Memoirs of the Returnee - Chapter 149



Only Krnovel

The Regressor’s Notepad 149

Short story (5)

“… … Are you filming a comedy?”

A quick thought on the scene where Raye runs away, zooming down the mountain, and Elise desperately chases after her.

“hmm?”

I saw it- Come here- I saw it- Come here-

A blue crystal sparkling on the ground suddenly stands out amidst the echoes of Raye and Elise.

“what’s this.”

Did Elise leave it behind?

I picked it up without thinking.

Weeeee-

It was rippling blue.

At the same time, in this fragment, there was a certain sensation… no, a feeling.

No, it feels like some ‘technology’ is seeping into me.

I frowned and tilted my head.

“cooking?”

It’s a fragmentary memory of cooking. Chopping vegetables, slicing vegetables, grilling meat, boiling noodles, etc.─

“Oh my!”

Suddenly, a finger appeared from behind me and snatched the fragment away. I turned to look at it.

“It’s dangerous. Don’t look any further.”

Long black hair that reached down to her waist, and crimson pupils that honestly make me dizzy every time I see them.

“What? Why are you here?”

It was Akane.

Akane Kedzen Meol.

“Did you come because of Soliet?”

Solliet and Akane must have some kind of relationship now. I don’t know yet if it’s a bilateral contractual relationship like mine, or if they’re master and disciple.

“We met during the evaluation test. You should have noticed my connection to the association a long time ago.”

“What kind of association? The Magic Association, the University Association, or some other association?”

Then a dark furrow formed between Akane’s eyebrows.

“… … Is that a threat? How presumptuous.”

“You’re the only one getting stabbed. Don’t worry. If you were going to report it, you should have done it a long time ago.”

There are three major associations famous on the continent.

The Magic Association, the University Association, and the Monster Association.

The Magic Association and the University Association have had tremendous authority, both in the past and present, and the Monster Association is a collection of trash, but in terms of influence and ripple effect, they can be considered great associations.

“More importantly, why are you taking it away?”

I am dissatisfied with this.

That piece of debris, the “Treasure Hunter” radar is buzzing.

“It’s not even yours. Where would you put it? It’s an achievement point that Elise will receive.”

Akane kept the fragments carefully in a box like a jewel box.

“What is that?”

“It’s a shard. I thought someone would die because they were blinded by this.”

“… … It is an extremely irresponsible statement, even though it came from the association level.”

“Irresponsible. Every year, about a dozen people die at the College Board. There are even rumors that the association deliberately kills people. Being a college student means you’re going into the real world.”

Well, that’s true.

College students are classified as combat veterans, so they can become targets for assassination by other black companies or the underworld.

“If I take it, what will I do with it?”

“It’s not something you can handle yet. I’ll return it to you in seven years.”

7 years?

It’s uncertain whether he’ll be alive by then.

Akane muttered, peering intently at the fragments.

“… … Two hundred and seventy-five thousand eight hundred and sixty-four. That’s a lot of people.”

“What is it?”

“It’s the number of repeated days. But don’t you earn achievement points?”

“I’m going to do it, but you’ll probably find it anyway, right?”

I smiled and pointed to [Askar Farm]. Akane also looked in that direction.

“farm?”

“Come sometimes. It’s not free, of course.”

“Why?”

“If you’re hungry, come and eat. You’re not a doll, are you?”

“… … .”

Akane’s expression hardened slightly.

I know how to tell if she’s a doll or not.

It used to be difficult, but now it’s easy.

pupil.

Akane is a puppeteer who can even recreate the intricate details of a human’s iris, but there are very subtle differences between the doll and the actual body.

It’s a distinction that only I, who took care of her body and ‘looked at it with both eyes and remembered it’ myself, can make.

“Come here when you want something sweet. We even have tropical fruits.”

“… … .”

Akane stood still, as if she was shocked by the unexpected news, and I waved my hand and went into the farm.

Before I knew it, Gerken was crouching down.

He looked at the farmland and said a word.

“… … It’s growing.”

“Oh. The soil itself is good.”

In addition to the perfect geographical conditions, since Growl, who oversaw the production, is a monster of stone and earth, the farm’s performance and productivity will be far superior to any fertile soil on the continent.

“The harvest cycle will come in three days.”

“three days…….”

Gerken glanced at me.

Is that your spectrum?

– It seems like he wants to ask, but he never says it out loud. Because he knows better than anyone that it is rude.

“I’ll give you the 10% I earn. You won’t have to worry about food on your own. As long as you don’t eat like an elephant.”

“… … 10%.”

Gerken muttered softly.

It’s a face that doubts itself. It’s an expression that looks like it’s going to eat like an elephant.

“Once it exceeds 10%, you can buy it by giving achievement points.”

“Is bartering possible?”

“Exchange? Possible. Bring something like meat.”

“ruler.”

Gerken pushed the box he had placed on the floor.

A box with a strap that can be hung on the shoulder like a cross-bag.

“What is that?”

“This is an icebox purchased from the soul.”

Thud-

I opened the box. Inside, the meat was preserved cold.

In this way, in [Planarium], there is active communication between souls and humans. Simple conversations and even bartering are possible.

“Good, but don’t trade with the soul too often.”

“Why?”

“… … Well, it doesn’t have to do with you.”

In fact, the reason [Planarium] will be sealed again in the future is because too many ‘swindlers’ are flocking in looking to make a fortune overnight.

Foolish people who try to sell soul-made artifacts to the continent.

Every time you use a soul item, you don’t even realize that your mental power is declining.

In that respect, there’s no need to worry about Gerken. He’s a guy with outstanding mental strength.

“Leave that icebox here. Use it instead of a refrigerator. I’ll pay you with fruit.”

Gerken looked regretful about parting with Box, but soon nodded.

“Okay.”

Tong- He put the icebox down on the floor. The name [Gerken] was written in small letters in the corner with a name pen.

“What kind of elementary school student are you?”

I chuckled.

* * *

[Planarium Academy].

It’s been three days since the College Board reopened.

Many seniors are running breathlessly.

Not only the Endex named characters like Elise, Gerken, and Cain, but also other famous people from the Magic Highlands like Mel and Valerian─be it monsters, magical phenomena, or anything else, they are being caught and converted into achievement points like crazy.

Achievement point trading is also not going well. It’s still early days, so everyone seems to be very motivated to achieve results…

I’m moderately lazy.

“It’s over there. Can you see it?”

This is the bush of [Planarium].

On the other side, you can see monsters with achievement points.

“Yes. I see it. A horde of Ash Men.”

Solliet answered.

Ashed Man. Four humanoid monsters with bodies that appear to be burned.

Those that are level 1 or 2 on the ground are level 3 or 4 in [Planarium].

For reference, according to the ‘Monster Level Scaling’ established by the Magic Association, the average Magic High School senior is level 3~4.

That means you have to deal with 4 senior level players.

Soliet immediately drew her sword.

“I will take the lead.”

“check.”

I also picked up the Ascal sword. At that moment, Soliet rushed forward. As soon as they sensed the front, they raised their claws.

It’s called a claw, but it’s actually a long spear that’s almost 2 meters long.

Soliet took charge of four people at once in the vanguard, and I circled around and aimed for the rear.

Chaeng- chaeng- chaeng-!

The sound of sword and claws meeting. In the meantime, I easily dug in behind them and rushed at the one who seemed to be the leader of the four.

Cha───!

The panicked man quickly swung his arms toward me.

Index finger, thumb, ring finger. A total of three fingernails were stuck together, but I immediately started to examine them.

It was the first time that the Eight Swords were used in a real battle.

Chae Ae-Aeng───!

Samgeom [Three Swords]. Lightly twist the sword to block the claws coming from the right, then switch to Ilgeom [One Sword].

It is a strong strike that strikes in a straight line with a ‘spin’ applied to the sword.

The bastard crossed his claws over his head as if trying to defend himself.

────!

Bogeom completely destroyed the bastard’s nails and head.

So when I killed that one, Soliet took care of the other three.

Situation ended.

I wiped the ashes off my face. I put their ‘core’ in a bundle.

Soliet glanced over and said.

“You seem to be quite familiar with the Eight Swords.”

“Did you see it?”

“Yes. I guess you practiced hard.”

“What? It’s an all-purpose sword.”

[Eight Swords] is Arcne’s basic skill, but it is an all-purpose sword that is more difficult to master than the secret swordsmanship of an average family.

“As expected, you know. It is said that the [Eight Swords] that have reached the extreme are more powerful than the main family’s secret sword.”

“Hey. That’s an exaggeration.”

“No. The strongest ancestor in the history of Arcne, the first ancestor, became the best on the continent with only [the Eight Swords].”

Solliet said seriously.

“Yeah, well. I guess I have talent, just like you said.”

I shrugged.

Then Soliet let out a small breath. Her chest heaved slightly.

“No. [Eight Swords] is not an easy sword to master even with talent alone. Not only is there talent for the sword, but there are so many things to memorize… … Effort is essential.”

And then he smiles with a detailed smile.

“You’ve been working very hard, Zion.”

“……uh?”

I think you’re making a lot of mistakes.

In fact, the joke that [Palgyeom]’s nickname is [Nogada Swordsmanship] is quite famous.

8 directions, 8 on each side.

There are a total of 64 types of food, but the number of ways to combine them is nearly infinite.

“If the elders of the clan see you, they will try to recruit you right away. So don’t get in their sight. Never.”

Soliet’s eyes suddenly hardened.

“Why is the conclusion like that?”

“Because they are not good people.”

“… … Okay. Then let’s go down slowly. The vengeful spirit will come out in the evening.”

[In the Planarium] there are both good and evil spirits.

The distinction is surprisingly easy.

Souls that look like humans are 99% neutral~good souls. Evil souls are black or have beast-like appearances, and if you meet them, you’ll be in big trouble.

The vengeful spirit tries to take over the human body.

“Yes. Does [Planarium] look familiar to Zion?”

“I have been studying.”

I’ve been here a long time ago, for quite some time. It was right after Solliet committed suicide. I was in a very crazy state.

Thud thud-

We were walking down the mountain path together when we reached a fork in the road.

On the right is [Ascal Farm], on the left is [Planarium Academy].

“Let’s eat at the farm and go.”

“No, it’s okay. I have to do Bedandon too.”

She shook her head, and I said nothing more.

“Okay, then.”

Distinction between public and private.

Since that day, we’ve developed a line that we keep between each other.

“Goodbye.”

“Yes. See you tomorrow.”

I entered [Ascal Farm].

The inside of the greenhouse is growing amazingly with each passing day, so it seems like it would be okay to harvest right now.

“Growl. Can’t we harvest this?”

─I think it will work out~

A growl burst out from his shoulder.

“Then just do it with the ones that are fully ripe.”

─Yes~

Growl stiffened his neck.

Then, the grains of rice and wheat are instantly peeled off and rush in like the wind.

“When did you learn psychic powers?”

─The magic technique for moving things related to the earth is easy~

Anyway, roughly one sack each of rice and wheat.

Not only that. Cabbage, lettuce, onions, garlic, and even Gerken’s favorite sweet fruits… … .

I harvested everything and sorted them by type.

“It’s abundant.”

─Knock knock knock.

Just then, a knocking sound rings outside.

─Open the door! Open the door! Open the door!

Raye’s voice continues. I can understand it even if I say it only once.

I opened the door.

Beyond that are Raye, Cain, Escher, and… … Soliet?

I looked at her and chuckled.

“What? You said you were going.”

“… … I was caught while coming down.”

Solliet smiled bitterly.

As I looked, Raye was holding her tightly, almost to the point where her sleeves were crumpled.

“What are you guys?”

“… … What the heck! You’re a guest.”

Raye smiled brightly.

“Zion, you~ Are you going to sell food and stuff here? Just like last time~”

Are you talking about roast pig then?

As it turns out, I have all the ingredients.

“… … That’s true, though.”

I looked at Kane and Asher. They were just standing there, hesitantly.

“Escher muttered, poking his lips.

“Hey. I didn’t know Zion was doing that.”

“Sand. The name itself is Ascal Farm.”

“… … .”

There is no answer.

They don’t even know that my last name is 100% Askar.

“Oh, then you guys go! You can’t even grill meat!”

Raye turned back to me with a sad expression on her face.

“Zion… … We can’t do anything… … Even if we catch a wild boar, we can’t even clean it… … The meat had hair on it, so I almost threw up while eating it… … .”

“… … Is that so?”

Looking at it this way, it seems like Raye, Kane, and Asher have lost quite a bit of weight.

Kane in particular has thin cheeks.

“But it’s expensive here? It’s 300 achievement points per person.”

“What the!!!”

Raye let out a loud noise, and Kane and Asher’s eyes widened.

“300 points is a bit too much.”

“Instead, I’ll give you enough to fill your stomach for a day. Think of it as omakase.”

For reference, the four Ashed Men I caught today are worth 80 points. If we assume that seniors catch an average of 200 achievement points per day, that means that it would take almost 1.5 days to invest for one person.

“If it’s expensive, you can go back.”

There’s no point in selling it in bulk anyway. I don’t like it when too many come in either.

“But, you won’t regret it, right?”

I clenched and unclenched my fists.

I haven’t cooked much, but strangely, my hands are overflowing with feeling. Even certain desires keep coming up.

The desire to cook.

Somehow, I felt confident that I would do very well.

I guess it’s because of that [shard] I touched last time.

“Well, even so, only 10%-”

“There will be no discounts. Rumors about you being rich will spread.”

There’s a rumor that Elise received 30,000 achievement points from Akane and gave 2,000 to each of her team.

“… … Okay! Okay! I’ll do it!”

“Ah. Everyone. I’m fine-”

Lae caught Soliet, who was trying to leave late.

“Soliet, I’ll buy you one! I got the achievement points from Ellie, no, I got them~~”

“What? Raye, you gave me more? We all only got 2,000 each.”

Escher blinked.

“No~ Moo~ I have a lot to do~~ Okay! Zion! Bring your student ID!”

At [Planarium], the student ID is a card, ID card, and wallet.

I tagged the cards to Raye, Kane, and Esher in order.

[+300 AP]

[+300 AP]

[+300 AP]

[+300 AP]

1,200 AP.

What other seniors would have to work hard for six days, they did in just one day.

“Okay. Come in and wait. Have a seat.”

I opened the farm gate wide.

The chairs and long table were just set up. Just like a real omakase restaurant.

Growl, who was eavesdropping on the conversation, quickly made up his mind.

“Sit down and wait.”

“Wow. Everything is already set up~”

They sat down.

I marinated the pig that Gerken had slaughtered with whole pepper and salt, cooked rice, and made mushroom soup to serve as an appetizer.

“This is an appetizer. Eat.”

Raye opened her eyes wide after eating a spoonful.

“Wow. It’s delicious!”

“… … I spent 300 AP, so it has to be delicious.”

“Escher, shut up!!”

“… … .”

Anyway, the frying pan is also prepared.

A special [stone slab] made by Growl himself.

Place the aged pork on top of the sizzling broth, then grill the steak with a mixture of asparagus, green onions, and onions.

“This is the main. Eat.”

Pork steak and rice. The meat is huge and the rice is generous.

Because they are all big eaters.

““““… … .””””

The four people stared blankly for a moment before taking a bite. They put the steak in their mouths.

Suddenly, those faces melt like cotton candy.

They each lower their heads with different expressions on their faces.

“It’s delicious.”

Everyone turned around to look at that admiration.

No, it was Soliette.

Not Cain, not Raytheon, not Asher, but Soliet.

I asked blankly.

“… … Is it delicious?”

“yes.”

A faint smile appears on her face.

It’s a first for me.

It looks like she really enjoys something.

“I guess it’s because it’s expensive~ Liet has only eaten expensive food since before!”

Raye said, clutching her fork.

“… … Ah. That could be the case.”

“Eat lots. There’s even dessert.”

I laughed to myself.

It’s a sense of pride and accomplishment that I can’t explain.

Is it because I heard words I thought I would never hear in my life so suddenly?

Raye laughed heartily.

“Zion~ This is so delicious! But you don’t have any dasulgi soup~?”

“You catch it yourself and eat it.”

Raye is talking about this and that, but Asher and Kane are silent. They just keep swinging their knives as if they are in a trance.

While they were eating their main course, I made a sorbet with melon.

So, towards the end of the meal.

“Okay. Dessert. Eat.”

Sherbet served as the final dessert.

The four people took a bite each, already looking quite full.

““““… … .””””

I shut my mouth tightly again.

silence.

Everyone, just quietly scraping and eating the shaved ice.

“It’s worth the money….”

Kane mutters. There is a hint of sobbing in his tone.

No, I’m actually crying.

“… …Sigh.”

It’s a bit disgusting to see her raise her arm and wipe away her tears, but still.

Although Kane looks like a bandit, he is actually a noble young master. He has probably never cooked, let alone slaughtered anything.

It’s said that he’s a rich man who is far from self-sufficient.

“Hey, why are you crying and making a fuss- ugh.”

Asher, who was standing next to him, tried to comfort Kane, but ended up lowering his face.

Raye looked at the two of them as if they were dumbfounded and scoffed.

“… … These guys are crazy!”

Silently, I watched Soliette savoring her shaved ice.

“Hmm. Hmm… … .”

The way she enjoys food is truly another noble quality of Rayelang. Is this what it means to be a true noble?

“Consider it a high-class restaurant, so come here occasionally. But don’t come too often, because it’s annoying for me too.”

I said that and wiped my hands.

dripping-

Then, the knocking sound rings again.

“Uh-”

The person who opens the door while speaking cautiously is Elise.

“……if-”

Elise glanced around the interior.

He saw Solliet and me first, and then he found Raye.

“Hoho~ Ellie, you’re here~ I wonder why you’re here~”

“It’s nothing?!”

Kyaaa- He yelped and turned around quickly.

“Zion. Will you be connecting to [Bethundun] today?”

Just then Soliet asked.

“… … !”

Elise’s footsteps as she was about to run away stand firm.

My ears are perking.

I spoke briefly.

“Oh. Of course. Elise, why are you here?”

“… … It’s nothing.”

Elise, her lips pursed, went out of the ranch.

“Huh, huh… … What could be going on… … Eli came to Zion… … What on earth could be going on… … .”

Raye muttered quietly, looking back and forth between the slammed door and me.

“Keuheup- keuheup-”

“Keuheup- keuheup-”

“… … Why on earth are you guys crying?”

I shook my head because of the Escher and Kane that were dragging on like decalcomania.