studiobondurri Chapter 228 : Chapter 228
Chapter 228 : Chapter 228
“Green Circle. Green Circle…….”Luis, who was muttering, let out a short exclamation of 'Ah'.
“I have a memory of seeing it.”
“You saw it?”
“Yes. A long time ago in the Shadow Library.”
The Shadow Library was the archives of the old Shadow which stored all the information existing in the world. They said there really wasn’t any information missing.
The practical power that allowed Shadow to dominate the night of Icata.
However, with the Fall of the Moon, it was all burned and turned to ash.
“The Shadow Library is a place that disappeared a long time ago. You managed to remember what you saw back then?”
“Yes.”
I gave him a thumbs up.
“Very good. So, what kind of guys are they?”
“Green Circle. It is said to be a guild composed entirely of spirit beast hunters, active mainly around the Southern Neutral Countries. But the reality was different. They were poachers who hunted spirit beasts and sold the byproducts obtained from them.”
Up to this point, it was a fact I had also roughly guessed.
If there was something new I learned, it was that they were a poacher organization of quite a large scale, encompassing not just the Baltes Dukedom but the entire Southern Neutral Countries.
And.
Luis’s following words were surprising.
“Those guys have a record of hunting a Divine Beast as well.”
I made a face of disbelief.
It couldn't be helped, because Divine Beasts, they were undoubtedly considered the strongest existences even within the worldview of ‘Heroes of Frey’.
High status and power befitting it. Natural entities that even humanity, the current rulers of the continent, dared not challenge and chose to coexist with.
Of course, they couldn't be compared to the dimensional managers like angels, demons, Spirit Kings, and Dragons, but they were the ancient masters who lived on this planet from the moment the Lord Max Obje discovered it.
Among them, the Three Divine Beasts were said to be comparable to managers.
According to the setting book, spirit beasts were also animals that evolved after receiving power from these Divine Beasts.
“Of course, they probably hunted a small and weak individual among the Divine Beasts, but even that is tremendous.”
That is true.
Whether small or big, a Divine Beast is a Divine Beast.
“But why wasn’t that fact known? If a Divine Beast was hunted, the repercussions would have been huge globally.”
“According to the document I read at the time, that hunt was a project carried out in secret by a nation. And as you might have already noticed, that nation was the Naimus Empire.”
When the name Naimus Empire came out of Luis’s mouth, the expressions of everyone present hardened stiffly.
Come to think of it, all of us here were anti-Naimus faction members who hated the Naimus Empire.
Not only Dayle, who lived as a test subject in the research institute, but even the Rachel sisters who suffered damage from the Beltus Cult had a bad perception of Naimus.
“Then is Green Circle an organization raised by the Naimus Empire?”
“We cannot conclude that. Because they might have just received a request from the Beltus Cult like us. Whatever it was, it is certain that they were a powerful organization in their own right to the point of hunting a Divine Beast.”
I agreed too.
However, if that information was true, what about the words Yuria said to me?
‘She clearly said she eliminated them herself.’
Yuria eliminated an organization of that scale by herself?
She must have been young back then too, so how could that young Yuria eliminate Green Circle by herself?
Honestly, it was hard to believe.
But that didn't mean the information stored in the Shadow Library was false, nor that Yuria would lie to me.
‘There is something.’
As I was feeling that, Luis asked.
“By the way, why did you suddenly ask about the Green Circle?”
Ah, I didn’t tell them that.
I told them about what happened in Binhawk as briefly as possible.
“Such a thing happened. Being able to talk to a spirit beast. It is quite a rare ability.”
“Right?”
“Yes. No matter how high their intelligence is said to be, spirit beasts are animals anyway. Then, Master, do you guess that ability has some connection to Miss Yuria’s past?”
“Correct. Because there is no way she had such an ability from birth.”
“But didn’t you say that a girl named Yuria has a special constitution as a Magic Swordsman? Then wouldn’t she be able to do something like communicate with a spirit beast?”
Ah, is that so?
Was Yuria actually an all-master who was good at everything, not just magic and swordsmanship, despite being called a Magic Swordsman?
“Since she said she grew up in Green Circle, I am suspecting she wasn’t influenced by that side for now.”
“Then does that mean that girl was also a poacher?”
“……Uh-oh. The words turn out like that again?”
It was then.
As we continued to converse with Yuria as the topic, Rachel, who was listening quietly from the side, tilted her head.
“Wait, wait a minute. But why did the topic suddenly switch to Yuria while talking about Green Circle? What did she do? Who is she?”
“Who is she, she is my mentee.”
“No. Do you think I wouldn’t know that? But that is a story when you pretend to be an Academy cadet. What does Yuria have to do with us?”
Aha.
Only then did I realize what the reason for the dissonance existing between us was.
Among the people here, only Luis and Dayle knew that I was raising Yuria and the reason was to bring her into Shadow later.
It was natural that Rachel and Reina, who joined recently, didn't know.
“I’m going to bring Yuria to Shadow.”
“Whaaat?”
Rachel’s eyes opened wide in a flash.
“Are, are you joking?”
“I’m not joking?”
“Then you mean it’s real?”
“Yeah.”
“Why? No, since when? Did you talk about it with Yuria?”
Rachel poured out questions randomly, perhaps excited by the unexpected issue.
I shrugged and answered.
“As for why, it’s my heart as the Master. As for when, it is still undecided. And talk with Yuria…… hasn’t happened yet?”
Rachel showed a dumbfounded expression.
“……Then it’s just a delusion?”
I was lost for words.
“And mythomania.”
Hmm.
This is a bit shocking.
“M-Mythomania?”
“Yeah.”
Rachel pointed at me accurately with her finger and spoke clearly.
“Mythomania.”
She even confirmed the kill.
I was so dumbfounded that I just laughed.
“Haha.”
Even if a horizontal organizational culture is the trend these days, I also aim for a free guild atmosphere.
To openly snipe like this.
‘Crossing the line.’
Looking at it, these guys don't seem to have the awareness that I am the Master.
‘While not even knowing how close and sticky the relationship between Yuria and me is. Tsk.’
Of course, I know well that human affairs are unknown so I cannot be sure.
Just like how I can’t say I am Skull Mask and am just testing the waters because there is a thought of 'what if' in one corner of my heart…… well.
“Ahem.”
Anyway.
The important thing right now was not whether to recruit Yuria or not, so I waved my hand and changed the topic of conversation.
“Let’s talk about that later. Anyway, Yuria said Green Circle was ruined because of her, but I question this a bit. If Green Circle was at that level, the saying that it was ruined because of Yuria doesn’t really add up, does it?”
Luis agreed.
“Certainly, that is a hard story to believe.”
“Yeah. But I don’t think Yuria would have lied to me. So I want you to investigate it once. Whether it is true that Green Circle was really ruined. If it is true, even how it was ruined.”
“But is there a reason for you to go that far?”
“Hmm?”
“I have heard many stories about Miss Yuria from the Master all this time. So I am also in favor of her joining Shadow. However, would there be meaning in digging up her past by putting in this much effort? Anyway, isn’t it all in the past.”
I stared at Luis for a moment.
Should I say I had nothing to say because he was right.
That is right.
Her past history or the existence of Green Circle didn't matter one bit in recruiting Yuria.
Rather, improving our perception by catching villains or smashing the cult on a large scale in the name of Shadow was a better and surer way to recruit Yuria.
‘Indeed. That’s strange? Why did I suddenly become so obsessed with Yuria’s past? It was something I wasn't even curious about usually.’
Because of the ability to communicate with the spirit beast?
That’s not it.
There is nothing particularly to gain, and she herself dislikes using that ability.
I pondered and before long, I was able to realize why I suddenly became obsessed with Yuria’s past.
‘I was just hurt.’
In other words, I was just sulking.
Because she didn’t tell me in detail.
It had never been like that until now.
She answered obediently whenever I asked, but this time she seemed to try to hide something and didn’t answer, so I was doing this because I was sulking.
Even using Shadow’s information network.
Well, I admit it.
This time, I definitely tried to proceed with things emotionally, unlike me.
Luis was right a hundred times.
‘While not even having time because of preparing for Uriel’s request. Damn it.’
Whatever it was, since there is the dignity of the boss, I cannot let these guys catch onto this embarrassing fact.
I shut my mouth tight and pretended to be deep in thought. Then Luis asked cautiously.
“By any chance, is there a reason you cannot tell us? Then it is fine. If you give the order, I will proceed immediately. Although it will take some time…….”
Now is the time.
I cut off his words and shook my head.
“No. It’s done. Thinking about it, you are right, Luis. It was an unnecessary task.”
“Yes?”
“It was strange that spirit beast hunters suddenly appeared in Frey territory, so I wondered ‘is something going on?’. Yuria’s past was just incidental. However, thinking about it, it was something that didn't need immediate investigation. And I took care of the guys who entered the territory too.”
I quickly got up from my seat.
“Then I’ll be going. Since it is not good to leave the dormitory empty for too long.”
I fled to the Academy just like that.
……Like that.
I thought the matter about the spirit beast hunters would be concluded as is.
Two days later.
I had a training appointment with Yuria, so I was waiting in the training hall.
Originally, we met at each other’s dormitory building and walked to the training hall together, but since Yuria almost always came to the front of the male dormitory first and waited…… I said let’s just meet at the training hall instead.
That way, even if one arrives first, they can just do personal training first without needing to wait.
Yuria said she liked waiting and that it didn’t matter, that it was fine, but.
I changed it because I felt sorry.
Also for fear of strange rumors spreading for no reason.
A girl standing in front of a male dormitory and waiting was a perfect situation for a scandal to arise.
Anyway, due to this and that reason, we changed the meeting place like that, and today was a situation where I arrived at the training hall first.
But Yuria was late today.
At first, I didn't pay much attention.
Most of the time Yuria came first and was training, but there were also cases where I came first.
It was when about 30 minutes had passed that I noticed the strangeness.
‘She has never been this late before?’
There is no training system that fits my level in the training hall.
Even so, the reason I come here is only one, because of Yuria.
To watch over her direction and achievement.
So I headed to the female dormitory immediately, and heard the fact that Yuria went out for a visit from Dorm Supervisor Rubinus.
“Yuria went for a visit? Who came.”
“I think he said he was her father?”
Father.
The word Green Circle naturally came to mind.
I waited for her to return.
Visits are usually processed as a day outing.
The Dorm Supervisor said Yuria did not apply for an overnight stay separately.
So she had to return today.
But Yuria did not return to the Academy.
Even until the next day.