Chapter 123: Who the Hell Drew This Formation?!

Chapter 123. Who the Hell Drew This Formation?!

"What the hell is this?" I muttered.

My eyes narrowed as I crouched beside one of the enormous stones surrounding the training ground. Several strange markings had been carved into its surface, partially hidden beneath a thin layer of dirt and moss.

At first glance, they looked like ordinary scratches. But the moment I examined them more closely, I recognized something familiar. I brushed away the dirt with my fingers, revealing a series of crooked lines connected to several badly carved symbols. A magical formation. Or at least, someone’s rather miserable attempt at creating one.

I traced one of the lines with my fingertip. The proportions were wrong. The symbols weren’t properly aligned. One rune had been carved backward, while another looked as though its creator had given up halfway through and decided to improvise.

And the spacing? I’d seen drunk researchers draw better formations after losing an argument at a bar. Whoever had carved this thing clearly possessed the artistic talent of a blind goblin holding a kitchen knife.

But that wasn’t what bothered me.

The problem was that I recognized the formation. A forbidden reincarnation formation.

I examined the markings more carefully. Something else caught my attention.

Their age.

Several lines were weathered, with dirt settled deep inside the grooves. The edges had already begun losing their sharpness, suggesting they’d been carved months ago. Others looked considerably fresher. One particular symbol still had relatively clean edges, as though someone had added it within the past month. So this wasn’t necessarily completed in a single session.

Someone had been working on it gradually. Adding pieces. Or perhaps copying the formation little by little without understanding what the symbols actually meant. Which would explain why the result looked like an ancient magical script had suffered a severe nervous breakdown.

I leaned closer.

The structure was recognizable, but the execution was terrible. If someone attempted to activate this thing as it was, I doubted it would function properly.

At best, the mana would fail to circulate. At worst, the entire formation might collapse and explode. And considering this particular ritual involved manipulating souls, an explosion would probably be the least unpleasant outcome. I wasn’t sure whether to be impressed by their ambition or offended by their incompetence.

"Um... Lord Valen?"

I glanced over my shoulder.

Theo stood a short distance behind me, clutching the rolled-up map against his chest. He’d followed me into the training ground without asking too many questions, although his expression suggested he was beginning to regret accepting this assignment. Poor guy.

"Is something wrong, my lord?" he asked.

"Obviously." I pointed at the markings. "Look at this."

Theo approached cautiously before crouching beside me. He adjusted his glasses and examined the stone. For several seconds, he said nothing. Then he frowned. "These scratches?"

"That’s a magical formation."

His head snapped toward me. "A magical formation?"

"Well, an attempt at one." I gestured toward the crooked symbols. "Whoever made it clearly needs to return to basic magical education. Preferably before they accidentally kill themselves."

Theo stared at the carvings. "But... how could something like that be here?"

I turned toward him. "That’s supposed to be my question."

He immediately looked embarrassed. "Ah. R-right. Sorry, my lord."

I sighed and returned my attention to the stone. Honestly, I couldn’t blame him for failing to recognize it. Even an experienced magician would probably dismiss these markings as meaningless scratches. The carving was simply that bad.

One symbol was missing an entire connecting line. Another had been placed in the wrong position, while the central rune was so badly distorted that it resembled a squashed spider. But beneath that mess, the fundamental arrangement remained recognizable. The symbols representing the transition between life, death, and rebirth.

The question was whether these markings were connected to the disappearances or merely the work of someone who’d stumbled upon forbidden knowledge.

I straightened slightly and examined the surrounding stones. Theoretically, someone could distribute the formation across all twelve stones and connect them through the ground. But whoever had carved this particular section hadn’t done a particularly impressive job.

Perhaps the completed ritual was supposed to be here. Or perhaps someone had simply practiced here before attempting the real thing elsewhere.

That second possibility bothered me more.

I turned toward Theo. "Who usually uses this place?"

He blinked. "The training ground?"

I deadpanned. "No, the ocean."

He stared at me. I stared back. Was he really that dumb, or was he just pretending?

"O-oh! Right!" He adjusted his glasses again. "Lord Veymont uses it for the children’s survival training. Well, not personally every time. Chief Marr usually handles the lessons with several of his assistants."

"Who else?"

"The lord sometimes comes to observe the training sessions. He likes checking the children’s progress."

"And outside those lessons?"

Theo thought for a moment. "Not many people, my lord. The training ground isn’t used very often anymore."

"Guards? Soldiers? Traveling magicians?"

"The guards occasionally practice here, but they usually use the smaller training yard near the barracks."

I nodded. "What about servants?"

"They come to clean the area sometimes. Removing leaves, checking the equipment, things like that."

"Who supervises them?"

Theo hesitated. "Usually... me."

I looked at him.

He stiffened. The timid researcher-looking assistant was apparently responsible for supervising the cleaning of a training ground containing suspicious forbidden magical inscriptions. That was either an unfortunate coincidence or a very interesting detail.

"When was the last time you inspected these stones?"

His eyebrows drew together. "I don’t usually inspect the stones themselves, my lord. I mostly check whether the grounds are clean and the equipment is safe."

"Fair enough."

After all, why would he examine rocks for forbidden magic? Most people didn’t wake up every morning wondering whether their workplace had secretly become a sacrificial altar.

I studied Theo’s expression. He looked genuinely confused. But confusion wasn’t proof of innocence. Neither was fear. I’d met enough criminals to know that some could act more innocent than a newborn lamb while hiding enough bodies to fill a cemetery. Still, I wasn’t going to accuse him simply because he’d supervised a few cleaning sessions. That would be ridiculous.

I rose to my feet and brushed the dirt from my fingers. Then I pointed toward my room.

"My room. Who chose that room for me?"

He blinked. "That’s the standard guest room for visitors traveling alone, my lord. We have several rooms for visiting nobles and officials. The one you’re staying in is usually assigned to guests who don’t bring an entourage."

I looked up at the windows. Now that I examined the building from this angle...

Almost every guest room overlooked the training ground. The windows were arranged along the same side of the building, facing the courtyard. Which meant my room wasn’t particularly special. It wasn’t as though someone had deliberately positioned me in front of the suspicious stones. The entire guest wing had been designed that way.

I’d been prepared to suspect someone, but now it seemed the culprit might have known I’d find this. After all, the building’s architect had designed the guest rooms to overlook the courtyard. Anyone staying here would have a clear view of the training ground, so these suspicious markings were bound to be discovered sooner or later.

"Lord Valen?"

Theo’s voice pulled me back. I looked at him.

He was staring at the markings again. This time, however, I caught something different in his eyes. Beneath his usual timid expression, there was a flicker of anger and determination. So the little guy had some fire in him after all. "Does this mean the ritual will happen here?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"I’m not sure yet." I crossed my arms. "The formation is recognizable, but it’s badly constructed. I don’t know whether someone intended to use this place for the actual ritual or simply practiced here." I glanced around the field. "Either way, I don’t like it."

Especially since the newer carvings suggested someone had been working on the formation recently. And considering the kidnappings had started about a month ago... The timing was unpleasantly convenient.

I could almost hear my researcher brain whispering about correlations.

Yes, yes. I noticed. No need to get excited.

"Tell Lord Veymont to assign a couple of guards here," I instructed.

Theo nodded quickly. "Of course."

"Someone reliable. I want this place watched until tonight."

"Should we close the training ground?"

"That would be wise. But don’t make a big announcement about it." I looked toward the stone again. "If the culprit is connected to this place, I’d rather not advertise that we’ve discovered something suspicious. And tell the guard not to touch the carvings."

Theo nodded. "Yes, my lord."

I approached Theo. "As for us..." I placed a hand on his shoulder. He flinched so violently that I almost felt offended.

Was I that scary? I wasn’t even holding a weapon. Well, technically, I was a weapon. I gave him my most reassuring smile. "Let’s eat."

Theo blinked in confusion. "...Eat?"

"Yes. Lunch."

His expression became even more confused. "Huh?"

I patted his shoulder. "Bring me to the best place you know." I leaned slightly closer. "And Theo?"

He stiffened.

"If you take me somewhere with terrible food, I’ll be very disappointed."

His face went paler than before.

"Come on," I said, heading toward the courtyard exit. "We’ve got a lot of places to check before sunset."

"Y-yes, Lord Valen!" He hurried after me, clutching the map like his life depended on it. And just like that, I’d successfully acquired a local guide.