The Climbing Serpent #6
“I win, wizard.”
As the monkey's Soul Points hit zero, both Battle Arcs clicked with a metallic snap and deactivated.
The monkey lay collapsed on the spot, panting faintly as if its mental strength had been utterly drained.
Diego gave it a brief glance before approaching the wizard and speaking.
“Kuh... I never imagined you'd pull off a reversal like that...”
The man who called himself a mage from the Gray Tower twisted his gloomy face and muttered under his breath. Then, with shameless effrontery, he switched to a fawning smile.
“Heh heh heh... I-impressive, as expected from a Nicola Class student... Such remarkable skill... This data will be invaluable. Next time, with this...”
“What nonsense is that? Next time?”
“...Pardon?”
The man looked up with a dumbstruck expression. Diego gazed down at him coldly and continued.
“That fancy head of yours must be conveniently structured, huh?”
“Heh heh heh... W-what do you mean by that...?”
“I told you. If I win this duel, you stop this idiotic experiment right now.”
The man's face drained of color.
“You remembered the promise so easily when it suited you, but now that you've lost, it seems to have vanished clean from your mind. How convenient.”
“...I, um, that's...”
“But one thing's been bothering me. From earlier.”
“Pardon...?”
“Are you actually affiliated with the Gray Tower to begin with?”
“...!”
The man's fawning, hand-wringing groveling twisted into a sudden scowl.
“...What are you implying now? Do I need to show you my badge to prove it...?”
“I'm talking about right now. Your current affiliation.”
“What are you trying to say...?”
The man's body began to tremble. Diego smirked at the face contorted in fear and rage.
He pulled the crumpled family seal from his pocket. It was a bit battered, but still usable.
“Th-that's... Borromeo's...?”
“That's right. I'm Diego Borromeo, third son of the Borromeo Marquisate.”
“H-heck!”
Right from the start—when the mage had used the monkey to challenge him to a duel—Diego had briefly suspected it might be a scheme by his half-brother Alberto.
And why not? The mage had sought him out as if premeditated and proposed the duel, and the Phoenix Merchant Guild, where Alberto served as vice president, was one of the Gray Tower's biggest sponsors.
But on second thought, that didn't add up. It wasn't Alberto's style.
He despised the fact that Diego bore the Borromeo name, but Diego was still a son of the current marquis.
The family had already invested years in the human resource named 'Diego.' Alberto would squeeze every last drop of profit from it before it became worthless—he wouldn't voluntarily sabotage its value like this.
Why else would he carve out time from his busy schedule to warn Diego not to make a fool of himself and to at least manage his connections?
For such a man to now secretly raise a monkey and maneuver it in Magic & Creature to take Diego down?
Never mind the risks and effort of animal experiments near the academy—the plan would've been a total bust if Diego hadn't entered the Bewitching Forest to begin with.
Diego knew full well Alberto wasn't that sloppy.
He was an obnoxious prick, but not a moron.
“My second brother, Sir Alberto, currently serves as vice president of the Phoenix Merchant Guild.”
Diego barely suppressed a gag. 'My second brother, Sir Alberto.' Disgusting words—he muttered it inwardly.
“How much does the Phoenix Merchant Guild pour into the Gray Tower each year in sponsorship?”
From the Gray Tower's perspective, both the guild and the Borromeo Marquisate—Alberto's family—would be entities worth watching closely.
Research demanded massive funds, after all. No matter how renowned the mage, he couldn't conjure gold from mud.
To avoid offending their moneybags, they'd need to know them inside out, right?
“Yet you didn't recognize me.”
Diego's face might be hard to place, but failing to know his ace card—[Ebogorgon]—was too suspicious.
Diego hadn't exactly been a Magic & Creature novice before enrolling at the academy.
“That's why I'm asking. Are you really with the Gray Tower now?”
“Th-that's...!”
“Doesn't seem like it to me. The Gray Tower's probably more interested in not making the monkey a player, but...”
Diego lifted the magitech device that had been strapped to the monkey. With the duel over, it came off surprisingly easily.
“...this device to assist the player's judgment.”
Diego's razor-sharp eyes glinted coldly as they swept over the mage.
“And I'd bet you got side ideas in the meantime.”
“...”
“Come to think of it, you said it yourself, right?”
That the winner takes all. The mage trembled, his face ashen.
“Then as the winner, I'll add one more condition.”
“W-wait...!”
“You'll be going to the Gray Tower.”
“A-anything but that...!”
“Word is, impersonating affiliation is a grave crime. Especially...”
Diego dangled the device playfully.
“...if you've smuggled out unreleased tech and been messing around near the academy.”
Diego quietly scooped up the monkey. Its unconscious body was lighter than expected.
“I'm really looking forward to whatever punishment you get.”
Diego smiled loftily down at the man.
A most aristocratic smile.
The hazy dawn light was breaking. After a short nap, we emerged from Pollux's cabin and returned to the entrance of the Bewitching Forest.
“Here we are! Sleep well, everyone?”
“Thanks to you, Pollux.”
“Uahaha! What a needless question!”
“The fireplace sounds were so nice~.”
“It put my mind at ease.”
“A fascinating experience.”
“Y-yeah...!”
Pollux burst into hearty laughter at our ready replies.
Rustle...
Then, we heard footsteps.
“Eek!”
Ignoring Beatrice's now-familiar scream of surprise, I turned to see a small-statured boy spotting us from outside the forest and trotting over.
“Erhun?”
“H-hello, everyone...”
Erhun bowed his head with his usual gloomy expression.
“I, um, have something to tell Ms. Belluna briefly...”
“...At this hour?”
How did he even know we were here? My eyes sharpened slightly.
“W-well...”
“It's fine, it's fine~ Anyway, Erhun~, you can just call me Adella~?”
Adella interjected in her drowsy voice, soothing his fidgeting. She already seemed half-asleep, true to her sleepy nature.
“Ah, y-yes...”
“So~? What is it~?”
“W-well, you see...”
Erhun's acorn-round eyes flicked toward us. It must be something we shouldn't hear.
Crunch...!
“Eek!”
As I debated whether to give them space, footsteps echoed unexpectedly from deeper in the forest.
Turning, I saw two people—and one animal?—emerging from the shadows.
...Or rather, two people and one monkey?
“...Borromeo?”
“...Hmph, Bardi. You, huh.”
Slicked-back black hair, razor eyes—Diego. He widened his eyes briefly at the sight of us, then grumbled as if it were nothing.
...While cradling a monkey in his arms.
And trailing behind him was a shady-looking man with a half-dead expression.
“...?”
What the hell? What kind of bizarre combo is this?
My brain short-circuited from the surreal sight as Diego spoke in a flat tone.
“Ricardo Bardi.”
“...Yeah?”
His eyes, when I met them, were astonishingly resolute.
“One day, I'll take you down.”
“...”
“When that time comes... hm.”
Diego averted his gaze awkwardly, cheek twitching, then continued.
“Duel me again. ...When you're in one piece, of course.”
“Gasp.”
Someone sucked in a breath. Eden, no less. His jaw hung slack.
The rest of us weren't much different! Except Pollux!
Who the hell is this oddly rude-yet-polite guy? Is that really Diego?
“...P-Pollux.”
“Yeah? What, Bardi.”
“Any monsters in the Bewitching Forest that mimic humans?”
“...What're you on about all of a sudden? This ain't some demon realm.”
Pollux answered with a baffled look, and Diego's face twitched.
“Bardi, you...”
“Ah, sorry. Just too shocked.”
You acted like a completely different person.
“...Tch, whatever. Just remember it.”
Diego had nothing more to say, grumbling as he turned to leave.
Then.
“...”
His gaze shifted to Erhun, who was chatting with Adella.
“...Ahem.”
Diego hesitated, then approached Erhun and cleared his throat. Erhun looked up tensely.
“Wh-what is it...?”
“...Erhun.”
“Y-yes.”
“Sorry about last time. I apologize.”
“...Pardon?”
Diego bowed his head. That Diego, bowing to a commoner boy named Erhun!
“Um, wait...”
“No excuses. It was my fault. If that's not enough, tell me how you want me to make it up. I'll do it.”
“N-no! It's fine...!”
Erhun flapped his hands in cognitive dissonance.
We were all experiencing the same! Except Pollux, again!
“...Pollux.”
“What?”
“You sure there's none?”
“Told ya.”
“For real~?”
“Well, even if not a monster, something's up in the forest.”
“Spill it, Pollux! We're buddies now! Can't leave a friend in a dangerous forest!”
“Even aside from that, for the academy students' safety, tell us.”
“Eek!”
“No, but he said there isn't?”
Pollux stepped back, overwhelmed by the barrage of questions.
“...Bardi, you lot...”
Unable to take the suspicious glares, Diego shot us a fiery look.
“Looks like you're all in pretty good shape right now...?”
He strapped what looked like a magitech device—a Battle Arc?—to his left arm.
“Duel me, Bardi!”
“Uh, now?”
“Yes, now!”
“Can't do that, Borromeo.”
“What!?”
Eden stated it plainly, his face as composed as ever despite just waking up.
“If we start now, we'll be late nine times out of ten. Can't have that.”
“Tardiness is the issue now, four-eyes!?”
“What else matters as students? We can duel anytime later.”
Eden was a tough opponent. I backed off with a weary face as he calmly stated facts despite the 'four-eyes' jab.
“Still, feels like Diego's got his composure back~?”
“Right?”
“Yeah~ Lucky~.”
Adella approached with her drowsy voice. I'd been wondering about her earlier chat with Erhun, so I glanced at her face. Should I ask...?
“Hehe~ Wondering about it, Ricardo~?”
“...Kinda?”
“Fufu~ I like your honesty~. But don't worry~ It was nothing big~.”
“Really?”
“Yeah~. Fufu~.”
Adella smirked mischievously, then tiptoed to whisper in my ear.
“Erhun didn't confess to me or anything~. No need to worry~. Besides, the one I wanna confess to is someone else~.”
“What.”
“Hehehe~.”
Her ticklish voice and even more ticklish words made me flinch. Adella stepped back, grinning playfully.
“Ah, your face is red~.”