Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: Crown Hall Hypnosis App Capture Operation -4
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Doors stir curiosity in people. What's really behind the door? It's a natural phenomenon.
Whether you open it normally, kick it down, or smash it apart, there's always something beyond. Treasures of gold and silver, ninjas, massive tentacles—anything could be there. It's Schrödinger's box.
My Illusion Magic draws power from others' beliefs, allowing it to exert a certain degree of physical force.
《Tread-Door Realm Ascension》 is a spell that pushes this property to its limits.
The first victim is fabricated. Some hot-headed fool rashly opens the door, only to be snatched and devoured by a grotesque monster bursting from within. From start to finish, it's an illusion.
But those who witness the illusion now believe something terrifying lurks beyond the door—a deadly trap.
They grow afraid that if they open a door, a monster might lunge out from the other side.
The belief that something must lie beyond the door makes 《Tread-Door Realm Ascension》 function as a labyrinth.
It fans anxiety.
"Th-the tentacles got me! They grabbed me!"
"Something just brushed my ankle...!"
The immature spell can only muster this much physical force. But as anxiety spreads and belief in the 'something' beyond strengthens...
"I'm being dragged! Dragged awa...!"
"Gaaaaah!!"
The weak ones can literally be devoured.
At this point, the sharper minds start shouting.
"Don't open the door! Damn it... don't open it!"
"Just don't open it! Stay away from them!"
That's when you release the poison again. Among those ensnared by 《Tread-Door Realm Ascension》, show one arbitrarily opening a door to escape.
"Ha, haha! Here! This is the exit...!!"
Bam. The door slams shut. The used escape route vanishes. The door fades like a mirage.
"This one's an exit too! Hurry...!"
"I'm free! I'm free!"
Bam. Bam. Doors close one after another, erased.
One, two—you release the minnows. Now the trapped realize the rules: among these countless doors, a few are exits, and their number is dwindling...
Chaos spreads. As hope and belief in the exits intensify, 《Tread-Door Realm Ascension》's physical and binding force grows stronger.
"M-move! I'll open this one... Gaaaaah!!"
"This has to be the exit! It says so right there!"
As the number of trapped dwindles and desperation peaks, it tightens. It swallows them slowly. And once there's a moment's respite...
"Block it! Stay calm and block while we find the exit..."
"It can't go on forever..."
"Save me..."
"......"
Now, no one remains standing.
Pingvales grabbed the collar of a slicked-back middle-aged man among the sprawled bodies and hoisted him up. Judging by his armed state and forward attitude, she figured he was the leader.
"We'll relocate this one for interrogation."
"......"
"What's with that look, Magic Tower Master?"
"Oh, no. Nothing..."
Pingvales let out a shallow sigh and chided the Magic Tower Master.
"I understand hearing 'succubus interrogation' sparks certain thoughts, but it's speciesist and rude. Magic Tower Master. Pervert."
Kaboom!
The Magic Tower Master froze, pale as if struck by lightning on the crown of her head.
I quietly pulled the Magic Tower Master into a hug and patted her. People can have naughty thoughts sometimes. It's fine as long as it doesn't veer too far off.
"It's okay, Magic Tower Master. I can love you even if you're a pervert."
"You're the worst! You are!!"
Yuna's punches landed 32 times across my body.
I rolled with them while eyeing the statue in the square's center. I couldn't discern its religious significance or who it depicted.
But I knew for sure it was the medium for 《Big Brother》.
I reached out and rubbed the statue's surface. Infusing a bit of mana made faint, intricate patterns flicker into visibility.
The Magic Tower Master stared at the patterns, then abruptly turned my head away with her hands.
"This... it's a hypnosis pattern, right? Like Melbutton's sugar coating."
"Seems like they got the idea from there."
This statue was akin to an artifact that naturally imposed 《Big Brother》 on anyone gazing at the patterns.
Exquisitely crafted. The world is vast, full of geniuses. The intent was impure and sinister, but inwardly, I wanted to applaud the magic tool's quality.
So...
All the back-alley folk gathered here had fallen to 《Big Brother》. They mentioned regular prayer times.
Two spells under study at the Violet Magic Tower had been confirmed mixed in.
That meant there really was a leaker or traitor inside.
"The statue... we'll need to investigate it."
"Even you find it tricky?"
"Yeah, not my specialty."
I'd been busy with my own research, not dabbling in others'. I lacked depth in body control or Geass-like effects. I knew some mental induction from TRPGs.
Self-studying from scratch would take time.
That was an issue, and so was less hobby time, but by then...
The culprit would've fled long ago.
Now that we'd dug this deep, it was a race against time.
A battle to grab the tail before 《Big Brother》's creator noticed the anomaly and erased traces.
"......"
Wait.
"Magic Tower Master."
"...Y-yeah?"
"What would you do in this situation? Hypnosis brainwashing auto-applies via the statue—no clear tracking. Magic Tower folk are suspects now."
"I-I'm no good at research or such. Uh... They'd have searched for Violet Magic Tower mages in Crown Hall. Interrogated fallen ones, canvassed. They must've come once when placing the statue."
Yeah, that makes sense.
And when canvassing, I bet eyewitness accounts of the scar-faced senior flooded in.
Not because he's the culprit, but because he's the social one clocking over 50% weekly outings solo.
But we'd find that suspicious. Someone showing their face dozens of times at crime scenes? You'd suspect them.
A nagging displeasure pricked the corner of my mind. From the start. The boy pickpocketing me like led by something. The ensuing events.
《Big Brother》 triggering when grilling the boy, similarities to scar-faced senior everywhere. This... flow.
It felt like someone's trap. Unpleasant.
I didn't know the culprit, but they knew the Violet Magic Tower well. So they'd know about me and Tower Master Yuna too.
That I'm a genius who deciphers spells from afar.
And that getting caught by Yuna means doom.
Suppose scar-faced senior is the culprit. Could he plot this excluding our visit to Crown Hall? Getting caught means death.
He wouldn't use his signature moves. Even glancing sideways, it's his magic—could he push forward so carelessly? Getting caught means death.
Finally, why send the hypnotized boy crashing into me? Getting caught means death.
I cautiously voiced my guess.
"Could be a trap."
"...Huh, what trap? Now?"
"No matter how I think, it doesn't add up. Too blatant 'I'm scar-faced senior.' Pingvales might confirm, but I think someone disguised as him installed the statue."
"S-so, framing him?! Lorey!"
The Magic Tower Master clapped, beaming innocently. Her gloomy expression and stammer vanished. Suspecting a fellow Violet Magic Tower member had stressed her hugely.
It was just a hunch, but unless scar-faced senior wanted to die, no reason to orchestrate like this.
Waiting anxiously, Pingvales returned bloodied, dragging the middle-aged man's collar. She said regretfully.
"The statue installer confirmed as 《Puppet》 Lorey. Three repeated interrogations yielded the same eyewitness account."
"Yay!!"
"...?!"
The Magic Tower Master cheered triumphantly. Scar-faced senior wasn't dumb enough to act without disguise, solidifying her belief it was framing.
Pingvales whispered troubled to me.
"By chance, are you and Lorey on bad terms...?"
"We're good. Listen, Pingvales. This is a hunch..."
I explained the too-obvious info bait, possibly a framing ploy. She nodded, seeing the logic.
But she added a caveat.
"Still, 《Puppet》 Lorey is the prime suspect. You know that?"
"Yeah. That's why we're checking his innocence."
"You have a way?"
Of course. Simplest way to prove innocence.
"Just ask him directly."
"?"
We decided to contact him. Explanations come from the source.
Pingvales asked what if he's guilty and bolts, but Tower Master vowed to kill him herself, so she backed off.
Storm's eve.
Maybe scar-faced senior really was the careless culprit. This could tip him off to flee blatantly. Risky—Empire might suspect 'you lot are in cahoots.'
But Tower Master and I... wanted to bet on trust.
I borrowed Yuna's emergency comm crystal and mana. Forced the connection. Static crackled, then scar-faced senior's voice.
-So this is your body, sis... Feels weird.
-That's right, Loren. Move a bit. Get used to it for ease.
-Heart's pounding hard. Sis, you okay?
-No, it's joy. Just three hours now, but soon... we'll travel together...
Conversation continued, but one voice. Little brother in scar-faced senior's body, apparently. Ahem. I cleared my throat.
"Ahem, excuse me. Senior?"
-...Junior? Why?
No one caught mid-porn conveys that 'why are you here' in voice. I stated flatly.
"Suspicion of colluding with shady forces on you. No statement soon, Tower Master blasts laser."
-Fuck... Where to go, junior. No, Loren. It's fine, no worry. Sis didn't collude...
Clatter crash.
Rushing to change, rolling sounds, senior soothing his brother followed. I spoke quietly to the crystal.
"We booked a room at the Seagull Inn in Crown Hall."
-Got it, tell them one day wait.
Click. Signal cut.
"He's coming soon. Collect the statue, drop at inn, rest up."
"...Such a harmonious sibling pair."
At Pingvales' wry remark, Tower Master defended brightly.
"Y-yeah! Lorey's so sweet. Loves his little bro this much! Wouldn't leak research or do bad stuff...!"
"That harmony sounds backhanded."
We purged 《Big Brother》 from the sprawled in the square; Pingvales called guards, carted them to jail.
Crown Hall visit day one ended.
Scar-faced senior, exhausted from warp gates and carriages all night, nodded haggardly at the statue.
"This is my magic, yeah."
"Lo-Lorey!!"
"D-don't shoot! It is my magic, but I didn't do it...!!"
Scar-faced senior's grand exoneration fest began.