NOVEL NEXT Chapter 267
Chapter 267
The Noble Soul (17)
***
When a heavy body moves, noise inevitably follows.
What about a super gigantic air cruise ship measuring 400 meters in length and 55 meters in width?
However, strangely, the white airship floating in the sky made almost no sound.
As if it were trying to be considerate of an injured patient.
“Is that the ‘Saint Holrick’? The model name is rather silly…”
Mage Arumun Blursun had a unique hobby of collecting airships, to the extent that he could discern which company a particular airship belonged to just by listening to the engine sound, what kind of tuning it had, when it was made, and which engine was used.
The Saint Holrick was one of the airships that Arumun did not like.
“Why don’t you like it?”
When a magician asked, Arumun clicked his tongue and replied.
“Because it’s a ship from those Stella folks.”
Stella Academy was known for its outrageous acts based on tremendous capital and technical prowess.
For instance, they created a super gigantic airship known as the ‘Flying Notarized City’ to serve as a leisure spot for students, or they built a pocket dimension called the ‘Stella Dome’ to use as a mere practice ground.
They even installed dozens of micro-warp hole gates on campus, doing things that other magical organizations could not even imagine.
The Saint Holrick was one of those ‘Stella’s useless expenditures.’
It was an airship, somewhat like an ambulance, created to rescue students dispatched outside.
But you know…
Could it be that other magical organizations really lacked the money to create something like that?
No.
Even if they couldn’t do crazy things like plastering the campus with micro-warp holes, they could certainly manage something like this.
The reason they didn’t was that there was no need, meaning, or usefulness.
Could a simple operation with a standard combat model airship lead to a disaster?
It was just ostentation.
The headmaster of Stella, Eltemon Eltrine, liked to show off, which was why he created such a ship.
“Tsk. Do you think anyone would look at that kind of airship and think it looks cool? Not a chance…”
As Arumun glared at Eltemon with weary eyes, a nearby magician shook his head.
‘Don’t you collect airships to show off as well…?
A little while later, the airship landed, and particles gathered in mid-air to form stairs.
When two magical warriors emerged from the stairs, Arumun showed an amused expression.
“Who is this…?”
Lee Han-wol, a first-year instructor at Stella.
Arain, the commander of the Stella Knights.
The two, who were nothing less than special magical warriors within the academy, revealed themselves in person.
The reason the Saint Holrick unexpectedly arrived at the orchard of Namuhwaran was to personally pick up the injured Baek Yu-seol.
It was already strange that they moved the Saint Holrick for just one student, yet two high-ranking Stella mages moved in person?
This was quite intriguing even for Arumun.
Han-wol bowed briefly before Arumun, and Arain was the first to extend his hand for a handshake.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Yes… I’m even more pleased. It’s not often you see two young heroes standing together.”
“We’re already part of a waning generation.”
“Oh dear, saying such things in front of an old man who’s nearing death could cause trouble. *Cough cough!*”
As soon as Arumun finished speaking, he coughed violently, blood spilling out and shocking the nearby magicians.
When the magicians and nurses rushed over to help, he waved them away.
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just a regular cough with some blood, so don’t worry about it.”
Considering he just coughed up a bucket of blood, it seemed inappropriate to label it as ‘regular,’ but since Arumun said so, the magicians had no choice but to step back.
“Where is Baek Yu-seol?”
“Yes, right. Young heroes personally coming to see a precious talent, and yet the old man was delaying things.”
Arumun led Arain, Han-wol, and the other magicians who had accompanied them to the highest point of the orchard of Namuhwaran, a place called ‘Healing Fruit.’
The name sounded grand, but in human terms, it was an ordinary hospital.
However, due to the World Tree bearing miraculous fruits, elves could heal their wounds and recover their fatigue simply by resting within.
Although Baek Yu-seol wouldn’t receive such special effects, he was said to have been treated by a medical magician.
“This way.”
When they opened the door of the innermost hospital room, a woman sitting at the head of the bed reading a book looked up and met the eyes of the magicians.
She was wrapped in a black robe and dress with a white mask covering her face, but Arain and Han-wol immediately sensed her true identity.
“…I greet the King of all divine beasts and fairies.”
“Ah… nice to meet you.”
Flowerseorin stood and lightly bowed to the magicians.
“You certainly came quite grandly, don’t you think so, Elf King?”
“You’ll probably see it plastered on the front page of tomorrow’s newspaper, won’t you?”
Although Arumun’s sarcastic remark drew no reaction from Arain and Han-wol, they understood.
Even for the sake of rescuing just one student, moving the Saint Holrick and personally acting would undoubtedly create a significant stir in the media.
But they couldn’t do anything about it.
Their actions were… ordered by the headmaster of Stella, Eltemon Eltrine.
He had never given such an order until recently, but suddenly today, he had issued a command that seemed to overprotect the student Baek Yu-seol, and his motives were quite questionable.
Nonetheless, they had received the order, so they would faithfully carry it out.
“What is the student’s condition?”
“He has improved significantly. His regenerative ability is several times stronger than an ordinary magician’s, or so the attending physician said…”
Han-wol nodded at Flowerseorin’s answer.
He had already known that Baek Yu-seol’s regenerative abilities were outstanding, as he had been hospitalized frequently in the past.
“…How did the fight with Baek Yu-seol go?”
This time, it was Arain who spoke.
After a moment’s hesitation, Flowerseorin looked around and cautiously replied.
“The opponent was… the invincible Cheollibeun.
Baek Yu-seol inflicted a fatal wound on his chest, but he was defeated and fell.”
“…”
Han-wol and Arain seemed dumbfounded, unable to close their mouths from shock.
Even Arain, who usually managed his expressions thoroughly as if wearing a mask, could not hide his astonished eyes.
“If it’s that Cheollibeun… Could it be the one I know…?”
“Yes. The Cheollibeun you are thinking of is correct.”
Arumun, still feeling the sting from his wounds, rubbed his abdomen as he spoke.
“What an odd occurrence. Even when the Elf King and I attack together, we could not land a proper blow… and yet a mere student managed to inflict a fatal wound to the chest.
If it weren’t for the fragments of memory the Elf King showed me, I wouldn’t have believed it.”
The tales of Cheollibeun were well-known.
The only dark mage who survived fighting against the Dark Magician King.
The one who single-handedly brought down the impenetrable fortress of Kanadan after 300 years.
A man with an invincible body…
Until now, Baek Yu-seol had faced strong dark mages and successfully defeated them, but that was an achievement anyone who was an elite magical warrior could achieve.
However, Cheollibeun was different.
To face him meant that even a considerable magical warrior would risk their life.
No, it was questionable whether one could even inflict a scratch on him, even risking their life… he was the strongest man.
“I personally think… it would be best if this incident did not become known to the world.
For the safety of this student as well.”
This sentiment was shared by both Han-wol and Arain.
While it was true that Baek Yu-seol inflicted a fatal wound on Cheollibeun, the reality was that his abilities were in no way equal to those of Cheollibeun.
He was extremely intelligent, and he had demonstrated an unimaginable synergy by applying his advantages to the unique skill of Blink.
Perhaps this duel against Cheollibeun was merely another stroke of luck.
If Baek Yu-seol were to be labeled as the ‘Mage who wounded Cheollibeun…’ dark mages aiming for that honor might come seeking him.
“No matter how hard we try to hide it, those who would find out will inevitably know.
Still, let’s try to keep it quiet… and do our best, friends.”
After saying that, Arumun patted Arain and Han-wol’s shoulders and left the hospital room.
They stood there for a moment, looking at Baek Yu-seol.
“…He’s going to be a big deal.”
“He’s a dangerous one too.”
Perhaps knowing this, headmaster Eltemon Eltrine was personally looking out for this student.
While the specifics were unclear, regardless of how troublesome it was to come all the way here, Eltemon’s judgment seemed to be correct.
“Then, I will take my leave and bring Baek Yu-seol with me.”
Han-wol politely bowed to Flowerseorin and then disappeared with Baek Yu-seol, while she stared at their retreating figures for quite a while.
More specifically… at Baek Yu-seol.
‘In the end, I couldn’t spend time together…
After promising to have a pleasant time together during the short two days of the weekend, I had resolved myself.
Nothing had gone as planned.
That reality was bitter and left a hollow feeling in my chest, but I consoled myself, thinking that it couldn’t be helped.
After all, what mattered most now was that Baek Yu-seol had returned safely.
‘Ah, Leafanel…!’
As soon as she thought of her friend, she hurriedly stood up.
It had originally been the cause of the orchard of Namuhwaran beginning to change color, so she had to quickly devise a plan regarding Leafanel.
As everyone left, there was no longer a need for Flowerseorin to remain there, so she hurriedly headed towards Leafanel’s garden, leaving the hospital room empty.
…Or so she thought.
***
Before the shadow of the curtain shook and white eyes appeared.
“Um…? Am I late? I came to see a kid named Baek Yu-seol, but am I late…?”
It was the voice of a young girl.
However, anyone who heard this voice would be certain of one thing.
She was definitely not an ordinary girl.
Given that she could easily breach the temporary barrier set up by Arumun, it meant that the girl was, at the very least, a level 9 mage.
“By the way… Eltemon, that little brat is quite obsessive about his belongings, isn’t he?
Windy? Are you here?”
As the girl called for someone, a breeze blew, and a woman appeared.
It was Windy Melshirin, who had come earlier to relay a message to Soya.
With a robe that was nearly scantily clad, she greeted her master with a seductive smile.
“Yes, mother. Did you call for me?”
“Did you properly convey my message to Toa earlier?”
Toa Regron.
The girl dared to refer to the head of the Aether Tower in such a childlike manner, but Windy responded as if it were natural.
“Of course not, mother. I conveyed it properly. You asked me to bring Baek Yu-seol to you in a clean and complete state since you are interested in him.”
“Is that right? Then, what is this all about…?”
The girl burst into laughter.
There was something quite strange about the blend of the old woman’s aura in her clear, refreshing voice, but for some reason, it felt entirely natural.
“Is she rebelling…?”
It was known that Eltemon Eltrine had recently achieved level 9 as a spatial-type mage.
If he too had reached level 9 and stepped into the realm of the celestial, he would be quite a challenge to contend with.
“Hmm, I don’t like inconveniences either…”
At her age, she would be too old and weary to directly confront a young mage like Eltemon.
However, Eltemon had something to protect, while the girl had none of that.
So if she were to take the initiative… Eltemon would surely be the first to raise his hands in surrender.
“Hehe, let’s see how far they will go just to protect a single student, little one.”
After saying that, the girl closed her eyes, and the gaze that had been flickering at the curtain disappeared as if it were an illusion.
Windy, who had been quietly watching that scene, stood up and looked out the window.
The sound of the engines of the Saint Holrick that had just taken off could be heard softly.
“What could that little brat be…?
Could the great mages capable of weighing the world have such keen interest in him?
With her limited perspective, Windy couldn’t understand, but in any case, she would merely follow her mother’s will.
After all…
It seemed like it would be even more entertaining.
End of Chapter