Memoirs of the Returnee - Chapter 182



Only Krnovel

The Regressor’s Notepad 182

Preparation (1)

The answer to question 12, the rooftop of Ebina Hall.

A one-on-one interview started in a place where there were no chairs, no tables, nothing.

The interviewer is Professor Teia Isil.

The interviewer is Senior Zion Ascal.

“Then, let me ask.”

With the blue sky as a backdrop, Teia Isil asks Zion Ascal for the solution.

To avoid any ‘hit-or-miss’. With a half-confident suspicion.

“Oh, that one?”

However, Zion Askar explains to her how to solve problem number 12.

The interpretation that Teia Isil intended was exactly as intended. Without the slightest error, without the slightest obstruction.

“──So. The correct answer is ‘Not November, but October 30th. Until 10:30 AM. Ebina-kan rooftop.’”

“… … .”

Teia Isil’s face became a little blank.

It was hard to believe.

I couldn’t believe it.

No, I didn’t want to admit it.

“I was lucky. I like riddles too.”

Zion Ascal spoke calmly, but his expression was ambiguous.

Teia Isil is good at reading others. With her genius five senses, she can instantly grasp the emotions of others.

In that respect, Zion Ascal is now rather──

I understand Teia’s doubts about herself.

Perhaps it is because he knows the relationship between Teia Isil and Libra.

Something welled up inside Teia Isil, but she tried hard to suppress it.

The distinction between public and private is thorough.

Even though this human is a Libra person.

“This is your exam ticket.”

Teia Isil handed him his exam ticket.

[0001]

Since I was the first person to solve the problem, I am number 0001.

He turned the test ticket over and asked.

“Is this a complete pass?”

“If you score over 20 points, you pass the interview. No, this very moment where you are with me is an interview.”

He doesn’t need to do any self-PR in the interview room, showing off his goals, skills, and ambitions.

“However, you still have to take the national university final entrance exam. The final exam date is November 7th. It’s ‘Trinity Hall’ until 10 AM.”

“yes.”

“That’s it.”

Teia Isil turned around, leaving Zion behind.

“professor.”

He called out to her. Teia turned her head slightly to the side.

“If I enroll, can I see you again?”

“… … It depends on how much effort you put in.”

His question was answered immediately and stiffly.

This itself is Teia’s attitude towards undergraduate students.

If he can solve number 12, he won’t fail the final exam. Sion Ascal is already like an undergraduate student.

“Ah. Yes. Thank you.”

She went down the rooftop without answering and looked at her wristwatch. It was already 11:10 AM.

There is an entrance exam meeting among professors at 11 o’clock.

I moved my steps quickly.

[cabinet]

Teia Isil stopped in front of the conference room door. She was about to go in but then pricked up her ears. She quietly eavesdropped, making no sound.

─No. But, Professor Teia, why on earth does he give this problem number 12? No one has been able to solve it for years.

─It’s a matter of personal taste. But I understand it. The problem itself was well-created.

─Or is this not a deliberate bribery? If you get a request from your cousin or someone like that, you can tell them the answer.

─If it’s the third quarter, would you really ask for a favor? He’s just a really picky person. According to the graduate students, he gets upset if you even criticize his lunch menu. He’s a young and great professor who’s supporting our national university, so let’s accommodate him.

Bam!

Teia opened the door. The professors in the conference room quickly straightened their postures.

“Ahem. Welcome, Professor Teia.”

Professor Wally, the bald guy who had just asked for a favor, laughed, sweating profusely.

“Yes. I’m here.”

Teia sat down.

The chairman of the upper house, ‘Ben’. He smiled slightly as he looked at her.

“You’re a little late. Not like Professor Teia. By 15 minutes.”

He is a young man in his early 30s and the second son of the congressman ‘Esteban’.

Teia answered, placing the files on the table.

“It was there.”

“What happened?”

The chairman asked in a relaxed tone, and Teia answered briefly.

“A senior who solved problem number 12 according to my taste.”

“… … .”

“… … .”

Everyone in the conference room was startled. The chairman asked curiously.

“Who are you?”

Teia swept her tongue across her mouth.

“Number 0001. This is Zion Ascal.”

“Zion Ascal… … Ah~ that. The one who defeated Gerken with swordsmanship?”

The professors quickly manipulated the tablet.

They all checked the special features of Zion Ascal and soon swallowed their words. There was even a professor who made an expression that was almost like a mocking sneer.

It was because of his special feature, namely, his future aspirations in the Endex school record book.

‘Libra’s Guardian Knight’.

“Why don’t you reconcile this time?”

Chairman Ben spoke subtly. Teia glared at him. Her expression was deadly.

“I’m joking, I’m joking. Still, that’s amazing. To think that Professor Teia had put so much effort into solving a problem in just five weeks.”

He raised his eyebrows as he looked at the tablet.

“Zion Ascal. I must remember him. He was a friend with very clear strengths and weaknesses.”

“… …Shall we start the meeting?”

“Yes, let’s do that.”

The chairman smiled.

“Congratulations to the person who solved the riddle after 6 years.”

Teia bit her lips silently.

* * *

Edsila National University. The new university I will be attending starting next year.

I’m walking through that schoolyard that I couldn’t even dream of before returning.

“… … It’s Gerken.”

There was Gerken. He was eating hotteok bought at a stall in the correction center.

The guy probably got the ‘date’ part of question 12 right.

In fact, Gerken solved problem number 12 after entering university. That’s how he became Teia’s disciple.

But I… …

It ends today.

Teia hates Libra as much as I do. Therefore, she will never be able to have good feelings towards me, who will become Libra’s person.

Still, I will try on my own.

So that Professor Teia can avoid reaching that future of defeat.

So that you won’t lose everything if you are knocked down by Libra.

I will live to create such futures.

The Eunwon before the regression, the times forgotten by everyone, ultimately define me.

─Tiring.

Just then my smartphone rang.

It was [Kanya Widerd].

I quietly retreated into an alley near the university.

* * *

Tracking Tracking──

Trick City D-Sector, where it rains mixed with magic stone dregs.

A cloudy and cloudy noon.

In the workshop of [Balmain Manaology], Kanya is talking to a popular figure in Trick City these days.

“… … Chewin Billington. President of Chewin Corporation. Bribed government officials to manipulate safety assessments. Released contaminated water. Covered up industrial accidents. He’s a total piece of trash. There are rumors that he’s connected to the cartel, and he’s been talking nonsense lately about his connections to Libra.”

Raquel Dra. He asked me to investigate the wealthy businessman Chewyn Billington of District B.

“Are you going to take care of it right away? The families of the people who died while working for Chewin Corporation have put up a bounty of about 50,000 Renmin.”

Raquel Dra (=Dale Carl) is a dangerous person.

No one in this world knows where the hell he came from, not even Kanya himself, but his abilities are dangerous to the point of murder.

“From Area D’s perspective, it would be better for him to die… … .”

However, Kanya is willing to take the risk.

Raquel Dra is clearly a beneficial person to Sector D.

No, in a broader sense, he’s a villain that Trick City and herself ‘need’.

“It won’t be as easy as before, you. You don’t know exactly what Area B is like, do you?”

The people of Trick City’s A and B districts think they are nobles above nobles. That’s why security is so tight.

Of course, ‘Chewyn Billington’ is a low-class person even among the rich people of Section B. He lives in Section B by sucking money from Section D.

But even he has connections to Trick City politics.

If you assassinate him, the repercussions will be much greater than before.

─I know. There’s a barrier in Area B.

The barrier in Zone B fundamentally blocks entry into lower zones.

“That’s why. Just getting in is a lot of work. 50,000 ren is too cheap.”

─Can you send me a list of guards?

“… …Guest list?”

Chewyn Billington’s security guard list. That’s easy. Kanya is a very respected and trusted figure among the floor informers.

Click- click-

Got it with a few mouse clicks.

“Send it?”

─Then thank you.

… … .

I’m in Zone B now.

“Have a nice trip, Mr. Billion.”

“yes.”

The barrier that Kanya had warned about was quickly passed.

It’s thanks to the skill “Trick” that I brought from Bedundan.

Once you’ve created a fake ID by “cheating”, you can then “cheat” the scanner and you’re done.

Of course, if they check the central database later, it will be identified as illegal trespassing, but I just need to get through it for now.

Once you reach Area B, it’s easy.

“… … This is it.”

A four-story mansion built on the outskirts.

It’s like a fortress, with private security guards and the B Area Enforcement Unit patrolling frequently.

─Yes, that’s right!

Growl answered from above my shoulder. The little fellow meowed and jumped down onto the floor.

“Lure me.”

─Yes~

Growl went off somewhere, and I waited.

Before long, the guy was wagging his tail and luring one of the bodyguards away.

“How did this cat get in here… … Huh? It’s a magic stone.”

It’s a similar method to last time. When Growl catches your attention, a high-quality magic stone will fall on the ground.

“I’m lucky today.”

Strangely enough, the bodyguards can’t stand magic stones. Maybe it’s because they’re underpaid.

I just pounced on the guy.

… … .

When turning the human face inside out with a “notepad”, the physique is always an issue. The physical specifications are not that common.

Fortunately, among this target’s bodyguards, there were quite a few who had a similar build to me.

I looked at the mirror in the hallway of the mansion.

‘Michael’.

This is the name of the guy.

It didn’t kill the main body. It just made it lose some of its memories.

I’m sure he’ll wake up on his own in a day or so. That’ll give me time to escape.

After entering the mansion without any bloodshed, I calmly walked down the hallway and climbed the stairs.

To the fourth floor where the greedy toad named ‘Chewyn Billington’ resides.

“……hmm.”

Of course, it seemed like the guy used the entire fourth floor as his residence, as the front door was right at the end of the stairs.

If you turn on the SZX-9500 and take a quick look, it’s full of all kinds of intrusion detection techniques.

Even the CCTVs hanging on the ceiling on both sides of the 4th floor are blatantly filming me.

It doesn’t matter.

It’ll be over in 3 seconds.

I bent my knees slightly. I peered through the keyhole. I zoomed in on the SZX-9500’s field of view until I caught sight of the target.

Found it.

Chewyn Billington was drinking in the living room.

I took out the wand.

There is no need for me to go in myself. There is no need to take even the slightest risk.

However, just put the wand tip into the keyhole… …

percussion.

──.

This time it’s a combination of five drinks.

“gale”,

“Ultra-high density compression”,

“Elegant Curvature”,

“Color”,

“Silence”.

A gust of wind compressed into a super-dense curve beyond high density. It elegantly curves through the keyhole, roams around the dwelling, and bites Chewyn Billington’s neck.

All of the above processes are silent.

It’s just quiet.

So much so that I couldn’t even tell if he was dead or asleep.

─Michael. What are you doing there?

A voice from the control room flowed in through the earphones in my ears.

“Ah. I thought I heard something. I came to check, but nothing happened.”

I shrugged and answered.

─Come down quickly.

“yes.”

* * *

───Bang!

On the day of the national university interview. Pollen decorates the sky to welcome the seniors participating in the interview.

Under that sky, Elise, Raye, Kane, and Asher are walking through the correction. Somehow, their hearts are a little full.

“Wow… … The entrance exams are finally over.”

“Not yet. There’s still one last exam left.”

Elise tackled Raye’s words. Passing the interview was already a done deal for them, but they couldn’t take the final test with the Nth-year repeaters and foreigners lightly.

“Hey. Are you both in the Magic Department?”

Escher asked Elise and Raye.

“then.”

“Yeah. I’ll go to the magic department too.”

Kane looked at Raye with a slightly suspicious look.

“Are you a grader?”

“If it works?!”

“Hey, Elise. Are you sure?”

Elise simply raised her eyebrows without saying anything.

In fact, the Department of Magic places greater weight on talent than any other department. Therefore, someone like Raye… … would have passed the interview.

“Oh yeah. Right. Did you guys hear that rumor?”

Kane gave a slightly shaky start.

“What are those rumors?”

“Problem number 12. Has anyone solved it?”

“……what?”

Elise frowned.

“How do you not know that?”

“My father’s friend is a professor at a national university.”

“… … .”

Is it Gerken?

No, it’s not Gerken.

If it’s Gerken, rumors will definitely spread.

“You said you didn’t tell me who it was. You said I wouldn’t believe you anyway.”

You said you weren’t going to believe me anyway?

Elise’s eyes opened wide.

No way, Zion Ascal?

She quickly texted someone.

[Hey. Did you actually solve number 12?]

A reply came right away.

[Zion: Yeah]

[Don’t touch me. Where are you now?]

[Zion: Home. I got 20 points so I’m exempt from the interview.]

Kwakwakwakwakwang──!

At that moment, lightning struck Elise’s head.

Anyway, it was that kind of shocking effect.

[Zion: I was lucky. I like riddles, and when I analyzed it, it turned out to be a riddle.]

“… … .”

There are such clichés in this world.

Teacher (Elise) and disciple (Zion).

The teacher teaches the student, but in the end the student defeats the teacher.

The cliché that says, “The blue bird comes first.”

Elise is the most hated cliché in the world.

That shouldn’t be the case.

A disciple must always remain a disciple. At least, ‘my’ disciple…

“Ellie. Why are you sad? Who else got it right when Ellie couldn’t?”

“… … .”

Raye glanced at her, chuckling.

Then this time, Escher tapped his smartphone.

“Hey Ray. Trick City’s been a mess lately?”

“why?”

“The news just came out. The B-area assassination incident.”

“… … Huh? In Area B? That’s a big deal.”

Raye was genuinely surprised.

In District B, where public security is assured, an assassination is a major incident that rarely occurs even once a year.

“Oh. But it seems like that was Rakel Dra’s doing too.”

Escher is sensitive to the latest civilization, information, and trends. Regardless of whether it is Trick City or Edsilla. Therefore, he also knows Trick City’s Rakel Dra very well.

“You know Rakel Dra? She’s the hottest villain these days.”

“What the heck?!”

Kwakwakwakwakwang──!

At that moment, lightning struck Raye’s head.

Anyway, it was that kind of shocking effect.