abcnovels
Chapter 113
Chapter 113
Chapter 113
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“Yussi claims to have found the blessing of Zero Requiem. It’s about the rumored eighth blessing.”
While the hero was in confusion, the multi-communication was quickly concluded.
The fact that he obtained ‘evolution’ was a fact he did not share with anyone, not even the emperor.
Naturally, Euphemia, who knew nothing, was delighted by Yussi’s unexpected discovery and praised her.
Yussi raised a glass and said, “I will Inherit the blessing well. When the hero returns to the front line, I will return with him.”
‘…How on earth did Yussi find out about the whereabouts of the eighth blessing?’
The hero tried to grasp the details while acting as expressionless as possible, but it was not easy.
In the end, there was only one conclusion.
They had to meet right away and hear the whole story.
Woooong-
Awakening from the illusion of communication magic, back to the laboratory.
He immediately activated the Asteria Vision to find Yussi.
“…Noubelmag’s workshop?”
At this late hour, she, who should be in her quarters, was in the shopping district.
The words Noubelmag had said before flashed through his mind, back then.
“Well, there’s an excuse to tear it apart thoroughly.”
“She’s doing something quite cute.”
Next, what came to mind was the ‘Weird machine that flies in the sky,’ which was useful in rescuing children from the Forest of Martial Arts.
The puzzle pieces had finally come together to form a shape.
‘..It was made at Yussi’s request.’
It was a belated realization that came unexpectedly.
During the confusion of fighting the collaborator, he had thought of it as just one of Noubelmag’s new attempts.
But looking back, its purpose was clear.
It looked shabby at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it was a very sophisticated item.
Not the kind you could make casually.
Surely, astronomical funds were involved in the design and production.
‘She’s certain it’s in the sky.’
Given Yussi’s calculating personality, she wouldn’t have made such an investment without being sure.
The problem was delving further into the labyrinth.
The eighth blessing, ‘Evolution.’
Wasn’t that something Zero Requiem had prepared for the salvation of humanity?
‘Could there be more artifacts like the Iris of Laplace?’
How did Yussi know about that clue, and even the precise location in the sky?
“……”
Regardless, he intended to stop Yussi from going to the sky.
In the process with no apparent benefits, spending astronomical funds and bearing risks would be inevitable.
‘The problem is how to persuade… though.’
If, in this situation, there were sudden discussions about the presence or absence of blessing, it would be very suspicious.
Lost in such thoughts, he found himself in front of the workshop.
Wheeeeng-!
With a loud mechanical sound, the machines positioned at the entrance all turned to look at the hero.
In the past month, thanks to Yussi’s extensive material support, the workshop had transformed into a fortress-like structure.
– Verified.
He had been on the authorized entry list for a long time, so there was no threat to him.
However, the hero walked towards the distant voices and listened intently.
“…When is that damn machine going to be completed?”
“This ignorant alchemist. Does she think I’m wielding some magical wand? It still needs more work! We have to experiment while the mana stone is still pouring in.”
“It flew well in the forest.”
“Back then, the altitude was low, and the flight time was short. Do you want it to crash into pieces in the sky hundreds of meters above?”
“Do you think so? I’m anxious because there’s no time.”
“Why don’t you design it better from the beginning?”
The squabbling ceased as the hero’s footsteps approached.
Yussi, who appeared in the doorway, looked at him with rabbit-like eyes.
Disheveled hair and swollen eyes.
She stood up abruptly.
“Hero? Why would you come to this humble and wretched place…?”
Sigh.
Meanwhile, Noubelmag, perhaps interpreting the hero’s visit as he pleased, groaned and got up.
“Did you come to see the unarmed prototypes? Well, even if you’re looking forward to it, what will happen if you grill an old man like me in the middle of the night?”
…The hero cut to the chase without hesitation.
“Yussi, how did you know about the existence and location of the blessing?”
.
.
.
Seeing the hero’s expression, Yussi answered directly, excluding any nonsense.
“Zero Requiem’s disciple. I found it in the journal he left behind.”
It was a confusing answer for the hero.
Zero’s disciple.
It was a story unfamiliar even to someone who had lived for many years.
The fact that Zero disappeared without passing on his vision to anyone was a well-known legend.
Everyone lamented the disappearance of Zero, which caused a significant setback in magical advancements.
If there had been someone to whom he passed something, they would have left traces in history long ago.
In response to my gaze filled with puzzlement, Yussi added further explanation.
“I, too, found it suspicious. I collected and analyzed related historical records, nonfiction stories, and even scattered documents in the streets for the past few years.”
“So?”
“I speculate that Zero deliberately concealed the existence of his disciple. Only after he disappeared did occasional traces of the ‘secret disciple’ emerge. But one thing is certain.”
Yussi raised her hand.
“Zero Requiem’s disciple existed, and he was pursuing his master’s eighth blessing.”
Excitement, knowing a secret that no one else knew, was pushing fatigue away from Yussi’s face.
At the same time, the hero suddenly recalled a clue he had long forgotten.
“The name of the ‘secret disciple’ hidden behind that veil is…”
“Depikio Lugo.”
“Deph… ex.”
A gasp echoed.
* * *
“…Hero, do you also know Depikio Lugo?”
Yussi stumbled and asked, her face now filled with astonishment instead of excitement.
Well, he was an unknown figure to the public.
It was natural to be surprised when the name of such a person was revealed all at once.
‘…Depikio Lugo.’
It was a key to solving the current problem.
“Of course, I know.”
There wasn’t precise information about him.
After obtaining the nameplate in the cave of protection, the hero had searched for his name in the information repository but found nothing.
?
The current information is in an undisclosed state.
?
No information could be obtained.
But the important thing was that no one could know how much he knew about Depikio.
“This is….”
Yussi’s eyes widened.
Seeing the nameplate of Depikio Lugo, she was gaping in astonishment.
Thinking it was an important item related to Zero, he had kept it in the key to Valber.
It turned out to be helpful like this.
“I, too, have investigated Zero Requiem’s activities. Thanks to that, I could learn about Depikio Lugo’s existence.”
Feeling uneasy, Yussi’s eyes narrowed.
“…Is that so?”
“To get straight to the point, there is no blessing at that location.”
No further explanation was needed.
The nameplate of Depikio Lugo in his hand was evidence enough.
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As an alchemist, she would instantly realize that this wasn’t a counterfeit.
Of course, if it were someone else who claimed to have evidence, he wouldn’t have been easily believed.
…’Hero’ was the person she trusted the most.
The lie was too easily woven.
“No… that can’t be.”
Yussi blinked with a bewildered expression.
Her hand fell weakly to her knees.
‘…What is this?’
It was a different expression than usual.
Although he had seen Yussi disappointed before, this depth… was unusual.
It wasn’t just the disappointment of not gaining the expected benefit; it seemed to be a reaction to facing a huge crisis.
Feeling an immediate need to address it, he opened his mouth.
“Yussi.”
“…Yes?”
“What’s wrong?”
After a moment of silence passed.
Yussi reluctantly answered.
“No… it’s just household matters that I need to attend to….”
“Yussi.”
She had an expression that conveyed apologies for causing inconvenience.
However, with a determined gaze that showed he had no intention of retracting the question, she eventually opened up.
“…It seems like my family is trying to cast me aside.”
* * *
‘Forest of Martial Arts collaborator Incident Emergency Meeting.’
Before entering the conference room, Yussi took a deep breath, anticipating the unfolding meeting.
“It’s called a meeting, but it’s basically like an interrogation.”
The documents in her hand were filled with the damage report of the current incident.
[Forest of Martial Arts collaborator Incident Damage Report]
Unir Course, ‘Extreme’ damage situation:
2 seriously injured, other minor injuries.
Infrastructure and building damage:
Approximately 25,000 gold.
Compensation for casualties:
Approximately 8,000 gold.
Reconstruction and repair costs:
Approximately 40,000 gold.
Personnel and equipment costs for rescue and investigation team:
Approximately 10,000 gold.
Medical and treatment expenses…
Since Yussi assumed the position of principal, this was the largest amount of loss she had faced.
What was more unfortunate was that this document had fallen into the hands of academy professors hostile to her.
Of course, the attack by Enoch was like a natural disaster, not anyone’s fault.
Still…
‘As the highest authority figure of the academy and the majority shareholder of the school corporation, I can’t avoid responsibility.’
Opinions among the faculty would probably be split.
Those who were antagonistic toward her and the hero.
Friendly young professors.
And those who tried to remain neutral with ambiguous positions.
If she played her cards right, she might conclude the meeting without too much damage.
Yussi made that conclusion and entered the meeting room.
…And she faced a more intense confrontation than expected.
“Given that the principal visited the control center just before the incident and that Professor Felson surreptitiously entered Rosenstark, doesn’t it suggest that Professor Redymer and his associates were aware that such an incident would occur?”
[PR/N: It seems they’re calling Felson a prof bc he was a guest faculty maybe?]
We didn’t know about the incident in advance, but prepared for it, you conspiracy theorist!
As mentioned before, the recent activities of the demons were not normal.
“If you had given us a heads-up, our faculty could have handled this incident more smoothly.”
What nonsense is this person talking about in a situation where we don’t even know who the collaborators are?
“If Professor Redymer expected a disturbance, why did he choose Forest of Martial Arts, a location far from the central part of the academy, as the testing ground? He must have known it would be difficult to handle.”
Isn’t it fortunate that such trouble didn’t happen at the central part of the academy?
We made efforts to minimize the damage and achieve the best results, right?
As Yussi was responding, she realized something was going wrong because the aggressive questions didn’t stop.
Even neutral professors were censuring her with raised voices.
‘What is this…?’
Various hypotheses and countermeasures came to her mind, but Yussi couldn’t follow through.
“At this point, there’s one rational suspicion.”
“Rational suspicion?”
“Professor Redymer, who knew about the collaborators, used children as bait…”
That was enough.
Everyone has their limit.
Those were the words that she couldn’t keep calm about.
The irritation and fatigue that have accumulated over the past few days.
Old-fashioned people who don’t even know the situation and only know how to make a fuss.
And the joyous expressions on their faces as if they had found a way to damage the hero.
The anger quickly rose to a critical point.
bang-!
Yussi’s fist slammed the table.
It was an action that shouldn’t have been taken in a meeting, but there was no other option.
The meeting room fell silent instantly.
The emotional toneless voice continued as if emotions were excluded.
“Who is the ultimate decision-maker for this academy?”
‘Well, they obviously want…’
“It’s you, the principal.”
“So, if there are any demands, don’t pass the responsibility to some distant place; tell me.”
The professors’ eyes sparkled at those words.
The topic was quickly redirected to the calculation of recovery costs.
‘…It won’t be an easy amount.’
Surprisingly, Yussi was in a financially tight situation.
This was due to the collapse of the “Craftsmen Expo” and the substantial purchase of magical stones for the expedition for Zero’s blessing.
Unusually for Yussi, her wallet was sort of empty….
Just as Yussi finished her calculations and was about to speak, the meeting room door forcefully opened.
“I’m a bit late, aren’t I?”
A self-assured voice.
Following that, sharp and clear footsteps.
Everyone’s gaze turned towards the unexpected visitor who stood in front of the table.
‘…What’s going on?’
As Yussi quickly adjusted her expression, the unwelcome guest took their place.
A woman, similar to her but with a few more wrinkles and much more venomous eyes, smirked.
“Hello, Yussi.”
“…Merian.”
With her arms crossed, Merian raised her chin and looked down at Yussi.
Her small and sharp jawline was something Yussi had always looked up to since childhood.
“You’re weak, as always. Right now, it’s not just about the recovery costs.”
Merian Glendor.
A competitor and an intimidating sister.
She was the co-chairman of the Glendor Educational Foundation.
The appearance of an adversary carried significant implications.
Merian leaned in, tilting her upper body deeply towards Yussi’s ear.
“What’s this about? Seems like your recent actions aren’t sitting well with Father?”
Her whisper resonated like thunder.
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