In the midst of the battle, Kito reached out to Leon telepathically.

[It seems you're still not finished.]

[How's it going on your end?]

[All taken care of. Need any help?]

[No, I can manage.]

Leon had considered asking if Kito could capture one of the enemies for questioning, but hearing that she had already dealt with them all, he abandoned the idea.

‘I wanted to capture one to gather some intel...’

Since Kito couldn't help, Leon knew he had to do it himself. Organizing his thoughts, he sent his wooden sword flying toward Ulric again.

Ulric, already familiar with the peculiar ability of the wooden sword, chose to dodge rather than block.

Leon took that moment to charge straight at him.

“Thunderstrike.”

Nine small orbs, crackling with lightning energy, appeared above Leon’s hand and shot toward Ulric. However, a powerful gust of wind erupted around Ulric, effortlessly pushing the orbs away before they could reach him.

Immediately after, an invisible force struck Leon. But instead of defending, Leon pressed forward, letting the Guardian Robe he wore absorb the blow. He had been concealing its abilities until now, but there was no longer any need to hide them.

‘Getting close doesn’t guarantee a kill... but it’s worth a try.’

Ulric, clearly not expecting such a direct approach, hesitated for a split second. Leon took full advantage of the opening, swiftly attaching a lightning shackle around Ulric’s ankle.

The moment the shackle latched on, a powerful electric current coursed through Ulric, causing him to crash to the ground. His fall was swift because he had been actively gathering mana at the time.

Leon grabbed Ulric by the collar.

“Fall.”

With Ulric incapacitated, Leon turned his attention to the mid-tier sorcerer still fighting the gargoyle golem. Leon raised his hand, and nine bolts of lightning shot down from the sky, striking the sorcerer with a deafening crash.

Leon landed on the ground, dragging Ulric with him. The sorcerer lay immobilized, bound by the lightning shackle.

Leon looked down at Ulric, who was lying powerless on the ground. He asked calmly, “You’re a magician of the Empire’s royal family, aren’t you?”

A brief sneer appeared on Ulric’s lips.

“…Do you think we’re the only ones? How confident you are. While you’ve been playing around here…”

Before Ulric could finish his sentence, the sky suddenly darkened. A giant shadow loomed over both Leon and Ulric. They both instinctively looked up.

A massive bird-like creature landed beside them, and from its beak, something horrifying fell to the ground.

It was the body of another magician—half-melted, in such a state that it was hard to even look at.

“I couldn’t bring the others. There wasn’t enough left.”

“….”

Ulric’s face turned ashen. The body at his feet belonged to the highest-ranked member of their group, and now that he was staring at his superior’s gruesome remains, he was left speechless.

Leon, too, was momentarily shocked but quickly regained his composure. He turned back to Ulric.

“Now, are you ready to talk?”

Ulric, regaining his senses, chuckled mockingly.

“Despite your magic skills, you’re still a child. No matter what you ask, I won’t answer.”

Leon sighed in frustration.

“…Bring Erika here.”

Kito, now in her human form, nodded and flew back toward the caravan to retrieve Erika.

Moments later, she returned with Erika, who visibly recoiled at the sight of the bodies scattered across the ground.

“Do you recognize him?” Leon asked her, pointing to Ulric.

Erika examined Ulric’s face closely before shaking her head.

“Ha…”

Ulric let out a low, bitter laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Leon asked, irritated.

“Just kill me.”

Leon knew there was no reason to spare any of them. They had come here with the intent to kill him and the others. However, he had hesitated, hoping to extract some useful information.

‘I didn’t expect them to resist this much, though.’

Leon, who valued life, found it difficult to understand why Ulric was willing to die to keep the information hidden.

He turned to Erika. “It seems he is indeed a magician from the royal family. If you have any questions for him, now’s the time to ask.”

Erika nodded, a troubled look crossing her face.

“Do you know the current state of the Sigrynell School?”

“...”

“What about the Second Prince…?”

Erika asked a few more questions, but Ulric remained stubbornly silent.

[Are you planning to torture him for answers?] Kito asked telepathically.

Leon hesitated. There was a brief flicker of conflict in his eyes. It wasn’t something he was morally comfortable with.

[Tsk.]

Kito raised her tiny hand. A faint magic circle appeared in her palm, and soon, Ulric’s feet began to rot away, turning black.

“AAAHHH!”

Ulric’s agonized screams echoed in the air. The sensation of his body slowly decaying was indescribable.

His cries of pain lasted for a while.

But Kito watched him with cold eyes, offering no mercy or words of encouragement to plead for his life.

Ulric died a slow, agonizing death, without giving up any information.

“Well, no need to dirty your hands. Even if we got some information, it wouldn’t change much. You planned to kill them all anyway and avoid further entanglements, right?” Kito said indifferently.

“…You’re right.”

Leon knew she was correct. In the ruthless world of magic, hesitation like his could become a weakness in crucial moments.

He turned to Erika with a resolute expression.

“I’m afraid I don’t have the ability to fulfill your request.”

Leon spoke calmly but firmly, explaining his situation. While he sympathized with her predicament, Leon was also being pursued. He didn’t have the luxury to help someone else.

If he got tangled with the royal family now, it could bring unnecessary danger to his future dealings with Arfina.

“I’ll protect the caravan until we reach our destination, but beyond that, I can’t offer you any more help. Once we arrive in the Empire, you’ll need to find another way.”

Leon felt obligated to finish the job he had taken. While this escort mission was primarily a means to enter the Empire, he intended to see it through.

The merchants had treated him well, and Leon had grown fond of them as a result.

Erika stared at the dead magicians for a long time before cautiously asking, “Would you consider working for me privately?”

Though her voice was tinged with hope, Leon firmly shook his head.

His mind was made up, and he wouldn’t change his decision.

“…I understand.”

Disappointment washed over Erika’s face, and she bowed her head, her expression clouded. She said no more, her silence filled with unspoken frustration.

Leon let her leave and collected the bodies, storing them in his magic orb before returning to the carriage. Tris approached him, curiosity and unease evident in his voice.

“Can you explain what just happened?”

“They were the ones behind the monster attacks.”

“…Is everything resolved?”

“For now, yes. Could you let the other adventurers know that it’s nothing to worry about?”

Tris considered this for a moment before nodding in understanding.

“All right.”

Leon felt relieved. Although the adventurers wouldn’t be directly involved with the magicians, it was better to minimize any potential risks by keeping things quiet.

Soon, the caravan was on the move again, and the atmosphere remained tense, like the calm before a storm. Everyone was on edge, expecting more danger at any moment.

During the journey, Leon and Erika had several conversations. After she had time to reflect, Erika seemed more at ease and initiated conversation more frequently.

“There are 20 transcendent magicians in the Empire. My master was one of them, but… he’s passed away,” Erika explained.

“So now there are only nineteen left?” Leon asked.

“No, the number remains at 20. It never changes.”

“What do you mean?”

Erika’s statement puzzled Leon, who tilted his head in confusion.

“When one dies, another quickly rises to take their place, as if there’s a predetermined quota,” Erika clarified.

“That sounds like some kind of rule,” Leon mused.

“I don’t know much about the inner workings of high-level magicians, but the number of transcendent magicians has never fluctuated. Even if there’s a brief gap, it doesn’t last long.”

Leon thought deeply about this information.

‘So the number of transcendent magicians is fixed at 20… It never increases or decreases. That means that if there are already 20 transcendent magicians, no matter how much another magician grows, they can’t join that rank.’

This implied that merely raising one’s magical level wasn’t enough to become a transcendent magician.

It required a profound understanding of the magical system itself and its inner workings.

Leon realized that his own knowledge of magic was severely lacking. He hadn’t fully grasped the ancient knowledge accumulated over millennia by the great magicians of the past.

‘But I’ve only been learning magic for three years, so that’s to be expected.’

In this world, it took decades to become a high-level magician. Compared to that, Leon’s three years of study were just the beginning.

He recognized now that he had been so focused on advancing his rank that he had neglected the broader aspects of magical knowledge. Understanding magic theory, history, and structure was just as important as increasing one’s power.

Erika continued her explanation. “There are 20 schools led by these transcendent magicians. These schools are the most powerful organizations in the Empire. Most of them maintain friendly relations with the royal family. In fact, the royal family has its own independent group of magicians.”

The Sigrynell School had once been strong but had fallen into decline. Given that most of the schools had royal ties, and Sigrynell was now despised by the Empire, it was clear that Leon didn’t want to get involved.

‘I’ve barely escaped from Tenelon’s pursuit. I don’t want to get caught in another mess.’

Leon still didn’t know much about the Astelia School that Arfina had mentioned, but he was in no hurry to face more uncertainty.

With his newfound realization about the importance of magical knowledge, Leon knew he needed a stable environment to continue his studies.

‘I appreciate Erika giving me all this information, but I can’t take on her problems. If fate allows, we’ll meet again someday...’

As they neared the Empire’s border, a dry wind began to blow. Thankfully, they crossed the border without incident.

A month and a half after the caravan had set off, the sprawling city of the Empire appeared on the horizon. The adventurers, who had been on edge for so long, finally smiled in relief. They were glad the mission had been completed without any major issues.

The city bustled with life, far larger than the Free City of Crest, with streets teeming with people. The sounds of merchants, carriages, and busy crowds filled the air, creating an energetic atmosphere.

Upon arriving, the caravan leader handed Leon the remainder of his payment.

As Leon pocketed the money, Daife approached him.

“Thank you for everything. Haha,” Daife said with a light chuckle.

“No problem.”

Daife tapped his pouch with a smile. “It feels like we got here too easily, thanks to you. I almost feel guilty taking the payment.”

He paused for a moment, scanning the area as if searching for someone. “Where’s Erika…?”

“She’s already gone,” Leon replied, shaking his head.

As soon as they reached the city, Erika had disappeared without even collecting her payment. It made sense, considering her need to hide after being discovered.

Daife nodded, smiling lightly. “She did mention she’d be stepping away for a while once we arrived, though I didn’t expect her to be a magician.”

Now that he knew Erika was a magician, Daife seemed to understand that he had no reason to hold onto her. Though he looked a bit disappointed, he smiled awkwardly, trying to brush off his feelings.

“We plan to register as adventurers here and gain some experience. What will you do now, Master Teo?”

Leon paused, thinking for a moment. He had no intention of staying here.

He needed to find the Astelia School.

However, unlike in the Basprion Kingdom, there was no certainty that the school would be located in a city named after it.

“I’ll wander around for a bit.”

It seemed Leon would remain a wandering magician for a while longer.