Chapter 97
Chapter 97
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: A Trivial Incident
-----------------------------------------------------------------
At first, it was a trivial matter.
“Why were you out yesterday? Did you buy something at the jeweler in Cabri?”
“What are you talking about? I didn’t leave the academy yesterday.”
Her expression at those words—what had it been like?
“Then I must have been mistaken.”
That was the beginning.
Places I hadn’t gone, times I hadn’t been there, actions and expressions I hadn’t made.
Those things started popping up one by one, tightening around me.
Gadia gazed into the mirror. Her long silver-blue hair cascading down as if scattering light, ice-blue eyes.
A gaze that seemed to look down imperiously, red lips.
Evaluating herself objectively might lack impartiality, and even if she spoke harshly, her appearance wasn’t one easily found anywhere.
‘And yet.’
Gadia subtly bit the inside of her cheek.
Outwardly, always elegant. Without a single flaw. Her only weakness she couldn’t control herself—distrust of men—she had no intention of showing to others.
Thus, she knew how to swallow even her torment inwardly.
Outwardly expressionless, she swallowed breath that reeked of blood.
‘Who dares.’
Who was it, wandering the capital with the same face as hers, committing such undignified acts?
A form too clearly hers to belong to anyone else.
Even to Gadia’s own eyes, the figure captured in the crystal orb someone had recorded was identical to her.
“Lize is late.”
With the maid Lize, whom she had sent out briefly, still not returned, Gadia slowly rose.
The delayed handling of the task she assigned could wait until after classes; for now, the lecture hall came first.
“They say someone saw her at the gambling den yesterday too.”
“Shh, you want to get dragged to the Kruger family and tortured? But wasn’t her little sister a notorious wastrel back in the territory?”
“Blood runs thick, I guess.”
No need to pay attention to every giggling gossip.
Gadia lifted her chin, fixed her gaze straight ahead, and walked.
Her demeanor exuded a chilling aura.
Even those openly whispering fell silent for a moment, staring blankly as Gadia passed.
And right after entering the lecture hall.
Gadia’s composure cracked for the first time as she pressed her fingertips to her bewildered lips.
“…Who are you?”
“Who are you?”
There, in the seat Gadia always took, sat a figure who had arrived first.
Long silver-blue hair, ice-blue eyes.
“Miss, I’ve taken care of the errand you gave me… Huh?”
Lize, standing at the lecture hall door and speaking to Gadia, glanced back and forth between the Gadia inside and the one at the door.
Drop.
A letter slipped from Lize’s hand.
* * *
“Come visit the alchemy tower later.”
“Why, young master?”
“How can they only have stamina potions? They need debuff removal potions too!”
“I don’t understand what you mean, Adelrian.”
Lying in bed and groaning, I inwardly cursed the alchemy tower to dust.
Why have potions for wounds but none for splitting headaches?
Isn’t this headache discrimination?
I gave Leaf, who was changing the damp cloth on my forehead, a thumbs-up in thanks, then swallowed some herbal juice said to ease pain.
Most ailments were handled by divine power or magic, so proper painkillers were scarce.
Well, they might exist somewhere, but not here on the monster borderlands at least.
“Still lying down?”
“Got a problem with that?”
After collapsing on the cliffside and blacking out, a full day had passed when I woke, already back in bed.
I glared at Kane, who was striking up conversation as if questioning why I hadn’t recovered yet, grinding my teeth.
“No. But aren’t you too weak, Adel?”
“Use my full name.”
“…Rian.”
Rachel tried picking a fight lightly, but Luna laughed and followed suit, so she retreated, munching bread.
Everyone but me looked fully recovered—made me want to cry.
Mana recovered with mana stones, but the mental strain backlash hit the body this hard.
Thanks to the herbal juice, the headache subsided a bit, so I sat up in bed.
“Are you okay? You could rest more…”
Luna supported my arm like I was on death’s door.
“I’ve rested plenty.”
If I had firepower, I could console myself as a glass cannon, but this damn body doesn’t even have a decent trait.
What can you do? Weak body means the brain works overtime, and as apex of creation, humans use tools.
My strongest weapon isn’t traits—nor money, really—but Kane.
I twisted my lips into a grin.
‘The Risen One, with the Perfect trait on top.’
The title changing to The Risen One followed my script perfectly, so no surprise there.
But bundling genius, versatility, resilience, mana control, dispel, and even appearance into one Perfect trait? Never dreamed of that.
How amazing is it? Even Kane over there.
Kane’s Perfect trait is only B-rank—you can tell.
His won’t rise easily from now on.
Didn’t even know it could attach to a person at first.
I creakily rose, donned the overcoat Zero handed me, and spoke.
“Just Kane’s coming with.”
No need for the whole group to tag along wherever we were headed.
“Please come back safe, Adelrian.”
“Come back, Adel.”
“I’ll have a delicious meal ready when you return.”
―Administrator. You need more rest. Please return soon.
I walked the cool corridor to meet Reinhardt.
“How’s it feel?”
“Strange.”
I’ve never built up aura, so I wouldn’t know, but Kane’s different.
“Get used to it. Gotta handle this much to be my sword.”
Joking lightly, I opened Reinhardt’s office door.
“You’re up. No lingering pain?”
“Thanks to your concern, as you can see.”
I replied glibly to Reinhardt and activated User’s Eye.
[Reinhardt La Ishtel—Unyielding Sword]
Main Traits: [Tenacity(S+)] [Steel(SS)]
Hidden Traits: [Divine Power(D)] [Alchemy(C)]
Oh man, old-timer. Still room to grow.
No title change. Tenacity on the verge of rank-up.
Feels rewarding. Seeing Unyielding Sword still intact.
I grinned and pulled out a chair to sit.
“We’ve got things to discuss, right?”
“What the Commander-in-Chief plans to say differs from what I intend, but yes.”
As he nodded like we must, Meisha brought tea.
“I’ll take Kane now.”
“Contract period hasn’t ended yet, has it?”
Not the point anyway, but testing the waters, I loosely shook my head and spoke.
“What do you want in return?”
My polite words made Meisha and Reinhardt’s brows twitch slightly, like something irked them.
Ah, the Arrogance trait.
“Your goal.”
Reinhardt eyed me as he spoke. For some reason, Kane edged closer to me. Reinhardt shot him an odd look.
“You’ve grown stronger than expected, Knight Kane.”
“You honor me.”
Kane’s tone was flat, like reading a textbook.
Something happened? Reinhardt tried something on me, but buoyancy blocked it, Kane intercepted?
Dragon or monster presences too—buoyancy helps in some ways, but draws suspicion from others apparently.
I hurriedly grinned like I knew all and continued.
“My goal… as you see, the safety of Gavioren here?”
Reinhardt’s face hardened at my playful words. Even polite, the Arrogance trait makes me seem scheming.
Better to go brash than fake politeness.
“Adelrian, if it’s not rude, I’d like the truth from you again, like last time.”
Why’s she been talking like that since then?
At Meisha’s words from behind, I rubbed my eyes.
[Meisha On—Diligent Aide]
Main Traits: [Memorization(S)] [Oath of Truth(SSS)]
Hidden Traits: [Perfect Pitch(C)] [Potion Brewing(B)]
Oath of Truth, huh.
Not one I knew before, but likely a special trait that activates under conditions.
‘Like discerning the true intent behind words.’
Fits the name. And her reactions suggest it requires permission to use.
“Sure, why not.”
Her knowing and me laying cards down means there’s something in it for me.
“Asking once more. What is your goal?”
“The safety of this place.”
Even at my words’ end, Meisha didn’t stir, so Reinhardt rubbed his chin.
“The price?”
“One favor someday? Hear it out; reject if it’s weird.”
When the evil cult stirs continent-wide later, we’ll ally anyway.
Make it smoother then.
“That’s all?”
“What more do I lack?”
I asked like I truly didn’t know. If anything, Reinhardt’s the one lacking.
I waved a hand in the air, spilling mana stones and gold bars onto the table.
Meisha snatched a falling mana stone mid-air in surprise; I eyed it sidelong and spoke.
“This is investment capital. Looks like you can tell truth from lies in my words.”
I grinned at Meisha.
“What I want is the continent’s safety. That’s why I came here. Danger will strike this place again someday. Prepare with this.”
What if I told her everything now and got her to affirm it as truth?
That I know the future. Read it in a book. You’re novel characters; destruction comes, so prepare.
A mad religion rises, invoking gods, declaring war on the continent, slaughtering or subjugating all non-humans for their utopia, and you’ll all die for the powerless humans and non-humans.
“…Truth.”
But why spill everything to someone not fully mine?
At her words, Reinhardt shot up.
“How do you know that?”
“I know fragments of the future.”
Not all, since I’ve already changed some, so fragments.
Naming Foresight exactly would flag as lie, so I phrased it, and Meisha nodded—truth confirmed.
“Do you have prophecy or foresight traits?”
“Think what you want.”
“…What should we prepare for?”
Moment all my words rang true—guard down.
“Enough to repel a duke-class monster.”
Eyeing mana stones bigger than my hand and spilled gold, I continued.
“Prepare.”
* * *
Traits are talents. Achievable through effort, but innately bestowed at base.
Beyond simple strength or agility, some defy clear explanation.
Like Meisha’s—special traits unlocked upon meeting conditions, revealing usage.
‘Traits peeking into futures or other worlds too.’
Such traits activate at the user’s will, usually with personal costs or restrictions per use.
Kane watched Adelrian’s back leading ahead.
Unclear how far or much he sees, but the price keeps mana, aura, swordsmanship from taking hold.
Yet driven by will, he gathers people like Kane, risks himself to move.
‘Sharpenest sword.’
For that promise.
“Talk’s done. Now we head to the empire’s capital.”
Kane nodded slightly at Adelrian’s shout to the waiting party as he opened the door.