Chapter 232
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 232
Chapter Title: Lesson 45. Founding Festival Preparation - 7
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She was wrapped from head to toe in faintly glowing bandages, draped over with a grayish robe.
Between the bandages wound so tightly around her face that it was hard to make out her features, a pair of purple eyes gleamed妖stically, revealing and concealing vast concepts too immense to fully capture even with the All-Reading Eyes each time they flickered.
The only clue that she was a woman came from her distinctive voice.
But the immense concepts embedded in those bandages concealed her identity not just physically, but across the realms of magic and soul as well... If he so much as blinked right now, he might lose his grasp on her entirely.
He had already heard rumors among the full professors of a being like this.
Cleo Hekate, known as the "Prophet Who Decides Fates," and currently the guiding professor for Ullrike Prominence.
And...
"Nine."
"Impressive."
She responded with a voice full of admiration, her face betraying not the slightest surprise.
She must have anticipated that he would recognize her the moment they met.
"There were hints, but to pierce through all these defenses in one glance and reach the truth..."
She ran her fingers over the bandages wrapping her body as she spoke of "defenses."
It was a gesture checking for any gaps, but both she and Ban Yu-won knew there were none.
And that action alone confirmed she was Nine—the one who had come as reinforcements alongside Aneri and the Level Force members when the orc wave hit Earth.
He still hadn't pieced together why she was here when he'd come to meet Ullrike, but Ban Yu-won decided to start with courtesy.
"Thank you for your help back then. But how is a full professor of the Academy..."
"It's the same principle as with Mu-myeong. That wasn't my true body there... You suspected as much, right?"
Of course he'd figured she used some unusual method, given how abruptly she vanished.
But what Ban Yu-won really wanted to ask wasn't that.
"True enough... Professor Yumina couldn't come in person either."
"She has no freedom, so that's only natural."
"Did she ask you to come in her place...?"
"No, no. She and I are separate. Our goals differ."
So Yumina didn't know Nine's true identity.
But that made sense—this full professor standing before him was also Ullrike Prominence's guiding professor, the one who had sent the orc wave to Earth.
Now, he found himself questioning even her intentions when she'd shown up offering to help him back then.
As Ban Yu-won narrowed his eyes, she trembled faintly with laughter.
"You're overthinking it. This isn't the time to draw lines between friend and foe. Stop suspecting everything and use whatever you can."
"Blindly gobbling up whatever comes my way is how I end up with a stomachache."
He grumbled about how she just popped up without warning—promise or no—and leaned back on the sofa that had appeared out of nowhere.
He was playing it cool, but deep down, he was tense, wondering if this was the greatest crisis he'd faced since enrolling at the Academy.
A situation beyond his control. An opponent whose allegiance was unknown.
He might even have to pull out all the precious concepts he'd been hoarding...
"Excellent. If only my disciple had a bit of that caution... No, if she did, things wouldn't have unfolded this way."
As Nine lightly raised one hand, the teapot on the corner table began to boil.
"The reason I brought you here today."
"Hold on. I was supposed to meet Senior Ullrike Prominence today."
"Indeed. I knew she could no longer hold back and was trying to make personal contact with you. That's why I provided a safe meeting spot."
A ridiculous expression crossed Ban Yu-won's face.
"And as a result, I walked right into the professor's trap."
"Precisely."
"Isn't this less prophecy and more outright scam?"
"I've never prophesied once. I simply maneuver things to unfold as I desire."
She was indirectly admitting that her inaction during Ullrike's Earth invasion, and even showing up as Nine to aid him, were all steps toward her own goals.
What had resulted from the Earth invasion?
Earth's defenses strengthened. His own power grew. Mu-myeong met Nine.
And his precious mother—and his annoying but equally precious older sister—sprang into action...
...Wait. If we assume this woman's will was involved in Ullrike invading Earth.
No, it probably was.
No matter how simplistic she was, no one would launch something so dramatic and reckless without someone egging them on.
If the professor before him—Cleo Hekate—had been pulling Ullrike's strings from behind the scenes, perhaps she'd intended this from the moment she took Ullrike as her disciple?
'Then her real aim is changes rippling through the Prominence family... or maybe all Ten Great Families? No, that's too far-fetched. No guarantee our ditzy big sis could topple Prominence properly.'
His mind tangled into knots, and Ban Yu-won inwardly screamed as he ruffled his mental hair.
He already had enough on his plate without this new headache.
All he wanted was to leave, crawl into bed, and sleep.
But as if she'd anticipated even that reaction, she manipulated her magic to pour the perfectly brewed tea into a cup and set it before him.
"I understand your feelings, but you must endure for now. Even putting up with the annoyance, there's still information you can gain from me."
"Haaah."
She was exasperatingly persistent.
Maybe that detached tone, objectifying even situations involving herself, tied into why she hid her identity.
"Whew."
He let out a quiet sigh and sorted his thoughts.
Her words weren't wrong, at any rate.
Even if she was his enemy, this one-on-one chance to speak openly was to his advantage.
She didn't seem poised for a show of force.
In that case, he'd deploy his signature moves: Yu-won Gong and Origin Sword to analyze her inside and out.
"Alright, then. Let's cut to the chase."
He unabashedly downed the tea she'd offered, his way of saying—per her advice—that he'd set aside friend-or-foe judgments and seize whatever came his way.
"The main point."
The bandages over the mummy's mouth twitched, as if pleased by his bold move.
"Revealing yourself as Nine probably isn't the goal. There must be a reason you called me here at this particular time, right?"
"Oh, of course. Smart children like you make me want to reward them right away."
She sipped her tea alongside him (Ban Yu-won realized he still had a long way to go, watching the liquid flow naturally through her unpierced bandages), and continued.
"But I can't give you the answer outright. I can't intervene this time, and you need to grasp its importance yourself."
"The masquerade? No, not that..."
Ban Yu-won's eyes slowly closed.
Something Nine couldn't assist with.
Not the masquerade, so there was only one answer.
"The inter-club special tournament."
No response came to his words.
But that was confirmation enough for him.
In truth, he'd been deeply involved in designing this inter-club special tournament from the start.
It took applications from clubs of a certain scale and held matches in abandoned dimensions.
Perfect for Academy students aiming to become gods—but also far riskier than a simple extracurricular event.
Abandoned dimensions teemed with monsters, warped by overlapping waves into hazardous environments.
Dangerous even for a skilled group attempting purification.
...Especially if a traitor lurked among them.
"The live broadcast was your idea, right?"
"Yes, I got the chancellor's approval through the student council president."
"You must have anticipated that would draw out the rowdy ones even more."
"Exactly. After laying out the board like this, how could they resist showing up?"
First semester, early Rebellion Channel days.
Ban Yu-won and his team had cleanly dispatched dimension pirates he'd encountered due to an irregularity in the Tower, earning rave reviews.
That sparked Rebellion Channel's smooth growth—but it also left the rookie-beating dimension pirate group, Exodus, seething for revenge.
They'd faded amid clashes with Crimson Spear and Prominence, but he'd never forgotten them.
"A live feed where the prey—me—bare my neck invitingly. Exodus couldn't ignore that if they knew."
"A truly reckless and bold move... You have countermeasures, I'm sure, but you're underestimating them. 'Restrictions' alone won't suffice."
"..."
In the heavy silence, Ban Yu-won quietly finished his tea.
Then he stood.
"Thanks for the advice. I think I've heard all I need."
"Was it helpful?"
"Yes."
Ban Yu-won bowed his head and left.
Cleo Hekate let him go, tossing out an odd farewell instead.
"Heh, looks like you're doing just fine."
"...?"
He glanced back at the strangely ominous words, but the door had already closed, vanishing without a trace as stone wall took its place.
If he hadn't experienced it earlier, he'd swear he was haunted.
[Master, why do you think she summoned you at this exact timing?]
Lilith finally spoke once they were out of her domain.
Ban Yu-won answered simply.
"The tournament matches the conditions of my current situation."
[Similar conditions... the Ten Great Families?]
"Right."
Lilith, sharing most of his concepts, got it quickly.
He shrugged in agreement with his familiar's insight.
"We already knew Exodus had ties to one of the Ten Great Families. Professor Hekate was warning me not to get so fixated on the masquerade that I neglect the tournament."
She'd also subtly revealed her stance.
If he wasn't mistaken, she opposed the Ten Great Families.
Famous for handpicking only their elites as disciples.
He didn't like how transparently she saw him as a pawn, but if his instincts held, she wasn't an enemy—for now.
He also realized she couldn't see all his moves.
'Not a true prophet after all. She doesn't know everything.'
Reassured, he knocked on the door that had appeared in place of Hekate's room.
Beyond the wide-open door stood a fidgety young lady awaiting his arrival.
"Ah, there you are. I've been waiting. Come on in."
[Smells like a tacky bitch.]
'Don't mimic Lucelle.'
Warning Lilith firmly, Ban Yu-won entered and soon grasped the room's nature.
He'd used the Artifact Crafting Department's lab for discreet work before, without telling others.
This was similar—a private space accessible only to top certified students, but Hekate's professor version.
Both the mummy and now Ullrike... Ban Yu-won marveled anew at the affection he received from such remarkable figures.
Though if asked if it thrilled him, he'd shake his head vigorously...
"I thought this place would let us talk quietly, just the two of us. Cozy, right?"
"Yeah... It really shows your personality."
Mysterious artifacts everywhere, golden decorations evoking ancient Egypt.
He didn't even want to ask what the crystal ball in the table's center was for.
"I didn't call you for any grand reason."
I know that full well.
If anything, Professor Hekate was the main course, and you're dessert.
"As you know, junior, we're set to duel in a special match wagering honor and wishes. It'd be too cold and undignified not to even exchange proper greetings beforehand. So today... Ah... Today..."
Ullrike's rapid-fire script recitation cut off abruptly.
Wondering, Ban Yu-won turned to her and noticed her gaze fixed on his neck.
Her face flushed red, fists clenched tight.
Only then did he realize he was sporting a kiss mark on his neck.
Which meant not just the Ullrike before him, but Hekate earlier too...
[Impressive enough to wow even the professor.]
'Be quiet right now, please...'
Ban Yu-won sank.
Ullrike sinking with even fiercer momentum was, perhaps, a small mercy.