Chapter 320
Chapter 320
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 320
Chapter Title: The Culprit is in This Room - 1
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We teleported our way there, arriving almost as if we'd flown. Tucked away in a shady spot on the mountainside, somewhat distant from the city center, in an area with inconvenient transport and middling amenities—that's where the Violet Magic Tower stood.
"...This is the Violet Magic Tower, Master's hometown."
The kid wore an expression brimming with nostalgia in every way possible.
"Strictly speaking, it's a bit different from the tower where your master stayed. The exterior's changed quite a lot."
Right off the bat, half the school's faction had been blown away by Yuna, worsening the already shaky finances of the tower. There was even a time when they had to skimp on food just to fund research.
Naturally, maintenance budgets plummeted too, and back when I first entered the tower, the outer walls were still caked in mildew stains.
But then a genius mage descended from the heavens like a dancer, entering the Violet Magic Tower, and everything changed dramatically.
With the influx of funding, they repapered, installed safety devices, and—as the ultimate form of any content is its looks—they completely remodeled the exterior.
And so, after cycles of destruction and rebirth, the current Violet Magic Tower looked like this.
"What's that thing attached to the side?"
"A hypnosis wave emitter for intercepting intruders."
"And those tentacles?"
"A crane for transporting goods, skinned over."
It was a tad... cosmic, you might say. If aliens landed and built a magic tower, it'd probably end up looking something like this.
"Your master probably remembers the tower in its traditional form... Alright, ready? Let's get started."
I pulled out the scroll for tracking Capricorn.
The Hypnotist Detective had two of these scrolls, but one had been used at the academy to verify my identity, leaving just this one. One shot, that's it.
As I prepared to activate it, the kid—who was actually shaking more than me during the casting—was trembling hard. Must be anxious about there being no spares.
Unable to contain his worry, he even started giving me advice.
"Don't let your guard down. I know you're... an incredible mage, but Capricorn is a monster vicious enough to harm Master."
"Hey, what do you think 'letting your guard down' means?"
"It's, uh, having a lax mindset..."
"Not being prepared and unable to use 100% of your power—that's letting your guard down. Forgetting gear you should have brought, missing something you could have noticed, losing a winnable fight. That's it."
So I wasn't letting my guard down.
What was Capricorn's metamorphosis ability? No idea. Whether he'd even undergone it or not—who knows. But I did know his base spec was an illusion mage.
Even after poring over the Hypnotist Detective's攻略 guide, there were no detailed specifics on his abilities. When he attacked the kid's master, he'd led a band of dark mages and freely wielded all sorts of illusion magic...
The clue I had was that I remembered his name and could pronounce it.
If Aisha's guess was right and he was a minion of 'that thing,' then like with the succubus queen, naming him might open the evil god's toolbox.
That was all the intel I had.
So, based on that, what should I prepare and how?
"What would you do? What should I prepare?"
"Well, um, you see... Ultimately, Capricorn is an illusion mage. So prepare something to counter illusion magic."
"Exactly. And that's what I did."
Me.
"You called me an 'incredible mage,' but if you really knew me in detail, you'd have phrased it differently."
Tsss—!
I tore the scroll without hesitation. Mana and data intertwined, releasing a glow that floated lightly into the tower, pointing toward the culprit.
The kid jumped in shock and shouted.
"Duration's only 10 seconds! We have to chase it now...!!"
"Thirty minutes."
"Huh?"
"Extended it to thirty."
"...How?"
Just fine.
I strolled casually after the glow, entering the Violet Magic Tower.
Hands in pockets, walking slowly—but I wasn't slacking. This was fishing. Bait out, rod dangling.
A cunning, powerful bastard like that would've surely rigged something in the tower. Traps or whatever.
So rather than rushing and getting backstabbed, I'd bulldoze through slowly and methodically, crushing everything.
But doesn't that give him time to escape?
No. From this moment, no one inside the Violet Magic Tower could step foot outside. I'd prepared barriers for when Irid—who knew my secret—might bring an army someday.
Standing in the first-floor lobby, I began chanting.
Rumble, rumb-rumble—!!
The entire Violet Magic Tower shook and warped. Doors inside twisted or vanished, relentlessly targeting and blocking the very notion of going outside.
Until this illusion magic was countered, they couldn't even leave their rooms, let alone the tower. Doors wouldn't be visible, and the idea of exiting wouldn't even occur to them.
Magical-psychological escape: sealed.
Of course, someone might try brute physical force. That was left to Aisha outside.
......
"A thousand histories, a thousand figures; even scraping through thick layers of time yields but a single scale. Dragon Scale Ascension Realm: Sealed Gate."
Shrrrr—!!
Jet-black scales erupted across the Violet Magic Tower's walls. Aisha, using an arranged spell to physically seal the entire structure, sat cross-legged at the entrance, leaning back.
There was no tension, anxiety, or worry.
The mad mage was ruthless at heart. He seemed lighthearted, laughing and joking, but he'd stake his life for his goals—and with that resolve, he'd even sealed 'that thing.'
With him declaring full revenge, she didn't for a second think he'd lose to some evil god's minion. He'd win.
So, if anyone was going to lose... it wouldn't be the mad mage.
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Step, step.
"Hm, hmm~."
The mad mage hummed a tune as he climbed the stairs. The glow floated about a meter ahead, guiding them. They'd already passed the 10th floor.
The Violet Magic Tower's top was the 20th floor. That meant half the tower's suspects were already cleared.
The little hypnotist detective trailing him realized something at some point. Even that humming was magic. He couldn't pinpoint the exact effect, but it seemed like a barrier blocking malicious external info.
Looking back at the mad mage in astonishment, he could sense faint traces of mana in his gait, the click of his shoes, even the movement of his eyes.
He was casting spells through every casual motion. Like drawing intricate patterns just by walking. How was that even possible?
Detecting the tracking glow, Capricorn—presumed hiding somewhere in the tower—sprang into action.
Thud—!
Crunch, crunch, kiihihahaha—!
The entire Violet Magic Tower's lights went out. No, that wasn't all.
Darkness itself seemed to flood the space. The floating glow was swallowed by pitch black, vanishing from sight.
And from that inky darkness, cackling dwarves began crawling out one by one, their numbers swelling to fill the passageway.
Summoning magic from the summoning school, erased by Yuna Yurensuto Violetiris's Oblivion.
The sharp clack of their teeth echoed. Passing through that would mean bones and flesh stripped in under ten seconds.
"Feels like this? Similar to dream demons."
"...Th-there's a lighting magic circle. I learned summoning magic ties closely to its base materials... Monsters summoned from shadows should be weak to light. So if we burst this!"
"Hold off. They're on our side now; gotta get along. Right?"
"Huh?"
Kihihihi—
Before they knew it, the dark dwarves were nuzzling the mad mage's feet affectionately. They'd been murderous just moments ago.
The mad mage admonished them kindly.
"Now, go back to the one who birthed you. Tell him politely that I've arrived."
Kyahahaha—!
Squirm, squirm.
Instantly brainwashed, the dwarves charged up the stairs to attack their former master instead. Soon after, the tower's lights flickered back on.
The glow continued its leisurely path.
"...How'd you do that?"
"Dark spaces are actually great for hypnosis. One light flashing in the dark grabs all attention."
"I mean, I didn't even notice you casting—how?!"
"17th floor. Central control room? Tied mana threads to several brainwashed summons; the response cut off there. Capricorn's around that area. Kid, cover your ears."
Click-clack.
The rhythm of his footsteps changed. The sound boomed like in a sealed basement, overlapping and echoing, growing louder.
A mental attack via sound amplification.
The little hypnotist detective hurriedly plugged his ears. Most of the waves shot forward up the tower, leaving only echoes behind the mad mage—but even those fragments made his head spin.
He quickly pulled artifacts from his pocket to protect himself.
15th floor.
"Come to greet me, have you?"
"......"
Mind-controlled, perhaps—the Violet Magic Tower's mages blocked the mad mage's path. The defense systems seemed hacked too; magic circles and intercept artifacts targeted him.
Then the mad mage's form shifted once more.
Waver. Wobble.
His entire body unraveled like fibers or flames, texture dissolving into an amorphous shape. Anyone familiar with Selvier's metamorphosis would find it familiar.
And those who could sense emotional flows would detect invisible chains extending from the mad mage, binding and guiding everyone's feelings here.
It was beyond what the little detective could comprehend now.
Screech. Grind. Squeal. Hearing too.
A grotesque alternation of sharp and gentle undulations. Vision too.
The scent that had spread across the floor before he noticed. Smell too.
Bitter taste. Skin prickling. Taste and touch too.
All of it. Everything danced in the mad mage's grasp like an orchestra, weaving illusion magic in perfect harmony.
He alone unleashed every toxic effect under the Illusion category. A chilling voice echoed.
"If you're watching through our seniors and juniors, your eyes must itch like mad by now. If you're listening via hacked surveillance, ants are crawling out your ears. I've used everything I've learned so far—how's it feel?"
"......"
"I... just wanted to play with the people I love in this little tower. That's all I ever wanted. I only started researching combat magic after unpleasant folks picked fights."
At some point, he'd had to fight—and he did. The genius mage from birth honed countless claws from those experiences.
And now.
"Feels like I could name it all... Thanks, you bastards. 'That thing' included—all thanks to you."
"────!!"
Those blocking the mad mage crumpled one by one like puppets with cut strings. And amid them.
Shhwick—!
One assassin hidden among the Violet Magic Tower mages revealed himself. Eyes and mouth sewn shut—a gruesome figure who'd undergone surgery to resist illusion magic.
While the mad mage and Violet Magic Tower Master were away at the academy, control over the tower weakened—that was his chance. Hidden as an ace for close-quarters stabbing.
Mages' weakness: melee combat.
Prepared by Capricorn for the mad mage's inevitable arrival...
Combat Assist: Heavenly Demon
Transforms race to information lifeform. Vastly enhanced physical specs with sufficient mana—enough to rip thick parchment scrolls by hand.
Perfect martial arts unfolded on that base.
Whish—thwack—!
In the fleeting pass, the assassin hit the floor with three limbs snapped. The mad mage stomped down without mercy.
Crunch.
"...Well, I can handle melee to that extent. Still better at spamming spells from afar, though. C'mon, kid. Think I've crushed all his prep."
"Y-yeah... Er, yes!"
The mad mage ascended the final stairs without pause.
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17th floor, Violet Magic Tower central control room door.
The glow vanished right at the entrance—faster than the mad mage's estimated duration. Interference to prevent tracking?
Too late. Only a thin door separated him now. Capricorn was definitely inside. He kicked it open and charged in.
Bang—!
"Don't move, Capricorn! Give up resistance, and I'll kill you with less pain... What the fuck, why are there so many people."
...There were four people inside.
"Short-shorts shota's creator! We've been waiting for your return!"
One: Luce, 6-year veteran mage who'd inherited the mad mage's Hologram spell.
"Isn't this the junior! Good to see you after so long!"
Two: Charlie, the tower's eldest, 15-year veteran mage.
"Th-the door vanished... Was that you again...?"
Three: Melburton, 3-year veteran—Yuna's stress-relief crunchy sandbag.
And.
"Junior, we got a signal someone accessed the Violet Magic Tower's security systems... so we rushed up. Am I fucked right now?"
Four: Lorey, the 10-year veteran called Scarface Senior.
"......"
The room was a locked chamber. Suspects: four. Culprit: one.
The deduction game to uncover the Violet Magic Tower's traitor had begun.