Chapter 110 Seeking the Roots, Sumeru is Three Times...

The transaction was completed.

In the small house of the Sulun school master and his disciples, Elhesen transcribed the stories told by Seno into chapters.

The truth of the matter is like an underground current, its course obscured by the rock strata, making it difficult to predict.

But when the water flows out, it is always clear and sweet, nourishing the plants.

"This is what I experienced today."

Seno glanced past the puzzled teacher and looked at the young scholar.

"Why do you look so unsurprised? Haven't I been through enough confusion today?"

Elhesen: "Hmm."

Is this an affirmation or just a perfunctory response?

It's just perfunctory; it's really annoying.

Güleche finally snapped out of his reverie and hesitantly broke off some crumbs to feed the birds outside the window.

"The tyrant gave me so much food before I left... That's strange. I did hear that he would give food to others, but usually he would just 'give' the whole plate to someone's head, right?"

"Chirp chirp!"

"The bird is lively and hopping around, so it's definitely not poisonous, but I still feel a little uneasy about eating it... Should I secretly throw it away?"

"I suggest not to."

Al-Hysen stopped writing and handed the notebook to Seno as promised.

"On page 53, a high-ranking member of the One Causes faction fainted upon receiving a reward. Upon waking, instead of eating the food on the ground as instructed, he threw it into the toilet to express his anger towards the new king. His fate was…"

Sino immediately flipped to the corresponding page in his notes and gasped.

"...Teacher, if you're going to throw it away, could you pick a clean place to do it, the kind where it's okay to pick it up and eat it? To be honest, it's a bit disgusting."

Gülesh's face turned pale: "No? Should I praise that kid for saving food?"

Ignoring the noisy teacher, Seno calmed down, discarded all superfluous emotions, and examined the notes with a rational eye.

Although Elhesen also seemed unpleasant, he didn't seem like the type of young scholar who liked to talk big.

So, does this notebook contain information that can answer my questions?

...

Sino opened the first page, which contained a table of contents with names written in tiny, dense lines, followed by brief notes on the injuries, row upon row pressed onto the white paper, like black rice weevils in a sack of grain.

"Instructor Mirgai, fractured shinbone, um, details on page 13, lines 7 to 25... wait, did you investigate everyone the new king harmed?"

"Um."

"Wow, really?! Let me see!"

Upon hearing this, Gülesh immediately grabbed the notebook that his disciple had obtained in exchange:

"You young lad, you're quite something! I thought you were just doing this for fun!"

"Ah! Teacher! This is the information I obtained by trading myself! Let me see it first!"

“.

Al-Hysen listened calmly to the commotion behind him, then stood up, found the kitchen like a familiar face, found clean bowls and chopsticks, and opened Seno's takeout.

Chew.

"They're all wounded. If you hadn't told me, I would have thought this was a medical record from some health center... Hey, that scruffy kid, does he spend all day beating people up? Doesn't he do anything else?"

"It seems I haven't heard of him doing anything hedonistic; even his clothes are old."

"Is your hobby just hitting people? But you're still perfectly fine, Seno..."

Elhesen: Chew.

"Wow, how come there are so many people I don't like on this list? They must make up a fifth of it!"

"What about the rest?"

"Your teacher is just an ordinary sage, and not everyone knows me... Hmm? Looking closely, many of them have some shameful pasts..."

Hmm, there are books.

Al-Hysen chewed as he read.

“No, teacher, look here. Your friend Bashuna, whose resume is absolutely clean, is also on the list.”

"Ugh! Bashu, how did you get hurt too! Let me see your injuries... a slight scratch on your cheek? That means you're fine, all that crying was for nothing."

"...Really?"

"What's going on? It's not that I'm pursuing the perfect victim... but some people really want people to cheer 'Well done!' for the new king."

Seno flipped through the notebook twice with mixed feelings, but still couldn't find what he was looking for, so he asked in confusion.

"Elheisen, haven't you collected any information about the deceased?"

"...that's what's circled in red."

Chew.

Sino turned back to the first page, and Hazard's name was indeed highlighted, but Sino was still puzzled.

"That's not right, Elheisen. He's the only one circled in red."

"Um."

Stop giving me the runaround.

Seno was so eager to learn that he almost rolled his eyes when he heard that "hmm".

"Since we've decided to exchange information, let's be honest!"

"I have never been perfunctory with you."

Elhesen's gaze lingered on the books in the sage's collection. Seno found that the tyrant, hated and feared by the world, made him unable to show any emotion.

"The only person killed by the tyrant from beginning to end was Hazar."

"How is that possible!"

Sino questioned it almost instinctively.

"On the day the tyrant attacked Sumeru, blood flowed down the elevator to the Palace of Wisdom, and the cries of the wounded were incessant. Even the sages of the Mystic School were blasted into trees. And you're telling me only one person died!?"

What tyrant has ever killed only one person?

Even the most glorious Crimson King used blood and sand to make his crown!

But Al-Hysen remained calm, for his evidence was irrefutable.

"The sage of the Mysterious Theory School suffered a broken spine and lost brain tissue, making it impossible for him to wake up and open his eyes again."

"But he did not die."

"The wise men of the Minglun School are blind in both eyes and have had their right leg amputated, making them practically useless."

"But he did not die."

“Sino, my conclusion does not contradict what you have seen and heard.”

He put down his book and looked directly into the incredulous eyes of the seeker of knowledge.

"Although it was only the bare minimum, he truly valued his life."

...

This isn't treasuring life; it's worse than being dead.

That's what Seno originally intended to say.

But after staring at the grain of rice at the corner of Alheisen's mouth for a while, he couldn't help but blurt out:

"Why did you start eating all by yourself?!"

"The total amount of food far exceeded the reasonable consumption range for two people, and the high ambient temperature caused cooked food to spoil quickly."

Al-Hysen felt there was nothing wrong with his behavior.

"Dividing the food among yourselves is your only solution, and I'm just helping you use up my share in advance."

That's what I say, but... but... sigh!

Sino was completely speechless. He had seen madmen and wise men, but he had never seen anyone who could analyze the act of freeloading and stealing food with such righteous indignation.

Aren't you ashamed of your rudeness?

"I just feel very hungry."

Al-Hysen answered frankly that he was indeed hungry.

"I am still growing, so eating on time is a reasonable request."

"Hahaha! What does it matter! Besides, what he said is indeed true, little Seno!"

Güleche grabbed his speechless disciple and pushed him toward the table:

"You young people need to strengthen your bonds! Come and eat together, kids, it's rare to see such a good meal in our family!"

To exchange feelings...

Seno sat down with the help of the force. He had to admit that he was deeply attracted by Elhesen's unique personality, so he made a casual remark to ease the atmosphere.

“If this kind of food ever appears in your home even once, I will report you to the disciplinary officer for embezzlement and bribery…”

Before he could finish speaking...

"Farewell."

Elhesen jumped up, ignoring the harmonious atmosphere between master and apprentice who were just about to eat:

Sino: ...

Sino: ? ? ?

While still in a daze, Al-Hysen picked up his notebook and nodded politely.

"Thank you for your hospitality."

What an abrupt farewell.

Completely ignoring social rhythms!

Sino once thought he was unconventional enough, but he realized he just hadn't met Elheisen yet!

"Where are you going? Don't go, I still have many questions to ask..." He tried to stop him.

"Go to the next intelligence provider."

"!"

Sino immediately released them.

"I'm going too!"

Gülesh shouted, "Wait!"

"Teacher, you eat by yourself, I have things to do."

No! What I mean is—

A stack of takeout boxes was shoved into Sino's hands; they were food items that hadn't been opened yet.

"There's too much, even though it's delicious."

Gülesh looked pained.

You absolutely have to distribute them! I can't possibly throw them in the trash!

Sino: "..."

*

"Ah, it's you, Elheisen, and the one next to you is..."

Tina wagged its tail and opened the door, looking curiously at the dark-skinned child carrying a lunchbox next to Elhesen.

"Delivering takeout?... It smells delicious."

"...I am Seno."

Seno glanced at the suspicious marks on the corner of his mouth and reluctantly gave in.

"But it could also be a food delivery person. Here, consider it a small gift."

"Thank you! Oh, I'm sorry, you smell so wonderful."

Little Tina accepted the gift somewhat embarrassedly, then opened the courtyard gate and welcomed the two inside.

"Dad is sleeping and Mom went to work, so I'm here to entertain you."

Al-Hysen nodded indifferently:

"Just give me the information."

Sino: "What information?"

"Huh? You don't know?"

Tina looked at the child, who was about the same height as her, with some surprise.

"You two seemed to have a good relationship, so I thought he had told you everything."

"...You must be completely mistaken."

"It's really good. Elhesen rarely pays attention to people."

Tinaly offered a defense, then continued explaining.

"The information is..."

He led his future close friends into the study and picked out a thin book from the old, ancient books.

"The possible source of the new king's bloodline!"

"Bloodline?"

"Yes, my bloodline comes from 'Barokashuna,' which is why I have big ears and a big tail. But why does the new king have vertical pupils and cat ears? If we know the reason, we might be able to find his weaknesses and past."

"It might be a solution."

There's just one thing that Sino is very concerned about:

"A cat? Isn't it a lynx? It doesn't have a tail, its ears are covered in pointed hair, and it acts like a wild beast."

"They are definitely cat ears. Dad checked them. They're not from a wild animal, just a cat."

Tina, perhaps misunderstanding something, tiptoed and patted Seno's head reassuringly.

"So there's nothing to be afraid of, it's just a cat!"

"I'm not afraid..."

Seno avoided the question with a hint of shame.

As he dodged, a light, airy sigh came from the courtyard.

"Just a cat? You really dare to say that."

"!"

The three young men looked up together and, through the study window, saw—

A young man with gray and white hair stood on a high wall, while a god sighed wearily in his arms.

"When trying to appease someone, at least knock on the door properly, instead of just barging in."

"Appease? You seem to have misunderstood something, Nasita."

Under a gaze that was either calm, scrutinizing, or probing, the cat raised an eyebrow and deliberately lowered its voice, making it sound dangerous and terrifying.

"I'm here to destroy Bashu's tastes."