Chapter 60 – Incident (4)

“Yes. I also know what is happening outside. We cannot turn a blind eye to those who came for you, Aylen, and our Ember.”

Fortunately, my mother readily agreed.

‘As expected, there is no way mutants would have appeared only to us.’

She knew the situation where our Ember was also in an uproar over the same issue and could not return.

Since it was practically a forced stay, she even worried that they had become isolated.

“Thank you for understanding.”

“Thank you. Williana, you should greet her too.”

“Thank you!”

The three people who had somehow become one household bowed their waists and greeted her.

Because even if it was due to unavoidable circumstances, they were in a position of receiving a favor.

At that, Renata grabbed and took away Natasha’s luggage with a genuine smile.

“No need for thanks. You all are guests of our Ember, so it is only natural to treat you. Rather, our house is so shabby that I am quite embarrassed myself.”

“Yes? Shabby? I didn’t think that way at all.”

Natasha, who had her luggage snatched away before she knew it, was restless.

As I watched the situation with amusement at her unexpected appearance, Renata spoke.

“Hoho! Since you spoke so well, I thought you were a flawless young lady, but you have unexpectedly cute side. I meant for you to stay comfortably without feeling burdened.”

“Ah, y-yes…”

“It must have been hard coming all the way here, so unpack your things first. As for the room, you can use Aylen’s room.”

“You don’t have to go that far. It’s fine for me to sleep in the living room.”

“If a guest is in the living room, it makes me feel uncomfortable. That’s why. So please use it without declining.”

“Then… I will use it gratefully.”

‘…No, is there no opinion of mine?’

Just like that, the two disappeared into the room without asking for my opinion or anything.

I wondered if everyone became like that when they got older due to my mother’s masterful speech in manipulating people, but.

‘No, there’s no way.’

Conversational skills of that level do not generate automatically.

Just like getting older does not make one mature.

Perhaps Renata’s occupation was mainly a job dealing with people.

As I stared at the two who went into my room to arrange their luggage, Will Ford spoke.

“You’ve practically set up a home together. Soon, honey will be dripping from your eyes.”

Will Ford, smirking with his arms crossed.

His expression was so obnoxious that I wanted to give him a nuggie, but he did not know that Natasha was an agent of Herman Melville’s direct intelligence organization, ‘Radiance’.

He had no choice but to misunderstand the relationship between Natasha and me.

“It’s nothing like that. We are strictly in a business relationship.”

“Ah, yes. A young man and woman whispering like that and only talking about things only they can understand, of course you would say that.”

We had once shared what we needed to do for golem production and development in the off-roader through whispering and written conversation, and he was referring to that.

Since an agent of Radiance was on a mission in the Forge Embers at the time, it was not a conversation to be held openly, so he seemed to have misunderstood that.

Above all, it was inevitable because of the golem blueprint.

“So that’s why, I have something to say about the golem production.”

In that sense, we needed to get our stories straight.

“Ah, golem production? You are upper-intermediate. Weren’t you planning to make it?”

“I plan to do so. But creating the blueprint under my name is madness. You know the reason, right?”

Will Ford shrugged his shoulders as if asking why I was asking something so obvious.

I continued speaking about my plan.

“To the people, I will say that I obtained the golem blueprint of an unidentified magic engineer by a ‘chance opportunity’.”

“What? A chance opportunity? What kind of load of rubbish is that? Surely you don’t think that’s a plausible excuse?”

Then the boy frowned, asking what kind of crazy talk it was this time.

However.

“Why not? Since I became the Chief Magic Engineer.”

“What does that have to do with this?”

“Even in the First Ember like the Immortal Embers, the Chief Magic Engineer receives immense envy and respect. But what about in an Ember that doesn’t even have a name? My words are the law and power.”

No matter how much he backed the Immortal Embers, Jenkins was merely a driver.

Yet, our Ember had to have the leader and the Head of the Magic Engineering Department step forward just to welcome him.

Would they really be unable to believe my words?

But Will Ford spoke with a skeptical face.

“I know what you mean, but there still needs to be at least some minimum credibility to the story. Pressing down with authority and power won’t last long.”

Will Ford’s words were extremely sound.

But he did not know what authority and power truly were, or how they should be wielded.

“Will Ford, authority and power are the persuasion itself.”

“What?”

“Surprisingly, people do not focus on reasons or stories. They only focus on the title of Chief Magic Engineer. There is no need for me to create the reason and the story. The listeners will imagine and make it on their own.”

“……!”

The monster Will Ford, who beat Leona Melville and took second place.

How many prominent Embers and businessmen had contacted Aylen Vale, who defeated him and took top honors?

In the process, they had to offer something to win Aylen’s favor.

They investigated his background and learned that his father was Demian Vale, and they also learned the situation he was in.

So, someone quick-witted handed over a golem blueprint.

Even if it was an invaluable item, it would be a way to kill two birds with one stone by winning the favor of both Aylen, who might grow into a Grand Magic Engineer, and Demian at the same time…

Throwing out a few keywords of such a story, I spoke to the boy, who swallowed hard.

“How is it? Doesn’t a story automatically form in your head with just the authority of the ‘top scorer’ and a few words?”

“…….”

“The power to make them convince themselves and accept it. That is exactly what authority and power are.”

Since Will Ford was a clever fellow, he seemed to have understood my meaning properly.

His own value as the one who defeated Leona Melville and took second place, even if not the first place, was also clear.

“I understand what you mean. There seem to be more things I can do for you than I thought.”

“Right. For now, you are just an ordinary boy, so no one cares, but will it be the same once they learn you are the runner-up magic engineer?”

Because there was no time to introduce him separately, people still thought Will Ford was a refugee who had lost his Ember.

But the moment they learned he was the runner-up, the eyes looking at him and his treatment—everything would change.

“So what do I need to do?”

At that, Will Ford asked.

It meant he was accepting instructions.

But I shook my head.

“That is also not for me to do.”

“…You mean I should find what I can do on my own. I understand.”

Will Ford nodded, his intelligent eyes shining.

Of course, I could tell him one by one what to do.

However, right now was a time when political movements were more important than magic engineering.

Meaning, for now, his utility was not large compared to his value.

‘Above all, Will Ford is the fellow who will become my right-hand man in the future.’

I could not make judgments and give directions for him forever.

Although it was a matter of the far future, I intended to entrust the Magic Engineering Department to him.

And if one was the leader of a group, he had to be able to think and move on his own.

That would be a difficult task even for him, a monster of magic engineering, but…

‘Will Ford must become not just Will Ford, but a second Aylen Vale.’

Now, my goal was not simply to rule the Embers of the entire continent.

It was to bring an end to the ice age and save the world.

Although it might seem like asking too much, it was something that could not be dreamed of unless he reached that level.

“As a human, if not as a magic engineer, it seems overwhelming to follow you… I can’t guarantee anything either, but I will try my best.”

“Of course, tell me whenever you need. I didn’t mean I wouldn’t give you help.”

“It’s about raising me tough, isn’t it? Still, thank you for taking responsibility, unlike someone else.”

Will Ford understood it precisely.

‘Really… How much would I have regretted if I had missed a fellow like this.’

As I had felt when saving the Ford siblings, Will Ford was a talent close to perfection as a human, even outside of magic engineering.

If he had been born in a leader’s family, he would have raised an Ember ranking in the top ten.

If he had been born in a businessman’s family, he would have become the owner of a giant merchant group spanning the entire continent.

It was just that he had entered magic engineering in this life.

Soon, perhaps having finished arranging Natasha’s luggage, Renata came out to the living room.

“You said you are the Ford siblings?”

“Yes, Will Ford and Williana Ford. By the way, you can speak comfortably.”

“Shall I then? I will give you a room too, so follow me.”

“Yes, thank you!”

Leaving behind the deep conversation he had just shared with me, Will Ford followed Renata, having turned into an innocent boy in the meantime.

Looking at his back, I moved my steps toward my room… no, Natasha’s room.

“It’s time to move slowly…”

It was time to start the Ember overthrow plan with Natasha.

* * *

“So… you obtained another golem blueprint by a chance opportunity?”

That was the reaction shown by Natasha upon hearing the story about the blueprint during the Trojan Horse plan to bring down the leadership.

She had not raised any particular objections to other parts.

Since it was a conversation they had already shared once.

But as an intelligence agent directly under Herman Melville, she knew how great an item a golem blueprint was.

She needed a bit more explanation.

“It is an item handed over by one of the Embers that contacted me after grasping the situation of my father and me.”

“That cannot be… With Lord Herman Melville rising to the advanced rank, the upper-intermediate rank has disappeared from the continent. There shouldn’t be any magic engineer who can create such a blueprint.”

“I don’t know well about that part either, but they said it is a blueprint created in the past.”

“The past?”

“They said it was made in the early days when the ice age began. Though it is a low-level blueprint as it was made in the early stages, they said it would be easy to produce instead. They also asked me to convey that to my father.”

“If they went as far as to say that, the authenticity of the blueprint must be certain.”

“Ah, for reference, it was an Ember in the top ten.”

Once I said that much, Natasha also no longer showed any signs of doubt.

She was even judging whether the blueprint was real or not, rather than doubting my words.

She was also convincing herself of how valuable the authority of the Chief Magic Engineer that I possessed was.

“Then will you go straight to the leadership?”

She spoke, looking up at me with her clear eyes.

“To avoid raising their suspicions, I must do so. I will have to be careful with every single behavior and person I meet in the future.”

According to what I heard from the Wayne brothers, Yan Casellos was a highly suspicious and cunning man.

That he did not trust anyone except Nikolai, who was said to be his strategist.

Thus, my first destination was determined.

“Then I will be back. Please rest comfortably.”

“Is there anything I can help with?”

“Not right now.”

“Still…”

To her, who got up from the bed as if resting felt awkward, I said.

“Around the time the moon rises, I will visit the tavern.”

“……!”

“It seems like a good idea to organize what to say to him and how. Farewell then.”

I left Natasha with confused eyes and headed straight to the leadership.

It was finally time to meet Yan Casellos.