Chapter 147
Chapter 147
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 147
Chapter Title: Your Mother's Trumpet
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Alec’s sincerity had been conveyed more than enough, but I still had to say it.
“Is there nothing else?”
“Something else?”
“Like an exploration journal, for instance.”
“…”
Alec didn’t answer.
The almost manic heat gradually subsided, and the desperate attitude he had just shown felt as if it were vanishing like mist.
Soon, Professor Alec, with a composed demeanor, asked me to leave.
“…You may go for today.”
“Professor.”
“We’ll see each other again in class in three days.”
When he spoke so resolutely, there was nothing I could do.
I nodded reluctantly.
“I’ll see you then.”
* * *
When my mind is troubled, it’s best to walk without thinking.
Letting my eyes wander, my feet roam free, my arms swing loosely.
After leaving Alec’s laboratory, I wandered through the academy without any particular destination.
The sky was beautiful, the river was beautiful, and the well-paved roads, the streetlights, and the buildings beyond them were all lovely.
I doubted there were many places in the capital as beautiful as this.
I found a suitable bench along the path, sat down, and gazed up at the blue sky for a moment.
“…”
Spirit Mountain, the continent’s most treacherous demonic realm.
A survival rate of less than 0.1 percent, a cursed land that left intruders in a state of neither life nor death.
I felt like I had indirectly learned what kind of place it was.
‘…So this is why he told me to find out for myself.’
I understood the Iron-Blooded Duke’s intention.
Sometimes, who says something is more important than the meaning of the words themselves, and this was one of those times.
For some reason, I felt that if the Iron-Blooded Duke had explained the dangers of Spirit Mountain himself, it wouldn’t have conveyed the same definitive feeling.
But…
Strangely, my spirit wasn’t broken.
If anything, my desire to go to Spirit Mountain grew even stronger.
‘Am I going a little crazy too?’
I chuckled to myself and organized my thoughts.
Alec probably had an exploration journal of Spirit Mountain.
This wasn’t a guess; it was a certainty.
The magical tools I saw in his lab, the old publications, the photographs… and beyond that, the books and documents I glimpsed, the solutions in beakers, and even the body parts of unknown creatures—
All of it, big or small, was likely related to Spirit Mountain.
If so, could the fundamental reason Alec spoke of the empire’s demise also be related to Spirit Mountain?
‘Demise…’
Demise isn’t necessarily some grand affair.
If the Six Demon Kings were to manifest on the continent in their complete forms, that would be the very beginning of the end.
Thinking that far, I paused for a moment.
‘The photograph…’
The monster’s face was so overwhelming that I hadn't realized it easily, but…
The sun was also in that photograph.
A sun dyed black.
An unnatural solar eclipse, a sign of a Demon King’s descent.
If so… has a Demon King already descended upon Spirit Mountain?
*Grumble…*
I wondered why my head wasn't working right, and then an intense hunger washed over me.
Come to think of it, I hadn't eaten since last night.
‘…First, I need to get something to eat.’
An academy this ridiculously large must have more than one or two dining halls.
If I asked someone for directions, I could get there quickly, but…
I chose not to, instead searching for a dining hall as if on an expedition, wandering through the academy.
Although it was called an academy, there were many people here besides students.
I saw gardeners tending the grounds, cooks, guards, servants, faculty, and even people who appeared to be their families.
At this rate, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say Cartel Academy's population was the size of a small town.
After walking a bit, I came across a street that indeed felt like one.
It lacked Cartel Academy's signature, overly stylish design, feeling more like a familiar town street one might encounter in daily life.
‘Ah. This must be the shopping district.’
Recalling the Headmaster’s words, I walked down the street.
My pockets were quite full, so I browsed the street with a sense of abundance.
It seemed the street sold more than just food.
I saw bookstores, general stores, clothing shops, and even a blacksmith and a magic shop.
The average prices seemed quite high.
Considering most of the academy's students came from well-to-do families, it wasn't surprising.
It was lunchtime, so the street was crowded with students…
And there were several restaurants wafting delicious smells.
But for some reason, I felt like avoiding the commotion today, so my feet were drawn to a less crowded area.
After a few minutes of wandering through back alleys, I found a restaurant with a decent atmosphere.
It was a pub with the rather bizarre name, [Your Mother's Trumpet]—
Somehow, the naming convention was similar to southern pubs, stirring a strange sense of nostalgia.
*Ting-a-ling—*
“Welcome.”
A gruff voice called out.
The place didn't get much sunlight, and the lighting was subdued, making the interior feel dim.
Which meant it was just to my liking.
I sat down at a suitable spot and said.
“The best meal you’ve got and a glass of whatever you’re serving.”
“We don’t sell booze during the day.”
“It feels like night in here.”
I flicked a silver coin, pressing my point.
The owner expertly snatched the coin out of the air and drew the curtains over the still brightly sunlit window, saying.
“You’re right, the sun does seem to set early these days.”
As the owner went into the kitchen, I scanned the interior of the pub, anticipating what kind of food I would get.
It was quiet, but not entirely empty. Everyone was dining with quiet clinks of cutlery.
But among them, there was a familiar face.
“Mmph…”
Stuffing a sausage in his mouth was Nabi Goodspring.
Nabi hastily swallowed the sausage he was chewing and greeted me awkwardly.
“…Hello.”
“Hey.”
I wasn't really in the mood for conversation, which is why I’d sought out such a secluded place. I never imagined there would be someone here, let alone someone I knew.
‘At least it’s not one of my closer friends.’
I gave a short reply, exuding a clear ‘don’t talk to me’ vibe, but this kid must have swallowed his sense of tact along with his sausage, because he approached me.
“What a coincidence meeting you here. Why didn’t you come to the welcome ceremony yesterday?”
“I had something to do.”
“What was it?”
“Just something.”
“What is ‘something’?”
“…”
So he was just clueless from the start.
As I stared at him blankly without a word, Nabi finally flinched.
“…Ahem. By the way, is Hector okay?”
“Why wouldn’t Hector be?”
“Well, after what happened yesterday…”
What happened?
Sensing my puzzled look, Nabi suddenly grinned mischievously and said.
“Aha. Looks like you don’t know yet?”
“What happened?”
“Hmph. It was somethin-.”
I slightly raised my fist, and Nabi started talking.
“…After the welcome party, he met up with Brother Barter for a little spar.”
“Butter? That guy hasn’t gone back yet?”
“It’s Barter. He’s also one of the swordsmanship professors at Cartel Academy. Of course, he’s often away, but he barely manages to meet the minimum number of classes per year, so he keeps his position.”
“Hmm…”
“I heard Hector is also taking the swordsmanship class, so it was decided that he’d check his skills before the lectures began.”
I didn’t need to hear the result to know.
Hector had certainly grown stronger through the training retreat, but he still lacked the power and experience to match Barter.
‘I was wondering why he didn’t come back to the room last night…’
Was he feeling dejected?
I wasn’t particularly worried about the current Hector, but I figured I should check on him later.
“So what are you doing here?”
“Eating.”
“All the way out here?”
“And what about you…?”
“I like dark and gloomy places like this.”
“Sorry it’s so dark and gloomy for ya.”
The owner said, placing a glass of alcohol and a bowl of food in front of me with a face that didn’t look particularly offended.
The drink was beer…
And the bowl contained chicken. From its appearance and smell, it seemed to be a stew boiled with sauce and wine.
The portion was larger than I expected.
I eat a fair amount, but a portion this size might fill me up in just two bowls.
*Clink.*
The owner placed a plate with bread on it and added.
“It’s even better if you dip the bread in it.”
“Thanks.”
First, I took a sip of the beer.
Was it because of the pub’s atmosphere?
Drinking the beer, I felt like I had truly returned to my past mercenary days.
Of course, in those wretched places, there were no luxuries like beer with ice floating in it…
I looked at the small stage set up inside the pub and commented.
“Looks like bards stop by here occasionally.”
“Ah, not really. I play the harp as a hobby, so I use it then. Mostly, it’s just drunken idiots who get up there and squeal like stuck pigs.”
So it was just a prop.
I nodded and said.
“It has the atmosphere of a southern pub.”
“Oh… you can tell. Actually, my father is from that region, so I paid some attention to the interior.”
Looking again at the owner’s smiling face, I noticed he had a particularly thick beard and a large nose.
“A dwarf?”
He was a bit too tall for that.
“Only on my father’s side.”
“Aha.”
He was of mixed blood.
It wasn't particularly rare. I smiled and swirled my glass.
“No wonder the beer tastes so good.”
“Hahaha. Thanks for the compliment, but it’s a stereotype that dwarves are good brewers.”
The owner burst into a hearty laugh, and I picked up some chicken as a side.
There was no gamey taste, and the thick sauce was rich in flavor. Just as the owner said, it would probably be delicious dipped in bread.
Nabi asked again.
“How is my sister?”
“What about her?”
“I was just wondering if she’s getting into any dangerous trouble again.”
It seemed Seren’s reckless behavior was famous even within her family.
“She’s fine.”
“…Is she? That’s a relief, then.”
“She must have been quite a handful in the family.”
At my words, Nabi let out a low laugh.
“She wasn’t like that when she was very young. In my memory, it was around when she was ten? She started to change then, and sometimes it feels like she’s a completely different person.”
“What was she like before?”
“She was very timid and expressed her emotions often. She laughed a lot, and she cried even more.”
“…”
Nabi’s words made me recall the ‘Seren Goodspring’ I had briefly encountered at the main estate.
— …Ah, hello…? Um… Lord Ruan…?
— Oh, or should I say, former fiancé?
“You know, about your sister—”
“!”
At that moment, Nabi suddenly shot up from his seat and said.
“Ru-Ruan…! It’s a secret you saw me here!”
“What?”
Without waiting for an answer, Nabi shoved a sausage into his mouth and hastily scrambled out the back door of the pub.
Almost immediately after, the front door opened, revealing a familiar face.
“…”
It was Barter Goodspring.
From his appearance to his attire, he was a man adorned in splendor, making him a truly unfitting sight against the backdrop of this shabby pub.
As Barter’s eyes scanned the interior, they lit up when they landed on me.
“You are…”
Not wanting to get involved, I just drank my beer.
“A member of a great family, drinking in broad daylight… The Bednickers always show me an unexpected side.”
“Care for a drink?”
I said, swirling my half-empty beer glass, and Barter smirked.
“You drink up.”
“…”
“By the way, have you seen my sister here?”
“Seren? I don’t know.”
“Hmm.”
Barter’s gaze fell on the table where Nabi had been sitting. A single piece of cold sausage was left behind.
“If you haven’t seen her, then so be it. If you do, tell her I’m looking for her.”
“Will do.”
Barter left with a slight smile.
Looking at that smile made my stomach churn, so I downed the remaining half of my beer in one go and shouted.
“Owner! Another one over here!”
* * *
Two days passed without any particular incidents or disturbances.
I spent most of my time in my room. Having only signed up for one class, Historical Geography, I rarely had a reason to go out.
It wasn't particularly boring.
During the day, I focused on cultivating my energy, and at night, I trained the power of the Divine Beast. That alone made the time fly by.
I was at a stage where my growth curve was skyrocketing.
Watching my internal energy snowball day by day, I felt like I could just lock myself away in a sunny, secluded place for a year and do nothing but cultivate.
Of course, with so much to do, that wasn't an option.
Still, I didn’t stay cooped up in my room the entire time. When it was time to eat, I would sluggishly crawl out to the dining hall.
When I ran into the 영도 guys there, we would exchange greetings and catch up on news…
…According to Pam, I was the only one who had chosen just one class.
Of course, no one had taken fifteen like him, but even those with relatively few had signed up for four or five.
Apparently, since classes were only two or three times a week on average, you needed at least that many to have a fulfilling academy life.
In truth, I wasn't in a position to be so leisurely.
As Seren said, I needed to keep an eye on Glen.
“…Then why are you here if you know that?”
“Good question.”
I was having a meal at [Your Mother's Trumpet] again today.
The food here wasn't cheap, but for ‘Ruan, who became rich at sixteen,’ it wasn't a significant problem.
Seren also had no classes today, so she came along to exchange information.
“I don’t know where Prince Glen is staying. I don’t even have a way to contact him. But I have the Historical Geography class tomorrow, so I plan to ask him then.”
“You’re so carefree.”
“Give me a break. That guy is strangely tricky. Setting aside the authority of a prince, I have no idea what he’s plotting.”
At that, Seren burst out laughing.
“Tricky? Prince Glen is one of the most reasonable people you’ll meet. Me… ha. I’m seriously at my wits’ end.”
“Was it Princess Periste? What’s her deal?”
“Her Highness is…”
At that moment, the pub door swung open.
A girl who seemed to be cloaked entirely in darkness appeared, framed by the brilliant backlight.
I was wondering what this was all about when…
The girl, who was scanning the interior, spoke in a tone that sounded like she was in a play.
“My dear friend—is Seren Goodspring perchance here?”
Seren flinched and slowly raised her hand.
“…I am here, Your Highness.”
“Oh my. You were here.”
The girl called princess burst into laughter.
She was cradling a rather large doll in her arms, and she looked down at it and said.
“You see, Desberry. I told you she would be here.”
“…”
While I was sending a dumbfounded look, the princess spoke again.
“My dear friend Seren. You said you would introduce me to a fine restaurant. Was this the place?”
“…Yes, it is.”
“Hmm. It’s damp and dark. I feel a surge of inspiration. I like it.”
Then, the princess’s gaze turned to me.
“And you are?”
“…Ruan Bednicker.”
“Oh my. A Bednicker.”
Smiling sweetly, the princess moved the doll and said.
“Did you hear that, Desberry? He’s a Bednicker. You should say hello too. …‘Hello? You mean-looking Bednicker! I’m Desberry.’ Hahaha. Such words are rude to a new acquaintance, Desberry.”
The doll in the princess’s arms gave me a little bow… and then the princess looked at me with expectant eyes.
“…”
“…”
“…Hello, Desberry.”
“Hahaha.”
The princess smiled with satisfaction.
Just then, Seren looked at me with half-dead eyes, and I could only nod my head in a gesture of consolation.
Glen was a saint in comparison.