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The performances during the event that would be the origin of the attack incident replayed in Mira’s mind. She clearly remembered very few spells that would be useful in a fight against monsters. She had assumed that was the current style of spellcasters, but Solomon and Luminaria looked at each other before their shoulders sank.

「That examination isn’t something we were involved with when it began. The instructors started it to respond to the demands of a group of influential people who had no connection to spells.」
「Well, there were many iterations of it before it became the display of the students’ abilities as it is today. Its original purpose was to show the students’ skills and adaptability to an event like that as well as the instructor’s teaching capabilities. As things went in that direction, the attendants of the towers, who all had their own way of doing things, decided to not get involved with it. So their absence in deciding how to carry the examination out was just assumed.」

After Solomon began talking about it, Luminaria added more context to it. At first, the examination did not weigh much importance in the academy, but as time passed, more people got interested in it, and eventually, its results bled into more serious affairs of the academy.

「So that’s what happened.」

Even if the tower attendants were in charge of planning the courses for the academy, how they would be taught was entirely up to the instructors. The instructors’ skills were also maturing as they taught in the academy, so the regular examinations also served as a platform to show how creative they could be.

「But either way, I feel like they’re taking it a bit too far nowadays. The one who dragged it into its current direction also being the ringleader of today’s incident. Given some time, it should soon go back to normal.」

Saying so, Luminaria began opening another box of pure white peach buns. Solomon was already looking impatiently at her, waiting for the moment the box’s seal would be open. Watching them enjoying the buns so much, Mira smiled thinking how it was worth it to buy them, though when the box was open, she was the first one to snatch a bun.

「Oh, right. This one’s for you.」

After a while of the three of them happily eating buns on the couch, Mira searched through the gifts placed on the table, grasping the love goddess statue from the bunch and handing it to Luminaria.

「Oh, thank you. I wasn’t expecting to see something like this. Things have really changed from how they used to be, but it’s quite detailed… and they’re white…」

Turning the statue around and looking at it from different angles, Luminaria praised its workmanship that hammered down even the smallest details. Then the two girls’ gazes met and they nodded at the same time.

「That reminds me, Leoneil told me something. It seems he was slightly frustrated you beat him to the punch, but his information was quite interesting as well.」
「Hohh, now that’s something that interests me.」

After drinking all of his pure white peach juice, Solomon stood up satisfied and walked to his desk. There he pulled a few papers from the stacks he had, it seemed to be the report he received from Leoneil.

「He says he was able to determine a group of adventurers with ties to Chimera Clauzen. After observing their movements, he was apparently able to find a common pattern between them.」

As Solomon spoke, he went through the pages to double-check he was saying the right thing. Since Leoneil was the leader of the Spellcaster’s Union, it was easy for him to find adventurers involved with Chimera Clauzen, though it could also be called an abuse of authority.

「And what was the common pattern?」
「It seems adventurers from that particular group have been asking for permits to enter certain dungeons time and time again lately. Those dungeons being three, the Libra Fortress, the Sheltered Library, and the Mirage Maze.」
「Hmm, I’ve been to all of those places many times in the past, but what is it that interests them in those places? As far as I recall, there’s nothing tying them together.」

The dungeons Solomon mentioned were all classified as highly difficult, and Mira had been to all for them for various reasons in the past. This meant she was familiar with all of those places, but she could not think of a single common feature in all three of them. It could be argued Chimera Clauzen might be in them for different reasons, but those dungeons were not even home to spirits.

「Well, you’ve never been one to study history or things like that after all. Those three have some past connections, actually. Though, I only know that from Leoneil’s research since he studied those areas really in depth. It seems you being ahead triggered a certain side of him.」

Saying that, Solomon looked at the papers with a juvenile smile befitting of his appearance, though there was also a slightly more mature and thoughtful hue to it. He looked pleased that Leoneil was working harder than he expected.

「So, what is this connection you speak of?」

Mira grimaced at Solomon’s usual demeanor as she pressed him to continue. At the same time, Luminaria began looking through the pile of gifts Mira bought, seemingly already aware of what would follow in the conversation.

「First, the Libra Fortress. You know how that was the place where the ancients fought the king of monsters?」
「I can’t remember when it was, but I think I heard that during a quest.」
「According to some records, spirits lent their power to the ancients for that battle.」
「Ohh, so that’s where spirits come into the picture.」

There were traces of ancient records scattered throughout the whole world which always painted it in a certain way for Mira. She never thought of them as more than a backstory to build a setting, but those traces had gained a tangible form now and literally shaped the world she was in. They were painting Mira’s reality in new colors now.

「It is said that the spirit that led all those spirits during that battle was the Spirit King Symbiosanctius himself. He manifested there and commandeered the battle in the Libra Fortress.」
「The Spirit King? That’s quite an important one to show up.」

According to history, that battle ended in victory for the ancients. However, information about the Spirit King was lacking at best.

「Then, the Sheltered Library. There’s a lot of books and other documents from the ancients stored in there, including some that talk about the battle I just mentioned.」
「Hmm, I see. But if you search deep enough you can find anything there.」

The Sheltered Library was an enormous dungeon that went quite deep underground. It was filled with wandering guards that protected the books stored there. It was said that the place contained all the history until recent days. It obviously was not all just history though, there were multiple books on miscellaneous knowledge as well. However, the archives themselves and the dungeon were in separate locations, and a special permit was needed to enter into the archives.

「And lastly, the Mirage Maze. They probably have no interest in the dungeon itself, but in what is past it.」
「Past the Mirage maze? What was it again… I think I remember something like a stone circle?」

Mira tried remembering the last time she was there which was quite a long time ago so her memories were muddled, but she could remember the characteristic stone towers arranged as a circle.

「You mean the Ancient Ring Gate. The place said to be connected with the Spirit Palace.」
「Was that place known for something like that?」

When Mira was there, her goal was to suppress a strain of Elemental Eaters that had started nesting there. But with the new information she had just gained, it did not take a genius to figure out why a type of monster that fed on spirits would attempt to live there.

「Taking into account Chimera Clauzen’s past movements, Leoneil arrived at a deeply intriguing conclusion.」

Solomon returned the papers together with the bunch, then stayed with a stern face for a while before delivering his next sentence.

「Chimera Clauzen’s next objective is the Spirit King.」