Chapter 253
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 253
Chapter Title: Lesson 49. Casanova's Holiday - 3
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Sunday, before heading out for the special activity.
Ban Yu-won was receiving meddlesome advice from Yumina, disguised as tips for the special activity.
"Solo special activities don't get much protection from the Academy. Only those with solid backing who can venture out without worry go solo in the first place. That's why I tried to tag along as your bodyguard, but that damn geezer... I mean, the Chancellor suddenly said no."
Ban Yu-won let out an awkward "ahaha" with a vague smile as the Chancellor's demotion to "damn geezer" level progressed.
"Aneri is reliable, but make sure to lock your door at night. Oh, and don't access the Union Net during the activity. Hiding your dimensional coordinates is rule number one when operating externally. Learn those tricks from Aneri. And in the rare case where your coordinates suddenly vanish and you're trapped inside a dimensional barrier—"
"It's fine. I've got a trustworthy captain."
[Exactly!]
A girl with artificially sparkling blue hair and striking silver eyes gleaming with a mechanical sheen suddenly popped up beside Ban Yu-won, striking a pose with her index finger pointed skyward.
[As long as I, Lilith—the relic infused with the power of the constellations, capable of devouring shooting stars and assembling fleets—am with you, no harm will befall you in the vastness of space!]
"Hmm..."
"Lilith, stop inventing new characters every time you appear and just hand over the spaceship."
[Come on, Master. Sticking to the same look all the time leads to mannerism fatigue. Only Eve-unnie, your first familiar who claims eternal fame with just a tongue click, could pull that off...!]
She definitely hadn't been like this when she was first born.
SF? Had her personality been patched to be this cheeky after integrating SF elements?
Maybe turning her human-like was the mistake.
Ban Yu-won covered Lilith's mouth as she noisily advertised her pointless character changes, but it was too late—Yumina's worried gaze was already fixed on her.
"Are you sure you'll be okay? Wouldn't it be better to take the spaceship the school prepared?"
"Lilith is more convenient for personal ops. Plenty of other students use their own ships for special activities, right?"
"But those ships don't chatter or transform into cute girls."
[Cute girl? Mina-unnie, you get it.]
"Huh, unnie? Unnie... That doesn't sound bad at all."
"Stop scoring points so slyly and summon the spaceship already."
Lilith clicked her tongue and generated the spaceship.
Her human form stayed put, but Ban Yu-won could feel most of her yokai neural power concentrating into the ship the moment it materialized.
The ship's design was a from-scratch synthesis of the best parts from everything Lilith had observed and devoured, upgraded further with her unique concepts. Yumina, instantly recognizing its performance, was stunned.
"That's not even in Union's fleet...?"
[But it still can't match a dimension ship.]
"You can't operate a dimension ship without the Chancellor's backup anyway."
Yumina casually leaked classified info, but Ban Yu-won had already suspected as much.
"I'll be off then, sis."
"You're really leaving me behind..."
Anyone else hearing that might misunderstand again.
Ban Yu-won, relieved that no Rebellion members were around, hesitated as Yumina finally pulled him into a tight hug.
"Oof."
"Take care of yourself. Don't get hurt. Call me right away if it's dangerous—I'll come save you no matter what. Promise...!"
Finally freed from her chest, Ban Yu-won peeled away the teary-eyed Yumina and boarded the ship.
As Lilith closed the hatch while waving to Yumina, she turned back with a serious expression.
[That woman's dangerous, Master.]
"I think you're more dangerous, flipping from flirt to psycho like two seconds ago."
[Hear me out. Women who grow old as virgins without ever experiencing real love end up idealizing it, creating a vicious cycle where no real man measures up. Same goes for old bachelors, FYI.]
"...And?"
For a moment, Ban Yu-won thought, 'Huh, that makes sense?' and mentally apologized to Yumina as Lilith continued.
[Imagine such a spinster miraculously meets her ideal type and falls in love. That love's gonna be heavy, right? Super heavy. That woman looked ready to kidnap you and lock you away somewhere safe right then and there.]
"Ha."
So that's what all this was about.
Ban Yu-won snorted and shot back.
"I'm heading off now to meet the girl who had a crush on my little brother."
[Sorry, Master.]
Good thing she wasn't actually his blood sister—believing she was while refusing to give up her feelings was terrifying beyond awkwardness or hesitation.
"Ah, I really don't wanna go..."
"Shh shh."
Thinking about it made his steps heavier, but Eve climbed up and down his arm to soothe him.
As he calmed down with some tea, the ship left Union, quickly piercing the atmosphere and entering the dimensional barrier.
Its speed was at least three times that of the ship from the last club match.
[This is what breaking through the atmosphere feels like, Master.]
"Yeah, yeah."
The rendezvous was the 3rd Terminal of a C-rank dimension, mentioned before. Surprisingly, Level Force Mercenary Corps often rented lodging here when not on jobs.
It was a hub for most dimensional mercenary groups, with tons of C-rank requests spawning there, and the 3rd Terminal boasted the best rest facilities and highest foot traffic.
Crowded enough to draw eyes, but also so crowded you'd blend right in.
If Prominence learned their rightful heir was slumming it in a C-rank terminal with a newbie merc group...
'Eh, it'll be fine.'
Prominence was curtailing external activities right now.
Having burned through relics from sponsor constellations twice on a "heir," they'd naturally play it safe.
The other great families weren't allies either.
On the contrary, rivals for power, they were poised to strike at any sign of weakness.
'If—if Prominence's heir situation leaked now, some family might back sis to swallow them whole, using her as a puppet to expand once she takes the head seat.'
Not that the great families were soft.
Their unquenchable flames proved their might.
Of course, Ban Yu-won had no plans to drag another great family into this.
Why risk it when he could claim one intact with smart play?
In that sense, the orc wave on Earth drawing eyes to him had been lucky for both Prominence and himself.
[Dimensional barrier breached. Arrived at C-rank dimension 3rd Terminal. Going stealth and heading to coordinates.]
Lilith cloaked the entire hull with ghostly arts and sliced through space toward the target.
Ban Yu-won monitored the terminal on screen: a massive planet orbited by countless satellites.
[Quite a few artificial ones mixed in. Orbits are manipulated too.]
"Why not just make a sun?"
[I see a light magic system pulling stellar rays to control day and night. With your holy light magic, you could do it without dumping mana like that.]
"Thanks, but I don't even want to think about it right now."
The terminal was likely the big planet, but coordinates pinged a smaller moon.
Lilith dove into the atmosphere, dissolved the ship at Ban Yu-won's signal, reverted to bike mode, and gave him a ride.
A bleeding-edge spaceship might draw stares, but a sleek hoverbike? Nah.
[Over there.]
"Wow... This is a bedroom suburb."
Turning an entire moon into a hotel district—what tech.
Even more shocking: with enough concepts, Ban Yu-won could probably do it himself.
Weaving through on Lilith, absorbing new concepts, he soon reached the spot—not a hotel, but a mansion with gardens.
"Merc group, my ass. They're living large."
[Ownership's under Level Force too.]
It even had barriers up.
Inputting Aneri's code let him in, but alarms blared, and everyone rushed out.
"Yu-won! Kek!"
"Hands off my little brother."
Aneri charged for a hug but got kicked aside by Ban Yu-mi popping up.
He'd thought so on video calls, but her vibrant red hair and crimson eyes screamed Prominence now—though her personality seemed unchanged.
"Hehe, our Yu-mi's in good health..."
"Wanna go? Bring it."
"No, sis!"
The two started brawling, but the others barely glanced over.
Selden, the sole male and Aneri's lackey, eyed an opening, but his skills fell short, forcing him to spectate.
"Mom."
"My boy."
Meanwhile, Mother approached for a two-month reunion hug.
She looked as youthful as ever, but her calmer outfit eased Ban Yu-won's mind.
Unaware or not of his thoughts, she stroked his face worriedly while hugging him.
"Not hurt anywhere? I saw you fighting dimensional pirates last time."
"If you saw, you know I'm fine. You and sis okay?"
"Of course. You might not realize stuck around monster hordes, but this lineup's top-tier for elite merc groups."
"Young master, long time!"
"Ah, you."
Then came Level Force's last member, Kira Ezra Prominence—one of their five—hugging him from behind.
"You... 'young master' what?"
"Huh? Sis is 'miss,' so bro's 'young master.' Fitting, right?"
Kira, eyes closed, cheek to his, spouting seemingly logical nonsense.
Westerners aren't all aggressive greeters—especially not with Earthlings and aliens here.
"I'm so glad I joined this merc group—! To reunite with my fave like this! ...Haaa, sniiiif."
"...Do I smell?"
"Yeah, good smell♡"
"Ah, that girl right now!"
Ban Yu-mi, mid-spar with Aneri, noticed Kira's cut-in and charged.
"Oho, miss is feisty today!"
"Thanks to you!"
"Kira, you're too casual with Yu-won! Can you even call yourself Level Force Platinum after that?!"
Kira retreated as expected, countering, with Aneri jumping in—back to tussling.
All this chaos in under two minutes of arrival.
Ban Yu-won half-lidded his eyes and asked Mother.
"Mom, they always like this?"
"Only when you're involved..."
"I'm out."
Even a predator cage wouldn't feel this dicey.
A red trinity: sis and two Rebellion fanclub platinum members.
Caught in their combo? He'd be bones.
"Be generous. They're excited to see you after so long. Handling them coolly will make you look even cooler."
"Coolly..."
That's what he wanted from them.
Aneri was ageless, but Kira, active same era, should be near Mother's age—why the maturity gap?
But if he wasn't imagining, Mother sometimes seemed to want him and Yu-mi together.
If true, no allies here...
Glancing at remaining Selden by elimination, he flipped him off without hesitation.
"Die on this mission, harem bastard."
"Newbie, what'd you say?"
"S-sis, just guy banter, guk!"
Ghostly timed, Aneri appeared behind and kicked him.
Watching the trio's internal war, Ban Yu-won sighed and asked Mother.
"So, Mom, what's the job?"
"Ruins excavation in D-13 dimension. It's hush-hush, so I'm worried—but high secrecy means sweet rewards."
"Right, D-13..."
—Yeah, that's why he couldn't refuse this shady special activity gig.
This special activity—no, Level Force taking this job—was all for Rebellion.
Not just for him—Yumina scheming for all members, and even Aneri brawling idiotically now, had sacrificed much to support him and Rebellion.
'Gotta repay them. ...Preferably not with my body.'
Those two would prefer that, which was the problem.
Anyway, not time to redefine sis relations or ponder repaying Yumina and Aneri.
Just how close this "simple networking special activity" disguise got him to the truth.
'Let's see how messed up a world has to be to ruin a young girl's life.'
Ban Yu-won exhaled, clenched his fist, and steeled himself.
Asha would swoon calling this true external aid, but he'd keep it secret forever to spare the others' feelings.