"No matter what, it doesn't matter! As an adult... I can't just stand by and watch a little girl die!"
Ander interrupted Christina's choked words with a harsh tone. But then, realizing he had been too forceful and wasn't really familiar with the girl, he softened his approach and spoke in a more righteous manner.
"Mr. Skeleton Mage..."
Christina shook her head stubbornly, clearly not moved by Ander's words. She even tried to reason with him.
"Just call me Ander," he quickly interrupted, using a technique he often employed. To deal with someone stubborn, it was best to keep interrupting them when they were about to speak. Of course, this worked better on those who were easily distracted.
"Mr. Ander..."
The girl complied quietly and then continued to explain her reasons.
"You don't need to call me Mr. I'm not that old—"
Ander didn't let her finish and kept interjecting.
"Mr. Ander, you don't need to worry. Even if you don't agree, I must participate in this magic competition."
Christina, though shy and blushing, had a determined attitude. She was the type Ander hated most—once she made up her mind, nothing would change it. Seeing the determination in her eyes, Ander gave up trying to interfere further.
"Tell me your reason. Give me one good reason you have to go."
He stared at the girl for a while before asking.
"Mr. Ander, are you agreeing?"
Christina immediately sensed the shift in Ander's attitude and her face brightened with excitement. Despite her determination to attend the competition, she clearly hoped that her chances would be better if Ander approved.
Christina had been willing to die in pursuit of her goal, but now, after summoning Ander, she felt she could actually succeed. This was because she believed the skeleton mage she had summoned was an exceptional being.
Indeed, although she had no mentor, Christina wasn't ignorant. She knew enough about magic, particularly undead magic, thanks to her late grandfather—a tomb robber. Before his execution at the hands of Count Clem, her grandfather had uncovered an ancient tomb of a necromancer. Among his belongings was a ruined necromancer's scroll, which hinted that the skeleton mage she had summoned was a powerful being from the realm of the undead.
"Just give me your reason..."
No matter what, Ander would not agree before hearing the reason. Even if the girl gave him that pleading look… even though he wasn't capable of feeling emotions like a human heart, he could still understand the gravity of the situation.
"This time's magic competition will award the winner an Asimov Storage Ring. I must win it."
Christina finally shared her goal.
"Wait... what does the Asimov Storage Ring have to do with you?"
Ander knew about the Asimov Storage Ring. It was created by a genius magic craftsman named Asimov after the great war in the main plane. He had created around ten thousand of these rings, revolutionizing storage rings by making them accessible to non-magical folk. Normally, only magicians could use storage rings, but Asimov's rings broke that tradition, opening them up to the public. However, as time passed, and due to the manipulation of the Magic Guild, the crafting method was lost.
Now, after thousands of years, the remaining rings were rare.
This year's Boing Magic Tournament had the Asimov Storage Ring as the highest prize, but Christina had a personal connection to it. It had belonged to her grandfather. He had been a tomb raider, and everything he had stolen was stored in that ring. He planned to retire after one last heist—the tomb of a necromancer. Unfortunately, he was caught and executed before he could finish his final job. Only Christina had managed to escape with a torn necromancer scroll, but the storage ring, containing the treasures of her grandfather, was in the hands of Count Clem, who then handed it over to the Boing Magic Academy as the prize.
Anders had no idea what was inside the ring, but its value, even unopened, was immense. The fact that it was her grandfather's made it even more important to Christina.
"Girl, don't you understand? Why not wait for someone else to win the prize and then figure out how to get the ring later?"
Ander was puzzled. If no one could open the ring, why was she in such a hurry?
"It's like this, Mr. Ander... the ring holds something very important, and it's actually a defective item. Every six months, it deactivates for three days. Anyone wearing it can open it during that time..."
Christina quickly explained, her voice sweet as she responded. She had no choice but to trust the skeleton mage, knowing he couldn't betray her. After all, she had a pact with him.
Ander thought for a moment. With the information Christina gave, he quickly realized that the ring's deactivation period coincided with the day after the magic tournament.
"Damn..."
Ander muttered, then asked again.
"What's in the ring that makes it so important you must get it back?"
Christina hesitated for a moment, then whispered two words:
"Artifact..."