Chapter 573: Vestiges of Memory (6)

District 25, which had been designated a Sealed Zone and access restricted for decades, was finally unsealed.

The news that District 25, whose very existence was obscured by the Kurbas Multi-purpose Gravity Dam, would have its isolation lifted, instantly sent the city into an uproar.

Rumors even circulated that the area, designated as a green belt, was being opened for development in conjunction with the commercialization of anti-gravity technology.

“Keegan Grimes, a First-Class Administrator known to be from District 25, has tendered his resignation. He was previously considered the most likely candidate to oversee the district once the Sealed Zone’s isolation was lifted…”

“In line with the commercialization of anti-gravity technology, the City Government’s plan to actively introduce aviation technology to District 25 has garnered enthusiastic participation from many research institutions…”

“Rumors are circulating that Assistant Professor Evan Vylun might be invited to head this redevelopment project…”

“Evan, your name is appearing there again.”

“…”

“Evan?”

“Ah, did you call?”

At Dean Saiolus’s words, Lennok, who had been dozing in his laboratory, raised his head.

His face, somewhere between sleep-drunk and utterly exhausted, was unfocused.

More than just blank, his expression was half-lost.

For a moment, the Dean stared at Lennok without speaking, then silently patted his shoulder.

“It seems you’ve been through a lot. I apologize for not noticing sooner.”

“…?”

“I’ll pull some strings to postpone your integrated master’s and doctoral thesis defense schedule, so for now, just focus on getting as much rest as you can.”

“Ah, yes…”

Was there a thesis he needed to submit under the name Evan Vylun?

No, he wouldn’t easily forget such an important schedule that would determine Evan’s university position.

The submission of the integrated thesis was a flexible schedule whose timing could be decided by Lennok’s choice. It must have been the Dean’s misunderstanding.

Rather, the problem was the very fact that Lennok was so exhausted he couldn’t immediately process that information.

With a blank expression, Lennok scratched his disheveled hair and clicked his tongue as he gazed at the object on his workbench.

“In the end, there’s no particular gain here either…”

On the laboratory workbench lay an old pocket watch, silently emitting light.

Outwardly, it seemed like an ordinary possession, but this was Kaiser Bajour’s last legacy, left at the moment of his demise.

Kaiser’s innate Defying Heaven magic.

This artifact could temporarily rewind the time of specific objects by linking that power with the concept of time.

It went without saying how valuable an item that could temporarily tamper with time itself was, even if it depended on Lennok as the user and specific conditions.

In terms of real-world value, only the very highest-grade ancient artifacts of the Old World could compare; its worth was practically immeasurable by money.

‘I hadn’t imagined I’d be able to secure such an item at the end of the Sealed Zone operation…’

It was only possible because Lennok had lent his Domain to Kaiser and received a fragment of that possibility in return.

Because Lennok, within his kaleidoscope-like Mind Imprint, preserved the power of Taeyeokswageopyeop, which had been Kaiser’s Domain, he could use the watch’s abilities without issue, as it had materialized within his Mind Imprint.

The problem, however, lay not in the watch’s abilities, but in the artifact itself’s terrible energy efficiency.

‘Just two uses in the Sealed Zone completely drained its power.’

Lennok’s own mana alone was not enough to recharge the pocket watch’s power.

As it controlled retroactive spell formulas that directly interfered with time, perhaps it required special conditions to be met.

The only immediate idea was to replace the watch’s internal battery to revive its functionality.

With that in mind, Lennok visited the university under his Evan Vylun identity to secure an alibi, and then procured various batteries from the university supply room to attempt charging, but all failed.

He had ended up falling asleep in the lab while trying to detach the back of the watch and connect a battery to see if it worked.

“If I could just compare it with an identical pocket watch, it would be easier to find the problem…”

“There are no similar items on the Deep Web or auctions. Maybe we should consider the underground auction instead.”

It would be easy to find the problem if he could compare its functions with another intact pocket watch, but the very idea of another such item existing was absurd.

He had tried to find out the watch’s manufacturing year or company, but perhaps because it was an item from a past spacetime, nothing was written on its back.

Was it too greedy to try to figure out all of the pocket watch’s power and operation methods in just one or two attempts?

Rubbing his tired eyes, he grabbed his coat and stood up.

By now, the research journal, which was undergoing component analysis in Aris’s lab, must have been roughly finished.

Given that it was an item written decades ago, it needed to be thoroughly investigated for its origins and carefully preserved.

Manipulating mana threads, Lennok reassembled Bajour’s watch back to its original state, picked it up, and immediately left the lab.

He had only briefly contacted Jenny about this situation, and hadn’t visited the bar yet.

The unknown room’s blueprint written on the last page of the research journal.

He intended to go to Jenny to get information about the Machine City, Machina.

As soon as he entered the bar, the news blared from the wide screen above the counter.

“The City Government states it will withhold comment on the lifting of isolation measures for District 25…”

“As it’s the first opening in decades, nearly all government agencies are expected to cooperate with environmental surveys and safety inspections.”

“The Kurbas Multi-purpose Gravity Dam side has dismissed controversies regarding the Exposure Phenomenon, awaiting the Central Council’s disposition…”

“Van!!”

Jenny, who had been leaning her chin on the bar table and watching TV, waved wildly at Lennok.

In front of her, several empty whiskey bottles were neatly lined up.

With a slightly flushed face, she excitedly banged on the table, looking at Lennok who sat opposite her.

Lennok watched Jenny with curiosity, then turned his gaze to Jordan, who sat beside him.

“It’s my first time seeing you drunk.”

“Please understand.”

Jordan said with a laugh, using his usual phrase.

“Ever since I heard from you and confirmed a few investment details, she’s been like this.”

“Investment details?”

Lennok thought about it, then nodded, remembering that he had given Jenny advance information about the Sealed Zone being unsealed.

“Things went better than expected?”

“Better than expected isn’t even close…!!”

Jenny whispered, unable to hide her excitement.

Leaning forward, her head bowed low as if afraid someone might overhear, she quickly glanced around and said,

“By a hair’s breadth, we managed to buy up the promissory notes attached to the District 25 land at a cheap price!”

“Oh.”

“Immediately after the City Government announced the lifting of the Sealed Zone’s isolation measures, the market completely froze. The Deep Web was in absolute chaos.”

Jenny said that and then boldly gulped down the whiskey in her glass.

It looked like she had quickly emptied several bottles at that speed, so it wasn’t incomprehensible that she was tipsy.

“Just holding these promissory notes allows us to do so much more.”

Jordan replied, handing Lennok a glass of alcohol.

“Promissory notes and bonds are sometimes more powerful certificates than the City Government’s official certifications. In the past, they handled a considerable amount of land in this city that way…”

“…”

Come to think of it, Jordan was also someone who had been with Kaiser.

Even in those days when he had seized control of the underworld with Kaiser and taken hold of the city, he seemed to have known the importance of such promissory notes.

Although he now only sat at the bar making drinks and occasionally tending to injured people, at one point he must have been responsible for much more.

But after Kaiser died, instead of joining Deadrise, he chose to start a brokerage business with Jenny.

What did Jordan think, staying by her side and helping with her work even now?

They had worked together for quite a long time, facing each other, but he remained a person whose true thoughts were still unfathomable.

“The items that had been ineffective for decades were being bundled and sold with all sorts of funds. I bought various products to avoid suspicion and swept up all the bonds near District 25.”

Jenny said, sipping her drink.

“If we’re lucky, we might even take control of the central area of District 25.”

“I see.”

“I’ll give you twice the percentage of the company’s share, Van. There’s no money coming in right now, but once District 25 opens, hee hee hee…!!”

How much money must be going through her head for her to be so excited?

Lennok and Jordan looked at each other and laughed, watching Jenny, who was banging on the table and letting out a lewd giggle.

“I’ll go organize some things in the garage. I’m not quite finished yet…”

After finishing their drinks, Jordan excused himself, leaving only Lennok and Jenny in the spacious main hall.

In the quiet atmosphere, they silently clinked their glasses.

Jenny, too, seemed to have sobered up somewhat, looking at Lennok with a calmer expression.

“Van.”

With a slight flush still on her face, Jenny called Lennok.

Her face had returned to a serious demeanor.

“From now on… let’s refrain from directly taking jobs from the Vulcan City Government.”

“…”

“I don’t know what happened in the Sealed Zone, but if you brought back this much information, it must have been dangerous. No… ”

Jenny shook her head, her eyes gleaming sharply.

“The very fact that the isolation measures were lifted means you ultimately resolved the problem in that zone.”

“You’re not wrong.”

“Honestly… I don’t know how you can do such things. I wonder if it’s even possible for one person to solve problems that we thought were impossible…”

Jenny fiddled with her glass, struggling to continue her words.

“But if you persist with such dangerous methods, eventually the risks will outweigh the benefits.”

“…”

“Do you think I’m saying something unlucky?”

“No.”

Lennok smiled and shook his head.

“Someone like that wouldn’t even bring this up in the first place. I know that.”

“…”

Jenny, who had been silent for a moment as if lost for words, opened her mouth again.

“You got badly hurt, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“You haven’t even properly rested. But you keep working…”

Jenny frowned and shook her head.

“That’s strange. I’m a broker who profits from working with freelancers, but right now, I’m your business partner. I have reason to care about your health and your future.”

Silence fell.

Jenny held her glass with both hands, staring at the liquor inside, then spoke quietly.

“Though I started this brokerage business under that name, I don’t have many memories of my grandfather.”

“…”

“I was raised by my mother, and that time wasn’t actually very long… I never even saw my father’s face.”

Kaiser’s son was said to have died young due to his unique curse, a natural affliction.

Considering that fact, it wasn’t incomprehensible that Jenny didn’t know her father’s face.

“But I did meet my grandfather once, back when he was alive.”

“He came to see you?”

Certainly, the Kaiser Lennok had known in the past was unaware of having a granddaughter at that time.

So, after some time had passed, did Kaiser, realizing he had a granddaughter, seek her out?

“He asked if his son’s face remained. He asked me to go out with him. After meeting Yakson together, and returning…”

Jenny said that and then pulled out an old box from under the bar table.

A faded notebook and writing implements, an old hairpin and gloves… various items that looked like they had seen considerable years.

From the bottom of the box, Jenny took out a small, dust-covered item and said,

“He left this one behind before he left.”

“…”

Lennok couldn’t reply to the object Jenny had placed down.

A pocket watch, heavily dusted and worn with age.

Its appearance was almost perfectly identical to the artifact the past Kaiser had left for Lennok.