Elise paused when she spotted . She hurried over and then just stood there blankly, so I spoke first.
Whats up with you?
It took her a mont before she responded.
Damn, you scared .
lm the one who got scared.
Elise glared daggers at while stroking Bianca.
Why are you touching her without permission?
She seems to like it.
Hmph. Doubtful.
Elise glanced at sideways. I was pleased to see her, but unfortunately, there was no ti to catch up.
Are you here for the seminar?
Yeah. I heard they created an artificial intelligence. What about you?
Elise pointed at .
An escort. Im with Libra, rem ber?
Oh!
Just then, another voice chid in.
It was Layla this ti.
lts Shion!
Layla approached with a big smile, holding a toast in each hand.
I smirked.
Looks like you ca together.
Yeah. Ca with Elly. Shion, want so?
Layla offered a toast.
No, Im good.
Really? Its tasty. This place is a gem.
Crunch- She took a bite.
Are you here for the Al too?
Yeah.
Sothing occurred to at Laylas response.
Then co on. Ill show you the best spot.
Really?
IS that even possible?
Elise squinted her eyes suspiciously. I confidently replied.
Yeah. Ive grown more than you think. Follow .
We walked down the seminar hall corridor together.
Crunch, crunch- Layla devoured her toast greedily, while Elise nibbled like a bird, pretending to be timid.
I asked her.
But, dont the magic tower freshn usually not co out to the continent?
Thats true. Freshn are overwheld just following the Magic Tower curriculum. But Im not one of them.
Is that so?
Theres also a matter I need to attend to.
What matter?
Then Layla answered.
Raquel Dra. You know about it, Shion, right?
yeah. I know.
I casually asked.
S0 what? Any evidence co up?
No. No evidence at all. Cant even guess. But mages are coming down to catch Raquel Dra.
Is that so?
Mages coming down.
The mages of the Magic Tower, Im confident that whoever cos down wont be a match for . I have a peculiar body that's immune to most magic.
Whos coming down?
Elly. You know her?
Lermont, right?
Lermont. I hesitated for a mont then nodded.
Shes a famous mage.
Was it a coincidence? Or was it the unseen hand of Libra, perhaps Sherlock, moving things behind the scenes?
Lermont is a mage from Libra.
That ans shes one of the many from Libra who hold high positions in almost every field.
Yeah. Shes coming with a team, so it looks like Raquel Dra will be caught soon. Its rare for the Magic Tower to get involved in worldly matte rs.
Here we are.
I led them to the VIP seats, the closest to the podium.
Wow! Shion, you actually managed it!
Layla looked surprised, and Elise nodded in satisfaction with a hum.
TheyU probably sell first-co-first-serve subscriptions to the Al after the presentation. You should be able to get one.
Layla and Elise are smart. Theyll figure out whatever secrets this Al holds.
After all, exposing the overwriting of souls alone, just through my whistleblowing as Killian, wont enough. We need the hands of other notable consciences.
Even before my actual regression, several sages including Theia had taken the lead.
Hey. Shion. Do you know anything about this AI?
Elise asked as she sat down.
Are you talking about insider information?
I placed my hand on her head. Elise swatted my hand away and frowned.
No, Im not.
Thats a cri, you know. An economic cri.
I placed my hand on her head again. Elise tried to dodge by shaking her head from side to side, but I persistently followed.
Ah, co on. Stop it. Really, stop.
Elise squird all over.
Whats going on~?
Layla looked at us alternately with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.
Enough.
I stopped teasing her. As I pulled my hand away, Elises hair was a ss, and she glared at sharply.
I don't know much either. How this Al works. Its a highly confidential departnt.
H m p h. Figu res.
Elise scoffed and picked up her smartphone. She seed about to do sothing as she tapped the screen sharply.
Dont even think about buying stocks.
You'd lose a lot.
Her hand paused mid-air. She glanced at and quietly put down her smartphone.
Just then, it was ti for the presentation.
The room dimd appropriately, and as people trickled in until it was full.
lm off.
I left for the bodyguards position.
Derek lectured about artificial intelligence.
With pompous vocabulary, he seed intoxicated with himself as an innovator rather than focusing on the product itself.
This Al, ZR1, shows exceptional achievents in almost every field, connecting to the internet and learning on its own according to the owners commands
I quietly listened to Dereks words. Indeed, the content itself was enough to amaze the audience.
Indeed, using actual overwritten souls does give it an over-technology vibe.
Look at her. Just look.
I discreetly zood in on Elise with the SZX-9500. She was fiddling with her smartphone, busy buying stocks in real-ti.
The internal expose would blow up in a few months to a year, so selling before that would indeed be profitable.
It seems she really isnt receiving any support from her family anymore.
And that concludes the presentation.
Dereks product explanation ca to an end, and a thunderous applause erupted. I too clapped, infusing my palms with magic.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The loud claps made Derek smile.
Then
At that mont, soone in the audience stood up abruptly. She asked Derek a question before anyone else could speak.
What is the source of this artificial intelligence? Is it truly just created from simple magic?
She tried to disguise her identity with Infimian, but I imdiately knew who it was.
Theia Esil.
Derek smirked and waved his hand dismissively, signaling for the security guards.
There have been consecutive disappearances of holess people across Edsilla. Astonishingly, the approximate number of missing people over the past month matches the number of artificial intelligences that can be sold
The guards grabbed her. They covered her mouth and almost wrestled her out.
Sotis, there are those who are envious of the technology.
Derek brushed it off like that. The audience laughed.
I followed the guards outside too. I stopped them as they were about to bind Theias limbs with magic.
Let her go.
Yes.
The guards stepped back. I looked at her, kneeling on one knee. Her face was distinctly different from that of Theia Esil.
The infimian's level is certainly impressive, though not as much as mine.
Theia.
Her shoulders trembled slightly.
lsn't that a bit too far-fetched?
Ha. Youll find out soon enough.
She scoffed and stood up. I silently watched her back as she walked away.
Uh, should we really let her go just like that?
A security guard asked.
We have no other choice.
Just then, Dereks balancer, Smith, appeared. Coming out of the seminar room, he stood next to and asked.
Who was that?
lt was Theia Esil.
The guards were visibly shocked, and Smiths eyebrows twitched.
Was it lnfimian?
Yes.
lt was unavoidable then. Ill let Derek know.
Thank you.
I nodded quietly.
Now, a clash between Theia Esil and Libra is inevitable. Therefore, the best course of action I can take is already clear.
To imprison her before she dies.
It seems like the lesser of two evils.
I went back into the seminar room. Leaning against the wall, I watched the VIP seats.
Elise and Layla, as well as several noble families, were signing the mbership contracts.
Whoooosh.
A white wind sweeps through. Beyond lies a mountain range wrapped in snow and clouds, stretching endlessly like a landscape painting, and beneath it stand countless aspiring knights.
[The Knight Qualification Exam].
The goal of the first test is simple. Climb as high as possible in this mountain range within 120 hours. This backpack provided as supplies is the sa for everyone.
It feels like deja vu.
This test, it feels like I've done it with soone before.
Oh. This should be interesting.
Soliette said next to . She had just barely t the qualifications by attending the sumr session.
Exactly. Its just hiking.
Yes.
I looked ahead. Gerkhens red hair stood out.
lf you want to give up, just plant this flag and co down. With the severe cold and nurous monsters appearing, dont even think about risking your life. You could actually die.
The knight instructor said.
Apparently, there have been quite a few deaths during the knight qualification exams.
You can form teams or go alone. Both thods have their advantages. Are you ready!
The instructors shout was t with a resounding response.
Good. Lets begin!
He drew his sword from his waist and raised it high into the sky. It was the signal to start the exam, and thousands of cadets challenging for the knight qualification simultaneously rushed towards the mountain.
It was quite a spectacle.
Shion. Shall we go?
Soliette asked with a smile.
lm going alone.
What?
She looked as if she had been betrayed by the world. I chuckled and corrected myself.
Just kidding. Lets go.
You really scared there.
We climbed the mountain. The first 1,000 ters were easy, but the peak of this mountain range reaches a staggering 9,000 ters above sea level.
It ans we could actually die if were not careful.
S h i o n
Soliette asked as she climbed the path.
Yeah. What is it?
I stuck close to soliette.
Arent you a bit too close?
Apparently, Soliette found this proximity sowhat uncomfortable.
You generate a lot of body heat.
People from Arkne naturally emit heat due to their magical energy, and they produce a significant amount of heat, so Im using her as a human heater. Even though Im quite sturdy, I cant completely ignore the cold like soliette.
Hmm.
Soliette looked sowhat displeased.
What?
lts always been like this. Ever since I was young, on cold days, animals or people would cling to .
Think of it as fate.
What kind of response is that?
lts a good thing. Lets hurry up.
[3,000 ters above sea level] a sign appeared. It was a half snow-covered milestone, and beneath it was a small warning.
Be careful of the cold and blizzards.
The cold had indeed beco severe. It was not just moderately cold. I ended up clinging to soliettes back, and her lips pouted.
Soliette. Turn it up a bit.
What are you talking about?
The temperature.
Soliette glanced at sharply and then increased the output of her magic a bit more.
Ah, thats warm. Its nice.
Really now.
She frowned as if it was ridiculous, but was a bit embarrassed.
No, Soliette. Isnt this a bit abnormal?
What is?
lts too cold, even for cold weather.
The cold was bizarre. It felt like it could be minus 80 degrees Celsius. At an altitude of 3,000 ters, if its this cold here, what will happen if we go higher?
Whooooosh!
Suddenly, the wind blew, mixing with particles of snow. It was a blizzard. Even a slight touch on the skin felt like it was freezing.
Heater!
Ah, damn.
Soliette released a powerful burst of magic. Inside the circular barrier she created, I caught my breath.
No, Shion. But whats with 'heater? Call by my na.
Soliette glared at , but honestly, I felt it was a bit unfair.
Thats not the point? This is really weird.
This cold snap is suspicious.
Of course, direct magical effects cant harm .
However, if magic indirectly dramatically lowers the natural temperature, it affects too.
It seems like that kind of magic is happening in this mountain range right now.
Why?
Is soone targeting ?
Or is it just nature going haywire?
Well. Its okay. Anyway
Suddenly, Soliette stopped talking. She stared up at the mountain range, frozen in place.
What
I looked up at the sa spot and also shut my mouth.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
An avalanche No.
Hey, hey! Look out!
A snowball the size of half the mountain was rolling down towards us.
It was too late to dodge.
Soliette, flath rower!
Ah, damn. I cant do that!
Soliette quickly drew her sword, and I did the sa.
Center! Lets break thro ugh.
Got it.
In an instant, we assud the sa stance.
It was the Severing Sword.
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