“Call from Sinclair Tower?”
“Yes, I apologize. I didn’t intend for this to happen either, but…”
“No, it’s unavoidable.”
Lennok calmly replied, holding his phone.
“Considering the current situation with Aris, it’s probably best to attend to personal matters now.”
“…You were aware, weren’t you?”
“Keeping an eye on her once a week, it was difficult to feign ignorance.”
…
Aris, too, appeared embarrassed and remained silent for a moment.
It wasn’t surprising. The fact that she was on the brink of a profound personal transformation wasn’t particularly unusual.
Instead of encountering interference from the tower just before reaching the realm of domain at the end of the hierarchy, it would be wiser to address the troublesome issues now.
Once she reached the realm of domain, the tower would no longer possess significant means to interfere with her.
Even in a tower with a long-standing tradition and history, the presence of a pure-blooded wizard who had completed the hierarchy was exceedingly rare. Hence, it wouldn’t be unusual for her to be treated on par with the tower’s elders.
“Don’t worry and go ahead,” Lennok replied.
“I’ll have plenty to attend to for a while as well.”
As usual, after inquiring about each other’s well-being and ending the phone call, a loud commotion erupted behind Lennok.
Clang! Clang!
Boom! Bang! Bang!!
The noise persisted relentlessly.
However, Lennok’s countenance displayed not annoyance but an indescribable sense of pride.
“It’s finally time to move.”
Days when he scarcely had time to sleep at home, let alone contemplate moving.
Documents from alchemy and various magic research accumulated day by day.
The makeshift laboratory he had established in his room had become so cramped it seemed on the verge of bursting, indicating the need for a new space – whether that was fortunate or not.
After enduring countless long and arduous days, Lennok was finally relocating to a new office in the 30th district.
A place not far from his previous apartment but offering more space and personal room.
It came at a higher cost than before, but that was no longer a significant concern for Lennok.
[Now I can finally have my own place.]
Davi, perched on his shoulder, spoke with a proud expression, to which Lennok chuckled.
“Sorry, but I can’t build a special toadstool house just for a digital spirit. If you chew through the electricity here, you’ll be banned from the outside world for a month.”
Lennok uttered it with a tone of absurdity, but Davi often snuck into the toadstool while Lennok slept to siphon electricity.
[If Master pays a little more attention, it’s not impossible, right? Why not provide a useful power source while setting up the lab?]
Feeling a sense of foreboding about Davi’s words, Lennok quickly inquired,
“…You’re not planning to target my magic core, are you?”
[…]
Rather than offering a direct response, Davi turned its head slightly.
Lennok nodded.
“Very well. But forget about accessing the Compassion of Archangel for a while.”
[…!!!]
Lennok had no intention of supplying Davi with the artifacts it needed, as he had done in the past.
While he might employ it as a battle assistant under his control, it didn’t make sense to endure item losses for uncertain growth.
Lennok cradled the struggling Davi in his arms and greeted the moving company staff with a smile.
“You’ve done a great job.”
“Hoo… All the moved items have been transported, so the rest can be sorted out by the homeowner.”
The staff member handed him a tablet.
“Just sign here, and we’re finished.”
“Understood.”
Lennok casually signed with Evan’s name and watched as the staff members departed in their truck. In the distance, he overheard their murmurs.
“Why is he carrying so many papers?”
“Perhaps he’s an archaeologist or something. Those types prefer analog storage over digital.”
“Quite old-fashioned.”
“…”
With the furniture now in place, it was time to start organizing.
When he first arrived in this city, all he possessed was a handgun and worn-out clothing. Now, he had accumulated enough possessions to necessitate the services of a moving company.
Had his life, which had once felt devoid of leisure, unwittingly settled into a routine?
A strange sensation, unnoticed during online shopping, struck him only after the move – it was no illusion.
He unwrapped the packaging of the furniture and organized the tape.
After sealing the ventilated windows and arranging the cords and outlets, Lennok was drenched in sweat.
“Hoo, hoo…”
With a mixed expression, Lennok took a drag from a cigarette while Davi gazed up at him with an indescribable expression.
Given his poor physical condition, even cleaning and organizing the house posed a challenge.
Upon completing the manual labor, Lennok used magic to effortlessly eliminate the remaining dust and debris.
After concluding the tedious organization, he was about to head to the new shower with a towel when suddenly, a loud noise reverberated from the ceiling.
Thump! Thump! Thump!!
“…?”
Lennok tilted his head and then returned to the shower, but the noise persisted.
Thump! Thump!
“…It can’t be.”
He hadn’t anticipated experiencing noise from upstairs neighbors on the very day he moved in, but Lennok simply shrugged and continued with his shower.
Setting up the necessary protective barriers and spells within the house would only take a day.
Adding a soundproofing barrier to block the noise was a trivial matter for Lennok.
It appeared he had rather inconsiderate neighbors above, but considering his plans to establish a much larger laboratory space, he remained unperturbed.
The following morning, Lennok was awakened once more by the cacophonous sounds from above.
“……”
Rubbing his tousled hair with a blank expression, Lennok turned to Davi.
“Has it been like this all night?”
[Most likely.]
“Hmm, that’s not a good sign……”
Lennok crossed his arms and contemplated.
If it were just sporadic noise, Lennok could simply erect a soundproof barrier and disregard it. However, noise persisting throughout the night suggested that it wasn’t merely an ordinary individual with psychological issues.
Even if Lennok could endure it, there was a high probability that other neighbors couldn’t.
Troubles stemming from noise complaints were all too common.
For Lennok, who needed to maintain a quiet and unobtrusive presence at his residence, this was not an issue he could dismiss.
“I should have done more research before purchasing this house……”
His previous apartment had not experienced such problems, and in the studio he inhabited before that, he had little concern for any disturbances that arose.
In those days, he could resort to brute force to resolve issues, but that would prove challenging here.
Considering this, Lennok rose from his bed.
[Surely, there must be some way to address this, right?]
“It doesn’t have to be resolved through force.”
There were several options he could consider once he confirmed whether the other person was indeed an unwitting psychopath.
“If I show them what a haunted house is like, maybe they’ll decide to move out voluntarily.”
[…That’s a rather frightening idea.]
“Let’s go upstairs and find out.”
Just as Lennok was about to grasp the front door handle, a cheerful doorbell chimed.
Ding-dong.
-Excuse me. I live in the apartment above.
“Huh?”
Lennok and Davi exchanged glances.
[…So they’re not entirely devoid of conscience.]
“If they came down to apologize first, then…”
[Perhaps they’re not here to apologize?]
-I came to apologize for what happened last night.
As if eavesdropping on the conversation behind the door, the neighbor’s prompt response left Davi somewhat disgruntled.
[…That’s fortunate.]
“Let’s accept the apology and send them back. We just need to set up a soundproof barrier on our end.”
The most crucial thing was to prevent any unwanted attention from being drawn to Lennok’s residence due to neighborhood disturbances.
For Lennok, who intended to transform this space into a laboratory, tranquility was a vital consideration.
Just as he was about to open the door, the person outside muttered once more.
-Is there no one inside?
Lennok’s expression stiffened.
‘Wait, this voice…!’
It was a familiar voice of an acquaintance, and he wondered why he hadn’t recognized it sooner.
Even though he quickly grasped who was on the other side of the door, his body didn’t stop.
His hand, already on the doorknob, instinctively turned it, unlocking and opening the door.
[Face Off]
Lennok made a dramatic change to his facial expression and magical pattern at the last moment.
“Ah, you’re here. Nice to meet you. I live upstairs.”
With neatly trimmed black hair reaching her shoulders and distinctive green eyes not commonly found in the area, she maintained the same well-kept appearance as always.
The lead agent, a high-ranking archer known as Missile.
Evelyn Marcia gazed down at Lennok with an expressionless countenance.
“……”
How could such a coincidence occur?
Of all people, the neighbor in the apartment directly above his new house turned out to be Evelyn.
Should he have conducted a more thorough investigation of the nearby residents before moving in?
Inadvertently, Lennok raised a hand to ensure that his disguise magic was functioning correctly.
It had been a while, and he had momentarily forgotten, but she possessed the ability not only to perceive the mana of others but also their patterns.
If he intended to conceal his identity from her, he couldn’t afford to be careless for even a moment.
“Ni, nice to meet you.”
“I think I was rude last night, so I wanted to apologize. Here’s a gift.”
Evelyn handed over a bundle of vegetables she had concealed behind her back directly into Lennok’s arms.
“……”
Unable to say anything and holding a variety of vegetables, Lennok nodded his head as she continued speaking.
“I’m planning to move soon, so I’ve been organizing my belongings. I got too engrossed in my work last night and didn’t pay attention to the noise. I apologize.”
“No… It’s alright. These things happen.”
“By the way, are you a wizard?”
“……”
As Lennok nervously swallowed, Evelyn appeared slightly embarrassed.
“No, it’s nothing serious, just felt like I’ve seen you somewhere… Never mind.”
She probably still remembered the magical pattern Lennok had displayed just before he opened the door. Even after nearly two years since they had met at a vegetable market, with Lennok in his original appearance, she still retained his magical pattern in her memory.
Dealing with someone as meticulous as her left him with no choice but to deny everything.
“I’m not quite sure what you mean. Perhaps you’re mistaking me for someone else… Did you come down here for another reason?”
Suspecting that she had come to apologize because she thought she recognized him, Lennok gently deflected the conversation with a smile. Evelyn also stepped back, appearing somewhat flustered.
“……No, that’s really not it. I’m truly sorry. I don’t believe it will happen again before I move.”
“Alright.”
“Thank you for understanding. Then…”
Click.
Whirr!!
As soon as the door closed, Lennok swiftly cast a soundproofing spell and erected a barrier to prevent mana detection.
Only after he confirmed that Evelyn’s footsteps had faded away up the stairs did Lennok finally breathe a sigh of relief.
“Hoo…”
[That was a close call.]
“I was completely caught off guard. In fact, I didn’t even realize it until I was about to open the door.”
[Did Evelyn Marcia manage to evade your magical detection?]
“No, it’s more like… her magical pattern is not easily discernible. It’s no different from before.”
Lennok’s eyes narrowed as he leaned against the wall.
While it was possible to distinguish her magical pattern if they met face-to-face using magic, otherwise, it wasn’t readily visible. If Lennok felt this way, it was likely that others wouldn’t even notice her magical pattern.
“The ability to perceive others’ magical patterns while concealing her own… That’s intriguing.”
Lennok stood up, grinding his teeth slightly.
“For now, I’ll put my serious research on hold until Evelyn moves out. With someone so sensitive to magic living above, no matter how carefully I modify the lab, she might sense something suspicious.”
[So, you’re retreating.]
“……”
Lennok wordlessly grabbed Davi by the tail and lifted it up.
[My apologies!]
Davi struggled, but Lennok was unyielding.
“I should have inquired about when she plans to move. Of all the agents…”
Even though he had interacted with Evelyn frequently during the Cartel incident, Lennok never forgot how formidable she was.
She had confronted the formidable Croken Asilus and was a skilled archer capable of capturing targets from buildings away, all on her own.
While it was uncertain how far she had advanced, she might possess something akin to the ‘Microcosmos’ that Antares had mentioned.
Judging by her demonstrated abilities, she was a formidable individual, not inferior to Lennok.
He had no intention of recklessly exposing himself to such a powerful neighbor.
If Evelyn hadn’t mentioned moving soon, Lennok would have started searching for a new place himself.
[Without a lab, how will you continue your research?]
As Davi dangled by its tail, Lennok leafed through research books with his free hand.
“I’ve recorded the mana flow of the Mystic Eye that Eolara pawned. I’ll interpret it to make modifications without straining my body. Evelyn won’t easily detect this.”
[Impressive.]
“If I can project the magic flow onto the retina instead of engraving it directly into the eye, I can significantly reduce the side effects of mana poisoning. This would allow me to use the Mystic Eye in battle without suffering adverse effects.”
[Can you please put me down now?]
Lennok should also renew his Pilates membership, which he had suspended just before traveling to the autonomous region.
He wasn’t sure if Lancia, the studio owner, still remembered him, but Lennok was satisfied with her expertise.
Even though it didn’t completely resolve his issues, it helped regulate his erratic condition.
Working on his muscles and core to bring stability to his frail body was a significant step for Lennok.
“There’s a lot to be done. I’ll modify the lab and address pending tasks before Evelyn moves. And I’ll find a suitable opportunity to determine when she plans to move.”
[Is all this planning really necessary for that?]
“Davi.”
Lennok tightened his grip on Davi’s tail.
“Do you genuinely have no use for a toadstool house?”
[I’m analyzing Evelyn Marcia’s behavioral patterns. I should be able to predict her movements within about three days.]
“Excellent.”
He would maintain his distance and carefully monitor her schedule.
This wasn’t merely a place of residence for Lennok; it was his home where he needed to rest and concentrate on research.
Even if the person was a long-time acquaintance, utmost caution was essential.
However, all of Lennok and Davi’s efforts were in vain by the next day.
The following morning, Evelyn Marcia paid a visit to Jenny’s bar.
(To be Continued)
