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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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Chapter 175
“….!”
Nyhill seemed greatly surprised by the sudden appearance of Ban, without a sound.
Her usually silent eyes trembled slightly as they confirmed the presence of the boy.
But the actions continued.
Thwack-!
“Urgh.”
Using her elbow, she pushed Lucas against the wall and took a step back at the same time.
Thus, Nyhill stood between Ban and Lucas.
Although she was a girl who was more than a hand shorter than both boys, for a moment, they were intimidated by her presence.
“Ban, step back.”
Her usual gentle expression and tone were nowhere to be found.
She appeared cold and distant.
Her eyes, devoid of emotion, constantly shifted between Ban and Lucas.
The Hero had ordered her to prioritize the protection of their comrades at all times.
Just a few months ago, Lucas, who had become a collaborator, posed a serious threat to the extreme children.
Nyhill was in a state of high tension.
In her haste, she hadn’t checked the list of resort guests, and self-blame began to creep in.
“Collaborator Lucas, what brings you here? Why are you loitering near our resort?”
“Well, I just…”
“Reason.”
Lucas froze under the agent’s piercing gaze.
“…Huh?”
At the same time, a realization dawned in Ban’s eyes.
If it were the Lucas he knew, he would have been absolutely furious at the current situation.
Once they were comrades, but Nyhill was just a commoner, and aside from his sense of privilege, Lucas was no different from a corpse.
Moreover, this was not Rosenstark, and Lucas was no longer a student of Rosenstark.
It would be appropriate to suppress her with noble authority.
However, Lucas was just faltering, not even meeting Nyhill’s eyes.
‘No way.’
…It was then that Ban remembered the letter Lucas had left before he left.
The letters of apology that had been stuck in the mailbox every month.
Ban swallowed hard.
Could it be… was this a case of genuine repentance?
“Just a moment, Nyhill.”
“…Ban. Stay back.”
“That kid poses no threat to us. You know that.”
Lucas, who seemed to have been swimming, was half-naked in swim trunks.
Of course, he had no weapons, and his hands were raised as if to prove his lack of hostility.
‘No, even if he’s armed, it doesn’t matter.’
In fact, whether Lucas was armed or not made little difference in terms of danger to Ban.
The natural talent gap and the rigorous training over the past few months had created a huge disparity between them.
And everyone present was already aware of that fact.
Ban spoke softly.
“Nyhill, let me talk for a moment. If you’re still uneasy, you can report to the Principal.”
“……”
…Nyhill, who had been hesitating for a moment, took a few steps back without saying a word.
Of course, she maintained a distance that could subdue Lucas in an instant.
Ban nodded gratefully and approached Lucas.
“Why were you loitering near our resort?”
“I just came here for a vacation, and when I heard you guys were here… Sorry. I didn’t expect it to be so uncomfortable like this…”
I didn’t think about it.
…Lucas, who was about to continue his explanation, closed his mouth.
If he didn’t know, it would be a lie.
The extreme comrades were in danger because of him.
Especially Ban, who was the biggest victim in front of him, and Nyhill almost died.
Even though he had been taken over by Enoch, the moment he tried to harm Ban and threaten his comrades remained vivid in his memory.
“So why did you come to see us? You know we won’t be pleased.”
“I felt like I had to apologize.”
Ban stared at Lucas intently.
Lucas stuttered as if rehearsed.
“Sorry. For what happened in the last Forest of Martial Arts, and in the past, and for speaking ill of your mother… All of it. I wanted to say this to you.”
“……”
Ban hesitated for a moment, unable to decide what to say, and closed his mouth again.
…What can I say?
It didn’t feel good or bad.
It felt a little disappointing, and Lucas looked pitiful.
He remembered the distant past when he was afraid to go to school because of this tormentor.
Ban could now feel his own growth.
“Did… the professor not come with you?”
“Why would the professor…?”
“No…”
Lucas bit his lip tightly.
Thanks to the encouragement and discipline from the Hero in the quarantine ward, he could reflect on himself.
He had lived properly since he was expelled.
He apologized for his past wrongdoing and made reparations.
And in the process, he realized how lucky he had been.
If he didn’t want to show his changed self to his former teacher, it would be a lie.
‘……’
Ban roughly guessed his feelings and let out a sigh.
“He’s not here. The Principal came instead for some business.”
“Oh… I see.”
“Lucas.”
“Yeah? Yeah.”
“I’m fine.”
Everything you did to me doesn’t matter anymore.
Ban spoke with that meaning in mind.
Lucas’s expression brightened suddenly, but Ban still had something to say.
“But I don’t know about the other friends. Whether they’ll accept your apology or not is up to them, not us. There are many who would feel uncomfortable just looking at your face.”
“Ah.”
“I believe you understand what I mean.”
“…So you’re saying I shouldn’t come to the resort.”
Lucas lowered his head again.
He looked deeply discouraged.
Though it made him uncomfortable, there was nothing he could do.
‘Yeah, this is just right.’
Ban turned away.
“Help…”
It was then that Lucas showed an unexpected reaction.
“If you or the others ever need help, just let me know.”
“What?”
“If I’m not enough, I’ll use the power of my family to help as much as possible… No matter how much you hate me, please don’t refuse this.”
Lucas’s smile was a type that Ban hadn’t seen from him before.
Ban nodded slowly.
.
.
.
Arriving at the restaurant, Ban ordered barbecue and drinks for the pool and stood in the corridor on the way back.
Coincidentally, Cuculli was also finishing her “business” and walking cheerfully towards him.
A mischievous smile she often made when successfully fooling someone.
Ban muttered to her with a grin.
“I just met Lucas.”
“Ah.”
Cuculli’s smile vanished as if washed away.
“Who’s Lucas again?”
…Before she could finish speaking.
Cuculli giggled as she followed behind Ban, who was walking with a diplomatic air.
“Joking, joking! Why would that idiot be here? Did he know we were coming?”
“I don’t think so.”
He probably just came for vacation since the resort was nearby.
It was just a little north of the artificial island, close to Wellington Manor.
“Hmm, anyway, what’s up?”
“He apologized.”
Cuculli chuckled.
“A late and futile apology.”
Ban nodded in agreement.
“But still better than not doing it at all.”
Suddenly, he added an explanation, recalling Lucas’s offer of help.
Cuculli didn’t seem too pleased.
“Hmm, what could we possibly need his help for?”
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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“True?”
“Yeah.”
Ban and Cuculli returned to the pool amicably.
It was too precious to waste time dwelling on awkward topics.
Meanwhile, in the Great Forest.
“As my master said, please follow me.”
The Hero looked at the approaching hand with reluctance.
“Normally, don’t they tell you the destination before asking you to follow?”
The unidentified fairy didn’t answer.
She just smiled beautifully, pointing to the World Tree.
Noubelmag narrowed his eyebrows.
“Are we going to the main trunk of the World Tree?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“…That’s absurd.”
The main trunk of the World Tree was a place even the residents of the forest, the fairies, couldn’t easily access.
It was a forbidden area that was only open on special occasions like coming-of-age ceremonies.
Only the fairy priests who managed the growth of the World Tree could come and go there.
…And it was also where the fairy sage Laplace had taken refuge.
The Hero opened his mouth with a strange premonition.
“Is your master… by any chance…”
“Yes, Master Laplace is waiting for you.”
…This was the moment everyone decided to follow her.
Surprisingly, the transportation was done by tree roots.
It might sound strange, but it was quite literal.
Grrrrrumble-
Just after the fairy shook her wand.
A small light at the end gently descended to the ground and suddenly the ground began to sway softly.
What rose from the cracked crevice were huge tree roots.
“Oh my…”
Noubelmag, who was watching the twisting roots, widened his eyes.
He realized that they weren’t just extending from nearby trees covered with small flowers and plants, but they were from the distant World Tree.
“Then…”
Grrrrrumble-
As soon as the fairy tribe said something, the roots wrapped around everyone and burrowed into the ground again.
From then on, it was a continuous series of exclamations.
The massive mounds of soil, like living creatures, made way for the roots advancing on the path, and the group watched the mysterious spectacle unfolding before their eyes, relying on the small light the fairy had levitated, in awe.
The first to speak was Noubelmag.
“…It seems you go through all sorts of things when you’re with the Leader.”
He didn’t show it, but the Hero was just as confused.
In the past, when Ted visited, Laplace did not reveal himself, remaining hidden.
But why is he now breaking a century-long seclusion to find them?
‘No, that’s not it. Laplace isn’t looking for us.’
“Yes, Laplace is waiting for you.”
The guide fairy clearly stated that it was “you” she was looking for, not “you all.”
‘What business does he have with me?’
It was becoming more ambiguous.
The fairy’s gentle voice pierced the silence.
“If you’re bored on the way, would you like to have your fortune told?”
“Do you also know how to see the future?”
“I learned a bit from my master. I’ve traveled the world and practiced enough. I may not be as good as my master, but I think I can entertain you enough.”
The fairy smiled innocently and took the hand of Kasim, who was standing blankly next to her.
“Well then…”
Kasim was surprised, but couldn’t pull away from her touch.
The Hero frowned slightly.
‘Palmistry… Is she going to read the palm?’
Charlatans, known as fortunetellers, were common among wanderers.
Most, if not all, were nothing more than frauds.
And palmistry, palm reading, was one of the most commonly used methods among these fortune tellers, even though it didn’t require any special tools.
Despite the suspicious looks from everyone, the fairy paid no attention and closely examined Kasim’s hand.
“Haha, it might be uncomfortable to see because of the calluses.”
“It’s okay.”
Kasim didn’t say anything, but he chuckled softly, perhaps enjoying the touch of the fairy’s breath on his palm.
…Her smile remained until she spoke her first words.
“Your relationship with your family doesn’t seem good. I can see love and hate.”
“….!”
“Hmm.”
Before Kasim could say anything, Nubelmag chuckled.
He was like a dwarf forging a path with a single hammer.
If it were a prophecy directly from a great sage like Laplace, then palmistry and similar divinations were nothing but petty superstitions to him.
“Isn’t it natural for a family to be bound by love and hate?”
Despite obvious skepticism, the fairy laughed once and lifted Nubelmag’s hand.
Due to decades of hammering, his palm was not suitable for palmistry, but she continued to interpret.
“It seems you’ve recently suffered a great loss. You’ve lost someone precious.”
Nubelmag stiffened for a moment before lowering his head.
“Losing a son is indeed a great loss. But it’s been over three years. I haven’t experienced any loss recently… Perhaps from the perspective of a fairy, three years is recent, but don’t try to twist words.”
“There are losses that one may not recognize.”
“Tch, what kind of idiot would not know if he lost someone precious to him?”
Nubelmag’s teasing words made Pia and Kasim chuckle.
…But the Hero couldn’t laugh.
It was true that Nubelmag’s “precious someone” had died recently.
The Hero looked piercingly at the unyielding fairy.
Even after that, the fairy continued to predict similar fortunes for Kasim and Pia.
But she didn’t say a single word to the Hero.
She didn’t even gesture for his hand.
Just as the Hero was feeling puzzled.
As if she had read his thoughts, the fairy murmured softly.
“Your past, present, and future will be seen by the master.”
…It was a statement that couldn’t help but raise expectations.
And finally.
Creak-
The roots that were carrying the group stopped.
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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