The Sinister Black Mage's Shady Counseling Room (4)

Lately, the counseling room had gained a touch of refined elegance. It was the herbal tea that "Counselor Teacher" brewed himself. The soothing aroma that inexplicably calmed the mind drew students shouting, "Teacher, me too!" But the counselor, who only acted childish at times like this, dodged them with cries of, "Not sharing? Nope? It's mine? Adults only?"

Of course, Raban had no intention of sharing the special herbal tea he'd brewed himself.

First off, this was a black mana recovery potion infused with the negative thoughts of an erosion body. He couldn't share even a sip—no, not even a single drop—of something this precious.

Second, it was a deadly toxin laced with the negative thoughts of an erosion body. Precious to a black mage, sure, but if a normal person drank it, they could suffer sudden multiple organ failure from an unknown cause and drop dead without anyone batting an eye. That would bring the magical girls running, and they'd blast him with a death beam. Raban didn't fancy turning to a handful of ash from a magical girl's beam before he could even return home.

But hiding it every time only drew more attention. Today, instead of the Black Forest blend herbal tea, Raban had brought in something just plain bitter. "See? This is adult flavor," he'd say, hoping to kill their curiosity.

But for some reason, everyone wanted to try it, turning it into a challenge. As Raban racked his brains over the rowdy atmosphere...

Dine approached the bustling counseling room.

'Damn...'

Her footsteps hesitated. The counseling room was in a pretty remote spot, so it didn't see much traffic normally. But lately, thanks to the counselor teacher with his satisfying punches, students dropped by whenever they were bored. Through the sliding door's glass, he could see at least five shadowy figures.

"Huh? Dine?"

From inside, they spotted her too. The peer counselors guarding the room could guess her reason just from her hesitant vibe outside. Kids coming out of curiosity about the counselor rumors usually had bright, cheerful faces. Or that shady grin like, "Bored, perfect timing!"

But real troubled kids had stiff expressions and hesitated at the door. This was the latter.

The peer counselors signaled casually to the kids goofing around with the teacher. These guys had all heard the sermon about "making the counseling room comfortable for students who really need it." They caught on quick, getting up naturally, chattering about how fun it was, and filing out.

Dine stepped in cautiously, her red hair crossing paths with the outgoing students.

"Dine, what's up?"

"Um... I have something to discuss with the teacher."

The peer counselors nodded. This "young lady" Dine must have her own worries. She'd fallen behind after catching pneumonia from that sea diving incident on the school trip. Probably felt some distance from her friends too.

One student shot her a warm look and called out brightly.

"Teacher! Counseling time!"

"It's not teacher. And I told you I don't have any counseling certification, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠right?"

"You just confirmed it!"

"Ugh, seriously."

Raban trudged over and opened the door to the inner office. Dine followed, head bowed low.

Click.

"There, no one outside can hear in here. Speak freely."

Dine chewed her lip repeatedly. Pathetic as it was for a Heavenly King, the recent incident had made it clear. This "Ochan" that appeared wasn't something the Ivory Tower or the magical girls could handle alone. Even old man Sargasso agreed.

The Ochan he knew had its mind broken from the backlash of devouring immense power, unable to use proper strategy or tactics. But this one was different. Dispersing its presence, clever ambushes from underground—it had real intelligence.

Even more dangerous: it avoided clashes with magical girls, as if it hadn't forgotten its mission.

Sargasso had said: 'Perhaps it's regained the functions lost absorbing ancient mana from bygone eras. It might even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wield outer arts, borrowing power from the wicked Mother Fairy.'

If the Ochan started eroding the world for real, fueled by the Mother Fairy's terrifying mana, it would be fatal even for the mascots. They had to crush it fast, with overwhelming force.

That's why Dine had summoned Raban. From the start, he'd popped up right after the shadow mage clashed with the magical girl. The Heavenly Kings figured he was mascot personnel with high probability. Dine personally was convinced he was a mascot.

That merciless sarcasm after she'd warned him about counseling room security out of kindness? Only a mascot could be that cold.

After the sea diving incident, even the other Heavenly Kings—who started from "suspect first"—backed Dine's judgment once they saw Raban's assignment. Right after her advice to beef up counseling room security, he'd become the counselor himself.

Mocking it at first, then stepping up as security chief without shame. Perfect for a slimy mascot.

Dine pressed her temple and slowly opened her mouth.

Raban recalled his encounter with the suspiciously mana-heavy redhead.

'She was spouting such vague crap, so I figured middle-school syndrome or magical girl.'

Why was a dangerous figure like that here?

'To catch a shady guy like me off guard and crush me...?'

The mascots must have planted him here to smash any student approaches. But he hadn't shown his true colors yet.

Maybe their patience ran out, and they'd ordered the magical girl as bait: 'If he shows any funny business, execute immediately-moohoo.'

Raban eyed her with maximum caution since arriving in Hikarius City.

"You've come down to the den of resentment yourself."

Of course, his eyes were innocently wide. If she ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠blasted mana just for "those eyes," he couldn't take it.

"Accepting my advice means we can talk, right?"

"...?"

Raban fought not to show confusion. He hadn't taken over the counseling room because of her warning—he'd been assigned here by the mascot's shady orders.

"Tell the black and white duo: we need to cooperate to smash what's hiding in the shadows."

'Talking about the magical girls...?'

Relay it? So Dine wasn't a magical girl?

The concentrated caffeine from the bitter herbal tea kickstarted Raban's brain into overdrive. He re-analyzed the scent he'd gathered stealing the erosion body. Acrid smoke, the smell of embers ready to ignite. The faint aroma of the flame spirit that torched his familiar in the park lingered in the counseling room.

From Dine, right in front of him.

'My god.'

Raban was stunned. 'Her real name's Salamandine, so she made up "Dine"?'

Too ridiculous to suspect. Damn, how lazy do you have to be with aliases?

He composed himself. Key now was exploiting this intel.

'Dine judges me as magical girl-affiliated.'

Reinterpreting her first meeting words with new info.

'Her warning was about the shadow mage—me possibly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠targeting the counseling room.'

Warning about the shadow mage meant she saw him as mascot underling-level. Luckily, surface events lined up that way.

'The Ivory Tower sees me as more threatening than expected. They're scheming an alliance with magical girls to take me down...'

This I can use.

Raban's lip curled up.

"I heard you loud and clear, Salamandine."

"...!"

"Sounds don't leak out from here. Speak freely. Normally I'd avoid it, but in this emergency, precise communication is key, right?"

Raban fixed her with a sharp gaze. Behind the heavy dark circles, she could feel the mascot's signature ruthless calculus.

"First, you must understand we're skeptical of an alliance proposal from the Ivory Tower. We've been enemies for ages, and the conflict with Magi List rages on."

"We've scrapped so much, you know our power better than anyone. We'll bait 'em ourselves. Have the magical girl brats on standby, then blast the thing with our usual killer moves."

Salamandine dropped her Dine facade, reverting to her usual tone. Felt good laying into this obnoxious mascot with casual speech.

"Yes, understood. But your power shines against Magi List, doesn't it? Prerequisite cleared. In the last fight, you showed some vulnerability to the Ochan's ambush."

"Guh, you guys too!"

Raban realized his bluff had worked. He was dropping insider info only a magical girl—or mascot—teaming with Heavenly Kings would know.

Salamandine had no choice but to peg this temp counselor as a mascot in disguise.

Feigning cool detachment, Raban replied to her protest.

"We didn't flop like Sargasso. Seeing a Heavenly King routed so fast shocked us too. If the Ochan hadn't fixated on the erosion body, it could've been dire."

"... "

"Heavenly Kings and Ochan are bad matchups. Especially ambushes. But your attack power? Even an Ochan can't shrug it off."

Salamandine recalled her flames easily withering the Ochan's vascular bundles. Tough bastards—they'd analyzed it already?

"What're you getting at?"

"Don't wait for the Ochan ambush. Ambush its hideout."

"What? You already found it?"

Nodding stone-faced, Raban said,

"Where?"

"The Black Forest."