Vol 5, Chapter 9

What is the most dangerous weapon in war? A spear? A sword? An axe? Pfft…

A mage? A weapon in human form is, without a doubt, a formidable force. Depending on talent, one can strangle, tear apart, freeze, or burn anywhere from a few people to hundreds.

What could be more dangerous than a mage? Only several mages together.

By gathering in a ritual circle, they can overcome the main drawback of most spells: relatively short range.

Launched from the rear, tactical-level sorcery always covers an area and effectively devastates enemy ranks, nullifying numerical superiority.

The uninitiated might start listing various spells, weighing the pros and cons of a firestorm against a blizzard. Perhaps, in battle, that really is a very serious argument.

However, every spell has a counter, be it a defense or a tactic. For every enemy circle, there will be your own mages trying to protect the troops. Or perhaps knights immune to magic will break through the storm and greet them with spears?

But what if they've already vanished from there? If you give such a dangerous enemy incredible mobility, they become unbeatable. And that's just one battle.

In war, there's nothing more dangerous than an unassuming portal.

The enemy simply won't be able to gather troops in time to stand a fair fight. They'll always be struck in the least defended place, always forced to fight in the worst possible conditions. Even with a stronger army and far greater resources, they'll melt away under such blows, like a snowman in summer heat.

One question remains: if the Commonwealth can really use portals, why haven't they conquered the whole world already?

Perhaps there's a limit to the number of people transported at once, making it impossible to move whole armies? But even a single circle of mages could cause plenty of trouble…

"There's no limit. But the amount, rather the volume, of people transported, and the distance they're sent, determines the energy cost. Of course, for a wealthy nation like ours, those costs are negligible, and we cover them entirely," the ambassador answered, adjusting his gray beard.

The sails lost their wind and drooped, but the ship, still holding its momentum, glided toward the narrow pier, slowing with every meter.

Up close, the stone island seemed tiny, most of it occupied by cramped barracks and the portal's arch. I was already starting to guess why it was so small.

"Did you see the temple? Fanatical fools used the treaty to impress everyone with gold and grandeur. We invested much more wisely," the mage boasted.

"No doubt," I frowned.

Because if I understood correctly, barely ten kilometers from the Capital there was a real bridgehead through which, at any moment, a couple of full mage circles could appear. I hoped I was wrong, because aside from a dozen knights cramped on the island, I saw no other guard.

"This time, there are twenty-five of you, two more than usual," the mage remarked, and without waiting for a reply, bowed briefly and started chatting with a tall, middle-aged blond from the delegation.

Shouts rang out as sailors lowered the sails and prepared ropes to moor the ship. It seemed I wouldn't have a chance to study the vessel in detail.

"You alright?" I asked the still green-faced Ashi. She nodded slowly.

Where was the prince? Scanning the crowd, I spotted him beside a girl in a long dress, talking, apparently.

A short jolt ran through the deck, making most passengers sway. Sailors tossed ropes to the guards on the pier. Somewhere, an anchor splashed into the water, though I doubted it would catch on anything in time.

"Congratulations on your arrival!" the ambassador proclaimed, drawing attention. "Now you'll need to descend this narrow, awkward gangplank. Try not to fall."

Indeed, once they'd finished with the ropes, the guards pulled over a tall, narrow, wooden gangplank. Its last step was just below the ship's rail. The prince, first to reach it, offered his hand to the lady and began to descend, courteously steadying her.

Well, now it was clear why he'd vanished so quickly: he already knew what awaited us.

Following the prince, the others descended as well.

"Need a hand?" I offered to the girl.

"Do you think I can't take a couple of steps on my own?" she snapped, then froze with one foot on the ship's rail.

Below, waves cheerfully crashed against the stone base of the island, sending sprays of water onto the pier. It looked quite slippery down there.

"Actually, you know what, give me your hand!" the mage came to the same conclusion.

Somewhere behind us, the ambassador remarked slyly:

"On behalf of the Commonwealth, I declare that we would gladly move the portal closer to the Capital, but unfortunately, the King is firmly opposed. And don't forget that, according to his decree, an unstable core is sealed into the island's foundation. It could explode at any moment and blow us all to pieces. We understand this act of distrust, though we condemn the way the King endangers your lives. I assure you, once we pass through the portal, we will all be perfectly safe!"

I glanced at the ambassador. His beard hid his expression, but his eyes gleamed with cunning. One way or another, he achieved his goal; disapproving chuckles ran through the crowd.

Snorting, I began my descent. If it were up to me, I'd pack the whole island with explosives. Leaving such a dangerous thing without a quick way to destroy it was asking for serious trouble.

After crossing the slippery pier and climbing the stone steps to a cramped platform, I finally got a good look at the portal.

The stone arch was so densely covered with symbols it was hard to tell one from another. Still, I tried. More and more people crowded onto the platform, and the last to step off the ship was the ambassador. It became increasingly clear to me that most of the symbols were just fluff—camouflage to confuse anyone trying to figure them out. Clever.

"The gates will activate exactly at noon, and we will have ten minutes to pass through. I hope everyone left their artifacts behind? Carrying magical items through the gates is prohibited…"

Some young aristocrat addressed the ambassador, pointing to his scabbard, but the rising wind swallowed his words.

The mage adjusted his hood and called out loudly:

"What?… No, swords are fine as long as they aren't additionally enchanted. Cores are also forbidden. If anyone has artifacts, hand them over to the royal guards for safekeeping."

"This pendant was a gift from my fiancée! I won't let strangers handle it!" another delegate protested.

"Then I regret to inform you that I cannot allow you through the portal. Watching your body torn apart by magical perturbations would ruin the entire ceremony and relations between our countries," the mage replied firmly.

A heated argument broke out, joined by the tall blond. The prince, however, simply yawned and chatted with his companion, making no move to resolve the matter.

Someone tugged at my sleeve.

"Can we take these through?" Asha asked, pointing to the steel cylinders attached to her belt.

Inside was a powder of iron oxide and aluminum—in other words, thermite.

"No magic in them, don't worry," I said, absently patting the spot where my holster usually hung. Now there was a flask full of gunpowder. I could make a weapon on the spot if needed, but getting more powder might be a problem.

Damn, without a gun you feel really vulnerable. Sure, I still had my sword, but still… Not pleasant.

"Sir, the portal can't be opened at will! It will only open today at exactly noon—you won't be able to catch up with the delegation, do you understand?" the ambassador was trying to reason, though there was a note of hysteria in his voice.

"Enough. Time is short. I swear on my house, your pendant will be safe," the blond said irritably. The aristocrat snorted but handed it over, and the incident was settled.

The crowd began forming something like a column, ladies fixing their hair, gentlemen straightening their posture.

"Randal, come here! You'll go right behind us!" the prince waved. His lady shyly hid her face behind her fan.

I shook my head. Better to stay at the back and avoid unnecessary attention. I could also watch how the portal worked.

"Don't argue!" He started toward me but ran into the ever-present blond I'd seen flitting about for the last half hour.

"Your Highness, the order has already been set. And who is this lady, may I ask? Have you forgotten the task the King gave you? It is absolutely unacceptable for you to appear in public with a lady!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah… Hey, Randal, come on over!" the prince waved again, ignoring him.

"Stefan Dorn! Don't ignore me!" the blond growled threateningly.

"Who's that?" I asked the prince.

"Count Nerd Klaus. A terrible bore. Don't talk to him or you'll catch his lecturing habit."

"I could have introduced myself," the blond sniffed, turning to the prince's companion. "And now to you—House Domon, I presume? Your place is at the very end. I can't believe such an insignificant house was even allowed in the delegation! Who vouched for you? The Fourth Duke? Wanted to mock us?"

"Excuse me, I… I'll go," the girl sobbed and hurried away, hiding her face.

"What have you done?! Damn it!" the prince snapped.

"Once again, I urge you to be serious. This time our mission is of utmost importance!"

"Every mission is 'of utmost importance,'" the prince snorted.

"And every time I end up doing everything for you. Enough." Nerd extended his hand, showing an exact copy of the ring the King had given me.

"The King, with the support of the Council, appointed me de facto head of the delegation so that you, Prince, would not be distracted from your mission. You will comply."

"Or what, he'll take away my sweets?"

"He will revise your marriage contract. The King asked me to tell you that if you fail, you will marry the Fourth Duke's daughter."

"He's joking," the prince said uncertainly, stepping back.

"Your father was serious. Now, we go out together. Agreed?"

"Agreed, agreed. Just my misfortune…"

"Now you, Condor, with your companion… Second to last. Any objections?"

I shrugged indifferently.

"Good," the Count concluded, clapping his hands.

He continued lecturing the eye-rolling prince until the ambassador suddenly perked up and began pulling monster cores from a chest the sailors had brought.

Very familiar cores.

"May I ask where you got these?" I asked the ambassador.

"This batch was sold to us by the Fourth Duke. Don't worry, the quality is excellent; the transfer will go smoothly."

I smiled in satisfaction and made a mental note to raise the price.

The symbols on the arch began to glow violet: at first barely visible, then brighter and brighter. Mist swirled inside the arch. Interestingly, only some of the symbols glowed, filtering out much of the false decoration. I took the opportunity to study the signs closely; though most were unfamiliar, I could understand some parts and draw conclusions.

The violet mist thickened until nothing could be seen through it. In an instant, the portal flared: violet fog still curling around it, but in the center yawned a void, ready to swallow anyone who stepped inside.

"Forward! We have ten minutes!" the ambassador shouted, and the prince and the count stepped forward decisively.

A blinding flash, and they were gone.

"Next! Don't hold up the line!" the ambassador barked nervously.

One pair after another, the aristocrats vanished in the violet flash. The void grew closer.

A few minutes later, it loomed right before us: gaping, streaming violet mist, a passage into the unknown.

A step.

A moment's disorientation, and I was no longer on the stone island but in daylight on a city square. The roar of the crowd pounded in my ears. I turned to see an exact copy of the gate.

A flash hit my eyes, blinding me for a second. Blinking, I realized no one had stepped out of the portal. A cold premonition ran down my spine. Another flash! This time I shielded my eyes in time and saw the ambassador stepping through.

"Was someone ahead of you?" I asked, trusting my intuition. The ambassador stumbled on level ground and nearly fell.

"W-what? It was you!" he answered nervously.

"There was a flash after us."

"Oh, that…" He laughed awkwardly. "It happens sometimes, don't worry. After all, our portals are an imperfect copy of the Empire's technology. In the past, mages could wave a hand and open a rift to anywhere; we are far from the achievements of our ancestors… Now, if you'll excuse me."

At a brisk pace, almost breaking into a run, he headed for the stands.

I didn't like it, but my unease gradually faded.

"Look! You can see your reflection in the ground!" Asha exclaimed, tugging my sleeve again.

The square we stood on had been created with magic. Instead of the usual paving stones, there was a perfectly smooth layer of marble stretching for hundreds of meters without a single seam. Surprisingly, it wasn't slippery to walk on.

The magically amplified voice of the prince struck my ears as he took the podium.

He briefly thanked everyone present and passed the floor to the Count, who launched into an overly long speech about cooperation and other nonsense. I didn't bother listening, instead scanning the crowd. Some of those welcoming us wore robes of various colors, but most were dressed as if centuries ahead of the kingdom: hats, shirts, trousers.

"Why don't they let us sit? And how long will they keep talking?" Asha muttered irritably.

An aristocrat standing beside us gave a thin smile.

"It's the custom. Usually no longer than an hour; then one of the deans offers a tour of the academy for anyone interested."

"Feels like we're on display at a zoo," the girl grumbled.

I nodded. It really did feel like we were being shown off for the crowd's entertainment.

"You seem experienced?" I asked.

"This is only my second visit to the Commonwealth."

"Do you know where I could buy clothes like theirs?" I nodded toward the crowd.

"The robes can't be bought; they're awarded to mages according to rank. Wearing garments above your rank is strictly forbidden, even for delegation members."

"No, I meant those outfits."

"But that… is servant clothing," the aristocrat faltered.

"Shame. Stylish hats," I said, deciding not to shock him but firmly resolving to buy a set so I could blend into the crowd.

He muttered something and turned away.

The Count's speech went on and on.

I couldn't hold back a yawn. Now I understood the Second Prince. What a rare bore. And the damn sun was baking my head; I really did need a hat.

********************

"And now those interested may join a tour of the Academy. The rest may proceed to the guest quarters. This time you're in luck, for I will be your guide personally," finished the red-haired mage in a blood-red robe.

To my surprise, the vast majority followed the servants. Only three of us remained in the square: Asha, myself, and the Count.

"Mister Nerd, I thought you knew the Academy as well as I do!" the bearded rector chuckled.

"Even so, it would be impolite to refuse the invitation."

"Very well. I see many familiar faces in this delegation. Will you not satisfy my curiosity as to the reason?"

"Forgive me, I have no right to say," Count Nerd replied firmly.

"I see. And a few new faces as well!"

The mage scrutinized us, nodding approvingly at Asha, then frowned when his gaze landed on me.

"Young man, may I ask… what happened to your source?"