Chapter 52: Starcloud Trading Company (1)
"In the end, it was a bust."
In response to Hyejin’s words, Kaen nodded. There would have been signs in response to intense emotions. However, the sensors that responded to dark mana fluctuations remained silent.
"Well, the psychometry of New Moon Tower isn't perfect either, right? How many times have we drawn blanks? Oh, I thought I was going to die of boredom! Well, you seemed to enjoy it, though.”
In response to Hyejin’s words, Kaen nodded silently.
It was enjoyable. As someone who had pursued the path of an alchemy master, he possessed deep knowledge in this field, allowing him to appreciate just how remarkable this woman, Alterisha, truly was.
The mission ended in vain, but the lingering feeling remained.
Separated by almost an entire hall, Kaen couldn't help but continue to observe Alterisha.
"By the way, that kid who was listed as a co-author. Isn’t he a high school student? That little brat looked quite cute, didn't he? Right?"
Kaen turned his gaze towards the boy named Baek Yu-Seol. It was impressive that a high school student had contributed to solving a 300-year-old unsolved problem, and as someone who had an interest in alchemy, Kaen became curious, but it wasn't significant enough to pay him special attention.
However, what happened next was suspicious.
“Please exclude my name from the article.”
Right after the presentation of the paper and in the chaotic atmosphere of the conference, Baek Yu-Seol stated that he didn't want fame.
As a result, the article would only mention Alterisha and an anonymous alchemist.
Of course, it wouldn't be limited to just the article, and eventually, anyone who wanted a bit more information would find out.
However, the attention of the public would be solely on Alterisha, and since his identity was not revealed, corporate sponsorship would be solely at her disposal.
Why was that?
Kaen became quite curious about the reason.
"Did you investigate him?"
When he asked Hyejin, she stared at her palm and replied, "Yeah. I just received a message, and there's nothing special about him except for the fact that his hometown was destroyed by dark mages right before his enrollment. He’s from a commoner background, and his grades are the lowest. But strangely, he’s in the S-class? I haven't been to the academy, so I don't know, but isn't it extremely difficult to get into that class?"
"... That's true."
"Moreover, he attends the world's most prestigious magic academy but can’t use magic. He’s peculiar in various ways."
The word ‘peculiar’ seemed insufficient to describe that boy.
"But apart from this, there's really nothing special. It’s something that Matra mentioned, so it must be accurate, right?"
"Yeah, I got it."
Regardless of his inner thoughts, the Extermination Squad at the New Moon Tower was not idle enough to care about one high school student.
Thinking about this, Kaen was staring at Baek Yu-Seol when he suddenly turned his head.
In that instant, their eyes met for a brief second.
However, Baek Yu-Seol turned his head as if it were merely a fleeting glance.
Kaen frowned for a moment, but his perception magic and Hyejin’s shadow veil barrier were undoubtedly in effect. A mere high school student wouldn't be able to see through it.
'Must be my imagination.'
Thinking so, Kaen turned his head and spoke, "Let's go. We're done here."
"Yeah! I'm tired of this boring place too!"
They swiftly left as if carried by the wind, leaving no trace behind.
While Alterisha was being besieged by journalists and businessmen, Professor Maizen secretly slipped away through the back door.
It was truly a terrible situation.
Professor Maizen had come in through the main entrance, while Alterisha came in through the back door.
But when they left, Alterisha walked through the front door, while Professor Maizen was forced to use the back door.
‘Damn it, damn it…’
Maizen, who boarded her self-driving carriage, bit her nails. Her neatly arranged hair was now disheveled and unkempt.
"Ugh...!"
Thump! Thump!
As Maizen banged her head against the window, expressing his anger silently, a low voice echoed from beside her.
"Calm down, Maizen."
"You, you!"
Seated there was a man wearing sunglasses. With his jet-black hair that had a hint of a green shine, he calmly flipped through a notebook as if he had been in that spot all along.
It was Professor Raiden of Stella Academy from the New Moon Department. He sharply rebuked Maizen. "You caused an accident."
"This… This wasn't an accident..." Maizen stammered and sweated. Could someone have witnessed this spectacle?
"You almost went on a rampage. It was only because of the restraint placed on you that you managed to control yourself. If your emotions had escalated any further and you went on a rampage, it could have ruined all of our plans."
"... I'm sorry."
"Hah, sorry?"
Raiden let out a bitter laugh.
"Do you think a simple apology is enough? The cult leader is extremely disappointed. You have lost both of your values."
The first value was that she was a professor at Stella Academy.
The second value was that she had the potential to solve the Alchemical Engineering Cross Technique.
However, the first value was soon to be lost as she plagiarized her assistant's thesis, and the second value was now meaningless as someone else had already completed the formula.
"No, no! It's not over yet. I have connections in the plagiarism committee. I can easily resolve this incident. I... I won't be expelled!"
Upon hearing this, Raiden closed his notebook with a snap and turned his head, locking eyes with Maizen.
Under his cold gaze, which seemed to see humans as nothing more than insects, Maizen gulped hard.
"Shut up and stay quiet. The most helpful thing you can do is keep your head down and stay still. Got it?"
There wasn't a single word Maizen could say in response to that demeaning remark.
"Stay still and keep quiet until further instructions from the cult leader."
Raiden left those words behind and vanished into thin air.
Left alone, Maizen clawed at her hair with her nails.
‘Baek Yu-Seol, Baek Yu-Seol...!’
She did her best to suppress the overwhelming urge to go on a rampage. She bit her nails, plucked her hair, and tore her skin to suppress herself.
‘Not yet, not yet!’
She couldn't express her anger now. When the opportunity would come to corner that person, she had to unleash it all at once.
To achieve that, Maizen harshly endured.
‘Just wait a little longer, Baek Yu-Seol...!’
[Dark Magic Corruption Progress: 49%]
As the presentation continued, Baek Yu-Seol used his specs to monitor the progress of Professor Maizen’s dark magic corruption.
Just when it was about to surpass 50%, the critical point where magical proof became possible, it abruptly stopped.
‘... I suppose I'll obediently stay put until the intended rampage episode arrives.’
‘No matter how hard I try or how much effort I put in, the predetermined episode remains unchanged.’
‘I thought that if I could forcibly raise Maizen’s corruption rate to 50%, I might somehow prevent the dreadful disaster of the eighth episode.’
‘Nevertheless, the preparations are steadily progressing.’
The situation had ended on a positive note, and the activation of the lingering resentment even succeeded.
The cheat-like item would undoubtedly make it easy to breeze through the eighth episode.
Furthermore, from now on, the direction of alchemy would revolve around Alterisha. There was no need to worry about her safety.
With such a significant incident having erupted, she had become an invaluable presence at Stella Academy as well. Guards would quietly accompany her to ensure her protection.
Baek Yu-Seol took a deep breath, feeling relieved.
If things had gone according to plan, it would have been another year before the mages obtained the existence known as the item.
However, thanks to Alterisha awakening much earlier than in the game, the potential for Baek Yu-Seol’s growth had opened up wide.
Of course, the dark mages would also acquire information about the Alchemical Engineering Cross Technique.
However, their skills couldn’t match up to Alterisha’s. Even in the original game, she effortlessly surpassed the dark mages who were already a year ahead in terms of their skills.
Moreover, this was not the only achievement.
[The direction of the main episode has undergone significant changes.]
[Your narrative power is greatly enhanced.]
[You can regain the functionality of a downgraded item. You can inherit some of the abilities and skills that the character Baek Yu-Seol possessed.]
Even though Baek Yu-Seol hadn't progressed through the episode, he was rewarded as if he had completed one.
Although he didn't receive any EXP, it was satisfying enough. The rewards were still pending, but in reality, he had already decided in his mind what he wanted to receive.
"Ah... Ahh..."
Alterisha moaned as she lay down on the train seat. All the first-class and VIP seats were available, and for the first time in her life, she was treated with such luxury, obtaining those expensive seats for free.
"It feels like a dream..."
"In the future, even more dream-like things will happen. No, perhaps we’ll even be able to make things that were only possible in dreams a reality."
So far, despite only presenting theories, there hadn’t been as much sponsorship and interest as expected. The general public recognized that solving this problem was remarkable but failed to grasp what made it extraordinary.
Soon, when the first invention would be created and presented, Alterisha would receive an overwhelming amount of attention and calls. It would be a moment when she possessed powers surpassing entire nations.
Alterisha laughed happily while swinging her feet.
Watching her, Baek Yu-Seol leaned against the window and thought about the person they had just encountered.
‘That was undoubtedly Kaen.’
There were two magic towers recognized as the best in the world.
In the light was the Full Moon Tower.
In the shadows was the New Moon Tower.
The Full Moon Tower was the world's tallest and most famous magic tower and was known to the world as the only magic tower to have been given the title of ‘Great Tower.’
And the ones who kept the overwhelming power of the Full Moon Tower and the Magic Council in check were the New Moon Tower.
They were the elite magical forces and the supreme dark mage unit.
They were ghostly beings with exceptional skills in hunting dark mages and corrupted beings.
Among them, the leader of the 13th Extermination Squad was Kaen. He was the most elite of them all.
Even though he was nearby, his mastery of stealth was so exceptional that if it weren't for the communication magic that his sixth sense detected, he would have remained oblivious to his presence.
‘Why are those dangerous guys here?’
Could they have noticed Maizen Tyren's Dark Magic corruption?
But as far as Baek Yu-seol knew, they had never intervened in any events in any timeline.
‘If only I could be positively involved with them. With their knowledge of all the world's information and dynamics coupled with their formidable forces, they would be the most reliable allies. But if they were to turn against me, they would become the most fearsome adversaries.’
‘Of course, the chances of considering them as allies or enemies are extremely slim. To reach that point, one must undertake numerous affinity tasks and various subsidiary quests. Back on Earth, only very few players succeeded in making contact with the eradication team.’
‘Anyway, I need to be cautious.’
Knock! Knock!
While Baek Yu-Seol was organizing his thoughts, someone knocked on the door.
As the VIP seats were partitioned, one couldn't enter without the door being opened from the inside.
"Who...?"
He was about to ask who it was.
But as Baek Yu-Seol turned his head and looked out the window, he was startled and his eyes widened,
Creak! Creak!
Even with the shaking train, it wasn't difficult to recognize that person.
‘That person, could it be...?’
A brown-haired man with a fedora, pointed elf ears, and golden eyes behind gold-framed glasses stood not far away. He was dressed in a sophisticated suit, and his mysterious smile didn’t reveal his true intentions.
The president of the Starcloud Trading Company, Melian.
As the game's episodes progressed and the game world expanded beyond the boundaries of the academy, protagonist, Flame, became a full-fledged adult, and the number of playable characters naturally increased.
At that time, it was possible to freely pursue all the characters of various ages and genders within the game world according to different branches. However, there were still four characters that players were particularly obsessed with.
The guardian of the Glacial Spine Mountains, Great Duke Selpharm.
The heart of the Southern Waning Moon Plains, President of the Starcloud Trading Company, Melian.
The commander of the Eastern Sea’s Dragonwave Fleet, Admiral Halicevale.
The pillar of the Western Desert, Tower Master of the Full Moon Tower, Hae Seong-Wol
Among them, Melian, President of the Starcloud Trading Company, was known for his trait [Golden Rule of Fate], making him the richest person in the world.
"C-Could it be...!" As Alterisha recognized him, her mouth opened wide in shock, while Melian grinned in response.
"I apologize, but could you spare a moment of your time?"
“Yes, um, what brings you here?"
"I have some business with both of you, so I came here despite the intrusion."
Baek Yu-Seol tried to remain calm as he opened the door.
"Please come in."
"Thank you."
With a height surpassing 190cm, he seemed like he would hit his head on the ceiling if he didn't slightly lower it.
"Nice to meet you, Alterisha the alchemist, and... you must be the alchemist who chose to hide his identity, right? Both of you are extraordinary individuals. It feels like my eyes are being purified. Oh, if it's not too much to ask, may I know your name?"
"I’m Baek Yu-Seol, a first-year student in Stella Academy's Combat Department, Class S."
"Oh, you're a student from Stella? Nice to meet you."
Although he already knew everything, Melian still asked Baek Yu-Seol for his name and pretended to be ignorant.
"W-What brings you here?"
Alterisha asked with a mixture of anticipation and surprise. In fact, she had expectations that her discovery would turn the world upside down.
But she didn't expect that a giant like Melian would come directly.
Major corporations and magic towers seemed to be holding off on contacting Alterisha until there were tangible results.
But Starcloud?
Melian?
Her heart pounded with excitement, and she took a deep breath to calm herself.
"Perhaps, you already know, but I’d like to establish an exclusive contract for your skills with Starcloud."
Her heart pounded with excitement, and she took a deep breath to calm herself.
"Of course, if you already know me, you must have heard that I’m very generous with my conditions. Well, would you like to read the contract?"
Nodding, Alterisha affirmed, and Melian took out several pages of the contract from his pocket and handed them over.
'Oh my god!'
She read it with trembling hands.
The conditions were tremendous, far beyond anything her poverty-stricken self could have imagined. It was truly an overwhelming offer that could make her worries vanish in an instant, explaining why he had the nickname ‘Perfect Bargain.’
Alterisha calmed her pounding heart and finished reading the contract.
The contents included unlimited sponsorship of materials and technicians as well as an astronomical amount to be paid as an advance.
Of course, there were certain constraints that came along with it, but…
With these conditions, she could create countless inventions she had dreamed of using the materials she desired!
A room made of gold? A waterfall of diamonds? A house decorated with jewels? These dreams could become reality.
Perhaps, even more extraordinary things were possible.
'Yu-Seol will surely be pleased too!'
Smiling brightly, she turned to Baek Yu-seol, ready to seal the deal.
'Oh...?'
For some reason, Baek Yu-Seol wasn't smiling.
'Is there a problem?'
The exclusive contract with Starcloud was undoubtedly an exciting opportunity, so why was he looking at her with such a serious expression?
‘... There must be a reason.’
It was the first time she had seen the boy with such a serious look. Even when he solved the problem of the Alchemical Engineering Cross Technique or confronted Professor Maizen, he always wore a smile.
'Don't get excited.'
After taking a deep breath, Alterisha gently placed the contract down and spoke to Melian.
"I'm sorry. Could you give me some time to think?"
"Hmm, is that so?"
Her words caught Melian off guard.
"If the conditions are not sufficient, please let me know if there is something you want."
"It's not that! The conditions are more than enough, even overwhelming... but..."
She looked at Baek Yu-Seol as she spoke.
"I need some time to consult with the co-author of this technology."
"Oh, I see..."
Co-author.
He thought it was just a hollow term, but maybe it wasn't.
Setting aside such doubts, Melian put on a welcoming smile and said to Baek Yu-Seol, "Would you like to take a look at the contract?"
Yes, it was clear that he was an extraordinary genius who had helped solve a 300-year-old unresolved problem as a teenager.
But still, he was just a high school student.
He knew this from experience. No matter how skilled Baek Yu-Seol was in magic and alchemy, when it came to negotiations, he had to be inexperienced.
Moreover, based on the preliminary investigation, Baek Yu-Seol was a commoner who would never reject such conditions.
That was what he thought.
"... Hmm?"
Melian couldn't help but stiffen when he faced Baek Yu-Seol’s blank expression.
He was thinking about something.
Thinking.
Anyone could do it, but it was not something one could easily do in front of his proposal.
To instantly get an amount that could support even future generations.
He still had some doubts even when faced with that.
‘This is...’
Melian changed his perspective.
He had met many people, and most of them would give up on their thoughts in front of his wealth. But very rarely...
There were cases where it wasn't so. And usually, they would turn the tables.
It was frustrating and left a bitter taste, but sometimes, their counteroffers were eye-opening.
And now, Baek Yu-Seol spoke up, "I decline."
“What? Really?” Melian's mouth curled into a smirk as he heard the words he had anticipated. "I see. Well then..."
He retrieved the contract and clasped his hands together, saying, "Let's start the negotiation again."