Chapter 75
Chapter 75
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: Event Summoning
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Nothing much happened after I fell asleep.
Luna apparently sparred with a few kids who asked, and Yui got her hair done in all sorts of styles by the girls.
I guess girls everywhere have a soft spot for cute things.
After class, it was free time.
We had agreed beforehand to only take one class a day.
So, we lazed around in our dorm until evening, then headed out of the academy for a bit when it was time for dinner.
I had a reason to stop by the blacksmith.
"Mister~"
*Tinkle.* I opened the door and called out the familiar title.
The blacksmith, who had been reading a newspaper with his chin propped on his hand, looked up at us.
"...If you're here to ask me to make something weird like those cat ears again, you can just turn around and leave."
"What's wrong with cat ears?"
The dreams and hopes of all men are contained in that tiny, divine object.
The person who invented cat ears and a cat tail deserves a Nobel Prize.
"So what bizarre thing are you here to ask for this time..."
"When have I ever asked you to make something bizarre?"
Is this guy going through menopause or something?
He's a man, and he feels nothing when he sees cat ears?
"Mister, don't tell me you're...?"
"I like women, so wipe that look off your face."
That's a relief.
If he were gay, I would've had to find a new blacksmith to protect my ass.
"Anyway, I'm here today to get some tools repaired."
I took out all the broken magic tools I'd used this afternoon from my inventory.
"What in the world did you use these on? All the items I made for you not long ago are completely shattered..."
"Where else would I use magic tools? For magic."
"I mean, how do you use non-disposable tools in a way that breaks them after a single use?"
I'm not the one who broke them.
That professor did.
"It looks like it'll be harder to fix these than to just make new ones. How about that?"
"If that's easier for you, go ahead."
Then, I pulled out a bunch of Sea Serpent scales from my inventory.
The scales came clattering out.
"And with these, please make 52 thin plates. The size should be 66mm by 88mm."
"Can't you please ask me to make something normal for once..."
What's the standard for normal?
The opposite of normal isn't abnormal; it's just another kind of normal.
"...You're probably the only person in the world who wouldn't make armor with such fine materials."
"The Sea Serpent was huge. A few scales are no big deal."
Our contribution to the Sea Serpent raid was high, so we were able to get a larger reward.
One of those rewards was the rare material, Sea Serpent scales.
"Anyway, I'm counting on you~"
"Haaah..."
I gathered the fallen scales and placed them one by one in his hand.
"By the way, kid. Isn't it about time you got a new weapon?"
"All of a sudden?"
"Didn't you have that weapon made when you were D-Class? You're B-Class now, isn't it time for an upgrade?"
"Now that you mention it, that's true."
It's a thought that's crossed my mind recently.
It's not like my current weapon is so worn out or weak that I absolutely have to replace it.
But there is one problem.
'It's too light.'
The weapon was crafted to match my strength at the time, so I never use two hands to wield it anymore.
So it doesn't really matter if I don't change it, but there's no reason to use a weaker weapon when I can make a stronger one.
"I don't have any suitable materials, though."
Even if I have a lot of Sea Serpent scales, it's not nearly enough to make a greatsword out of such thin pieces.
Materials always seem like a lot until you melt them down.
'If I ever get a chance to see the World Tree, maybe I should break off a few branches.'
No matter the world, anything that comes from a World Tree is a precious material.
"That's true."
"More importantly, please do a good job on the things I just asked for."
"Alright. Come back later."
"Kay."
And with that, we left the blacksmith's shop.
Now, it was time for dinner, so we started walking back toward the academy.
On our way back to the academy.
"Luke."
Yui suddenly stopped and tugged on my sleeve.
"What is it? See something interesting?"
"No... not exactly. That person over there."
Yui pointed with her dainty hand toward a man in a robe, who was mixed in with the crowd and glancing around furtively.
"Doesn't he look a little suspicious?"
"Yeah, he looks damn suspicious."
I patted Yui on the head to praise her.
Guys who wear robes like that are usually the masterminds.
Either they're plotting something sinister, or they're a supporting character with an important role.
It's always one of the two.
'Honestly, I don't get why no one pays attention to a guy walking around in a robe like that.'
Maybe it's a quirk of this medieval-esque era, but there's a guy blatantly wearing a robe in the middle of a crowd, and nobody gives him a second glance.
In the modern world, he'd be mistaken for a cosplayer.
In any case, this smells like trouble.
My brain is telling me that something fun will definitely happen if I follow him.
"*Slurp...*"
My mouth is watering.
And so, we openly followed the suspicious robed man.
There were so many people around that it couldn't even be called tailing.
The robed man was suspicious from the start, but as we followed him, my suspicion turned to certainty.
Every time he reached a fork in the road, he'd look around before turning, he'd occasionally pull his hood down tighter, and if the people around him thinned out, he'd startle and quickly blend back into a crowd.
After several turns and navigating through a few cramped alleys, the robed man finally entered a building.
The building was tucked away in a deserted alley corner, with a single entrance that only led downwards.
"Luke? What kind of event is this?"
"Hmm... My memory is a bit hazy. I think it's the Behemoth."
"You don't know for sure?"
"Yup."
I should've written it down on a calendar or something after I was transmigrated.
"Who knows. Doesn't matter."
It's not like an S-Class monster is going to pop out, right?
We entered the building the robed man had gone into.
Normally, it'd be better to just blow up the whole building, but I needed to confirm what event this was.
If it's the Behemoth, it's actually better for it to show up.
"ᛒᛖᚺᛖᛗᛟᛏᚺ ᚲᛟᛗᛖ ᛟᚾ."
As we descended the stairs, a cryptic language echoed from beyond a door.
Opening the door, we saw the robed man from before, sitting in front of a geometric magic circle, hands clasped in prayer.
The magic circle was red, but the light illuminating its surroundings was purple, a suspicious color combination from the get-go.
And the robed man was so focused that he didn't even notice us open the door and walk in.
I crept up behind the robed man and placed a hand on his shoulder.
The startled robed man stopped his chant and turned to look at me.
I gave him a wide grin and a greeting.
"Hello?"
***
He was sure he had been cautious on his way here.
No one should have known he was here.
But who was this man standing before him?
"Why no answer? You were just muttering away a second ago. Hey? You don't speak? Do you need me to try another language? Hello?"
And he wasn't alone; there were three of them.
"...When did you start following me? I was sure I was being careful."
"You call that being careful? I thought you were practically begging me to follow you with that body language."
*That's a lie.* Of course, he hadn't sensed them following him, but there was no way this man would carelessly reveal such a skill.
The robed man thought.
Because of this, the robed man pulled a dagger from his robes and stood on high alert.
He had spent years preparing for this plan.
He couldn't let it all go to waste by being discovered by some nameless nobodies.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Arthur!"
""...?""
"I see. Arthur. You'll make a fine sacrifice."
"Stop! We're allies! Cease your attack!"
*What? Allies? Does he take me for a fool? As if I'd blindly believe the words of a stranger.*
"How can I believe that?"
"Ahem, we are reinforcements sent by the great one! Do you dare doubt him?!"
"N-No, it's not that...!"
"Then stop wasting time and just tell us what you need help with."
*Can I really trust them?* Even if he had doubts, if they were sent by *him*, then even questioning it was a sin.
"If you were truly sent by him, then tell me what this magic circle is for!"
If they knew this, there would be no room for doubt.
"We came because the great one ordered us to assist with the Behemoth summoning ritual!"
For a moment, a smile spread across the robed man's face.
'Of course! The great one is surely guiding me!'
Truly, his foresight is incredible.
To send reinforcements to a mere, nameless Demonic Human like me.
A sense of awe washed over him.
His duty was to lay the groundwork in preparation for when the great one descended upon this humble place.
The first step in that foundation was to shatter the Empire, the greatest nation in existence.
The other Demonic Humans or Demon Lords would take care of the elves, and the beastkin wouldn't come to help, having suffered so much at the hands of humans.
"Then, you three stand guard while I complete and activate this magic circle."
"How long?"
"Another 30 minutes should be enough."
"Can't you do it faster?"
"I understand your eagerness, but it cannot be done any faster than this."
*It might be different if there were another Demonic Human who understood this magic circle, but these people don't seem to be the case.*
"Alright, we'll keep watch outside. Call us when you're done."
"Very well. If anyone comes, dispose of them."
Afterwards, the man and the two women went back up the stairs they had come down.
He, too, focused on activating the spell as quickly as possible.
Once again, he knelt before the magic circle and chanted the runic words.
As the spell progressed, the candles in front of the magic circle began to light up one by one, and as the spell neared completion, his own mana began to be siphoned into it.
And so, 30 minutes passed.
The spell was finally complete when not a single drop of mana was left in the robed man.
"Hoo... huhu... Kuhaha!!"
Upon the spell's completion, an indescribable sense of accomplishment washed over the robed man, and forgetting his own condition, he laughed heartily. The sense of achievement was so immense that the vigor in his laugh was unbelievable coming from his scrawny body.
"You done?"
Hearing the robed man's cheerful laughter, the man who had been outside returned.
"Yes. I thank you for your help."
"Then die."
Immediately after, the robed man's vision plummeted to the floor.