Chapter 156.1 The Seventh Artisan (1)

Chapter 156.1: The Seventh Artisan (1)

156 part 1
Return of the 8th Class Mage
Chapter 156 The Seventh Artisan (1)
“I’m a small-minded person, as you said. That’s probably why I find it difficult to give you a positive answer when I know better than anyone else what you’re feeling now.”
The Fairy Queen’s face turned to stone, thinking that Ian was going to refuse her plea.
“However, we’re going against a massive evil force, and don’t need to be enemies with the dragons in this fight.”
Fran Page was a difficult opponent to fight, and being on opposite sides simultaneously with the as strong dragons would be a crazy move.
“The dragons are probably thinking the same thing. We have to either remove each other or become allies since it’s inconvenient on many accounts to keep this ambiguous relationship ongoing.”
The dragons would have the same opinion as Ian did since they would not be able to endure having Ian as their enemy when maintaining the seal was a barely manageable process.
“So, I accept your offer of alliance.”
The Fairy Queen’s face brightened at Ian’s announcement, and her expression became innocent from her usual arrogant and alluring pose.
“We don’t have much time, and so we need you to keep on moving.”
(That is all right. What do you want me to do? Please tell me.)
The Fairy Queen was enthusiastic for a change, and Ian smiled at the rare sight as he opened his mouth.
“Go back to the dragons and tell them of my decision that I will join them as soon as I finish here, so please start preparing to fight against the actual evil.”
To fully eradicate Fran Page, Ian needed to remove Fran’s actual self after breaking the seal. So, they needed to be prepared since the real Fran Page would be a formidable enemy.
(Is that all I need to say?)
“For now. Please come back after you tell them my message.”
(Well! To think I’m acting as your messenger.)
The Fairy Queen came back to her usual tone and expression since she probably found herself awkward.
“Queen.”
(I’m listening.)
“I also do not want to be your enemy, and please don’t worry so much since I will do my best not to let such a thing happen.”
(……)
“Even if such an event occurs, I have no intention of making you my enemy as long as your stance does not change.”
The Fairy Queen’s eyes widened for a moment at Ian’s words, and she quickly turned around her small body.
(I had just spoken nonsense because the situation was dire. Do not place any meaning on them!)
She shouted like she was embarrassed and went into the portal Ian had created for her to convey Ian’s words to the dragons by going to the Soffit Mountain Range where the King of the Gargoyles was residing.
“The enemy…”
The word enemy meant a definite difference between them and us, becoming clearer for Ian. The one who had been the protector of mankind in the past, and who had been known as the first magician to the public. The teacher for the dragons and Ian Page’s father.
‘Fran Page.’
Ian thought of the evildoer and felt a strange emotion. He thought it ironic that he was going against his father with dragons, fairies, dragonians, and those who were not of the same blood, let alone the same race. However, Ian was certain that he had made the right decision, since who was his father? Was not he the incarnation of insanity? Ian could not guess what Fran would do if left alone. How could he look up to him as a father?
‘That’s impossible.’
Fran Page resulted from madness accumulated over thousands of years and would someday swallow Ian and his surroundings. No matter how tightly they were connected by blood, Ian could not be allies nor coexist in the same world.
‘There are three days left.’
Ian had been given ten days, and a week had passed.
‘There’s only one thing left to do.’
Ian had a problem he needed to focus on, which required a fair amount of luck. He had to find the weakness in Fran Page’s ‘power of immortality’ and find a breakthrough.
‘A possible way would be to fight until he exhausts the supply of his souls in the inner world.’
Since Ian was now allied with the dragons, it could be tried. However, the problem was that Ian could not be certain whether Fran would be eradicated, and many dragons and Ian himself might be sacrificed in the process.
‘I need to find a more fundamental weakness. There has to be an answer in the inner world where he had stacked his souls…’
Ian contemplated for a moment and started to walk to meet Ledio and Douglas. They had been assigned the task of researching the potion that would send Ian to the inner world and manufacturing it if possible.
***
“Are you there…”
Ian had been about to knock on the door leading to the underground lab in Ledio and Douglas’s house when he heard something explode inside. It seemed to be not a large one, and possibly a side effect during an alchemy experiment.