Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: New Knowledge
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Back in my room, I stretched my body and let out a sigh.
I loosened up my stiff muscles, tense from exerting force against the Archmage's disciples.
[You did well.]
The Black Necromancer finally appeared, saying we could talk now. I'd glared at her several times to stay put, so she'd kept her distance.
I glanced at her and asked while taking off my jacket.
"Did you see anything when Elenoa fell asleep?"
She denied it firmly.
[Nothing at all. Is there really an evil spirit inside her? The more I look, the less it seems like it.]
"......"
As I shut my mouth, the Black Necromancer crept closer and pretended to take my jacket.
Of course, she couldn't actually hold it, so I ignored her and hung it on the rack.
She crossed her arms, looking annoyed, and asked back.
[What about you? You're actually far more expert in this field than I am.]
I knew that.
I knew she wouldn't know.
Even so, I had to ask.
Because.
"I didn't see anything either."
Not even an evil spirit or yokai—truly no presence at all. I'd thought something might appear in her sleep, so I suggested she get some rest.
But still, nothing showed up, leaving me a bit flustered instead.
"......"
I straddled the chair and crossed my legs, but soon craved coffee or tea and stood up again.
The room had simple tools prepared for me: tea leaves, coffee beans and grinder, teapot.
Normally I'd brew tea, but since I'd be up all night, I started grinding coffee beans.
Grind grind.
Turning the hand crank released a rich coffee aroma that poked at my nose.
Suddenly, Pindenai came to mind.
After I told her never to touch tea again since she brewed it like pig piss, she'd gotten into it lately and kept bringing it without me asking.
The problem was they all tasted awful. Honestly, it was just half-hot water.
'She's probably doing fine by now.'
They were tackling a pretty tough dungeon, but with Aria and Pindenai together.
In close combat, they're top-tier, so the more I thought about it, the more I trusted them.
Yeah, all I need to do is handle things here well.
As a necromancer, to strut around the kingdom with pride, I need to resolve this incident.
I finished brewing the coffee and sat back in the room's chair. The Black Necromancer stared at me, annoyed.
[Since you didn't see anything either, it probably isn't evil spirit-related. I heard the Saintess failed too, so maybe it's not spiritual at all—something else is the issue.]
"......"
[Or wait, is she really having nightmares? What if she's just mentally ill? Like a delusional patient?]
"......Is there no way to enter dreams?"
I'd been thinking something was off too, so I wanted to go into the dream myself.
She answered with a strange expression.
[You think there is? Soul communion is possible, but entering dreams? Impossible. We don't even know how dreams work.]
"I see."
As I clamped my mouth shut and sank into thought, she watched me for a moment before suggesting pityingly.
[Run away at dawn.]
"Hm?"
It came out of nowhere, but she was dead serious.
[This isn't something we can solve. It's not even our field. So run. Black mages make running away a daily routine anyway.]
"Hoo."
Useless words and worries. I figured it wasn't worth replying and took a sip of coffee.
Maybe because it was the palace, even my amateur brew had impressive taste and aroma.
[I'm telling you, we can't stay like this.]
I'd planned to explain everything at once anyway, so I kept quiet. Then the door opened, and two people entered.
King Orpheus and Archmage Roc Pelican.
Normally, I'd have to go to them, but right now, I was essentially a prisoner.
A high-risk one who'd beaten a Magic Judge, so they didn't want me wandering freely from this prison-like room.
It was actually convenient for me, so no issue.
"So, how did it go?"
King Orpheus asked me for results right away. His face held faint hope.
So I answered honestly.
"It's not an evil spirit matter. Just like the Saintess failed, necromancy couldn't identify what's in the Princess's dreams."
"Ah......"
[Y-You, you, you idiot?!]
Disappointed King Orpheus and the shocked Black Necromancer yelling I shouldn't say that. Failure in the trial probably meant execution again.
But I continued without pause.
"But it can be resolved."
"Resolved... is possible?"
"Hoo."
[What?]
The King, Archmage, and ghost all looked at me at once. Easier to explain all together.
"We can't confirm what that existence is, but ultimately, the 'dreams' are the problem for the Princess, right?"
"Indeed."
"So we eliminate the dreams themselves."
Not a complete solution.
Whatever's parasitizing the Princess remains a mystery, but the issue itself can be solved.
"Is that possible?"
To the King's question, I replied calmly. Composure builds trust.
"Yes, it is. There are existences made of spiritual concepts, unlike magic beasts."
"Spiritual concepts?"
"They're extremely rare, so you wouldn't know. Anyway, I plan to use one."
The bone centipedes Maalks made.
The angel born from the Setima girl's wish—that was this type.
Like how an evil spirit's grudge activates mana without a body.
Yokai and thoughtforms gain substance from accumulated wishes.
"The yokai I'll create is called a baku—a dream-eating yokai."
I mentioned it before: its nose is like an elephant's, body a bear's, tail a cow's, with tiger claws.
I think in Japan, it's called baku.
King Orpheus looked lost, so Archmage Roc Pelican interjected.
"You're saying you'll create something with a concept on your own? That's the realm of creation. Even magic can't do that."
Right.
What I planned was essentially creation.
Bone centipedes and Setima's angel had concepts established by many people, but baku was a concept only in my head.
"It's high difficulty, but not impossible. It'll take time, but with the palace's support and your help, Archmage, it's doable."
Of course, it sounded absurd. But I'd seen a success in my family's basement.
And here, superior mages, facilities, and funds were available.
Plus.
My biggest confidence: the cheat item Remegaton.
"No need to make it perfect. Just usable once is enough."
Not a perfect weapon like bone centipedes—just a one-use dream-eating yokai.
The two looked puzzled at handling an undefined concept.
But I answered firmly.
"It's to save this kingdom's Princess, tormented for years. Doctors? Priests? Even the Saintess and a necromancer like me failed."
I looked at King Orpheus.
His fists were clenched, resolve to save his sister already firm, so I lit the fuse.
"It's that dire. We must challenge the impossible head-on."
* * *
After yesterday, progress on the plan came swiftly.
At the King's command—that he'd do anything to save his sister—the Archmage led a dedicated research team publicly, but I'd lead it in reality.
Only I knew the knowledge and concept of the baku yokai.
I changed clothes and stepped out; the Archmage's disciples waited, still grumpy.
To move anytime, I had to keep these two flanking me.
Incredibly inconvenient, but unavoidable.
As I walked thinking that, Princess Elenoa popped out from a corner.
We and the disciples immediately bowed to the Princess, but she cleared her throat awkwardly and spoke.
"Deus, is this reality?"
"Napoleon Bonaparte. A French soldier who became Emperor via the 18th Brumaire coup."
Since I prepared him, it flowed easily. Elenoa listened blankly, then tilted her head.
"France? Napoleon? Am I the only one who doesn't know?"
She shrugged and asked the disciples beside me; they shook their heads awkwardly too.
"W-We don't really..."
"First time hearing it."
"Hmm, interesting."
The Princess nodded, looking much more relaxed as she passed us.
She seemed to think it was some simple novel from my head.
But after that, Princess Elenoa kept suddenly seeking me out.
Even at mealtime.
"D-Deus? I just dozed off for a sec? I-Is this reality?"
"There was this site called YouTube, full of videos. I used it a lot."
"Y-You... what? Vid... what are you saying?"
Even during research.
"Deus! Is now reality?"
"Albert Einstein proposed the theory of relativity. A key theory explaining the universe's basic laws."
"......I really don't get it."
Even when returning to my room at evening.
"Is this reality, Deus?"
"......There's this thing called a cell phone. Takes photos, texts, calls—an all-purpose item."
"Hm, what a unique thing."
Elenoa nodded contentedly and turned to leave.
But I called her back.
"Princess, do you just enjoy hearing the stories?"
"Wha?!"
She flapped in panic, asking what I meant. Her face flushed red as she waved her hands.
"N-No way! I just need to confirm if it's reality!"
She said that, but seeing her embarrassed, I could guess why she did this.
Meeting me let her quickly confirm reality, naturally relieving her stress.
Addicted to that feeling, she kept coming to me.
"I-I'm, I'm going!"
Whoosh!
Watching her hurried back as she spun away, I thought I'd be dealing with this often.