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232nd Chapter: A New Mission (1)

It’s been a week since the Magical Banquet ended.

Thanks to the Artificial Golems’ help, the town, which had become a mess, quickly recovered and returned to its original state.

However, it was difficult to restore the important achievements within the Academy.

The events prepared by the student council included many elements directly related to grades.

Because of this incident, summer vacation was pushed back.

With vacation fast approaching, students with poor grades were in a hurry to gather points.

Even the top students of each grade suffered severely from the festival’s impact.

“How can there be no day off at all?”

I complained while riding in the carriage, resting my chin on the window frame.

Originally, I should have been relaxing leisurely during vacation, but that opportunity had been delayed, leaving me utterly drained.

Moreover, I had already filled all my scores for the final evaluations.

Since I completed the train derailment incident with Mary last time, I could have scraped by regarding grades.

Yet, another issue arose.

“Well, it can’t be helped. It’s a request from the great Spirit King Shaikar.”

“Don’t be too disheartened, Radon. We’re right here with you.”

Luska and Jenny, sitting next to me in the carriage, comforted me.

At least, I didn’t feel lonely because friends like them were participating in the mission together.

“Hehehe… I’m going on another mission with my friend~”

Above all, I expected I wouldn’t be bored with Mary beside me.

Mary was also a student who didn’t need to worry about grades. Yet, she insisted on joining this carriage behind me.

“But I wish other friends had come too. What a shame it’s only four of us.”

According to the request, the maximum number of participants was limited to four.

Additionally, only those with high skills who could hide their presence were admitted, making this group suitable.

“True, having Angela, who vibes well, would have made it easier….”

Unfortunately, Angela, the Saint, was too noticeable to be included.

The same went for Nebia, and she even had a busy schedule keeping up with her duties as the student council secretary.

A few days prior, they returned from the Imperial Capital alongside Mirona.

Fortunately, political maneuvers concerning the Princess amidst the nobility were thwarted with the help of the two Saints and the Pope.

The schemes of those who attempted to leverage Mirona for political power fell apart.

If I hear this news, it means Mirona is no longer in danger, and the continent’s doom brought on by the rampaging Lyman is avoided.

‘And just as I was about to relax and unwind.’

I realized I had overlooked something. Even though Makia was captured, she wasn’t the only mastermind.

Grisha Highend. Once the chieftain of the elf tribe, now seated as the lord of the Yellow Tower.

Per Shaikar’s words, he was spotted in the Imperial Capital, and reports were automatically delivered from Spike, who was disguised as Enviel at the time.

That guy is just as insane as Makia.

He was the one who actively advocated for using Plan B to blow up the continent when Makia casually suggested it.

No matter how sad he is about his daughter’s death, does he really need to go that far?

Isn’t he essentially undermining his own efforts to resurrect his daughter as an Artificial Spirit?

‘It’s vital to eliminate every element of anxiety down to the root.’

“If possible, I will meet him directly.”

At that moment, Aisha spoke up. Once the final weapon of Doomsday, she had now become the Spirit I contracted.

Now, she only hears my commands, not her father’s.

“If it’s my father, he will definitely listen to me.”

Because the person who risked many dangers to resurrect her as a Spirit, Aisha added.

But I felt no credibility in those words.

‘It would be useless. Sure, you must miss him a lot since he resurrected you as a Spirit, but such a person was willing to even throw away his life.’

‘…’

‘That doesn’t make it easy to view it as a spirit of sacrifice for you.’

In reality, Doomsday’s plan included the assassination… that is, the suicide of the lord of the Yellow Tower, Grisha himself.

His sense of mission, seeking to ensure the plan’s success at the cost of his life, would be admirable.

However, if the continent were to perish, even Aisha, whom he painstakingly modified into a Spirit, would die.

I can’t understand his feelings as he actively participated in all of the Emperor’s plans.

‘Then, what exactly is my father scheming?’

‘Who knows.’

Right now, I was on a carriage, heading to find that out.

Once a lush forest, it had now become a land of death.

*

In the western Empire, the dense forest of Ruzeto.

That green-clad forest was originally known as the land of the elves.

However, due to a sudden attack by an unidentified group, it burned entirely, and the phrase “land of the elves” became a memory of the past.

Now, it had transformed into a hideous land, completely devastated.

Since the elven village’s destruction, it had become a den for numerous Monsters and vile Spirits.

We stepped into that infamous land.

But…

“Just as I expected, it’s not frightening at all, right?”

Jenny, who had dismounted from the horse anxiously, spoke.

Around her, decayed plants had turned into ghostly trees, yet they didn’t instill any fear as they photosynthesized under the sunlight.

In fact, just ahead, a village naturally existed.

If someone who is extremely sensitive to fear like her uttered such words, it showed just how unscary it was.

It felt more like entering a ghost house at an amusement park, only to laugh instead of getting scared.

“Honestly, the land of death is merely a metaphor. It’s just a place where people have settled and are living normally.”

That nickname arose purely from the elven village incident.

As you can see, the area is perfectly liveable, and the Monsters and Spirits only emerge when you venture deeper.

The destroyed elven village is also in that deeper part.

“Even so, it’s a place where a tragedy occurred… there’s no curse or something, right?”

“If there’s a primary source of income, people will see curses as mere superstition and will establish their own profits.”

While we were looking around the village, we saw numerous miners transporting vast quantities of ore.

Despite the gruesome rumors circulating, this is why a village had been established here.

After the village was built, it became a stronghold for those daring enough to question if this land was truly as terrifying.

They resembled ghost-hunting BJs from my world.

Their home, which was consumed by flames, was now used as a village for profit, and oblivious humans traipsed through with no sense of deep mourning, simply out of curiosity.

For the elves, such events must have been heartbreaking.

‘Honestly, Grisha must be quite pissed off.’

However, it was said that the leadership of this village was about to be transferred to some noble.

Investigating that was currently our mission, and the requester was none other than the village chief.

We met and spoke with the chief in a large building in the village.

“Hmm… Are you the young lady of the Chain Silver Family?”

“Yes.”

“And you are the daughter of the lord of the White Magic Tower…”

“I’m Mary Ryudshiel! Nice to meet you, Bald-headed Village Chief!”

Upon seeing Jenny and Mary, the chief let out a big sigh.

It clearly wasn’t only because Mary teased him about being bald.

“Aren’t you student types a bit too noticeable?”

“….”

We had nothing to say about that.

Clearly, he had requested to send less recognizable students, yet he received a duke’s daughter and the daughter of the top Magic Tower instead.

“At least Mary here can barely pass unnoticed. There might be people who don’t know her face unlike mine. But you…”

“Y-yes…?”

Jenny trembled, flinching at the response suggesting she wouldn’t fit the cutoff line.

The Chain Silver Family’s high prestige was also a reason, and recently that prestige had grown even higher.

Rumors had it that their head, Gerard, had significant potential to ascend the throne due to the latest events.

It was impossible for Jenny not to be concerned about such colossal news.

Understanding the chief’s feelings, I hurriedly apologized.

“I’m really sorry. The Academy suggested picking the very best Ace, and this is how it turned out.”

“Aren’t there anyone else with good skills but less recognized faces?”

“No…”

[Degradation Rate: -4%]

[+400 Credits]

Actually, there were. Our protagonist, Lyman, was definitely one.

However, he reportedly lost immense mana due to destroying a meteor.

He wasn’t profoundly weak but was specifically allocating his strength to protect Mirona.

Due to being a relative of the Emperor, many still aimed to seize him.

“This is quite a predicament. This matter is related to him.”

“Who is that?”

“Harkel Viole. He’s the head of the Viole Family.”

Upon hearing that, Jenny immediately swallowed hard.

She’d often heard from her father and mother about the family’s cursed ties to the Viole Family.

As seen in Chapter 1, the Viole family’s resentment towards Chain Silver runs deep.

Trabel’s imprisonment was surely justified on Chain Silver’s account.

“The head of the Viole Family has been hoping for the Emperor’s position for a long time. There are rumors that he’s been employing dubious tactics to prevent it from being seized by Chain Silver. Most likely the reason he wants to dominate our village.”

Thus, an Ace student capable of stealth was needed.

“Those in the know will understand, but that lord…”

“Chief!”

Just then, the door burst open, and a villager rushed in.

He exclaimed as he entered.

“The lord has arrived!”

“What?!”

Not just the chief but all of us jumped in surprise.

“He is coming to see you, Chief. What do you want to do?”

Currently, it would be troublesome if Harkel Viole spotted us.

At least, if it were just me and Luska, who had unknown faces, it would be fine, but we decided to hide for now.

 

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