Chapter 145
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 145
Chapter Title: Lesson 29. The Truth Will Come Out Eventually - 5
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After school that day, Ban Yu-won entered the academy library's private reading room with Aire to work on the paper they were co-authoring.
With exams just around the corner, securing a private room was tough even for Special Class students. But for Ban Yu-won—who had quietly become a student council executive, with the Student Council President and PR Director watching his back—it was no big deal.
"—So, they barely let me resume solo explorations this time. You think that makes any sense?"
There, he laid out the full story of his solo explorations for her.
Aire tilted her head, looking genuinely surprised.
"Why tell me?"
Ban Yu-won shrugged.
"Figured you already had a hunch."
"That's different from you confirming it yourself, but yeah. I suspected."
Aire nodded slowly.
She set aside the magic paper they were working on together and continued.
"Your presence is changing the tower. Not just me—everyone who's seen Rebellion's footage suspects it. That's why the Chancellor favors you..."
"Hiding it might've been smarter long-term, but I didn't have the luxury back then."
"The Chancellor probably figured it out anyway. So this open stance now, solidifying your position? Better."
She comforted him with cool logic, then tapped the table with her pen.
Thud—thud— An impossibly heavy sound for a pen on wood.
But Ban Yu-won had soundproofed the room thoroughly, so the noise echoed only within, fading away.
"So fast and powerful... feels just like you."
"Huh?"
"Your solo explorations."
Aire whispered something cryptic, then steered back to the topic.
"It seems distant from the path to the tower's peak. If we're climbing the front, you're scaling the back."
"Hm...?"
But her words intrigued him, so Ban Yu-won focused.
He'd brought it up wanting her take from the start.
"It's a facet allowed only to you. But if so, it can't lead to godhood. Got it?"
"...Because no one person can be singled out when challenging the divine?"
"Exactly. If the tower's discriminating against you alone, your 'exploration' is more like..."
Management?
Even saying it, Aire tilted her head, but Ban Yu-won found it oddly convincing.
The tower was the Ban family's legacy, after all. Him managing it as heir? Made sense!
"Management, huh."
"Just a hunch. After this run, it'll clarify direction."
"No, solid answer. But now team explorations feel shaky."
"They're special, not unique. Should be fine."
She said it without full certainty, but Ban Yu-won agreed.
"On that note, let's wrap early. Just finishing touches left, right?"
"Yeah. I'll handle the rest."
The paper was done by week 11, but now they were bolstering theory and polishing conclusions.
Their topic: chant shortening research.
A major field spanning most magic, accessible yet advanced—enough to reuse old theories with personal spins for a substitute assignment.
But they'd never settle for that.
"Deep linguistic analysis, auxiliary chants for shortening... a brand-new theory. They'll be stunned. Your wizard's eye is special."
"It's my specialty."
"...Not a dragon, though."
Ban Yu-won burst out laughing at her out-of-left-field remark.
"Pure human."
"Hardly pure."
"Fine, half-rotten then."
Not what she meant, probably.
Ban Yu-won shrugged, standing—then remembered his chat with Misty.
"Oh, right. Misty wants in on the next paper."
"Misty...? Misty Aiole?"
They'd been hanging out more via club lately—why act like first hearing it?
Misty always stuck by Aire, even helping club ops. Ban Yu-won wanted to give her a shot to bond more.
"What do you think?"
"Why ask? Or rather, how?"
Her firm tone—like Misty lacked even basic quals—left him shaking his head.
"Anyway, papers are on hold. Too busy with this one all semester."
"Got it... See you Thursday lecture then."
"Yeah."
Even as Ban Yu-won left, her gaze stayed clear on him.
What a hard one to read, he thought, teleporting to Babel Tower's front. Silent Ceron finally chimed in late.
—Dragon... She just called you a dragon, right?
'Yeah. Why? You gonna spout nonsense about me being one too...?'
—No, she's the dragon!
Ban Yu-won froze.
'Dragons are real? So Aire's polymorphed too?'
—You said that before. Why obsess over polymorph? True dragons wouldn't survive to now. I mean dragonkin, inheriting dragon blood.
'What? None left? Damn, so close.'
Dragon slayer, dragon bone, dragon sword—even dragon heroine.
So many tropes from one dragon, now dashed.
Ban Yu-won sighed over a shattered fantasy dream.
—Anyway, listen. Your linguistics magic is impressive, but linking it to dragons? Not everyone could.
'So?'
—Dragonkin wield Dragon Tongue, their unique magic system. Seeing your skills' similarity, she suspects.
Even up close, without confirming kin, Aire dropped the hint.
'Still baseless guesswork.'
—No, she's dragonkin. Signaling you to reveal like she's revealing. Her pure mana hoard was suspicious...
'Keep pushing no-proof claims... And if she is, then Light—learning from her lately—is too!'
"If Light gets more useless tropes piled on, what then...!"
—Huh? Why him?
One sad fact: Eden wasn't on the tower's 'backside.'
"Sounded kinda cool, right?"
—With that sulky face?
"Dokgo Yeon'd be more bummed. Counted on life concepts here."
He should've guessed when they kicked him out post-last run.
Expecting Eden on the tower's backside—structurally unlike the front he'd explored months? Unrealistic.
"At least better than giants last time."
He gazed at starry night sky, then down at mountains, plains, winding river, rocky plateau.
Compared to last's all-rock hell, this was pristine wilderness.
'If modeled on creation myths, world's formation explains this.'
Problem: no monsters to fight, Student ID room marker glitching wild between 11~100.
"Not even 11-20... up to 100 now?"
—'Front' standards mean nothing here.
Of course.
Ban Yu-won sighed, looking up—then space warped live.
"What the...?"
The sky split.
Night sky tore literally, brilliant light pillar pouring to ground.
Ban Yu-won muttered blankly.
"That's orbital strike..."
—Don't jinx it.
Light stopped, sky sealed.
Ban Yu-won sensed presences spawning everywhere—ones he'd missed till now.
"Monsters...? No, humans?"
Staff gripped, expecting fight.
But they headed not him, the pillar site. He tilted head.
—Let's check.
Ceron urged unusually eager.
Ban Yu-won nodded silently, cloaking aura with Ghost Shadow Art, sneaking toward pillar.
Humans gathering at site multiplied...
Definite: NPCs. Not original locals—popping from sky like summons.
—Nngh.
Ceron groaned suddenly.
—Know what the pillar was?
'Insane mana density.'
Ceron confirmed quietly.
—Right. Thick, pure mana blob. Maybe the origin...
'Origin?'
—Watch.
Gathered humans moved fast, building something.
Like fast-forward.
At first, too quick for faces—but no.
Mosaic blur hid them, despite staring.
'Hunt targets for real?'
Approaching further, invisible wall blocked.
Then trick popped before eyes.
[1. Cannot approach the tower.]
[2. Protect them until the tower is complete.]
"Tower?"
—You saw it too?
Ceron's voice quavered faintly.
—The tower's showing you history. The god-era we couldn't peek—its construction back then...!
Why him? No need to ask.
Truly, now Ban Yu-won was certain: his ancestors built Babel Tower.
Why else show him this?
—Exploring with you might unravel all secrets. Then me, other constellations too...!
Ceron rambled excitedly, words blurring.
Ban Yu-won tuned out.
Spotting ancestors amid busy builders? Mosaic faces said no.
"Ceron, it's starting."
—Why does the tower bare its soul to him when it tormented us so mercilessly—huh?
As if seductive scent from pillar site.
Monster presences swarmed from all sides.
[3. Death here demands a heavier price.]
Tower being tower, even now.
Not handing all easy, even to heir.
"――――!"
"~~? ―!"
Builders stirred, sensing monster approach.
Ban Yu-won couldn't reach them—but restrictions likely only his.
Zone out, fail condition, penalty.
He had to protect.
"Defense game, huh? I got this."
—Plenty pawns, yeah?
"Yep."
"Shk, shishit!"
Ban Yu-won emptied Inventory.
Ever-reliable Eve, reborn brutal gunner familiar Tike—plus all twenty-five Rainstorm Swords—sprang out, scattering under his command.
'Martial arts unfinished, but foundation lets me control all Rainstorm Swords.'
Not fine-tuned power, but no time for finesse.
"Wish Lilith woke sooner... Livi."
—Kreeek.
Calling the name Lucelle picked.
Last from Inventory: full plate armor, head to toe—Living Armor, gripping relic from special activity, Executioner's Longsword.
"Wanted Alphonse..."
—You're no human.
"How'd you know?"
Nearly thirty blades in Rainstorm swarm—a legion.
Artifacts and familiars ringed site, wills aligned.
—Krrk.
—Kuhahaha...
Goblins twisted blacker, uglier, slammed earth—filling plain with eerie cries.
"Nailing the concept."
Ban Yu-won quipped, gripping Executioner's Longsword, eyes front.
Familiars primed, tension peaked.
"Come on!"
—Kiiiiiiiiiiii!
Defense game began for real.