Chapter 548 - Hidden Ruins In Runera
Julia stared at the wall of runic pictures and the man standing in front of it. There was no need for her to tell him which picture belonged where, and he did it alone in a few minutes.
The pictures were not labeled, yet he managed to recreate the seal without her help. As he stared at the images while leaning back on the chair, she could tell that he saw something that shook his core.
"What is it that you see, Alexie?" she asked while walking closer to him, standing beside him. "I will reward you handsomely, so tell me."
However, the man did not answer and moved away from her toward the pictures. His hand reached out toward them, and his fingers traced the runic lines.
"I need to go there."
This was his sole declaration, and Julia's eyes widened. A few days ago, she tried to seduce him into helping her, but the moment he saw the seal, he wanted to go there himself.
"As a junior researcher in Jerano, you can join the next exploration. First, however, there is an application process. Even if your affinity was high, the knowledge required to be selected is not to be underestimated."
"And the greatest runemaster has a way to get me there," turned around Alexie with a knowing smile. "I am amused that it took you less than three minutes to forget the favor I'm doing you."
"I did not," she replied while adjusting her glasses. "However, I need to stake my name on the line for your admission. This means you have to become my full-time assistant."
"How about you ask Oriole?"
"Professor Yuvan has already assigned him, and you were there," said Julia with a frown. His face did not show that he remembered it, which made her doubt whether he could be her assistant.
However, she still remembers saving her when the two encountered the invaders. The tricks he used for the two of them to escape demonstrated his abnormal senses for runes, which was her greatest weakness.
"I will take the normal application process," he said with a smile while walking toward the door. "And as for the first layer, simply destroy the IA-F43 line. Everything relies on it."
***
Arthur left the room after giving her a clue, which wasn't that important for him. Since it was the first layer, Runera won't open the ruins with this amount of help. However, Arthur needed to be there when they did.
My Seika.
A few people called him that, and there could not be anyone else because the two of them knew that he created Runera. Furthermore, if their memories merged with the past, they can be the people who made Runera exist at this timeline.
Arthur needed to know why these ruins were being explored now, out of all the times. The awakening of his memories was one thing that he can link to this timing since Runera has existed for a while.
As he was walking out of the labs, he ran into Yuvan Perli, the younger brother of Ilia Perli and the general of the Yalveran Union. Yuvan was a lot milder than his brother, and he was one of the few to treat Arthur well.
"Alexie," nodded the thin man with a smile. "I see that you are leaving."
"...Grandmaster Yuvan," greeted Arthur with a nod. "Master Julia said that you were in Runera, solving the world's greatest cipher."
"I was on my way here when she cracked it," smiled Yuvan. "I have to admit that I underestimated her. It seems you were here to help her?"
"I fear that I missed her great breakthrough," sighed Arthur before he stared at the grandmaster silently. "I want to ask, Grandmaster Yuvan. What is the reason that these ruins appear just now?"
"These are classified information, but you are our precious junior researcher. This runic seal is not a recent discovery, but its location was unknown. It is the treasure left by the founders, and only a few days ago that it started to send signals to reveal the location."
"A few days ago," smiled Arthur and nodded. "And there seems to be an application process to visit the site?"
"...I never thought you would be interested," Yuvan raised his eyebrows. "I asked Oriole if he wants to join, but he said the two of you are working on something together. The application process is simple. Send an artifact you created to the nearest headquarters with a letter that has your name and desire to learn from the ruins."
"I will mention this matter to Oriole as well," nodded Arthur gratefully. "I will take my leave now."
Arthur walked past the professor and left the fifth floor, feeling like the man studying him. This conversation confirmed his doubts and gave him another goal to pursue.
Arthur could teleport to Runera without anyone's permission and look for the ruins himself. However, he knew that such a thing would draw unwanted attention from many people, and it would defeat his purpose of pouching people from Jerano.
Furthermore, it would take him time to visit the site and fight those guarding it. He might as well take the regular route there and earn recognition for his newest guild.
Artifacts were one thing that drew in strong people. His guild cannot accept those whose loyalty lay with the seven families, but it wouldn't hurt to attract the talented commoners. Arthur walked out of the research department and walked back toward his shop.
As he was walking back, Arthur saw Jenny, who used to work with Yurirl during their first year here. There were a few people around her that were receiving her instructions.
"Hello," greeted Arthur as he got closer. Jenny turned to glance at him before a smile appeared on her face.
"Hey, Alexie," she nodded. "I am glad to see your face around here," she said before waving to dismiss the rest. "Yurirl mentioned your lack of interest regarding joining a guild."
"Are you going to convince me to join one?"
"I'm here to offer the opposite," she said while lightly slapping his shoulder. "As you know, I didn't want to join a guild after I graduated, so I started working in Jerano. This is not a bad path to follow."
"You want me to work here?" Arthur raised his brows as he looked down at her uniform. "It seems you are doing good, too."
"Education is the steadiest path to save the world," she said while pounding her chest. "I know that you can be a good teacher of Jerano."
"And why so?"
"You managed to control the two idiots," she laughed. "I meant Oliver and Jonah," she said with a shake of her head. "There is something about you that acts as a buffer for insanity. I think that's a good quality for teachers."
"I will have to refuse," Arthur shook his head. "What was that about earlier?"
"Ah, we are increasing the patrols after the last incident regarding the pocket dimension," Jenny looked at her departing subordinates. "We cannot risk another escape."
"There has been an escape?" questioned Arthur, unsure whether he should know this information. However, Jenny didn't seem surprised that he did not.
"As you know, the prison below is to use the forbidden knowledge that the criminals have. These people are the worst that humanity has ever seen, but their knowledge can help this world advance, used by a neutral party."
"And Jerano is neutral and independent of the other nations," muttered Arthur. "I understand as much, but who escaped exactly?"
"I don't know myself, but the situation has been chaotic. I wish there were a way to find out who attacked Jerano without having to point fingers at anyone."
"Then, you suspect that they were after a forbidden knowledge," he questioned with a frown. "I understand as much. Is there anything I can do to help?"
"You have already done so much by guiding us through the runic traps," she gratefully said while holding his shoulder. "I cannot repay you enough for making my first mission a success. You are the reason I was promoted into an officer."
"...I'm glad to be of help," Arthur said with a slight twitch of his brow. Then, as she was about to say something, Jenny received a message that seemed to summon her somewhere. After excusing herself, the officer left.
Arthur stared at her leaving and sighed inwardly. It seems he helped a lot of people in Jerano, and he was glad that his past self was not as ruthless as his current self. It would have resulted in a lot of trouble for him.
"However, it seems this break-in is suspicious," muttered Arthur while pondering the situation. "I wonder if Mistletoe knows anything about it."
There was only one way to find out. Arthur needed to revisit his old friends, and the thieves hated by the world. However, somehow, he felt nostalgic.. After all, these were the people who supported him against the world.