Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Modern Magic Lecture (8)
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One by one, they opened their eyes and focused on gathering their mana. Before long, they were all gasping in awe, unable to hide their amazement.
"This is on another level...! In terms of efficiency alone, it's like three—no, five times better than a core!"
"Heh, who would've thought I'd find the key to breaking through my wall here."
"...It's impressive, sure, but summoning them is still out of reach."
"......"
"Hm?"
Alicia tilted her head at the one person who was unusually quiet.
"You're awfully quiet today. Did you piss yourself or something?"
"......"
"...A-Are you ignoring me?!"
Alicia snapped in outrage at the lack of response to her taunt, but Mirni didn't react at all.
She just stared blankly ahead, as if wondering whose dog was barking.
Starting to worry something might really be wrong, Sylvia approached.
"Is something the matter?"
"...Nothing's wrong."
"But you've seemed off since earlier...?"
"Mind your own business."
"Even if you say that...! Hm? Mirni? What's wrong with your face?"
"What do you mean?"
"You have a slight fever. Are you feeling unwell somewhere...?"
"......"
"Mirni?"
"I told you I'm fine. Just leave me alone."
"...?"
Her rude speech patterns were the same as ever, but there was an oddly weak tone to her voice.
Was creating the new mana organ that exhausting?
'That's strange. Her stamina should be on par with Alicia's, so why is she the only one this drained...? Should I tell Luke and send her to the hospital?'
Sylvia could only gaze at Mirni with concern. Mirni, meanwhile, remained dazed—no, her face flushed as if embarrassed about something.
The last to open her eyes was Luxy.
In her case, it wasn't that gathering her mana had taken longer. It had simply taken time to grasp and control the changes in her body.
She had actually normalized a full hour faster than the others.
That was when it happened.
"----."
A familiar language, yet arranged in sequences as baffling as a puzzle or maze—utterly incomprehensible.
No, something bearing the name of 'language' flowed from Luxy's lips like a song.
"Rune tongue...!? Has that bitch lost her mind?!"
Rune tongue.
The skeleton of magic. The beginning and the end.
One of the greatest legacies left by the ancient primordial gods.
The secret tongue of mages, usable only by those with mana, poured from her lips like a melody. The others could only freeze in place, not even thinking to stop her.
After all, it was common sense not to disturb a mage mid-cast.
Wooooong—!
A gale whipped up around her.
A fierce wind like a gust straight out of a storm!
"...I-Isn't this a 1st-circle wind spell? Why is it this strong?"
A 1st-circle wind spell should amount to little more than a breeze...
Judging by the power of this wind magic alone, it could pass for 2nd—no, even 3rd-circle...
"—Cough! Cough!"
Fwooo...
The wind scattered in an instant as Luxy hacked up a cough.
She clutched her chest—perhaps her heart aching—and Sylvia rushed toward her pain-twisted form. But a stern shout halted her in her tracks.
"Leave her."
"B-But..."
"She brought it on herself. If she can't even manage her own body, better off dead."
"......"
Harsh words, but manifesting magic like she was testing a new toy right after gaining it was the mistake.
Before creating the mana semiconductor, Yuseong had warned them firmly.
—Refrain from test spars or mana exertion. It'll take nearly a week for it to settle properly in your body.
It was advice and a warning. Spoon-feeding an idiot who wouldn't eat was a luxury.
"Let that bitch crawl back on her own. And for the record, anyone who helps her better prepare to crawl too."
"......"
"Got it—?"
"I understand..."
For reference, Yuseong had never forgiven or shown mercy to trolling scum who pulled crap in war.
And that wouldn't change going forward.
Luxy barely managed to climb the stairs.
No one helped her. Nor did she ask for any.
She had ignored Yuseong's warning out of her own greed and nearly caused trouble for everyone.
If this had happened during a battle, Yuseong might have blown her head off without any warning.
Literally—no metaphor about it!
Yet Luxy had no regrets.
'Luke really created a third mana organ...!'
The third mana organ. The mana semiconductor!
Compared to its greatness, this pain was nothing.
The others only saw the efficiency and power boost, but Luxy knew.
Its boundless potential!
'This is a revolution. An innovation.'
Depending on how the mana semiconductor was utilized and developed, its applications and possibilities would be infinite.
Just a hypothesis, but...
'I might even get a glimpse of the Demon King's realm.'
The greatest archmage in history.
Thinking of that ultimate adversary, Luxy's eyes gleamed.
She had finally found a 'clue'!
Was she that happy?
Or that tormented...?
The goddess sincerely hoped this lamb's hard-won hope wouldn't be shattered.
She bore some responsibility for the karma that poor lamb carried, after all...
The goddess grieved and resented her own impotence.
Gazing at Io's back—cold and sharp on the surface, yet harboring an infinitely warm soul—gently harbored one emotion.
As countless histories proved, the gods placed their hopes and expectations on heroes.
On the fifth day after the mana semiconductors formed, one man returned to Yuseong's fortress.
"Boss, I'm discharged!"
"...Why are you here?"
"C'mon, don't be like that..."
Kang Gamchan, finally out after nearly a month, whined that Yuseong was being too much.
But that wasn't what Yuseong meant.
"No, seriously, why'd you come back? Not enough severance?"
"D-Do I look like that kinda guy?!"
"If not, what's the reason? If it were me, I'd never set foot in a dangerous place like this again."
"Ahh... So that's what you meant."
After that fierce DM battle with the demon, Kang Gamchan had been laid up in the hospital for a while.
They'd given him potions, but exposure to demonic energy required monitoring his recovery.
A few days later, when he regained his senses, Yuseong visited him...
—You're off security duty from now on.
—...D-Did I do something wrong? Why all of a sudden...?
—Nah, it's not that. You weren't planning to do this job forever anyway, right?
—W-Well, sure, but...
—I'm doing this out of guilt. Nearly lost a young guy on my watch.
—......
—Money might not cut it, but I'll give you solid severance. Retirement pay too. Want me to sponsor you? Connections matter in policing, yeah? I don't know cops, but I know some prosecutors. Pass the exam, and I'll pull strings.
—B-Boss?!
It sounded caring, but it was also hush money of sorts.
The demon he'd seen. Mirni and Valian's true natures...
And... Yuseong's secrets.
—Might be tough deciding. Think it over. ...Getting more involved just puts you at risk. Remember that.
Part of him hoped Kang Gamchan would cut ties and live peacefully, hence the stern tone.
Confirming his frozen expression meant he'd gotten the point, Yuseong turned away like he'd never see him again.
—Forget it all and live free. That's... easier on the heart.
A month since those parting words.
...Kang Gamchan had returned after much deliberation.
"Boss. Me... I wanna work a few more years. Oh, and I don't need severance or sponsorship. My lips are sealed just fine without that!"
"We'll see. Guys who brag about tight lips are usually the loosest, so I don't quite trust it..."
"......"
"Eh, whatever. Your choice, I'll respect it..."
Yuseong did find Kang Gamchan convenient, in his own way.
He knew their situation to some extent and provided dedicated support—valuable manpower.
"...One thing upfront: leaving when you could was your mistake. Back out later or spill secrets...? You'll get a forced memory wipe. Got it."
"N-No way, with that power...?!"
"Nah, physically."
"......"
Kang Gamchan glanced at Yuseong's fist.
He'd once seen at a drinking party—Yuseong flicking a thick brick to dust!
'That brick was seriously thick...'
A flick from that finger—not fist—might not just erase memories, but his life.
'...Gotta keep the secret no matter what.'
Cold sweat soaked his back as he vowed firmly.
Then.
"Luke, got a sec to tal—...Huh? You...?"
"Ahh! S-Sis!"
The pink-haired beauty. Kang Gamchan snapped to attention like a raw recruit at the sight of Mirni.
"You're out already~. Hm? But I heard you quit?"
"N-No way! Why would I quit?! Ahaha!"
"Really? Glad you're healthy anyway."
"Yes ma'am! Thank you, sis!!"
"...?"
Kang Gamchan grinned like an idiot while Mirni tilted her head, and Yuseong...
'This punk...'
Now he knew why he'd given up money and connections to return.
'Of all people to fall for... Tch!'
This was the tragedy of males.
Beasts whose brains were hijacked by hormones.
Mirni had unwittingly gained a loyal servant.
Valian welcomed Kang Gamchan heartily.
"Mm! If we'd shared a battlefield, that alone would make us brothers-in-arms! Nice to meet ya, rookie!"
"Not rookie, Gamchan..."
"Not worthy of your name yet."
"There's a qualification for names too?"
"Naturally!"
"......"
...His tone was rough, but it was the barbarian's way of welcoming him.
"Now there's one more to watch you lot for me. Guess I can head out without worrying."
"For real?"
"Still uneasy, but gotta use gums when teeth are gone. ...I'm not idle either."
Pants boss or not, Yuseong managed several businesses.
He'd only popped in sporadically the last half-year because of them... Time to get properly to work.
'Bound to be leeches eating profits or scammers by now... How to crush 'em so word spreads~.'
Business world being what it was, a money-grubber or two always popped up when discipline slacked.
Yuseong was already relishing the stress relief of dealing with them one by one when...
- [Creator]
"Ah..."
The one call that could rein him in: Creator.
- (Gonna forget what my boy even looks like.)
"Sorry. Been busy lately, so..."
- (Whatever, not like you're kowtowing. Sigh, so heartless—just like your old man...)
"Uh, n-need some pocket money?"
Nothing disarms parents like cash across borders. Guaranteed effect.
- (Kid! Think I called for handouts?!)
"Then no need?"
- (TV's been glitchy lately.)
"You replaced it less than a year ag—...Yeah, yeah, I'll get a big one."
- (Netflix subscription too, right?)
"......"
Creator kept up with culture.
- (Hey, still talking!)
- (Told you to ask quick...)
"Dad there?"
Odd to hear Dad's voice faintly.
The guy was as aloof as him—never picked up no matter how much you called.
'Butting in now?'
Rare occurrence. As he tilted his head, Mom spoke with uncharacteristic hesitation.
- (Listen, son... Not forcing you, really. Just because of your dad's position...)
"Mom, I'm fine—just spit it out. Listener's dying here."
- (Always so blunt... Sigh, fine. Straight to it.)
At that point, Yuseong figured Dad had fallen for some scam guarantee or whatever.
Easy fix: hunt the scammer. But Mom's next words nearly dropped his smartphone.
- (Wanna go on a blind date?)
"......"
- (Not forcing. Aside from your dad's awkward spot.)
"......"
- (Really, it's fine.)
"......"
...Yelling no here—would that make him an unfilial son?