Chapter 244
Chapter 244
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 244
Chapter Title: If I Can Burn Like the Sun -4
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Shake, shake.
Selbia felt the regular rhythm of the vibrations as she groggily opened her eyes. Her body felt strangely warm, filled with a sense of stability.
It was languid. The pleasant languor after a deep sleep. She had fallen asleep without dreams and woken refreshed. Immense satisfaction welled up from the depths of her chest.
She wriggled her body, tightening her arms and legs in an embrace. There was a subtly pleasant scent, and it was the perfect hugging pillow. Had I bought something like this...?
She let out an involuntary whimper.
"Mmngh..."
Maybe just a little longer like this. Just a tiny bit more.
Finding Cravelin Render can wait a little...
"...?"
No, Selbia. You can't be late.
Selbia jerked her head up and took stock of the situation. She had lost consciousness, and now she was being carried somewhere. Am I being kidnapped?!
The disappearances in Mountain Weasel Village had all been kidnappings!
As she tensed her entire body on reflex, the unidentified kidnapper spoke calmly.
"Awake?"
"Ah, it's you... Phew."
Not a kidnapper, but the mad wizard. Selbia calmed her startled heart and relaxed her body. Instead of waking her, he had chosen to carry her on his back.
As the sleepiness gradually faded, Selbia looked around. They were crossing the city, and the mad wizard... was drenched in sweat. He was struggling with backpacks in both hands.
He had chosen to carry her instead of waking her, even with all that luggage.
Gratitude welled up in Selbia, followed by a prickling guilt. She grumbled on purpose.
"...You should've woken me."
"You were sleeping so soundly. Consider it my contribution to your skincare."
"What's the point of good skin for a fire mage?"
"You'll use it when you get married."
Marriage. Selbia flinched. The odd word made her react for no reason.
Selbia put a bit more strength into the arms wrapped around the mad wizard's shoulders and murmured in a voice just barely audible.
"...I'm heavy, aren't I?"
"Nah, not heavy at all. You could stand to eat a bit more."
A lie. He was clearly struggling right now.
The mad wizard was the type whose mischief pierced the heavens, so she expected him to tease her with something like, "I thought I was carrying an elephant," or, "Asking the obvious means you know you're heavy, huh?"
"......"
Her head felt fuzzy. Was there still sleep lingering? Selbia hesitated about getting down but decided to stay like this just a little longer. She would have to get off eventually, but she needed this extra time.
Selbia's expression turned subtly excited as she buried her nose in the nape of his neck. She carefully inhaled so he wouldn't notice. His sweat-soaked skin carried the scent of a man.
Is this what it smells like...?
"...That tickles."
"...Huh?"
"Stop breathing on my neck. It tickles, and it saps my energy."
"P-People have to breathe!"
Her mind cleared in an instant.
Selbia's face and ears turned bright red, leaving her flustered. What was I just doing? Why did I smell him?!
I'm crazy, Selbia! Crazy!
Selbia hurriedly slid off the mad wizard's back and snatched both bags from his hands.
"Hey, give me one."
"No need. Carrying a person must've been heavy... I'll take them from now on, got it!"
"No, really... it wasn't that heavy."
"Hide those trembling arms before you talk."
At Selbia's pointed remark, the mad wizard awkwardly averted his gaze. He might be a master of facial expressions, but he couldn't fake the strain in his overworked muscles.
He had carried her almost to the point of exhaustion.
He had planned to wake her if it got too tough. But there was a reason he hadn't. When you mess up, don't you go all out on housework and cooking as the standard apology?
The mad wizard rubbed his numb arms and called out to Selbia, who was striding ahead.
"Hey, I've got a confession."
"...?"
"Things got a bit messed up."
"So, a fragment of your soul did something... and now the whole city is full of uncooperative people?"
"Not the entire city. But probably most of it?"
"The 30 fragments thing was true... No, why get dragged into something so dangerous! Aren't academy professors supposed to just safely teach students?!"
She chewed me out for splitting my soul.
Anyway, the situation wasn't great.
The official name of the Psychopath Module is for mental protection in extreme situations. Even if a lover dies, it makes you shrug it off and focus on what needs doing.
For some reason, Pomeiker's citizens were affected, ignoring even a simple question like "Where's the inn?" It's that bad.
Why is this bad? Because investigation is basically sealed off.
I'm in Crimson Tower mage mode. Naturally, illusion magic has compatibility issues and isn't very efficient. My computational power has tanked, making me an idiot.
In short, magical search options are limited.
I planned to shake down info the old-fashioned way to find whatever Cravelin Render thing, but if no one listens, it's useless.
Normally, I'd scatter NPCs across the city.
"...So we really have to search on foot? Can't use the info guild either."
That's right. Earlier, I tried buying an apple because I was thirsty, and they chased me off saying no business today.
"There are probably a few normal people, but finding them is another task. So we've got two paths: painstakingly find Cr whatever, or recover my soul fragment first then search."
"Yeah, the workload just exploded..."
"S-Sorry, Selbia... Don't hit me, waaah..."
"I'm not gonna hit you!"
She said that while smacking my bicep. I thought rebel heart would block it, but her hands are faster than her mouth.
In the end, we decided to recover my data fragment first, then search for Cr whatever. It seemed faster.
First, precise analysis. I grabbed a beastman mercenary of a size I could handle from the passersby.
"Excuse me, a question."
"No thanks."
"I don't care if you don't want to. Come here."
"I said no...!"
Whoosh.
I subdued him instantly with a body slam I'm used to. Bound his limbs tight, drew a magic circle on his belly, and started status analysis.
Didn't need a full circle for this. Felt like scribbling multiplication tables in a notebook—hurt my pride—but no choice for illusion magic in this state.
"Mmph! Mmmph...!!"
"Hahaha! No one's helping you. Just like you, everyone's indifferent to strangers!"
"...Do you have to say that?"
Analysis complete.
"Selbia, I can give a perfect explanation with complex theory, or a simple summary. Which?"
"Simple one."
"A black mage is using my soul fragment."
"...Could you elaborate a bit?"
I improvised a race change against the goddess's mistake and split it haphazardly for Forced Exile targets.
Obviously, the splits weren't perfect. It was rushed and tough, so errors were inevitable.
Speculation from here.
Some fragments got 'personality,' others became pure data lumps without much will.
Fragments with function but no consciousness. In other words—
"Artifacts?"
"Exactly."
"...So ripping off part of your soul made artifacts? And black mages are using them."
"Yeah...?"
Sounds weird put that way.
But the module's nature makes extracting power from fragments hard. They'd just say "no thanks" to everything.
So they forced open the safe and clumsily used the power inside. Result: this.
Bzzz—!
Over the magic circle on the beastman's belly, a black will-o'-wisp floated up.
"Traces like this remain. Trackable now. Not a strong mage from the magic. Let's go."
"...Crimson Tower Master's difficulty spiked. Thought it was unfair at first, but starting to get it."
"Train well under a great teacher like me, and you can do this."
"Not from someone who wanders outside the academy constantly!"
True. I've roamed a lot, maybe neglected professor duties. When I return, pile on assignments. Enough to fill my absence.
The Psychopath Module is highly contagious. Based on my illusion magic principle: "The more you believe, the stronger it gets."
One indifferent person on the street is weird, but a whole alley? Seems normal. More infected, more power and spread.
At peak.
Pomeiker becomes a silent city ignoring human sacrifices. Black mages would love it.
Collect before it covers the city.
Bob, bob.
We tracked the will-o'-wisp flying into the sky.
Day 1. Limited search success.
"...The wisp went out."
"Ran out of mana. Lend some?"
"N-Not with a yawn, right?!"
"Handshake's fine."
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Day 2. Narrowed to three buildings.
"I'll check this side more. Just lend the wisp..."
"We haven't eaten dinner. Eat first. You'll vanish if you lose more weight."
"What if they escape? It'll get messier."
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Day 3. Down to one prime suspect.
"I get the method. Think I can summon it too. You save mana; I'll cast tomorrow."
"...It's 1 a.m. Drawing circles'll take all night?"
"I can skip a day. You sleep first, I'll han—ack?!"
"No way, kid. Declaring this a no-exit room till bedtime. Try escaping if you can!"
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And the awaited Day 4. We were about to breach the black mage base (suspected). An antique wooden building.
Searching a whole city ain't easy. Didn't expect this much time. In perfect condition, I'd have wrapped it quick, but...
Realized how comfy my life was.
"...Hmph."
Selbia looked pouty. Mad because I stopped her from overdoing it? Or because when I tripped her up, my face accidentally buried in her chest?
It was soft.
Necessary measure, though. Effort is good, but she seemed overly desperate.
Like wearing ill-fitting clothes.
Before breaching, I casually asked Selbia.
"Hey, Selbia. Isn't pushing like that tough?"
"...Why suddenly?"
"Just worried."
"This is how I remember my childhood friend. Professor. I wanted to be like you, so I'm giving my all."
Selbia drew a firm line.
But I see a contradiction.
I don't know past me. Maybe Selbia knows better. But as the same person, I know: those who burn their body always have a goal.
So I should ask Selbia:
'What does the sun burn for?'
"Su—"
"Breaching."
"......"
Selbia cut me off, like she didn't want to talk—or was dodging. Yeah, not pre-battle talk. Messy mind hinders fighting.
"Hup."
I psyched myself with a deep breath.
Selbia and the mad wizard cautiously opened the building door and entered.
Selbia had half-raised her mana, ready to chant. Heat circuits just before casting.
Holding pre-cast magic, preventing leaks, controlling light—it's tough. Most mages do this.
But mocking it, the mad wizard advanced with small fire spears loaded under his sleeves.
Clearly cast. Visible to the eye. No mana felt, minimal light, form sharp and steady. Just like red metal arrows.
She couldn't help but marvel.
"...A real monster."
"What'd you say?"
"Nothing."
Selbia quickened her pace.
Long, worn corridor. Acrid smell tickled her nose. The mad wizard covered his with his sleeve and muttered.
"...Smells burnt."
"Not burnt cooking... right."
End of hall door. Checked other rooms passing by, scanned too. Only this left.
Black mage here if anywhere.
Burnt smell intensified. Mad wizard checked doorknob temp with handback. Lukewarm, not hot.
Then thud.
Shoulder-open, magic aimed, enter...
"......"
Inside packed with charred corpses. Swirl scorch marks everywhere, faint resistance traces.
Signs of a massacre.
The perp overwhelmed with firepower, burned black mages instantly, left leisurely.
One key point: wooden building.
Firing fire magic inside wood, no spread, just light scorch. Yet killed all black mages.
Perfect fire control.
"...Cravelin Render."
Faint fear colored Selbia's voice. Overwhelmed.
Fire magic: hard control, high destruction. Near-perfect control? Concentrated power immense.
Unimaginable height for her. Exiled from Crimson Tower yet alive proves his talent and strength indirectly.
Can't win. Absolutely.
Unless matched or exceeded by the monster beside her.
Selbia looked at the mad wizard. He viewed the traces without surprise or fear, just calmly intrigued.
"Whoa, packs a punch? Looks like he took my soul fragment too."
"...This is 'packing a punch'?!"
How high are your standards...!
Selbia consciously lowered her raised voice and scanned around.
"So... no more tracking?"
"Nah. Happened recently, I think. Chase now, we'll catch up. Not gone far. Selbia, let's go!"
The mad wizard dashed following mana afterglow.
"...Huh? Oh, right! Coming!"
Selbia followed.
Racing toward goal, one soot-like question lingered in her mind. Ahead of hesitation and fear... some emotion.
Between two genius wizards, can I really help?
This time too—will I just end up receiving from him?