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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 32
The dungeon upheaval did not only affect human territories.
Elves who resided in the forests, dwarves from the mountains, and numerous other non-human races lost their homes due to dungeons and monsters, leaving them wandering.
Those who lost their homes gravitated toward human nations, particularly the Bormian Kingdom, known for its favorable treatment of non-humans.
Many of these displaced individuals also found their way to the Bormian Royal Academy, where some non-humans served as special professors teaching third-year students.
“That human is unusual. I sense traces of an ancient mage.”
The speaker was a seductive woman dressed provocatively, her golden hair and sharply pointed ears identifying her as an elf. She was one of the elven leaders who had migrated to human cities after the dungeon crisis.
“What do you think?” she asked, turning to the figure next to her.
Similar in height to the elf, the figure was entirely covered in thick black fur, resembling a beast. Not a single part of their skin was visible, not even their face, which was concealed except for two large green eyes that shone through.
“Yes, Queen Myorn?”
The speaker was none other than Queen Myorn, a dwarf infamous for producing subpar mana suits. Her fur-covered face shifted slightly before her voice emerged.
“Mixed magic… it’s been a long time.”
“Exactly. It’s rare to see traces of ancient mages in this day and age.”
“But even more surprising is his martial skill.”
Kaylen’s strikes had delivered a shock that overpowered a mana suit—a feat almost unheard of in an era where martial prowess had significantly diminished. For a mage to achieve such a level of physical combat was astonishing.
“I need to experiment with him, Irene.”
“Experiment? You mean…?”
“Yes, testing the prototype mana suit.”
At those words, the elf Irene’s brows furrowed slightly. Was she referring to that prototype mana suit—derided as “junk”?
“Myorn, didn’t you give up on that mana suit? It doesn’t even have the firepower to break a dungeon core.”
“If I experiment with him and collect data, it might become viable.”
“No. This time, I won’t concede. That human has to work with us.”
“...When have you ever conceded?”
“Hmm, ahem! I have conceded before. You know that.”
As Irene coughed in an exaggerated manner, Myorn’s green eyes narrowed beneath the fur.
“You only ever concede with human boys who are infatuated with elves. They come once and never return.”
“What can I do about humans being so superficial? Besides, who would want to experiment with that mana suit?”
Compared to the elves, revered as avatars of beauty, the hairy and peculiar dwarves rarely found volunteers for their experiments. Unless the experiment topic itself was intriguing, few showed interest.
While Irene conducted experiments on practical subjects like elemental magic, spirit conjuration, and Meister-level magical enhancement, Myorn clung to her seemingly useless prototype mana suit.
“This time, he has to work with me for the experiment.”
“Fufu. Let’s leave it up to his choice.”
Myorn’s determination to conduct her experiment burned brightly, but Irene’s confidence didn’t waver.
After all, Kaylen was human.
It was inevitable that he would be drawn to an elf, often called the embodiment of beauty.
The crowd murmured in the background.
The area surrounding Kaylen was teeming with scouts dispatched by various mage towers and the Order of Civil Squads.
“Kaylen! Please, hear us out!”
“Kaylen! The Tower Master has promised you the best treatment!”
“Kaylen!”
Kaylen had become the hottest prospect in this competition. While the top-tier mages likely to achieve Superior Mage status were already affiliated with prominent factions, Kaylen was unaffiliated, making the competition for his allegiance even fiercer.
“I’ll listen to your proposals after the tournament,” Kaylen said as he tried to push through the crowd.
However, no one seemed willing to let him leave. Just as he contemplated forcing his way through—
“Everyone, could you please step aside for a moment?”
A graceful voice rang out as Irene approached, her elegant presence commanding attention.
“Huh…?”
“An elf?”
“It’s Irene!”
The attention that had been focused on Kaylen shifted to Irene in an instant.
“Please,” she said softly.
“Ah, of course…”
With her honeyed voice and a gentle smile, Irene managed to make the scouts step back. It wasn’t just her beauty that overwhelmed them.
“If it’s Irene, we have to yield.”
“She’s one of the elven leaders...”
The fact that she was a leader among the elves played a significant role.
The elves, having lost their homes, had sought refuge in human kingdoms. Though one might assume their position to be precarious, they were, in fact, treated with more respect in human society than they had been in their own forests.
This was partly because the elves, feeling the urgency of their plight, had organized themselves exceptionally well. However, their status as spirit mages was the decisive factor.
Creating mana suits of grade B or higher required the power of spirit mages, making their abilities indispensable.
In the Bormian Kingdom, the elves held considerable influence. The “Fairy Tower,” spearheaded by the elves, had become the kingdom’s top mage tower, untouchable even by the royal family.
“Thank you,” Irene said as she walked through the now-cleared path, her demeanor calm and natural.
Following behind her was Queen Myorn, the dwarf whose black fur bristled like a giant burr.
“Who’s that?”
“The Dwarf Queen.”
“Oh, isn’t she the one who made that junk mana suit…?”
“Well, they say she does have some skill.”
While Irene received gazes of admiration, Myorn was met with lukewarm looks.
Unlike the elves, dwarves were scarce in the Bormian Kingdom. Without numbers to form a strong faction, most dwarves were relegated to roles as technicians in various mage towers.
Queen Myorn was better off than most. As a technical advisor to the elves’ Fairy Tower and a professor at the magic academy, she held some influence. However, her reputation was tarnished by her eccentric experiments, particularly her creation of the so-called “junk” mana suit.
Her heavily furred appearance also contributed to the lack of warmth in people’s evaluations.
Hmm…
Kaylen watched the pair approach with curiosity. While he had heard of Queen Myorn through stories in the Dungeon Guild, seeing her in person was a different experience altogether.
Kaylen hadn’t expected to encounter elves here.
"Is this how elves dress these days?"
The golden-haired elf walking confidently toward him was a far cry from the modestly dressed elves of the past, back during the era of Ernstine. Now, their attire was daring, revealing more pale skin than fabric.
Irene’s white dress clung to her figure, its low neckline accentuating her curves. Yet, on her, it didn’t look vulgar. Instead, it seemed radiant, enhancing her beauty and captivating the room.
Among the people Kaylen had seen in this body, only Princess Violet could rival Irene’s looks.
However, Kaylen, who had grown indifferent to beauty in his previous life, felt little fascination.
"And I have unpleasant memories with elves."
Seeing Irene triggered old memories, and his expression grew indifferent. Instead of focusing on her, he shifted his gaze to Myorn, the dwarf behind her, finding her more intriguing.
"The Dwarf Queen… still at that stage, huh."
Her body was completely hidden beneath thick fur, with only her eyes visible.
It reminded Kaylen of his first encounter with Dwarf Queen Kaina during the Ernstine era, sparking a brief moment of nostalgia.
While he was lost in thought, Irene approached and spoke to him.
“Greetings, Kaylen.”
“Hello,” he replied.
With a subtle bow, Myorn moved slightly, her fur sweeping the ground as she introduced herself.
“I am Irene, one of the seven leaders of the Fairy Tower and a visiting professor at the Magic Academy.”
“And I’m Myorn, the Fairy Tower’s technical advisor and also a visiting professor.”
Both held significant roles in the Fairy Tower and served as guest professors at the academy.
Kaylen inclined his head slightly.
“Kaylen, second-year student at the Magic Academy.”
“Could we speak with you for a moment?” Irene asked with a smile.
“I’ll join as well,” Myorn added.
“Of course, Queen Myorn too,” Irene replied with a grin.
Kaylen nodded. “All right.”
“Let’s go somewhere quieter.”
The group headed to a forest on the outskirts of the Magic Academy, where a branch of the Fairy Tower was located.
“I didn’t know there was a branch here,” Kaylen remarked.
“Typically, mage towers aren’t allowed to have branches within the academy…” Irene replied, sipping her tea elegantly.
“But the royal family made a special exception for us.”
Though such privileges might have caused backlash from other mage towers, the Fairy Tower’s contributions to the royal family were substantial. Moreover, since the Fairy Tower’s original purpose was to protect elves, it refrained from using its presence at the academy to recruit students.
“Congratulations on becoming a Superior Mage, Kaylen,” Irene said with a warm smile.
“Thank you.”
“You’re aware that Superior Mages can collaborate with the faculty on a research project, correct?”
Kaylen nodded.
Becoming a Superior Mage, one of the academy’s eight most exceptional mages, came with numerous benefits.
The most appealing benefit of being a Superior Mage for Kaylen was the ability to skip classes, but for most mages, the biggest advantage was conducting a year-long research project with the academy's renowned faculty.
“I would like to collaborate on research with you,” Irene said.
“So would I. Me too,” Myorn chimed in.
Irene shot Myorn a side glance for interrupting before turning her enchanting gaze toward Kaylen.
The alluring fragrance in the room wafted strongly to his nose, blending with Irene’s mesmerizing beauty, which would leave any human captivated. The ambiance of the elegant room, combined with the scent, created an intoxicating harmony.
“Kaylen, we are conducting research to restore higher-level spirit magic,” Irene said in her bewitching voice, filling the room.
Sight, sound, and scent worked in perfect unison to enchant Kaylen.
“Would you consider collaborating with me on this research?”
Despite not providing specifics about the research, Irene confidently made her request, her eyes filled with self-assurance.
She knew that any man, especially a young one brimming with vitality, would find it impossible to refuse her. With her extraordinary beauty and enchanting demeanor, it was natural for men to eagerly comply with her requests, no matter what they entailed.
What Irene hadn’t accounted for, however, was Kaylen’s past.
"What’s this? She’s trying to take the easy way out."
Kaylen, in his past life as the emperor Ernstine, had grown weary of such tactics and was unfazed by her charms.
“What about you, Myorn?” Kaylen asked, diverting his gaze from Irene’s sparkling eyes to look at the dwarf.
Myorn, whose fur had drooped like a wilted hedgehog, perked up slightly at his question, her fur regaining its energy.
“…Me?”
“Yes. I need to hear your research topic too, so I can compare,” Kaylen replied.
“Really? You’ll actually listen? Even though she spoke first? And even used wind spirits to spread her scent everywhere?”
“Ahem! Ahem! Myorn, what nonsense are you spouting? When did I do that?” Irene quickly cut in, flustered.
She had assumed her approach would guarantee her success. After all, no man had ever turned her down before, especially after she used her elven fragrance. She had all but given up when Myorn started speaking, believing Irene’s victory was inevitable.
Now that the tables had turned, Irene hurriedly interjected, “Stop talking nonsense, Myorn. Hurry up and explain your research topic.”
She glanced sideways at Kaylen. "Hmm… he’s better than I thought."
Initially, Irene had been slightly offended by his resistance to her charms. But now, she found it intriguing. A man who could resist an elf’s allure might focus more on research compared to other male mages.
"In any case, our topic is far more appealing. Myorn is probably going to bring up that same idea again."
Even purely based on research topics, Irene was confident that hers was superior.
“I want to research mana suits with you,” Myorn said.
"There it is, the mana suit research again," Irene thought.
“This mana suit isn’t just for master mages. It will be more versatile, more powerful, and unrestricted by a single elemental attribute. I want to create such a mana suit with you.”
"Her ideals are lofty, but the reality isn’t so accommodating," Irene sighed inwardly.
Though mocked for creating faulty mana suits, Myorn’s talent as a dwarf was exceptional. Irene felt that if Myorn had pursued a different project, the results would have been remarkable. But Myorn seemed unable to let go of her attachment to this research.
"In any case, it’s obvious he’ll choose to work with me."
No mage would be swayed by Myorn’s far-fetched ideas. Confident that her research would pique Kaylen’s interest, Irene awaited his response.
However…
“That sounds interesting,” Kaylen said, shattering her expectations entirely.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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