I got into school for nothing - 254
I got into school for nothing (254)
Lesson 49. Casanova's Holiday - 4
"A ruin typically refers to a place where traces of an ancient civilization remain, one that existed before the dimension walls formed and all dimensions were torn apart as they are now."
On the way to their destination aboard the spaceship piloted by Selden, Anneri meticulously explained the background of their current mission.
"That's why even a lower-rank dimension with low mana density shouldn't be underestimated when it comes to ruins. It might have been the home of some crazy absolute powerhouse."
"How do you know it's a ruin?"
"If the magic of that dimension's inhabitants can't access it, then it's a ruin, I guess."
"Most ruins are not easy to open from the start."
Ban Yuwon's mother, Kang Eunyoung, added to Anneri's explanation.
"Since this is a high-difficulty mission requiring absolute secrecy, the rewards are bound to be substantial. Even if this particular request wasn't related to Rebellion, it's an incredibly good opportunity for us."
"Indeed," Ban Yuwon murmured, nodding, then suddenly spoke as if realizing something. "Did you mean you couldn't have opened the ruin without me?"
"That's why we called you, dear."
"Mr. Yuwon is the kind of talent everyone in the mercenary industry desires! How about formally joining after graduation? Anyway, once the Prominence Family is overthrown, everyone else will return to their families, and you and I can quietly form a mercenary duo, a married mercenary couple..."
"That wouldn't be bad."
"Really?! Hold on a second, I need to record this, so please say it again!"
"Everyone around me tries to nail down my words like this..."
Moreover, the members of the "married mercenary couple" Ban Yuwon envisioned would be vastly different from Anneri's interpretation.
"Sis, I'm not leaving the mercenary group. Oh, and we're entering the dimension wall now, everyone be careful."
"Ah, right, the new recruit was here too. You'll disappear without a trace if you keep insulting Mr. Yuwon."
"I won't ever insult him again..."
The moment they left the terminal and entered the dimension wall, Lilyth, who had transformed into a small doll and was sitting on his right shoulder, tilted her head and reported.
[The spaceship's aura is changing.]
"It's a disguise, naturally. You can't perform a classified mission while revealing your full presence."
"Our mercenary group is extraordinary from its very members, so we fundamentally carry out all missions discreetly. Concealing or altering an aura is also my specialty."
As Anneri claimed, the magic permeating the entire spaceship and altering its nature was her own.
He had suspected from the beginning that she wasn't an ordinary mercenary, but her level was astonishing.
She spoke humbly, calling it a specialty, but he was certain it was a unique ability, an Authority.
It didn't seem like she had a contract with a Constellation, meaning it was an Authority she was either born with or had developed herself...
It truly was baffling how someone with such an ability was helping them simply because she was a fan club member.
"In that sense, here you go."
"Huh?"
Ban Yuwon, who had been staring at Anneri and pondering her abilities, tilted his head, seeing the leather suit and mask she held out to him.
"This is our mercenary group's official ninja... combat uniform, imbued with various effects I personally wove in, including perception interference."
"I'm pretty sure you just said 'ninja'."
Though not a full bodysuit, the tight-fitting leather suit, which accentuated every curve, and the metallic mask engraved with the mercenary group's symbol, made a very strong impression.
Instinctively, he looked back at Selden, who was wearing a similar outfit, but he had on a black jacket over it, seemingly to boost his physical strength, which made him look somewhat better.
...It seemed this was indeed the mercenary group's official men's uniform.
"You weren't planning on operating in your school uniform, were you?"
"Well, no, but... you really want me to wear this? Seriously?"
He'd never thought he'd wear clothes like this, unless it was for a penalty.
However, Anneri's eyes were heartbreakingly serious.
"Until the mission is over, Mr. Yuwon is a member of our mercenary group too! ♡"
"Holy..."
Anneri, of course, and Kiira openly, and Ban Yumi, pretending not to, were all looking at him with sparkling eyes.
In the end, Ban Yuwon borrowed a changing room and dutifully changed into the ninja cosplay... no, the combat uniform.
Pulling on the various leather belts attached to the combat uniform to tighten around his arms, thighs, and waist, he found that, contrary to his initial thought, his physique was largely concealed.
While the leather clung to his abs, back, and chest, emphasizing his muscles, the shoulder pads, knee guards, and spiked heels on the boots made his body shape ambiguous.
'So they didn't just give me this gear without thinking. ...Though I still don't know why they emphasized the abs and collarbones.'
The moment he put on the mask, his eyes and hair turned ash-grey. It definitely concealed his presence so thoroughly that even his Authority would have difficulty recognizing him.
"Perfect! Now, I have no regrets... no...!"
Seeing Anneri collapse, bleeding from her nose, as soon as he emerged from the changing room, Ban Yuwon wondered if she just wanted to see him in this outfit, but he decided to ignore it for now.
By the time the other members had all changed into combat uniforms with a similar concept to Ban Yuwon's, the spaceship, having breached the dimension wall, arrived in the D-13 Dimension.
"Where's the mission location?"
"Planet Galahad."
"That's a very familiar word..."
Ban Yuwon immediately gave a bitter smile upon hearing it.
It wasn't the first time he'd encountered famous myths or legends from Earth being recounted in other dimensions, but to hear the name Galahad, specifically in a dimension known for its Holy Sword, didn't feel like a mere coincidence.
"? Familiar?"
At Ban Yuwon's murmur, Ban Yumi, who for some reason was plugging her nose with tissue, asked in a nasal voice, tilting her head.
While his mother sighed and came over to stop Ban Yumi's nosebleed, Ban Yuwon briefly explained Galahad.
Galahad was a member of the Knights of the Round Table from the Arthurian legend, often called the perfect knight.
He was the son of Lancelot, the Knight of the Lake, and the owner of a strange-belted sword and a shield with a cross.
He was also the protagonist of the Holy Grail Quest, the highlight of the Arthurian legend.
Though the Holy Grail Quest, the episode where he played a central role, had completely vanished during Earth's cataclysm, making it so no one on Earth could utter the name Galahad, this didn't apply to Ban Yuwon, who manipulated language itself.
Of course, since memory wouldn't be erased just because the name couldn't be spoken, it meant his sister had genuinely never known about Galahad.
"There were the Knights of the Round Table. Do you know King Arthur, by any chance?"
"How could I not know that?! The pretty girl who wields Excalibur, right?"
Since it was linked to the Holy Grail, that series should have been lost too, but she seemed to remember that part.
Ban Yuwon considered for about a second whether he should explain the original King Arthur legend and foreign games that partially altered and utilized its settings, but he quickly gave up.
"Yes, you're right, Sis. She was a great female knight who fought for women's rights in medieval England."
"Son, giving up on explaining is a very bad habit."
Ban Yuwon turned away from his sister and directed his gaze to the monitor on the spaceship.
Staring at the endlessly unfolding, distant cosmic space, the question of whether King Arthur was male or female seemed inconsequential.
C-rank Dimension Terminal 3 was immensely vast for a single dimension, but the D-13 Dimension also boasted a comparable, immense size.
As such, it had many planets, abundant resources exceptional for a D-rank dimension, and high accessibility from other dimensions, which made it a frequent target for dimension pirates.
"What does high accessibility mean?"
"It means the barrier is weak, making it easy to invade. Normally, if you're not from that dimension or an authorized person, you'd be blocked by the barrier when crossing the dimension wall."
Anneri held up the authorization certificate they had received with the mission request as proof of being an 'authorized person'.
They had been able to pass through the dimension wall without any obstruction because of that authorization, but even without it, they could have crossed the dimension wall without difficulty.
"A barrier, huh..."
"I mentioned it before, didn't I? When the barrier appeared on Earth."
"Ah, yes, you did."
He recalled it was typically something people within the same dimension created together to block things like Orc Waves or dimension pirates from other dimensions.
But from what Asha had told him previously, the inhabitants of this D-13 Dimension, although supposedly part of the same guardian alliance, tended to fight amongst themselves more often than they cooperated. So, how could any barrier possibly be properly maintained?
"Sis, a scout ship's appeared! Shouldn't we try to communicate before we're spotted?"
At that moment, Selden reported in a sharp voice.
"Eek! What are you talking about? They said no scout ships would be out today!"
Anneri clicked her tongue and pressed her nose against the monitor.
Beyond, a sleek, small spaceship was seen speeding through space, cutting through the void.
"Whoa, it's close. Were we spotted?"
"Not yet, but soon?"
"Then should we pretend to be dimension pirates? Wow— Did the client leak information?"
The two seemed flustered.
Even if their identities weren't revealed due to their disguise, which was meant to conceal the mercenary group's movements, an unscheduled confrontation in the D-13 Dimension was not desirable.
It was then that Lilyth, who had been sitting quietly on his shoulder, sparkled her distinctively lustrous silver eyes.
[Master, shall I do it?]
"Do it."
As the doll flicked her small finger, the spaceship, already disguised, dissolved into space, completely vanishing from sight.
The scout ship, which had clearly been moving to target them, flew confidently for a while, but then, after passing them, it seemed to sense something amiss and decelerated.
It then began circling and scanning the area, but... the spaceship carrying the group was already far from that spot, nearing Planet Galahad, making its efforts futile.
"How... how did you do that?"
Anneri asked, dumbfounded.
Ban Yuwon shrugged.
"You can also use a technique to conceal your presence, Anneri."
"It's my specialty."
"I applied that to this spaceship. You did something similar earlier, Anneri."
"No... I can barely scatter the magic structure of a pre-prepared spaceship by squeezing out my Authority, but completely concealing an entire spaceship is an entirely different matter."
[Spaceship control is my specialty.]
Lilyth boasted, but no one could refute her.
Eventually, the group successfully landed on Planet Galahad, at the location where the people who requested the ruin exploration were waiting, unseen and comfortable.
Ban Yuwon canceled Lilyth's Authority and confirmed with Anneri.
"We'll be exploring the ruin with these people, I assume."
"Of course. What would make them trust us enough to let us enter the ruin alone?"
"Hmph, even if they enter with us, it's not like they can subdue us."
Anneri silently smacked Selden on the back of his head, shutting him up. Perhaps it was because he was a former dimension pirate, but he was openly scoffing at their client.
He wondered if he was doing it on purpose, but seeing him grin, it seemed he was.
Trembling at the thought of the profound world of perverts, Ban Yuwon briefly instructed his dependents.
"N-type."
"Shruuuut."
[Yes, sir!]
Eve and Lilyth simultaneously transformed into small cross-shaped throwing weapons, officially called 'Charyun Shuriken'.
Since their original forms were known through the Union Net, they had several designated types for disguising their identities, and there was no need to explain why they had transformed into shurikens this time.
Anneri stared blankly at the transformation for a moment, then asked,
"...Do they pack a punch?"
"They're much stronger than most artifacts, aren't they?"
"Just how did you get such dependents..."
The secret to their power was that Eve and Lilyth could utilize the concept of 'Myriad Transformations' to convert their magic into different forces as needed, but he couldn't just tell her that, so he simply smiled sweetly.
Meanwhile, Kiira, the remaining platinum member of the fan club, quietly followed behind, recording and sketching Ban Yuwon's new abilities and his dependents' transformed appearances.
"Oh, they're here!"
"Be on guard!"
As the group disembarked from the spaceship, knights clad in plate armor, somewhat reminiscent of Asha's attire when she first enrolled, rushed out and eyed them warily.
He checked the expressions of his companions, wondering if something was wrong, but Anneri, and even the rookie Ban Yumi, looked unimpressed, making him realize this was the usual reception for dimension mercenaries.
"Who is the client?"
Anneri, her face obscured by a metal mask identical to Ban Yuwon's, revealing only her eyes, spoke in a cold voice.
"There was a scout ship. If the agreement is broken even before the mission begins... we'll have no choice but to demand additional hazard pay."
"A scout ship? Is that true?"
The knights parted, and a middle-aged man, wearing the same plate armor but with his helmet removed to reveal his face, appeared.
"The client?"
"I am Roccius. The crown prince of this nation and... the commander of its knight order. I also serve as the Third Force Commander in the Guardian Alliance."
"So, you're the one in charge."
Anneri nodded and continued,
"Whether you deceived us or mishandled classified information, it's your responsibility. As a condition for assuming this risk, we demand an additional 10% on top of the original terms."
"Hmm... how about payment in Ronica? While this ruin holds great historical significance for us, it won't be as valuable to you. So, wouldn't receiving money be more beneficial for you?"
"Twenty percent."
Anneri snorted at the ridiculous suggestion and even raised her demand.
She then nudged Selden, who was behind her, preparing to withdraw, despite having no intention of doing so. Selden, being seasoned, immediately drew his weapon, wary of the knights, and began operating the spaceship.
It was a complete bluff, but these people didn't know that the group wasn't here to target the ruin itself.
Finally, the man who introduced himself as the crown prince, Roccius, let out a deep sigh and raised a hand to stop them.
"...It can't be helped. I'll give you an extra 10%."
"Twenty percent."
Anneri said nothing more.
Roccius, who had been in a staring contest with her for a moment, clicked his tongue and stepped back.
"Alright. Since it was originally 70/30, now it's fifty-fifty. I had no intention of deceiving you. Truly, we were unaware of it too. ...I'll ensure tighter control, but you also need to be careful in the ruin."
"Of course."
Ban Yuwon, who had been astonished by Anneri's unfamiliar manner of negotiating with the client, suddenly felt something vibrating in his inventory.
He discreetly checked, and it was a broken piece of metal... a fragment of the cross necklace that had once hung around Asha's neck.
[When did you even pick that up?]
'Logically, I wouldn't just leave a treasure containing a dragon's soul unattended.'
He narrowed his eyes and smiled.
He never expected to catch such a big fish in an unforeseen place.
It seemed he might be able to bring a gift for Asha after all.
Comments