Chapter 392

Chapter 392

There were many people who came to Heins Territory's academy to become professors. All of them were obviously prominent figures on the continent and were skilled enough to teach others. However, the standards would differ from one person to another.

The one who experienced the most significant change was Sir Olman, the Chief Imperial Knight of the Pallan Empire. It was true that he was strong enough to be treated as a Sword Master wherever he went, but...

"Fufu... Fufufufufu... This is mine... I'm telling you, this is mine... I won't give this to anyone."

What did Sir Olman look like now? He appeared so pitiful, still holding onto his potato that he would not let go anytime soon, to the point that one would wonder if he was truly a Sword Master. He had completely abandoned his noble dignity and pride, opting to devour the potatoes in his hands like a man who had been starving for days.

One might wonder how a dignified person could turn into something like that in just a few days, right? A person would only change and become like that after being subjected to extreme circumstances. Sir Olman's current appearance was nothing more than that of someone desperately trying to survive and live.

"Hmm. Very good," Davey said as he left the academy's main building with a satisfied expression.

As he stepped outside, he saw the dwarves gathered together, working hard to install something.

"Elder Goulda, what is that?"

"Wise Teacher, you've come at the right time. I was just about to come and fetch you."

"You're looking for me?"

"That's right. We want you to test drive this right away after we finish the final touches."

The dwarves of the Yellowstone Tribe presented Davey with a large carriage, with several other cars lined up behind it.

"In fact, we made this using the excess magic stone that Brother Golgouda used when making Dirro. Using your formula, Wise Teacher, we devised an automatic cart that can move without horses. Well, you still have to control the cart yourself, but you know what I mean."

Opening the front of the carriage, Davey saw a small magic stone linked between two mana stones. It seemed like they had borrowed Megatron's self-moving system.

"It's not perfect yet, but this is its limit. We need to personally see and experiment to determine if it will move and roll."

They could make it themselves, but they needed the help of a skilled mage to activate the magic circles. That's why they were also looking for Davey.

“Isn’t the academy quite big? That’s why we thought, ‘What if there's such transportation inside the compounds?’ The little princess Aeonitia came up with this idea.”

"It's fine," Davey said, placing his hand on the magic stone with skilled ease and quickly calculating the formula. Then, he extended his hand. "Please give me the black iron knife."

"So, the problem is with this, huh?" The dwarf held out a black carving knife to Davey, speaking as if he had already expected it.

After that, Davey drew out a bit of his mana and began modifying some of the formulas written on the magic stone. He only needed to slightly soften the surface before carving the formula again. It was a simple process and didn't take too long. Both he and the dwarves were quite familiar with it.

"This is good enough. The output might be low since the magic stone is small, but it's enough to transport people."

"Ho... The content is a bit difficult to understand. That's quite a shape!"

Davey finished the work in an instant. Then, he infused the stone with his mana, causing the luminous stone installed in front of the carriage to shine on its own.

"Oh! It's working!"

Perserque poked her head out when she heard the dwarves’ loud and excited shouts, her face displaying an expression of interest.

"Ho... That's quite an interesting object, isn't it?"

"Do you want to try riding it?"

Perserque immediately smiled at Davey's question. "I'm not going to refuse."

"I'm going to take this out for a test drive."

"Ahaha! Of course, of course! If you encounter any problems, please feel free to let me know!"

Davey lightly jumped onto the carriage, and Perserque returned to her original size, landing gently next to him. She touched here and there, gripping the handle until finally pressing a button lightly.

Beep!

Perserque gripped the steering lever with one hand, looking around to figure out what to do. Davey silently observed her, his foot pressing down on one of the conveniently placed pedals near their feet.

Creak!

Simultaneously, a large amount of mana surged forth as the carriage accelerated at an astonishing speed.

"Kyaaaaack?!"

"Handle it well, or we'll crash," Davey warned.

Startled by his words, Perserque tightened her grip on the lever. Fortunately, she managed to steer the carriage before they collided with a wall.

"Davey!"

"It's only fun if it's fast."

Of course, once released, the carriage could only operate below the speed limit to prevent accidents.

***

In the end, Perserque crashed the carriage in a rather graceful manner. However, the speed of the carriage was not fast enough for someone like her. Moreover, she had no control over its movements as Davey's feet were the ones on the pedals.

"You made a Philosopher's Stone?" Davey's interest was piqued upon hearing the mention of the Philosopher's Stone.

The current state of alchemy on the continent lacked the necessary technology and materials to create the Philosopher's Stone and other items like Rinne's heart, the Deus Ex Machina (The God of Machinery).

"I am confident in my abilities. It's not a bad deal, is it? Don't you find it intriguing?"

"Not at all. I don't think so. Do you think I'm crazy enough to bring someone who poses such a danger and make them a professor? This place is meant to protect the students. No sane person would accept such a proposal."

"I do not kill. With the Philosopher's Stone, there is no need for me to succumb to my vampire instincts."

"And so?"

"Blood. I no longer need to feed on blood. I can maintain the facade that I am not a vampire."

"Then, why are you so intent on hiding your existence?"

Davey would have preferred if she asked them to stop pursuing her.

Milpieu calmly answered Davey's question. "Urd, the one known as the Abyss Princess... I owe her my life. However, she would attempt to kill me whenever I didn't act according to her wishes."

"Urd... That woman?"

"..."

Milpieu silently rolled up her sleeves, revealing a grotesque sight. Black veins crawled along her thin, pale arms.

"She did this to me. It's an incurable condition. In fact, it's still consuming me as we speak."

As she spoke, Davey clenched his fists.

Slash!!!

Milpieu’s eyes grew wide when her left arm fell on the ground.

“Urk...” She swallowed her scream as blood dripped down from her now severed left arm.

Unlike humans, vampires had an unusually small amount of blood in their bodies, so losing this much was negligible. However, a peculiar phenomenon occurred. The stump that remained after severing her left arm suddenly sprouted another arm, as if it were regenerating.

"It's engraved in me. It won't disappear. Even if you cut it off, it will just sprout again," she continued, not hearing any response from Davey. "That woman named Urd knows much more about this land than you may think. She's a truly fascinating research subject, but at this moment, I believe my life is far more valuable."

Smoke began to emanate from Davey's hands as he channeled the Heavenly Destroyer Arts. He then said, "Continue. Where can I find this woman named Urd?"

"I cannot pinpoint her exact location. However, the last time we met, she was in the east and mentioned that she was searching for her younger sister."

"I don't want something obvious."

"And...she mentioned that she’s searching for her own heart."

‘A heart? What kind of bullshit is this?’

“I heard that it is in the form of a black stone.”

Milpieu's words triggered a memory in Davey's mind as he reached into his Pocket Plane and retrieved a suspicious object. This object was obtained from the secret underground chamber beneath the Heresy Inquisition's prison—a black stone.

Silently holding the black stone in his hands, Davey prompted Milpieu to speak. Slowly, she began to explain, "I followed her orders and remained loyal to her, so she deemed me her minion."

"And?"

"Stop her. However, she is immensely powerful. I know you are strong as well, but her existence is otherworldly. Therefore, I will help you prepare. I will provide you with all the information I have gathered about her and help you identify her weaknesses."

"What do you want in return?"

"Urd instructed me to gather information from you in exchange for my life. However, even if I were to comply, the only outcome I foresee is death."

Considering that she was already on the brink of death, it seemed wiser to align themselves with the side that allowed communication.

Davey briefly contemplated the deal being offered before responding, "It is only fair that you provide something in return. That information."

"She will begin her actions during the full moon. The full moon is emblematic of her powers," Milpieu revealed.

‘If it was the full moon, then... it should be tonight.’

"Where can I find her?"

"Do you intend to confront her in battle?"

"No, for now, I will observe the situation," Davey replied.

Since he couldn't guarantee victory if they were to fight immediately, it was prudent to gather information on her first.

"There is a chance that she will come looking for you first. I will assist you in identifying her," Milpieu offered.

"Good. I need to see my enemy firsthand before deciding how to deal with you. Any objections?" Davey asked.

"No.”

Davey couldn't help but sneer at her swift and unwavering response.

‘A double agent... It seems I need to make it clear to her that acting high and mighty will only result in a broken nose.’