“Why would you ever try to recover that dagger? Isn’t it better to just leave it where it is?” I asked.

“To destroy it?” The mage turned around, shooting me a glare.

“The Bandit Hero somehow found out about the dagger. That’s what she’s seeking out.”

“She?”

Siti blushed. “Ah… I heard the Bandit Hero was a woman.”

I didn’t expect that, because the only Bandit Hero I knew was the guy from Calypso’s Tower. However, if this Bandit Hero wasn’t the same Bandit Hero, there was no reason it couldn’t be a girl. In fact, there was no reason they had to be a Bandit King at all. They could have any number of jobs. As long as they were powerful and earned the respect of all of the bandit underlings, they could be anyone.

“So… Meteor won’t be enough.” I sighed.

“Meteor? Isn’t that one of the highest-level Master Mage spells? Even I don’t have it yet.” The Mage blinked. “But, I did have similar thoughts of scorching this town. However, it wouldn’t touch the dagger. They would set up their camp and start digging as soon as we left. Although they call themselves the Bandit Hero, they are no hero. I don’t know if they are a man or a woman, but they are exceptionally vicious. If they have the dagger, it won’t be good for any of the five nations.”

“We have to find that dagger quickly.” Siti sighed.

“Unfortunately, my magical ability is suited for other tasks.” The mage growled. “I am a Black Mage, so although I know a little magic from every element, ultimately I became a Master Fire Magician. My Earth magic isn’t at a level that I’ve been able to locate it. Simply put, it’s too deep in the earth.

“Earth…” I only needed to think about it for a moment. “I might have exactly what you need.”

“Are you saying you can recover the dagger?”

“It’s possible, but we have to move fast. If they attack again, we have no one guarding the walls anymore.”

“Very well, if you can recover the dagger, Siti here will be able to destroy it.” The mage patted her shoulder, causing her to blush.

“Her?”

“I could try to melt the dagger, but the metal would still exist. We could throw it to the bottom of an ocean, but someone could fetch it. The most suitable person to handle this is a Blue Mage.”

“Why is that?”

“Void magic.” Siti explained. “Blue Mages are spatial mages. It is true that we can open up Portals and have inventories, but our true ability rests in the capacity to connect to the void.”

“Void…”

“The void exists between worlds. If I sent this dagger to it, it’d be instantly destroyed. There wouldn’t be a single fragment remaining.”

“It is the best way.” The old man nodded in agreement.

I had always seen the Blue Mages as crotchety old men who ran the Traveler’s Guild. Who would have thought that they were hiding such an incredible power? Rather than being pack mules, they could do something so deadly. Did I have to cross the void to come to this world? I wondered if a Blue Mage might be able to cross the void once they reached a certain level. If that was true, could I perhaps learn the Blue Mage job and one day return home?

Up until that moment, I had rarely considered the idea. It just seemed like something out of reach. Now, looking at Siti, I saw a way that might be able to bring me home. I realized I was staring at Siti, and she blushed once again. The mage frowned.

“Well, if you can get the dagger, there is no time to waste. If we can destroy it, then I will agree to come to your city and help you fend off the bandits.”

“It’s a deal.”