Karahen's subspace pocket. Unlocking it wasn't that difficult.
Finding the user's input magic pattern might seem quite challenging at first glance, but with an understanding of the principles of security magic and a good sense of magic, it's actually a rather easy task.
Of course, that's what I say...
'Already a month, huh.'
A stone chamber of about 9 square meters.
This place is a training room provided to the academy students, mainly used for practicing breathing techniques or personal training.
Lately, I've been visiting the training room in the morning and evening, and it was to unlock Karahen's subspace pocket.
It was a subspace pocket without any seals, but it felt awkward to try unlocking it in front of others.
Anyway, it took a whole month.
Crackle, crackle.
A deep blue spark jumped and disappeared on the dark subspace pocket.
It was finally unlocked.
To be honest, it shouldn't have taken this long.
'If I had the right equipment, it would have been easier.'
With a few pieces of equipment used by magic engineers, it wouldn't have taken more than a week.
But, a whole month.
'Well... I didn't just do this.'
I melted the medicinal properties of the elixir entirely into magic and even increased my magic power.
Additionally, the academy classes were quite beneficial, allowing me to absorb a lot of helpful knowledge.
Indeed, there's a difference when you receive proper instruction.
You gain new perspectives, I suppose.
Actually, I didn't have any perspectives in my previous life.
I would take the necessary visions and, with my colleagues, extract and use only the principles that seemed applicable.
In this life, my learning was limited to Henge's magic books, which wasn't much different from self-study.
For me, the academy professors' classes were a good opportunity to reflect on my knowledge.
Anyway.
"...Let's see."
I carefully opened Karahen's subspace pocket.
Since it had a security spell, unlike other subspace pockets, I had to inject a small amount of magic, and soon its contents were clearly visible.
The contents were as follows.
'This is... a potion.'
The drug Karahen took when the backlash occurred at Professor Falun's mansion.
Still, it's best to confirm, so I opened the cap and smelled it.
Pong.
A refreshing sound accompanied by a fragrance spreading throughout the stone chamber.
'It's definitely it.'
A potion that helps suppress magic backlash.
There were five of these similar potions.
Perhaps the deputy leader of the Deculan Mage Corps has a different salary, or maybe they receive more support. This isn't something you'd carry multiple of.
'Well, it is Deculan.'
It wasn't hard to understand.
Still, there were no particularly useful items in Karahen's subspace pocket.
Most were useless odds and ends that I couldn't use, or items with Deculan's emblem so clearly marked that even if they were useful, I couldn't use them.
'Damn, they're so thorough.'
I looked at the robe with Deculan's emblem and the seal of the Mage Corps' red jade, then stuffed it back into the subspace pocket.
'I can't use this.'
With Deculan's emblem so clearly marked.
How did it happen that erasing the emblem was more difficult than unlocking the subspace pocket?
The emblem was engraved with ancient magic, so the time and effort didn't pay off.
The most useful item I found was a pair of bracelet-shaped protective artifacts.
'Protective power...'
I caused a collision to test the artifact's load.
Soon, I felt the resistance in my grip.
Whirr—
As I gradually increased the collision's power, the resistance from the artifact also grew stronger.
After a while.
Squeal!
The bracelet artifact trembled sharply with a sharp noise. I retracted the collision right after.
'Not bad for this level.'
Compared to the reverse field I can deploy at full power, it might be lacking, but no mage would expect such protective power from a protective artifact.
It's enough to block a spell or two in an emergency or to mitigate some damage.
I put the artifact in Henge's subspace pocket and continued searching the subspace pocket.
How long did I search?
When the training room was filled with items from Karahen's subspace pocket, I found a few more artifacts.
But no vision book, no matter how hard I looked.
Tsk.
"Could it be, he kept it separate?"
Now, most of the items coming out were likely spoils of war.
A blood-stained sword, a shield and armor so warped they were unusable, a mage's staff with a broken orb, or a robe torn to shreds.
Even a robe so large it didn't seem human.
Just as I was about to give up.
"…!"
I found it.
A book nestled among the odds and ends.
'So, that's it...'
Karahen didn't seem like the type to trust anyone.
Typically, such people carry the most important things on their person.
With a satisfied smile, I took out the book, and on its surface was...
<Red Fire>
The engraved words.
When I confirmed the words, the smile on my lips deepened.
Deculan's pride, Blue Fire, the eternal flame. Red Fire is a lower concept of this vision, a damn magic that can even burn a reverse field.
'Karahen, you were a loyal dog after all.'
For Deculan to have bestowed Red Fire on him.
Just as I thought that.
Bang, bang, bang!
Someone knocked on the training room door.
A voice followed.
"Friend! Let's go to class!"
It was Damian.
'Already that time, huh.'
I swept the cluttered items back into Karahen's subspace pocket, tidied up my disheveled academy uniform, and left the training room.
* * *
I wanted to devour the Red Fire vision book right there, but Red Fire isn't a vision that can be mastered overnight.
'The flame that burns a reverse field, but that's only when you reach a mature level.'
If Karahen had truly unleashed the true power of Red Fire, neither I nor Professor Falun would have survived.
Anyway.
Damian and I didn't head to our usual M3 class but to the shared grounds for the basic classes 1, 2, and 3.
It's a central area among the three grounds, used only for special events.
The special event that brought Damian and me here was the mid-term practical evaluation.
Unusually, students from M1 to M3 classes were gathered in one place, and Chenbi waved at us from the crowd.
"Aster, Damian! Over here!"
Chenbi, who was waving from afar, had dark circles under his eyes today, a result of his relentless training day and night.
He had taken a step forward in the vast world, not succumbing to the shock.
Of course, he hadn't completely shaken off the shock of the vast world.
"How did you sleep?"
"I slept well!"
"Good... I see."
Damian's voice always seemed to lack energy when we talked.
He's fighting his own battles every day.
"By the way, did you hear the news?"
"What news?"
"The evaluation subject for this time, I heard from the M1 students that it's been decided."
"Subject?"
"Yeah, originally, they said it wasn't decided whether we'd go through the Trial of Ordeals, break through the gorge, or run the simulator."
"Right."
The mid-term practical evaluation is a practical test.
All magic students from M1 to M3 classes gathered here for a reason.
The facilities for the Trial of Ordeals, gorge breakthrough, and simulator are all in the shared grounds.
However, the subject hadn't been announced yet...
"A few M1 students overheard some administrative staff a few days ago. They were complaining about having to maintain the gorge during a busy period. What does that mean?"
"Gorge breakthrough?"
"Exactly!"
I just nodded calmly.
Actually, the evaluation subject didn't interest me much. The same went for Damian.
But for Chenbi, who desperately needed good grades, it was important information.
"Then, look. If it's a gorge breakthrough, all the students will rush there at once..."
Now he's even planning strategies.
Only Damian responded to him, while I expanded my senses.
'...'
This is a habit from my past life that resurfaced after the battle with Karahen.
I often expand my senses to check my surroundings, just in case I might miss something.
But, of course, there was nothing suspicious.
'Naturally...'
The attack on Professor Falun was concluded as Karahen's solo action.
I don't know what agreement was made between the Empire and Deculan, but Deculan must have suffered significant losses.
Additionally, the academy's own defenses and the city of Hagen's security were significantly strengthened.
But, how should I put it?
'Would they let it go so easily?'
Of course not.
Regardless of whether Professor Falun was Henge's ally, Karahen's subspace pocket and the Red Fire vision book were stolen.
'The surviving troubleshooters must have informed them of my existence, and it's natural for them to try to find the subspace pocket.'
They probably won't be able to catch me.
But if they can't, the only place Deculan can target is the academy.
'Are they planning to use a vassal family?'
From what I've gathered, there are no Deculan vassal families among the first-year basic class students.
But it might be different in the second year or higher.
Incidentally, the direct descendants of Deculan don't attend Jenion Academy.
They have too many concerns to casually pull their bloodline members out, to the point of establishing a separate academy for them.
The successors of vassal families typically attend Deculan's academy, but occasionally, second sons or collateral lines might attend Jenion Academy.
'They might use that strategy.'
I roughly organized my thoughts.
The commotion among the students also subsided around this time.
"Everyone, be quiet."
A teaching assistant, who had appeared, drew the students' attention.
The students lined up in rows and columns as they usually did, and soon a professor in a neat academy uniform stepped forward.
"Hello. I am Professor Falun, in charge of the M1 class. I will be the responsible professor for this practical evaluation."
Professor Falun spoke in a businesslike tone with a stern expression.
In other words, he wasn't really happy to see us, but he had to greet us formally.
However, the students' opinions of Professor Falun were very positive.
Why wouldn't they be?
The rumor that Deculan's Karahen had been killed by Professor Falun had already spread widely.
After Deculan declared it as Karahen's solo action, they even made an official announcement, so the academy students knew about it.
For some reason, the existence of the masked person wasn't known.
Pola, who returned to the academy, also kept quiet.
Thanks to this, the students' gazes toward Professor Falun were filled with admiration.
Then, Professor Falun's stern voice echoed.
"The subject of the practical evaluation is the Trial of Ordeals."
When those words spread.
Some students, mainly from the M1 class, let out bewildered exclamations.
Chenbi was no exception.
"Wh-what..."
Chenbi let out a dazed groan, like a goblin who had lost its tribe, when Damian added.
"Liar."
"..."
Damian wasn't angry because he believed Chenbi and was disappointed. If I had to say, Damian didn't really care which subject it was.