Chapter: 104
“Hey, Pink-Balrez. I came to visit.”
I entered the hospital room carrying a basket full of fruits. The room was immaculately clean, and laying on the bed right against the wall was Pink-Balrez, dressed lightly and looking bored.
Her arms were thickly wrapped in bandages.
Our eyes met. She didn’t offer a greeting, but looking closely at her seemingly numb gaze, I could sense a flicker of warmth. It was like we exchanged silent hellos without words.
I shifted my gaze a bit lower.
Pink-Balrez was wearing a thin cotton top and bottom that barely concealed her skin, and she hadn’t even buttoned it properly. The curves of her chest glimmered under the sunlight.
I placed a pixelated mosaic over my retina.
Without a care for modesty, Pink-Balrez spoke nonchalantly. In fact, she boldly tugged at her collar, fluttering it. It billowed subtly but was ultimately obscured by the mosaic, so nothing was visible anyway.
“Succubi have aphrodisiac effects in all their secretions. Since I’m not wearing a suit to suppress my charms, be careful.”
“Should I have worn a mask instead?”
“Or you can just take it off.”
She was having a blast.
Seemingly bored with lounging around in the hospital, her verbal jabs were sharper than usual. It would be hypocritical to get angry about a treaty breach when I felt a pang of guilt each time I glanced at her bandaged arms.
I had not been the one to stab her, but hadn’t she gotten hurt while protecting me? I reached into the basket and pulled out an apple.
“Will you eat it if I peel it for you?”
“Will you feed it to me?”
“Why use your mouth when you have perfectly good hands?”
“Men’s hands tend to be on the rough side.”
Ugh.
Deciding I should probably keep my mouth shut, I diligently peeled the apple. By modeling magic into a blade, I could easily separate the flesh with a twist.
I held a piece out to her mouth, but Pink-Balrez just continued lecturing me.
Crunch crunch. She obediently munched on the apple. I would’ve smacked her if she stuck her tongue out while I was feeding her, but…
She seemed to really enjoy it. Even though I just grabbed a random apple, she ate it as if it were a delicacy, so I tried one myself.
“…?”
It crunched, but it wasn’t sweet at all. Does she have a taste for bad fruit?
“Were you bored?”
“Yes. Usually, they attach at least one nurse, but it seems something happened over at the Defense Bureau. Everyone was so busy that nobody came.”
“Ah… It must be because the Tower Master got exposed.”
“That explains it.”
Pink-Balrez nodded thoughtfully. I fed her a few more pieces of apple and then asked about her condition.
“Did you get hurt badly?”
“This level of injury heals quickly, but since my opponent was a Black Wizard… it’ll take a few more days to remove the tainted magic.”
I’d heard that Black Wizards, who supplemented their magic by crushing others’ souls, ultimately turned their own souls and powers into rags.
The twisted magic left in the injured areas seemed to slow down healing. Healing reduction as a passive ability? What an annoying enemy.
“You’ll be bored for a few more days then. Does it hurt?”
“That’s… alright. However, there’s something more pressing.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t have a caregiver next to me, and I can’t use either of my arms.”
“…True.”
Pink-Balrez quietly turned her head. Following her gaze, I spotted a flask on the table. A water bottle?
“Do you want something to drink?”
“I need to use the bathroom urgently.”
“…?”
I thought succubi, being half-spirits, didn’t need to go to the bathroom.
After Pink-Balrez’s ‘I’m actually a dream mare’ coming out party, I had done some research going back to ancient texts on succubi.
I figured I should understand what my friend’s species was like to avoid any awkwardness. Even among humans, customs differ depending on cultural backgrounds, and with different species, the disparities must be even greater.
I also know that succubi have tails. When they unleash their dream mare powers, they become visible, which could be a weakness, so one must be cautious.
So, her declaration of an urgent bathroom need was just her teasing, right?
I felt a surge of indignation rising in me. How dare she betray my goodwill? If I panicked and asked, “How could you do this to me?” she’d probably whine about her arm hurting and guilt-trip me.
If that were the case, it was time for a chicken race, Pink-Balrez.
“Alright, which way to the bathroom? Let’s go together.”
“…?”
A flicker of bewilderment crossed Pink-Balrez’s eyes before fading quickly. So, you’re flustered too, huh? That means I should press on.
I won’t retreat until you admit you were bluffing…!
“Let’s go. If you just lower your panties, I’ll handle the rest.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to ask if you need help bathing? With your arms wrapped up, you won’t get wet either.”
“I won’t refuse. I trust you’ll scrub me down thoroughly, right?”
“I’ll make sure to clean every nook and cranny, so don’t even think about escaping…”
With my shoulder brushing against Pink-Balrez’s, we walked down the corridor. We both knew we were bluffing. But a man should stand his ground when it matters.
My steps felt heavy, but I needed to put her in check just this once. After all, I had been on the receiving end for too long! Managing prior records was crucial.
The best defense is a good offense. I needed to remind her that if she pushed too hard, it could backfire on her.
We were nearing our destination when suddenly…
“What are you two doing?”
“…”
“…”
We ran into Yuna, who had just come out of the bathroom.
“Ah, um, well…”
“I’m just assisting him as he’s having trouble walking. Let’s head back, crazy Wizard.”
“Oh, right. I’ll head off first, Tower Master. Remember, we’re supposed to meet later, right? See you then, Pink-Balrez, take care of yourself.”
Whoosh.
Pink-Balrez and I nearly scattered like lightning bolts. Thanks to the just-in-time appearance of the Tower Master, we dodged a bullet. Although I didn’t win the confrontation, at least I didn’t lose either.
“Your injury is just to your arm, isn’t it…?”
Only the voice of the Tower Master, left behind in the corridor, echoed softly.
===============================================================
It will take a few days for Pink-Balrez to recover from her injuries.
Moreover, if someone were to ask where Pink-Balrez belonged, the answer would be the Defense Bureau. They were just helping based on their broad interpretation of the order to protect me; she originally belonged to a different department.
The Second Prince had said he could assign Defense Bureau agents, but I feared if a “secret” emerged during that process, it could lead to a lot of trouble.
“…”
Above all, it seemed that the Tower Master didn’t want that.
So, we decided that the task of finding clues and dismantling the Black Wizards’ lair would be a job for just me and the Tower Master. We would gather the information we obtained and share it with the Second Prince.
We picked the underground sewers from the information we scraped out of the Black Wizard’s mind. These underground facilities were often prime targets based on chance, plus it seemed the Defense Bureau hoped we could take care of it.
Think about it. If a building is destroyed, it can just be left alone, but if the sewers get damaged, they need to be fixed as quickly as possible. They are crucial for urban sanitation.
So, considering the budget and time needed for restoration, using large-scale techniques in the sewers would be a no-go.
If we cast a fireball and an explosion occurs, it wouldn’t just be a Black Wizard problem anymore. They would have to call in the Gold Towers for large-scale civil projects.
But who are we? Just the masters of ‘Illusion Magic.’
We are the best people in the world at silently handling operations without demolishing facilities.
“Shall we use floral scents?”
“Hmm… How about lavender?”
“Lavender, like this?”
“That’s a bit strong. Please lighten it up a touch.”
While chatting lightly with the Tower Master, we strolled through the sewers. The typical odor of the sewers was erased with illusion magic.
I silenced the sound of footsteps and camouflaged our scents and light so we could hide our bodies.
“Hologram: Sewer Rat.”
I manipulated an illusionary rat as support.
The sewers beneath Crownhall are divided into two types: the inner and the outer. The area we were walking through was the outer sewer. It was said that it wasn’t a facility suited for nobility.
Still, it didn’t seem bad. While it wasn’t spotless, it was, at least, being properly maintained.
I coated my hands with magic and touched the walls. I could feel the filth layered on the surface and the magic beyond it—the reinforcement magic from the Gold Tower.
“Tower Master, if there’s a Black Wizard hiding here somewhere, they would either use existing spaces or create new ones, right?”
“If they used an existing space… there’s no way we wouldn’t find it. It’s not being neglected either…”
“Then they probably dug a new tunnel.”
“That would mean they either erased the Gold Tower’s reinforcement magic or deceived it.”
Find a spot without magic; got it. The Tower Master and I nodded at each other and discreetly unleashed magical waves. We analyzed the sensations that bounced back.
“‘Here came Gold Tower’s Mage, Lieiri’… This is definitely not it.”
It wasn’t erased; it just had poorly applied maintenance.
This one…
“Ah, Tower Master. Here.”
“W-what? There?”
Here it is.
We found an awkwardly overlaid section of the Gold Tower’s reinforcement magic. There were probably Black Wizards hiding just beyond this point.
Since my specialty was in illusion magic, I was underprepared to break through reinforcement magic without detection. I knocked gently on the wall and asked the Tower Master.
“Can you break it, Tower Master?”
“Mm. I can. I’ll break in, just follow closely.”
“Yes.”
It was our first time working in unison.
To begin with, I had hardly ever seen her fight. The only glimpse I got was when she shot her Yuna-Des Beam at the mansion. Is that why I was a bit excited?
I prepared various support spells while getting ready for my counter-response. I planned to deal with any small fry that might show up. Alright, here we go.
The Purple Tower Master. An illusion magician who reached the peak of sublimation.
How would Yuna Yurenst Violet Iris operate in battle?
“Huff.”
Boom—!!
The Tower Master smashed the wall with a colossal mass of magic, instantly causing it to crumble. Numerous Black Wizards became visible, wriggling on the other side.
Beep.
The pendant from the Goddess Church, which I had received from the Second Prince, lit up. The artifact detected the distorted souls, so we knew for sure they were Black Wizards. I nodded at the Tower Master.
“Who, who goes there?!”
“羽化 – ‘Subtraction’.”
Swish. A group of Black Wizards turned into meat puppets.
As they detected the intruder, a swarm of additional Black Wizards emerged from within. As I began my response…
“羽化 – ‘Subtraction’.”
“Graaahh!!”
As their ranks fell, the Black Wizards declared a state of emergency, preparing to unleash magic. Some of them produced magic by crushing souls, while others fled deeper inside.
I cast mental domination on these guys first and…
“Subtraction.”
“Aaaahh-!!”
“…”
“Who do you think you are… to enter here without fear?!”
Finally!
Finally, someone showed some real fight. This must be a Black Wizard who reached the stage of Sublimation. He was shrouded in a dark protective shield, upon which terrible, screaming souls writhed.
I prepared my Searing Presence…
“Subtraction, Subtraction, Subtraction.”
“Graaahhh-!!”
He managed to withstand one attack, but he couldn’t survive three in a row. The Black Wizard lost all his senses except for his head.
I worriedly glanced at the Tower Master.
“Is it even okay to keep using that…?!”
“Ah, yeah. No problem.”
“Are you sure you’re not overdoing it…?”
“Y-you don’t have to worry…”
The Tower Master, seeming to relax my concerns, suddenly had a revelation. “You didn’t know how Sublimation works, did you…?” as she began explaining calmly.
“Sublimation is when emotions color your soul and produce special magic, right?”
“That’s right.”
“And once it’s sublimated… the soul is completely colored and takes on a new form, right?”
“Um.”
“Then… if one reaches Sublimation, does that mean Subtraction remains active at all times?”
I felt hesitant to believe it. The Tower Master nodded, confirming my suspicions. Her Yuna-Des Beam had been just a standard attack all along.
That day, the Black Wizards received 23 full-body paralysis hits.
===============================================================
[Lonesome Origin Circle]
Human souls emit magic in proportion to their emotions. Therefore, mages who explore the soul have researched “how can we help people maintain heightened emotions continuously”… (omitted).
The research sought to improve and enhance emotional stability by connecting with others, constructing a neural network by sharing emotions through a ritual involving more than ten offerings over 66 days, ultimately aimed at generating outputs akin to a Dragon Heart.
…
Chunks.
The Tower Master shredded the piece of paper with the ritual written on it and incinerated it with magic.
We could now determine our next destination. The location for the Black Wizards’ ritual was within the patrol range of the Capital Knights Order—Duke Redburn’s ‘unused’ villa.
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