Chapter 69 The professor
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In the streets of Veor, young boys ran with their friends, their laughter bouncing off the stone walls , joyful and fleeting sound. A mother standing in her doorway watched them, a soft sigh escaping her lips.
"I wish this peace would last a little longer," she murmured to herself, before raising her voice. "Osu! Time to come home!"
The boy bid his friends a quick farewell and sprinted back. The mother closed the door firmly behind them as they entered. Inside the modest living room, a man was already sitting, having overheard.
"Peace, huh? Something that feels so close can vanish without a trace "he said, not without a touch of warmth.
The boy, Osu, ran to his father, eyes wide with excitement. "Father, father! Have you heard? There's a new hero in the kingdom!"
The man looked at his son, whose eyes sparkled with the untainted belief only children possess. He smiled and ruffled the boy's hair.
"That is interesting to hear. Tell me more."
The man was Dio Basara, a professor who had once given lectures across different kingdoms. Circumstances had forced a relocation, and he now taught at the local school. The tales his son was breathlessly recounting were not news to him,it was impossible to miss when every broadsheet and gossip column was plastered with the story.
In Dio's analytical mind, it was simply a fetching fable. Heroes do not exist in this day and age, he thought, least of all in this kingdom.
Graham was not only the smallest territory in Balmur but was fundamentally broken at its core.
For common people, preserving their own lives from day to day was blessing enough. A hero appearing now? History spoke of legend arising in times of turmoil, but he feared this was merely idle talk.
And even if, by the slimmest chance, it were true,how much could this so called hero possibly understand about the intricate, grinding misery of the kingdom?
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he patted Osu's back.
"Go on, eat your dinner. Your mother's waiting."
He called for his wife, Lea Basara,the woman who had left her own home and kingdom behind simply to be with him. The couple, both in their thirties, spoke quietly for a few minutes before Dio took his coat. Lea gave him a firm, knowing hug as he stepped out into the evening.
As Dio walked, he greeted his neighbors with practiced smiles and warm nods. They reciprocated, sharing snippets of small talk. He moved with purpose, gradually leaving the bustling main streets for the quieter, more desolate lanes on the city's fringe.
Among the weathered buildings stood a particular factory, long since abandoned.
Dio walked around to the back of the silent structure and knocked three times on a heavy metal door. He waited precisely twenty seconds, then knocked twice more.
The door creaked open, revealing a man with hollow eyes set deep in a gaunt face. The man's voice was as thin as he was.
"You always come on time, foreigner."
Dio merely nodded in response.
The skinny man, who called himself Meda, escorted him through the cavernous, empty factory floor and down a set of crumbling stairs into an underground cellar. At the bottom, an ancient, rust-streaked metal door barred their way. It bore the marks of age and neglect.
With his bony hands, Meda struggled against the door's immense weight. Dio stood by, offering no assistance, his face impassive as he watched the man strain.
Finally, with a groaning protest, the door swung open.
About twenty seven people were already waiting inside, all over forty, with men outnumbering women. The room they occupied was neither large nor small, providing just enough space.
At the far end was another door this one well maintained, with fresh hinges and a clean surface.
A woman emerged from it, her steps sharp and confident in high heels. She was dressed entirely in striking red. The assembled people instinctively made a path for her.
"It seems the last of us has finally arrived," she announced, her voice cutting through the murmurs.
"We can continue. First, are there any new developments that might hinder our progress?"
Meda, who hadn't been holding anything a moment before, suddenly produced a small, pristine white book from within his tattered coat. The sound of rustling pages filled the quiet room as he scanned them.
"Nothing… particularly hindering to our mission," he stated.
The woman in red fixed him with a piercing gaze, her tone turning threatening.
"'Nothing particularly'? Why is the answer not decisive?"
Meda, unflinching, closed his book calmly. "There is an incident where a certain 'hero' tale is being spun among the populace. The rumors are too exaggerated to be considered accurate intelligence."
"I will decide what is accurate or not," the woman snapped. "Tell me every detail. Do not leave out a single bit."
Meda obliged, recounting all the circulating rumors. The liberation of prisoners from an illegal arena, the destruction of a black market, the mythical beasts, the command of storms, and the burgeoning hope that this figure would cleanse the rotten kingdom.
The woman threw her head back and laughed a sharp, brittle sound devoid of true humor.
"A hero? In this kingdom? This is clearly a ploy to sabotage our mission. The nobles may have noticed our presence and are reacting accordingly. It doesn't matter. We are almost ready."
Meda, indifferent to her outburst, continued as if reading from an internal ledger.
"Indeed, the nobles may have taken notice. A leak or two was statistically expected. None of it matters when, in three days, during the king's birthday banquet, all the high nobility will be gathered under one roof. It presents our chance to eliminate the core corruption in one sweep."
Dio, standing at the back of the group, felt an internal shiver. It was true that the kingdom's most grievous wounds were inflicted by the noble class. But the device they were preparing a bomb of terrible magnitude,would not merely destroy the castle.
It would level a significant portion of the capital. Thousands of innocent lives, people like Osu and Lea, would be lost.
To these hollow eyed revolutionaries, it was merely a necessary sacrifice for a greater cause.
As the meeting droned on, detailing logistics and assignments, Dio's mind echoed with a silent, desperate plea he knew was futile. I really wish there were a hero to save us from this.
I should stop thinking nonsense. Only what actions i make will make difference and not some made up stories.
Dio returned home as the sun was setting. Nature remained beautiful, even in dangerous times.
He was walking past a particular mansion,one he knew very well. It used to be bustling with people, a place where even commoners' children would sometimes play in the outer gardens.
But for some reason, it had been abandoned for months.
Dio personally knew the owner Val, the former head of the Thundersons. One day, the entire family had simply left, as if chased by a ghost.
He was about to continue when he saw, through the iron gate, a silhouette moving behind a tree near the main house. Knowing the Thundersons personally, he couldn't ignore a possible thief.
With surprising agility for a scholar, he scaled the fence and called out,
"You there! Stop right now!" He intended to scare the intruder off, not cause real harm. The people around here weren't inherently bad or perhaps he just needed to believe that.
The figure turned, and Dio couldn't help but blurt out, "Zion?"
It was indeed Zion Thunderson. The young head of the family offered a faint, tired smile.
"Hello, Teacher Basara. It's been a while."
Dio lowered his hands, surprise melting into confusion.
"What are you doing here? And why are you skulking around in your own house?"
Zion's black eyes, often unreadable, held a glint of grim amusement.
"Waiting. The family will be returning soon but it seems , i need to tidy up the place a bit"
He stepped closer, the shadows of the overgrown garden stretching around him.
"More importantly, Professor… what are you doing in this part of town so late? This isn't on your way home from the school."
The question was casual, but the weight behind it was not. Dio felt a cold trickle of apprehension. The meeting in the factory cellar felt suddenly, dangerously close.
"I was… taking a long walk. Clearing my head," Dio said, hearing the thinness of his own lie.
"A long walk to the abandoned steelworks?" Zion asked softly. Zion clearly saw Dios lie but let him be but couldnt help but say in the end" Teacher, if you need help. I currently have the power to help you"
Dio's blood ran cold. His former pupil, although young was sharp as they came.
"It's not that simple," Dio whispered, the confession torn from him.
"It never is," Zion agreed. He looked past Dio, toward the city. "By chance teacher, have heard of the rumors."
Dio looked at him confusedly. Why is he suddenly talking about that rumor. Then he chuckled as he teased Zio" Dont tell me , you started to believe them too"
Zio looked at his teacher. This teacher of his was without a doubt a good person. The problem is, due to his noisy personality to help. He would get himself into a trouble. He sighted as he said.
"Its not just a rumor, there really exist someone that can help this kingdom"
though it aint skele, he internally kept that to himself