Chapter 5
Chapter 5
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: Lord First
>Chapter: 5
>Chapter Title: Odil's Grand Transformation★
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
*Click, clack... clunk.*
"Ah."
*Creeak.*
The door swung open limply. Nero and Noah stared at me, their eyes wide. Feeling a bit sheepish, I maintained a blank expression, quietly closed the door, and locked it again.
'Still got it.'
In truth, I had only ever picked a lock once while learning, making today the second time. Still, I swiped a finger under my nose and shrugged. It just felt like the right thing to do. Back in the kitchen, I thought to myself while reheating the cold soup.
'Does this prove it? That the laws of the Gag Anime World are still in effect.'
I added herbs to the bubbling soup, lost in thought.
'So then, what genre does that make this?'
The world I'd been transported into was a dark fantasy where dreams and hope were practically nonexistent. And now, the laws of a Gag Anime World had been added to the mix?
'...I can only imagine disastrous results.'
After narrowing my eyes and racking my brain, I came to a new conclusion.
'Or... maybe it only applies to me.'
If the laws of the Gag Anime World had truly been unleashed upon this dark fantasy, things would never have unfolded like the original story.
'The Hero would have probably woken up, scratched his head, and become friends with the Demon King.'
The Gag Anime World was so sickeningly absurd it could make you lose your mind; the original plot would have been impossible.
'To be sure... what should I do? I lived in that gag world for so long that I've gotten used to it...'
While I was pondering, the food was ready. I first took the warm meal to Odil. I discreetly took out some nuts and placed them in a corner of the room, and the crow spread its wings wide, forming a thumbs-up. I gave a thumbs-up back, hidden from Odil's view, before leaving the room.
'I'll check on the laws of the Gag Anime World later—...ah, that's too long. Let's just call it the Gag Filter. I'll check if the Gag Filter is active later.'
With that thought, I went down to the basement and handed out the soup. The children's faces lit up as they scraped their bowls clean. It was very satisfying.
***
A new slave had arrived. That meant an existing slave was about to be consumed.
*Scratch, scratch, scratch.*
Some of the children, unable to hide their fear, scratched frantically at their own bodies. They didn't stop until blood dripped from their inflamed skin. Lily was no different. She scratched at her red, irritated skin and thought.
'Who will be taken this time? Will they come back alive?'
No matter how much affection Rian showed the children in the cells, their situation didn't change. They were all destined to be dragged away by the Black Mage, to either die horribly in an experiment or suffer a fate worse than death.
"Hyeong, what's going to happen to us?"
"Don't worry. No matter what happens, I'll protect you, Nero."
"Okay."
Hearing the small voices from the next cell, Lily lifted her head and looked for Pia. Pia was staring blankly, clutching a tattered piece of cloth.
"It's okay. I'll protect you. Unni is, Unni is right here."
She murmured, stroking the dirty cloth as if it were her own sister. The shock of losing her younger sister right before her eyes sometimes caused Pia to lose her grip on reality like this.
"Pia unni..."
"Hm? Oh, you're here, little sis. Come here, I'll protect you."
When Lily approached and spoke to her, Pia opened her arms. As Lily sank into her embrace, Pia squeezed her arms so tightly it hurt. It was a painful hug, but Lily didn't let it show.
"My sister, my little sister."
Pia stroked Lily for a long time, gradually coming back to her senses. The focus returned to her dazed eyes, and the strength in her arms slowly lessened.
"Unni, I'm cold."
"Let's share this."
Lily knew that Pia was projecting someone else onto her. But it didn't matter. Because Lily needed someone to hold her, too.
They clung to each other, waiting for a death that could come at any moment.
***
"Ahem, I will be participating in the Black Mage conference, so do not, under any circumstances, peek into my room at dawn."
"Gasp! Y-you mean... you're attending the conference that only the most renowned and recognized black mages in the association can join?!"
"...Yes."
The corners of Odil's mouth twitched. He was obviously in a good mood. I scanned Odil from head to toe with the gaze of a mother watching her son go to his first job interview.
"In that case, we must begin preparations at once!"
"What? Prepare for what?"
"Why, preparations to better convey your greatness, Lord Odil!"
"Is such a thing... even possible?"
"Of course! Just trust me! I guarantee you will be the most dignified and elegant black mage attending today! You might even be chosen as the top black mage of the day!"
"...Really?"
Seeing him twitch his ears as if tempted, I nodded with a solemn expression.
"Yes."
"Ahem... Very well, I shall entrust this to you. But if you... cause me any embarrassment..."
Odil's eyes flashed as he exuded a pitch-black aura. I flinched and nodded.
"I will ensure you suffer no embarrassment whatsoever!"
"Good."
Watching Odil turn on his heel and enter the lab, I grinned inwardly.
'Phew, looks like that went over well.'
The reason I had deliberately stepped in and made a fuss was all because of a memory. Back when the owner of this body, Rian, was a test subject, an old man imprisoned with him had given him a warning in a trembling voice.
He said to be careful on the day of the Black Mage conference. On that day, the Black Mage would always get looked down on by the others, putting him in a foul mood and causing him to take out his anger by tearing a test subject to shreds.
'I have to prevent that from happening if I can.'
There was no viable way to escape this place before the protagonist arrived, so I had to lay low. But that didn't mean I could just abandon the children being experimented on. It was best to protect them as much as I could within my limits.
'Alright, first...'
I briefly searched my memories of the original story, trying to recall how the Black Mage conference worked.
'It's like a video conference.'
Since they were all scattered far and wide, it was difficult to gather in one place, so most of the conferences were held remotely.
'In that case, let's fix what they can see.'
I pretended to roll up my sleeves and headed for Odil's wardrobe.
*Fling!*
I boldly threw open the wardrobe doors and scanned the clothes inside.
'Tsk, tsk. Nothing but shapeless, all-black robes.'
Such clothes didn't suit the skinny, sharp-featured Odil at all. They just made him look ridiculous, like a child who had borrowed his older brother's or father's clothes. I picked out a few outfits that he seemed to wear the least.
Then I immediately poked my head into Odil's lab and said.
"Lord Odil, would it be alright if I tailored these clothes to be more stylish?"
"What? Hmm... if it's those, I don't care. I don't wear them anyway."
"Thank you!"
Odil paid me no further mind and began to focus, flipping through an ominous-looking book. At that moment, I took the nuts I had brought in my pocket and dropped them on the floor. Then, I looked toward the crow.
*Got any machine that can alter clothes?*
I tried my best to convey my meaning through gestures. The crow glanced at the nuts, then quickly turned its head away. A sign that the payment was too small. I clicked my tongue and dropped more nuts. The crow glanced at them again and whipped its head away once more. I increased the amount of nuts again.
The crow tilted its head as if considering. I slyly reached out my hand and pretended to take the nuts back. A gesture that meant, 'If you keep this up, the deal's off!' At that, the crow quietly spread its wings, nodded, and gave a thumbs-up with its wing. I returned the thumbs-up.
*Tap, tap-tap.*
The crow silently hopped down from its perch and retrieved something from a bookshelf piled with all sorts of items.
"Oh... thanks."
"Caw."
I quietly thanked it, and the crow let out a small cry before pecking at the nuts on the floor. I took the item the crow had brought me and returned to my room.
"Ooh, this looks interesting."
The U-shaped machine seemed to function like a sewing machine; when I threaded it, placed fabric in the groove, and moved it, it stitched. Its true purpose was a tool for easily drawing magic circles, but now, it was nothing more than a simple sewing machine.
'Alright, with this...'