Chapter 76:
I Won’t Let It Slide
“It’s Morgan Dayal.”
Riche answered.
“The former champion of Kselphon, the one Lotus mentioned during training.”
Riche deliberately referred to Morgan in a distant manner. Sieg had keen intuition, and getting too close might lead him to discover Morgan’s true identity.
“Sieg, did you come to the window because of Morgan? To stay vigilant?”
At Riche’s question, Siegbert shook his head.
“Something else. It was looking this way.”
However, there was nothing visible where Siegbert pointed.
Riche committed the spot to memory and lifted her gaze.
The large building of the tournament hall was visible even from there.
‘I wonder if things with Deon turned out okay…’
She thought about her brother at the tournament hall.
She decided she should find Philip later and ask him.
“Riche, I have to go now.”
“So soon?”
“Yeah.”
Siegbert had mentioned he would be keeping an eye on the Order. Was that why he was planning to move quickly?
Riche stood up and spoke.
“Let’s go together. I’ll see you off.”
Siegbert transformed into a small dormouse and slipped into Riche’s pocket.
When Pythons entered the pocket on the opposite side, Riche left the lodging.
After walking near the fortress walls, Riche purified the corruption on Siegbert, who had reverted to his original form.
“Sieg, if Kaishan wakes up and appears again, let me know.”
“Okay.”
Pythons had said that the astral projection was slumbering in its grave.
Since Kaishan’s true form was still within Siegbert, it was certain it would reappear.
‘I need to find Hikenkar.’
Whether she imprisoned the projection back in a glass bottle or reverted it to its spirit form to extract the true form, she had to prevent Kaishan from using Siegbert’s body.
‘Maybe because of the fight with Deon earlier, the corruption accumulated faster than usual.’
This meant Kaishan had been recklessly using its powers.
Remembering the past, Riche asked Siegbert for a favor.
“Don’t give up control of your body. Who knows what that star will try to do.”
Control over the body could be seized when one lost consciousness or willingly handed it over.
It could also be forcibly taken, but that would strain the vessel, so Pythons had said it was unlikely to happen.
“I will.”
Siegbert nodded.
Then he transformed back into a dormouse and scurried up the fortress wall.
‘He climbs well.’
As Siegbert disappeared beyond the wall, Riche turned around.
A shadow fell over her.
Startled by the unexpected figure, Riche looked up.
Welcoming red eyes stared down at her.
“He’s gone?”
It was Deon.
Inside a restaurant in the city of Kselphon.
A private room.
“Disqualified from being a test instructor?”
Riche widened her eyes at what Philip, who sat across from her, said.
Due to his fight with Kaishan, Deon had been removed from his position as a test instructor.
“But it’s actually turned out for the better.”
“Why?”
“He’s become an executive of the Operations Committee. Test instructors are executives, but they’re part of a subordinate agency. Under these policies, his position has risen.”
“A promotion?”
“Exactly. His appointment letter will be issued within a week.”
Philip nodded with pride.
A promotion from being a test instructor in Kselphon was unprecedented, causing quite a stir at the tournament hall.
Even as the young master and I left the tournament grounds, people’s shock didn’t seem to fade easily.
Our young master may be intimidating and doting on his sister, but his skills are formidable.
“Pointless. Just eat this.”
Deon, sitting next to Riche, swapped his perfectly sliced steak plate with hers.
Had he shown off his sword skills? Each piece was cut evenly.
Riche turned her head to look at Deon and smiled.
“Thanks.”
While Deon’s promotion was good news, what pleased her more was simply being able to converse with him.
Deon lifted one corner of his lips and smiled back at her.
“Just eat.”
Riche chewed a piece of steak and swallowed, asking what had piqued her curiosity.
“But how did it come to a promotion?”
“Oh, well—”
Philip recalled the events from about three hours prior and began to explain.
The battle between Deon and Kaishan that had taken place in the tournament hall.
Although Riche’s magic had restored the facilities—
“…What is this?”
It was the sight of the half-destroyed courtyard and building before the restoration, and of the monsterized Kadian leaving the scene that had caused the problem.
A protective barrier was set up around the city to block the entry of monsters.
For a monster to break through the barrier and enter—
‘It’s a strong monster. And huge.’
The chairman noticed the commotion due to the vibrations shaking the tournament hall.
A single battle with a monster and a Dercadion had caused the entire hall to quake.
Furthermore, seeing the enormous retreating silhouette of the beast-like monster raised more questions: How did such a huge monster breach the barrier and enter the hall unnoticed?
‘Wait a moment.’
What dawned on the chairman’s confused mind was the massive heart of the giant monster that Morgan Dayal had once captured.
A heart that size could only belong to something even bigger than that monster.
Could it be that colossal monsters were appearing in the Rom Desert?
‘This isn’t good.’
This could be a sign of an ominous event unfolding in Kselphon.
The final confirmation that solidified the chairman’s unease was—
“Missed it. It’s strong, huh?”
Kaisley, the second-in-command of the Magic Tower, who had pursued the monster, returned bleeding heavily.
‘If this had happened during the main event—’
The thought was horrifying.
The main event drew a crowd large enough to fill the city.
Though it was fortunate in a sense, there was no guarantee another monster attack wouldn’t happen.
‘Security needs to be tightened.’
What caught the chairman’s eye was Deon, who was standing in front of the fountain, dusting off his clothes.
Although there were some signs that he had rolled on the ground, wasn’t he in a far better condition compared to the gravely injured Kasley?
Moreover, he was skilled enough to make a monster flee mid-fight.
“Mr. Rodwick, the test instructor.”
“?”
“Could you possibly take on one of the executive positions in the operations committee?”
“It’s bothersome.”
Why would he? Even being a test instructor was already annoying.
As Deon showed little interest, the chairman anxiously spoke up.
Having Derkedeon Rodwick in charge would be crucial to reducing the damage caused by monsters. His intuition, honed from years of leading as chairman, told him so.
“The authority you mentioned previously, it’s also given to operations committee executives.”
He spoke indirectly, being mindful of the instructors around them.
It wouldn’t do any good if rumors spread that Derkedeon Rodwick was only acting as a test instructor for the authority to halt the matches.
Deon looked at the chairman. His eyes were questioning what other benefits there could be.
“If you become an executive, you’re allowed private conversations with the participants.”
Deon took the bait.
“Then, what about the certificates that my brother had?”
Recalling Philip’s explanation, Riche thought of the certificates that Deon, as the test instructor, possessed.
There were still three certificates untouched, as no participants had passed Deon’s test yet.
“The other instructors will split them among themselves.”
“That’s good. If my brother had kept them, no one would have gotten them. Morgan wouldn’t have taken one either, right…?”
Excited by Philip’s words, Riche’s mood suddenly changed as she felt a prickling sensation on her scalp.
When she turned to the side, Deon was watching her.
“What? Do you have something to say?”
Eyes clearly marked with discontent.
Riche tilted her head in confusion.
Deon casually asked a question.
“Do you know who Morgan Dayle is?”
“…Huh?”
Riche’s acting skills had significantly improved compared to before, but it wasn’t enough to fool Deon.
‘Is Deon suspicious that Morgan is Ian?’
The problem was that there was no one else who could feign ignorance in response to Deon’s question. He could always tell when Riche was lying.
After a brief thought, Riche decided to stick to the truth.
“Y-yes, I know. He’s a student in the swordsmanship department at Udic Academy.”
“Not that.”
“Not that? He was last year’s tournament winner? He’s skilled in swordsmanship? He also uses magic, is handsome, kind, has a nice smile, and…”
The objective facts about Morgan gradually turned into subjective opinions. It sounded as if she couldn’t resist liking Morgan Dayle.
Deon, squinting, cut off Riche’s increasingly quiet voice.
“Not that either.”
Why is her face turning red?
The memory of Morgan Dayle drawing a line with Riche last time annoyed Deon, but that wasn’t the important issue now.
Pointing at his chest, Deon asked Riche.
“Can’t you see anything like a curse on Morgan Dayle? You said you could see such things.”
“I can’t see anything.”
Riche shook her head.
Deon stared at her, his eyes meeting her clear, unwavering gaze.
‘She’s not lying.’
What Deon wanted to confirm was not whether Morgan Dayle was Ian Dwayne.
He only wanted to know if Riche knew that fact.
It seemed Morgan was hiding his identity quite well from Riche.
‘…Then who does she like between Gerwehr and Morgan Dayle?’
An array of tangled emotions surged in Deon’s chest.
The most prominent emotion was hostility toward Morgan Dayle.
If he was hiding his identity and playing games with his kind-hearted sister, he wouldn’t let it slide.
The knife in Deon’s hand bent forward as if folding a sheet of paper.
Philip, who witnessed this, pretended not to see and fixed his gaze on his plate. Better not get involved with an angry young master.
“But brother, don’t you think it’s time to purify the curse–”
“If you don’t see anything, it’s fine. Eat this too.”
“Okay.”
Riche accepted the dish Deon handed her.
Stubborn man.
‘I’ll secretly purify it later.’
Afterward, Deon, hearing from Riche what Siegburt had said, mentioned having business to attend to and returned to the tournament grounds.
Before that, he walked with Riche to near her lodging.
“If something serious happens, use magic. The one you’re good at.”
“The one I’m good at?”
“Whether it’s breaking everything or causing a flood. I’ll find you right away.”
“What? Don’t tease me.”
“I’m serious.”
Deon started walking again but paused after a few steps and turned to Riche.
“I’m sorry.”
A sudden apology. It seemed like he had been waiting for the right moment to say it all along.
Failing to find a suitable opportunity, he blurted it out just before parting ways.
Riche shrugged.
“I’ll forgive you. I’m a generous sister, after all.”
Deon subtly smiled and waved.
Riche waved back as she watched him leave.
When Deon finally disappeared from sight—
[Contractor.]
Python, who had been silent in her pocket, poked his head out and spoke.
[Let’s go to Morgan Dayle.]
‘Morgan? Why?’
[I need to look at the memory of the decoration again.]
A short-haired girl with curly brown hair and charming freckles on her face, a seventh-year student of Udic Academy’s mechanical engineering department.
Wearing her work clothes, Hamad was seated on the ground near the dorm building, oiling mechanical parts.
The sunny weather was perfect. The moisture evaporated quickly, and the moderate temperature helped the oil soak in well.
While humming, Hamad heard someone call her.
“Hamad?”
“Ah!”
Hamad looked up and was startled.
It was Tuariche. Morgan and Tuariche should announce themselves before talking to anyone. That way, people can brace themselves.
“Tuariche, what brings you to our building?”
“I have some business with Morgan.”
“Really? He went out earlier.”
Still not back yet? Hearing Hamad’s response, Riche was about to ask where Morgan went but remembered another matter.
“Hey, Hamad.”
