“Long time no see! How’s your health?”
“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”
Karina is the best. Just received basic healing magic and my body feels lighter than air. This is why they call her the Saint. If there had been no bullcrap, I definitely wouldn’t have died and could’ve flexed my skills in Kalon Academy by now.
“I’m glad to hear that. Do you know how shocked I was when I heard you’ve been caught up in a rift? How on earth did that happen?”
To tell the truth, it wasn’t me getting pulled into the rift; it felt like the rift targeted me and pulled Lewis and the others in. Thinking like that makes me feel a little sorry for the dead priest, but I can’t possibly handle all the sudden life bullcrap that comes my way.
If they knew, by now, I would’ve stormed every dungeon that has Easter eggs and good rewards, smashing bad endings and villains left and right.
I’d ignore some pathetic mission like that.
“I got caught up in it by chance.”
“By chance?”
“There was a part in the emergency passage that needed fixing, and unfortunately it was near a dungeon. I got swept in when the impact of the rift caused the outer wall of the dungeon to collapse.”
“Well, that’s quite a disaster.”
Look at those half-open eyes. They can’t really interrogate me anyway.
The academy is in an awkward position over this incident. They can’t very well go interrogating me, considering it would be mad to do so when they should be talking to me, the one who saved the kids, trying to calm the situation down.
Just let it slide. It’ll be better for both of us.
Whether my silent signal was conveyed properly or not, Gilbert took a sip of tea placed on the table and immediately changed the subject.
“Now, let’s get to the point. The principal wants to see you.”
“Me?”
“Yes. It seems he wants to discuss this incident.”
“Seems like it’s about time.”
It’s been around three days since I escaped the rift.
Things at the academy were in total chaos.
It was serious enough that a student got caught in a dimensional rift, but it seems the recent safety concerns about the academy have flared up again. With two crises back to back, the academy was understandably in a tough spot, even if they treated it as a natural disaster.
I heard the head of the Neraid family came down personally to stir things up.
No matter how prestigious Kalon Academy is, the anger of parents who lost their children was overwhelming. Thanks to that, my situation being under the protection of the Neraid family wasn’t such a bad result for me.
“Got it. I’ll get ready right away, so just wait a moment.”
I had something I could hand over, so I might as well finish it now. I opened the door to the reception room and gave Millia, who was peeking around the door, a playful tap on the head.
“Ow!”
“Don’t eavesdrop on other people’s conversations.”
“But I was worried about Johann—”
“Do I look like the kind of person who’s going to die out there?”
“Well, that’s not it! But I worry about Johann because he keeps getting caught up in work…”
I couldn’t come up with a good retort to Millia’s last response, so I roughly ruffled her hair and said,
“I’m more skilled at surviving than anyone else. So… don’t worry too much.”
—————————
“Principal. It’s Gilbert. As you requested, I’ve brought Johann Quartz.”
“Let him in!”
I stepped through the door Gilbert opened. The principal’s office looked just about the same as when I was here last time. I sat directly across from Principal Merlin, looking at him.
“I hear you called for me.”
“Indeed. We have much to discuss.”
The voice of the ninety-year-old archmage was surprisingly gentle. Normally, it wouldn’t be odd for him to look down on me, but this isn’t exactly a situation where he could.
My status is just that of a mere bodyguard, but my significance is something else entirely.
Knowing that, Merlin seemed cautious about starting the conversation.
“You must have noticed, but our academy seeks your cooperation.”
“Cooperation?”
I waited for his answer, pretending I didn’t understand. The archmage with a beard long enough to remind one of a sage looked at me with intrigue, then stroked his beard and smiled.
“Yes. We need your help.”
“It’s a bit hard to give that without any compensation.”
“Well, we don’t have to be so stingy with each other, do we?”
“Shouldn’t there be some boundaries?”
Where is he trying to take advantage? Though he looked somewhat anxious. I rolled my eyes, staring intently at his face. He seemed to have some hidden trump card.
What could it be?
Did he catch my gaze? He grinned broadly and said,
“Do you know why I called you alone?”
“…Isn’t it because you want my cooperation?”
“I wonder if you’ve used the mithril well.”
Tch, caught red-handed.
“…How did you know?”
“I’m an archmage, you see.”
What a persuasive phrase.
“Are you trying to threaten me with that?”
“Do I look like the kind of person who would do that?”
“I don’t really know you well, to be honest.”
I know the headmaster in the game very well, though.
“I’m not the type to betray friends.”
“Oh, really?”
“Bringing up the mithril was merely an opening for conversation. In any case, it’s true you made the emergency passage properly, so there’s no reason for me to disadvantage you, so rest assured.”
How can I trust that? Still, since it seemed like a sincere statement, I nodded quietly.
There’s no need to hastily reveal my hand.
“Would you like a drink?”
“Thank you, I’d love one.”
The kettle that seemed to float on its own poured tea into the cup. A sight only possible for a magician. With no hint of magic usage before it happened, it seems the master of magic indeed lives up to his title.
“Give it a try. This is black tea produced in the Korinth estate from the northern region. It’s famous for its quality tea leaves.”
I raised the cup filled with maroon liquid and inhaled its aroma through my nose. The scent of black tea I recognized filled my nostrils. It was hard to tell if it was high-quality or not; I wasn’t a connoisseur of tea after all.
“This is good tea…”
“Indeed.”
Merlin and I silently savored our tea. A moment to gather our thoughts before diving into the main conversation. It was around the time my cup was nearly empty that Merlin broke the silence.
“Would you like more?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Then let’s get to the main topic.”
The main topic… huh.
“We want to announce that you were secretly guarding the dungeon in response to sudden situations at the request of the academy.”
“In other words, you want to make me a collaborator.”
“Correct.”
“What do I get out of it?”
“What do you get?”
The cunning archmage, resembling a sly snake, raised his hand in a playful manner, making a circular gesture. A gesture that clearly meant money.
“I’m thinking of investing in you. Oh, of course, I’ll also provide a separate fee.”
Investment?
“Investment… you say?”
That was an unexpected development. I thought he’d just hand over some cash. But investment? Suddenly talking about investing? Was my astonishment evident on my face? The principal smiled broadly as if he got me right where he wanted and explained his reasoning.
“You’ve been making something interesting in your workshop, a chair that allows those who can’t use their legs to move… that’s quite intriguing.”
“I didn’t expect you to be interested in such a thing.”
I couldn’t believe he was actually interested in the wheelchair. That was entirely unexpected. I thought he wouldn’t care about it since it wasn’t a magical item. Should I have built it underground instead?
“I like unique items. Your invention piqued my interest enough. And I hear you processed mithril?”
“…Yes, that’s correct.”
“Processing mithril isn’t easy, even for dwarves. Even if its purity is low.”
Indeed, mithril is something that only emerges later in the game, and there’s a designated blacksmith for processing it, which was a hassle to deal with. In reality, blacksmiths who could process it were rare too. For me, it was possible because I pulled a few tricks…
“At your age, to be skilled enough to process mithril, if you were a student, the academy would have provided complete support. Talents capable of handling mithril are exceedingly rare.”
“So, you want to personally invest in me, is that it?”
“Exactly.”
It seemed there was more to it than that.
Should I test the waters? No, being direct might be more effective. I’m not one to beat around the bush.
I swished the tea left in my mouth and asked,
“I feel like there’s another reason behind this.”
At my question, he turned his gaze out the window. Following suit, I looked out the window and saw a bustling city under a clear sky. After a moment of silently gazing outside, he abruptly posed a question to me.
“Another reason… do you know how the world has been lately?”
“I’m not too sure.”
I haven’t been getting much news from outside recently. Sif, my news source, is on vacation now.
But something must’ve happened? Why does he look so serious?
Fortunately, Principal Merlin quickly answered my question.
“There are groups that have been hiding for a long time suddenly making moves. The Halphas Cult, the Bephara Cult, and the Agares Cult are appearing all at once; cults worshiping evil gods thought to have vanished from history long ago.
The empire and Kalon Church are dispatching troops to hold them back, but the situation isn’t good. They need talent more than ever, and that’s why I’m trying to invest in you.”
“I’m just a mere bodyguard, though.”
“A person who returned alive from the rift can’t be called ‘just a’ bodyguard. The survival rate when caught up in a dimensional rift is less than 10%. And most are individuals who return alone. But you managed to save everyone from Lewis’s party except for one, which is unprecedented.”
I feel like I’ve heard a similar story somewhere. It’s an eerily familiar phrase.
I brushed aside his compliment with casual words.
“It was just luck.”
“Luck is also a skill.”
Well, saying that leaves me with nothing to counter.
Accepting my silence as agreement, he met my gaze once more and said,
“I believe you will become a great person.”
“A bit premature, don’t you think?”
“An old man’s intuition. My intuition is quite accurate, you see.”
And with those words, he smiled.
Intuition, huh.
It’s ridiculous.
To think I’d hear the words reserved for protagonists.
I’m just a random body swapper who doesn’t even know my origins. I had some vague suspicions, but with this kind of direct confrontation, it’s giving me a headache.
…Still, I have a job to do.
“Your back pocket might get a bit thinner.”
“It’s money I wouldn’t have used anyway.”
I took his hand extended to me. A hand filled with the wrinkles of time. I shook it up and down, signaling the end of our negotiation.
“Thank you, I look forward to working with you.”
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