Chapter 110
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: Lesson 23. Even If It's a Lie - 5
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The ancient kingdom of Santum, royal palace.
Ban Yu-won was sitting with his companions in the room the knight had guided them to, sipping tea.
There was no poison in it.
If heretics were hiding even in the royal palace and he had to repeat the farce from the 24th Room, then from that point on, it wouldn't be a war with heretics—it would be war with the Tower itself.
He'd ride Lilith to the top of the Tower, occupy it, and hole up for a siege.
"I was getting nervous thinking we might have to go all the way to the 30th Room, but it looks like we're good."
"If you hadn't stepped up front, we might have ended up there."
It was obvious, but the structure of rooms that appeared in sequence was heavily influenced by actions in the previous rooms.
The fact that the two constellations had materialized in the 23rd Room had spread rumors far and wide by the 24th, putting everyone on edge—that was a prime example.
Ban Yu-won had made a huge splash in every room he was allowed to, and the scale of incidents grew with each room he cleared.
If he hadn't, they might still be playing hide-and-seek with heretics lurking in major cities.
"Don't lie, Ban. Nearly sixty percent of the guys you beat down weren't even heretics."
"Light, look me in the eyes."
"Ah, uh...?"
Ban Yu-won's utterly serious gaze met Light's.
"What's the definition of a heretic? People who believe in the Evil Cult, right? And think about everything the followers of the Wings of Justice—who believe in and follow the Light—have done to us so far."
"Uh, uhhh... heretics, huh?"
"Finally, you get it!"
"To think you're having this conversation all the way in the 27th Room."
At that moment, the door opened, and a middle-aged man in a crisp uniform entered.
Considering this room's era was short of the Middle Ages, it was remarkably refined attire.
He glanced around the group, then fixed his gaze on Ban Yu-won, who was dressed the most extravagantly.
Around the 25th Room, to emphasize he was the Contractor of Light, he'd worn the flashiest white outfit he had—and it had worked wonders.
"Pleased to meet you, Contractor of Light. I am Count Durk, the Grand Steward to His Majesty the great King."
"Pleased to meet you."
"No need to bow. Hearing the tales of you all, whose fame echoes across the entire nation, makes us feel insignificant by comparison."
Count Durk spoke in an emotional voice, but Ban Yu-won's companions, hearing this, recalled his atrocities from the previous room and twitched at the corners of their eyes.
The most memorable part of the 25th Room was when he'd used Eve to create an illusion, making the Wings of Justice Contractor mistake the Claws of the Dark Forest Contractor for Ban Yu-won and charge at him.
No—the mad Wings of Justice had ignored their original role in the room (to hunt down and execute the Claws Contractor) and fixated solely on capturing and tormenting Ban Yu-won!
So Ban Yu-won had kindly guided them.
To let them fulfill their original purpose!
As a result, not only did the Wings and Claws Contractors mutually destroy each other, but their infamy spread throughout the kingdom—a massive win overall.
'The new rule banning illusions because of that was a painful miscalculation...'
—You're too vicious, you bad guy.
Having learned photon magic to crudely handle electromagnetic waves including visible light, and combining it with Eve's illusion ability, he'd gotten carried away creating hallucinations that fooled anyone—which he now admitted was overkill.
Fortunately, the oblivious Count Durk—unable to read his thoughts—continued in the thrilled voice of a fan meeting a rock star he'd idolized for thirty years and finally getting an autograph.
"The pillar of light in the small city of Duola, purging the heretic group lurking in the metropolis of Melinton, resolving the plague in the port city. And... just before it was called a royal palace, wiping out the pirates plaguing the sea routes to the capital. Those pirates were heretics too, right?"
"Exactly."
—They were precisely the Wings of Justice Contractors.
In the 26th Room, the Wings Contractors were probably meant to board ships to chase and thwart the Claws Contractors heading to the capital, getting entangled with the climbers in a cooperative naval battle.
There was even a 26th Room-only rule: 'Falling into the water means retirement.' So a fierce fight was expected, but...
Ban Yu-won had manipulated ocean currents with elemental magic to force the two groups to clash, then sunk them all as pirates to clear the room.
Dokgo Yeon stealing the show by demonstrating her water-striding lightness skill, insisting she just wouldn't fall in, was particularly impressive.
Light had tried to jump onto the water himself claiming he could do that too, and they'd struggled to stop him.
"Incredible, truly remarkable achievements! I can hardly believe you accomplished all this in just one month."
In reality, it had been a mere day and a half in Tower time.
"With plagues ravaging everywhere, heretics roaming at night slaughtering the innocent, it's impossible to overstate how reassuring it is that a powerful Constellation Contractor like you has appeared in these times."
"They're not the only ones to watch out for, Your Excellency the Count."
Ban Yu-won warned him gravely.
"Beware those impersonating their roles. They call themselves 'Wings' Contractors and wield false light powers. Even I nearly fell for it when we first met."
"What?!"
"They claim hunting heretics is their mission, but in truth, they're heretics of the same root. They pretend to track heretics while covering for them, letting them rampage freely."
As Ban Yu-won exaggerated his 24th Room experience, Count Durk clenched his fists in rage.
"Such... such insolent scoundrels!"
"They lurk covertly across the kingdom without openly revealing themselves. But when cornered, they show their true colors... wielding truly evil Constellation powers."
It was true the Wings Contractors didn't openly reveal themselves.
Come to think of it, even in the 23rd Room, the Wings Contractor had hidden their identity at first.
That was probably their constraint.
Just as Claws Contractors could only reveal their power at night, Wings Contractors were bound not to publicly expose their identities and operate openly!
'Yeah, that's why they get beaten by me.'
If they'd stayed hidden quietly to the end, nothing would have happened—but the Constellation couldn't stand being ignored and acted out, souring relations.
Meanwhile, Ban Yu-won had earned the grand title of Light Contractor through his 24th Room exploits.
Watching that title's value inflate through the 25th and 26th Rooms had been quite entertaining.
When raw force couldn't be used openly, the loudest voice won.
And a bigger name meant a louder voice!
Right now, Ban Yu-won's voice was louder than all the Claws and Wings Contractors combined.
"We plan to assemble an army."
Count Durk got to the point.
"His Majesty is resolved to wipe out every last heretic. This is all possible because capable individuals like you have pledged cooperation."
"I'm honored to be of help. In the name of the Constellation I serve, I will lead this holy war to victory."
Ban Yu-won cast Light Enchant—a technique he'd grown quite used to, enveloping objects in light mana to look mighty and righteous, though the effect was negligible—over the entire room, staging a holy space.
Count Durk, struck by the illusion of a god delivering divine revelation, welled up with tears.
"This is reassuring. Succeed in purging the heretics, and His Majesty will commend you personally."
"I'm delighted you trust and rely on a mere traveler like me."
"Yes, we count on you, Brigade Commander!"
"Yes! ...Brigade Commander?"
Even if they could now assemble an army, the Trick Room's unique rules still posed problems.
The biggest issue was the rule added in the 24th Room.
—Cannot attack first unless attacked.
The other rules paled in comparison.
This persistent rule, which hadn't vanished through the 25th and 26th Rooms, applied only to Rebellion members—the climbers.
The problem was that both groups, Claws and Wings Contractors, knew about this rule too.
Even the 24th Room knight had feared counterattack and weakened him with deadly poison before charging head-on.
From the 25th Room onward, they'd been blatantly obvious, desperately avoiding direct attacks on them.
Which was why Ban Yu-won had resorted to illusions or manipulating currents.
"If I order the army to attack and kill them, that counts as striking first, right?"
"Probably."
Forming a national mood to reject Constellation Contractors was good, but they needed a perfect finish to end on a high note.
The climbers were originally meant to assist the Wings in hunting Claws; inflating their position this far was purely Ban Yu-won's achievement.
So they had to think carefully about how to utilize the army they'd gained.
'An army... how do I use an army? Isn't this a bust? Maybe I should've handled the Contractors before the army formed... Wait. Assemble, assemble...?'
A sudden idea flashed.
Absurd, but if possible, it could end this room in an instant.
He'd cleared the 24th, 25th, and 26th Rooms the same way, after all.
Ban Yu-won chuckled and stood.
"I need to meet the steward again."
"Tell us what it's about."
"I'm going to ask if I can get directly involved in assembling the army. Specifically, conscription."
"...Hold on."
Dokgo Yeon's face froze solid.
"No way, right? You're not thinking what I think you are?"
"I've always thought this, but don't you and I just click perfectly?"
"Eek...?! Are you insane?"
"What's going on? Hey, what's the deal?!"
Light, clueless about the conversation, tilted his head and butted in, but Dokgo Yeon just clutched her forehead and shook her head.
"Once we pass this Trick Room stretch, stuff like this won't happen much. So calm down, Dokgo Yeon."
"Fine, fine—just end it quick..."
"What the heck is it?!"
Ban Yu-won proposed it to the steward, who gladly accepted.
And the next day in Tower time, a national soldier selection audition was held.
An audition to form a legion aimed at exterminating the rat-like heretics hiding in this nation alongside the Contractor of Light!
...Naturally, non-participation was treason.