Chapter 122
“Sound Teleport Launch Ceremony”.
As it was a significant event that attracted numerous notable figures, Han Taesu had also found his way to the plaza for the first time in a while.
But in the crowd, his eyes landed on someone he wasn’t pleased to see.
“It’s been a while.”
It was Commissioner Han Si-hyuk from the Magic Department.
Han Si-hyuk sat down with an impassive expression.
“What are you doing here…?”
It was the end of the year. Normally, someone like him would be too busy to leave the Magic Department, much less attend a grand event like this.
Why had he come to an event like this, especially one where Han Taesu was certain to be present?
Han Si-hyuk had always tried to avoid him.
Though Han Taesu had raised him in his youth, there was never any real fatherly affection between them.
Han Si-hyuk barely remembered his early childhood, but even from his earliest memories, Han Taesu had openly resented him.
Was it because he was born out of wedlock?
Even so, he was still his son.
Han Si-hyuk couldn’t understand it.
Their relationship had been twisted from the start.
And after being excommunicated, there was no need or reason for them to be entangled any further.
Han Si-hyuk answered Han Taesu’s question calmly.
“I was assigned a new position. I thought I’d take the opportunity to pay you a visit.”
Han Taesu frowned at his words.
“What position?”
“I’ve been assigned as an investigator. It’s effective as of last week.”
An investigator under the Ardel Empire’s jurisdiction, specifically under the Magic Department.
Given his previous high-ranking status in the Magic Department, this was more of a demotion.
Han Taesu didn’t know the full details, but considering Han Si-hyuk’s previous prominence, it was hard to imagine this as anything other than a fall from grace.
Han Taesu’s words were sharp.
“What’s your angle?”
“….”
“Of all the positions, an investigator? Are you planning to uncover corruption in the Castica territory? Trying to get back at me by any means?”
“That’s not it.”
“So, you’ve decided to dig into the family that raised you? I thought I was raising a person, but it turns out I was raising a demon.”
Despite Han Taesu’s blatant insults, Han Si-hyuk maintained his stiff posture and blank expression.
“….”
It wasn’t a relationship where kind words were exchanged.
Even so, there was a specific reason he had come here today.
Han Si-hyuk adjusted his clothes and spoke in a composed manner.
“Actually, I’m interested in a different case. I thought you might know something about it, which is why I’m here.”
“What case?”
“The Katablam cold case.”
Han Si-hyuk pulled a small envelope from his coat.
It was a case file he had organized as soon as he was appointed as a magic investigator.
“Do you know anything about this case?”
For a moment, Han Taesu’s eyes turned cold.
Han Si-hyuk noticed the shift.
—
“A small office on the outskirts of Ardel Academy”.
Han Si-hyuk had been stationed inside the Academy for the time being.
With the new Sound Teleport System recently installed, it was convenient for the Magic Department to provide instant access to investigation materials.
“The Katablam cold case…”
Han Si-hyuk muttered to himself, his face serious.
He had stumbled upon the documents while digging through the Magic Department’s archives, documents that had been long forgotten.
His curiosity piqued, he had requested the transfer to a magic investigator position.
Of course, he had provided a more plausible explanation to his superiors to justify the transfer, but this was the real reason.
“I’m certain he knows something.”
Han Si-hyuk recalled Han Taesu’s reaction earlier that morning.
An entire village had vanished.
If it hadn’t become a major issue, it was likely because the Empire had intervened.
For something that significant, someone at Han Taesu’s level would definitely know about it, so Han Si-hyuk had probed for information.
The stern look on Han Taesu’s face confirmed that something suspicious was indeed going on.
“An entire village buried alive in a single day… Why has this been kept hidden?”
Katablam was a small, remote village.
The entire village had been cursed by a dark mage.
So, the village was sealed off, and everyone was buried.
Without any special procedures.
The case file felt off.
There was no explanation of the cause-and-effect relationship.
The details about the dark mage’s curse were vague at best.
Even if the village had been cursed, was it really necessary to bury everyone?
Han Si-hyuk frowned as he studied the gruesome case file.
It was definitely worth digging deeper into this case.
—
“A week had passed since the promotion results were finalized”.
December 24th. The day before Christmas.
It seemed there was a holiday similar to Christmas here, celebrating the birth of the god Saker. The entire Ardel region was abuzz with excitement.
It appeared to be a local god they worshiped, and as with any holiday, it was celebrated with much fanfare.
Through the window, the twinkling lights hanging from the trees could be seen even from here.
“It’s pretty.”
The city, created by magic, was much more beautiful than I had expected.
The trees decorated all around were mesmerizing.
In a way, it felt like I had returned to my life before being transported here, and it wasn’t a bad feeling.
To top it off, it was snowing, as if to mark the occasion.
It was the first snowfall of the year.
“Wow, look outside.”
I grabbed Kloshti, who had been running around, and pointed outside the window.
Flakes were gently falling, silently drifting down like a serene snowfall.
It was a rather romantic scene.
“Truly… beautiful trash….”
“Peep!”
But who’s going to clean all that up?
Oh, no.
It’s already piling up on the dormitory windowsill?
No wonder I felt like I was freezing to death earlier.
The wind was sneaking in through the gap.
“This is because you guys broke the window!”
It had been broken so many times that now the entire window frame was loose.
The glass had been repaired, but the draft was still coming through!
What am I supposed to do about this?
In a world with no proper heating, snow was nothing short of a natural disaster.
Forget romance—it vanished in five seconds.
“Peep!”
“Kuu… wanna go out!”
The snow still had its charm for them, though.
Kloshti walked over and rubbed his face against my foot, his big eyes sparkling.
“What is it now, you guys?”
They wanted to go outside. I cringed.
“Isn’t it… too cold?”
Humans feel the cold, you know.
You guys… do you guys…?
Are you cold?
Come to think of it, reptiles are cold-blooded, so they should be more susceptible to the cold.
Kloshti, being an ice dragon, might be fine, but Basilus didn’t seem well-suited to this weather.
Wouldn’t they get frostbite if I let them out like this?
“Kuu…?”
“Wait, going out is fine, but hold on a second.”
I rummaged around and grabbed the fur coat I bought at the market.
Sensing the impending discomfort, Basilus started to squirm.
“Kkeek!”
No way. I grabbed him by the scruff in one swift move.
Basilus struggled with all his might.
“Kkieek! Kkieek!”
He was clearly expressing his strong desire not to wear the coat, but it was futile.
If he goes out like this, he’ll freeze.
“Kuu! Kuu!”
I finally managed to force the coat onto him.
Basilus wobbled as he freed himself from my grip.
His glare was icy, as if he wanted to kill me.
“What’s with the attitude?”
“Kuu….”
Trembling, Basilus’ body shook, but my satisfaction grew.
—
*Back to the launch event.*
—
At the Sound Teleport launch, many prominent figures attended, and among them was a familiar face that caught Han Siha’s attention.
Basilus’ somewhat awkward, but necessary, outfit made him look much warmer and more comfortable, which was good. However, what happened next caught Han Siha off guard.
Whoosh—
“Huh?”
Crackle…
In an instant, the fur coat turned to ash in the air, disintegrating right before Han Siha’s eyes.
He could hardly believe what he was seeing.
What just happened? Did I really see that?
This is crazy.
I’ve seen dogs tear up clothes they don’t want to wear, but…
A dragon that burns clothes because it doesn’t want to wear them?
“I worry about you for nothing!”
“….”
“Ahhh! You burned the bed sheets again! Just burn everything in this place while you’re at it, you little rascal!”
“Kuu?”
“Don’t look at me like you’re seriously considering it! This isn’t even my house!”
Realizing the danger, Han Siha decided it was time to leave the dorm.
There was no point in worrying about a Red Dragon that could melt snow just by existing.
“The only thing I should be worried about is how I’m going to explain these burnt sheets.”
I’ll have to change the bed sheets before Wony sees them again.
And there was an artifact that would be perfect for this weather that I remembered.
“Alright, let’s head to the market.”
“….”
“I heard a new high-end artifact shop opened up nearby.”
Given the occasion, it seemed like a good day to check out someplace new.
—
Meanwhile, at the same time, Adela was gazing out the window with a soft smile.
The past few days had been a whirlwind, but she had seen many new and fascinating things.
The Sound Teleport System.
A groundbreaking invention unveiled in the Ardel Empire.
And now, the year’s first snowfall was gently descending.
Adela opened the window slightly and reached out her hand.
“It’s cold…”
The snowflakes melted as soon as they touched her fingers.
Adela watched the scene, captivated by the delicate sight.
She had grown up in the humid southern regions, where snow was a rarity, even in the Ardel Empire. Before attending the Academy, she had never seen snow.
Last year, she had been too overwhelmed by the new environment to even notice the first snowfall.
But this year, she had a little more time to enjoy it.
“Whew.”
Adela took a deep breath and looked up at the sky.
The sky was painted white.
As if the sky had always been a blank canvas, it was now filled with the purest white.
It was breathtakingly beautiful.
Snow was falling in a quiet, steady stream.
Adela murmured softly.
“I want to build a snowman.”
She had heard stories about it.
Rolling the snow into large balls and making a giant snowman.
Using twigs for arms and small stones for eyes.
People would carefully craft these snowmen, only to see them melt away in a few days, treating them like precious creations.
It seemed like a waste of time.
Why spend time on something that would melt in a few days?
Adela thought of the Crusaders.
And then she remembered the cube that Han Siha had given her last time.
She was too busy to think about making snowmen.
But still…
“Han Siha.”
It seemed like it would be fun to make one with him.
Adela found herself thinking of Han Siha more and more.
Suddenly, she snapped back to reality.
“But, where is he?”
Now that she thought about it, Han Siha had been nowhere to be seen since the morning.
She had been thinking about asking him to go outside and take a walk.
“Did he already go out with other friends?”
Come to think of it, Han Siha had more friends than she realized. He was probably already out playing in the snow with them.
That was only natural, but Adela found herself pouting slightly.
“Maybe I should just have some latte.”
On a winter day like this, it might be better to stay cozy inside rather than venture out.
Adela murmured to herself as she closed the window.
Then, a sharp beeping sound echoed through the quiet room.
Beep—beep beep—
“Huh?”
It was a portable communication device.
The Sound Teleport communicator that had been distributed to all dormitory students was ringing loudly.
“Wha… what!”
Startled, Adela almost dropped the square device onto the floor.
“No one was supposed to call… there’s really no one….”
The Sound Teleport System had only just launched, and it wasn’t widely used yet.
And who would already be using this expensive device to call her?
But contrary to her thoughts, the sound didn’t stop.
Beep—beep beep—
“I… I have to answer it.”
Adela hastily pressed the buttons on the unfamiliar device.
She didn’t know who was calling, but she had to answer.
And then.
“Adela?”
A familiar voice came through the receiver.
“H-Han Siha?”
Adela’s voice trembled as she held onto the device.
Since it wasn’t a phone booth, she could only receive calls and couldn’t respond with her voice.
This wasn’t the time to stand around.
She needed to go out.
Adela quickly dressed and dashed towards the first Sound Teleport booth in Ardel.
Even as she ran, Han Siha’s voice continued to echo from the device.
“Adela.”
His calm voice brought back memories of the previous day.
She suddenly remembered a casual remark she had made.
“Just make sure to call me first.”
“I don’t have anyone to call, but I’d still like to receive a call.”
She thought she had said it offhandedly, without much thought.
But he must have taken it seriously.
“Haah… haah.”
Adela stopped in the middle of the street.
If it were about the Crusaders, they could have met in person.
Even if it were about something trivial, they could have met to talk.
But
For him to call her using the Sound Teleport system, saying her name…
It was because of what she had said yesterday.
He must have been waiting and waiting.
Just to make his first call to her.
Adela whispered softly, knowing Han Siha couldn’t hear her.
“Say something.”
“….”
“Say something, Han Siha.”
As if he had been waiting for her to speak, Han Siha’s voice came through the device.
Slightly trembling, like the snowflakes fluttering down.
-I… I’m lost.
“What? Wait, I’m coming….”
Wait, what?
-I’m really lost.
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