Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Team
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The one who spoke to me was Frixon.
The only son of a family that ran a massive merchant guild in Foven, and the donation-based student who had suffered greatly from Vizolt's abuse of power.
With a serious look in his eyes, he suddenly extended his hand.
"What's this about?"
I glanced down at his thick hand with a slightly displeased expression.
*This punk. I have no desire to hold a man's hand.*
"Ah, my apologies. In Foven, the first greeting is always a handshake."
Frixon awkwardly withdrew his hand and hastily scratched the back of his head.
Then, he suddenly bowed his head.
"My greeting is late. Thank you for your help back then."
"That wasn't really my intention. The guy just ruined my meal."
"Still, the fact remains that you saved me from a crisis. I'm grateful, and that's that."
"Well, if you want to think of it that way, I won't stop you."
I replied in a tone that suggested I had little interest.
I didn't want him to think I was some guy who approached him aiming for his wealth.
But I hadn't sought out Frixon since the duel with Vizolt, nor had I even glanced his way.
By acting as if nothing had happened, it seemed he had opened up to me to some extent.
*'Of course, I have to move cautiously. After all, I did approach you with the intention of targeting your wealth and influence.'*
When the invisible wall crumbles and trust is built, a person's heart tends to sway rapidly.
Frixon was in exactly that state right now.
Making him see me as his best friend wouldn't be too difficult.
Maintaining the trust I've gained from him in the future is another matter, though.
*'Anyway, when is he going to get to the point? Stop hesitating and just say it.'*
Sure enough, after expressing his gratitude, Frixon immediately revealed his true intentions.
"It looks like you're looking for team members. How about we team up? I may not look it, but I'm quite confident in my swordsmanship."
While he couldn't react during the incident with Vizolt due to the difference in status, this guy was also quite skilled.
Being a donation-based student who made it into the advanced class said it all.
He must have received fairly systematic training from a young age.
Having a skilled person join wasn't a bad outcome.
Adel and Sophia were a lost cause anyway, but there were still three spots left.
With someone of this caliber, there would surely be female students willing to join.
I agreed without much thought.
"Sure, why not."
"I knew you'd accept. Thanks for this, too."
"Let's get along."
"Then how about we each bring one more person?"
"Oh! You have someone in mind?"
At my question, Frixon gave a meaningful smile.
Seeing his somewhat sly grin, I was certain of one thing.
*'It's definitely a girl.'*
The instincts of a playboy, honed over many years, were sending a clear signal.
"Hehe! A pretty good friend. I'm sure you'll be satisfied too."
"Alright. I'll look forward to it."
With a pleased smile, I nodded and started walking away lightly.
Honestly, it didn't matter if the other members were a bit lacking in combat ability.
Even if the rest were filled with students from the basic class.
I was going to crush everything anyway, so what was the problem?
As long as they were easy on the eyes, anyone would do.
However, the person I intended to bring was a little different.
Because he was an extremely rare ability user.
I approached a slender young man standing blankly in a corner.
"Hey. You should join my crew."
The person I had suddenly spoken to was a handsome young man with impressive blue hair and green eyes, Mac Ties.
A direct descendant of the Ties family and an outstanding spirit master, yet he hadn't been chosen by anyone yet.
Not that he was the type to approach others first.
Mac was shy and somewhat lacking in social skills.
He asked a question with a slightly wary expression.
It seemed he found my sudden approach quite burdensome.
"Isn't this the first time we've met?"
"You don't have anyone to team up with anyway."
"That's true for now."
"Then just come with me. Our team has both skill and financial backing. You probably won't regret it."
I said, gesturing towards Frixon with a nod.
Me, who, despite being in the basic class, had certainly made an impression on Professor Hoth.
And Frixon, who, despite being a donation-based student, was in the advanced class.
It was a much better team composition than other unproven groups.
Besides, the skilled students had already formed teams with people they knew or joined powerful factions.
"You won't find a team this good anywhere else right now."
"It certainly seems that way."
My persuasion seemed to be working, as Mac's wariness gradually faded.
"But would it be alright if I brought one more person? He's probably alone right now, too."
It was good that he accepted the offer.
But bringing in a new person was a matter that required separate consideration.
"Is it a girl?"
"No."
"Then that's a problem..."
"But I can guarantee his skill."
"Really?"
I rested my chin on my right hand, pondering seriously, then reluctantly nodded.
I was going to crush everything anyway, but it would still be good to have another skilled person.
Besides, a single token female would be enough for eye candy.
"Then bring him over."
"Great. I'll be right back."
When I gave a positive reply, Mac Ties' face brightened up.
It seemed being with an acquaintance gave him a sense of psychological stability.
Soon, Mac returned with a red-haired man who had an indifferent expression.
*Red, blue... what a mess of colors. Are we collecting them by color?*
*'By the way, this guy... he's from an enemy family, isn't he?'*
I felt uncomfortable with this sudden addition.
Because that person was none other than Kamil, a direct descendant of the Felton Sword Family.
The third son of the Vast Heaven Emperor, Simeon.
Seeing that he had enrolled in Venderford, it seemed this guy, like Isabel, was quite far from the line of succession.
Although he was the son of my enemy, Kamil had no connection to the fall of Riverune.
I couldn't hold him accountable for some kind of original sin when he wasn't even born at the time.
*'Right. What fault does the kid have?'*
The discomfort from facing a member of the Felton clan quickly subsided.
"A direct descendant of one of the Four Great Families. Your skills must be solid."
"Don't count on it too much. I'll only do as much as everyone else."
"Suit yourself."
Kamil had an attitude as if he had no interest in anything in the world.
For some reason, that made me like him even more.
Guys like this are the ones who really cause trouble when they finally snap.
Of course, there would need to be some kind of catalyst.
I took the two of them and rejoined Frixon.
"This is my old friend, Curtis. He's the second son of the Count of Foven."
As befitting the son of a merchant who dominated the western part of the empire, Frixon brought someone from the Count of Foven's family.
Curtis was a young man with brown hair and an ordinary face.
Other than being a bit short and having a well-developed upper body, he had no other distinguishing features.
Though he might sound common, at Venderford, he had a rather conspicuous appearance.
In that he looked excessively old and rugged for his age.
It was as if a mercenary had been plopped down among the fresh-faced students.
"Oh! The average skill level of our team is quite high."
Frixon looked over the team members with a slightly flushed face.
It seemed even more so because they all exuded an unusual aura.
"Come to think of it, our backgrounds are quite diverse."
Direct descendants of the Four Great Families were considered top-tier, while children of provincial imperial nobles were roughly middle-tier.
Donation-based students like Frixon and me belonged to the lowest tier.
There were probably very few teams composed in such a haphazard way.
"That's right. I was a bit surprised. I didn't expect direct descendants of the Four Great Families to join."
Frixon muttered as he looked at Mac and Kamil.
The team members nodded simultaneously and looked at each other.
They seemed to think it was a relief that the team was filled with people who were reasonably skilled and had no personality issues.
Of course, I was also nodding.
*'Yeah. This is truly surprising. Not a single girl.'*
I glared at Frixon with wide, menacing eyes.
*He made it sound like it was a girl, that bastard.*
Of course, there was no way he would understand my feelings.
He just shivered and shrank back from the sudden chill.
Contrary to my plans, I ended up leading an all-male team on the mission.
*'Instincts of a playboy, my ass. What rotten luck.'*
I felt like I should sprinkle salt in front of my door when I got back to the dorms today.
Or maybe just throw some in that bastard Frixon's face.
* * *
Because of the sudden mission, Venderford was bustling even on the weekend.
Students who hadn't yet formed teams were negotiating to allocate members.
Since they had gathered in groups of three, they had to go through a negotiation process to form five-person teams.
Of course, having already formed a team, I was free to leave the school and head into the city of Troven.
*'First, I need to find out why this mission was created in the first place.'*
They called it a comprehensive evaluation, but I didn't quite understand why they were sending students of noble birth into a dangerous area.
Emerging from an alley near Troven's west gate, I had transformed into an ordinary middle-aged man.
I had completely changed my appearance using the Seven-Joint Face-Changing Technique.
In that state, I wandered through the market before slipping into a secluded part of the city.
I opened a perfectly disguised secret door and presented a blue token to the hidden agent inside.
"Black scale, white mask."
Upon presenting the identification token that proved my special rank, along with the password, he immediately opened the way.
There were a few more verification steps after that, but passing them wasn't difficult.
The fact that I was a direct descendant of the Rantzverger family had a significant impact on simplifying the procedure.
It's just a hollow title, but it's really useful at times like this.
The atmosphere of the Central Branch, which I hadn't visited in a long time, was quite different from before.
*'They were extremely busy back then.'*
They had been in the middle of cleaning up the failed assassination of Marquis Pennant, so it was bound to be completely different from now.
I passed through the quiet office space and headed for the branch manager's office.
*Knock, knock. Click.*
I knocked and immediately opened the door to see a man sitting at his desk, deep in thought.
It was Faceless, wearing a pure white half-mask.
"Long time no see?"
As I greeted him with a grin, the Central Branch Manager's left cheek twitched violently.
It was a natural reaction, as there was likely no one else in the branch who treated him so casually.
But upon recognizing me, Faceless let out a low groan and stood up.
"Ahem. I heard you enrolled at Venderford, but what brings you here?"
"I stopped by to see how you're doing and to look into something. Are you busy?"
"I was in the middle of something."
"You seem much more relaxed than during the failed assassination."
"...What is it you want?"
"May I come in for a moment?"
"You're already in, what are you asking for."
"I was just being polite."
"..."
I walked into the office and plopped down on a plush sofa, causing Faceless's lips to tremble slightly.
Seeing how nice the texture was, it seemed to be an expensive and cherished item.
Still, he didn't get angry at me for sitting on it so carelessly.
Because he owed me, big time.
"The Central Branch is really nice. The Eastern Branch couldn't even dream of something like this."
"What do you need? If there's something you want, don't beat around the bush, just say it."
"Oh! Really?"
"Yes."
The Central Branch Manager waved his hand with an uncomfortable expression.
I casually threw a line at Faceless.
"In that case, give me some expense money. A lot of it."