I stopped walking at the sound coming from behind the stairs.
As expected, the rumors had spread.
It was only natural—cases of sweeping up that much money in a single day weren't common.
"I heard. They said it was Leo and Leo's assistant. Since both are mages, I guess that's how they spent that much."
"Leo?! Why did he suddenly go there?"
"Leo said his assistant wanted to stop by, so they went. Apparently, he's someone traveling from the Papal State."
"Really? Did you hear his name? If he's a mage, he must be a noble too."
"I don't know. It was a foreign surname, so I don't remember. But according to the manager there, it didn't seem like a noble family name."
"There's no way a mage traveling with Leo isn't a noble. Must be an alias."
"Probably. They said he even came wearing a mask."
"Huh?"
I stroked my chin.
Since using a noble surname would obviously leave tracks, I wrote down my original surname.
News would spread to the Papal State in no time anyway, so there was no need to risk it escalating into inter-family trouble by using a real noble surname.
'Strictly speaking, a foreign mage entering the capital and carrying out various activities should at least be checked once…'
But that kind of system wasn't in place yet, and even in the novel, the laws were hastily revised only after the protagonist threw a bombshell incident at the imperial family midway through the story.
Until then, everyone just relaxed, thinking, 'If a family of this caliber granted permission, the identity must be solid.'
'Of course, Leo's family would have no idea about this….'
Because they never gave permission….
Still, Leo would have handled it himself, so there was no need for me to worry.
For now, it was all within the expected range. That was enough.
Leaving the students' continuing conversation behind me, I left the area.
Even by noon, the situation was the same.
The news quickly spread throughout the academy and the entire capital.
"Did you hear this?! They say that blue-eyed hunter is coming out there again tomorrow?!"
"Kuhup…."
While moving to find a lecture room, I choked at a shout coming from somewhere.
'…That title just now….'
Were they talking about me? And who said I'm going again tomorrow?
Once I started paying attention, I realized I had already been hearing similar remarks around me.
'…Status window.'
Lukas René Askanian
Title: ???'s hunter
Health: -3.5 (+0.3)
Mental strength: -8.2 (+0.5)
Magical power: ?
Skill: +1.015 (+0.5)
Impression: -10
Luck: -6.985 (+0.5)
Trait: Dawn777, holy power
I just opened it on a whim, but the title really had changed. Does it change depending on what I'm called around here…?
'Judging by how that title looks, it'll probably stay like that for a while.'
The chimera wolf hadn't even been reported yet. If the higher-ups decided to publicize that incident, the current frenzy would last even longer.
I glanced at students carrying newspapers and thought.
***
As it turned out, that title wasn't something the students coined on their own—it was the name used by the newspaper that first reported the incident. Seeing other newspapers using the same name, it seemed to have completely stuck.
Objectively speaking, Leo's situation was more serious than mine.
I only had to endure a name I couldn't understand, but Leo had to face countless students' questions and attention head-on.
Sure enough, every time I ran into him on the road, his complexion was dark. If someone who always smiled started looking grim, that said it all.
The next evening, Leo collapsed onto the training ground floor and sat there silently for a long time.
Looking down at him, I tossed him a question.
"You okay?"
"No."
Leo answered with a face that looked like he'd aged ten years.
We'd gathered at the training ground, but judging by that, today didn't seem like a day for actual training.
'He must've been bombarded with questions all day. Can't be helped.'
In that sense, hiding one's identity really was an advantage. Interpreting it positively, I plopped down beside him.
Leo spoke weakly.
"Did you know? Five different daily papers ran articles about us today. Why are they going this far… Yesterday alone, I got three interview requests."
"You're having a rough time."
I'd expected things to die down a bit by now, but people's interest only kept growing.
'It's probably because of the mystery factor.'
If it were just Leo and Leo's unmasked assistant hunting beasts together, it would've ended as a heartwarming story about Leo. But because there was someone suspicious with too many odd points, people grew more and more obsessed.
And after the investigation, it was announced that the wolf wasn't a species seen in the Empire, and that the imperial family believed the culprit was likely affiliated with Pleroma.
With a crime involving a pseudo-religious group, and two mages appearing at just the right time to stop it, there was no way it wouldn't become a hot topic.
'Good thing I wasn't exposed.'
Why did they have to bring up Pleroma?
Even though it wasn't Pleroma, I was already being pushed into that kind of image. If I were exposed now, it really would be the end.
Thinking about that worst-case scenario, the current situation was actually quite favorable.
"Ah."
Leo noticed a package beside him and handed it to me.
"I almost forgot to give you this. It arrived today."
"It came earlier than I expected."
"I asked them to make it as fast as possible. And honestly, it doesn't take long to make in the first place."
Even so, I didn't expect it to get here in just one day.
I accepted the box Leo handed over.
"Thanks."
"No big deal. You've gotta stay alive and use magic diligently."
"…What?"
"Hm?"
"Never mind."
'Stay healthy' would've made sense, but 'use magic diligently'? What kind of nonsense is that?
As always, he really was a magic-crazed lunatic.
Ignoring Leo's words, I opened the wrapping.
"Wow…."
Leo started admiring it from the moment he saw the inner packaging, and after seeing the items themselves, his admiration took on a slightly different tone.
"Wow, it's really ordinary."
Inside were a wristwatch plain enough to barely leave an impression, and a silver necklace chain.
To get the best effect, such items are usually made to penetrate the skin—either by implanting a small chip-like object under the skin or using earrings.
I didn't try the former due to the strong psychological resistance, and while the latter was better, a mage piercing their ears would obviously signal the use of an artifact. It could become dangerous if I ran into my older brother.
But a wristwatch and necklace were types that stayed in close contact with the body, so their effects weren't bad. To enhance the effect, I'd even consecrated the artifacts by infusing them with blood and magical power.
The watch was for concealing circulating magical power, and the necklace chain was a tool to stabilize the core. The pendant I was currently using was the artifact itself, so swapping the chain caused no issues.
I spent a fortune adding features to thoroughly block magical leakage and make them look like ordinary accessories, and even then, about ten million won was still left over.
'I'm never going out again.'
For a mage, a thousand is money that disappears in no time… but as if I'd go hunt beasts again. I smiled contentedly.
"Put them on already. I'm curious."
"Alright."
At Leo's urging, I casually strapped the watch onto my wrist.
"…!"
Perhaps because it contained my blood and magical power, an unfamiliar sensation wrapped around my wrist even though it didn't pierce my skin.
"…It does feel like something's being drawn in, but other than that, I don't feel anything?"
"No, try casting magic."
Leo waved his arm excitedly and pointed to the far end of the training ground. I drew my wand and fired magic where he pointed.
Kwaaang—!
"Oh."
It felt like a path had formed—if I'd been running on an unpaved road before, now it felt like a poorly paved road, but paved nonetheless.
"You felt it too, right? And before and after using magic, the magical power lingering around you dropped a lot. It's much cleaner."
"Really? The output felt the same as usual."
"That's how it should be. This only kills off the magical power that disperses after output."
"Nice."
I summoned the status window again.
Lukas René Askanian
Title: ???'s hunter
Health: -3.5
Mental strength: -8.2
Magical power: ?
Skill: +1.015 [+4.015]
Impression: -10
Luck: -6.985
Trait: Dawn777, Holy Power
'Hm?'
My skill went up by three points?
Leo's comment about things feeling cleaner couldn't help but be true. Seeing the number jump sharply instead of creeping up in tiny decimal increments was surprising.
I shoved the wand back into my waistband and touched the necklace chain.
I still couldn't feel any obvious effect from this one either… but maybe it'd be different when it actually mattered.
I switched the necklace chain and tucked the pendant inside my shirt to tidy it up.
Leo lightly waved his wand to sense the surrounding magical power, then tilted his head.
"Maybe because of the watch's effect, but I can't immediately feel this one working on me."
"…Really?"
But it wasn't the same for me.
Unable to close my mouth, I pressed firmly against my chest.
Unlike before, the core became so light that I could barely perceive its very existence.
Lukas René Askanian
Title: ???'s hunter
Health: -3.5 [-0.5]
Mental strength: -8.2
Magical power: ?
Skill: +1.015 [+4.015]
Impression: -10
Luck: -6.985
Trait: Dawn777, holy power
'My health went up by three points too.'
I ignited a flame in my hand.
The subtle cracks and impacts I used to feel every time I used magic were gone now. No—more precisely, I hadn't even known that what I'd been feeling all along were cracks and impacts in the first place.
And yet….
'So this is how it's supposed to be.'
This must be how a normal core operates.
To be exact, this sensation corresponds to a core at -0.5.
I was a 21st-century human without a core, and Luka had long lived with a damaged core, so neither of us knew what a healthy state actually felt like.
But through this, I learned for certain.
Unlike before, breathing and the operation of magical power became far freer.
I pulled the pendant out from under my shirt and lifted it away from my skin.
As soon as the artifact moved away from the core, my chest felt heavy again, as if tightly clogged.
I hadn't realized it before using this, but now that I knew what a healthy core felt like, there was no way I could just leave things as they were.
"If the core were completely healed, it'd be even better than this."
"Looks like it really is different? Good thing I picked well."
If I made an enhancer, I'd probably be able to feel this sensation even without an artifact.
And if I made a potion, then even after the enhancer's effect wore off—in other words, permanently—I could live with a healthy core.
Waiting around for medicine to be made was reckless.
I could've ended up learning magic with a severely damaged core, despite having a normal one within reach.
After sending the worn-out Leo back to the dormitory, I practiced magic alone.
By the time I started feeling short of breath, I checked the watch. It had been midnight when I entered the training ground, but it was already close to three in the morning.
No matter how much stamina magic consumed, three hours felt a bit disappointing. Even with -0.5 health, this seemed to be the limit.
'Still, I should rest for tomorrow.'
I moved to the dormitory, tossed my bag onto the desk, and plopped down into the chair.
"Hm?"
Something foreign had caught my eye.
Thud—
When I opened the door, a single note fell to the floor.
Unfolding the roughly folded yellow paper, I saw equally rough handwriting.
[I know everything.]
A chill ran down the back of my neck.
I stared at the note with cold eyes.
[Come outside the dormitory right now.]
I glared at the note, then relaxed and burst out laughing.
I didn't know what they claimed to know, but….
If they really had leverage on me, the fact that they chose to face me directly instead of going to some media outlet to expose my identity was something to welcome.
'For now, beast hunting is the most likely issue.'
Let's consider the case where they summoned me knowing about that.
There was a high chance they had no concrete evidence, only suspicion.
In that case, they'd come out accusing me—asking why I came out at such a warning, claiming that the very act of responding proved I was that hunter.
If it went that way… all I had to do was play dumb.
Anyone else, maybe not—but Luka could pull it off.
The kind of guy who comes out just because he's told to, even without knowing what's going on, simply because something scary might happen.
'Of course, that was Luka from the past year, but….'
With no evidence anyway, muttering that I came out because I was told to—even without knowing why—would make it hard for someone with that personality to be confident.
'Any problem that arises from going out is manageable.'
Then naturally, I had to go out. This wasn't something that could be solved by telling a teacher.
I hadn't expected something like this to happen so soon, but if someone who knew something suspicious was willing to appear before me of their own accord, I welcomed it.
Without hesitation, I slipped the note back into the doorframe and headed for the stairs.
As soon as I opened the dormitory's main entrance, a student approached me hesitantly.
"Um… excuse me…."
Judging by the way he spoke, he didn't seem to be the one who sent the note.
When I silently stared at him, the student checked my expression with frightened eyes.
"What is it."
"Well, you saw the note, right? The Magic Department seniors told me to bring you."
"Who exactly?"
"I don't really know either…."
Looks like they just grabbed a random passerby.
Normally, someone would refuse if a stranger asked them to bring someone along, but since he was here… did they threaten him?
I wordlessly waved my hand forward, and the student hurriedly started walking.
Even after a long while, there was no sign of arrival. I casually spoke to the student's back.
"This is pretty far, isn't it?"
"Yes?! Ah, y-yes…. I didn't know either, but it is. Still, we should be there soon."
The academy's main buildings had already shrunk far into the distance.
Unused buildings and the outskirts of the school began to appear around us.
"Did those seniors say anything specific about me?"
"Ah, no. They just said you'd come out soon and told me to bring you."
"I see."
Just then, four or five figures could be seen moving in the distance.
Unable to enter the abandoned building, they were waiting in the open space at its center.
As soon as the student spotted them, he hurriedly turned back and left before even reaching where they stood.
I walked closer to them.
"What the hell…. He really came."
"Hey, give me fifty thousand pel."
"Isn't this guy crazy? Still, you wrote the note just like you said."
The students snickered among themselves.
When I only stared at them in silence, one of them stepped forward.
"Hey."
The student stared straight into my eyes for a long moment, then thrust his chin forward.
"Why'd you come here? Got something weighing on your conscience?"
"You told me to come."
At my indifferent reply, a few people behind him burst into laughter.
"What's this bastard saying…."
"I told you. Even if you just write 'come out' with nothing else, he'll come. He hasn't changed at all."
"Yeah."
"So hand over the fifty thousand."
"XX, I'm not giving it. Shut up for a bit. You're ruining the mood."
They snickered at each other, then suddenly stared at me in silence.
'They were classmates, right?'
Faces I'd seen often in passing.
Far removed from top-ranking students like Leo.
They could use magic, which was how they got in here, but they had nothing notable in terms of grades or character, and they viewed all human relationships through a hierarchy.
They'd do anything to curry favor with students like Leo, who had both family background and grades, but for someone everyone avoided like Luka, they tried to keep him under their feet at all times.
'As for Pleroma….'
They didn't seem particularly afraid.
Maybe outsiders who never interacted with me would be different, but within the academy, there were a few who knew my tendencies and looked down on me.
'Still, I thought there weren't many of them. Guess I'm unlucky to be in the same class as these guys.'
Sure enough, even in Luka's brief memories, they remained as a horrific image.
In his first year, Luka had once been plagued by a rumor that he ate rats alive—and these students were the ones who started it.
Before fully looking down on Luka, they were probably testing how much bullying he'd silently endure.
Then the guy at the front lowered his voice and stepped closer.
"It's nothing big. You just seem kinda different lately."
"...."
"Recently, you know… did something happen?"
A student who'd been sitting in the back, giggling, stood up and draped an arm over my shoulder as he spoke.
"What happened that you're staring straight at people like this? You weren't like this before."
"Hahahaha! Those eyes are lively. XX, I can't even look at him—scary."
At that, I let out a short laugh.
Yeah, it'd be disappointing if this weren't here. I'd expected to run into guys like this at least once.
All the tension I'd been holding drained away in an instant. They knew nothing about what I'd actually been worried about.
They'd just called me out to mess with me.
The line 'I know everything' was really just meant to scare me into coming outside.
'If they wrote something like "come out or die," they'd lose any way out if things went wrong for them.'
Just vague enough that they could shamelessly claim it wasn't meant as a threat.
They'd chosen exactly that level of wording and phrasing.
I hadn't expected to have to play along with childish hierarchy games, but….
'Still, this works out.'
It wasn't a headache-inducing situation.
Looking at the students' increasingly hostile faces, I let out a sigh.
"Just say why you called me."
"This bastard's sighing now, hey."
"Hey, that's enough. I'll say it. I just can't stand seeing trash like you pretending to be normal and walking around with your head held high. Got it?"
"What do you mean, trash like me."
"You don't know? You're asking because you don't know? Thought you'd try swapping out your brain while you were changing your image or something."
He burst out laughing and ran a hand through his hair.
"Ah, XX. You talk too much. Just look at how you used to act last year. What wind blew that you're pretending to be normal now?"
"No, don't explain it. This guy won't get it."
"Probably. Hey, got it? If not, I was planning to explain it directly."
They started snickering again.
The student who'd been sitting on the ground crooked his finger.
"Hand it over."
"Hand over what, bastard."
"…Hahahaha…. Oh, he's even swearing. This is really throwing me off. I'm so shocked I can't even talk."
He stood up and pointed at my outerwear.
"Hand over the jacket, idiot."
"...."
I stared in disbelief, unable to close my mouth, then burst out laughing.
'These idiots….'
Obvious. The moment I handed it over, they'd make sure I could never wear it again.
I stared at them with icy eyes, lost in thought. Then a good idea suddenly came to me.
'…This might actually be better than I thought.'