The Ice Witch

"Just kidding. No reason to go around stabbing people for nothing."

X scooped up the needle in a flash and tucked it into his coat. A little digging would expose it immediately — it had to vanish, and fast.

Only after the needle disappeared from view did Maria's taut nerves loosen, leaving her in a dazed fog. X did not let the moment slip.

"That's why I can find the dragon hiding in the Academy. Whether that dragon is Letia or not, I can't say — but even if it isn't, receiving a dragon's treasures wouldn't be so bad, would it?"

"I-is that so...?"

"So if you'll make me that magical artifact I mentioned, I'll find the dragon and repay you without fail. Think of it as an investment."

"An investment..."

"Even if I fail to find the dragon, you could always sell the artifact, couldn't you? There's nothing to lose."

"Th-that's true..."

"Then I'll leave it in your hands."

X handed the white mask over to Maria and stood up at once. She still hadn't collected herself by the time he vanished from her sight.

On his way back, X ran a final check.

There was no change in the Author Points. In other words, he hadn't violated Probability.

So that's how it works.

X had adapted one step further to this world's rules.

The next day, Friday, after every class had ended.

"Here... I made it..."

"Thank you. I'll be sure to find that dragon."

"..."

Maria had made the magical artifact for X. As a bonus, she stopped clinging to him and pushing the teaching assistant position. She started avoiding him instead.

Whew. I might actually live.

The white mask Maria had crafted was remarkably effective.

"My lady, how do I look?"

"That's you, commoner? There's no way you'd look this handsome."

"..."

"I want to try it too!"

"I'm an ugly person, so I won't be handing it over."

"What am I supposed to do if your heart's ugly too?!"

Testing the effects confirmed it came with a perception-dampening enchantment that thinned the wearer's presence. On top of that, it could alter the wearer's appearance.

It has physical presence. Just like a hologram.

The disguise magic's effect was similar to a hologram. The skeleton itself didn't change, so touching it would give the game away — but against the average crowd, the effect was rock-solid.

While X continued testing the Disguise Mask, Lola, walking beside him, asked:

"So what is it we're supposed to do today?"

The two of them were walking through the shopping district. The sun had already set, and the streets around them had gone dim. X scanned the surroundings as he answered offhandedly.

"We're going into the Ring Circle."

"What?! You never said anything about that!"

"That's because this is the first time I've mentioned it."

"Why would we suddenly go into a place like that?! If Father finds out, I'm actually going to die!"

As Lola said, this world had a villainous organization called the Ring Circle — a garbage heap of irredeemable noble scions, the kind beyond any hope of reform. In the original novel, Leon would eventually smash the place to pieces. As a gathering of high-ranking nobles, it might have been a ladder for social climbers, but ordinary aristocrats treated it as something to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠avoid.

Illegal arms, narcotics, prostitution, and worse. Rotten down to the roots.

The reason for walking into a place like that was obvious.

Because the one running it is Princess Beatrice herself.

After Beatrice became a demon, the Ring Circle had been created to accelerate the demonification of the Empire's nobility. Of course, Lola didn't know any of that, so X gave her a suitably sanitized explanation.

"We're not going there to join the Ring Circle. We're going there to tear it apart."

"What are you even talking about?! How are we supposed to smash a secret organization that nobody's even found a trace of for years?! What if we get marked just for looking?!"

"I know where the Ring Circle is. Don't worry about being marked. That's what I brought these masks for."

Only then did X hand Lola the remaining Disguise Mask. As he passed it over, he looked her in the eyes and spoke with a sly, coaxing tone.

"My lady, just picture it. The Ring Circle that no one has ever managed to catch — smashed to pieces by you."

"I-I smash the Ring Circle...?"

"The Empire's officially recognized cancer! Brought down by a count's daughter! It'll spread across the entire continent like a hero's legend."

"B-but it's too dangerous! If you know where they are, we should just contact the city guard and—"

"They're cunning. And they're a cell-based organization — if the guard shows up, they'll just burrow deeper."

"W-we don't have to be the ones to smash it, though... We're just Academy students..."

"It's fine. I have a plan. I guarantee it won't be dangerous at all."

"R-really?"

"Come now, have you really spent your whole life getting fooled? Here, put the mask on first. We're almost there."

Secret organization or not, finding the Ring Circle wasn't difficult. The method for finding it was crystal clear.

Follow the circles.

In the shopping district beyond the Academy, X looked around, searching the shop signs. What he was looking for were signs with a small circle drawn in the corner.

Follow those, and you'll arrive at the Ring Circle. That's how the original novel described it.

As if to prove it, X and Lola found themselves heading down a deeper, darker alley. It was after sunset, so a little fear was only natural.

"C-commoner. You said I just have to do what you told me earlier, right? I just have to stay still?"

"Yes, yes. I'll handle everything else. Time to change our faces."

At those words, X transformed into a handsome blond, and Lola into an arrogant girl with ash-gray hair. Looking at them now, no one would ever guess they were X and Lola. Even in her new form, Lola couldn't sit still.

"This is insane. Impersonating a high noble...! And not just anyone — the Ice Witch herself...!"

"Have you met her before?"

"I'm a count's daughter too, you know! I've been to social gatherings. We've spoken a few times."

"Don't worry. The moment we get what we came for, we run."

When X reached the end of the alley, what awaited him was a damp, weathered wooden door. It looked nothing like a secret organization's hideout, but he was certain they'd come to the right place.

So X lifted his foot, and—

BANG!!

He kicked the door in with everything he had.

"Wh-what the hell!"

"It's a raid!!"

Armed thugs burst out at once, surrounding X and Lola. And that wasn't all. From the gaps in windows lining the alley, arrows and crossbows were already trained on them. If you didn't feel fear in a situation like this, that would be the strange part.

"...Hic!"

"My lady, just hold on a little longer."

While Lola barely managed to fake her composure, a well-dressed, striking man stepped out from among the thugs.

"Do you have any idea where you are, pulling a stunt like this?"

At those words, the thugs' weapons pressed even closer. Lola's heart felt ready to explode from the tension. She had no idea whether this was a good idea, but the water was already spilled.

X stepped forward as if it were the most natural thing in the world. His face twisted into something vicious, and he roared with overbearing authority.

An authoritative, unflinching tone. That look of looking down on people made the nearby thugs falter. Now that they looked, the clothes of the people who'd stormed their hideout were no ordinary affair — luxurious garments that a commoner rabble wouldn't even get to look at.

Are they actual nobles?

Just as Bald, the thugs' leader, was thinking that, X pointed at Lola and bellowed.

At X's introduction, everyone present froze. The only ones who weren't panicking were Lola and X. Faced with that unshakable confidence, Bald's mind raced.

Paragon von Richarhite? This little girl is the Monster Iron Knight's daughter? The Ice Witch?

Regardless of whether X was telling the truth, if he had actually pointed a weapon at a noble, that was a capital crime punishable by execution. And if she really was that Monster Iron Knight's daughter, they wouldn't even need to make it to the gallows.

Why would a big shot like this show up out of nowhere...!

Of course, X had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠no intention of giving Bald time to think calmly.

"What scheme are you cooking up? You lowborn scum, thinking you'll take this chance to stick a knife in us? If that's the case—"

X roughly seized the sword pointed at him with his bare hand. The blade immediately split his palm open, but he didn't so much as flinch.

And as X moved to wrench the sword free—

"Forgive our insolence!"

Bald dropped to his knees at once and bowed his head. At the same time, the surrounding thugs lowered their weapons and knelt.

"We had not received word of your arrival, and so we dared to commit this grave discourtesy."

A swift decision. There was a practiced smoothness to it, as if he'd already been through situations like this more than once.

This should make things easier.

Of course, it was all a lie. Paragon von Richarhite and Tersha von Richarhite were real people — they just weren't characters who appeared at this point in the story.

They're villains who show up after the Hellgate episode. Perfect people to impersonate right now.

He'd just cobbled together their appearances from the descriptions he remembered. Fortunately, Lola had seen Tersha's face before, so they could disguise her to look as close as possible.

Impersonating a noble is a capital offense, but a secret organization isn't about to report us.

So for now, he'd exploit this misunderstanding. Having reaffirmed his resolve, X kept up the overbearing attitude.

"Who do you think you are, that we should send word before visiting? Planning to use that as an excuse to threaten us?"

"Not at all. We would never dare such a thing."

"There's no telling what goes on in a lowborn's head. How long do you intend to keep the young lady standing in a place like this?"

"I shall escort you at once."

The hideout Bald led them into was lavish, a far cry from its exterior. Naturally so ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠— it had been built specifically to receive nobles. Of course, they hadn't come here to lounge around being entertained. X cut straight to the point.

"I hear a masquerade ball is being held soon."

"Ah, so that's what this is about. Yes, that's correct."

The moment X and Lola sat in the plush chairs, Bald had someone bring out tea and refreshments.

They really went all out.

Appetizing pastries in luxurious dishes, and tea with a rich, deep fragrance. It was painfully obvious they'd gone to extra effort after hearing she was a grand duke's daughter. Lola sampled it with a natural air, but inside she was dying. She couldn't taste a thing. She could only glare daggers at X with her eyes alone.

X glanced around, then carefully opened his mouth.

"So where is the invitation?"

"There's no need to worry. We have plenty of spare invitations. However..."

Bald, seated across from X, leaned in and whispered.

"I'm sure you're aware of the rules. Even a grand duke's daughter... if she doesn't follow them, we couldn't give an invitation even if a prince himself showed up."

Bald continued, looking distinctly uneasy.

"Truthfully... even entering like this should have been impossible, but I managed it at my own discretion."

"The young lady is supposed to follow rules set by lowborns? Are you in your right mind?"

"Even so, rules are rules. I beg you to quell your anger."

"...Hmph. You think we came here without knowing that?"

X lowered his head and whispered so that only Bald could hear.

He'd only spoken the words, and yet X's voice resonated as if power itself had been woven into it. Hearing it, Bald smiled with satisfaction and straightened his posture.

"Excellent. Please wait a moment. I'll prepare the invitation."

Bald rose from his seat and left the room. Once only X and Lola remained, the two of them finally let the tension drain out.

"Hahh..."

"Haaah... This is crazy. This is completely insane..."

Lola had barely managed to settle her nerves, but she couldn't hold back her curiosity.

"What was that just now? That didn't sound like ordinary speech. It was like some kind of ancient language."

Leave it to a mage — she'd picked up on the wrongness of X's words instantly. X explained slowly.

"It's Demon Tongue. Just as the Goddess's name itself carries power, Demon Tongue holds power in the words themselves."

"Demon Tongue... What?! You used Demon Tongue?! Are you allowed to just throw that around?!"

"Of course you shouldn't. They're words steeped in malice — if an ordinary person speaks them, their soul corrupts. Don't even think about saying them yourself, my lady."

This, too, existed in the lore. The Ring Circle was an organization that couldn't leave evidence, so they issued invitations based on a verbal password alone. The fact that the verbal password was Demon Tongue was one of the hints that a demon was behind the organization.

Of course, X had prepared for this.

"I brought some holy water. I am taking Divine Arts class, after all."

He popped the cap off the glass vial in his coat and drank it down at once. The briny taste of the holy water was rather unpleasant, but he gritted his teeth and swallowed it. Watching this, Lola shot him a narrow-eyed look.

"Where did you even learn those words? And why do you know a secret organization's password in the first place?"

"I told you, I'm taking Divine Arts class."

"That doesn't explain anything..."

"I'll explain later."

Fortunately, Lola wasn't a character included in Elysia's viewpoint, so he didn't have to worry about a penalty triggering no matter what he said. Besides, there was no way for Elysia to know what X was doing right now. Because her viewpoint wasn't here.

"Anyway, all that's left is to grab the invitation and run. You did well holding it together."

"I'm never doing this again... I had no idea it would be this terrifying..."

"In exchange, I do tutor you."

They were chatting like that when a husky woman's voice they'd never heard before came from outside the door.

"What? Tersha's here?"

X's gaze drifted naturally toward the doorway. And standing there was something he'd never seen in his life.

It was like a mountain of muscle. She stood a solid six-foot-seven, and her forearms were thicker than X's thighs. The sight of a battle-hardened warrior stuffed into a scrap of a dress was at once ridiculous and terrifying.

The problem was what came out of its mouth.

X's con was about to be blown wide open.