NOVEL NEXT chapter 67
67. What Happened in the Adel Coffin (1)
The sharp, metallic scent pricked at my nose.
I was in the room, fiddling with scrap metal, hammering away.
Clang!
Sweat beaded on my forehead.
I took a moment to sit on a chair, hoping to gather my thoughts.
【Peldira of Loss】
The disembodied thoughts were easily sealed away by Rockefeller.
Where he sealed them was kept a secret for reasons of security, and for the same reason, my lips were sealed as well.
Rockefeller had emphasized this point repeatedly.
– If you speak of what happened today, I will follow you to the very ends of hell and erase you.
The reason for his urgency lay in the forbidden library.
Since it was Rockefeller who had shown me the location, my grip on his life was firm.
Yet, knowing he wielded strange magics, I had no intention of exploiting that knowledge.
I feared that provoking him might lead to him altering my brain with his sorcery, and though I was reluctant, he was a wizard of a peculiar kind, much like myself.
He was a man who had reached an unknown realm, and it felt wasteful to cast him aside just yet.
Instead… it felt a bit trivial to say, but I did manage to secure some form of compensation for his efforts.
– You’ve worked hard; isn’t there anything for me?
– …You can use the cafeteria for free for three months.
– Is that all?
Perhaps even Rockefeller thought he lacked a conscience, for he offered something quite decent.
– Tch. Fine, that’s good. If you cause any trouble next time, I’ll grant you a single pardon.
Thus, I obtained three months’ worth of meal vouchers and a pardon.
And a very minor request.
That was the outcome and the reward.
Now, it was time to piece together the cause of this incident.
If we are to speak of the beginning of events, it is undoubtedly of Leana, who succumbed to a brainwashing she would not have otherwise endured.
How did this strong-willed spirit, who dared to defy her family’s opposition to become a knight, end up consumed by a specter?
“······.”
The answer to this was surprisingly simple to uncover.
In truth, there was something else I had observed closely in the Hall of Memories, aside from the painting of the sickroom, and that was a picture depicting Leana’s chamber.
The contents of the letter I read there would have shaken my resolve, had I been Leana.
She must have read it with a heart swelling with anticipation from her father’s recognition, only to find it filled with loathsome tales of Hursel.
Moreover, as if that were not enough, the specter, having caught a whiff, went so far as to crumple Leana’s armor.
That which held her attachment and conviction was cast out the window, an event that shattered her mercilessly.
To add insult to injury, she was even defeated by that wretched Shulafe, plunging her into a spiral of doubt and despair.
Was this truly the right path? Had she made an irrevocable choice?
Yet, despite it all, she fought to escape the comfortable illusion, driven by the deep-seated aspirations she harbored within.
She had merely forgotten what her dream was, ensnared by Peldira’s machinations.
So, if we are to clearly discern the cause…
It could be said that I, the one who should have perished, dragged this body here.
But what can be done about it?
Enrolling was not a sin, was it?
“Well then, shall we continue?”
The identity of the metal I had been tapping on was Leana’s armor, salvaged from the junkyard.
It held no particular significance.
It was merely armor I had kept until the latter part of the narrative, but I thought perhaps it might be prudent to repair it, lest it introduce variables.
Clang!
After several strikes, it regained a semblance of its original form.
Well, at least that’s how it appeared to a novice like me.
Feeling satisfied enough, I pulled out the skull I had brought from the mansion.
‘Hmm? What’s that?’
‘This?’
[Cursed Giant’s Skull]
●Attribute Type: Curse.
An object touched by light diminishes.
When light is cast upon the shrunken object, it returns to its normal state.
The spoils taken from the first assassin.
Now that I am a sorcerer, I should be able to wield it.
“I was thinking of making a miniature.”
‘M-miniature? What on earth is that…?’
“It’s a thing.”
I aimed the skull I held at the breastplate, recalling the words that Leana would have etched when her girlhood emotions were still abundant.
[Become a knight.]
It would be alright if she couldn’t read it anymore.
That sentence must be deeply engraved within her soul.
* * *
Upon opening my eyes, I found myself once more in the infirmary, filled with white furniture and fabric.
Leana, feeling as if the same events were repeating, hastily propped herself up.
“Ah!”
Her muscles ached, particularly her wrists, which throbbed with a sharp pain.
She hadn’t been this injured before, so this place must be reality, after all.
Yet, why did her gaze keep drifting to the entrance of the infirmary?
…It felt as if a pair of simple shoes would soon cross the threshold, and a man clad in plain clothes would step inside.
‘Could it be that all of this is a dream?’
Yet, the new pains could not be explained away.
Those vivid memories were too real to dismiss as mere dreams.
Leana placed her numb legs on the floor and struggled to rise from her seat.
“L-Leana? You shouldn’t try to move just yet.”
The medical professor, hearing her, approached and urged her to stay still.
Even the slightest touch made her knees buckle.
Just as she was about to voice her confusion to the professor, the sound of clicking shoes echoed from afar.
“Oh, so you’ve awakened. Leana Rel Derabian.”
Rockefeller, with bruises under his eyes, glared at her with a menacing gaze.
The medical professor, feeling awkward in his presence, quietly stepped back.
“…I, I just remembered something I must attend to, so I’ll take my leave.”
As she vanished, Rockefeller aimed his staff at her neck.
“I don’t want to, but this is his request.”
His expression bore the weight of humiliation.
“I’ll cast a healing spell, so relax.”
A warm light seeped from the tip of the staff, enveloping Leana’s entire body.
The sharp pain lingered, but the numbness in her wrist and the muscle aches had eased significantly.
Leana looked up at Rockefeller and asked in an innocent voice, “What’s wrong with your eyes?”
Rockefeller stared at her in disbelief, muttering through clenched teeth, “This brat…”
“You don’t need to know that! More importantly, how much do you remember from yesterday? Speak every detail without omission.”
“Remember?”
Leana blinked and explained to Rockefeller as it was.
How Pheldira had invaded the hospital room, and in her dazed state, she had been tricked into being trapped in the past.
And she described the man who had come to her in that memory-laden hospital room.
“He had black hair and wore plain clothes. Uniquely, he had a watch on his left wrist.”
“A watch on his wrist? Could such a thing even be worn there?”
It shouldn’t be impossible.
“Who was that man?”
When Leana asked, Rockefeller flinched at the corners of his eyes.
“I don’t know.”
From his reaction, it seemed that man truly existed.
“Then, who was the person you mentioned earlier, the one you asked for help from?”
“Leana Rel Derevian. Do you, a mere student, dare to question me?”
…Is it so strange for a student to ask a professor a question?
“Stop your idle thoughts. Your body isn’t even healed yet. Focus on your recovery and think about participating in class.”
If he wouldn’t answer, she had no choice but to seek other means.
Before that, Leana called out to Rockefeller, who seemed ready to turn away.
“Professor, I have something urgent to tell you.”
“What is it?”
Leana let out a short, relieved sigh and fixed him with a serious gaze.
“I feel unworthy of the Adel House. I shall go to the Bürger House and start anew from the bottom.”
When it comes to practicing the sword, one’s position holds no significance.
Rather, if one recognizes their shortcomings, it is a matter of humility and the need for greater effort.
As long as the spirit of truly wanting to become a knight is not lost, one can navigate through as they always have.
Yet, unexpectedly, words tumbled from Rockefeller’s lips.
“No, you are indeed suited for the Adel House.”
As he spoke, he rubbed his bruised eyes, and perhaps a forgotten thought resurfaced, prompting an exclamation.
“I almost forgot.”
A small box carelessly tossed onto the bed.
“This is the item that the one you wish to know about asked me to deliver.”
Leana tore her gaze from the departing Rockefeller and cautiously opened the small box.
Inside lay a glass vial resting upon a crumpled bundle of paper.
Within it was a crooked piece of armor, hanging from a stand.
Though its shape was much distorted, the engraved patterns remained intact.
“…This is.”
How long had it been?
Her face, once hardened like a mask, now broke into a wide smile…
—So, you really intend to become a knight? I’ll be cheering for you from afar.
Leana embraced the glass vial tightly within the box.
In that moment, professors began to file into the infirmary.
Each one shot wary glances, their eyes sharp with suspicion.
“Ugh!”
“Ugh.”
“Ugh.”
Their pallid faces hinted at an unsettling atmosphere among the professors.
One even placed a hand on the hilt of their sword…
Leana blinked, feigning ignorance.
‘What on earth is going on with them?’
* * *
With a light step, she headed toward the dining hall.
—
There was a meal ticket that allowed one to choose anything, and surely it was advantageous to indulge in the most expensive dish.
Today, the matron working at the Shulafe Hall’s dining room was welcoming the regulars.
“Just the usual, please.”
“I’ll bring it right away, miss.”
Those laboring here were the personal attendants who had followed the new students.
In Frost Heart, nothing came for free, so even the servants had to toil in this manner. Yet, due to the elite selection from noble families, the taste of the food and the level of service were high.
As the line dissipated, I thrust my meal ticket toward the matron.
“Make it the most expensive one.”
She glanced at the ticket, her eyes widening in surprise as she waved her hands in protest.
“Oh, no. You can’t use that here, young master.”
“What do you mean, I can’t use it?”
“That’s only accepted at the dining hall run by the Adel Hall…”
Was this all for naught?
Reluctantly, I turned my steps back toward the fortress.
Upon entering and ascending the floors, a professor blocked my path.
“I don’t recognize your face. This place is only for those from Adel Hall. Show your student ID.”
…Was he telling me not to use the meal ticket?
It felt like a jest at my expense.
Just then, the professor beside me glanced at my face and spoke to the one who had obstructed my way.
His lips bore the marks of bruising.
“This is Hessel Ben Tenest. Professor Rockefeller has granted permission, so remember his face well.”
“P-Professor Rockefeller?”
A figure of both envy and fear among professors, Rockefeller.
At the mere mention of that name, the professor smiled and allowed me entry.
“Ah, do come in. I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
Thus, I arrived smoothly at the dining hall operated by Adel.
As I merely stepped on the carpet, the grand doors swung open automatically.
Inside, a chandelier sparkled above, and an ice-carved swan graced the room, filled with tables draped in snow-white cloths, high-end wooden furniture, and neatly folded napkins like those in an opera house.
A man, seemingly a waiter, scrutinized my appearance, narrowing his eyes momentarily.
“Ahem, pardon me, but I don’t believe I’ve seen you before. May I ask what brings you here?”
—
It seems my attire raised some suspicion.
Though originally a fine piece, the colors had faded from living in this place, and the creases were sharply etched into the fabric.
No matter how much Shelly washed it, there was little to be done.
“Well, I came for a meal.”
“Ahem, may I impose once more?”
“What is it?”
“Um… how much coin do you possess?”
I thrust my meal ticket before the waiter’s eyes.
He gasped, then hurried off toward the kitchen.
After a tense ten seconds, the waiter returned, his demeanor noticeably strained as he guided me.
“Hmm.”
I was taken aback by the seating arrangement.
The table was the longest, and the chairs, unlike the others, appeared slightly different, with a pleasing cushion.
Moreover, the location offered a view of the window’s scenery and the paintings adorning the walls—a prime spot.
…This was the very table I had hesitated to sit at even during games.
I never dreamed that the ticket Rockefeller had given me held such worth to sit here.
Was it truly so unsettling to see a stranger occupying this space?
“Senpai, that table…”
The folks from the Adel Hall began to murmur among themselves.
“I’ve only heard that it’s off-limits for anyone else. Why is that person sitting there?”
“Well, it’s not a place just anyone can occupy. The menu alone is different. The base is at least 800 coins.”
“Eight… 800?”
A single meal costing three months’ worth of Adel Hall’s stipend was indeed shocking.
And rightly so, for those who sat here were typically the wealthiest of the Frost Heart.
The waiter unfurled a menu adorned with a golden cover with meticulous grace.
“The base is a course meal. Which would you like to try?”
“The most expensive one.”
“It will take some time. However, if you taste it, you will surely understand why it’s worth the wait, so please look forward to it.”
With a confident smile, he departed, and nearly an hour passed before the food arrived.
“Thank you for your patience.”
The waiter, accompanied by the waitress, carefully placed dish after dish upon the table.
There was so much that the table seemed on the verge of splintering.
As he lifted the lids one by one, the enticing aromas wafted forth, making saliva pool in his mouth.
“This is coq au vin, made from the finest selection of turkeys.”
The sweet sauce and perfect cooking made it truly delectable.
Even compared to the meals at the Tenest Manor, it held its own without shame.
“Mmm, a hint of acidity cuts through the richness beautifully.”
As he savored it with a certain formality, those who had been watching left their own dishes untouched, merely swallowing their saliva.
“This is bouillabaisse, prepared with fresh fish delivered directly by a wizard.”
Just as he was about to clear the table and rise from his seat, the waiter interjected, asking why he was already getting up, as the courses were not yet finished.
“Was the meal not to your liking?”
“Not at all…”
“Oh, it seems I worried for nothing. Well then, more dishes are on their way, so please wait just a little longer. By the time you finish your meal, I shall bring out dessert as well.”
Plates were cleared, and new dishes appeared once more.
…These folks seem to revel in the torment of waiting.
Just as he pondered what to do about it, the restaurant door swung open, and Eruzel stepped in.
With a casual wave of his hand, the lad’s eyes widened in surprise as he asked, “W-What are you doing here, brother?”
“Ah, perfect timing. Come sit. It’s been ages since we’ve shared a meal.”
“Hmph, am I mad? To dine with you?”
“Unless you’d prefer not to.”
Given what the hostess had said, he had intended to look after him, but tsk tsk.
[Eruzel, I’ll be counting on you.]
Yet as the lid of a newly arrived dish was lifted, Eruzel’s eyes sparkled, drool pooling at the corners of his mouth.
“Ahem, let’s just call it madness then.”
“You insolent brat. If you don’t want to pick at leftover scraps, at least speak nicely.”
“…Fine, fine. Just give me that fish dish.”
Well, this was a rare opportunity; perhaps he could pry some news about those Adell folks from this lad.