Chapter 58

A master was a realm that could only be reached after years of patience through apprenticeship.

Recognition for equipment crafting also began from the title of ‘Master’.

But then.

“Above that……”

“Grandmaster.”

A hollow laugh escaped.

“Hey, don’t mess with me.”

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

The bespectacled customer stared blankly at the displayed equipment.

Black rings, necklaces, bracelets.

The mere fact that titanium was used proved the maker was highly skilled.

“All of these here are grandmaster-level products. No sane person would sell them at this price……”

Upon closer inspection, the creator’s name was marked only with the initial ‘V’.

“V……?”

……Ah, so that’s it.

I found the closest possible answer.

“Looks like one of the workshop professors hid a surprise event.”

Yes.

If it were a young and promising assistant professor of the workshop, the quality was plenty believable.

It wasn’t just the bespectacled customer.

A few appraisers, each with expertise of their own, stared at the equipment with eyes nearly popping out.

They all reached the same conclusion.

These were not things a mere student could make.

In other words, it was clear one of the professors from the workshop department was playing a trick.

Customers with some money to spare immediately pulled out their wallets.

“Hmmm……. Is that so?”

Even among them, a few lower-ranked noble cadets showed interest.

They pulled out their wallets without hesitation.

There was no need to call an owner.

In the center of the table, a circular magic circle was faintly glowing.

「Please process payments on your own.」

Along with the note, a magical finance-based pay system had been set up.

Lapin and the Sea Otter drew in customers by performing tricks.

Meanwhile, equipment at the booth in the back was quietly being sold out.

“What’s that smell?”

As the customers watched the Sea Otter’s tricks, they suddenly noticed a fragrance stimulating their noses.

Savory yet sweet……

The smell of freshly baked cheesecake.

Following the scent, their eyes turned toward a small booth next to V’s Equipment Shop.

The sign read ‘V’s Cafeteria’.

Was it a café booth?

Thanks to that, a few customers’ attention was briefly captured.

Karin, not wanting to miss the moment, mustered courage and shouted.

“……Welcome!”

Karin had never raised her voice to a crowd before.

As eyes turned toward her, embarrassment flushed her face red……

“We have special drinks and cakes here! They’re really delicious, so please try them!”

To shake off her shyness, she shut her eyes tight and shouted desperately.

That uneasy sight only made her seem cuter.

It was enough to attract great interest from some customers.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“I had lunch, but I’m craving coffee and cake for dessert.”

“Well, since it’s right there, let’s go.”

Customers began gathering at the cafeteria one by one.

At the booth’s counter, Rupina was standing guard.

“Welcome to V’s Cafeteria!”

Rupina exhaled a short sigh and flashed a bright business smile.

……Just as Villed had instructed.

All preparations were complete.

Whatever gave him the confidence, Villed had ordered her to bake a huge batch of cakes starting at 1 o’clock.

Even if no customers came, Rupina had baked them in large quantities as ordered.

After all, even if business failed, she still received her base pay, so she had nothing to lose.

That was the only reason she followed his instructions……

Whatever the case, she focused on the present.

“Today’s recommendations are blueberry smoothies and cheesecake!”

Karin and Rupina began running the business busily.

Perhaps because the booth was set up in a park.

There were plenty of tables for people to sit and rest.

The concert hall was nearby too, and the stage was high.

Sitting here to watch Miss MacGrimm’s concert wasn’t a bad option.

“Here’s your cheesecake and blueberry smoothie!”

When Karin placed them on the table, the savory aroma grew even stronger.

Visually, they passed the test.

Now, how about the most important part—the ‘taste’?

The customer cut a piece with a fork and put it in their mouth.

“……Mmm!”

The customer’s eyes flew open wide.

It looked as though light burst forth from their pupils.

“Th-th…….”

“Th?”

“This is cake blessed by the gods!”

“The smoothie is incredibly sweet and tangy too!”

Exclamations burst forth.

Watching them, other customers swallowed their saliva.

“Isn’t that an exaggeration? No matter how good cake is, how good could it really be?”

One customer was skeptical of the overreaction.

“It’s god-blessed cake!”

But after taking a bite, they too couldn’t help but praise it just the same.

In an instant, rumors spread throughout the area.

God-blessed desserts.

Being sold right at the booth in front of Miss MacGrimm’s concert hall.

After serving countless customers, Karin finally took a brief breath.

Seeing the long line that had formed, she fell into thought.

‘Just a little while ago, I never imagined customers would come.’

From what she heard, the concert of the famous singer Miss MacGrimm had been relocated to this area.

Because of that, crowds shifted.

Combined with the sudden designation of this area as a festival venue……

The abandoned concert hall had transformed into the perfect hotspot.

‘……Did Villed even foresee this?’

Did he have some ability to see the future?

The thought crossed her mind, but……

“Karin, I’ve got more cake and smoothies ready!”

“Yes, sis!”

Karin had no time to dwell on such questions.

Balancing plates and cups on a serving board, she hurried toward a table.

Customers sitting there alternated glances between the two booths’ signs.

They noticed a common factor.

“Both places have ‘V’ written on them, huh?”

Just who—or what—was this V?

A person? Or an organization?

Doubt began to glimmer in some customers’ eyes.

‘There are more people than I expected.’

Wearing a festival mask shaped like a horse’s head, I walked among the crowd.

Nobles of higher rank attended the victory festival held in the imperial capital, not here at Yggdrasil.

‘I don’t belong in that place anyway.’

It was better to wear a mask than to draw unnecessary attention.

Of course, the gazes around me were a problem, but it was also to hide my own eyes.

As I passed by people, I looked at their necks and eyes one by one.

‘It’s about time to find one.’

Among this massive crowd……

There was a ‘living corpse’.

At first glance, it might sound like a zombie.

‘But in this case, calling it a zombie feels ambiguous.’

Simply put, it was a corpse under mind control.

If they looked dazed like zombies or expressionless, it would be easy to identify……

‘But they’re no different from ordinary people.’

On the surface, they looked alive.

Not only did their expressions vary, but they even acted like people, channeling mana into their bodies or pretending to breathe.

‘Still, thankfully, if I look closely enough, I can distinguish them.’

On their necks, a certain ‘black pattern’ was engraved.

And their pupils were unfocused.

These corpses were minions released by the hidden mastermind of this episode.

‘If left alone, who knows what might happen.’

If I didn’t eliminate them in advance, I’d face serious trouble when confronting the episode’s final boss.

Even in the game, removing the corpses beforehand greatly reduced the difficulty.

‘It’s not like I can trust the protagonist anyway.’

After the Rekorox incident, I gave up on leaving the future solely in Ren’s hands.

In the end, the only one I could trust was myself.

‘Finally found one.’

The long search paid off.

I spotted a man.

On his neck, I caught sight of a snake-shaped mark.

‘And his pupils are clearly unfocused too.’

He was definitely my target, but I only followed him.

These corpses blended among the crowd, pretending to be people.

If I drew my sword against one, I’d look like a criminal attacking an innocent person.

……So I waited.

The chance to strike would surely come.

These corpses moved using mana as fuel.

‘And when fuel runs out, they have to head to the gas station.’

Their master had set up mana storage devices throughout the academy.

The corpses turned toward them to replenish their drained mana.

That was when I could ambush and assassinate them.

‘Finally leaving now.’

After some time, the expected movement appeared.

He slipped out of the crowd and changed course toward an empty corner.

I followed from a distance.

A narrow passageway between buildings.

It was a conveniently quiet place.

I could have struck right then……

But I didn’t.

‘This is my chance to discover their gas station.’

There were about a hundred walking corpses.

Finding them all among the massive crowd was nearly impossible.

So…… I would infiltrate the place they gathered, then eliminate them as they came to recharge their mana.

There was still some time before the ‘incident’ began.

I had to remove as many as possible before then.

At the corner of the passage, the man arrived.

I confirmed a wall marked with a massive magic circle.

‘If someone saw them outside, it’d be a problem, but hiding in such a secluded spot only works in my favor.’

I removed the festival mask and grabbed a card in midair.

The Mask of Darkness consumed my face.

Behind the second concert hall, a massive container truck was parked.

“There’s MacGrimm’s truck. It’s way bigger than in the videos.”

“Didn’t they say it’s armored and magic-proof?”

“Apparently it can smash through castle gates too.”

“What the hell’s inside to need something that big?”

People glanced at the truck and left with admiration.

Inside the truck’s container was a spacious dressing room.

On the sofa placed there, someone sat with arms crossed.

Long pink hair with a faint bluish sheen.

Flawless skin like white jade.

Good looks, around mid-to-late teens.

Identical to the MacGrimm from the posters.

But.

“Hey, manager.”

The MacGrimm in the posters showed a relaxed smile, full of hope……

The MacGrimm outside the posters was different.

“Yes, Miss MacGrimm.”

The old man called the manager bowed politely.

With his head lowered, he cautiously squinted his eyes open.

Today’s Miss MacGrimm was indeed……

Ah, dear.

They were screwed.

“You’re telling me to perform in a place like that?”

She crumpled the photo of the newly assigned second concert hall as she replied.

MacGrimm was an idol singer with the concept of hope and vibrance.

But now…… her face was filled with rage.

It was truly an explosive situation.

The manager carefully opened his mouth.

“Yes, is the concert hall not to your liking?”

“Not to my liking? Do you even need to ask?”

MacGrimm spoke with an exasperated expression.

“Ha, unbelievable. You expect me to perform in such a dump? I’m MacGrimm! The MacGrimm who won the Rookie Singer Grand Prize last year!”

She was a rising star just now gaining popularity.

She expected only beautiful and glamorous venues in the future……

But this place was no different from the shabby stages she performed at during her debut.

Unwanted memories of her dark past crossed her mind.

Her anger boiled over.

“Ugh, whatever! Just hold it at the original concert hall!”

The manager wiped sweat with a handkerchief and tried to gently persuade her.

“Yes, Miss MacGrimm. Very unfortunately, the academy had some circumstances……”

“Wow, so everything was fine during rehearsal yesterday, and then suddenly a problem appears right before the performance?”

She feigned exaggerated surprise.

“Just that one issue, and it shows the so-called world’s best academy isn’t much at all.”

MacGrimm sneered with a sly smile.

“Ugh, I’m done. No. I don’t want to. I’m not doing it.”

Then she snapped her fingers.

Her body turned translucent, and tiny wings sprouted on her back.

MacGrimm opened the door and flew away.

The manager was aghast.

“Miss MacGrimm! Where are you going!”

“Ah! I said I’m not doing it!”

And with that, she flew off.

Just when it seemed she’d started behaving lately, her tantrums had flared up again.

The manager sighed and hurried after MacGrimm.

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