Chapter 160 — The Whereabouts of the Missing One

1

Everyone makes choices in life.

Hoping that the results will lead to a favorable outcome, people continue to make choices.

However, it’s not always guaranteed that those choices will work out favorably.

Perhaps it’s only natural that people grow by experiencing countless trials and errors.

Some say we should listen to the advice of elders.

Even if they seem rigid and inflexible, we should trust that they have gone through many experiences and made many mistakes.

But does the person who says such things know?

That even the experienced elders suffer from regret and anguish.

That they too are still making mistakes.

“Sigh…”

“Please don’t blame yourself too much. It was my fault for overstepping.”

“Even so, I should have at least ensured some safety measures.”

Professor Trail was deeply regretting what had happened today.

Professor Jennifer’s words, that criminals should be captured and judged immediately, kept ringing in his ears.

If they had done so, Professor Trevor wouldn’t have been injured, Assistant Chesthip wouldn’t have escaped, and Professor Kaiser wouldn’t have doubted her own judgment and blamed herself.

Professor Trail bowed his head once more to Professor Trevor, who was still in shock and recovering.

All he could do now was cast healing magic to prevent any aftereffects and apologize.

Professor Trevor, watching him as he blamed himself, spoke.

“I’m really fine. In fact, I’m the one who should apologize for causing trouble. It was my unnecessary involvement that led to this.”

“I will make sure to capture Assistant Chesthip and bring him to justice.”

“Yes, please do.”

Professor Trail stood up from his seat.

He wasn’t shameless enough to keep pestering an injured man.

After he left, Professor Trevor lay back down on the bed.

If only I had been a little more composed, I could have succeeded.

He sighed repeatedly, lamenting his regret, and then closed his eyes.

The places where he was still injured ached faintly.

2

Manus moved toward the club room in response to the Chairman’s summons.

He intended to inform the club members in advance about the outcome and share news regarding Assistant Chesthip.

The club room was already filled with everyone.

Their eyes shone with a mix of worry and anticipation.

As Manus opened the door and entered, his companions rushed toward him in a flurry.

It was as if they were excited puppies greeting their returning owner, reacting with great enthusiasm.

“Senior!”

“Thank goodness. So, what happened with Assistant Chesthip?”

“The Chairman will be here soon. Let’s hear it then.”

There was no need to waste his breath explaining.

Before sitting down in his now customary spot, Manus began brewing a warm cup of tea.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to him—should he introduce these people to his sister?

If he had met Alano when he was younger, surely she would know them too, right?

They seemed to have exchanged glances earlier.

He wondered if the two of them shared a closer bond than he did.

“So, considering how you’re in one piece, I guess things went well?”

“Yeah, I think so too.”

“Well, who would believe such nonsense anyway?”

“So, who was the culprit?”

Hearing the quiet murmuring and conversations behind him, he smiled secretly.

These kids, who worried sincerely and considered each other with such pure intentions.

Living here felt worthwhile, receiving such genuine and well-meaning concern.

Now that the problem was resolved, it was time to conquer the garden.

A fragrant and slightly tart herbal scent wafted up.

Taking a sip, the unique flavor of this world spread in his mouth.

‘They said this tea helps calm the mind.’

He recalled texts he occasionally read in the game.

Now that he was actually drinking it, he could feel the mana circulation slightly speeding up.

Just as he finished his tea, the door opened at the perfect moment.

Aden and Chairman Nyx entered the room.

Their faces were filled with concern, though they tried hard to conceal it.

They were probably hiding their expressions on purpose in front of the kids.

‘You’d think a Chairman could manage their expression, but I guess this is just how it is in a game world.’

With idle thoughts like these, Manus greeted the Chairman.

Chairman Nyx smiled brightly and began with an apology.

“Sorry to gather you all on a weekend. Let me get straight to the most important thing. All charges against Student Manus have been cleared.”

“Wow! I knew it! We always believed in you, Senior! Whew, there’s no way a noble family like Caesar would resort to such lowly tactics!”

“Really, what a relief.”

“Now everyone will acknowledge that monstrous skill of yours. A great example indeed.”

Pearson, Melanie, and Guillermo each added their own comments.

The others offered words like “That’s great,” “I’m glad,” with bright expressions.

Manus nodded lightly, and the Chairman continued speaking.

The truly important part was about to begin.

“The culprit has been identified as Assistant Chesthip. I’m not sure why someone with such a bright and pure personality would do something like that…”

“If it’s Assistant Chesthip… I’ve heard of him.”

“Wasn’t he a classmate of Senior Invidea?”

Nia raised her hand and spoke.

Invidea and Chesthip.

It was the first time Manus learned that the two were classmates.

Could it be that this was why his sister had stayed here?

He suddenly became curious.

What was her school life like?

And did she know Assistant Chesthip?

“His whereabouts are currently unknown. There’s no way an assistant-level magician could have escaped the academy so quickly.”

“…So what does that mean?”

“There’s a very slim possibility, but he may have entered the Erosion Zone.”

Guillermo frowned and asked.

“Are you suggesting he’s one of the chosen?”

“We don’t know anything yet. He might also be outside the academy. In the worst-case scenario, he could have made a pact with a demon.”

“That’s serious.”

The Chairman sighed and nodded.

If he was outside, that might actually be a good thing.

There were many capable people in this world, and Chesthip was still just an assistant.

No matter how skilled he was, he wouldn’t stand a chance against the powerful figures ruling the Lux Continent.

But if, by any chance, he had entered the Erosion Zone…

Then the only people who could resolve the situation would be those gathered here, in this place.

“Of course, the chances of survival there are extremely low. But…”

“There’s a way to find out.”

The one who offered a solution to the frustrating situation was Alano.

She thought of Trace and explained roughly to the Chairman.

He could move more freely in the Erosion Zone than anyone else.

“Someone like that… or rather, can we even call that boy a person?”

“The Trace we encountered was definitely a person.”

The Chairman nodded.

He could trust them.

In that case, he would have to entrust them with the operation again.

He bowed his head and made his request.

There was no one else he could trust right now but these young ones.

“Please, take care of it once again. I know it’s dangerous, but if we leave him alone, it could lead to an even greater disaster…”

“Don’t worry. We’ll look into it.”

“Yes, if you need anything, just let us know.”

As always, the Chairman declared that he wouldn’t hold back on support.

Everyone here was a noble, so they wouldn’t need much assistance, but Kael was different.

He knew she sometimes handled external matters.

All entry and exit logs were designed to be reported to the Chairman.

Running around the battlefield in her small body, continuing the struggle for survival.

So the Chairman spoke once more.

“Kael, please don’t hesitate to ask for anything. Understood?”

“Oh, yes. I understand. I’ll let you know.”

Kael was already planning to make good use of the fact that she could enter that special room to prepare many things.

Now that the battle with the Patroller was imminent.

With the Chairman’s support, she could prepare a variety of items for her comrades.

Thinking that far, Kael resolved to create a bunch of items for her companions this time.

She recalled what Manus had said.

He told her not to hesitate to use items.

Climbing the tower wasn’t just training; it was survival.

‘Alright.’

With a Chairman who could operate the entire academy, they would certainly be a great help.

Their tasks were now clear.

Everyone steeled themselves with renewed determination.

Once again, they had a reason to head for the Ziggurat.

3

Recently, Invidea had been plagued by nightmares.

She couldn’t get a good night’s sleep due to the recurring dreams.

Had she been cursed? Even using magic for a good night’s rest only worked temporarily.

The things that kept surfacing in her mind continued to confuse her sense of self.

For her, family was a strong shelter and home.

A place that facilitated communication with others and helped her hone her skills.

Family was a precious entity, something to be cherished and overcome together.

“Ah…”

[Among the three siblings, a competition will be held.]

[What about ■■■?]

[Was there such a child?]

The contents of her dream surfaced vaguely.

She couldn’t understand why this was happening lately.

The figures she saw in her dreams were undoubtedly her family.

But why was there one person missing?

Invidea shook off the uneasy feeling and got out of bed.

Head of the family, Labeth, saw her off and gave her orders.

‘Help your brother resolve the incident.’

At the same time, she was told to uphold the honor and pride of the Caesar name at the academy.

What exactly did honor mean in this context?

Had the head of the family anticipated that an incident would occur?

She had heard about the strange phenomena happening at the academy through her mother.

Perhaps they wanted her to reveal the truth behind these phenomena and prove the Caesar family’s capabilities.

In any case, the incident had already happened, and her old classmate had become a criminal.

“A pity, really… He had potential.”

Class A.

The classmate who once competed alongside her had now turned into a criminal.

And all because he was blinded by jealousy.

She began walking to find her brother.

After some inquiries, she found her way to a familiar club building.

She felt a familiar presence in the club room at the far end.

Manus should be in there.

‘I wonder what kind of kids my brother is hanging out with.’

She was curious.

Who were the nobles her brother was associating with, and what kind of interactions were they having?

With a slightly trembling heart, she raised her hand in front of the door.

Knock knock.

The clear sound of her knock resonated.

The door opened, and a familiar face appeared.

Wasn’t her name Aden?

“Oh my, Lady Invidea. Welcome.”

“I just came to see my brother for a bit. Is that alright?”

“Of course. Please, come in.”

Invidea entered the club room.

As she did, everyone except the Chairman stood up.

Her radiant beauty and overwhelming mana.

Every aspect of her presence filled the club room with awe.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Alano Harrison.”

“Pleasure to meet you as well, Lady Harrison.”

The sense of dissonance began with their first meeting.

–TL Notes–
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