Memoirs of the Returnee - Chapter 300



Only Krnovel

The Regressor’s Notepad Chapter 300

Memory (3)

Teia had a teacher. Even she couldn’t succeed on her own. She had great talent, but she needed someone to help her set the direction.

Teia’s master had only three disciples, Teia and Akane. They were disciples of the same master.

Now they have become mortal enemies.

It was because of the teacher’s death.

The suspicion surrounding the death of his former master, a respected scholar and magician, is the core of the downfall of Theia before the return.

“… … .”

I’m rolling my pen and thinking about it.

Before the return, Teia Isil was dead. The maximum sentence was death. This was possible thanks to Libra’s countless fabrications and the cooperation of the council.

Teia had many enemies.

There were as many allies as there were enemies, but he was too tough on his important superiors.

Unfortunately, there are too many things on this continent that cannot be endured by individual strength.

I know because I’ve felt it deep in my bones.

That’s why… … .

“If it’s not me, someone else will do it.”

I don’t know exactly when Libra’s ‘big evil’ began, but if Shaylock moves, he will definitely deal with Teia.

Before that, we must prevent the future.

If it were me, I could stop the death penalty.

It has to be that way.

Even though momentary imprisonment can be hard, even though I can hate it to death.

Teia, you are someone who will definitely win someday as long as you live.

* * *

Akane’s [No Aspect].

I visited her. She was sitting at the counter as usual.

He was reading a magazine with both legs up on the desk, and then he turned his eyes to look at me.

“What now?”

I looked through the shelves. There were quite a few new items.

“Are prosthetics selling well these days?”

“… … Did you come here to worry about business?”

“What? I’ll do anything.”

I fiddled with the prosthetic hand that looked like a real human body. Akane yawned and turned the page of the magazine.

“It sells, but it doesn’t make any profit.”

“That’s true. You put so much effort into each and every one of them.”

Akane is a chronic debtor. It costs a lot of money to make prosthetics, and most people who lose limbs are financially struggling.

The wealthy rarely go to places where limbs are cut off in the first place.

“Just tell me what’s going on. Are you here to buy a suit?”

“no.”

I stood in front of the counter. I looked straight at her and said.

“This time, I came as Libra’s chaser.”

“… … Libra?”

“yes.”

I put my business card on the table.

“I need your help, Akane-san.”

“… … .”

Akane glared at me with a strange look, and I handed her an envelope of documents.

“Take it.”

She took out the documents with a thud. The expression on her face that had been casually scanning the contents quickly hardened.

It was the first time I had seen that face in my life.

“This is a document about Teia Isil.”

“… … Where and how did you get this information?”

Akane laid out the documents. Her voice had a sharp edge. If anything, she was going to slash at the pieces of paper and split his head.

“I investigated.”

“It’s not something you can find out just by investigating.”

“It couldn’t have been a ‘simple’ investigation.”

“… … Don’t even think about playing with words.”

Akane glared at me. I met her eyes as well.

There is no psychological pressure whatsoever. It is a skill that has grown day by day while dealing with Jahanna and Jade.

“Zion Ascal.”

She called my name.

“yes.”

“Do you want to die?”

“no.”

“You are crossing the line.”

“Because I have to cross the line to send Teia Isil.”

Akane bit her lip. She threw the papers away.

Thud – the papers fell to the floor.

“Take it.”

“Does that mean you’re cooperating?”

I asked back cheekily.

“… … .”

Akane’s face stiffened in an instant. She summoned her magical power. A cold aura spread throughout [Mu-A-Gwan].

“Right now, I can kill you with just a snap of my fingers.”

“I think I’ve heard that before. Could you change it to a punch?”

I think I’ve grown quite a bit since then.

“… … .”

Akane was silent.

A truly angry face. The pupils are losing their color, and a dry magic touches the skin.

Well, for her too, her teacher must be a sore spot.

“Are you going to lose your anchor?”

The atmosphere changed once again at my words. Akane sat up, exuding a vivid aura that was almost visible to the eyes.

“Do you call that a threat?”

“No. I was just curious.”

I said with a shrug.

“Using the Master, or soaking Teia Isil. Which do you dislike, Akane-san?”

Akane didn’t open her mouth. I picked up the documents she had thrown on the floor.

“Mr. Akane. If you don’t cooperate.”

Teia Isil and Akane are enemies. They hate each other so much that their murderous intent leads to a curse.

But ironically, at the very last moment, Akane tried to save Teia Isil.

“… … Teia Isil is dying.”

I said, handing the documents back to Akane.

Akane’s magic wavered. The corners of her mouth twisted.

“It would be good if you died. But if you try to use your teacher for such dirty things, you will die too.”

Akane had a cold, expressionless face. There was a hint of emotion that was unusual for her to be discussing her teacher.

It was respect and admiration.

“Really? That’s weird.”

I continued speaking with a bitter smile.

“For something like that, you’ve already cooperated a lot with Libra.”

Akane’s gestures froze for a moment. I watched her change intently.

Actually, I’ve had some doubts up until now.

There was something so strange about her.

“That’s right.”

Even before and after my regression──she knew me strangely well. About my illness, about my existence.

I never told her about my illness, but she acted like she already knew.

I actually knew that.

At first, I thought it was simply because of her information power… …the information power that could spread the dolls across the continent at any time.

I got another hint from Vito’s lab.

“Ms. Akane. You participated in Libra’s experiment, right?”

She is involved in the experiments my father participated in.

At least, there is someone who knows about the existence of ‘Dale Ascal’.

“… … .”

Akane didn’t answer. But the sharp air suddenly became dull.

“You shouldn’t use your teacher.”

I continued speaking slowly, but kept quiet about my father.

Because it’s probably a story I can’t tell you right now.

“Is it okay to use someone else’s life entirely?”

Silence fell on the abode of the unselfish.

Akane froze like a wax doll, and I kept a poker face.

Soon she let out a small sigh.

“What difference will it make if I help?”

“Yes. Teia Isil will not die, but will be locked up in prison.”

“……what?”

Akane frowned as if she had no idea.

“Which do you want? To kill Teia or to save her?”

“hmm…….”

I looked into Akane’s eyes and thought.

“I hope so.”

The ‘real’ one. Can Akane become my ally?

Can you be the one who will do everything I want?

“I hope Teia Isil doesn’t die.”

Before her regression, she helped me a lot, but in the end, she became a ‘phenomenon’.

The phenomenon called ‘Akane’, where countless dolls, not knowing whether they are real or not, live together sharing a single consciousness.

“That goes for you too, Akane-san.”

I held out my hand to her. Akane snorted.

“I want to kill that bitch with my own hands. I don’t want to lose the player to another guy.”

It was for a somewhat different reason, but I still understood it when I thought about the two of them.

“also…….”

Akane said, holding my hand.

“Because the master wouldn’t want that girl to die.”

A handshake to establish a contract.

“yes.”

Of course, there are still things I don’t know about Akane, and many things I’m suspicious of.

“Let’s do it.”

That’s why, rather, you have to go deep into her.

* * *

The second exam for becoming a journalist was a swamp.

The format is a competition to hunt monsters in the ‘Banpara Swamp’, which is teeming with monsters.

This time, since it was an individual competition, I couldn’t join Soliet, and the 300 first-round test passers had to wallow in the swamp alone.

Others were quite classic.

This is because the ‘Banpara Swamp’ is a magical space. It is a swamp where the more you step, the lower and lower you fall.

They had to keep their bodies in check at all times to take even a single step, but it was comfortable for me.

I borrowed Growl’s power.

Mud is also a type of soil. It was easy because it petrified every step I took.

anyway.

So I took the test for 48 hours.

“──I will announce the rankings!”

The instructor called us together on the dirt floor outside the swamp. Most of the participants had exhausted faces. Their breathing was full of fatigue.

“The top 200 will advance to the final exam!”

The instructor projected a list of successful candidates into the air.

The person who came in first place, number one, was the person I expected.

[1st place: Gerken]

Gerken, who is a first-year student, has reached the highest rank.

He was sitting on the ground with his forehead resting on his sword.

It looks like he’s recovering his stamina, but it looks like he’s filming a movie.

[3rd place: Soliet]

Soliet was third and I was 15th.

It’s not the top 5%, but it’s good enough considering that he’s a freshman. He qualifies as Libra’s balancer.

“Congratulations on passing the 200th place. Anyone below that unfortunately has to be eliminated. The final exam is an interview. See you next week!”

As the instructor left, groans could be heard here and there. There were even a few people crying. I don’t know if it was because of emotion or sadness.

“… … I’m going to die.”

Solliet came up to me, her face covered in mud, and she sighed.

“Zion. Thank you for your hard work.”

“Oh. You too.”

Even at this moment, it feels like the old soloist will suddenly pop out, but I must not show it.

Suddenly, Soliet looked at me and asked.

“… … Zion. I heard a rumor that you brought a car.”

“Huh? Oh, uh. I’ll take you there. I parked it nearby.”

“Phew. Thank you. I’m exhausted.”

Then someone turned to look at me. I was slightly startled by the sudden gaze.

It was Gerken.

* * *

After dropping off Solliet and Gerken, on the way back home.

“… … The length is awkward.”

By the way, I was given a house as a gift. I was sure I would pass the knight exam and needed a suitable base, so Jia gave me an apartment near the capital city, close to the Hanging Gardens.

Even the ‘Veromonon’ is a place where only the upper class lives.

[welcome]

I parked in a parking lot where an unfamiliar mechanical sound greeted me, used an unfamiliar card key to enter the elevator, and opened the door to the space that was now my home.

Poof──!

A burst of pollen like a bread crumb burst. I looked in that direction with a start.

Zia was standing in the living room.

“congratulations…….”

Bread──!

She blew up the large firecrackers in her hands once more. I walked over to her, laughing hysterically.

“I still have an interview left.”

I removed the pieces of paper stuck to her hair.

“Hey… … I won’t fail the final interview… … .”

“How can you be sure?”

The passing rate for the final interview is surprisingly only 75%. This means that it is not a formal procedure that is usually passed.

“… … That’s how I feel.”

Gia smiled brightly. I stared at her quietly and smiled back.

In this situation, I think it would be best to just show a relaxed and comfortable appearance.

“Then are you here to congratulate me?”

“Yeah… … . I’m hungry too.”

Gia sat on the sofa.

“Zion… … He said he eats delicious food well.”

A voice dripping with anticipation like honey.

Of course, it seems like it means please do it.

I walked into the kitchen and asked.

“What would you like to eat? There are plenty of ingredients.”

“anything…….”

I started cooking. I presented my most confident dish, steak with truffle.

“Please eat.”

“… …Wow.”

She first admired it with her eyes, then picked up her fork and took a bite, and her whole body trembled.

“Are you okay?”

“Eung… … so delicious.”

That’s quite an impressive face.

I smiled slightly and took a bite.

Clink clink.

Jia’s voice discussing work is mixed in with the sound of handling dishes.

“Teia Ishil… … Are you okay?”

“Yes. It will take a long time, but it is possible.”

I relay all the confidential information of the intelligence agency to Zia, because even hiding a little bit can be sensitive to her.

“… … Yeah. I see… … Be careful… … .”

Gia seemed to have something left to say.

“Do you have anything to say?”

“… …There’s a problem with the distribution of lithium. It’s a blocker.”

Blocker. He has quite a bad reputation in the dark, so to speak, he is the backbone of the old ‘Jesko’.

“What is the problem specifically?”

“Guerilla raids on the distribution network… … Sonya doesn’t seem to be handling it well… … .”

“Yes. Leave it to me.”

Although it is 2-3 times larger than Jesco, the method of dealing with it may be surprisingly simple.

To begin with, the current situation is different from the Jesco era.

At that time, Lithium’s size was so small that they chose to destroy the Jesco organization from within, but now there was no need to do that.

It means that the power to easily swallow up the Blocker is already in place if you just cut off its head.

“Can you do it… … ?”

“Of course.”

The hint is that the lithium distribution network that Jia uses seemingly deals with ‘coffee beans’.

It is a business that hides weapons and raw materials under coffee beans and distributes them, and this distribution network itself is a business that was gifted to Jade.

In addition, Jade has few combat personnel. Even the number is decreasing day by day. For reasons unknown to anyone, such as the fact that she is the strongest in the world.

“Helping you, young lady, is my most important job.”

So what if you provoke the blocker and touch Jade?

What if you bother him for quite some time, almost every day, not just for a day or two?

Even Jade, who hates violence no matter how much, will have no choice but to step forward, and the general cleaning will be done in one day.

“delicious…….”

Zia smiled as she ate her steak. Her expression seemed to suggest that my words had eased her worries.

“You believe me.”

“Yeah. Zion has always been successful… …I believe you.”

“That’s fortunate.”

Just like Zia, I smiled with happiness at your single word.