Chapter 150
cETuQFernan had suggested to Professor Rosalia that she attend the Continental Congress, but there was a mountain to climb before doing so.uYG8Eh
56b“As you say, brother, I’ll pass on the request for now.”CWhJ
0NGOwh3The Cult of the Dragon God. To be exact, they were eccentric mages obsessed with Rosalia’s research.Gb5
rdZ89u7“Do you think it’ll work?”ei3
d5zI“On the surface, no problem. She was going to present at the order’s congress, but if she changes her mind, that’s her freedom. The problem is too many priests are interested in the fusions…”Uay
RaX52Sp“And how much is the preservation deposit?”UmOdP
1NfmYqThat issue was resolved with a few coins.VcWq
iQddAS“Then we’ll deliver everything clean to the Golden Turtle Guild.”7aPh
xzTz“Good.”s1MvBJe
aM7v3PAfter speaking with Jace, Fernan went back to see Professor Rosalia.tZJHx6E
VL9Yj“You want to go too?”s4ea
aX3eZM4“Yes. I’m a stakeholder as well. If there are problems, I take the biggest loss, not you. You wouldn’t suffer any tangible loss, but I’d face a massive financial one.”XckIHwK
asGThat’s why, until the end, he wanted to transport and manage the material himself to be at ease.6iXa
mQ8dnUAfter Kimaris’ death and the annihilation of the corrupted in Frazia, their movements had slowed, but not vanished. And from Fernan’s experience, trouble always surfaced during these moments of apparent calm.YPYLt
jFS“I invested a huge amount of time. And time can’t be bought with money, Fernan Pellenberg.”IiFGwJ
UPs1Zn9“Yes, it can.”X4rU
zGtq“What did you say?”7bPffDC
AgLuv“I bought your research with money, didn’t I?”yNbmqJ
mXsWoX“…”3SU
XIRzRosalia fell silent but shot him a sharp glare.YUwgk9
cA7“Are you insulting me with your eyes?”JOkjA
8cu“I just can’t argue because your logic is sound.”kuZf
ZvcStill, she added a rebuttal.RPU
lGJKm3“But you’re still a student. You can’t be absent from the Academy for too long.”0Vnf
IhpTvThe congress hadn’t been originally planned, so there wouldn’t be a long three-week break like before.Bv7
qgHKQa“Aren’t you a professor? Shouldn’t you be under the same restriction?”JDp
iwxYh“In these cases, you request permission from the rector and it’s considered an academic trip.”BszL9
FzaH6dy“Then if you request it under my name, isn’t it the same?”Nx3g
j73drmIt wasn’t uncommon for a professor to take students on an academic trip. Even more so for something as significant as the Continental Congress.vQkBnhV
eAPyk“I’m a professor, and you’re a student.”9Li2M
yEJmtF“Everybody knows that.”p4Zz
3TdRf“But sometimes it feels the other way around. You’re the one making proposals, when it should be me.”AJyDUY
k1g3“Because now we’re investor and sponsored mage.”fifh7
NI8dsNFernan had no intention of backing down, so Rosalia eventually gave in with a nod.sOJphu
fHb1Mm“This will be the last time I tolerate your stubbornness.”G0cxLai
WpjShe bit down on her cigarette and dismissed him with a wave.SBv
Q8tYFm“Thank you, professor.”r54H
e8ivFernan bowed and left her office. He immediately went to see Luina.DFMt
hCzPVYFThere wasn’t any particular reason. He just couldn’t shake the unease after seeing the vision of her ruin.DzS
z1E“What a relief…”1Zd
exTJiBJ“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”2sARV
a51f4“I saw something strange.”O01DA44
L1A4MBut in Luina’s sincere blue eyes, there was no trace of bloody tears.NSsnh2K
JrYb“Want some chocolate?”46fn6sq
yR0“I’ve got some too.”cDmw7z
JVnN2A“This one’s new—infused with distilled liquor from the Taklakan Desert. Just came out.”SOVbE8K
lamN5i“…Just one. Can I try it?”xxxsM
oDZUyNThe bottle-shaped chocolate went into Luina’s mouth. As she bit down, the subtle aroma of the liquor mixed with the chocolate’s sweetness and drew a smile on her face.wZOB4z6
TmL“Well?”vBgwkmj
CMPI“It’s good.”4Dmg
i2a“How good?”AGIKe
YAv“Good enough to want more right away.”FwLPO
rJ9B50“Hm, then this new product is at that level. Got it.”oGNNx
XDkZOFernan nodded, and Luina narrowed her eyes.xkVq8
fNnX“…What?”XISQyN
mYxwGg9“You’ve only ever said the best chocolate was the Kraken Ink and World Tree Bark ones. The Ice Crystal one you rated the same as this—‘I want to eat it often.’ Below that is just normally good.”eAie2
9vn6hMIn other words, this was a 4 out of 5. Normal was a 3.ofF3
gcrCFK“It’s hard to reach 5. Elves make very good chocolate.”MKC
MqfqM“…Are you using me as a guinea pig?”6WLbQ
75RK7ia“Guinea pig? I’m giving you the honor of being the first to try a new product. I’d never give you trash.”z47
NEJ77“…Well, that’s true.”FJgw7dZ
o819HLuina felt something odd but ended up nodding anyway.GnTk
Fj0p7B***hA2k
wL7o5JThe compound of magic stones was delivered to the Golden Turtle Guild.Ez21MO
mk9kYSFernan stored it in a special box and finished preparations for departure.2dncv
CQL4z64He unfurled a map.lLpCxpw
t1t4“First, we sail to Evgena. From there, we go by land to Valerich. It’s a straightforward route.”Zd8f
J3sthAs an escort—just like before—he summoned the Red Turtle Order and additionally hired priests from the Cult of the Dragon God.0Vvqbjq
fkKThirty elite knights, twenty high-level mages, and fifty veteran soldiers.jbDkT8
Gp3A force capable of devouring anything.kgm9
2sQHiring the priests had cost a fortune, but money wasn’t the concern.Iirv
YKv‘Abel Kalens said it. To be ready for what’s coming.’HrF
Kn1OEmhHoarding wealth meant nothing if you died before using it.JhqdC
I4wO6Fernan had no intention of being the kind of fool who left his fortune untouched when he died.CQNa
h7NJWith the caution of someone who checks every stone before crossing a bridge, he was especially careful leaving the Academy, where the archmage rector resided.JH5iQy1
ZDRCThus, three ships loaded with workers and soldiers set sail together.02Ay
khuqThe first two days passed without incident.wVqipO
hrvziuClear skies, calm seas, smooth sailing.eAtxZ
7lxTThe problem came on the third day.5bmH3
0hXRumble—S7EEf
YKhB30jBlack clouds began to cover the sky, rain fell, and lightning struck.6zrdE
JsbThe waves grew wild, and the ships rocked violently.yc8f
DoVmYrF“Hold the rudder!”vt0eK
YY9O“Keep your distance so the ships don’t collide!”YgO6
6UuWMThe sailors fought to withstand the storm, occasionally supported by the priests’ magic.6YP
XVUN“I don’t like this.”5yiQVE
8ypFernan, standing on the swaying deck, looked into the distance. There, the sky was clear—in stark contrast to where they were.lAid1F
uPgXWj“They say this is common at sea.”fT2TL
ZJ2“Yes, but it brings back bad memories.”bnr
7L6nGAL“Bad memories?”1Y1y5tp
QQk“It’s just…”s13c7
NkPd6tsThump, thump.xWELn
tTWDWooden, somewhat calmer after his constant complaints of pain, gave a light tap. That was all Fernan needed to be sure.rdM6J
dIMaX“…Monsters are approaching.”qpLY0j
XW4Professor Rosalia’s face hardened an instant later.Y7VF
ozv“Everyone to combat positions!”3UQ183
vu5BzSG“Monsters attacking! Prepare yourselves!”A7cz
Oo2ygfAt Fernan’s command, the sailors moved swiftly despite the rocking.J1o
8pNNZ“They respond quite well.”gOrQyZx
PHptrqm“That’s why I hired the best sailors from the guild.”fJK2l
MyHg63Amid the storm, the heads of Sea Serpents emerged.UAHm5
WHoD8wTen in total. Not a normal occurrence—especially with swarms of sea worms around them.2dQs1z
yFg9“Fire!”Fy7
NOMZ“Fire!”RemqV
qtMm0yCrack— boom! Screeeech!HJP
9RJThe massive ballista bolts pierced through the thick scales of the sea serpents. The beasts shrieked in pain.vdHQ
arIImmediately—HkrNMZx
wXdeBOOM!yCsb
RhtUZuThe ballistae exploded on impact, blowing off heads or entire torsos. No matter how thick the hide, nothing could withstand an internal explosion.728Hms
eTE3Ux“…Is that what I think it is?”6DGn4
FWCEp“Yes, they’re the magical ballistae of the Cult of the Dragon God.”udc
CsbIPThey were single-use weapons, extremely expensive—but their effectiveness was guaranteed.grHP
BIMwX37“Ever since the Sea Serpent incident, we always carry a few. This time, I brought even more.”eY6U38
slVJLRTaking out the large serpents in one blow, the rest were no problem.NmqTk
pXVyB0u“Don’t let a single one board the ship!”oKqLw
XdiXpNo matter how many sea worms there were, they couldn’t sink that force.yv5bsY9
uwYThe storm remained the greatest obstacle, but it was quickly dealt with.Hrf
buIBnCrack— shhhhhhzv81
YbZLe1F“This will eliminate any risk of shipwreck.”5TB3RL
8VjPQFORosalia froze the sea and anchored the ships onto a massive iceberg, reducing the rocking.K8wcp
HFkpbAdditionally, sea worms were weak to cold. Climbing the ice slowed them down, making them easy to slaughter.KSwUUg
ZrJY“Professor, you’re the best.”pO75Y
0I7“I don’t need obvious flattery.”2sPZ
Vjud“I mean it. Thanks to you, the ships didn’t sink.”ZWXpIKD
wgKlMkAfter clearing the marine horde, the ships resumed their course and, days later, safely arrived in Evgena.RsyVllI
hNKPThe magical stone compound was transferred to five carriages to continue by land.TmZyy
FwBA“Will there be more attacks on land? This is Vienderk—it’s not easy to gather enough monsters to break this escort.”CgH6
Sd60jJ“Have you forgotten we already fought inside Vienderk?”qKLb
GGZYes, he remembered. When they relied on Rosalia to catch a corrupted and killed the wrong one, letting the real one escape.RLpU
4pqj“But at least we got a clue.”GPoZ
dDP“That he was bald?”kQ1
L4w89TV“Exactly.”3ixVUN
OdP7rnh“There are lots of bald people in this world.”ipDX
6IpL0lI“But not many powerful, corrupted bald ones.”2sj
WyWHEMaybe so. But there weren’t many corrupted to begin with.UKk
HW1cBRcRather than argue, Fernan lit Rosalia’s cigarette.Gvu
AG8ihae“If the corrupted attack the carriages, what method would they use? Block the path and engage?”6TxO
PPpb14“The most common is collapsing the ground and dragging us underground. They seem to have the means to move freely down there.”RvcO
Yb37UE“If that’s true, it’s not a bad method. That way they could bring in more monsters and stage a massive assault…”cJWvm
AGKIX4BAt that moment—sh5
AgHXDCrumble— rumble—B6ZHRB
RPKbAs the saying goes, “speak of the devil and he shall appear.” Upon reaching a deserted road, the ground opened beneath their feet and everything collapsed.fgBN
AmFtwoThe terrain swallowed the entire convoy.vVTy9q8
lDLoUgIn the bottomless abyss, the carriages began to float on their own.tnSMp
vfgM2b“Protect the people!”bWuZs
69fJ90“Stop the fall!”zte8vj
0rpmRVTThe mages of the Cult of the Dragon God cast anti-gravity spells, halting the fall of people and vehicles.ab3vzEm
GrDlYwKThanks to that, everyone landed safely dozens of meters below—unharmed.0BGl
9eDVSS“…Did you also enchant the carriages with flotation spells?”zmER
dJ33ISD“Yes. We lived through this once. We prepared for it this time.”cSIz
UJHLast time, they’d lost an entire carriage. This time, they wouldn’t repeat that mistake.BhC
7Ss“Monsters attacked you here before?”tWCP0k
uw6“It’s a long story…”dhp
jcqz9kFernan fell silent. In the darkness, a sinister energy and a pungent stench filled the air.nv8AIAq
VVtWNTThey were Shades. Thousands of them, indistinguishable from the shadows themselves, advancing toward the convoy.JH8dxi
dtH“Enemies!”FakhE
CiMBgl“Hold the line!”gMBfy
QSAxrv4The knights unleashed their auras, the priests summoned sacred flames.TFajqk
9WM3VBut the Shades were countless and attacked from all directions—front, rear, flanks, even from the ground.07Diw
dFxKf0Soon, some managed to lunge toward the chest containing the magical stone compound.Fbmc0
v1njThese weren’t ordinary Shades.3Wvo
PsV9ckA“Kohx?”d81
9lzShadow-like, but larger and stronger—class 5 monsters. They were mixed in with the horde.ovaGwGo
uwfmFdXAnd then—wWzbV
XnABOOM— BOOM!sv4Kfc
BCP9rbThe monsters’ bodies inflated and exploded in a chain reaction.mUc6l
pWQThe blast tore at eardrums, and the shockwave rocked the entire area.T6yxw0q
VbMMen screamed and were flung away. Fernan barely held on, swallowing a groan.ww8
yF2BEven so—f18i
h2oTc“…What the hell is that thing made of?”LlJZh3S
ofvdNot even that destructive force had broken the chest. It was only dented and scratched.XmQV0dn
xgkfEj“I reinforced it with adamantite.”t0fh
GKKWThe hardest metal in the world.nXb
QngGtgU“After what happened, I wasn’t going to take any chances.”IwXB
hNoYQP‘Come on, you damned corrupted. Whoever you are.’xpcZq
KRWXc3nI don’t stumble over the same stone twice.KMLZ
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