Chapter 113 : Chapter 113
113 Poruo (2)
“That…… Shall I explain to you two?”
“Will you do that?”
“Of course!”
Heide took the siblings into Room 202.
Deban in Room 201 scratched his head looking at Simurtr who was still strangely calm.
“It’s Investigator Peres Art.”
“I know.”
“They say he’s the wastrel of the Art Viscounty.”
“Wastrel?”
“Yes. Art is a noble family contracted with the Magic Tower, specifically the White Tower.”
White Magic Tower.
If excluding the exiled Black Tower…… the most gigantic tower of Basor where trash was particularly abundant.
“Why is he a wastrel? Because he’s not a magician?”
“Yes. He said he had no interest in magic. But it turned out he had some talent in martial arts, so they invited a named knight as a master.”
“If he was going to do that, he should have left home.”
“Then he can’t act like a wastrel anymore.”
“Coward.”
He doesn’t want to learn magic, but wants to lean on the family’s power.
“They surprisingly allowed it.”
“To be precise, he has to do at least that.”
“If he doesn’t want to be kicked out?”
“There are many talents in the White Tower.”
“So the best was the Information Bureau. Good to use and discard.”
It is the White Tower with the most affiliations or contracts.
For the Art family, they executed the best to maintain the contract.
“Probably? He became affiliated with the Information Bureau last year, and was promoted to Investigator this spring.”
“He is the Deputy Director’s person, right?”
“Yes.”
“Age?”
“Thirty-five?”
“He did reach the age to die.”
“That?”
“Indeed.”
Simurtr expanded the Sword Net.
Peres. He is facing a guest. Probably a figure related to this mission. Centering around that vicinity, he increased the concentration of magic.
Dense magic scans Peres. Innate senses help peek inside. Examining the amount of magic, estimating the quality.
Not detailed information. Just roughly guessing. A sensation similar to touching an object with eyes closed.
But it is familiar. Experiencing too much, and being sensitive, I know what it means.
Innate magic operation and affinity. And the experience accumulated to a sickening degree raises the quality of that guess infinitely high.
“Do they plug you into Investigator just by being that level these days?”
Evaluation doesn’t change.
He isn’t hiding anything particularly either. Peres is a warrior of similar level to Deban.
“Similar to you…… No, you would win.”
As a direct impression…… he is just so-so.
He was ordinary, and magic is similar to each other but Deban would win.
Different from Peres who brought a master from somewhere to study. Deban experienced considerable actual combat and high-level swordsmen in Mectera.
“If I went to the Information Bureau, I would be an Investigator already.”
“You don’t have connections.”
“Ey. If I went from the start, I would have grabbed some sturdy connection.”
Indeed.
This guy is a guy who would not die and enjoy natural lifespan wherever group he goes.
“Who do you feel more? Director? Or Deputy Director?”
“Hmm…… I think I’ll know that if I go and experience directly.”
In Kua’s experiment, a mother always exists.
The Phantasm user met at Huit took Degrate bloodline, Barote took Basor’s bloodline as mother.
The reason they didn’t kill Beden unlike Janya.
Even now doing so, how much more would Deban, an initial subject, have been.
Maybe Deban’s mother wasn’t one.
‘Seems not a beastman.’
Innate tact. Head that runs on premise of survival.
Someday Simurtr had thought maybe Deban’s mother is not a beastman.
“Roughly.”
“Wouldn't the Director be better? I heard there is no proper human among those who abuse parachutes.”
“Even if it is Basor?”
“If it’s a person of the main family, they should hate Basor.”
“You aren’t.”
“I am the young master’s person.”
Simurtr loathes Basor.
And Bahab too.
From when Simurtr saved Kanan and Mei, Deban was feeling that vaguely.
“Come to think of it, you are my parachute too?”
“Ey. Still I do work hard. Not stupid like that.”
Deban also regarded Peres as ridiculous.
Although intent is understood, the method is too trivial.
“But maybe it’s not completely groundless.”
“What?”
“Because Heide was kind unlike Peres Art.”
There was worth in Aran sending him early.
Only a day, but Deban seemed to have found out quite many things.
“I heard you are hot-headed.”
“Who.”
“You, young master.”
Me?
“They say personality isn’t terribly bad, but it’s a character that must return more than that if suffering something from someone to be satisfied.”
“So that bastard did that?”
“Yes. He thought if he provoked, you would fall for it immediately.”
Reason why Deban considers Peres laughable.
Trying to doubt already recorded information and modify newly, yet acting based on existing information.
“And?”
“You know the content of the Selection Ceremony isn’t much of a secret? In the point that direct descendants completed excellently, there is no reason to do so either.”
“Right. If even one failed, maybe. If all passed, it’s something to boast.”
“Correct. No reason to hide. It was like that this time too. But there changing only the young master’s information slightly.”
Modified information.
What Aran won't tell, Deban knows.
Simurtr listened carefully.
“You know there was originally a score in the Selection Ceremony?”
Originally in Mectera’s Selection Ceremony, there is a process of grading.
Jahar and Ael at the time also knew so.
“I know. It disappeared from last year. Because of me.”
That process suddenly disappearing was because of Medeoban who became scared of Simurtr.
“Correct. But actually that can be graded if one wants to.”
“Must be a mess?”
“Since young master messed it up grandly. So the average score was set tremendously low.”
If up to the second test maybe, Simurtr ruined the last test grandly.
Didn’t I go out of my way to eliminate even the opponent swordsmen of other participants.
“Only three people selected last year. Jahar-nim and Ael-nim. And even young master.”
“Right?”
“So it is recorded like that in the Information Bureau. Rather than young master being outstanding, the level of last year’s batch was generally low.”
Deban recalled Heide’s words.
“Ah. So they see me as a wimp?”
“To be precise, Aran-nim and the Director made young master a weakling. I heard it is recorded as barely passing selection.”
“Then the siblings who lost to the barely passing one?”
“You look specially close. Since the two follow Simyun-nim so much.”
“Recorded as lost on purpose?”
“Correct. Because beloved younger brother?”
“I am f***ing weak. But could be selected due to good luck?”
“It is distorted like that?”
“Peres, that guy doesn’t believe that yet believes I am hot-headed?”
Simurtr let out a hollow laugh.
Aren’t there too many holes drilled in the parachute.
“So it becomes. Maybe the higher-ups knew Peres is such human and did it on purpose.”
“To burst my insides?”
“Maybe? Or he’s a surprisingly good parachute.”
“Then he would have been smart.”
“Someone mended it. Maybe the precious talent of White Tower is Peres Art’s brother? So maybe asked?”
“Using is fine but please don’t discard?”
Plausible novel.
Simurtr agreed unwittingly.
”Yes. Or simply implying lack of manpower.”
“What is so busy again.”
“I heard they are focusing on the Black Land this time?”
“Why Black Land again.”
“They didn’t tell me that. Said they would tell if I come at night but I haven’t gone yet.”
“Why.”
“Scary.”
Deban lifted both palms with exaggerated gesture.
‘Why Information Bureau to Black Land?’
Long ago. From when Black Land was activated, Melken did watch Black Land.
But Deban said ‘this time’. Meaning they started focusing more than before.
‘Suddenly.’
Remeter.
Now if Black Land, Remeter comes to mind automatically.
Melken’s loyal subject Bahab. Akarr knows Herein Remeter took Elder.
Maybe Akarr reported to The Emperor even that he put Elder on auction.
Or maybe received permission from the start.
‘Too centered on me. Is this going too far.’
Soon Simurtr laughed lightly.
Why would the Imperial Family.
“What will you do?”
“What.”
“Peres Art. Aran-nim said to help young master hide as much as possible.”
“I think it’s better to make the information of hot-headed real?”
For a moment Deban tilted his head.
“What.”
“Because neck is stiff.”
“Shall I massage it?”
“You will break it.”
Temper that comes as weakness.
It is better to leave them believing so if possible.
“But why did you do that?”
“What.”
“You said it’s better to make hot-headed real. Shouldn’t you have flipped it there?”
Peres Art’s blatant provocation.
Simurtr is not a personality to endure that kind of thing.
Just as Ael and Deban were certain, I should have flipped the table long ago.
“He is a precious guest. Of Basor.”
Peres Art came to this place as Basor’s parachute, not as a person of the Information Bureau.
“I must show what he wants.”
I must attract Basor’s interest.
***
Thousand Year Empire Melken is called the center of the continent, but that doesn’t mean location.
Based on the center of the continent, it is biased to the northeast and the land is long vertically, continuing to the pole of the Northern Grand Duke.
Center of the continent. That yolk is not the property of the Empire, the loser of the continent.
‘They coveted quite a bit.’
Poruo located in the center of the continent was the center of trade.
City of mercenaries and merchants. This neutral trade city has the Empire, various nations, Ruo Holy See, and Black Land on all sides.
Reason why the Empire coveted city-state Poruo until the Doom War broke out.
Poruo, once called the great bridge, faded in meaning somewhat due to the birth of Magic Gate but still boasts robustness.
‘Because Magic Gate is expensive.’
Things destroyed during the war progressed more than original in the past 20 years. Became higher, denser.
“Auction house?”
“Yes. Opens once every quarter. The mayor here hosts directly.”
The target of this guard request is the auction house itself, not human.
Fearing terror, Poruo’s mayor requested guard to various groups.
“Auction opens for 3 days. The level of auction items goes up towards the end. So big shots come only on the last day.”
“So we just have to be in the auction house for 3 days?”
“Correct. Assigned area is decided during rehearsal.”
“When is that?”
“Tomorrow evening. Auction is after three days.”
“Then today?”
“Originally would judge on own…… I don’t know today.”
Don’t know what unexpected behavior Peres Art will do again.
Deban wished he would please be quiet.
“Where did everyone go.”
1st floor was quiet.
Peres and Heide, and of course siblings were not seen.
“Says come to auction house on own?”
Deban approached the counter and fluttered a sheet of paper.
“To Poruo Auction House. Do words become short if written?”
Simurtr’s mouth twisted.
Handwriting fluttered roughly, whoever saw it was Peres’s doing.
“Shall we look around for a moment? It’s your first time in Poruo. City for mercenaries and merchants.”
“No. Let’s go straight.”
At Poruo Auction House.
Peres wants to face alone.
Simurtr liked that message.
Thankfully he was picking exactly what this side wanted.
“But young master.”
It was when a giant auction house was seen not far away, that Deban spoke.
When walking comfortably on the crowded main street.
“Why.”
“Isn’t there no need for that today?”
“What.”
“Magic.”
Crowded like this but not a single person brushing past.
Everyone is keeping distance from Simurtr. Enough to create a round circle in the middle of the main street.
“Oh.”
A mercenary showing scars exclaimed passing by. Ordinary people felt goosebumps and moved away naturally.
“Are you perhaps doing this because you are angry?”
“No. Peres Art is doing very well. Basor will really like it.”
This is a phenomenon caused by the derivative form of 5-star.
‘Now it shows even if I stay still.’
The sun is more intense just by existing.
And Star-Breaking Style is…… like the sun.
As the stage gets higher, it gets closer to the sun.
Although still absurdly lacking achievement to compare with the sun, still.
“This is because of my magic property. Adapt. It will get worse in the future.”
It is a city with many mercenaries.
Occasionally when passing, mercenaries turned back once to check Simurtr.
5-star, a stage where that dignity cannot be hidden.
Cannot hide one’s presence. Reason why Exa in the battlefield received concentration of Doom Species without title.
Because they, like beasts, are attracted to stronger things.
“How worse does it get?”
“In a few years…… people who recognize will recognize.”
Still okay.
But 6-star. No, up to there can be covered somehow…… 7-star.
If reaching there, Star-Breaking Style cannot help but be suspected.
Reincarnation won't be caught but somehow will get entangled with past life.
‘Not other guys but traitor bastards cannot fail to notice.’
7-star.
Until that stage, few years left.
They say it gets difficult as going up but isn’t it a path already climbed.
‘2 years, at most 3 years. When that time comes, I won’t be able to roam around comfortably like this.’
Must be faithful to the present.
Free, time not needing to care about traitors shouldn’t be spent in vain.
Must spend present more fruitfully than anyone.
‘Pagna and Pegna, Elder, Phantasm, Swelling Flame.’
Gained a lot, and quickly too but…… still far.
Arrogance of past life disappeared with corpse of past life. Still lacking. Basor. Simurtr vowed to advance contact with Magic Tower faster.
Magic reacts to that determination. Existence that was already flowing spilled out presence one layer more emotionally.
“You are late.”
…That presence is laughable to Peres Art.
Peres standing on the stage of the auction house looked down at Simurtr who just entered and sneered.
“It’s the first time on this road.”
Simurtr was still wearing an unpleasant smile. Only knows himself is great.
What is great is Mectera. But even that is worse than Basor.
“Deban the formal swordsman should know the way.”
“Guiding is not the role of main family’s swordsman. You should have done it.”
16 years old and Sword Aura.
Although barely passing, excellent talent.
Not enough to be arrogant.
But Simurtr in front of eyes is arrogant beyond measure. Proof that although Hero Family, Mectera is below Basor.
‘In Basor. No, just in White Tower talents like that are everywhere. Giving away position of adopted son to catch talent of that level. Mectera is pitiful too.’
Didn’t even need to provoke.
Looking like this now I know.
‘They say dogs bark well the smaller they are.’
Confidence is superior compared to talent. Characteristic of half-baked geniuses.
Half-wits who dare not look up, and cherish arrogance looking only below.
Information recorded in Information Bureau is not wrong. Stupid hot-head and…… skill is just so-so.
Isn’t he proving personally right now.
“Won’t you withdraw magic?”
“I did withdraw.”
Pride in that state.
Peres started to sneer at Simurtr openly now.
Isn’t he a brat who can’t help it.
Now Simurtr is releasing magic consciously. To threaten him.
‘That?’
It is threatening somewhat but…… that must be full power. Indeed. Talent itself looks excellent.
Since selection was last year, must have become stronger than then.
“So why did you call only me?”
“You have no experience in joint operations. Today we will examine the auction house with me, tomorrow terrain of Poruo with 1st Class Heide.”
“Conducting education coming out on mission? Did siblings receive it too?”
“I understand those direct descendants already proved ability in Mectera’s Selection Ceremony.”
“I didn’t?”
“If you are confident in yourself, try responding.”
Just that skill, no need to find out particularly.
Destroyed Black Tower?
‘Seems that Akarr Bahab is also past his prime.’
How can that be expressed as Mectera’s rising star.
“Want it?”
“No reason to refuse.”
“That is true too. You asked to do it?”
That is just an unpleasant brat full of bluff.
“Not education. Let’s do proof. Don’t you want that more?”
“Ha!”
Peres laughed in disbelief.
Right now there are only two here. Meaning no direct descendant to take side, no outstanding formal swordsman Deban.
‘Yet that arrogance.’
Just as any youngest, that Simurtr showed signs of growing up receiving all love.
So he still doesn’t know his place.
‘They said Mectera treats adopted sons without discrimination.’
Luck is good too.
When someone defends position in family with difficulty, that lowly guy becomes adopted son of Ducal house thanks to having good talent in his own way.
“Do you want proof?”
“Yeah.”
“Then try it. How will you prove? Will you try competing with me?”
“Well. Nothing I can’t do.”
Srrk. Simurtr drew his sword.
Because that appearance looked too relaxed, Peres spat out inadvertently.
“Are you serious?”
Actually order is same as already completed.
Didn’t need to provoke at first meeting.
Even without need to cross swords and check now, Simurtr’s skill is clear as if seeing with eyes.
Rather this side should be thankful.
If this side committed to order seriously, Simurtr would be rolling on the floor of the auction house already.
“You will regret. I will give you a chance to retract even now.”
If competing.
Peres had no intention of going easy.
With full power. And in an instant. Suppress Simurtr, bind on floor and give humiliation…….
“You do the terrorist? I’ll catch.”
At Simurtr’s words, Peres laughed along.