Chapter 154
Chapter 154
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 154
Chapter Title: The Examination
-----------------------------------------------------------------
CRASH! RUMBLE!
Just as I was smiling fondly at Elicia, a tremendous clap of thunder suddenly echoed.
Even with my nerves of steel, I couldn't help but be startled.
The deafening roar had erupted from somewhere nearby without any warning.
‘Divine punishment?’
Unlikely, but for a moment, I thought my father had sent down a bolt of lightning.
The timing was just too perfect to deny it.
I was right in the middle of justifying my attempts to woo a woman.
‘If I had become the Head in my past life, I probably would have run the family into the ground.’
That must be why Father never taught me the Nine-Ring Annihilation.
He was probably planning to make my brother the Young Lord if things went south.
Of course, that wouldn't have actually happened.
My brother was far too mediocre to become the Head of the Riverune family.
It would have been much more logical to just rehabilitate me.
‘Anyway, Father, you were a terrifying man, weren't you? Watching over your son even after you've passed on.’
Shuddering once, I glanced at Elicia.
But surprisingly, she didn't seem very startled.
I'm the type to never show my true feelings, but what about her?
She couldn't still be dreaming.
As I looked at her with a questioning gaze, Elicia offered a gentle smile.
“That's impressive. Most people jump when they hear a sudden noise like that.”
“Haha. It's nothing. By the way, does this happen often?”
“Ah, it's the evaluation period. Everyone's working hard to produce results... It's probably the sound of a failed experiment.”
“I see!”
Thankfully, it seemed my father, who had conquered the netherworld and become a god, hadn't sent down divine punishment after all.
With her answer, the delusions filling my head melted away like spring snow.
*Knock, knock.*
While I was chatting with Elicia, someone knocked on the drawing-room door.
“Preparations are complete, my lady.”
“Let's go. I'll show you to your quarters.”
“I'm honored that you would guide me yourself.”
When I spoke with exaggerated courtesy, she covered her mouth and giggled.
Soon, I began to follow Elicia through the Everfilt estate.
* * *
They called it the inner sanctum, but there wasn't much to see.
I was simply assigned guest quarters and shown around the various training grounds.
I didn't meet anyone from Everfilt other than Elicia and Lise Ganiol.
‘Though I suppose this little one is also a member of the family.’
The one guiding me now was a beastkin about the size of my forearm.
It was smaller than Nick, the fox-man I met in Illecre, but its movements were much stealthier.
That was only natural.
This creature had the form of a calico cat.
“This way. Please place any items like armor here and enter as lightly dressed as possible.”
“Why is that?”
“It's to increase the precision of the examination. Metal objects nearby can interfere with the readings.”
“I see.”
The calico led me to an examination room in a secluded area.
Honestly, I wanted to see the level of magic the Everfilt members possessed, but an examination right after arriving?
Even if the goal was to find the vanished energy, wasn't this a bit much?
‘For now, I'll just do as they ask. No matter how much they examine me, they won't find what they're looking for.’
I smirked and deactivated the Black Dragon Divine Armor.
The gray orb stored in the hidden compartment inside the armor became visible.
From what they said, it seemed they hadn't considered the possibility of the energy transferring to an object.
And even if they had, they wouldn't think I was carrying it with me.
‘Who could possibly recognize this?’
Unless they knew the details of the Black Dragon Divine Armor...
Wait a minute.
Come to think of it, this armor.
‘I stole it from the governor's office in Everdeen.’
If that man named Felix was still the governor, there wouldn't be a problem.
But if he had returned to the Everfilt main family, things could get complicated.
Felix would instantly recognize his treasured possession.
‘I'll have to deny it, claiming it's just heavily used.’
If I happen to run into him, that is.
The Black Dragon Divine Armor had certainly lost its former pristine appearance.
That was inevitable, considering all the rough situations it had been through.
In any case, I couldn't delay any longer.
Following the calico's instructions, I removed all my equipment and entered the examination room.
It was a room where the ceiling, floor, and all the walls were made of a silvery metal.
The sight of intricate magic circles densely packed together was nothing short of magnificent.
My heart swelled, and yet...
“This must have cost a fortune. I wonder how much I could get if I ripped it all out?”
As I muttered this, the calico looked up at me with an incredulous expression.
“You're the first person I've met who's said something like that in here.”
“What's the big deal? It's not like I committed a crime.”
“I suppose so. You're as peculiar as I've heard.”
“Just what kind of rumors are spreading about me...”
“It's not really like that. I just saw Lady Elicia for a moment.”
“Tch! As if she isn't peculiar herself.”
I grumbled and flicked my wrist from side to side.
Naturally, my hand ended up scratching the calico's head and the scruff of its neck.
“Mrow.”
The creature let out a pleased cry before startling and stepping back.
“Gasp! Why did you suddenly touch me?”
“You looked really soft. I'm a cat person.”
“Hmph! Only do that when I ask you to. I'm working right now, so it's inconvenient.”
“Look at you. You're not saying no, are you?”
“...”
The calico shot me a coy look before leaving the examination room.
Then, it shouted loudly.
“Starting now!”
*Vwoooom—!*
Finally, Everfilt's examination—or investigation—had begun.
As I leisurely looked around, I felt the air suddenly change.
A tingling wave of sorts seemed to sweep past my body.
‘It feels like a detection-type spell, but it's a bit different.’
Then again, it would be impossible to find energy hidden within a body using a simple search spell.
Finally, a flashing beam of light shot out from the wall.
*Zwoosh!*
“Hup!”
I instinctively dodged the white light.
How could I just let myself be hit without knowing what kind of power this was?
The single beam then split into two, flying at me from different angles.
Seeing their momentum, it seemed their numbers would continue to increase until they hit their target.
‘You think I'll just let you hit me?’
No one said anything about beams of light being shot at me.
And they didn't tell me not to dodge, either.
I used Soul Shadow Evasion to disrupt the beams' pursuit.
The advanced Rantzverger stealth technique was potent enough to fool even magical traps.
It could confuse the magic circle's sensors and cause targeting errors.
Just like now.
‘Much easier now.’
The white beams had already multiplied to twelve.
They were essentially blocking every possible escape route as they closed in.
But the beams kept hitting the wrong spots.
It was all thanks to the power of Soul Shadow Evasion.
*Pew-pew-pew-pew!*
The white beams ricocheted off the walls with terrifying force, but I had already moved out of the way.
‘Bring it on. I'll dodge every last one.’
From twenty-four to forty-eight.
The beams now filled the entire room.
Yet they still couldn't hit me.
No matter how densely they attacked, I could always create an opening.
Just then.
*Thwump!*
The light from the magic circle, which had been spewing energy, faded, and the room grew dark.
At the same time, the white beams vanished.
“Phew! It's finally over.”
I finally let out a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from my brow.
*Clank!*
Soon, the metal door of the examination room opened, and a group of people walked in.
“We need to talk.”
* * *
Right after Ray Rantzverger entered the examination room.
Three figures approached and sat in chairs.
“So that's him.”
White hair and a pure white robe.
As the man, who seemed to be covered entirely in white, muttered, someone beside him bowed their head.
“Yes, Commander Milo.”
It was Lise Ganiol, the vice-commander of the magic corps, whose brilliant eyes were quite striking.
Commander Milo nodded slightly and turned to the woman sitting in the middle.
She was Elicia Everfilt, who had been sharing tea with him just moments before.
“I heard you met with him briefly.”
“I did.”
When she was speaking with Ray, she had seemed utterly pure.
But the Elicia now had a chillingly cold aura and a sinister glint in her eyes.
It was as if she had become a completely different person in an instant.
“Were you able to get a sense of what kind of person he is?”
“Nothing special. Just a guy obsessed with women.”
“With a face like that, I'm not surprised.”
The commander gestured with his chin, a sneer on his face.
At his signal, mages came forward, quickly set up a crystal orb, and shot a beam of light into the air.
*Fwoosh—!*
A circular screen materialized, showing a lightly dressed Ray Rantzverger.
The crystal orb was apparently a surveillance device showing the inside of the examination room.
“I look forward to seeing what secrets that bastard is hiding.”
“It would be best if we cleanly discover the energy. We could hold Rantzverger accountable then.”
“Accountability, costs—none of that matters. Unlocking the secrets of the Dark Continent is the priority.”
“You speak wisely.”
The three of them stared intently at the oval screen, their eyes filled with anticipation.
When the examination began, they could only stare wide-eyed in astonishment.
Ray had dodged every single one of the white beams that flew at him with incredible speed.
Amazingly, he continued to do so until the examination equipment overloaded and shut down.
“Hah! What in the world was that!”
“Even for a direct descendant of Rantzverger, is that even possible?”
Lise Ganiol and Commander Milo shook their heads vigorously, their mouths agape.
Their eyes showed utter disbelief.
Elicia, on the other hand, looked more serious than surprised.
“Somehow, I feel this is going to be difficult.”
“We will increase the intensity of the investigation as much as possible.”
“It'll probably be useless. And how could we possibly pressure someone that strong?”
She dismissed Lise Ganiol's suggestion and shot up from her seat.
A monster like that shouldn't be confronted head-on.
It would only leave serious wounds.
A meaningful smile bloomed on Elicia's face.
“We'll have to coax him into working for us. And...”
She muttered the last part to herself, so Lise Ganiol and Commander Milo couldn't hear.
‘Using my charms wouldn't be a bad idea, either.’