“I have news, Zenos… or rather, Zeno-kun.”
It was the start of a new week, and Zenos had returned to the Royal Healing Institute as a special trainee. Becker, with a cheerful smile, addressed him. The research lab was as cluttered as ever, the mountains of documents looking like they were about to trigger an avalanche.
“News?”
“Yes, you’ve been summoned by the Goldrun Research Lab.”
“Oh, seriously?”
“Wow, that’s amazing, Zeno-san!”
Umin, standing behind them, clapped her hands. Becker scratched his head, messing up his already bed-head hair.
“Well, that was unexpected. I didn’t think it would be this quick.”
“But, why?”
“It seems your performance in the undead extermination caught the eye of the Goldrun Research Lab.”
“Huh…”
“Is that surprising?”
“I thought, officially, a guy named Cresson was the one who did it.
“I don’t know the details myself, but in any case, the summons is real.”
Zenos sat down in a chair and relaxed his shoulders with a sigh.
“So, I’ve cleared the first hurdle, I guess.”
“Well, it’s more like you’ve reached the starting line.”
Becker, still with a gentle smile, put his hands together in front of his face.
“Professor Goldrun has several secretaries, and it’s likely that one of them recommended you, Zeno-kun.”
“So that means…”
“Unfortunately, there’s still an interview with the professor himself.”
“There’s more? It’s so much trouble just to have a conversation. Can’t I just go talk to him casually?”
“Professor Goldrun is the head of the largest faction in the Royal Healing Institute. He’s not someone you can easily meet.”
“Organizations are complicated. I don’t think I’m cut out for them.”
Zenos sighed and crossed his arms.
“I heard a little from Umin, but what kind of person is Professor Goldrun from your perspective?”
“Of course, he has achievements as a healer, but what stands out is his skill in politics and fundraising. He’s contributed greatly to the Royal Healing Institute financially, and there are rumors that he’s close to one of the Seven Great Noble Families, and that he became a Special-Class Healer with their strong backing.”
The Kingdom of Hazes was a nation ruled by a strict class system. Simply being a noble granted great wealth and power, but among them, the wealth and authority of the Seven Great Noble Families were exceptional, said to be powerful enough to turn black into white.
Professor Goldrun was apparently close to such a power.
“Hmm… so you don’t become a Special-Class Healer based on healing ability alone.”
“Are you disappointed?”
“Well, it doesn’t really affect me.”
“Haha. It’s just that Professor Goldrun, who was recognized for his financial contributions, and I, who was recognized for drug discovery, are special cases. The other Special-Class Healers are basically all highly skilled. I’d like to introduce you if there’s a chance, but they’re either incredibly busy and hard to pin down, or they’re quite eccentric.”
“I’m interested, but I don’t plan on staying here for long.”
After all, he was an unlicensed, illegal healer. On the other hand, this place was the headquarters of legitimate healers. If he lingered too long, he might eventually slip up.
“Well, anyway, I’ll go to this so-called summons.”
“Yes, I wish you the best of luck.”
“Zeno-san, do your best!”
Sent off by Becker and Umin, Zenos left the room.
“Becker-sensei, Zeno-san will be fine, right?”
Umin, who remained behind, asked. Becker was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.
“Yes, I suppose so…”
“That doesn’t sound very convincing.”
“I’m not worried about Zeno-kun’s abilities, but Professor Goldrun, despite his appearance, is a cautious and suspicious person. That’s my only concern.”
“You mean Zeno-san’s background might be questioned?”
“We’ll have to prepare to run away in the middle of the night just in case it’s exposed. Fufufufu.”
“That’s not something to laugh about, Sensei.”
Seeing Umin’s panic, Becker said with a hint of amusement, “Well, we’ve placed our bets on him, so let’s trust him and wait.”
“Come in.”
One floor below the top floor of the research building. Zenos knocked on the door of the reception room and received a reply in a low voice.
When he entered, two men were waiting at a long table in the back. The man sitting at the end, with a face like a fox, was probably the secretary Becker had mentioned.
“So you’re the special trainee, Zeno-kun.”
The man sitting in the center spoke.
He had hair that was graying and slicked back, and a thick black mustache.
This person must be Professor Goldrun. He had seen him from a distance in the cafeteria before, but up close, his gaze was sharp, and he had a unique, intimidating presence.
“Hello, I’m Zeno.”
In the tense room, Zenos briefly lowered his mask to greet them. When he sat down in the prepared seat, the secretary spoke first.
“Welcome, Zeno-kun. I am the Professor’s second secretary. I hear you’ve been quite active, drawing unusual magic circles and taking down a large number of undead.”
“Yes, well…”
It seemed the matter of the undead had indeed been reported. For now, Zenos decided to simply nod.
“The reason we asked you to come today is none other than this. We wanted you to experience the Goldrun Research Lab, the largest in the Royal Healing Institute. It’s a rare opportunity for a special trainee. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
“If it’s possible, I’d be happy to.”
To get inside, that was the best answer. The secretary nodded in satisfaction and turned to the professor as if his role was over.
Professor Goldrun’s sharp gaze fixed on Zenos.
“――Now, allow me to ask you some questions.”
A/N: An intense interview…!?