Kwaaang―!
It had been ten minutes since we started facing off with the wolves, and once again I spread a barrier in midair across my wand.
The wolf's massive body slammed into the barrier.
I forcefully pushed magical power into the arm holding the wand and maintained a defensive stance. After regaining some stability, I swept my gaze over the wolf pack.
'The others aren't chimeras.'
It was a pitch-dark forest where not even moonlight reached, but magic was pouring out constantly, so maintaining visibility wasn't a problem.
Whether it was because of the tension or because it was dawn and the air was cold, my skin prickled. I bit my lip and kept swinging the wand.
'Honestly….'
I hadn't expected wolves to appear in an area where only lower-rank beasts were supposed to show up.
And to think wolves that someone had maliciously tampered with would appear— even less so.
Not once in the novel was there any mention of wolves appearing, and since the protagonist's goal was simple exploration, he had deliberately chosen a safe location.
Even when I conducted my own investigation, countless sources had already verified that this place was safe.
The plan had gone completely off the rails, and I was even facing a threat to my life… but right now, I needed a change in perspective.
'Maybe this turned out better than expected.'
If I thought about it positively, it wasn't an entirely bad situation.
Up to that point, I immediately shook my head.
'Like hell.'
Honestly, I was scared. No matter how much I tried to change my way of thinking, I couldn't stay positive when death was staring me right in the face.
But what's done is done. If that's the case, I have to do everything I can to survive. I don't need blind optimism, but I can't hand my life over to regret either.
With sweat-soaked hands, I gripped the wand tightly.
Kwaaang―! Kwang―!
The wolves, showing no sign of fatigue, kept charging straight into the thick barrier. After smashing their heads against it so many times, you'd think they'd drop eventually, but there was no sign of that at all.
I thrust the wand straight forward, knocking one wolf far away.
Kwaaang―!
[Grraaaaah…!]
A wolf's cry, filled with pain, echoed out.
The thick stench of blood that had been vibrating in the air to the point of giving me a headache was layered with a fresh, fishy smell. Driven mad by the scent of their kin's blood, the wolves went on an even greater rampage.
I increased my attack speed in response. Then, something brushed past the edge of my vision.
"…!"
The space to my right flashed brightly.
The wolf's red eyes snapped forward like frames of film, pushing right up beside my face.
Kwaaaang―! Kuuung―
"Ugh!"
The recoil knocked me to the ground.
Because I had swung the wand in a hurry, I didn't have time to put strength into my legs.
Whether the wolf had died together with the fallen tree behind it or not, the smell of blood once again lingered strongly at the tip of my nose.
"Lukas!"
Leo shouted from somewhere.
In the process of driving off the wolves, we had moved quite far apart, so his voice echoed loudly as it reached me.
"Worry about your own surroundings!"
After knocking away a wolf that flew toward me, I shouted back, veins bulging.
That guy really has the leisure to worry about others in a situation like this.
I kicked off the ground and stood up.
From the moment I fell, it was obvious that I had given the wolves plenty of time.
So now, this single choice was practically the same as deciding my future.
As expected, the remaining two wolves charged at me like mad. I shut my eyes tightly and, without hesitation, grabbed the wand with both hands and drove it into the ground.
Kwaaaang―!
Pure white light poured out of the wand and illuminated the forest.
Leo, who was coming over to help me after finishing his side, covered his eyes. Feeling a presence draw near, I ran toward a distant wolf and shouted.
"Leo, take care of that side!"
Leo quickly lowered his arm and looked at the ground. One wolf that had fallen over was staggering as it tried to get up. At a glance, it was obvious it couldn't walk properly— it had already lost a lot of strength.
"...."
Watching the wolf approach while drooling, Leo took a step back.
The wolf snapped at the spot where Leo had been standing, then staggered again. When Leo fired magic, it collapsed weakly to the side. Leo walked up to it and looked down at the wolf as its breath faded.
'If I think about that chimera creature….'
These wolves must have all been made like this by humans too.
If we left them alive now, there would be no guarantee of our lives, and even if we somehow survived, there was a chance they'd descend on a village. So we had to kill all the wolves here and now. I don't regret that decision.
But….
'If there had been a potion?'
They wouldn't have had to suffer like this. The number of people harmed by beasts would have been noticeably reduced. It would've been good for everyone.
Leo placed his hand on the wolf's chest.
As he poured in magical power, the outline of the core came into view.
'What kind of poison was it that Lukas had been taking? If it's a poison that suppresses the core, it could help as a temporary measure. Ultimately, the core itself has to be removed, so… something will need to be introduced.'
Leo stroked his chin.
Should I try adding materials that enhance that poison?
To make it act right up until just before it penetrates the heart, I'd have to experiment by species.
Since the poison spread through the body would need to be detoxified after dismantling the core, I'd have to calculate the time required and the time it takes for the potion, then administer the potion at the right moment.
'If I'm going to supply it to the Second Imperial Academy as well, the cost will be an issue.'
Lost in thought, Leo failed to notice Luka had come right up to him.
"...."
I let out a hollow laugh.
Leo was deep in thought, observing the dead wolf.
'Is this really the situation I think it is right now?'
Just now… it feels like I've witnessed the point where the creation of a contamination treatment has been greatly accelerated.
I plopped down beside him and asked.
"Making a treatment?"
"Huh? How did you know?"
"It's written all over your face."
"Huh? Anyway, I'm going to try. At least try."
"Good. If it's you, you'll succeed."
"Hm…."
Leo, who had been frowning while running various calculations, broke into a grin.
"Yeah. I'll make it succeed."
Seeing his growth process firsthand, knowing what would happen ten years later, gave me a strange sense of emotion.
In this place where nothing felt familiar, it even felt like meeting someone I had known for a long time.
'…I may have pushed things forward a bit, but anyway.'
Good things are good things.
I stood up and asked,
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
"Just a scratch on my forearm. What about you?"
"I'm fine."
Leo aside, I had an identity issue, so I couldn't afford to leave behind any identifying clues like scars. Thankfully, I hadn't suffered any serious injuries.
I picked up the sack I'd brought and gestured toward the wolves.
"Alright, let's clean up and head back."
***
"You're back. It's almost morning, and you hadn't returned, so I was worried…."
The manager welcomed the two of us, then froze in place.
The sack we were carrying, floating halfway in the air, was even bigger than before.
'Just how many did they kill?'
It was an area where beasts ran rampant, but it wasn't considered especially dangerous. There was no way that many could normally be caught. It was enough to inspire awe over just how far they must have gone.
Eyes filled with shock and admiration finally drifted to the two men's clothes. Since they were dark, it wasn't obvious at first, but on closer inspection, they were stained with blood and muddy water.
"Are you alright?!"
"We're fine. I'd appreciate it if you could take care of this first."
Leo gathered the sacks and set them down on the floor. The manager took one and loosened the tie.
"Let's see… hm?"
The manager's face went pale as he froze on the spot.
'I knew it.'
Before he could be even more shocked, I added an explanation.
"They're wolves. I think you'll need to contact the Magic Security Bureau."
"T-this… there's no way something like this should be here…."
At the very least, these were mid-rank or higher beasts.
Even someone like him, who knew nothing, could tell that much. These weren't beasts that should appear in an area designated as a lower-rank danger zone.
Setting aside their rank, he had never once seen wolves living here in all his life.
"Oh, one of them is a chimera wolf."
"Excuse me?!"
"It appears someone deliberately used magic to fuse a wolf with another creature. There will probably be a gag order regarding that creature. Don't speak carelessly to the press."
It wasn't common for mages to set foot in a place like this, so there was a high chance reporters would show up.
It would be better if nothing came out, but since we had to receive transferred funds through a bank connected to this place, it was unlikely the story wouldn't leak at all.
At my words, the manager nodded vigorously, his face pale like someone who had accidentally stepped into something shady.
"Yes, of course."
As an awkward silence settled in due to the manager's panic, I moved straight to the main point.
"Then, when can we receive the payment? The cash stored here won't be enough, will it?"
Because of the risk of theft, only small amounts of money were kept here.
Up until now, everyone who had received payment had been non-mages, so no large sums had gone out either.
"Ah, about that…."
The manager stood up and opened a desk drawer.
A communication magic device bearing the emblem of the Imperial Central Bank appeared.
***
Though it looked like it hadn't been used in a long time, covered in cobwebs, the communication magic device wasn't just for show.
Less than ten minutes after contacting the bank, a new transaction appeared in Leo's account.
"N-ninety-five thousand…."
As we returned to the place we had first warped to, Leo muttered with a deathly pale face.
I agreed with that reaction. It was money equivalent to one hundred million won.
'This is insane.'
No matter how much we'd risked our lives, it was an absurd amount for half a day's work.
No matter how clueless one might be about the world, even Leo seemed to know how rare it was to earn close to that amount in such a short time.
Internally raising my evaluation of Leo's sense of reality, I spoke.
"They set it at one hundred thousand pel per wolf."
Ten million won per head.
Whether they'd set it carelessly because they didn't expect anyone to actually come and hunt them, or whether they were paying that much because handling a wolf pack required high-level personnel, it didn't feel very realistic.
Of course, if you factored in a danger premium, it did make sense.
Contaminated creatures could exert dozens, even hundreds of times their original strength, so unless you were exceptional, you had to be prepared to die facing them.
"…It was an unexpected problem, but it wasn't something we couldn't handle at all, and thankfully it was resolved without either of us getting seriously hurt."
Leo pulled out his magic-infused bankbook and stared at the newly printed numbers.
"When we get back, I'll add more functions to the item we picked earlier and place the order right away. With this budget, I can get something even better."
"Thanks. Ah, but don't use all of it— leave half under your name. Even so, taking everything alone feels wrong."
When I'd imagined dealing with some insignificant beast, I wouldn't have thought much even if he said he'd give it all to me. But after unintentionally dragging him through a life-and-death experience, taking all the money myself felt a bit uncomfortable.
Unlike me, Leo tilted his head with a puzzled expression.
"Hmm…. I don't really need to take it."
"...."
What's with that 'really'? He probably didn't mean anything by it, but from my perspective— with a balance that was practically zero— all I could do was laugh hollowly.
Hearing the deflating sound beside him, Leo hurriedly started explaining.
"Ahem… I don't mean it like that. It'd be better to pour everything into stabilizing your core as soon as possible. I was the one who insisted on coming along in the first place. I even said from the start that I'd give it all to you. And besides, there's nothing I really want to buy…."
"I get it, so stop explaining."
"Alright."
Leo found a suitable spot and cast teleportation magic.
In an instant, the surroundings transformed into Leo's training ground.
After sweeping his gaze once across the wide-open ceiling, Leo lightly knocked on the training ground door.
"Alright, let's head back to the dorms. Let's both rest tonight and meet again tomorrow evening."
"Yeah, you worked hard today. Go get some rest."
At my farewell, Leo waved his hand.
I grabbed my pendant, then stopped and quietly spoke.
"Leo."
"Hm?"
"Thanks for today."
Without him, it would've been difficult to face a pack of wolves alone. In many ways, that was how I felt. Gaining a good companion right from the start— I'd been lucky.
At that, Leo made a surprised expression, then smiled and shrugged his shoulders.
"That's my line."
***
'What do you mean it's your line?'
Seriously, such a magic fanatic.
In the end, wasn't he just saying that since he could see magic, it was fine even if we ran into a wolf pack?
That level of passion was something else. I could see why the protagonist had kept him close for ten whole years.
Lost in such thoughts, I gathered my books and left the room.
Before I'd even left the floor, a familiar bit of chatter reached my ears.
"Hey, I heard someone cleaned out ninety-five thousand pel in the northeastern forest today."