Chapter 89: Villa
by fnovelpia
‘…This is insane.’
Concealing my presence was my forte in the village. Except for the master who had mastered all ninja techniques, no one in the village could match me in infiltration missions.
But who would have thought there’d be someone capable of detecting me on the ceiling, despite my use of various ninja techniques to mask my presence?
‘Seems there’s another monster besides the master.’
I hastily fled the mansion and hid in a suitable alley, scanning the surroundings for any pursuers.
True to his words about letting me go, there were no signs of being followed.
‘No trace of magical tracking either.’
There was no unnatural flow of magic that would typically accompany tracking or divination spells.
While it was possible the opponent’s magical prowess was simply too advanced for me to detect, at least to my eyes, it seemed I hadn’t been pursued.
The opponent was the youngest Archwizard in the kingdom’s history.
Though her lack of practical experience meant she didn’t notice my presence, I couldn’t afford to let my guard down.
‘…They don’t seem to be tailing me, but I should remain cautious.’
The city was in an uproar due to the commotion in the square, making it perfect for hiding temporarily.
I concealed myself among the excited crowd, waiting for nightfall as if enjoying a festival.
As darkness fell, I slipped past the sentries and out of the city, heading for the nearby forest, just as I had the previous night.
I usually used scrolls, but this time, to handle things meticulously, I had set up special formations in the forest to prevent tracking of the transfer location.
Not only did I use ninja techniques to interfere with detection magic, but I also created several relay points to move through, making it highly unlikely to be tracked.
The downside was that while its detection interference capabilities were excellent, it was too cumbersome to use as a scroll, necessitating this advanced setup.
“Ninja Art! Technique of Transfer!!”
As I formed hand signs and chanted, white smoke erupted from the formation, enveloping me.
Moments later, when the smoke cleared and I opened my eyes, I found myself transported to the hidden ninja village.
Shortly after the transfer’s success, several mid-level ninjas who had sensed someone entering the village approached me.
“Fire.”
“Will.”
After I responded with the predetermined password, the mid-level ninjas breathed a sigh of relief and knelt on one knee.
“You’ve returned. The master awaits your report.”
“I see… Which route to the mansion today?”
“Route C. We have patrol duties to attend to, so we’ll take our leave now.”
After watching the mid-level ninjas depart, I took a moment to catch my breath before heading towards the ninja mansion where the master resided.
‘Route C, they said…’
The ninja mansion, the master’s residence, was a special space protected by space-time ninja techniques. If you didn’t follow the designated route, you’d either hit a dead end or find yourself back where you started.
‘And yet…’
As I advanced through the darkness-shrouded mansion by candlelight, following the prescribed route, I couldn’t help but wonder.
If the enemy discovered this village’s location and infiltrated this mansion, wouldn’t the master have to come out and fight? Was such a barrier really necessary?
Anyone skilled enough to discover the village’s location could easily break or dispel such a barrier….
‘No, there must be some profound reason behind it.’
Dismissing the doubts that had momentarily surfaced, I composed myself and gently knocked on the sliding door where the master awaited.
“…I request permission to enter.”
“Come in.”
Unlike usual, permission was granted immediately without hesitation, filling me with unease.
‘…This is bad.’
It seemed the master had high expectations for this mission. I might even be erased here.
“Then… I’m coming in.”
Though I wanted nothing more than to flee, such an act would result in immediate execution.
Steeling myself, I entered slowly, keeping my head bowed to avoid meeting the master’s gaze.
“You’ve returned earlier than expected.”
Though his tone was no different from usual, devoid of any anger, to me it sounded like a death sentence.
“I-I’m so sorry!! The target noticed my infiltration…”
“Enough.”
I immediately prostrated myself in apology, but surprisingly, the master didn’t seem particularly angry.
If anything, he seemed somewhat pleased that I had failed the infiltration.
“To be born in this era, surpassing all of us… he should be capable of at least that much…”
“…Pardon?”
“Never mind. So, what did you make of his abilities?”
“…In my humble opinion, he’s a monster.”
Though he seemed to borrow the power of what looked like a demonic sword, his strength in wiping out thousands of enemies at once could only be described as monstrous.
At just 20 years old, he had not only reached the realm of Swordmaster but also mastered the power of ley lines, which is said to be even rarer than Swordmasters.
Moreover, apart from his talent, he possessed an innate sense that allowed him to immediately notice my presence.
“It’s terrifying to imagine what kind of swordsman he’ll become in a few years.”
“…Is that so.”
“Yes, if you’re considering him an enemy, assassinating him before he fully matures might be…”
“No, we won’t do that. He’s still a sprout, not yet fully grown. We can’t trample it before harvest. However…”
The master paused briefly, then said with a rare smile:
“Make preparations so that simpleton barbarian can learn of his reputation at any time.”
“…Yes!! Understood! Master…”
Ninja Shogun Bukkake….
“Ian… This mother doesn’t know whether to praise you or scold you.”
Despite my unprecedented promotion from Baronet to Count in the kingdom’s history, the reaction was somewhat lukewarm.
I had shown filial piety on par with the famously filial Jo Seungsang, yet why such a response?
Mother, perhaps still unaccustomed to the sudden rise in status, closed her eyes at the sight of the luxurious mansion and vast territory, incomparable to our hometown.
“When I heard you had offended Lady Jessica a few months ago, I thought I’d collapse from stomach pain. How did things end up like this…?”
“Life is full of surprises. I’m looking forward to surprising Sourpuss more often in the future.”
“Sourpuss? Who’s that?”
“Oh, Jessica. I call her that sometimes.”
“What nonsense are you spouting?! Please try to be more gentlemanly!”
Mother shuddered, seemingly terrified despite our territory being quite far from the von Grund family’s lands.
“I couldn’t be more gentlemanly… Anyway, I understand. Please take care of the territory while I’m away.”
“Even if you ask, there’s not much I can do…”
I was still attending the academy and couldn’t stay in the territory, and even if I could, I lacked the knowledge to manage it.
After some deliberation, I consulted with Euclid and fortunately was able to enlist the help of royal officials skilled in territory management.
With their assistance, we should be able to create a better territory than when the Ponpon mother and daughter ruled.
Leaving the territory with the same lightness of heart as when I arrived, I returned to the academy, which I now found somewhat nostalgic.
Upon my return, most who recognized me looked at me with admiring eyes, having heard rumors or witnessed events firsthand. But not all gazes were kind.
“Have you heard? That’s the guy. The one who said to rip apart all non-virgins…”
“Just because he’s a bit strong, he’s so full of himself…”
“Disgusting.”
Some female students, presumably non-virgins, were disparaging me by twisting my words.
They seemed to think I couldn’t hear them, but every word reached my ears. Each time, I approached them silently and stroked Wolffang’s hilt.
Without a word, they’d become terrified and run away. Occasionally, some would trip and fall, which never failed to amuse me.
‘Come to think of it… so much has happened in just a few weeks.’
For one, my residence had changed from the mansion to the villa that the Ponpon mother and daughter had purchased for the academy.
The villa even had stables, so I could keep Silence there too.
As I headed to the dormitory to pack my belongings, I found Hori, who had returned to the academy earlier, pacing in front of the dormitory entrance.
“Hori! What are you doing there?”
“Ian!!”
Apparently, Hori had been waiting for me. She called out my name and ran over energetically.
“What’s up? Did something happen?”
Her expression didn’t seem to indicate anything serious, but her restless behavior was somewhat concerning.
“No, it’s… not exactly a problem, but…”
Fidgeting for a moment, Hori finally spoke as if she had made up her mind.
“Ian… if it’s alright with you, would you be my sponsor…?”
“No.”
If I were to sponsor Hori, the performance of her drugs would skyrocket, but so would their toxicity to an equal degree.
I couldn’t allow this mad alchemist any more room for growth.
“Aaaah!! W-wait a moment!! Please hear me out!!”
“There’s no point in listening further. Let go of this.”
Rejected before she could even finish speaking, Hori clung to my pant leg.
“I’ll work really hard!! I’ll do anything you say except removing side effects, so please reconsider!! If you order me, I’ll even bark like a dog!! Woof woof!! Grrr!! Woof woof woof!!!”
Saying this, Hori started barking like a dog while still clinging to my leg, giving me a headache.
“Ah, this is maddening…”
As I clutched my head from the sudden headache, Wolffang, who had been sleeping at my waist, sprang out and took human form, shouting.
“Wolffang? Why are you…”
“Grrr!! Get lost, human!! I’m the only dog master needs!! Grrrr!!! Woof woof!! Woof!!!”
“Ugh…!!”
Hori was momentarily startled by Wolffang’s sudden appearance, but she hadn’t given up yet. She quickly caught her breath and shouted again.
“Meooow!! Meow!! Purr…!! Meow!!!”
Wolffang’s statement about being the only dog master needs didn’t seem to rule out cats…
As Hori started meowing like a cat, Wolffang, for some reason even more enraged, began barking aggressively as if about to bite her.
“Grrr!! Woof woof!! Woooof!! Woof woof!!!”
“Meooow!! Meow!!! Meow meow meow!!”
“…”
This is driving me insane.
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