Chapter 98

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 98

Chapter Title: After the Play Ends (1)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Typically, the common perception of a "cleaner" is someone who tidies up a dirty house or picks up trash from the floor with a broom. But in the underworld, it's a bit different.

The cleaners of the underworld usually refer to those who "clean up corpses."

They were born in the underworld and have even expanded to the surface world—a proper profession in their own right. Without cleaners, the underworld would rot away under piles of bodies.

They kill in droves down there but never bother cleaning up.

Of course, their targets aren't limited to human corpses. They'll gladly handle beasts, monsters, wild animals, or even bizarre creatures' remains.

As long as you pay them.

In fact, cleaners play a vital role in maintaining the underworld's aesthetics, so even foul-tempered freaks won't pick fights or try to kill them without reason.

"How many did you kill?"

I used to be one of those cleaners. A pretty capable and savvy one at that.

"Let me see..."

Jade had killed roughly thirty, but fortunately, it all happened inside the barrier, so the damage was contained.

"...Did you really get jumped by something that brutal?"

Instead, the corpses were gruesome.

Smashed beyond recognition. If I had to compare, it'd be like a several-dozen-ton truck slamming into a human at supersonic speeds.

"Too bad I don't have a Corpse-Eater here."

「Corpse-Eater」. A magic formula that summons an artificial lifeform to devour corpses using flesh and mana stones as catalysts. Nothing beats it for cleaning up mangled remains with no clear shape.

The principle is similar to a golem, but it probably hasn't been invented yet...

Wait a second.

"No, that's not right."

Of course, this 「Corpse-Eater (屍食龜)」 is a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠magic formula from the future. The latest one, invented at least three or four years from now.

But the memory of using that formula is crystal clear in my head.

If I remember it, then like always, I can summon it.

"..."

I closed my eyes. Like searching files in my Notebook, I dredged up memories related to "Corpse-Eater."

The Corpse-Eater isn't a difficult formula for the user. It's practically a ready-made product.

The pre-set formula comes as a talisman the size of your palm. Stick it on a corpse, ignite a mana stone, and the "Corpse-Eater" rises right up.

—Oh. Oh. It's rising. Whoa, this is wild, Master. Theia. Check this out. It's devouring the corpses! Where'd you buy it? Oh. Oh. It's eating!

—From a nearby magic formula shop. Can you stop making a fuss?

Not that memory.

I recalled the Corpse-Eater formula itself.

The intricate pattern crammed into that palm-sized talisman back then, and the sequence of mana circulating through it—the circuit diagram. I summoned it into my hand.

Tzzzzzt...

My skin sizzled. It sucked up nearly 30% of my mana, and my capacity dropped by 5, but the Corpse-Eater formula etched onto my palm like a tattoo, glowing hot.

Success.

Now I just needed a corpse.

I scanned with the SZX-9500 Mana Optics Microscope for the largest chunk.

This looks like Berhalshi's remains. Liver? Lungs?

I slapped the 「Corpse-Eater」 onto it roughly. For a mana stone substitute, I pulled out just "1" mana core from my Notebook and jammed it into the flesh.

Crunch— Cruuunch—!

The flesh twitched wildly, tearing itself apart as the 「Corpse-Eater」 hatched.

It looked like a creepy turtle. "Gui (龜)" literally means turtle, after all.

The thing bustled about, methodically munching on the corpses bit by bit.

"...This guy's the problem."

The driver's corpse caught my eye. Unlike the other freaks, it was relatively intact—but all the more pathetic for it.

"Hey, hey. Don't eat that one."

I stopped the Corpse-Eater as it approached the driver. It glanced at me, then focused back on the bloody lumps on the road.

Crunch crunch— Crunch crunch—

It scarfed down the bodies like snacks. A familiar sight—almost nostalgic.

"It works."

A future magic formula summoned into the present.

It functioned perfectly, proving my memories weren't lies. In fact, compared to back then—no, the future, or whatever.

Anyway, it seemed faster and more efficient than before.

One hour after the incident.

"...I've arrived."

One of the New Moon Guests, "Inri," reached the scene.

—Status on Berhalshi?

Desperate for cash, Berhalshi had hatched a insane plan to kidnap Libra's direct descendant and even asked the New Moon Guests for help.

Noah shot it down flat, of course.

Even if Libra's Jade was a pushover, Libra was still Libra. No point poking the hornet's nest.

To avoid any suspicion, the New Moon Guests had deliberately stayed away from the incident site.

But five minutes ago, intel came in that Jade had safely reached the Hanging Gardens. Out of simple curiosity, Noah dispatched one member.

That was Inri.

"...It's clean."

The area itself was a wreck. Asphalt crumbled, ground caved in—plenty of battle scars. But only one body remained.

Jade's driver.

That's why it was clean.

"Jade seems to have evacuated... Berhalshi presumed dead."

No body meant no confirmation, but no vital signs from Berhalshi within a 1km radius.

—Got it.

Inri still couldn't make sense of it.

Jade had only one driver as escort, who was dead, and some Endex senior was left behind.

"Only one Endex senior at the scene."

—Yeah? Probably him who cleaned up.

"...What."

Inri furrowed his brow.

—He told me he'd handle the cleanup.

"Alone?"

Inri murmured softly, quietly surveying the surface.

Just then, Libra attendants arrived near the Endex senior.

—I don't buy Sion Askal doing it solo either... Maybe with Jade?

The suited men exchanged words with the senior, and Inri caught it.

──I handled it... No, I chased them off.

"He claims he did it alone."

—Whoa, really?

Sion Askal had just said that.

That he "chased them off alone."

—Weird. Kid's got secrets. Come back now. Don't get tangled up.

Inri nodded and vanished instantly.

"He'll be processed as killed in the line of duty."

Six suits from Libra's Strategic Planning Office were dispatched. They said this as they handled the driver's body.

I nodded calmly.

The apparent leader asked,

"So, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠what exactly happened?"

"...Didn't Young Master Jade tell you?"

"Young Master Jade is at the Hanging Gardens."

Meaning they'd assessed the situation and mobilized on their own without Jade's orders.

Makes sense. Jade wouldn't send anyone just for body cleanup. Whether the driver lived or died, his own dignity mattered more.

He asked,

"Was there an attack?"

"Well..."

I hesitated.

They didn't know Jade's true strength yet. Their outfits gave it away: suits and sky-blue ties.

Low-level grunts.

"There was an attack, but it was light."

Jade hated the spotlight on his power. Probably because his fighting style was just punching.

Even Libra's direct line and core executives only knew Jade was "around" second-class knight level. Maybe first-class if you stretched it.

Neither.

He could smash a hundred first-class knights charging at once.

"I handled it... No, chased them off."

"Handled" felt too extreme, so I switched to "chased off."

The staff eyed me up and down with odd looks but nodded soon enough.

"Understood."

They loaded the driver's body into a coffin and left.

All that remained for me was a pair of gloves. Jade's, left behind.

Were these the cleanup fee?

"...Designer, probably."

I'll get them appraised later.

I tucked the gloves carefully into my back pocket.

...Friday night, 11:55 PM.

"Cleam Hall," temporarily redecorated as a private room.

The venue always hosting the College Board was now alive with a grand ball capping off the festival.

Only pre-invited elites could enter, so it wasn't as crowded as outside. Spacious, even.

"..."

Elise Petra stood alone in a corner of the ballroom, silently leaning against a window.

Plenty approached her, of course. Dozens of men gushed over the play, spitting compliments, but when Elise showed no reaction, they lacked the guts to ask for a dance and fled.

All of them.

"Elise~"

Rae Hilton bounced over, beaming after finishing a waltz with some guy.

"Sorry! The kids wouldn't leave me alone! Ah~ I must've killed it in the play, right?"

Rae had been prancing around, yelling "I'm the head maid~ That's me, the head maid!" whenever eyes met.

"You did."

For reference, the entire play team was at the ball. Thanks to Elise's special invites—it was basically their afterparty.

"But didn't you say you were heading to the Magic Tower, Elise?"

"...Postponed. Too tired. Just one day."

Elise sipped coffee from a champagne flute.

"No way. Elise postponing the Magic Tower?"

She was supposed to leave today per schedule, but whatever.

Even Elise herself didn't know why.

Why she was wasting a day here.

"Where'd Sion run off to, anyway? Everyone was buzzing about the Duke too. Oh, Elise, did you see Esher getting jealous? He was all 'Duke this, Duke that,' snapping!!!"

As Rae said, Sion Askal was nowhere.

He'd vanished like the wind.

Elise had a vague idea why.

Heartbroken.

Probably because of me.

"...One sec."

"Huh? Sure~"

Elise slipped away. The noisy vibe grated, and her head ached faintly. She headed to the hall's rooftop.

The view opened wide. Wind whipped her hair.

Bang—! Bang—! Fireworks burst, painting the sky.

Elise crossed her arms on the railing and rested her chin on them.

"..."

She quietly pondered Sion Askal.

He was weird, first off.

A madman.

—Shut your trap before I rip it open.

Even now, his early-semester snarls at her popped into her head sometimes.

Heat rushed to her forehead; she wanted to tear his mouth off first.

—I hate you. More than you think.

His pure malice at Recordeac was the same.

Elise hated Sion Askal, and he hated her.

But that made it weirder.

He saved her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠despite the hate, worried about her, and today he'd even seemed ready to confess.

"...Did he really do ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠special training over winter break?"

His changes still felt alien.

The scrawny kid tossed around by Kain, Esher, and others had suddenly flipped—pissing her off, annoying her, and—

Hating her while liking her.

It sounded crazy, but if he liked her so much it turned to hate, it made sense.

Elise had been there once.

Her dark history: hating someone she loved because they didn't love her back.

Age six, maybe.

That little her had been pathetic.

So Sion Askal was pathetic too. His intellect and empathy were right at her six-year-old level.

"...Pfft."

Thinking that, Elise burst out laughing without realizing.