Chapter 95
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: Fate
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“I told you what you got there is entirely yours.”
“Still, it was you who figured out that place, Teacher. I thought I should at least report it.”
……When did the way she addressed me switch back to Teacher?
Wasn't it “mister” just a moment ago?
Our age gap is only five or six years at most. I'd gotten used to hearing that from someone like her, but now it's Teacher.
“Fine, you reported it. Good enough.”
“Pardon?”
“What happened in there?”
“As you instructed, Teacher, there was indeed a hidden space. A secret chamber, perhaps……”
Rosellin went into detail about everything she'd encountered inside.
The layout of the traps, how she'd overcome them, and even the things she'd faced at the end.
I already knew it all.
Even so, the reason I asked was because I wanted to tell her this.
“Those are things you earned through your own strength. I have no reason to take them—especially since they're not mine.”
“No… but still—”
“No. Don't make me repeat myself.”
“……You're pretty stubborn yourself, Teacher.”
Hearing that from Rosellin was amusing, but I couldn't deny it.
I'd decided as much from the start.
If she was going to be stubborn, I'd resolved to be even more so.
That was my way of breaking through this situation.
It was a pretty groundbreaking approach, if I do say so myself.
……In any case, it worked out in the end, so no issues there.
She looked like she'd finally given up.
Her sulky expression was kind of funny.
I'm telling her to keep all those treasure-like finds for herself, so why the long face?
I wanted to wrap up this unnecessarily drawn-out chat with Rosellin.
Her eyes still held some lingering reluctance, but dragging it on would just pile up pointless words.
We'd end up in a stubbornness standoff, that's all.
At that moment, Rosellin quietly spoke up.
“Will we meet again?”
“If you follow my instructions.”
“……When I become a Transcendent?”
“Yes.”
With that brief exchange, I turned and left.
While I was still in Cedric's form, I went to see Lina too.
In truth, Lina was the reason I'd started seriously pursuing the Moonlight Afterglow.
Thanks to the lead she'd given me on Zmol's ties to the auction house, I'd been able to launch my first plan.
Partan's death wasn't enough for her; her thirst for revenge had spread to everything connected to him.
That revenge was beyond her grasp—like a moth hurling itself into flames.
If I hadn't intervened, she would've chased them down and vanished without a trace.
Hell, if she hadn't bid on that hero's item at the auction to begin with……if Partan hadn't died in Baratrein, she'd have been dead ages ago.
The only reason she was still breathing was a string of coincidences—and many of those had gotten tangled up with me, flipping the script.
So, didn't that settle the debt for the info she'd handed over?
But I had no plans to explain those messy details.
It'd be pointless.
She wasn't a hero. Nor a Transcendent.
Dragging Ad into it would just fan pointless flames.
So the moment I saw her, I cut straight to it.
“Your revenge is done.”
“What're you talking about?”
“Everyone tied to Partan is dead.”
“How……?”
She wore the same look she'd had back when I first brought Partan's body from Baratrein.
A mix of bewilderment and faint emptiness.
……She wasn't about to pour her heart into another hollow pursuit without satisfaction, was she?
At least she wasn't erupting in fiery rage like last time. Small mercies.
“The group you uncovered digging into Partan is called Moonlight Afterglow.”
I stuck to the bare essentials.
“And every last member is dead.”
“……You killed them?”
“Just know you don't need to waste any more time or emotion on empty pursuits.”
“……”
Her expression neither brightened nor darkened. She seemed lost in deep thought……or struggling to sort her feelings.
“What now?”
“……What can I do? It's all over.”
Yeah, it really was.
No matter how hot her vengeful fire burned, there was nothing she could do.
Hunting traces of Ad beyond Moonlight Afterglow? Zero chance for her.
At her level, it was game over.
Then, out of nowhere, Lina asked.
“Why'd you handle my revenge for me?”
I shook my head right away.
“Don't get the wrong idea. I had my own business with them.”
“……I see.”
She muttered that, sank back into her thoughts, then spoke.
“So how do you become a Transcendent?”
A Transcendent?
That came out of left field.
Suddenly gunning for it?
But on second thought, it wasn't that odd. Lina had been chasing a Transcendent all along, despite being a plain human.
“I'm a magic user, so asking me won't help much.”
Lina was martial arts. Her level wasn't particularly high, from what I knew.
Though she was young, so who knows what she'd become.
The walls of the 5th and 7th hierarchies.
Magic or martial arts, the barriers were similar. Overcoming them fast was key.
Plus, if she focused purely on training, her backing was rock-solid.
Hadn't she procured that high-rank magic tome with eerie ease when I dangled it as bait?
“If I switch to magic, will you take me as your apprentice?”
“……”
As if.
She wasn't serious anyway.
Still, her rambling showed glimpses of her old sloppy side.
“Is talent everything to get as strong as you?”
Well, I'd wondered the same once. That my gifts weren't exceptional.
The path above felt like a foggy void—no dreams there.
But I'd come to see I couldn't judge talent so lightly anymore.
Merin and I had chewed over something similar.
In a world brimming with secrets unknown to most folks, let alone ancient beings, it was premature to pontificate on talent.
“Can't give you a straight answer. But one thing's sure: you gotta start to learn anything.”
“Train hard, huh. Same line my childhood tutor fed me. Problem is, diligence ain't my strong suit……”
“Then what's your virtue?”
“Looks? Cash?”
Traits that'd shine in the modern world of my past life.
Shouldn't have gotten curious.
“……You might lack diligence, but tenacity? You've got that in spades.”
Chasing Partan wasn't enough; she went after Moonlight Afterglow too.
Knowing her limits, yet clinging till the end—she had grit aplenty.
“I'm pretty obsessive, yeah. Good eye.”
Anyone would've seen it, charging headlong at Moonlight Afterglow with fire in her eyes.
Anyway, I wrapped it up there.
I'd already said more than planned. Spouting this through Cedric's mouth wasn't on the agenda.
Guess I worried she'd veer into another dead end.
All because her sob story got to me emotionally.
Ah……Cedric's not supposed to be this type.
To prep for Transcendence, I'd said to tidy karmic ties—yet with Lina, it felt like I'd planted seeds.
Still……if that revenge fire funnels into training alone, it ain't a bad thing.
Cedric's name would vanish for a good while now……maybe a long stretch.
Wiping out Moonlight Afterglow's Transcendents was a massive move, all things considered.
As the fallout trickles out……Cedric's name will be buzzing everywhere.
From underworld notoriety to Transcendent circles.
Hell, it might already be.
Time to shed the disguise for real and tackle the backlog.
I was still prepping for Transcendence.
Outwardly, I needed to look like I was climbing steadily from 7th hierarchy—so I'd figured it'd drag on……
But tangling with Moonlight Afterglow stretched it further.
Least the Rosellin issue's squared away. She's fully in my control now.
I returned to Eldis territory.
Prep to resume as Ivan was due too.
Had to shield against natural mana to hide my Transcendent status, plus master some cold-affinity 7th-circle spells for show.
In the middle of that, a visitor arrived.
Checking the training grounds via screen, there was Oz.
About time, really. She was overdue by several visits.
With rumors flying from the academy about hitting 7th circle, she'd know I was there—but I'd been gone plenty after.
Of course, I'd prepped solid alibis for the gaps.
I opened the door to greet her.
Our eyes met.
Her expression shifted dramatically.
First, shock—like she hadn't expected me.
Then a flicker of disappointment, lips drooping faintly.
Followed by wide-eyed surprise again.
……What a whirlwind of emotions in seconds.
“What the hell are you?”
“Huh? What about me?”
Oz's gaze roved over my face, scrutinizing every detail.
Beyond mere curiosity—surprise……and suspicion?
Why?
Then it hit me.
‘Ah, becoming a Transcendent remade my body.’
Taller now, skin renewed. Every bit of flab, gone.
I'd seen Palrez before, but he's so oblivious it slid by.
A guy doesn't study another guy's face that hard.
Oz was different. She'd clocked it instantly.