"What's all this about?"
The note was filled with what seemed like aimless ramblings, making it hard to decipher its meaning. Alea chuckled lightly.
"Read it carefully. These phrases hint at the location of the dungeon's entrance, left by Lampione to the Mage's Association."
The Mage's Association had monopolized Lampione's will for a long time. But after nearly a century of fruitless search for his dungeon, they finally made it public.
They hoped someone would find Lampione's dungeon and aid the advancement of magic.
Helmut read the note again.
'I stand tall alone, having endured the fiery turmoil in a place devoid of even a speck of light. From this spot, where vibrant life ebbs and flows, the journey begins. On a night as dark as my body, looking up at the sky, the moon shines brightly. In the deepest darkness, when the full moon gleams, six stars will light the way. Those who wish to walk this path, show your worth. When falsehood and truth intertwine, the door may open.'
Helmut couldn't understand why magicians favored leaving their last words in such cryptic terms.
Yet, something around him sparked a guess.
"If vibrant life refers to water, does a place where water ebbs and flows mean the middle of the sea?"
"A black rock cliff, risen from volcanic activity, surrounded by the sea, that's where the entrance lies."
Naturally, his gaze drifted towards the sea. Not far from the mainland, a towering black cliff was visible.
The cliff, covered at the top with growing trees and grass, was beautiful at first glance.
"There must be more places like that. How did you find it?"
"I researched Lampione's biography and tracks. He had a significant epiphany that influenced his magical achievements while walking along this coast."
"Why couldn't the Mage's Association find it?"
"Lampione lived long and traveled extensively. There are many places he visited that resemble this one. The Mage's Association found this place but lacked the certainty I had. They should have looked more carefully. Lampione was not one to make things easy. Even with certainty, finding it was not straightforward."
"Didn't want to pass on his legacy, did he?"
"Perhaps. Lampione was a grand archmage, a genius among geniuses who lamented the limitations of his human existence. He didn't choose a successor simply because no one met his standards. It must have been bitter to consider leaving his achievements behind after death."
"That's like..."
Darien. Unlike Lampione, Darien's standards were high rather than being reluctant to share. Darien chose Helmut as his successor, whereas Lampione seemed to have set up a way to choose his successor posthumously.
"Lampione loved puzzles. His dungeon, a vast subspace filled with various challenges, contains puzzles that can't be solved by intellect alone."
"Guess you have to solve all the puzzles to inherit the legacy."
"Yes, it's like a challenging test set by a legendary mage for his successors."
"Is there... treasure inside?"
This was beyond a mere assignment. The prospect of treasure hunting added to the intrigue.
"Likely. It's the dungeon of a grand archmage, after all. Maybe the ownership of the dungeon will be transferred? Then the treasure would naturally follow."
Mages are wealthy. Lampione's legacy would surpass even Darien's, despite the challenging journey ahead.
'It's not like I need the money, but...'
If more comes along, why refuse? Alea casually added.
"Excluding the magical research, there's certainly a share for you."
"Now I'm really interested. The dungeon opens at night, right?"
"Correct. And the dungeon opens to the same person only once a year, for six hours. If you can't solve the puzzles within that time, you have to wait until next year. I tried once before entering the academy and had to stop midway."
A wise decision, considering further progress seemed unlikely. "Do the puzzles change every time?"
"I hope not, but they might. If Lampione registered a huge number of puzzles and they're drawn at random, who knows?"
"How many puzzles are there?"
"I'm guessing around a hundred."
No matter how smart one is, solving too many puzzles in a limited time is impossible.
Could Lampione have created an unsolvable dungeon, intending only to frustrate would-be heirs?
Helmut briefly doubted. Upon voicing his suspicion, Alea shook his head.
"I've researched Lampione. Judging by the period he's thought to have constructed the dungeon, he couldn't have created that many puzzles. There's an end to it. This time, we'll see it through to the end!"
Alea's amethyst eyes sparkled. Helmut stared at her, seeing Alea this excited for the first time.
Even on trips to Baden or upon discovering something new, Alea was always composed, except for that one time during the festival when a startled expression broke through her usual calm.
"So, when do you plan to move towards that cliff?"
"Ah… I'll meditate first to replenish my mana."
Alea quickly assumed a seated posture, placing her hands on her knees.
Just as swordsmen recover their vis through specific training methods, mages replenish their mana through meditation.
But meditation requires concentration and physical condition. If one is in poor shape, meditation proves ineffective, which is why Alea had rested first.
To prevent any disturbances during meditation, a protective barrier was formed around her.
Helmut felt the ambient energy being drawn towards Alea. Through meditation, she was converting the atmospheric energy into her own mana.
Her silver hair fluttered, and a halo of light illuminated her surroundings.
A mage's mana resides in the heart, similar to the source of ki.
Helmut sensed the flow of power converging towards her heart. It was both mystical and fascinating.
However, it seemed it would take a while. Helmut decided to explore the sea in the meantime.
A few hours later, Alea, having finished her meditation, stood up, her body brimming with mana.
Mages favor places filled with vibrant energy, and this location was no exception.
The coast was bathed in the glow of the setting sun. It was getting dark, but there was plenty of time before the path would open.
Alea suddenly looked for Helmut.
'Where could he be? It's dinner time; he must be hungry.'
As a student of the swordsmanship department, it wouldn't do to let him starve, especially not knowing how arduous the path ahead in the dungeon might be.
But it seemed Helmut had no intention of going hungry. He was coming from the beach, carrying two sizable lobsters. His pants rolled up and shoes off.
He nonchalantly placed the lobsters in front of Alea. They thrashed as if pleading for their lives.
"These can be eaten, right? Lobsters are delicious."
Alea raised an eyebrow as if amused by Helmut's reasoning, perhaps thinking the reason for releasing the fish was their lack of taste.
"Sure, they can be eaten, but… why bother catching them when we have food?"
This wasn't exactly a leisure trip. Here, filling the stomach was all that mattered, and back in Baden, they could eat whatever they wished. Hunting seemed unnecessary.
"Sea hunting…? Are lobsters not good enough?"
Helmut didn't particularly enjoy hunting for its own sake. He was well accustomed to forest hunting, having done it to the point of tedium.
But the sea was different. Whether it was the hunter's instinct kicking in or simple curiosity, he felt compelled to catch something.
Choosing the best among them, he brought back only a select few.
Alea couldn't help but chuckle.
'He seems to be enjoying himself. Acts like a kid at times like these.'
"Yeah, let's grill the lobsters. They'll taste great."
Seeing Alea's expression, Helmut noted,
'Seems like she approves.'
Perhaps lobsters were indeed a worthwhile catch. Alea seemed picky, hardly impressed by ordinary game, Helmut mused whimsically.
Helmut gestured towards a spot in the sea.
"Actually, there are bigger things over there, but I wasn't sure if they'd taste good or be too much trouble to prepare."
'Bigger things…'
Following his gesture, Alea spotted dolphins leaping in the distance and flinched.
Thankfully, Helmut hadn't decided to bring back a blood-dripping dolphin as his catch. Even Alea had her limits.
"You'd probably survive just fine on a deserted island."
Sighing, Alea conjured a fire with magic. The lobsters were roasted to perfection.
The freshness of the sea lobsters enhanced their flavor. Accompanied by the food they brought, they enjoyed a satisfying meal.
Helmut then glanced up at the sky, now darkened, where the moon shone brightly.
'It's a full moon.'
That explained their early departure. Tonight was the moment when the path would open.
"How do we get to the cliff?"
Without boats nearby, Alea's answer was straightforward.
"We'll fly."
Flying meant using magic. After erasing any traces they left on the shore, Alea chanted a spell, casting magic on both herself and Helmut.
"Wings of Freedom."
Helmut was getting used to the sensation of Alea's magic wrapping around him, lifting him into the air.
They soared quickly over the night sea, the cliff looming dauntingly high. A fall from this height would shatter bones upon impact with the water's surface.
The sound of the waves was faint from this height, closer to the sky than the earth.
The countless stars in the night sky seemed to pour over the cliff, fitting for the beginning of the grand mage's path.