Chapter 69. < 29. Where does such a monster come from (2) >
------------------------=
"Are you letting me go?"
"I didn't know. That's why I apologize. If I had known you were someone this great, I wouldn't have committed such an offense."
He bowed his head again.
Both his tone and attitude were extremely polite.
But Lumian wasn't pleased at all. He didn't want to keep facing him.
So he quickly got to the point.
"Can you give me some money?"
"Of course."
"Then 300 gold."
"Will that much be sufficient? If you wish, I could give you ten times that amount..."
"300 gold."
"Understood. Here it is."
The man reached into his clothes and quickly handed over the money.
Lumian didn't count each gold coin in his pocket. The weight seemed about right, so he left the hideout without looking back, and removed his robe and mask at a spot far away.
He quietly muttered.
"Since when is a thug that strong? Completely a monster."
It was absurd.
His disguise was impressive, but fundamentally his martial prowess itself was tremendous.
Judging by the atmosphere he gave off, he seemed skilled enough to stand at the front even if Sword Masters were lined up.
'At least within the top 30... no, maybe even stronger than that.'
A true powerhouse that couldn't even be compared to the tall man who first appeared as the Red Moon boss.
Lumian thought for the first time in a while that the world was vast.
Of course, he didn't think he would lose this time either. He was confident he could gain the upper hand even if the Red Moon boss and the man called 'elder' attacked simultaneously.
However, he needed to be prepared. He thought something might go wrong somewhere.
'I've saved enough money for emergencies, so now I should stop this too.'
Unless he had regained his previous life's cultivation level, digging into that guy right now was too dangerous.
He couldn't take such risks before even escaping the barony.
Lumian quietly muttered.
"Even without a Demon King, well, the world is similar."
Actually, even when there was a Demon King, problems from other sides were more common.
Of course, worrying about it wouldn't solve anything. Lumian had seen and heard quite a lot in his previous life to not know that.
'Let's only worry about what's within my capabilities.'
He looked for an inn to have a late morning meal.
***
The hideout after Lumian left was still quiet.
No one could open their mouth.
It was because the auras emanating from the Red Moon boss and the hidden mastermind who had been concealing his identity until now were pressing down on everyone.
"Shall I clean up, Elder?"
"Yes. My head hurts, so I'll step out."
"Yes."
With those words, the old man called 'elder' left the hideout. Though his appearance was young, he had lived for a very long time.
Bang
As soon as the door closed, screams rang out from inside. Sounds of swords being drawn as if trying to resist, and voices cursing could be heard.
However, not long after, all sounds died down.
A short while later, the Red Moon boss walked out leisurely with a few drops of blood splattered on his face.
"I've cleaned up, Elder."
"Good work. Hoo."
After encouraging the boss who bowed his head politely, the old man took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth.
When he snapped his fingers, a flame sparked up with a tick sound.
After taking a deep drag, he started speaking as if grumbling.
"Was it about 20 years ago... there was a similar incident where branches were raided."
"......."
"He was a monster that I couldn't even think of standing in front of. I could tell just from the video recorded by magic. That he was an opponent I couldn't handle even if there were several of me."
He put the cigarette to his lips again, exhaled smoke, and continued.
"Today, I got that feeling from back then."
"...Is he that strong?"
"Yes. A monster. Not as much as that freak from 20 years ago... but I would lose. That's certain."
Seeing the old man declare this, the Red Moon boss felt bewildered.
He wasn't just a simple underworld boss.
He was a big shot with influence across various fields beyond just the organization. And he had enough skill to handle himself adequately.
Compared to that, the intruder from earlier had some bland aspects.
He would probably be stronger than himself. Well, he had just become a Sword Master.
But for the old man, a monster whose limits were unknown, to speak weakly like this. He couldn't believe it.
'Just how strong is he... judging by the feeling, his age didn't seem that old either.......'
"Stop it. You're not in a position to judge."
"...I apologize."
"Even if you search the entire continent thoroughly, there won't be more than ten people stronger than that man from earlier. Rather than fighting such a man and suffering severe damage, it's better to back down moderately. Tsk, where do such monsters keep popping up from..."
The old man took out another cigarette and lit it.
Then he frowned slightly.
It was fortunate that the damage was less than expected, but that didn't mean there was no stress. He absolutely hated these unexpected variables.
With many bad things happening recently, he was even more annoyed.
For him, a Sword Master, to have a headache, one could guess how serious the situation was.
He gave an order to the Red Moon boss.
"I'm leaving, so clean up neatly and come back without any issues."
"Yes, Elder."
The boss went back inside the building. The old man, left alone, looked up at the sky lost in thought.
But then.
Behind him, a black energy began to slowly approach using the building's shadow.
Slither...
The black energy was extremely stealthy. And cautious. So much that even the old man, who possessed amazing senses, couldn't detect it.
If he had been concentrating, the situation would have been different, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case right now. He was deep in other thoughts.
Eventually, the black energy safely melted into the old man's shadow.
It was a success that took a full 10 years. The black energy had been watching for an opportunity every single day for this moment.
Of course, this wasn't the end. The black energy continued to advance.
From the shadow to the heel, to the leg, to the waist...
Finally, the moment it was about to seep into the head, the final destination.
"Mmm."
The old man let out a low groan.
Then he strongly raised his energy.
Flash!
An intense energy enough to make the surrounding pebbles float.
After releasing his aura for a moment, the old man retracted his energy and thought.
'I felt something strange...'
It definitely seemed that way, but now he didn't feel anything again.
Was it his imagination? He tilted his head and quietly grumbled.
"I guess I've been too nervous... I need to rest a bit."
Whoosh
With those words, the old man left the place.
The black energy also disappeared along with him.
It was a secret and unpleasant incident that no one, including himself, had noticed.
***
"Phew, I'm full."
Lumian muttered as he walked down the street after finishing his meal.
It was the same inn where he had eaten with senior Tania before, and the taste had improved. He thought he should visit occasionally even after the semester started.
After walking through the city for a while, Lumian finally saw the entrance to Tarajan Academy.
Unlike when he first came, he felt affection and longing.
When he first reincarnated, instinctive fear had risen. Thinking about that time, he smiled faintly and went inside.
Regardless of the past, right now it was a more comfortable place than anywhere else.
It was a place where precious connections he had newly made existed, and also.
"...Oh."
It was also a place where lovely female students were wandering around.
'Tarajan Academy people really do look good.'
To leave this place and join the Zenath Knight Order. That couldn't happen.
Lumian praised his judgment once again and headed straight for the dormitory.
He had accumulated some travel fatigue from the long journey. This was unrelated to his physical stamina.
He wanted to quickly unpack and rest.
He increased his speed further, and soon entered the dormitory interior.
'Ah, come to think of the parrot guy... well, he'll find his way back somehow.'
He probably would.
Whether he finds me by smell or by his ability to handle mana, he somehow always found him. That's how it was throughout this entire journey.
If I open the window after entering the room, he'll probably come in on his own. And he'll jabber lewd words by my bedside.
Lumian scrunched his face.
'I need to train him to do that less. Ah, come to think of it, I hope no one catches him thinking he's amazing? He'll be fine, right? He's quite quick in movement...'
While thinking various things about the golden parrot.
Rustle rustle
"...!"
Strange sounds were heard from inside his room.
Lumian's expression hardened.
Did a thief break in? he wondered.
'Though there's almost nothing to steal...'
No, leaving that aside, a thief breaking into the academy dormitory where nobles live.
What in the world was going on?
Lumian quickly took out his key and opened the door. The sound of the lock releasing with a click reached his ears.
The sound of someone gasping was also heard. It seemed to be from the thief inside.
With an angry face, Lumian threw the door wide open.
Even if he runs out the window, I'll catch him!
His eyes full of determination to arrest surveyed the room.
"...Oh, hello?"
"......."
"You, you came earlier than I thought. Haha, hahaha..."
"What are you doing?"
Looking at Boomer Simpson greeting him with a flustered expression, Lumian asked.
After a moment of silence, Boomer bowed his head on the bed.
"I'm sorry."
He was still holding an obscene book in his hand.
***
"So... you secretly came in because you suddenly wanted to read the book you gave me before?"
"Yeah..."
"How did you get in?"
"Well, I fiddled with a piece of metal and it just worked..."
"...Let's say that's fine, but why are you reading in my room, not your room?"
"It was annoying to put it back, so I thought I'd finish reading here and... ah, I'm really sorry. I apologize."
Boomer apologized again.
Lumian shook his head with a pathetic expression.
'This guy isn't normal either.'
Sneaking in because he missed the obscene book he had gifted to win his favor before, and then planning to do everything (?) there because it was annoying to go back and forth.
It was ridiculous.
But it wasn't incomprehensible.
He was also a man, after all.
'It certainly is an excellent book. No wonder he'd think of it again.'
Since the subculture research club that used to print copies was destroyed, its scarcity might have increased.
Thinking that way, his heart became a bit more generous.
Lumian decided to forgive Boomer.
"Don't do that next time. No matter how urgent you are, picking a lock and entering someone else's room."
"Yeah... I'm sorry. I won't ever do that again."
"Alright."
After finishing his admonishment, Lumian burst out laughing.
It was funny, this absurd incident that happened as soon as he arrived, and he was also glad to see a friend after a long time.
And with a very wicked thought.
'This guy, looking at him, he doesn't have a girlfriend.'
Thinking this made him somewhat relieved.
Teoro Shutgarn, Kal Krone. These two weren't his competition. They were already playing in a league above.
But he didn't want to lose to Boomer.
So the current situation felt very comfortable.
The smile on his lips grew even brighter.
Watching this, Boomer was flustered.
'What's with this guy?'
Something about the atmosphere changed.
No, looking closely, it wasn't the atmosphere but his appearance that changed. Suddenly his features became more defined and his skin improved. In short, he became more handsome.
Even if it was a period where growth hadn't ended, for a person to change this much in less than two months.
'Don't tell me, is this guy dating someone?'
Is that why he looks so refreshed?
Anxiety floated on Boomer's face.
Just as Lumian considered him his last bastion, he felt the same way. He didn't want to imagine a future where Lumian got a girlfriend first.
With a serious expression and a trembling voice, Boomer spoke.
"By any chance, you..."
"Hmm?"
"Did you... get a girlfriend? Maybe from your hometown?"
"......."
Lumian's atmosphere darkened rapidly. That was the answer.
'Good.'
Seeing this, Boomer instead found peace in his heart.
But he didn't show it. Since he had done something wrong before, the situation wasn't good for teasing.
Instead, he decided to give a gift for his friend who still served as his support.
"Lumian. Let's go somewhere together."
"Huh? Why? I was going to rest."
"Let's go there first, then rest. There's a good place."
"A good place?"
"Yeah, a good place. You won't regret it."
'What's this all of a sudden.'
Lumian looked at Boomer's face.
An expression overflowing with confidence. An attitude saying to just trust him and follow.
'It's not Teoro, so what can you possibly show me.'
Still, he was too curious to say that.
Lumian nodded.
"Alright. Let's go."