Chapter 96
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: Struck by Lightning
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“More elixirs?”
“Yes.”
“What kind, and where?”
“The elixir itself wasn't anything special. It was a Beryllin fruit.”
Beryllin fruits did contain mana, but only a minuscule amount.
In terms of grade, they're the lowest of the low.
Still, being an elixir, it had some value, and it wasn't exactly easy to obtain.
But that wasn't the important part.
The fact that he was continuously obtaining elixirs from somewhere. Even Pernyan, with his personal intelligence organization, the Golden Pillar, couldn't do that.
“Where and how did he get it?”
“It is presumed to have been obtained during the 'Field Survival Training' three days ago.”
“Presumed?”
“Even for me, it's impossible to remain completely hidden in a place teeming with professors and teaching assistants.”
Hyde shook his head.
This was the academy. A place filled with various magic circles and skilled individuals to ensure tight security.
The devices could be somewhat circumvented with the master key Pernyan had given him, but encountering professors was another story entirely.
“Anything else?”
“Nothing at all.”
“Not even a speck of dust?”
“Correct. He's utterly ordinary. I've brought the report here.”
Finally, what he had been waiting for arrived.
Pernyan opened the first page of the report. The contents were nothing particularly special.
Gismond Erdt.
Born into the Erdt family and raised being called a genius, he hit a wall in the form of true geniuses after entering the academy.
And so, during his first semester of the first year, he was just one of the unremarkable hundred students...
“...until he began to stand out in the second semester.”
This was a fact he already knew. What Pernyan was curious about was where Gismond had gone during that vacation.
“As you'll see in the report, Gismond visited several places. One of them, as I've already mentioned, is southern Prasia. To be precise...”
“...Peius?”
Pernyan's eyes widened.
“A castle with walls over twenty meters high and a great plain. What was that place called again?”
“Peius Fortress.”
“……”
Could this really be a coincidence?
That wasn't all.
“And this vacation, he went to Altriark?”
“Yes, that's correct.”
The Itarium immediately came to mind. The Itarium that Gismond consumed, and the Itarium that had vanished from where it should have been.
Could these two things truly be unrelated?
‘No way...’
An ominous suspicion flashed through Pernyan's mind, and his back grew damp with a sticky, cold sweat.
“Gongjanim?”
“Find out one more thing. Just one.”
“What is it?”
“Whether Gismond Erdt...”
He thought it couldn't be true.
He desperately hoped it wasn't.
“...was ever struck by lightning.”
***
Long after Hyde had left, Pernyan's heart refused to calm down.
The emotional turmoil was as great as when he'd been struck by lightning and learned of the future—no, it was even greater.
‘It can't be true.’
It just couldn't be. Knowing the future alone was entirely different from sharing that knowledge.
Limited resources. It meant the number of people trying to claim them—in other words, competitors—would increase.
Furthermore, what if that bastard's actions caused the future to deviate significantly?
All his efforts to be as careful as possible would become utterly useless. The value of the Prophecy Book would be reduced to mere trash.
That was a situation that absolutely could not be allowed to happen.
“At this rate, I’ll miss all my lectures.”
Pernyan decided to skip classes for another day and opened the morning paper.
【Count Altriark's Family Hands Over All Fragments of the Shattered Bell of Ruin to the Dragon God Cult...】
【Dragon God Cult Declares All-Out Effort to Restore the Bell of Ruin...!】
【The Demonic Beasts Stirring in the Taklakan Desert, and the Vile Breed that Shattered the Bell of Ruin. After a Thousand Years of Silence, They Bare Their Fangs Once More.】
【The Stirrings of the Vile Breed, Is This Truly the End?】
【A Continent in Chaos, a Time to Seek Normalcy More Than Ever...】
【The 198th Continental Academic Conference to be Held on the 10th...!】
Even though it was the academy newspaper, most of the articles were related to Taklakan and Altriark.
It was understandable. The Vile Breed's movements weren't just Altriark's problem, but a matter for the entire continent.
The only other significant news was about the Continental Academic Conference, scheduled in two weeks.
‘An academic conference.’
The conference, held once every five years, was a rather important event for the Fallenberg family.
Countless inventions were unveiled, and among them, there was always at least one that could be turned into profit.
Wherever there was money to be made, the Fallenbergs were always present. Among the mages attending the conference, quite a few were sponsored by the Fallenberg family.
‘I should attend.’
The conference was a high-level gathering, so there was much to be learned.
It was especially valuable for mages, to the point that the academy even encouraged attendance.
They even had a three-week 'autumn break' where all classes were suspended for it.
‘This year's conference is being held in Vienderk territory, I see.’
The conference was originally held in the territories of the seven Electors on a rotating basis, as a means to strengthen their power.
Aside from the Armian family refusing to host after losing the imperial throne, reducing the seven to six, the tradition had been consistently maintained.
‘...Maybe I should visit the professor.’
Among those sponsored by the Fallenberg family were academy professors. Some of them were conducting research with the goal of presenting at the Continental Academic Conference.
With time on his hands, Pernyan got ready and headed to the faculty building.
“I’m here to see Professor Rosalia.”
“The professor is currently busy with work and has stated she won't be seeing any students.”
“I’m not here as a student.”
Pernyan discreetly presented a token to the teaching assistant. It was a sponsor's emblem, given by the academy to those who sponsored its professors.
“Ah. Please wait a moment.”
The assistant returned five minutes later.
“The professor asks that you wait for thirty minutes.”
“Then I’ll wait inside.”
Without waiting for the assistant's reply, Pernyan entered Professor Rosalia's office.
She was buried under a mountain of documents, processing her work.
In the quiet office, only the soft rustle of turning papers and the scratching of a fountain pen could be heard.
She was so focused that she didn't even notice Pernyan's arrival.
Rather than call out to her, Pernyan decided to wait quietly. He sat on the guest sofa and made himself some coffee.
Time passed quickly.
A gentle breeze blew in through the half-open window. A few documents fluttered to the floor, and she scowled as she picked them up.
She put a black cigarette to her lips and looked for a light, but there was none.
“Here you are.”
Pernyan conjured a small flame at his fingertip. Rosalia expertly took the light and exhaled a plume of smoke.
Her eyes, which had been losing focus, became much sharper. After a moment, while stretching, she finally noticed Pernyan's presence.
“Pernyan? When did you get here?”
“A while ago.”
“I thought I made it clear I wasn't accepting student visits.”
“Today, I’m here as a sponsor, not a student.”
At the word 'sponsor,' she took another drag of her cigarette.
“What about your lecture? I believe you had one today.”
“I decided to skip it.”
“You have some nerve, saying that to a professor's face.”
Rosalia let out a dry laugh, but she didn't say anything more.
“Are you here to press me? To ask if my research has yielded any results?”
“Just checking in. The Continental Academic Conference is in two weeks, after all.”
“Of course I haven't forgotten. It's the moment I've been waiting for every day.”
“I hope the results are worth the wait.”
Pernyan smiled faintly and changed the subject.
“It seems you're enjoying the cigarettes.”
“They're not bad. Just one puff clears my head. I suppose that's to be expected from a Fallenberg product. Anyway, I need more.”
“If you place an order, it's my job to deliver them. However, please don't use them too often. While there are no major side effects, it is a stimulant, so overuse is not advisable.”
“Stop pretending to be concerned.”
“I’m not pretending, but very well.”
“Follow me.”
Rosalia rose from her seat.
“Where are we going?”
“Isn't it obvious? The sponsor wants to see the research results.”
“Is it complete?”
“It's in the final stages. I should be able to finish the final review completely before the Continental Academic Conference.”
“That's incredible.”
Pernyan was genuinely impressed.
Knowing how difficult her research topic was, he had never expected her to accomplish it in just five years, even while sponsoring her.
He had expected it to take at least ten years, but it only took five. No matter how much of a genius she was, she couldn't have done it without pushing herself to the absolute limit.
The specially made mana cigarettes, requested by Rosalia, must have played their part.
Pernyan followed Rosalia to her laboratory.
The lab was large and spacious.
Her laboratory was one of the five largest in the academy, a result of the perfect combination of her ability, her background, and the Fallenberg family's sponsorship.
A cool chill could be felt upon entering the lab.
“The ice crystal has grown larger.”
“Yes, it has.”
The most striking feature in Rosalia's lab was undoubtedly the giant sphere in the center.
The surface of the ice, approximately five meters in diameter, was covered with densely packed magical engravings and circles, leaving no empty space.
Around it, lab assistants were busy at work.
“Professor!”
Just then, the assistants spotted Rosalia and Pernyan.
Most of the assistants gave a brief greeting and returned to their tasks, but one hurried over to them.
“You're here? And Pernyan, you're here too.”
“He's here as a sponsor.”
“So you’re here as a sponsor today.”
The assistant nodded.
“I am Aaron Prain, Professor Rosalia's assistant. It is an honor to meet you, Sponsor.”
“Pernyan. You're always so formal.”
“You are our sponsor. It is only right to be respectful.”
“He wants to see our progress, so give him a proper explanation.”
“Aren't you going to do it yourself?”
“I'm swamped with work.”
Rosalia disappeared without a backward glance.
“Well then, please come this way.”
“Lead the way.”
Aaron led Pernyan on.
***
An hour later, after listening to the explanation, Pernyan departed.
“Take care.”
Bowing his head, Aaron saw Pernyan off. As soon as he was out of sight, Aaron's expression changed.
“...So it was true that she was sponsored by the Fallenberg family, not the Vienderks?”
I'd heard it a few times, but I thought it was just a rumor since there was no reason for a direct descendant of the Vienderk family to receive sponsorship from the Fallenbergs.
“This makes for an interesting picture...”
Rosalia Vienderk and Pernyan Fallenberg.
Vienderk and Fallenberg.
The sponsored professor and the student sponsor.
“Not one, but two. How interesting. I'm looking forward to the Continental Academic Conference.”
This will probably be the most sensational conference since its inception.
Aaron smiled brightly and returned to the lab.
He didn't know.
“...Kuh.”
That the sponsor, who had been on his way, had just collapsed onto a bench, struck by a sudden headache.