Chapter 37
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Back in the consultation room from the research lab.
I was lost in thought for a moment, looking at the consultation journals to be submitted to Yussi tomorrow.
Knock-knock-
…Someone tapped on the window of this 15th-floor location.
“Come in.”
I released the alarm and defense spells, unlocking the door.
A silhouette entered the room, swiftly crossing the window sill as if it had been waiting.
A chilly breeze followed behind.
“Excuse me.”
A calm voice reached my ears.
I looked at Nyhill, dressed in expedition gear with special equipment that seemed to assist in climbing the building, hanging all over her limbs.
“….”
Despite ascending to the 15th floor, she showed no signs of breathlessness.
I gazed at the composed woman who began her report on the things I had asked for.
Of course, the first thing was the whereabouts of Leciel.
“…She was in the art studio?”
“Yes. I confirmed her leaving the Gaudium Gallery’s studio and returning to the dormitory just now.”
I was momentarily stunned by the unexpected revelation.
Art, huh?
I never expected her to be absent without permission and be in the art studio.
“I thought she only knew swordsmanship, but she seems to have a different hobby.”
This was information not found in the investigation conducted before the counselling.
It was indeed surprising, considering that martial artists usually disdain the field of art.
In times like these, the treatment of art is particularly harsh.
Naturally, I assumed that she, being the granddaughter of Zion, who was dedicated to swordsmanship, would have no interest in that area.
Understanding Leciel Hiyashin deepens:
Understanding Level: 1/100 -> 2/100
I found myself deeply immersed in thought.
‘…How should I approach this counselling? It feels like I’ve gained a hint.’
Generally, people who share rare hobbies tend to become close rapidly.
And when it comes to art, I have some expertise in that area, having memories of a painter with whom I built a friendship.
‘If I utilize that experience… I might get closer to her more quickly than I initially thought.’
Unexpectedly, her unauthorized absence might turn out to be a favorable circumstance.
Considering Leciel’s hobby, if I plan the counselling scenario accordingly, the outcome would likely be better than if I proceeded with the counselling today.
‘I should involve Luke in the next session.’
Feeling somewhat relieved, I directed the next question to Nyhill.
“Alright. How did the kids react to the counselling?”
“Better than I expected…”
Nyhill seemed to choose her words carefully for a moment.
“It’s becoming a topic of discussion.”
“….”
“A topic?”
“Didn’t you see the Connector?”
“Well, I was going to.”
Certainly, the Connector was a meaningful indicator.
However, relying solely on such anonymous posts was ambiguous.
There were cases where even students who did not take extreme classes wrote fabricated articles to get attention.
‘In the first place, writing posts is a minority activity.’
As if understanding my thoughts, Nyhill continued with her explanation.
“It became a trend to share the experiences of one’s dreams. That includes sharing the professor’s reactions to those experiences.”
“….”
“Additionally, rumors are circulating that the counselling with you is on a different level from other professors, causing other students to feel a sense of deprivation. It seems to have become quite a topic among the professors as well.”
It was fortunate that the students’ reactions were positive.
I had some suspicions, but…’The sentence from ‘firewood’ has changed.’
It seemed that the Iris of Laplace, perceiving this counselling as quite effective progress, made such a comment.
▼
A handful of warmth touched the wet firewood. But the fire still couldn’t catch…
▲
As expected, a new clue I had been waiting for appeared.
▼
Find the warehouse keeper…
▲
Again, it wasn’t very intuitive this time either.
‘If you’re going to tell me, why not tell me who it is and where they live?’
The warehouse keeper.
With the information I currently have, I couldn’t even guess their identity.
‘A warehouse keeper… would they give me some artifact if I found them?’
Frankly, it was surprising.
I already possessed many artifacts.
A Master-grade robe enchanted with dispel magic, the Iris of Laplace can be called omnipotent, Black hope that held its ground against any weapon, although I hadn’t unlocked its unique ability yet.
I also had the financial means to instantly buy most artifacts available in the market.
‘…So far, all the clues the Iris of Laplace provided led to clear power-ups.’
Thinking about whether there was an artifact that would instantly grant me a tremendous power boost, it wasn’t easy to guess.
I sighed in disappointment.
‘It would have been nice if it was a reward like the unsealing of Black Hope.’
Anyway, since there might be additional clues, I planned to continue aiming for progress.
“….”
The girl stood on one side of the research lab, looking at me with curiosity.
“You’ve been through a lot dealing with all the chaotic tasks.”
“No, if there are no further orders, I will return now.”
A peculiar appearance.
She, with a stoic expression contrasting sharply with her petite appearance, turned towards the window again.
‘Hmm?’
…Casually following her gaze, I noticed a faint mist on the window, right then.
Unexpectedly, a sense of apology welled up.
“Eat some tea and snacks.”
“….”
Mid-April.
It was still chilly at this time of day outdoors.
I gestured to Nyhill, who stood tall.
“Even the picky ones seem to like it.”
There were still plenty of snacks brought from the counselling room.
The black eyes turned towards me.
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“Is it an order?”
I nodded to her, I felt that if I refused, she might just leave.
“Yes, it’s an order.”
“Understood.”
Only then did Nyhill approach and sit down, carefully picking up one snack after another in a somewhat mechanical motion.
Delicately, she settled in the front seat of the sofa and mechanically indulged in the snacks.
Sip, sip.
Her actions somehow seemed amusingly absurd.
Pssss-!
Right on cue, the magical teapot released steam.
Handing her a warm teacup, I observed her.
Despite likely being overwhelmed with a massive amount of work since arriving at Rosenstark, she didn’t show a hint of exhaustion.
At times like this, it was hard to believe that she was the same age as those inexperienced kids.
‘…Seems like it tastes good.’
Still, it was fortunate that my body, which had been tense, seemed to have relaxed a bit.
▼
Understanding Nyhill more deeply:
Understanding Level: 3/100 -> 4/100
▲
…It seemed like she enjoyed the snacks after all.
* * *
Meanwhile…
“Damn!”
Luke groaned as he tore apart the jaw of a demon by twisting his forearm 180 degrees.
Flames burst in front of him.
Right now, he couldn’t think about the peaceful time at Rosenstark.
“Die!”
Continuing, he plunged a dagger deep into the neck of the oncoming demon.
Beyond the splattering black blood, a bizarre, unseen structure appeared as if it belonged to another world.
Luke gritted his teeth.
Yeah, this was the world he had lived in for a long time.
…He had briefly forgotten about it due to his childish academy life.
* * *
Pile.
A magic used by demons to ‘demonize’ natural land, its form resembling a giant pile, giving it that name.
The area where the pile is driven becomes an environment where humans can no longer dwell.
It happens because all the ambient mana is converted into demonic energy.
Livestock gives birth to demons, and humans are corroded by demonic energy, and driven insane.
The Eastern Continent, which once boasted a brilliant civilization, fell into the clutches of demons like this.
Of course, there were many piles in the west as well.
Thanks to the hero defeating the Demon King, the Demon King’s main force retreated to the east, but the already driven piles didn’t disappear.
…It was called post-war recovery.
The Imperial Union Army under the emperor and the Dawn Knights dealt with high-grade piles.
Various mercenary groups and self-defense forces in cities and towns tackled low-grade piles.
Leaving the piles as they were would inevitably lead to uncontrollable damage, so it was a natural course of action.
The ‘Aureum Mercenary Corps,’ where Luke belonged, and which had the symbolic figure of the ‘Mercenary King’ as its leader, was no exception.
“Is the camp still far!?”
“Soon!”
Riding together with his horse, Luke tilted his body sideways, avoiding the attack of a bat-like demon that was flying straight towards him.
Normally, he would have cut it down with a single stroke, but due to numerous skirmishes, both his mana and stamina were at their limits.
“Duck!”
Following him, a mercenary shot the creature with a crossbow.
He was one of the subordinates sent by the Mercenary King to assist Luke.
“Uwaa, agh!”
But that wasn’t the end.
A mole-shaped demon hidden on the ground suddenly surged up, biting into the legs of the subordinate and pulling him down.
Despite striking the demon with the reins in one hand and hitting it with his weapon in the other, he couldn’t break free.
‘…Latito!’
Luke’s eyes gleamed.
Coincidentally, it was the same creature he had practiced on during the last demonology class.
It had a tough exoskeleton and resilient skin.
With depleted mana and a mace as his main weapon, it was a challenging demon to deal with.
But…
‘It has a weakness!’
Without a second thought, Luke’s hand reached out.
The hefty Pignon’s head traced an eerie trajectory, hitting the left side of the demon’s flank.
Keiii!
With a burst of dust, Latito fell to the ground.
“Th-thank you, Captain.”
Turning away from the battered ankle of the subordinate expressing gratitude, Luke muttered curses under his breath.
…Damn.
One more time.
Damn!!
‘…This road is damn tough.’
Three days on horseback from Rosenstark.
The Aureum Mercenary Corps was tasked with dismantling the piles there.
Since demonization had progressed significantly, the atmosphere around was closer to demon territory than human territory.
A land tainted with ash.
The crimson clouds in the sky swiftly moved due to the strong wind blowing.
Luke spat, urging the horse forward.
“Camp ahead!”
“Raise the flag!’
Before they could raise the flag, the guards shot down their crossbows, recognizing Luke at a glance.
His flowing long black hair, tall and sturdy figure, and vivid red eyes that shone even in the darkness were uncommon.
“Captain of the 11th is back!”
Luke entered the camp, welcomed by the guards.
* * *
The first time it descended and struck.
It was genuinely a horrifying impact.
A feeling of reality stepping aside, making way for something alien.
…A sinister thought crossed my mind:
Perhaps I’m witnessing the end of humanity unfold.
– Eastern Continent, District 13.
– An expert from an unknown record found in an evacuee shelter.
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