Ariel shot the man a withering look. “Or so he claims, but none of it has been verified as he’s never stepped foot outside the capital.”
“But of course!” Valtos puffed out his chest and held his head up high. “How could I, the crown prince, be lost in battle when I carry the hopes of our people?!”
Although Ariel seemed doubtful—and rightfully so—of Valtos’s capabilities, he had indeed survived a punch from Raid without so much as a scratch. At the very least, he didn’t seem to be lying about his ability.
That aside, these abilities were actually rather familiar to Raid. He was capable of grabbing and parrying magic with his bare hands, as he had done with Eluria’s magic frequently in the past; Fareg and the Guardian Dragons came up as more recent examples as well. He had even subconsciously created his old broadsword with his mana. So he couldn’t help but entertain the thought: Could these have been manifestations of Ariel’s “transfiguration,” the ability to materialize mana?
Raid had also learned to freely wield weapons during his time as a mercenary, then went on to wield the magic he had grabbed on the battlefield as if they were weapons—just as Valtos said his “metalization” ability allowed him to.
Perhaps this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, given that Raid had inherited the original Hero’s power—the root of the Heroes’ abilities. But if that were the case, then what exactly was the original Hero’s ability...?
“Attention, everyone! We’re ready to teleport!” Millis announced.
Raid shook his head, abandoning the line of thought in favor of approaching the girl. Beside her now stood a glowing portal. “Do we just step in here?”
“Yessiree! This is a simplified version of the teleportation gates set up in some cities, so it’s a little small, but this should take us straight to the headmaster’s office.”
“By the way, Millis... Have you ever cast teleportation magic before?”
“Not once. Why do you ask?”
Raid narrowed his eyes. “If I remember correctly...can’t a failed teleportation spell bury us alive?”
“You could just say that you doubt my skill, okay?!” Millis snapped. “I’ll have you know that Lady Eluria wrote the instructions for me, and I followed them to the letter!”
“Well...if you say so...”
“Why do you still look so reluctant?!” Millis groaned as she began pushing Raid toward the portal. “What kind of Hero is afraid of a fancy little door? Get in there and show us what you’re made of!”
Bright light flooded Raid’s vision until it slowly faded and settled back down. Before his eyes was a familiar room: the headmaster’s office. “Looks like...she’s not here,” he muttered.
“She must be in a meeting after all,” Millis agreed, stepping in after him with the rest of the group. “She’ll probably contact us once she sees our note. In the meantime, shall we kill some time in the city?”
“Hmmm... Let me think for a second.” Raid slowly walked around the room, checking the desk and shelves with narrowed eyes. “I’d like to get her permission before we walk around freely, especially since we’ve got people from the First World with us. Could you ring up the faculty room and ask where she is?”
“Roger that!” Millis placed her hand on the magic communicator on the headmaster’s desk and had a quick exchange with the staff. They placed her on hold for a while, then came back and ended the exchange.
“Sounds like she is in a meeting,” said Millis as she stepped away from the communicator. “They’ve told her that we’re back, and she said she’d contact us once the meeting is over. Until then, we’re free to do as we please.”
“I see... All right.” Raid let out a quiet, furtive sigh before once again turning to the rest of the group. “Well, it’s nice and all that we got permission to leave...but I was also hoping to ask Elise for your sightseeing funds.”
“Having her money snatched, on top of everything she already deals with? I feel like I can hear her wailing already,” Millis remarked with a dry chuckle. “Well, I suppose we can ask her for reimbursement later. For now, though, should we look for funds elsewhere?”
“Elsewhere?” Raid hummed. “Oh... You’re right. I know just the person who’d come running once he hears we’re back and give us some pocket money for the day.”
“Really? On such short notice?” Ariel looked a little surprised for a moment, then nodded. “I heard that Altane and the Hero’s existence were wiped from history in this world, but I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that you have a sponsor, Lord Raid, given your superior capabilities.”
However, Raid waved his hand with a chuckle. “A sponsor? No, not really. He’s just a classmate in the Institute, the son of a wealthy aristocratic family, and my swordsmanship student.”
“Mm-hmm, I see... In our world, due to the advancements in machinery and magic, swordsmanship and other martial arts are now seen as no more than facets of spiritual training... It’s quite impressive of this young man to take to it despite coming from such a privileged background. Has he perhaps left his mark in our world’s history?”
“I don’t know if he left his name in the books, but he has left behind some descendants in the world.”
“Really?! Then I might have heard of them already! It would be an honor to meet the ancestor of such a respectable—”
“It’s you,” Raid cut in.
Ariel blinked. “Huh?”
“I’m talking about your ancestor, Ariel,” Raid continued with a smile. “Let’s go. It’s time to meet the one and only Fareg Verminant.”