The Academy Regressor is Obsessed

“Who are you guys?”

Unkempt hair poked at his forehead. One ear looked as if it had been cut off, and a dirty beard covered his lips. He literally looked like a beggar. However, the aura emanating from him clearly indicated that he was by no means a simple beggar.

‘7th Circle Upper…’

Although Asel was half-doubting due to the man not wearing any armor, as expected, he was a magician. Moreover, a high-level magician on the brink of reaching archmage status. The characteristics of the magical power flowing out almost perfectly matched that of a flame magician.

The fierce and hot energy unique to magicians belonging to the Ignis Magic Tower. Asel swallowed hard at the appearance of a high-level flame magician he was seeing for the first time and slowly drew up his magical power.

A simplified labyrinth installed by the Academy. A place where, although still a hypothesis, the Sage’s tomb might be. And in such a place, a middle-aged man who was neither a student nor a professor had appeared. The possibility of him being an intruder couldn’t be ruled out.

If asked whether there was any reason for a magic tower magician to infiltrate the Academy, it would be ambiguous to answer, but they couldn’t let their guard down completely either. Asel openly expressed the magical power he had drawn up and glared at the man.

“…Oh ho.”

At that, the man’s indifferent expression changed. His dull eyes came to life as if looking at a kindred spirit rather than a novice. It seemed as if burning flames were reflected in those eyes.

“A lightning magician… Did Cromwell take on a disciple without my knowing?”
“…Cromwell?”

The moment Asel questioned the familiar name that suddenly came up, the man grinned and rummaged through his shabby robe.

“How strange. To think that stubborn woman would take on a disciple. Hmm… Judging by your handsome face, did she take you in as a husband candidate rather than a disciple? But your aura is quite high-level for that…”
“You know Cromwell?”
“This bastard? Immediately speaking informally. Well, I don’t mind.”

What the man took out was a cigarette. Tobacco made by appropriately mixing cheap drugs. The man lit the end and put it in his mouth. The sound of inhaling smoke echoed blatantly, and he smiled as he exhaled a long breath.

“A rude magician is the epitome of a magician. You’ve learned well from Cromwell. She was quite rude herself.”
“…I don’t understand what you’ve been saying since earlier.”

Zap!!

Lightning crackled around Asel.

“Why are you here? What’s your reason for infiltrating the Academy?”
“Academy? What nonsense. What’s that?”
“…What?”
“Did you hit your head on the way here? If not, why are you looking for an academy in the labyrinth? I just came down the labyrinth through proper procedures.”

The man said this in a voice that seemed to say it was ridiculous.

The conversation was somehow off-kilter. Both his not knowing about the Academy and speaking as if Cromwell was still alive were extremely bizarre. He was too sane to be called a madman, as the circle he had built up proved his sound mental state.

Then… there was only one possibility left. Asel asked him with a hopeful heart:

“Is the Mado Kingdom still intact?”
“Suddenly?”

The man asked back while blowing out cigarette smoke. Then, seeing Asel’s serious expression, he grinned and nodded.

“It’s running well thanks to our merciful king. Why are you curious about that?”
“…Ha.”

The man’s words turned doubt into certainty.

Hundreds of years have already passed since the Mado Kingdom fell. What could it mean that he said such a country was running well?

“No way.”

Selene’s muttering, as if she had guessed, reached Asel’s ears. Asel frowned as if he had a headache and made a conclusion.

This man was not a magician living in the same time period.

He was a magician living in the past, when the Mado Kingdom was still glorious.

“So.”

The man said.

“When you entered the 5th floor of the labyrinth, you ended up here?”

Inside the eerie mansion. A wool carpet spread under a grand space like a luxurious hotel lobby. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling emitted no light, and due to the curtains covering the windows, no outside light could enter this gloomy place.

Under that, the man increased the size of the flame he had lit and continued speaking.

“It’s absurd. This is the 15th floor of the labyrinth.”
“The 15th floor?”
“Yes. It’s a place where people die in the blink of an eye. The ecosystem is grotesquely bizarre. All animals and plants act as if they’ve been modified to kill humans, and even the walls and floors occasionally split open, trying to take blood and flesh.”
“……”
“You’ve fallen into such a place. It’s unfortunate, but you’ve been caught by the labyrinth’s transfer.”

The group didn’t bother to tell the man that he was from the past and they were from the future. There was no reason to deal with what might happen if they did, and they had no obligation to answer unless the man asked first.

Anything can happen inside a labyrinth. Of course, it’s possible to encounter people from the past. The group glossed over the current situation like that and was in the midst of conversing with him. As long as the man had no will to fight, there was no need to step forward and shed blood, so they shared information through this conversation.

If he were a corrupted magician, it might be different, but he was a magician walking the righteous path, belonging to a magic tower.

There was plenty to gain through conversation.

“There’s no way to counter the labyrinth’s transfer. It’s shitty, but it just does whatever it wants. You can only accept it.”
“…Before that, I’d like to ask your name first.”

Asel interrupted him and asked. The man then realized he hadn’t revealed his name and grinned.

“Pascal Theron. I belong to the Ignis Magic Tower and am currently active as a labyrinth explorer.”
“If you belong to a magic tower, there shouldn’t be any reason to enter the labyrinth.”
“That’s right. But I’m personally looking for something.”
“An artifact?”
“No.”

The man answered with a bitter smile.

“My wife’s belongings.”
“……”
“I was just trying to find my wife’s corpse and wedding ring, who died on the 17th floor. That’s why I’m playing the role of a labyrinth explorer, even though it’s beyond me.”
“…Have you been down to the 17th floor?”
“Once.”

Whoosh.

The burning flame intensified for a moment.

“The companions who came with me all died at the entrance. They were quite capable guys, but they all died without being able to do anything. Only I managed to survive and escape.”
“……”
“That place… is hell. There’s no other way to describe it. It’s a place teeming with creatures that live solely to kill, created directly by a fallen transcendent. You’ll probably die the moment you set foot there. Don’t question it. Don’t act arrogantly. Just accept it.”
“……”

Instead of answering, Asel glanced sideways to look at Selene and Saya.

Their expressions, which had been bright until now, had instantly darkened. They probably lost their motivation after hearing Pascal’s words.

It’s natural. Even a magician’s curiosity becomes meaningless in the face of death.

But Asel didn’t forget.

This space right now is a simplified labyrinth installed in the Academy. Moreover, it’s open enough to be used for club initiations. Is it even possible to die in such a place? Surely they wouldn’t have created such a space thoughtlessly and opened it up.

‘Even if Pascal’s words are true, it’s unknown whether they apply to the simplified labyrinth.’

In the end, they would have to go down and see for themselves. Pascal said not to question it, but well. Asel had to see the end of this labyrinth, if only to understand the words engraved on Aleph.

If this labyrinth exists up to the 20th floor like the real labyrinth, the sudden transfer from the 5th to the 15th floor might be an unexpected gain. It was possible to check if the Sage’s tomb was there with only 5 floors left.

‘Since there’s no record of the Sage visiting the real labyrinth, Pascal probably doesn’t know about his whereabouts either.’

Then there was no point in asking him about the Sage’s whereabouts. So Asel asked something completely different.

“A fallen transcendent? I know that it’s the Primordial Demon that’s sealed under the labyrinth, not a transcendent.”

The labyrinth was a kind of world created in the very distant past and has remained unconquered until now. At its end, a sealed demon sleeps, and the labyrinth’s ecosystem is bizarrely twisted under that demon’s influence – this past record is currently accepted as the established theory.

It was actually the same. Since it was proven that the waves emanating from the labyrinth’s underground matched those of a demon, everyone accepted it.

The term “fallen transcendent” had no connection to the labyrinth. In fact, he had never heard the term “fallen transcendent” itself before.

According to records, most of the transcendents that existed gained divine status and flew to the heavens. Only the Sage, who chose to remain mortal, drew his last breath on earth. The rest all left this land.

How could such a transcendent have created the labyrinth ecosystem?

“I’ve heard that information distortion has been severe recently. Maybe it’s because you’re young, but you also know incorrect information.”
“…?”
“Anyway, those fucking demon worshippers. I should clean them up sometime. There are too many of them in high positions. That’s why little brats like you don’t even know what demons really are.”
“…Aren’t demons life forms born in hell?”
“No.”

Pascal shook his head.

“Demons were mortals. Beastkin, humans, elves, dwarves, dragons, etc. They were originally life forms that lived with their feet on this earth.”
“…What?”
“Then, when they perform some ritual, gain some opportunity, or grow to a level where their realm touches the sky. Only then do they gain the qualification to challenge divinity. In simple terms, if you fight the existing god and win, you become a god.”
“……”
“And gods have never been defeated, not even once. You can tell just by looking at how the names of religious orders have never changed.”

Pascal lit a new cigarette and continued speaking.

“Then where did the defeated transcendents go? Those who were defeated fighting against gods can never set foot on earth again. Where are they and what are they doing?”
“…Ah.”
“Your guess is probably right.”

He grinned as he looked at the three people staring at him intently.

“The transcendents who didn’t die in battle all chose to degrade their own realm and survive pathetically. But the degradation of transcendents who had once gained divine status had an equally massive backlash. Their very foundation of existence became twisted.”
“…Is that what demons are?”
“The first vampire became the Demon of Blood, and the first saint who denied God became the Demon of Compassion. The elf who presided over the Tree of Knowledge became the Demon of Knowledge, and the most excellent medical practitioner on the continent became the Primordial Demon. Besides these, countless other demons exist.”
“…Is that a possible story? I know that the number of official transcendents in history wasn’t that many.”

Saya asked, and Pascal answered while tapping his cigarette ash.

“Of course it’s impossible. But when a strange guy popped up, the impossible became possible.”
“…Who appeared?”
“The Demon of Possibility.”

Pascal continued speaking while staring at Asel.

“It’s not certain exactly what ritual he used to achieve transcendence or what abilities he possessed. But it’s certain that after his sudden appearance, the number of demons increased dramatically. It’s information that demon worshippers try to thoroughly hide, but those who should know probably all know.”
“……”
“Has your curiosity been satisfied? Greenhorn?”

Pascal asked with a grin. Asel smiled bitterly and stood up from his seat.

“I’ve heard your personal view on demons. But I can’t fully believe it either. There’s no evidence.”
“Do as you like. Whether you believe it or not, it’s not my concern. You can just ask your master and she’ll tell you everything anyway.”
“I should have said this earlier. My master is not Cromwell.”

At Asel’s statement, Pascal frowned and looked him up and down.

“What? Then how did you learn lightning formulas?”
“I had a different master. Her name is Ena Renatus. Do you know her?”
“Don’t know. Where did this bastard come from?”
“If you don’t know, never mind.”

The period when Cromwell was active was much earlier than when Ena began her full-fledged activities. It’s not strange that Pascal doesn’t know Ena.

“More importantly, I have something I’m curious about.”
“Again?”
“There’s something I’ve always wanted to ask if I ever met a flame magician from the Ignis Magic Tower.”

Saying that, Asel forcibly took control of the flame Pascal had manifested and overlaid his own magic on it.

[Fireball]

Whoosh!!

The gathered flames were molded into a spherical shape. Asel placed it on his palm and asked Pascal, who had a dumbfounded expression:

“I self-taught the flame formulas, so I haven’t heard a professional opinion. So I’d like to ask for your thoughts.”
“…Self-taught? A lightning magician’s self-taught fire magic seized control of my magic?”

Pascal muttered like that, then suddenly changed his expression to one of interest and stared at Asel’s magic.

“You, what kind of bastard are you?”