Chapter 134: You Fool, Take a Hint
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 134: You Fool, Take a Hint
And so, we arrived at another estate that could be used under the name of the Golden Glove Syndicate.
“Scavus Clan... What, does Golden Glove have its own clan too?”
“Not exactly. They’re just close business partners, not a subsidiary of Golden Glove.”
They weren’t quite on the level of Roanmarie’s Three Great Clans, but they were close—the equivalent of a top-tier university that just barely missed the Ivy League. The Scavus Clan felt like a solid runner-up, sitting right below the absolute elite. In Roanmarie, where many powerful syndicates competed and the Page of Arcana stood tall as the pinnacle of capital, even the wealthy Golden Glove Syndicate found it difficult to form connections with the Three Great Clans.
Hence, the Scavus Clan. They were among the highest-ranking of the four clans in that second-tier bracket, the kind of group that harbored a sliver of hope that they might one day turn the "Three Great Clans" into the "Four Great Clans."
By replicating the Labyrinth Portals, Roanmarie had effectively solved the problem of urban overcrowding at the center, a phenomenon typical of labyrinth cities with only a single portal.
As a result, the city had expanded significantly. Commercial districts flourished near the replicated portals, and explorer villages formed around them. By effectively managing issues like population density, even relatively lower-ranked clans were able to secure vast plots of land.
Thus, despite being in the second-tier line, the Scavus Clan possessed a massive estate spanning about 40 hectares. While hectares might be an unfamiliar unit, it’s easier to grasp if you imagine a 100-meter by 100-meter square as one hectare.
For comparison, Kyungpook National University is about 66 hectares, while Seoul National University reaches a staggering 1,500 hectares. That’s 1.8 times the size of Yeouido. Of course, campus size doesn't determine academic prestige.
Stanford, MIT, Harvard? Step aside. Here comes Kyungpook National.
The materials brought down from the massive airship were sent to the processing plants and smithies under Golden Glove within the Scavus Clan’s estate. Items requiring magical post-processing or research were sent to the laboratory where scholars gathered.
“You’ve arrived, Lady Renart.”
“Good to see you. Everything well?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Seeing Mother exchange friendly greetings with the Scavus Clan Leader made me realize once again that we lived in different worlds. Theodora was also by Mother’s side, greeting various high-ranking officials.
I stood off to the side, watching them. How tragic for me.
“Aven! Can you come here for a second?”
“Oh, okay.”
The reason Theodora called me over was to introduce me to the Scavus Clan’s mages. I tried to exchange formal greetings with the many people whose names I could barely remember, but the mages didn't seem interested in formalities.
“You eat monsters and use their body parts?!”
“Uh... yeah. Something like that.”
They had so many questions. Fortunately, they didn't seem like the type to go around spreading rumors. The person expressing the most curiosity, eyes sparkling as they looked at me, was quite a high-ranking individual.
“I see. You said you need the Gargoyle’s wings? I’ll dispel the petrification magic, so please get ready!”
“Got it.”
But these wings were so huge; I wasn't sure if they’d fit in my stomach.
First, the mages finished preparing their binding spells. The moment the high-ranking mage dispelled the petrification, neutralizing magic surged toward the Gargoyle.
Thump!
Skreeee—
The Gargoyle was completely bound by blue mana chains. It made no sound, its red eyes merely glowing as it scanned its surroundings.
“Now, Mr. Evan. You may take the wings!”
“It’s Aven. But alright.”
I climbed onto the back of the fallen Gargoyle and tore the wings off.
Crack.
Once the petrification was gone, they had transformed into wings made of proper muscle fibers, bone tissue, and feathers. As I expected, the feathers were black.
The total wingspan was 12 meters. Each wing was nearly 6 meters long and incredibly wide. Did I miscalculate? With a size like this, I’d have to slice my skin open from my back down past my butt to my hamstrings just to get them out.
‘No, wait. I managed to adjust the size of the Evil Eye’s massive eyeball.’
The Evil Eye was over a meter tall, yet I’d shrunk it enough to fit into my eye socket. I wasn't entirely sure, but I suspected that as the skill leveled up, the range of size adjustment would increase.
“Since the Gargoyle’s corpse was purchased with Lymain family funds, you may take as much as you want. The wings cannot function alone, after all.”
“He’s right! You’ll probably need the powerful wing muscles surrounding them!”
The mages kept chiming in from the side. Fine, okay. They were right. I’d know for sure once I tried using them.
I began stuffing the Gargoyle’s wings into my stomach, starting from the tips. I’d push a section in, wait for it to be stored, and then push more. It was a repetitive process.
Eventually, I managed to store both wings, though it took quite a while.
“Did you need a shrinking spell?”
“Wait, you could use shrinking spells?”
They could have mentioned that earlier. Well, I’d eaten them all, so it didn't matter. Now I just had to pull the wings out of my back.
“There are too many people watching here. Let’s go to the laboratory!”
“Didn’t they all just watch me eat them?”
“That’s... well, shall we head to the lab anyway?”
* * *
Mother was busy talking with the clan’s higher-ups, and Theodora followed me, saying that while talking was fine, it was a hassle. I entered the Scavus Clan’s laboratory building and, in a relatively spacious room, began racking my brain on how to manifest the Gargoyle’s wings.
“Exactly! The vertebrae where the wing bones attach are usually a modification of the 5th thoracic vertebra! This part is called the Pterygoid Vertebra! It’s a special skeletal structure found only in creatures that have both forelimbs and wings!”
I wondered exactly where on the back the wings were attached. I found out after slicing through the Gargoyle’s back.
A portion of the vertebrae had been modified to possess the strength and width necessary to support the wing bones. To minimize interference between the wing bones and the ribs, the ribs were slightly more flared. The thickness of the muscles also slightly encroached on the space where the lungs and diaphragm would be, which was a bit of a problem.
This was exactly why a Gargoyle’s chest was so thick from front to back.
“Phew, this isn't easy.”
“Can’t you do it?”
“No, I can.”
I just had to make myself like that. I flared my ribs further forward and out, then pushed my lungs and heart slightly forward. Naturally, I had to attach thick muscles to my back to swing the massive wings, ensuring they didn't interfere with my existing erector spinae, lats, or other muscles.
After effectively positioning the wing muscles, I took the Pterygoid Vertebra I’d harvested from the Gargoyle and slotted it between my own vertebrae. Finally, I summoned the Gargoyle wings I’d struggled to swallow.
Crr-ack!
“Whoa...! Incredible!”
“He... he actually did it....”
The other researchers watching from the side looked stunned. Wings had just erupted from a human’s back with a sickening crunch. Moreover, these weren't levitation organs in the shape of wings like those of Dragonkin, Succubi, or True Ancestor Vampires—these were real wings that used physical force to fly.
They didn't look much different on the surface, but my chest circumference had likely increased. It was unavoidable if I wanted to use those powerful wing muscles.
“Now, would you like to try flapping them?!”
“Sure.”
Fortunately, the newly inserted skeleton and muscle fibers worked perfectly, without interfering with my original parts. It was likely thanks to my careful study before integration.
“Hup...!”
Moving the wings required much more strength than I had anticipated.
“Takeoff is always the most difficult part of flight! Hang in there!”
After a few flaps, I started to get the feel for it. It wasn't just mindless flailing; when moving the wings from top to bottom, I had to tilt them horizontally and spread them wide to push against the air.
When bringing the wings back up from the bottom, I had to turn them vertically to minimize air resistance.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
As I shrunk the massive wings to about half their original size to fit my frame, their muscle density skyrocketed, and my strength surged.
Since a Gargoyle’s body was heavier than mine to begin with, it was certain that I could lift myself using its wings.
“He’s lifting! He’s in the air!”
“He... he’s actually flying....”
The researchers made a fuss, while Theodora stood below, staring up at me blankly.
“Whoa, whoa!”
Crash!
“Oops, I fell.”
Accelerating or changing direction in mid-air was still difficult. My first priority was succeeding at hovering—staying suspended in the air stably. Moving back and forth could come later.
This was going to take a lot of practice.
“Aven, shouldn't you try it with your tail out too?”
“Oh, right.”
* * *
Unfortunately, Mother ended up having dinner with the Scavus Clan executives. That didn't change mine or Theodora’s plans, though. We were going back to our lodging anyway, and it wasn't like Mother was going to follow us all the way there.
“Dora.”
“Yeah? What?”
“Coming to Calax from a place as technologically advanced as Roanmarie... isn't it inconvenient?”
“Hmm...? Is it?”
Here, doors were automatic, and most bathrooms were clean and well-maintained. Various convenience features were excellent. For one, the Magical Credit Card was a revolution. Why did Calax still use coins?
Was it because they’d have to pay taxes if they used cards? The entire city was basically committing tax evasion. Truly unbelievable.
“Automatic doors... usually, someone else opens doors for me anyway.”
“Oh.”
“And for payments, if I just put it under the Lymain name, they come to collect it on their own.”
“Oh.”
“As for bathrooms... everywhere I go is usually pretty clean.”
Right. That was Theodora for you. I’d miscalculated. While Roanmarie used technological innovation to increase convenience, the Lymain family used financial power. No wonder she felt there was no difference between Calax and Roanmarie.
“Well, still. Roanmarie has a lot of things worth seeing. There are plays everywhere... why do you ask all of a sudden?”
“No reason. I just thought Calax might not be much to you.”
“What do you mean by that?”
The reason Theodora had come to Calax was simply to fulfill her role within the Lymain family. As the youngest daughter, her job was to stabilize the Calax business operations that had started relatively recently, and to use her family’s and her own name to build connections and establish a foothold in the local market.
There might be people better at the job than Theodora, but she had the name value of being the Lymain family’s youngest daughter.
In the end, Calax was a workplace for Theodora, not home. She was just working hard in a foreign land; once she returned to Roanmarie, she had much thicker and deeper connections than in Calax. I realized this after seeing Adues. So many people she’d been close with since childhood were here.
Naturally...
“Once your work in Calax is done, you’ll return to Roanmarie, right?”
“Hmm.”
We were inside a carriage passing through the wealthy streets of Roanmarie, which were crowded with people. The gentle ambient noise made the silence feel natural. However, after letting out that meaningful "Hmm," Theodora didn't say another word.
—My Lady! We have arrived!
“Let’s get out, Aven.”
“Oh, right.”
The coachman opened the door, and Theodora stepped out first. I followed her out of the carriage, stretching my back which had grown stiff from sitting for so long, and looked around.
“Wait, weren't we going to our lodging?”
“We are.”
“What? Am I seeing things?”
No. The surroundings were clearly different. This wasn't the place I’d been staying at since coming to Roanmarie. As I kept looking around in confusion, Theodora approached my left side, linked her arm with mine, and poked my side.
“Ow.”
Theodora reached out and pointed somewhere in the distance. Where her left index finger pointed, a pink fluorescent Sunstone sign was glowing brightly.
‘MOTEL’
“Uh...”
“You fool, take a hint.”