Finally, after a long trip, the convoy of students from the Istol Academy of Magic arrived at their destination: Isa Lante. But before they could enter, they had to pass an inspection at the city’s main entrance.
They stood in a line full of merchants who were also waiting for inspections, each scrambling to be first to capitalize on the new trade opportunities created by the Deepway’s opening.
Previously, the only trade route connecting Solistia with Artom and Isalas had passed through Metis. But the Deepway’s opening provided a direct route, allowing people to travel between these countries without incurring extra costs.
And merchants were desperate to be the first to find new trade partners and outmaneuver their competitors. The outcome, though, was that there were too many merchants here. The long queue at the city’s gate was hardly even moving.
“Whoa... It really is Isa Lante...” Eromura muttered. “I’m not just dreaming, am I?”
“Mmm. It’s real,” Anzu replied. “But if you think you might be dreaming, I can punch you. See if you wake up.”
“N-No,” Eromura quickly answered, aware that a single one of her hits could be lethal. “Please, no. I don’t wanna die.”
While it was hard to be too sure given her expressionless face, Anzu seemed a little disappointed.
Both Anzu and Eromura had been players of Swords & Sorceries. But while Anzu had quickly accepted the reality of where they were, Eromura still couldn’t fully believe it, even as he stood just outside the city gate.
He wasn’t exactly happy to have been brought to this world, but all the same, he was amazed to see that not only did this undercity—a low-level hub from the game—exist here, he was standing right in front of it.
He couldn’t believe his eyes; that was why he’d wondered aloud whether this might all just be a dream. But alongside that hesitation, there was another part of him that realized that, no, this was indeed real. It was a strange feeling he was having right now, as if he were back playing Swords & Sorceries.
He knew, though, that feeling that way was very dangerous.
If he fell into the trap of treating this like a game, he’d lose his fear of danger. Of death.
And the fact that this was no game meant there’d be no respawning if he died.
“Yeah, crap... Maybe I shouldn’t have come here,” Eromura said. “Being here kinda makes me feel like I’m in Swords & Sorceries again.”
“There’s no Temple of Rebirth here,” Anzu replied. “You might die if you’re not careful.”
“I get that. But like...what does this all even mean? Why the hell is Isa Lante here?”
“I don’t know, but the Destroyer guy is probably trying to find out.”
The figure of a middle-aged mage in jet-black gear flashed through Eromura’s mind.
“That old fart, huh? Yeah, I guess he did seem like a top player. He’d probably be good at investigating stuff like this. Maybe he’s already found something out.”
The Destroyers were all crafters, but they’d been top-tier strategists as well.
And given that Zelos had managed to form ties with a ducal house so quickly after arriving in this world, Eromura got the impression he was one sharp guy. In fact, he thought Zelos might even know why this world resembled Swords & Sorceries.
Not that Eromura had the courage to ask. It also didn’t help that he didn’t know where the Black Destroyer was in the first place.
“I have an idea. Want to hear it?” Anzu offered.
“Seriously? Mmm... Nah, not right now,” Eromura said. “I don’t think I’m ready to hear the truth yet.”
“A loser and a coward, huh?”
“Uh... Anzu? That hurts, you know?!”
Eromura wanted to enjoy his life in this world.
As for Anzu? It was hard to tell what she was thinking.
The ninja girl’s expression hadn’t changed in the slightest upon seeing the gate to Isa Lante.
Meanwhile, Zweit and some of the other male students were agape at the sight of the undercity.
“Whoa. I guess there really was an intact ancient city out there...” Zweit murmured.
“Heh heh... Oh, I can’t wait to investigate every nook and cranny of this place,” Croesus said. “I feel like I could devote my whole life to researching this one city.”
“Jeez, Croesus, you really are a research junkie, huh?” Makarov asked. “Actually, who am I kidding? You’ve always been one.”
“Yeah, it’s a bit late for that, Makarov,” Diio said. “Anyway, this place is amazing. It’s practically an impregnable underground fort.”
While Makarov was a scholar, Diio was more of a future military man who saw the city through the lens of tactics.
Regardless of whether you focused on its magical technologies or its potential for military defense, this ancient undercity looked like the holy grail for any researcher.
What was more, it was one of the rare ancient sites that had an intact infrastructure.
Of course, now that the students had arrived at the city, they’d be splitting up. Some would research tactics, others magical technology.
As students, they were restricted from accessing the most important parts of the city. But apart from that, they’d be largely free to do as they pleased.
“Hmm... I’d assume we’ll be sleeping at the site of the former consulate,” Croesus mused. “I’ve heard it sits above the very heart of the city. There’s a very intricate system deep below it. Whatever’s there has been sealed off, though.”
“You’re in charge of looking into magic tools, yeah? We’ll be focusing on the city’s layout and the defensive tactics its inhabitants might’ve used,” Zweit said. “Essentially, we’ll try to imagine how commanders might lead their forces in a conflict here, and what sort of situations could arise.”
“And I suppose you’ll be presenting a report on your findings?”
“Yeah, most likely. We’ve been getting up to all sorts of stuff lately, so the higher-ups have really got their eyes on us. For better and for worse.”
While the Solistia brothers were from different factions, they’d both been putting every day to good use.
Croesus and his fellow Saint-Germain students had been garnering attention for their improvements to potions and formulas. In particular, Croesus’s new approach to deciphering formulas had forced others to think about how to respond, stalling short-term research progress across many fields of study.
However, now that researchers could gain a clearer understanding of formulas that had hitherto been opaque, future analysis could move at a frightening pace. All of the groundbreaking new possibilities being showcased had left researchers so immersed in their work that they were forgetting to eat and sleep.
Meanwhile, Zweit and the other Wiesler students had been creating and submitting new battle tactics and proposals for organizational reform. Their proposal to restructure the Order of Knights and the Order of Mages had been implemented on a trial basis, and now, the two orders were rapidly transforming into an efficient military force.
Only the very top of the Order of Mages and Order of Knights were unaffected by the reforms; everyone else below saw their positions changed and merged via large-scale restructuring. It was also formally decided that mages’ roles would be reassessed.
Further, while those at the top of the orders were unaffected by the restructuring itself, they wouldn’t be able to feud among themselves as they had previously. If they tried, they risked dismissal.
“It sounds like those blockheads at the top are finally being taken down a peg. Good. They’ve been using their positions to leech off everyone else for too long,” Diio said.