Chapter 147
Chapter 147
The entire Resistance group had gathered.
As is always the case with kids, the noise level escalated quickly.
Crash. Bang. Clatter.
I ignored the familiar chaos and slowly took in Natalie’s workshop.
The rest of the place was already a disaster zone.
“Don’t break anything, alright?”
“Hey, that thing’s really expensive.”
“Adela! Adela! Do you know what this is?”
“Why are you calling me? You should be asking Natalie.”
“Natalie! Natalie!”
“…Everyone’s so noisy.”
Solia stood still, clicking her tongue in disapproval.
I couldn’t help but agree with her. A sigh escaped my lips.
“Hey.”
My words were drowned out by Seymour’s excited babbling.
“Where’s the Cube? Can we make one? How do you make it?”
“Hey, you guys!”
“So, the Cube was made here? Wow, that’s incredible….”
“Seymoooour!”
“…!”
Seymour, who had been chattering non-stop, clammed up at my sharp tone.
“Are you broadcasting this to the world? Do you plan to announce that we’re playing with the Cube here?”
“Th-that’s not what I meant….”
Yoon Haul and Adela, who had also been getting a bit too excited, glanced nervously at me.
“Let’s keep things quiet, please.”
Finally, some order was restored.
I nodded toward Natalie, signaling her to begin.
“Let’s get started.”
“Yes!”
This place was a large workshop, spacious enough to comfortably accommodate multiple people.
What was even more surprising was that there were several dozen such facilities.
Natalie introduced the massive workspace with a smile.
“This is the central workshop. I’ve rented out the entire underground floor from my father, so we can use it freely.”
We had requested a secretive location, and Natalie assured us that only her family knew the exact location of this underground workshop.
She also explained that this area was used for crafting custom-made artifacts that were too valuable to be exposed, adding to its appeal as a secure location.
Thanks to this, it was a perfectly soundproofed space.
“It seems to have everything we need.”
“Of course.”
Natalie smiled brightly at my remark.
Yoon Haul was fascinated by a clock on the table, gazing at it in awe.
“Is this an eternally running clock?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“I read about it. Wow, what’s this?”
“It’s an early model of the Sound Teleport artifact.”
“Was that made here too?”
“Wow. You guys are really rich….”
Among us, only Yoon Haul and I had any real understanding of artifacts.
The two of us had once worked on developing a poison resistance artifact, and the intense study that experience required was certainly paying off now.
This place was filled not only with rare artifacts known to the public but also with invaluable artifacts that couldn’t be found anywhere else. Their forms and functions varied widely.
“What’s this one?”
Natalie glanced at the necklace Yoon Haul was pointing to and explained.
“It’s a necklace that stores magical energy.”
Her explanation made my eyes widen in surprise.
A necklace that could store and release magical energy when needed was quite rare.
But her next words were even more shocking.
“It can also draw in external magical energy.”
“What? External magical energy?”
Lee Han noticed the similarity to the Cube’s function as well, and his expression hardened slightly.
“That’s a dangerous item.”
“It’s actually an early prototype of the Cube. The ability to draw in magical energy was too weak, so it was discarded.”
“But the principle is the same, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Completely destroy it. It gives me the creeps.”
I waved my hand dismissively, and Natalie nodded in agreement.
Of course, the final decision would rest with her father, but it was clear that some things were better left unused.
This workshop was a place where artifacts could be researched freely.
While it wasn’t as secure as the inside of Ardel Academy, it was still relatively safe.
However, if the goal today had been simply to create artifacts, there would have been no need to bring the entire Resistance group here.
Today, I was here to present a plan.
“Are you suggesting we modify the artifact?”
“So… you’re saying we should tamper with the Cube?”
“Exactly.”
“That’s a fresh approach.”
Everyone was already aware that the Cube was a type of artifact created by humans.
My suggestion was to modify that artifact to make it safer to use.
“We’re going to place a restriction on it to prevent the Cube from extracting unlimited magical energy. That way, even if the Cube falls into the wrong hands, it won’t be as dangerous.”
If all five Cubes fell into the hands of our enemies, the consequences could be catastrophic.
In the original story, it was said that the magical power of the Cubes could wipe out an entire continent.
Not just the Ardel Empire, but more than half of humanity could be erased from existence.
“So, let’s start by weakening the Cube’s power.”
We had someone close by who knew how the Cube was made.
That meant we had a significant advantage in understanding and manipulating this artifact.
“We currently have three Cubes in our possession.”
The Void Cube, the Sun and Moon Cube, and the Sensory Cube.
Each of these Cubes possessed considerable power, but the most dangerous aspect was the immense magical energy they contained.
If we could control that, we wouldn’t have to fear losing the Cubes to our enemies.
“At the very least, we should be able to neutralize the ones we have to some extent.”
This would prevent a scenario where an entire continent could be obliterated.
If it was possible, it was the safest route we could take.
“But I have a question.”
“What is it?”
Seymour, who had been nodding along, cautiously raised his hand.
“If the Cube is such a dangerous item, is there really a need to weaken it?”
“What?”
“Why don’t we just make it so powerful that no one can take it from us?”
Seymour suggested an entirely different approach.
If we don’t want to lose it, we should make it unbeatable.
In a way, Seymour’s approach was typical of him.
Yoon Haul bit his lower lip as he slowly mulled over Seymour’s words.
“If we get stronger, maybe they won’t dare to touch us?”
“So, you’re suggesting we enhance the Cube and wipe out the dark mages?”
“That’s how I see it.”
When an object powerful enough to destroy the world falls into your hands, some will seek to use it, while others will choose to destroy it.
I was leaning toward the latter.
The reason was simple.
“There’s no guarantee it will always remain in our possession.”
The weapon we wield today could very well tighten around our throats tomorrow.
I knew the fate of those who had tried to wield the Cube, and that knowledge fueled my certainty.
Regret would come too late.
“I understand.”
Seymour nodded seriously, and Yoon Haul, who had been mumbling to himself, paused and smiled faintly.
It seemed like he had been weighing the options.
“I saw it, and it led to ruin.”
“Prophecies are always terrifying.”
Adela clicked her tongue and glanced at me.
The general plan had been outlined, but there were still some people who needed to stay here.
“Yoon Haul, Natalie.”
“Huh?”
“I want you two to handle the Cube.”
Natalie, who had access to the Cube’s original blueprints, and Yoon Haul, a genius in crafting, were the ideal pair to modify the Cube.
“Adela.”
“Yeah?”
“You and I will work on creating a communication device.”
The current Sound Teleport system was clunky and unreliable, making it unusable in emergencies. It was necessary to create an emergency communication item that could be used when needed.
We couldn’t afford to wait for a messenger pigeon while being kidnapped.
I turned to Natalie.
“Natalie, could I take a look at the early model of the Sound Teleport device?”
“Of course! I also have the construction guide for it!”
“Thanks.”
Finally, I tasked Seymour and Lee Han with finishing the detoxification artifact.
I handed the necklace we had previously created to Lee Han.
“Alright, everyone, let’s get to work!”
There was no time to waste.
The new semester was just around the corner.
—
First Day of the New Semester.
The first class I had signed up for was [Advanced Analysis of Magic Manufacturing].
It was a course primarily taken by students specializing in magical manufacturing, but it was currently the most crucial subject for me.
The makeshift artifacts I had created in the past wouldn’t be enough to defeat our enemies.
Now that I knew the Cube was just another type of artifact, it was even more critical to understand its principles. In this sense, Magic Manufacturing was definitely the right course.
“But who’s the professor?”
Yoon Haul, Adela, and Won were with me.
We had all signed up for the same class, a familiar group dynamic.
Won tilted his head in response to my question.
“They said it’s a new professor.”
Since it was a new professor, there hadn’t been much information available during course registration.
“Since it’s a new professor, it’s not Professor Grint, so that’s good enough for me.”
Adela spoke with satisfaction.
Indeed, there had been no indication that the professor would change right before the semester started, so there was little chance that Professor Grint would be teaching the course. Honestly, I shared Adela’s sentiment.
“As long as it’s not Professor Grint, I’m fine.”
There’s just something off about that guy every time I see him!
It’s not that he’s a bad person… but….
Well, it’s just…
The way he looks at me, as if he’s trying to drag me into grad school or something—that look is unnerving.
It’s so intense that I get the feeling he’s about to abduct me to his research lab.
Of course, Yoon Haul, being from the Theology Department, didn’t know who Professor Grint was.
“Who’s that?”
“He’s… incredibly strict… with tons of assignments… and he acts like his class is the only one that matters.”
“The victim of the semester-opening exam is right here.”
“Semester-opening exam? What the heck is that?”
Just thinking about the Flight Magic exam makes me shudder.
Yoon Haul frowned at our accounts.
“No professors like that in the Theology Department, right?”
“None. They don’t interfere much.”
Even just looking at Professor Supreme gives you an idea of the department’s atmosphere.
That professor still asks if I’ve thought about studying astrology whenever he sees me in the hallways.
Won folded his arms and nodded.
“Whoever it is, they can’t be worse than Professor Grint, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
“New professors are usually very enthusiastic, but they also try to understand the students.”
“I heard the new professor is talented. Apparently, they came from the Ministry of Magic.”
Even Won, our information guru, only knew that much.
We had no idea who it would be, but it was about time for them to arrive.
I glanced at the clock, noting that class should have started already, and pulled out my [Advanced Magic Manufacturing] textbook.
Click.
The sound of footsteps echoed down the hall and stopped in front of the door.
Then, a man in a black suit pushed the door open.
The new professor had arrived.
On the first day of the new semester, the students all sat up straight, greeting the professor loudly and politely.
“Hello, Professor!”
“Good morning!”
I was about to smile and bow my head as well when my smile froze on my face.
“Holy—”
The man was wearing a suit as crisp as Professor Grint’s, with the same refined gait that screamed nobility, even though he had been disowned.
An all-too-familiar face.
“Han… Han Si-hyuk?”
What the hell was he doing here?
Why….
No, I mean, why?
“Isn’t that the investigator?”
Adela’s mouth hung open as she poked my side repeatedly.
“It’s really him, isn’t it? Isn’t it?”
I know, I know. Stop poking me.
I’m on the verge of losing my mind.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Han Si-hyuk, the new professor in charge of the Advanced Magic Manufacturing course.”
Han Si-hyuk slowly scanned the classroom, and then his eyes locked onto mine.
Our gazes met.
“I see some familiar faces.”
Han Si-hyuk smiled coldly.
It was, without a doubt, a smile more sinister than any villain I had ever encountered.
Shit.
I could mess with him as my brother, but not as a professor.
I could defy him as my brother, but not as a professor.
In that sense, this situation was…
“The worst.”
“You’re… so dead now.”
Adela couldn’t contain her laughter as she looked at my face, which had turned ashen.
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