Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: The Inquisitor's Trap
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Wabid gave an awkward laugh.
"It was tough just getting here. Next time, I plan to bring some reliable party members."
I knew it was just an excuse.
If he'd really come to hunt the lich, he wouldn't have shown up alone, no matter how skilled he was.
But today, I was here purely for the supplementary exam.
His presence wasn't that uncomfortable.
"Well then, we'd better hurry. See you later."
"Good luck."
Karen and I opened the golden door.
A staircase led down to even deeper underground, pitch black and dim. A foreboding aura emanated from it, as if stepping inside meant certain death.
....
"Oppa...."
Karen seemed to sense it too.
"Should we turn back?"
"H-How can a high-level oppa like you say that?!"
"No, doesn't this feel like a dungeon entrance you can't enter without sufficient levels?"
"I guess so, but...."
The evil aura pouring from the stairs seemed to scream.
You're not ready yet.
"Hoo."
I took a deep breath and stepped forward.
The stairs went on forever. Just as my breath grew short and fear started to creep in, a passageway appeared.
It was utterly pitch black now—no light meant no progress.
Was there really nothing down here at the bottom?
"The skin wolves were easier, honestly...."
Unable to proceed, I pulled a lantern from my personal inventory.
The moment I lit it, snakes slithered into the corners like the witch's hair from a fairy tale.
Ah, gross.
"Disgusting."
From here on, anything could show up.
"Want me to hold the lantern?"
"No, I'll carry it."
In an emergency, it was better for me—with freer hands—to hold it.
"Cover me if any magic attacks come."
"Okay!"
I wasn't the mage who needed protecting anymore.
I walked side by side with Karen. The fourth underground floor had few monsters.
Had the vanguard already swept through? If so, we needed to hurry.
"Why is there nothing here?"
Karen spoke up.
"Feels like someone already cleared it."
"No way. All of it?"
Karen gasped at the bone fragments crunching underfoot with every step.
"Yeah.... Just from the traces we've seen, it looks like over 600 monsters."
No need for Search skill.
The bones scattered haphazardly across the floor told the story of an intense, prolonged battle.
Our pace quickened.
We traversed the long passage and emerged into a wide stone chamber.
Instinct told me this was where skeleton warriors spawned endlessly.
Piles of rusted swords like an armory. Even more bones and a dank aura.
But the lich was already dead.
"We did it!"
Twelve people in the chamber cheered.
At the center was a blonde girl who looked like the party leader—standing out more than anyone.
"It's over...."
Karen murmured.
Yeah. We were too late.
I'd half-expected this. Just like we'd beaten the skin wolves first in the Black Forest, someone else might get here ahead.
It would've been dramatic to take down the lich ourselves, but reality was anticlimactic.
"Nothing we can do if it's already done. Let's report back."
"Yeah, no choice...."
Tears welled in Karen's eyes.
This was awkward. How to comfort her?
As the adventurer party disbanded, the blonde girl approached us.
She didn't look like an adventurer. I'd never seen her face before. Long blonde hair to her waist, red eyes, white uniform.
Up close, she shone like the sun in the dim chamber—radiant.
"Don't cry like a loser."
"Huh...?"
Karen blinked, meeting the blonde girl's gaze.
"...Opportunities come around."
Was it encouragement or just trying to make her cry more? Hard to tell.
The girl snapped at Karen one-sidedly, then brushed past.
She glanced back.
"And you—why are you letting the girl next to you cry, you man? Pathetic!"
"...."
Was insulting people her specialty?
The blonde girl walked off before I could respond.
"What a bitch."
Talking without knowing our situation.
There are no second chances. With the lich dead, no passing the exam.
Not the normal way, anyway.
"Right. Can't show tears."
Karen overcame her disappointment, forcing a bright smile.
"Let's head back, oppa."
"...."
A gloomy mood settled in.
The underground dungeon only made it heavier.
"Huh."
I stopped dead on the way back.
"Oppa?"
"Was there a path like this here?"
On the return, I spotted a new passageway.
There'd been a few side paths, but they'd all dead-ended quickly.
This one stretched deep inside.
At first, I thought it was a trick of the light, but Search confirmed it.
This passage hadn't been here before.
"Let's check it out."
I led Karen into the new passage.
At the end was another stone chamber. No treasure chests or anything, but an unexpected figure was there.
"What brings the examiner here?"
Noah wordlessly pressed harder against the wall. Her hand sank in, operating something—
The passage behind us sealed shut with a rumble.
"What's the intent?"
Not bored of waiting and come to grade early, that much was clear.
Someone emerged from the corner. They'd hidden so naturally, I hadn't noticed.
It was Wabid.
The black-eyepatch nun, ironclad examiner Veil Noah, spoke.
"This is one of the secret rooms in Bordo Dungeon. It has some fun mechanisms, so I tried it out."
"Finding secret rooms a hobby?"
"Not really, but the setup was perfect."
"Perfect setup?"
"You probably guessed, but Wabid is my subordinate. Second-class examiner in the Holy City. Or enforcer, as they're called."
"Enforcer.... You too?"
Noah nodded ambiguously.
"Yes. That's my real job.
I came to Dry Village early for preliminary investigation."
"What are you even talking about?"
Karen blurted in frustration.
Wabid raised a crossbow and replied curtly.
"That man is suspected of using brainwashing magic. Step back."
"...What?"
"I've met all the women he's contacted, including Decal-nim. No dodging this."
"Did they say I brainwashed them?"
"No. But I could tell sexual exploitation happened without the victims noticing.
It was obvious he was using dangerous magic."
Fair point.
In a world with magic, suspicions arise easily. An interesting twist.
Noah had already nailed the answer.
Impressive nose for it—I'd admired it before.
"Why not arrest me right away?"
"The elf's attitude was off. I needed to separate you somehow, and the supplementary exam opportunity fell into our laps naturally. Lucky for us."
"The supplementary exam was bait to lure me from the start?"
"No."
Noah stated firmly.
"The exam was fair. Regrettable the Bordo boss was cleared first.
But now it's over. Time to handle the rest."
The rest.
Dealing with me.
"Anything to say?"
"Where's the proof I used brainwashing magic?"
"You'll see soon enough. Wabid. Bring it out."
"Yes."
Wabid pulled a crystal orb from his coat.
"Thought it'd be useful for proving guilt. This orb nullifies mental influence magic.
We're using it on your companion now."
Such an item exists? Intriguing.
I was curious too. Would it counter my hypnosis?
"Karen. Look at the crystal orb."
"N-No! What are you doing to oppa?!"
"We're protecting you."
Karen squeezed her eyes shut, terrified.
"Karen. Cooperate with the interrogation."
"...."
Only after I spoke did she open her eyes and gaze at the orb.
The crystal orb glowed.
"Any changes?"
Noah asked Karen immediately.
"Dunno. Feels the same...."
"Impossible. The hypnosis backlash should hit.
Look at the man beside you. Is he your comrade?"
Karen glanced up at me.
"...Yes."
"Be honest. This is important."
"Karen. Tell the truth. You can't fool this examiner."
"...He's not a comrade."
Karen murmured.
Wabid and Noah swallowed hard.
"I-I'm oppa's cocksleeve. By my own will. I chose it myself."
Karen hesitated, then forced it out. Her ears flushed red—adorably embarrassed.
"...."
Noah looked stunned.
"You really think it's your will? Other victims got similar implants. No dissonance?"
"None! I'm proud to be oppa's cocksleeve."
"Hmm."
I looked at them and said,
"Isn't this enough? ...That orb doesn't seem helpful."
"So embarrassing...."
I took Karen's hand.
"Let's go, Karen."
"Okay."
"Who said you could move?"
Killing intent poured from Noah.
A dark tonfa gleamed in her hand—armed when?
The elbow-length metal rod spun slowly with her wrist flicks.
"The interrogation isn't over. Depending on the results, you might die here."
"...."
Serious?
No trial here? Just on-site judgment for criminals?
If I couldn't laugh it off, I'd respond in kind.
"You saw it. Where's the suspicious part?"
"Ever since I heard the 'Lofty Hunter' fell hard for a human, it didn't add up.
She's got severe human-phobia. Famous for it."
"Then ask her yourself."
Wind blew through the chamber.
Karen and I spotted Esty's arrival point instantly. Her landing zone visualized.
Even so, she appeared like the wind itself—a fleeting brush.
"...Were you tailing me?"
Noah said.
"Yeah. To see what you'd do to Darling. Spot on."
"You're the biggest victim of brainwashing magic. Snap out of it, and you'll understand."
"No. You're the one who doesn't get it, Noah. My love for Darling is bound by an elf's oath—true love. No filthy brainwashing."
"No brainwashing? Do you think a brainwashed person would know? No suspicions at all?"
Their voices rose.
Esty declared coolly, face free of doubt.
"Yeah. None. I hate humans, but I trust Darling most in the world. Doubting him? Impossible."
"This is.... Wabid."
"Look at this orb."
"...."
Esty glanced at the orb—no reaction.
"Stop this nonsense and apologize to Darling properly, Noah. I won't accept what you did as an enforcer."
"Damn...."
Noah, cornered, looked at me.
Hard to tell if she was staring through the eyepatch.
I read anxiety in her expression.
"You're... more dangerous than I thought."
"Not sure what you mean? From the outside, maybe you should apologize to me?"
"Tch.... Shameless...!!"
Noah had nailed it on instinct.
Me using brainwashing on Esty and other women.
But no proof.
If she'd attacked without proof, she'd be a madwoman. Noah wasn't.
She chased me as a criminal yet ran the exam fairly—confident in her code, her beliefs.
Noah eyed Esty again.
"You truly know nothing about mind-control powers?"
"...."
Esty looked at me.
"Can I say it, Darling?"
"Yeah."
Esty smiled.
"Right. Darling can control people."
"What?"
Noah and Wabid flinched.
"You know that and still don't realize you're brainwashed?"
"That I'm hypnotized by Darling?"
Noah shouted in frustration.
"Wake up! He's manipulating blind faith. Even implanting 'love' delusions!"
"Darling hypnotizing me.... Doesn't matter. I love him."
"Hahaha...."
I burst out laughing.
Noah paled, staring at me.
"What the hell did you do? Unforgivable."
"Thanks for testing the final stage for me, examiner."
"Final stage test?"
"Simply put, no going back."
Noah flicked her wrist, spinning the tonfa, and charged. But Esty loosed an arrow faster, pinning Noah's movements.
"Move another inch, Noah, and I'll aim for your head for real."
"Urgh...!! Wabid!"
"S-Something's wrong. I'm trying to aim, but I can't...!"
Wabid tried pointing the crossbow at me but floundered, suggestions blocking the act.
As if blocked by invisible force.
"Hahaha."
I laughed heartily.
My insides cleared right out.
"Thanks for the fun, Noah."
"Not Wabid too...!"
"Yep. Suggested him."
"Urk, hngh...!"
Wabid groaned, swinging the crossbow wildly in frustration.
"Oppa. What's going on? Hypnosis? I, I'm...."
Snap.
I snapped my fingers, inducing trance on everyone in the chamber.
"Karen. Forget everything you saw or heard in this chamber."
"...."
"Wabid. You cannot interfere with what I'm about to do."
No interference, no attacks.
Two restraints on Wabid—impossible to hinder me now.
Next, the examiner. What to do?
I'd planned this. Like Esty, three suggestions to bind her.
First: the prior one—"Cannot refuse when I request help."
"Noah. 'You can never forget my scent once memorized.'"
"Never forget...."
"'The stronger you smell and savor my scent, the dizzier the pleasure.'"
"...."
"Because it's your favorite thing."
"My favorite.... Decal-nim's scent...."
Deep in Noah's subconscious, I hammered in fervent lust for me—thoroughly perverted.
Clap.
I clapped, waking them all.