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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Clara]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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Chapter 28: The Grand Scheme (1)
In the eastern part of the continent lies the country of Yeon, a vassal state of the Empire ruled by its own independent king.
Amid the dense forests of this land that upholds traditional culture, a gigantic monster was rampaging.
"Rooooar!"
Its bloodshot eyes darted wildly, and saliva dribbled from its mouth.
Clearly, it was not in a normal state.
"We only need to hold out until the reinforcements from the Empire arrive! Victory will be ours then!"
"Even sword qi can’t leave a scratch on that thing. Be careful not to get too close!"
A group of warriors, their colorful robes billowing, pursued the monster from behind.
They avoided direct confrontation, instead trying to steer its path away from heading towards the marketplace.
"Sniff... sniff..."
Suddenly, the monster changed its course, as if it had caught a scent.
"Oh no!"
It would reach a large village if it ran for just a quarter of an hour in that direction.
The face of the commander leading the warriors turned pale as he urgently shouted.
"Deploy the Nine Dragons Storm Formation! We cannot let it go that way!"
"Yes, sir!"
Instantly, a sharp aura emanated from the swords of the warriors encircling the monster.
In Yeon, this technique was known as sword qi.
Commander Jongcheon swallowed nervously.
‘Since ancient times, formations were devised as a way for multiple warriors to confront an enemy too strong for them to handle alone...’
Yet, he couldn't shake the doubt gnawing at him as he looked at the monstrous creature as large as a house.
Could a formation designed to fight humans be effective against such a beast?
His fears were soon realized.
"Graaaah!"
"Urgh!"
"Guh...!"
The formation of nine top-tier martial artists was shattered in an instant by a single charge from the monster.
It was an overwhelming difference in size and a fundamental disparity in nature.
The raw brutality of survival of the fittest became evident, and the commander’s face turned to despair.
"I’ve found it."
Amidst the tension in the forest, a small woman appeared, almost as if she had dropped from the sky.
Ignoring the overwhelming pressure emanating from the monster, which was five times her size, she calmly spoke.
"Even now, if you go back to your territory, I’ll let this slide."
"Rooooar!"
As if in response, the monster uprooted a whole tree and charged at her.
Its massive frame moved with surprising swiftness.
"...If you don’t want to leave peacefully."
The woman muttered coolly as she pulled back the hood of her white robe.
"Then I’ll just have to return you to the earth."
A gentle breeze blew past, ruffling her crimson hair.
Her unique magic, 『Surging Winds』.
"Graaaah!"
The ogre, sensing the approaching wind, did not stop charging.
It believed its thick, tough skin, which even sharp blades couldn’t penetrate, would protect it.
But it was wrong.
"Gr...?"
The realization struck only when its left arm, touched by the wind, was sliced off like pudding.
Before the ogre even had time to feel pain, dozens of gusts of wind cut through its body.
Where the wind passed, only scattered pieces of the ogre’s once massive form remained.
"..."
"..."
The warriors who witnessed the scene held their breath.
Could this even be called a battle?
For a moment, they stood there, stunned by her overwhelming power.
The woman turned her head.
"Are you Jongcheon?"
"I-I apologize for the delayed greeting. I am Jongcheon of the Nine Dragons Sect. Are you perhaps from the White Tower...?"
"My name is Sasha Maestro. Is this the last of the monsters that invaded Yeon?"
Despite her youthful appearance, she spoke with the tone of an overworked office employee.
"Ah, yes! That’s correct. I have no idea how an imperial monster managed to cross the border. I’ve heard this species rarely leaves its territory."
Jongcheon scratched his head, looking puzzled as he glanced at the ogre’s corpse.
Sasha fell into thought.
‘...These incidents have been happening more frequently lately.’
Since a few months ago, strange, unnatural events had been occurring across the continent.
Even the imperial family was in chaos, unable to find the cause.
"I don’t know either. Please deposit the payment into the Empire’s bank account."
"Of course. It will be done by today."
As Sasha dusted off her white robe, she asked,
"And did you bring what I requested from your sect leader?"
"Ah, yes! Here it is."
Jongcheon hastily pulled an envelope from his pocket and respectfully handed it over.
It was an imperial newsletter she hadn’t been able to access for the past two months.
"The sect leader mentioned that the West has been buzzing with news about the White Tower lately."
"What?"
Sasha’s face darkened instantly.
Given the current situation at the White Tower, any news article would likely be bad.
She stared at the sealed envelope with a complicated expression.
‘...I’m afraid to read it.’
For a brief moment, the worst scenarios flashed through her mind.
What if the White Tower had collapsed during the two months she had been away?
Or what if it had been permanently expelled from the Four Great Towers?
‘I wouldn’t be able to face my master even in death.’
Sasha gulped nervously, pushing away her fears as she opened the envelope to read the news.
[The White Tower makes unprecedented breakthrough: A cure for the Cadena Plague captures the attention of the imperial family.]
"?!"
As soon as she read the first sentence, question marks popped up over her head.
'...Is there a pharmaceutical company called the White Tower, by any chance?'
Of course not.
As far as she knew, there was only one 'Sirin's White Tower' on the continent.
Sasha blinked her eyes.
'So, you're telling me that our Magic Tower developed a cure for the Cadena Flu?'
Why?
More than that, who did it and how?
Her expression turned sour as she carefully read the news.
'...Oh, it says Oscar did it?'
A child once hailed as an unparalleled genius who shook the continent.
The memory of the day he came to the White Tower, having lost his entire family in an accident, was still vivid.
A child burdened with the expectations of adults, discarded and treated like a worthless item despite his wishes.
Perhaps because of this, she recalled his lifeless, empty eyes that had lost all color even at such a young age.
'He's finally filled that emptiness with color.'
A warm smile appeared on Sasha's lips.
'I knew he would accomplish something someday. He was always so smart.'
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Clara]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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As she read the follow-up articles, her expression gradually hardened.
'...Huh? He even revived a ruined herbal farm? And caught Gunman Jack in the process?'
'Not only did he develop the cure, but he also succeeded in restoring potions. However, the Blue Tower will inevitably try to interfere, so establishing his position won't be easy...'
'Wait, what's this about nutritional supplements? They've sold, uh, ten million bottles in just a month!?'
As she read on, she could hardly tell if this was a dream or reality.
She always knew about Oscar's genius, but she never imagined he would accomplish so much.
After pondering for a moment, she asked Jongcheon.
"Excuse me."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Is this some kind of novel?"
"...Pardon?"
"I mean, did someone write this story to make me feel good? Like a made-up tale."
Jongcheon shook his head firmly, as if such a thing was impossible.
"Certainly not. I believe this is a compilation of the Empire's recent news."
"Hmm."
She wondered if she could take these reports at face value.
After all, the article mentioned that door-to-door sales were now being re-evaluated for their effectiveness, even contributing to the success of delivery services.
'Why is this business even doing well?'
Although she had started it herself, she never had any optimistic expectations that the delivery business would succeed.
To be more precise, she never intended for this business to succeed 'at this point in time.'
Within the grand painting the artist Sasha crafted, the delivery business's true purpose lay elsewhere.
'What on earth is happening at the White Tower right now?'
Unable to hold back her curiosity any longer, she hurriedly prepared to leave.
Oscar Crucian.
She wanted to see with her own eyes what kind of magic this eccentric genius had conjured.
* * * * *
"I believe it now. You really are a magician."
Oscar looked puzzled at Lena White's words.
"...What do you mean, suddenly coming here and saying that?"
"I mean, this situation feels like real magic. How did you manage to shake the massive ship that is the Blue Tower with just a single interview? Honestly, it's still hard for me to believe."
Just as she said, Oscar had cornered the Blue Tower with nothing but a single interview.
He did this without belittling or humiliating the opponent, thus avoiding creating a negative image.
Instead, he praised and showed respect, cultivating the image of a humble newcomer.
It was a perfect example of a flawless victory.
"Thanks to that, the sales of the healing potion have taken off."
"That's good. How are people responding?"
"There are already floods of inquiries about when the potion will be available in their cities. It seems the promise of selling the potion at a permanently discounted price hit the mark."
"Just as expected."
Using quality ingredients to create a highly effective potion and selling it at a low price?
There was no reason for people not to open their wallets.
"And I casually mentioned the idea of supplying potions to the military, but their response has been lukewarm so far."
"They're probably wondering why they should change their supplier when they've had no issues dealing with the Blue Tower until now."
Oscar, after some thought, spoke up.
"Leave the military alone for now. There's no need to provoke the Blue Tower any further in this situation."
Even a mouse will bite a cat when cornered.
Especially when the opponent is a tiger.
Who knows what kind of madness they might resort to if pushed too far.
"And from now on, don't come to me unless there's something particularly urgent. Why do you keep reporting to me?"
"..."
Because you're the head of the potion manufacturing department... Lena, at a loss for words, asked again.
"Then what about performance reports?"
"Once a month is enough."
Oscar made this bold decision because he knew the potion department had nothing but growth ahead.
Besides, Lena White was a capable talent who could handle most problems on her own.
He couldn't afford to focus solely on the potion department forever.
"So you're just going to leave all the work to me and take it easy for a while?"
"Take it easy? I'm actually quite busy. I plan to delve deeper into theoretical magic."
The immediate fires had been put out with the tower's coffers filled.
Now it was time to strengthen the foundation.
'First, I need to compile a reference book that's currently missing in the White Tower.'
A magic reference book full of tips that would be perfect for White Tower mages to read.
It would include things like the 'Oscar Method' as a prime example.
'Creating the reference book itself won't be too hard.
All I have to do is transfer the knowledge in my head onto paper.'
The problem was how to publish it.
'...Even if young Oscar was a genius, it might seem odd for him to suddenly release such high-level theories.'
Pondering various ways, Oscar let out a deep sigh.
'Ah, if only a person like that would just appear out of nowhere.'
An experienced mage with seniority, reputation, and extensive knowledge of theoretical magic.
As he rubbed his chin, lost in deep thought.
"...Phew. I can't remember the last time I saw sunlight."
The third elder of the White Tower.
Schwein Koch emerged from his seclusion in the lab for the first time in months.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Clara]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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