Chapter 31 – No Eternal Friends, No Eternal Enemies (6)

The owner of an unprecedented achievement, having risen to the advanced rank for the first time in the history of the ice age.

At the same time, the most powerful figure of this era, placed on equal footing with the leader standing at the pinnacle of all embers on the continent.

I was facing a giant who could perhaps represent the era with just the four letters of his name.

“It cannot be a coincidence that your last name is Vail.”

Seeing that his voice was leisurely, he already knew that I was the son of Demian Vail.

It would not be difficult.

Would the most powerful figure of the Immortal Ember not have grasped at least that much?

He probably knew where and how I lived, and perhaps even what I ate for breakfast this morning.

“I heard you have been living like a scoundrel. They say you went astray after failing to meet Demian’s expectations when you were young, right? Recently, you even fled your Ember. And yet the reason for that was to take the qualification exam?”

There was no need to speak.

He already knew everything about me.

When and how he found out was not important.

What mattered was that he ‘knew.’

But even someone like Herman Melville had one thing he did not know about me.

‘That I had possessed the body of Ailen Vail…’

Also, that I possessed intermediate-advanced skills.

“Although it might be hard to believe, that is correct. Having achieved a small success at a late age, I came to visit the Immortal Ember like this.”

Thus, I mixed truth and falsehood appropriately.

Since he had probably already seen the answer sheet I wrote.

The descriptive answer sheet, not the multiple-choice one.

‘No matter how much I think about it, there is no other reason for him to come find me.’

Surely, that was the reason Herman Melville had sought me out.

It was not an answer sheet that could be produced by someone like me, who was called a scoundrel unlike my father.

‘I should just make a plausible excuse that I had been hiding my skills.’

Although I did not know why he had to drag me to a police station if that was the reason, I felt I might escape the situation more easily than expected.

“I saw your descriptive answer sheet. Everything from your choice of topic to the development of your logic was perfect. It was to the point of being flawless. You will place first in this qualification exam.”

“You flatter me.”

“But why did you perform such a trick?”

“A trick, I do not quite understand what you mean by that…”

Herman Melville’s reaction was as expected.

However, it seemed that I had secretly looked down on Herman Melville’s magic engineering talent just because there was only a single stage of difference between his realm and mine.

His question did not lie in the gap between my past and my present.

“I do not want to waste time, so speak. I could force your mouth open, but I am holding back out of respect for your father.”

“…”

“I am not curious about the trivial details. What I am asking is why, despite possessing mature intermediate skills, you acted like an inexperienced intermediate.”

“…!”

Sweat began to form profusely on my hands.

Even though I had adjusted my level to avoid revealing my true skills, to think I would be found out so easily.

However, even Herman Melville, an advanced magic engineer, did not seem to see beyond that. Considering he did not realize that I was intermediate-advanced.

Thus, I replied without losing my nerve.

A rough dramatic story was already structured in my mind.

“I know the anecdote of your attempt to recruit my father. Back then, my father’s realm was intermediate. Even after being promised massive support by Lord Herman Melville, he did not leave. That was the noble mission of a magic engineer: the salvation of more of humanity.”

“And?”

“It is embarrassing to say it with my own mouth as if I am praising myself, but… just as Lord Herman Melville said, I reached mature intermediate skills at the age of nineteen. However, to uphold my father’s belief, I had no choice but to hide my skills below the intermediate level. This level of skill at this age. It was obvious that the First Ember would draft me this time.”

“Yes, you are right. To be honest, I arranged this meeting to recruit you.”

Herman Melville finally revealed his true purpose.

Although that purpose was what I had feared most, it was rather a relief that his intent did not lie in some other heinous matter.

While I felt relieved like that, Herman Melville pointed out a blind spot.

“Then why reveal your skills now? Even to the point of letting the scent of an intermediate waft all over the answer sheet.”

Just as he said, there was a major contradiction between my purpose of having no choice but to hide my skills and my action of going out of my way to take the exam and reveal them.

However, since this was something I had deliberately induced, I did not panic.

“The Embers, which had cried out for survival and promoted harmony in the early days, have now begun to covet power. The conflicts between Embers are intensifying day by day, and I believe that before long, that flame of war will descend upon our Ember as well.”

“So, can you prevent that if you become a magic engineer?”

“No, I do not think so. The position of an intermediate magic engineer at nineteen would rather only incite conflict and chaos.”

“Then why?”

“For the reasons I just mentioned, I believed that Lord Herman Melville would protect me and my Ember. As a magic engineer, I have no power, but that name would carry enough value to win the favor of a powerful figure like Lord Herman Melville.”

“…!”

It worked! A crack appeared in Herman Melville’s expression.

Although it was an uncertain gamble, the move I made based on my own reasoning had succeeded.

‘There is definitely another intention behind Herman Melville trying to recruit Demian or me, not the development of the Embers…’

It was clear.

Otherwise, there was no way he would have supported Demian Vail, whose recruitment had fallen through, until now, nor would he show such emotions.

He was someone who had already achieved all the accomplishments one could in life. Would he, who enjoyed wealth and glory as the ruler of the most powerful Ember, still dream of the development of the Embers?

‘No. That is a dream that Leader Odin Arcadius would harbor.’

If so, then Herman Melville, who was a magic engineer before he was a politician, would be dreaming a dream fitting for that.

That was precisely the reason he yearned for talent so much.

The fact that he was anxious enough to seek me out in person said it all.

“Moving power with intangible value… Do you want to become a magic engineer, or do you want to become a politician?”

“If I can save humanity, I will become anything.”

“Haha! They say a tiger does not breed a dog. You are better than your father.”

His tone growing gentler made it clear, even without knowing for sure, that I had won his favor.

Seizing the momentum, I put my heart and soul into acting my part.

“No matter what you are dreaming of, Lord Herman Melville, if you send me back and support me, I will be of help in any way.”

“…”

I thought it was a crisis, but it was a massive opportunity.

Even when I was dragged into the interrogation room for cheating, I only thought I was in big trouble, but to think I would meet such a titan.

Perhaps I could develop the city while receiving full support from Herman Melville.

However, Herman Melville’s eyes, which had certainly been filled with warmth, had turned cold before I knew it.

“You have an overactive imagination, perhaps because you are young. While it is true that there is something I want, and it is true that you are outstanding for your age, I am an advanced magic engineer. It means a punk like you makes no difference whether you are here or not.”

Something went wrong.

But as long as I did not know what he wanted, there was nothing I could do.

Even if that were not the case, I was merely intermediate-advanced and he was advanced, so his words were not wrong.

However.

“Of course that would be so. Everything I can do, you could do the same, Chief Engineer… no, you could do it even more perfectly than me.”

That was also a contradiction.

If he really thought so, he could have just stormed out of his seat and left.

So, I had thought wrong until now.

Herman Melville was not wishing for magic engineering help from me, but something that transcended it.

And my instinct, which had become highly sensitive, was warning me not to get caught up in it.

“I apologize. My imagination was indeed overactive.”

Feeling that I would suffer a great disaster if I listened further, I drew the line. It was clear that this was not something the insignificant current me could handle.

Perhaps Herman Melville also realized my intention, as he did not speak further. Whatever it was, it would be difficult to discuss unless we were in the same boat.

However, even if he did not reveal his purpose right away, he might keep me in the Immortal Ember and coax me.

Thus, just as I was about to firmly express my refusal, with the mindset of leaving the Ember and entering the eternal snowfields—

“I will properly hide your level. So if you do not want to die, do not reveal your true skills to anyone, anytime, anywhere.”

“…?”

“It means you should not accomplish more than your father.”

‘This… seems like he is just letting me go.’

Seeing that he had returned to his initial gentle tone, he intended to let me go.

However, the words that followed were entirely hard to fathom.

“Wherever you are, they have eyes and ears. Since you have also formed a connection, you must have felt it vaguely.”

‘They’? ‘Connection’? Who on earth was he talking about?

However, I could not ask who it was. Because Herman Melville rose from his seat.

“I know that Demian is being put through the wringer. Caught in a scheme, he must be exhausting himself trying to build an impossible golem.”

“…Yes, that is true.”

“On the day the results are announced, I will attach one of my people as an attendant to accompany you. If you need anything, tell him. I will provide it within my capability.”

Just when I thought he was truly leaving, he spoke to me before the door closed.

“Go visit the Magic Ember within half a year. This is a command, not a request. Do not forget.”

Click!

The thick iron door closed, and I was finally left alone in the interrogation room.

‘Go visit the Magic Ember… what is that supposed to mean?’

I had no idea what kind of place the Magic Ember was or what I was supposed to do there.

However, since he said it was a command and not a request, there must surely be a reason I had to go there.

‘I do not know for sure, but… before I knew it, I seemed to have already been caught up in a massive power struggle.’

As I was organizing my situation, which had suddenly begun to move urgently, a chief superintendent soon entered and unlocked the handcuffs.

It was a rank that generally corresponded to a chief of police, not someone who would do such menial work.

“You have not met Lord Herman Melville today, and you were imprisoned for cheating during the exam but released due to lack of suspicion. If you understand, please nod your head.”

‘Is he Herman Melville’s henchman?’

No wonder a rank insignia that did not fit entered.

I silently nodded my head and left the police station. I felt my head would become complicated if I stayed here any longer.

As I came outside and felt the freedom of being released(?), there were people who had unexpectedly come to greet me.

“Ailen! What happened?”

“Yeah! Why did Lord Heimdall ask us about you, and what was that defense of us during the debate earlier? Speak up!”

Fellow countrymen who were welcoming, perhaps because it had been a while.

The brothers Thomas and Willas Wayne were indeed those people.