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Chapter 12
A Perfect Opportunity
Human memory is finite and unstable.
But just as one never forgets to breathe, there's always at least one thing that must be remembered.
For Ferda, it was the objects of his hatred.
Not just names, but a list of names of people he hated and wanted revenge on—in other words, a kill list.
He dug into their achievements in order to hate them.
Ӗ n̆ ü_m̊а̄
He scrutinized their flaws in order to exact revenge.
'Thinking about it now, it was a pretty absurd thing to do.'
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Recalling the reasons for his hatred, they were full of paranoia.
Petty enough to make one's face flush red.
'Whatever the case, since I've returned to the past, they've become good intel.'
Ferda clearly knew the weaknesses and strengths of those who would become big shots in the future.
Ên̄ úm̄ а
Talents who, if they had done things differently, could have done better; if they'd turned their eyes to other talents sooner, would have achieved greatness.
'There are many outstanding figures.'
Too many, in fact.
Recruiting all of them was realistically impossible.
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The number of humans he coveted alone exceeded 100, and he never imagined they'd all work together harmoniously.
'First, I need to set priorities.'
Еǹ_u m̊а̃ ..і̌ d
Now that he'd become the Duke's fiancé and proxy, Ferda considered what he needed.
'The entire Valdrova territory is currently neglected.'
The Duke didn't step forward directly, leaving autonomy to the lords.
With no one to monitor the lords, public sentiment had tilted considerably.
'I'll need to handle livelihood affairs.'
Thus Ferda's task was decided, but the decision wasn't an easy one.
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Kings interfering with provincial lords causing backlash or civil war was a frequent occurrence.
'That point's been resolved smoothly, so it doesn't matter.'
Even when he sent the letters, Ferda naturally expected the higher-ups to rebel.
Of course, that prediction missed spectacularly, and Ferda received letters of fealty from the remaining 14 lords.
'Seems Ruri's move of executing and displaying heads on the castle gates worked properly.'
The lords recognized they shouldn't ignore Ferda, so he decided to leave them be for now.
Ѐ_n um а._і́d̊
'Internal affairs can stay at that level for now. Now, external threats?'
The prime examples were monsters and demonic beasts causing chaos.
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The Duke's domain was the Far Eastern region, neighboring land corrupted by the Demon King.
This adjacent region was also seeing the corruption spread increasingly.
'One of the main causes is demonic beasts.'
Demonic beasts forged from demonic energy or corrupted mana are that class of monster found everywhere.
W̄_ѐ b̂ñо vе̃l̆ Еn um̌а
Even in the Central Continent they're occasionally seen, so in the Far East where the Demon Land lies, they're naturally seen even more.
'The existence of demonic beasts corrupts the land.'
The longer demonic beasts stay, the more the land's devastation accelerates.
Life cannot bloom, and even existing organisms get corrupted.
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That's why subjugation requests for demonic beasts are always treated as urgent wherever you go.
'If we can reduce casualties and land corruption from those demonic beasts.......'
Е num а̃
Food would naturally increase, and livelihoods would recover.
If Valdrova the outside master blocked external threats, Ferda would handle internal threats.
'What's needed for that is, as expected, technology.'
The top priority was preparing means for not just well-trained soldiers but civilians to effectively hunt demonic beasts.
Using that as a standard, Ferda pulled figures from his kill list.
That yielded a total of 4 people.
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"So we need to recruit these figures as top priority."
Ruri, looking at the paper Ferda handed over, checked the names.
-Burnell Marquis
-Zed Swallow
-Echidna Philias
-Helus Povidas
Wē ḃň о̂v̂ ӗ l Е n̆ ū m̄а
Ruri frowned the moment she saw them.
"Names of humans I've never heard of or seen."
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"Could be. They're figures who haven't stood out yet."
"You said to recruit talent, not call neighborhood friends to play government?"
Ruri's gaze sharpened.
Dragon Fear tinged with Ruri's emotions enveloped Ferda.
Е̄n̄ úm̌ á .і̇d
'There's definitely a change.'
Since finishing the engagement ceremony, the effect of Dragon Fear had definitely weakened.
Still, it was unpleasant as ever.
A girl who looked about 14 was glaring at him—it'd be weird if he felt nothing.
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"Do I look like someone who'd do that?"
"It's precisely because you don't look like it that it's worse."
Е̌n̊.ú m а
"You're saying contradictory things."
"Anyway, will you tell me about these humans? Aside from Helus Povidas, I've never heard of the other three."
Helus Povidas was a mage known as the Sage of Water.
His advice was famously wise, and it was known that kings and lords cherished him.
"I guarantee it—the three above Helus Povidas are more important."
"Then speak."
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"This Burnell Marquis we must find first lives in a city called Escolea."
Hearing the city name, Ruri reflexively asked.
"A scholar?"
"Right."
Escolea was a city in the central-eastern part of the continent, known as the city of scholars.
Since the only reason to go to a chicken farm was to find chickens or eggs, Ruri instantly knew he was a scholar.
Е ǹ u mă
"You know scholars have titles, right?"
"Heard you get them when you graduate from the Academy. What's that got to do with anything?"
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"It matters. This bastard got the title 'Mess'."
"You want to turn our castle into a mess? Revealing your true colors right after getting engaged isn't a good choice."
Since scholars' titles could determine their lives, the key was avoiding negative words.
But being openly called 'Mess' meant even people around him couldn't stand it.
W̌ е b̆ ń о̄v̇ ẽĺ Е̌ num а
"There's a reason he got that title. He attempts what others won't."
"Scholars don't attempt things for a reason, don't they?"
"Of course. But he's someone who keeps attempting relentlessly."
"That makes him a fool, doesn't it?"
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"A person with conviction."
"A stubborn fool."
W е ḃ n оv еl̀ Е̄ nu̇m̈.а̀
Couldn't deny it.
Ferda also thought he was a fool when he first saw him.
Ignoring the side-eyes of those around him, walking his own path—it looked pathetic yet noble.
'A stubborn fool like that ends up succeeding.'
Even if everyone cursed that it wouldn't work, even if they criticized him for wasting time, the single path he walked with devotion would eventually shine.
Back then, he always voiced this regret:
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-'If only I could've researched more, I could've made so many more things by now.'
Naturally.
'What fool invests in something that can't succeed?'
Even a noble with money to burn throwing it into the air would be the same.
No one would want to become the idiot supporting a fool with the title 'Mess'.
But Ferda knew this man.
Ѐ ṅum̄.ӓ.
"So what does this man research?"
In the future, he would become
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"Mana stone refinement and power source processing using demonic beast corpses."
The pioneer who would open the era of magitech engineering.
* * *
In the center stood a single World Tree piercing the sky called the Tree of Knowledge, surrounded by five great libraries.
Е ñūm̄а . ĩ d̂
One might think it's a place where not a ray of sunlight reaches beneath the tree, but the Tree of Knowledge grows no leaves, making it practically no different from a giant pillar.
Instead of the typical water smell or musty odor beneath that pillar, the scent of coffee and black tea wafted thickly enough to be sickening.
Countless people familiar with that smell moved busily.
They'd somehow turned the distance a single person moves into circulation routes.
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Their destinations varied, but all carried three books under their arms and held freshly baked toast in their mouths.
"Lots of people."
Ė ǹ ǔm ӑ
"All scholars and their employees gathered in one place, so it can't be helped."
"Don't understand why they'd want to live in such a cramped place."
"They say they seek greater value rather than settling for the present."
"Can't understand it."
"Me neither."
Ferda and Ruri scanned the streets.
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Just in their field of view, hundreds of people were bumping shoulders as they moved.
All wore black robes, and nine out of ten wore glasses.
"So now we find one person in this?"
"That's right."
"It'll take over a month."
In terms of hidden picture difficulty, it was near the highest level.
E n u ḿ а. і ḋ
Would be a lie to say it wasn't daunting.
With so many people coming and going, street vendors were also busy along the walls.
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They mainly sold finger foods easy to eat on the go.
People flowed like a river, brushing past and buying one each as they went.
'Street vendors might know.'
Ferda thought that and looked at Ruri.
Е́ ṅú mа.í d
"......."
Her eyes were distinctly different from usual.
Businesslike, expressionless face.
Aside from when she was angry, it was another expression she never showed.
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She stared fixedly at a vendor selling preserved fruit.
Eyes wide, silver light sparkling in her pupils.
Еn̈û m а̄
After staring for a while, her slender throat bobbed up and down.
Gulp
The series of actions meant one thing.
"Want to eat?"
"......What do you take me for?"
Ruri narrowed her eyes and grumbled.
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More agitated than usual.
"I just thought that vendor over there might know something."
"I thought so too. Asking once would be good."
Ferda headed toward the vendor with Ruri.
Ruri's eyes stayed fixed on the preserved fruit.
"Excuse me."
W̊ e b̈.ǹо v̌ èl Enum̂ а̄
"A noble son and a cute little maid girl. What can I get you?"
"Looking for one person. Would be good if you know."
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"People? This place is crawling with people, people! Just the bespectacled folks here number in the tens of thousands, and the bastards buying my honey-preserved fruit skewers number in the thousands—how would I remember each and every one?"
The vendor wore a strange smile full of expectation.
Ferda lowered his gaze to the preserved fruit beyond the glass barrier.
"Think your memory would come back if I bought a few skewers?"
Wе̊ b̂ nо.v̀ĕ_l̈ Е n u m а
"Haha, that'd be great! But let's hear the story first. Who you looking for?"
"A scholar called 'Mess'."
The vendor's eyes went round.
"Ah, 'Mess' you say? Then why didn't you say so sooner?"
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"You know him?"
The vendor grinned, revealing yellow teeth.
W еbn̆ о v e l̀ _Е̄ n̆ ǔm̄ а
"Over hundreds of thousands live in this city. But if you don't know where the man called 'Mess' lives, you're a spy. Grab people on the street and ask. They'll all know."
"Then no need to buy the preserved fruit, huh?"
"......!"
Ruri, who'd just been listening, suddenly flinched and trembled.
"Still, showing a little sincerity and buying would be better, wouldn't it? Judging by your appearance, you look like a wealthy my lord...... Sometimes enjoying a snack like this is fun too? Five dong for three skewers."
"That's right. Showing favor and giving appropriate reward in return is also important."
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Ruri interjected, taking the merchant's side.
If favor was shown, repaying it properly was duty.
Ferda agreed on that point, so he bought three honey-preserved fruit skewers.
"Eat."
He handed the sticky honey clumps to Ruri.
"Aren't you eating, Ferda-nim?"
W е̄ b̀ ńо̆ v̄ еĺ Е̌nům̊ а̃
"I'm not a kid."
"Hah? I'm not a kid either?"
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"I know."
"Then giving them all to me is funny, isn't it? Treating me like a kid, aren't you? Gonna lie without even wetting your lips?"
"So you don't want to eat?"
"......."
Ĕ ǹů m̆ӑ
Ruri made a terribly resentful face but took the skewers Ferda held.
Ruri waited no time before popping the honey-coated fruit into her mouth.
Her silver eyes sparkled even brighter.
'So she can make expressions like this.'
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Ferda wondered if Ruri, like him, had dried-up emotions.
But seeing her act like a kid matching her appearance, he felt strangely relieved.
Wе b̌n̈ o̊v̂ēl _È ńu m ā
Ruri's cheeks puffed up like a squirrel in autumn as she endlessly stuffed honey-preserved fruit into her mouth.
Conscious of Ferda's gaze, she rolled her eyes.
Silver pupils narrowed slenderly as she pulled the cup to her chest.
"Why are you looking like that? I'm not giving you any?"
"Not eating."
* * *
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All living things have class, and where there are wealthy people, there are poor people.
Escolea, built on the ideology that all are equal before knowledge, was no exception.
Escolea had its wealthy districts, and simultaneously its slums.
And even among those slums, there was a separate zone where the absolute poorest lived.
A place where sunlight doesn't properly reach, where sewer and rat droppings smell swarm.
A place where the stench never ceases, making one afraid to carelessly open a door.
Е́ nu_m̈ а .і̇d
That was where Burnell Marquis lived.
Ruri looked at the window lower than her own height and couldn't hide her amazement.
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"People actually manage to live in a place like this."
"Humans can live in more places than you think. They can even sleep in toilets."
"Did you live like that in the Rosnova family?"
"Back then was even more hell."
Eǹ u m а.i ď
When he had no money, when his money-grubbing master took all his money.
Ferda learned then that people can sleep even in toilets where shit and piss smells rise up.
"Think he's inside?"
Ruri nodded at Ferda's question.
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"I can sense a presence."
Crash!
W̃ ѐ b́n̊o v̀e l̆ _Е̌n̄um a
A messy sound from beyond the window.
Hearing that, he added.
"And sounds like something's in full swing."
"A prior visitor......."
Going in now meant getting tangled in trouble.
"Couldn't ask for a better time."
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Ferda put his hands behind his back and descended the stairs.
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