Lord of Training - Chapter 50



Only Krnovel

50. The one who flies above the one who runs.

50. The one who flies above the one who runs.

Wheezing! Phew!

Bang! Papapang! Bang!

Colorful fireworks began to flash.

I continued to use the high-speed flight technique while consuming mana pills to arrive above the Magic Engineering Research Institute, and am now sitting on a tree branch near the main gate.

It seems that people are drawn to flashy and shiny things.

People in the city were climbing up to the rooftops of tall buildings or gathering in parks and squares near the palace to watch the fireworks.

Even the guards guarding the laboratory were distracted by the fireworks exploding above the palace.

The reason why a hundred police officers can’t catch one thief is because of carelessness like that.

‘But how are you going to get the dimensional core fragments out?’

I was watching every nook and cranny of the Magic Engineering Laboratory, but there still didn’t seem to be any movement.

That doesn’t mean there is any movement outside.

Although the guards’ gaze was elsewhere, this was a nationally important facility, so there were dozens of soldiers visible at the moment.

It wasn’t easy to get things out of a place like this.

Still, if I were a thief, I don’t think I would have missed this great opportunity.

There must be some way.

‘But I feel a little sorry for Saint Veronica······.’

I thought of that innocent face, clasping both hands together and looking up at me as if I were a messenger of God.

She must be praying by now that those who commissioned her to steal the fragments of God are successful.

If the Aquila Order were caught stealing directly, their relationship with the kingdom would become strained, so they probably used the Thieves’ Guild.

They steal for a living, so they’ll find a way.

But I was planning on taking the Dimensional Core fragments with me.

It belongs to the Atlan Kingdom, and stealing it is wrong.

As a soldier of the Atlan Kingdom, I had a duty to at least prevent that thing from being used for evil purposes.

So I thought I would take care of it and put it to good use in protecting the Atlan Kingdom.

‘I have saved the kingdom twice, so I am worthy of receiving it.’

If I had collected that dimensional core piece, I could have lasted four more months.

It took about six months to finish writing the first dimensional core fragment.

But the second dimension core had only been around for three months, and it seemed like two-thirds of it had already been consumed.

If you turn the Yeonseongjin twice, you will be drawing in more dimensional energy.

So, if you include what I’m using now, I have at least 5 months left.

Of course, if we increase the number of Yeonseongjin more than now, the period will be shortened.

‘Even Saint Veronica wouldn’t doubt me, right?’

The saint said that she felt a great sense of divine power from me.

But that was because they saw me up close, and the dimensional energy I possessed was like a firefly under a full moon compared to the dimensional gate.

The saint said that she became aware of my existence after I entered the palace.

On the other hand, the dimensional core fragment contained enormous dimensional energy.

Because it contained enough dimensional energy to turn my circle for several months, and it was even enough to charge up the elven heritage.

Perhaps if you carry this around, you won’t be able to avoid the saint’s eyes.

But I have an alchemist’s workshop.

If you put it here, not only the saint but also the saintly grandmother won’t be able to tell.

‘Huh? What’s that truck?’

A horsepower truck emerged from the laboratory.

The truck, marked “Waste Disposal,” began to slowly move toward the main gate.

What? They’re taking out waste at this late hour?

Something felt suspicious.

The truck stopped in front of the main gate.

The guard at the main gate checked the driver’s face and documents, then opened the door to make sure there was nothing unusual and let him through.

‘Am I being sensitive?’

The garbage truck left the main gate and moved along the forest path.

I was conflicted for a moment.

Should I follow that truck or wait a little longer?

That was it!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaa!

A siren rang out at the Magic Engineering Laboratory.

[Uses the high-speed flight (lv.2) technique.]

Paaaaang!

There’s no need to look any further; it’s that truck.

I flew into the air and chased after the garbage truck.

And then, belatedly, military vehicles were seen coming out one after another from the research center.

The garbage truck moved towards a nearby city.

‘Huh? If you keep doing that, you’ll probably get caught soon.’

The military vehicles were faster than the garbage trucks.

For a moment, I was wondering if I should tell her now.

Just then a garbage truck turned the corner and entered a warehouse building.

however!

As soon as I entered, an identical truck came out and started driving towards the main road.

‘Oh! That’s smart!’

It was a perfect swap.

It was like watching a movie with such neat craftsmanship.

If I hadn’t been watching from heaven, I would have been fooled too.

Are you saying that the guy who runs around like this is the one who flies?

The switched truck sped away at full speed, and the pursuing vehicle continued to chase after it.

There must be a toast being made inside that building right now.

I quietly went down to the warehouse building.

***

Five men were sitting in a dark warehouse, holding bottles of alcohol and celebrating.

The lighting was a single lamp, and a metal box could be seen on the desk in the middle.

That was definitely a box containing fragments of the dimensional core.

“You idiots! You must be chasing an empty truck right now.”

“That’s right. There’s nothing in the world that our Oblivion Guild can’t steal!”

“Didn’t you tell those guys you lured to fall down a bit?”

“Yes! Guild Leader, I told you to go to the slums and hide there for a few days.”

“Guild Master, now all that’s left is to collect money from the Aquila Order.”

“Kekekeke!”

Suddenly, the man called the guild leader started laughing darkly.

“Listen carefully, everyone. We will not hand over the items to the Aquila Order.”

“Huh? What is that?”

“We have a new buyer. He’s willing to charge three times the original price.”

“Three, three times?”

The subordinates’ mouths fell open.

Then one of his subordinates said,

“But is that okay? The Aquila Order even lent us a holy relic, so will they just leave us alone?”

“That’s right. We can’t escape the eyes of the Aquila Order in Rondos. We’ll all die.”

“Don’t worry about that. The new buyer is the Republic of Arica. There is a cargo ship leaving for the port of Pascaltes tonight. We will board that ship and cross over to the Kingdom of Lutes a little later.”

“Captain, does that mean you’re leaving the Atlan Kingdom completely? What about your family?”

“Don’t worry. You two will stay here!”

“yes?”

Pok! Pok!

“Ugh!”

“Ugh!”

Boom! Boom!

The two subordinates next to the guild leader stabbed the other two subordinates to death with swords.

“Without you guys, our share increases.”

“That’s right, Guild Master.”

Now they are happy because their share has increased.

These guys were trash thieves with no sense of duty or honor.

Is Saint Veronica believing in and waiting for such people now?

A sigh escaped me for a moment.

And these guys only knew how to steal things, they were really stupid.

As soon as you hand over the Dimensional Core Fragment, there’s a good chance you’ll be killed by the Arica Republic guys.

It was embarrassing to hear any more.

‘Let’s just deal with it.’

Bang! Bang!

‘what?’

For a moment I was dumbfounded.

The guild leader shot the remaining two men with his gun.

One died on the spot, and the other collapsed, vomiting blood.

“Cough! Why? Uh, us too······.”

“Kuuuuu! I’m giving you one box, do you need three?”

dump!

With the last of his men dead, only the leader remained.

In the end, I was grateful that he helped me with my work, but I was also bitter about the absurd betrayal.

Money is so scary.

But they must have been subordinates who had been through thick and thin together······.

Paaaaang!

Phew!

“Ugh!”

Boom! Kookook!

The captain was slammed against the wall.

It must have been a huge shock to be hit from behind with a high-speed flying skill.

I approached the fallen man.

Hey? Your face looks completely different than before.

And there was something like a chain around his neck that hadn’t been visible before.

When I got closer, I saw that the thick metal necklace was slightly loose.

‘Ah! This is the holy relic they were talking about!’

I held the necklace and looked at the status window.

[Mirroring Face – Saves the subject’s head and face in another dimension. When the mirroring device is activated, the face saved in another dimension is retrieved and displayed as an illusion.

When the face is struck, a momentary distortion occurs.

Up to 12 hours of use after charging with dimensional energy.

After using it once, you will need to copy the face again.]

Is this even possible?

Of course, this was not a holy relic, but a legacy from the elven ancestors.

With this legacy, he disguised himself as a real worker and broke into the lab.

‘I have to take care of this first.’

Anyway, the Aquila Order has been taken over by this guy.

And then he opened the metal box on the desk.

It contained a piece of black dimensional core.

Oh! Now the dimensional core fragment I found in the labyrinth gate has come back to me.

I put the dimensional core fragment into the alchemist’s workshop.

‘If you leave now, it’s over.’

I had no intention of killing that guild leader.

Instead, he lifted the unconscious man and flew into the air.

Even though the fireworks were in full swing, someone might have come after hearing the gunshots.

He placed the unconscious Thieves Guild Master down in an alley behind the docks, leaving the empty metal box next to him.

If this guy runs away, even the Aquila Church will think it was his doing.

After finishing up like that, I headed straight to Archduke Harry’s mansion.

***

Paaaaang!

After the fireworks ended, Archduke Harry and Lieutenant Audrey were seen entering the mansion.

I came down in front of the mansion.

“Huh? Are you coming already?”

“The banquet wasn’t very fun.”

Archduke Harry chuckled at my answer.

“I bought you some alcohol.”

“alcohol?”

“Alcohol tastes better when you drink it with people you feel comfortable with.”

I showed off the bottles of liquor I had bought as a gift to Archduke Harry this morning.

It was a very, very expensive drink.

It was a gift as a token of my gratitude, as I had to return to the barrier with my subordinates in a few days.

Audrey said.

“Then, for the first time in a while, should I make some snacks?”

“no!”

“no!”

The Archduke and I shouted at the same time.

One time when our battalion was camping out for formation flying training, 1st Lt. Audrey cooked a meal for Sergeant Douglin, and it was a real blow to our taste buds.

Judging by the look on his face, it seemed like the Archduke already knew about Audrey’s cooking skills.

“yes?”

When Audrey made a puzzled expression, Archduke Harry smiled and said,

“There’ll be a can of bacon in the kitchen. Let’s eat some of that to get back into the old military spirit.”

“Haha! That’s a good idea.”

Actually, this drinking party was for my alibi.

My alibi will be proven if I leave the banquet early and drink with the Archduke at the mansion.

That night too, I stayed up all night drinking.

***

Four days passed, but nothing much happened.

There were also rumors that something very important had been stolen from the Magic Engineering Laboratory.

Someone covered up the incident.

Well, I guess it can be a bit annoying.

I was packing my bags so I could return to my unit with peace of mind.

Knock knock!

“yes.”

The person who opened the door and came in was the National Intelligence Service agent I had seen before.

“Is there a problem?”

“The Lord Chancellor Regis is looking for you urgently.”

“Now?”

“Yes, here are Commander Buxley’s orders.”

I also brought the orders with Commander Buxley’s seal on them.

General Buxley was a field army commander, but he was also the commander of the 2nd Army Corps.

There’s no way I would have gotten caught······.

I got stabbed for no reason.

“All right.”

I left the room without even packing my bags.

At the door I met Archduke Harry in his uniform.

“It’s a holiday. Where are you going?”

“I’m going to see the Privy Councilor too.”

The Grand Duke?

What? You’re calling us at the same time?

I rode along in the Grand Duke’s car.

***

[Privilege Council Meeting Room]

There were about ten very high-ranking people gathered inside right now.

What on earth is going on that has brought us all together?

And I didn’t know why I was waiting here.

‘I need information······.’

The world was changing rapidly, with countless people moving every day and news of war coming from all over the place.

But the information I have access to is limited to rumors of unknown origin and two-page newspaper articles.

When I returned to my unit, I could receive newspapers in bulk once every few weeks. They were also censored, so they didn’t have much nutritional value.

The problem is that this situation doesn’t change much even if I become a permanent resident.

‘Later, I should create an intelligence agency like the National Intelligence Service······.’

If you wait for news to reach the distant Hebrok estate from the capital, you will inevitably fall behind in information.

Only by having accurate information can we understand how the kingdom is functioning and respond appropriately.

Squeak!

Archduke Harry came out alone.

“Your Majesty, what happened?”

“Just so you know. Saint Veronica has brought news that a D-class labyrinth gate will be created on the southern continent.”

“Huh? Didn’t the Labyrinth Gate appear once every two or three years?”

“That’s a normal case, but it can also happen suddenly like this.”

So close.

Of all places, it happened to be in the southern continent.

If it was near the Atlan Kingdom, I could have secretly gone there under the pretense of training with my crew.

“Today’s meeting is to coordinate how many people to send to the Labyrinth Gate. The Aviation Magic Training Corps, where I am the headmaster, has decided to send three people.”

“Ah! So you’re sending people to the Southern Continent?”

“Of course. Where else would you get an opportunity like this? They usually send children of nobles or talented people.”

The world is not fair.

I heard that 50% of the D-class labyrinth gates that Lieutenant Colonel Nicole entered before were awakened. And in the E-class labyrinth gates that I entered, all of the members of the platoon that struck the final blow were awakened.

At the labyrinth gate, there was a very high possibility of catching a monster and awakening it.

So, they select and send the children of high-ranking officials and nobles.

“Then why was I called here?”

“You must have learned this at the military academy. The southern continent was hit by a giant Orc Gate, completely wiping out two kingdoms from the map. The Gate was defeated, but the area was left abandoned and became an uninhabited ruin. In short, it’s a very dangerous place. The Labyrinth Gate happened to be there. Furthermore, the southern continent is a neutral zone where both the Empire and the Republic can freely enter and exit.”

“We will need an escort from the aerial magic unit.”

Archduke Harry nodded.

The point was that someone had to guard those brats.

The 7th Mobile Corps’ aerial magic unit was on the border between the Lacrosse Empire and the Kingdom of Lutes, while the Royal Guard’s aerial magic knights were responsible for protecting the capital and the royal palace.

So that meant that our Air Magic Squadron would be in charge of the escort.

It seems likely that the Privy Councillor and Commander Buxley had some influence on this.

‘What the heck is this?’

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