NOVEL NEXT Chapter 255
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[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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Below is a series of events that took place at the academy just before the Rosenstark invasion.
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In the dimly lit studio filled with the smell of oil paint, a subdued sigh escaped.
“So, it’s complete now.”
Dante proudly gazed at his masterpiece.
Standing beside him, Leciel also looked at Dante’s work with admiring eyes.
“I didn’t expect you to finish so quickly.”
One canvas couldn’t contain all of Rosenstark.
Dozens of canvases were tightly assembled like a puzzle, delicately depicting the scenery of Rosenstark.
Each detail was so lifelike, it felt as if it were captured by magic.
The only difference from reality was the season.
“Winter… is it?”
The winter of Rosenstark.
It was a piece that showcased Dante’s unique melancholic style.
Dante looked proudly at his work, smiling.
“I sneaked out of the infirmary whenever I couldn’t sleep to work on this.”
“…Is that allowed? The nurses would be mad.”
“Of course not. But it’s better to get angry than to look at me as if I’m about to die right away.”
Leciel lightly chuckled at Dante’s self-deprecating joke.
The two stood side by side, admiring the artwork.
In that moment,
a curiosity struck.
“Dante, how does your ability… the Wish, manifest?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your ability to make paintings come to life is incredible, isn’t it? I’m curious about what’s possible. For example…”
Leciel pointed to the painting.
“If you were to draw the professor somewhere in this painting and then activate the Wish, would the professor suddenly appear? Is that possible?”
“Haha, surely not…”
Dante laughed at the girl’s imagination.
“My Wish cannot interfere with living beings.”
“What?”
“If that were possible, it would be too omnipotent.”
Let’s say, for example, you draw a living person as if they were dead.
Then, if you activate the Wish, an assassination would be completed that no one could respond to or trace back.
Such a power would be closer to divine than protective.”
After hearing the explanation, Leciel nodded in understanding.
“Besides, manipulating inanimate objects is also impossible due to ‘coherence.'”
“Coherence?”
“Let’s say you draw Rosenstark entirely submerged in the sea, then activate the Wish. Would inland Rosenstark be flooded with seawater like in the painting?”
Dante chuckled, pointing to his own hair.
“Of course not. Such a wish would not only be impossible, but it would also end up evaporating my life force. Rosenstark would be swept away by salty winds a few times.”
Coherence is calculated according to its own standards.
Even Dante, who has lived with the Wish for a dozen years, did not know its clear formula.
So, he couldn’t use his Wish with peace of mind.
Sometimes, life force disappeared in absurd proportions.
Thunk-
Dante, with a bitter smile, approached his painting.
“With my remaining life force, I’ll probably only be able to make a few magical towers or bunkers for the academy.”
“Just a moment. Did you draw Rosenstark for…?”
“As a side benefit.”
When crisis struck the academy, was it to help them?
Leciel stared at Dante’s back, speechless.
“Ah, right.”
“Hmm?”
“Last time, the person who was watching us…”
Turning around abruptly, Dante hardened his expression.
At the unexpected vigor emanating from the thin painter, Leciel took a step back unintentionally.
“Did you find out who it was?”
“…It was Ban.”
Dante suddenly looked helpless.
“Ban? Felson’s son?”
“Yes.”
“Goodness, why would that brat be watching us?”
Leciel said with a hint of embarrassment.
“He’s my friend, so I guess he was just curious about what I was up to. He’s not suspicious. I’ll vouch for him.”
“Well, he’s Felson’s son, so it’s only natural.”
Leciel hesitated for a moment before asking.
“Professor mentioned something about a warning, right? Is there any danger to the academy?”
“Oh, that.”
Dante quickly regained his relaxed smile.
“It’s nothing. Just an internal problem within the Order of Knights.”
“…I see.”
Though there was a strong smell of fishiness, there was no other choice but to swallow it.
With a slightly disappointed expression, Leciel changed the subject.
“Anyway, I’m going to the library to study for exams now. What about you, Dante?”
“I must have finished the painting… now there’s no reason for you or me to be in this studio. I’m planning to meet some colleagues and then return to the infirmary.”
With his characteristic friendly smile, Dante waved his hand and headed out of the studio.
Dante waved his hand with his characteristic friendly smile and headed out of the studio.
* * *
Recently, Mother Ghost had been experiencing very busy days.
‘…It never ends.’
One side of Rosenstark’s ‘Control Tower.’
In secret, a temporary headquarters had been set up.
Humming-
On the screen covering the wall, videos from various parts of the academy were being broadcasted in real-time.
Carefully selected agents were filtering important information and compiling reports.
It wasn’t just videos.
Undercover agents were physically tracking the movements of key figures (members of the Dawn Knights) while filtering their communications, letters, and conversations for analysis by encryption specialists.
Summarizing all this overwhelming information and conveying it to the Hero was Mother Ghost’s mission.
The problem was…
‘For the past few days, there’s been no response at all.’
Reports had been continuously sent via communication, but there had been no reply whatsoever.
‘The last response was four days ago…’
Of course, she doubted that anything could have happened to that terrifying monster (Mother Ghost thought of him that way)…
But from the perspective of the surveillance team that discovered the unusual signs, there was no choice but to want that feedback as soon as possible.
‘His subordinates are about to succeed in some strange research.’
Yussi and Noubelmag’s secret research.
The research, spurred by the lie “I’m dying,” aimed to enhance the efficiency of the sacred stones, increase the healing power of the ‘God’s Gaze’ and then use it to replenish the dwindling life force of the Hero.
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[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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‘It’s research that even the Hero is unaware of.’
Members of the Dawn Knights carried out this in utmost secrecy.
When Yussi, the principal of Rosenstark, intervened, even Mother Ghost took several days to catch her tail.
‘The reason for keeping it secret? Probably to prevent the Hero from objecting.’
Already scarce sacred stones and relics.
The Hero planned to use the accumulated materials solely for the recovery of the injuries of the members.
If they knew the truth, that resources were being wasted on research for their own treatment when it wasn’t even necessary, they would likely be furious.
‘The problem is, this research is yielding results faster than expected.’
Ghost 3, who was active as Noubelmag’s assistant… According to Nyhill, a tremendous amount of sacred power had already ‘amplified’ and flowed into the ‘God’s Gaze.’
As a result, the members in need of treatment were refusing treatment, shouting,
“Treat the Leader first!”
‘How should she solve the stubbornness of the Dawn Knights?’
But how she should resolve the Dawn Knights’ stubbornness was still a question mark.
Should she snatch their staff?
Steal the sacred stones?
If she did such a thing, she would be torn apart before she could even explain herself.
‘…I don’t know. It’s the consequence of his own lies.’
Perhaps the only solution would be for the Hero to return and personally wield his staff against his subordinates.
Mother Ghost sighed and turned her gaze back to the communication bead on her desk.
The bead remained silent as ever.
…At that moment.
“….?”
Mother Ghost’s gaze was drawn into one of the videos being broadcasted from various parts of the academy.
‘What’s that…?’
In the blink of an eye, doubt darted through her pupils at a rapid pace.
One subordinate agent hurriedly burst in.
Even though he was always calm, his face betrayed signs of panic.
“I have a report. A dead body has just been found in the ward.”
Mother Ghost asked.
“…Whose?”
The agent replied promptly.
“It’s Delusional Painter, Dante.”
“Report it.”
“Direct signs indicate a penetrating wound by an arrow in the neck area. It was confirmed that he was shot with an arrow on the infirmary rooftop and fell to the ground.”
Mother Ghost stood up straight.
On the screens surrounding her, members of the Dawn Knights and faculty members were shown departing from various places in Rosenstark towards the infirmary.
Immediately after the body was discovered, it seemed that connectors had been contacted.
The agent continued the report.
“Suspect Taylor was also last seen near the infirmary…”
“No.”
But Mother Ghost just raised her hand.
Moreover, instead of heading straight to the infirmary like them, she sat back down slowly.
Her subordinate’s puzzled gaze turned towards her, but she didn’t move.
No… Something’s wrong.
‘I missed something.’
Dante, arrows, infirmary rooftop, Taylor, children, Yussi, research, Noubelmag, Hero…
Keywords flew through her mind at lightning speed and rearranged themselves.
Mother Ghost finally stood up from her seat.
‘…It’s not the infirmary. Not Taylor either.’
Mother Ghost’s gaze turned to a corner of the wall.
Rumble-
A part of the center of Rosenstark.
The surveillance devices placed there were being deactivated as if they had been waiting.
No video was being broadcasted from them.
‘What he’s aiming for is…’
Her eyes shook violently.
* * *
Labin Hawk was a skilled martial artist.
Though he retired early due to injuries in his youth, his training never stopped.
Decades of accumulated pure magical power, traditional swordsmanship, and exceptional ‘eyes’.
Even young professors couldn’t withstand a match against him and often found themselves defeated.
For such a capable Labin, patrolling Rosenstark’s grounds wasn’t much different from taking a walk.
‘…Hmm, there doesn’t seem to be any issues on the outskirts.’
Labin updated his checklist in his notebook and continued walking.
For several days, he had been meticulously inspecting both the interior and exterior of the academy at the Hero’s insistence.
In fact, the defenses outside had become much stronger than before.
Thanks to Noubelmag.
He had created a vast amount of aquatic artifacts, which were at a level that couldn’t be easily overlooked, even by a demonic army of the scale that had previously invaded.
‘The traitor is an individual. If they’re up to something, it must be from within.’
Because of this, Labin planned to focus his patrols mainly on the central area from tomorrow onwards.
‘But what about today?’
He pondered for a moment at a fork in the road.
To the left was the professors’ residence, and to the right was the dormitory for undergraduate students.
It was a bit disappointing to end the patrol a little early considering the time, but…
‘Maybe I’ll just take a quick look around the outskirts of the dormitory.’
He paid special attention to the children.
As their mentor, it was his duty to alleviate some of their concerns.
With that in mind, Labin redirected his steps towards the main gate.
‘…What’s this?’
Labin stopped.
The surroundings had suddenly become unusually noisy.
In the middle of the night, and during exam period, it was absurd.
Naturally, Labin concentrated his magic to enhance his hearing.
Approaching footsteps and shouts pierced his ears.
“Hurry!”
“Evacuate the children and non-combat personnel!”
“Block all entrances! Not a single rat must escape!”
“It’s said the suspect is also in the infirmary!”
Humming-
…Simultaneously, the connectors he had placed began to ring like crazy.
Labin grimly turned on the screen.
Many messages had come in, but he didn’t need to read them all to understand their contents.
They were all about the same thing.
‘…A body in the infirmary.’
Tock-
Labin looked down at his feet.
The moment he felt a solid sensation under his foot, the Hero’s voice echoed in his ears like a hallucination.
“There are always signs to everything. If the traitor intends to harm Rosenstark in any way, there will be some kind of change observed.”
…Coincidentally, the body was here too.
Although it was melted and distorted as if burned, it was still recognizable.
Thanks to that, Labin could realize who the traitor was.
And what he was aiming for.
Hoping it wasn’t too late, Professor Labin made his way towards the commercial district.
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[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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