My Disciples Became Scoundrels - Chapter 80

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Seawater dripped steadily from Cesare’s hair. Through the rivulets, his green eyes gleamed like spear points—as if they meant to pierce Gai through where he stood.
The smile faded from Gai’s face. But it was not fear that replaced it—only a hollow, withered gaze.
As the grip on his collar soaked through, Gai opened his mouth.
“Yes. I will.”
He was even smiling as he said it. Perhaps that docility itself was what offended Cesare, because he hurled the man to the ground.
“Infuriating bastard.”
Cesare spat once onto the floor, then moved toward Wing Fish. As he reached for its belly, Jenia spoke up.
“I’m so glad you’re awake. I was worried when you couldn’t breathe earlier. Thank goodness we learned Artificial Respiration.”
“…What?”
Cesare went rigid. He turned toward Jenia with visible effort.
“Artificial Respiration? Who did it? You, Jenia?”
Bella quickly clamped her hand over Jenia’s mouth. Her expression had turned distinctly unpleasant.
“Bella? Was it you?”
“Ignorance is better for your peace of mind.”
Cesare said nothing for a long moment. He simply turned to regard each person in turn: me, Arkel, Gai.
“Was it you, brother?”
Cesare’s eyes began to tremble visibly. Arkel turned his head away and spoke.
“It was a medical procedure.”
“Then why are you avoiding my eyes?”
When he refused to answer further, Cesare turned to Gai.
“Don’t tell me… it wasn’t you?”
“Well, it was my first kiss…”
“You lying son of a bitch!”
Cesare roared and seized him by the collar again, shaking him so violently his shirt tore. Watching it, I let out a breath of relief.
Gai remains a suspicious figure. How far I should trust him is uncertain, but one thing is clear.
He saved my student. So long as the sight of that sea and the salt-laden wind do not fade, I will not forget this.
15. Toward Balanus
Whenever my students returned, I would stop by the Management Bureau. I had to update the roster of Balanus members.
Cesare’s name was recorded there. Jenia’s name. Arkel’s name. Bella’s name. With each name added, something within me grew fuller.
Yet still there remained an empty space—the place that would only be filled when Hayden returned.
Before me sat a Management Bureau clerk. He glanced at me sideways and asked.
“The new member is Hayden Balanus. Is that correct?”
“…Yes.”
Hayden. The name I had wanted most to hear, written on paper. And yet no joy came.
Only Hayden’s name had come back to us. A powerlessness crept up my ankles like rising water.
We had no choice but to register Gai as a member of Balanus. Outwardly, it was as if Hayden had returned to us.
We could not explain the situation to everyone we knew. There were those who remembered the old Balanus. Gaspar was one of them.
I watched until the final letter was written. The clerk looked up.
“We’ve also confirmed the completion of your commission in Calimera. Quite the achievement—subjugating an undiscovered monster must have set the scholars talking.”
True to my word, I had delivered the corpse to the monster scholar. She was overjoyed—she even spoke of repaying the debt in time.
Though she still remained imprisoned, that was something she would sort out with the lord herself.
“Ah, and since you’ve reached Silver Rank, you’re now eligible to attend the Banquet. As it happens, one is scheduled for today.”
The clerk handed me a Letter Envelope—an elegant paper embossed with gold leaf.
A banquet. Even after fifteen years, they still hold these things. I took the envelope and left.
I walked the streets of Aspenhel for the first time in a long while. People hurried past one another. Merchants haggled. It was an ordinary street, no different than before.
Precisely because it was ordinary, the absence of someone felt all the more sharp. Precisely because they were not there, they loomed most clearly.
I had much to discuss with my students. When I arrived home and opened the door, I heard raucous voices.
“This is too much, isn’t it? After all, I’m part of this household too, aren’t I?”
“Part of the household? Nonsense.”
My students were gathered in the sitting room, each settled on a sofa or chair.
Only one person was standing—Gai. And his clothes were different from when we’d left.
A frilled, ornate shirt, even a jeweled brooch. A cloak draped over his shoulders, laden with all manner of adornments. I looked him up and down.
“Planning to go philandering?”
“Could you call it… active social engagement?”
Regardless of what you’ve done before, from now on, restrain yourself. Your reputation directly affects Balanus.
To everyone but us, he would be called Hayden. Gai shrugged his shoulders.
“Is staying out overnight not permitted?”
“Obviously not.”
“If not, then at least give me a proper room. There was one empty one, wasn’t there?”
“I can’t. That’s Hayden’s room.”
Only one properly furnished room remained in the house—one we’d prepared for Hayden’s eventual return.
I couldn’t let anyone else have that room. Not even if the body wore Hayden’s face.
Gai pouted for a moment, then grinned with casual cunning.
“Then there’s nothing for it. Shall I sleep in your room instead, Master?”
“Go to the attic.”
“Ah, that’s cruel! If you’re bringing me along, you should take responsibility!”
He spoke in an affected theatrical tone—clearly needling me on purpose. Cesare watched him with disgust before turning to me with a question.
“Master, when will the Spirit Demon Crystal Polishing be finished? We need it soon.”
“It will take some time. I can’t lend you mine as a substitute either.”
“Of course not. I’ll be keeping watch over it.”
At those words, Gai approached Cesare. His expression turned devilishly charming.
“Then shall I sleep in Cesare’s room? Ah, brother, I’m going bald!”
“Say ‘brother’ one more time and I’ll actually rip them all out.”
Cesare grabbed a fistful of Gai’s hair and shook him before letting go. His irritation was plain to see.
“We need to find Kihano first. We have to confirm whether this bastard is lying.”
Kihano—the Holy Knight we’d met at the Dogfighting Arena possessed the ability to detect lies.
“Since we don’t know where he is, it won’t be easy right now.”
He’d said he was leaving to train, after all. Bella, who’d been observing the situation from the sofa, spoke up.
“I’ve already sent word to the informants to investigate Kihano. They’ll do better than we would.”
Diar had vanished, but we still had Bella. Cesare clicked his tongue with regret.
“Well, there’s nothing for it. We don’t even know where he went…. Master, so what do we do now?”
“There’s plenty to do.”
Cesare looked thoroughly confused. Arkel, who’d been leaning against the window frame, spoke.
“We need to discover how you were resurrected, Master.”
“Yes. That’s one of our objectives.”
We had to save Hayden. There had to be a way somewhere. Jenia tilted her head.
“But where would we find out? Ask the Necromancer? Though Gai doesn’t know either. Is Gai just stupid?”
“Miss Jenia, that’s a bit much.”
Gai poked her cheeks gently while responding.
“If it’s possible to revive someone as a complete human—not as an undead—then that wouldn’t be a Necromancer. That would be a savior, wouldn’t it?”
He had a point. Being fully resurrected as a being with flowing blood in his veins was supposed to be impossible.
And yet that impossibility had happened to me. A miracle no Necromancer could achieve or even comprehend.
“The Magic Tower or the Grand Library would be the only places to learn the truth.”
“What’s the Grand Library?”
“A place that preserves all the knowledge in the world.”
Even I knew of it only by rumor; I’d never been there myself. As the repository of all knowledge, even its location was kept hidden.
Bella let out a sigh.
“That so? But how would we even get there?”
“An organization of the highest rank could obtain permission.”
The very highest rank—Holy Jade. Even the Balanus of old had never reached that position.
In my lifetime, there were fewer than five Holy Jade organizations in existence. Arkel fell silent, chin in hand, lost in thought.
“Is there no other way?”
“Using connections is another path, though we’d still need to grow stronger.”
I looked down at the sword hanging at my waist.
“We’ll need to be strong enough to face the Guardians. If we save Hayden only to be slaughtered, there’s no point.”
No one spoke. Not Jenia, not Cesare, not Arkel. Normally someone would have said something.
Only Bella quietly fidgeted with her gun. I caught sight of her hands, then looked away.
Only Gai listened as if it were someone else’s problem—though in truth, it was. He clapped his hands lightly.
“Well, either way we need to get stronger or more famous, right? That’s simple enough~”
Cesare’s mouth twisted, but he didn’t argue against Gai’s words. Only Jenia nodded in agreement.
“So we just need to get stronger. Then let’s go to the Dungeon right now.”
“I have something to attend to today, so that won’t work. Something’s come up suddenly.”
Arkel looked at me with confusion.
“Where are you going? Master, this is the first time I’ve seen you make an appointment. As I understood it, you had no acquaintances….”
“I’m entitled to a private life.”
“You don’t have any acquaintances though, do you?”
He was undermining my authority as a master. I pulled out the Letter Envelope I’d received from the Management Bureau.
“When an organization reaches Silver Rank or above, its leader receives an invitation to a Gathering.”
“Wow, what kind of Gathering?”
“A gathering where I’ll be conversing with nobility. And wouldn’t you know it—today’s the day.”
From Silver Rank onward, even the nobility takes notice. With such good patrons, there was no harm in building connections.
At my words, Bella quietly looked me over from head to toe. I was dressed as usual—in a rough, utilitarian shirt.
“If it’s a noble gathering, you’ll need to dress properly. Do you have anything suitable?”
“I did, but it got torn up, so I discarded it.”
When Bella fired that shot at my leg, my clothes had been shredded beyond repair. The color drained from her face.
“No, wait. Let me buy you one. Actually, I should. Please, let me get you something. Let’s go to the tailor’s right now. Please.”
“It’s fine. I’m in a hurry anyway, and besides—I have something else I can wear.”
I helped Bella to her feet and glanced toward Hayden. My students’ eyes followed mine. Hayden spoke, looking flustered.
“This is something I just bought today?”
“Perfect, then.”
I examined him quietly from top to bottom. It was elegant clothing, with an air of genuine refinement about it.
“You agreed to cooperate with Balanus, didn’t you?”

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