NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 219
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[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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In order to achieve the grand goal of saving humanity, it was necessary to establish detailed interim goals and move forward.
So, what is the most urgent task to solve now?
After much deliberation, the Hero came to the conclusion of ‘tracking Ivar’.
Indeed, it was an urgent issue.
‘… If we don’t catch Ivar now, it will only get harder.’
Now is the time when he is injured and fleeing.
I had to find Ivar as soon as possible, and if possible, capture him to obtain the information he knows.
But contrary to our hearts, I couldn’t act hastily.
‘If I prepare half-heartedly, I’ll end up being the ones at a disadvantage.’
The function of Iris of Laplace, ‘Avatar Training’, contains all the combat data of those who Ted has faced.
Among them, there were, of course, Ivar’s.
After several trainings, the Hero was convinced that Ivar was the most powerful being among those he had faced so far.
‘It’s incomparable to Karendé.’
Even though I obtained clues to the salvation ritual 5, I couldn’t cleanly win even once.
The battle had to go well for a balanced outcome.
‘…Did they say something about the wind roaring?’
Ivar’s fighting style was simple.
A prowess called ‘storm’ added to hand-to-hand combat based on overwhelming physical abilities.
But even that alone made him more formidable than any other enemy.
First of all, the air pressure.
It wasn’t something to be underestimated just because it was barehanded.
The punches and kicks he threw contained power surpassing siege weapons.
Moreover, as he was fundamentally capable of manipulating wind attribute magic, the speed of his attacks was tremendous, and his tactics were not simple and ever-changing.
…The Hero with the large weapons didn’t match up well.
Moreover, when he entered combat stance, he wrapped himself in a ‘blade storm’, which was extremely annoying.
Wind blades that tore apart everything approaching.
It was a very effective means of attack and defense.
It was also a decisive reason why the Hero wanted armor.
Even if he were an excellent healer, he couldn’t fight smoothly when his body was torn apart and shredded every second.
Finally, the overall completion of the technique made Ivar an extremely challenging opponent.
Despite his bear-like appearance, his combat intelligence was very high.
During several avatar duels, the Hero couldn’t find a way to evade his blows, and eventually attempted close combat.
‘He tried to entangle me completely.’
But Ivar wasn’t only proficient in striking techniques.
He was also excellent in techniques that threw, knocked down, or suppressed.
Mixing, twisting, bending, and squeezing.
If he were just a human, not a doppelganger, he would have died ten times more in the brief entanglement.
…It seemed clear why Ivar was considered the most powerful martial artist in the Order of Dawn besides Ted.
So, he came to find Noubelmag.
To gradually prepare to face him.
“We must have as little movement constraint as possible while ensuring defense.”
“Of course. Because he’s fast.”
Noubelmag, lost in thought, tapped his finger on the workbench.
It took him some time before he opened his mouth.
“This is about the recent outing. When you went to meet that prophet or whatever.”
“Ah….”
The Hero recalled what Muriel, the guide of Laplace, had said at the time.
“Don’t worry about your comrades. They will all get what they want and return.”
“What happened then?”
“I’ve learned some new techniques. They’re not shared with ordinary fairies… They’re techniques exclusive to the Fairy of the Great Forest.”
Noubelmag walked to one side of the workshop and came back with something like a bundle.
Before he could ask, he began to explain.
“These are spirit stones I received when I went to see my mother.”
“… ‘Stones’?”
“Of course, they’re not as powerful as those inside Nyhill’s dagger. But they’re useful.”
The Hero’s eyes narrowed as he caught Noubelmag’s meaning.
“It seems you plan to process the spirit stones into new techniques learned by the fairies. It’ll be quite a difficult task.”
“I’ve stored enough strength for this. I can’t even remember when I sincerely wielded a hammer last.
…Indeed, he’s a heavenly blacksmith.
The Hero looked at the sparkling eyes of Noubelmag.
Whether he knew it or not, he had the most vibrant face in the past few months.
“Anyway, about the armor… It’s good. To be honest, I was very uneasy about the Leader just wearing that tattered cloak. I’m sure my other colleagues felt the same way, even if they didn’t say it out loud, right?”
The Hero lightly touched the robe of Zero Requiem.
It was also a simultaneous act as Noubelmag swung a powerful hammer into the air.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make a masterpiece that’s impervious even to any blade-like wind.”
…It would be worth believing.
After taking rough measurements, the Hero left the workshop.
* * *
Scratch-
Noubelmag immediately immersed himself in a rough sketch.
A true craftsman must be proficient not only in practicality but also in artistic expression.
His plan was to create armor that would be admired by anyone as beautiful and sturdy.
Fit for the reputation of Ted Redymer.
…A legendary armor, comparable to ‘Peace of Jades and Colors’, the trinity of the first era.
‘It’s been a while since I felt enthusiastic.’
None other than the armor that would protect the Leader.
Noubelmag was determined to use all his abilities.
Scratch-
As several sketches were being completed, Noubelmag’s upper body, which had been leaning over the workbench, gradually straightened up.
It was because he sensed someone at the door.
“…Come in.”
Without making a sound, the girl entered the workshop.
She skillfully avoided various tools and materials scattered on the floor before settling in a corner.
Noubelmag briefly glanced at Nyhill before immersing himself in his sketches again.
…The old man and the observing girl.
This had become quite a familiar dynamic.
Nyhill’s visits were frequent.
It was because the Hero, who judged that Noubelmag had a positive influence on her, deliberately instructed her to assist in the workshop tasks.
But sometimes, even on uneventful days like today, she would come and spend time here.
‘…Usually, she comes with a face full of worries.’
Noubelmag, too, had gradually learned to read the girl’s expressionless mood.
Puff-
The old man muttered under his breath as he puffed his pipe.
“Invitations from the school parents, huh? How noisy.”
Despite the unclear pronunciation, Nyhill understood and nodded.
“…Yes.”
“What are you going to do?”
Nyhill recalled the message she received a few hours ago.
“There’s an agent acting as a father. They’re expected to arrive on time.”
Noubelmag glanced at the girl with a little surprise before turning back to his sketches.
“Coming to the academy? Surprising.”
Nyhill lowered her gaze. The agents of the orphanage didn’t move unnecessarily.
‘They’re probably coming to give me a companion.’
A deadly poison that would corrode internal organs if not taken every half year.
The deadline was approaching.
‘Thankfully.’
Seeing that she provided her companion in time, Mother Ghost seemed to have postponed discarding her.
But Nyhill couldn’t completely relax.
‘…Will she give it next time too?’
She had already shown a subtle rebellion.
The moment the Mother Ghost deemed her value low.
The companion would be severed.
Suddenly, feeling a chill from her toes, Nyhill turned towards the furnace.
“……”
Watching the girl like that, the old man sighed deeply and put down his sketching tools.
Then, he came over and plopped down next to Nyhill.
Flames flickered, casting long shadows on the old man’s face.
Noubelmag muttered in a gruff voice.
“If the fake father isn’t to your liking, shall I take on the role of guardian instead?”
Caught off guard by his unexpected words, Nyhill couldn’t find a response and stammered, but Noubelmag wrinkled his face.
“Why. Are you embarrassed because I’m short, ugly, and old?”
“…Uh.”
This, too, was unexpected.
Nyhill covered her mouth with her hand.
It would be rude to laugh at such a self-deprecating joke.
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[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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But Noubelmag continued to gaze at her, his face grotesquely contorted, ignoring her embarrassment.
In his eyes, she could see mischief.
Nyhill laughed silently.
Noubelmag chuckled too.
“Hela used to get angry, but she would laugh soon after seeing this expression on my face.”
…Hela.
Nyhill recalled the gravestone in front of Lonker’s cabin.
The son of Noubelmag and Hela, Daig.
Resting here.
Tock-
Noubelmag got up, brushing off his buttocks, and chuckled as he reached out to her.
“It’s always the best to work when you’re feeling down or your head is complicated.”
“…What work?”
“The work for our dear leader.”
Work for the Hero.
Clasp-
Their warm hands met in front of the warm furnace.
Nyhill felt the fatigue and tension that had been pressing on her finally dissipate.
‘…Guardian.’
She watched Noubelmag’s back and bowed her head deeply.
It was a word of profound gratitude.
* * *
If there was a doppelganger’s only fraudulent means of transportation, it was polymorphing into a new one.
Kliruk-
They could arrive at their destination in the shortest distance without being affected by the terrain.
The Hero also used the form of a hawk for long-distance travel, allowing him to quickly reach the southern outskirts from the west.
The meeting place with the Mother Ghost was chosen as ‘Lindel’, one of the territories in the south.
A bustling place crowded with tourists who come to enjoy the exotic scenery of the south.
It was a place of interaction with the fairy folk and also Karen’s hometown.
‘Surely, this is where it all begins.’
The Hero was convinced that for some reason, Ivar, who was injured, would first hide here.
So, he received an unfinished request from Lindel.
For a while, he would continue to investigate, traveling between Rosenstark and here.
“Enjoy your time in Lindel.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Having completed his entry with a fake ID, the Hero surveyed the surroundings.
It was right after a slight disguise.
People’s faces change so much with just a few alterations that they become hard to recognize.
The tourists and residents of Lindel never thought of him as a “Hero” and just passed by.
Some glanced at him, but that was probably because of his uncommon height.
‘…It’s almost time for the appointed meeting.’
The Mother Ghost had told him.
“We’ll pick you up when you arrive.”
It was a sign that she was observing him from somewhere…
“Why are you so late!”
The Hero looked at the woman grabbing his sleeve.
Brown hair, rough skin, a typical southerner.
But the touch of her palm through the thin linen was unnaturally stiff.
“Have you finished your business?”
“Yes, more or less.”
“Hurry up. Everyone is waiting.”
The Hero nodded.
“Let’s go.”
.
.
.
From the outside, it looked like an ordinary inn.
Passing by guests enjoying drinks on the first floor, he arrived at a quiet room on the second floor.
The guide didn’t enter the room.
Thud-
Just closed the door from outside.
The noise outside became even more distant.
“……”
In the dark and silent room, the Hero realized that someone was waiting for him.
A familiar feeling.
A presence so faint that it could be mistaken for a shadow or a ghost.
But perhaps because he had reached a higher level than before, he could feel it more vividly.
The Mother Ghost slowly nodded her head.
“It’s been a long time.”
“That’s right.”
The torch flickered.
Mother Ghost, who has thrown off her veil and mask, is probably someone Ted hasn’t seen before.
Her bare face gave off a strangely eerie impression.
‘…Maybe she’s disguised.’
Her features were very ordinary.
But there was no expression.
Not even an impression.
A face you would forget once you passed by on the street.
The moment I turned my head, it felt like a hazy fog would be overlaid on my memories.
The Mother Ghost slowly opened her mouth.
“I would like to hear the plan regarding this Ivar tracing mission before we proceed with the operation.”
The Hero stared at her without saying a word.
The Mother Ghost met his gaze calmly.
‘She suspects me.’
Perhaps she thought this mission was an opportunity to confirm her suspicions.
But the Hero had no intention of being easily manipulated by her.
“……”
As the silence between the two continued longer than expected, the Mother Ghost was about to say something when…
“I…”
“Does a tool need to know the overall plan in order to execute their part? It’s not like you’ll be making decisions independently.”
The Mother Ghost’s eyebrows twitched slightly with confusion.
The Hero stood up from his seat.
“I’ll pass on the instructions from here. Please follow them well.”
Euphemia had ordered “full cooperation” from the Mother Ghost.
That’s all there was to it.
Ted might have acted gently within reasonable limits…
‘I don’t intend to do that.’
Thud-
The Mother Ghost looked at the empty seat where the Hero had left.
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[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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