Chapter 69: Crazy Wizard…….
What would the wizard say to us?
Would he acknowledge our efforts with a word of recognition? Considering his behavior in the classroom, that wizard seemed to be quite the pragmatic individual. Instead of wasting time on such pleasantries, he would likely just get straight to the point.
Thus, any words of comfort were off the table. He’d probably ask something like, “Have you acquired the Shining Trapezohedron?” or “Quit dawdling; we’ve got other matters to attend to.” It would most likely be along those lines.
And if it weren’t that…
If he were a truly vicious individual… Even reprimanding remarks could be anticipated. He could lash out about how disappointed he was that no progress had been made, despite giving us six days. Arrogant wizards generally acted like that.
However, the first words the wizard uttered upon entering the room were completely unexpected, despite considering all the possible outcomes.
“Uh, um… You’re awake, everyone. Did you have fun?”
…It was a question that strayed far from any typical sentiment.
Shocking silence echoed.
The wizard had a particularly pale complexion and was absentmindedly wiggling his fingers. He looked entirely different from the attitude he had shown in the classroom. Bennett and Niolle, sensing the shift, braced themselves, their tension rising.
After all, it was a dangerous sign when a wizard who appeared mentally unstable began behaving differently.
However, Tara seemed oblivious to the wizard’s demeanor as she was fuming about his words.
Tara blinked. It was a conscious act to suppress her astonishment, as she would never have expected to hear such words in this situation. She even found herself questioning if she had heard him correctly.
“…Did… we have… fun?”
“Ah, yes. Uh…?”
The wizard tilted his head, seemingly puzzled by her reaction. At first glance, one might think he was genuinely curious. Tara felt her frustration boil, practically reaching her boiling point at his audacity.
She glanced around. Within Niolle’s eyes, dark pessimism swirled instead of her usual innocent sense of justice. Bennett too feigned indifference, but his expression was far from neutral.
Considering she had lost Abraham and was losing her divine power, it was clear she was not in good shape herself. Yet, was that man truly unaware of the heavy atmosphere enveloping them?
It was as if he were entering a camp of defeated soldiers and asking them if they had enjoyed their defeat. She would have accepted a reprimand for incompetence, but the sheer sarcasm of his remarks was unbearable.
With veins throbbing in her neck, Tara shouted.
“It COULDN’T have been enjoyable—!!”
In response, the wizard placed his index finger to his lips and let out a short shhh. Unlike his previous stammering, he now spoke with newfound confidence.
“Tara… Saintess. This is just Illusion Magic.”
“…WHAT?!”
Tara clenched her trembling fists. That absurd statement, which rendered everything she had experienced meaningless in an instant, genuinely infuriated her. Bennett and Niolle, who had been observing the wizard’s bizarre transformation, couldn’t help but share in the outrage.
This was plainly an insult with obvious intent. In the past six days, how many lives had been lost? By calling it a mere illusion, the wizard was blatantly belittling their journey.
The wizard appeared flustered, as if he hadn’t anticipated such a passionate reaction.
“Uh, uh? B-By any chance, did he not tell…?!”
“I’d prefer a curse or a laugh! What kind of nonsense is this supposed to be?! Do you only feel satisfied messing around with us like this?!”
“Did he actually not mention it’s an illusion…?! No, t-that’s not wha—!”
“YOU BASTARD—!!”
Tara grabbed the wizard by the collar, slamming him against the wall. The wizard pretending to be shocked, quickly faked a smile that looked almost like he was nailed to the spot.
“I, I think there’s a misunderstanding here. Hahaha!”
Like that, he continued to mock her until the very end.
Meanwhile…
Yuna Yurensto Violetiris, the Master of the Purple Magic Tower, donned the Crazy Wizard Avatar and was panting thoughts in her mind.
I must fix this!
You crazy bastard, how could you not even give them any prior notice?
Yuna screamed within herself, but no one was there to hear her. This resentment would have to be buried deep and returned with a Yuna Death Beam. With that, the output of a future Yuna Death Beam just leveled up.
She had crafted a strategy to heal at least part of her beloved disciple’s mind. Until that moment, everything had gone smoothly. The operation was underway, and the Crazy Wizard was partially asleep in the simulation world.
Now, the only thing left was for the players participating in the session to defeat the wicked Outer God—but…
“YOU CAN MOCK ME, BUT I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO INSULT ABRAHAM’S DEATH—!!”
Shake shake shake.
Being yanked around by the Saintess was completely unforeseen.
Hadn’t he always managed to slide by with his outrageous eloquence? He had survived disputes with the Prince and even managed to rile the Princess without consequences. The victims in this session were mere fledglings, just starting out in the Academy.
So I thought, if I just talked as I usually did, and borrowed the lines he often used, they would be misled and let it slide, but…!
Looking at the Saintess, her eyes practically rolling back in rage, it seemed like she would smash heads regardless of any session-related talk.
Moreover, he hadn’t laid a single groundwork this time, suggesting that everything was merely Illusion Magic. Not a single hint! They were firmly convinced that it was Dimensional Magic instead of the illusions he described.
At this point, the narrative had turned into a matter of persuading them: “Could you venture into a dimension inhabited by a terrifying Outer God to save a person?” instead of casually asking, “Since you’re already enjoying a safe Illusion Magic tour, could you lend me a hand?”
The difficulty level had practically soared by several dozens!
But, but she just said it was an insult, right? The Saintess, that is.
Perhaps the next line could solve everything. With a resigned sigh, Yuna transformed the wizard’s expression and followed the script.
“W-What do you p-ppossibly gain by denying that it’s merely an I-Illusion Mag…N-No. I’m sorry!”
Oh my goodness! She felt like she would be slaughtered by the Saintess if she continued, and so, she halted.
What should I do? Seriously, what am I supposed to do?
Yuna’s plan required the players’ participation. There wasn’t enough time to find more people, and these three already had remarkable capabilities. She had to think of something to keep them in the session…
Think, Yuna. Think…!
At that moment, a fleeting memory crossed the young Archwizard’s mind. It was of the time they had meandered through modern civilization, lounging in a comic cafe, reading a story.
It was now too late to politely say, “Please save the world, Hero.” Just look at the fiery glint in the trio’s eyes. They were burning hot. Since she had misstepped from the very start, she needed to redefine her entire approach, even if it meant twisting it up a bit.
I am……I am the Crazy Archwizard who will save the world!
===============================================================
Fshhhh.
“What… What the?!”
The wizard, who had been shaking like a reed in Tara’s grip, suddenly turned into dust and scattered away. Then, as if reassembling in a corner of the room, he appeared, beaming with an exaggerated smile that looked straight out of a clown’s makeup kit.
“Well then… Have you calmed down a bit?”
“……”
“It seemed like you needed somewhere to vent your emotions, you see.”
“…Are you saying you did that on purpose?”
The wizard lightly shook his head in response to Tara’s question.
“Half of it was. In fact, saying it was Illusion Magic isn’t entirely wrong. Honestly.”
“…Explain in more detail, Wizard.”
“Of course, Bennett. Um. I wanted to express that if you can’t save the world… that world will vanish like a fleeting illusion. Completely swallowed by an Outer God.”
He conjured an image of a blue planet and a massive bubble that churned endlessly in the air. After the bubble passed over the planet, nothing remained.
“The old man, Abraham, is dead. All that’s left are the works he created in hopes of benefiting the world. But now, if you’re not present, it will soon be used to destroy the world.”
[Are you… asking us to save the otherworld?]
“Even if you hadn’t said anything, of course—!”
“Hold on, Tara, Niolle.”
Bennett stepped forward, cutting the two off. Then, as if trying to see beyond their expressions, he gazed intently into the wizard’s eyes and asked.
“Why us? And… why?”
“Because you’ve been pursuing the Demonic Sword. Haven’t you… wanted to save people? Because you thought the Demonic Sword posed a threat?”
“You left out the ‘why,’ Wizard.”
“What do you mean?”
Niolle grabbed Bennett by the collar. Tara was looking at him with anxious eyes as well. They seemed to think, ‘Could Bennett be planning to leave the group?’
Bennett looked back, signaling that he, too, had no intention of retreating. However, he also viewed it as an opportunity to unravel the wizard’s intentions. He gently pat Niolle’s hand, assuring her to trust him.
He turned back to the wizard, continuing his inquiries.
“I’m asking why you’ve become so obsessed with saving another world. Is this item called the Shining Trapezohedron really that necessary?”
“No, it doesn’t matter if I have it or not.”
“Then, I find it even more difficult to understand. This other world has nothing to do with us. It shouldn’t matter if it perishes or becomes a living hell.”
“That’s because I place value on lives, even in another world…”
“Don’t make me laugh, Wizard. If you valued lives so much, you wouldn’t have unleashed a Demon or turned a classroom into a dungeon.”
“…D-Dun? Ahem. So about that…”
The wizard was deep in thought for a moment, and then lowered his gaze, as if having reached a difficult decision.
“…Do you truly think this is solely a matter pertaining to other worlds?”
“What?! W-What do you mean by that?!”
“Exactly what I said. Do you genuinely believe that all of this is something that only occurs in another world?”
“…Does that mean… it might be able to come over to our world as well?”
The wizard seemed to nod ambiguously, as if affirming it, yet also not. It was a non-committal gesture, but that alone was enough. While it was hard to accept, it wasn’t without justification.
“Of course, you will have many questions. However, the undeniable reality is that this will be beneficial to our world, so… Until next week. Then.”
“Wai…!”
As if being erased, the wizard vanished into thin air.
A brief silence settled among the three left in the room. It was, after all, an incredibly heavy truth to grasp. Niolle cautiously wrote.
[…Could this be real?]
“There’s… no reason to lie. At the very least, the Second Prince dispatching the wizard to the Academy, and supporting him at that… must be due to those reasons.”
[Then, are we… Bennett?]
“…………”
Bennett fell silent, as if something was bothering him. After a long pause, he finally spoke up.
“I think… what the wizard said is true. I have something that I must verify. See you later.”
“Wait, what is it, Bennett!”
Bennett left those words behind and dashed off in another direction.
===============================================================
Bennett Hilton was aware of the sinister plans the Black Wizards at the Academy were concocting. They aimed to amplify and gather the negative emotions of the Academy students to cast── 『Nightmare Summon』.
He didn’t know what exactly would be summoned, only that merely witnessing it could drive someone into madness.
If what the wizard had said were true…
The nightmare that the Black Wizards intended to summon── could be the Evil God from the otherworld.
If the Crazy Wizard’s goal was to prevent that, then it made sense that he weeded out the Black Wizards from the very first day of class. The chaos caused by concealing the Demonic Sword was merely to find competent candidates capable of diving into the otherworld. Every action taken by the wizard had a motive behind it.
And now, Bennett was on his way to confirm the final puzzle piece.
He ran, making his way toward the basement of the Academy’s abandoned building. It was there the core of the summoning plan lay—a magic circle designed to amplify emotions.
If the Crazy Wizard had somehow obtained information regarding the 『Nightmare Summon』, he would have undoubtedly made preparations in this central location.
He lifted the carpet, revealing a door leading to the basement.
Descending the ladder, Bennett discovered the wreckage of a shattered golem and a modified magic circle that was not producing its intended effects.
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