Chapter 174: Darkness. (1)
Under the starry night sky, a fire was crackling. Beyond the barrier, the energy of the Great Tiger remained, but some peaceful conversation was being exchanged at the Reccordak training field near the forest.
“I have two favorite ways of trading stocks, trend and general affairs.”
The Deputy Director of Security, Primienne, provided a lesson on stocks. Julie, Syrio, and Reylie were sitting on the ground and taking notes while recovering from their sparring.
“Trend is about adapting to whether the entire market is on a rise or falling.”
All three of them were quite serious, their eyes sparkling as they wrote down Primienne’s every word.
“General affairs is what’s popular. A year ago, it was toys. Six months ago, it was the distribution of food, and so on. Some stocks soar or plunge depending on the situation of the continent.”
Julie was laser-focused on the Deputy Director.
“But in the short term, excessive investment… severely overheated events are accompanied by an inevitable plunge. So you always need to be cautious when jumping into what’s popular, and if you gain some profits, you need to be realistic.”
Primienne bit her lips while talking, suddenly remembering an experience from her past. One of her stocks rose by ten times, but she held on to it and didn’t sell, and in the end, she ended up selling it at a loss of -25%. The moment she sold, it rose by five times again.
“Please keep that in mind. No matter how much a stock price rises, it’s not a profit until you sell it and receive more than your initial investment.”
Julie nodded. It felt like her empty head was slowly filling up.
“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind, teacher.”
“I have a question!”
Reylie raised her hand.
“Yes.”
“How much have you earned?”
It was an innocent curiosity.
“…”
However, it was a difficult question to answer.
“What?”
“…”
‘Shut up.’
“What?”
“…”
‘I told you to shut up.’
Anyway, that’s what Primienne wanted to say. It hurt her pride to say that she had lost everything that she had earned over ten years. It wasn’t that she lost it because of her lack of skills. She just wasn’t lucky. Who would have thought that the Imperial family would suddenly open Marik?
“Knight Deya, how will Reccordak deal with the Great Tiger? I can’t help but ask you, a member of the Freyden clan because the Security Department asked me to take charge of Reccordak.”
Primienne asked Julie. Julie, who was still scribbling notes, looked serious again.
“…I’m still thinking about it. Professor Deculein said that he would take care of it by himself….”
Julie looked at Syrio. He was mumbling about trends, general affairs, accumulated profit, distribution of stocks, and the like.
“Lord Syrio, please spar with me again.”
“Again?”
Fortunately, she succeeded in changing the topic. Primienne sighed with relief, and Syrio grinned.
“…Hahaha. I don’t mind. But, you plan on following him, right?”
Julie didn’t say anything. For a while, there was only the crackling of the fire.
“…”
Primienne and Reylie were wary while Julie fiddled with her sword.
“Deculein said he is going alone.”
Syrio spoke. Julie glanced up.
“You can’t send him by himself. He’s still a comrade. He’s also a nice friend.”
“Nice?”
Reylie twisted her face. Syrio grinned and nodded.
“We’re comrades~.”
“Excuse me, we went to the same school. Not everyone is nice just because they’re your schoolmate.”
“Eeh~, you’re his junior.”
“Ah, seriously. Then, that nice person, is he insulting our knight by calling her injured? He told everyone to shut up and get lost. Ahh, that!”
“Eeh, Deculein used to be bad, but he’s been better now~. Also, she’s indeed injured.”
“No, you can’t say it even though it’s true! Injuries are crucial for knights.”
The words that Julie heard gradually dwindled. Julie looked toward the brush and focused. The world was moving further away like it was being pulled into a vacuum, and she was lost in her thoughts.
“…I still.”
Julie spoke. Deculein is bad, not bad; Deculein earned money from stocks; what does Deputy Director Primienne think… the three who were busy talking suddenly paused. All three of them stared at her.
“I still have a lot to ask him.”
She grabbed her sword; a chilly spirit rose from her.
“Ahaha.”
Syrio smiled, jumping up and pulling out his blade.
“That’s right. He shouldn’t die so that you can ask him~, so let’s go train.”
“…Yes.”
Julie followed him. Primienne tended to the fire and buttoned her jacket to her neck.
“I’m coming.”
“You go first.”
“Yes. Hup—!”
If Julie used her mana, this whole area would freeze over in seconds.
Clang—!
In the night sky, in a northern field below the full moon, there was only the sound of swords clanging.
*****
There were 11 seriously injured people in the temporary ward. Each had been missing a limb, but now, miraculously, those lost limbs had been stuck back to their bodies.
“You’re amazing.”
The doctor that the Imperial family dispatched spoke in awe after seeing the Duct Tape in action.
“I’ve never seen magic like this before. I thought healing magic doesn’t exist anymore.”
“Technically speaking, it’s not healing magic. I just stuck it on.”
“That much is amazing enough. Look, the bones and flesh are stuck back together.”
“Isn’t it because they’re knights?”
Once attached, they would recover by themselves. It was a knight’s characteristic to have excellent physical regeneration. It was interesting to see. Even regular knights were like this; what would it be like if I added that to the Iron Man in my body?
“I don’t see anyone dying.”
“Yes, the first aid was good, so if you administer antibiotics and medicinal herbs on time, they will recover.”
I nodded. Then, the doctor looked at me with obvious worry.
“By the way… are you going to hunt the Great Tiger by yourself?”
A Great Tiger. In terms of difficulty, it was impossible to fight it. Even if I used the wood steel and the Snowflake Obsidian simultaneously, I wouldn’t be able to win. But.
“There’s a way.”
The tiger and the north had a natural connection. The main quest was designed to let me meet a tiger at least once. So, I knew their weak point. Maybe I was the only one in this world who did.
“Just focus on their treatment.”
“Yes, I will.”
The doctor nodded.
*****
…There’s a way. Just focus on their treatment.
In the window of the temporary ward in Reccordak, Lia, who was looking through a telescope, found Deculein.
“…What is it? Why is the Professor like that?”
Because of his added setting as a fiancée to her, she could now understand him. Even so, it was a Great Tiger this time. Based on the pattern of its body, it was the Named Besillita.
“Lia, what you just said, is it true?”
Ganesha, having returned, was surprised the moment she heard what Lia said.
“Yes, I was also surprised when I heard it.”
“The Professor will take on the Great Tiger alone? This Professor… did he take his medicine?”
“I’m also amazed. Has Professor Deculein always been that strong?”
“…”
Ganesha tilted her head without saying anything like she had absolutely no idea.
“Lia! What are you talking about? Deculein is strong! You know that!”
Leo shouted, and Carlos chimed in.
“That’s right. I was scared. I don’t ever want to meet that Professor again.”
“…”
It was normal for Carlos to be scared of Deculein. With how the demon reacted to the blood of Yukline, Carlos was right to instinctively fear him.
“Leo, do you also think that Deculein is strong?”
“Yup!”
Leo had accurate senses.
“Strong enough to beat the Great Tiger?”
“…I don’t know about that! The Tiger is also very strong~.”
“What is that?”
Ganesha watched their conversation with a grin.
“Let’s just see for now. If something happens…”
She thought for a moment. It was usually better not to be noticed by Deculein, but they received help from the Professor before…
“At that time, we can think about it then.”
Ganesha swept back her pigtails and looked at Deculein. She could feel it every time she looked at him, and as expected…
“The Professor is so handsome… I can stare at him all day.”
Like she appreciated a work of art, she smiled happily. Lia was a little dumbfounded, but this was the work of his character.
“Hehe… hmm. *slurp*.”
Looking at Ganesha drooling, Lia had to hold back laughter.
*****
I put my hand to Epherene’s forehead. Her fever rose considerably as she recovered, but this much was still fine.
“…Tsk.”
But as a result, my palm was now slick with her sweat. I felt nauseous for a moment before I wiped it off with Cleanse and disinfected the room.
“…”
I looked into the dark dawn sky again. It was early, but my mind was awake.
“Professor Deculein! I’ve completed my task!”
I looked down from the ground. An adventurer was smiling and waving up to me.
“Should I take it up there? There’s quite a lot!”
“…I’ll go down.”
I slowly went outside. The adventurer quickly ran up to meet me and handed over a box.
“Here you go! The payment is a family cheque?”
“Yeah.”
“Yes! Cheers to the VVIP! Thank you for the money! Rich customers are always welcome!”
The adventurer playfully saluted and left. I took the things out from the box in the cold wind. I grasped the cold steel grip of the revolver that I received as a gift before.
—— [ Revolver ] ——
◆Information
: A custom-made revolver.
: The power was amplified by [Midas’ Hand].
◆Category
: Weapon ⊃ Gun
◆Special Effect
: An artistic revolver. The accuracy and destructive power increase.
: Intermediate damage. A bullet fired through this revolver does additional damage.
[Midas’ Hand: Level 4]
There were many other items on the box, all of which were materials for the production of special bullets. Each of them was insanely expensive, but I spared no money.
“The materials are reliable.”
Roughly 30 million Elnes, including the commission and material costs. From now on, I was thinking of making 5 million Elnes worth of bullets, and fortunately, it wouldn’t take much time.
“…Should I start right away?”
When I was about to start my work-
“Professooor!”
A loud voice called me from behind. I glanced back.
“Professor!”
Allen came running in as naturally and as innocently as before. If she behaved like that now, then she would trip over a stone.
“Ugh!”
I took 3 or 4 steps towards her in advance and caught her. Allen, who was expecting to hit the ground, was spread out in my arms, looking up at me with wide eyes.
“…I knew you’d fall.”
Allen blinked and nodded.
“Ah… thank you. No, I’m sorry…“
Allen stood up, straightened out her clothes, and reached out something from her pocket to me.
“This… you’re too much… you’re leaving, and you didn’t even tell me.”
I wasn’t leaving yet, but Allen’s expression was near tears as she spoke. She wasn’t just worried, however, and I could tell there were other emotions mixed in.
“Allen.”
I thought I knew the reason.
“Yeees?”
Right now, a death variable was glimmering around Allen. It was repeatedly blinking like a fluorescent lamp about to die. She thought about whether to kill me or to let me go.
“If I die, what would happen to you?”
So, my voice naturally became serious.
“Yes…? What do you-“
“Exactly as I said. If I die, what would happen to you?”
I smiled a little. Rather, my lips were smiling, but my eyes weren’t.
“Where would you go? What kind of life would you have? I’m curious about that.”
I observed Allen’s tiny movements and tremors in her face as I spoke.
“Don’t say things like that. I don’t even want to imagine it….”
Allen didn’t stop acting. But at this point, it was easy to distinguish between her acting and what she felt.
“You can stop doing that now.”
“No. I… Professor…”
“Not that, but the acting you’re doing right now. Your lines aren’t convincing.”
“…”
At that moment, Allen’s body began to tremble. Nevertheless, she didn’t let go of this charade. She innocently wriggled her fingers as usual. But, she bowed her head like she had been discovered. I couldn’t see her face.
“Oh…”
A dark red death variable flared up next to Allen. The air that caressed my skin was cold, and the night watch atop the barrier was dozing off. There was no one around here except her.
“Since when… have you known?”
“What are you talking about? What gender you are?”
“…Yes, that…”
Then, Allen acted, thinking that I might still not know. I smiled a little. Seriously, she was clever until the end.
“Double disguising is a common method.”
If you become immersed in an outer shell that is nothing special, you’ll forget the more important inner shell.
“But, gender has nothing to do with it.”
What was hidden under that first layer was the true secret.
“Allen, you’re not understanding. I am used to your… lack of scent.”
Tak—
The tension in the air vanished.
“…Hmm.”
Only then did Allen quit pretending.
“I see…”
She froze over, going completely still. The silence weighed heavily over us.
Schwaaaaa—
Her aura rose through that silence.
“I see.”
In a way that she’d never shown before, Allen took hold of the entire space.
[The rest of the chapters will be up at the usual time today!]