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Chapter 49

“Seriously. She didn’t even properly cast any spells; after she just muttered a few words, the entire dueling arena shook, and then, before I knew it, all of their heads had flown off in one go.”

“Perhaps Gerwin just prepared some random undead or equipment?”

“Random? He came out wearing the same thing he wore during the previous extermination practical. He was fully armed, you know??”

Filming was not allowed inside the Hall of Martial Arts, so only the students who had witnessed the duel could spread tales of Luize’s valor. And anyone who heard those stories was flabbergasted, finding them hard to believe.

“Gerwin is at least a B-rank hero, so if he was subdued in an instant, wouldn’t that mean she’s at least an A-rank hero? How does that even make sense?”

“It must be because Gerwin let his guard down. Didn’t you say he froze up and couldn’t do anything after the undead were swept away?”

“He might have been in a panic because he was facing never-before-seen magic. There’s also talk that she might have awakened a unique skill.”

To those who had not seen the duel, and even those who did see it, they believed that Gerwin had merely let his guard down. However, their doubts would remain unanswered forever—Gerwin couldn’t fight ever again.

“Thirty-eight different parts of his body have been afflicted with mana impairment. With injuries of this extent, he could be considered mana disabled.”

Putting down Gerwin’s medical report on his desk, Michael sighed and rubbed his eyebrows.

“The UD Group says they will properly claim compensation for this incident. To them, Gerwin was foolish, but as the twenty-fifth son, he had quite a bit of potential.”

“...”

“This incident also made the Hall of Martial Arts strengthen its security, making it difficult to play such tricks again. Moreover, Professor Charles and Dawn have sent complaints about how we foolishly wasted this chance.”

“...”

“Their order got delayed, even after they supported us with equipment, so it’s understandable that they’re upset. But now, thanks to you, our relationship has been further complicated.”

And on top of all that, the red flags surrounding Vier and the Barmuth family, who had been mentioned alongside Gerwin, had increased. Although there was no definite evidence at the moment, such suspicions always tended to accumulate and become a problem later on.

And to Michael, such a situation was no different from giving away their tail.

“Do you now understand how severe the damage our family has suffered from this incident is?”

Standing in front of Michael, Vier, a young man with a sturdy appearance, nodded with a stern face.

“Yes. I apologize.”

“Hmm... now that things have come to this point, I hope you have a solution of your own. What do you plan to do?”

“Since Luize Valente has returned to Babel, I plan to head over to the Ivory Tower to discuss with the members of Dawn there about how we should get rid of her. I’m considering using the upcoming sponsorship selection event of the Ivory Tower,” responded Vier calmly.

“And?”

“I plan to deal with Lee Se-Hoon during the upcoming extermination practical. If you lend a bit of support, I will make sure to end things decisively on my end.”

“Hm...”

After a moment of contemplation, Michael nodded, seemingly having made up his mind.

“If you need anything, just say the word. I’ll support you as long as it won’t cause any problems.”

“Thank you—”

“But,” interrupted Michael, looking at his son with cold eyes.

“If you fail this time as well, it would be best to give up your successorship.”

“...I’ll keep that in mind.”

“You may leave now.”

With that, Michael turned his attention back to the documents on his desk which signaled the end of the conversation. Seeing this, Vier bowed his head slightly and quietly left the office.

“...”

Now alone, Vier started walking through the corridor with an indifferent expression, his footsteps echoing solemnly through the hall. And soon, a strange noise started accompanying the echoes.

Krr- Grind-

It was the chilling sound of gnashing teeth. But despite the obvious source of the sound, Vier’s expression was unmoving, giving the impression that he was wearing a mask.

Then, when all sounds abruptly stopped, his mouth slowly opened.

“Lee Se-Hoon, was it...”

Though he hadn’t directly appeared, it was clear that Se-Hoon had influenced this matter greatly if one gave it some thought. After all, Luize had changed dramatically after becoming friends when Se-Hoon was admitted to Askus.

“Lee Se-Hoon...”

Vier muttered the name of the insolent underclassman who ruined his plan before clenching his fists with a determined look in his eye.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he resumed walking with a calm face.

***

In the lobby of their Askus hospital ward, Se-Hoon was sitting on an empty sofa re-reading the information message about his newly acquired skill.

[Awakening Dream] 『C』

[A form of self-hypnosis that forcibly awakens a blurred mind.

This skill automatically activates when mental contamination reaches a certain level. However, with prolonged use, the effectiveness decreases.

*Forcibly awakens the mind

*Weakens if activated repeatedly in a short period]

A psychic-type skill, huh...

Considering that even powerful heroes could die in vain due to mental attacks, this was a valuable skill regardless of its tier. However, he felt uneasy about it.

No matter how I think about it, something feels off...

There were various theories on how skills were acquired and formed, but every single one shared a commonality: one must have the talent for or know the basics in the relevant field. In other words, to acquire psychic-type skills, one had to possess at least some related qualities.

I’ve never acquired a psychic-type skill before regression, so why?

Although some might say that gaining a brand new skill was a wonderful thing regardless, to Se-Hoon, who had returned to the past, it was an irksome matter.

Is it really because I’ve just been unaware of my talent for it?

He was beyond lost over what the reason could be if it really was just a case of a new talent emerging. Perhaps all of it—

[Activating Awakening Dream]

Whoosh-!

In an instant, his mind became clear like he had been doused with ice-cold water, and he quickly realized that his deep thoughts had been abruptly cut off. He quickly looked down at his body with wide eyes.

So that’s how it works.

It turned out that Awakening Dream was a skill that forcibly awakened his mind if he started having thoughts that might negatively impact him. As he thought about how surprising the straightforwardness of the effect was, he suddenly came up with a usage for it.

Hm. This could be used for the Dream Ivory...

A few moments later, the missing parts of the blueprint for the equipment that would reinforce his vague memories of what happened before the regression had been quickly filled in.

“Hey.”

When he completed the blueprints, Luize approached after walking out of the adjacent corridor.

“What are you doing here?” asked Luize nonchalantly.

Calmly looking up at her, who was leaning to one side in front of him, Se-Hoon responded, “Just sitting.”

“As if I won’t know that...” she grumbled before flopping onto the same sofa, one seat away from him.

The sight of the two, who appeared close yet somehow distant, side by side attracted curious looks from passersby, but the two in question didn’t mind and just continued their conversation.

“Have you completed the discharge procedures?”

“I wish. I have to undergo examinations all week.”

Luize’s discharge and return to school had only been allowed on the condition that she stayed for an extra week to undergo thorough examinations. Such a condition was set because not only did Professor An Jeon-Wan want to document a case of overcoming mana impairment, but he also wanted to meticulously check Luize for outbreaks or recurrences of her wounds. Since such a thing had happened in the past, it was natural that he was worried.

“He’s a true doctor.”

“I agree. He’s been a great help in many ways over the last six months,” she said, looking out at the lobby with a vacant expression. Many memories of the many ways she had been helped by An Jeong-Wan had resurfaced.

Taking a moment to reminisce, she brought up another topic in a subdued voice.

“I met Professor Charles yesterday.”

To Luize, Professor Charles was her mentor who had helped her in many ways. However, now she knew that he was also a member of Dawn who had attempted to afflict her with mana disability through mana corrosion.

Hearing that Luize met with Professor Charles, Se-Hoon asked, “What did he say?”

“Well, he told me to come back to the Department of Elements and try my best again. He even said he’d talk to the Ivory Tower about the second-year student sponsorship.”

Such an offer would have made most students widen their eyes in excitement, but because of the offerer, just remembering it made Luize’s face twist in displeasure.

“I should have torn his throat out...” she quietly muttered.

“Did you refuse right away?”

She nodded at his question.

“I said it would be difficult because I’m planning to transfer to the Department of Battle Magic, and he seemed to accept after I gave him my reasons.”

It was easy to come up with a reason. After all, because Incantation Magic was far from the theoretical emphasis of general magic, the classes of the Department of Elements wouldn’t be of much help compared to the classes of a department that taught combat techniques with magic.

“Good. Like I said before, we can’t show our hands yet.”

“Don’t worry. I bit my tongue and endured it.”

Se-Hoon had advised her early on to pretend that she knew nothing about Professor Charles, or more precisely, about the group that he was affiliated with.

It was currently too dangerous to antagonize Dawn rashly, especially since they could easily cut ties and cover their tracks if the only evidence they had was just a single incident of mana corrosion.

Those guys wouldn’t hesitate to resort to committing terrorism even in Babel if necessary.

As a fanatical group of magicians who worshiped magic, Dawn was known for their extreme beliefs and actions, making them particularly dangerous. And considering the fact that they were also the subgroup of the even more dangerous Watchers, a group of madmen intent on manipulating the Six Harbingers of Destruction to their liking, far more preparations had to be made.

He would have to deal with them eventually, considering their bad blood with Luize, but now was definitely not the time.

“Remember, don’t get too cocky. Your victory was only possible due to a combination of many factors.”

There were four main factors that had combined to lead her to a decisive victory. The first was the synesthetic mindscape related to her vengeance, which had been deeply ingrained over the last six months. The second was the outstanding performance of Vargr, which specialized in amplifying Incantation Magic. The third was the fact that Luize’s Incantation Magic was completely new. Finally, the fourth was that Gerwin only specialized in controlling the undead; he lacked real combat experience to use them effectively, leading to inadequate responses.

If Luize had faced someone with specs similar to Gerwin’s but was smarter and had more practical experience, then she wouldn’t have stood a chance.

“Do I look like a kid to you?”

“You are a kid.”

“As if you’re older than me... anyway, don’t worry about me.”

She stroked the still visible scar on the back of her right hand and gave him a bitter smile.

“Do you think I would make the same mistake after my throat nearly got cut open?”

While it was true that those targeting her had set a trap, she had been far too arrogant due to her talent and fell into the trap as a result.

Her self-deprecating tone and bitter expression made him pause and ponder for a moment before nodding.

“Well, thinking about it now, if it did actually happen to you again, the result would have been deserved.”

“...You’re crazy.”

Despite the topic that would make anyone flustered, Se-Hoon always seemed to have something ready to say. And the expression on his face as he said it, which made him seem like he was asking if he said something wrong, just made her shake her head and turn her gaze back to the lobby in front of her.

“...”

The sight of the ward, which she had already grown accustomed to over the past six months, would soon become a memory of the past. Memorizing the scenery like she would never see it again, she slowly opened her mouth.

“When I was first hospitalized here, I thought I would be expelled soon.”

“...”

“I was burning with the desire for revenge... but, it was inevitable that I would realize that it’s not an easy task.”

She had been diagnosed with mana impairment which even Professor An Jeong-Wan, who was considered the highest authority in the field of rehabilitation, had no idea how to treat. All this time, Luize had been living in denial, but deep down, she was well aware of her condition.

Yet she had stubbornly stayed in Askus, but it wasn’t for the grand reason of revenge.

“Giving up was too scary.”

She looked down at the scar on her hand and smiled bitterly.

“What could I even do? It wasn’t like I was an official hero. How could such an insignificant person like me ever get revenge on them? I was terrified of such a bleak future, so I hid here.”

Knowing that she wouldn’t be able to cure her mana impairment and would eventually be miserably expelled from Babel, she was unable to do anything but stay in Askus. At least the rehabilitation experiments made her feel like there was a slim possibility for herself.

“Looking back, it was such a foolish thing to do. I was just wasting time, too scared to think of anything else even though I knew it was meaningless.”

“...”

“But... um...”

Struggling to organize her thoughts, she opened and closed her mouth repeatedly. Seeing this, Se-Hoon just waited silently with no plans of urging her.

Finally managing to organize her thoughts a moment later, she slowly continued her story.

“But thanks to you, I think I’ve found an excuse for myself.”

“Excuse?”

“That I was able to learn Incantation Magic because I endured through these hardships; that I could easily defeat Gerwin...”

Trailing off, she glanced at him and then muttered in a low voice, “Or that I could meet you here.”

If she had endured those hardships knowing all these facts, she might have praised herself for doing a great job. However, her meeting with Se-Hoon had been nothing short of a miracle.

That was why she said he gave her an excuse. It was all thanks to him that she could find a reason for her otherwise meaningless time in Askus.

“So... what I want to say is...”

How should she conclude this lengthy story she brought up haphazardly? Trying to think of something, she began to reminisce about every moment with Se-Hoon.

He was selfish, quirky, and without a trace of consideration, but he was her benefactor who always guided her in the right direction in desperate situations.

What... That was easy.

With just a little bit of thought, it was obviously clear how she should conclude this story.

She smirked and said, “Thanks for your help.”

She simply expressed her gratitude with full sincerity.

[The bond with ‘Luize Valente’ has increased to Lv. 2.]

[Since the bond has increased to Lv. 2, a Relationship has been established. Your Relationship with ‘Luize Valente’ is currently ‘Guidance’.]

[Relationship: Guidance]

[Guiding others is a heavy responsibility as it deeply influences their future.

Guiding them on the right path might not be easy, but if you lead them correctly without shirking responsibility, there won’t be a Relationship more reliable than this.

*A Fatestone is created every time you guide the subject correctly.

*The maturation rate of the Fatestone increases during situations where you guide the subject.

*Currently created Fatestone: None]

Reading the notification message that appeared before him, Se-Hoon wore a surprised expression.

So she can also have such thoughts, huh?

He remembered how the Blast Dog was extremely self-centered. If things went well, it was all thanks to her; if things went wrong, it was always someone else’s fault.

She had self-hypnotized herself to prevent her Incantation Magic from weakening due to self-blame. But in actuality, there was no need as she genuinely thought that way.

She couldn’t trust anyone but herself.

However, the Blast Dog—no, Luize Valente had become capable of trusting others. Whether such a thing was better was uncertain, but he decided not to think too deeply about it.

Now it’s up to me.

Thinking about the distant future, he looked at her, who was glancing at him.

“You make it sound so hard to say thank you.”

“...Why did I expect a touching response from such a rude bastard?”

She sighed deeply and then looked at the clock in the lobby before standing up.

“Well then, I’m leaving now.”

“Ah, hold on,” he called out.

He pointed at the black choker around her neck.

“You can give that back now. Since it’s broken anyway, I’ll make use of it when I make you a new one.”

Vargr, the black choker, had lost all functionality after the battle with Gerwin. It was natural since the projection alloy it was made of had low durability and thus overloaded when she used such high-output Incantation Magic.

I’ll have to make it with proper materials next time.

Although the materials were not easy to come by, he thought it wouldn’t be too difficult to obtain with the money earned from the last auction. And if that didn’t work, he could just go get them himself.

“What? This?”

“Yeah. You won’t need it anymo—”

“I don’t want to.”

“...What?”

Seeing him puzzled by her unexpected response, she stroked the choker around her neck. It felt cold, yet somehow warm. That ticklish yet precious sensation made her grin.

“It’s mine now.”

And with that, she turned and walked away briskly.