Episode 182 – Prepare (1)

Prepare (1)

The solution to the 12th problem, the rooftop of the Evina Tower.

A one-on-one interview began there, in a place devoid of chairs, tables, or anything else.

The interviewer was Chair Professor Theia Esil.

The interviewee was senior Shion Ascal.

“Then, I’ll ask.”

Against the backdrop of a full blue sky, Theia Esil asked Shion Ascal about his solution.

To prevent any ‘guesswork.’ Half in doubt, half in certainty.

“Oh, that?”

However, Shion Ascal explained to her the method he used to solve the 12th problem.

Just as Theia Esil intended. Without a bit of error, without a bit of hesitation.

“──So. The answer is ‘Not November, but October 30th. Until 10:30 AM. The rooftop of the Evina Tower.'”

“……”

Theia Esil’s face went blank.

It was hard to believe.

She couldn’t believe it.

No, she didn’t want to admit it.

“I was lucky. I also like riddles.”

Shion Ascal spoke calmly, but his expression was ambiguous.

Theia Esil was adept at reading others. With her genius Five Senses, she could quickly grasp the other person’s emotions.

In that respect, Shion Ascal was rather──

Understanding of Theia’s self-doubt.

Perhaps because he knew about the relationship between Theia Esil and Libra.

Something surged within Theia Esil, but she forcefully suppressed it.

The distinction between public and private is strict.

Even if this person is from Libra.

“Here’s your exam ticket.”

Theia Esil handed him the exam ticket.

[0001]

As the first person to solve the problem, he was number 0001.

He turned the exam ticket upside down and asked.

“So, am I completely accepted?”

“If you score more than 20 points, you pass the interview. No, being here with me is the interview itself.”

He doesn’t need to show off his purpose, skills, or ambitions in the interview room.

“But you still have to take the national university final entrance exam. The final exam day is November 7th. Be at the ‘Trinity Building’ by 10 AM.”

“Yes.”

“That’s all.”

Theia Esil left Shion and turned around.

“Professor.”

He called her. Theia turned her head slightly to the side.

“If I get admitted, can I see you again?”

“……That depends on your efforts.”

She answered his question in a stiff tone in an instant.

This is how Theia treats undergraduates.

If he can solve the 12th problem, he won’t fail the final exam. Shion Ascal is practically an undergraduate already.

“Ah. Yes. Thank you.”

She left the rooftop without responding and looked at her wristwatch. It was already 11:10 AM.

There’s a meeting with the professors at 11.

She hurriedly moved her steps.

[Conference Room]

Theia Esil stopped in front of the conference room door. She was about to go in when she pricked up her ears. She listened quietly, killing any sign of her presence.

─No. But, why on earth does Professor Theia give this 12th problem? No one has solved it for years.

─It’s a personal preference, isn’t it? I do understand it to some extent. The problem itself is well made.

─Or is this deliberately for corruption? If she gets a request from her cousin or something, she’ll tell them the answer.

─If you can get up to the third quarter, you don’t need to ask for a favor. She’s just incredibly picky. According to the graduate students, she gets upset if you contradict her lunch menu. We’re the young and great professors who feed and keep our national university alive, so we should adjust to her-

Bam!

Theia opened the door. The professors in the conference room quickly straightened up.

“Cough, cough. You’ve arrived, Chair Professor Theia.”

The bald professor Wally, who had just been talking about solicitation, laughed nervously, sweating coldly.

“Yes. I’m here.”

Theia took her seat.

The chairman of the board, ‘Ben’, gave her a small smile.

“You’re a bit late. Not like Professor Theia. 15 minutes.”

A young man in his early thirties, is the second son of Senator ‘Esteban’.

Theia answered while placing the document files on the table.

“There was.”

“What was there?”

The chairman asked in a relaxed tone, and Theia retorted briefly.

“A senior who solved the 12th problem I gave according to my taste.”

“……”

“……”

Everyone in the conference room was surprised. The chairman asked with a curious tone.

“Who is it?”

Theia licked the inside of her mouth with her tongue.

“Number 0001. It’s Shion Ascal.”

“Shion Ascal… Ah~ That. The one who defeated Gerkhen with swordsmanship?”

The professors hurriedly manipulated their tablets.

They all checked the profile of Shion Ascal, and soon swallowed their words. There was a professor who made a smirk-like expression.

It was because of his profile, that is, his future hope in the Endex school record.

‘Knight of Libra’.

“Why don’t you reconcile this time?”

Chairman Ben subtly said. Theia glared at him. It was a fierce expressionless face.

“It’s a joke, a joke. Still, it’s amazing. Solving the problem that Chair Professor Theia devoted her heart and soul to in just 5 weeks.”

He raised his eyebrows as he looked at the tablet.

“Shion Ascal. I should remember him. He was a person with very clear strengths and weaknesses.”

“……Shall we start the meeting?”

“Yes. Let’s do that.”

The chairman smiled.

“While celebrating the solver of the riddle that came out after 6 years.”

Theia silently chewed her lips.

* * *

Edsilla National University. The new university I will be attending from next year.

I was walking around the campus I couldn’t even dream of before my regression.

“……There’s Gerkhen.”

Gerkhen was there, buying and eating filled-pancake on the left side of the campus.

He probably got up to the ‘date’ of the 12th problem right.

In reality, Gerkhen did solve the 12th problem after entering the university. That led him to become Theia’s disciple.

But I am……

Today is the end.

Theia hates Libra as much as I do. Therefore, she can never have good feelings for me, who will become a dog of Libra.

Nevertheless, I will strive alone.

So that Professor Theia can avoid reaching that future of defeat.

So that you, who fell by Libra, can avoid losing everything.

I will live to create such futures.

Because the silver garden before regression, the times forgotten by everyone, ultimately define me.

─Ding.

My smartphone rang just in time.

It was [Kanya Wieder].

I quietly retreated into the alley of the university district.

* * *

Drip-drip──

In Trick City’s D-Section, where the rain mixed with mana stone debris is falling.

A cloudy noon.

In the workshop of [Valmant Manaology], Kanya is on a call with a recent hot topic in Trick City.

“……Chevin Billington. The president of Chevin Corporation. Bribing public officials to manipulate safety evaluations. Discharging magic-contaminated water. Covering up industrial accidents. A total garbage pig bastard. There are rumors that he’s involved with the cartel, and recently he’s been spouting nonsense that he has connections with Libra.”

Raquel Dra. He asked for a background check on the wealthy businessman ‘Chevin Billington’ of B-Section.

“Are you going to handle it right away? The families of the people who died working at Chevin Corporation have put up a bounty of about 50,000 Ren.”

Raquel Dra(=Dale Kal) is a dangerous person.

No one in this world, including Kanya herself, knows where he came from, but his abilities are murderously dangerous.

“From the D-Section’s point of view, it’s better if he dies…….”

However, Kanya decides to willingly take the risk.

Because Raquel Dra is definitely a person beneficial to D-Section.

No, broadly speaking, he’s a ‘necessary’ villain for Trick City and herself.

“It won’t be as easy as before. You. Do you know exactly what kind of place B-Section is?”

The people of Trick City’s A and B-Section think they are nobles above nobles. Their security is that strict.

Of course, ‘Chevin Billington’ is a low-life even among the B-Section wealthy. He’s a leech sucking money from D-Section to stick to B-Section.

However, even such a person has connections with Trick City politics.

If he is assassinated, a much greater impact will occur than before.

─I know. There’s a barrier in B-Section.

The barrier of B-Section fundamentally blocks the entry of lower Sections.

“That’s why. Getting in is the first problem. 50,000 Ren is too cheap.”

─Can you send me a list of security?

“……A list of security?”

Chevin Billington’s security guard list. That’s easy. Kanya is one of the most reputable and trusted informers in this field.

Click – Click –

A few mouse clicks and she had it.

“Send it?”

─Yes, Thanks.

……

I’m currently in B-Section.

“Have a nice trip, Mr. Billington.”

“Yes.”

I quickly passed the barrier that Kanya warned me about.

Thanks to the skill 「Deception」 I acquired from Bethune.

First, I created a fake ID with 「Deception」, then manipulated the scanner with 「Deception」. Done.

Of course, it will be detected as an illegal intrusion when the central Database is checked later, but all I need to do is get past it right now.

Once I reach B-Section, it’s simple.

“……Is this the place?”

A four-story mansion built on the outskirts.

It’s like a fortress, with B-Section enforcers patrolling regularly and private security guards lurking everywhere.

─Yes, that’s right!

Grawl, perched on my shoulder, answered. He meowed and jumped down to the ground.

“Lure them out.”

─Yes~

Grawl disappeared somewhere, and I waited.

Soon, he lured a security guard, his tail swishing back and forth.

“How did this cat get in…? Oh? A mana stone.”

It’s a similar method to last time. When Grawl attracts attention, there’s a high-quality mana stone lying on the ground.

“Lucky day.”

Strangely enough, the guards can’t resist mana stones. Maybe it’s their weakness.

I pounced on him.

……

When using 「Notepad」 to disguise, body size is always an issue. My physical specs aren’t that common.

Fortunately, there were quite a few guards of similar build among this target’s security.

I looked in the mirror in the mansion corridor.

‘Michael’.

That’s his name.

I didn’t kill him. I just made him lose some memory.

He’ll probably wake up after a day or so. It will buy me time to escape.

Having infiltrated the mansion without shedding blood, I calmly walked down the corridor. I climbed the stairs.

To the fourth floor, where the greedy toad named ‘Chevin Billington’ resides.

“……Hmm.”

It seems he uses the entire fourth floor as his residence, with a large door right at the end of the stairs.

If I turn on the SZX-9500 and scan it─it’s covered in all sorts of intrusion detection formulas.

Even the CCTV cameras mounted on the ceiling of the fourth floor are blatantly filming me.

It doesn’t matter.

It will be over in 3 seconds.

I slightly bent my knee and peered through the keyhole. I zoomed in the view of the SZX-9500 until I spotted the target.

Found him.

Chevin Billington was drinking in the living room.

I took out my wand.

There’s no need for me to go in personally. There’s no need to take even a slight risk.

All I have to do is insert the tip of the wand into the keyhole…

Detonation.

──.

This time, it’s a combination of 5 formulas.

「Gale」,

「High Density Compression」,

「Elegant Curvature」,

「Tracking」,

「Silence」.

The Gale, compressed beyond high density into a super-high-density curve, elegantly bends through the keyhole, roams the interior of the dwelling, and tightly bites Chevin Billington’s neck.

There is no sound in the entire process.

It’s just quiet.

So quiet that one wouldn’t know whether he’s dead or merely asleep.

─Michael, what are you doing there?

The voice from the control room flowed into my earpiece.

“Ah, I thought I heard something. I came to check, but there’s nothing.”

I shrugged my shoulders and answered.

─Come down quickly.

“Yes.”

* * *

───Bang!

On the day of the national university interview. Pollen adorns the sky, welcoming the seniors participating in the interview.

Under that sky, Elise, Layla, Kain, and Asher are walking through the campus, their hearts somewhat heavy.

“Wow… finally, the entrance exams are over.”

“It’s not over yet. We have one last test left.”

Elise tackled Layla’s words. Although it was a foregone conclusion that they would pass the interview, they should not take the final test with repeaters and foreigners lightly.

“Hey, you two are both in the Department of Magic, right?”

Asher asked Elise and Layla.

“Yes.”

“Yeah, I’m going to the Department of Magic too.”

Kain looked at Layla with a slightly skeptical eye.

“Do you have the grades for it?”

“I do?!”

“Hey Elise. Is that right?”

Elise just twitched her eyebrows without saying anything.

In fact, the Department of Magic places more emphasis on talent than any other department. Therefore, for someone like Layla… it’s a pass through the interview.

“Oh yeah. Did you guys hear that rumor?”

Kain brought up a topic with a slightly nervous tone.

“What rumor are you talking about?”

“Someone solved question number 12.”

“…What?”

Elise furrowed her brows.

“How do you know that?”

“My dad’s friend is a professor at the national university.”

“……”

Could it be Gerkhen?

“No, it’s not Gerkhen.”

If it were Gerkhen, there would certainly be a rumor.

“He didn’t tell me who it was. He said you wouldn’t believe it anyway.”

You wouldn’t believe it anyway?

Elise’s eyes widened.

Could it be, Shion Ascal?

She quickly sent a text to someone.

[Hey. Did you really solve number 12?]

The reply came in no time.

[Shion: Yep.]

[Don’t joke around. Where are you right now?]

[Shion: Home. I scored 20 points, so I’m exempt from the interview.]

Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwang──!

At that moment, lightning struck Elise’s head.

Anyway, it was such a shocking effect.

[Shion: I was lucky. I like puzzles, and when I analyzed it, it turned out to be a puzzle.]

“……”

There’s a cliché in this world.

The master (Elise) and the disciple (Shion).

The master teaches the disciple, and in the end, the disciple surpasses the master.

It’s a cliché called “greenhorn surpassing the veteran.”

It’s the cliché Elise hates the most in the world.

This can’t be.

The disciple must always remain a disciple. At least ‘my’ disciple should……

“Elly. Why are you so pale? Are you upset because someone else solved the problem you couldn’t?”

“……”

Layla giggled and glanced at her.

Then Asher tapped his smartphone.

“Hey Layla. There’s been a big fuss in Trick City lately, hasn’t there?”

“Huh?”

“There’s just been news. An assassination in B-Section.”

“……Fuck. In B-Section? That’s a big deal, isn’t it?”

Layla was genuinely surprised.

An assassination in the security-tight B-Section is a major incident that hardly happens once a year.

“Yeah. But it seems to be the work of Raquel Dra.”

Asher is sensitive to the latest trends, information, and trends. Whether it’s Trick City or Edsilla, it doesn’t matter. Therefore, he knows very well about Raquel Dra of Trick City.

“You know Raquel Dra, right? The hot villain these days.”

“What?!”

Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwang──!

At that moment, lightning struck Layla’s head.

Anyway, it was such a shocking effect.