Chapter 162

Chapter: 162

After wrapping up Envers’s thrilling martial arts journey, I slumped on the sofa and said,

“I think I’ll take a break from TRPGs for a while.”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯!!!”

The Purple Tower Master, who had been lying across my thighs, shot up in surprise. The look on their face was as if they’d just heard that the sky was about to fall tomorrow.

They even checked my face, feeling my skin to see if I was a doppelgänger. No matter how much you squeeze my cheek, it won’t peel off. I’m the real deal!

While the Tower Master was making a fuss, Pink-Balrez emerged from the bathroom, all warm and toasty.

Perhaps from washing with warm water, their skin had a slight, rosy hue and while they had on pants, their upper body was completely bare. Rather than clothing, a long towel was draped around their neck to cover their chest.

If not for the lack of any libido, my eyes would have been darting everywhere, but with such clarity of mind, they felt more like a bathhouse uncle to me.

… No, that’s a lie.

I turned my gaze toward a distant mountain to escape the overwhelming gravitational pull. It’s slightly depressing to be in such an awkward position where I know I should avoid it but can’t.

“… What’s going on here?”

“Yuna! This one’s acting strange; they said they’re taking a break from TRPG!”

“There’s a possibility this could be a doppelgänger disguised as the mad wizard. I’ll check by taking off their pants.”

“Why on earth are you removing my pants…?”

In response to Pink-Balrez’s intent to undress me, I clutched my belt tightly, struggling to keep my pants up.

Is it really that shocking?

I calmly stated the facts to calm the Tower Master’s panic down. As they say, even the most beautiful flower fades; this is a natural occurrence.

“How can a person think about TRPG all day long? Everyone needs a break sometimes.”

“… But you did!”

“No matter how interesting something is, you can’t just keep playing it every single day of the year.”

“…But you did!”

Guilty as charged. I did.

In my previous life and in this one, there’s been no hobby that has excited me more than TRPGs. That’s why I immersed myself and kept going strong. Even now, TRPG is still my life hobby.

However, sometimes it’s necessary to find balance between life and hobbies. Because now… I have valuable everyday life aside from my hobbies. I want to be happy with Yuna and Yuli for a long time.

Also, if I don’t take appropriate breaks, the quality of my sessions will suffer.

In conclusion, for both the sake of TRPG and me, we need a little distance from each other.

“So what… What do you want to do instead? Are you not planning to topple the world or something?”

“How about casting a mass illusion over the moon, brainwashing all sentient beings across the continent to become the ruler of the world? I read about it in a comic.”

“What on earth do you think I am?”

“Uhp…!”

I pulled Yuna close, hugging her tightly. This would surely subdue the clumsy Tower Master. Their face was already turning red as they squirmed.

Pink-Balrez finished fluffing their hair with the towel, donned a dress shirt and suit, and joined us. They lay beside me, creating a pleasant medieval-magic-body wash scent.

These days, the three of us often spend time cuddled up together.

Yuna, being quite the affectionate person, and I, also someone who needs warmth, so it’s not strange. Even the stoic Pink-Balrez seemed to enjoy being close like this.

At first, I thought they were just trying to tease both Yuna and me.

But it seems they were more like a cat happily basking in the sun on a car hood than a sneaky fox enjoying provoking others.

Whether that’s just their nature or an experience gone through, I couldn’t say.

Perhaps Yuli Lanstor’s past wasn’t all that pleasant, but that’s just a guess in my mind.

Yuna rubbed her forehead against my chin and asked,

“So what are you really going to do?”

“I’ll rest. Just lounging around, or perhaps… checking up on my human relationships that I’ve neglected until now. Maybe go out for a drink. Something like that.”

I’ll return to a human life instead of the mechanical routine of a game master engulfed in TRPG.

“… Is that really all?”

“To a perceptive Tower Master like you, I need to give it a proper hug.”

“Ugh, nooo.”

As Yuna said, I indeed have things to do aside from resting.

Two reasons have led me to think this way.

First, watching the current Envers Namgoong Cheong-Hwi play family games made me want to do something for my family too.

Looking back, I felt I had been neglecting both Yuna and Pink-Balrez, and I wanted to spend meaningful time with them.

“Then how about a gender-reversed date, crazy wizard?”

“… No comment.”

I’m not quite ready for that.

Secondly, I was chasing out a strange feeling in my head.

Ever since joining the Purple Tower, I had been literally ‘running’. It was as if the world would end if I couldn’t play TRPG, researching endlessly and spreading the results everywhere.

That part feels off. Am I approaching this too seriously and desperately?

Though it’s only a hypothesis, could it be that that thing in my head is having some influence? Is there a reason I need to spread TRPG to everyone?

That’s what I intended to dig into.

The sensation that I was being led like a pawn exceeded discomfort and ignited my fighting spirit. Choosing one’s destiny should be up to oneself; one must never become someone else. That’s what I believe.

That’s why I dislike those who treat people like chess pieces to achieve their goals. No matter how brilliantly the player plays, they’re the kind to orchestrate a bad ending by their stubbornness. I can’t help but loathe them.

Hearing my words, Yuna clapped her hands as if understanding,

“No wonder; I thought it was weird that you organize session materials right before bedtime every single night…!!”

“Oh no, that’s been the case even in my previous life.”

“Of course. I found it bizarre that you were staring intently at the floor, saying the pattern resembled a squid, and thought about a deep-sea fishing session?”

“Yeah, same back in my past life.”

Originally, when the wind blows and the leaves rustle, that’s when a GM thinks, Oh, there’s a session idea. So that part is nothing unusual.

The expression of the Purple Tower Master, who had been listening to my hypothesis with a serious face, suddenly froze.

“… Isn’t it simply that TRPG is just too good?”

“No, it’s not like that.”

“That’s the most unconvincing statement I’ve heard this year, crazy wizard.”

Anyway.

So, I decided to take it easy. Clear my mind and do things that aren’t sessions. Leveling up would be nice too. I still haven’t completed my myth!

And there was also magic I needed to finish.

Previously, during my fight with Roderus, I drove him back with a power-armor hologram. I reinforced the hologram’s lacking physical powers with equipment.

Based on this, I was thinking of creating an artifact. Strengthen the hologram, provide an emergency power source, and enhance the structure that converts faith into magical power.

By bestowing an artifact to a named NPC, I’d always have a comrade whom I could summon at any time.

That’s the reason I’ve consistently involved Demon Lord-chan into, well, every session. While her form may be different, her essence remains the same, so the faith flowing from Roderus and Envers is steadily accumulating in her.

The picture I’m imagining is as follows.

The frontline Celestial Demons, and the rear Evil Gods.

A relentless AI pairing machine tanking the hits in front, while the malevolent God, skilled at torturing humans, showers all sorts of debuffs. And I cast my spells leisurely to bring down our foes.

It could be said, it’s a perfect plan.

I glanced at the clock, put my hands under the Tower Master’s armpits, and lifted them up before setting them beside me. I then wriggled free from Pink-Balrez’s grip around my waist and stood up.

“Where are you going?”

“I heard Envers is submitting a leave of absence. It seems he needs to consult with a professor, so I’m going to take care of that.”

“… It looks like Envers wants to return to his family. It might be risky, so I hope it goes well.”

“It will work out.”

It wasn’t just empty optimism. I genuinely thought everything would turn out fine.

I’m still linked with Roderus through that parsimony connection. Occasionally, I peek into the mind of the red-webbing count to observe his movements; he’s currently residing in the count’s mansion.

It seems he took a break from his magical girl activities, following the duke’s orders while looking for openings, yet he seemed to be struggling a bit.

Facing that sprawling family alone is no easy task. But what if it were two of them?

Reinforcements, Roderus. I’m sending your brother over!

Namgoong Cheong-Hwi, carrying area-wide debuffs, will arrive shortly!

===============================================================

Envers Redburn sat upright, formally, as he made his request to the wizard.

“I’m planning to temporarily leave the academy.”

“Very well.”

The exchange was simple. The wizard took out a leave of absence request form from the drawer and placed it on the table, and Envers Redburn signed it.

Envers let out a sigh. A strange emotion began to crawl up within him. Anxiety and tension about the journey ahead, wondering if he would be able to accomplish what he set out to do.

Against that confusion, he held on to the image of the sky within his heart.

He would return to his family and turn everything upside down. Rather than someone’s tears, he would only have laughter echoing. Then, at last, he would grasp his family in his hands.

Just as Envers was steadying his heart while looking at his signature, the wizard casually asked.

“Burying the past and starting a new life is also an option.”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

“You have friends and a quasi-romantic relationship, and most importantly… you are ready to create a family. Restarting your life shouldn’t be complicated.”

That may be so.

He would graduate from the academy with excellent grades and choose one among the flurry of love calls coming his way. It wouldn’t be bad to enter as a knight for some nobleman or to carve out his own path.

For those who reached the myth level, countless choices lay before them.

There could be a life filled with many riches and comfort, living in a house with a spacious garden, having children with a loving wife, and living happily ever after with the family they created.

However, if there’s a reason he’s willing to turn his back on a guaranteed future of happiness and head toward danger…

“I want to live without leaving a single regret in my life.”

“That’s good.”

The wizard nodded.

He seemed to think of something for a moment, then pulled out a deck of cards from within his coat and asked Envers.

“Do you know about astrology?”

“I understand it’s a magic that reads the stars to predict the future.”

“Yes. And these cards are designed for ‘astrology play’. If you’d like, I can read your fortune. Since it’s a game, it carries no credibility, but that also means you can enjoy it lightly.”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

Envers scrutinized the deck of cards held in the wizard’s hand. They were ordinary cards that emanated no magical aura, but the one handling them was anything but ordinary.

If someone can freely send people to other worlds, they might just truly be able to grasp the future while sitting there.

So, Envers firmly shook his head.

“I don’t need fortune-telling. My mind has already set its path, so the future won’t affect me whether it’s good or bad. I’ll just keep walking forward──”

“It can also tell you about your love fortune.”

“⋯⋯Please read it for me.”

Envers pulled his chair in close as if it were stuck to the table. No matter how resolute his determination, love was a different matter.

The wizard shuffled the cards and asked.

“What’s your current situation?”

“I’ve kissed her, but there hasn’t been any progress, and I’m not sure if this is… just as friends or if she has feelings for me.”

“I don’t even need to look at that. You both definitely have feelings for each other, so just work on it.”

“But her expression’s as blank as a slate, and even if I wanted to confess, I can’t be sure what to do…”

Swish.

The wizard spread the cards in a fan shape on the table. Then he suggested Envers pick one.

After a prolonged staring contest with the cards, Envers finally managed to select a card within five minutes. When the wizard flipped it over, it revealed an image of a moonlit night upside down.

“Your anxieties will be dispelled, and everything will become clear. The entangled strings of emotions that have been confused until now will line up neatly. Not only regarding love but in all matters.”

“… That’s quite comforting to hear.”

“However, you must have the attitude to honestly accept someone’s transformation. No matter how surprising it may be, that’s an unchanging truth.”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯?”

Unclear advice.

But believing that some meaning must exist, Envers engraved the wizard’s words in his heart.

===============================================================

Envers Redburn gathered his belongings and stepped out the academy’s main gate. When he turned back, Luna was there to see him off. However, her expression wasn’t too cheerful.

After all, he proposed to take a leave of absence from the academy right after sharing a kiss.

His insight told him everything. Envers carefully avoided the heat of her blazing gaze. Yet still, one must do what needs to be done.

With a sheepish smile, Envers spoke.

“We’ll meet again later.”

“If you take too long, I might forget you.”

“… I’ll return shortly.”

At that, Luna finally seemed satisfied, giving him a thumbs up. Envers took one last careful look at Luna’s face, memorizing it fondly, and then turned away.

His destination was the Redburn family. A reunion with his brother Roderus was just around the corner.

So much had changed since his departure. He gained a myth. He gained family. He gained beliefs. He received from the world what his family had failed to provide him.

Now it was time to give back to his family what he received. To change everything from the roots. He would set all things right!

Filled with a righteous spirit, Envers shouted to the sky,

“I am not the illegitimate child of the Redburn family. I am the one and only disciple of the Great Namgoong Clan, Namgoong Cheong-Hwi!”

Hahahaha!

His hearty laughter rang wide across the heavens.

Namgoong Cheong-Hwi is finally returning to the family that created him.