Chapter 92: Feelings
The situation with Yorfang was resolved quickly and the Academy got most of the work done that night.
I was told that Yorfang had been placed in a carriage early in the morning bound for Gehenna, the prison and I was also summoned in the morning by Hubert Graham, the chairman.
When he told me that a formal announcement would be made and what reward I wanted, I asked that my name be left out of it.
Yorfang was too famous and at this point, I didn’t want “blind cadet Zetto” to become too famous for catching her.
Fame was enough to make my presence known to the authorities in public classes; any more than that and it would be difficult for me to sneak around.
Hubert was puzzled by my decision, but eventually agreed to grant my request. However he insisted that I should be rewarded.
In fact, I wasn’t too concerned about the Academy’s reward, as I was already rewarded enough for robbing Yorfang.
‘They should have given me a medal or something.’
I remember that the Academy awarded me a medal, and my reputation grew on a continental scale.
But now that my name wasn’t in the official announcement, I expected Hubert to ask if I wanted anything… but he said he had something special for me.
Hubert’s secretary slides a small flask across the table. It looks like a potion or elixir.
“…What is this?”
As I fumble with the flask, Hubert speaks up.
“I was at an auction recently and saw a strange elixir, so I bought it, thinking it would be perfect for you.”
Hubert unwinds his crossed legs and bends down to poke his head into the box.
“It’s an elixir made by the alchemical guild, Midas. Apparently it amplifies the senses.”
I’d never seen anything like it in the game but I don’t think Hubert would lie about something like this, and Midas is the top alchemy guild on the continent, so I’d trust them, but… The color was a bit odd.
“…That’s curious, have you heard anything about what the ingredients are?”
I asked Hubert, sounding moderately curious.
Hubert hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke up.
“From what I’ve heard, it’s made from the brains of congenitally blind monsters……though I’m not sure of the proportions or anything.”
“Monster brains…”
“Well, as the old saying goes, bitter is good for the body, hahaha!”
Hubert laughs out loud at my trepidation.
I don’t know if it will work for me, who already has ‘Superior Senses’, but…I don’t think I need to refuse…
***
“Are you sure you can just use Midas’s name like that, it was just something you found in the warehouse.”
Itea said to the Sage, who had been staring at the door Zetto had exited through but the Sage waved a hand.
“Well, I suppose it doesn’t really matter. The effects are similar.”
“There is a difference between a mysterious solution of monster brains and an elixir that is only legendary among the elves.”
The truth of the elixir spilled out of Itea’s mouth.
The elixir that the Sage had given to Zetto was none other than the elixir of the Earth Mother Goddess.
“Earth Mother Goddess” is another way of saying World Tree.
As you can see from the word god, this often causes friction between the Holy Land and the Elves.
The World Tree was not actually a deity, but rather a folk belief of the Elves.
Originally, the elixir was only available to High Elves, whose mission was to protect the World Tree until death.
This elixir, which could be extracted from the World Tree, was something that younger elves hadn’t even seen yet, as it only came out once every few hundred years. A few hundred years was a long time even for the elves, who were a long-lived race.
The elixir had been given to the Sage by the elves in the past, when he was a member of the hero party, after he had cured the World Tree of illness.
The Dew of the World Tree, which Yorfang almost stole this time, was also one of their gifts.
“…Those elves are strange, giving a mage an elixir that’s only useful to archers, no matter how good their bows are.”
The Sage rambled on to Itea.
Thinking that giving money as a reward to Zetto was boring, the Sage searched through the warehouse and found the elixir.
“After all, isn’t it exciting to see what he’ll come up with next, having grown stronger after taking the elixir…”
The Sage would wait and see, as he always did.
Somehow, he had a feeling that he would see him again, and often.
***
Today was the last day of public classes and the city had been buzzing with talk of Yorfang for some time.
The Academy’s reputation had been greatly enhanced by the overnight capture of Yorfang during the disruption of the magic supply.
My name was never mentioned.
The Academy only announced that they had captured him, but not who exactly.
Rumors circulated that Instructor Kaliman had captured Yorfang.
Along the way, Kaen, who was carrying a uniform in her arms, was able to recognize Yorfang’s uniform as her own.
I didn’t know that, so I was intrigued and chatted with her for a bit.
She told me that the window was open, and that Yorfang must have taken advantage of the time when she was showering.
I didn’t get to talk to anyone else since everyone seemed to be busy interacting with their family members.
The only one with time to spare was Aizel, who I hadn’t seen since the Colosseum. Well, I suppose that’s her nature.
Before I knew it, it was night, and I had returned to the dormitory after seeing the Saint off as she left the academy.
Entering the room, I set my badge down on the table and took off my coat.
The badge was emblazoned with a silver wing. It was the badge of the Knights of the Silver Wings.
In the end, I accepted Bernice’s offer.
With my status as a cadet, I wasn’t fully affiliated with the Order, just a foot in the door….
It was a hastily concocted rank called ‘Honorary Templar’.
Now, if I had to kill a demon, I could do so as a member of the Silver Winged Knights and let the other knights do the dirty work.
Besides that, it would be a good identification device if I ever got into trouble outside the Academy.
Bernice started calling me ‘Zetto’ instead of ‘Cadet Zetto’ as soon as I accepted the offer.
She left with the words, ‘I’ll see you around, Zetto,’ before telling me that Deputy Leader Ecline would be coming by in the near future to give me the location of the branch near the Academy.
[Hmmm…]
Sierra, now free of the Spectral Sword since Bernice’s departure, glanced at her badge and snorted.
“Is it because I accepted her offer?”
I asked, stepping closer to her.
From Sierra’s point of view, Bernice could see her, and she was understandably reluctant.
[No, the Saint is right, with what my apprentice is doing, you would have needed a ‘fence’…]
Sierra’s voice trails off, and she glances at me.
“Haha…right…”
Frowning, I scratch my head.
[…and when are you going to drink the elixir?]
Sierra was referring to the flask on the table, the elixir I received from the Chairman.
It was an elixir made from the brains of monsters…I hadn’t even opened the lid to smell it yet.
‘Senses amplification…’
Hubert’s words were as if he had a special reward in store for me; he must have known in advance when he would need it.
He must have taken a liking to me from the start.
“I suppose I’ll take it…?”
I reached for the flask on the table.
They grinded up the brains of blind monsters to make elixirs that amplified the senses, that’s just what one should expect from alchemists.
Still, they wouldn’t sell something that didn’t work.
I lifted the lid of the flask.
‘It doesn’t smell that bad…’
It wasn’t a clean ash color…but a weird gray color, like a mixture of different colored clays, and I thought it would smell terrible, but this…
…Yes, it was the smell of the forest.
I wonder if they ground up some fragrant leaves to make it work.
[Hmph, if your taste gets weird again, I can cook for you again. Don’t worry, just drink it in.]
Sierra compensated for my frustration in not taking the lid off and drinking.
I took a long gulp from the flask.
‘Why is it refreshing?’
It didn’t taste like monster brains, instead it reminded me of a certain pine needle tea-inspired beverage.
‘Not exactly my favorite.’
I thought it was too good to be true.
“‘Midas’ is different after all…”
I tapped the empty flask and marveled.
I could see why they were the go-to alchemy guild on the continent.
The way they cared about potion drinkers as alchemists touched me.
[Does it taste good?]
Sierra asked, glancing at me in distress.
“It’s the best elixir I’ve ever had.”
[I wonder how effective it is.]
Yes. It was important that it worked.
‘I don’t really feel any different…’
I tried to focus on my ears to feel the effects of the elixir, but it didn’t work so I thought about opening the status window.
🙔🙔🙔🙔🙔🙒:!!!!
Suddenly, sharp tinnitus pierces my ears.
My head whips around and I’m about to fall when Sierra catches me.
Luckily, the tinnitus quickly subsided.
[Disciple, are you okay?!]
Sierra’s eyes widened as she picked me up.
“Ugh…”
Her voice sounded exceptionally loud in my head when suddenly, I saw the status window in front of me.
I glanced at it and couldn’t hide my puzzlement.
<Zetto> Lv.39
Skills:
-Ghost Slayer Technique Lv.22
-Sierra Reverse Heaven (Incomplete) Lv.5 – [Ghost Slayer Technique] in effect
– Ki Sense Lv.5
-Weakness Detection lv.MAX – [Blindfold That is Beyond Reason] in effect
-Acupuncture Lv.5
-Night Vision Lv.MAX
Skill Points remaining: 4
Items in use:
– Blindfold That is Beyond Reason [Legendary]
– Bracelet of Origin [Epic]
-Spectral Sword Sierra [Inheritance]
-The Hero’s Favor Necklace[Epic]
-Tear of the Dead [Engraved]
-Subspace Pouch [Unique]
My level remained the same at 39, having risen two levels from 37 after capturing the wyvern.
It was the skills that mattered….In the place of Superior Senses was another skill.
Sometimes skills would advance to higher grades if certain conditions were met but that was one skill that I had never seen before, even as a longtime gamer.
However, it was a word I was all too familiar with.
Ki Sense.
‘Why is that…?’
***
Meanwhile, Yuri saw her father, Jeras Clementine, off and went to the library.
Yuri was showing him around the Academy when he kept saying, “Son-in-law…Hmm…Zetto…” and other Zetto references.
The worst was when he met Maxim Caligus, Amon’s father.
‘Maxim, I may have a son-in-law soon, hahaha!’
After embarrassing her so much, Yuri managed to get Jeras to leave at night. And so it was that Yuri came to the library to return the book.
The Saint and the Princess was a fairytale with a simple title but it had been so popular that it had even been turned into a novel in this extended version.
It was a fairy tale she had loved since she was a child and after reading the book, she understood why she had been looking for it lately.
There was an overlap between the Saint’s and Zetto’s personalities and speech patterns.
It was a secret that Yuri couldn’t tell anyone that she was immersed in the book, thinking of the princess as herself and the saint as Zetto.
‘I’m crazy… Really.’
Yuri cleared her head and stepped into the library.
“Huh?”
Then Yuri saw a familiar platinum-haired girl. It was Aizel.
She was sitting in the same seat as the last time they met.
At the time, she had asked to read the book first, and Yuri thought she had found someone who shared her taste but Aizel returned the book within a day.
Yuri would have liked to have gotten a review, but she didn’t ask because she didn’t like the look on Aizel’s face when she returned the book.
‘Last time, she was reading a book about curses.’
Yuuri wondered if she was reading such a book again since Aizel’s expression was quite serious.
She hadn’t seen her smile in a while.
Aizel didn’t usually smile, but her expression was more serious than her usual sullen expression, and she seemed to be worried about something so Yuri cautiously approached her.
Aizel was so focused on her book that she didn’t notice Yuri’s approach and Yuri cautiously poked her head in and skimmed the pages of the book she was reading.
‘…To kiss, it’s all about the mood, the atmosphere…’
After reciting a line to herself, Yuri tilted her head.
“Aizel…?”
Yuri called out to Aizel.
“Uh…”
Aizel looked at Yuri, who was now in front of her, and quickly lifted the book.
Was she trying to hide the contents by lifting the book?
But now she could see the title on the cover.
Without thinking, Yuri read the title.
“101 Ways to Win a Man Over…?”
Yuri and Aizel’s eyes met so Yuri smiled somewhat coyly and thought.
I wonder why Aizel is reading this book ….