Chapter 28 – I Deciphered The Ancient Script

Chapter 28 – I Deciphered The Ancient Script

---

Two months had passed by quickly just as I was conquering the labyrinth and teaching Lara and Marise magic….

Finally, the friendly match with the Empire’s magic school was drawing near, and the five representative players were to be announced.

All the students were gathered in the schoolyard, then the principal announced it in a loud voice.

“The representatives are……Lara! Marise!……and Kurt! of the first year students”

Whew. I’m relieved to hear my name called.

I’ve been looking forward to it, but if I don’t get selected as a representative, then it’s not even funny anymore.

“Ehh? I’m the representative…….”

“Yes, we did it…or rather, it’s a given! Because Kurt had taught us lots of magic after all!”

Even though Marise said that, but her body seemed to tremble lightly.

“Lara. There’s no need to be afraid”

“Eh?”

“I’ve been watching Lara for two months now and I’m sure you will not be defeated by those typical mages. I can assure you of that. This applies to Marise too”

“Y, yeah! Thanks, Kurt! I’ll do my best not to drag Kurt down!”

Lara took my hand in hers and smiled happily at me.

“H, hey! You guys are being too close to each other! Such shameless act… Get away from each other now!”

Marise stepped in between us.

While being swarmed by the two of them, I remembered the events of the past two months.

As expected, both of them have good talents. Their strength grew at an alarming rate.

Thanks to that, they have managed to reach the level where they can even win against the Desmond from before he learnt the body strengthening magic.

I’m looking forward to the friendly match.

–And finally, the day of the friendly match has arrived.

The representative players were gathered in front of the entrance of the <Treasure Labyrinth>.

The whole magic school was full of festive atmosphere, and there were stalls specially setup everywhere.

However, we’re the representative players. So, I don’t think we would be able to really enjoy the festival.

Me, Lara, Marise……and the third year representatives were headed for the <Treasure Labyrinth> together…….

”Hey, hey! I heard that the Royal Capital’s magic school has three first year students selected as the representatives!”

“Have they given up the match already!?”

“Moreover, one of them is said to have the defective magic. Do they think such a thing can be a threat to our Empire?”

It started with the criticism from the players on the Empire’s side.

There were teachers from the Empire’s……Disaria Magic Academy, but they didn’t even try to stop it.

”Mmm! Don’t make fun of Kurt!”

“That’s right. Besides, I think they will get hurt if they look down on us just because we are the first year students”

Lara and Marise are not frightened.

“Hmph!”

One of the five players representing the Empire……stepped forward and raised my chin.

“I think……they said the smallest little guy has the defective magic”

“Me? If it’s me, I certainly have the defective magic”

“Oh! So it wasn’t a lie! A first year student with the defective magic……the friendly match this time will be an easy victory for us huh!”

The man laughed loudly.

Behind me, Lara and Marise are feeling angry, but I didn’t mind about it.

The weaker the dog, the more often it barks.

“At any rate……”

“Hmm? What’s wrong. Could it be that, you’re scared?”

That guy provoked us again.

But, that’s not the case.

I’m surprised that he is so full of openings.

Is it okay to approach me while being so vulnerable?

Moreover, it doesn’t seem like he has deployed any Barrier Magic.

This is unbelievable.

No matter how confident I am in my ability, I currently still deployed seven layers of magic formula at the same time.

If one of them is activated, this guy’s head would be blown off.

And yet, he is still so calm and composed…….

“Kurt! Are you okay?”

Marise quickly pulled me away from that guy.

“They are so rude, aren’t they!”

“That’s true! Let’s show them what we are capable of during the friendly match”

Both of them seemed to be pissed off.

I hope they didn’t lose their cool.

“Lara, Marise. Don’t let your guard down”

““Eh?””

“If I remember correctly, it’s prohibited to attack the opponent directly, right?”

In this friendly match, one will have to collect as many items as possible in the <Treasure Labyrinth>.

Attacking the opponent directly with magic is prohibited.

Failing to abide by the rules will be disqualified immediately.

However…….

“The opponent is probably thinking of provoking us and trick us to attack them. Such terrible schemer”

If it was someone else with a short temper, they might have already taken the bait and get disqualified.

”Err… I don’t think so”

“Me too. They are just stupid, aren’t they?”

No, no. There’s no way the Empire’s representative players can be so empty-headed.

…right?

Come on, Empire.

“Do your best. Fellow representatives”

“Kurt. If it’s you, I’m sure you can win against the Empire this year”

Erika-sensei and Desmond also ran up to us and gave us encouragement.

Apparently, the teachers are waiting at several points in the <Treasure Labyrinth>.

It seems that this arrangement was made to prevent the students from getting into danger in the event of unforeseen circumstances.

But I don’t need to worry about that.

Because there’s no way that could happen.

◆   ◆

“Well! It’s finally happening, this year’s friendly match! But what a surprise, Rosanlila Magic Academy has selected three first year students to be among the five representatives! Will they be the center of attention in this friendly match? Everybody, let’s cheer for each other’s school to win!”

Was the loudspeaker magic being used? ……the voice of a woman was echoed throughout the school.

This mark the start of the friendly match.

At that moment, a burst of cheers broke out from the entire school.

”We’ll be the first to dive in!”

As soon as it started, the representatives from the Empire’s side pushed us aside and entered the <Treasure Labyrinth>.

”Kurt! We have to hurry!”

”If they are ahead of us, the remaining items inside might get looted completely!”

Lara and Marise seems to be in a panic.

“Well, there’s no need to panic. At any rate, they have to start from the first layer and collect the items on their way down, isn’t it?”

“But….”

“Don’t worry”

Lara gave me a worried look.

“So, the three of you must be the geniuses of the first year students, right? You can call me Corey”

“I’m Glenn! I’ve heard about you guys. I’ll let you guys do as you wish first, so show me your ability!”

The other two representatives of the Royal Capital’s side said.

Other than us, they are all third year students.

Hmm.

As expected, being third year students, they seemed calmer than Lara and Marise.

“Well”

They’re fast.

The representatives on the Empire’s side were already out of sight.

However, we have the advantage of Home base here.

I feel bad for them but…….

“I’ve already memorized all the terrains in the first layer”

“Pardon me?”

Marise raised her voice.

“Do you mean that…?”

“That’s right. In the last two months, the analysis on the first layer has long been completed. I had memorized everything, including the hidden passage”

“So, you’re saying that there are more than a few similar passages to the first one we dived in?”

Marise was probably referring to the passage where the first magic stone was found.

I nodded silently at her question.

“There will be a wall at the end of the path. The Ancient Script was written there. If it’s the third year students, they should know about it too since they have already dived in many times before, right?”

“A, ahh……I know which one you’re talking but……”

“Wasn’t that just a string of words that doesn’t make sense? Or rather, there’s no way we can decipher the Ancient Script”

Do the third year students also not know of the path that leads further back?

We quickly reached in front of the wall with the Ancient Script written on it.

“This is amazing, but there’s no way I can read this, it’s written in a mess”

“Kurt…? What are you planning to do this time?”

Lara and Marise asked me.

“I can read the Ancient Script……no, the truth is, I can decipher it”

“R, really?”

“Yeah”

These were written on it.

“At a forked road from here. Choose the right-hand direction. Then the supreme Treasure are more likely to be found.

Thou, if thou wilt lose sight of the way which thou shalt go. Use the Dispel Magic on the obstacles located in front of thou sight.

From there on, there’s a supreme Guardian. Only after one has overcome the final hurdle will one be able to get it”

“How come Kurt can read the Ancient Script?”

I didn’t know how to answer Marise’s question, so I chose to remain silent.

But the answer was simple.

Because this Ancient Script was written in the language from 1000 years ago.

I really didn’t expect to see it here….

The language of this world was completely different from that of 1000 years ago.

Thanks to this, I had to desperately learnt to read and write from scratch after I reincarnated.

“B, but……if what you’re saying is true, to think that there’s still such a mystery left in the first layer, it’s unbelievable……!”

“Besides, I can’t believe you can read the Ancient Script that no one has ever been able to decipher”

“Seems like the first year students of this year are really like wild cards”

The third year students seemed to be more shocked than surprised.

Well let’s put that aside now.

“Now then……after reading the script, it said to turn right at a forked road. Beyond that, if reached a dead end, then activate the Lock Release of Dispel Magic on the wall……”

Lock Release is a magic that can unlock treasure chests and doors that can’t be opened.

But to use it on a wall that seems to have nothing to do with it……one might not realize it without reading the hint.

“But is there really such a way to do that?”

“And the guardian…? Are we its enemy?”

Lara tilted her head and Marise was lost in thought.

“Don’t worry. Though I kept it a secret from both of you, but I actually gave it a shot there once before”

“Eh!?”

“And while I was at it, I also took out the guardian with one blow. All that’s left for us now is to retrieve the treasure”

When I said that, Lara and Marise sighed.

Why’s that?

Whatever. Let’s just quickly go and retrieve the treasure.

……but before that.

“……hah!”

I turned obliquely backward and shot the Fire Spear.

“What’s wrong, Kurt? To suddenly use the magic in a place like this”

“That was dangerous! If you just carelessly use magic like that”

Lara and Marise……or rather, the two guys of the third year students too, from their perspectives, it must have looked like I just shot magic at a place with nothing there.

But I wouldn’t do such a meaningless thing.

“Nah. There was a slightly annoying bug there”

“……”

Really……I wonder if this was also the doing of the Empire’s side.

Since I hadn’t heard about it before the friendly match started, so there shouldn’t be any problem in destroying it, right?

I turned my back on them who seemed to be in doubt and started walking towards the supreme treasure.

---

<< Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter >>