My gaze was fixed on Roy, with his short yellow hair.
Roy is a character from the main villains in the game, 'Turning White'.
He is skilled in disguises and possesses multiple false identities.
'It seems I've caught his attention too.'
Ever since the Francis incident, I had a hunch, but things are moving quickly.
This is a different development from the game.
In the game, Roy's surveillance was limited to the top-ranking students.
I found out Piel only came to the seminar for me.
So, I’m his target.
Come to think of it, why did Maximin attend the academic seminar?
I’m not sure. But right now, I'm too tired.
I walked towards Amy and Natasha.
"What's the matter, Amy?"
"Young master, you didn't return till late, so I was worried something had happened and came looking for you."
"It's nothing, go ahead. Instructor Natasha, I apologize for the inconvenience. I was just about to leave."
"It's okay, Theo."
I headed to my room with the two of them.
Numerous reporters, guild and national officials tried to strike up conversations on the way, acting like loudspeakers spreading rumors.
I wanted to respond, but Roy is here.
Behind Roy are the 13 main executives of 'Turning White'.
It's best to keep quiet when you don't know their intentions.
I dodged most questions, and finally reached my room's door.
But people blocked my way in.
"Please spare us a moment, Young Master Theo! We've been waiting for you all this time!"
"That's right! After the seminar ended, we've been waiting for over three hours without even having dinner!"
"Just give us a little story for tomorrow morning's newspaper. We even ignored interviewing other heroes for you."
The reporters were very enthusiastic.
'Hmm.'
It'd be rude to just ignore them at this point.
They might write a malicious article out of spite, and they really did wait for me for a long time.
Which means, they're loyal fans.
One has to take care of loyal fans.
"Alright. But it's late, so I'll only answer three questions."
"─ What did you discuss with the 'Demon Hunter'?"
As if he had been waiting, one reporter shot a question.
"I don't enjoy talking about others. Well, we had a brief conversation. It wasn't heavy or anything."
"─ Can you elaborate a bit more?"
Another reporter eagerly chimed in.
Everyone else seemed to have the same thoughts, all looking at me with anticipation.
"There wasn't much to it. As you know, Piel, the child of the 'Demon Hunter', and I are both in the Hero Department. Since Piel was there, we chatted and-"
"─And?"
"I sought advice on swordsmanship from Lord Maximin. Indeed, his legendary teachings were incredibly helpful."
I smirked inwardly.
'A direct hit.'
With minimal information, I elicited the maximum response.
Who is Maximin?
During his active years, he accomplished legendary feats.
After his retirement, he hadn't shown himself to the world for quite some time.
To receive personal swordsmanship training from him would undoubtedly cause a big stir.
"Didn't the 'Demon Hunter' prefer using a rapier? Considering that it's a different weapon from the longsword you use, Theo, was his training helpful?"
"I believe that both the longsword and rapier are fundamentally swords. And who is the 'Demon Hunter'? A legendary hero. He possesses a profound understanding, not just of the rapier but of other weapons as well. It was, of course, immensely beneficial."
"Oh..."
The reporters hurriedly scribbled down my words.
Then,
"I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation, Theo. By the way, wasn't there a small disturbance with Johnson during the presentation? Could you tell us what happened?"
Breaking the silence, Roy posed his question.
Judging by their stopped note-taking, the others had been waiting for this question too.
"It's a bit awkward to discuss."
But the mood shifted.
I quickly wracked my weary brain.
"The situation you saw during the presentation was the full extent of it. Johnson forgot his question, and since I had to step out, I haven't yet addressed his question."
In hindsight, I didn’t need to think that hard.
Given that I went straight to Maximin after the seminar, even if Johnson tried to find me, it would've been impossible to meet.
I stared intently at Roy.
"May I have the name of the person who asked the question?"
"... It's Roy."
"Alright, Roy. Thank you for the question. I'll remember it."
"...Understood."
Roy responded, slightly taken aback.
He probably thought he snuck in inconspicuously.
My eyes caught his fleeting reaction.
I raised my hand.
"One final question, please."
The crowd looked at my raised hand as if they were entranced.
"Hold on, isn't that on Theo's left hand─"
"Isn't that the ring of the Chalon family?"
"Right, yes! Judging by its design, it's the ring given only to a select few by the Chalon family!"
Reporters buzzed excitedly,
"Haah- I couldn't even get it after completing over 10 requests for the Chalon family."
"We couldn't get it either. We did like 20 tasks. Except for two or three, all were rank C or higher."
"Why does an academy student, who isn't even a part of the Chalon family, have that ring? Has this ever happened before?"
"No, sir. Currently, within Elinia Academy, only two people possess the Chalon family's ring: Ms. Piel de Chalon and the Saintess of the Order."
Guild and state officials whispered amongst themselves.
I chuckled silently.
The next morning.
"Ah, that was a good sleep."
I rose from my bed and stretched.
The moment I returned to my room yesterday, I washed up and immediately crashed.
Between the presentation and Maximin's swordsmanship guidance, it had been a series of exhausting events.
But surprisingly, I felt light.
I woke up on time without oversleeping.
'It must be thanks to the Ring of the Chalon Family.'
Of course, I didn't use [Overload], so there wasn't any extreme fatigue.
With this kind of effect, it seems to work as a stamina recovery potion.
With the ring, the recovery potion, and Little Fist's stamina recovery effect combined, I might be able to use [Overload] daily, even if it's for a short time.
I loosened my stiff body with some basic stretches and used a practice longsword.
"Sigh..."
Closing my eyes, I recalled the technique Maximin demonstrated yesterday and began to practice my swordplay.
The [Observer's Eye] isn't omnipotent.
It's not like those copy-ninjas from certain manga who can perfectly replicate anything they see immediately.
Hence, it requires repetitive practice to ingrain it into the body.
"Hmm, it feels a bit different from what I saw yesterday."
That was my impression after swinging the sword for about 30 minutes.
Maximin's sword technique was so advanced that one viewing wasn't enough to grasp it fully.
I'll have to ask Maximin to show me again.
It might seem rude to barge in without an appointment, but I feel like Maximin has taken a liking to me.
Maybe he won't mind?
After swinging my sword in the room for another 30 minutes, I took a shower and left my room.
However,
"Young master Theo, good to see you again. Hahaha."
"Theo, the article is out. Do you like the headline? 'Theo Lyn Waldeurk, The Genius Who Dances in Darkness'."
"I've been waiting since dawn, Theo. If you have time, could I possibly request an in-depth interview-"
My door was surrounded by reporters, guild reps, and representatives from various nations.
"..."
There must be at least twenty of them.
If I entertain each one, I won't be able to meet Maximin today.
'In times like these...'
I promptly knocked on the room next door.
"Did you need something, young master Theo?"
Amy appeared at once.
"···Please handle this."
Without delay, I dashed towards Maximin's room.
He was nowhere to be found.
From what I gathered, he had hastily left the association in the morning.
'Such a pity.'
I headed back to my room, surrounded again by reporters.
Together with Mari, we carried out an interview before returning to Elinia Academy.
Inside Maximin's private carriage heading towards Chalon.
Seated in the back, Maximin was reading some documents.
Maximin clicked his tongue.
“Tsk, tsk. As expected, they've infiltrated deep into the Hero Association. Not only did they bribe influential figures, but they also managed to plant their own people inside. Aside from the names on the document, have we identified any others?”
Smith, sitting in the front seat, responded without delay.
"As of now, none, my Lord. I've ensured that any further findings are reported to me immediately."
"Thank you for your hard work, Smith. By the way, 'Turning White'... I really can't stand that name. It reeks of their arrogant belief that they represent the good."
With a fiery glare, Maximin mulled over the name 'Turning White'.
Turning White.
The name of the mysterious group that enticed Markvern to make a deal with a demon.
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