Chapter 753: One-Man Show (5)
Koo-goo-goo-goo…!!!
A lightning bolt that shook heaven and earth had fallen, and the sky cleared without a trace.
Only the ruins of the Necromancy Department Research Building, left on the ground, proved the thunderous flash that had just occurred.
People stood stiffly around the wreckage of the research building, unable to even react properly.
Only after seeing their unusual reactions did Lennok realize the situation had become ambiguous.
‘It was too flashy.’
The strange situation where the summoned spirit from the Necromancy Department recognized the Guide’s Ghost.
If it were revealed here that Evan was a doppelganger, the entire play performed so far would become meaningless.
As soon as Lennok realized this, he intentionally dropped a powerful lightning bolt to erase the traces of the spirit, blowing away its aftereffects.
Conversely, those watching from outside the research building hadn’t properly sensed the presence of the spirit.
To others, it wouldn’t have seemed strange if the research building merely shook for a moment, and Adamant Thunder suddenly dropped lightning to draw attention.
‘First, I need to conclude the agreement without further issues.’
At this point, with things like this, he had to definitively accomplish the purpose of his visit. The moment Lennok thought this and walked out, leaning on his staff.
“Ugh, ugh…”
“What in the world is this…?”
The professors and researchers, who regained their senses belatedly, gaped at the scene before them.
Thousands of people were prostrate or cowering, avoiding eye contact.
Behind the dazed professors, the Dean, who had walked out with difficulty, was about to speak.
Shwaak!!
Countless figures surged up around Adamant Thunder, who stood in the center of the ruins.
Dozens of superhumans in dark suits lined up on either side of the wizard.
Rather than surrounding Adamant Thunder, they seemed to be creating some space and shielding him from the gazes pouring in from all directions.
At their swift and seasoned appearance, as if they had prepared from the start, the professors were startled and looked around.
“Wh-who are you?!”
“How did these superhumans get inside the academy building without access passes?!”
“What are the security guards doing?!”
“I’m sorry, but don’t look for them. We’ve temporarily pulled them back under our authority.”
From behind the professors, an indifferent voice rang out.
“There’s no need to needlessly die by stepping forward without knowing better, is there?”
…!!
Behind the startled professors stood an elderly woman with greying hair.
She wore a combat suit loosely, one hand holding a pistol, standing at a slight angle.
“Who are you to do such things as you please?!”
“Greta Widerhild, Director of Aegis, a special agency directly under the City Government.”
The woman said, picking her ear.
“It seems a lot of time has passed. Most of your professors don’t recognize me anymore.”
“A-Aegis…!!”
The startled researchers belatedly recognized her and shouted.
“Why is a special agency that manages the underworld’s security here…!!”
“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”
Greta chuckled and pointed at Adamant Thunder.
“The most dangerous VIP in Vulcan lately is openly walking around right here, isn’t he?”
“…”
“We plan to treat the VIP with the utmost respect, so outsiders, please leave now.”
Greta strode past the professors, casually standing next to the agents who had surrounded Adamant Thunder.
“Long time no see, Adamant Thunder. Is this the first time since the Cartel incident?”
“You’re late.”
Adamant Thunder’s slow reply left Greta speechless.
“If you wanted to prevent the situation, you should have arrived earlier, and if you wanted to resolve it, you should have already challenged me.”
“…”
“Why are you standing before me when you have neither the will nor the desire?”
If she wanted to prevent the use of force, she would have taken a position beforehand, and if she intended to resolve the chaos, she should have acted sooner, which would be normal.
However, the fact that Aegis chose neither indicated that this incident itself was not her true intention.
Adamant Thunder had grasped the true meaning hidden beneath Greta’s actions the moment she appeared, and was pointing it out without hesitation.
“Hm. You hit the nail on the head. But if you think about it, this is also because of you.”
Greta shook her head, smiling bitterly.
“The damage we suffered during the Cartel raid because of you was no small matter. That’s why we’re still quietly following the Central Council’s orders.”
“…”
“It’s not just us. Several other special agencies are here too. Can’t you roughly sense them?”
Greta’s words were not wrong.
Even if it wasn’t for the agents lined up on either side of Adamant Thunder, there were several strong presences mixed in with the gazes pouring from all directions.
A sharp aura, as if it could pierce Lennok’s temple at any moment.
The mana swimming hidden beneath the ground and the scent of an unpleasant wind dissolved into the air.
The special agencies from the light, who had been observing the situation until now, began to make their presence known to Adamant Thunder.
“So, whether it was for justification or whatever, we were in a position to take the first step. But watching now, I’ve noticed something…”
Greta said, stroking her chin as she narrowed her eyes at Adamant Thunder.
“You seem to be in worse shape than before?”
“…”
“Have you been hunting old monsters again in the meantime?”
“Is that all you have to say?”
Greta shrugged at Adamant Thunder’s languid retort.
“Of course not. I’m sorry to ask this, but could you cancel all remaining appointments and conclude the agreement here?”
“…”
“You dropped a lightning bolt of that magnitude in the middle of the university, and there are still no casualties. I don’t know if it was intentional or if you simply didn’t care, but if you end it here, we can resolve it with a suitable justification.”
“Resolve, you say…”
Adamant Thunder, staring intently at Greta, chuckled.
“Why should I do that?”
“I don’t know about those other agencies, but I have no intention of fighting you. As you can see–”
Greta said, tapping the shoulder of an agent standing next to her.
“Their will was already broken a long time ago.”
“…”
“What did you do with our Aegis agents while I was away, for them to fear you so much?”
The arm of the agent Greta tapped was faintly trembling.
Not just one, but the presences of all the agents lined up around Adamant Thunder were strangely rigid.
Aegis agents knew better than anyone what kind of wizard Adamant Thunder was.
A madman who had survived overwhelming practical combat, far surpassing the combined combat experience of everyone gathered here.
He was no match for them in terms of strategy, psychological warfare, mana manipulation, power struggles, or output from any perspective.
Even discussing the gap by zeroing in and surrounding him at close range would be meaningless. It would only hasten the time of their death.
Despite succeeding in surrounding the wizard at close range, the agents who had him surrounded were paradoxically overwhelmed by his presence.
Greta herself had known this fact from the moment she gave the order to surround Adamant Thunder.
“Director Widerhild. It seems there’s some misunderstanding.”
The Dean gritted his teeth and stepped between the two.
“The cause of this situation was an event hosted by the university. If there’s any responsibility, it’s mine to bear. It’s not Adamant Thunder’s fault.”
“Hm, is that so?”
Greta retorted indifferently.
“In any case, this matter must end here. I hope you realize that this is only possible because he is a Great Mage of Adamant Thunder’s caliber.”
“…”
“No superhuman could drop a lightning bolt on an educational institution directly under the city government and receive such generous treatment.”
The very act of proposing such a lukewarm compromise was only possible because Lennok was Vulcan’s first Magic Tower Lord and a Great Mage.
Furthermore, it was a flexibility granted because he was a VIP among VIPs, possessing a direct connection with the Central Council.
Normally, the moment such magic was wielded in the middle of Rebatenon, it wouldn’t be strange for special agencies to immediately stage a show of force.
However, most of the officials from both the overt and covert sides were well aware of Adamant Thunder’s nature and reputation, and were merely trying to avoid unnecessary casualties.
Greta was now indirectly explaining this fact to the Dean.
“That’s…”
The Dean looked between Adamant Thunder and Greta with a troubled expression.
Not concluding the agreement was problematic, but provoking Adamant Thunder to act again was the worst possible move.
What payment or conditions could Rebatenon offer to persuade Adamant Thunder here?
The moment the Dean pondered this fact and looked back at the faculty.
“Then, let’s make this part of the deal.”
Evan, wearing a dust-covered gown, stepped forward.
“…Assistant Professor Vylun?”
“Vylun? That Evan Vylun?”
While Greta stroked her chin with interest, Evan stood facing Adamant Thunder.
In the middle of the ruined Necromancy Department Research Building, the two faced each other, staring.
Evan, standing before the wizard whose expression was unreadable, quietly spoke to him.
“Let’s make concluding this matter here a condition.”
“…”
“Instead, would it be alright to postpone the Elemental Department project demonstration for a bit?”
The research building fell into deep silence.
Everyone guessed that Evan’s words were part of the deal between the two that led to this agreement.
“What kind of deal did you make to decide something like this as a condition–”
“Alright.”
The moment Greta, unaware of the situation, muttered, Adamant Thunder, who had been silent, nodded.
“Bring the contract.”
The wizard glanced at an attendant standing far behind him and murmured.
“I will conclude the agreement here.”
“…Hey, really?”
While Greta looked at Adamant Thunder with an incredulous expression.
The attendants, quickly sensing the changing situation, brought a folding chair and a canopy and set them up in the middle of the ruins.
A table and chairs were placed among the collapsed wreckage of the Necromancy Department Research Building, with Evan and Adamant Thunder sitting facing each other.
Dozens of Aegis agents surrounded them, tense, while Director Greta Widerhild acted as a notary.
Keeying…!!
As Adamant Thunder pressed his silver seal onto the agreement, a clear resonance of mana reverberated.
The agreement concluded swiftly in the middle of the ruins, without any notable procedures or formalities.
Ignoring the dumbfounded professors, Adamant Thunder stood up and turned to leave. At that moment, a strange vibrating sound began to echo from beyond the sky.
Hwoooooong!!!
A jet-black airship descended.
Had it been called separately to pick up Adamant Thunder the moment the situation was confirmed to be resolved?
Adamant Thunder stood before the airship that had landed in front of the research building ruins, along with university officials who had followed him out.
The cameras of the persistent reporters still seemed not to be working, and shouts echoed from all directions.
Ignoring the voices of those asking for attention, Evan stood before Adamant Thunder.
Adamant Thunder, who was about to board the airship without delay, turned back as if something had occurred to him.
“All future dealings will be conducted through a proxy, so relay that to other agencies as well.”
“…”
Adamant Thunder’s gaze swept over the faculty members who were standing with difficulty behind him.
The wizard chuckled at those who flinched, unable to hide their agitation.
“That is, if you intend to use this agreement to solidify your educational institution’s standing.”
“…Understood.”
Had he already considered that other research institutes or magic towers would inquire with Rebatenon University about this?
It meant that while using the agreement for negotiations with other agencies was fine, they should independently inform them that the Magic Tower Lord would not personally intervene.
After saying that much, Adamant Thunder boarded the airship without hesitation and disappeared from view.
Doo-doo-doo-doo!!!
The airship, lifting vertically from its spot, swiftly vanished into the sky, while Evan and the officials watched from the ground.
The eyes of thousands of spectators still remaining on the university grounds followed the tail end of the airship.
Tatiana, who had been silently watching the scene outside the window, turned her gaze.
“Van, is it alright that things turned out this way?”
The immense chaos that erupted at the end of the agreement schedule. The alliance between the two organizations concluded without being properly resolved.
It was difficult to guess how this situation would be perceived externally, or what repercussions it would cause.
It was certainly a situation where Van hadn’t anticipated such repercussions before acting.
But Lennok wasn’t particularly fazed by Tatiana’s concern.
“It’s not something to worry about in terms of reputation or fame.”
“…”
“More importantly, focusing on the operation of the Magic Tower that will begin with this agreement is the priority.”
It seemed rumors about the agreement with Rebatenon Magic University had already spread, as his phone incessantly vibrated in his pocket.
But instead of opening the constantly incoming messages, Lennok simply closed his eyes and leaned back in the airship’s rear seat.
“…Van?”
Tatiana was about to speak but then thought he had fallen asleep, and quietly closed her mouth.
Lennok ignored her voice and slowly caressed the Guide’s Ring on his hand.
There were still things to handle in Evan’s identity.
Paat!!
He concealed his presence and instantly descended in Evan’s form.
As he walked out from behind the secluded research building ruins, he simultaneously deactivated the Guide’s Ring’s ability.
‘That was close.’
The ending was somewhat unexpected, but he had managed to conclude this strange act without being exposed.
‘Greta’s initial proposal made things easier. I don’t like her disposition, but she’s certainly competent at handling matters.’
Although he had acted as if Adamant Thunder was displeased with Aegis’s proposal.
Lennok knew that, ultimately, accepting that proposal was quite an efficient solution at that point.
No matter how perfectly he mimicked Evan Vylun by manipulating the Guide’s Ghost, someone might still notice the incongruity.
The faint delay that existed while alternately manipulating the ghost had been covered by Adamant Thunder’s aura.
Since several special agencies directly under the city government were observing Lennok, if he dragged it out too long, awkwardness and incongruity were bound to surface.
Given that, Lennok had judged it better to simply accept the negotiation here, guided by Aegis.
‘Now, for the things to handle as Evan…’
The agreement was roughly concluded, and Adamant Thunder had departed as planned at an appropriate moment.
He hadn’t been able to conduct the Elemental Department project demonstration, but at a time of such commotion, no one would care about that.
As for stamping the contract, he could simply handle it later under Evan’s and Van’s names.
The immediate urgent tasks were to resolve the commotion at the Necromancy Department Research Building and to answer the flood of questions about the information revealed by this agreement.
The moment Lennok massaged his stiff shoulders and returned to the Elemental Department Lecture Hall research room.
“Evan.”
The Dean, who spotted Lennok at the end of the hallway, called out to him.
Behind the Dean were attendants busily making calls in all directions, and reporters diligently photographing them.
As soon as Adamant Thunder disappeared, the still-functional camera equipment began working, finally allowing photos to be taken.
“Oh, it works, it works!!”
“Quick, take pictures! We need to at least get Assistant Professor Vylun and send them in!!”
“Since it’s come to this, at least an interview…!!”
“You must not cross the line!”
“Please stay behind the safety line!!”
Since they hadn’t managed to properly photograph Adamant Thunder, shouldn’t they at least capture the remaining officials on screen to break even?
While the desperate press tried to approach and the security guards fought to stop them, the Dean looked back at the other faculty members.
“For now, too many people have gathered today, so let’s reconvene and discuss this the day after tomorrow. Is that alright?”
“Dean, that’s…”
“Adamant Thunder. He is certainly an extraordinary individual in many ways.”
The Dean quietly murmured.
“I… I couldn’t tell what he was thinking until the very end.”
“…”
“Having been exposed to the mana of such a Great Mage, your Hierarchy might be disrupted. Everyone, please leave early today and visit the hospital.”
Without waiting for the professors’ reply, the Dean turned his gaze to Evan and said.
“Assistant Professor Vylun. The same goes for you. You’ve worked hard for today’s agreement, so get some good rest and I’ll see you in a few days.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
It was a declaration that provided a plausible reason to forcibly disperse the crowd, given the noise and the numerous eyes watching.
Lennok was not unaware that this was the Dean’s way of showing consideration for Evan.
Without declining, Lennok immediately bowed his head, returned to the Elemental Department Lecture Hall research room, leaned against the door, and slowly rested his back.
“Hoo.”
“…Hehe.”
Davi, who had wriggled out from his pocket, rubbed her snout awkwardly against Lennok’s neck.
Lennok immediately pinched both of Davi’s cheeks with both hands and lifted the spirit.
“You had to make a mistake, and right there?”
“No, I didn’t mean to do that, either–”
Davi, with her cheeks stretched wide, made a poor excuse.
“It’s, it’s my first time acting like this, so the quick changes were a bit confusing.”
“…”
“I’m sorryyy.”
Seeing the spirit with her mouth agape, front paws together, and head bowed, Lennok couldn’t help but laugh.
“…Right. It’s your first time. To be honest, it was a bit overwhelming for me midway too.”
The agreement between Rebatenon Magic University and the Magic Tower.
Bringing Evan Vylun and Adamant Thunder Van together in one place to show their faces was, from Lennok’s perspective, a truly unprecedented idea.
This was possible because Lennok had used the Guide’s Ghost to make Evan act.
However, trying it in an official setting proved not as easy as it sounded.
An enormous number of people came from outside for this agreement, and there were many watchful eyes.
There would also be countless people eagerly trying to scrutinize Evan’s and Van’s presences and attitudes to find any incongruity.
Therefore, Lennok had to put in considerable effort to switch between Evan and Van and perform both roles simultaneously on the spot.
“Even if the first switch was understandable, the last one was a close call. It was worth paralyzing the camera equipment beforehand…”
He was Evan alongside the Dean, and the moment Van descended from the airship, he set up Evan’s ghost and moved as Adamant Thunder.
Although the Guide’s Ghost takes Evan’s form, its movements and manipulations must be individually designated by Lennok as a mana-user.
The task involved directly handling all manipulations, including eyelid movements, breathing, skin tremors, and lip movements, ensuring no incongruity was detected by the hundreds of eyes observing.
This included manipulating the ghost’s movements and lifelikeness to carry on a conversation sufficient for outward appearances.
After even demonstrating a show of force, pretending to exert pressure through mana, it was difficult for even Lennok’s concentration to maintain that state for long.
If Lennok felt that way, Davi, who was acting while perched on Evan’s shoulder, must have felt similarly.
Davi’s careless climb onto Van’s shoulder at the end was also a mistake she would never usually make.
If Davi hadn’t usually mingled well with other students, someone might have found it strange.
[I’ve been checking the Vulcan Central Network, and it doesn’t seem like we’ve been caught yet.]
“How are the reactions of the event witnesses?”
[Most reactions are surprised that he looks more normal than expected?]
“…”
Although he had avoided his face appearing in videos and photos, Lennok hadn’t completely covered his face while in Van’s identity.
Could it be that even though rumors about Van’s appearance would have spread, such reactions were still coming?
Leaving Lennok, who was shaking his head in disbelief, Davi chuckled playfully and wagged her tail.
[Master, look at this. On the deep web, they’ve gone a step further?]
A post immediately appeared on the virtual screen.
[These organisms, it seems they were gambling on whether Master would commit a massacre at the agreement venue or not.]
“…What?”
The post’s title and content were the kind that would astonish even Lennok.
[Official Agreement between Rebatenon and the Magic Tower. Will Adamant Thunder also lay hands on Rebatenon University?]
<1> Of course. He’s a madman who creates pretexts just to kill people.
= Betting Amount: 7,297,450,000 Cell (72%).
= Odds: 1.35
<2> Even Adamant Thunder wouldn’t go that far. He knows to distinguish time and place.
= Betting Amount: 2,709,850,000 Cell (28%)
= Odds: 3.46
The post’s title and options. Even the betting amounts below them, nothing was normal.
But what captivated Lennok’s attention more than that was the odds themselves, placed between the two options.
“The odds…”
This abnormal option, that Lennok would commit a massacre at Rebatenon Magic University, was actually the favored bet.
He silently opened his mouth and scrolled the screen.
Thousands of comments were being posted in real-time below the post.