A Mage's Unyielding Questions
Rattle, rattle—
The meadow swaying in the wind was slowly being dyed in the crimson light of the sunset.
Apparently that alone wasn’t enough to satisfy her.
The sunset’s hues gently seeped into the carriage as well.
A pleasant silence. The kind of atmosphere that would lull you into a drowsy sleep the moment you closed your eyes.
If only that piercing gaze weren’t fixed on me.
“…How long do you plan on staring at me like that?”
“Until you open your mouth, Professor.”
“Weren’t you supposed to be heading to Olpia Village?”
“It was only meant to be a preliminary investigation anyway. The exploration team’s report will cover the on-site details.”
“Is it really acceptable to handle something so sloppily?”
“Didn’t a far more important problem arise right when I was about to visit the site myself?!”
The mage thrust her face toward me again. Her oversized hat rubbed roughly against my hair.
“How in the world do you know the name Weblame?! That research data never spread beyond me and Her Majesty!”
“Well… it just looked like something that would be called that…?”
“Aha. So you’re the type who can’t lie, Professor.”
Apparently so.
Dohesi had seen through me in an instant last time too. Maybe I should start practicing my poker face.
With a sour expression, I glanced sideways at the mage who had glued herself to my side.
The Royal Chief Mage of the Allied Kingdom. King-class mage, Nephthea.
Listening to her chatter nonstop finally jogged my memory of who she was. In the original story, she performed a few missions then stayed shut up inside the royal castle. I hadn’t encountered her face all that often.
Now that I was meeting her in person, it seemed she was handling work important enough to match her title.
“Haa… Are you really going to keep your mouth shut until the very end?”
“…Hmm.”
Nephthea, who had been glaring at me as if she could bore a hole through my skull, finally gave up and turned away. She stared into empty space for a moment, lost in thought, then spoke first.
“Weblame. It is a super-dangerous monster, an entity that defies all common sense, created by the fusion of tens of millions of individual Blames.”
Oh. She had already uncovered that much. The Chief Mage’s insight really was impressive.
“We had no idea why the Blames had suddenly merged into a single being, nor why it had been born in the Great Forest. So when I first received the initial report about that creature, I was genuinely shocked.”
The moment she finished speaking, her eyes sparkled with excitement. Her breathing, unable to contain her thrill, began to fill the carriage.
“Ahh, of course I was! Who would believe that a tiny Blame no bigger than my fist could transform into a monster the size of a mountain?!”
“So everyone investigated it together?”
“No! When I presented the research results, they all scoffed and asked how a trivial monster could possibly evolve into such a thing!”
“Umm… That must have been… upsetting—”
“Not at all! No one believed me, but Her Majesty alone trusted my words and ordered me to continue the research! Ahh, how magnificent! Her insight is truly a treasure to the entire continent…!”
Nephthea beamed with a face full of rapture. But she quickly fell back into a gloomy expression. The dramatic shifts were almost entertaining to watch.
“…While I continued the research, the day before yesterday I suddenly received a report that the creature had razed the Great Forest and attacked a civilian village.”
“That was our Olpia Village.”
“Yes, exactly. Fortunately the guild knights performing duties nearby managed to prevent a tragedy with their efforts. Without that coincidence, the results could have been truly horrific.”
She was talking about Asera and Lien. Hearing the tale of their heroism from someone else’s mouth felt strangely satisfying. I was already looking forward to what new heroic saga might come next.
“Oh, now that I mention it. The knights’ report said one of the village residents made an enormous contribution at the time. Do you happen to know the person?”
“?! Uh, ah, w-well, I’m not entirely sure…? I was busy evacuating at the time. Ha, haha.”
“Is that so…? I planned to visit that person once we reached the village. According to the report, it wasn’t the knights who subjugated the creature, but that very resident…”
Asera, you idiot! I told you not to spread unnecessary details!
I’m carefully building fame according to the original storyline, and you’re ruining everything! My existence wasn’t even in the original work to begin with. Introducing unnecessary variables makes it even harder to predict what kind of future will unfold.
It seemed Asera had already been telling stories about me without understanding any of that.
“Anyway! That’s not what matters right now! How do you know information that only Her Majesty and I were aware of?! I’ll concede a hundred times over, but I was the one who first named it Weblame!!”
“That’s just how the world works. Sometimes you think you came up with an idea first, only to find out someone else had already thought of it.”
“Aren’t you just an ordinary villager?!”
“Ha, ordinary villager… It’s not wrong, but it still stings a little…”
Clatter, thud—!
The speeding carriage came to a rough stop.
I looked past the canopy and saw a familiar landscape.
“We’ve arrived. This is Ostonmond Village. And you two, refrain from causing a commotion in the luggage compartment from now on. That’s hardly proper etiquette.”
“…Sorry.”
“Eek, s-sorry…”
Only after getting scolded by the old coachman could I gather my things and step down from the carriage.
The village streets had already grown dark, with streetlamps flickering on one by one. Perhaps because it was the height of festival preparations, colorful decorations lit up every corner.
I would have loved to enjoy this lively atmosphere with a drink or two.
If only this person weren’t here.
“…How long are you going to keep following me?”
“Now that I’ve come this far, I won’t leave until I hear the full story. My only remaining theory is that you’re a spy who infiltrated the royal castle.”
“You literally just called me an ordinary villager…”
“Don’t spies from foreign countries usually disguise themselves as ordinary citizens?”
Was she just saying whatever came to mind now?
I let out a short, incredulous sigh.
“I’m not that kind of person, so I wouldn’t know.”
“Of course not! Suspicious people never admit they’re suspicious, after all!”
“…What exactly do I have to say before you’ll believe me?”
“Just confess how you know about Weblame, that’s all I’m asking?!”
“Haa… That’s really hard to explain…”
The slip of the tongue had been my mistake from the start. But how could I possibly explain this situation?
I played the original story! That’s how I already knew about it!
I’d be lucky if she didn’t treat me like a lunatic or drag me away for giving false testimony.
I made slips like this often, but the other party had always been villagers, so they passed as lighthearted incidents. High-ranking officials of the kingdom, however, didn’t seem to miss even the slightest strange sign.
It looked like she would follow me until the end of this situation. A very annoying premonition crawled down my spine.
“Um… This might be a bit late to ask, but… where exactly are you going?”
Nephthea, who had been trailing right behind me, looked around and spoke up.
“Since the sun has set, I’ll find an inn first. As for you…”
“Ah, Nephthea. That’s my name. Please call me that.”
“Huh? You called me a spy earlier, yet you’re fine with casually telling me your name?”
“……Ah.”
At that moment Nephthea’s entire body went rigid. A look of utter despair crossed her face as cold sweat beaded on her skin. Her complexion quickly turned deathly pale.
“S-save me…!”
“? I’m not going to eat you just because I heard your name.”
“I heard the Empire has a curse that can make you sick just by learning someone’s name!!!”
“Oh, then you’d better run away from me quickly. Hurry back to the capital and stay glued to a priest’s side.”
I left the terrified Nephthea standing alone in the middle of the street and quickened my steps.
“Ah, eh…!? W-wait…!!”
A short scream came from behind. I decided to ignore the clumsy footsteps chasing after me for now.
* * *
Jingle, jingle—
I opened the door of the inn with the familiar emblem and stepped inside. It was my regular place whenever I visited this village. With the festival in full swing, this was the only spot where I could still get a room.
Behind the counter stood the familiar innkeeper auntie.
“My, Noriel. It’s been a while.”
“Have you been well, auntie? Your skin looks even more radiant than before. I almost mistook you for a new hire.”
“Hohoho, where did you learn to talk so sweetly?”
The auntie, who had been happily exchanging greetings, suddenly gave me a strange look. It was right after she glanced behind me.
“Look at you. In your prime and already traveling with a young lady? Should this auntie be considerate and prepare just one room?”
“What?! N-no, of course we need two—”
Wait a second.
Knowing Nephthea’s personality, she would keep following until her questions were answered. Shaking her off with normal methods would be difficult.
A good idea suddenly came to mind.
I deliberately raised my voice so it would carry behind me.
“Ahem, yes! One room for the two of us, please!”
“…?? Eh?! W-what?!”
“Hoho, understood. I’ll give you a room with a nice atmosphere.”
Urgent, thudding footsteps approached. Nephthea immediately grabbed my shoulder and yanked me backward. Her eyes were wide, her expression shocked. Her face burned crimson all the way to her ears, flooded with embarrassment.
Conscious of onlookers, she lowered her voice to a whisper that wouldn’t reach the counter and hissed at me.
“W-what are you doing?! Have you lost your mind, Professor?!”
“What do you mean? You said you’d follow me until I confessed. One room makes sense, doesn’t it?”
“What?! T-that’s true, but…!!”
If you’re scared, you should have asked for two rooms. That would create openings in her surveillance. I could sneak out early tomorrow morning and she wouldn’t be able to follow. Since conversation clearly wasn’t going to drive her away, I opted for a direct breakthrough.
“Auntie, give us the most intimate room you have, and make sure there’s only one bed—mmph?!”
“N-no, that’s not it!! We need separate… I mean, ahh…! U-um, do you perhaps have one room that’s divided like two rooms…??”
“…Noriel. This might be meddling, but pick a girl with a sound mind to date.”
This was the perfect moment to drive the point home. I brushed away the hand covering my mouth and threw out the gamble.
“Let’s make one thing clear! Are you monitoring me or not?!”
“No, ahh…! Haaaa…!!”
Nephthea clutched her head, looking like someone standing at an impossible crossroads. Perfect. Now just disappear from my sight already!
Snap—
It sounded like something had broken. When Nephthea lifted her head, her eyes burned with fierce determination. Or rather, looking closer, those were tears.
“…O-one room…! P-please give us one…!”
What.
“H-have you lost your mind?! You’re going to sleep in the same room as someone you met today for the first time??”
“Y-yes?! You’re the one who suggested it first!!”
“When a man suggests sharing a room you just agree?! Don’t be so loose with your body!!”
“Why am I getting lectured about that by someone I met today for the first time?!”
—BANG!!
The sound of a table being slammed. I turned, startled, and saw a single key lying beneath the auntie’s hand. Exactly one room’s worth.
“I can’t give you anything but one room. If you don’t like it, sleep outside.”
“…”
“…Sigh.”
A short while later.
Creak—
Clunk.
When I opened the door and stepped inside, a large bed greeted us.
“…There are even hearts drawn on the blanket.”
“Ahh, Your Majesty…! Please protect me…!!”
The one who was truly going insane was me.
