Chapter 101
Chapter 101
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: Academy Raid: Begerton Antares (1)
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One member of the Extremist Magic Research Society, the swordsman Leintus, wasn't particularly trusting of his employer.
The researcher known to the world as a madman, Begerton Antares.
Leintus somewhat agreed with the public's assessment of the "Doctor."
The Doctor he knew was a man to whom the word "mad" suited perfectly.
His way of thinking was drastically twisted compared to that of ordinary people.
Of course, no sane person would modify their own body in such a manner.
'Well, finding someone sane within the Extremist Magic Research Society is the harder task anyway.'
That didn't mean Leintus doubted the Doctor's competence, however.
The Doctor always approached his research with meticulous thoroughness.
On top of that, he had a side to him that looked after those around him reasonably well.
It might sound out of place, but the Doctor was surprisingly affectionate.
—Romantist.
Despite his infamous reputation, the Doctor had walked a path of pure, unwavering love for one woman alone.
That was precisely why Leintus couldn't fully trust the Doctor.
He couldn't predict what insane "kindness" the Doctor might show toward someone he'd grown fond of.
"Leintus, how's your body feeling?"
"......"
And now, Leintus found himself receiving the very "kindness" from the Doctor that he'd dreaded most.
They say a madman's "kindness" is more dangerous than an ordinary person's "malice."
In any normal situation, Leintus wouldn't have chosen to be treated by the Doctor.
But the wound left by the Sword Ghost Raparia was too lethal to rely on natural healing.
He'd had no choice but to abandon his resolve against undergoing the Doctor's chimera surgery.
"Hoo...!"
And the result was the current Leintus.
Swish-.
He stepped out, dripping with viscous culture fluid, glaring at the Doctor with a face full of disgust.
The mercenary shot a sharp gaze and spoke to the Doctor who had been watching him.
"So far... no major issues, it seems."
"That's a relief. I was worried something might have gone wrong with you, Leintus."
"Doctor, you didn't pull any weird tricks on me, did you?"
Kekekeke-.
The Doctor's eerie laughter echoed through the lab at Leintus's words.
"Good grief... Leintus, is that the first thing you say right after treatment ends?"
Flutter-.
Leintus snatched a nearby shirt and draped it over his body.
The undried culture fluid smeared onto the shirt.
It looked like he'd need to rummage through the lab's contents for something decent to wear.
"As always, you lack trust in me, Leintus."
"I trust your knowledge, Doctor, but that eccentric personality of yours? No way."
"No need to worry too much. Would I ever do anything 'bad' to a valued colleague?"
Leintus let out a hollow laugh in response.
"Most of the time, it's your 'good' deeds that cause the problems. Anyway, my senses feel a bit off compared to usual."
Leintus's gaze fell to his palm.
Perhaps because he'd spent quite a long time being treated in the culture fluid.
His body didn't feel entirely normal.
Especially his right arm—it felt heavier than usual.
Maybe the Doctor had tinkered with him during the treatment.
"Well, I did a few things for your benefit. Your body was in pretty bad shape, after all."
"Makes sense. After getting hit by that monster, the Sword Ghost... no way was my condition anything to call 'fine'......"
The wound the Sword Ghost Raparia had carved into his chest had already vanished without a trace.
The Doctor's treatment had worked more cleanly than expected.
As Leintus checked the area, the Doctor nodded in satisfaction and spoke.
"You were short on blood, so I mixed in some troll blood. Your regeneration should be a bit better than before. It still wasn't quite enough, so I had to rely on the culture fluid."
"......"
"Aside from that... your bones and muscles are a little tougher now. I borrowed the help of a magic beast known as the King of the Mountains."
"You've made all sorts of mongrels."
Ptoo-.
Leintus spat out some culture fluid from his mouth and lightly flexed his right arm.
As the Doctor said, it definitely felt sturdier than before.
'Up to here, it looks normal enough-.'
From what he'd heard so far, there didn't seem to be any real downsides to the Doctor's modifications.
He almost wondered why he hadn't gotten this kind of surgery sooner.
But as they say, you have to hear people out to the end.
Soon enough, the Doctor began revealing the downsides of the modification surgery.
"Given the materials, impulse control might be an issue. Well, medication should solve that."
"...Of course. Had to be a catch."
"And I added a little gift for you, Leintus. If you move your right elbow like you're pushing it in-."
Crack-.
At the subsequent sight, curses spilled from Leintus's mouth.
"Damn it-!"
In the center of his right palm.
A sharp bone had pierced through the skin, protruding like a blade.
It seemed the Doctor had played a grotesque prank on him during the treatment.
"Keke- You can use it as an emergency weapon. Retracting it won't be much different. With troll blood mixed in, the palm will heal quickly."
Kikikik-.
The blade protruding from his palm.
Leintus glared at the Doctor and raised his right hand.
They say a madman's kindness is the scariest.
Sure enough, the Doctor had tampered with something else.
"I think I get what you meant by impulse control issues. Right now, I just want to smash your skull in."
"Whoa, whoa, I did you a favor—how about calming down?"
"...Calm down? With this weird thing attached to my right arm, you want me to calm down?"
"I'm planning an operation in the Imperial Direct Territory soon. If it fails, we'll be in a real bind, so I took some extra care with you, Leintus-."
Seeing the Doctor's serious expression return, Leintus quelled his sharply flared emotions.
A plan the Doctor deemed important-.
As far as Leintus knew, it was rare for the Doctor to phrase it that way.
At the very least, it seemed the intent to act soon was genuine.
"Sigh... Fine. Let's hear about this job."
Crunch-.
Leintus retracted the blade and spoke, clenching his fist as blood dripped from it.
In response, the Doctor looked at Leintus and opened his mouth.
"Leintus. Do you know what the most famous academic institution around here is?"
"...Academic institution? You mean the Magic Tower?"
"It's a bit different from the Magic Tower. Actually, there's the Imperial Academy run by the Imperial Family nearby."
The Imperial Academy-.
Leintus had heard the name at least once.
As someone with no connection to studying, he didn't know the details.
And as the Doctor spoke of the Academy, he wore a somehow eerie smile.
"The Doctor and the Academy. Doesn't it suit you perfectly?"
"Planning to infiltrate and pose as a professor?"
"That wouldn't be bad. But I have something even grander in mind."
Click-.
Adjusting his monocle, the Doctor leaned in toward Leintus and said,
"We're going to raid the Imperial Academy ourselves, Leintus-."
"...You're completely insane."
A sigh escaped Leintus's lips at the Doctor's words.
He'd expected something outrageous, but this was far beyond even that.
It felt like he needed a smoke right now.
* * * * * *
In the Dream Library—the Fantasy Archive Celestia—regular meetings were held periodically.
Regular meetings attended by all members of the secret society.
Lua Polaris, who poured about 19 hours a day into labor, was no exception to mandatory attendance.
Swish, swipe-.
For that reason, today's Lua was rubbing her dark-circled eyes as she sat at the desk.
"I plan to visit the Imperial Academy soon."
And before the eyes of such a Lua Polaris, an eccentric researcher wearing a monocle was continuing his presentation.
The Doctor, Begerton Antares.
The Doctor was the technical advisor for the infamous Extremist Magic Research Society.
Lua herself had no idea why he insisted on being called "Doctor."
"Did you say you're going to the Academy now...?"
"Yes, indeed. I plan to finish preparations soon and head there."
Swish-.
The gazes of Lua and the other members fixed on the Doctor in unison.
The Academy and the Doctor.
It seemed fitting somehow, yet oddly mismatched.
"I know the Imperial Academy was built in the Imperial Direct Territory. Mind if I ask why you're visiting?"
Creighton, who had been listening quietly, posed the question to him.
A question about the purpose of visiting the Academy.
In response, the Doctor smiled as if he'd expected it and met Creighton's eyes.
"I hear the headmaster, Cardos, is researching the Elixir."
"Research on the Elixir...?"
"So, I figured it would be good to obtain that friend's data on it."
What came from the Doctor's mouth was the matter of the "Elixir" he'd mentioned in previous meetings.
—Elixir.
The dream potion revered as legend among alchemists.
It was also the catalyst the Doctor had marked for stabilizing the Descent Ritual.
It seemed he'd found a lead on it this time.
"You're not planning to ask nicely, I bet."
Creighton added a remark to the Doctor's words.
Of course, the Doctor smoothly returned an appropriate response to Creighton.
"It might get a bit rough, but if we talk nicely, won't that friend forgive us?"
If we talk nicely, the other side will forgive us-.
At the Doctor's claim, Lua let slip a small objection.
"Isn't that why you became a wanted criminal in the first place...?"
Perhaps because her voice was too soft.
Unfortunately, it seemed no one heard her.
The secret society's members ignored Lua and continued their own discussions.
"Well, I didn't expect you to take a gentle approach anyway."
"I know asking this of you, Doctor, is pointless... but I'd prefer to avoid another incident like last time."
"No need for everyone to worry. Do you think Begerton Antares would turn all those cute juniors into chimeras?"
The Doctor might actually do that-.
The chilling thought briefly flashed through Lua's mind.
Ahem, hem-.
Soon after, more words flowed from the Doctor's mouth.
"According to some information I came across by chance, the heir of an ancient alchemist family attends there."
"An ancient alchemist family..."
"The Golden Hand, Telliver! An alchemist said to have reached the Elixir in ancient times. Of course, I have no way to confirm if the legend is true."
Kekekeke-.
A sharp laugh rang out from the Doctor's mouth.
It was about the heir of an ancient alchemist family.
The sole descendant of a great alchemist was apparently studying at the Imperial Academy.
"Well, might as well hold out some hope. Inherited talent doesn't just run off somewhere, right?"
"So that's why you're going into the Academy."
"For now, yes. That friend seems competent enough to help with our plans, doesn't he?"
As Lua quietly listened to the Doctor, a strange feeling began to stir in her chest bit by bit.
Every time she heard that eccentric researcher speak, Johan started feeling like some evil mastermind shaking the world.
No matter how much Johan made them work 19 hours a day, the Archmage of the library wasn't an evil man.
He surely cherished the secret society's members deep in his heart.
'Huh...?'
But would a non-evil person normally make them work 19 hours a day-.
A trivial doubt flickered in Lua's mind for a moment, but fortunately, the Doctor's next words swept it away.
"So, about that, O Great One-."
The Doctor's gaze turned to Johan.
The transcendent mage who managed the Fantasy Archive Celestia.
Today, as always, he was impassively turning the pages of a magic tome, listening quietly to the Doctor.
"I happened upon a magic from the Third Archive perfect for this operation. May I use my contribution points to permit its removal?"
"No issue. Permitted."
Third Archive magic.
At the Doctor's request to remove magic from a higher archive, Johan accepted without even shifting his gaze.
It didn't take long for permission to be granted.
Having received approval from Johan for the magic's removal, the Doctor bowed politely in respect.
"Oh, O Great One-! For the day You return to the surface, this Begerton Antares shall pave the way with all his might-."
Begerton Antares's voice boomed through the library.
It seemed today's meeting was wrapping up smoothly.
Swish-.
Lua picked up the paper on her desk.
'No way he'd suggest infiltrating the palace next, right?'
Even the Doctor wouldn't suggest sneaking into the palace.
As she listened to the Doctor's plans growing ever larger in scale, Lua Polaris sorted the documents before her.
After the regular meeting ended, work on the magic tools awaited her.
For Lua Polaris, it was just another day in her routine.