Chapter 48: Ruins Exploration (1)

An unexpected variable had appeared.

Upon receiving the report from Queen, Carl rubbed his lips.

“…A spearman who wields blue flames.”

It was news brought by Seolbaek, who had tapped on his window at dawn.

If Six had been injured, then it meant this person was a skilled fighter — one who could be counted among the best even in the hidden undercurrents.

‘As expected, the affairs of the world are never simple.’

The Western Third Commercial District was still little more than the outskirts in the grand scope of the capital.

However, given its nature as a hub where countless people gathered, it wasn’t strange for skilled individuals to appear out of nowhere.

Even someone like Shin-Jen alone was strong enough to fight evenly with the middle ranks of Black Label.

And if one went further up the ladder, the number of stronger figures only increased.

“Perhaps the upper layers may be even more treacherous than the Central Plains.”

This was happening even though he had merely stirred things up in Lahan.

With the region being wider and more densely populated than the Central Plains, there were many matters demanding his attention.

Still, NOX had entered a stable growth trajectory.

The branch businesses spreading outward were all flourishing, and the rest were simply matters that time would resolve.

He didn’t send a reply.

As always, he ended it by burning the paper with his Samme Jinhwa flame.

“You’ve worked hard.”

Biiik.

Seolbaek rubbed his head affectionately against Carl’s fingers.

After preparing water and food for him, Carl put on his coat and left the dormitory.

It was already noon.

He had just stopped by his room to fetch something when Seolbaek had visited him.

“Hm.”

There was still time before his afternoon lecture.

The others were in the middle of their liberal arts classes, leaving him with an awkward gap of free time.

Thus, after wandering around campus for a while, he headed toward the clubrooms.

At Bayern, numerous activities across many fields were officially recognized as clubs or small groups.

It was an unspoken rule that every cadet joined at least one, so while browsing his options, he came across a name that caught his attention.

‘I didn’t expect there to be information about the Central Plains.’

“Exploration of Ancient Civilizations and Ruins.”

On a whim, he had applied for a tour and ended up with an unexpected gain.

So, without a second thought, he had signed up for membership on the spot.

He learned only hours later that Laysis was also part of this club.

Of course, the existence of Another World was a subject still debated hotly among scholars.

Most of what was discussed was uncertain and merely hypothetical, but for Carl, it was not something to dismiss.

Click.

Opening the door, he was greeted by a vintage interior.

The scent of well-aged oak lingered in the air.

Only three people were currently present.

By the window in the corner, a woman in a white lab coat had her face buried in a massive tome, completely motionless.

Already accustomed to the sight, Carl gave a polite nod as he entered.

“Just dropping by.”

“Ah, Carl.”

“Good afternoon!”

Two upperclassmen seated at the central table greeted him.

Both were a year above him, belonging to the general studies department, unlike Carl.

They were apparently heirs of merchant families, and perhaps because of that, they had an imposing presence.

“Have you eaten yet?”

“Yes, I just finished.”

“I see. You should drop by more often. Feel free to come hang out whenever you have time.”

“Don’t pressure him. He’s just a first-year. Coming whenever he feels like it is enough — a new cadet has plenty to keep busy with.”

“Haha, understood.”

Unlike the general studies department, the magic department rarely joined such clubs.

This year, the first-years were mostly from the general department, with only Carl and Laysis from the magic department.

“Are you here again today to look up information on the Seven Heroes?”

“Yes. That’s still my main interest.”

“What a shame. If you ever gain interest in Atlantis — the legendary civilization from ancient times — let me know. I’ll share every bit of material I’ve gathered.”

“You can keep researching that on your own. Anyway, here’s the research material you wanted to see last time. These are records that must be preserved, so handle them with care.”

“Ah, thank you. I’ll be as careful as possible.”

Carl bowed his head.

Another advantage of this club was being able to access the research records compiled by senior cadets.

Given that it gathered the Empire’s top students, even a brief look showed the contents were of a high caliber.

“Since Carl’s here, why don’t we go grab lunch? I’m hungry.”

“Sounds good. Carl, we’ll be heading out to eat. Hey, Susan, what about you?”

“……”

The woman at the window — Susan — remained silent, still locked in a staring contest with her book.

He shrugged and turned away.

“She’s still busy, I see. We’ll bring her a sandwich on our way back.”

“Yeah. Let’s go. I’m starving.”

They were seniors with personalities as warm and hearty as their physiques.

Soon, they left the clubroom, leaving only Carl and Susan behind.

‘She doesn’t like being disturbed, if I recall.’

It was said that aside from lectures, she spent the entire day at her designated seat, absorbed in her books.

In that case, he might as well focus on his own work.

Rustle.

Carl looked through the senior’s research material, searching for information on the Seven Heroes.

《Immortality》

《Eternity》

《Rest》

《Creation》

《Justice》

《Indomitability》

《Wisdom》

These seven figures were known collectively as the Seven Ancient Heroes.

They were said to have saved the continent from crisis roughly 1,400 years ago.

Whether their enemy had been an ancient evil god or a demon king was still open to interpretation.

Still, the fact remained that they had performed a feat great enough to save the continent, which was why their names had been passed down to this day.

The one Carl focused on among the seven was 《Justice》.

Justice, true to his name, had been a man overflowing with righteousness. Like the other heroes, his origin was unknown, and on this point, various theories existed.

‘The most likely location had been the southern region of the Empire.’

That was why he had sent Gallon For there to investigate.

In particular, the structure known as the “Tree of Beginning” was the place where Justice had first appeared and also the place where he was last seen.

Carl had held a small hope that he might learn something from it, but unfortunately, there had been no results.

Whenever 《Justice》 swung his sword, the sound of thunder would echo. He was known to enjoy wearing strange attire, which he said was the custom of his homeland. The reason he came to be called 《Justice》 stemmed from his habitual acts of kindness and righteous conduct.

‘The sound of thunder… that must be a type of Lightning Sword Technique. And the strange clothing could be interpreted as the martial robes of the Central Plains. To conclude…’

There was a high possibility that 《Justice》 had been a chivalrous swordsman from a prestigious righteous sect.

Even the name “Justice” was likely a corruption of the word “Chivalry.”

After all, there was no word in Artenia that directly expressed the concept of chivalry.

As far as Carl could tell based on the current data, 《Justice》 was the most likely candidate out of all the heroes.

Everything up to this point was what Carl had managed to discover before enrolling at Bayern.

The “Exploration of Ancient Civilizations and Ruins” club possessed records and data that covered events beyond that.

Rustle.

Carl silently focused on the texts and documents.

Tracing the detailed deeds and stories left behind by 《Justice》, he organized each piece of information he needed one by one.

Who knew how much time had passed like that?

By the time several pages of his notebook were filled, the clubroom door opened and someone poked their head in.

“……”

Peeking inside, Laysis spotted Carl seated at a table, completely absorbed in something, and her eyes widened slightly.

She cleared her throat lightly, then walked in with quiet steps and carefully sat down beside him.

“…Ah, Miss Laysis.”

“You’re here early. No lecture today?”

“Yes. I have a free period now. Only one class left at the final period. Have you eaten?”

“I just came back from eating with the small group members. …This is material about the Seven Heroes.”

“They say these are records left by the seniors. They’ve been of great help to me.”

It truly was a great help.

The club had compiled rare books and manuscripts that were hard to find, and some had even gone directly to the sites to make records themselves.

If he had done it alone, who knew how much time it would have taken.

‘Both in quantity and quality, this is top-tier. It’s on a completely different level from the garbage information floating around the streets.’

It was as if his eyes had been opened.

Carl felt once again that joining this club had been the right choice.

“…Is that so?”

Seeing Carl speak with a faintly excited tone unlike his usual self, Laysis found her curiosity piqued.

She hadn’t thought he was the type to show much emotional change — perhaps he had this side to him as well.

“Miss Laysis, which area did you say you were interested in?”

“I mostly focus on the history before the founding of the Empire.”

“Timing-wise, that’s similar to the appearance of the Seven Heroes.”

“That’s right. The Empire was founded after they saved the continent from the Demon King. Which hero are you researching?”

“I’m focusing on 《Justice》. Since he’s a swordsman like me, I thought I’d start there and work my way through.”

“Hm.”

Laysis rested her chin in her hand, glancing at the documents.

“Maybe I should choose another hero as my research theme.”

“Which one do you prefer?”

The legend of the Seven Heroes was a major tale across the continent.

It often appeared in fairy tales and folktales told by parents since childhood.

Choosing it as a research theme was nothing unusual.

“I’d go with 《Indomitability》. The man who never falls — an iron man who breaks through any hardship or adversity. Isn’t that cool?”

“Indeed. That’s a spirit worth emulating.”

“I’ll have to look into it little by little whenever I have the time.”

Laysis jotted down 《Indomitability》 in her archive memo pad.

Talking with Carl seemed to have sparked genuine interest.

Scratch, scratch.

Silence returned to the room.

Susan was still buried in her book, and Carl was absorbing the records left by his seniors.

Laysis opened her own book to work on her tasks, but she couldn’t help glancing toward Carl.

‘Because of what Yuria said…’

— …Could it be that he really likes you?

The words from their dinner conversation echoed in her mind.

If he truly liked her, then in a situation like this, alone together, there would be at least some sign of fluster.

Carl’s expression, however, was perfectly calm.

If anything, all his attention was fixed solely on the records left by the seniors.

‘……’

Laysis pursed her lips.

For some reason, she felt a bit sulky.

Not knowing why she felt that way herself, she simply pressed her nails into the pages of her book, leaving deep marks.

“…Is something wrong?”

“Ah.”

The sudden voice made Laysis freeze.

She had been staring at Carl with a frown without even realizing it.

It had been such an unconscious action that her mind lagged for a moment.

“Ah, um… something got in my eye.”

“Shall I help you?”

“N-no, it’s fine.”

Her voice almost cracked.

Barely managing to hide her agitation, Laysis awkwardly kept speaking to maintain a façade of composure.

“By the way, I heard you suggested we form the same party…”

“Yes. I assumed you’d accepted and passed that along to my older brother. Has your mind changed?”

“No, no! That’s not it, I just…”

Flustered, Laysis quickly glanced toward the window seat.

She had completely forgotten there was another person here besides them.

Fortunately, Susan hadn’t moved an inch — apparently they hadn’t crossed her threshold for noise.

“I was just wondering if you’d heard anything from the senior.”

“My brother said he hasn’t received anything beyond the official notice yet. He promised to tell me if there’s any new information.”

“I see… ahaha…”

It was an embarrassingly weak question.

As Laysis gave a self-deprecating laugh, Carl tilted his head, looking at her.

‘What’s with her?’

Carl could only wonder why she was acting that way.

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