Chapter 95

Chapter 95

HEL SCANS

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The day after duty.

Usually, those on duty would head to their accommodations for some rest.

However, someone who didn’t need sleep at all was preparing for a secret outing.

‘The observer....’The original appearance of this chapter can be found at Ñøv€lß1n.

Unseen.

In fact, whether being watched or not made no difference.

For someone who could freely transform their form, surveillance was as useless as it could be.

The hero exited through the side gate, prearranged by Yussi, and arrived at the shopping street in the nearby village.

The current time was noon.

There were roughly 30 minutes left until the appointed time.

“Come this way.”

Ignoring the bustling street and entering an alley, someone cautiously tapped his shoulder.

It was a middle-aged man he hadn’t seen before.

His hair stood up unevenly, resembling cheap wool, and his thick, bushy beard was messy.

Judging by the apron, he seemed to be the owner of a nearby stall.

“Ricky?”

“Yes, follow me.”

Disguised as a village merchant, the last puppet of Nyhill.

He guided the hero to the entrance of a secure mansion and then disappeared into the shadows of the alley.

‘...They’ve managed to create such a hidden place in this rundown area.’

Without hesitation, the hero descended into the underground.

At the end of the narrow and nauseating stairs, there was a security door.

Click-

Upon opening the door, the luxurious interior of the mansion, in stark contrast to the outside, was the first thing that caught the eye.

Two out of the three people I was supposed to meet were already there.

“Hero!”

“Leader, you’ve come.”

Yussi and Noubelmag, who were bickering as usual, greeted him with joy.

The hero nodded and placed the document bag he was holding on the table.

Thud— a heavy sound echoed, and their gaze naturally turned towards it.

“This is...”

“Meeting materials. We’ll start when Felson arrives...”

The hero stopped speaking and looked towards the entrance he had just come through.

“Look, the tiger comes when I speak.”

Just then, a man wearing a reversed robe was entering.

* * *

A stillness settled in the secure mansion.

Felson stood at the entrance, silently observing Yussi, Noubelmag, and the hero.

Unspoken emotions crossed his wrinkled eyes, then calmly settled down again.

“...Nice to see you all.”

Noubelmag had been away, so he was unaware of the news.

Although Yussi had communicated a few times after retirement, this was the first time meeting face to face.

For the hero, excluding the previous communication, it was the first meeting since the victory celebration.

Once, they faced each other every day, crossing borders through the screen.

Hence, the feelings he experienced were profound.

A smile appeared on the lips of the three who had been waiting.

“It was a good idea to come out of that corner at times like this.”

“Well, first, how about taking off that dusty robe, Felson?”

“...You’ve traveled a long way. What’s in your hands?”

Felson faintly smiled and shook the bag in his hand.

“I didn’t come empty-handed. I brought something to eat in front of you all. Your favorites.”

The perfect, Felson Dietrich.

Many people, including his son, saw Felson as the epitome of a stern knight.

However, behind the strictness he always displayed, in private, he was a rather easy-going and gentle man.

Rugged yet affectionate, the strictness he showed was always accompanied by tenderness.

Thanks to that, he got along well with the cantankerous Yussi, remained unfazed by Noubelmag’s pickiness, and had a good relationship with the hero.

“A direct address to the Principal, you’re fully qualified as a parent, Felson..”

“As I grow old, I crave these salty snacks.”

“Eat moderately, or you’ll die quickly.”

Therefore, the best thing to do now was to pull them out from under the surface as quickly as possible.

And to achieve that, this exam had to be held in the Forest of Martial Arts.

“...It sounds like using the kids as bait.”

I shook my head slowly.

“It’s not using them as bait.”

“Then?”

“As long as there are collaborators in Rosenstark, whether we like it or not, the kids are already bait.”

It was an intense expression.

But it was also an undeniable fact.

Tension tightened in Felson’s jaw muscles.

Yussi, who had been alternating gazes with him and me, cautiously intervened.

“So, in summary, you judged that rather than waiting for the hesitant ones to make a move, it’s better to lay the groundwork first.”

“Yes.”

Felson let out a long sigh and rummaged through his pockets, pulling out a pipe.

After emitting a few puffs of blue smoke, his face revealed a mixture of fatigue, concern, and determination.

“...I roughly understand. It’s regrettable that my son got involved in this mess.”

I asked vaguely.

“Do you regret admitting him to the academy?”

“No, it was his own decision. I have no right to interfere with what he decided.”

“That answer is surprising...”

Felson’s deep blue eyes turned towards me.

Though different in color, Ban’s eyes and Felson’s somehow resembled each other.

“I trust the Leader. He is not the kind of person who would put the kids in danger.”

Feeling a heavy responsibility, I answered.

“Of course.”

It was the opportune moment to bring out the prepared ‘meeting materials.’

Ziik-

As I opened the bag and spilled its contents onto the table, everyone’s attention was drawn to it.

A massive stack of documents.

Surprisingly, despite the weight and thickness causing it to spill out of the bag, it still maintained a book-like shape.

Various sizes and colors, making it difficult to count, these reports, memos, drawings, and more formed a substantial amount of information.

‘At this point, we have to prepare for every possibility.’

Given the lack of information about the collaborators, with only six days left until the exam, the chances of obtaining new information were slim.

I didn’t know which demon tribe they had allied with or how they would carry out their schemes.

The situation lacked even basic clues.

Hence, I had to prepare contingency plans considering every possible scenario.

Felson sifted through some of them and muttered with a sense of awe.

“When on earth did you...”

“It doesn’t compare to you, traveling from the east to the west in less than a week, all because of your concern for your son.”

“...Goodness.”

Analysis of all potential threats and dangers that could arise in the Forest of Martial Arts, detailed response plans, steps, and responsible individuals for each plan, communication systems in case of a crisis, descriptions of resources and equipment needed or mobilized for the response—these documents were strategically organized.

In the past few days, while carefully guarding the kids and figuring out how to catch the collaborators, this result had come about.

Noubelmag and Yussi, wide-eyed, expressed admiration.

“With double and triple safety measures.”

“With this...”

I nodded.

“Yes, things won’t go the way they want.”

Only then did Felson lift the corners of his mouth.

The shape of his lips was tense, reminiscent of a hunting dog’s snout.

“Alright, let’s give it a try.”

.

.

.

A few days later.

The collaborators within the academy were also having a meeting with the demons.

“...Finally, it’s tomorrow.”

The demon, with eyes shining with anticipation, responded in a voice that seemed to devour the air.

“Yeah, the wait was long.”

It was the final check phase.

HEL SCANS

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