Chapter 66: Item (1)
This was why he didn't want to be the leader.After completing the persona gate, and just before being sent out, the students gathered together to discuss who should be reported as the team leader.
It wasn't a serious discussion, though. It seemed like it was already decided who would do it.
Nevertheless, Baek Yu-Seol stubbornly wanted to recommend another student.
Perhaps, in the original novel, Eisel would have been in the position of the leader.
In the original game, Flame would have been in that position, and even though it might not seem like a big deal, it was incredibly important.
After finishing the strategy report for the persona gate as the leader, Elthman Elwin suddenly appeared.
In the original, Flame, who was the leader, would have had a private meeting with Elthman, which would later become a turning point.
But that was not important.
It was already too late.
How did it end up like this?
Right after he defeated the powerful great blade spider, he briefly lost consciousness.
After striking it with his whole body, he quickly threw a wire to reduce the fall damage, but he hit the wall by mistake.
Fortunately, he didn't sustain any major injuries, and thanks to Hong Bi-Yeon waking him up soon after, he was able to get up.
Then, when he arrived at the party hall where all the students were gathered, they happened to be discussing the leader.
So he subtly argued. "Ahem, I think it's better for Eisel to be the leader."
Since Eisel was chosen as leader in the original, he tried nudging it in that direction.
If other students objected, he was prepared to recommend Flame or Hong Bi-Yeon.
However, from the beginning, it fell apart because Hong Bi-Yeon went completely crazy.
"Commoner, are you planning to openly give away the credit while I'm watching with wide-open eyes?"
‘What is she talking about?’
For some reason, as if there was a switch attached to the word “Eisel,” Hong Bi-Yeon scrutinized him as if she would devour Baek Yu-Seol.
"Old man, no matter how much, this is just..."
"I told you it's not like that."
Flame, who rarely agreed with Hong Bi-yeon, also chimed in.
"I think I did well, but not as much as you."
Eisel also refused.
So in the end, it turned out like this.
"Nice to see you. It's been a while."
Stella’s Main Tower, Principal's Office.
The highest place in Stella, where one could clearly see not only the view of the Academy branch but also the scenery of Arcanium.
Somehow, in this place full of Gothic vibes, Baek Yu-Seol was having a one-on-one conversation with Principal Elthman Elwin.
‘I'm not a mage, and I don't have much to gain from him, so how did it end up like this?’
"Is this our third meeting? You seem taller than last time. You were... quite young back then."
“Uh… yeah?"
‘What is he talking about?’
As he tried to understand it, suddenly, a certain memory passed through his mind like a panorama.
A small village was being battered by a snowstorm.
In a deserted field.
Baek Yu-Seol was standing there.
At that time, despite having a body that couldn’t use magic, he was diligently training one spell, [Flash].
Then, by chance, a boy who discovered him approached and said, "You're fascinating."
He didn't know that the boy was Principal Elthman Elwin of Stella Academy.
"I'll write you a recommendation, so take our academy’s exam later. There will be bonus points."
After saying that, the boy suddenly disappeared.
Suddenly, Baek Yu-seol snapped back to reality.
"Hmm..."
"Why? Do you have to go to the hospital? Is it an aftereffect?"
"It's not that."
Baek Yu-Seol shook his head.
Memories of a different Baek Yu-Seol occasionally flickered through his mind. They didn't feel like his own memories at all but more like watching scenes from a movie.
So he quickly forgot about it.
There weren’t many opportunities to confront Elthman, and he couldn’t waste this golden opportunity.
He had to gain something.
Eisel gained insights into magic here, and Flame was promised teachings about magic.
So what could he gain?
‘Well, there is one thing.’
He had to mobilize all the knowledge he had. Elthman Elwin was also a figure within Flame’s reverse harem, and because of that, quite a bit of information was researched.
He activated the function of the Sentient Specs he had worn in advance.
[Elthman Elwin]
[Top 10 in the World's Power Rankings]
[Alignment: Good]
[Spatial Attribute]
[An old man of 300 years]
And so on.
The records of a protagonist-level character were listed.
Although his appearance was minimal, his presence was so strong that it seemed that way.
"What are you looking at?"
“Excuse me?"
"You’re looking into the air, not at me."
As he quietly skimmed through the information, Elthman smiled and pointed out.
Baek Yu-Seol’s heart skipped a beat for a moment.
"May I take a look at those glasses?"
As Elthman said that and reached out his hand, Baek Yu-Seol nonchalantly took off the Specs, placing them on his hand. It didn't matter if he found out anyway.
Of course, he had no intention of just letting it go.
"Yes, but please handle it with care. It's my mother's heirloom."
Baek Yu-seol's ultimate tactic: invoking his mother!
Elthman's hand trembled slightly.
Even if he was known as the strongest in the world within the realm, as the head of Stella and a moral human, he couldn't defend against the “mother” tactic.
"I... I see..."
"When I'm nervous or troubled, I often wear these glasses. It reminds me of the time when my mother put them on me..."
He spoke with as sentimental an expression as possible, and Elthman's hand trembled even more. He barely looked at the glasses before handing them back.
"They’re fantastic. Your mother had great taste!"
"Thank you."
Using the morality of a kind person for his own gain was something that pricked at his conscience, but what choice did he have? If his secret were to be exposed, his life would truly be in danger.
"I called you here because, well, thanks to you, I was able to prevent a potentially difficult situation. I don't plan on publicizing this incident externally. If many students had died or been injured, it would have been difficult to cover it up."
If Elthman said he would keep it a secret, it would truly remain a secret.
No mages would dare to reveal this incident to the outside world.
Well, perhaps a few ants might stir, making it impossible to keep it perfectly secret.
"It seems there are pests infiltrating the school..."
In an instant, his expression turned cold, but it was only momentary. However, even with just that, cold sweat ran down Baek Yu-Seol’s entire body.
Elthman slowly looked at him and asked, "Was there a pest inside the gate?"
The legendary mage who gained the nickname ‘Slaughterer’ for killing thousands of enemies asked him that.
Here, he had two choices.
Lie and say there were none, or tell the truth.
Baek Yu-Seol told the truth.
"Yes, there was. The deceased student, Jecky, underwent corruption."
"I see, it's unfortunate."
However, his expression didn't look the least bit sympathetic. Being affected by corruption meant that there were dark emotions within oneself from the beginning, and one didn't resist it.
He truly despised those who were weak-willed and succumbed to corruption.
"Oh? Haha, no need to be so tense. I'm not here to interrogate you."
‘Then why are you looking at me with such an intimidating expression?’
"Besides, I was also curious about who the top contributor was in conquering the level 5 persona gate. Surprisingly, I saw a familiar face. You're only a first-year student, but you've already achieved two remarkable feats, huh?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Oh, this won't do. You seem bored. Coffee or tea? Do young people these days like carbonated drinks?"
Elthman asked him with his sparkling, characteristic smile.
Others might not have realized it, but from here on was the start of a proper conversation.
In the original game, Flame chose coffee. She knew exactly what type of coffee Elthman liked, and thanks to her prior research to match his preferences, the conversation naturally flowed.
However, even there, there was another branching point.
Perhaps in the game, a choice like this would have appeared:
[Elthman Elwin offers you a drink. What would you like to drink?]
[A. Coffee]
[B. Tea]
[C. Carbonated drink]
[D. I want to have a sip of dew flowing from your twinkling eyes, which are deeper than the sea and shine brighter than the stars in the sky.]
Actually, he didn’t remember the last option very well, so he just made it up roughly. Anyway, choosing coffee in the traditional way would yield a decent level of reward from him.
However, that might be all there was to it.
Users who played as Flame somehow came up with ingenious routes to build a strong rapport with Elthman, and that was by choosing the tea option.
Of course, it wouldn’t just be ordinary tea.
"I would like to have tea."
"Tea, good choice. I like it too."
When Elthman stood up to retrieve some green tea or black tea, he hastily added, "Oh, you wouldn’t happen to have riltea, would you? It’s something I drank quite often."
"Riltea?"
He looked at Baek Yu-Seol with a curious expression, then immediately smiled meaningfully.
"Yes, I do."
Making tea didn't take too long. In typical movies, at times like this, an elegant secretary would appear and gracefully serve a cup of tea.
"Here, riltea. Not many people know about it, and even fewer are fond of it, surprisingly."
Elthman placed a teacup in front of him.
At that moment, he realized again how generous Elthman was, especially towards students of his school.
And that was understandable.
This riltea was a discontinued variety, no longer available in the world.
It wasn't something to be readily offered to a mere 17-year-old student.
Baek Yu-Seol carefully smelled the tea without showing any signs.
‘Hmm, I don't know. No, to be honest, it's kind of revolting. It smells like a pig that only ate sweet potatoes for a month and farted.’
‘What's so good about drinking this?’
Gulp!
As he devoured the tea quickly, almost like slurping ramen broth, Elthman chuckled.
"Why don't you try enjoying the aroma?"
"It smells beautiful yet sorrowful, like cherry blossoms falling in spring."
"You read that in a book, didn't you?"
"You caught me."
"Haha, you truly are an interesting student."
Elthman chuckled and looked at the riltea with a touch of sadness. There were only a few left, making it difficult to drink casually.
"How much do you know about riltea?"
"Well, I don't know much about it."
He knew, but he pretended not to know.
"It's like a goose that lays golden eggs. That's a good analogy."
"Is that so?"
"In the western part of the continent, in the Loskaya Plains, there was a tribe that lived with the sky as their roof. They had nothing but their bodies, but they were the freest beings in this world. With just two legs, they could go anywhere in the world. Their passionate hearts embraced the whole world, and their sparkling eyes resembled stars in the dark. They were called the Rilt, a brave tribe that faded into history decades ago."
Elthman took a sip of tea.
Baek Yu-Seol assumed the role of a documentary viewer and maintained a serious expression as much as possible.
“The Rilt tribe enjoyed only one tea, and that was riltea. It would have been enough for them to enjoy it among themselves, but it was a burden to introduce this tea to humans.”
Riltea had a strange addictive quality. There were no actual addictive substances, but the desire to smell it over and over again arose.
Of course, riltea didn't explode in popularity.
If one compared it to earthly food, it would be like mint chocolate or Hawaiian pizza…
No, it was even more of an acquired taste, similar to durian or fermented skate.
Some people disliked it due to its unique smell and wouldn't even put it in their mouths, but those who fell for it became fanatical, like madmen, captivated by its unique charm.
Riltea gained popularity among a very small fraction of the population, and due to its tremendous addictiveness, the consumer base kept growing.
Unfortunately, the production volume was low, making it impossible to distribute large quantities.
Humans became greedy.
The Rilt tribe's warehouses were filled with an enormous amount of riltea, but they only drank it among themselves, barely distributing small quantities to humans.
And so, they set fire to the Rilt tribe.
Razing everyone along with the recipe for riltea production.
"This riltea is one of the few remaining in the world."
Honestly, at that point, one might wonder what the point was.
Should he drink it without any reservations? Perhaps Elthman didn't intend it that way.
Anyway, the story was over.
And for the first time, Baek Yu-Seol relaxed his expression with a sense of doubt.
"Is that so? That's strange."
"What's strange?"
"This riltea... I used to drink it often at home."
"Haha, so your mother liked it too, I see."
"No, I still continue to drink it. Even in the dormitory."
At that, Elthman ’s expression changed for the first time.
“Huh? Is there any more left?" Elthman asked anxiously, but Baek Yu-Seol shook his head.
In response, he showed a disappointed expression.
However, it was still too early to be disappointed.
"There's none left, but I know it. The riltea recipe."
Clatter!
The moment he finished speaking, Elthman dropped the teacup onto the table. Perhaps due to his amazing sense of balance, the cup didn't spill, but he seemed genuinely surprised.
"T-That... Is that true?"
"Do you think I would lie to the esteemed principal who is like heaven?"
He leaned toward Baek Yu-Seol with an unusually excited expression.
"How on earth did you come to know the recipe?"
‘No, please, don't ask me that. It's embarrassing.’
"Ahem, my mother taught me..."
"Ah, your mother..."
So he roughly unleashed his secret technique.
Elthman, who was hit by the unexpected move, calmed down momentarily, but his obsession with riltea remained unchanged.
"You don't have any intention of selling that recipe to me? I'll pay a generous price."
Selling the recipe... It was not a good idea. Riltea was an incredibly tricky recipe. Even more so than durian or fermented herring.
He might agree on the price, but in the first place, Baek Yu-Seol didn't bring up this topic to make that small amount of money.
"Well, I'm not sure."
"Ah, I'll pay generously."
Elthman couldn't hold back his impatience. So Baek Yu-Seol gradually stopped playing hard to get and got to the point.
"Money can be received from anyone, but the knowledge possessed by the principal can't be received from just anyone."
“What do you mean?"
"I’d like to receive help with magic engineering enchantment."
"Hmm...?"
"I want to receive that help just once."
Baek Yu-Seol’s words were quite novel and surprising, causing Elthman 's eyes to widen.
And Elthman had a reason for that. His magic attribute was spatial, after all.
In modern times, there was only one place where spatial magic was practically used.
The warp hole.
A revolutionary invention that greatly reduced the distance in the world.
Apart from the warp hole, which was a very convenient and comfortable means of transportation, there was no suitable place to use spatial enchantment.
But Baek Yu-Seol had one.
Using Alterisha’s alchemy magic engineering, if a necromancer was hunted and looted for a force vessel, and if a Class 9 spatial mage could enchant it…
A very excellent extradimensional space, an inventory, would be created.
Yes, an inventory.
Subspace could only be used by mages who had mastered 8th-class spatial magic, making those who could handle it incredibly rare in the world. However, after the development of alchemical magic engineering, anyone could use subspace if they paid a high price.
Moreover, with the help of Elthman, the Class 9 mage, he would be able to obtain a top-grade inventory.
"Think again, will you? Riltea recipe is currently discontinued. You can get quite a hefty price for it. But my magic engineering is completely impractical. You know what that means, don't you?"
"Yes, I understand. But as a mage and an alchemist who seeks the truth of matter, receiving the essence of your magic is the most valuable gift in life, far beyond any amount of money."
Elthman's expression became more and more strange, as if he hadn't expected to hear that.
Principal Elthman, ignorant of Baek Yu-Seol’s goal, must have had a number of wandering thoughts by now.
How was it expressed in the game?
Elthman would feel guilty about proposing a deal to rip off a recipe from a student, and in the midst of that, Baek Yu-Seol received sincere admiration when he said that witnessing his magic was the most valuable experience in the world, more than money.
So it would feel very strange to Elthman.
As expected, Elthman seemed uncomfortable but also in a good mood, yet there was also a feeling that something was wrong as he looked at Baek Yu-Seol with a questioning expression.
"Alright. If that's what you truly desire, let's make the deal."
‘Yahoo.’