The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 328

Time flowed quickly.

It had been 2 years and 187 days.

The death of Sein Vinoche-nim slowly began to fade from everyone’s minds.

It was about time to forget the death of Sophia Anechepri-nim.

The world had undergone an indescribable amount of change.

First, the position of swordsmen rose to a level that was incomparable to before.

Along with the revival of knights, the knight academies that had disappeared began to spring up again like mushrooms after the rain.

Accordingly, the number of aspiring knights was rapidly increasing.

To the point where there were more people aspiring to be knights than those aspiring to be mages.

It was all an aftereffect of the will left by Sein-nim.

The last message she left was so powerful that even now, two and a half years later, it still occupied a place in everyone’s hearts.

The people aspiring to be knights now are all those who dream of becoming knights, carrying the message left by Sein-nim in their hearts.

Among them, the popularity of the French National Knight Academy was soaring.

The last ark that remained and strived to solidify the position of knights, even as they were collapsing.

Sein Vinoche’s alma mater.

The world’s best knight school.

It was only natural that people flocked to such a school.

[French National Knight Academy, this year’s acceptance competition rate is 194:1. Another 2.9 times increase compared to last year.]

You could easily see articles like this, so it was obvious.

[Each country, the application rate for knight academies has surpassed the application rate for mage academies.]

The world was now entering the era of the great sword… well, that might be a bit of an exaggeration.

It was becoming a balanced era where magic and swords were appropriately divided.

“At this rate, the positions of swordsmen and mages might switch next year.”

-Huh?

Beyond the hologram.

Stella Vinoche widened her eyes as if to say, ‘What are you talking about?’

“Was that such a surprising thing to say?”

It seemed like she had just been swinging her sword before answering the call.

She was drenched in sweat from head to toe.

“The level of swordsmen is rising day by day. On the other hand, mages have only been standing still for two and a half years. Isn’t it possible that their positions will be reversed in the near future?”

Stella’s eyes narrowed.

-If someone else said that, I could understand… but it’s a bit strange coming from you.

She glared at me with a fierce look.

-Is that something the person in charge of Project Mimir should be saying?

I subtly avoided her gaze.

It was best to avoid such unfavorable topics.

-What’s with that gaze? Isn’t it too cute?

Looking at me like that, Stella smiled faintly.

“Cute is a bit…”

-Ah, was it rude to call a man cute?

Stella smiled with a somewhat playful expression.

-But what can I do? It was really cute. How cute you were, immediately avoiding my gaze because you thought it would be disadvantageous…

“……”

What should I say?

What I’ve been feeling lately.

Her way of speaking, actions, expressions, etc., all started to feel like Sein-nim.

Especially those playful attitudes, they were exactly the same.

I guess blood is thicker than water.

“……Two years ago, Stella-ssi was quite cute too, you know.”

-Huh? What is that? Are you proposing?

Stella’s eyes widened.

-I’m happy, but no. I can’t accept such a vague proposal. You have to do it properly, at least after meeting in person…

“It’s not a proposal.”

-……Tch.

Stella pouted her lips as if she was disappointed.

She’s really become sly.

I wondered if Sein-nim was just like that at that age.

If you add age and experience to that, you’d get a personality just like Sein-nim.

Hmm. It’s quite plausible.

-That’s a shame. I thought you finally realized your true feelings.

“What do you mean by realizing my true feelings……”

-Like, you became aware of the feelings of love for me that were sleeping somewhere deep in your heart?

Stella smiled playfully again.

She was waiting to see what kind of reaction I would show.

“The reason I contacted you today is not that.”

-There you go again. You always pretend not to know when this topic comes up…

I didn’t bother to respond to Stella’s reaction and changed the subject.

It’s been a year since this kind of conversation has been going on, so I don’t even care anymore.

I continued to say what I had to say.

“Today. The first demonstration of Project Mimir is scheduled.”

-Such an obvious change of topic won’t work… What?

Stella’s expression went blank.

She looked like she was wondering what she had just heard.

-Project Mimir… has already reached the demonstration stage?

“Yes. It’s still far from the mass production stage, but we have succeeded in producing three prototypes.”

-Wow…

Stella exclaimed with a look of genuine admiration.

-Then, the reason you contacted me today is…

“You said you wanted to see the finished product yourself, didn’t you?”

Stella’s eyes sparkled beyond the hologram.

“Come to Korea. Transportation is already prepared.”

* * *

Seoul, a research institute near the Mado Shin family’s residence.

Terun Sitrea was working hard on the final adjustments.

From yesterday morning until tonight.

Even though she had already finished the final adjustments dozens of times.

She was still doing the adjustments again without fail.

“Haven’t you already finished checking enough?”

Shin Hayul, who had just returned to the research institute, approached Terun.

“That’s true… but you never know. I might have missed something.”

“There’s nothing like that. The preparations are already perfect. I’ve checked it several times too.”

“No. No one knows that. If there’s a fatal flaw that both you and I missed…”

“There’s no such thing.”

Shin Hayul approached Terun and forcibly picked her up.

“Y-you, what, what are you…”

Terun stuttered, held in Shin Hayul’s arms.

She looked like she had no idea what was going on.

“Take a break. You’ll collapse during the demonstration if you keep going like this.”

“Okay, I get it, I’ll rest, so put me down!”

“No. I can’t.”

“Why, why?”

“If I put you down here, you’ll try to do something again, avoiding my eyes. I’ll put you down after we get to your room.”

“I won’t! I won’t do anything! I’ll rest! Put me down!”

Terun flailed her arms and legs, struggling.

She looked embarrassed by the situation itself. Her face was as red as an apple.

“If, if the others see this… put me down quickly! I said put me down!”

“Yes, yes. I’ll put you down. When we get to your room.”

“Ah, no! If we go out to the hallway…”

“Ah.”

As expected, as soon as they went outside, they ran into a researcher.

A woman who wore a comfortable atmosphere like clothing.

“Director and… oh? Investor-nim?”

She was the secretary in charge of Terun’s assistance and one of the only three researchers in this research institute.

“This is… Ah!”

The woman covered her mouth with a knowing look and smiled with a somewhat sly expression.

But since the woman’s default was a calm atmosphere and a gentle expression, the feeling of slyness wasn’t that strong.

“Ah, I see! I understand.”

The woman quickly turned her body.

“Then, I’ll excuse myself!”

“Hey! What do you mean by excusing yourself!”

Terun screamed in horror.

“Hey. Even though I’m so obsessed with research that I’m a bit clueless, I have that much sense. It’s like, um. Roughly like the feeling of N pole and S pole, right?”

“What, what N pole and S pole! You crazy woman!”

“I know everything. Then, I’ll see you later~”

“Hey! Kim Song-ah! Come back here!”

Terun struggled even more fiercely.

Shin Hayul held Terun tightly as if she had no intention of letting her go.

“Don’t worry about it and let’s go. There are 3 hours left until the demonstration. You need to get a good rest during that time.”

“No, I said I’ll sleep! I said I’ll sleep! So put me down. I said put me down! If Song-ah sees this, or that damn bastard sees this…”

“……Hoo.”

With a sigh of delight mixed with admiration, Terun’s shoulders trembled.

“Hmm. I see. Indeed.”

A man with a sophisticated atmosphere who looked good in glasses.

A middle-aged man with dark circles and a dark impression with a sneer habitually hanging on his lips.

He looked at Terun and muttered a mysterious phrase, then turned and walked away.

“……It’s over.”

Terun’s body went limp.

She looked like the protagonist who had faced the end of the world.

“Shit. Shiiit. I’m doomed… To have my weakness caught by that bastard… I’m done for. I’m done for…”

Terun despaired.

Considering that guy’s personality, he would use this weakness to launch mental attacks on her from time to time for about a year.

He would exploit her weakness in a vicious, cunning, and petty way.

Terun lowered her head.

“The more you react to it, the more excited he gets to tease you. Just put on a poker face.”

“I’ve been wearing one all this time?”

“……Is that so?”

“Why? Was it obvious?”

“It wasn’t just obvious…”

“Wasn’t?”

“Oh, um… never mind.”

Shin Hayul held back her words.

It felt like she was about to break a child’s innocence, so she was reluctant to say it.

“Sigh. I don’t know.”

Terun sighed deeply with a look of resignation.

“Sigh. I don’t know. It’s already happened, what can I do? I have to endure it.”

Terun stopped struggling and entrusted her body to Shin Hayul’s arms.

“Then, please take care of me for 3 hours.”

“Huh?”

“For 3 hours. Hold me tight. Don’t you understand what I’m saying?”

Terun smiled faintly.

It was a strangely scary smile.

“Since you didn’t put me down even when I begged you to, you have to stay like this for 3 hours. You made me feel this humiliation, so you have to endure that much, right?”

“……”

“And if you put me down, I’ll go do another check immediately. Keep that in mind.”

“What kind of threat is that?”

“It’s a special threat that only works on you.”

It was a kind of ‘I can’t be the only one suffering’ mentality.

“Then I’ll get some sleep. Wake me up 10 minutes before we start.”

“……Yes.”

Shin Hayul smiled bitterly and nodded.

‘I didn’t know I would end up spending 3 hours like this here.’

Shin Hayul stared intently at Terun’s sleeping face.

‘But well, she fell asleep soundly…’

Shin Hayul sat down, still holding Terun in her arms.

3 hours like this.

It wouldn’t be bad to spend a leisurely time for a change.

* * *

3 hours passed quickly.

It was time to start the demonstration of Project Mimir.

Since it was a project that only those who knew about it knew, not many people attended.

There were only five people in attendance.

My father.

Kim Kang-in-nim.

Stella Vinoche.

And finally, Adela and Soonchan.

Just these five.

“……Why does it feel so awkward for me to be here?”

Soonchan scratched his cheek with a very uncomfortable expression.

It seemed like he felt very awkward being among such prominent figures.

“Don’t worry. You’re not here as an observer, but as a guinea pig. You don’t have to feel pressured.”

“……You bastard. Is that supposed to be comforting?”

Soonchan frowned and glared at me.

“Guinea pig?”

Adela looked at me with a greatly shocked expression.

“Guinea pig……”

Adela’s role in this demonstration was the same as Soonchan’s.

In other words, if Soonchan was a guinea pig, then Adela was also a guinea pig.

That’s why she was making such a shocked expression.

“Why are you so shocked? I told you beforehand that there might be some danger involved.”

Terun patted Adela on the back.

“And you’re not exactly a guinea pig, unlike Soonchan.”

“Noona Terun…?”

Soonchan looked at Terun with an uneasy expression.

“He’s low-grade, and you’re high-grade.”

“Wow, really. Even Noona Terun…”

Soonchan lowered his head with an expression like a heroine betrayed by a hero.

From under his lowered head, a voice saying, ‘That’s too much,’ could be heard.

Terun patted Soonchan’s back as well.

“Puhaha! Just kidding, just kidding. You silly. Don’t be so upset.”

Terun patted Soonchan’s back repeatedly.

“Noona, it hurts! It hurts!”

Soonchan pretended to be in pain and whined.

“It doesn’t hurt at all. You’re just exaggerating.”

Terun chuckled.

Woo-woo-woong-!

At that moment, a signal sounded.

It was a siren announcing the start of the demonstration.

“Okay. Here.”

Terun looked at me, Adela, and Soonchan in turn and handed each of us a choker.

“Is this it?”

Adela asked as she received the choker.

“Yeah. Next-generation AI. Fully autonomous high-performance AI… well, it’s not really an AI. A supplementary personality? What should I call it? Come to think of it, I haven’t decided on a name yet.”

“……?”

Adela and Soonchan tilted their heads.

“Anyway. Think of it as the culmination of next-generation AI technology. Can you put it around your necks for now?”

“……Ah, yes.”

“Yep.”

Soonchan was about to put the choker around his neck.

Adela, on the other hand, looked at the choker here and there, as if she wanted to check it first.

Then, as if something caught her eye, she let out a small exclamation.

“Code name. Elena Ro Greenwood…?”

“Huh? Is that written on it?”

Soonchan was about to wear the choker but stopped and looked inside.

“Oh. It’s written. Code name… huh? It’s different from mine?”

“Is it?”

“Yeah. My code name…”

Soonchan slowly recited the name written on it.

“It says Aslan Polohamruin.”