Chapter 37
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 37
The Student Council President's Office.
I was in the middle of a formal interview with Chloe, a second-year student from the Newspaper and Broadcasting Club. She had come to dig for more information for an article regarding the recent Territory War.
Adjusting her round glasses, she opened her notebook, ready to jot down my every word.
“...So, about that magic you used to subdue Chepesi. What exactly was it? We have witness testimony regarding multiple mana chains.”
“I cannot disclose that.”
“...Then have you been hiding your skills all this time? It’s quite a departure from your publicly known magical abilities.”
“I cannot disclose that either.”
“In that case, if something like this happens again, will you intervene? Disputes between academies could break out at any time.”
“I’ll think about it. If I have the time, perhaps.”
“...”
Chloe, who had been writing diligently, suddenly stopped.
Her shoulders began to tremble. Finally, she slammed her pen onto the desk and shouted.
“Ugh, I can’t do this! Aren’t you being completely uncooperative? I can’t write an article like this!”
“...What’s the problem? I’ve explained the circumstances of the Territory War, the relationship between Izelin and Jerome, and the entire progression of the incident. That should be more than enough for a follow-up article.”
“Damn it, that’s not what the public wants! They want to know how Roen beat Chepesi. They want the source of your power! Were you secretly hiding your true strength? That’s the kind of gossip they’re after. The dry details can come later!”
“Hmm...”
I stroked my chin and nodded.
She has a point.
I could certainly understand Chloe’s position. Sensational articles increase subscriptions to the Union Daily, which boosts revenue and, in turn, the activity funds allocated to reporters like her. While it might not be the most noble way for journalism to operate, that’s just how the world works.
...You could even say it’s a realistic reflection of society.
In any case, Chloe seemed to believe that revealing the secret of my abilities was the only way to keep people interested in the follow-up.
But I saw things differently.
I tapped the newspaper on the table and shook my head.
“Chloe, I’m sorry to say this, but the Territory War is already old news. It won’t change anything even if I answer all your questions.”
Public opinion is fickle—it boils over instantly and cools down just as fast. The hype from the Territory War had already peaked. By the time a follow-up article hit the stands, public interest would have mostly evaporated.
Given the situation, even if I meticulously answered all of Chloe’s questions and satisfied the public’s curiosity, it wouldn’t become a hot topic. It would do little to erase my notoriety, yet it would leak the secrets of my abilities.
In short, it was a terrible trade-off.
At my words, Chloe slammed her hand on the desk and yelled.
“What are you talking about?! This is a huge topic right now!”
She was furious at the suggestion that the story she’d chased had already lost its appeal. I just shrugged.
“That’s why you’re always stuck at the bottom of the rankings for trending articles.”
“Wh-What did you say?”
Chloe was, in fact, at the very bottom of the Newspaper and Broadcasting Club in terms of engagement. She got lucky this time and landed a scoop on the front page, but her natural talent as a reporter wasn't particularly outstanding. One look at her atrocious photography skills was enough to tell.
To think she took such a terrible picture of me.
Besides, she must have had nothing better to do if she was willing to mix in with the crowd Chepesi had gathered and travel all the way to the backwater territory of Izelin for a story. It was a good thing I intervened; if things had gone as originally intended, Izelin would have been crushed by Jerome, and there wouldn't have even been a story to tell.
“Are you quite finished?”
“Quiet down and sit. I’m about to give you a real story.”
I picked up the pen she had thrown and started writing in the margins of the newspaper.
Scribble, scribble—.
“This is...”
Chloe, who had been fuming, frowned as she looked at the memo I wrote.
“Here. This is a topic worthy of your next article. The Union’s 7 Great Mysteries.”
The Union’s 7 Great Mysteries.
These weren't just urban legends or school ghost stories; they were seven actual ‘hidden quests’ that existed within the Union. Each time you cleared one of the ancient ruins hidden on the Union grounds, you would be rewarded with a trait.
A total of seven hidden traits.
Along with the Academy's 3 Great Divine Artifacts, these were essential growth elements for any player. You might ask why I would publicize such a valuable thing and create competition instead of quietly clearing them myself.
Unlike the Academy's 3 Great Divine Artifacts, the rewards for the 7 Great Mysteries change based on their ‘fame.’
The more famous and well-known the mysteries become, the higher the probability that an Epic Trait will appear as a reward upon clearing the quest. So, the more Chloe writes about the 7 Great Mysteries and spreads the word, the more I benefit.
And since there’s no one who can clear these mystery quests faster than me, I don’t have to worry about anyone snatching them away.
“What do you think? Worth looking into?”
Chloe scowled at my notes.
“Isn’t this something people covered ages ago? It’s outdated content.”
“Not at all. The cooldown should be over by now.”
“?”
“And the reason articles about the 7 Great Mysteries died out is that no new information has surfaced. But soon, some of their secrets will be revealed. It’s the perfect time to cover it.”
“...How would you know something that even I don’t?”
Chloe glared at me with suspicious eyes.
Chloe originally came from the archaeology department of the Dilatant Academy of Adventurers.
It was only natural that she was well-versed in mysteries and ruins. Her current work as a reporter was just a club activity to secure her tuition funds. It was no surprise she looked at me with suspicion when I claimed to know something she didn't.
“I have my ways. Don’t ask for details. In any case, I’ll be starting my investigation of those ruins in the near future, and I’d like you to keep writing articles about it.”
“...You, personally?”
“Yes. With you accompanying me. It’s not a bad deal for you, either. After all, trending information and hot issues are usually monopolized by those with wide connections or vast information networks. That doesn’t really suit you.”
I looked at the newspaper where I had jotted down notes about the 7 Great Mysteries and continued.
“But this is your area of expertise, isn’t it? It’s also ideal for a continuous series. It’s a much better deal than running around frantically every day searching for some sensational scoop.”
“...”
“If you use this to build your own niche and secure a loyal readership, you won’t have to worry about being pushed out of the paper. What do you say? You get a story, and I get fame. It’s a win-win.”
After listening to me blankly for a moment, Chloe scoffed and glared at me.
“...What are you talking about? That stuff won’t sell. What do you know about writing articles? Forget it.”
Chloe frowned, gathered her things, and stood up.
Snatch—.
As she did, she deftly picked up the newspaper with my notes and stuffed it into her pocket.
Watching her, I asked, “You said it wouldn’t sell, so why are you taking that?”
“W-Well, you never know!”
“...”
She stomped her foot for no reason and headed for the door. As I watched her leave, I recalled her personal details.
Chloe Andina.
Right now, she was just a regular club member, but in the future, she would rise to become the club's president and editor-in-chief. She would be the first club president not from Alber Academy, which specialized in journalism and information science. I also knew that she would later serve as the head of the Cultural Heritage Administration, one of the Cassandra Empire's administrative departments.
It was beneficial in many ways to recruit people like her early on. It would give me an advantage in the war of public opinion within the Union. That was why I was giving her information like this today.
Well... since I was essentially just telling her about articles she was destined to write in the future anyway, it was really just for show.
I spoke to the back of Chloe's head as she opened the door.
“Well then, I’ll be counting on you for this article and the ones to come, Chloe.”
“Counting on me for what? Don’t expect me to write anything nice this time. I’m leaving.”
Bang—.
The door to the Student Council President's office rattled as Chloe slammed it shut.
After she left like a passing storm, Ciel, who had been listening quietly nearby, asked me, “Lord Roen, is it alright to make an enemy of a reporter? She could write a malicious article about you.”
It was common for articles to be distorted by a reporter's bias. If Chloe really wrote an article with malicious intent, a story completely different from the truth could spread.
But I dismissed Ciel’s worry.
“What does it matter now? My notoriety is past the point of caring what others think. Let her do as she pleases. Besides, Chloe is destined to be on my side eventually.”
I smiled faintly as I looked toward the door.
Because that is the fate of an NPC I've set my sights on.
*
Silence filled the Student Council President's office.
After finishing all my duties, including the interview, I sat alone on the sofa, gazing at the night view outside the window, and checked the system window.
The Epic Trait I had acquired earlier.
[Black Lotus (黑蓮)]
It was a trait I had never seen before, even after playing Myrillin Saga a hundred times. An Epic Trait that enabled me to form a contract with a dark spirit.
A spirit...
Spirits were one of the fundamental principles that made up the continent of Myrillin. Unusually, this game was centered not on the four classical elements, but on the five elements of Eastern philosophy. Other spirits also existed based on the interactions of those five.
In that respect, the dark spirit Kavelthar, with whom I had a contract, was certainly one of them. However...
It's a spirit I've never even heard of.
I stared at the system window, lost in thought. Furthermore, I had never heard of a trait called [Black Lotus] either, so I needed to check it out now. It would be good to have even one more tool at my disposal when another combat situation arose.
With that thought, I clicked on the [Black Lotus] trait and drew up my mana.
A notification window appeared in the air.
[Would you like to begin the Spirit Summoning Tutorial?]
“Yes.”
[Preparing tutorial.]
As I watched the loading window, I considered the mechanics. Spirit summoning was, at its core, a magical act, which meant a half-assed mage like Roen shouldn't even be able to form a contract. It was fundamentally uncertain whether Roen even had an aptitude for spirits to begin with.
However, just as the [Alchemy] trait allowed Roen to use alchemy magic even though he couldn't use other types, I could predict that spirit summoning would be possible through the power of the [Black Lotus] trait.
A trait that overrides one's constitution.
For now, I would trust the trait and try to summon the dark spirit.
A moment later.
Pshhh—.
“Cough.”
Thick black smoke filled the office. Following the tutorial's instructions, I proceeded with the summoning, and something rose from the magic circle along with the smoke.
A fist-sized black object popped out of the pentagram.
“...”
I opened a window to air out the room and then checked the information of the object on the floor.
[Dark Spirit Kavelthar - Egg]
• Classification: Spirit
• Grade: Unique
• Description: An unhatched egg. It is unknown what will emerge when it breaks out of its shell.
“...What is this?”
I frowned, turning the black egg over in my hand. I had never heard of a spirit with the ability to grow. Spirits were fundamentally divided into separate entities of low, intermediate, and high ranks. A low-rank spirit didn't grow to evolve into an intermediate one.
But this thing started as an egg. It seemed I would have to hatch it and raise it to be able to use its abilities properly.
This is going to be a pain.
I needed something I could use in battle right away, but what I summoned was an egg. Well... the thought of having to hatch and raise it was daunting, but looking at it another way, it could mean it was a spirit with great late-game potential.
Let's look on the bright side. Its grade is [Unique], after all.
A [Unique] grade wasn't necessarily the best, but it meant it was one of a kind in this world.
That's enough for today.
I placed Kavelthar's egg on the table and prepared for bed.
“...”
Twitch—.
*
The last week of March.
Among the Union's courses, there were electives that students could choose, but there were also mandatory common courses. This practical class was one of them.
The Union was traditionally an academy aimed at cultivating future talents to fight against monsters. This tradition continued to this day, and once a month, all students were required to participate in a practical class as a common course.
A group of students, including myself, passed through the Union's barrier and defensive wall. This was the area outside the Union grounds, commonly known as the ‘Unexplored Zone.’
Following the guidance of the faculty, dozens of students arrived at the entrance of the Howling Black Mountains in Sector C of the Unexplored Zone.
The instructor leading my group, C-Group, was Verdandi Gunhild, a professor of basic swordsmanship from Ishtal. It was reassuring that our instructor was one of the most skilled professors in the academy.
Once we arrived at the designated location, she stood before the students, her pure white hair fluttering, and began to speak.
“Welcome, everyone. I'm glad to have you at the first practical class of the year. I am your instructor, Verdandi Gunhild, and I will be leading this session.”
Fwip—.
“This practical class will last for three days, and your objective is to acquire the flag located at the mountain's summit.”
She unfolded a large map and continued.
“Each team will consist of five members. To ensure fairness, teams have been formed randomly based on the competitive rankings. As a result, the sum of the competitive rankings for each team is the same.”
That meant my team, which included me with my bottom-tier rank, would be assigned a powerhouse with at least a single-digit rank.
And my prediction was spot on.
“Well... this is a coincidence.”
Assigned to the same team as me was Freya. She was glaring at me with cold, piercing eyes.