Chapter 130
Chapter 130
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: Memories of a Summer Night
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Long ago—back when I was crushing trolls left and right and reigning as the one and only cafe master—there was this one story.
I avoided chit-chat like the plague to dodge getting sniped by affection nicks from the trolls, but I still exchanged the bare minimum of words.
And the hot topic back then? If D/Z SAGA got turned into an anime, which heroine route would get what storyline?
Needless to say, everyone had their biases.
The Eve faction clashed with the deranged dog-lady psycho Regina faction. The Filtia faction and Isolde faction spilled blood to wash away blood in all-out war.
Anyway, these idiots went from brawling to chattering about which heroine route needed what episodes.
Anyway, I had to moderate that moronic brawl under the guise of cafe management, and an unwanted beach episode got seared into my brain.
Of course.
Justice prevailed.
A few days later. The day to head to the sea dawned.
After loading the Black King ship with tons of gear and waiting, they started arriving one by one.
"You're here."
"Yes."
Eve was the first to show.
That day, after Eve left, I sank into thought.
'What if Eve really sees me as a rival on the path to emperor?'
I tossed that little doubt into my mind.
Nah, no way. She just wanted to go to the sea. Haha.
One reason for the suspicion. One reason to dismiss it.
Eve is dead serious about becoming emperor in her own route. Very serious.
Given her backstory, what kind of resolve is that?
That's the reason for suspicion.
Second. Eve is strong.
Even Rudika Hassan Shadow has counters, but Eve? No countermeasures at all.
One spear to the gut and I'm done. Magic power 22 could kill me with a glare.
And she sees me as a rival?
Eve?
Why?
That's why I ignored the suspicion about Eve.
And I didn't show it either.
But if I let slip that yeah, I'm gunning for emperor, that's admitting treason.
Spear to the belly? Nah, straight-up burial.
Jefrin's authority over ten thousand still belongs to Eve.
Don't wanna die.
"Wolfram."
"What."
"...Nothing."
"Hm."
This awkward vibe.
Suffocating.
Haha.
Am I really gonna die and get tossed in the sea?
For real?
"Ah, Eve. Hi."
"...Hi."
Aila tilted her head at Eve's arrival, then beamed and offered her hand.
"Come on in. Here for the sea?"
"No. I'm here to... surveil... no, for the sea."
"I see."
Then everyone arrived.
Aila. Mille-feuille. Nefti. Rudika. Eve. And me.
"Oh, everyone got that ready? How's Peep?"
"Y-Yes... I did..."
"Rudika and Nefti are good. Right, Nefti?"
"No issues! And you, President Eve?"
"Eh, I managed... somehow."
Our group of six. The start of a beach trip we'd remember forever.
We raced to the heavenly heights, punched through the forest terrain, and reached the coast we'd scouted before.
Of course, monsters on the way. Stronger than expected, good drops too.
In webnovel terms I'd devoured pre-regression, it'd be about three thousand characters' worth—but that brutal bloodbath was bad for mental health, so I deleted it from my head.
Anyway, after the big fight, the newbies seeing the sea for the first time versus the vets' reactions differed wildly.
"...Phew. Still got it."
"Why's Senior Rudika like that?"
"Battle heat hasn't cooled. Leave her."
Combat junkie.
Sea round three reactions were like that.
"...The sea. Vast as if it holds the world alone. My heart swells. One day, I'll rebel."
"Wow... The sea from novels. Hehe. So romantic."
"Jefrin has a place like this...? I'm student council president, how'd I not know...?"
Newbie trio reactions, roughly.
Hm. Sea's the best.
"W-Well, time to change into swimsuits..."
"Ah... Y-Yeah. 【Black Crystal: Barrier: Dual Activation】"
"Whoa. Can't see out from in. In from out either?"
"If Rudika can't see you, yeah."
"True. Can't see."
"Hehe. Of course. Oh, Nefti not changing?"
"I have something first. Later if time."
Hm. Girls chatting about changing behind.
Then this Wolfram will gentlemanly depart.
"Patrasche. Follow."
"...You really doing this?"
"Hm. No backtalk. Come."
Super Yi Young-jin. Those days surviving affection nicks to keep the fan cafe alive flashed back.
Always the same baits circulating. Had to memorize anime plots I'd never seen.
Even then, tons made no sense.
For example.
They gather. Charge to sea as one, jump yelling.
【The sea!】
Anyone can see that. Why yell all together? Why jump? Sand or not, you'll hurt. Glass shards inside? Instant disaster.
【Don't pull so hard!】
【Eek. Wore it for nothing if no one sees!】
Personal freedom. Don't infringe.
【Hey, watermelon smashing? Yeah?】
Sand on watermelon cut? Unedible. Rinse in sea? Just slice clean. Why waste bottled water at the beach?
【Ah, beach house. What to eat?】
【Eh? But BBQ tonight...】
【We'll eat that too!】
Why hit the beach shop for double-priced noodles? Quiet night grill instead.
【Beach volleyball!】
Bothers everyone. Why play ball there?
No. Beach romance ain't that.
Especially not in D/Z SAGA.
For this beach collusion event, I stocked plenty, ready to profit off quick cash with some fun.
Between rocks. Deep water ahead. Real sea.
Not the shallows where newbies frolic.
This is the 【spot】.
Yeah. True to Korean roots, I'm here for the mandatory 【fishing trip】.
"Alright, Patrasche. Set rods, secure, scatter chum, bait and cast, reel on bite."
"...What're you doing, master?"
"Setting my fishing chair."
"Go die, master."
Thanks for the praise.
Of course I want the thrill too. But my stamina? Can't win against a goldfish.
Anyway, rods set, I lounged in the chair gazing at sea.
"Truth is... heading out fishing ain't easy."
"Is that so. Makes sense with your stamina."
"Nah... well. Yeah."
Precisely, modern fishing trips weren't easy.
Not beach-adjacent, work-slammed? Even harder.
So this was real first trip, not just TV vibes.
Of course, me Yi Young-jin with a million fishing YouTube subs mastered all. My angling invincible.
Plus D/Z SAGA fishing catches more than fish.
Level up skill for enchanted items, even monsters sometimes.
"Chilly. Patrasche, summon fire in air."
"......"
Patrasche eyed me like trash, but whatever.
Hm.
Nice and toasty.
Then one rod shook like mad.
"...Bite?"
"Hm. Big one."
Patrasche yanked with telekinesis, bobber-bound fish flew skyward flopping.
"......Huh?"
"......Huh?"
We gasped in unison.
Eve von Loengrin's swimsuit was dazzling.
Pure white with gold threads flowing nobly.
No. Too noble, headache-inducing.
Problem: Doesn't reflect Eve's taste at all.
'......'
Apparently, like the 'Lord's Mantle' exclusive to presidents, made at Jefrin founding. Student council swimsuit special.
Auto-clean, eternal preserve, auto-repair. Plus temp control. True 'Loengrin treasure'.
Yggdrasil outer late? Discovered this in inventory, brought just in case... but why does it exist?
"Come on, Peep! Show swimsuit!"
"...E-Embarrassing, senpai."
"Hehe. Wore it, waste not to show?"
Ignoring Wolfram's fiancée and prez-candidate chatter, Eve floated up on Black Crystal barrier. No float spell learned, but magic 22 makes it simple.
"...As expected."
Fist clenched.
No Wolfram von Loengrin or wolf minion in sight.
Where'd they vanish?
What scheme now?
Couldn't follow before, but here? Sea.
Find Wolfram first, uncover everything from start this time.
Eve spread mana sense, hunting his pattern.
"...Mana 3's too faint!"
Nearby Aila's mana 19 blasts. Forest has comparable. Real 'outside'. Pinpointing mana 3 Wolfram? Tough.
"Ugh...!"
Soul Change off, amp mana. Fatigue hit.
But now mana 21 usable. Can't max output, but sense enough.
Spread mana thin and wide. Filter strong signals first. Erase four people behind, hundreds—no thousands—of forest monsters. Headache throbs.
Wolfram hid alone amid thousands of monsters?
"If something happens, what then, you idiot Wolfram...!"
Eve didn't notice the worry in her scolding words.
Find lone Wolfram in this field first.
Soon, faint mana 3 pinged.
Fiery mana beside. 17-19. Definitely fairy Patrasche.
And...
"Not two?"
Another mana ahead.
Not weak.
Soul Change on, Eve dashed. Pure mage, not fast mover, sand hard to traverse, but whipped feet forward.
Wolfram headed between rocks fronting deep waters. Close.
Mana clearer nearing. Not two. Three. Clustered tight.
Wolfram's back visible. Wolf too. Both statue-still.
"Wolfram! Alone again. Back off first!"
Eve landed before him, eyed third mana source.
Visible: human woman's upper body.
"This beast...!"
Secret meetup here? Know how worried people were?
To ID 'another' who, Eve halted spearing his gut, assessed instead.
Not Filtia-like history witness. Or dragon—can't show ugliness again.
Hm.
Human torso. Check.
Dark brown long hair. Human.
Mouth has thread. Leading looong to floating rod in air...
"?"
Rod?
Look down.
"......Huh?"
Fish.
"......"
"......"
Bobber in mouth, flopping. Upper human, lower pure fish.
So.
A mermaid was hooked.