Chapter 77 - Sleep Resistance Contest

Overwhelmed by the atmosphere, Tilda stopped her greeting mid-sentence and stepped aside.

After that, Ferda didn't give Tilda a single glance.

Humiliated, Tilda's face turned bright red as she slipped away from the spot.

Watching Tilda leave, Stephan asked Ferda.

"Did you happen to hear the conversation?"

"What conversation?"

"She was mocking the exhibit, wondering if it would make any money..."

"Is that so?"

An expression that showed he didn't care in the slightest.

Ferda was completely unaware of the situation Stephan was referring to.

"Then why were you so hostile?"

Stephan wanted to know the reason.

Unless they had overheard such a snobbish conversation, there wasn't a single person who would be hostile to Tilda upon their first meeting.

Because she was a beauty who took after her mother.

"I didn't intend to speak harshly at first either. But after taking a look, things changed."

"What do you mean?"

"It put me in a bad mood. Those eyes."

"Her eyes? What about her eyes..."

"Isn't your younger sister the type who is only satisfied when she holds everyone down and sits on top of them?"

Stephan's eyes widened.

"H-How did you know that?"

"Because she had exactly those kinds of eyes."

Ferda hated countless people.

To fuel that hatred, he needed to understand human archetypes, and several characteristics remained vivid in Ferda's mind.

Tilda Pascal was the type Ferda hated the most.

Those who lacked ability yet harbored greed beyond their station.

Those who tried to roll people around in the palm of their hands like toys.

Marveling at the fact that he recognized Tilda's true nature at a single glance, Stephan decided to change the subject.

They were in the midst of being busy preparing for the exhibition, so there was no time for idle chatter.

"Did you meet Mr. Marquis?"

"Yeah."

"Where did you happen to put the mana stones...?"

"Can't we exhibit them tomorrow? He seems busy today, so I don't want to bother him."

"Well, understood. Then let's make it look like we adopted a strategy of hiding the main attraction."

'I feel like we need to exhibit at least the mana stones to draw attention.'

Stephan mumbled this to himself.

However, the exhibition itself wasn't terribly important.

It was merely a side branch; the main focus was the main presentation.

The topic of that presentation would be the mana stones.

And the magical engineering rifle hanging over there.

Ferda and Stephan looked up at the magical engineering rifle.

"Regent, have you happened to see a demonstration of that?"

"I've seen something similar."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Back then, however, it didn't look like that."

The rifle that fired mana shots was something much larger and more complex.

It had been so messy that the current version, with all sorts of things dangling from it, felt simplified by comparison.

"How does it look in your eyes?"

"In my eyes, you ask?"

"To you, or to other merchants."

"Well, um..."

Stephan scratched his head.

While looking at that object, Tilda had wondered if it would make any money.

In reality, the reactions of the other merchants were similar.

And Stephan felt the same.

It wasn't easy to speak ill of something from the place he was sponsoring.

"If the exterior was just a bit cleaner, wouldn't its evaluation rise again?"

"So you're saying it looks like crap."

"Yes."

"I suppose it does."

It looked the same to Ferda.

Looking at the current object, it resembled a work of art closer than a functioning mechanical device.

To Ferda, right now was the most crucial time for this magical engineering rifle.

"It would be great if we could draw in the merchants of the north and south with this item..."

"I will do my utmost to exert influence in the north."

Stephan did not mention the south.

With his eldest brother, Muchit, holding the fort there, he didn't want to make any guarantees at the moment.

'So let's not expect to be full on the first bite.'

He thought this to himself, but then something completely unexpected happened.

* * *

Scholars who spent their entire lives holding nothing but books were intellectuals.

They might be mocked as frogs in a well, but the moment when such intellectuals were needed inevitably came.

Especially for a group dealing in information, the process of filtering and processing data was all the more crucial.

Black Bandana did not overlook such things.

Black Bandana.

With the black bandana as their symbol, they were a secret organization spread across the entire Serdes Continent, gathering and selling information.

To efficiently process the information they handled, they needed the intellectuals of Escolaia.

That was why Garnet, a member of Black Bandana, had come here.

"Hmm."

She wore an outfit with very little fabric, adorned with decorations, making her look like one of the common noblewomen of the south.

Dark skin that contrasted with her ash-gray hair.

Her race and appearance were perfect for masquerading as a desert dweller from the deep south.

However, there was just one problem.

"Did you come alone, miss?"

Men flocked to her voluptuous attire like flies.

"Huh?"

"Nothing else, I just wanted to escort the young lady, cough...!"

Making eye contact with her, the man let out a dry cough.

Then, he backed away in sheer terror.

"M-My apologies. I'll just be on my way."

"... Huh?"

Garnet watched him retreat with one eyebrow raised, and the man hurriedly ran away.

She had no idea why that man had approached her in the first place.

A man dressed in northern attire approached.

"Oh, come on, Boss. Give us a smile. Did you come here to kill someone? Are we a group of assassins?"

This man acting so friendly.

This man was also a member of Black Bandana, having come to Halim to find an information processor.

Which meant he was here to work.

Garnet looked back and forth between his face and the glass in his hand, then asked.

"Are you drinking booze while you're working?"

"It's a necessity during undercover work. You have to ease the tension if you want to persuade rather than threaten, and booze is essential for the warriors of the north, you know?"

"A blade suits coaxing a scrawny weakling far better than that glass, don't you think? Are you trying to recruit another guy like that slippery bastard who swiped all the data and took bribes behind our backs?"

"Ah, I wasn't in my right mind back then either. Besides, I took care of him myself, didn't I?"

"That's because you were chugging booze. Go ahead and take one more sip. I'll shove my hand down your throat, rip your stomach out, and squeeze it dry."

Garnet displayed her terrifying determination.

She was a woman of her word.

"Oh, come on, don't be so scary. Smile! A woman looks prettiest when she smiles. Not when she has a face that looks ready to kill."

"Shut your mouth and just do your job. I'll take care of my end."

However, the northern man just chuckled, raised his glass, and disappeared again.

Garnet let out a sigh and covered her mouth with a folding fan.

'This is why I said I hated the noblewoman concept.'

She was beautiful enough to pull off the luxurious clothing, but that was all.

Her entire life had been spent in a violent world, much closer to a battlefield awash in blood and flesh than a flower garden.

Her gaze was fierce, and her demeanor couldn't help but exude a masculine edge.

She never wanted to wear this cumbersome outfit again, one that jangled and exposed her skin with every movement.

Even enduring that discomfort, she had come to Halim.

The reason was because of one person.

Garnet decided to move without any further delay.

The presentation would begin shortly.

The presentation was being held in the Opera House.

With its resonant acoustics and ability to accommodate many people, it was the perfect venue.

Garnet walked inside.

Pretending to look for her seat, her eyes quickly scanned her surroundings.

'There he is.'

The orchestra seats, the spot closest to the stage.

With the entire two front rows left empty, he was surrounded by his aides in a state of full protection.

Garnet called out his name in her mind.

'Ferda Valdrova.'

The initial investigation had started with Hellus Phobidas.

They had been hired upon hearing that the man's young girl had been kidnapped, and while searching for her, they had learned about Ferda Valdrova.

'It got stranger the more we looked into it.'

The report that Valdrova had gained a fiancé was impactful enough, but her interest was truly spurred once they began digging in earnest.

Information on the far east was being updated on a weekly basis, and with every update, it showed astonishing progress.

'And today, he attended this event in Halim.'

Garnet had wanted to see the man in person, and she was finally able to confirm it.

Tall stature with gray hair similar to her own.

Though hidden beneath a slim uniform, she saw through it at once—his body was not physically trained.

'He doesn't have any major defining features externally, but,'

His aura was different.

He was just sitting on a sofa chair, showing nothing more than the back of his head and the nape of his neck, yet she could feel an elegance that usually only men in their fifties possessed.

A relaxed composure and calmness entirely unbound by youthful vigor.

Indeed, it wouldn't be strange if there were quite a few women who adored him.

'I heard the Chancellor of Escolaia gave up his spot for him at this main presentation?'

The exhibition, and specifically the main presentation, was an event that took years and underwent rigorous screening to achieve.

Even the Chancellor competed with other scholars to get onto that main presentation stage.

To pass it through independently meant he was confident enough to risk his own position.

'His voice in the council has strangely grown stronger recently too, so it seems he really does have a connection with Regent Ferda.'

'He's worth digging into intensively.'

Muttering to herself, she pulled out a notepad and scribbled away.

As part of the continent's greatest intelligence network, she did her duty as well.

"Excuse me, Madam?"

"Huh?"

The moment their eyes met, the staff member sharply gasped for air.

"Huk! I-If I happened to offend you, I apologize!"

However, Garnet had simply been lost in thought; she wasn't in a bad mood.

And even if she had been, it would only be because of the staff member's attitude.

"No, it's fine. Could you perhaps tell me where my seat is?"

"Yes! I will guide you there."

The seat assigned to Garnet was one of the box seats in the Opera House.

It wasn't bad, as it was right in the center and Ferda was also within her line of sight.

'I should wait and see.'

It was time to confirm with her own two eyes just how good Regent Ferda's discernment truly was.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ferda was being fawned over by many nobles.

Since he had rented out the entire expensive front row, there shouldn't have been anyone coming in and out, but many people deliberately walked past to greet him.

"I greet the Consort to the guardian of the far east. I am the owner of the Jade Trading Company..."

"I greet the great Regent of the far east! As for me, I am currently active as a mercenary..."

Not just scholars, but knights, nobles, and even merchants struggled to stand out, desperately trying to thrust their names at him.

It was the best method to catch the eye of one of the few noble figures who possessed both status and wealth in abundance.

Normally, nobles would completely block off the path to prevent such situations from occurring.

One or two people could easily be brushed off with a smile, but when dozens were lining up, it naturally became a nuisance.

Even so, Ferda left them be.

It was because he wondered if he might spot a familiar face.

However, surprisingly enough, he only saw unknown chaff.

It was a waste of time, but it wasn't a bad thing either.

Because he had nothing else to do before the presentation began anyway.

'There are a lot of people, by the way.'

Stephan, who had arrived earlier, mentioned that the opening presentation hadn't even filled half of this Opera House.

Contrary to those words, today it was packed with people. To the point where fistfights were breaking out over ticketed seats.

Since it was an event where the most promising and innovative findings among scholars were condensed and presented, both the nobles and the merchants were completely on edge.

But the biggest competitors at that presentation weren't the merchants or nobles, but the presenting scholars themselves.

"Nice to meet you all! I am the scholar..."

SNOOORE!

ZZZZZ!

Let alone the explanation phase, the nobles and merchants dropped like flies the moment they heard his voice.

Even Ferda, sitting in the VIP seats, was resisting the temptation of sleep, but it was not easy.

He began to suspect that this wasn't a presentation, but a Sleep Resistance Contest.

"Malcolm."

"Yep!"

Malcolm was completely wide-eyed and alert while everyone else was dropping from exhaustion.

Since he knew absolutely nothing, he didn't need to understand anything, and therefore had no reason to feel drowsy.

"When is Burnel's turn?"

"I will check! Hmm... It's right after Bernard Wayne's Demon appearance prediction device presentation!"

"I see. I can hear you just fine, so lower your voice. Isn't the presenter looking this way?"

"Huh? Oops!!"

Because it was a stage to introduce an achievement they had devoted their lives to, they were highly sensitive.

Realizing his mistake, Malcolm also shut his mouth.

As Ferda was half-dozing while listening to the presenters, a voice woke him up.

"The item I will be showcasing is the <Demon appearance prediction device>."

It was the voice of the Chancellor of Escolaia.

His turn had finally arrived.

Perhaps sharing Ferda's sentiment, the eyes of the dozing audience members lit up once again.

"First, to simply explain the operating principle of this prediction device: when a monster appears, a foreign mana is momentarily detected in the surrounding air. We figured out the pattern of that mana to create an algorithm, and through that formula, we secured a rune, and..."

However, he continued with an overwhelmingly boring explanation that was enough to make them lose that light again and fall right back asleep.

'By the time Burnel comes out, 80 percent of them will be dozing off.'

Even Ferda, who was sponsoring him, didn't have the confidence to endure his sleep magic masquerading as an explanation.

I'm sorry, Burnel.

No, actually, he wasn't sorry at all.

If you're upset about it, you should do a better job.

"Haha, you must all be quite bored, right? My apologies. It's not often I get to stand on a stage like this. I will give a brief demonstration."

At least he had the sense befitting a Chancellor to move on to the demonstration.

The equipment he had brought was in the shape of a metal pillar.

"Basically, this prediction device has been designed so that not only Magic Walkers but even Mana Walkers can operate it. By simply injecting mana like this and activating the formula..."

Vwooom—.

"The equipment operates like this. Haha, now the explanation will be a bit easier and more fun. Now, if you look here, you see this screen, right? This screen was made so that anyone who can read a simple map can use it. If a monster appears here, it makes a distinct sound, going beep—. beep—..."

Beep— Beep—.

"Huh? Ah, yes, exactly like this. But that doesn't mean a monster is appearing right now. It's just a specific quirk that happens when starting it up."

Beep— Beep—.

"Huh? Just a moment. This is definitely a product that has been completed and tested exactly according to the blueprint, so why is this...?"

Beep—. Beep—.

"U-Uh oh?"

Bernard nervously fiddled with the device.

He frantically tapped on it, trying to check where the defect lay.

Ferda felt an intuition.

It wasn't a malfunction.

"Everyone, get ready."

"Pardon?"

"They're coming."

The center point displayed on the screen blinked, and the candles illuminating the presentation hall began to violently flicker all at once.

"Oh my, what is that?"

"An earthquake?"

The people failed to realize the severity of the situation.

Among them, those with combat experience immediately reached for their weapons.

A crack formed in the space surrounding the Demon appearance prediction device.

From within the crack filled with dizzying colors, something squeezed its way out.

It was a wolf's head.

No, it was a monster with a wolf's head.

ROAAAAAR!!!

The monster's roar echoed out.

"Aaaaah!"

"Aaaargh!!"

Piercing screams and the sound of chairs tipping over erupted in a chain reaction.

At the sudden appearance of the monster, the presentation hall instantly turned into a complete mess of chaos.

Riding the momentum, the wolf monster slipped completely out of the crack.

It was then.

"Lightning Spear."

As soon as Ferda finished speaking, the magic he chanted flew toward the monster that had popped out of the crack.

A single streak of flash, swallowing the light of the wildly swinging chandelier, pierced straight through the wolf's head.

ZAAAP!

It pierced straight through from the wolf monster's brain down to its heart in a straight line.

Pouring green blood from its mouth, it was an undeniable instant death.

Ferda looked at the creature and thought.

'That's one down for now.'