Chapter 67: The Regressor Does It All

Saturday night.

The bustling areas of each district, welcoming the weekend, were as crowded with people as always, but the ratio was a bit different today.

"When will it start?"

"It should start soon, right?"

At the foot of a hill in the Borshifa departmental district.

The crowd gathered behind the barricades, each finding a spot to look up at the dark hill.

It was as if a festival was about to begin. As the strange excitement grew with time,

Piiing—

Seven fireworks shot up from the hill with a faint sound.

The faint fireworks, which seemed about to disappear into the night sky, rose high and converged into a single point.

And at the moment a massive surge of mana erupted from within,

Pewww!

Colorful fireworks began to light up the sky.

"Here they come!"

"Quick, take a picture!"

Those who realized the awaited event had begun cheered, and the fireworks continued to explode in response.

Pewpewpew!

The fireworks that followed the first explosion naturally erased the stars in the night sky, sparkling brilliantly.

The chain explosion fireworks, which had been bid for and won after fierce competition by the Enchanting Department, and the items created with great effort by professors, teaching assistants, and cadets, were bursting in the sky one after another.

"The fireworks are incredibly beautiful..."

"How can the mana burst so vividly? It's just insane..."

"How long will they keep going?"

The dazzling fireworks visible to everyone, the form of mana visible only to the skilled, and the terrifying amount of money visible to those who knew the cost!

No matter the reason, everyone was captivated by the fireworks and couldn't take their eyes off them. Before long, the end approached.

Whiiik

The fireworks, losing their strength, began to sink downward. Just as people felt regretful that it was already over,

Paaat!

Thousands of lights shot from the hill, illuminating the sky.

Wooom!

The scattered remains of the fireworks mixed with the lights and moved across the night sky like living creatures.

People, who had been mesmerized by the scene, naturally turned their gaze to the building revealed on the hill along with the lights.

"That's Shangri-La."

"The building is really impressive..."

The new white mansion, shining like a star under thousands of lights.

Shangri-La, the landmark of Borshifa and the venue for various events in Babel.

The building, known as the most luxurious banquet hall in the world, had finally revealed itself.

"The first exchange event of the year is really something. How much have they already spent?"

"The third-year students organizing it are really something. Plus, the freshmen this year are of high caliber, so they must have received proper investment."

"I wish I had been invited too..."

Unlike the general public who enjoyed it straightforwardly, envy, jealousy, and admiration were directed at Shangri-La among Babel's cadets.

The banquet organized by those at the top of Babel and the hero industry. The start of the Noblesse Exchange was announced throughout Babel.

"..."

In the limousine, Iseun looked up at the scene with a bewildered expression.

To hold such a grand pre-event for a casual gathering of cadets. He couldn't even fathom how much money must have been wasted.

'I can't even imagine what they've done inside.'

At this level, they must have brought all sorts of expensive items to show off and turned it into an exhibition. As Iseun thought this,

"How is it?"

Erika, sitting opposite him, asked calmly.

Erika, dressed in a neat black dress to match the dress code.

Perhaps due to her attire, she seemed more mature and imposing than usual. Iseun asked back,

"What about what?"

"The pre-event just now. How was it?"

It was unclear whether she was just curious or asking as an organizer. Iseun answered honestly,

"It's impressive."

"Really?"

"Really."

Iseun nodded without hesitation and looked outside.

"What kind of crazy people would think of spending money so creatively? The idea is impressive, and the execution is impressive too."

To put on such a grand event just to show off their power. It was only possible because they were not bound by money, their mindset was truly different.

"I wish you could sponsor me a bit. If I just make up a good story, they'd probably throw money at me."

Iseun thought it might be worth a try, but as he pondered, Erika, who had been watching quietly, spoke.

"Us."

"Hmm?"

"This year's pre-event planning. Our family took charge of it."

"..."

An awkward silence filled the limousine. Erika, who had been staring at Iseun, asked calmly,

"Would you sponsor it?"

"..." No. It's fine."

Iseun thought it wouldn't be wise to talk about money in front of Erika. As the limousine smoothly ascended the hill and arrived at the main entrance of Shangri-La,

Click

Iseun got out of the limousine through the door opened by the staff and looked at the mansion before him.

The large mansion, shining white under the lights from all directions.

From a distance, it looked just white, but up close, it had a faint iridescent glow.

'Without even activating it, it's this impressive... I doubt even a decent air-raid shelter could stand up to it.'

Perhaps it was designed to welcome VIPs and high-ranking officials from outside. As Iseun and Erika approached the entrance, the staff waiting there naturally approached and bowed.

"Welcome, Miss Erika. May I check the invitation of your companion?"

"Sure."

Erika nodded, and Iseun handed over the invitation he had prepared.

The staff member scanned it lightly with mana to check for forgery and nodded, stepping aside.

"Welcome to the Noblesse Exchange. I hope you have a pleasant time."

With the staff's greetings, the front door opened smoothly, revealing a round central hall illuminated by chandeliers and a grand, elaborately decorated door.

'That's the exchange hall.'

As Iseun observed this and stepped inside,

Whoosh—

An endless corridor appeared before him.

* * *

Every group has some tradition, and the Noblesse Exchange also had a rite of passage called the 'maze'.

Using the spatial magic hung in Shangri-La's mansion, it creates an endless corridor to wander through.

At first glance, it might seem like a meaningless prank, but there is a practical reason behind it.

[What, what? Where did everyone go?]

[This is...]

Some were bewildered, looking around, while others quickly assessed the situation and moved to break the spatial magic.

The members of the exchange watched the scene on a floating screen and shared their opinions.

"Hmm. This one is a bit clumsy, but he has a good sense. He might be worth investing in."

"That one is quick to notice but lacks talent. I think I set my expectations too high."

A process of re-evaluating the talents and abilities of the promising students they had been watching. In other words, a process of assessing the value of the invited cadets.

"Hey, this one looks good."

"Let me see."

Those desperate for talent busily manipulated the panels to examine the students, while others watched for entertainment, deliberately picking out the worst students.

In this varied scene, a young man with a sturdy appearance and neatly combed blonde hair, Bier Barumut, sat quietly.

"..."

Unlike the others who were examining the students, Bier didn't touch the panel. A large young man sitting next to him asked cautiously,

"Sir... Bier, shouldn't you at least take a look at the others...?"

"Shut up."

"Yes, sir."

Carter Douglas, a second-year top student in the Refining Department, quickly closed his mouth, knowing better than anyone else that any unnecessary words here could harm him.

"Hans."

"Yes, yes! Sir."

"Is Iseun's participation certain?"

Hans, tense, answered Bier's question.

"Probably. He only restrained his mana use during class, but he didn't seem to be in poor condition..."

"I asked if his participation is certain."

"Th-that's..."

Hans broke out in a cold sweat under Bier's indifferent gaze.

'Why am I in trouble...'

He rarely talked to others during class and had recently submitted all his assignments early, making it hard to see him.

How could he be certain about whether Iseun would attend the exchange?

'Really despicable and dirty...'

They had never been on good terms, competing for the position of successor, but after losing the top student position and being eliminated from the successor competition, he was almost treated like a servant.

Despite the bitterness of his situation, Hans couldn't say a word. The Barumut family was inherently that way.

"So..."

"Ah, Bier, sir. He's here!"

Just as Hans was trying to come up with an excuse, Carter, who had been scrutinizing the panel, quickly brought up a screen.

A young man with a sharp appearance, dressed in a black suit, appeared in a red corridor. His presence was more like a hitman than a student, and the surrounding people were impressed.

"I bet he's killed before."

"Is he really a blacksmith?"

"Sure enough, he's the top student. His aura is different."

Others who had been examining different students also switched to this screen, and soon everyone in the room was watching the same person.

It was clear who the star of this exchange would be.

In this situation, Bier quietly watched the young man, Iseun, on the screen.

[Hmm...]

Iseun, who appeared on the screen, carefully examined the corridor. Instead of being surprised, he seemed to be looking around as if he had been waiting for this, which puzzled everyone.

"Why is he so relaxed?"

"Maybe he heard about it beforehand?"

"That's possible."

Although the maze was supposed to be a secret, the exchange's atmosphere was a bit lax, and sometimes organizers would give hints to make their recruited students stand out.

Iseun, who had received an invitation from the Inoue family, the most influential in the Noblesse Exchange, might have been given a hint, but there was something strange about his demeanor.

'Those who get hints usually show it... There's something different.'

'He seems more familiar than just knowing about it.'

Unlike other students who were eager to show off their skills, Iseun was calm and indifferent.

Despite this, everyone was focused on him. Then,

Thump thump

Iseun suddenly started knocking on the wall.

[Here... Hmm. No, not here...]

Iseun carefully examined the wall and knocked on it, as if searching for a hidden entrance.

The room, which had been noisy, fell silent, and soon a sound of air escaping echoed from various places.

"What? It's a complete dead end."

"I thought he would show something impressive... Ah, that's how it is."

The maze could be easily broken by understanding the spatial magic and injecting a little mana into the gaps. The fact that he was only knocking on the wall suggested either a dull sense or a problem with using mana.

"Since he showed excellent senses before, he must have been injured."

"I was curious about his skills, but this doesn't show anything."

One by one, people turned away from the screen, and only those who mocked his wandering remained.

"..."

Bier, who had been silently watching the screen, caught the attention of Hans and Carter. Then, Bier's tightly closed mouth opened.

"It's over."

His actions seemed meaningful, but to Bier, they were meaningless.

Bier's eyes narrowed as he watched Iseun persistently knocking on the wall.

'Is his injury worse than I thought? If so, he doesn't need to use risky methods. He can simply use the help of the Dawn...'

As Bier reviewed his plan in his mind,

Click

An unusual sound came from the screen. Bier looked back at the screen to see an empty corridor.

"..."

The screen, which should not disappear as long as the maze was active, and the maze, which should immediately deactivate when a student escapes, made it technically impossible to show an empty corridor.

"What? Iseun is gone?"

"Did he use a concealment spell?"

"Why would he suddenly use it? And he's a blacksmith."

The room became noisy with the sudden situation, and those who had turned away from the screen also looked back at the empty corridor.

But Iseun's figure did not reappear, and Bier, who had been watching the screen, suddenly stood up.

"Bier, sir?"

"I'm going to the corridor. Follow me."

He needed to see it with his