Chapter 79: The Weight of a Name and a New Accord

Yalin, are you feeling unwell?

Luminas could distinctly sense that Yalin’s demeanor was utterly different from before.

‘It must be because of the Tingel surname, after all.’

‘Was she truly destined to live her entire life in her grandfather’s shadow?’

“I apologize, Miss Luminas, but I cannot accept this commission.”

Yalin suddenly declared.

“Eh?”

Luminas froze, her half-lidded eyes brimming with bewilderment.

She had initially expected Yalin to seize the opportunity to inflate the price, or perhaps to flatter her with obsequious words like others did. Instead, she was utterly taken aback that he would unilaterally renege on their agreement.

“Wh-why?”

“Well… personal reasons.”

Yalin attempted to gloss over the matter.

‘He certainly couldn’t admit that he feared she might stab him three months from now.’

“My sincerest apologies. How about I treat you to this meal?”

Yalin swiftly pulled out his wallet, having already resolved to cut ties at light speed—the sooner, the better!

Although his recent actions had undoubtedly offended the protagonist, Yalin still hoped this small gesture of money might at least leave her with a favorable impression.

‘If it meant she’d spare him a few stabs later, he’d be eternally grateful.’

“Why?”

Luminas ignored Yalin’s perfunctory explanation, her pupils seeming to grow somewhat hollow.

“Is it because… I didn’t tell you my true name?”

Yalin offered no reply, prompting her to begin explaining herself unbidden.

“I’m sorry, I… I had no intention of deceiving you. It’s just that when others hear my name, they invariably compare me to my grandfather…”

‘Grandfather?’

A prominent name suddenly surfaced in Yalin’s mind.

Orlando Tingel.

As a wretched alchemy enthusiast who once haunted libraries, he was naturally quite familiar with that name.

He was a legendary archaeologist, widely considered the founder of modern archaeology.

Leading his team, he had successfully breached numerous ancient ruins that were deemed almost impenetrable, acquiring a wealth of invaluable data and magic tools that played a pivotal role in the advancement of magical technology.

Three years prior, however, he had vanished without a trace during an expedition, marking the tragic end of a legendary era.

‘To think Luminas was his granddaughter.’

“I… I don’t want that, so… but I… I truly wanted to tell you, I’m sorry… I…”

Luminas continued her disjointed explanations, her voice eventually tinged with a sob.

Tears, like pearls from a broken string, streamed down her face, one by one, continuously dampening the tabletop.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, why are you crying?”

Yalin was utterly flustered by this turn of events.

“No, what exactly is the meaning of your tears? Shouldn’t I be the one crying?”

‘He couldn’t quite comprehend it; was a mere weapon enchantment truly cause for such distress?’

‘Anyone could perform such a task. Even if she didn’t want to hire those enchanters outside, with enough money, any decent student could conjure it.’

‘Why was she so singularly fixated on him?’

Even as she wept, no discernible expression of sadness marked Luminas’s face; only tears incessantly streamed from the corners of her eyes.

“I… I…”

Luminas continued to sob softly.

Ever since childhood, people around her invariably mentioned her grandfather when speaking to her.

And after her grandfather’s disappearance, an increasing number of individuals began to presumptuously compare her to him.

When people referred to her, they seldom used the name Luminas; instead, they simply called her ‘Miss Tingel.’

Everyone believed she was destined to fulfill the Tingel family’s legacy, to become a great archaeologist like Orlando.

While Luminas’s true aspiration was indeed to become an archaeologist, it wasn’t driven by a sense of duty, nor did she wish to be someone’s substitute. Her motivations stemmed purely from a profound curiosity about brilliant ancient civilizations.

Yet, no one seemed to care about her genuine desires.

Because she was Orlando’s granddaughter, she was expected to become a great archaeologist and make outstanding contributions, lest she dishonor her grandfather.

This immense pressure and these towering expectations had led her to abandon her surname, even deliberately shortening her given name, all solely to conceal her identity.

The truth, however, was that Yalin had never once cared about her identity.

Whether it was rushing to protect her that day or later pouring his heart into helping her with the weapon enchantment, he had harbored no ulterior motives.

Yet, she, from the very beginning, had not been forthright with him.

Luminas yearned to explain, to apologize, but articulation had never been her forte.

Although a multitude of words clamored within her, without exception, they all caught in her throat, refusing to be voiced, which filled her with immense anxiety.

And in her distress, tears would uncontrollably flow.

“Uh, here, wipe your eyes first.”

Yalin, with a sigh of resignation, pulled out a few napkins and handed them over.

Beside the table, the murderous gazes multiplied, and this time, even the male students joined the chorus of condemnation.

‘Well, it seemed his reputation within the academy was set to plummet once more.’

Luminas sniffled, mechanically wiping away the tears from her face with the tissue, much like a puppet.

Yalin sighed inwardly, then began to calmly ponder the situation.

‘Truthfully, at this point, attempting to avoid the protagonist’s group was futile.’

‘Leaving Celeste aside for the moment, due to Professor Fulin, he and Ritz were inextricably linked.’

‘Therefore, encountering Luminas again was merely a matter of time.’

‘Rather than postponing it until then, it would be better to engage with her sooner and prepare a countermeasure.’

‘Moreover, Luminas was far from ordinary.’

‘As an exceedingly rare individual favored by Acasia, the God of Wisdom, she possessed not only the ability to use ‘Omni-Analysis’ but also the authority of ‘Future Observation,’ allowing her to foresee events within a certain range.’

‘This was precisely why the protagonist’s group had been able to acquire Yalin’s information immediately.’

‘Such a remarkably useful ability, even if it involved some risk, held immense strategic value.’

After a moment of contemplation, Yalin spoke, “Very well, I am willing to help you with the weapon enchantment.”

“Really?”

Luminas ceased her weeping.

“How much do you want?”

“Money… won’t be necessary. However, I hope you can do me a favor.”

Yalin retrieved the copied manuscript from the underground archives from his pocket and offered it to her.

“I hope you can help me translate its contents.”

‘This could hardly be considered an equivalent exchange, as weapon enchantment and translating Runic script were on entirely different levels of difficulty. Yalin was merely asking on a whim.’

Yet, Luminas did not refuse.

She accepted the copy and quickly scanned it.

“The text isn’t overly complex; I can assist you, but it will require a significant amount of time.”

“That’s fine; I’m not in a hurry. Just look it over whenever you have the time.”

Yalin smiled, cut a small piece of steak, and brought it to his mouth.

‘Three months.’

‘If the original plot remained unchanged, he would have, at most, three months left to live.’

‘Therefore, he had to accomplish something before then.’