Preparing for the Auction (2)
Wintersield Magic Academy.
Once plunged into chaos by the Defier incident, the academy had regained stability with astonishing speed under the coordination of the newly appointed Chancellor Biorf and Selena.
Perhaps it was because the Shadow Society's emergence into the light had ironically made official cooperation possible.
The academy began to produce remarkable results in both academic and practical research.
And...
"Ugh, a-argh..."
...at the center of this revival was a hidden protagonist.
"Targon."
"...!"
Chancellor Biorf called out in a gentle voice.
Snap!
The man, who had been groaning while buried under a mountain of paperwork, jerked his head up in surprise.
"Y-yes! Did you call, Chancellor...!"
A young man with curly pink hair.
Targon.
As the sole surviving slave of the Defier incident, he had bypassed the undergraduate program entirely and was immediately appointed as a graduate student and teaching assistant.
At first, there was fierce backlash against Targon's special recruitment.
The existing assistants looked upon him with cold eyes, subjecting him to blatant hazing.
"Damn it, how the hell did he get into grad school without even going to college?"
"Exactly. This is an academic institution, not a shelter..."
However...
"W-what?"
"H-he organized all of this already?"
...Targon silenced all the noise with sheer competence.
In fact, thanks to his flawless handling of administrative duties, he earned recognition in no time, quickly establishing himself as Chancellor Biorf's right-hand man.
Biorf looked at Targon and thought to himself.
'Of course, Sir Gaon did ask me to take good care of him...'
But even without that request, he would have made good use of this young man.
That was how exceptionally talented Targon was.
From his refined speech and conduct, hard to believe of a former slave, to his insight in grasping complex administrative tasks in an instant.
'He has the seasoned air of someone who has already spent years as a graduate student.'
Watching him systematically organize various documents and efficiently coordinate tasks between different departments was truly a marvel.
'Above all...'
The most surprising thing was Targon's magical talent.
From the moment he met him in the special ward, Biorf had sensed it. This young man possessed an extraordinary aptitude.
Given his background, he couldn't possibly have received formal magic education, yet the mana control and understanding of spell formulas Targon demonstrated were of a remarkably high level.
'Though he hasn't had the time to delve deep into magical research yet because he's been tied down with academy administration...'
Even so, Targon's growth was visibly rapid.
Passing by the lab late at night, Biorf would often see a faint light leaking out. It was Targon, staying behind to study on his own.
Starting from devouring basic theory books, he was now mastering mid-tier magic all by himself.
'Just who is this kid?'
His sense and comprehension of magic, his relentless drive to learn.
And on top of that, being under the protection of the Sword Master, Gaon.
Putting all of this together... Targon was definitely too extraordinary to be dismissed as just a former slave.
"Ch-Chancellor...?"
Pause.
It was while Biorf was lost in these thoughts.
Targon spoke up again in a cautious voice.
In his hands was a document with ink that hadn't even dried yet, and a faint crease from dozing off was left on one of his cheeks.
Noticing this, Biorf smiled and said,
"You're working hard."
"No, it's nothing..."
"I've reviewed all the materials you organized overnight. Truly remarkable insight. You possess great talent as both a mage and a scholar."
"...You flatter me."
"In particular, your edits on the Storm Dragon analysis report were the highlight. From calculating the mana conductivity of the brain core to estimating the resistance values of the scales."
"..."
"It's truly amazing. How could you be so accurate without even seeing it in person?"
"..."
Hearing those words, Targon—no, Strawberry Latte—thought to himself:
'Well, that's because I've dealt with it dozens of times while playing the game.'
The lightning mage build utilizing the Storm Dragon's brain core was Strawberry Latte's absolute favorite playstyle.
Because of that, he could recite the analysis in his sleep.
Of course, there was no way he could tell the truth.
Because...
"Oh, you see! Actually, I'm a gamer from another dimension! The Storm Dragon is a boss monster I've killed hundreds of times, so I know it well! Bwahaha!"
...the moment he said that, he would surely be dragged straight to an asylum.
"Ha, hahaha..."
At this, Strawberry Latte replied with an awkward smile.
"I simply deduced it by synthesizing the available data."
"No, it's far too precise to be mere deduction."
Biorf shook his head.
Just as Gaon had guaranteed, the cooperative relationship between Midtemple and Wintersield had strengthened further.
Various materials researched by the investigation team began to be delivered to the magic academy, and the vast amount of information immediately fell into the hands of the researchers.
In particular, the analytical data related to the Storm Dragon was a literal treasure trove.
'But the one who organized all that data so it could be put to practical use was...'
Slide.
Biorf's gaze naturally drifted toward Targon.
Systematically classifying a research report spanning hundreds of pages, extracting only the core information, and presenting a concrete direction for research.
Calculating the characteristics and potential applications of each part of the Storm Dragon based on Midtemple's data, and even estimating its projected value in the auction market.
Targon's contribution to the entire process was absolute.
"At any rate, thanks to that, we were able to make an important decision."
"A decision, you say...?"
"We have decided to participate in the Dawnguard auction directly."
Strawberry Latte's eyes widened.
"The corpse of the Storm Dragon... especially the brain core, is an opportunity we absolutely cannot miss for our research. Thanks to your analysis, we were able to grasp its value precisely."
"...I see."
"And."
Biorf continued with a serious expression.
"You will be joining this dispatch."
"...?"
"You are the one who understands the Storm Dragon best. We need an expert who can inspect and analyze it directly on-site."
"Ah..."
Strawberry Latte let out a short sigh, putting on a blank expression as if he had never dreamed he would be included in the dispatch team.
Of course, this was all an act.
In truth, he had already foreseen this entire situation.
'...It's just as Gaon-hyung said.'
After the Defier incident was resolved, Strawberry Latte had heard the future plans from Gaon.
Summoning him to the ruined city through Chancellor Biorf, and having him play a key role in the Storm Dragon research—it was all part of the plan.
'My inclusion in the dispatch team is partly thanks to showing some results in the research, but...'
The decisive factor was undoubtedly Gaon's instruction.
As confirmed by the private message he received a few days ago, Gaon had sent a carrier pigeon directly to Biorf.
'Well, my task is set anyway.'
Having finished his thoughts, Strawberry Latte nodded.
"It is an honor."
"Good. Then prepare to depart at dawn in two days."
Two days later, at dawn.
On a hill in the uncharted territory slightly away from the magic city of Wintersield, four figures stood.
A dispatch team of two professors and two assistants, consisting of Selena, Biorf, Isaac Berylof, and Targon.
During their absence, the administration of the magic academy was to be temporarily managed by former Chancellor Tordam and members of the Shadow Society.
Whoosh!
The chilly dawn air swept across the hill. In the distance, the spires of Wintersield Magic Academy were faintly visible, and a red dawn slowly rose beyond the horizon.
"The transport arranged by Sir Gaon should appear soon."
Selena muttered, checking her watch.
Not much time remained until the hour Gaon had promised via carrier pigeon. Since he had said he would send transport himself, it was bound to be something special.
"By the way,"
Isaac Berylof cautiously voiced his anxiety.
"Won't time be a bit tight to reach Dawnguard? Especially with all the rumors lately about the uncharted territory being dangerous and the barriers being unstable..."
"You worry too much, Berylof."
Selena cut Isaac off in a calm voice, and Biorf, standing beside her, nodded in agreement.
"Indeed. Do not doubt Sir Gaon. If he promised, then surely..."
"Wilson! Not that way!"
"...?"
It was then.
The shouting of an old man echoed from somewhere.
Swish.
The group turned their heads simultaneously.
A comical chase was unfolding at the bottom of the hill.
A donkey pulling a dilapidated cart was running wild, and a hunched old man was chasing after it in a frantic rush.
"Aigoo, you stubborn beast! That's not where we're going!"
The old man yelled at the donkey, but the beast paid him no mind and kept heading up the hill.
"Wilson! Please...!"
But a moment later, the old man raised his head, looked up the hill, and suddenly stopped.
"O-oh? What... that actually is the right way?"
The old man muttered in bewilderment.
In the end, the donkey was heading precisely toward the hill where the group stood.
"Wait! I'll be right up...!"
Pant, pant.
The sight of the old man arriving out of breath was truly a spectacle.
His attire was shabby beyond belief. His wrinkled face was covered in an unkempt, bushy beard.
Overall, his first impression was completely untrustworthy.
"Whew, pant... I, uh, came because Sir Gaon sent me..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Biorf, Selena, and Isaac Berylof all wore dumbfounded expressions.
Their faces showed they couldn't comprehend the situation.
The transport Sir Gaon promised to send was nothing more than this shabby old man, a worn-out cart, and that stupid-looking donkey?
"..."
But the one who was most shocked among them was none other than Strawberry Latte.
'Wow, crazy.'
On the outside, he wore the same dumbfounded expression as the others, but Strawberry Latte's inner thoughts were completely different.
'You didn't tell me the transport was Dangno, hyung.'
How on earth did he sweet-talk that crazy NPC into coming all the way here?
Seriously, he was dying of curiosity.
'...What exactly has this guy been doing for the past month?'
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!
A familiar notification sound.
At the same time, Strawberry Latte's reaction emoticons flooded the message window.
It was a face that basically meant he was dumbfounded.
Seeing this, I chuckled and closed the message window.
'Looks like Dangno arrived on time.'
I could clearly picture Strawberry Latte's face. He was probably incredibly flustered, his jaw hanging open.
'Anyway...'
Glance.
I raised my head and looked around.
This was a tavern in Dawnguard, the dark city.
Amidst a few dim lights barely illuminating the darkness, suspicious figures sat in partitioned booths, whispering to one another.
Adelia and I were sitting in a corner seat of the tavern.
And...
"You bastard, I! I am the 'Earth Dragon Decapitator' of Labyrinth Village!"
...some drunkard was causing a scene in the middle of the tavern.
'Hmm.'
'Who the hell is that guy?'