Chapter 1170: Blooming (1)
After finishing my last conversation with the Clown, I boarded the cruise ship docked at the island.
I walked down the sloping corridor towards the bedroom where I had been staying for several days.
Just as I finished packing the few belongings left in the room and stood up, a voice came from behind me.
“Are you just going to sneak off by yourself?”
“…Because all the objectives discussed in the Conquest Operation have been achieved.”
Freya leaned against the door, arms crossed, looking at Lennok with a sullen expression.
“The operation was completely over the moment I met the Director. There’s no longer any reason for me to stay here.”
There were plenty of ways to cross the Arctic Ocean alone, like the Night Crow manufactured in Machina.
There was no need to waste time by taking a ship.
Lennok pulled down his hood and turned around.
“Where are the others?”
“They’re repairing the ship below deck.”
Freya shrugged.
“Soryu was trying to freeze the broken keel using her unique ability. Chebien’s puppets were causing a ruckus over being used as materials. It seems like it’ll take a while.”
“…”
“What did you get from the Director?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Just curious. You knew the Nether King even before joining Pandemonium, didn’t you?”
She tilted her head with an unconcerned expression.
“The Nether King was a monster who wouldn’t even deal with anyone who didn’t catch his eye. So I got curious about what ‘wish’ such a talented spellcaster received.”
“It seems you, too, still have desires, even after earning astronomical sums.”
“Oh, should I show you what I got?”
Freya chuckled, pulling out a thin bundle of papers from her waist.
Lennok frowned as he examined the symbols densely packed between the sheets.
“What is this?”
“Sheet music.”
Freya said to Lennok in a peculiar voice.
“She said it’s the prelude to a piece of music I’ll someday write.”
“…”
“I sing, but I don’t compose. I only thought about trying it if I quit being a singer someday.”
She asked, looking somewhat troubled.
“Did the Director giving me this imply that I would eventually quit singing?”
“That is not something within my purview to answer.”
Lennok replied indifferently.
“You are merely receiving what you will eventually possess earlier. Ultimately, it may be there because you desired it.”
“…”
“If you are unsure, it would be better to try composing according to the sheet music.”
Lennok, having gathered his belongings, turned away with a sneer.
“If it’s sheet music written by your future self, wouldn’t you be able to imitate it, even with your current crude skill?”
“What are you talking about? I’m not crude at all!”
Freya grumbled, following Lennok out into the corridor.
“I just wasn’t interested in composing; if I put my mind to it, I’m better than most producers.”
“And what do you want me to do about that?”
“Oh, right.”
Freya, completely ignoring Lennok’s unenthusiastic retort, pulled out her phone from her pocket.
Touching the screen, she typed a number and thrust it into Lennok’s face.
“Here, my number. A spellcaster like you only needs to see it once to remember, right? That should be enough.”
“…What is this suddenly about?”
“I have to keep touring even after this operation ends.”
She elegantly swept her hair back and smiled.
“After finishing my West Continent performances, I’ll be moving to the East Continent, and I plan to stop by Vulcan again after a long time.”
“…”
“You also go to Vulcan sometimes because of Hyalea, right? If you’re there, let’s at least grab a drink. They say there are so many famous bars in Vulcan’s underworld. And I’d like to see the Adamant Tower beforehand.”
“Why should I do that?”
A world tour schedule passing through Torquepaz and Kabahim.
Was she continuing her scheduled world tour even after Pandemonium’s business was over?
Should he call this professional, or was it amazing that she could think of such a thing in this situation?
Despite Lennok’s sharp refusal, Freya didn’t react, just smiled with her arms crossed.
“The concert in Torquepaz ended awkwardly because of that incident, didn’t it? If you come to Vulcan, make sure to watch until the end then.”
“I don’t think it was grand enough to watch twice.”
“Hey!!”
“Well, I understand what you’re saying.”
Lennok chuckled and turned away.
“If time allows, I’ll consider it positively.”
“Alright, you worked hard this time too. You know what I mean, right?”
Freya, arms crossed, smiled and nodded.
“If you contact me in Vulcan, I’ll buy you a drink. Don’t forget. If you deliberately ignore me, you’re in for it!”
She was a person as honest and strong as she was proud and true to her emotions.
Her personality focused on the present rather than the past or future, without deeply contemplating anything beyond it.
That was probably why she could enjoy continent-wide fame while safely navigating Pandemonium.
Lennok didn’t view Freya’s friendly attitude, which disregarded even Victor’s personality, as a bad thing.
Click!!
After a brief farewell with Freya, he extended his Magic Scribe below deck.
Soryu and Agneta had already been informed. With one person excepted, there was nothing more for him to do here.
As Lennok thought that, he hooked his Magic Scribe onto the ship’s exterior and lowered himself.
Whoosh!!!
Lennok stopped in his tracks, spotting a man standing on the sandy beach where waves crashed.
“Manipulation Spellcaster.”
Avesta Chapman, the Conjunction Spell Master, who had been staring at his tablet, briefly turned his gaze.
“There you are. I was waiting.”
“What were you staring at so intently?”
“The news from the North Continent. More precisely, the current situation on the Central Front.”
The Conjunction Spell Master replied with an indifferent expression.
“Jinwa and the Nether King clashed in Paradise Lost. It seems the Central Front has been completely turned upside down because of it.”
“…”
“As expected, you’re not surprised.”
The Conjunction Spell Master turned his body towards Lennok, looking at him with an emotionless gaze.
“I heard you were an acquaintance of the Nether King, so I somehow expected you might already know. I even thought it might be related to your affairs.”
“There’s a limit to how much you can misunderstand, Conjunction Spell Master.”
Lennok sneered.
“Making judgments based on unfounded hunches. It seems you haven’t come to your senses yet.”
“It wouldn’t be strange, would it? You, being a Trait-type Spellcaster, must know.”
The Conjunction Spell Master said calmly, walking along the beach.
“We possess different standards and concepts than others. Not just in how we view the world, but also in terms of our senses and intuition.”
“…”
“Though you and I use completely different spellcrafts, we are both equally standing outside the baseline that can be classified by lineage.”
The Conjunction Spell Master gazed at Lennok.
“But you are unusually strange even among the Trait-type Spellcasters I’ve met. You are excessively twisted, yet, in a full circle, you appear no different from other humans.”
“…”
“Is that proof that humanity still remains within you, or is even that the result of you ‘Manipulation Spellcraft’ mimicking it?”
Click, a clear metallic sound resonated from the Conjunction Spell Master’s hand.
“Either way, it’s clear that you are a very special specimen and sample. So, I shall hand this over to you.”
Pulling a small chip from inside his tablet, the Conjunction Spell Master offered it to Lennok.
“It’s the key to the new operating room I’m building. Come visit anytime if you’re interested in dissecting or extracting parts of your own body.”
“Don’t worry, that won’t happen unless I split my brain in half like you.”
“Quite some time has passed since ‘I’ was defeated at the First Gate.”
Chapman lifted his gaze with an indifferent expression.
“By now, the Alliance must have started preparing for the reconstruction of the Great Connection, looking for my successor within the organization. So I intend to finish my preparations before that.”
“…”
“A spellcaster of your caliber must have already received a scout offer from the Order Alliance. You might even have met the Leader directly.”
The Conjunction Spell Master offered a strange smile.
“If you visit my operating room, I’ll tell you the secrets the Alliance is hiding. And why I left a spare, even after extracting my brain like this.”
He knew.
The reconstruction of the Great Connection, requested by the Leader himself from Adamant Thunder. The preparation of a stage to hunt the Guido Cult’s Second Apostle.
Just as the Cult and the Legion were actively moving, the Alliance too was preparing for something equally grand.
He even knew that for Lennok to advance to the Central Front, he would inevitably have to cooperate or clash with them.
He had already made up his mind on what to do.
“What your preparations mean is none of my business.”
Whoosh!!
Lennok flicked his Magic Scribe, snatched the chip from the Conjunction Spell Master’s hand, and turned away without lingering.
“But next time, you’ll have to firmly decide where you stand.”
Lennok said coldly, passing by the Conjunction Spell Master standing on the beach.
“A madman who stuffs and plays with humans. If you’re useless, there’s no reason to keep you alive for long.”
“Including those sentiments, you are indeed a unique being.”
Whoooosh…!!!
The Conjunction Spell Master shrugged, watching Lennok’s retreating figure as he gathered mana and chanted Flicker.
“I hope to see you on my operating table next time.”
There were no congratulatory remarks for the operation’s success, no parties, no rewards, or merits.
Until the very end, they either dispersed to their respective tasks or exchanged conversations that bordered on threats.
But this chaotic assembly and dispersal, coming together when necessary and scattering when not, wasn’t so bad.
Perhaps there are organizations where such gatherings and disbandments are fitting.
The moment Lennok, with a sneer, tilted his head and his form shimmered indistinctly, the figure, enveloped in a shadow robe, flew far into the distance over the sea.
The Kabahim Royal Capital Conquest Operation was finally, completely, drawing to a close.
Vulcan, the mega-city. A helicopter landing pad near a satellite city.
Vrooom!!!
A massive Night Crow, scattering dark light, spread its wings and landed gracefully.
As he descended from the Night Crow’s back, he removed his mask and dispelled his disguise magic.
Lennok, back to his original face, massaged his neck and looked back at the Night Crow with a wry expression.
“It feels much faster than when it was made in Machina. Wasn’t it supposed to feel like this?”
[While Master wasn’t riding, its performance has been steadily improved!]
Davi, operating the Night Crow, folded its wings and puffed out his chest proudly.
[Especially the engine, propulsion system, and balance control system. I updated the algorithms so it’s comparable to a small fighter jet—]
“Instead, the fuel efficiency plummeted. And you traveled by transcontinental train while crossing the land anyway.”
[If you gain something, you lose something, Master. It’s unfair to say that when I’m boasting!]
“…”
Lennok, speechless, quietly turned his gaze outside the landing pad.
In any case, it was undeniable that the Night Crow’s help was significant in crossing the sea.
“I returned faster than expected. Thanks to that, I have some time left.”
Lennok had participated in the Conquest Operation under the identity of Victor for about ten days.
It was a shorter schedule than anticipated, but everything that happened during that time was beyond expectation.
The Apostle of the Cult encountered in Torquepaz. The existence of the Mandala hidden in the Royal Capital. Finally, the Director met in the Demonic Realm.
Even though they had planned in advance and entered the Royal Capital, many things went awry from the plan along the way, didn’t they?
If Lennok hadn’t quickly concluded the fight with Aronbaiger, things would probably have become much more complicated.
He hadn’t expected to return to Vulcan so soon, but thanks to that, he also saw something.
“The dock constructed in the satellite city of La Haven. Has it already been completed to that extent…?”
Rumble, rumble, rumble!!!!
A colossal, sheer cliff dominating one corner of the horizon, and the vast seascape unfolding beneath it.
The entire sea-facing cliff was covered in sleek metal, surrounded by various complex structures.
Skyscrapers soaring skyward. A massive plaza with streamlined curves, like an opera house.
And colossal control towers being built at regular intervals around the dock.
La Haven, the satellite city of the mega-city Vulcan.
The forward base decided to receive benefits first after Thorben Magic Tower’s investment was confirmed.
The place that would first process and supply trade demand between the mega-city Vulcan and other cities.
The largest airport and dock, which began to be built after the Skyway opened in Vulcan, was nearing completion.
Lennok made a strange expression as he watched citizens freely moving around the dock.
“It seems they’ve already started accepting residents in La Haven. The commercial district also seems complete… If it continues like this, it might properly function as a new city built outside Vulcan.”
[The arrogant organic beings cooped up in the Magic Tower will become even more insufferable.]
The helicopter landing pad where Lennok landed the Night Crow also appeared very clean, as if it had just been constructed.
Hundreds, even thousands, of such landing pads had been completed around the dock, waiting.
Once the dock officially opened, the entire sky of La Haven would be covered with countless flying vehicles.
Would the fruits of Evan Vylun’s anti-gravity thesis finally shine in their proper form?
Thinking so, Lennok immediately descended from the landing pad and boarded a shuttle bus heading to Vulcan.
[Huh, weren’t you going straight back to the Magic Tower?]
“Considering my future schedule, this is the most important thing to handle first.”
Pulling out his phone, Lennok quickly checked the news and said.
“The fourth thesis to be submitted under the name of Evan Vylun. I need to write the draft now to make the deadline.”
[Ah, then—]
“I’m going to Rebatenon University. Show me the bus routes on my phone.”
Guided by Davi, he calculated bus arrival times, made transfers, and arrived at Rebatenon University.
He opened the back gate, which was restricted to authorized personnel, with a key card and headed to the elemental studies research building.
Click.
Despite not having visited in a long time, he grabbed the smoothly opening doorknob and entered the laboratory.
“I’ve barely visited since the third thesis presentation, yet there’s hardly any dust…”
[Are you going to work on the thesis right here?]
“No. For now, I’ll just collect reference materials and leave.”
Lennok said, starting to select books and theses piled on the laboratory shelves one by one.
“I’ve generally decided what to write for the fourth thesis. However, I think a simple experiment will be necessary before writing the first draft.”
[If it’s a simple simulation, you could run it using the supercomputer in the research building.]
“That’s not the issue. The experiment I’m talking about is… wait.”
Lennok tilted his head for a moment.
“Attribute Yield Studies and Incantation Displacement Theory. Where did I put those?”
[Oh, that’s surprising, Master.]
Davi commented curiously, tumbling in Lennok’s pocket.
[I don’t think I’ve ever seen Master forget something about spellcraft or magic before?]
“Is it a memory problem?”
Lennok frowned, unable to deny Davi’s words.
“Annoying. The side effects of Unmarked Succession Knot are still…”
Lennok didn’t possess perfect recall, remembering everything, but he also didn’t easily forget things.
Although he hadn’t visited the research building in a long time, it was unusual for Lennok to forget the location of books he had personally placed.
Lennok’s expression turned perplexed as he continued to rummage through the laboratory shelves.
“I can’t find the Particle Fission Thesis or the Elemental Arrangement Treatise either. It’s been a long time since I’ve forgotten so much.”
[Should I look for memory-enhancing supplements on the auction right now?]
“Davi. As I always say, your leaps in logic are too ex—”
Suddenly, Lennok froze in place.
“…No. That’s not it.”
[Master?]
“Even if my memory were to worsen, I wouldn’t forget the location of all my grimoires. Unless the location of the books I placed has completely changed.”
[…Then?]
“Someone else has been in the lab.”
Lennok mumbled blankly, looking at the quiet laboratory.
“Other than me, the only one with access to this lab is—”
The only person who originally used this lab before Lennok did.
Thud!!
The moment that thought struck him, Lennok immediately closed the lab door and rushed out.
He retraced his steps, rode his bike, and headed to the bustling downtown area.
At the end of the bustling street where people came and went, there was a uniquely striking, beautiful glass structure.
A place of memories Lennok sometimes visited when he returned to Vulcan.
Vulcan City Library.
Specifically, the magic-related book archives on the 8th floor.
Creeeaaak…!!
Feeling as if he didn’t even know how he had gotten this far, he opened the door.
Upon entering, the setting sun poured in from the wide-open window.
The dazzling orange sunset bathed the library in a warm glow.
Lennok unconsciously shielded his eyes with one hand from the sunlight and slowly walked forward.
“…”
In the quiet silence, devoid of people, only the sound of his own heartbeat seemed to echo.
Lennok’s feet, still with a hardened expression, stopped in place.
Beyond the sunset-tinged light, as if time in the world had stopped, at the far end of the quiet library corridor where a fresh breeze blew.
A blonde woman stood with her back turned.