Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: 12-1. What Came Out of the Magic Hat Was a White Rabbit.
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"Hahaha!! Royal jelly from the Armored Queen Bee! Well done, Licht's team!"
A yellow-haired man laughing as he looked at me, his face covered in scars. Dragon Slayer Drake.
"A material you couldn't have gotten if you'd just been focused on killing the beasts! The professors saw it all!"
"Right? If the boss monster dies first, harvesting becomes a real hassle."
"...Licht, you knew that."
He let out a hearty laugh as he appraised our team's loot.
"Swordsmanship is the best, isn't it! Licht!"
Something about his master's gaze felt intimidating. Had he figured out I'd joined the magic club? Cold sweat dripped inside my helmet.
"Well... it's getting close to evening, so let's announce the top team! Dennis, you ready?"
"Yeah, Drake."
No sooner had he spoken than Dennis pulled out a 3D magic circle, summoning a transparent ranking window. The same magic I'd seen during practicals.
My name sat proudly at the top. As team leader, it made sense. I turned to look at the others.
The red-haired elf flashed a bright smile and cheered. She even threw up a victory sign, clearly thrilled.
"Kainel, Helmet Guy, Mardol! We did it!"
"We've taken down so many beasts. Even eyeballing it, it's dozens."
"...We won."
The blond hero spoke to me like it was a given, while the glass knight clenched his fist tight, as if savoring the accomplishment.
"Truth be told, without the royal jelly, you'd have been around 2nd or 3rd. Licht."
"Is that so..."
"Life isn't just about shining alone."
Just as I'd figured. Group projects are group projects, after all. Teamwork is key. The blue-haired Dennis spoke up.
"...So, no real thoughts on grad school? Licht."
"None, Professor."
"Shame... Not many undergrads know the Armored Queen Bee's traits."
With Drake's master already pushing sword training, and Mardol potentially locking me in the imperial underground if things went south...
The thought of a three-way tug-of-war over a grad lab was nightmare fuel.
"...You exploited the bee's traits, utilized your teammates' abilities perfectly, and even protected the others at the end."
"Right, Licht."
Had I? Well, I had slashed that stinger flying at Mardol. My glass helmet rattled faintly as it nodded in agreement with Dennis's assessment.
"So, the faculty's decided to give your team full marks. Any questions?"
"None, Professor Dennis."
"Good. Sun's setting soon, so let's head back to the academy."
Relieved at the solid result, he smirked and patted my shoulder. Moments like this stirred memories of the original story.
'He and I were actually pretty close.'
The protagonist of [Knight Heart]. A human man who loved a cursed dragon.
There was a reason he was described from the start as a human man, not a mage.
"Alright, seems like everyone gained good experience. Return to Grand Hearts Academy and rest up. Classes tomorrow are canceled, so relax."
Flashing a grin, Dennis encouraged the other students.
"Yay!"
"Thank you, Professors!"
Even back then, his famously good nature—like Kainel's—shone through.
"Reflect on today and grow. Our academy students did great."
In the original, he was striking with his white-glinting eyes. Like me, he was described as transferred from the real world.
'...That's why "human man, not a mage." His original job wasn't magic.'
But admitting I was a possessor would be dangerous. His fictional world differed from mine.
'To save him, I need to take down the Omniscience Demon King... That's how the original got its happy ending.'
Called Drunken Dennis, in bad ends he withered away pining for his magnolia-scented lover.
Seeing him force down booze just now twisted my gut.
"Then, let's move out."
Lost in thought, I watched as the 3D magic circle spun, activating teleportation.
The moment Dennis cast teleport, a white-haired woman in a magic hat paced an empty lecture hall.
"Hmm, is this it?"
Sensing lingering mana traces, she picked up on something odd. Multiple magic circles mashed together.
"Teleport used like this... Water attribute, so Dennis?"
Muttering to herself, the golden-eyed white-haired magician pondered how to reach the hero.
"Ah, that'll work!"
Another bright idea—she clapped her hands.
A red revolver materialized in Magic Hat's palm. Her eyes curved like crescent moons at the sight.
"If it's the holy sword used by the Omniscience Demon King, reverse-tracing the circuit should be easy, right?"
—Bang!
She fired precisely at the podium where Dennis had cast teleport. A 3D magic circle of interlocking rings appeared.
"Yes! Everything fun's in my calculations! Wait, is this the right one?"
Bouncing like a kid, the white-haired magician expressed her joy. She approached the intriguing toy step by step.
"...Touching this should send me to the other side."
She drew closer to the 3D magic circle.
"Long time no see, hero. Time for some senior-level education!"
Grinning ear to ear, she barely held back her laughter.
The moment Magic Hat's hand touched the circle, it reacted with a burst of white light.
A sudden shift, like a stage set changing.
"Then, gentlemen... er, students. With this, the group assignment is complete."
I'd been in the forest moments ago, yet now I was back in yesterday's lecture hall. Felt unreal.
3D magic circles really were cheats. I felt oddly proud he'd used the ultimate technique I'd tipped him off about so soon.
'In the original, mixing circles enabled endless applications.'
Other students were already packing and leaving. Soon, only Dennis and I remained in the empty classroom.
Huh, feels awfully empty.
No sign of Kainel, Ariel, or Mardol, even after scanning around. Did Dennis botch the teleport? I called out to him.
"...Professor Dennis?"
"Something wrong, Licht?"
No matter how I thought about it, something was off. The pinnacle of water magic wouldn't slip like this. He cherished students' lives more than anyone. No way he'd abandon them in some remote forest.
"...My teammates haven't arrived. Professor."
"What are you talking about, Licht."
"Pardon?"
"I teleported everyone. No one's missing."
What?
"Must be some mix-up, Professor Dennis?"
No way.
I named Kainel, Ariel, Mardol, but he shook his head, claiming no record.
Hairs stood on end; chills ran down my spine.
His gaze treated me like I was the crazy one, as if everything was fine. That meant...
"Checked the roster twice. No such names, Licht."
"...Professor. Then, do you remember who I did the group project with?"
"Weren't you solo...?"
Definitely that bastard.
Only one thing made everyone blindly believe falsehoods like ironclad truth.
The mad magician who donned a mask to deceive characters.
The Demon King who blanketed the world in lies.
"Huh, wait... That can't be. It was a group project."
Dennis, who always resisted the Demon King with booze, showed confusion at my question.
Truth Demon King Magic Hat. He'd begun his move.
...Fuck.
I bit my lower lip. What had gone wrong? He first appeared in the sequel; I figured he wouldn't act so boldly here.
"Professor, time's critical. Send me back to that forest now."
"...Me, send you? Too dangerous. What if it's not the Demon King, just bait? If the Head used powers, isn't it safer here?"
He'd caught on it involved the Demon King. Managing his expression to keep the academy calm, but tension showed.
"Hurry!!"
"...You sure?"
His face paled; he shuddered at the dissonance. The sensation he'd felt from the Omniscience Demon King all along.
'Calling the Ten Heroes risks the academy.'
Dennis knew leaving would invite other Demon Kings.
"...Grad school, whatever. Just do it!!"
He was that strong and vital. Plus, in this era, only I could take down Magic Hat.
'In [Black Heart]'s forced event, even Dennis died helplessly. Drake too.'
My solo global first kill. Was that why the devs possessed me into Licht? Terror shook my body.
No, can't despair yet. This was the past.
I could change the tragic future. Raising my head, my black helmet clinked.
I clenched my fist. Stared ahead fiercely. The Nameless Saintess was in danger, same for Kainel, Ariel, Mardol.
"No backing out later, Licht."
Seeing my resolve, he nodded and pulled out the 3D magic circle. Fine, grad school it was.
The killer of our Saintess had gone after the hero couple. I had to stop it.
"...See you back here, Professor Dennis."
I bid farewell, reminiscing original memories. Dennis's face hoped no Demon King involvement.
Fat chance. Only Magic Hat pulled stunts like this.
The endless monster forest held three who hadn't returned to the academy.
"Huh...? Kainel, why are we still here?"
"Beats me. Ariel, maybe the professor forgot us?"
"...Something's off."
The quiet spot, empty save for them. Then, grass rustled with a woman's voice.
"Oh my, gentlemen, lady... and glass knight? Nice to meet you!"
"White hair...? Wait a sec."
"...Who are you? Sent by Professor Dennis?"
The woman in the black magic hat faced the hero's party. Arms wide like greeting an audience.
"...Magic Hat."
Pine drew her sword at the sight, beginning glass magic. Golden eyes clashed, sizing each other up.
"...Do we know each other? Never seen you before."
"Shut up."
"I have so many enemies...! Maybe you're one."
Seeing Pine raise her blade, Magic Hat nonchalantly floated trump cards, readying for battle.
"W-What's with you, Mardol?! You know her?! Why the sudden—?!"
"...Ariel. Battle ready."
"Kainel...?"
His Light Holy Sword didn't vibrate, but Kainel felt the dire situation bone-deep.
'The white-haired woman Licht mentioned.'
A sinister, chilling aura enveloped him. She smiled softly, blood-soaked vibe and all, yet killing intent seeped through.
The Light Hero, facing a Demon King for the first time, learned firsthand: holy sword powers didn't faze the mad.
"...Oh? How fun. Still greenhorns?"
The Truth Demon King took interest in Kainel. Quick judgment made, she smirked leisurely, eyes crinkling.
"You must've broken the Head's powers. Probably!"
"Kainel... what the hell is she?"
Spouting creepy lines nonstop, yet her face stayed innocently childlike. Ariel aimed a magic circle at the Demon King while asking her hero.
"Probably... a Demon King."
"W-What?! Kainel, for real? No Demon King I know looks like that!"
The red-haired elf mage's eyes shook. Likewise, the blond hero's sword-grip trembled.
"Be careful... Kainel, Ariel."
The glass-armored heavy knight feared his strikes wouldn't land.
Just before clash.
"Kill 'em all...? No, leave 'em alive! Yeah, gotta!"
Magic Hat's face flushed as her white hair whipped.
"Can't kill... or my dear husband won't know how madly I love him!"
A lunatic's enamored expression.
Uttering words none present could grasp, the ecstatic magician flicked cards into flight.