Chapter 196

A 17-year-old ordinary illiterate country girl was suddenly called by the divine to become the commander-in-chief of the Kingdom of France.

In just two years, she won victories in the Battle of Patay and the Battle of Orléans, turning the tide of the Hundred Years’ War by 180 degrees.

A boy, born as the youngest son of a poor farmer, lost his entire family at 17 and became a monk seeking alms.

And he became a legendary figure, unifying the troubled mainland of China and ascending to the throne as an emperor.

What do these two have in common?

This is not merely a discussion of achievements.

Considering the circumstances the characters were in, the historical context, and all other factors, these were things that could not be dismissed as mere fictional stories.

“Yes, such things cannot happen in common sense. So, the period a human can survive on mana alone, even in the most optimistic estimation, is limited to one year without food and water. Especially for infants and toddlers, whose metabolic rates are actually higher than that of growing adolescents… Even in an optimal environment, seven years seems utterly nonsensical.”

“But can’t the unique physical condition possessed by an individual explain the fact that Joan of Arc survived for a whole day when she was burned at the stake, despite never having learned magic or aura?”

“From a medical perspective, I can only express skepticism. In fact, the notion of a unique physical condition is a theory that has never been scientifically proven.”

But one is Joan of Arc, and the other is Hongwu Emperor.

Only upon mentioning these names do historians begin to flesh out the skeletal framework with flesh to establish plausibility.

In truth, it is not entirely impossible upon closer scrutiny.

Yet, the core remains an unknown to the people.

To those who question, ‘Is that really possible?’ only one answer echoes back.

‘It really happened.’

Recorded history does not lie.

If even verified records are doubted, history cannot exist.

The desire to personally check by riding in a time machine is completely understandable, but humanity has always had to rely on records.

Thus, it was true that the first magic cast upon birth by Joan of Arc was a universal conjuration spell, while the rumor that Yi Sun-sin, who only handled water magic, breathed lightning from his mouth was false.

And here, in the 21st century, where the advancement of electronic media and the arrival of the information age have rendered historical record manipulation practically impossible due to complete cross-verification, absurd rumors rapidly spread.

Some say the child’s knowledge of magic is comparable to that of a university professor or an active battlefield mage.

Some claim the child’s mathematical knowledge places them on par with the greatest modern scholars.

What of her birth?

The stories of the aforementioned historical figures? It was on a level surpassing that.

It was closer to a mythical wrapped-up false folk tale, comparable to a king hatching from an egg or a hero who strangled a snake immediately upon birth.

“Professor Joo Kyung-ho, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule.”

The interview with the professor of cardiology from Soonchunhyang University invited to the broadcasting station ended quickly, and the announcer turned back to the screen.

Next, at 11 o’clock, a briefing from the Blue House spokesperson was scheduled for ten minutes.

We live in a world rife with tabloids and fake news.

In this context, it was no surprise that the government’s response was unusually quick, considering major media outlets had refrained from mentioning it.

However, disappointment flooded the first briefing.

“Thus, the review of the social safety net will take place, and support for marginalized groups will be ensured promptly and effectively.”

The Blue House spokesperson merely repeated that they would not spare any support for the victims and their families, without verifying the factual details or clarifying the government’s stance.

In fact, it even felt like there was a deliberate effort to avoid mentioning Name.

To add fuel to the fire, they concluded by saying that it was not the president’s official opinion regarding the terrorism, drawing major public outrage.

– No, the Blue House spokesperson’s words are the president’s opinion, what kind of nonsense is this? 😂😂😂

– The birth of a legendary slip of the tongue.

– Is this actually real? 😂😂😂

– So, was the hostage situation real or not?

– It’s always prudent to adopt a cautious stance, as the possibility of a self-inflicted scenario cannot be dismissed.

└ A new VTuber video just dropped?

└ Wow, she’s younger than I expected. 😲

Thursday morning was merely a prelude.

The news of Valpurges’ survivors, under the long-standing tradition of South Korea, had been continuously recycled for seven years by the same stale con artists.

Thus, busy office workers heading to work and students rubbing their sleepy eyes on their way to school had no time to check the news.

And at 12 PM, when the lunch break for both students and workers began.

A video with an unremarkable title was uploaded to a VTuber channel,

[(Letterbox) Total MVP Interview: No Name | 2051 Season 1 Tug-of-War & Fall]

This time, every media outlet began to scramble to break the story.

* * *

“Please forget that I’m seven years old and assist me with my request.”

An interview with Name echoed in the company’s cafeteria.

“Is that child for real?”

“It’s obvious that they will sell articles for days and days, only to end with the conclusion that it was all fabricated. Now they’re even selling children.”

The rise of individual media and the corresponding mass distribution of fake news naturally led to a drastic drop in trust in the press.

Moreover, with cutting-edge modern technology like VR and AI, it was nearly impossible for ordinary people to scrutinize the information.

In this reality, major media outlets felt the need to enhance the value of ‘credibility,’ and as soon as any significant event occurred, they acted like hyenas, cooperating to conduct joint investigations.

[The possibility of the video being manipulated or the background being in virtual reality is close to zero.]

This was the official opinion announced by a special consultant from the Supreme Court and a research advisory board member from the Ministry of National Defense’s Scientific Investigation Research Institute.

“What… what?! Is it all real?”

“This can’t be happening!”

The department head slammed his chopsticks down in disbelief.

Articles from one news outlet immediately found their way to other media.

It seemed they had a calling to shed their usual derogatory term, ‘journalistic rubbish,’ and new information began to appear at an astounding rate.

[If it is proven to be the latter, the reason for hiding the truth and the responsible parties must come forward.]

[A source from a major crime investigation unit revealed that last June, an MEIMEI-2X capsule, previously unknown, was discovered…]

[An anonymous paramedic explained that contrary to previous records stating there was one corpse, there were actually two capsules at that time.]

The investigation continued.

At that time, Name had been promptly assigned to another hospital, making it difficult to track her whereabouts based solely on the testimonies of paramedics. However, after persistent questioning by reporters, clues began to emerge.

[I believe she was a student at our school…! The name NoName is so unique I couldn’t forget it.]

The name found at Arabel Elementary School.

It took less than half a day to trace back and uncover that she was affiliated with Merlin Orphanage and had previously been at a hospital in Asan.

“I was just bored and asked whatever came to mind, and it turned out to be the most appetizing-looking deer’s neck, right?”

That was a journalist’s sentiment.

And the deer meat, which the public loves to snack on, is, without a doubt, a government invention.

* * *

[Isn’t this the first defeat crisis for National Pride TV?]

For the past 300 years, all mathematicians have been lesser than No Name (x)

In the history of mankind, all mathematicians have been lesser than No Name (o)

[Comments]

– Work harder, you guys!

– A solution to a major problem at seven years old? At that age, just approaching such a problem is nonsensical!

└ The articles are terrifying right now…

└ Is this really true? Oh, it’s really true. Could this also be real? Oh, it’s really true. This is the repertory of “really true.”

The online world became a space gathering a variety of opinions.

Some rejoiced at the emergence of another world-shaking figure, while others empathized with her tragic background.

[I cried listening to NoName’s life story.ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]

I always hoped that there were survivors from Valpurges, but I never dreamed they would appear so miserably like this.ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

How could she have been trapped in a capsule for seven years?ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

[Comments]

-ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

– She must have lived most of her life in virtual reality…

– This is all China’s fault!

└ Why?

└ If they hadn’t made those damned capsules that couldn’t even be tracked, this wouldn’t have happened.

– Meanwhile, her mother died…

└ Ahhh, please stop talking about it.ㅠㅠㅠ

– I listened to that live broadcast and genuinely felt a pang of emotion.ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

– Journalists are currently spoon-feeding information, while what is the government doing?

└ Since the briefing this morning, there has been no word, and things have become frustrating.

– I thought Valpurges would simply be forgotten while she lived happily in the countryside, but now I’m shocked to learn she was still trapped.

└ Just imagining it is horrifying.

└ Isn’t it a miracle she’s alive?

└ Yes, everyone’s been voicing their concern for her health.

[The Reason NoName’s Survival Is a Miracle]

The technology of ‘full dive’ and ‘gas-inhalation mana potion’ has been consistently announced for its dangers by the UN for the past several years.

Haven’t you ever wondered why full dive technology is banned for children under seven around the world?

Because if children under three use it for more than eight hours a day, it can cause deformation and destruction of brain neurons.

It is said to cause epilepsy because brain waves are released uncontrollably at a rapid pace. Of course, the capsule company would never admit it.

And the ‘gas-inhalation mana potion’ is even worse.

While hardly anyone could survive on potions for a year suppressing their appetite, there are occasional Indian ascetics who survive solely on mana potions while fasting, and every single one has developed Lestakaya syndrome.

What makes this illness so frightening is that human aura hearts have a tendency to adapt to their environment. Although they can easily adapt to high-mana environments, the reverse is not true.

So if mana is continuously poured into them without giving a year to detoxify, aura hearts will think this is a normal environment, regarding reality as an abnormal one, and continue to issue warning signals.

As a result, the entire immune system breaks down, leading to diseases like leukemia.

[Comments]

– Then what does that say about NoName?

└ (Poster): If I knew that, I wouldn’t be sitting in my room.

└ Were you a homebound doctor? 😂

└ (Poster): I’m a nursing student!

– In one line, conclusion please.

└ (Poster): The probability of NoName having serious health issues is 99.99%.

└ Oh my!

– Really? The capsule is that dangerous?

└ Nah, if you’re over seven, you’re generally fine. Well, there is one problem.

└ What is it?

└ Since we haven’t met anyone in person, their social skills may be lacking; but don’t you all also have varying social skills?

└ You jerk!

– I hope someone can meet NoName soon.

– Come back, NoName!

It was only natural that more people began searching for Name.

They wanted to hear an explanation for her unreal abilities and actions as soon as possible.

In response to those expectations, the spokesperson for the Blue House spoke again late in the afternoon.

Summarizing the well-crafted speech filled with all sorts of rhetoric in one sentence, it went like this:

[An hour ago, the president visited Seoul Samsung Hospital.]

Once again, the irresponsible spokesperson did not answer the “why” question.

However, the question was of a type that could be reasonably inferred.

* * *

“Name!”

My vision is dizzy.

Colors akin to confetti cover the world, stabbing sharply at my eyes.

“Yoonseul unnie… under the refrigerator door… quick, the medicine… it’s labeled as potion in English…”

“J-Just wait a moment! I’ll be right back!”

Mana doesn’t inherently have color.

But our aura hearts sometimes misinterpret it as being visible light.

And the fact that I can see this now means that my forcibly torn aura heart is starting to stitch itself back together.

Why?

I quickly understood the reason as it relates to the optic nerve.

The three-circle illusion spell used to fend off the intruder that invaded Yoonseul’s house.

In that spell, my unique magic, ‘Medusa,’ was counterfeit cast.

I never expected that a counterfeit cast spell would still provoke a response from the aura heart.

The greedy organ, desperately waiting to be fed mana, continued to tighten around my heart.

The pain of the heartbeat slowing is different from the feeling of not being able to breathe.

“Name! Name, what do I do! Medicine… medicine! How much?”

“Ugh… in my… mouth…”

With Yoonseul’s fingers, five large pills stuck to my tongue.

Since they were rather large, they wouldn’t go down my small throat.

I had no choice but to use one hand to hold my chin and push the pills deep into my molars.

Crunch-

“Ugh…!”

It wasn’t bitter, but it certainly stung.

As tears threatened to flow, Yoonseul dashed back to the kitchen with water in hand.

“Thank you…”

The sensation of my tongue going numb was surely a hundred or a thousand times better than the pain in my heart.

When I came to my senses, I saw Yoonseul wailing, sobbing in distress.

She must have been shocked.

I gently stroked her hair, continuing to soothe her.

She couldn’t stop worrying about how she thought I was truly dying, explaining my pale complexion.

Not long after, paramedics rushed into our house.

“I genuinely thought something was wrong with you…!”

Yoonseul explained in tears again, and I let out a sigh, picking up my phone to call Professor Cheon, who must be shopping at the market.

“Yes, Professor Cheon. I’m thinking about being admitted for a bit.”

Just hearing his voice through the phone was enough to anticipate his expression, causing a smile to form.

Though I shouldn’t be thinking this, my heart, while hurting, felt a warm sense of comfort at that moment.

Thank you for worrying about me.