abcnovels
Chapter 66
Chapter 66
Chapter 66
HEL SCANS
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The weekend visitation room was adorned with bright and warm-colored wallpaper, where the children were catching up with their families after a long time.
Some were indulging in playful antics, complaining about the hardships of academy life, while others expressed longing for their hometowns.
Nyhill, silently observing this scene, turned her gaze back to ‘Father.’
A warm, yet somewhere dry, look met her eyes.
“When will you go back?”
“I have to go soon. Can’t leave the store empty for too long.”
“I see.”
“Oh, it’s a shame I haven’t been able to see my daughter for a long time. I wish I could find a nearby inn and visit her regularly.”
A middle-aged man who bore quite a resemblance to her.
Of course, he wasn’t her real father.
He was an agent prepared by the Clandestine group to match her undercover identity.
“Oh, Mom said to send her regards. You might be busy, but try to write letters often.”
“Yes, don’t worry. I’m doing well. Of course, Dad knows our daughter is doing fine.”
A mundane conversation fitting for a normal interaction between a father and daughter who rarely meet.
‘Father’ hugged Nyhill with tears welling up in his eyes.
Nyhill gently brushed his back and, seizing the opportunity, fiddled with the vial of antidote clutched in her hand.
The antidote had to be taken with each meal.
If not consumed within the specified period, the dormant poison within the body would dissolve the organs, leading to a painful death.
It was a shackle to restrain the ‘ghost,’ dealing with numerous secrets.
Once in the clandestine group, one had to share a lifetime with this poison.
That’s why comrades who retained enough humanity to joke often referred to this antidote as their ‘companion.’
Nyhill played with the ‘companion’ in her hand and then, in a quiet moment, tucked it into the embrace.
Her father, who had been closely observing her, finally turned his gaze.
“I’ll go in now. There’s a lot of homework left.”
“Yeah, yeah. Studying is good, but don’t forget your health. Our daughter always makes us proud.”
“Yes, Father, take care on your way back to the shop.”
The agent maintained the act of a slightly pitiful father being impressed by his daughter’s grandeur until the end before leaving.
Nyhill, with the snacks he brought, watched his departing figure.
The genuine smiles of the security guards, deceived by the feigned parental affection, were heartwarming.
Under her dishevelled black hair, Nyhill’s silent, deep-set eyes moved left and right for a moment.
Observing real parents and students playing family, Nyhill turned her head and left the visitation room. The intercom was ringing.
…
Knock, knock!
“Come in.”
Nyhill cautiously closed the door and entered the research lab.
It was daytime, so there was no need to escape through the exterior walls.
Swoosh!
The hero was looking at the piled-up documents, creating a calm atmosphere, yet Nyhill could sense his peculiar tension.
In a corner of the room, facing the standing girl, he spoke.
“Nyhill, you’ve probably received orders from higher-ups.”
“Yes. I also received information about the whereabouts of the Dawn Knights member Noubelmag.”
“Alright, I’m thinking of leaving early tomorrow morning. I’d like you to accompany me.”
“Yes, no problem.”
The hero nodded with satisfaction.
Nyhill had a doll with the same appearance as her main body.
The plan was for the doll to attend classes at Rosenstark, while Nyhill would accompany the hero.
Originally, he intended to go alone, but…
“A stake…”
The hero carefully reread the note’s postscript.
The village where Noubelmag was presumed to be hiding is called ‘Lonkers.’
Located in the west of the empire, it’s an obscure village that can only be reached by heading further west from Rosenstark.
A small mine had been developed in the nearby mountains in the past, but it was abandoned a few years ago, leading to rapid decline.
“Now, it seems to be occasionally used as a refuge for people with stories…”
The hero pondered, examining the documents in detail.
In the document, there was a brief explanation of why Noubelmag had taken refuge in such an unremarkable village, as well as the assumptions made by the secret agent.
It was the same reason the Original told me.
“…”
The issue was a few days ago, a stake was driven into the wasteland near the area.
It was one of the trade routes mainly used by traders heading to the extreme north.
Naturally, the Emperor, Euphemia, expressed concerns.
[There’s no intention to send someone else, right? Well… if another person goes, Noubelmag won’t even show his face, but…]
“It’s a low-grade stake. Besides, it’s quite a distance from Lonkers. It hasn’t been influenced yet.”
[Because there is such a thing as what if. Plus, even at low levels, there are managers at the stake. It is dangerous if the demons find out about your visit and try to do something.]
The note ended with the hero’s decision to secretly visit.
Being a hero, he couldn’t bring a large escort and draw attention.
“Of course, I plan to go discreetly. I’m called a hero, but I can’t bring a large escort like that.”
[Yeah, at least take Number 3 with you. That resourceful agent should be able to help you out even in unexpected situations.]
With these circumstances, Nyhill was assigned as a companion for the journey.
Moreover, when she fell into a sleep state, the doll could collect information gathered during her absence.
If anything happened at the academy, she could receive a report promptly.
The hero, looking at the expressionless girl listening to the explanation, spoke,
“I plan to contact Noubelmag and return. If I hurry, it should take about a week.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Since we can’t depart together, join in midway. This seems like a good joining point.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Good.”
The hero turned his gaze back to the map.
He recalled his last conversation with Euphemia.
[Just a friendly reminder, don’t go after the stake for no reason. If the military has the resources, they’ll handle it.]
“Resources… are they planning to ignore it for now?”
[For the time being, leave it to their local militia. It’s not a high-grade stake, and there’s no spare force to allocate to such areas. It’s not a densely populated area either.]
Though it sounded ruthless, it was a reasonable judgement.
“Then I’ll go prepare.”
“Sure.”
Leaving the thoughtful hero behind, Nyhill exited the research room.
The peculiar item she discovered was at the door—an oddly familiar spear.
Upon closer inspection, it was Gerald’s spear from dungeon practice.
She briefly recalled her conversation with the boy.
‘Did he really request that and… you listened?’
[To my dear disciple Gerald, filled with affection and support – Ted Redymer.]
The signature of the hero, written in a rough script, accompanied the inscription on the spear shaft.
Nyhill turned her gaze back.
The hero, eyebrows furrowed in contemplation, continued to examine documents and maps.
‘What I wish for…’
The pondering continued.
Since she wasn’t even a real student, she had no intention of asking anything from the hero.
She herself wasn’t sure what she desired.
Nyhill closed the door carefully so as not to disturb and left the room.
***
Preparations for the journey to ‘Lonkers’ were quickly completed.
There was no reason to drag it out.
The round trip would take about a week, and the necessary luggage was only a hood that could conceal her entire face and a black robe.
The farewell was modest, consisting only of Pia and Yussi.
“Ugh.”
Yussi, looking extremely tired as if she had stayed up all night, yawned abruptly, but when our eyes met, she quickly stopped.
“Wow, you’re having a hard time because of that dwarf’s sack of shit, Hero.”
“…”
“Why retire when you’re still in good shape? It’s annoying to bother people by retiring. Tsk.”
Before retiring, he grumbled about how a day was too long.
Meanwhile, Pia looked very disappointed.
Her face, handing over a bag containing essentials and simple travel items, revealed her desire to join us.
It made sense because alchemy and metallurgy were broad aspects of the same manufacturing field.
Alchemy also dealt with ores as materials.
Pia, who was passionate about learning, probably wanted to meet Noubelmag, a master in that field, to receive various advice.
However, taking Pia with us on this potentially dangerous journey, considering her combat abilities were limited, was not an option.
Taking the bag, I advised her,
“If things go well, I’ll make arrangements for us to meet next time. So endure this disappointment for now.”
“Oh, really? You don’t have to, though.”
You don’t have to…….
As I looked at her face, pale like flour due to lack of sunlight, feelings of anticipation and excitement crossed her features.
Whistle-!
Suddenly, Yussi whistled loudly, catching my attention.
“What’s going on?”
“Ta-da!”
I stared in surprise at the giant silhouette that appeared next to the side door.
Approaching steadily and gracefully, with its luxurious and elastic movements, it stopped next to Yussi, and its massive head was level with her shoulder.
“What is it?”
“Just a moment~”
It appeared so.
A long, sturdy neck, a well-developed physique all over, long and elastic legs.
The creature had intelligence and powerful strength, as I could tell from the brief moment it stopped next to Yussi.
Its height was undoubtedly several hands higher than a regular horse.
“…A horse?”
“Just a good one.”
That seemed to be the case.
“Shh, be good.”
Yussi reached out proudly, stroking the creature’s short, shiny fur.
Incidentally, the fur was the same dark ash color as my hair.
“Hehehe, my dear. Whenever I felt frustrated, I used to ride this one around the academy grounds. Please ride him on this trip.”
“Yes, yes.”
I took the reins in my hands.
I climbed onto its firm and flat back.
Between its legs, I could feel the tough muscles.
“Whoa, whoa.”
Surprisingly docile, there was no fuss even with an unfamiliar rider on its back.
Its strength was impressive.
Normally, horses tend to sway a bit when the weight of the rider and the black hope saddle are applied simultaneously, but this creature remained completely steady.
I expressed my admiration and asked,
“What’s its name?”
Yussi chuckled awkwardly, “Hehe, how about letting the Hero give it a new name?”
I shook my head.
“If it’s this smart, it must be familiar with its original name. I’ll just keep calling it that.”
“Ahaha.”
“Yussi?”
“…Ted.”
She spoke in an unusually hesitant voice, quite different from her usual self.
I asked her again.
“What?”
“Ted.”
I looked at the horse beneath me and then looked away without saying a word.
“Wow.”
Pia looked stunned at the sight of her alchemical senior, her stern boss.
“…Let’s go.”
“…Yes.”
With Yussi bowing her head deeply in the background, the dawn began to break, revealing the sky.
A blue morning sun spread low among the clouds.
The transition from dawn to morning was the perfect time to start a journey.
Feeling the cool breeze on my forehead, I took hold of the reins.
“Well, then I’ll be off.”
As I urged the horse forward, the alchemist duo waving goodbye disappeared quickly beyond the horizon.
A little later, I found Nyhill waiting, crouched under a road sign.
And that evening, a notice appeared on the connector.
It contained information that would make the children’s eyes doubtful.
HEL SCANS
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