Chapter 368
Chapter 368
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 368
>Chapter Title: My Bad, I Didn't Do It
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
A black body slicing through the open sky.
Grooooar—!
The terrifying roar made the mountains and forests tremble, wild beasts quaking in fear.
Birds flying high lowered their altitude on instinct, while ground monsters bowed their heads in terror.
Amid it all.
The black creature crossing the heavens let out another cry. Or tried to.
"Yongyong."
The black body froze at the voice calling it.
"Not answering?"
[...]
A sharp crack echoed right then.
Thwack!
[Kreeek!]
Yongyong, who had briefly dominated the skies, shuddered from the brutal impact rattling its skull.
What kind of tyranny was this?
"Human..."
A voice filled with rage leaked out—rage toward the human riding atop its head. But that lasted only a moment.
"One more?"
Thwack!
Dizzying agony exploded in its vision!
Yongyong's body lurched wildly.
No matter how tough Yongyong was, it couldn't steady itself against a blow shaking its skull.
From long experience, though, it knew failing to regain balance meant more hits. So it desperately righted itself.
The flight stabilized once more.
No more rage.
Just servility remained.
"Why... why'd you call?"
"Why'd you roar?"
"That was..."
Yongyong couldn't answer easily.
There was a reason, but the 'Great Being' had strictly ordered it to keep it secret from that wicked thing.
Fortunately, the interrogation didn't drag on.
"Quiet flight, got it? Your roars make my head ache."
"Got... it."
Satisfied with the reply? The wicked thing atop its head flopped down flat.
Soon enough.
Zzz...
The snoring spread.
Yongyong held its breath listening to the snores, sighing in relief only after a long while.
Indescribable grievance welled up.
'Wicked human...'
A few days since leaving the Arafurgin Mountains.
Every day was one of torment and bullying.
Fly high? Smacked for it.
Fly low? Smacked for that too.
What kept Yongyong enduring was the 'Great Being's' occasional care.
- Here, a Moonlight Stone.
...Of course, even that was laborious.
Told to chew it, but Yongyong couldn't eat rocks.
How did the 'Great Being' manage to crunch stones...?
'That's why they're great.'
Still, to avoid disappointing the Great Being, it swallowed them each time, only to spit them out in secret—repeatedly.
It had already collected over ten Moonlight Stones that way.
'A hundred, and I'll present them. They'll be pleased.'
The pouch of Moonlight Stones hidden between its teeth was Yongyong's joy, gathered for the Great Being.
Someday, the day to offer them.
Thinking of it brought a smile to Yongyong's lips. Sure, its fierce face made even the smile look menacing, but that was fine.
The heart behind it was pure.
How long had it flown lost in happy imaginings?
Yongyong spotted a human settlement far off, beyond the clouds.
'...The city.'
Lowering altitude, it alerted the 'Great Being' and the 'wicked human' to the discovery.
'Great and dignified one, awaken. Wicked brat, wake up.'
"Wha? What brat?"
'Descending.'
Ignoring the retort, Yongyong dove sharply.
And thought.
'The day the Great Being holds all the Moonlight Stones, you'll bow at my feet.'
Of course, it knew it was impossible on its own power. All the glory rode on the Great Being's strength.
But Yongyong believed without doubt.
That day of vengeance awaited.
Of course...
"What brat? What brat? What brat?"
[Kreeek!]
The nearest retribution was a fist.
* * *
"My bad, or didn't do it?"
"Did..."
"Gonna do it again, or not?"
"Won't..."
"Said you will?"
"Won't."
"Do it next time, and I'll lay down the law hard. Got it? If you do, go fill your belly somewhere. Come running when I call."
[...]
Yongyong flapped its wings and took off without a word. Even so, it didn't forget to bid the 'Great Being' farewell.
'Great Being, I take my leave.'
'Go on.'
Aster shook his head, watching the politely deferential Yongyong and the wyvern striking poses.
'What is the world coming to... Tsk.'
A brief moment worrying about the world.
Aster took in the city sprawled along the horizon.
"Right place."
'Right? Magic city?'
Aster nodded at the wyvern's question—now suddenly close—and corrected its misunderstanding.
"But not a magic city. Just a city with lots of mages, let's say."
A magic city sounded like artifacts zipping people through the air, brimming with mystery. But that place... the city of Megarium... was far from mystical.
If anything, logic and reason suited it better.
So, what was Megarium?
One word summed it up.
'Holy land of the quill-pushers.'
The empire's central hub of magical studies. Given the empire led eastern continent magitech, it wasn't exaggeration to say Megarium led it all.
No wonder the saying: 'He who hasn't trod Megarium, speak not of magitech.'
'Not that I get it...'
Truth was, what mattered now wasn't what Megarium was, but why he'd come.
"Parun and Professor Pelina are there."
'Parun? Pelina?'
"Yeah."
'No explain?'
"You'd get it?"
'Don't know, obviously.'
"Sigh."
Aster sighed deeply at the increasingly cheeky wyvern and headed toward Megarium.
Truth be told, he wasn't thrilled about meeting Parun and Professor Pelina.
Why?
'...Gotta reveal my true identity for real now.'
He couldn't predict their reactions.
No doubt, things would get messy.
Even Aster, the one involved, couldn't figure out how to break the news.
To sum it up...
1. From undergraduate Aster's perspective.
Parun: Knows undergrad Aster only by name.
Pelina: Roughly knows undergrad Aster is hiding something.
2. From Tower Lord perspective.
Parun: Unaware of Tower Lord's identity.
Pelina: Knows only of Tower Lord's existence.
'Parun will be shocked the Tower Lord is Aster... and Professor Pelina shocked Aster is the Tower Lord?'
Unclear. What reactions they'd have.
And it wasn't just that nagging him.
'...Gotta return Professor Pelina's artifact I swiped from her safe too.'
'Return' felt off?
'It was mine originally.'
Anyway, for these reasons, Aster dreaded the meeting.
He'd rather face them far in the future, but couldn't.
...Infinite Chain.
To track Reverse Heaven Fragments, he needed Parun's Infinite Chain.
"Shouldn't have waited till academy audit to return it. Should've just kept it then."
If he'd pocketed it back then, no awkwardness now.
But regrets were always too late, as always.
So, what to do?
'Face it, obviously.'
Aster strolled on casually.
The wyvern's voice came right then.
'Stop.'
"...?"
Aster halted at the wyvern's solemn call and turned.
The wyvern, which he'd thought was following, stood rooted in place. As he looked, it wiggled a front paw toe(?).
'Come here.'
"...?"
Aster walked silently to the wyvern.
As he reached it, the wyvern said.
'Hand.'
"...Hand?"
'Extend.'
"..."
What was this?
Didn't want to walk, so carry me. Extend hand to make space.
Aster eyed the brazen wyvern, then sighed deeply.
"Fine, fine."
He extended his hand.
Hop
The wyvern jumped into his arms.
'Maintain boarding comfort.'
"...Yeah."
Aster carried the wyvern toward Megarium again.
His steps heavier by the wyvern's weight.
* * *
Meanwhile, at that moment.
Grooooar—!
Yongyong tore through the sky, roaring.
Not joy at freedom from Aster.
Rather...
- We'll make some.
- Make what, my lord?
- Minions. Lots.
Yes, to fulfill the 'Great Being's' command.
But what link between roaring and 'making minions'?
Simple.
'To serve the Great Being, one must be strong.'
Not just anyone could serve, so Yongyong's roar tested worthiness.
Endure it? Minimum qualification.
Fail? Rejected.
That's why Yongyong roared while cleaving the skies.
To find creatures that withstood its cry.
Of course, not easy.
Even with senses far keener and broader than humans, scanning widely for all life demanded immense mental strain.
But Yongyong tried.
Why?
'Great Being'
It was their command.
'That wicked human, though...'
Every roar, and it smacked its head.
Probably why the 'Great Being' ordered secrecy from the wicked human—to protect new minions from that demon.
Look at itself now.
Suffering such agony in that wicked thing's clutches.
...Perhaps.
'Gathering minions is part of a grand plan to exterminate that wicked human.'
Burning vengeance against the wicked human, Yongyong roamed nearby wild hills.
But every one was worthless.
'Another bust?'
Yongyong lamented the lack and turned to leave. Or tried.
If not for the alien aura below.
[...?]
Yongyong hovered, wings flapping. It honed its senses, focusing on the source.
The aura sharpened.
'That...?'
Not a monster.
Pure aura.
...Similar to what humans called mana, nature's energy.
Similar, but not quite.
'...Not mana.'
What to call it?
'Aura as negative as that wicked human's three-inch tongue.'
Yongyong pondered briefly.
Investigate the source, or report straight to the Great Being?
A moment later.
'I who serve the Great Being fear nothing.'
Yongyong descended to uncover it.
...Unaware it was demonic energy.
Nor was Yongyong the only one facing unexpected variables.
Far from Yongyong, in the city of Megarium.
"...What the hell."
Aster, heading to meet Parun and Professor Pelina at the address on the note, frowned at the presences from his destination.
Two presences.
Subtle.
He'd have ignored it.
But the aura they carried was the issue.
'...Black mana?'
Yes, definitely.
Black mana.
That meant black mages.
'Why are black mages here?'
The black mages were surveilling the building where Parun and Professor Pelina were.