Chapter 87
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Before the Festival (1)
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Noah Lucille. He strolled across Endex's campus, waving as he approached. His beaming smile felt unsettling, and his overly friendly tone set off alarms.
"Long time no see~?"
I shot back immediately.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Who else? -Gulp."
He opened his mouth wide and swallowed a hotteok whole.
"I'm here to enjoy the festival too."
"Then you got the dates wrong. It starts next Wednesday."
What scheme was he planning to pull off at the festival this time?
Unfortunately, it was a future I didn't know. From April onward, I'd been deep in chemotherapy back then.
Of course, the timeline might already be twisted because of me.
"Actually, I came to see you."
Noah said. This time, it seemed to be about me specifically.
Though what reason he had for it—
"There's going to be a kidnapping."
...He spilled it surprisingly straightforwardly. I chewed on my lip before asking back.
"A kidnapping?"
"Yeah. Some guys in the underworld are short on cash. You know Verhalshi?"
Verhalshi. A mercenary outfit operating in the underworld. Like most of those lowlifes, they seemed a bit unhinged, but their individual combat prowess was respectable.
Among them, Verhalshi was a fairly well-known B-rank monster in the underworld. At my current level, they'd crush me in one punch—probably on par with the College Board overseers.
"You sure?"
"Positive. They're targeting the festival."
With knights and police flooding the mana high school festival for security, kidnapping someone might sound insane at first glance.
But it was the opposite.
The festival sucked in all the security personnel from the area like a vacuum. You couldn't stretch or shrink manpower like rubber. If forces concentrated on the festival, the 'periphery' would turn into a blind spot.
"Verhalshi approached us too. Wanted to split 50-50. But the target was a big fish."
"......"
I shut my mouth. It was a silence loaded with intent.
"......"
Noah stared back wordlessly. A silence demanding I spill my thoughts.
I finally spoke.
"Tell me."
He obliged readily.
"Someone close to you."
"Close?"
"Yeah. You're doing that play, right?"
Someone close, doing the play with me.
It clicked immediately.
Well, we'd been pretty close during Re cordeac.
Noah smirked as he scanned my face.
"Looks like you know who."
"......As if I wouldn't."
There was a girl from an ambitious family eyeing political heights, plagued by all sorts of incidents. Even before regression, she'd faced countless kidnappings, assassination attempts, and even a private jet bombing.
Elise Petra.
"So, are you in on it?"
"Nah, we passed. Thanks to a kid who believed in my innocence."
A kid.
The word choice felt off.
A 'kid' who believed in me?
"......A kid? You mean me?"
"You're a kid to me. What, you think you're an adult?"
Noah grinned slyly.
Was this guy nuts? By life experience, we were about even.
"That's all I came to say today. Catch you later?"
"Don't let the door hit you."
Noah turned without a word.
"Hey. I said, don't let the door hit you."
The guy waving over his head started to blur. Shhkk— like a TV screen cutting out, he shook and vanished in the blink of an eye.
"......What a pain."
I scratched my back.
If Verhalshi was really after Elise, it'd be because of me. More precisely, because of our 'play.'
Back before regression, Elise at this time would've been holed up in closed-door training or studying nonstop—no room for kidnappings. Half a year left till election season, after all.
"What the hell's she up to?"
Elise. What was that woman doing right now?
No choice. I pulled out my smartphone.
[Hey. What're you doing right now?]
* * *
At the same time, Elise stared intensely at her smartphone screen, her expression grave.
[Libra's second son, Jade... scheduled to attend alma mater Endex festival]
Suddenly, articles popped up claiming Jade from Libra would attend the festival.
Ding-
[Trash: Hey. What're you doing right now?]
She ignored Trash's message in one second flat.
Whatever Jade's reputation or skills, he was a heavyweight. No clear profession, but as Libra direct lineage and second son, his name alone outshone mid-tier congressmen.
Like a superstar celebrity. And his antics weren't far off from some celeb influencer.
"Why's Jade suddenly... No way?"
Her eyelashes trembled slightly.
That monkey of a man? Did Sion the monkey invite Jade?
Elise read the coverage closely.
"......30 minutes."
The play ran 90 minutes, but he'd only stay 30.
Plenty to draw crowds, though. Ticket prices would skyrocket, celeb status upgraded. Not just congressmen, entrepreneurs, and B-listers dying for a word with Jade—regular folk would swarm too, lured by rumors of his flawless looks.
Ding- Ding- Ding-
Her phone spat alarms like it agreed. Obvious: pleas for tickets.
"......Sigh."
What a mess for a high school festival. Elise sighed.
"Only three days left."
Jade made things exhausting, but it was also a chance to shine.
She had to nail it.
Better than anyone.
Father might even show.
Of course, lines memorized. Blocking set. Rehearsals daily. Mana artifacts ready to enhance the stage.
Prep was flawless.
But one issue lingered...
"......"
Elise picked up the sheet music.
The Bard opera was in Edshilla Common Tongue overall, but had Latynel singing parts.
La Vercit.
The pronunciation kept tripping her up. With higher-caliber celebs, more eyes on her Latynel skills.
One slip, and high society would phrase it ever so elegantly.
"......No helping it."
She grabbed her phone, ignoring the trash pile of messages.
[Latynel tutor]
She scrolled for a tutor contact. Initially planned to call him.
But...
A thought flashed.
She scrolled further.
Bottom of contacts: some 'service' saved ages ago.
Elise glanced behind her, then messaged.
[Inquiry. Can I?]
Reply instant.
[We Handle It: Go ahead.]
"We Handle It."
The place that ghostwrote Rae's Latynel homework.
Anxiety hit submitting, but anonymous anyway.
[I'm a vocal major student. Need to sing a specific Latynel song for college entrance exam. Can you provide the pronunciation?]
[Sheet music file]
[This song.]
Elise hid her identity and sent the request.
[We Handle It: Possible. Can transcribe La Vercit pronunciation into Edshilla Common Tongue. 1,000 ren upfront, 1,000 on completion.]
Ego bruised, but quickest way to cram pronunciation.
"......"
Elise started typing, then paused.
Fiddled with screen, scrolled up-down.
[Could you sing it and send an audio file? Can provide MR track.]
She added it.
Hearing beats reading. Night and day.
Sure, pro singers covered La Vercit, but pronunciations sucked.
"......No reply."
Also, Elise still suspected this "We Handle It."
Asked around other mana high kids discreetly—no one knew it.
Endex exclusive, then. Mastermind an Endex student? Plausible.
Prime suspect: one guy she knew.
Latynel whiz, cash-strapped, peddling knowledge.
Sion Askal.
Ding-
[We Handle It: Possible, +10,000 ren.]
Total 12,000 ren.
Half her monthly allowance.
[Paying.]
[We Handle It: Send 6,000 ren upfront via department store gift cards.]
Elise paid and sent via phone.
[We Handle It: Received.]
[How long?]
[We Handle It: Schedule backed up, 1-2 days. Priority for +3,000 ren: 1-2 hours.]
[Paying.]
9,000 ren to faceless service upfront? Nerve-wracking, but Rae used them every Latynel class.
Trustworthy enough.
She added 3,000 ren gift cards.
[We Handle It: Wait up to 2 hours.]
Elise sank into her chair, glaring at the ticking clock.
"......It can't be him."
Endex student with that Latynel level? No one else fit.
If he ran "We Handle It"—
[We Handle It: Done. La Vercit audio and sheet with Common Tongue pronunciation.]
[Audio file]
[Photo file]
One hour. Elise plugged in earbuds first. Played audio. Arms crossed, analyzed pronunciation and singing.
"......"
Her sleepy eyes widened.
"......What the voice."
Not jaw-dropping virtuoso, but tone deep, pronunciation flawless.
Definitely not Sion Askal.
Good enough as study material.
Elise cupped one ear. With the other hand, noted on sheet music while listening to "We Handle It"'s rendition.