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In fact, they had nothing else to do, so everyone was busy eating, drinking, and enjoying the festival.
"...Truly amazing."
However, even amidst all that, there was one person who only focused on the scoreboard. It was Darian.
While everyone else was laughing and chatting joyfully, he alone wore a serious expression.
"What's wrong, Your Highness? Is there a problem?"
As the important guest remained silent for a long time, the Dean, feeling uneasy, cautiously spoke.
Darian flinched and turned his gaze.
"Ah... It's just that one team's performance seems particularly outstanding. I was wondering what method they're using to Subjugate Monsters so quickly."
At those words, the Dean also carefully examined the scoreboard and soon exclaimed in admiration.
"Ah, I see. And the score is still rising...?"
Soon, he wore a bewildered expression.
"Is it possible to eliminate Monsters this quickly? Could there be something wrong with the Magical Tool?"
"It doesn't seem like a normal situation. Could something have happened inside?"
Of course, it was common for the score to rise quickly when a large number of Low-level and Mid-level Monsters were massacred.
However, if the rate of increase was that steep, it meant they were facing several, or even dozens, of Superior Magical Creatures simultaneously.
Just as the Dean was about to consult the professors of the Faculty of Magic with a flustered expression, one of the invited guests, who had been silently sitting and keeping his place, leisurely opened his mouth.
It was the Magic Tower Lord, Seran.
"In my opinion, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the Magical Tool."
Darian frowned and turned to face the source of the voice. Seran smiled languidly at him and continued.
"What's wrong, Your Highness? Are you worried about the students inside?"
"...Of course. The students participating in the Subjugation Contest all have outstanding talent. If something were to happen to them..."
"Haha, why don't you be a little more honest? That team also includes the owner of the Black Dragon. The person you and I are both after."
"..."
Seran's blue eyes sparkled as he smiled meaningfully. Seeing that, Darian firmly closed his mouth.
He had been wondering why someone who rarely showed his face outside suddenly attended the academy event, but now he seemed to know the reason.
'He's also after the owner of the Black Dragon.'
Dragons were beings that the Mages of the Magic Tower had great interest in and researched extensively.
Just as the royal family coveted the owner of the Black Dragon, the Magic Tower also had ample reason to covet Ayla.
Thinking that, he suddenly felt the need to be wary of the man before him.
"What do you think? Should we summon the knights now and go check the site?"
"..."
"If the students are in a dangerous situation, wouldn't it be better to help them as quickly as possible?"
Darian hesitated, unable to answer easily.
The Magic Tower was an independent power institution that was beyond the power of the empire. He didn't think that its leader would speak to him out of pure goodwill.
But as he said, if something was really happening in the forest...
Suddenly, a pink-haired figure flickered in Darian's mind.
'Could they have been ambushed by a horde of Monsters?'
Imagining the owner of that hair in trouble, he unknowingly clenched his fist.
But he couldn't reveal that emotion in front of the Magic Tower Lord, so he issued an order in as calm a tone as possible.
"Sir Anton, summon the knights. I'll have to go and check it out myself."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The knight who had been waiting nearby bowed his head with precision and stepped back.
No sooner had the order been given than a reconnaissance team was quickly formed. Magic Tower Lord Seran, Darian, and the knights all mounted their horses at once.
At that sight, a murmur spread among the students who were outside.
The commotion was so great that even Peony, who had been resting in her private quarters, was surprised and rushed out.
"What's going on? Did something happen?"
"That's..."
The knight who was on horseback hesitated to answer and looked back at his master.
Darian stared down at his younger sister for a moment before briefly opening his mouth.
"I'll explain in detail after I get back."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the knights grabbed the reins and galloped towards the forest.
The forest, shrouded in the darkened sky, was already so dark that it was impossible to see even an inch ahead.
Watching the receding figures of the reconnaissance team, Peony quietly muttered.
"...Brother."
The knights crossed the forest at a rapid pace.
In the process, they encountered students returning from Subjugation Contest several times, but the person Darian was looking for was nowhere to be seen.
"What is the exact location of the students? How much further do we have to go?"
"That's... The tracker isn't working properly, perhaps because the Magical Energy of the forest has intensified at night."
"What?"
At Sir Anton's report, Darian frowned and turned his head.
In the Subjugation Contest, students were required to wear location trackers for their safety. This was to ensure that they could be quickly rescued in the event of an emergency.
But even though it was dark, for the Magical Tool to not work at all...
Seran, who had been watching the conversation, stepped forward as if doing a favor.
"It seems like a difficult situation. Shall I cast a wide-area search Magic?"
"..."
Darian hesitated for a moment, unable to answer immediately.
Search Magic, as the name suggested, captured all targets, so it took some time to filter out meaningful information.
And no matter how much of a Magic Tower Lord Seran was, it would be difficult to cast precise Magic while riding a horse.
"Let's go to the last confirmed location first. If we can't find them there, then we'll use search Magic."
"Yes!"
It was then that Darian's party was galloping through the forest in tension.
Sir Anton, who was riding the horse, suddenly narrowed his eyes and stared ahead.
"That person is..."
Someone shouted urgently and blocked their path.
Darian and the knights hurriedly pulled on the reins of their horses.
"Hah, hah..."
As the dust settled, the appearance of the person who had suddenly intruded was revealed.
The young man's face was ashen, and his attire, which indicated that he was a participant in the Subjugation Contest, was torn, crumpled, and a mess.
He shouted at Darian with a dazed expression.
"S, save me! There's a huge group of Monsters inside...!"
Darian stared at the student with a serious expression and asked.
"Who are you?"
"I, I'm Ruvahn."
He continued in a cracked voice.
"Our team is in danger. While we were Subjugating Monsters, Superior Magical Creatures and Mid-level Monsters suddenly swarmed us... My companions bought me time to escape, but with that many, they won't be able to hold out for long!"
"Superior Magical Creatures and Mid-level Monsters appeared at the same time?"
Darian narrowed his eyes and asked back as if suspicious.
Monsters usually divided their territories based on hierarchy, and Superior Magical Creatures also preyed on Mid-level Monsters.
For them to act together was against the instincts of Monsters.
"Yes... I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. For some reason, they suddenly swarmed and attacked our group!"
As Ruvahn spoke, hitting his chest as if frustrated, Darian's face paled.
It was hard to believe, but if what he said was true, it matched the unusual phenomenon he had seen.
It was possible that Ayla and the other crew members were in great danger.
"Take me there right now."
"T, thank you, Your Highness!"
Darian did not hesitate to put the dirt-covered student in front of him. He increased his speed and continued the questioning.
"What did you say your name was? What's your affiliation?"
"I'm Ruvahn Enoch, from the Faculty of Magic."
"What kind of Monsters appeared? How many?"
"Th, that's... I don't remember exactly, but there were several Pendrigons, Bloodwings, Bonetails... Anyway, there were a lot of them! It was dark, so I couldn't see very well..."
Hearing that, the knights began to murmur quietly from behind.
"Did he just say Pendrigons?"
"If there are that many Monsters, it would be impossible for the academy students to handle..."
"Is there any point in going to rescue them?"
Darian's heart also became troubled by the knights' skeptical reaction.
If Ruvahn's words were true, he was struck by the thought that it might already be too late when they arrived.
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