you don't lose your sense of direction, breaking through the shortest distance in the shortest time is correct."
"...Without considering the enemy's status or threat level?"
"You should consider them when possible."
"What about in this case?"
"Think about what 'shortest distance' and 'shortest time' mean."
Lucia fell into thought for a moment before making an "Ah" sound.
Yes, that's right.
Ivan didn't elaborate further. He walked forward with his axe in hand. Elven magic, difficult to detect, was laid as traps, and they had absolutely no prior information about the internal structure.
However, under those conditions...
Taking the shortest route in the shortest time meant having the least contact with enemies.
In terms of role distribution in the Hero Party, it worked like this:
Einar and Beolgrin were the military force against armies.
Gil Ber and Maximillian were the force against individuals.
And Enrique and Ivan had the role of penetrating enemy lines, checking their status, testing the enemy's level, and returning alive to relay that information to the party.
In other words, they were the touchstone.
Is it worth challenging with our party's strength?
If so, how can we challenge it with the least loss for the greatest effect?
So Ivan didn't confront armies or overwhelmingly powerful individuals.
He had to face the "structure."
That was his only role. To penetrate, to assess, and to survive.
"Your job is to scout the path for your companions. The more treacherous the path, the more accurately you need to assess it."
"Professor, the test scope is too broad..."
"Because the world is broad."
In real combat, students shouldn't be confined to test papers. The world is the examiner, and survival is the test.
Lucia grumbled but quickly corrected her expression when she met Ivan's gaze. After clearing her throat with a "hmm-hmm," she drew her weapon.
Her expression became quite firm.
Yes, that's right.
Ivan nodded with satisfaction and stepped forward.
Oswald stood at the bow, looking out at the night sea.
He wasn't familiar with elven society. Regardless of this body being an elf, his mind was that of an Earthling.
So he didn't know much about their culture or political system. At most, he'd spent only about two years as an elf.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Huh? Oh, just... this and that."
"Don't want to tell me?"
"It's not that, just idle thoughts, Miss Rustfitz."
When he turned his gaze, his "former" fiancée was looking at him. Evelyn Rustfitz, daughter of the Privy Council Chairman.
Honestly, she was too good for him. That beauty, the elves' characteristic longevity, and the overwhelming prestige of her family.
If there was a problem, it would be this. The title of the content he had transmigrated into was "The Genius Magician Obsessed Over by the Villain Lady." He had dropped that trashy combination of letters before reading even ten chapters.
So he couldn't predict how his transmigration would unfold. He just opened his eyes to find that woman obsessed with him.
"Oswald."
"Yes, yes."
Unlike his consistent use of honorifics, Evelyn always spoke to him affectionately. The distance between them was as different as their thoughts about each other.
"Hehe, you seem uninterested in politics."
"Politics?"
"It's strange that the Eastvelpen family isn't involved in central politics."
Her eyes gleamed with greed, as intensely as a crow eyeing jewels.
"Do you know what humans call us elves?"
"I know many terms, but they're too vulgar to repeat to you, Miss Rustfitz."
"Vulgar people use vulgar expressions. Most can be summarized as 'inscrutable,' 'selfish,' and 'arrogant,' wouldn't you say?"
"Yes, I suppose so."
"The common thread among those three is that they mean 'political.'"
Evelyn seemed to be in a good mood.
Though they'd shared the same classroom for a year, this seemed to be the first time they'd talked for so long.
"Elves are political creatures. More than any other race. So if elves do something, it invariably has political motives or objectives."
Except for you.
Evelyn barely swallowed her last words. Only that naive country nobleman saw her as Evelyn, not as the Privy Council Chairman's daughter.
Though he still called her Rustfitz, that too would end by this winter break.
"Have you heard the saying that when people gather, politics is born, and when people flow, economy is born?"
"Hmm, no. First time hearing it."
"It's an old adage. But it's true. And Kalion, this land, is where people and goods from the four seas gather and accumulate. Economy and politics have developed here over thousands of years."
"You mean..."
"In this country, economy and politics mean the same thing. The Alchemy Society, Black Magic Society, well, the Sword School, Destruction School, Mental School, Summoning School. They're called 'societies' but they're essentially corporations, and most of their heads are Privy Councilors."
An old Earth term came to Oswald's mind: political-business collusion.
But he soon shook his head. That term couldn't explain it. It wasn't that businessmen interfered in politics; rather, businessmen themselves were politicians.
So this country's political system was actually closer to America than Korea.
Anyway, those big-nosed folks. When something strange happens in the world, you're usually right to blame the Anglo-Saxons first. It wasn't much different in this world.
"So don't think too deeply or worry too much. It's routine. Things like that."
"Things like what?"
"One society attacking another. Whether it's economic pressure, political pressure, or armed conflict. It's very common. As long as it doesn't surface."
Evelyn pointed at the night sea and smiled.
"Whether some giant lurks beneath the sea, or whales and sharks are entangled in war. As long as it doesn't appear on the surface, the Kalion Privy Council won't intervene. Knowing this, they become increasingly bold and insidious."
Only then did Oswald understand what Evelyn was trying to say.
That arriving at a harbor just in time to encounter some conspiracy seemed too contrived. How could that happen? At this very moment.
In reality, this was just a routine occurrence throughout the country.
In the basic social culture, this level of intrigue was so common that it wasn't worth worrying about.
He snubbed the Privy Council Chairman's daughter? So what? It's just the daughter, not the Chairman himself.
The age gap between the Privy Council Chairman and his daughter is comparable to a nation's history. It means hundreds of years of time.
Beings who live that long are each like the monarch of a country,
Their conversations are diplomacy, and their transactions are trade. The concept of individuality becomes unfamiliar over such long periods.
In other words, their intrigue is neither more nor less than competition between ordinary nations.
Oswald gazed at the night sea and sighed deeply.
"How does a country like this even survive?"
Before he knew it.
Evelyn nodded, laughing heartily at his words.
"Isn't that what makes elves great?"
Crack! Lightning-type attack magic swirled around. Ivan brought down his axe infused with magical power.
He didn't need to understand the composition and structure of the magic. Destruction magic was easy to counter. All types of magic ultimately involve weaving mystery into reality. Once it becomes reality, it can be physically destroyed.
Just respond faster and stronger than the attacking spell. In other words, it's not far from the realm of swordsmanship.
After hearing this explanation, Lucia nodded blankly.
"I don't want to be a scout anymore."
"Then you become useless."
"Wait, am I losing points for that? For this?"
"Enough to give up grading you."
At Ivan's words, Lucia grumbled and followed behind. Behind them lay corridors deeply marked with destruction and bizarre flesh chunks torn to pieces.
This experimental wing was serious about security, not even posting elves as guards. Alchemically created biological golems attacked from unpredictable points.
And they disappeared to equally unpredictable axe blades. Ivan maintained his steady breathing without the slightest roughness as he silently cleared the path.
"We must have reached the main castle by now, right?"
"Yes, we've entered the underground of the main castle."
"It reminds me of old times. You know, when we were searching through those dwarf rabbit holes! Remember? You said you only sleep three hours a day, and I stood guard like a fortress."
"Yes."
"See, I'm useful when I'm useful. Doesn't this deserve extra credit?"
"Eating little and sleeping little are scout qualities. I'll give you 5 points."
In emergencies, survival is possible just by blood-drinking, and she can function in darkness without sleeping for long periods. Extremely useful qualities.
Unlike most vampires who are night walkers, Lucia could function in broad daylight.
She didn't inherit most vampire characteristics like longevity, troll-surpassing recovery, powerful strength, and magic adaptability, but in exchange, she gained day walking.
Not bad. Relying on innate abilities slows growth, but those who recognize their deficiencies tend to grow quickly.
'Was it intuition or insight, Enrique?'
Was it insight that the Hero Party would need a scout in the future?
Or did her years of experience "appropriately" train her only direct disciple?
Whatever it was, Lucia was as complete as anyone could be—perhaps the most useful member in the current Hero Party.
Except for real combat experience.
-Boom!!
The magic lights illuminating the corridor all went out at once. At the end of the research wing, the entire main castle was plunged into darkness.
Soon, rustling sounds echoed from all directions. Noisy sounds like flesh slowly moving and terrible noises of something mumbling.
Ivan smiled slightly.
"We must have been threatening enough."
"Pardon?"
"The more difficult the traps become, the more cornered our opponent is. From now until dawn, we won't have time to rest."
A splashing sound was heard nearby. It was perfect darkness, barely visible even to Lucia's sight.
Dark vision requires at least minimal light to function. It has always been true for perceiving space visually. In spaces without even trace amounts of light, dark vision becomes meaningless.
-Tsk.
But in this world, there are techniques to perceive space using senses other than sight.
-Tsk, tsk.
Like some bats, some whales, and a very few underground magical beasts, or...
Like well-trained agents.
The sound of the axe blade moving, flesh chunks bursting, and tap, tap—the rhythmic sound of Ivan's steel boots hitting the floor.
With each step at precise stride length, footsteps ringing with ruler-measured regularity, and...
Tsk, tsk. A small noise like clicking the tongue once every quarter-second, as precise as a metronome.
-Crack!
The occasional bursting sound was no different from picking grain during harvest season. With just that much effort, he shattered the approaching golems.
-Tsk, tsk.
The sound like a snake hissing in the darkness echoed through the lightless corridor for a while.