Memoirs of the Returnee - Chapter 239



Only Krnovel

The Regressor’s Notepad 239

Without a scar (1)

Edsil National University, [Using Magical Arts] Lecture Room

“… … If you calculate this formula, it breaks down like this.”

Professor Teia Isil wrote on the blackboard. The classroom filled with students followed her writing.

“Also, when manifesting magical powers, environmental factors are also important… … .”

As she continued speaking, she looked at someone in a certain seat.

Zion Ascal.

He is Libra’s chaser, shamelessly taking notes.

Teia had already been aware of his activities the evening before. It was easy to obtain this level of intelligence.

“──That’s all for today.”

The three-hour class was over. Most of the students closed their notebooks, but the model students climbed up onto the desk.

“professor.”

First was Elise. Teia nodded at her.

“… … Are you feeling better now?”

“It’s okay.”

“That’s good. Well, this part here-”

“I guess you still don’t know who it is?”

Teia was the first to cut off Elise’s words.

“Ah… … yes.”

Teia was clearly struck down by the bullet, but when she opened her eyes, she was in a hospital. If it weren’t for that unexpected help, her life would have been in serious danger.

“Not yet. If you look for it seriously, it will come out soon. Right now, we are busy with the patient procedures.”

But that ‘someone’ is still a mystery. Teia, who hates being in debt, is willing to pay a reward of 100,000 Ren.

“Rather than that… … this part here.”

Elise pointed stubbornly to her notebook.

“In this part, when the circuit is cut off, magic power is released, right? I understood that you are using the release that occurs from an artificial cutoff, is that correct?”

“That’s the correct understanding. There are various ways to utilize the circuit. Usually, the magic circuit is connected, but there are also cases where the circuit is intentionally cut off… … .”

Meanwhile, Zion Ascal had disappeared from his seat.

* * *

My college life was relatively smooth.

As a student of the College of Journalism, I train hard, listen to lectures diligently, and neglect my academic life.

My grades were also maintained at a relatively high level. I hovered just below Gerken, Kane, and Escher. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get above that.

For your information, Soliet is on academic probation.

No, it’s almost certain.

The guy is still adventuring in the tank and may never graduate.

Because of that, the seat next to me feels a little empty.

But, that’s where it’s most important to him right now.

Because these are days with Javed.

anyway.

“……hmm.”

[The council house is a government office built on the mountain range east of Edsilla.]

A private room in the dormitory.

I’m looking at my laptop monitor and thinking.

[For security reasons, the entrance to the Assembly Hall where the hearing will be held will be open only for three hours, from 11:00 to 14:00 on the day of the hearing, and will not be opened until the end of the hearing.]

Because so many important people are gathered here, entry times are limited. As long as you enter the parliament building at the designated times, you are absolutely safe.

This is why Jedric’s subordinates do not want to let Teia Isil in.

[… … This hearing will be attended by prominent figures such as Libra’s eldest son, Jedrick, and Bern’s successor, Salio.]

“A victory with only scars.”

I know this story.

Teia wins this hearing. She attends at all costs and exposes Jedric’s true face.

However, it is a victory with only wounds.

This is truly the case for Teia.

She succeeds in stirring up the hive that is Jedrick, but the backlash is too great.

The facility she was researching was blown up, her family history, which she tried to hide until her grave, was exposed by the press, and most of all, several of her students were murdered in a fit of rage.

What about Jedrick, on the other hand?

Class action lawsuits are filed, but they are covered up with all sorts of tricks, and the media is lobbied to manipulate public opinion, so that no significant damage is done to the victims except for money, time, and most importantly, their ‘pride’.

From Teia’s perspective, it was the worst cost-effective attack.

“… … But.”

I saw the Libraphone.

“You’re done with just one order?”

There’s no contact from the balancer. It’s going to fail anyway.

“Should I stop it?”

It became a problem for me.

Are we just going to watch Jedrick’s disgrace?

Instead of saving Jedric’s face, should we stop Teia from disturbing the hornet’s nest?

“… … .”

I thought hard.

One side is a future I know too well, and the other side is an uncertain path──

Teia.

I like you.

“I guess I have to stop it.”

Because I like him, I will side with Jedrick.

If possible, it will change your miserable downfall.

Because I don’t want a future where you die.

* * *

“So, does Jesco trust you completely now?”

Late dawn at Lithium Corporation.

Sonya asked as she organized the ledgers in her office.

“Yes. I think so. To be sure, let’s try to focus on it for another month or two. It will end without any variables.”

I fiddled with the necklace. Sonya’s eyes fell on it.

“What is that?”

“Oh, this is a college student reporter ID. You can enter the National Assembly building with this.”

“The council chamber? You mean the eldest son’s hearing?”

“yes.”

Sonya gritted her teeth slightly.

As such, her ill feelings towards Jedrick deepened considerably.

“It starts at 11 o’clock today… … I somehow decided to attend.”

“What is your mission?”

“… … Write an article as favorable to Lord Jedric as possible and contribute it to the university newspaper.”

It was a mission given directly by Smith. They call it forming public opinion or something.

Easy, you’re just telling yourself to get out of it.

Sonya laughed bitterly.

“That’s funny. So, are you planning on just sitting there?”

“what…….”

I shrugged.

“If the time comes to move, I plan to move. More importantly, how is R&D going?”

Jesco will soon fall. And not just because of the desert spirit. He will rely on Belkman to expand his business in the future, and if Belkman suddenly disappears, he will not be able to handle the scale.

The Edsil midwestern weapons industry will be left with a vacuum without the support of Quantum Mechanics, and Lithium will need to release a tremendous amount of quality materials to grab hold of.

“Don’t worry. You take good care of Jescona.”

Tiring-

Just then a text arrived.

It was Jesco.

“… … There’s no need to manage it much. It just keeps sending texts.”

“Oh really? What did you say?”

Sonya asked curiously.

“It’s a trivial topic. If you’re bored, try supporting an internet broadcast or something. You’ll be treated like a king.”

“Huh, really?”

─… … Hit.

A small laugh was heard from somewhere. Sonya and I turned to look at it at the same time.

The monitor was turned off.

“… … Were you there?”

─… … .

To my question, click-

The monitor turned on.

Jia said with a slightly embarrassed tone.

─Yeah… … I was there, with you guys… … .

“Why didn’t you tell me in advance?”

─If I’m here… …there’s no interesting story to tell… … .

“haha.”

Sonya smiled as if she thought she was cute, but I was a little serious.

This is why I have to be careful even when I talk to myself. This is why I have to censor even my own thoughts.

─I wanted to join the conversation too… … but I was afraid you guys would find it boring… … .

Because we don’t know when, where, or how Jia might be watching us.

* * *

The day of the congressional hearing arrived.

Teia, in the professor’s office, put the documents she had prepared into her backpack one by one.

“Oh, are you going now?”

As soon as she came out, the graduate students asked her. Most of them looked disheveled, as they had been doing a lot of research these days.

“Have a nice trip.”

“… … Hmm~ But I’m a little worried.”

Dr. Jeremy Huiha said with concern.

“Aren’t you stirring up a hornet’s nest for no reason? Those nobles really turn into crazy people when you touch them… … ”

“That may be so. But the Continent must know. Jedrick’s wickedness.”

Teia came down to the first floor. As usual, she stopped by a cafe and bought a cup of coffee. She sniffed around a bit.

I had a strange bitter childhood.

Maybe it’s a sleeping pill.

Libra’s chasers really target these small, everyday things.

… … bang.

Teia picked a person and deliberately bumped into him. The coffee spilled all over the floor.

“Oh. Sorry.”

Although the other person apologized, Teia left the cafe, saying it was her fault.

and.

I got into my car in the parking lot.

The installed wiretapping is already known.

Let’s wait and see what happens.

… … .

Libra’s Balancers have a variety of benefits and privileges: no limits on business expenses, a private office, and the ability to have multiple Chasers under them if desired.

So, the balancer is ultimately just a department.

“Teia’s location has been confirmed. She’s inside the vehicle. She just took off.”

Smith nodded at his subordinate’s report.

“Are there any unusual recordings?”

“No, there’s nothing special about it, but it’s definitely Teia herself.”

As such, the wiretapping device is simply used to identify Teia herself. If someone else gets into the car, there will be problems.

“I guess that college student somehow managed to avoid being caught.”

‘That college student’ is Sion Ascal. He was called into the operation simply because Lord Jedrick ordered him to confirm his skills as he was considered a strong Balancer.

“It could be that they got caught but are pretending not to get caught.”

Since we don’t know what they’re trying to do, it’s more likely that this is a ploy to find out.

However, no matter what one predicts, Teia Isil will never be able to attend the hearing.

“Get ready.”

Balancer Smith intends to blow up Teia’s entire car. It is a remote magical explosion using “Spectrum”.

He had already cured Teia’s vehicle into a ball of magic like clay.

“What should we do if someone dies?”

“It would be best if he died. However, he is not a great man who can be killed with such tricks.”

Smith closed his eyes. Silently, he began to count down in his mind, working his magic.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1… …

explosion.

… … .

The landscape of the Council Hall is quite harsh, as it is located between the mountains of eastern Edsil, as far away from the underworld as possible.

Deep in the mountains, the entrance to the parliament building is placed like a cave.

Jedrick, who entered leisurely enough to catch up, received the report.

─Teia’s vehicle exploded. Teia herself crashed into the riverbank along with the vehicle.

Jedrick chuckled at Smith’s delivery.

“… … It wasn’t anything special.”

After all, it is absurd to think that a mere professor would be dealing with him in the first place.

“Ah. Jedrick. You were here.”

Someone called Jedrick. Jedrick looked at the place. For a moment, his eyebrows twitched, but he tried to keep a gentle expression.

The guy is called ‘Bern’.

A descendant of the Voltac family, a family that has not been on good terms with Libra since ancient times.

The guy asked.

“Are you well prepared for the hearing?”

“Is there anything to prepare?”

The two people look at each other and smile, but it’s a secret. They treat each other like cockroaches and rats.

“Oh, of course, Jedrick. You must have something to prepare. From what I understand, it’s Theia? I think the professor is waiting for you.”

“……under.”

Jedrick scoffed and raised his eyebrows.

I just took care of it anyway.

“Just because a professor is teasing me-”

“Shouldn’t you have done that a little more moderately? Jedrick, you’re too blinded by short-term profits. There’s a reason why Voltak is number one in the business world even though he stretches his octopus legs out like that.”

“… … .”

Since it is a statistical fact, there is nothing to say in response.

Libra is competing for first place in terms of overall family size, but as a single company, the big tech ‘Evelet’ operated by Voltaq is first place.

Jedrick’s lips twisted.

“You talk a lot today, Bern.”

“Is that so? Then let’s stop here. There’s something to see today anyway. Haha.”

Bern continued to grumble as he turned around.

“Oh. Right. According to my information, the person in that overturned car wasn’t Teia Isil?”

Suddenly, Jedrick’s expression hardened.

“Haha. What a scary expression. It’s nice to see. It brings back old memories.”

Bern waved his hand and left, just as a call came from Jedrick on his Libraphone.

─Your Majesty, Jedric.

It was Smith.

“… … What’s going on?”

─I’m sorry. After examining the overturned car, it turned out that it wasn’t Teia, but a doll inside… … I’m trying my best to identify her, but-.

Jedrick immediately hung up. He gritted his teeth. His entire face twitched as if he had been bitten by a bug.

Not only did I miss Teia, but that piece of garbage Bern got the information first… … .

The anger that had built up in an instant turned Jedrick’s face red.

He stood there still for almost 30 minutes.

Wheeing──

Suddenly, the vibration rings again.

“These fucking bastards.”

Who the hell is this idiot who dares to call without notice?

“which-”

─Your Majesty, Lord Jedric. We have captured Teia Isil.”

“……what?”

Jedrick’s expression was strangely distorted.

Frowning, he listened carefully to the voice. It wasn’t Smith’s tone.

“Who are you?”

─This is Zion Ascal.

“… … Zion Ascal?”

Jedrick unconsciously switched the phone to his right hand.

─Yes. Would it be okay if I went on a solo mission for a while?

* * *

Rattle rattle─ Rattle rattle─

A shaking sound on the railroad tracks.

Teia Isil is sitting on the train.

I’m sure those Jedrick guys are pretty confused by now.

The whole story is simple but complicated. It is also a technique that humans cannot help but be fooled.

That’s right, puppetry.

A magic that is extremely difficult and has become half-obsolete in modern times.

However, Teia had learned from over the shoulder of her old friend and current enemy, Akane, who was a genius in puppetry.

Of course, you can’t treat her like a ‘perfect human’ like that, but you can pretend to be her and drive a car.

Rattle rattle─ Rattle rattle─

Anyway, the fake Teia overturned while driving a car, and the real one got on the train that evening.

Of course, I didn’t buy a train ticket.

Is there anything stupid that could be tracked down?

“Hmm… … .”

Teia sat down calmly and put in her earphones.

A moment when I was waiting to arrive at my destination while listening to cozy classical music.

A tall man placed his bag on the top shelf and sat down in front of me.

“… … .”

Teia looked at him absentmindedly.

Neatly-tied blond hair. Neat suit. Broad shoulders. A necklace that reads [College Student Reporter of the National Assembly] on his chest.

Her mouth opened slightly.

“……uh?”

The other person also opened his eyes wide in surprise.

“professor?”

Libra’s chaser, Sion Askar.

He was in front of him.