Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Cold Medicine
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“Omnomnom.”
The Mask Club’s clubroom had somehow become my second dormitory.
A perfect hideout.
I sank into the plush sofa.
This sensation like lying on a cloud—the soft sofa seemed determined never to let me get up.
In response to the sofa’s resolve, I adjusted mana at my fingertips.
A single line formed in the air, then another, gathering into a sphere before vanishing.
Utterly meaningless, utterly pointless—pretty garbage, that’s all it was.
“Nomnomnomnom.”
Beside me, Neru sprawled on the carpeted floor, stuffing something into her mouth.
…A bag of snacks in her hand, with a half-finished drink by her head.
She looked so utterly relaxed, it was hard to tell if this was her home or school.
“…Neru, I trust you’ll clean up after yourself.”
“Nyeh.”
The most surprising part was Delphine.
Instead of holding meetings with other professors or sorting paperwork after lectures, she came here.
Sitting in the window-side chair, sipping coffee, legs crossed, reading a book.
The stiffness from her lectures was gone—I had to double-check my eyes.
“Adel.”
With a star shape drawn in mana floating in the air, I turned my head.
[Yes?]
“How are your preparations for the final evaluation coming along?”
[Unfortunately, not well at all, Professor.]
“That’s a shame.”
[Yes, really.]
Honestly, nothing had been going right lately.
The club name I’d proposed so ambitiously got rejected.
This morning, on the way to school, I tripped over a rock and face-planted spectacularly.
And even after a month, the idea of linking mana to manifest magic was still a total blank.
“Engrave language within the lines… is that it…?”
[Yes.]
“Indeed… if you don’t grasp the meaning of the words, it would be difficult.”
[The meaning?]
The meaning.
Not the literal definition of the words, but reading the intent hidden within?
But I had no time to dwell on it…
- Clunk.
The clubroom door burst open roughly.
“Ah, there you are, Delphine.”
“…What is it, Professor Alberto?”
“What do you mean, what is it… Come with me, Delphine.”
That’s when I realized.
Why Delphine had been lingering here earlier.
Not just for a break… but to hide.
“Ha….”
Delphine closed her book, set down her coffee cup, and glanced at the window.
For 0.5 seconds, she seemed to consider jumping out, but ultimately gave up.
And so, Delphine followed Professor Alberto out.
Even as the door closed, her steps radiated reluctance.
Now, only Neru and I remained in the clubroom.
“Heh… it's my world now.”
Neru crunched on her snacks.
I leaned into the vibe, resting my head back and lowering my eyelids slightly.
At this rate, it’d be a peaceful afternoon.
…It should have been.
“Hehehe….”
“Nom…?”
A familiar giggle tickled my ears.
“Having trouble with magic, are you?”
“Gasp, eek… when did you get here nya….”
In the chair Delphine had occupied just moments ago… sat Carnel.
Legs crossed, chin propped, wearing her signature confident expression.
‘…When did she sneak in?’
More importantly, how did she know I was struggling with magic?
…Did she overhear from the next room over?
“Magic is my specialty, after all!”
Carnel placed a hand on her chest and declared proudly.
“What’s the problem, Adel?!”
Her passionate gaze overwhelmed me.
…Why is this president so earnest?
Unable to withstand that look, I explained the issue I’d been agonizing over for over a month—might as well try.
“Engraving language within mana lines to manifest magic…?”
Carnel tilted her head.
Her face perfectly expressed ‘What’s that?’
‘Beats me.’
Staring like that wouldn’t help.
I didn’t understand it myself yet.
“I think I get it….”
Ah… you think you get it.
I’d been racking my brain for over a month and still didn’t, but the president figures it out after a few seconds?
‘The wall that “lowest” talent can’t even approach.’
Is this the difference talent makes…
“When I draw magic circuits, each has its own trigger.”
Carnel stood from the chair, gathering mana at her fingertips.
Mana sparkled in the air, forming a magic circle.
“I engrave the circuit to manifest the spell, and if I want to fire a fireball, I add a circuit for launching fire.”
“Ooh… looks cool nya.”
Neru admired it, tail swishing.
“‘Engraving language’ is simple: draw the line, and inside it, engrave the words that trigger the magic.”
Carnel erased the magic circle, then drew a simple circular line—screeech.
“For example, engrave words to create fire…”
Carnel drew a fire shape inside the line with mana.
But the mana trembled unstably, turning crooked.
“Then engrave words to launch that fire…”
Next, she added a drawing of fire shooting out beside it.
“Like this.”
Snap—
Carnel flicked her fingers.
…Nothing happened.
“And it’s complete.”
“…Nothing happened nya.”
“I can’t use magic that way.”
I propped my chin, deep in thought.
I’d always thought “engraving language” meant inscribing long chants like incantations.
But Carnel’s explanation differed.
Like when I used 【Word of Command】, it meant intuitively engraving symbolic language.
…It felt promising.
[Thank you, President.]
“Hmph, hehe.”
Carnel’s shoulders rose high.
A bit more and they’d pierce the ceiling.
“Praise me more!”
***
I stepped into the Gray Zone once more.
Today’s goal was singular.
Check the progress on the throat cold medicine I’d commissioned from Caramel… or whatever to call it.
…Anyway, that’s why I was here.
But…
“Did you hear?”
“Hear what.”
“Moonlight’s minion.”
“…Puppet?”
“Yeah….”
…Why did that name have to reach my ears here, of all places.
“That crazy minion’s making it impossible to do business….”
“I’ve been on edge lately too—watch yourself.”
…I haven’t done anything?
So why are they scared just from the name?
‘Wait, how do you even know that name to begin with.’
Puppet was a pseudonym I made solely for Caramel.
In case my identity leaked, it was an impromptu, disposable name.
Yet now, it was circulating with the grandiose moniker “Moonlight’s Minion.”
…Did someone spread it on purpose? Or did something happen without me knowing?
‘Ah, headache.’
My temples already throbbed.
Who’d have thought one name would cause this much trouble.
- Ding-a-ling.
I released my head-scratching hand and opened Caramel’s workshop door.
“Welcome… P-P-Puppet, sir!?”
Caramel dropped her tool with a clack! and rushed to me.
Eyes wide, lips quivering.
“Wh-what brings you here….”
[Did you happen to mention my name around?]
“N-no! I’d never say it, not even on pain of death…!!]
[Then why am I hearing my name all over the Gray Zone?]
“Th-that’s… from those guys last time, probably….”
…Is that so.
The burly men who raided Caramel’s workshop before.
If that’s the source… it tracks.
“Um… should I just call you Mask from now on…?”
[Yes, let’s do that.]
Puppet felt like a regrettable invention.
Fine in my head alone…
But hearing it spoken aloud, passing through others’ mouths back to mine—my face burned.
Like someone yelling my game nickname in real life…
‘Why did I do that.’
Too late to erase it now.
But parading around with the cringey, chuunibyou title “Moonlight’s Minion” made my neck itch.
Caramel eyed me cautiously.
“S-so, what brings you….”
[The throat medicine.]
Just handle business and leave quick.
Lingering here might kill me with embarrassment.
“Ah…! One moment!”
Caramel rummaged through the workshop and returned with five vials.
“I made five prototypes for now!”
The vials varied in color, viscosity… everything.
“Truthfully… if I could check your physical data first, I could refine it faster, but the setup here isn’t ideal!”
…Talk of alchemy banished her earlier nervousness, bringing back the usual Caramel.
And… she’d already made five?
Like with Carnel’s magic explanation earlier, I’d seen genius twice today.
A twinge of relative deprivation stirred in my chest.
[I’ll come back next time then.]
“Yes, got it… I’ll prepare more next time…!!”
I carefully pocketed the vials and opened the workshop door.
- Ding-a-ling.
Then…
“Ugh… tell that Moonlight Minion or whatever to come!”
“Greg… I told you to lay off the booze….”
“Grahaha!! Puppet! Come at me, you bastard!!”
…Gotta go.
On the verge of dying from shame, watching that would suffocate me for real.
I activated 【Silent Step】 and vanished silently around the alley corner.
***
“What’s that, human.”
The moment I entered the room, the loach poked its head from the tank and spoke.
“My food?”
[Nope.]
The loach tsked and spat water at me—splat.
On the desk: sky-blue liquid, sticky green goo, liquid dusted with gold flecks.
…Vials of stubbornly unique meds.
‘…Are these safe to drink?’
They already screamed ‘will kill you if ingested’…
‘Fine.’
There was no way it’d actually kill me.
Caramel made it… wait, does that make it riskier?
There was no time for doubt.
I uncorked the sky-blue one and poured it in.
‘Taste…it's better than expected.’
As it slid down my throat, a cool, refreshing chill spread.
Clearing my chest, lightening my lungs—this was it. It had to work.
Slowly… slowly, I opened my mouth.
“…Ah.”
Then immediately.
“Pffft….”
Blood gushed out like a waterfall.
“?”
The loach’s eyes narrowed.
Its tail flicked back and forth in the tank.
Clutching my throat, knees buckling, I collapsed to the floor.
Even trying to breathe, blood surged before air.
“What are you doing, human.”
The loach hopped out of the tank.
Fins crossed, it peered down and tilted its head.
“Some new bullshit?”
I wiped my chin, staggering to my feet.
My vision was stained red.
‘No… it can’t be.’
Not yet.
There were four vials left.
One of them had to be right.
So I downed the green, gold-flecked, pink, and black liquids in turn.
…Green: vomited blood and foam.
…Gold: blood poured from my nose.
…Pink: sweet, but laced with blood taste.
…Black: stomach roiled, spat blood on the spot.
Four attempts.
All four failed.
Finally, I crumpled to the floor.
“Tsk. Tsk.”
The loach sighed, then slapped my mask’s cheek with its fin—smack! smack!
“Humans really are idiots.”
I wanted to retort, but all that gathered on my tongue was fresh red blood.