Superconducting Maseok (1)
It was rare to walk the night streets in peace.
The autumn air brushed by, cool and refreshing.
The moonlight had deepened just right.
Marian, who found the silent night awkward, kept chattering nonstop.
I pulled my robe hood low and asked her.
“You always have so much to say?”
Her eyes instantly clouded over.
“Judge! What have you listened to all this time? We can’t prepare for retirement on just the salary! Especially us elves with long lifespans, we need to make every yen count when we can. Like how you end up in some southern backwater dungeon, catching slimes and starving in your old age!”
Marian planted her hands on her hips and unloaded a full lecture.
She became a monster fresh out of hibernation the moment she met with the chairman of Dumin’s company.
One hand gripping “Marian’s Century Plan,” the other clutching a book titled “Asset Management for an Elf in the Thousand-Year Era,” her mind spinning like mad gears.
“I’m human. I’m not going to live as long as you, so it’s fine.”
“That’s not the point right now! Ugh, you’re still just saving in an account, right?”
“No, I’m using both fixed deposits and savings accounts evenly.”
“You really melt money away while sitting in your chair.”
Just as Marian was about to pull out another book from her bag to bombard me with complaints,
“Hold on a second.”
I spotted a man stepping down from the luxury carriage.
A man descending from an over-the-toply decorated carriage.
In fact, six pure-white pegasi were pulling it.
Their wings were folded, but each time they caught the moonlight they flared with dazzling light.
Everyone couldn’t help but turn to look at the extravagant figure.
“Whoa, who is that rich guy?”
Marian leaned in curiously.
“Eh?”
She let out a breathy sound.
That was only natural…
“Mr. Damius’ secretary?”
The one Marian called, the man slowly turned his head… it was indeed Damius’ secretary.
“Judge Marian! Oh? And Judge Zeo is here too.”
Only when he peeled back his robe did Damius’ secretary finally recognize us.
Mr. Damius’ secretary, dressed in a glossy black velvet suit, approached.
He looked like money itself, from the crown of his head to the tips of his toes.
“Secretary, heading out for a vampire wine party again? I told you not to hang around with those guys.”
Since this was familiar territory for her, Marian asked casually.
“Judge, I must be clear—racial discrimination is prohibited. But lately I’ve been thinking it’s best to keep my distance too.”
Mr. Damius’ secretary fiddled with his shirt sleeve, his eyes full of worry.
There was clearly something with the vampires.
“Still, I came today because of an explanation session.”
His gaze pointed toward a banner.
“Investment Explanation Session for the Top 1% of Clovan City”
It was installed with high-grade magic, so it didn’t sway in the wind and radiated a faint glow—nothing like the cheap banners hanging along the street.
“Since I see you here, it’d be good to come along, but you need an invitation to enter.”
An invitation with elegant patterns floated onto his palm.
“Yes.”
Marian answered lazily while staring hard at the banner.
Upon closer look, luminous spirits were floating near the banner, radiating faint light.
The faint light circling the banner was the spirits.
They must have hired a massive number of spirits to highlight their investment session.
In other words,
“Crazy elves with blind spots for money.”
Marian turned away sharply.
It must have been because elves lent out spirits.
“……”
Just as Marian was about to leave, the luxury carriage blocked her path.
Tak… tak…
A group of men and women in flamboyant attire stepped out of the carriage and entered.
Then a small portal flickered, and an armored knight with his face completely hidden walked in.
“Ah… I’d rather die of starvation as a salaryman.”
Legs crossed, Marian watched the people entering the explanation hall in their best clothes and muttered.
“Not something a daughter of a conglomerate defense factory chairman would say….”
“No, that’s… really!!”
While I pretended not to notice Marian mumbling with a choked voice,
“Judge, are you coming to work tomorrow?”
“Of course I have to.”
I could no longer avoid it.
And I couldn’t walk through the reporters’ stares either.
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow, Judge Marian. Stop playing with your legs.”
With an unsatisfied expression, I told Marian who was glaring at the banner.
Mr. Damius’ secretary entered.
* * *
The next morning.
While getting ready for work, I was worried about what disguise would allow me to pass through the reporters’ suspicion without issue.
Delivery guy?
Secret agent?
Cleaner?
Or just charge straight ahead through physical clashes?
Just as I was sinking deeper into my thoughts,
…A sudden realization hit.
Why do I, me who did nothing wrong, have to prepare for work in disguise?
I gave up on going to work and stepped out onto the street with my robe hood pulled low.
Of course, I had already told Mr. Damius’ secretary I’d be on outside duty today.
“Thinking about it, how does Mr. Damius’ secretary come to work every day?”
Marian had also given up on going to work because of the incoming reporters.
The question was soon forgotten in the crowd of people.
I entered any random restaurant that was open, had a simple meal,
looked at the newspaper on the table,
stared blankly at the meaningless notice about Clovan City National School recruiting fall semester new students,
and simply watched the passersby.
Still with time left, I headed to the Imperial Library.
I should have gone in earlier, but I had to find out what I had been ignoring all this time.
“Clearly, Zylas is not dead.”
The Capital Defense Command Investigation Unit officially announced Zylas’ death after on-site inspection,
but the only one on the scene who had felt the intuition was screaming that Zylas was alive.
With only intuition and no context, I decided to scour books anyway.
Upon entering the library and receiving entry verification,
she seemed surprised, as if the librarian recognized me, but she quickly looked away.
This was the Imperial Library in the heart of Clovan City.
The second-largest library in the Gilorian Empire.
Strangely, the empire’s largest library was located in the Hermitia Plain at the southern end of the continent.
Perhaps because of the name, the library was named Hethia.
There was no law requiring the largest library in the capital,
but if it was the Hermitia Plain, that was a completely different story.
That place had no human residents.
“I should go there too when I get vacation time.”
I kept that promise and looked around the familiar archive.
Books on various magic and history filled the shelves, but foot traffic was sparse.
Most were ancient, legendary content that no one bothered to look for.
In stark contrast to the bustling crowds on the first floor’s central area with self-help and economics books.
I took a seat in a suitable spot, breathing in the scent of old books.
Ancient elemental magic, myths passed down in the Gilorian Empire, collections of various mysterious incidents, and a dictionary of strange artifacts.
As I read without stopping,
the sun slowly began to cast long shadows beyond the horizon.
At that moment, a woman in a deep-hooded robe passed by.
“Hmm… it smells unusual.”
I had definitely smelled it before, but I couldn’t recall it in the hazy part of my memory.
As I struggled to remember,
a passing thought crossed my mind.
“Ah! Bacta Wood!”
A tree that grows up to 15 meters, famous for its long leaves and black flowers with strong aphrodisiac effects.
But the outfit looked like it had no intention of seducing anyone.
It was completely covered in robes from head to toe.
“What’s this?”
The book the woman was reading was “100 Truths and Lies About Ego Artifacts.”
Ego Artifacts.
In simple terms, items containing souls.
Even in the Gilorian Empire where magic was everyday, this was nonsense.
Like a magic stick from Earth?
Krrrl-
While staring at the woman reading the ancient book,
“I’m hungry.”
As I got lost in the book, I missed lunch and it was already evening.
“By now the reporters should be gone.”
Once again pulling my robe hood deep,
I left the library.
On my way back to the office, I bought some takeout food to eat.
After checking around,
I confirmed no one was there,
and cautiously approached the office.
Just in case the reporters were still there.
“Ha, I really don’t get it.”
The entrance to the office building I hadn’t been to for a long time was different.
A huge plaque decorated the entrance.
I had tried to argue against it, but Therion had stubbornly installed it—the one that couldn’t be removed by physical force.
“To Judge Zeo Blood, the Hero of Clovan City and Brother of the Centaurs.”
Since it was his building, it was his heart’s desire.
Those words engraved one by one with light shields.
I didn’t even notice my fist tightening.
Blue current flickered between my fingers.
“Should I just break it?”
For a moment I felt like it,
but I quickly dropped the idea.
Remembering how Therion’s face had shone brightly when he engraved that plaque.
Tub… tub…
I climbed the dark stairs to the second-floor office.
A silence hung where there was no noise from reporters or passersby.
I opened the door to the empty office and went in.
And there,
was a man staring at me with a pale face, poking his face into a small magic video sphere.
* * *
“Uwaah! What is it?”
In the darkness, a man with a deathly pale face.
It was Mr. Damius’ secretary.
“Judge, what brings you here so late?”
When I rushed to light the lamp, Mr. Damius’ secretary looked completely haggard, unlike yesterday.
“I came when there were no reporters… no, that’s not important. Why do you look like this?”
His face completely devoid of color, eyes wide open.
“Ah, I was just doing stock trading. I had to place a reservation order and did a lot at once, so I must have been overwhelmed.”
Mr. Damius’ secretary rubbed his dry face with his hand.
“Even so, that’s too much. For a dwarf to turn his face pale, you’re pushing it too hard.”
A dwarf with bronze skin turning pale was something I had never seen before.
“Are you going home? With reporters swarming lately, it must be hard to come to work.”
Concerned that perhaps he was staying in the office because of the reporters and not going home,
I asked.
If not, I hoped to learn at least the trick to dodging them.
Mr. Damius’ secretary smiled and answered.
“Ah… Mr. Therion made a secret entrance last time. I should have told you.”
Following Mr. Damius’ secretary’s curious gaze, he went to one side of the office wall.
On the spot he pointed to with his fingertip,
was a metal statue resembling Therion, mounted on the wall in bas-relief.
When he pulled the window in the statue forward slightly,
space flickered, and it connected to an empty house at the end of the office alley.
An old, vacant mansion built on Therion’s private property— for some reason, even the lease was not placed.
It was old but carried Therion’s meticulous taste everywhere.
Near a small pond in the garden was another statue of Therion identical to the one in the office.
“Yes, that’s right. Pull the window the same way and you’ll return to our office.”
Mr. Damius’ secretary looked at me with bloodshot eyes and said.
“Then why do you look so tired even though you’re going home?”
I examined Mr. Damius’ secretary carefully.
“Because it was a very important moment. There will be something big soon, so I need to prepare my money.”
Unlike his dry skin, his eyes held something like madness.
Bloodshot eyes.
The same eyes I had seen many times in the investigation room during my prosecutor days in South Korea.
The look of gamblers or victims of scams addicted to one big chance.
“Is this related to the explanation session yesterday?”
I had to confirm.
After a moment of hesitation,
he seemed to make a decision.
Mr. Damius’ secretary pulled the window of the statue on one side of the empty house and returned to the office,
bringing a maseok video sphere from his desk.
“Since I’m a judge, I’ll trust you and tell you.”
With a resolute expression, Mr. Damius’ secretary showed me the maseok video sphere.
“This company is going to shake the Gilorian Empire. Superconducting maseok! That thing is going to completely shake the board of the Gilorian Empire.”
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