Memoirs of the Returnee - Chapter 208



Only Krnovel

The Regressor’s Notepad 208

Meaning of Villain (1)

I quickly processed the list that Bellmore had given me. I visited seven people over the weekend and reported on the industrial spies among them.

There was no “Bancheon”.

In the first place, they are not a group that can be easily caught. Rather than pushing in many lower-ranking people, “Bancheon” is the type that promotes a small number of elites like Riley to important positions.

Right now, Cooper is the head of the Libra Research Institute.

anyway.

Thanks to the intelligence team leader criticizing me for ‘overreacting’, I didn’t have to cut off their arms. Instead, I just submitted a statement and a report.

Afterwards, I visited the hospital where Cooper was admitted. I disguised myself as a fairly ordinary person and went to his hospital room.

─… … No, why do you keep crying when I said I’m okay?

─It’s because I’m not okay. What on earth happened… .

─It’s my fault. It’s my fault… … Don’t cry.

His arm was cleanly cut off, and his wife was beside him. She had a sad look on her face, but Cooper tried to smile at her.

I pretended to pass by their hospital beds and put a business card on the shelf.

[ No Aspect ]

Akane’s prosthetic arm functions like a real arm, so if she gets a transplant there, Mr. Cooper will be able to return to his daily life without difficulty.

Of course, I think I should tell Akane in advance… … Well.

I’ll help you out as soon as I can.

Because he is a quick-witted person.

I left the hospital and walked down the alley.

In the late afternoon, the streets were lined with street vendors as the sun was setting. The smell of hotteok, bungeoppang, hotdogs, and the like wafted through the air.

“……after.”

I feel quite gloomy. The shadowy faces of the Cooper family keep appearing in my mind.

I was prepared for this, but I guess there’s nothing I can do about it.

I picked up my smartphone without thinking.

[ What are you doing ? ]

I texted Soliette.

A reply came right away.

[ Soliet: With orange. ]

She enclosed a photo of her cat. The furniture and wooden floor reflected in the frame were lovely.

Still, it is the old building of Endex.

[ But why didn’t you come to liberal arts class last week? ]

[ Soliet: I didn’t feel like learning anything. So I went for a walk with Orange. ]

That’s a lie.

You must have accessed Bedundan.

However, I would rather wait.

I hope she meets ‘Javed’ there.

I hope you can find him in person and have a long talk.

Maybe… … I wish I could make more memories over a longer period of time.

[ You shouldn’t walk your cat too often ]

[ Soliet: Haha, that’s a misunderstanding. My orange cat is very different from other cats. Orange is a descendant of a tiger. ]

“……hmm?”

It was then that I discovered a familiar head in front of me.

It was Elise. She was looking at the paper bag in my hand with a somewhat pleased expression on her face.

“What are you doing here?”

I called out to him. At that moment, Elise turned around. Her eyes widened as if they were going to pop out.

“… … .”

She didn’t say anything. She just rolled her eyes, hiding the paper bag behind her back.

I asked the guy.

“Do you eat steamed buns?”

“……no.”

“That’s a steamed bun.”

“… … .”

Elise said, taking out a paper bag.

“… … I was going to throw it away. I picked it up by chance.”

“Throw it away, then.”

“… … .”

Elise chewed her lower lip. I smirked and asked.

“Hey. Have you eaten?”

She tilted her head with a strange expression.

“rice?”

“uh.”

“Why do you ask that?”

I said it casually.

“If you haven’t eaten, let’s eat together.”

I feel a bit down and like I need some company.

Anyway, that’s why I asked.

“……what?”

Elise’s face twisted into a grimace as if she had seen some homeless man wielding a knife.

* * *

This is not right. This is not right. This is not the situation.

… … is what Elise is thinking.

I must not be seen by people. You never know when or where the paparazzi will come after me. As my father said, I am now an adult. I am the successor to the great family Petra, and I must feel responsible.

Of course that’s true… … .

Elise looked across at Zion.

He looks kind of sad today.

“What’s going on?”

“what.”

Elise asked, pulling her cap down tightly.

“I’m saying this because you look so pitiful.”

“uh…….”

He sighed, as if lost in thought for a moment.

“I bullied a good person. I did it for his sake, but. I don’t feel so good about it.”

“… … .”

Elise looked at him. She took a bite of the bun.

In the meantime, oden soup was served. It was a food Elise had never encountered before.

“… … Don’t be mistaken. There are no good people in the world.”

Elise said, scooping up a spoonful of food first. Zion chuckled.

“Usually bad people say things like that.”

“… … .”

A vein appeared slightly on Elise’s temple.

Even when I try to comfort him, he still acts like this.

“It means that most people are gray. Everyone does bad things.”

I took a bite of oden soup.

hmm.

It’s secretly delicious.

Elise looked at Zion again.

“… … .”

Zion was staring at himself.

“… …What do you see?”

Elise wiped her mouth with a napkin.

“……just.”

Zion chuckled. It was a strange smile.

“I just realized that you’ve changed a lot.”

“Changed?”

“Yeah. You were a monster.”

“Are you crazy?”

However, Elise herself is frowning.

The future her was clearly a monster, an embodiment of venom that no one could defeat.

“I’m saying not anymore.”

But that future is no more.

Therefore, Elise is proof that the future is not fixed.

“… … People always change.”

She said in a very subdued tone.

“Someday… … when you reach a crossroads.”

“Fork in the road?”

“okay.”

Elise put the fish cake skewer in her mouth. She pretended it was nothing and mumbled as she asked again.

“If you were to come to that crossroads, would you be confident that you wouldn’t become a monster?”

“… … .”

Zion looked into space for a moment as if he was thinking, then shook his head slightly.

“well.”

A bitter smile spread across his lips.

“I’m not very confident.”

“… … Huh.”

Elise put down the skewer and raised her eyebrows.

“I see.”

Mother’s enemy.

That setting, which often appears as a cliché in movies or dramas, is now right before your eyes.

Elise’s Petra is the enemy of Zion Askar.

So, seeing him so closely and wanting to be with him are both clearly wrong desires.

“… … You. Don’t you know how to drink?”

30 minutes, that seemed okay.

To her somewhat gentle suggestion, Zion responded.

“No. I can’t drink. I have a class tomorrow at 9. And I have somewhere to go.”

“… … This really pisses me off. You said you wanted to eat first!”

“I’m eating right now.”

Elise’s brow furrowed like a swan’s.

* * *

Trick City. Kanya Wider is beside herself with excitement over the hotly-selling “Delivery Box.”

“Inspiration! How many tanks can you make today?!”

The method of making a “Delivery Box” is simple. Just soak the previously transplanted scroll in a magic stone solution and process it.

“Three cans!”

But the magic stone solution is the problem.

Even though we estimated the price conservatively because the magic stone can be recycled until it runs out, 1 million copies have already been sold.

“Three boxes are not enough? We need to order 3,000 more boxes today! I placed a bulk order at the top!”

“Already? The high-quality scrolls came in yesterday.”

Kanya received the “Advanced Delivery Box” spell from Dale Carl yesterday.

It was a high-level result where “advanced protection” was intricately intertwined with “delivery box”.

“You must have heard the rumors! Anyway, move quickly! While you’re waiting for the bonus!”

Kanya, who had shouted loudly, returned to her workshop again.

The news flowed from the TV that was on all day.

[ There is a ‘box decoration craze’ going on in Trick City right now. “Delivery boxes” that are easier to use than drones have already permeated the lives of Trick City residents… ]

“Haha.”

I was happily watching the news, when suddenly.

[ Breaking news. A murder has occurred in Area C. The villain who calls himself ‘Void’ has massacred a family and is committing indiscriminate murders… … . ]

“Why are there so many villains these days?”

Since Rakel Draco, there have been a lot of crazy people out there claiming to be villains.

But they don’t know.

Raquel is not just a simple villain. Rather, she is closer to an assassin. An assassin who punishes evildoers.

In fact, since Raquel appeared, the cartel in Sector D has been hiding.

On the other hand, Balmain Manaology is growing rapidly. This is thanks to “Foodie” which opened the floodgates and “Delivery Box” which became a huge hit.

Kanya will not be monopolizing the money he earns. He will use more than 30% to develop Sector D.

Because the people in District D deserve to live too. They shouldn’t be looked down on as lower class.

Kanya’s ultimate goal is to eliminate the district divisions in Trick City.

To do that… …you need Raquel Dra for yourself too.

* * *

National University Campus. 1st floor hall of the main building of the College of Engineering.

Today’s lecture is a major requirement, [Article Knowledge].

“Ask the freshmen. What do you think are the qualities of a knight?”

About 150 people are sitting in an ordinary lecture room and looking at the professor.

Gerken raised his hand.

“It is ‘protection.’”

“That’s right. Protecting. That’s a textbook explanation.”

The professor’s name is Zekrun. He is a fairly famous gentleman. He is an honorary knight of the Knights of the Parliamentary Order, and also serves as the president of the National University’s Knight Department.

One of the people Teia Isil trusts… … .

Spoiler alert.

He is actually a monster.

A man whose magical power conversion rate was amplified by transplanting a monster’s heart, and whose cardiopulmonary endurance, lung capacity, and physical strength were abnormally increased, resulting in his skills skyrocketing to an extraordinary level in the middle of his career.

As such, there are quite a few monsters on this continent who are absolutely invisible on the outside.

“However, a knight’s duty is not limited to guarding. Therefore, the quality of a knight is ultimately to do one’s best in the task assigned to them. Therefore, I will evaluate your ability to carry out your duties.”

Exactly-

As I snapped my fingers, the beam projector projected.

[ Article Program: Freelance ]

“You will now be freelancers and enter the job market. So each of you should write a self-introduction. Write about your strengths and what you are good at.”

Then everyone turned on their laptops. I didn’t have a laptop. Luckily, Soliet, who was sitting next to me, had one.

“Don’t exaggerate too much. There is a risk that you will be given a task that is beyond your capabilities.”

I glanced at Soliet. She handed me my laptop.

“Zion, try writing first. I’ve never written a self-introduction before.”

“Oh. Okay.”

[ Zion Ascal ]

[ Guide, explorer, driver, bodyguard, etc… … I’ve heard a lot since I was little that I’m multi-talented. I can do small things like an all-rounder. ]

“……how is it”

“Is this the end?”

“uh.”

“hmm.”

Then Soliet took the laptop back.

[ Soliet ]

[ Good at swordsmanship. Good with computers. Talented in all aspects of gaming. Ranked in several FPS and RPG series. ]

“Hey. Forget all the talk about games.”

“yes?”

Soliet frowned.

“This is also a spec.”

“If you erase it, erase it.”

“… … .”

Solliet had a somewhat dissatisfied look on her face, but soon pressed the backspace key.

“Submit within 3 minutes.”

… … .

10 minutes later.

I was assigned to a mission right away. I got a text message on my phone saying I was hired.

But the content was a bit gruesome.

[Mission Overview: External security of Trick City Area C ‘Ceylon Tea Tower’]

[Mission Description: Patrol outside until 6pm]

[There has been a recent problem with thieves in Trick City. A villain named ‘Void’ is running wild, so if you do not wish to take on the job, please send a cancellation message.]

“What kind of villain is this… … .”

It’s just regular building security, and he even has to go all the way to Trick City.

“Wait. Void?”

I checked more about it on my smartphone. There was a villain named ‘Void’.

This guy is trash. He’s a real piece of trash.

Originally, he was a madman who appeared later than now, about 3-4 years later.

“Why is he out so early?”

“What are you talking about?”

Suddenly the answer came back. It was Soliet.

“Oh, no, nothing. Where are you going?”

“I’m a security guard. What about Zion?”

“… … Trick City.”

“Oh. That would be fun.”

Solliet asked, putting her laptop into her bag.

“Zion. But you know.”

“uh.”

“This time, at Bethendon… … .”

She cautiously raised her voice. It seemed as if she had something to say, but she eventually swallowed it and shook her head.

“… … No. I’ll talk to you later. First, let’s finish class today. I’m going up the mountain, so I’ll be back.”

“Okay. See you later.”

I waved at her.

… … .

Trick City C-15 area. In front of the 39th floor Ceylon Tea Tower. I am listening to the captain’s explanation.

“The job is simple. Just patrol outside. There’s an event today, and the villains have been running wild lately… … .”

It’s not just me. There are about 7 students from national universities, including Kane, and about 13 students from other prestigious universities.

“Anyway, there won’t be any major incidents, but if you spot anyone suspicious, report it to the microphone right away. I’ll tell you the route distribution through the earphones, so please keep your earphones plugged in.”

I put my earphones in. Kane next to me looked at me and snickered.

“Are you here too?”

“Uh. Why.”

“Did Elise call you?”

“… …What are you talking about?”

That was when.

Elise and Raye got out of the limousine in front of the Ceylon Tea Tower. The two of them spotted me as soon as they set foot on the ground.

“What is it? Are you Zion?”

“… … Why are you here… …?”

Elise frowned at me.

“What, what~ It looks like Bona Mana Ellie called~”

“Shut your mouth, for real. Before I kill you. There’s a camera here too.”

Raye was joking around as usual, but Elise was acting more serious than ever.

“… … Yeah. Sorry.”

Raye became dumbfounded and I asked them.

“Why are you guys here… … Huh.”

“They came to teach us.”

“class?”

“Yeah. Today’s magic department class is observing magic waves.”

Elise shrugged and said.

“They say that quite a strong magical wave will be observed here.”

“That’s right, that’s right.”

Rayedo pointed to my backpack.

“We brought a lot of equipment.”

“… … Is that so?”

Strangely enough, I have an ominous feeling.

“Look. Zion, do you know this? It’s called the Buramata Telescope. This is really expensive… … .”

When I saw Raye explaining her equipment like a monkey showing off a banana, I felt like…

I have a feeling some villain is going to show up and cause some mayhem.

It’s still just a gut feeling.

Not yet.