Chapter 57
Chapter 57
Episode 57
A suffocating atmosphere.
I initially thought she was gloomy because of her impending doom, but it seemed like this was just her personality.
“Is there something wrong with me? Oz…what do you think?”
“W-Well…isn’t it the professor’s fault for making you choose?”
How should I resolve this?
The best method I knew was to blame someone else.
Shifting the blame reduced stress and calmed the mind.
Yes, the reason I was in this mess was because of those damn developers.
“…But it was my friends who made the choice.”
“Well, you couldn't refuse [Death King]’s plan either, could you?”
“Right…it was all my fault.”
“…No, that’s not what I meant. It couldn’t be helped. You were forced into that situation.”
“I-Is that so? Was it the professor’s fault…?”
“Yes, it’s the professor’s fault for creating that situation.”
Marie pondered my words with a puzzled expression, then slumped to the ground.
“Hmm…but that doesn’t seem right. She was a kind person.”
“Then it must have been a coincidence.”
“Yeah.”
A silence followed.
I had no further advice for Marie, and she didn’t seem to expect any more answers.
I felt surprisingly at ease.
When I was with Eleanor, I couldn't relax for a second, always wondering what kind of trouble she would cause.
When I was with Arietta, I had to focus all my attention, anticipating when the [Erosion Rate] would surge.
Compared to them, Marie's faint presence was comforting.
Simply put, she had a small presence.
“So, Oz…”
Marie spoke up again, breaking the silence.
“What’s troubling you?”
“…”
“Uh… W-Was that a question I shouldn’t have asked?”
“No, it’s fine.”
But there was very little I could tell her.
I couldn’t tell her the true nature of the “Outer Being,” and even if I did, she wouldn't believe me.
But if I didn’t say anything, Marie’s already gloomy expression would only darken.
“For example…”
So, I would avoid any direct mentions and just ask her hypothetical questions.
“Let’s say you’re holding a dog on a leash.”
“A Bichon Frise?”
Marie’s eyes lit up, as if she’d forgotten her gloomy mood.
Right, she had a distinct preference.
“…Bichon Frises are cute. I like them, too.”
They were round and fluffy; I wanted to pet one.
“But let’s say it’s not a Bichon, but a hunting dog like a retriever.”
“Retrievers are cute, too.”
“…Could you imagine one that’s a bit more…intimidating?”
It was hard to concentrate with her constantly mentioning cute dogs.
“O-Okay!”
Was she imagining holding the leash herself? Marie's expression turned serious.
“And this dog is trying to escape.”
“Uh…why? Did I do something wrong?”
It was hard to continue when she looked so distraught.
“Let’s just say it’s a bad dog… Damn it! Let's say it's a wolf. You’re holding a bad wolf captive.”
“O-Okay!”
“And this wolf is trying to break free. The leash you’re holding is strong enough to withstand the wolf’s struggles, and you’re also quite strong.”
“Yes! A wolf is nothing. I can win.”
“Right, but while you were away, the wolf escaped. How do you think it escaped?”
“…?”
“Was the question too difficult?”
“No, I’m wondering why you’re asking such a simple question…”
Marie tilted her head, then answered cautiously, still unsure of herself.
“Someone else who hates me let it go, right?”
I felt like I'd been hit in the head. Leaving aside her pessimistic assumption, she was right.
That should have been the first thing that came to mind.
“Uh…no? S-Sorry… I don’t know much about these things…”
“…No, you’re right.”
Tia's magic barrier was practically impenetrable.
I was convinced that an “Outer Being” at this early stage of the story wouldn't be able to break through, yet I hadn’t questioned it.
Since Broken Sky only mentioned that it escaped by deceiving Tia, I hadn’t considered the possibility of an accomplice.
“I guess I wasn't thinking straight.”
Just half a day ago, I was certain there would be gaps in the story depending on the perspective, and yet I made such a foolish mistake.
“Uh…are you okay?”
“I’m okay thanks to you.”
“…I’m glad I could help!”
Then who was the accomplice?
I already knew someone capable of breaching Tia's magic barrier.
“Marie, I think the professor might be the bad guy.”
“Huh…?”
The elder mage and advanced magic professor,
Prudence Loa.
There was a reason he didn’t appear much after the very beginning of the game.
He must have been ripped apart by Tia somewhere after causing this incident.
Since he was already dead, it was natural that he wouldn't appear in the game again.
“Just kidding. Could you help me with something?”
“Sure.”
“Are you sure? You might regret it later.”
“I owe you that much.”
Marie said with a faint smile. Perhaps because she was from the Underworld? Her smile seemed to suit the night sky.
I wished she would smile like that more often.
“That’s good… But let me ask you one more thing. How strong are you right now?”
I didn't think she was weak. But Prudence Loa was also quite powerful.
I needed to assess her strength to make a plan.
“Me?”
Marie tilted her head at my question, then stood up.
She then spoke with an expression filled with confidence, neither gloomy nor faintly smiling.
“I’m probably the strongest among the students right now.”
As she spoke, the upper half of a giant skeleton materialized behind her.
The skeleton’s rib cage seemed to be protecting her, and it held a sword and shield in its hands.
Even in its weakened state, it was something that five of us had barely managed to defeat.
“That’s reassuring…”
[Death King]’s avatar was completely under Marie's control.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The next afternoon, I stood in front of the mirror, wearing my personal equipment, the [Starry Sky Robe], which I hadn’t worn in a while.
“Hmm…”
The robe looked good, but honestly, anything looked good on this body.
I hadn’t been able to use it before because of school rules and penalties, but now it was different.
It wasn't a class or an exam, so no one would complain if I wore this robe.
Moreover, since I knew nothing about my opponent, it was best to be overprepared.
What if he suddenly attacked?
“How does this work again?”
I examined the robe. Wearing this while walking around the academy would be conspicuous.
I already attracted attention, and wearing a combat robe would probably scare people away.
“Is it this? No… Hmm.”
If I remembered correctly, I could transform it into a small accessory.
It used to transform into a robe like a magical girl transformation sequence when a battle started.
“Whatever…”
After struggling with it for a while, I managed to transform the robe into a tie pin.
It was shaped like a constellation, as if asserting its identity.
“…This probably only looks good because I’m Oz.”
The world was unfair.
Not that I was complaining.
“Now, let’s prepare for this unpleasant psychological warfare.”
I needed to interact with Prudence Loa for a while and observe him.
I couldn't let my guard down against an elder mage.
I had a vague idea of why Prudence Loa released the “Outer Being.”
Spellerge was apparently a lawless land where fights broke out constantly in the streets.
The only reason Spellerge was even somewhat stable was because of…
…the [Mage King],
Salem Sudra.
His overwhelming individual power could subdue even lawlessness.
That’s why Salem Sudra was called the greatest mage in history.
Spellerge changed rapidly. Naturally, many couldn’t adapt to this change.
–I believe life is a constant struggle.
“Is he just a simple madman…?”
So, there might be those who clung to the old ways.
–You’ll understand what I mean soon enough, Heir.
“Or a complex madman with foresight?”
Or perhaps he believed this process was necessary.
I had similar thoughts myself.
Considering the future, it would be beneficial to become accustomed to these bizarre “Outer Beings” beforehand.
Panicking at their sudden appearance could lead to disaster.
But releasing them was a radical method. It wasn't about getting used to them; it was about forcing survival of the fittest, where the weak perished.
“I’ll find out soon enough.”
After composing myself, I headed towards Professor Aira’s lab.
I wanted to go straight to Tia’s lab, where the “Outer Being” and Prudence Loa were, but I couldn't.
I was officially participating as Professor Aira’s assistant.
“Sigh…”
Professor Aira’s lab was filled with the same gloomy aura as before.
If Marie’s gloom was a 1, then Professor Aira’s lab was about a 3.
“Seriously…”
I didn’t want to go in.
But I had no choice.
“Hmm?”
I knocked, but there was no response. I could sense a presence inside, but no one answered.
Since she wasn't reacting like she did last time, she probably just didn’t hear me.
I’d already received permission, so I just opened the door and went in.
“Ah.”
The messy lab once again assaulted my senses.
I walked through the lab towards Professor Aira and found her asleep amidst a pile of documents.
She was so deeply asleep that she didn’t even react to my presence.
“She must be exhausted.”
She had clearly collapsed from exhaustion mid-research. Come to think of it, I'd taken advantage of her.
I forced her to participate in Tia’s research under the guise of proving her trustworthiness.
Now, on top of her own research, she had to work on Tia’s as well.
And she still had to teach her classes. She probably didn't have a moment to rest.
“I should do something for her.”
Otherwise, I would feel guilty.
I transformed the [Starry Sky Robe], which I’d turned into a tie pin, back into its original form and draped it over Professor Aira.
Since I was already wearing my school uniform, it was fortunate that I had it with me.
This considerate, gentlemanly gesture…
…was something I’d always wanted to try.
“Let’s see…”
I checked the documents near Professor Aira's outstretched hand.
Since she seemed to have been working on them before falling asleep, they were probably her latest findings.
“Hmm…”
The research topic was the same as before: combining low and intermediate magic.
But Professor Aira's research was fundamentally different from my [Mage’s Gearwheel].
“Series instead of parallel?”
While [Mage’s Gearwheel] focused on unleashing magic in a short burst, Professor Aira chose to amplify its power.
Instead of spreading out the magic formulas and linking them, she layered numerous formulas on top of each other.
Some of them were formulas that couldn't be deployed individually.
To put it bluntly…
“Inefficient.”
If completed, it would certainly be a powerful magic.
But unlike combining existing formulas, creating incomplete formulas and then combining them would take far too long.
“Why did she choose this method?”
It was like having to create new parts every time you created a new magic.
Unless it was a collaborative effort with numerous people, one could only create three or four spells like this in a lifetime.
And no mage would willingly undertake such a task. Someone like Professor Aira wouldn’t make such a mistake.
“Huh?”
As I flipped through the documents, I noticed something strange.
“It’s already complete…?”
One magic was already complete, according to the document.
A new type of magic that combined basic, low, and intermediate magic, along with other formulas designed solely for combination.
Combination Magic (Tentative)
[Pinaka]
It was marked as tentative because it was a new type of magic, but judging by its power, it was probably the strongest among advanced magics.
“The method is inefficient and complicated, but…”
This magic could be considered complete.
Even I could probably use it now.
“But why isn’t the research finished…?”
That was the problem.
Professor Aira’s research didn’t end with completing this magic.
Whatever she was researching, this magic was just a stepping stone.
Even though this alone was a significant achievement, she was aiming for something greater.
“What is she thinking?”
Instinctively…yes, it was just a gut feeling, but…
“…I have a feeling I shouldn’t continue with this research.”
The magic Professor Aira was researching felt…dangerous.