Memoirs of the Returnee-Chapter 344: Crystal (3)

“…….”

Elise opened her eyes. A white ceiling greeted her.

“…You’re awake.”

A voice called out, prompting her to turn toward it. Elise flinched in surprise. The hospital room was packed with mages. Too many of them.

Among them were her subordinates, as well as her superiors. The number of people filled what should have been a private VIP room.

“are you feeling, Elise?”

Her superior asked. Elise blinked, taking a moment to assess her condition.

She was fine.

“…l'm not dead?”

She was surprised.

The memory of what had happened before she lost consciousness was vivid, as if it had occurred just five minutes ago. In that fleeting moment, she had felt the infamous presence of ‘Raquel Dra’ and had genuinely seen her life flash before her eyes. Even now, her limbs carried the remnants of that fear.

You know, like goosebumps. That.

“The military arrived just in time. He likely didn't have enough time to kill you.”

The mages in the room wore solemn expressions.

“Can you explain what happened?”

Even the Magic Tower seemed unsettled by the incident.

The reason Elise had been involved in the mission to track Raquel Dra was clear.

Not only was she theoretically exceptional, but she was also regarded as one of the most formidable combatants-perhaps even beyond that level. Her abilities were considered a critical asset.

To the Magic Tower, her [Magnetism] magic was thought to be nearly invincible.

“…l’m not entirely sure myself,”

Elise murmured, rubbing her temple.

“My magic, my [Magnetism] , didn’t work.”

“Your magnetism didn’t work?”

“Yes…”

A thought suddenly crossed Elise’s mind.

A person immune to magic.

Only one individual came to mind, but she quickly dismissed the idea with a hollow laugh.

It couldn’t possibly be.

“Hmm… In any case, the Magic Tower has decided to with d raw,”

Benedict, a senior mage, said.

“…What?”

Elise’s eyes widened at his words.

“This is far more dangerous than we anticipated. There’s no reason for the Magic Tower to remain in Trick City and risk unnecessary casualties.”

The moment Raquel Dra had subdued Elise, the Magic Tower’s stance had shifted.

From ‘We must eliminate this rogue who dares to kill mages and destabilize society' to ‘There’s no need to poke the hornet’s nest.’

“…Rest up. Starting tomorrow, you’ll return to the Magic Tower. Whether you choose to work in the hospital, conduct magical research, or take a vacation is up to you.”

Benedict stood and exited the room. The other mages bowed slightly to Elise before following him out.

Elise sat there, in a daze, before her gaze drifted to the window. She got up from the bed and walked toward it.

Her body felt perfectly fine.

In fact, she felt refreshed, as if she had slept deeply.

Click-

She opened the window. She had sensed a presence. Although no one was visible outside, she stared into the distance and called out.

“…Come down. I know you’re there.”

As Elise called out, the air shimmered, and someone descended softly.

It was ‘Mila’.

“…….”

She hovered a short distance away from Elise, maintaining a cautious gap.

“You… should have contacted me- why did you go alone ”

Her words were awkward, almost stilted. Elise couldn’t help but chuckle.

“l’m curious. Why didn’t Raquel Dra kill me?”

“…….”

Mila remained silent, prompting Elise to continue her own train of thought.

“…Was it really just because he didn’t have enough time?”

Elise found it hard to believe.

Raquel Dra's killings followed a distinct pattern. It seemed chaotic, yet there was an underlying order to it.

But that pattern was vague, almost inscrutable.

“Was it because I’m not a villain?”

She muttered this with a calm, almost detached expression.

“Or… was it because he knows me?”

Her words hinted at the ‘Magic Tower’. Perhaps they had crossed paths before, or maybe they were still crossing paths even now.

In truth, Elise had prepared for this possibility-

“I left a trace.”

Elise looked up at Mila, a sly grin spreading across her face.

“lf I ever meet him again, I’ll know immediately.”

Just before she lost consciousness, Elise had left a faint trace on Raquel Dra. A nearly imperceptible fragment of [Magnetism] , embedded on the sole of his foot.

“When the time comes, I won’t let my guard down. I’ll ask for help if necessary.”

At that, Mila handed something to her-a communication crystal.

It was likely meant for emergencies, a way to call for her aid in critical moments.

“Unde rstood .”

The moment Elise said this, Mila was gone. She had vanished without a trace, leaving as swiftly as she had appeared.

“…….”

Elise sighed as she stared at the empty night sky.

“frustrating.”

She had her pride, after all. Not arrogance, but confidence.

Elise was a combat mage strong enough to hold her own against several knights of similar rank. Her power was undeniable.

And yet, the world was vast, and there were always those stronger than you.

“Ugh…”

She opened her palm, releasing a wave of [magnetism] that would react if Raquel Dra was nearby.

…*Twitch.*

“What?!”

The [magnetism] responded, if only for the briefest moment. Elise froze in shock. Though it was just a single flicker, and nothing followed after-

Her face turned pale. She muttered under her breath, her voice trembling.

“He was here…”

Johanna was immersed in her work. Or at least, she was trying to be. But her focus wasn’t what it used to be. Every few minutes, she found herself glancing at her phone.

[Shion: Yeah, that must have been fun.]

It was because of Shion Ascal.

For some reason, exchanging these trivial messages with him had become oddly entertaining.

[Shion: By the way, the lunchbox should be delivered soon.]

For context, Johanna had asked Shion to prepare a lunchbox for her.

Derek always raved about it. Zia ate it all the time. And now, Johanna wanted to indulge in it herself, just a little.

She never thought she’d find herself fiddling with her phone like this, but it wasn’t all that bad.

“Heh.”

A smile crept onto Johanna’s lips.

Her businesses were no longer her purpose-they had become mere tools. Casinos, hotels, department stores-they were no longer the end itself.

Every cent of the astronomical revenue she earned from them was tunneled into Yu Hains’ cancer center. Beyond that, she didn’t care much. She ran her enterprises purely for amusement.

And yet, oddly enough, the more she treated it as a game, the better things went. The casino was more prosperous than ever, her five-star hotel was considered the pinnacle of luxury even in Edsilla, and the cancer center was achieving unexpected success.

To treat Cancer of the Magic’s Core, data was essential. To gather that data, the center brought in patients for clinical trials and healing procedures. Surprisingly, this approach was not only effective but also profitable.

…lf this mana acceleration device succeeded in curing Cancer of the Magic’s Core, Johanna had already decided she’d leave with only this cancer center in hand, along with Shion Ascal.

After all, one needed enough wealth to live out a comfortable retirement together.

[Hurry up. I'm dying in wait, 00.]

Lately, strangely enough, happy endings came to mind more often than bad ones. Hope outweighed despair. Happiness felt larger than sorrow.

Was this what they called the torture of hope?

“… Hmm.”

Suddenly, Johanna’s brow furrowed.

[Report: No unusual movements detected from Belingham.]

Johanna had been monitoring Belingham’s actions recently. He was Shion’s competitor, after all.

Still, she had no intention of eliminating him outright. She didn’t want to resort to harsh measures.

Belingham was her father’s loyal retainer and someone who had been by her side for a long time. Even if you lumped together all those damned elders, they wouldn’t hold a candle to his worth.

Knock, knock.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Johanna quickly strode over and opened it.

“…What is it?”

A man stood there. Not Shion Ascal.

“Lady Johanna. Balancer Ascal sent me to deliver this lunch box.”

“…And where is he?”

“He said he had something to attend to…”

Johanna’s face soured, but she took the lunchbox anyway.

Bzzz-

Her phone buzzed belatedly.

[Shion: I didn’t have time to go up to the Aerial Garden, so I sent someone.]

Was this his idea of playing hard to get?

Johanna was annoyed, but the moment she opened the lid of the lunchbox-

“… Hmm!”

Her irritation melted away almost instantly.

“Well, I suppose he would be busy with the Derek’s situation.”

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After all, inside the lunchbox, there was a tiny, shyly drawn heart. It was so subtle, so much like his personality, that she couldn’t help but smile.

-A rainy afternoon. A world washed in shades of gray. The day marking the conclusion of a long, drawn-out trial.

Derek sat in the defendant’s seat, his gaze shifting between the judge, the prosecutor, and the audience.

“…Given the lack of definitive evidence that Derek, then-CEO of [Libra Industries], ordered the abduction and murder of homeless individuals for the purpose of overwriting their souls, and considering that the other obtained evidence appears to be fabricated or insufficient…”

The judge’s deep voice carried on.

No evidence, or evidence close to fabrication. Insufficient circumstances. That alone made the outcome clear. The verdict was all but written.

Dressed in his prison uniform, Derek leaned back in his chair and exhaled a triumphant sigh.

“However, the defendant Derek is held accountable for his negligence in oversight…”

Negligence was unavoidable. Hundreds of homeless individuals had been overwritten with artificial intelligence-there was no way he could walk away completely unscathed.

Even so, Derek found it irksome, though he could understand it.

“I hereby sentence the defendant to three years in prison with a five-year suspended sente nce.”

Bang. Bang. Bang.

The judge’s gavel struck. Derek rose from his seat, shook hands with his attorney, nodded respectfully to the judge, and even waved to the audience.

Like a victorious general returning from battle.

“… H ey.”

“Yes?”

Derek called over a court officer. He gestured toward the grieving families sobbing in the back row of the courtroom.

“Get rid of those crying fools, will you?”

“… Unde rstood .”

The officer approached the families and escorted them out. Derek, satisfied, turned his attention to the prosecutor’s table.

Prosecutor Kaylee looked as though she’d bitten into something rotten.

“Come on, lighten up. You never know-we might be colleagues again someday.”

“That will never happen.”

“Never say never. You lot still need to wrap up the Theia Esil case properly.”

Theia Esil’s guilt was already a foregone conclusion. Belingham Kantar had secured “evidence.”

The only question left was whether it would be life imprisonment or the death penalty.

“…Civil lawsuits will come flooding in,”

Kaylee said with a forced smile. Derek shrugged mischievously, his mood so elated he felt decades younger.

“Maybe. But I’ve already stepped down from management. Didn’t you hear? I've taken my share of responsibility. Of course, the company's begging for my return, but, well, you know how it goes.”

“My share of responsibility… huh.”

Kaylee’s expression hardened, her face stiff and her head lowered as if she were suppressing genuine anger.

Derek laughed heartily, his voice echoing through the courtroom.

“And, oh, you probably don’t know this, but [Libra Industries] isn’t even liable for damages. The target is Vito-that grass-headed professor. The Al was outsourced, you see.”

“Ah, yes, yes. Whatever.”

Kaylee turned to leave, but Derek grabbed her shoulder, spinning her back around.

“Ah, come on!”

Derek grabbed Kaylee’s wrist tightly, stopping her attempt to pull away. His grip was ironclad, and his eyes burned with a murderous glare as he growled at her.

“Prosecutor Kaylee. I’m no longer a prisoner. Watch that mouth of yours. Unless you want something… ‘unfortunate’ to happen on your way home.”

“…….”

Kaylee’s pupils trembled. She swallowed hard, her breath hitching with a mix of fear and suppressed anger. Derek smirked faintly and released her wrist.

“Give the grieving families some advice, will you? Tell them to file their claims against Vito. If they can find where that bastard’s hiding, and if they’re ready to endure a decade-long court battle, they might just get the compensation they want.”

Clap, clap, clap.

Derek mockingly applauded right in Kaylee's face before turning his back on her. Leaving the prosecutor frozen like a statue, he strode out of the courtroom.

Once outside, he climbed into a waiting limousine.

“…That felt good.”

“Yes. Quite satisfying, indeed,”

came the reply from the driver’s seat. It was Balancer Smith, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

“lt’U only get better from here, Lord Derek.”

“…….”

Derek nodded silently.

There were still plenty of people he intended to deal with.

Theia Esil, Prosecutor Kaylee, and even Johanna, who had mocked him without knowing her place-he wouldn’t tolerate any of them any longer.

“lnform them that I’ll be returning to [Industries] in three months. We'll start by changing the company’s name back.”

“Unde rstood .”

[Derek Industries] had been rebranded to simply [Industries] to avoid public scrutiny. But that was about to change.

Smith, driving the limousine, picked up his phone and dialed one of the board members of [Industries].

*Ring… Ring…*

“…….”

No answer.

Frowning slightly, Smith tried again, this time calling Zia.

*Ring… Ring…*

Zia didn’t answer either.

What was going on today? It was the day the eldest son had triumphed in court-why hadn’t the youngest sibling shown up to celebrate?

As Smith’s unease began to grow, a strange sound suddenly filled the air.

Whoooooosh

The ominous noise surged closer. In an instant, Smith’s heightened instincts kicked in, and time seemed to slow.

In the rearview mirror, he caught sight of a missile barreling toward the limousine. Reacting immediately, Smith yanked the steering wheel hard and leaned his body forward, radiating his Magic Body to shield Derek.

BOOOOM-

The missile struck the rear of the limousine, detonating with a deafening explosion. The blast rippled through the air, engulfing the vehicle in a wave of heat and pressure.

CRAAAAACK-

The car’s frame swelled and twisted under the intense heat and force. Inside the chaos, Smith threw himself over Derek, shielding him desperately. Amid the roaring destruction, a faint voice echoed in his mind.

‘Sir. Be cautious of Belingham. Recent events have been suspicious… I can’t shake the feeling something’s off.’

It was Shion Ascal’s voice.