The Return of the Iron-blood Sword Hound
chapter-261

Chapter 261 The Inverted Pentagram (1)

(Iron-Blooded Sword Clan) Baskerville / Difficulty [★★★★★]

-The student in question has successfully solved all the problems presented by the main Clan.

Lord Hugo Le Baskerville ㊞

The certification that Baskerville’s quest has been cleared surprised everyone in the four academies. Even Basilios, the deputy director of Varangian; Hippolite, the principal of Temisquira Women’s College, the Tower Lord ‘Whitebeard Whale’ of Mage Tower, and Vice Principal Banshee Morg Had their mouths agape.

“How long has it been since the Baskerville clan gave out a passing certificate?”

“Heh heh… If this is true.”

“The Baskerville Clan is so closed off that every suspicion arises. Hehehe-”

Basilios, Hippolite, and Whitebeard Whale examined the document as if they couldn’t believe it.

At that moment.

…Thud!

A cold hand reached out and seized it.

It was the Professor Banshee.

“Are you doubting my student right now?”

In front of the blatantly displeased Professor Banshee, the other representatives laughed pretentiously.

Meanwhile, Professor Banshee looked at Vikir with a chilling tone.

“Do you know you were the last of the 10 wankers to return?”

“Yes.”

Vikir nodded obediently.

Oddly, a considerable amount of time had passed since he exited the ‘Sword Tomb.’

Inside, something seemed to distort the flow of time.

‘I couldn’t even tell if Cane Corso is at the top of the Tower. There might be something else above.’

While Vikir had different thoughts, Professor Banshee continued to display a cynical attitude.

“You still giving one-word answers.”

“Thank you.”

“Does it look like I’m praising you right now?”

“I apologize.”

When Vikir gave only the necessary answers, Professor Banshee raised an eyebrow.

“Vikir, thanks to your late return, the artifact ceremony has been delayed by ten days. There had been no response from the Baskerville Clan during that time. We even considered filing a missing person report. Are you aware?”

“The mission was urgent, so I didn’t have time to contact in the middle.”

“What was the mission that was so urgent?”

In response to Professor Banshee’s question, Vikir provided a straightforward answer.

“Finding and bringing back Ghostwood.”

At that statement, the expressions of all four school representatives changed dramatically.

“Well, well, Ghostwood, huh~?”

“Nonsense. Such a thing doesn’t exist.”

“Hehehehe- an interesting joke.”

Basilios, Hippolite, and Whitebeard Whale dismissed Vikir’s answer as vague and meaningless. However, Professor Banshee alone remained silent, with a stern expression. He knew Vikir’s personality well.

Eventually, Professor Banshee asked in a rigid tone, “When you say ‘Ghostwood’… are you referring to the mythical otherworldly tree that appeared in the children’s fairy tail?

“Yes.”

“…So, Baskerville asked you to retrieve it?”

“Yes.”

“…And so, did you succeed in retrieving it?”

“I cannot answer that.”

Vikir did not respond. He only briefly glanced at the certificate with the Baskerville Clan seal. Then, his gaze shifted along his return path, and the attention of the school heads followed suit.

Eventually, Professor Banshee nodded and said, “I don’t understand what’s what. We’ll discuss this later. For now, congratulations on completing the quest.”

The brief meeting with the school heads came to an end.

Later on, all ten students, including Vikir, gathered. They would now proceed beyond the gate, to reach the warehouse storing numerous artifacts.

The Tower Lord of Mage Tower, Whitebeard Whale, chuckled and said, “Limited time is one day. If you don’t come out of the warehouse within that time, the door will close, and it won’t open again. We won’t be able to open it until the next tournament, so adhere strictly to the time limit.”

He then added playfully, “Oh, by the way, don’t worry about the skeletons you’ll see as soon as you cross the gate. They’re just there to mock those who fail to choose an artifact within the time limit and leave the warehouse empty-handed.”

It seemed like a somewhat eerie joke.

* * *

All ten students entered the gate, with the entire student body from the four schools watching. Exactly around 23 hours later, nine students emerged from the warehouse, each with their chosen artifact.

Despite ranking in the top 10, it was quite usual for some students to come out empty-handed in each competition. Tudor, Sancho, Figgy, and Bianca were also gathered outside the gate, waiting for their friends.

“Wow! They’re out! They’re out!”

“Sinclaire! Over here!”

“Oh, looks like someone picked an artifact! Congratulations, Sinclaire!”

“Look! Didn’t I tell you that you could do it!?”

Despite looking tired, Sinclaire, with a bright complexion, came out and waved to everyone.

Soon, the students who emerged from the gate reported what artifact they chose and what they obtained.

First was Dolores. She held a small mirror in her arms, a size she could easily embrace.

“The artifact I obtained is called the ‘Mirror of Truth.’ It shows the true face behind the mask of the reflected subject. It only applies to individuals within the range one can handle.”

After finishing her statement, she glanced at Lovegood’s face in the mirror.

Suddenly, Lovegood’s makeup-free face appeared in the mirror, causing an uproar.

“Aaah! What are you doing?! You! I took the time to fix my makeup and come out!”

“Well, you look pretty anyway~”

Lovegood hastily looked away. Dolores laughed at the sight.

Next was Lovegood. As the student council president of Temisquira Women’s College and the president of the newly formed Vikir Fan Club, she shouted ambitiously.

“The artifact I obtained is the ‘Love Shield’! It’s a hairpin with a heart-shaped brooch. If you wear it, it supposedly blocks any powerful brainwashing or mental magic, at least once! However, it only works if the person you truly love is nearby!”

At first glance, it didn’t seem like a particularly appealing artifact. Typically, artifacts obtained by other students were permanent, unlike this one with a limited usage.

However, for some reason, Lovegood seemed quite satisfied.

“What are you going to use it for?”

“Mi-Mind your own business!”

Dolores and Lovegood, who had become quite close, exchanged playful banter.

Then came the laughter.

“Hahaha!”

With cheerful laughter, Bakilaga pulled out his artifact.

It was a giant glove made of an unidentified metal.

“It’s a gauntlet that enhances strength. It’s called (Demon King’s Hand).’ It’s said to be a gauntlet worn by a legendary warrior named Northern region, who lived in a distant dimension in ancient times.”

“I’m similar. I got a staff that enhances mana. It’s said to have a tiny amount of ‘Pink Dragon Scales’ in it. Was there even a dragon like that…?”

Hohenheim responded to Bakilaga’s words by nodding in agreement.

Next were the three brothers—Highbro, Middlebro, and Lowbro.

“We obtained triplets’ swords that become stronger when we’re together. They’re called ‘Samjido (Triple Blade).'”

“Interesting.”

“Indeed.”

The three brothers, though identical in appearance, came out with triplet swords with minute differences in feel and vibes. Unusually, their combined power doubled when the three swords were gathered in one place. Known as the Baskerville Triplets, they were proud to be chosen first for these artifacts, and it showed.

At that moment, a disgruntled voice was heard. Granola walked out somewhat dejectedly, holding a small brooch in the shape of lips.

“This artifact is called ‘Truthful Lips.’ It supposedly reveals the truth to any question asked. However, you can only use it once in your lifetime, and you’ll only get a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer.”

Then, there was a hand on Granola’s shoulder.

“Well, don’t worry, it’s okay”

It was Sinclaire.

“Sometimes I have doubts about whether I’m living well. It might be useful to talk when I’m feeling uncertain.”

“…Ugh, why would you have doubts? I’m always living well! People should be confident!”

But despite the grumbling, Granola secretly felt much better.

Finally, Sinclaire reported her own artifact.

“The artifact that chose me is the ‘Money-Loaded Hat.’ It’s a hat that becomes more magical the more money you put into it.”

It was a strangely shaped black hat that looked odd, with the brim worn and teeth missing here and there, giving it an unsophisticated appearance.

The reactions around were mostly pitying. Wasn’t Sinclaire the student at the Colosseo Academy who was most obsessed with money?

While most students received support from their parents for living expenses and tuition, the rumor that Sinclaire covered everything from tuition to living expenses with part-time jobs had already spread widely.

Choosing an artifact that required significant money in such a situation was truly unexpected – more than a windfall.

But Sinclaire remained cheerful.

“Hehe, money is power in this world. If I want to wear this hat, I’ll really have to earn a lot of money.”

She continued to smile brightly, as usual.

* * *

As other students gradually emerged to register their artifacts, time continued to pass. Eventually, the clock hands made a full revolution. Since Sinclaire, the ninth student, reported her artifact, time kept ticking away.

Soon, the time approached the end. There was now less than a minute until the gate closed. However, there was still one student who hadn’t come out yet—Vikir.

For this lone non-returner, students from all academies gathered, anxiously waiting.

Tudor, Sancho, Figgy, Sinclaire, Bianca, and all the other students murmured with unease.

“Vikir… What is he doing? Why isn’t he coming out!”

“This is bad. There’s not much time left.”

“It’s down to seconds now! What do we do?”

“Don’t worry! My big brother always comes out at the last moment with a bang.”

“He really loves being the protagonist. Even during the second test, he came out last.”

Despite the attempts to reassure each other, the students couldn’t hide their anxiety and restlessness as they stared at the gate.

…But.

In the end, no one came out of the gate.

Snap!

The gate’s duration had come to an end, closing abruptly.

“Uh…?”

Everyone who had been watching swallowed their breath in unison. Stunned expressions and disbelief were painted across their faces.

Blank faces. Expressions that couldn’t believe what had just happened.

The first to shout was Professor Banshee.

“Y-You! Open it! Open the gate! My student hasn’t come out yet!”

But it was impossible. The duration of the gate, a unique system that had been in place for a long time, was only 24 hours once a year, during which everyone had to gather in one place.

The warehouse and dimensional gate were independent entities, and besides maintaining and repairing them, the current wizards had no control over them. Even the dean could not open or close the gate at will. This system was extremely rare but not unheard of.

In the somber atmosphere, the other principals also shook their heads solemnly, realizing the gravity of the situation.

The ones who couldn’t resist the allure of too many artifacts, unable to choose one within the time limit, often end up discovered at the entrance with only their skeletal remains when the gate opens the next year. It’s the price of greed.

“No, this can’t be….”

Tudor approached the location where the gate had been. Sancho, Figgy, and Bianca stood beside him, all wearing bewildered expressions.

“What’s happening right now?”

“Vikir didn’t come out? Really?”

“The gate closed? Can’t we open it again?”

When entering the gate, one can only carry non-living items such as clothes and shoes. Everything else, including the body, burns upon passing through the gate. Therefore, bringing food or water is futile. Those trapped in the warehouse have no choice but to wither away in loneliness and hunger.

“No! Vikir-Nim!”

The entire fan club, including Lovegood, cried out in despair. However, no matter how desperately they called, the closed gate was beyond their control.

“….”

Dolores stared at the gate with a blank expression. “Is this a lie? Where is he?”

However, there was no sign of that around her.

Vikir was trapped inside. He couldn’t come out now. Dolores stood there dumbfounded at the unthinkable turn of events.

Around her, time seemed to freeze. A surreal feeling of her heartbeat dropping to the lowest point of her ribcage, eyes blurring, and legs losing strength overcame her.

As Dolores was about to express her disbelief, there was a sudden thud sound.

“….Huh!?”

Somewhere, an unfamiliar noise echoed. It sounded like the tearing of very thick leather.

“….What!?”

The expression of the Tower Lord ‘Whitebeard Whale,’ changed drastically. The barrier was being torn apart. Slowly emerging through the ruptured gap was a face.

“I apologize. I’m a bit late.”

Vikir, still composed, revealed himself.