It initially began as mere leisure.
Stepping out of her office filled with tedious paperwork, she was taking a walk around the outskirts of Nineveh.
As she idly passed the time, lost in thought, a voice reached her ears.
– “I have come to enroll in Nineveh.”
– “I apologize, but it is not currently enrollment time…”
She hadn’t honed in on their conversation intentionally; her hearing was just so refined that even the faintest sound came alive as if it were right next to her.
‘Was it really such a trivial matter?’
It was overflowing with people who ventured all the way to the Admissions Office to complain to the Head of Admissions about wanting to enroll in Nineveh. Such a thing was merely commonplace and hardly worth her concern.
Sure, it was slightly pitiable that the Head of Admissions was caught up with an obnoxious individual, but wasn’t that what her rather high salary was meant to handle?
The moment her interest waned, she shrugged her shoulders and continued on her way. Or at least, she intended to. Until the next moment, when a certain phrase reached her ears.
– “I wish to exercise my right to special admission as a descendant of the Seven Heroes.”
‘A descendant of the Seven Heroes?’
When she had only heard the voice from afar, she thought it was just some fraud or braggart. Certainly, given the name “Seven Heroes,” revered throughout the continent even more than that of the Emperor, there were hardly any who would carelessly bring it up. But the world is broad, and there are always madmen, right?
Truly pathetic. Even if one were to use the name of the Seven Heroes to get into Nineveh, their lack of competence would inevitably be revealed during the regular curriculum. Why on earth engage in such a ridiculous lie?
However, the Chairperson was compelled to revise her thoughts after meeting Jin, the man in question, face to face.
Jin was indeed a remarkable individual, unlike anyone she had encountered before.
‘To think there existed a person whom the Eyes of Truth could not read!’
The Eyes of Truth that the Chairperson possessed had the special ability to read others’ minds at will and discern their lies. Though few were aware of the fact that one from the Edelstein family had such powers, those who did were too intimidated to make eye contact or engage in conversation with her.
After all, it was exceedingly rare to encounter anyone who treated others without pretense or deceit.
The Chairperson herself was not particularly fond of the eye bestowed upon her by the Edelstein lineage. She had been forced to confront the world’s ugly and filthy aspects due to this very ability.
However, at the same time, the Eyes of Truth proved to be invaluable in uncovering traitors or filtering out those harboring ulterior motives.
So, she had anticipated that she could bravely expose the identity of that pompous man who had dared to enter Nineveh and spout lies without a care—
‘Yet I couldn’t read a thing.’
This too was a first. Faced directly with her gaze, this was the first time she was unable to read anything at all from another.
Was there some trait or tool that resisted the power of the Eyes of Truth? No, the Eyes of Truth had certainly captured Jin’s existence and peered into his inner self. It was merely that she couldn’t read anything from within.
Of course, the Chairperson was well aware that the Eyes of Truth were not omnipotent.
Essentially, if someone were ranked higher than her, cloaked in a dimension beyond her understanding, or possessed a formidable mental defense, then the Eyes would cease to function.
However, the Chairperson assessed that Jin did not fall into any of those categories. Then how could he possibly resist her gaze?
The points of confusion didn’t end there.
When she first encountered Jin, she felt nothing from him at all.
He exuded none of the might or intimidation that a strong individual ought to possess. His physique was also unfathomably weak, akin to that of an untrained ordinary person.
…And that was precisely what felt strange.
Despite appearing to be an inconsequential and unremarkable man, her instincts whispered to her.
Never underestimate him. That man possesses the means to kill you.
Thus, she decided to test him. She wanted to see what he was hiding and whether the means he concealed could touch her.
The result was truly astonishing.
“…Hah.”
The Chairperson gazed pensively at her right hand. The same hand that had just been grasping Jin’s wrist moments ago.
Earlier, the Chairperson attempted to subdue him utilizing the Eyes of Truth, but she could only manage to grip his wrist.
…No, it wasn’t that she had held his wrist. He had willingly offered it to her. To avoid being caught at his vitals, he had allowed her to grasp his wrist to potentially strike back at any moment.
Arrogance. To perceive an opponent solely based on outward appearances and, without any grounds, misjudge their capabilities after underestimating them—if that’s not arrogance, then what truly is?
“…William.”
“Yes, Chairperson.”
“Can I hear your opinion? What kind of person do you think that fellow is?”
Among those she knew, there was no one more adept at grasping the essence of humanity than the Head of Admissions.
It was precisely due to such talent that he had maintained his position for 20 years in Nineveh’s Admissions Office.
“In my opinion, he seems to have a close connection with the Pendragon family.”
“…The Pendragon family?”
The unexpected name, which she had never considered until now, caused the Chairperson to furrow her brows.
“Why is that name coming up? No, prior to this, I had not heard of any man of that age associated with the Pendragon family.”
“Yes, that’s why I was quite uncertain. If he really is connected to the Pendragon family, then his presence would indeed be akin to dropping from the heavens. However, after hearing the conversation he just had with you, Chairperson, I am convinced. He is definitely linked to the Pendragon family in some way.”
A voice filled with certainty. It was clearly a type of speculation that couldn’t be easily uttered without some firm basis.
“His posture, the angles in his gait, the width of his strides, his vocal tone, and even his attitude towards others—nothing deviated from decorum. Moreover, I sensed that his manners closely resembled all aspects that comprise the Pendragon Little Princess.”
“The Pendragon Little Princess?”
The Chairperson inadvertently conjured the doll-like face of the Pendragon Little Princess alongside Jin’s visage, her expression tightening. If one were to exaggerate, it seemed that the only common trait between the two was that they both had a face comprised of eyes, nose, and mouth.
Furthermore, while those of the Pendragon family bore deep purple hair, Jin’s hair was reminiscent of pure black, like the color of pitch.
“Of course, all of this is merely conjecture. However, his refined demeanor is definitely indicative of someone who has received teachings from a noble house.”
“…Hmm.”
Hoping to glean even a hint of insight, she sought advice, only to find herself tangled up in more uncertainty.
As the Head of Admissions had stated, Jin truly appeared to be a being whose origins were utterly unfathomable, as if he had dropped from the sky.
‘Could it be that he is truly a descendant of the Seven Heroes?’
The Chairperson had no intention of naively believing Jin’s claim of being a descendant of the Seven Heroes.
No matter how he might present the teachings of the Seven Heroes as proof, in a situation bereft of any tangible evidence or witnesses to support his assertion, wouldn’t it be all the more absurd to trust him?
Yet, if his claim were indeed false, why would he go to such lengths to impersonate a descendant of the Seven Heroes in order to gain admission to Nineveh?
With his skill level, he could have easily passed the entrance examination of Nineveh without any fuss. So why resort to such a conspicuous strategy to gain admission?
…I don’t understand. I truly don’t understand. No matter how hard I ponder, I can’t even guess at the purpose behind his desire to enter Nineveh.
But one thing is certain: as the Chairperson of Nineveh and the head of the loyal Edelstein family, I cannot carelessly release such a dangerous man within the Empire.
That is why I permitted his special admission. It would confine his range of actions within Nineveh, while allowing me to investigate what his true identity was and what secrets he was hiding.
Whether he was genuinely a descendant of the Seven Heroes or, as the Head of Admissions speculated, had some connection to the Pendragon family mattered little to me. In fact, in that case, it would be even better.
Because by admitting such an exceptional talent to Nineveh, I could ultimately draw him into the embrace of the Empire.
“…I don’t like him.”
Though she discerned that this was undoubtedly the best choice after weighing the options in her mind, the Chairperson spoke in a curt tone.
“Why is that? Do you perhaps have a disqualifying reason for him that I’m unaware of?”
“It’s nothing significant.”
The Chairperson pouted in murmuring.
“What bothers me is that he treats me as if I’m an old maid who can’t even hold a man’s wrist.”
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