Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 24

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 24

Though it was sudden, the touch that cooled my heated eyes felt pleasant.

“Your hands are cold as a corpse. Is there something wrong with your body?”

“My aura attribute is ice.”

Ah, so he’s channeling aura into his hands to cool the heat. To think aura could be used so luxuriously and trivially.

Grateful for his kindness, I remained still for a while before suddenly asking.

“You don’t ask anything.”

I must have looked suspicious enough.

Even after everything was finished, Penandel didn’t ask about my circumstances.

Well, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t report it to the Duke, but for now I was grateful for his silence.

“If you wish me to ask, I will.”

“…Looking at you, you really have no sense of reading the room.”

Just like our first meeting, he’s strangely robotic.

Even if I told him his hands were cold not because of aura but because he was made of tin, he’d probably just nod and say “I see.”

“I think it would be good for you to rest now.”

Penandel’s deep, low voice gave me a strange sense of stability.

Not facing that frightening mask and just hearing his voice, it somehow sounded like he was worried about me.

“Are you daring to pity me right now?”

Oh my, our Belinda. Look at how she talks.

I removed Penandel’s hand and glanced up at him.

His expression remained hidden beneath the mask, and the only visible part, his lips, were firmly set.

As I thought, it was my imagination…

“It’s not pity, but worry.”

Wait, he really was worried about me?

“With such a stoic face?”

“Was I being stoic?”

Penandel reached toward his face but was soon blocked by the mask.

That clumsy gesture made me burst into laughter.

“You’re quite dishonest yourself.”

* * *

Considering what Belinda possessed, it was perhaps natural for Cesar to worry about her.

If something happened to her, the engagement contract would fall through.

That was the only emotion involved.

“You’re quite dishonest yourself.”

However, the moment he saw a faint smile appear on her previously expressionless face, like a mask being removed.

Cesar found himself looking away.

Somehow it felt like he had accidentally encountered something he shouldn’t have seen, and he felt a strange sense of guilt.

“I’m tired. I’ll go to my room and rest now.”

Even after she left, he stood guard in the empty room for a while.

Only after hearing the sound of her door closing in the distance did Cesar remove his mask and roughly rub his face.

He hadn’t asked about Belinda’s circumstances to avoid getting deeply involved with her.

Simply exchanging what they each wanted and then parting ways.

That was what Cesar wanted.

“I didn’t know she could smile like that.”

Nevertheless, her smile left a scar on the emotions Cesar had deeply hidden beneath the surface.

Though Cesar himself didn’t realize it.

* * *

“What? Say that again.”

Bruno’s face, usually pale enough to be mistaken for a corpse, turned bright red.

Bruno’s aide knew that opening his mouth was like pouring water into a heated oil pan, but he had no choice. He could only hope the boiling oil would miss him.

“Well… last night there was a fire in the commercial district, and the warehouse you own was completely burned down.”

“Completely burned? All those goods?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Does that even make sense! How many guards were stationed around the warehouse! What were those idiots doing when the fire broke out!”

“Th-that is, the fire was so large that they were all caught in the flames and died.”

Bang. Bruno slammed his desk.

Of all the countless warehouses in the commercial district, only his was completely burned down.

Because of this, Bruno lost about a year’s worth of ‘Cecile’s Lullaby’ and hundreds of kilos of Fanshield, the essential herb for making it, in an instant.

Just when he was about to start releasing large quantities and finally make some real money.

Everything he had prepared for years while avoiding the eyes of the Royal Court and Magic Tower had turned to ash in a moment.

‘Could it be that the Royal Court noticed something and…’

Bruno shook his head.

No, that couldn’t be. If the guards had moved, they wouldn’t have secretly burned down just the warehouse like this.

Bruno’s mind worked frantically.

Right, for now let’s forget about who did this and how much damage was done. I can just make it again.

Bruno squeezed out his patience and moved to replenish the supply of ‘Cecile’s Lullaby’.

And three hours later.

“What? Say that again.”

‘Huh? I’ve seen this scene somewhere before.’

Bruno’s aide felt a strange sense of déjà vu as he observed Bruno’s complexion, which had gone from heated to completely black like a burnt pan.

And he stammered as he spoke.

“W-we can’t find any Fanshield left in the market. Someone bought it all without leaving a single dried leaf. We won’t be able to get new supplies until next spring…”

“If it can’t be done, make it happen! That’s why I made you my aide!”

Finally Bruno’s anger exploded.

Unable to contain his rage, Bruno grabbed whatever was within reach and threw it, turning the laboratory into a mess.

“Find out who the buyer is right now and drag them before me!”

The aide, kicked in the rear, frantically rushed out of the Magic Tower.

However, after that day, the aide never returned to the Magic Tower.

Instead, a crumpled telegram found Bruno.

Thinking it would contain the buyer’s name, Bruno quickly examined the telegram, and confusion appeared on his face.

Bruno sir, formula leaked.

“What is this bastard saying. Is the buyer’s name ‘Formula Leaked’?”

Bruno was so unable to interpret the context of the telegram that he said such absurd things.

Hastily scrawled handwriting.

Bloodstains on the corner.

The missing aide.

Finally Bruno felt a strange sense of unease.

He urgently sent people to investigate the situation in the slums.

And the news that came back…

“You’re saying the real formula for ‘Cecile’s Lullaby’ has been revealed throughout the slums.”

Instead cooled Bruno’s head.

The burned warehouse.

The monopoly on Fanshield.

Even the recipe’s leak.

It was certain. There was someone interfering with him.

“This is ruined.”

If the recipe had leaked, it was over.

‘Cecile’s Lullaby’ wasn’t a magic potion that required special techniques.

Once you knew the recipe, it was simple enough that even third-rate wizard wannabes running personal workshops could easily make it.

Those who didn’t even know they were addicted and were wandering around looking for ‘Cecile’s Lullaby’ would immediately go to private workshops and request them to make ‘Cecile’s Lullaby’ according to the recipe spread in the slums.

The addictive nature of the modified ‘Cecile’s Lullaby’ came from its sleep-inducing effect that made people fall asleep immediately.

On the other hand, the real ‘Cecile’s Lullaby’ had no sleep effect, so taking it wouldn’t make you fall unconscious immediately.

In other words, if the slum dwellers took the real ‘Cecile’s Lullaby’ instead of the modified version, their dependency on the drug would eventually disappear.

‘It would be better to squeeze Vivian and have her develop a new magic potion.’

Wasn’t his golden goose currently developing a potion to heal wounds?

If used well, there would be opportunities to make big money like with ‘Cecile’s Lullaby’.

Even while thinking of Vivian, he didn’t even suspect that she might be involved in this matter.

* * *

“Vivian? What on earth is that appearance?”

As soon as they faced each other, Vivian shrank her shoulders at her mentor’s scolding.

And she belatedly realized she was wearing the new clothes Belinda had tailored for her.

Bruno’s eyes, accustomed to luxury goods, thoroughly examined the clothes that generously used fabric with a subtle luster.

That gaze contained such blatant criticism that Vivian became dejected as usual.

“Ahem, well, it does suit you well. But Vivian, haven’t I told you repeatedly?”

He brushed dust off his own clothes unnecessarily and spoke solemnly.

“Those who must pursue truth and conquer principles should stay away from luxury. You’re still just an apprentice, so such clothes seem a bit excessive.”

“Ah…”

Vivian couldn’t say a word properly and lowered her head.

Bruno, satisfied with his dejected disciple, brought up the main topic in a generous tone.

“Well, since you’ve already had it made, I won’t tell you not to wear it. By the way, how is the progress on that recovery potion you’ve been making lately?”

“Well… it’s almost at the final stage…”

“Good, that’s excellent. As usual, organize the research process in detail and bring it to me. Then I’ll look at it and judge whether it has value as a product.”

Normally, an answer would have come immediately.

But for some reason, Vivian just bit her lips without answering, then opened her mouth with a desperate expression.

“Mentor, am I a very, very inadequate disciple?”

“What?”

“When can I become your official disciple and receive the Magic Tower’s cape?”

It had already been 8 years since Vivian had been working as an apprentice under Bruno.

Usually, after struggling for about 4 years, one would be recognized as an official disciple, but her apprenticeship seemed endless.

The reason she hadn’t complained until now was…

“Vivian, you’re a commoner and a woman, and moreover, a penniless wretch who can’t even touch proper research equipment without my help.”

Because she didn’t care what treatment she received as long as she could develop magical devices with her own hands.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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