48 – Academy (1)
In the early morning, a challenging time for a ten-year-old to open their eyelids.
Lian glanced at the girl sitting next to him in the limousine and spoke.
“…Were we supposed to go together?”
“It’s a waste of time if we go separately.”
Her face suggested she’d even want him to drive, if she could.
Riley absentmindedly played with the data cube, then spoke with a nonchalant expression.
“Many people will come. Most of them will be from the corporate side. Although I doubt anyone from the Deckerd family would dare touch me, considering it involves money, they’ll probably engage in all sorts of dirty tricks under the surface.”
… Is this really a sentence that should come out of an eleven-year-old’s mouth?
He never dreamed that such words would be spoken with a face that hadn’t even shed its baby fat.
“…So?”
“Most likely, they’ll be after you. No matter the current relationship, the moment the contract ends, you’ll return to being just a mercenary.”
After uttering those words, Riley realized how harsh her tone was. The word “just” was usually used when dismissing someone.
But there was no choice. Corporate wars unfolded in a completely different way from conflicts involving mercenaries.
It felt so dirty and vile that one might prefer fistfights. Here, allies from the day before could betray you, and those who stabbed you in the back a few days ago would now smile and extend a hand. It was no exaggeration to say it was like the political arena.
Even if someone felt shame and disgrace upon hearing this, at the very least, a minimum sense of vigilance needed to be instilled.
However, the sentence that came out of Lian’s mouth was completely different from Riley’s expectations.
“I understand.”
“…What?”
“It doesn’t mean that if you make a mistake, you might come to kill me.”
Assassins. They were people Riley had met to the point of being sick of in her past life.
Life becomes exhausting when you get involved with them. You have to be on guard every moment, even when eating or trying to sleep.
However.
Since crossing the threshold of the Decard main gate, it was different.
“Don’t worry. I accepted everything.”
Riley remained silent.
She stared relentlessly into Lian’s eyes, then slowly spoke.
“You’re familiar with this, aren’t you?”
“What?”
“No, it just seems like you’re worried for no reason.”
Children who face the world’s shadows faster than others undergo significant mental changes to survive.
When others are learning to read, they learn to read the atmosphere, detect anger in the tone, or understand the mood.
Because otherwise, they won’t survive.
How does she know?
Because Riley herself had been through that.
“Show me the list of participating companies. They must have already filtered out competitors and blacklisted ones.”
Why didn’t I realize sooner?
For Lian, it couldn’t have happened without walking a similar path.
“…Adriana Arms. For now, just keep that in mind.”
While Riley was trying to regain composure, Lian calmly passed over the documents.
‘Adriana Arms. Are they a powerhouse in the field of bio-implants?’
Not quite at the level of Decard, but they were a company recognized by the market for their product appeal and quality, especially among mercenaries.
Especially for mercenaries lacking in the ability to handle magic, there was no better way to quickly enhance combat power than with bio-implants.
‘I’m not sure if it will work at a certain hierarchy, though.’
At that moment, the driver silently operating the recon vehicle spoke up.
“Miss, we’ve arrived.”
Simultaneously, a sophisticated building revealed itself beyond the window.
Turas Academy.
An educational facility where the city’s brightest minds gathered. This was one of the rare legitimate businesses conducted by the corrupt Turas government.
Ironically, Lian’s gaze was directed towards the opposite side.
– Please bring in the next vehicle.
– Remove your hands from the steering wheel and present your license.
Hundreds of vehicles lined up behind the main gate.
Identity checks, along with inspections using various unseen devices, were in progress.
Like a thorough military checkpoint comes to mind.
“…Is it really necessary to go this far?”
“It’s the landmark of the city. Imagine if you had come here in just any car; it would end up like this, wouldn’t it?”
The door opened. However, Riley didn’t get off right away. Instead, he stared at Lianne with a serious expression.
“From the moment you get off, I am your employer. Do you understand what that means?”
Lianne smirked.
Rather than going through the formalities now, it was probably to prevent unnecessary comments later.
It wasn’t unpleasant.
“I understand. Employer.”
Working for a month and receiving a salary equivalent to that of a major corporation, couldn’t he use honorifics just once?
******
Inside the bustling research lab.
A strict-looking female professor spoke up.
“How many teams did you say there were?”
“A total of fifteen teams.”
The professor of magic, Mikella, frowned. The research wasn’t even finished yet, but they gathered like a swarm.
‘Those corporate types.’
Mikella scanned the researchers with a cold gaze. Those who had just graduated from the academy and started their master’s and doctoral courses.
Although the research was clearly conducted in secrecy, it was evident that among them, there were researchers who received under-the-table payments.
“As I said before, until the research is complete, visiting the lab is refused. It’s unacceptable for the atmosphere to be tainted because of them.”
From Noble mtl dot com
“However-.”
“But I allow observing the class instead.”
That way, the real slackers will filter themselves out.
Of course, Michela was aware that some self-proclaimed major corporations were also among the observing companies. But so what? She, too, was an elite who had passed through the Raysia Matop and risen to the position of an academy professor.
It wasn’t an excessive demand. She simply didn’t want to be disturbed until her research was completed.
There was no justification to block the corporate representatives.
‘Actually, I’m quite busy.’
Michela gazed at the bulky machine in front of her. A magical engineering device she had personally designed for magical resonance testing.
Right now, it was only consuming electricity and magic power, but once she completed the error adjustments, its true potential would be revealed.
‘…I hope I can get meaningful results.’
She was currently working on only two research projects. Despite Michela belonging to the high-achieving faction, it was clear that if either of them failed, the research funding would be cut to pieces.
Not only would she be unable to walk around with her head held high, but the number of students supported in the lab would also plummet immediately.
“Bring one more piler.”
“Yes, Professor.”
Outside the dean’s office, as Michela was about to take out a cigarette, an unfamiliar sight caught her eye.
Two boys and girls strolling through the research building.
It wasn’t just Michela who felt that way; the undergraduates wandering around also glanced at them.
Considering that most undergraduates were in their early to mid-twenties, it wasn’t unreasonable for attention to be drawn to them.
“Are there early admission students in the academy?”
“As far as I know… there are none.”
“Exactly.”
Associate Professor Baren was a standout figure within the graduate school for his competence. If someone with such close ties to the admissions office said this, there was no room for doubt.
“So it’s about Agora.”
The building where most classes related to arcane studies took place. It was also the building with the deepest connection to Mirella.
Regardless of her research achievements, within the academic realm, her title was simply ‘Professor of Arcane Studies.’
Mirella’s gaze momentarily intertwined with the boy’s.
A piercing, almost penetrating stare.
With a slight furrow of her brow, Mirella pushed her glasses up.
“……”
A peculiar sensation settled in.
*****
True to its name, the inside of the lecture hall, Agora, was quite exotic. Like a colossal debating chamber.
Fortunately, there seemed to be no shortage of seats.
Of course, even if security personnel had places to sit, they usually stood for quick response…
“If I deem that the class is being disturbed, I won’t hesitate to escort you out.”
With Professor Mirella herself laying down such a strict rule, there was no choice but to quietly take a seat.
Lian surveyed the surroundings slowly. Fifteen corporations had applied for observation. With the security personnel included, it went beyond that number.
Although he tried to position the observation seat at the far back, it seemed inadequate to divert the attention of the academy students.
Even now, they were glancing back incessantly.
“Just how many of them actually came?”
“……Even large corporations seem to be here? That logo belongs to Poladri Nick.”
“But what about those little kids?”
Among the dogs, it was undoubtedly Lian and Riley who caught everyone’s attention.
In a way, it was an expected result. Excluding the two, the rest were all muscular figures dressed in matching suits and shirts.
They were noticeable, but they didn’t seem like corporate officials. They appeared to be children who came purely to observe the class.
Regardless of anything else, they seemed to have achieved their goal of not attracting the attention of other corporate individuals.
‘Leaving that aside….’
Lian slowly lowered his gaze and stared at Micella, who continued the lecture.
Could it be, as Berta mentioned, that this was the same person as the magical arts professor?
Now that the lab visit is controlled.
Perhaps things could be resolved more easily than he had thought.
*****