The Mysterious Black Magician

Achan and the others were also surprised to learn that Crimson was part of the Alchemy department; especially, that he was strong and had a unique spell that could defeat in one shot a strong enemy like the Adult Mammoth.

Now that they took another look at him. He was wearing long sleeves with the logo of Alchemy.

Achan and the others glanced around. Based on the seniors of their department, the Little Garden department of alchemy was bound to get disbanded. 

Just looking at the place, it looks like the seniors were telling the truth. It was the oldest headquarters and also the smallest compared to others.

Suddenly, Achan remembered something. He knew someone from this department. She glanced ahead and her eyes landed on a familiar figure. 

Airi was staring at the people together with Crimson. They were people from other alchemy departments. But why were they together with Crimson? She asked inwardly. Aside from that, she knew one of them.

"Airi!"

"Achan."

Upon hearing them calling out each other's name, Yman darted his eyes from the two. "Do you know each other?" He asked, slightly surprised.

"W… we are cousins," said Airi.

Yman's mouth opened in an "ow!", it was unexpected to him. He glanced at Achan and saw her nodding her head.

Well, both of them had raccoon ears, though Airi was shorter compared to Achan.

 "I see, Airi can you entertain them for a while? I need to talk to the Professor," Yman asked Airi a favor. He could not bring them to the Professor's workroom as the Professor would certainly get mad at him if he went with several people.

He noticed Achan and the others were having worried faces. They probably worried about the Professor's reaction and his action later on. Since all of the departments were competing with each other. Achan could only harden her resolve. She would take all the blame from her co-members if ever their department was disbanded. 

The most important for her was to resolve the issue. 

After Airi nodded, he sent one more glance to Achan and the others, he saw them nodding their heads. Just then, he proceeded to the Professor's workroom.

But he made a shortstop and glanced behind. "You come with me," he said while staring at Cinde. He needed her help too.

Cinde was surprised that he called at her. She then jogged beside him with a broad smile.

When Yman knocked on the door, he heard a loud yell coming from inside.

Though he was already used to it. 

He pushed the door and went inside. He saw the Professor for filtering pinkish liquid. It must be for his new research.

"How are you doing' apprentice? Did you gather all the magical herbs in the note?"

The Professor asked him immediately after coming inside.

"Uh…" He scratched his head. "Sorry teacher, something happened…"

"....."

"So, you are not able to gather, huh."

"I have the Teardrop Magical Herb only," he added hastily. 

The Professor slightly frowned. Cinde on the other hand was just silent listening to them.

He started explaining to them the issue in the mountain.

"What! Most of the magical herbs and plants were devoured by a gluttonous worm?" Cinde exclaimed.

"Mhm!" He nodded. 

Professor Ronnie squinted his eyes. "Hm… That's certainly a big problem." The professor said while touching his chin.

"Aside from that professor, that glutton worm gives birth to countless worms and they evolve at a fast rate.."

"What?!"

"Apprentice, tell more about all the details."

Yman then told him all the things that Achan told him.

"I see, so it was those bastards of the Ascension Alchemy Department's fault. They truly did a mess this time." Professor Ronnie said while knitting his brows.

Cinde blinked her eyes. "However, Crimson, you said you promise to keep it a secret from others," Cinde suddenly said to him.

"Well, if you guys do me a favor of not pushing this issue to the councils, that is much better. But I believed it wasn't necessary at all," he said with a sigh.

"Hmm…"

Ronnie went silent. He wasn't interested in the other department's issue, to begin with.

Yman believed that Professor Ronnie was not the type of person who would take advantage of others. 

Although he wasn't 100 percent sure, he had to believe somehow. Since this issue in the first place could not be resolved by him and Achan's group only. He also believed that Professor Ronnie was the type of person who was more inclined in his research.

"Crimson, what do you mean by not necessary at all?" Cinde asked once again which the Professor agreed with her question.

They saw him open his mouth and said: "Sooner, those worms will come down and attack the academy," he replied to them.

Professor Ronnie and Cinde widened their eyes and asked: "How can you tell?"

Yman fell silent but his mouth extended to both sides, forming into a slight smile. He then took something from his Cyber Storage.

Woosh!

"Puwahh!" A sudden huge breath.

"Mister! What did you do to me?!" Exclaimed the thing that came out from his Cyber Storage.

"Eh?!" It glanced around in puzzlement.

"Wait….. where are we?"

"Aren't we supposed to be in the forest?"

It was asking but no one was replying to it. Then the entity noticed a dumbfounded Oldman in front and a stunned lady on the side.

"Eh? Who are you, Oldman, and you too lady?"

The thing that he took from his Cyber Storage was the Wisp in scout bee form.

Ronnie and Cinde gawked in disbelief. This was the first time that they saw a talking bee! "What a magical creature!" He cried out. Besides, it has different colors and it was shining in golden color!

"Apprentice, what is this magical thing?"

"A wisp." 

"W… wisp? Are you kidding me?!" Professor exclaimed and gazed at him.

Even Cinde was wondering if Crimson was joking to them.

The wisp on the other hand was darting his eyes from them. "Oi, why are you ignoring me?" The Wisp asked them. But they were busy talking to themselves and had no time to answer.

"Ahaha…" Yman chuckled descendingly to the Professor's reaction while scratching the back of his head. He expected such a reaction from him. "It was truly a wisp," he added.

The Professor squinted his eyes and stared at him for a second. He noticed that he was serious. Cinde on the other hand was fixedly staring at the Wisp.

Yman then started explaining to them about the things that happened to the wisp before and after it became like that.

"I see, so that happened?" 

"Eh….. so this thing was inside your fire doll?!" Cinde asked with a face that could not believe.

"Yes," Yman was nodding his head to both of their questions.

"That was truly unbelievable. I think you are the type of person with the passive attribute of finding yourself meeting up extraordinary things in the world." The Professor said but Yman took it as a joke. Cinde agreed to Professor Ronnie's words.

"Aside from that, what's the connection of it to your main reason for telling this secret to us?" Cinde asked him.

"Ah, that… same as the Wisp… those worms are also attracted to magical energy. And because of it, they would come down here from the mountain after the excess Heavenly Water in the cave would be emptied."

Professor Ronnie and Cinde widened their eyes once again. They finally understood his reason.

In fact, even if Yman hid it from others, the issue would still be discovered sooner or later. Achan and her group just didn't see it coming. They probably believed that this issue would only remain in the mountains, but no. It just a matter of time that those worms started attacking this area when the mountain could not settle their hunger. 

"Do you mean… they will start attacking people?"

Asked Professor Ronnie.

"Exactly." He replied right away. "Since Demihumans were gifted with high magical energy.

Professor Ronnie gulped. And then a bead of sweat appeared on his head. "It is a big problem indeed if that's going to happen," he muttered.

Yman nodded but he wasn't finished. "In truth, teacher, not only the worms but also the other mutated beast will soon come to attack."

"....."

"....."

"What! I thought you said that only the worms were the ones that were running amok on the mountain, Crimson?" Cinde was hasty with her question.

"Exactly, but there's a dark miasma that is currently proliferating around the mountain and it makes the non-hostile beasts hostile."

"M… miasma?!" Professor Ronnie repeated.

"Right, teacher." 

Professor Ronnie stared at him for a couple of seconds before a sigh escaped from his mouth and said: "We need to do something!"

"Alright, teacher."

"Hey, Mister! Oldman! Lady! Why are you guys ignoring me?!" Shouted the Wisp.

Around this time that Yman was in the face of a new problem, many people in the academy were already known him, especially those people who were frequent in the Training Pavilion. 

His name and the picture were being posted in the lobby together with his title and rank.

While he was facing a problem, another problem was developing. One of them was Czar and the other was known as Lord Gregor. These two individuals from the Mighty Solus department had started planning to bout him.

Apparently, not only them, but some of the influential figures in the academy also started to get interested in him.

Some even started to question his real identity, not only his face and name but also his background.