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Episode 79 – Short and Intense
5 Minutes Before the Incident
Backstage, Vernell was breathing heavily.
“Haa… Haa…”
How long had it been since he stood on a stage like this?
Had he ever truly expected this day to come?
‘I’ve imagined it before.’
But did he ever believe it would really happen?
No.
Others might have, but Vernell never did.
All his life, he had been ignored, pushed aside.
He had almost lost his organs to loan sharks.
Everything changed when Ferda intervened.
But even then, he never imagined standing here.
Vernell lifted the curtain slightly and peeked outside.
A grand opera house, filled with seats.
His heart pounded with excitement.
But more than excitement, he felt pressure. Fear.
– Vernell, do you truly believe this is possible?
The words of Bernard, the Academy director, echoed in his ears.
That was back at the Escoleia Academy, during an academic conference.
– It’s easy to propose foolish dreams. But what will you do when they consume you?
– Don’t think you can break all the existing laws. You may be smart, but you’re not that kind of genius.
Bernard had tried to crush Vernell’s will.
Vernell had refused to give up.
But since that day, he found it difficult to trust people.
Especially standing on a main stage like this.
Would they laugh at him again?
Would they throw pointless criticisms and shake his confidence?
Would he disappoint the people who believed in him?
Those doubts wrapped around his neck like hands, choking him.
‘Even so, I have to do this.’
For the regent, Ferda, who believed in him.
To make Bernard eat his words.
And for himself, who had dedicated everything to this moment.
“Haaah… Why isn’t this stupid calming tea working?”
He had drunk several cups of herbal tea meant to ease nerves.
But his mind was still restless.
With his hands clasped tightly, he prayed.
Maybe, just maybe, something would happen to cancel the event.
“Kyaaaah!!!”
A scream.
As if answering his desperate wish, a piercing scream rang out.
Vernell flinched, snapping out of his thoughts.
“What? What happened?”
The event staff scattered in panic.
Instead of running, Vernell tried to grasp the situation.
And then—
“…Hah!”
A rift had opened.
A Gate.
Right inside the opera house, a portal was releasing monsters.
‘Is that even possible?’
Monster gates appearing inside cities were rare.
But for one to appear here, right now, during an event about monster detection technology?
The timing was too suspicious.
‘Should I run?’
Vernell instinctively stepped back.
But then—
Someone grabbed his ankle.
His eyes met Ferda’s.
Ferda stood firm.
There was no hesitation in his cold, sharp gaze.
As if running away was never an option.
Noblesse Oblige.
Ferda was fulfilling his duty as a noble.
Vernell was moved by that gaze.
‘I have to do something too.’
He couldn’t risk his life like before.
But he could help.
His eyes darted to the object he had prepared.
A Magitech Rifle.
Vernell grabbed it and activated the system.
Adjust mana output.
Preheat the chamber.
Align the targeting system.
Match the power settings—
‘Why are there so many steps?’
Over twenty separate actions were required.
Originally, it had over a hundred steps.
Vernell had simplified it as much as possible so that Malcolm could use it.
‘But it’s still too complicated.’
Before the event, he had thought: This should be simple enough, right?
People could handle this much, right?
‘No.’
For Malcolm to use it, it had to be instant.
If a weapon wasn’t easy to use in an emergency, it was useless.
Every second wasted meant more casualties.
‘Damn it.’
He had been an idiot.
Just like the director said.
Instead of thinking about what was necessary, he had obsessed over tiny improvements.
But even as he cursed himself, his hands never stopped moving.
Right now, in this moment—
He had to do what he could.
Finally, the rifle was ready.
He pulled the bolt back.
Vwooom—!
The acceleration magic activated, vibrating inside the barrel.
Vernell climbed onto the stage.
The battle was nearing its end.
Only two wolf monsters remained.
They lunged at Ferda.
‘They’re so fast!’
Vernell had one chance.
One shot to hit the target.
But just holding the rifle was hard enough—tracking their movements was nearly impossible.
Crackle!
Lightning burst from Ferda’s hand.
One wolf was struck down.
But the other wasn’t.
It leaped over Jed and went straight for Ferda.
Its jaws aimed at Ferda’s throat.
‘No!’
Vernell stopped hesitating.
He pulled the trigger.
The mana formula activated.
A glowing mana sphere formed inside the chamber.
It shot forward—
Bang!
The bullet pierced the monster’s chest.
Right through the heart.
The wolf monster whimpered, convulsed, then collapsed.
One shot.
Just one shot had taken it down.
Even Vernell was stunned.
He had set the rifle to high power—
But he never expected it to kill in a single hit.
He had only hoped to buy time.
But the result didn’t matter.
The loud explosion, the final monster’s death—
Everyone’s eyes turned to Vernell.
Mouths hung open in shock.
“What was that?”
“Was that magic?”
“Was that a staff? Did he use magic?”
“No way! A staff wouldn’t look like that!”
They were all focused on the strange device in his hands.
The event was originally meant to showcase mana stones.
The Magitech Rifle had only been a side project.
Vernell swallowed.
He needed to say something.
Anything.
Under pressure, he opened his mouth.
“…This is the Magitech Rifle I developed.”
That was it.
He couldn’t say anything more.
But he didn’t need to.
Those few words were enough to leave a deep impact on everyone present.
Meanwhile…
From a distance, a group of people watched the scene.
The situation had been resolved.
The aftermath was being cleaned up.
“Seven wolf monsters.”
A man crossed his arms and muttered.
“How many people were supposed to die?”
Another man beside him responded.
“At least 300. Including the Escoleia Academy director.”
“But no one died.”
“Not even Bernard.”
The first man clicked his tongue.
“The one who planned this… won’t escape punishment.”
This wasn’t just a small miscalculation.
It was a complete failure.
The Reason for Failure
“What do you think is the reason for our failure?”
“Do you need an answer?”
“I just wanted to check if we were thinking the same thing.”
The reason for their defeat could be summed up in one name.
“Ferda Valdrova.”
“It was him, wasn’t it?”
Both of them had the same thought.
Ferda Valdrova.
His name had been spreading among the demons recently. Everything started to go wrong as soon as he got involved.
“I heard he even attacked a research facility with the help of demons. Did we end up like this because we underestimated him?”
“We didn’t underestimate him. If anything, we overestimated him.”
That overestimation came from the testimony of Linne, the research director.
The demons believed Linne’s testimony was just an excuse to explain their defeat.
“But now, even that overestimation seems too low.”
Ferda was beyond their imagination.
“He knows how to neutralize monsters using weak 1st and 2nd Circle spells.”
“He assessed the battlefield and allocated forces perfectly. It was a bit risky, but even that seemed calculated.”
“He’s a cold and rational one. He looks like he’s experienced in battle.”
“But he’s just an 18-year-old. How is that possible?”
“Maybe he’s been to the battlefield before?”
“Look at his body. He doesn’t even have muscles. How could someone like that fight?”
“If that’s not the case… maybe he was born with it?”
“No, it doesn’t seem like a natural talent. He’s too precise, too calculated.”
There were many guesses about Ferda, but no clear answers.
“Maybe the answer lies in other factors.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean we should widen our perspective. Let’s look for other clues.”
He nodded toward a brown-haired man.
“That guy, Jed, is strange too. Could he move like that just because of a Haste spell?”
“No, humans normally can’t. To move like that, he must have lived at that speed his whole life.”
“I thought it was odd for a swindler to be chosen as a knight, but now I see why.”
The other man nodded in understanding.
“And that guy, Malcolm….”
“He’s just an idiot. Even now, after the battle is over, he’s still busy kidnapping mages.”
“…That’s true.”
The other man fell into deep thought.
“We need to change our threat levels. At least to Albert-class.”
“You mean for Ferda Valdrova? That seems like a rushed decision. I think he’s still within our expectations.”
The man shook his head.
“I’m not talking about him.”
He pointed to a man standing on the stage.
A man with blue hair, who had killed a wolf monster with a single strike using something that looked like an artwork.
Vernell Marquis.
“That man’s influence will surpass Ferda Valdrova’s.”
The Battle’s Aftermath
With the seven wolf monsters dead, the crisis at the presentation hall was over.
Many were injured, but not a single person had died.
Normally, even one monster would claim at least three lives. If there were more monsters, the casualties would rise exponentially.
But despite seven monsters appearing, no one died.
Everything had ended before the reinforcements from Halim even arrived.
It wasn’t just impressive—it was unbelievable.
And the person who led this miracle was none other than Ferda.
“Thank you for saving our lives, Regent.”
“We are truly honored by your noble sacrifice, my lord.”
Both those who had fought and those who had fled returned to bow before him.
Ferda had stood at the frontlines and never backed down. His actions were the very definition of Noblesse Oblige.
Of course, he wasn’t the only one being praised.
Another figure had left just as strong an impression.
“Do you know who that man is?”
“I heard he’s Vernell Marquis. He came here to attend the presentation.”
Vernell.
He had appeared at the last moment and finished off the monsters, making his name spread naturally.
“Ah, I remember now. The academy diChancellor Bernard insisted on recruiting him.”
“Is that the thing he was talking about?”
“No, I don’t think so. If it were a magic stone, it would be a rock, right?”
“Then what exactly is that thing?”
They had no knowledge of magical engineering, so they couldn’t understand what that device was.
But there was no need for a lengthy explanation.
Magical engineering was a technology capable of killing monsters with a single hit.
That alone was enough to make people interested.
Vernell noticed the change in people’s gazes and approached Ferda.
“My lord… there is something I’d like to tell you…”
“Speak.”
Malcolm’s Mistake
Ferda had to step in himself.
The situation was resolved in ten seconds.
Malcolm, sweating nervously, bowed his head.
“I’m sorry, Regent. I made a mistake.”
“No, raise your head. Did you commit a crime?”
“You told me to bring mages, but I brought a noblewoman instead… I put you in a difficult situation…”
“That was unavoidable. You did what you had to do. As a knight of the Royal Territory, you followed my orders and did an excellent job.”
Ferda was truly grateful to him.
What if Malcolm had tried to persuade the mages instead of taking them by force?
None of them would have come.
Who would willingly step into a battlefield filled with death?
If Malcolm hadn’t kidnapped them, the entire plan would have collapsed.
The operation succeeded because Malcolm did what he was capable of.
“…Thank you. Hic!”
Malcolm teared up, overwhelmed with emotion.
A Noble Kneels
Just then, a man approached Ferda.
The way people stepped aside for him showed he was an important figure.
“The bearer of the great fire, the mate of Valdrova. I am Ahmad, Lord of Halim.”
The Lord of Halim.
Before Ferda could respond, Ahmad suddenly fell to his knees.
“On behalf of Halim, I sincerely thank you for bringing this crisis under control.”
Everyone was shocked.
“The Lord of Halim… knelt?”
“They say even the Imperial Emperor couldn’t make him bow…”
Southern lords were known for their pride—they would never kneel before anyone.
Yet Ahmad had knelt before Ferda in front of everyone.
This greatly raised Ferda’s reputation.
Not a bad outcome.
“I only did my duty as a noble.”
“Who else would risk their life to solve a crisis in another’s land? Please, allow me to take you to my castle. We should treat your wounds and talk further.”
Only then did Ferda remember—his neck had been pierced.
It had stopped bleeding, but it still throbbed in pain.
This will definitely leave a scar.
He needed a reason to talk with Valdrova, but he didn’t want to start their conversation with an injury like this.
“Can you heal it completely?”
“Of course. I will call the best healers to ensure not even a scar remains.”
And so, Ferda headed to the Lord’s castle with Ahmad.
