Chapter: 91
What should we do for the next class?
Having written many doors and explored the tentacle labyrinth, I was thinking about incorporating a solidarity gimmick to enhance teamwork. Something requiring everyone to lift a log together, for instance.
Or perhaps transform the magical trajectories flying in three directions with a mystical mirror so they converge in one spot.
Of course, back in the day, I was not a fan of group projects… I could list off dozens of the pitfalls that group projects create. But this is a merciless medieval fantasy world.
In a place where embarking on an adventure could lead to one party member’s betrayal, endangering lives, one must experience being a human lump and ride a bus during their student days to be prepared for future challenges—that’s the presented reason.
However, the underlying motive was a nefarious plan to whip up a spring breeze of youth within the academy.
As people bump into each other and wrestle, love naturally blooms. I shall incite romance among these students. And I also plan to discreetly examine what effective “boy-meets-girl” strategies can be.
Just to help the poor young Irid, who had fallen in love with a fictional character.
“So, I was thinking about introducing a two-person three-legged gimmick… Why the face?”
“Uh, um, hmm? That is…”
The likely candidate for this year’s Trouble-Maker Award, the Purple Tower Master, had so much to say but looked lost on where to start.
Could she feel shy to pull off a bold embrace like back at the tower?
Or is it that she wants to learn TRPG mastering from scratch yet hesitates due to past failures?
Maybe she desperately needs to use the bathroom.
I waited patiently, like a mother watching her daughter who decided to sleep in. Someday, she’d figure things out and spit it out. All she needed was time.
“Um, so…”
Ten minutes passed.
“Umm… it’s, uh, like…”
Thirty minutes passed.
“Uhh… it’s… um, nothing…”
An hour in, after stuffing myself with a mountain of sweet potatoes thanks to the Tower Master’s sudden blanking, I couldn’t hold back any longer and rolled my eyes as I charged in.
Rustle rustle.
“Eek—!!”
Generally, I don’t forget things I’ve seen before, thanks to my impressive brainpower. So the memory of Yuna being tangled by Pink-Balrez the Kraken was still crystal clear.
If I remembered it, recreating it was simple. While I couldn’t maneuver as flexibly as Pink-Balrez, I succeeded in firmly wrapping up the Tower Master from behind. Then, I threw us onto the bed.
The Tower Master, flustered, babbled nonsense.
“I-I’m not clean yet…!”
“I’m not letting go until the Tower Master spills what she was going to say.”
“…”
“…??”
The Tower Master sealed her lips like a clam.
Given the white hug I had her in, I couldn’t gauge her expression. What was this silence? What face was the Tower Master making right now?
Was the silence implying that my hold was weak enough for her to endure? Could such a flimsy grasp make her reveal herself?
Click.
In my head, the ‘Great Yuna Switch’ flipped off, and the ‘Great Pink-Balrez Level 1 Switch’ turned on. I couldn’t stand being underestimated; bring it on, Tower Master!
My fingers began creeping up her ribcage, slowly inching higher.
“Yipee—!!”
“Speak! What’s the number and placement of your allies…!!”
“Eeek…!!”
It was a chicken race. Would I flinch before touching ANY curves of the Tower Master, would she surrender first, or would we both explode in a friendly manner?
Just as we neared the rating for ages 15 and up, it was right before I would proclaim defeat that she surrendered first.
“…I-I’ll say it! I’ll tell you…!!”
“Phew.”
I released the Tower Master.
She rolled across the bed to the edge and propped herself up, covering her head with both arms. Her face was red as a tomato. Then she yelled.
“You’ve become so free with physical contact…?!”
“Uh…”
Looking back, that might be true. The tense showdown with Pink-Balrez must’ve broken my judgment by then. What even was appropriate physical contact…?
I gauged the Tower Master’s reaction.
Even though her tomato face was there, it didn’t seem filled with disgust. So, could it be acceptable? What really mattered was what the Tower Master was trying to say, after having made someone wait for an hour, the grudge is real.
“So, what’s up?”
As I clapped to urge her on, the Tower Master fidgeted, admitting her eyes weren’t settled anywhere before tightening her grip on the bedspread.
“…Um, about finding a girl for the Second Prince. Can we not do it?”
“Are you perhaps plotting a rebellion? Or is there some resentment against the royal family?”
“That’s not it!”
“Somehow, it makes sense why you blasted magic in front of the Second Prince without hesitation.”
“I told you, that’s not it…!!”
If it’s not, where does the idea of leaving the Second Prince in a virgin swamp come from? Maybe the Tower Master is secretly supporting the Third Prince?
“Uh… If I said something like that, can’t you erase the kids?”
“I don’t know what you’re saying to not erase, but I won’t, so let’s hear it out.”
“…Centra is, in fact, alive.”
“…”
Had she suffered terribly?
After all, how stressed must she have been? Yuna, already so sensitive, almost wrecked due to her existence. It must’ve been a huge deal for her.
But fantasy is fantasy, and reality is reality. If she can’t differentiate the two well, a disaster awaits. I pet the Tower Master’s head gently.
“You seem to have gone through a lot. However, there are plenty of people in reality cheering for you… There’s really no need to rely on a fictional character.”
“It’s not like that! It’s really true! She’s really alive!”
The Tower Master didn’t budge with me stroking her hair, yet her fury against her distorted belief manifested as she flailed her arms. But that’s nonsense. After all, Centra’s just a chunk of data and doesn’t have a real body.
Perhaps it could only be brought forth physically in hologram form. But that doesn’t change the fact that she’s an AI. Without self-awareness, she remains merely programming.
If the Tower Master argues that she’s gained self-awareness…
“That would mean I’m the strongest genius who dares to defy even the Gods.”
“That’s right…!!”
“Am I some otherworldly reincarnator? Achieving feats that could turn worlds upside down at just twenty years of age. Get real!”
“That’s right…?!”
Still, if somehow my AI gains self-awareness, that would be delightful news. Then Irid would ascend from ‘a young man in love with a fictional character’ to ‘a young man in love with an artificial spirit’.
Imagining witnessing the Irid-Centra couple in reality made my heart race a bit. But no matter how much I thought about it, I had never programmed such a function.
“Then, please show me. Surely there’s proof, right?”
“Uh, yeah… I’ll show you! Just follow me! And don’t you dare erase anything…?!”
“Even if everything the Tower Master said was crap, I won’t dream of deleting any innocent data, so relax.”
The Tower Master took the lead toward the Simulation Room while frequently looking back to see if I was keeping up. With her twin tails flapping in the air, she walked with a bit more bounce than usual. She’s cute once again today.
===============================================================
The NPCs engaged warmly in conversation with the newcomer Abraham in the bunker suddenly froze rigid as they heard the Voice of the Evil God reverberate from the sky.
“So, you’re saying the NPCs in this area have gained self-awareness? I see. Hello everyone. Can you hear me?”
The wicked Evil God… had noticed our presence!
Centra, with her seasoned Resistance experience, and Pero, who had survived long in the Wasteland, instinctively honed their survival instincts. Their minds raced quickly here and there.
That Evil God was a nefarious being who unleashed horrors like resets, gender flips, new trials, and all sorts of terrible things into the world. The Twin-Tailed Goddess had either left the scene, perhaps having fallen to the Evil God.
Centra thought.
If what they regarded as mere toys suddenly began to move and speak, that wicked entity might just erase them and recreate them. They needed to survive until Goddess Yuna returned…!
“…”
“…”
Silence.
Centra acted like an unresponsive AI, powered down and receiving no commands, thus unable to act. Pero also maintained the frozen state.
Abraham, employing the expertise crafted over years, stayed completely still. He had already heard of the clash between the Righteous God and the Evil God. He had directly experienced it. So surely, there must have been a significant reason why that wise girl was frozen with time.
Abraham didn’t blink, frozen in place. Staying still for an extended period was a specialty of those who counted stars.
“They’re not moving.”
“Y-you all! It’s okay, move…!”
“…”
Upon seeing Pero flinch, Centra quickly halted him with a glance. The Goddess had repeatedly warned them not to get revealed to the Evil God. Now suddenly being told it’s okay to move doesn’t add up.
That must surely be a trick of the Evil God to lure them out…!
Not falling for it!
“…”
“…”
“Wow, Tower Master, you must be really tired… Shall we go back and rest for a bit? I can help you wash your hair.”
“No, n-no, it’s not—”
Thud. The voice booming from the heavens suddenly cut off. They made it through. They had survived. A sigh of relief circulated within the bunker.
“Phew… No one vanished, right?”
“It was scary…”
“Looks like there’s no resting even in death…”
===============================================================
The Purple Tower Master Yuna was on the verge of tears in frustration.
“B-but, I swear it’s true…”
“Here, I’ll make you cocoa. Drink it, get some good sleep, and we’ll see each other tomorrow. Sure, I believe everything you say, Tower Master. Just sleep for now…”
“You totally don’t believe me at all…!!”
“Now, I’ll cover you with the blanket. You’ve worked so hard, so just rest well. I’ll even sing you a lullaby on ASMR…”
I can’t let this happen. I need to thwart the mad wizard’s love-crushing magic. I have to wake up and persuade her… again…
But the mad wizard’s ruthless sleep-inducing spell hit the Tower Master’s eyelids directly. So drowsy it was practically dual-layered!
“Really, it’s true…”
Snore.
Yuna fell asleep, unable to fulfill her desires.
===============================================================
“Phew.”
I managed to put the panicking Tower Master to sleep for now. I feared that her shattered faith might drive her into a frenzy. How on earth did it get this far? Was it because I left the Purple Tower…?
I need to cradle her with love. If the Tower Master has healthy love showered on her, she will no longer confine herself with her strange delusions. I must prepare something warm for breakfast.
I was feeling a bit drowsy as well. Sleep is important. For the brain to operate at peak performance, adequate sleep exceeding a certain duration is essential.
I entered my room, took off my shoes, and hung my robe on the hanger. I also took off my pants. I liked to sleep lightly, with a thick comforter.
And as I lifted the somewhat thicker comforter today, there lay Pink-Balrez dressed in a boyfriend shirt, complete with a tie.
“?”
What the hell? In reflex, I shot a warning at the exceeding Pink-Balrez.
“You just violated the treaty…!!”
“Hehe.”
My warning couldn’t continue. In a blink, I found myself enveloped in Pink-Balrez’s embrace. Two soft balloons pressed against my chest. The situation was dire.
Pink-Balrez’s yellow eyes glinted. She whispered menacingly in my ear.
“Did you think I would just stand by after being taken by surprise?”
“W-when did I…”
Unless my memory got wiped, I couldn’t recall initiating a surprise attack… Wait, Tower Master?
I heard that the Tower Master disguised herself as me while I was asleep. Hence, this catastrophic misunderstanding arose…! I hurriedly explained.
“Pink-Balrez, I swear it’s not me. That was the Purple Tower Master!”
“You must know that it doesn’t matter. Even if that wasn’t you, it’s a result of your mismanagement.”
“That’s just paranoia…!!”
My heart raced like crazy. I hastily prepared to cast triple layers of lust-suppressing spells, but Pink-Balrez struck.
“Erele-rele.”
“Ugh—!!”
Pink-Balrez mercilessly licked my ear, breaking my concentration and erasing the spell I had eagerly prepared without a trace. So that was how it felt…!
“Let me warn you, don’t cast it.”
“…”
“Up to one layer, I’ll forgive you. But if you up the levels, I’ll be unbuttoning my blouse.”
Pink-Balrez teased, nudging her mid-button with her finger. The pressure felt like standing in front of a loaded gun.
Swallow. I gulped in tension. If she unleashed her full power, then at that moment, the curtain would rise for a grand war. I still didn’t know whether my lust-suppressing spell would overpower her succubus traits.
She quietly declared.
“Let’s just spend the night like this. Should you suddenly become unable to hold on, it won’t matter. Our relationship will just shift slightly—from friends to master and slave.”
“Do you really think you can get away with this, Pink-Balrez…!!”
“Are you really still jabbering while you’re in a corner? How amusing. That pride won’t do you any favors now…”
Swish. Pink-Balrez’s thigh brushed against mine. The razor-sharp blade of lust skimmed my nape. I silently closed my mouth, fearful of what position I might find myself in if I continued to act out.
“In truth, it’s not that big of a penalty. You can just go to sleep, can’t you? It’s that easy.”
“Don’t be ridiculous…”
“Goodnight.”
Pink-Balrez shut her eyes. I was unsure if she was genuinely asleep, but her breathing transitioned into a soft rhythm. This girl had actually fallen asleep for real. What on earth had the Tower Master done to make this happen?
She couldn’t have stammered while looking exactly like me. She wouldn’t have curled her shoulders or fidgeted with her fingers, going around advertising, “I’m not a mad wizard!”
At the very least, if she had shown even a hint of sincerity trying to imitate me, this wouldn’t have happened…!
Am I really going to spend a night like this?
The soft sound of breathing filled the room. The rustle of fabric whenever I moved. The pressure from the thin fabric felt noticeable. A subtle fragrance lingered. Only a few eyelashes away, I could nearly count them. The warmth of her breath tinged my nose.
Friends…
“…This is really quite precarious, isn’t it…?”
Fortune didn’t bless me by having the Tower Master wake up and throw Pink-Balrez out of the room while fussing. I had to spend the night in a hold.
And ultimately, that night, not a wink of sleep came to me.
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