Chapter 524: Magic Engineering Expo (2)

The Dean left, leaving only Lennok and Cassia in the booth.

At Lennok’s feet, where he was assembling the engine, the spirit left behind by the Dean and Davi were bickering.

Perhaps thanks to the two spirits buzzing around like airplanes, people gradually began to gather.

“There are so many amazing things at the expo.” “It’s my first time seeing a spirit in person. Are they all usually that cute?” “If it’s a research presentation about spirits, I’d love to see it quickly, when does it start?”

As a huge crowd had flocked to see the expo, a considerable number of citizens were also entering and exiting the City Hall.

When dozens of people had gathered to watch the spirits playing, Cassia quickly turned her head, a hint of nervousness on her face.

“Evan, are you really going to be okay?”

“Wouldn’t it somehow work out?”

Lennok said, placing the assembled engine on the booth’s display stand.

“There’s nothing immediate to show, but if I just get the engine running, no one will complain. We can just coast along until the judging begins.”

“No, that’s not what I mean.”

Cassia tilted her head slightly towards Lennok and whispered.

“You have to explain the thesis to the judges as it is right now. But with just one engine, the preparation…”

“I’m going to quickly look around the other booths, could you hold the fort for me?”

“…What did you say?”

“Since the Dean’s spirit is here, there shouldn’t be any trouble greeting people.”

“No, I’m not even a spirit user, how can I manage this child…!!”

Before Cassia could finish her sentence, Lennok quickly picked up Davi and slipped out of the booth.

He clutched the researcher’s name tag given by the Dean and put on a serious face, as if he had important business, and the citizens naturally made way for him.

He grabbed a hotdog sold outside the lobby and began to survey the booths inside City Hall.

“Hmm…”

He examined the booths, feeling the unhealthy taste permeating him in real time.

Some booths had already finished their preparations and allowed viewing, while a significant number had drawn curtains and were engrossed in their work.

Lennok began to sharply observe the research details and themes revealed by these booths at the expo.

‘This is where adjacent magic towers and research institutes gather. There’s no better opportunity than this to glimpse recent research trends and directions.’

It wasn’t just about demonstrations and exhibitions; these individuals had to undergo judging by the expo’s judges and await awards.

It was inevitable that the core achievements of their research or the key principles of their technology would have to be disclosed during the judging process.

Lennok intended to instantly record and save the technologies revealed by the magic towers and research institutes present, using his discerning eye and Davi’s abilities.

‘Even if the second thesis presentation is important, it’s a shame to miss an opportunity like this.’

As various research institutions had come from all over the continent, their themes and fields were also diverse.

Just a casual glance at the specially invited booths inside City Hall was enough for inspiring topics or research achievements to continuously catch Lennok’s eye.

“The existence of a new magic system discovered at the 62nd Magic Tower Conference, clinical trials on adjusting the beastiality of demi-humans, new architectural styles using spatial compression…”

He recorded the research topics and themes that came to mind, holding Davi in his arms.

“Excuse me, researcher. What are you doing?”

“Could I briefly see what you were holding?”

Naturally, with Lennok’s infiltration skills, it would be impossible for him to sneak around between booths and peek at presentation content hidden for judging.

Magic tower wizards and researchers, noticing his suspicious movements, eerily pointed him out.

But each time, Lennok, as if he had been waiting, held up the cyber spirit in his arms with both hands.

“Oh, I apologize. Our spirit wanted to go out for a stroll after a long time.”

[…]

Davi narrowed his eyes and looked down at Lennok, who had begun “selling” the spirit.

However, upon seeing the chubby little fox, suspicion melted away like snow, and most people’s faces softened with benevolence.

“You’re a spirit user. Then it doesn’t matter.”

“Oh my, what a young spirit.”

Wizards and researchers quickly broke into smiles upon seeing Davi’s pouting, sullen expression.

“There’s an old saying that young spirits should see and hear as much as possible.”

“What’s its name? Is it okay if I pet it once?”

Some researchers, while talking about spirits, naturally guided Lennok into their booths.

“I hope I’m not bothering busy researchers for nothing.”

“No, we just happen to have some good catalysts left here. If it’s alright, I’d like to offer it to your child as food.”

“Davi, say hello.”

[…]

The cyber spirit seemed displeased with the situation, but kept its mouth shut, perhaps unwilling to speak in front of others.

Lennok lifted Davi’s front paws and clapped them together.

“Davi, Boo~”

[Boo.]

Though he just grumbled one word, looking annoyed, that alone was enough to melt the wizards’ and researchers’ faces into a contented expression.

“Oh my, oh my.”

“I’d like to introduce you to my colleagues, do you have a moment?”

“Of course.”

[Boo Boo!!]

Spirit users are inherently very rare, and their research themes rarely overlap with typical academic fields.

Completely forgetting their wariness, the wizards eagerly tried to lure Davi with their achievements, and Lennok easily exploited their efforts by showcasing Davi.

As soon as he entered a booth, Lennok quickly scanned the entire research achievement using his mana and Davi’s cybernetic manipulation abilities.

After spending about half a day visiting various booths, using Davi as a master key to unlock the wizards’ firm vigilance, Lennok walked back through the lobby, lost in thought.

Aside from extracting various technologies and research achievements, he had sensed something suspicious in the process.

‘The directions of some magic towers and research institutes oddly overlap.’

Lennok, who couldn’t resist buying a pack of disposable tissues and fidgeting with them, his eyes grew cold.

‘Research institutes and magic towers with almost no common ground have simultaneously chosen the same theme… There must be a reason.’

Most of the overlapping themes were only research related to Vulcan’s atmospheric environment, such as atmospheric flow manipulation and magnetic storm resistance experiments.

What are the chances that such topics were presented consecutively at this expo, as if by prior arrangement?

Just as Lennok was thinking this and trying to quickly connect his thoughts.

“Evan?”

He stopped walking at the voice from behind him.

A sharp-featured woman with blue hair loosely tied up was staring at him, her mouth covered in ice cream.

“Wow, it really is Evan! Long time no see?”

The other person’s reaction was to walk up to Lennok warmly and roughly pat his shoulder.

Lennok’s expression instantly changed, and he smiled as if he couldn’t help it.

“Camilla, long time no see. How have you been?”

“Milla, is that someone you know?”

From behind Camilla, a massive bird-headed giant stepped out.

He was wearing a party hat, which didn’t suit his solemn expression, and held a gear-shaped balloon in one hand.

Camilla quickly turned her head and, still holding onto Lennok, said,

“Felix, this is our little sister’s homeroom teacher I told you about before!!”

Felix and Camilla, members of the Antares Mercenary Office.

Given the scale of the Magic Engineering Expo, it seemed they too had come out for a leisurely visit to see the expo.

“Hoo, so Assistant Professor Evan Vylun is…”

Felix, who also seemed to have heard of Evan, wiggled his thick eyebrows and extended his hand for a handshake.

“Felix Magart. Pleased to meet you.”

“Evan Vylun.”

Felix and Camilla did not know that Van and Evan were the same person.

However, since Camilla’s younger sister, Priscilla, was attending Rebatenon University, they only knew that Evan was her supervising assistant professor.

But even with that in mind, Felix seemed quite interested in Evan.

“I’ve heard a lot about you. They say you played a part in catching a cult missionary.”

“It wasn’t a big deal, but…”

“Milla praised you, saying you have talent in combat even though you’re a research wizard.”

“He’s the one who saved Silla, you know. My eye for people is reliable.”

“As you can see, she’s not clever enough to say empty words.”

“…”

Felix said that and took a business card from his pocket, handing it to Lennok.

“The Antares Mercenary Office always welcomes talented new recruits. If fate allows.”

“…Yes. I’ll gladly accept it.”

“Are you presenting at this expo? We’ll come and watch with everyone!!”

“I wonder what Dylan is doing. Did Stella already go for a drink?”

Lennok watched the boisterous mercenaries from the Antares Office walk away, then chuckled and turned around.

More time had passed than he expected, so Cassia must be under a lot of pressure.

It was time to take over the booth and slowly prepare.

As Lennok thought this and returned to his booth, he saw Cassia with her arms crossed, glaring at something.

Just as Lennok was about to cautiously call out to Cassia, who seemed entirely on edge.

“Evan Vylun?”

A stern voice suddenly echoed from beside the booth.

A man with a meticulous, unyielding face stood looking at Lennok.

He glanced around the booth, as if he were its owner, and then casually walked inside.

“Assistant Professor Evan Vylun of Rebatenon University. Is that correct?”

“Yes, I’m…”

“You have the Dean’s spirit with you, so it must be you.”

The man cut Lennok off and spoke, looking at the engine.

“I heard there was a scoundrel parading Professor Richellen’s achievements as his own. I wanted to see him in person.”

“…”

“I’m surprised you look so normal. Leeches who cling to others and suck their blood usually have a certain look.”

The man casually shifted his gaze and said,

“Well, I suppose you’d have to be that good to charm even the associate researcher of the Carlyle Research Institute and put on such a show.”

When hostility is shown so openly, it’s actually hard to get very angry.

“You’d better be careful with your tongue. Or perhaps, there’s no need?”

In front of the man, who was picking a fight that was half an insult, Cassia, with a chillingly hardened expression, stood her ground.

“I’ll make sure you take full responsibility for that ridiculous taunt you just spewed.”

“Is that so?”

“The emblem on your gown. You’re from the Pegratz Research Institute, aren’t you?”

Cassia shot back with a razor-sharp voice.

“Rumor has it you’re under the protection of a senator, are you planning to flaunt that connection at this expo too?”

“I don’t understand. Aren’t you the ones under the city council’s protection?”

“What did you say?”

The man rubbed his temple, his expression truly bewildered.

“Did you think our research institute wouldn’t know that your Dean is lobbying as a technical advisor to the Central Assembly?”

“There’s a limit to how shameless you can be.”

Cassia sneered in a sharp tone.

“Articles about the audit committee led by Representative Meyer raiding the Pegratz Research Institute twice have been published several times—”

“We’re merely collaborating for research. For Rebatenon, who actually lobbies, to try and find fault with that, don’t you think that’s going too far with shamelessness?”

The man cut her off mid-sentence and subtly changed the subject.

“Anyway, I came to see with what nerve you crawled out to the expo, but I guess there’s no need to pay attention.”

The man smiled and loudly tapped the engine Lennok had assembled.

“What did you bring out, just an engine using the principle of mana and electricity conversion?”

“…”

“At the time of the thesis presentation, it was a groundbreaking theory, but this field has long since completed commercialization verification and entered mass production. There are plenty of products on the market, among the highest-grade magic engineering engines, that are just as good as this.”

The man’s gaze at Lennok held both undisguised glee and contempt simultaneously.

“I expected it, but it was just trash, merely following Professor Richellen’s achievements. That second thesis must just be a rehash of the first one.”

Bang, bang!!

The man’s tapping on the engine grew increasingly violent.

“You probably planned to live your whole life sucking others’ blood like that, but you picked the wrong stage to crawl out onto. This time, I’ll make sure your shameless face and disgraceful behavior are thoroughly exposed…!!!”

“If you keep tapping that…”

Lennok cut the man off and said.

His gaze was fixed on the engine the man had been roughly tapping.

“It will explode.”

“What?”

Sizzle…!!

At that moment, the upper part of the engine, which the man had been roughly tapping as if to break it, glowed scorching red, then spewed bluish flames.

KABOOM!!!

The man’s arm, which had grasped the ultra-hot heat with bare hands, was engulfed in flames and burned.

The man, his face distorted in a gruesome expression, let out a horrifying scream.

“Aaaaargh!?!?!!!”

The man writhed on the booth floor like a madman, clutching his burning arm.

Before Lennok and Cassia could do anything, several people rushed out from beside the booth and helped him up.

“Sleeman!!”

“What’s wrong!!”

“His arm is injured!! Call security quickly!!”

“No, no…!! My arm…!!!”

The arm, engulfed in flames, already looked difficult to move properly. Sleeman himself probably instinctively knew it the moment the engine exploded.

Cassia’s face slightly crumpled at Sleeman’s expression, twisted horribly with tears and snot.

Sleeman, screaming almost like a struggle, pointed at the two of them.

“It’s them, those bastards!! Those bastards burned my arm!!!”

“So, according to the CCTV footage, it appears neither of you had any malicious intent.”

“Those guys burned Sleeman’s arm!! They used wicked tricks to eliminate a competitor!!”

“Didn’t Researcher Sleeman himself approach the booth first and touch the demonstration item?”

“The Carlyle Research Institute did this…!! They’re just jealous because the Pegratz Research Institute is doing so well!!”

“Oh dear…”

The public official dealing with the stubborn arguments of what appeared to be Sleeman’s colleagues sighed in exasperation.

Sleeman’s right arm, surrounded by security guards and being escorted away, looked difficult to move properly.

An ultra-hot burn, which inflicts the most excruciating pain on humans.

Without a prosthetic device, it would likely be difficult for him to use his right arm properly in the future.

If he wore a prosthetic, there would be no major problem continuing his research work, but he would experience considerable difficulty in handling mana as a spellcaster.

In fact, he would have no choice but to be considered significantly regressed compared to others as a magic engineering researcher.

“It’s clearly his own fault for touching a demonstration item that was undergoing adjustments, so there’s nothing I can say. Morally, perhaps, but… we can’t take responsibility for this.”

“You…!! Do you even know what we’re about to face?!”

The researchers were grabbing and shaking the official by the collar.

Even wizards and researchers quietly preparing at other booths were seen glancing over.

Lennok cleanly ignored the gazes pouring from all directions and silently focused on repairing the exploded engine.

Cassia, from behind him, subtly glanced at Lennok and asked,

“Will it be done quickly?”

“No problem.”

Lennok replied.

“Only the heat exhaust filter was overloaded, I just need to re-adjust the output limit.”

“Hmm, among all those filters, only the part he touched happened to overload…”

“It’s a coincidence.”

Cassia smiled faintly.

“Yes, it’s a terrible coincidence.”

What Lennok had to deal with now was not the Pegratz Research Institute, but the judges who would verify his thesis.

This commotion was merely trivial compared to what he had to do next.

The reason he crippled Sleeman’s arm instead of killing him was also for this reason.

Even if it could be disguised as a plausible explosion accident, if someone died, the expo schedule might be delayed.

Lennok did not want this event to be disrupted just because of one useless nuisance.

“Adjustments complete. It should work normally now.”

As he stretched his stiff back and stood up, Cassia, who had been tidying and cleaning the booth behind him, subtly asked.

“But is the content of the second thesis really related to engines?”

“Are you only curious now?”

“I’ve been curious for a long time.”

Cassia chuckled and said.

“What that idiot said earlier probably isn’t true, but it seems certain that the second thesis’s achievement is related to engines.”

Otherwise, why would he be holding and repairing an engine at this point, right before the expo presentation?

He had tried to pass it off as being for display, but too little was brought for that purpose.

What was he planning, that the meticulous Dean had so readily used his connections and acquaintances to push this project so recklessly?

“It must be a groundbreaking improvement in fuel efficiency or output.”

Before Lennok could reply, a quiet voice echoed from outside the booth.

A cold-faced woman wearing glasses. Her attire was completely different from the Pegratz researcher who seemed to be Sleeman’s colleague.

Her uniform, which was closer to a military uniform, smiled at Lennok.

“It’s Fedora. Fedora Avon. I’m with the Defense Force Technical Bureau.”

She didn’t enter the booth, perhaps not wanting to suffer the same fate as Sleeman earlier, and looked at Lennok as she spoke.

“What that idiot just tried to do was regrettable.”

“No, it’s alread—”

“I just found out he was rejected when he tried to get into Professor Richellen’s lab. He must have held a grudge and gone insane.”

“…”

In that brief time, had she gathered information about the two of them, understood the situation, and started a conversation with Lennok?

The Defense Force Technical Bureau, huh. It seemed they had maintained their presence even after Lieutenant General Trepen’s rebellion.

“I’m not as foolish as that idiot. But it’s also true that what he said wasn’t wrong.”

Fedora glanced back at the engine and said.

“You’re planning to submit an achievement that improves engine performance or efficiency for your second thesis, aren’t you? You’d need something like that to show off.”

“Is that so?”

Fedora was much more reasonable than Sleeman, who accused Lennok of trying to commit fraud at the expo.

However, Fedora also seemed somewhat skeptical about the thesis achievement Lennok was about to submit.

“But an achievement of that level won’t catch the eyes of the council members.”

“…”

“The theme they want at this expo has been set from the beginning, and we’ve known that and prepared for a long time. Other research institutes are the same. Although your Dean is said to be connected to high-ranking city government officials, what can Rebatenon University do without significant collaboration or sponsorship?”

Fedora’s gaze at Lennok’s engine showed no emotion.

“The city government always wants new achievements and groundbreaking technological advancements. Merely following past accomplishments won’t impress them. Your Dean must have misjudged the person.”

“Groundbreaking advancement, huh…”

“I heard your Dean went to great lengths to put you on the expo stage this time. If you fail, the Dean’s connections and authority will also suffer a considerable blow.”

Fedora said, passing by the booth with a slightly amused expression.

“Let’s do well together. Though the outcome seems already decided.”

Cassia, looking at Fedora’s receding figure with a bewildered expression, quickly turned her head.

A slight vein seemed to throb on Cassia’s forehead as she faintly smiled.

“Shouldn’t we let that woman have a look at the engine too?”

“…Let’s calm down first.”

Lennok chuckled and said.

“The demonstration will begin soon.”

As he said that, the movements inside the City Hall building’s booths suddenly became much more bustling.

[Calling names from the list. Designated individuals, please come forward.]

A metallic announcement echoed softly through the City Hall lobby.

[The judging will now begin.]

Simultaneously, booths located outside the building’s lobby were called one after another onto the wide, open stage inside the lobby.

As the lights slowly came on, the figures of those neatly lined up on the second floor of City Hall gradually became visible.

Their upper bodies were shrouded in an unseen darkness, revealing only wrinkled hands holding staffs.

The senators of the City Government’s Central Assembly had arrived at the expo.

The demonstration to verify the expo’s achievements and technologies had begun.