Skip Magician 22

Test

Chapter 22. Successful Escape

"Huh?"

Ivy and I were running through the Illusionary Forest when a strange object suddenly appeared before us. The kingdom has issued strict warnings about entering the Illusionary Forest... but could such a thing really exist here?

Ahead of us was a bulletin board, clearly placed with some intention. It had no notices on it, what could be the purpose of this?

"Behind you!"

As I approached the bulletin board, a knight in armor suddenly appeared in front of Ivy and pointed a sword at me. There hadn't been any sign of him earlier, so I was a bit perplexed. But I sensed this was some sort of test.

"It's not an illusion. This knight is..."

"It’s a trap to make the test harder. Doesn't look like there's anyone inside the armor."

The knight behind me, who had pointed his sword at me and then stopped, was definitely empty. The armor moved as if animated by some magical force, like in a myth, but magic exists in this world.

"It's puppet magic... probably manipulating the empty armor with magical energy. Since it’s not attacking yet, someone must be controlling it from a distance. If it were automated, it would’ve attacked by now."

To confirm my suspicion, the knight suddenly swung its sword at me. I stepped back, narrowly avoiding the strike, just as I was about to draw my sword to counterattack. Ivy smashed the armor with her greatsword.

"Wouldn't two people have been enough?"

"No, I could handle this alone. So could you."

She didn’t just cut it; she crushed it. It looked like it had been squashed by a giant press. She must have used magic to enhance her sword. There wasn't a visible magic circle, so it wasn't a spell.

"I wasn’t told there’d be this kind of interference. Let’s escape quickly!"

"It's not 'escape,' it's 'break out.' What do you mean by 'escape'?"

Ignoring my muttering, Ivy started running again.

It feels odd. The Illusionary Forest is filled with illusions created by the Enchantment Grass, but it's not that big. It's just a forest, about the size of a single mountain. Ivy and I should be able to run through it easily. Yet, we can’t seem to get out.

"Should I use it?"

With my grimoire, I might be able to break through the Illusionary Forest. But if it fails, it could cause problems. Besides, the school wouldn’t trap all 984 students in a place they couldn’t escape without a grimoire. There must be a simpler solution.

"What are you doing?"

"I think I’m figuring out the mystery."

Trapping 984 people in the Illusionary Forest and having most of them run around without encountering each other is impossible. Most must be running around trying to escape, so we should have met someone by now.

"A magic knight needs the ability to escape an enemy's trap. What if the enemy can create illusions like the Enchantment Grass? What if they can create a labyrinth? What if they can control even your unconscious mind?"

Teleportation magic barriers probably weren’t practical. They were a bluff to deceive students familiar with magic circles. So, where are we? The answer is... in a dream.

I released my magic power to dispel the magic affecting me. Events caused by magic can be undone by overwhelming them with stronger magic!

"Phew... finally."

"What just... happened?"

Ignoring the fatigue in my body, I saw a large number of students lying down, as if carefully placed there. Nearby, Ivy, who had also been thrown out of the dream by my magic, was holding her head and looking around.

"Congratulations, Theodore Anselm... you are indeed exceptional."

"Who are you again?"

He was clearly a teacher, but I had no idea who he was. However, from his words, it was clear he was the one who used magic to put us to sleep and manipulate our dreams.

"Well, first-year students haven’t taken my class yet. I’m Maurice, a teacher of advanced magic at Chronos Magic Knight Academy."

"Maurice... Maurice Ceres?"

"Oh... you know my name without knowing my face?"

"I read your book in the old library. It was very pragmatic and dull."

Maurice, who had been smiling until now, suddenly had a sharp look in his eyes. His mouth was smiling, but his eyes showed he saw me as an enemy.

"For me, magic is a real discipline."

"Then we disagree. I believe magic is an artificial miracle caused by magical elements. We won't get along."

I’m not mature enough to tolerate someone with a different opinion. Magic has many unexplained aspects, and I can't respect someone who claims it is fully controlled by humans.

"I do think the magic you used to interfere with our dreams is impressive. No matter how much I disagree with your beliefs, I can’t deny the brilliance of the magic itself."

"Ah, geniuses are always like this."

Maurice Ceres, who had seen me as an enemy a moment ago, now looked somewhat amused. He probably gets similar comments often in academic circles because few magic scholars are realists.