Chapter 58 — Sweetness in the Antlion’s Pit

1

The Caesar mansion at dawn presented a scene worthy of an exceptional visual medium.

Sharp spires rose, bathed in golden sunlight.

Manus turned his head, observing the breaking dawn intently.

‘In my past life, this was a view I often saw from inside a car.’

Anyone who’s driven knows how irritating golden sunlight can be in a car without sunglasses or tinting.

It was a completely different feeling from grudgingly commuting through the enormous crowds and lawless drivers on the road.

A refreshing breeze blew, clearing Manus’s mind.

“…There isn’t much at stake in this expedition. But it’s best to pull out weeds quickly.”

Her speech reached his ears.

The statement that not much was at stake.

There were exactly two people who couldn’t take that statement at face value.

Manus himself, and Avon leading the mage corps.

Within the Caesars, everything is subject to evaluation.

Invidea skillfully commanded the audience.

The speech included the following:

[Purpose]
[Motivation]
[Morale boost]

‘It’s certainly a more dangerous world outside the Academy.’

Manus admired his sister speaking enthusiastically beside him.

He wasn’t confident in his own eloquence, but he learned a lot observing from the side.

Life bloomed on the faces of the previously sleepy members.

Their eyes filled with fighting spirit showed how excellent Invidea’s speech was.

“-We depart.”

She turned her body.

Her flowing black hair rippled with golden light.

She mounted her horse lightly and began the march.

Manus also turned his horse’s head.

‘Geniuses really are geniuses, I suppose.’

In reality, horseback riding was quite an elite sport.

For a man who had lived life like a hamster on a wheel, it was quite a distant thing.

Yes, he’d occasionally heard stories of white horses native to neighboring countries acting up.

The point is, he who had never ridden a horse before was now riding with great skill.

Whether it was because Manus had originally learned it, or if this too was the system’s influence, he couldn’t tell.

Deciding that what’s good is good, Manus simply accepted it.

“Your horsemanship is certainly better than mine.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Aden, was it? I wish you’d asked if it was alright to follow like that.”

She glanced at the long-stretched shadow and asked.

For some reason she felt overnight, Aden had come to Manus early in the morning and said:

[I will escort you, young master.]

Though nothing particular was likely to happen, Manus nodded.

He didn’t forget to bring oil and holy water just in case.

With Aden around, at least he wouldn’t die.

“It doesn’t matter. This was her job.”

“Where did you find such an escort…”

Listening to his sister’s grumbling, they headed for the desert.

The day that began golden was clear, and the sky soon turned blue.

It was weather suitable for both marching and battle.

2

Not long after thinking the weather was good, Manus acutely realized why the desert is called a desert.

He tried enduring with his bare body for a while to conserve mana, but it didn’t take an hour to realize what a foolish idea that was.

“Cast magic on the horses too. The desert is really hard on horses. The necessary spells are-.”

Following Invidea’s advice, he had to pour out various spells.

Magic to harden the ground they stepped on.

Magic to maintain the surrounding temperature.

These were actually spells used in the game.

How are they used, you ask?

The Tower will explain everything.

“We’ve arrived.”

“This is… like an antlion’s pit.”

Avon, who came leading a horse alongside, said as he looked at the ruins visible below the sand pit.

It was an admirably mysterious sight.

Black ruins buried in yellow sand.

Its appearance reminded one of an ancient castle.

The strange mana writhing suggested something ominous was happening inside.

Invidea and Avon must have felt it too, as their faces were stiff.

“How brazen, in Caesar territory.”

“Haha, indeed.”

Even Avon was at a level where he could freely cast 4th Class spells.

The knight corps members were also all capable of handling aura freely.

That’s the kind of place Caesar was.

What about Invidea?

She, who could fire off 5th Class spells, was named the youngest archmage after Tyrannis.

She may have been the strongest at the Academy, but stepping into the world, she felt like a mere attendant.

Still, it didn’t matter.

“Spread detection magic.”

“-Yes!”

All the mages, including Invidea, raised their mana.

Joint magic.

A huge magic circle appeared in the air.

Manus also extended his hand, contributing to the spell’s activation.

‘What mana-.’

‘What is this?’

An overwhelming amount of mana unheard of among peers.

As the mana in the rapidly filling magic circle rose, everyone’s gaze turned to Manus.

While the world outside the Academy was a den of monsters, Manus was no less of a monster.

His blue eyes, boldly revealing his presence, stared at the magic circle.

Invidea looked at Manus with round eyes.

She thought he had a lot of mana, but to this extent?

“We should complete it.”

“-Ah right. We should.”

She turned her head again and shouted the spell’s trigger word.

Joint magic is a spell performed simultaneously by many people.

When the main caster shouts the trigger word, everyone else must manipulate their mana accordingly.

“Quaero!”

Piiing-.

A massive wave swept the surroundings.

The endlessly spreading wave searched everything in the vicinity.

From earthworms and worms hiding in the desert to tiny creatures clinging under rocks.

It was no different from a map floating in the air.

It was projecting information on all living things onto the magic circle.

Having confirmed the surrounding safety, Invidea looked at the ruins that weren’t even detected by the detection magic.

“It’s piled with sand, but according to the Umbra’s confirmation, the inside seems to be cut off from the outside. Be especially careful.”

“Understood. We’ll charge in.”

The knight corps members rode down the sand into the pit.

The mage corps followed, with Invidea and Manus descending last.

The dry sand struck their faces, but they paid no heed.

Knowing that comfort and cleanliness were luxuries in such a place.

The interior of the ruins was truly an ancient castle.

As if completely denying that the outside was a desert, it preserved a clean and antique appearance.

“There seems to be nothing on the first floor, as the Umbra said.”

“Seems so. Knight corps. Find a way down below.”

“Understood. We’ll divide into groups of three. Move out.”

“Mage corps, provide support.”

Invidea issued orders and distributed personnel efficiently.

They were people who would do their jobs properly wherever they went.

There shouldn’t be any problems with dividing the personnel.

“I’ll move alone.”

“You think I’ll allow that?”

“I’m not particularly asking for permission. My escort is quite powerful.”

Invidea frowned.

She herself was the commander.

Acting alone was a serious disqualification.

“Privately you’re my brother, but here I’m your commander. You know you’ll face consequences if you disobey orders?”

“Then the commander can move with me.”

He had already activated a spell.

A faintly glowing path guided the way.

A cheat-like skill, and the reason you must have a male character in your party.

[Dux]

The legendary cheat magic that only Pearson possessed spread from his hand.

Invidea realized there were only two people left as she watched the knights and mages searching here and there.

Well, it’s also an opportunity to see her brother’s abilities.

“-Alright. But I give the orders.”

“As you wish.”

Manus walked following the light.

His sister followed behind him, constantly drawing questions in her mind.

It was simply beyond common sense understanding.

‘He couldn’t have fooled Father’s eyes.’

Or did he have a special talent?

If he used that to hide his abilities?

What if even his current actions were to conceal his true intentions?

‘Anyway, I need to observe a bit more.’

Honestly, it was surprising.

Such mana, and such magical skill.

Perhaps he…

“It’s here.”

“-Huh?”

“The entrance going down. It’s surprisingly close.”

“I-I see. Then we should all go down together. Wait.”

What’s this now.

Invidea felt another layer of confusion piling on top of her existing confusion.

Known for never losing her calm tone, today she showed the same reaction as others.

Instead of solving things step by step through searching, he finds the answer at once.

This might sound easy, but in practice, it wasn’t.

Because many situations arise where trial and error, variables, and various other factors are intertwined.

“Sigh… I really don’t understand.”

Invidea decided to give up thinking.

All questions can be solved given time.

Above all, she had the skills to not be daunted no matter how many such tricks were thrown at her.

At the young lady’s signal, those scattered about gathered.

The stairs were surrounded by a strange mana barrier, and when she lightly touched it, she felt a strong repulsive force pushing back.

“It seems we need to remove this to enter.”

“Let’s do it. Avon, come here.”

While the two were putting their heads together, Manus was looking at a message.

A message visible only to him, starting the story of this world.

It was the devil’s whisper, tempting with sweet fruit.

[Sub Quest: Precursor]

[If you enter before the mana barrier is removed, you can complete the quest alone.]

[The reward will be lower, but survival probability increases.]

[If entering together, the reward increases but survival probability decreases.]

Slipping his hand in, he realized that he himself could pass through without any restrictions.

What should he do?

He turned his head to check the progress.

It seems to be taking some time-.

Interpreting the text content, something must be being summoned or strengthened inside right now.

The question is whether to handle it alone or enter together and raid.

Manus thought carefully.

The bigger the reward, the better.

If it’s a problem he can’t handle alone after entering anyway, going in together isn’t bad either.

‘It’s better to wait.’

Stagnant water doesn’t compromise.

No matter how real it is, there aren’t many groups that can defeat this much power right now.

Manus firmly believed.

‘It’s still early, there won’t be any variables.’

Though it felt like he had fought tremendous enemies for the early stages, what could possibly happen?

Manus quietly waited for the barrier to be removed.

He didn’t know.

That flags can be raised by thoughts alone.

-Words can become seeds, but sometimes thoughts alone can become reality.

–TL Notes–
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