81 — Chapter 81

Having accepted the Sage’s invitation, we were traveling in the Golem Car as usual. This time, I left the driving to the auto-pilot function. During the journey, I fully enjoyed my liquor. Technically, this didn’t count as drunk driving. The various famous wines I had gathered using my influence were, needless to say, delicious.

Occasionally, monsters appeared on the plains, which I picked off casually with my handgun. Even off the main road, no particularly powerful monsters showed up. It was the perfect way to kill time.

Alice was taking a nap in the passenger seat. She was exhausted from working day after day. Although her base stamina had increased due to leveling up, there was still a limit.

In my case, in addition to my natural physical strength, I was virtually tireless thanks to the modifiers from my incredibly high level. I possessed almost infinite stamina. Subjectively, I felt I could remain active for at least a week without a wink of sleep. No joke—my body had become like a superhero’s from a manga. However, since there was currently no need to push myself that far, I maintained a sensible lifestyle rhythm.

As I spent my time inside the car, Arbor City came into view. The characteristic giant tree reigned over the landscape. No matter how many times I saw it, it was a magnificent sight. If I could take a photo of this scenery back to my original world, it would surely become a massive sensation.

Wanting a commemorative photo, I had ordered the production of a camera in the Fortress City, but progress was slow. Even though I tried to explain the structure, my own core knowledge was vague. The fragmentary information I barely remembered didn’t necessarily translate directly to the laws of this world, either. Every single part required a magical substitute. Since the priority of its development was low, I planned to wait patiently for its completion as a small future pleasure.

The Sage’s letter had mentioned that I could visit whenever I liked, so I showed up without a formal appointment. If his schedule was packed, I could just wait until he was free. I didn’t have any other urgent business. I could just kill time by sightseeing on my own.

When we arrived at Arbor City, a hooded figure stood quietly near the main gate. Her gaze was fixed on us. It was a familiar face—the woman who had served as a guide during the last meeting, whom they called a Homunculus.

I rolled down the car window to address her. “Yo. You again?”

“I have come by my Master’s order. Please follow me.”

With those words, the guide suddenly began sprinting down the roadway. She was moving at quite a speed—comparable to a passenger car. It was a bizarre sight, though I doubted it would obstruct traffic. She was a Homunculus, after all.

I drove the Golem Car, following the woman. The alcohol had already completely left my system. There were no issues.

“It looks like we’ve arrived.”

Along the way, Alice woke up. she peered around at her surroundings, then noticed the woman sprinting ahead of us.

“…What is that?”

“A cutting-edge car navigation system,” I replied, stifling a laugh.

We were led to a massive building near the World Tree. Within the fenced grounds stood several towers constructed of brick. They were connected by walkways every few floors. Even the shortest tower was at least sixty feet tall, giving it the feel of a small office building. The taller towers had to be at least three times that height. About ten such structures were lined up together. Further back, an even more vast building loomed.

I parked the Golem Car in the parking lot on the premises and stepped out.

Alice, still looking a bit sleepy, followed behind me.

“This way.”

The female guide spoke in a tone that left no room for argument and began walking briskly. We followed after her.

Young people wearing matching clothes strode across the grounds. Occasionally, they would cast glances our way as if looking at something rare. Some whispered among themselves with frightened expressions. Others openly displayed their disgust, half-glaring at us.

Normally, I would have happily gone over to have a word with them, but I restrained myself for now. Creating a mangled corpse here would lead to a troublesome situation. I had to endure. I was, after all, a man of ironclad patience.

Incidentally, the clothes they wore were designated uniforms; this place was an educational institution for magic. Apparently, such facilities were primarily established in large cities, and there were even cities abroad that centered entirely around various academic disciplines. Among them, this place specialized as a training ground for mages.

Graduated mages would go on to be active in various regions, and it was said that the majority of them joined the Sage’s faction. The Sage himself served as the headmaster here. According to my prior intel, he was the one who founded it. Since over a hundred years had passed since its founding, his youthful appearance was likely due to magic or something similar.

From the moment we faced off at the meeting, I had sensed a certain veteran shrewdness about him. Since this was an “anything goes” fantasy world, hearing about eternal youth and longevity didn’t really surprise me much. The reason we were invited into the grounds so naturally was likely because the Sage was here. He might be in the middle of his duties as headmaster.

Eventually, we entered the nearest tower. In partitioned rooms, students were attending lectures. On the floor above, they were conducting what looked like research. Crossing through a walkway to another tower, we saw mock battles being fought with magic.

We toured these sights one by one. It was quite interesting, but I felt like we were clearly taking a detour. There was no sign of us ever reaching the Sage. Feeling suspicious, I spoke to the woman leading us.

“Hey, we didn’t come here for a school field trip. Could you just take us to the Sage already?”

“This is the route ordered in advance. I am moving according to Master’s orders. I cannot deviate from them. We will head to Master’s room afterward,” the woman replied without looking back, her pace never faltering.

Her tone was mechanical, as if to say no objections would be permitted. In fact, she likely had no intention of listening to our requests at all. Sensing this, I whispered to Alice beside me.

“Are Homunculi always this inflexible?”

“It varies by individual. Her obsession with carrying out orders to this degree is likely her own personality,” Alice said with a wry smile.

She seemed to be enjoying the woman’s behavior. Since she was an artificial lifeform created through magic, Alice might be interested in her every move. Perhaps her researcher instincts had been piqued. Additionally, Alice had been gazing intently at the classroom scenes. I was glad she was enjoying herself, at least.

One hour had passed since the tour began. After winding through the towers, we were finally brought to the building in the back. We were led to the front of a specific room. The plate on the door read “Headmaster’s Office.”

‘Finally, we’re here…’

It would have been better if she had guided us here from the start, but it couldn’t be helped. Even if I complained to the woman, I wouldn’t get a reaction. Looking at the Homunculus who had come to a halt in front of the door, I gave a small shrug.

If her words were to be believed, the school tour was the Sage’s intention. He likely had some sort of motive. I couldn’t judge what that was just yet. Well, at least it hadn’t been boring. If I asked Alice, she could explain exactly what they were doing in there. I thought it might be interesting to establish an educational institution in the Fortress City, using this system as a reference. It might be worth considering once we returned.

With those thoughts in mind, I knocked on the door.