Chapter 17: Ash Heap Friend
Nadan Tes didn't care one bit about the look on Ludenberg Lavante's face—the one that screamed he was witnessing something utterly ridiculous—and pressed on with his question.
"In short, it's a nickname. Why, don't you like it?"
"Of course I don't."
"Oh dear, what a pickle. I think it's great, though. But hey, isn't your face looking a bit too fierce? Why not soften up a little, friend?"
"Who the hell's your friend? You damn oaf. And if anyone's face is fierce, it's yours."
"Ouch, stabbing me right in the heart. Yeah, my mug's pretty rough, I'll give you that. Oaf, huh? People always call me that or 'bear' whenever they talk about me. Got anything fresher? Like 'Seeker of Knowledge Bathed in Starlight' or something. Ah, that's my little dream—call me that when you address me. Doesn't it just have a nice ring to it?"
Ludenberg stared at Nadan in disbelief as the man rattled off one grandiose nickname after another. The guy seemed completely unhinged.
Nadan cackled with laughter, clearly amused by Ludenberg's reaction—like he was looking at some freak of nature.
"Man, you're a riot. All I've heard about Lavante's heir are those wild rumors about you being cursed and wrapped in ominous auras, but looks like that's bullshit too? You're just normal. Well, aside from lacking divine power."
"Shut your mouth. Unless you want it planted in the dirt."
Ludenberg's face hardened in an instant. Spouting baseless rumors about him was a taboo.
"Whoa, my bad. Got careless there. I'll watch it. Sorry. Anyway, nicknames are my call, so forgive me. Honestly, 'Ludenberg' is way too long, don't you think? Not that I'm gonna call a guy some cutesy pet name like a lunatic."
"……."
As Ludenberg stood there speechless from sheer absurdity, Nadan kept yapping away without pause.
"If you were a pretty young lady, I'd sweetly call you by a pet name myself, but since you're not... ash heap it is. If you hate ash heap, how about 'noble young master's noggin'? Suits that refined head of yours. What do you think? Pretty good nickname, right?"
He didn't even notice that "noble young master's noggin" was longer than Ludenberg itself. Nadan just kept teasing relentlessly.
"Professor Nah Tes. What the hell is this lunatic?"
A burning desire had taken root in Ludenberg's mind moments ago—the urge to slam the guy's head into the ground. It was on the verge of spilling into action, but he held back with superhuman restraint. After all, he was here to ask for Professor Nah's help. And this oaf seemed connected to her; roughing him up might cause trouble. Better to ignore him.
"Quiet down, Nadan. Don't tease the poor guy. Tsk, let's do proper introductions first. This is Nadan Tes. He seems a bit off his rocker, but he's my little brother. Big age gap, and he's a Star Pilgrim like me."
Professor Nah scolded Nadan while watching him mess with Ludenberg, then explained about her brother.
"Yep, sis."
Nadan instantly dropped his sly grin, his face hardening into a scowl. With his already rough features tensed up, he looked like a butcher eyeing his next slab of meat.
Ludenberg ignored him and turned to Professor Nah.
"So. What brings you here?"
"I have questions about the Starting Knight."
Nadan's expression shifted dramatically in that instant. But Ludenberg, uninterested in his reaction, kept his eyes fixed on Professor Nah.
"What do you want to know?"
"Have you ever heard voices after reading an ancient book?"
Professor Nah looked genuinely flustered and shot back, "Voices?"
"Yes. Ever since I opened that book, I've been hearing inexplicable whispers in my ear."
Ludenberg cleverly omitted his dreams, telling her only that voices had started after opening the ancient book.
"No. I never heard anything like that."
"I see……."
"Mind telling me what kind of voices?"
"I'm not sure myself. Just some whispers circling my ear, but not in any language I know."
Ludenberg kept lying. He knew the voice and its words perfectly well.
Professor Nah, intrigued by the deception, leaned in. "Whispers, huh... Sounds like you might have some connection to the Starting Knight? I didn't ask last time, but I have to now. How did you even learn about the Starting Knight?"
Her eyes shone with unyielding resolve, brooking no lies. Ludenberg sensed that fibbing now would kill any chance of her help, so he gave one truth he knew.
"A dream. Some entity told me in a dream to find the Starting Knight."
"Just a dream, and you're chasing it this hard? Doesn't that strike you as odd?"
"It felt... too real to be just a dream. Piqued my curiosity, so I looked into it."
"What happened in the dream?"
"I don't remember much. Just that someone told me to find the Starting Knight—that stuck."
"A dream, a dream. And a figure us Star Pilgrims rack our brains over comes up in one……."
Professor Nah pondered deeply, then eyed Ludenberg suspiciously.
"So what exactly do you want from me? Even if you say you want to know about the Starting Knight, I don't know enough myself to give answers."
"You mentioned last time a ruin where a book about the Starting Knight was unearthed."
"And?"
"Could you take me there?"
"Sorry. No can do."
Professor Nah refused with a regretful look.
"The Starting Knight ruins are under strict Setra Church management. No grounds to bring you there casually."
"Grounds……."
"Even the Setra Church, focused on pursuing knowledge, can't ignore practical realities as an organization. The most I can do is hand you a book related to the Starting Knight that's been approved for distribution from those ruins. It only got cleared recently because even we couldn't make heads or tails of it. That's why I could give it to you so easily."
She had a point. Ruins found in the Solemnute Empire generally belonged to the discoverer for excavation. They were heavily protected and managed strictly for the group's benefit. The Setra Church, with its knowledge-seeking ethos, had released the ancient book on the Starting Knight—something unheard of elsewhere.
Ludenberg's face clouded with frustration, but he soon bowed his head in resignation.
"……Understood."
"Hold on, sis."
"Yeah?"
"Can't you just take him? If I step in, won't that settle the ruins issue?"
Nadan, who'd been watching, suddenly spoke up to Professor Nah.
"What? You think that's reasonable?"
Her face stiffened as she rebuked him.
"If anything happens, I'll take responsibility."
Nadan dropped his earlier playful tone, looking at her dead seriously.
Seeing his earnest face, Professor Nah sighed.
"Haa. Fine, fine. Ludenberg?"
"Yes?"
"I'll take you to the ruins, then."
"……Pardon?"
Ludenberg tilted his head, wondering if he'd misheard her offer.
"No need for details. You want it bad enough, so I'll make it happen."
"Thank you……?"
"Anyway, come find me next holiday."
She spoke, then seemed lost in thought. Caught in the sudden flow, Ludenberg nodded reflexively. What he'd thought impossible had flipped in a heartbeat—joy mixed with bafflement.
Switching attitudes like that in a flash? That oaf Nadan... must hold some high status. Enough to bypass even ruins protocol?
As Ludenberg puzzled over it, Professor Nah snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him.
"Ah!"
"……?"
"In exchange for taking you to the ruins, could you do me a small favor?"
"What... kind of favor?"
"This guy next to me's been obsessed with erosion beast research lately... Think you could help? Professor Calvin mentioned offhand you're well-versed in them."
"Sure."
Ludenberg nodded readily. It was clearly thanks to Nadan that he was getting his wish.
"Good. Consider it a simple trade: you help Nadan, I take you to the ruins."
"Yes."
He accepted her request more amiably than usual.
"Yeah, Lavante heir would know erosion beasts inside out. That'll do nicely," Nadan said, slapping his forehead. Ludenberg turned to him.
"When do we start this erosion research? The sooner the better."
"No point dragging it. Next holiday works. Just an hour or two—got a few questions."
"Fine."
"Alright, ash heap buddy. Wisdom Pavilion next holiday, after lunch."
"Got it."
Ludenberg decided not to sweat whatever Nadan called him. The guy wouldn't listen anyway—not even if he begged or smashed his face in.
"So, Nadan, what exactly did you see to make you vouch for him and drag Ludenberg to the ruins?"
"......When ash heap buddy mentioned the Starting Knight earlier."
"When he did?"
"I saw a vision."
Professor Nah's face hardened instantly.
"What kind?"
"A place we didn't see last time at the ruins. Excavation's not fully done, so details are fuzzy... but it had the exact same internal structure. Anyway, there was a white altar in that space... and ash heap buddy was standing on it."
"……."
Professor Nah sank into deep thought. Watching her, Nadan added,
"Something's up with him, for sure."
"Definitely."
She nodded in agreement.
"Perfect timing, sis. Gotta submit your research soon, right? Feels like we found the clue you've been hunting."
"True, but... it's all so sudden, I'm thrown. Nadan, see anything else?"
"Nothing specific."
"You sure you're okay with this?"
"With what?"
"I said no to taking Ludenberg, and you jump in saying your authority covers it. Won't that expose you're someone special?"
"I'll risk it. Doesn't seem the type to blab rumors."
"How do you know?"
"He's the biggest victim of bullshit rumors himself. Folks like that hate getting tangled in any gossip—can't even fathom spreading it."
"If you say so. Just don't get caught. We barely got permission for Solemnute Adem enrollment; getting outed and shipped back to the church would suck for you."
"I know. I'll be careful."
"Good. Wrap up the erosion research quick. Two months till submission."
"Next week. Damn, four projects a year? Oh, why'd you bring up my research to ash heap anyway? Came outta nowhere."
"Needed a plausible excuse. Like repaying a favor. The church elders adore you—if you're helping with research output, they'll greenlight a ruins tour fast. Especially since it's their top priority."
"Quit the creepy talk. Already hid here to dodge those geezers."
"A flimsy pretext like that saves headaches later. Following procedure helps you too in the long run."
"Fine. I'm off."
"Yeah. Oh, wait."
"What now?"
"Ash heap this, ash heap that—what's with that?"
Professor Nah shot him an incredulous look over the nickname he'd slapped on Ludenberg for fun.
"It's fun, ain't it? Just vibes."
"Ash heap vibes?"
"Yeah."
"What the hell does that mean......"
"Like ashes left after something blazed hot. Looks worthless now, but hiding something epic inside... roughly that feel?"
"Huh. Still not a great ring. Ashes are just trash."
"Then chalk it up to teasing. He went along with it anyway."
"Fine. Do what you want. Just get out. I got research too."
At her words, Nadan scratched his slick bald head and slipped out of the lab.