Chapter 124 - Missing People

“About the matter you asked. The incident related to Sophie’s safety. I asked if I could share it with you.”

Her heart sank. The assumptions that she had pushed aside with effort tried to occupy her head.

“Can you tell me about it now?”

“Yes. His Majesty agreed to the decision that you should know about this, too. Of course, we can’t share everything we know. It’s highly classified.”

“I understand that.”

“Thank you for understanding,” Pendelok had a dry cough and said quietly. “Currently, there is a relay of strange missing incidents happening in the Aucandor Kingdom. Do you know about it by any chance?”

“Yes. I’ve heard the rumors.”

“The missing people vary in age and gender. But they have one thing in common.”

Was my assumption right? Azriel asked with a mixed feeling. “Do they all have unnamable mana?”

“Yes. You know about it. Indeed, the situations are… Anyway, from apparent nameless wizards like Sophinea to those who don’t show symptoms because of their little mana capacity, everyone has unnamable mana,” the old man sighed deeply as he said. “We were late to identify the situation because it wasn’t obvious except for nameless wizards. We haven’t identified some of them, but all of the missing people probably have unnamable mana.”

“…Did you find out who is doing such a thing and why?”

Could it really be Rhema? Her mouth became dry as she asked him. Pendelok brushed his beard. “We can’t be certain, but there is a suspectful force.”

“A force? Is the suspect not one person?”

“It’s too extensive and systematic to think that there’s only one person. It certainly is an organized group.”

“A group… it is.”

“Yes. We have a good idea about who the head of this group is. So, now, we are trying to catch the tail and get the evidence. Please forgive me for not sharing what group it is. It’s a complex matter.”

Azriel felt a deep relief in an instant. If it was a group and an organization of some force, it was not Rhema. Moreover, Pendelok said that they had a good idea about who they were. If ‘the Wizard of the Horizon’ was in his mind, he would not have shared such a story to her and entrusted Sophinea, either. It wasn’t Rhema. It’s not Rhema. She almost breathed a sigh of relief. A hook that was stuck on one side of her mind fell off. Only a question like a hook mark remained.

‘If it was Rhema, what was I going to do? Will I choose him whatever he does?’

“Miss Esthera?” Pendelok called her strangely. Azriel quickly responded. “Oh, I was thinking about the rumors about the missing incidents. It’s nice that you have a good idea about who they are.”

“We are tracing them with our best ability, so you don’t need to worry about it too much. Anywho, looking at the pattern they showed so far, there’s a high probability that Sophinea will be a target soon.”

“A pattern?”

“In the beginning, the crime happened around ordinary people, so it won’t be too obvious. Since nameless wizards are prominent, people around them would know about them.”

“Then, are you saying mostly, nameless wizards are disappearing now?”

“Yes. The victims of missing incidents that happened recently were all nameless wizards. The fact that Sophie is a nameless wizard is known only among upper nobles, but it’s still spread through some acquaintances.”

“That’s why Sophie is staying in the underground tower for a while. Is this a safe place?”

“The underground tower is hard to break in compared to the mansion of the Duke of Rudimna, where there are many visitors, and it is always resided by wizards and swordsmen,” Pendelok shrugged and cautiously said. “But please watch after her just in case.”

“Okay. Don’t worry about it.”

“That’s reassuring. No one can be your match with your magic ability. By the way, the shield barrier you made when you entered the flames, I haven’t seen such an exquisite barrier in my entire life! Ohh, that had a truly beautiful and bold structure, indeed! The way you constructed mana efficiently using cohesiveness…”

“Please calm down. What if you really pass out?” Azriel hurriedly stopped Pendelok who was about to get excited again. The old man embarrassedly scratched his cheek. “Ehem. I’ll be careful. Very well. Now, can you tell me about your test?”

Pendelok’s eyes brightened like a child. Azriel thought for a moment. If she wanted to investigate it quietly, it was better not to expose her purpose, which was the disc. However, now the situation had changed. She was determined to intervene in Sophinea’s cure and revealed that she was a pupil of the Wizard of the Horizon in addition. She had already decided to expose some knowledge related to ancient magic. Rhema told her that she could do as she liked, and that there was no problem in magic itself. Moreover, she had to expose it to some degree, in order to cure a nameless wizard. She answered him carefully. “Interpreting the Aurora Disc is my test.”

“Hmm? The Aurora Disc?”

“Yes. It’s a pass if I find out the contents in the disc.”

“That’s the test that the Wizard of the Horizon gave you? Th, then you! Can you interpret that disc? Goodness gracious!”

“No, I am not sure yet. It’s a test.”

“You don’t give a test that’s impossible to solve. The Aurora Disc! Is the secret that has been in the dark for hundreds of years finally being revealed? Oh, ohhh, ohhhh!” Pendelok became excited again. Worried about the old man, Azriel quickly cut to the chase. “So, I have a favor to ask. Could I rent the Aurora Disc?”

“The copy version is usually provided to members. Are you talking about the original disc?”

“Yes, the original disc. I won’t take it out of the underground tower. I’ll just investigate it inside this room.”

Pendelok knitted his brows and brushed his beard. “Hmm… Renting the original… That’s impossible since it’s the most valuable relic in the society.”

“Would it be hard?”

“They will probably allow it if you can publicly prove that you are a pupil of the Horizon. They’ll do anything since there’s a high chance that the secret of the disc will be unlocked.”