Chapter 208: Shiba (2)

“This damn Bunt…”

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing…”

Despite Louis’s sulky expression, Shiba seemed quite pleased.

“Anyway, I was surprised too. To think you were the one who bought those items…”

“What?”

What was this nonsense now?

“You’re saying the seller who put up the necklace and portrait at the auction house was you?”

“That’s correct.”

So that’s what it meant?

Louis’s eyes lit up as he cast a Mental Attribute Sacred Scripture on Shiba.

“Let me ask you something.”

Unaware that he’d been ensnared by the Sacred Scripture, Shiba smiled brightly.

“Anything you want to know!”

“You… Are you really the heir to the Bunt family?”

“I am, but whether I’m the ‘heir’ is debatable…”

“Well, let’s put that aside. The Tears of Siren you auctioned off… are they genuine?”

“Pardon?”

“The appraisal report included with it is quite outdated.”

“Ah… Of course you’d think that! But that necklace is undoubtedly the Tears of Siren worn by Lucia Gammo. Before our family’s downfall, it was in that box when I first saw it, and I grabbed the whole box when fleeing from debt collectors—its contents have never been altered.”

“What if someone switched it during transit?”

“That necklace and portrait were the only items I managed to save from my family. I protected them by any means necessary… please believe me.”

“Hmm…”

Louis examined Shiba.

To be precise, he was observing the Lie Detection Sacred Scripture cast upon Shiba.

It’s not a lie, though…

The Sacred Scripture he had established revealed that Shiba only spoke the truth.

Two Tears of Siren…

Louis believed the Tears of Siren he’d acquired long ago were genuine, but what if there was a chance they weren’t?

I’ll give both to the Holy Mother when I meet her later.

Then at least one of them should work.

Having reached this conclusion, Louis changed the subject.

“But selling the necklace is one thing—how could you possibly sell a portrait of your ancestor?”

The Vomit Trio seized the opportunity to chime in.

“Teacher, Shiba… he’s such a pitiful person.”

“His family went bankrupt when he was seven, so he’s done everything imaginable.”

“I heard he even begged on the streets as a child.”

As additional explanations came from all sides, Shiba’s bitter smile deepened once more.

“Do you think I wanted to sell these…? When I left that ruined family, they were the only things I managed to keep from the debt collectors. I hid them away carefully while begging on the streets, determined to reclaim them when I rebuilt my family’s honor…”

”…”

“Recently, I realized the truth. With my daily struggles, rebuilding the family seemed impossible. So I resolved: abandon the family’s restoration and sell these for my dreams! Still, uncertain about the future, I entrusted them to one person with strict instructions. What if I might want them back someday? Selling to just one person would make retrieval easier later.”

“…”

“I was just waiting for something to sell like that… No, what’s this? I never thought anyone would pay such a high price for that! I was so happy that day—I’d never cried so much in my life…”

Louis was speechless, his eyes watering as the words poured out like a machine gun.

He glared at the Shiba with an expression of utter exasperation.

This damn mutt…

The descendant of Lucia and Carrie, this Shiba bastard…

Why is he so damn talkative?!

He was a serious overtalker.

The other three members of the Vomit Trio gave awkward smiles, perhaps understanding Louis’s feelings.

“Shiba can be a bit… talkative.”

“You dumb Nu-head, is that all you think?”

“Shut up. Earthworm.”

“I told you not to call me that, you Nu-head bastard!”

“Still, you can’t get bored with Shiba around, right? It’s almost like being at a market.”

“Tania… If someone talking alone can sound as loud as a market, isn’t that strange?”

”…Is it really?”

Despite the blatant criticism of his talkativeness right in front of him, Shiba showed no sign of discomfort. Rather, it was an expression he seemed all too familiar with. It wasn’t as if he’d only heard such complaints for a day or two. Unfazed, Shiba continued his story with vigor.

“Five thousand gold in this world! Thanks to you, Louis, I can finally pay off all my debts and go to the Autumn Continent to achieve my dream!”

”…So what exactly is this dream of yours?”

What kind of grand dream could possibly warrant such a lengthy discourse? The corners of Louis’s eyes twitched violently.

The original travel party members, having recognized this as a sign of impending disaster, gradually retreated while keeping an eye on Louis’s reactions.

However, Shiba, who hadn’t yet fully grasped Louis’s temperament, continued blabbering away.

“I haven’t told you about my dream yet. My dream is to become a…”

”…”

“…a Transcendent Creator! Isn’t that amazing? To create such monumental works of art with my own hands! How utterly magnificent is that!”

Louis’s face, which had been growing increasingly irritable, suddenly lit up with interest for the first time.

“A Transcendent Creator? But what does that have to do with fleeing to the Autumn Continent?”

“Of course it matters! Doesn’t the Autumn Continent have the Tower of Wishes? It’s the Holy Land of Transcendence - every practitioner in the field dreams of visiting at least once!”

“Oh?”

Louis’s eyes sparkled at the mention of the Tower of Wishes.

“Really? So you’re going to the Autumn Continent to enter the Tower of Wishes?”

“That is my ultimate goal, yes.”

“Ultimate goal?”

“The Tower of Wishes wouldn’t accept someone like me, would it? Even renowned mystics from around the world - both restoration and production specialists - struggle to gain entry.”

“Then why are we going to the Autumn Continent?”

“To enter the Transcendence Academy.”

“Transcendence Academy?”

At Louis’s question, Shiba began enthusiastically explaining. The other party members, who had initially stepped back upon hearing this new information, gradually drew closer to listen intently.

Shiba continued talking alone for nearly half an hour. To summarize his lengthy story:

The Transcendence Academy was an educational institution operated by the Tower of Wishes. It taught everything related to the Transcendent. Graduates with outstanding grades could enter the Tower of Wishes. Even those not chosen by the Tower of Wishes found it easy to secure employment, as many places sought out Transcendence Academy graduates.

Louis nodded vigorously.

So… it’s a university run by a major corporation. And one that teaches about their flagship product’s production?

In essence, it was a system where corporations could custom-train professionals from start to finish and then hire them as new employees. These would be what you might call “experienced new hires.”

The big corporations get immediately deployable talent, while the new employees get an easier path to joining a major company compared to others.

Of course, there was a tendency for students to become too specialized and biased in their learning, but that wasn’t really a problem.

There are plenty of places that want that level of high-quality talent anyway.

All the foundational technologies related to the Transcendent Era originated from the Tower of Wishes.

In other words, the Tower of Wishes’ technology was considered international standard, and graduates from the Transcendence Academy it operated could immediately become valuable assets wherever they went.

However, the problem was…

“If it’s such a place, they probably don’t accept just anyone easily, right?”

Shiba nodded at Louis’s question.

“Of course! The entrance registration fee is incredibly expensive. That’s why I told you earlier. Thanks to Louis, I can achieve my dream! Because you paid such a high price for it, I could afford the entrance registration fee! So… uh… what were we talking about when this came up…?”

Seeing Shiba’s rambling, Louis’s forehead twitched.

This bastard, does he forget what he’s saying because he talks too much?!

Before Louis could explode, Shiba returned to the main topic from the side path he’d taken earlier.

“Ah! Right! That… First, the enrollment fee is prohibitively expensive for ordinary people. Even if you manage to scrape together the funds, getting accepted into Transcendence Academy isn’t easy. Countless skilled candidates from various backgrounds flock there for the entrance exams.”

“So you’re saying… you’re confident in your abilities?”

Shiba smiled.

“I bounced around doing odd jobs in my youth before working at the Transcendent Maintenance Workshop for over ten years. That’s where my dreams really took shape. Anyway, the workshop master told me… my talent isn’t half bad. He said I’ve got enough skill that I’d at least get a slap on the wrist if I ever kept my mouth shut…”

Everyone nodded vigorously as soon as Shiba finished speaking.

If even those who had spent mere days with him understood this well, how much more must the workshop master—who’d endured ten years of his company—have suffered?

Could Shiba’s departure for the Autumn Continent have been due to being driven out of the workshop? Perhaps because of that incessantly chattering mouth of his?

“This…”

Was it because everyone around him was staring so intently? Shiba scratched the back of his neck.

“I seem to have been talking too much about myself again. Hmm… Come to think of it, why are you all going to the Autumn Continent? When I asked others, they said they’re just following because Louis is going…”

The Flame siblings who’d traveled with Shiba before, or Lavina…

They had no idea why Louis was going to the Autumn Continent. They were simply following him because he was going. The others were also curious about why the destination was set as the Autumn Continent, so all eyes were on Louis.

Under the weight of multiple gazes, Louis shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m just sightseeing and taking care of other matters… you know, various reasons.”

“Oh! If you’re traveling, I must recommend visiting the Tower of Wishes! I’ve only heard about it, but they say Cyron, where the Tower of Wishes is located, is the best city on the Autumn Continent!”

“Right, I see.”

Louis gave a vague answer and smiled slightly at Shiba.

The real reason he was going to the Autumn Continent was because of the Tower of Wishes.

If Shiba gets accepted into Transcendence Academy, I’ll probably end up seeing him around from time to time.

When that happens, our positions will be slightly different.

Is this what it feels like when a corporate chairman bumps into a fresh graduate dreaming of working for his company?

Louis looked at Shiba, who was pestering him to visit Cyron.

The descendant of a lover he’d had in the past.

Now both the Lord of the Tower and a new student at Transcendence Academy.

The sudden emergence of these new connections stirred strange emotions within him.

Of course, such emotions didn’t last long.

“Ah! If you’re coming to Cyron, I’ve found a few recommended spots. Let’s start with the eastern district…”

If left alone, Shiba would have spent the entire day raving about all of Cyron’s best restaurants and landmarks.

Louis, clearly annoyed, waved his hand dismissively.

”…Take this kid and get lost.”

The moment Louis finished speaking, Kendrick grabbed Shiba by the back of his neck and dragged him away. Shiba struggled, but Kendrick muttered something about following quietly if he wanted to keep breathing, and the bewildered boy was hauled off.

Tania and Lavina trailed behind them, their footsteps quickening to match the pace.

The twins and Fin watched the scene unfold before exchanging glances.

“Is that kid really Lucia’s descendant?”

“Doesn’t even look like Carrie’s bloodline. How can they be so different?”

“But he’s lived a tough life, right? The way he keeps pushing through without breaking… doesn’t that make him like Lucia?”

“Ah, is that so? Well, that Carrie kid certainly had remarkable persistence, didn’t he?”

“Now that you mention it, you’re right.”

The Twins and Fin exchanged banter, their laughter echoing through the air.

Though Louis didn’t join the conversation, he found himself in partial agreement with their observations.

While Shiba bore no physical resemblance to either Lucia or Carrie,

Louis could see traces of their tenacity in the young man.

What an intriguing fellow, Louis mused.

He closed his eyes, smiling at the unexpected friendship forged at the edge of the Winter Continent.

Peaceful days followed as their journey continued across the sea.

“Land! Land ahoy!”

“Land!”

“Earth!”

“Land in sight!”

The Four Vomiting Men’s boisterous cries announced their arrival at the Autumn Continent.