After they gathered all the magic crystals, Noel placed them at the control node of the teleportation circle. In moments, the runic array began to glow with a dazzling light.
"Is it activated already?"
"Who goes first?"
The others hesitated—this unknown teleportation could send them anywhere, maybe even off a cliff. Noel trusted his instincts: the array was safe. Since nobody else dared enter, he stepped bravely first.
A flash of white light—and Noel vanished. Jura followed, then another flash…
Noel surveyed the surroundings—it was the base of West Hill, unexpected to find another teleportation point at the foot of the mountain.
One by one, the others emerged through the circle. They looked around curiously, finally spotting Noel—and exhaled with relief.
"Well, at least we all made it," Ichiya sighed.
Indeed, nobody was missing—and they'd landed in a safe place. A favorable outcome.
"By the way—Jura, what brought you to Border Town?" Noel asked, realizing he hadn't asked before.
Jura pressed a finger to his lips—speaking here might not be wise.
"We should go back to my apothecary and talk. It's more private there." Jura nodded.
The group proceeded through the bustling district back to Noel's shop. The door lock was slightly tampered with—but nothing inside appeared missing. Perhaps a petty thief took one look and left.
Inside, they gathered and sat for a private meeting.
"So, Jura—you said you came to investigate the crystal mine. Not the Flower of the Underworld?" Noelle asked.
Jura explained, "Yes. This is also a Magic Council–commissioned investigation. I had just finishing another task, so I took this one on too."
Noel frowned—what even was that Flower of the Underworld...?
Muttering under his breath, he continued:
"The Council investigating crystal mines… do they just have nothing better to do? Are they plotting to monopolize advanced weapons? Crystals are potent energy sources."
He strongly disliked the Council—they imposed and destroyed rules at will, treating nature and life like toys. A deeply corrupt body, yet he begrudgingly admitted it helped maintain some balance among guilds.
Jura calmly said, "Whatever the Council's doing is irrelevant to me. I'm just here to complete my assignment."
"Right. Now tell me more about this Flower." Jura grew curious despite himself.
Ichiya retrieved the crimson flower sample—wilted now, lacking nutrients.
Jura got it in hand, gave it a once-over, and handed it back nonchalantly.
"It's just a red flower—nothing special."
Noel elaborated on how the Council had arrested cultivators and burned entire fields of the flower—clearly they feared it could destabilize magic society.
His own mission nearly complete, Noel felt it was almost time to go.
"I don't plan to pursue that further," Jura said firmly—no reward, no need to wade into the mess.
Stepping outside, he inhaled deeply—indoors, the dust was overwhelming. He turned to Noel.
"Mind if I stay the night here? I can sleep on the floor."
Beds were limited, and the others looked uneasy—but Jura insisted, so Noel nodded.
"I've got important work to finish—don't disturb me," Noel said mysteriously as he opened the trapdoor to a small underground lab.
Gardening out the seed he'd found, Noel placed it under observation. It looked ordinary save for slight differences in cell structure. Without planting it, he couldn't determine its species—so he wrapped it carefully and pocketed it for later.
Seed research wasn't his forte—it may hold hidden significance, but studying it further wouldn't help him now.
Noel then went to the kitchen—leftover meals seemed to have been set aside for him intentionally. Famished, he devoured the food and tidied everything up.
He heard murmurs upstairs—everyone apparently had fallen asleep. He was the last one left awake.
Back in his room, Noel tossed and turned—something gnawed at his nerves. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen.
Maybe he was just too on edge? Probably nothing would happen.
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