[V11C12] A Delighted Sage

——Theodore Maxwell has attacked Minerva. Urgent reinforcements requested.

The Seven Sages received this message from a familiar of the Smoke Mage, Gideon Rutherford, and immediately took action.

At the time, there were four active Sages capable of combat: the Artillery Mage, Thorn Witch, Silent Witch, and Dragon Slayer Mage.

Since Monica and Silas had just returned from a long trip, they remained in the capital on standby, as Bradford and Raul headed to Minerva accompanied by the Magic Corps.

But in a strange twist of fate, Rutherford arrived at the Magic Corps headquarters the day after Bradford’s departure.

The former Sages and the disciples of the Sages were engaged in other tasks, so this unexpected visitor arrived during a meeting between Louis, Monica, and Silas.

“Yo, Louis. Your head must feel a lot lighter now,” said a black-haired boy as he entered the room.

The boy appeared to be around five-years-old, but he had a strangely intimidating aura. In addition, he was dressed in an adult-sized robe that was clearly too large to fit him. Only by tying the sleeves of the robe around himself could he keep the robe from slipping down.

Louis was the first to respond, stifling a laugh.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Master Rutherford! Pft… you look quite adorable… Hah… I’m glad to see you safe and sound… Hah… Hahaha!”

The black-haired boy quickly closed the distance and swung his fist at Louis. However, Louis casually raised an arm to push back the boy’s forehead.

The difference in size between the adult and child meant his punch would never reach its mark.

Realizing this, the boy clicked his tongue with a fierce anger, uncharacteristic of a five-year-old.

“You damn brat, I’ll get you for this later.”

“Oh? Brat, you say? I believe there is only one brat in this room, and it’s clearly you.”

Louis attempted to suppress his laughter again, but his quivering lips allowed a few staggered laughs to escape regardless.

Meanwhile, the astonished Monica inquired in an hesitant tone.

“Um, Louis-san… Could it be that this child is…?”

“Yes, it is exactly as you suspect. Judging by this boy’s eyebrows and temper, I daresay that he is the Smoke Mage, Professor Gideon Rutherford.”

Apparently, Louis already knew about Rutherford’s arrival, having received a report on his condition.

Next, the black-haired boy turned his unnaturally sharp eyes towards Monica.

“Yo, Everett. Must suck to have such a shitty coworker. You have my condolences.”

“Um, well…”

Monica struggled to find a reply as Silas, who looked even more bewildered than her, voiced his doubts in a hushed voice.

“Uh, Nee-san. What’s going on? Does Minerva allow kids to become professors or something?”

“N-No, that’s not…”

Monica stumbled over her words, so Louis patted the back of Rutherford’s neck and explained.

“The artifact has devoured something of his, just like it did to me. Most likely his age.”

Rutherford furrowed his brow and glared at Louis.

“My age versus your hair? What the hell is that? The weight is on a whole different level, dammit.”

“It seems that Gluttonous Zoe steals whatever is most precious to the target. But of all things, age?” Louis replied.

“I wouldn’t expect someone as shallow as you to cherish the weight of the years you’ve accumulated…” Rutherford retorted. “Damn, I can’t even smoke my pipe in this condition.”

Louis raised an eyebrow at Rutherford’s grumbling.

“Oh? Could it be that your smoke magic has been sealed as well?”

Rutherford was a mage who possessed the unique ability to enchant the smoke from his pipe with effects like paralysis or sleep.

Louis was asking if his unique magic was also taken as the artifact’s ‘compensation’, but Rutherford shook his head in response.

“Not in the way you’re thinking. I’m a teacher, so puffing smoke in kid form would be setting a bad example.”

A valid point.

Rutherford scoffed and climbed onto a nearby chair. With the small body of a child, simply seating himself on an adult-sized chair seemed like a challenge.

Meanwhile, Louis continued his teasing.

“Oh Master, isn’t that chair a bit too big for you? Maybe you should sit on Uncle Dragon Slayer’s lap?”

Louis was in such high spirits that it was evident to everyone in the room. He seemed to be truly enjoying this situation.

“Barrier-niisan, really…?” Silas muttered incredulously.

“I’ve had enough of your shit, you damn brat.”

Rutherford looked like he was about to snap.

Monica glanced between the angry child, the joyous Louis, and her utterly bewildered junior, before hesitantly interjecting.

“So, um, Rutherford-sensei… Can you tell us what happened at Minerva…?”

“Everett. I’m pretty impressed at how much common sense you have now. You’ve really grown up. Meanwhile, this idiot disciple of mine…”

Rutherford muttered under his breath while raising his right hand to his mouth, as if taking a puff from an invisible pipe.

After looking at his empty hand and realizing that he could no longer smoke, the boy crossed his arms.

“Alright, time to get serious. This is what happened between me and Theodore Maxwell…”

＊　＊　＊

Theodore Maxwell attacked Minerva yesterday morning, just before classes were about to start. In other words, practically simultaneous with Monica and Silas arriving at the capital.

The invasion had been silent and sudden. Before anyone could sense a hint of danger, the shadows of Gluttonous Zoe had already started entwining Minerva’s students one after another, putting them in a state of suspended animation and absorbing their mana.

Artifacts with the ability to absorb mana naturally gain additional power the more mana they consume, and Gluttonous Zoe was no exception. The dark shadows swelled every time they took a student or teacher, and by the time they reached Rutherford, the shadows had grown large enough to reach the third story of a building.

Rutherford fought back by putting a tranquilizer into his smoke and sending it at Theodore.

Since his smoke was created through a variation of wind magic, he could manipulate it some extent. There was no doubt that his attack had reached Theodore.

The tranquilizer was powerful enough to knock someone unconscious for half a day after just one breath. And yet, Theodore simply stood there as if nothing was wrong.

“…Ah, there you are, Professor.”

Theodore Maxwell even began speaking to Rutherford in a casual tone, like someone bumping into an acquaintance while walking down the street.

Meanwhile, the comatose figures of students and teachers were scattered at his feet. The clump of shadows trailing behind him was the size of a dragon.

Ignoring all this, Theodore stared directly at Rutherford.

Why did the smoke have no effect on him? How was he resisting the tranquilizer?

Rutherford quickly switched to a paralysis poison and sent another puff of smoke at Theodore. He watched as Theodore inhaled the smoke, yet the man’s expressions remained completely unchanged.

“Professor, did you do something just now?” Theodore asked, tilting his head. “Well, I guess it doesn’t matter anymore.”

Theodore raised the jeweled box in his hand and continued.

“I, Theodore, the contractor of Gluttonous Zoe, command you! Professor, become my servant!”

Rutherford quickly chanted a defensive barrier while bracing himself to dodge Theodore’s attack.

However, nothing happened.

Theodore leaned forward, putting his ear against the box in his hands.

“…Huh, Professor is no good? But that’s the name he used… Well, I guess I don’t have much choice. Let’s use him as an offering instead.”

Raising the box again, Theodore asked Rutherford a question.

“Hey, Professor. What’s most precious to you?”

＊　＊　＊

“You’re going senile, geezer.”

Every time people insulted his age, Rutherford only took more pride in himself. Aging was not about deterioration; it’s about accumulation.

Indeed, an older person might find it harder to see distant objects. But in exchange, you can see things that had been invisible in your youth. You can notice things that you failed to pay attention to before.

(You brats will grow old someday, and when that day comes, I’ll say it again.)

——See? Growing old ain’t half bad.

＊　＊　＊

“…And when I woke up, I looked like this. I was completely out of mana, and everyone nearby was in a coma. It was a complete disaster. Good thing I sent out my familiar before my encounter with Theodore.”

Afterwards, Rutherford had apparently exerted his last bits of strength and escaped Minerva on foot. Then, he encountered a former student by chance, who cooperated and brought him to the capital.

Once Rutherford finished telling his story, Louis retracted his earlier attitude and replied with complete seriousness.

“So it happened only two days after Theodore’s attack on the capital. That’s far too fast.”

Theodore had somehow broken through the encirclement of the capital, then headed straight to Minerva. Just like when he infiltrated the treasure vault eight years ago, this was a feat requiring skills far beyond an ordinary civilian.

Silas furrowed his brows and commented with a stern face.

“It sounds like Theodore Maxwell is going around and collecting mana… In which case, I can see why he chose Minerva as his target. Everyone there has plenty of mana, ripe for the taking.”

“Um, if that’s true, then will he continue targeting places where people with mana gather…?”

Monica could already think of several locations fitting this description: the Magic Corps headquarters, the Royal Institute of Magic, the Mage Association branches, the other mage training institutes aside from Minerva, etc. There were far too many options to narrow it down.

As Louis, Monica, and Silas fell silent in thought, Rutherford raised a single finger.

“There’s one more thing I have to tell you. Just before I lost consciousness, I overheard Theodore Maxwell saying something to Gluttonous Zoe.”

Rutherford repeated the words with a stern face.

——”We need to gather more mana, and if possible, I want to get another servant. But finding someone I know will be tough… Oh, right! Maybe that place will work…”

Monica was not familiar with Theodore’s circumstances, but she could imagine a few locations where Theodore could find people he knew. For example, his hometown or the university he was affiliated with.

Louis lowered his eyes in contemplation, before nodding.

“I see. In that case, we can dispatch some men to places with a connection to Theodore. In addition, I’ll send a warning to areas where many mages are known to gather.”

While listening to Louis’s plan of action, Monica also contemplated her own thoughts.

She had spoken briefly to Theodore in Sazandol, and he seemed like an ordinary guy you might find anywhere.

(What is he trying to accomplish by gathering so much mana with Gluttonous Zoe…?)

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