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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“It’s been a while! How are you feeling?”
“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”
Karina was the best. Even with just basic healing magic, my body felt incredibly light.
This was why everyone praised the Saint. If it weren’t for all the unfortunate circumstances, I could have achieved “Kalon Academia: Undying Edition” by now.
“I’m glad to hear that. You have no idea how shocked I was when I heard you were caught in the rift. How did you end up in there?”
To be honest, it wasn’t that I was caught in the rift, but rather that Lewis and his friends were swept into a rift that was targeting me.
I felt a bit sorry for the deceased priest, but there was no way I could have handled all the sudden twists and turns of fate.
If I had known, I would have been busy raiding dungeons filled with Easter eggs and valuable rewards, crushing the antagonists and preventing the bad ending.
Ignoring that damn mission, of course.
“I was caught by accident.”
“By accident?”
“I was working on a section of the emergency passage that was bothering me, and unfortunately, it was near the dungeon. The impact of the rift caused the dungeon’s outer wall to collapse, and I was swept in.”
“My, what a disaster.”
Look at his narrowed eyes. He couldn’t interrogate me anyway.
The Academy was in a difficult position regarding this incident. They couldn’t risk antagonizing me, the one who saved the students, especially when they needed my cooperation to mitigate the situation.
Just let it slide. It was for the best.
Perhaps my unspoken signal was conveyed properly because Gilbert took a sip of the tea on the table and immediately changed the subject.
“Then let’s get down to business. The principal has summoned you.”
“Me?”
“Yes. It seems he wants to discuss this incident with you.”
“It’s about time.”
It had been three days since I returned from the rift.
The Academy was in a state of turmoil.
Not only was a student being caught in a dimensional rift a serious issue, but the recent controversy surrounding the Academy’s safety had been reignited.
Two consecutive incidents followed by a dimensional rift, even if it was a natural disaster, put the Academy in a very awkward position.
I heard that the head of the Nereid family himself showed up and caused a scene.
Even for Kalon Academy, it seemed like they couldn’t withstand the wrath of a parent who had lost their child.
As a result, I was now under the protection of the Nereid family, which wasn’t a bad outcome.
“Alright. I’ll be ready soon, so wait a moment.”
Since I had something to entrust to someone, I might as well get it over with.
I opened the door to the reception room and flicked Milia on the forehead, who was peeking in from the doorway.
“Ouch!”
“Don’t eavesdrop on conversations.”
“Bu, but I was worried about Johann-”
“Do I look like someone who would die easily?”
“W, well, no! But you’re always getting caught up in trouble, so I’m worried…”
I couldn’t refute Milia’s last remark, so I ruffled her hair roughly and said,
“I’m more experienced in surviving than anyone else. So… don’t worry too much.”
“Principal, it’s Gilbert. I’ve brought Johann Quartz as you requested.”
“Send him in!”
I stepped through the door that Gilbert held open. The principal’s office looked no different from the last time I was here. I walked straight to the seat across from Principal Merlin and said,
“I heard you summoned me.”
“That’s right. We have a lot to discuss.”
The ninety-year-old Archmage’s voice was quite friendly. Normally, he wouldn’t hesitate to talk down to me, but the current situation wasn’t normal. The Academy would be in trouble without my cooperation.
I might be just an escort knight, but my influence was significant.
Perhaps aware of this, Merlin was cautious in his approach.
“As you may have guessed, we, the Academy, would like to request your cooperation.”
“Cooperation?”
I pretended to be clueless and waited for his response. The Archmage, with his long, sage-like beard, looked at me with amusement, stroking his beard. Then, he broke into a kind smile and said,
“That’s right. We need your help.”
“It’s hard for me to listen empty-handed.”
“Hmm, there’s no need to be so harsh between us, is there?”
“Work is work.”
As if I’d let him take advantage of me. But his expression seemed a bit uneasy. I narrowed my eyes and stared at him intently. He looked like he was hiding a trump card.
What could it be?
Perhaps noticing my gaze, he let out a hearty laugh and said,
“Do you know why I called you here alone?”
“…Because you wanted my cooperation?”
“I wonder if you put the mithril to good use.”
Damn it, he knew.
“…How did you know?”
“I’m an Archmage.”
That was a very convincing argument.
“Are you trying to blackmail me with that?”
“Do I look like that kind of person?”
“I don’t know you well enough to say.”
Even though I knew the in-game principal very well.
“I’m not someone who betrays his friends.”
“Is that so?”
“I only brought up the mithril to break the ice. It’s true that you used it to properly reinforce the emergency passage, isn’t it? I won’t penalize you for that, so rest assured.”
How could I trust him? But it seemed like he was being sincere, so I simply nodded.
There was no need to reveal my hand prematurely.
“Would you like some tea?”
“Thank you.”
A teapot floated up and poured tea into my cup. A feat impossible without magic. I couldn’t even sense the precursor to the spell. He cast it so naturally. As expected of an Archmage.
“Try it. It’s black tea from the Corinth region in the north. It’s famous for its high-quality tea leaves.”
I lifted the teacup filled with the crimson liquid and inhaled the aroma. The familiar scent of black tea filled my nostrils. I couldn’t tell if it was high quality or not. I wasn’t a tea connoisseur.
“It’s good tea.”
“Indeed.”
Merlin and I sipped our tea in silence. A moment of contemplation before the real conversation began.
Merlin spoke after I had almost finished my tea.
“Would you like more?”
“I’m fine.”
“Then let’s get down to business.”
Business… huh.
“We want to announce that you, at the Academy’s request, were secretly stationed in the dungeon for security purposes in preparation for unforeseen circumstances.”
“In other words, you want to make me a collaborator.”
“That’s right.”
“What do I get in return?”
“What do you get?”
The Archmage, his eyes twinkling with cunning, raised his hand and made a circle with his fingers. A sign universally recognized as “money.”
“I’m willing to invest in you. And of course, I’ll provide you with a separate reward for your services.”
Invest?
“Invest… in me?”
I hadn’t expected that. I thought they would just give me some money.
Invest?
He was going to invest in me? Perhaps my surprise was evident because Principal Merlin grinned smugly and explained his reasoning.
“I saw you making something interesting in your workshop. A chair that allows someone who can’t use their legs to move… Very intriguing.”
“I didn’t realize you were interested in something like that.”
He was interested in the wheelchair? That was unexpected. I thought he wouldn’t care because it wasn’t a magical item. Should I have built it underground?
“I like interesting things. Your invention piqued my interest. And you… you processed mithril yourself?”
“…Yes.”
“Processing mithril isn’t easy, even for dwarves. Even if it’s low purity.”
It was true that mithril only appeared in the later stages of the game, and there were only a limited number of blacksmiths who could process it, making it a hassle to go back and forth.
There wouldn’t be many blacksmiths who could process it in reality either. I could only do it because I used some unconventional methods…
“To think someone your age could process mithril. If you were a student, the Academy would have provided you with full support. People who can handle mithril are extremely rare.”
“So, you’re going to personally invest in me because of that?”
“That’s right.”
I didn’t think that was the only reason.
Should I pry a little deeper? No, it was better to be direct. Beating around the bush wasn’t my style.
I swished the remaining tea in my mouth and swallowed before asking,
“I have a feeling there’s another reason.”
At my question, he turned his gaze towards the window. Following his gaze, I saw the bustling city below, bathed in the sunlight streaming through the clear sky.
He stared out the window for a while, then suddenly asked,
“Another reason… Do you know what’s happening in the world these days?”
“I’m not too sure.”
I hadn’t been keeping up with current events lately. My source of information, Sif, was on vacation too.
Had something happened? Why the serious expression?
Fortunately, Principal Merlin answered my question.
“Groups that have been lying low for a long time are making their move. The Halphas Cult, the Belial Cult, the Agares Cult… Cults worshipping evil gods that were thought to have disappeared into the annals of history have all resurfaced simultaneously.
The Empire and the Kalon Church are sending troops to stop them, but the situation isn’t good. We’re in dire need of talented individuals, so I’m willing to invest in you.”
“I’m just a mere escort knight.”
“Someone who has returned alive from a dimensional rift can hardly be called a ‘mere’ escort knight. The survival rate of those caught in dimensional rifts is less than 10%, and most of them are those who returned alone. But you brought back all but one of Lewis’s party members. That’s unprecedented.”
I felt a sense of déjà vu. I had heard something similar before.
I modestly deflected his praise.
“I was just lucky.”
“Luck is also a form of skill.”
I had nothing to say to that.
Taking my silence as agreement, he continued, looking me in the eye,
“I believe you will become a great person.”
“Isn’t that a bit premature?”
“It’s an old man’s intuition. Don’t underestimate it. My intuition is very accurate.”
He smiled gently.
Intuition, huh.
This was ridiculous.
To think that I, a mere possessor with an unknown background, would be the one hearing what was supposed to be directed at the protagonist. I had a hunch about this, but hearing it so directly was giving me a headache.
…Still, I had to do what I had to do.
“Your pockets are going to get a lot lighter.”
“It’s money I have no use for anyway.”
I grasped the hand extended towards me. A wrinkled hand, weathered by time.
I shook his hand, sealing the deal.
“It’s a pleasure doing business with you.”
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Thanks for the chapter!