12123违章查询下载安装

Chapter 68

Water jetted out of the fountain in the center, forming life-like birds and fish that moved through the air like they were alive. And above that, hung the massive chandelier that gently scattered light across the entire space, illuminating the banquet hall.

There were also human-shaped golems dressed in suits that served food, and the dozens of types of musical instruments floating in the air worked together to play music.

On top of all that, numerous decorations difficult to see from outside adorned every part of the banquet hall, leaving the mouths of the students who had just made it through the maze agape.

“Woah...”

“What are all these...”

They thought they had adapted to the otherworldly facilities of Babel to some extent, but the scene before them made them feel like what they had already experienced was just a teaser.

Seeing the freshmen overwhelmed by the scene that was beyond common sense, the ones who had invited them approached with a smirk.

“You’re surprised just by this? Come, there’s even more interesting stuff inside.”

“Let me introduce you to the people I mentioned before. Let’s go.”

Any of the invitees who had been captivated by the scene had basically already been successfully half-recruited. And, going deeper into the banquet hall, they gradually became more and more absorbed into the atmosphere.

But unlike them, Erika, standing next to the entrance, was looking at the enchanting scene indifferently.

“Useless...” she quietly muttered.

To her, neither the promising invitees nor the members of the Noblesse who invited them had any value. She just watched the meaningless scene devoid of emotions, and seeing her, the students wandering nearby swallowed their saliva hard.

Why is she looking at us like that...

How can one even approach her...

Although her impeccable background and talent as the honor student of Ur and the eldest daughter of the Inoue family—the hosts of this meeting—made everyone want to take this opportunity to form a connection with her, her unique aura made it difficult to even approach, let alone strike up a conversation.

The only thing everyone in the surroundings could do was hope for a chance to come by eventually. At that moment, someone approached her.

“Ah. Here you were.”

Dressed in a white suit, Jake approached Erika and started a conversation naturally.

“When did you arrive?”

“Just now.”

“Really? Ah, your dress suits you well.”

“Yeah.”

Despite Erika’s short responses that clearly showed her lack of interest, Jake didn’t seem to mind at all.

Seeing that sight, the students couldn’t help but exchange puzzled gazes.

What? Since when were those two close?

I thought the Inoue and the Myers didn’t really get along...

To those who knew about the incident that happened two years prior at the first Noblesse, it was truly a strange scene. However, regardless of all the gazes, the two continued their conversation, unaffected.

“Where did Se-Hoon go?”

“He’s still in the maze.”

“Ah, right. That was a thing. How long has he been there?”

“Five minutes and forty-three seconds.”

“...What?”

The unexpected answer surprised Jake.

It wouldn’t be that surprising if they were talking about someone else, but they were talking about the one who could easily handle even the tricky magic stones. Se-Hoon should have been able to solve the maze in less than five seconds.

Was his injury that serious? It didn’t seem that severe when I saw him... Or did someone tamper with the maze?

He thought such a thing wouldn’t be out of the question since there were indeed people who enjoyed watching the invitees struggle in the maze.

His thoughts reaching that point, Jake began contemplating whether to go looking for Se-Hoon when—

Creak-

The entrance to the banquet hall opened and Se-Hoon walked in.

“I’m finally here... hm? Were you guys waiting for me?”

Upon spotting the two, Se-Hoon smirked, but that only puzzled Jake. Why was Se-Hoon acting like nothing had happened?

“What took you so long?”

“Hm? Oh, I got a bit lost while taking a detour.”

“...A detour?”

Jake had never heard before that the maze was connected to other rooms, so his puzzlement only grew upon hearing Se-Hoon’s story. Meanwhile, Se-Hoon recalled the corridors he had just been wandering through.

I examined it because I thought it was something Ludwig had set up.... Spatial magic is, indeed, really complicated.

The spatial magic imbued throughout Shangri-La allowed the large mansion to be split into thousands of blocks that could be freely assembled. It was kind of like a puzzle, so even if one didn’t have a complete understanding of spatial magic, it could still be navigated to some extent by figuring out the structure.

However, if one made a mistake, they would end up going down the wrong path, just like Se-Hoon.

Well, thanks to that, I stumbled upon some unexpected gains.

After accidentally encountering Vier in the observer’s den while lost, he immediately received a new notification message.

[A bond has been successfully established with the subject ‘Vier Barmuth’.]

To think a bond was formed with just a few words... he must really hate me.

Thanks to his detour, he had formed a bond with Vier. Of course, unlike the bonds he had made until now, this one was unlikely to be a friendly one. Regardless, it was still a pretty good gain for him.

Now I know that his awareness of me is enough to form a bond.

If it was to this extent, it wouldn’t be strange if something happened during the Noblesse.

He began organizing his thoughts, trying to prepare.

“Really?”

Erika, who had approached, looked at him seriously.

“Were you able to visit other rooms?”

“I didn’t go to a lot. I went to a room with the observers, a room piled with junk, oh, and a room with a magic array.”

Hearing Se-Hoon nonchalantly recounting the places he visited, Erika’s expression grew even more serious.

The monitoring room, the storage room, and the control room...

Each of those rooms should have been under strict security. If he truly had visited all of them, it was essentially the same as having dispelled Shangri-La’s spatial magic.

Even if the security was lax because of the Noblesse, it still shouldn’t have been easy without prior knowledge of spatial magic. At this level... his magic aptitude is likely A-tier if not S-tier.

Not only did he possess an aptitude for spells that relied more on his senses, but he also possessed an aptitude for ones that demanded meticulous calculations.

Realizing that she had discovered his new talent, her eyes sparkled.

And upon seeing that, Se-Hoon wore a resigned expression.

At this rate, her bond level will increase when there’s an opportunity.

It was true that he was pleased by the smooth progress, but the intensity of her gaze was somewhat burdensome.

Trying to not look at her, he scanned the banquet hall while dodging the gazes his way.

“Anyway... these stares are getting quite intense.”

He had just arrived, and yet the number of students gathering around him was unusual. Seeing the encirclement of students gradually forming around them, Jake chuckled.

“Well, we, the freshmen, are the stars of the Noblesse today after all.”

The students invited to the Noblesse usually found their future sponsors here unless they possessed a significant flaw. In other words, failing to recruit talented students during the Noblesse could mean missing out on the chance for several years, perhaps even entirely.

Plus, blacksmiths like Se-Hoon are especially popular.

Though the influence of a powerful hero would end once they died, powerful equipment could live on and be reused as many times as necessary. Therefore, for families with the power and capital, technical professionals, blacksmiths especially, were desperately needed.

That was why there were so many students gathered around Se-Hoon, each was trying to seize any opportunity to speak with him.

And upon seeing the scene before him, Se-Hoon was reminded of an event in the past.

“He’s the blacksmith who forged the Mad Dog’s spear! Kill him!”

“Are you the one related to the Blast Dog? If you come quietly, I\'ll spare you your limbs.”

“Freedom for our leader!!”

Just because he had been associated with the Three Dogs, he had been embroiled in kidnappings and assassination attempts. Eventually, people started to avoid him, fearing they’d be swept up in the chaos just by being near him.

It’s been a while since I’ve experienced something like this.

The stares of the friendly crowd, a long-unfelt sensation, left him feeling slightly awkward yet still pleasant. However, if they kept standing still like this, they would just be mere spectacles.

He turned around to face the two and smiled.

“In that case, let’s act like the main characters.”

Upon seeing Se-Hoon’s confident demeanor, Jake laughed.

“Right. I’ll lead the way.”

They started walking through the hall, the surrounding students flinching and quickly stepping aside. Though they had gathered in hopes of sharing some words with Se-Hoon, the presence of Erika and Jake, both from notably influential families, made them hesitant to approach rashly.

“Excuse us for a moment.”

“...”

Unlike how Jake politely asked the others to make way for them, Erika just glared at everyone who was eyeing Se-Hoon, giving the impression that she’d remember them later.

Then, amidst everyone who hesitated to speak due to the tight defense of the two, a timid-looking young man approached.

“Um, excuse me...! I have something I want to ask about.... C-could I have a moment?!” asked the brown-haired young man, so nervous that he was stuttering.

Noticing his frail appearance, Se-Hoon looked at him contemplatively.

“So suddenly?”

“Ah, ah! That’s Adam Viner, the top-ranking second-year student of the Department of Martial Arts.”

“Hm...”

Upon hearing the man’s introduction, Se-Hoon took a closer look at him. Seeing that, Jake, who was standing nearby, leaned in.

“He’s a sunbae that I know; he shouldn’t have any ulterior motives,” Jake whispered.

“Is that so?”

Taking Jake’s information into account, Se-Hoon considered for a moment and then nodded.

“What are you curious about?”

“Is it really okay?”

“It’s fine; tell me.”

With Se-Hoon’s approval, Adam Viner took a deep breath and started speaking with a tense expression.

“It’s not something extremely important, but I have this new gauntlet that just doesn’t feel right in combat. I had it checked, but they said there wasn’t any problem with it...”

“So you can’t accept their evaluation. Did you bring the gauntlet today?”

“Huh? Ah, here you go!”

Hurriedly pulling out a black gauntlet from his void pocket, Adam Viner handed it over. Receiving it, Se-Hoon casually swung it around, as if shaking the dust off. To everyone else, it seemed like he was playing with a toy.

In the meantime, even more students had gathered due to their curiosity. A moment later, Se-Hoon spoke up, tapping a part of the gauntlet with his finger.

“The mana circuit between the index and middle fingers seems slightly misaligned.”

“Really?”

“It’s minor, but it reduces the efficiency of the gauntlet. It’s quite impressive that you noticed the difference, given how slight it is.”

Fiddling with the seams in the gauntlet, he looked at Adam Viner with a puzzled expression.

“Who checked it? Was it an idiot? If they have eyes, then there’s no way they could’ve missed this.”

Although it might be hard to tell with just a glance, a closer inspection should have easily revealed such a simple flaw.

Hearing Se-Hoon’s question, Adam Viner looked slightly hesitant.

“Well...”

Seeing how he hesitated and glanced around, Se-Hoon waved his hand dismissively.

“Forget it. If they can’t even find something this basic, there’s no point in finding out their name.”

He had no reason to bother with someone so incompetent when there were plenty of talented individuals instead.

Turning his attention back to the gauntlet, he lightly flicked the misaligned part of the mana circuit with his finger.

Ting-

Satisfied by the clear ringing sound that echoed, he handed the gauntlet back.

“It’s fixed.”

“Huh?”

“It was only slightly misaligned, nothing serious.”

However, upon seeing Se-Hoon’s utterly nonchalant demeanor, Adam, as well as the surrounding students, wore peculiar expressions. How did he fix the mana circuit so easily when equipment could have been damaged if mishandled? It was hard to believe, even if Se-Hoon was an honor student.

Looking at the gauntlet that was returned, Adam Viner cautiously fitted it onto his right arm.

Click-

The moment he inserted his arm, the gauntlet tightened smoothly and his mana began to flow inside.

“...Huh?”

Rather than the out-of-place feeling of before, the gauntlet felt like it was moving more smoothly than ever.

“I made some adjustments to a few inefficient components. You should take the other gauntlet to someone competent enough and have them tune the other in the same way.”

In that short moment, not only had Se-Hoon repaired it, but he also made adjustments. Dazed by that fact, Adam Viner quickly regained his composure.

“Th-thank you. How should I compensate...?”

“I’ll send you my account details; just send whatever you think is fair.”

“Got it. Thank you so much!”

Confirming that he received the text with Se-Hoon’s account details, Adam Viner repeatedly thanked him before leaving.

Meanwhile, the students who had been watching all glanced at one another.

With that level of skill, just being affiliated with him would...

As long as we don’t try to recruit him, it seems neither Inoue nor Myers will bother with us...

I’ll definitely regret it if I miss this opportunity!

Quickly making some calculations, the students began approaching Se-Hoon, attempting to strike up a conversation. However, before they could, a large man pushed through the other students and stepped forward.

“Get out of my way!”

The easily over two-meter tall man looked intimidating at first glance. his suit ready to burst at the seams due to his bulging muscles.

“Was it you?”

Like a growling beast, his voice rumbled. However, despite the aura of intimidation the man inherently carried, Se-Hoon just looked straight up at him without even blinking an eye.

“What?”

“Are you the one who talked crap about my gauntlet?”

The man’s face twisted, seemingly about to throw a punch at any moment.

Seemingly stiffening at the man’s dangerously fierce demeanor, Se-Hoon’s expression hardened. Seeing that, the man, sensing he had the upper hand, was about to press further, but before he could, Se-Hoon spoke up.

“I was wondering why it was so trash; so it was made by an amateur... my bad. If I had known it was the result of just some hobby, I wouldn’t have criticized it so harshly.”

“...What?”

“Hey, Jake. Why would your sunbae let an amateur from Aqar Quf handle the creation of his gear? He should’ve at least left it to a professional.”

“...”

With each word that left Se-Hoon’s mouth, the atmosphere grew tenser and tenser.

Jake smirked awkwardly in response.

“Ahem. Um... Douglas sunbae isn’t from Aqar Quf.”

“What? Then is he from Ur?”

“No. He’s the top-ranking second-year student of the Department of Blacksmithing.”

Upon hearing Jake’s explanation, Se-Hoon began closely observing Carter Douglas, the large man in front of him. Seemingly about to explode, Carter Douglas’ face was flushed completely red, and his fists were clenched so tightly that they almost turned white.

However, Se-Hoon just continued quietly observing while stroking his chin. Then, with a deflated expression, he muttered, “You mean this... thing?”

“You bastard!!!”

Immediately losing his composure and forgetting Vier’s order to bring Se-Hoon to him, Carter Douglas swung his fist in rage. Feeling the palpable murderous intent in that strike, Jake quickly stepped in between them.

Similarly, Erika’s eyes grew cold, preparing for the fight.

However, unlike them, Se-Hoon was completely calm, totally ignoring the incoming fist to observe the empty space next to it.

Tap.

Suddenly, a black dowel appeared from thin air—where Se-Hoon had been looking—and intercepted Carter Douglas’s fist.

“What...”

The black dowel had effortlessly blocked the punch, despite no sense of weight behind it at all.

Then, upon recognizing the wielder, Carter Douglas’s eyes widened in shock, his face turning pale.

The air behind the dowel split open, and a young man stepped out from the corridor that appeared beyond.

He had the same jet-black hair as Erika, and he was wearing rimless glasses. With a cold demeanor, his appearance screamed ‘elite,’ but there was also an unsettling, unpleasant vibe to him.

Isn’t he...

At the sight of the familiar figure, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes.

“Brother.”

Erika called softly to the young man.

The young man was the S-tier hero who had slain numerous demons and sealed Gluttony, one of the Ten Evils, before the regression. He was also the head of the Inoue family, as well as a possibly dubious figure who might have contributed to turning his sister Erika into a demon.

“I am pleased to meet you.”

Inoue Ren was smiling at Se-Hoon.