Chapter 123: 123
After Zeke Vaughn locked his students in the Crucible for their extensive training program, he seized the opportunity for his own "character development."
He could not remain cooped up in the Crucible teaching people.
Especially considering the training regime he had planned — one that granted his students almost no breaks.
To solve the problem of his presence, he copied Virelle’s ability, [Echo Bodies].
He created one echo body of himself and left it in the Crucible.
Thanks to the shared continuous consciousness, there was no risk of information delay. No moment passed where the echo body acted without the awareness of Zeke, or vice versa. Maintaining the ability required no cost. An ability designed for lazy people such as himself.
After he arranged everything, he left. He managed the departure with finesse — dropping the echo body and slipping away all within the first week, while his students were engrossed in the books in the library.
---
The first thing he did after freeing himself from teaching duties was sleep.
Annoyingly, he could barely sleep for a week. His students kept asking questions to his echo body, questions that required his attention.
Understanding that his favorite pastime was effectively unavailable, he moved out of the academy.
Returning to the shared house where the group stayed, he delved back into familiar comforts: playing games, watching anime, reading manga.
The nostalgia of returning to his shut-in days — the time before the trio first came to his house, the time after the Minotaur attack when the trio were dragged into training by Jae Min, the time after Karys when they were dragged into training again, the time after the Expanse when they were dragged into training once more.
Thinking back, his moments of "peace" always coincided with his "chaos magnets" being elsewhere, training.
He had never taken to training himself.
Well, aside from once, when he tried to copy the demon he had faced in the Expanse — imprinting [Sunder] into his magical circuit. He succeeded, managing to teleport a whole ten meters. He later abandoned the pursuit once he gained access to a better source of magic spells.
He spent so much time reminiscing that it finally pissed Zero off.
{If you’re so focused on memories, why don’t you go make new ones?}
"This reminds me of when you were pissed at my behavior. You called the trio to my house." Zeke replied with a smile.
{It’s the house I bought for you.}
"In my name."
{Tch. I do wonder, what gave them the confidence to come to a stranger’s house off a text? Never heard of stranger danger?}
"My thoughts exactly."
{Really? You think?} Zero deadpanned.
"Your dad."
{No need to think of your grandpa. I know you miss him, but your dad’s here.}
"Bah."
{I do think it has something to do with Jude’s providence. Also, considering the fact that the trio were Awakened and you were a weakling then — again, it’s the rich boy’s neighborhood. They had nothing to lose.}
"And they did gain a lot from following me." Zeke gave a smug shrug.
Zero said nothing. That was the worst kind of agreement.
---
At Zero’s behest, Zeke stepped out of his house after one month.
That, and the message Yeon had sent him the day before. She had begun her seclusion to break through to sainthood. To cheer her on, Zeke decided to leave the house.
His first destination? Random.
His random stroll took him around the capital. Day after day, he continued his walk without rest. The city never slept, so his stroll never slept either.
The first location he stopped at was the stall where he and Yeon had their first unofficial date.
The woman behind the counter smiled when she saw him.
"You’re that fine gentleman who came here with his friends a couple of months ago."
Zeke was pleasantly surprised. His group had come here four months ago, after he had returned from reading in the library. It had been their first outing, his first unofficial date, the mark of the beginning of the "independence" they now shared.
Zeke remembered because he was Zeke, and he had participated. But she remembered?
"You remember me?" he asked with a smile.
"Of course. You were a lovely new couple, and you were new faces. Your friends were also funny, the way they kept distance from you to give you the space you needed."
"I remember you forcing a flatbread into my hand." Zeke teased.
"Two. I allowed you to hand one to her."
"What a pleasant matchmaking you’ve done."
"Let me tell you, I’ve successfully matchmade five relationships. Lasting till now." She said smugly.
"Give me three breads."
As she handed the bread to Zeke, they talked some more. She asked about Yeon, about when Zeke had come to the area. Zeke answered her, then left a pouch filled with gold where she would find it later when she closed, with a letter telling her not to worry. Zeke did not want her thinking he had accidentally left it there — which would be impossible, as he had placed it in a spot only she had access to.
He also marked scenic routes to take a beautiful girl on dates.
---
As he walked, he surprisingly found himself at the Adventurer’s Guild.
"Knock, knock," he said as he walked into the building.
The adventurers looked at him, then turned back to their endeavors. Some sneered.
"What is he knocking for?" one muttered.
"Where does he think this is?"
"Shh, you don’t wanna know what happened with the last eccentric entrance."
The adventurers turned to the speaker, urging him to continue.
"Heh, I was lucky to be present that day. He came in with a corpse and announced his desire to become a high-ranking adventurer. Stoneheart went to confront him..."
He paused for suspense.
"And? Did Stoneheart beat him to a pulp?" another adventurer asked, unable to wait.
"If Stoneheart won, would he keep us in suspense?" a third rolled his eyes.
"I did hear Stoneheart avoided the guild for a month. He must have been scared."
"Tch, you ruined my story."
"Sorry, sorry. Go on."
"Anyway, that guy went on to be an SS-ranked adventurer. And guess what?" This time he did not keep them in suspense. "The corpse he brought in was the corpse of an SSS-ranked monster."
"Wow, that’s strong."
A foreign voice drifted to their ears. They turned.
Zeke sat in a chair close to them, raising a large cup of beer in their direction as he said hello.
The adventurers froze.
I thought the guild mistress wiped their memories. It seems she only wiped the memories regarding her identity. Zeke thought as he drank from the cup — a cup he had procured from his inventory, as his preferred beer was the one stocked in his house. I wonder why she’s hiding her identity. I’m sure all the strong enough characters already know her.
"Okay, gentlemen, don’t be scared. I’ll let you continue your tales of other men." Zeke slammed his cup on the table as he walked away from them.
"Oh." He paused. "Drinks on me."
Zeke continued his walk to the receptionist.
No one chanting ’Drinks on Mr. Jhon’? Zeke smiled to himself as he remembered a certain novel he had read.
{Are novels the only thing you think about?}
It’s the reason I bought the drinks in the first place. Tsk.
"Hello, beau—" Zeke paused. "Ahem. Hello." He held himself back from flirting with the receptionist. He was Yeon’s now.
{SIMP.}
Zeke ignored Zero as he smiled at the receptionist, who was staring at him strangely.
"How can I help you?"
Where are the big shots? I can’t handle this one.
Zeke, staring at her expression, laughed. "Don’t be scared. I don’t bite. I’m here to pay for the beer." He pointed at the adventurers.
"And Annabelle, you shouldn’t make a habit out of this."
Her breath caught in her throat.
Zeke dropped a heavy pouch of gold and walked out of the building.
When he had been listening to the adventurers’ gossip, she had slipped in from the top floor, replacing the receptionist. What a wonderful artifact, a face mask. She had changed her appearance to that of the receptionist via the mask.
Hey Zero, hasn’t SAGE rewarded me with anything worth my time?
{Maybe, maybe not. If you want to know, why don’t you switch on the notifications and stop disturbing me?}
I’m putting my assistant to use. Do you want to be fired?
{...}
–
Zeke, still on his "side quest" journey, walked to the guild building of the Althelgard Guild — the guild for all Nova Ameriga’s citizens and Yeon’s guild.
He had not come to meet Yeon, but as a result of his stroll, he had walked there. He used the opportunity to see what the building was about, and also to meet the boy or man whom Anton said Michael had reportedly bullied.
"Zeke?"
Zeke turned to the source of the voice. Makima and Zeldris stood with a group of people he did not recognize.
