I got into school for nothing - Chapter 354
I got into school for nothing (354)
Lesson 69. Conquest of Clarent - 4
On the weekend evening, as expected, the Chancellor's summons arrived.
Ban Yuwon had, until now, kept a certain distance from the Chancellor. While it wouldn't have been out of line to directly converse with him and try to probe his true intentions, given the certainty that the Chancellor had either stood by while Dokgo Yeon died—or perhaps even instigated it—Ban Yuwon treating the Chancellor as if nothing had happened would, he believed, only blatantly reveal his own true feelings.
However, even he couldn't ignore the Chancellor's summons this time. After all, a student had 'consumed' one of the ten strongest powers in the universe, and such a feat couldn't simply be brushed off with a casual, 'My, you've certainly made quite the meal of it, haven't you? Was it delicious?'
―.......
“.......”
Thus, the Chancellor and Ban Yuwon, meeting after a long time, simply gazed steadily at each other. Today, the Chancellor had taken the form of a warrior doll gripping a broken sword, clearly conveying what he wished to say. Just as Ban Yuwon, who had no intention of speaking first, was about to say he would take his leave if there was nothing to discuss, then.
―Was it punishment?
Last week, Ban Yuwon had used the word 'traitor', but that was entirely a 'Codeword' uttered from the perspective of the ancestral Tower Lord. The reason Clarent had lost all its power at Ban Yuwon's hands, and entrusted its family's future to him, wasn't because they were traitors. It was, simply put, because *they* had first provoked Ban Yuwon, who had merely been minding his own business. Ban Yuwon was asking in what sense the Chancellor had spoken of 'punishment'.
―Perhaps it was foolish to ask.
From the doll's body, remarkably, the Chancellor let out a sigh and spoke.
―Regardless of the meaning, if you had consulted me, I would have gladly helped you, without hesitation.
“......You're saying that, Master?”
―So you call me Master.
“Then don't.”
Ban Yuwon picked up the teacup in front of him. It wasn't something the Chancellor had prepared, but something Stella had. Only moments ago, it hadn't been there at all.
―......That.
“What do you think? Pretty good, isn't it?”
It was Ban Yuwon's own form of protest. A demonstration that another's 'Authority' could interfere even in a space controlled by the Chancellor. It announced the return of Stella, a being the Chancellor had tried to bury.
“Honestly, I thought it would take another half a year, but somehow, various things just piled up and happened all at once.”
Ban Yuwon brought the teacup to his lips and declared to the Chancellor.
“So, I'm planning to accelerate things a bit. The time has come. It also seems like the top floor of the Tower isn't far off.”
To be frank, Ban Yuwon had deliberately been proceeding through the Tower's floors at a slightly slower pace until he felt his power was sufficient. He repeatedly ensured he gained everything possible from each and every room before moving on, yet still cleared the Tower at a speed incomparable to other students. Those watching the Rebellion channel must surely be starting to realize it by now. If one were to name someone truly capable of conquering the Tower, it could only be Ban Yuwon and his team.
―I've stated my position before. I am by no means your obstruction. On the contrary.......
“You might not believe me, but I don't dislike you either.”
The teacup was empty. When Ban Yuwon extended it into the air, tea poured down from the empty space, refilling the cup. The Chancellor watched it with an unreadable expression.
“But that doesn't mean I approve of your methods or will follow them blindly.”
I'll do things my way now, Ban Yuwon said, as if declaring it, and once again emptied his tea.
Then, as if a thought had suddenly struck him, he spoke.
“By any chance, did you ever have someone you loved in the past?”
―There was one I revered. What do you wish to say?
“It's just that I've been realizing something lately. ......I thought you had no emotions at all. But now I realize that's not true. It's just that the scope was incredibly, painstakingly narrow.”
And within that narrow scope, it seems there's no room for reading and considering the feelings of others. That's why, even two years after Dokgo Yeon was abducted into the Tower, you can still spout nonsense to Ban Yuwon about not being his obstruction.
Ban Yuwon, wearing a wry smile, stood up from his seat.
“Anyway, what you're saying is, that we're not enemies, right?”
―I cannot be your enemy. Never.
“But it seems you could become a trial. What do you think?”
―......Perhaps that's true.
The doll released the broken sword and slumped onto the spot.
―Yet I...... hope it does not come to that.
The doll burst apart, and the cotton stuffing inside rose to form a single eyeball. As he watched it, thinking it had little impact since he'd seen it once before, he saw the eyeball fix its gaze on the magnificent Tower of Babel, visible outside the window.
―Your home.......
The Chancellor said, as if whispering.
At the seemingly drained voice, Ban Yuwon inadvertently fixed his gaze on the eyeball.
―It would be good for you to visit your home dimension.
“......Yes. I was already planning to go there anyway.”
―Fides and Amore...... I will block both of them. But you will have to confront Melodia yourself.
Ban Yuwon doubted his ears. The Chancellor trying to help him, or confronting the traitors among the Ten Great Families, wasn't so strange. But considering it in conjunction with what he had said just a moment ago...... could it be?
“They're coming to Earth? That's ridiculous; we've blocked it with a barrier.”
―You must have already realized a part of the truth. When it comes to traversing dimensions, no one was more knowledgeable than the True Dragons. It was also the True Dragons who resisted the Tower's 'Authority' to the very end.
Ban Yuwon clutched his head, which had begun to throb. He thought, 'What about until now?' But when he considered it, until this meeting, Melodia could be called an ally of Ban Yuwon. Though they had been wary of each other to some extent, it could be said they had been watching each other carefully, with Eire, a True Dragon, between them. But now that Eire had awakened as a True Dragon, and despite that, had completely sided with Ban Yuwon...... Melodia no longer had anyone to be wary of.
“So Melodia is...... now trying to go all the way, is that what you mean?”
―Furthermore, they have joined hands with traitors with whom they had no prior contact. Remember the origin of the history that flows in their bloodline.
Ban Yuwon was speechless. So, at this very moment...... when Melodia has perfectly determined its course of action. To pull off a reversal, it has allied with other families it once almost despised. It has found the path to their ancestral home planet, Earth, etched in their history. It intends to break through the barrier preventing passage beyond the dimensional wall, using the power of a True Dragon. And ultimately, it means to directly exert military force on Earth?
“I thought Earth would be safe until everything was over.”
―How could that be?
The eyeball, made of cotton fluff, slowly closed. As Ban Yuwon was making the reasonable inference that perhaps the Chancellor had crushed the doll to hide his own expression, he finally uttered a single phrase, acknowledging all the facts.
―For the origin lies there.
* * *
Ban Yuwon greeted the start of the new week with a very uneasy feeling. After all, if his home planet, which he had completely forgotten about, was being targeted by enemies like the Ten Great Families and True Dragons, wouldn't anyone feel uneasy? Moreover, his family was still on Earth. There was his Grandfather Ban, who was practically a mentor who had guided his life's direction, and his cute father, who had been noticeably gloomy lately because he couldn't see his mother often.
The Chancellor had given him a special activity free pass, allowing him to leave for Earth anytime he wished...... But even so, Ban Yuwon was the student council president, and he had many duties to attend to at Union Academy. So for now, he could only maintain close contact with the strong individuals on Earth and prepare to take immediate action should anything happen.
[Miyeon: No, Yuwon, what in the world did you send me! I was truly startled......]
[Me: It's useful, right? You should be able to control it, so if push comes to shove, just launch that first and see what happens.]
[Miyeon: I'm so incredibly grateful, what do I even do....... I want to do something for you. When can you come to Earth?]
[Me: Do something for me? I'm the one unilaterally asking you for a favor. I think I'll probably head to Earth within a month. Please take good care of things until then.]
[Miyeon: Leave it to me! I'll be waiting, so come quickly....... But don't feel pressured!]
[Miyeon: It's just because Yumi has been teasing me lately, and I wanted to get a little revenge, that's all. When you come, we'll see! Take care!]
―Death's Pupil marvels that this is the first time she has seen a woman so obsequiously begging for affection.
‘That pricks my conscience, so please don't say such things....... There's really nothing going on between me and this Noona.’
―Death's Pupil silently gazes at you.
‘A date. Just one date, and that too as a training reward!’
What, then, had become of the greatsword obtained on the planet Clarent? It was right there on Earth. As it happened, on Earth was Kang Miyeon, who wielded an 'Authority' completely identical, perhaps even a slightly more evolved form, to the 'Unforgettable Trace' of the Clarent family. So, on his way back to Union Academy, he had made a quick stop on Earth, gently placing the greatsword into geostationary orbit before returning. He didn't know for sure, but Kang Miyeon must have experienced significant growth in her abilities by linking with it. All the 'Authority' of the Clarent family, who had died fighting him, had been added to the greatsword, and would now, unknowingly, gradually flow into Kang Miyeon, who was newly connected to it. Compared to when he had poured the 'Crimson Depths' into Ban Yumi two years ago, this was a far more refined method.
“The student council president is looking at the mirror.”
“Could he be trying to decide on his next destination? Since he's 'eaten' Clarent, I'd say Fides is next.”
“Didn't he form an alliance with the Ten Great Families? But weren't the Ten Great Families unable to make large-scale moves due to some agreement?”
“That was definitively broken this time. Anyway, after the big commotion two years ago, we all knew it would come to this sooner or later.”
“Has there ever been a time when the status of the Ten Great Families was shaken to this extent?”
“The Ten Great Families will be eternal. It's just that their members will change a bit drastically.”
“In other words, where the student council president will settle among the Ten Great Families is what's important――.”
As Ban Yuwon closed the mirror, the chatter from all around abruptly ceased. He didn't need to turn around and glare at the students. The Rebellion members seated on either side of him took care of that themselves.
What he was thinking about now were the True Dragons, still breathing even while trapped beneath the Tower.
True Dragons.......
He had been studying True Dragons with Eire whenever he had free time, but it was also true that he felt a bit daunted as to how to deal with creatures even older than her, who had mastered a wider array of 'Authorities'.
“It's lecture time. Everyone, focus on me.”
Just then, the professor entered as lecture time began. A lecture that had to be taken every academic year, where students thought about and discussed the structure of the Tower. Naturally, students who didn't even properly know the origin of the Tower couldn't offer productive opinions. However, the spaces generated within the Tower originally tended to reflect the thoughts and knowledge of those who climbed it, so simply delving into the Tower's nature held meaning. The problem was that the students didn't know this and treated the lecture with disdain.
“Today, I'd like to talk about the energy source that is presumed to exist within the Tower.”
It was the old professor's hobby to always throw out topics that he thought students would find interesting, like 'Surely, this will pique their interest?' However, the students were currently more concerned with Ban Yuwon's next move than with the Tower's energy source.
Ban Yuwon was an exception. At the mention of an energy source, what came to his mind was none other than the True Dragons.
“In the Tower that students climb, there may, of course, be no opportunity to investigate this energy source. We are those who challenge the Tower and gain rewards from it; in other words, we are consumers of the Tower's resources. The Tower's energy source will likely only be accessible in the realm of the producers. Indeed, the one who first created the Tower, or its administrator, would be privy to this.”
During his solo explorations of the Tower, Ban Yuwon had secretly wondered if The Pit, where the monolith inscribed with the names of constellations was, might be the end. But what if it wasn't? What if that wasn't the deepest part of the Tower, but there was something even further below? Or deeper inside, if he could advance to the realm where the True Dragons were imprisoned.......
‘The Tower is a space that shows different things based on my perception.’
Ban Yuwon suppressed the urge to spring from his seat. Perhaps his ancestor, who had intended his growth from the beginning, had wished for him to make contact with the True Dragons someday.
......Though the outcome might be quite different from his ancestor's hopes!
Comments