Extra in a Romance Fantasy

171 – The Core (2)

“There’s not much time left, Wade Hebron.”

Immediately after saying that, Beluid turned his body.

And he shifted his gaze to the place he had been turning his back on.

“Do you see it?”

What lay in the direction he was looking was nothing but dense trees and the thick fog that filled the spaces between them.

However.

“…Yes.”

I affirmed his question.

I knew that the unremarkable landscape, which seemed to resemble the path I had walked until now, was, in fact, not the same.

I could feel it.

That there was something there.

And I had a rough idea of what that something was.

Because it was something I had experienced multiple times on my way here.

“…It’s a boundary.”

It was a boundary.

A threshold where spaces divide, crossing into another realm with just a single step.

“Exactly.”

Beluid nodded.

“On the other side of this space, the head of the Order… the leader is stirring up trouble. And it’s reached a critical stage.”

Then, he turned his head back to me once more.

“Therefore, I don’t have the luxury to explain the situation to you. We must stop the leader right now.”

“…I see.”

I nodded.

I had no choice but to nod.

Because I, too, knew that Belluid’s words were not lies.

The warnings my intuition sent me grew stronger with time.

“Well then, I suppose I must go inside.”

“Indeed. However… the problem is that it’s not as easy as it sounds.”

Belluid shook his head with a somber expression.

“This boundary is unlike any ordinary boundary. It’s constructed by layering distortions of space to block external access.”

“…Are you saying it’s impossible to enter?”

“Not at all. You can enter. However, you won’t reach the other side in one piece.”

Belluid’s explanation brought something to mind.

“…A closed dungeon.”

His description reminded me of the barriers of a closed dungeon, which I was already familiar with and had experienced before.

“Correct.”

Belluid readily affirmed.

“Strictly speaking, it’s a bit different, but the principle is similar. The main issue, however, is that the level of this barrier is not comparable to that of a closed dungeon.”

“…….”

I could certainly feel it.

The ominous energy emanating from that boundary.

And the intense warning from my intuition telling me to never venture there.

“If a living human were to enter there, even with some form of protection, they would turn into a mere puddle of blood.”

“…Even if the principal casts a defensive spell?”

“Indeed.”

At those words, I looked up again, this time toward the direction of the boundary.

Belluid is a great wizard.

If you were to stop any passerby on the street and ask them to name a great wizard, they would surely mention him within the first three names.

I could also sense, through the magical aura that subtly emanated from him, that his reputation was not unfounded.

At the very least, he was undoubtedly the most outstanding wizard I had ever met in person.

Yet, even he said that if he cast a defensive spell, it wouldn’t last even a moment.

I found myself once again unable to avoid seeing the boundary before my eyes.

“But don’t worry. I will find a way to open the path. Somehow, I will ensure that you are allowed inside.”

Beluid’s expression turned serious.

And then, a profound magical energy began to ripple and flow from him.

The moment I sensed it, I said,

“Wait a moment.”

I halted him.

“…What is it? I’m sorry, but there’s no time. We need to get inside as quickly as possible—”

“No, that’s not it.”

I firmly interrupted Beluid, whose anxious demeanor was evident, and continued.

“I will handle it.”

I declared that I would clear the way.

“…You?”

At my words, Beluid looked at me intently.

Then, he shook his head.

“I know you possess remarkable skills. But this is a different matter. This is not a field for a warrior. It would be better to leave this to me.”

His words were not without merit.

Unlike a wizard, a warrior is generally just a being with strong physical power.

Thus, their ability to respond to various situations is significantly inferior to that of a wizard.

This is true in general, but in a situation where a higher concept like space is involved, it could be said that a warrior could do nothing at all.

However.

“It won’t take long. Just trust me for now.”

I stood my ground.

“…….”

Beluid stared deeply into my eyes.

In the depths of his gaze, which bore the weight of time, various thoughts flickered in a brief moment.

“…Very well. Give it a try.”

He nodded and stepped back.

It wasn’t that he believed in me, after all.

He must have recognized the firmness of my resolve.

—

It must have been a calculation that stepping back a pace would lead to quicker progress than engaging in a pointless struggle.

Knowing that intent,

I immediately drew my sword and stepped forward.

Then, I focused my mind and looked ahead.

Though it was still not physically visible, I could feel it.

The fact that a boundary existed right before me.

Moreover, just by observing the waves emanating from it, I could tell.

That the boundary before me was truly monstrous.

Belluid didn’t say such things for no reason.

Suu—

With that resolve alone, my magical power and intent naturally surged forth, beginning to flow into the sword.

“……”

Perhaps, even if I hadn’t done anything, Belluid would have surely forged a path as he had said.

There was no evidence, but I had a vague intuition that it would be so.

Considering the realm my intuition hinted at, it was highly likely that it would come to pass.

Even knowing that, I stepped forward.

Because I could feel it.

Belluid’s determination.

Belluid was willing to stake everything.

Staking everything to create a path through this boundary.

It didn’t simply mean giving it his all.

Belluid was likely, quite literally, planning to wager everything he possessed.

The source of his magical power, and perhaps even his life force.

Knowing that, I stepped forward.

No matter how urgent the situation, I had no desire to advance at the cost of someone’s life.

Above all, I felt certain.

That in this moment, I could create a path through this rift.

Wuuung—

The magical power and intent that flowed into the sword eventually formed a blade of light, clear yet gentle.

At first glance, it appeared to be a sword, but it was not merely a sword.

—

If you were to ask what it is, honestly, I found it hard to answer.

I hadn’t fully grasped everything about this realm yet.

I was merely using it with a vague sense.

I lifted the sword imbued with light.

And then, I swung it.

Towards the boundary ahead.

And then.

Swish—

The air was softly sliced.

And beyond it, a space was revealed.

“……!!”

Feeling Beluid’s breath catch, I turned my body and spoke.

“Let’s go in.”

*

Thus, Beluid and I stepped into the boundary.

Thanks to the clean cut I had made, we were able to enter without any effect as we crossed the threshold.

“…You really did slice through the boundary.”

Once we had fully entered, Beluid looked at me and the gaping boundary with eyes filled with indescribable emotion.

“What on earth are you… No, this isn’t the time to ask that.”

His eyes overflowed with clear curiosity and interest, but Beluid shook his head, suppressing those feelings.

He couldn’t possibly be unaware of how urgent the situation was.

After glancing at Beluid, I turned my gaze to survey the surroundings.

“…It’s a bizarre sight.”

Having seen the landscape within the boundary, I remarked as such.

Indeed, it was true.

It could only be described as bizarre… No, even the word bizarre felt insufficient for the scene that unfolded before me.

To reach this point, I had traversed many spaces, most of which were distorted in ways unlike the ordinary.

Yet, even those strange sights could only be described as well-crafted, beautiful landscapes compared to what I was witnessing now.

So much so that the scene before my eyes was peculiar, bizarre, and grotesque.

A forest, a lake, a mountain, a sea.

It is nothing.

Just a scene like an abstract painting, with various colors wriggling and weaving throughout the surroundings, unfolding across my entire field of vision.

It was a sight that instinctively provoked a sense of repulsion in the observer.

“The very space itself is distorted,”

Beluid explained this bizarre abstraction in a solemn voice.

“Be careful. A single misstep could send you flying into an unknown space.”

With that, he added a warning, his face heavy with concern.

I nodded gravely, and soon we began to move forward.

In a pace that felt oddly slow for the situation.

As Beluid had mentioned, the instability of the space was the reason.

If we moved carelessly, we might not only fail to advance but could also find ourselves wandering forever within the twisted space.

Thus, as Beluid and I ventured deeper into the boundary,

“…But why are you here?”

I suddenly opened my mouth to ask him.

If our pace was to slow down inevitably, I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to resolve my curiosity during this time.

To be honest, I had been somewhat troubled.

About which question to ask first.

After all, there were mountains of things I wanted to ask him.

However, it was obvious that I couldn’t ask them all at once.

That would only lead to a tangled conversation.

In the end, I set my own priorities and decided on the first question to pose to him.

Specifically, why he was here.

Beluid Demens, despite being the headmaster of the academy, rarely made public appearances—why, of all times, was he here at this moment?

I was curious about that answer.

To my question, Beluid replied,

“I have always been here.”

He gave an unexpected answer.

“…What?”

I immediately questioned back.

His response had truly caught me off guard.

However, Beluid seemed unconcerned by my reaction and continued speaking in a calm tone.

“I have been here all along. Unless there’s a reason for me to show my face, I have not stepped outside this place even once.”

“…….”

With his next words, I finally understood.

Why, despite having served as the headmaster of the academy for quite a long time, he had never been seen outside of official events.

It was because he had remained here, in the mountain at the heart of the academy.

Access to this mountain is strictly prohibited by the academy’s rules.

If he had not stepped outside even a single step in such a place, it was only natural that there would be no sightings of him.

“…Why is that?”

I asked him in a more serious tone.

Why had he continued to stay on this mountain?

Why had he not stepped outside unless there was a special event?

I felt there must be a clear reason for it.

“Why….”

At my question, Beluid appeared to ponder for a moment.

Then, he opened his mouth to speak.

“I could say it is to protect the academy, and this continent…”

“…What?”

It was somewhat an absurd statement.

My gaze naturally returned to him.

I could see the side of the old man’s face.

With a face devoid of any mischief, he continued speaking.

“To protect the academy and the continent, I could not leave this place.”