Chapter 80
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Hospital (1)
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"The dean must have been pretty flustered."
In Dean Theia Esil's lab. After special activities had wrapped up, Theia's students were lounging around the lab, chattering away.
"Bason. Do you know who that guy is?"
The assistant professor asked, and Bason shook his head.
"No idea. He just popped up out of nowhere. But his grade point average is D-."
Sion Askal from Endex. The senior who solved Dean Theia's riddle in just one minute.
"D-? That can't be right. How does a D- solve something like that? It's a miracle he's even still on the College Board with grades like that."
Anything but an F, but a D- might as well be one. Even at Endex, a D- wouldn't have what it takes to pass the College Board.
Bason leaned back in his chair.
"Yeah. Maybe he had some epiphany over break... It took me ten minutes to solve it."
"And he did it in one."
"Exactly."
Even so, one minute was way too fast.
"Even if you figure out it's about removing overlaps, spotting the duplicate circuits alone should take ten minutes normally."
It was a riddle in the form of a magic formula, but it actually worked. Not some fake spell circle.
So you'd analyze the circuit diagram first, find the shared circuits between formulas... She figured it'd take at least thirty minutes for all that.
Assistant Bason muttered.
"Maybe he's one of those nonsense puzzle whizzes? With a knack for circuit diagrams too."
The assistant professor shot back.
"With a D-?"
"...Yeah."
It all came down to the average grades in the end.
No matter how much of a nonsense riddle it was, you needed a baseline understanding and knowledge of circuit diagrams to solve it. No way a D- had that.
The assistant professor pointed to the lab corner labeled [Theia Office].
"And thanks to him, the dean's vanished."
Dean Theia Esil. Unlike past deans, the newly promoted one for this year hadn't let go of her professor title, lab, or research.
If anything, she was producing even more prolific papers, studies, and magic formulas than ever.
"But didn't he seem like a fan of the dean?"
Bason muttered.
"A fan?"
"Yeah."
When he'd stood at the podium, Bason had been a bit surprised. The guy's eyes on Theia had sparkled with pure admiration. He hadn't even tried to hide it.
That let Bason read about eighty percent of his intentions.
Excitement, anticipation, longing, joy, yearning?
Yearning might've been a misread.
"My Spectrum went haywire on its own."
Bason's Spectrum dealt with emotions. It doubled as a human lie detector.
"Really? Well, the dean has superstar-level fame, after all."
Bang──!
The door flew open suddenly. The dean's students shot to their feet.
The dean stood right there.
"Th-the dean! Welcome back!"
Theia eyed them steadily before nodding.
"How'd the mana stone injection rate experiment go?"
"Uh. It's still in progress. Depending on the progress..."
"If it's in progress, why not go check?"
"Yes!"
They bolted for the lab.
"......"
The now-empty lab. Or rather, the lab she'd cleared out.
Left alone, Theia smirked and muttered.
"A fan, my ass."
A guy whose dream was to be Libra's guardian knight being her fan? Ridiculous.
Theia sat where her students had been. She picked up a sheet of paper from the desk. Her riddle magic formula.
The one Senior Sion Askal had solved in one minute.
"......Of all people, from Libra."
It stung her pride a little, but as a riddle enthusiast, she was actually pleased.
You needed someone who could solve your puzzles well to fuel the puzzle-maker's motivation.
"Interesting."
She forced a smile.
4:30 p.m.
"Yeah, bro. I'm in front of Cenbill. Oh, should I take the bus?"
Special activities ended at just the right time, so Kain and Esher were gearing up to crash a college party.
"I'm coming. No doubt about it! Ah~ Should've brought the car. Are there lots of our Grizzly Hall seniors there?!"
Kain bellowed, but Elise paid it no mind.
Theater rehearsal was more pressing for her.
"Of course, bro! I'm Grizzly Hall forever!"
For reference, a hall referred to a swordsmanship school's dojo. Grizzly Hall was top-tier.
"......Elise. You really not coming? Rae, Esher, and I are all going. Mel's coming too. We could have a middle school reunion."
Kain, having hung up, said.
"Pass. Why not invite him?"
Elise pointed somewhere. Kain turned and scowled.
"Damn it. You're kidding."
A lone figure stood staring at his phone.
Sion Askal.
"Eric bro's coming today. How do we invite a guy like that?"
"That's my way of saying I'm not going either."
Elise shrugged. Kain scratched his neck and tested the waters.
"For real? You used to like Eric, though."
"What nonsense is that?"
Elise was baffled.
She'd first met Eric at eight.
As Kain said, there'd been a brief, fleeting crush.
At that emotionally immature age, she'd been drawn to his outstanding looks and noble aura above all.
Not anymore.
She didn't hate Eric, but she hated the Aventahair family. Great houses like that would subjugate any woman.
"Honestly, every girl liked Eric oppa when we were kids."
Rae chimed in. Elise shot her a glare.
"Why are you alone again? Soliet ditched you quick."
Rae had paired with Soliet all day without a word, leaving Elise stuck with Brown.
"UwU~ Is Ellie jealous~?"
"Hmph. As if."
"She is, she is~ I'm all about Ellie~?"
Rae grinned and clung to Elise. Elise shoved her off.
"Fine. I'm going. You guys have fun."
"Wait, Ellie, you're really not? It sounds fun."
Rae's eyes widened. Elise pointed to the campus road.
"I already called the car."
A sedan was waiting.
"Got rehearsal. Enjoy yourselves."
"Right, the play...... Should I practice too, Ellie? Everyone's coming?"
"Just Act 2 folks. You die in Act 1 anyway, so no need."
Elise texted while replying.
[Hey. Rehearsal today. Come watch.]
[Sending address.]
She glanced at nearby Sion.
His phone dinged, but he ignored it, frowning like it was a hassle. Infuriating.
"......Ellie being mean again? Sion's got a super important role~?"
Rae blocked her view.
"Sorry. I'm off."
Elise half-apologized and headed to the sedan, sending another text.
[No reply? Coming to rehearsal or not?]
His storyboard sketches were plenty, but he was the playwright, Sion Askal. He should see rehearsal once.
......She was also curious how he'd solved Theia's riddle so fast.
But no reply. Should she tell him in person...?
"What the? Where'd he go?"
He'd vanished. Elise looked around and sighed.
Why was she chasing this monkey around?
Elise got in the sedan alone.
"Welcome, miss."
"To the theater."
"Yes."
She leaned against the window. The sedan pulled away smoothly.
But then.
"......Huh?"
Not far off, at a bus stop inside campus, someone sat.
Sion Askal.
Why did he keep catching her eye?
Her mood soured.
He boarded just as the bus arrived.
Bus 253-A. The public transit she took twice a year.
"......Told him to come to rehearsal."
Staring at his back, Elise told the driver.
"Plenty of time till 6?"
"Yes."
"Mind tailing that bus?"
"Yes."
The driver didn't ask why, but she explained anyway.
"He's our playwright. But he's not coming to the theater."
Not really tailing—just pursuing a delinquent writer on duty.
The sedan followed the bus.
The bus went on for quite a while, and Sion didn't get off.
"......Long ride."
"It's a regional bus. He's resting."
"Didn't know buses had types like that."
Elise waited, enjoying the drive.
"Yawn......"
Gazing at the peaceful suburban scenery, she dozed off.
"Miss."
"......?"
She blinked awake at the driver's voice.
"A-San. The writer got off."
The bus stopped at a stop, and Sion finally alighted.
But where was this?
Elise looked ahead absently. Scenic mountains. Amid forests dyed crimson by sunset stood a modern building.
[Aden Medical Center]
Aden Medical Center.
"......?"
She tilted her head.
This was Libra's top-tier family hospital.
Why was Sion Askal here?
"Uh......"
She blanked out, thinking.
Relapse? Unlikely. Demonic leukemia relapse would've kept him from the College Board.
Maybe visiting someone he knew? More plausible.
Ding-
[Trash: No time today. Got somewhere to be.]
Sion finally replied.
"Took you long enough......"
Whatever. Didn't matter.
Relapse or visiting a patient.
"Turn around."
Either way, nothing she needed to know.
Sion Askal's personal business. Nothing for her to care about.
Especially since, if pushed to extremes—want him to live or die?—Elise would pick death.
"Straight to the theater?"
"Yes. Rehearsal time. Without the writer."
Elise hated Sion.
Hated him a lot.
Probably because of the demonic leukemia.
It tied to a terrible memory—her father disappointed in her......
"Keep today quiet. Don't tell anyone."
"Yes, miss."
In the suburbs of the capital Edshila. A bit out from the overcrowded urban sprawl lay the serene outskirts of A-San, home to the scenic [Aden Medical Center].
A hospital sponsored and run by Libra. Small compared to Edshila National University, but elite—top continental quality in care and staff.
[No time today. Got somewhere to be.]
I replied to Elise and entered the hospital.
Crisp air circulated calmly inside. At the desk, I gave my name.
"Sion Askal."
"Ah, yes. You have a reservation with Professor Yuhains. Head to the exam room in the Yuhains section on the third floor."
Libra Medical Center was unique. Strict appointments aside, sections were named after professors, not departments.
Makes sense— for the ultra-rich, a doctor's name is everything.
[Demonic Disease Professor: Yuhains]
I entered the third-floor Yuhains section. A nurse checked my name first.
"Sion Askal, correct?"
"Yes."
"Go on in."
She opened the exam room door. I stepped in hesitantly.
A stark white room. One man sat there.
"Sion Askal."
Yuhains. Dark hair fell to his shoulders—this man was the top authority on demonic diseases, including dantian cancer.
Late twenties to early thirties at most, yet his resume was impressive.
"Young. Sit."
He scanned me up and down. Casual from the start—suited him. I sat.
"Strong suspicion of dantian cancer...... Did the hospital diagnose you?"
"Yes."
"Confirmation requires tests, but it's dantian cancer."
"......Pardon?"
His words didn't connect. Tests needed for confirmation, but it's cancer anyway?
Yuhains explained.
"It's my Spectrum. Can't go into detail, but no need for MRI or X-rays."
"......"
I was stunned for a moment.
Fair enough—an authority like him would have special abilities. Explains the casual tone.