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Chaper 57
“Kaimon!”
“Over here, here!”
When I arrived at the Lupin Cafe, Bren and Elliot, who had already secured a seat, greeted me warmly.
“Phew, I’m tired.”
“Why? Did something happen?”
“What’s with that expression?”
Bren and Elliot, seeing my state, expressed curiosity and started asking questions. I vaguely explained the earlier incident with Diana, glossing over the details.
Then.
“D-Diana Fren?”
Bren mentioned her name with a deeply darkened expression, as if he had heard something he shouldn’t have.
“What’s wrong, Bren? Why are you like that?”
“Ah, no… That person, she’s one of the successors to the Fren Merchant Company. I heard she’s really scary.”
“Right, that crazy bitch is indeed scary.”
At Bren’s words, Elliot muttered in agreement, nodding his head.
“Cr-crazy bitch? Senior Elliot, what if someone hears you?”
“So what if they hear? She is a crazy bitch.”
“Ah, Senior! There are many people from the Fren Company at the Academy. Stop it, stop it!”
“Ah, alright… Eep! Alright, I said! Get your hands off me! I won’t! I said I won’t!”
“….”
What the, this guy.
Does he still not know that Elliot is from the Fren family?
Even after hanging out this much, you’d think he’d have some idea…
I couldn’t help but shake my head at Bren’s complete lack of awareness and noisily slurped the drink they had ordered in advance.
“Ah, right. Kaimon, just so you don’t misunderstand, I…”
“I know.”
“I didn’t tell… Huh?”
“I know. That you didn’t tell.”
“Oh, okay. As long as you know.”
Seeing Elliot react with an awkward expression, Bren, who was next to him, butted in again.
“Huh? What are you talking about? What didn’t you tell?”
“Ah, it’s nothing kids need to know. Shoo shoo, go away.”
“Ah, Senior Elliot. Why are you like that? Tell me too, what it is.”
“I have no stories to tell a junior who brazenly covers their senior’s mouth like that.”
“Ah, no, that’s… It’s not like I did it on purpose.”
As Bren flustered, not knowing what to do, Elliot started teasing him, snickering.
As I watched the two of them growing closer day by day, I thought.
‘No, they’re that close, so why doesn’t he know his true identity?’
“Ah, fine. If you don’t want to tell me, keep being like that.”
Bren, with a sulky expression, shouted like that and soon turned his head away from Elliot, as if to ignore him, and looked at me.
“Right, Kaimon. Did you hear the news?”
“Hmm? What news?”
“Princess Franacia is planning to run in the upcoming student council president election. If Her Highness is really elected as president, she’ll be the first freshman president in Academy history…”
“No, that will be very difficult.”
Just then, Elliot, who had been ignored by Bren, cut in and spoke in a firm tone.
“I wasn’t talking to you, Senior.”
“Our lovely junior is sulking again, I see.”
“I’m not sulking.”
“Right, right, I’m sure you’re not. Kehehehe.”
Elliot, bursting into laughter and teasing Bren once more, soon continued the earlier story.
“Anyway, even if Princess Franacia runs for president, it’s hard to say her chances of winning are high.”
“Why?”
“Well, obviously. Because her opponent running this time is Lady Cecelia.”
“Huh? Lady Cecelia, you mean…”
“The beloved only daughter of Prime Minister Wade, who is called the head of the current Empire, and the niece of Grand Duke Axellion, called the ‘Northern Wall’ of the Empire.”
“Ah, Grand Duke Axellion? Isn’t that the current president’s family? So she’s the president’s relative?”
“Right. It’s Lady Cecelia, who already has the support of students across all grades, as well as several professors. From birth, she is Princess Franacia’s thorough rival and a destined adversary. So, even if it’s Princess Franacia, it will be difficult for her to win.”
“….”
As someone who knows the original work, I knew who the actual winner would be.
Even though Lady Cecelia had such an impressive background and conditions.
‘You can’t beat the protagonist buff.’
Since the winner was already decided in this fight, I didn’t need to pay much attention, so I started pondering more comfortable worries, like whether I should have another dessert while sipping my sweet drink.
Just then.
“Kaimon Baid.”
“Huh?”
A familiar voice came from behind.
I quickly turned my head to look, and there was…
“Chelsea?”
I couldn’t help but be momentarily taken aback by her appearance, as she had just been in a deathly standoff with Professor Beroen until a moment ago.
“Yeah, why? What’s up?”
“Prof… Professor Jay…s is looking for you. You should go quickly.”
“Huh? My master?”
Whoosh!
But the moment she finished saying that, she ignored my following words and just walked away, disappearing into the distance.
“What? Why is she like that?”
Tilting my head, I watched Chelsea’s retreating back, who had only left Jamie’s message, then took another deep sip of my drink and said.
“Bren, Elliot. I have something to do, so I’ll get going first.”
*Scrape!*
“Yeah, see you later, Kaimon.”
“Alright, let’s meet at Bren’s dorm room tonight.”
“Hey, why is it my room again?”
Leaving behind Bren, who was protesting as if wronged, and Elliot, who was teasing him, I quickly started moving to meet Jamie.
***
* * *
***
Responding to Jamie’s call, for which I had been waiting, I immediately rushed to her office.
And then.
*Thud, Creak!*
Without hesitation, I flung open the closed door and shouted.
“Ma…ster!”
There sat a young male professor wearing a monocle, Jays.
He was sitting holding a book, as if he had been reading something, and he glared at me with sharp eyes, speaking coldly.
“Rather than opening the door so abruptly, wouldn’t knocking first be more polite?”
“Ah, I’m sorr…”
“And I am not your master. Right now, I am a professor at this Academy.”
‘No, *you’re* the one hiding your identity. Do I have to play along with that too?’
But swallowing that complaint internally, I cautiously bowed my head slightly and opened my mouth.
“Ah, yes. Professor Jays. But you called for me, I heard…”
As I mumbled like that, Jamie—no, Professor Jays—nodded and pointed to the chair opposite him.
“Sit there.”
“Yes, Professor.”
I promptly plopped down onto the chair he—she—had indicated.
Then, Jays, who had slowly placed the book down on the desk, flicked a finger.
*Tap!*
Simultaneously.
“…?”
The surroundings changed in an instant, and I found myself sitting in Jamie’s research lab, which I had visited before.
“Ha, now I can finally breathe comfortably.”
Jamie’s voice reached my ears, as she had now transformed from the appearance of a young male professor with a monocle into the familiar figure of a young girl with green hair.
‘No, if the disguised form is that uncomfortable, why are you even doing it? Just don’t hide.’
“What’s with that strange expression? Come here.”
At Jamie’s words, wiggling her finger, I hurriedly approached her and spoke.
“How is it? Is the research on the ‘Orb’ all finished?”
“Yep, it’s done.”
Wow, it’s done. It’s all done.
Now I won’t just sit still and end up having my body explode and die.
That fact alone made me incredibly happy.
“As expected of Master! I knew you could do it!”
“No, why are you so happy? You haven’t even heard the proper explanation yet?”
“Eh, it’s obvious. The continent’s strongest mage, responsible for the primary color Yellow, finished researching the ‘Orb’… Anyway, doesn’t that mean I’m no longer in danger?”
If Jamie’s research was truly completed, it also meant that the hand of death would no longer reach me.
Moreover, the ability to use magic using the ‘Orb’ was just a ‘bonus’.
But then.
“Hmm? No, it’s not.”
“Huh? What do you mean ‘no’?”
As Jamie spoke with a tilted head, I urgently asked again.
“No, my research results don’t mean that you are out of danger.”
“Huh?”
“So, in other words, if you just continue like this, you’ll die.”
Huh? Wait a minute.
What is this now…
Eh, she’s joking again. Those kinds of jokes aren’t funny.
“That’s not funny at all. So please stop joking arou…”
“I’m not joking?”
Cutting off my words with a firm tone, Jamie soon spoke again.
“I have never joked with you even once. And this is a result based on solid research data. If things continue like this, you will die, Kaimon.”
“….”
What is this?
Why did this result come out again?
That can’t be.
No, I brought the ‘Orb’ too.
Clearly, that dissipated the mana accumulated in my body!
So whyyyyyy!
Just why do I have to die?
‘Dammmmmmmn it.’
At that moment, as if reading my inner thoughts, Jamie’s voice echoed in my ears.
“It’s true that the mana accumulated in your body, Kaimon, was temporarily dissipated. But since you forcibly drew out that mana, there’s probably significant shock and damage left in your body.”
As Jamie’s explanation continued, I just listened silently.
“Repeating such an act of drawing out and expelling mana is very dangerous. If it only left wounds, it might be okay, but if repeated, the routes and links through which mana flows could be completely destroyed, making it highly likely you’ll become a cripple.”
“….”
So, the ‘Orb’ did temporarily dissipate my mana, but in the end, it was a painkiller, not an antidote?
No, then what in the world am I supposed to…
“But there’s no need to worry so much. There is a solution.”
“Huh? A solution?”
Hearing news of a new hope, I instantly raised my head and asked.
“Yes, a solution.”
*Tap!*
With the sound of a finger snap, the milky white orb, the ‘Orb’, appeared in mid-air.
“This ‘Orb’ here is a kind of ‘power source’ that can absorb or emit mana. However, its function has a compulsory nature, placing a great burden on the user who utilizes it. Therefore, a safety device is needed to reduce that burden.”
“A safety device?”
“Yes, a device that will act as a buffer to cushion the recoil while using the function of freely absorbing and releasing mana through the ‘Orb’. If that exists, all your anxiety and danger would be resolved.”
At Jamie’s continued words, I couldn’t help but ask impatiently.
“Then what exactly is that safety device?”
“You can think of it as a type of artifact. A device that allows for safer use of the ‘Orb’s functions.”
“Uh, where is that artifact? Do you have it, Master?”
“No, I don’t have it.”
“Then what? Is it that you, Master, can create the artifact?”
“I suppose it would be possible.”
After the repetitive Q&A, having gotten the answer I wanted, I nodded and immediately spoke.
“Then let’s start production right aw…”
“Only if you can wait a minimum of ten years or more.”
“Huh?”
No, that’s just saying you can’t do it.
In ten years, it’s certain that I would have already exploded and died, and my body would be completely rotted away.
“….”
“There’s no need to be so disappointed. What I said was only for creating something from nothing.”
“Huh? Then…”
“If we have an existing top-tier magic artifact, conversion into a safety device is possible in a very short time.”
“A top-tier artifact?”
“Yes. A top-tier magic artifact of at least ‘Unique’ grade or higher.”
The top-tier magic artifact she mentioned was an extremely rare and precious treasure, so much so that you could count them on your fingers even if you looked across the entire Empire, no, the entire continent.
Moreover, the ‘Unique’ grade was like an ultra-rare unique mythic item that only appeared a couple of times even in the late stages of the original work.
‘Ha, no wonder. I knew it from when you mentioned Dragon Heart or Lich Pearl or whatever. What, are you going to tell me to bring the Spirit King’s Soul now?’
Just as I was about to sink back into despair from Jamie’s explanation.
“Very fortunately, there is exactly one item worthy of being called a top-tier artifact here in the Academy.”
“Huh? Inside the Academy?”
No, even I, who knows the original content, am unaware of such an item being inside the Academy at this point…
And Jamie knows about it?
‘No, whatever.’
What does it matter if I know or not?
If a top-tier magic artifact is hidden, I just need to go find it.
‘I’ve managed well so far, haven’t I? Whether it’s a subterranean labyrinth or a dungeon, I just need to go find it. So now…’
“Yes, that item is currently in the possession of Princess Franacia.”
“The Princess?!”
No, seriously, please!
Why can’t it just be hidden in some underground labyrinth or something!
Why on earth does *she* have to have it!
At the appearance of a name I truly never imagined, I could only stare blankly at Jamie.
“Her Highness probably doesn’t know the value of the item she possesses. So, Kaimon, you just need to somehow obtain that artifact ‘ring’.”
“A ring?”
“Yes, a ring.”
Jamie, who had nonchalantly laid out this preposterous story, soon twitched the corner of her mouth and continued.
“That’s the only way you can survive, Kaimon.”
Ah, I’m really going crazy.
