Chapter 332: To the Starting Point.
Chapter 332: To the Starting Point.
“So, you’re saying nothing in particular comes to mind?”
The magician sitting across from me was a prestigious professor of magic who frequently appeared on television.
I couldn’t recall the specifics, but his specialty was definitely simple magic intended for civilian use.
Even the door I passed to enter this laboratory had a temporary sign that read ‘Civilian Magic Promotion Association.’
The reason such a person agreed to meet a mediocre Hero like me for no apparent reason was… likely because I am Lee Ha-ram Senior’s disciple.
As I was lost in that thought—
“Indeed. If such a Great Magic had been cast, there’s no way the mages here wouldn’t know. Mages are naturally curious creatures. They’d all be making a fuss, trying to deconstruct and study it.”
Despite being busy with his research, the professor didn’t show a hint of annoyance and continued to speak at length with me.
“Thank you for the answer, Professor. It’s been a great help.”
I offered a polite response.
Senior had told me to just beat them into submission during interrogation, but as a decent human being, I couldn’t bring myself to do that.
Perhaps the reason Senior is held in such low regard by mages is precisely because he pulls stunts like that.
However, one thing puzzled me.
When I had asked the corpse Magical Girl inside me about this—
‘Ah? Persuading mages? Just beat them up. Those guys have a lot to hide.’
She had said that, agreeing with Senior’s sentiment.
As I thought, the woman inside me seems to have some sort of connection with Senior.
Were they former lovers?
Or were Magical Girls and mages just that hostile toward each other in the past?
I had asked her those questions, but she only smiled and refused to answer.
She did, however, leave me with one significant remark.
‘Ah, it’s been a long time. I was worried, but it seems that charging idiot managed to pull it off. It’s good to see you again.’
She had sounded truly happy to see me, as if it had been ages.
Just as I was about to delve deeper into this strange relationship—
“Hmm. Are you truly that Lee Ha-ram’s disciple?”
My train of thought was interrupted by the professor’s quiet, probing question.
How should I answer this?
“Yes, my master is Lee Ha-ram Senior. Why do you ask so suddenly…?”
I chose to speak with confidence.
At that, the mage smiled and opened his mouth.
“No, forgive my rudeness. That famous Crimson… no, never mind. He hates being called that. There’s no need to call him that on purpose when he isn’t even here.”
He chuckled to himself at length, sounding amused.
“Yes. It’s just that you’re so different from your master, Lee Ha-ram. You’re calm and polite. Those are words that don’t suit that Lee Ha-ram at all.”
Hahaha.
The professor laughed, tapping the table.
As expected, this professor too…
“Did my Sen—Master happen to do something wrong to you, Professor?”
I asked with certainty.
Because without fail, the answer from every other mage had been the same.
“Yes, I suffered many nuisances. However, unlike my colleagues, I don’t hold that much of a grudge. Let’s see… for instance, he once followed me around all day screaming at me to modify my magic because he couldn’t use it himself. When I kicked him out, he went around the military base spreading false rumors that I was a fake mage.”
He spoke while staring into space, as if reminiscing about the past.
Hearing that, I clutched my aching head for a moment before pulling myself together to speak.
“…I am sorry.”
“No, it’s quite alright. Thanks to play—ahem, researching Lee Ha-ram, I was able to complete a magic theory that allows even those with poor mana efficiency to use magic easily. So, wasn’t it a win-win? Of course, he was never able to use magic to the very end.”
The professor finished his answer with a lingering smile.
He spoke as if it were a fond memory, but the fact that it remained so vivid in his mind meant Senior must have been quite the handful back then.
Truly… it was an anecdote very much like him.
If there was one thing better about this story compared to others, it was that there was no physical property damage.
Phew… well, that’s enough for this conversation.
“Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule. Well then…”
Just as I was about to say my goodbyes.
“Hmm. As I thought. May I ask one last question?”
“Oh, by all means.”
Since the professor had a question, I sat back down and waited for him to continue.
“Would you consider becoming my disciple after you retire?”
The question came out of nowhere while I was sitting there politely.
Because it was so unexpected—
“Pardon?”
I ended up blurting out a rather rude response.
“Haha. It’s understandable that you’re flustered. Suggesting a Magicanic become a Vulgate. But I am serious. You have a talent for being a mage.”
Even as I stood there dazed, the professor stared at me intently.
As if he truly meant it.
However, my answer was already decided.
“I’m sorry, Professor. I’ve already decided on my career path. But thank you for saying I have talent.”
“Ho-oh, what do you plan to do?”
“I intend to apply for a Command Position. And retirement… I’ll probably postpone that.”
“A Command Position… Hmm. I really can’t believe you’re that Lee Ha-ram’s disciple. Lee Ha-ram’s disciple in the command department… that’ll certainly be a good joke.”
The professor said that, thought for a moment, and then—
“I see. It was an enjoyable time. I’m sure you’ll do well even in the command department.”
He offered those words of encouragement.
“Thank you for the kind words, Professor. I hope your research goes well.”
I bowed and stood up.
And so, my meeting with the professor ended.
I stepped out of the lab feeling lighthearted.
As soon as I closed the door and stepped into the hallway, I fell back into thought.
Really, what kind of person is Senior?
Sometimes, he’s just like a child.
Just as he looks, he stays at home clutching a game console like a kid, doing only what he wants to do.
On the other hand, there are times when he seems incredibly cruel.
Once, while returning from an errand, I happened to see Senior encounter a naturally occurring Mutant.
What I felt seeing Senior’s actions then was… terror.
With a blank expression devoid of any emotion, he held a metal rod in his mouth.
He ruthlessly crushed the Mutant, even as it spoke in human language.
Even when the Mutant, unable to endure its flesh and bones being mangled, reached out its hand and begged for its life.
He was cruel, as if such actions didn’t even register in his sight.
And thorough.
After everything was over, he casually wiped the blood off his face with one hand as if it were a nuisance and picked up his phone like it was just another day.
It was enough to make me pass by as if I hadn’t seen a thing.
Then again, there are times when he seems to see through everything.
Whether it’s my doubts about the training methods.
Or the occasional surges of hatred toward my Mascot.
He notices those things quickly and asks me what’s wrong, telling me to share my worries.
And finally, like now.
He displays an unusually wide range of social connections along with a suspiciously vast knowledge of the Management Bureau.
That knowledge consists of information that doesn’t appear no matter how much I search for it.
The information about Meteor, which had made me doubt Senior not long ago, was like that too.
When I searched for that Hero’s name, there was only a brief mention of a Soviet Hero who died in the line of duty during the Happiness Drop battle.
The same went for information about the command department.
Most related information is classified, yet he talks about the command structure and the requirements for being selected as naturally as if he were discussing what he had for dinner last night.
He even tells me which actions and qualifications grant extra points, what will happen after I pass, and even warns me to prepare for certain shocks I might face.
Just who is Senior, really?
He is someone who cannot be clearly defined by a single trait.
How much does Baek Si-hyun, who always follows him around calling him ‘Master,’ know about him?
Baek Si-hyun might seem like she has no thoughts, but she has a surprisingly sly side.
Even if I try to subtly ask her about such things, she gives answers that are far removed from The Core.
Senior treats Si-hyun like a mere child, but…
Hmm, now that I think about it, is that intentional? Come to think of it, it seems Si-hyun only shows that side of herself to Senior.
Ugh… my head hurts.
“Sigh…”
I’m exhausted. I should rest for now.
After letting out a sigh of that sentiment, I arrived at the Management Bureau lobby. I sat on a nearby chair to take a short break and looked at my phone.
Let’s see, I’ve visited this professor, so is this one next?
I’ve met six mages so far, and while they all had their own unique personalities, they were all quite kind in their own way.
Of course, some doubted me when I said I was Senior’s disciple, but they soon cleared their suspicions and answered my questions.
The result of my inquiries: nothing particularly suspicious.
Instead, they went on long rants about what kind of nuisances Senior had caused them, citing those as reasons why Senior might suspect them.
Listening to all that made me fall too deep into thought.
Usually, I just accepted that Senior was just that kind of person and moved on.
But the moment a bit of doubt sprouted due to the Meteor incident, I started obsessing over every little thing.
Because of that, I’ve been acting prickly toward Senior for the past few days.
“…This is embarrassing.”
In truth, my suspicions had been cleared a long time ago.
Un-ho had given me a rough explanation about Meteor.
And Senior had been looking out for me in many ways.
I was just a bit prickly because I was upset that Senior was hiding something from me and wouldn’t tell me.
…I’m not a child, so what am I even doing?
Bound by a childish rebellious spirit, I even ran away, leaving Senior behind with the mindset of ‘let him deal with it for once,’ and then I gave blunt answers to Senior when he was being considerate and choosing his words carefully.
I should apologize to him later.
Not a formal apology.
But a sincere apology from the bottom of my heart.
With that thought, I stood up from the chair.
Immediately after, I tilted my head to dodge a fireball flying toward me. Just as I was about to touch the screen of my phone to request a meeting with the next professor—
【Public Enemy Designation Alert】
…An ominous sound echoed in my brain.
I already knew what this voice was.
The voice I heard during the Gray Eater incident—The Enemy from Senior’s story who almost wiped out humanity in The Sea.
A sound that everyone had once forgotten, but that incident made everyone remember again.
Thinking I might be hallucinating, I turned my head. The mages around me began to shake their heads as if they had heard the same thing.
The commotion began to grow.
Someone started to speak, hoping it was a lie.
【Designated Area: Management Bureau Geneva Branch】
However, the voice continued, trampling over everyone’s wishes.
But that voice also carried a small glimmer of hope.
An extremely narrow designated area.
After that incident, many Heroes had researched Public Enemy Designations and learned one fact.
The narrower the designated area, the weaker The Enemy.
It wasn’t even all of Switzerland; it was specifically the Geneva Branch. It was likely a weak enemy.
And this was a place where many mages were gathered. If so, they would be able to defeat the Public Enemy easily.
I thought so too, and listening to the voices overflowing in the lobby, it seemed everyone else felt the same.
That’s why everyone let out a sigh of relief and waited for the next words.
Shouting out, wondering what kind of fool triggered a Public Enemy alert in this day and age.
Those cheerful voices—
【Situation occurred where The Adversary Crimson★Hammer is unable to confront the threat alone.】
—were buried by the content of the following voice.
‘…Crimson★Hammer?’
‘No way, I must have misheard. There’s no way it’s that person.’
‘Uh… I heard Crimson★Hammer.’
Voices denying reality, yet with minds knowing it to be true, began to spread.
Once everyone had finished their brief exchanges, a short silence fell over us as if by agreement.
But that silence didn’t last long.
‘Hey, what the hell is that Mad Magical Girl doing now…!’
‘Where is that God of Misfortune! Call him immediately!’
‘It’s The End! Abandon the Geneva Branch!’
‘Request backup! Hurry!’
Chaos began to overflow.
People shouted at each other and began preparing for battle.
The voices of so many people shouting—
【Sending detailed information. Good luck.】
—were loud enough to completely drown out the voice of the Public Enemy Designation.