Chapter: 179
As I saw off Pinkvalez, the sky grew gloomy, and for the past few days, it had been raining incessantly. It’s during times like this that I really start to appreciate the existence of magic.
If it were my past life, I wouldn’t have been able to dry my laundry and would be stuck waiting for the sun to rise, right? The damp clothes hanging on the drying rack would just be gathering more of that musty smell.
But now it’s different. Even without buying an expensive dryer, a single spell does the trick.
“…So, you called me to dry your laundry, Professor?”
“Precisely.”
“If it weren’t for your title of ‘professor’… ugh.”
The human laundry dryer, Selvier, sighed deeply as she began casting her spell. Flames swirled from her fingers, dancing as they twisted around her body.
I also asked her to help reduce the humidity in the lab, almost taking a hit in the process. Had I not skillfully evaded the glowing spells, I would have been bruised.
Zzzzziiiiiing.
I could see my laundry drying in real-time. The flames turned my underwear and thermal wear into a mercilessly fluffy pile, and now they shifted their target to Pinkvalez’s unmentionables.
“…Tsk.”
Selvier clicked her tongue as if she could gauge the terrifying size just from the shape and volume of the underwear. Well, she definitely wasn’t the ‘well-endowed’ type.
To compare that bulkiness, it was bigger than an apple…
“Should I make her eyes fluffy, too?”
“I’ll pass on that.”
I averted my gaze and raised my hands in a gesture of surrender and capitulation.
Thud-thud.
The wind blew slightly, causing raindrops to tap against the window of the lab a couple of times. It was like they were asking for the door to be opened.
I glared at the annoying raindrops. It wasn’t you that needed to knock— it’s my pink-haired friend who loves to harass me.
No matter how lonely I get, I wouldn’t let raindrops into the lab. If they want to come in, they better bring Pinkvalez with them. If they bring her, I’d happily open the door.
“…Are you having a showdown with the rain?”
Was my inner struggle looking strange to Selvier? She turned to me while drying Yuna’s slightly undersized innerwear.
I replied nonchalantly.
“I’m negotiating.”
“What negotiation can you have with the minions of the Blue Tower? I thought they’d only be stuck-up and frozen in place.”
“Fire seems to speak just fine… right?”
“I communicate exceptionally well with them. They neither freeze nor evaporate, and their preferences are quite clear. If they dislike something, they burn it.”
She had a point, but I didn’t find it relatable.
The fire friend… that guy is so greedy that with just a nod, he spreads all over the place. It sounds like pandering to me would be tricky. And the stone friend would likely be way too quiet.
Despite filling my mind with random thoughts, the anxiety still lingered within.
“Is there something bad happening lately?”
“I’m feeling a bit uneasy since I haven’t heard from my friend.”
“Ah, the pink-haired one. It’s been a while since she’s been around… so that’s why you’ve been sulking like a fire toad that’s caught in the rain?”
“What kind of analogy is that?”
How can one not use the word ‘water’ in idioms and still be so competitive with the Blue Tower’s Snow White?
The feeling of anxiety isn’t the problem in itself.
The issue is the emotions stuck to that anxiety. If I weren’t fond of Pinkvalez, that anxiety would hold no power and would simply fade away. Just like not stressing over exams that I’m sure I’ll definitely pass.
So to get rid of that anxiety, I need to eliminate its host.
It’s similar to chewing gum getting stuck in your hair. Even if you remove the big chunk, the sticky residue remains, making it nearly impossible to get rid of after several washes.
In the end, you’re left with no choice but to chop off the tangled part of your hair.
“What kind of foolish idea is that?”
“…Why?”
“It’s something my childhood friend told me. She said that emotions should be accepted as they are, without burying or cutting them away.”
“…That’s quite a strange story.”
Selvier’s statement seemed to poke at my chest. It felt slightly embarrassing to have someone touch on a part I had always avoided.
Selvier appeared to have strong feelings for that childhood friend of hers. She was already radiating happiness, akin to someone pulling out a cake from the fridge.
She spoke on behalf of her childhood friend.
“Just because you were rejected by someone you like, if you deny that love as if it ‘never happened’… how can you trust a future love to come back to you?”
“…”
“Those kinds of emotions are, in fact, testimonies. You’re close to that person, so… you’re worried, right? Then you should rejoice in that fact. Because the size of your anxiety reflects how precious that person is to you.”
Building a tall building casts a long shadow.
Instead of being overwhelmed by the shadow it casts or knocking down the building in anger, you should climb to the top to see the view instead.
“…If it were that easy, I wouldn’t be tossing and turning.”
“Honestly, it is a bit so. But it’s a nice sentiment, isn’t it? Sounds like decent advice.”
It is quite idealistic.
“Thanks for the words of comfort, Selvier. Want me to let some info slip about the next practical exam?”
“No thanks. We’re in the same boat, so I just said it. I’ve been waiting for that childhood friend for over ten years, you know?”
“Ten years, huh…?”
“Ten years, indeed.”
I imagined the very ominous and scary notion that I would have to wait another ten years for Pinkvalez to reappear, with no promise of her return. As I tried to mentally simulate it, I stopped.
It’s said that when you talk about a tiger, it shows up. Imagining such a ‘what if’ could actually make it come true, and that terrified me.
I didn’t have the courage to face such loss.
I don’t want to lose them.
I don’t want to lose either the Tower Master or Pinkvalez. Not in any form. I dreaded the thought of revealing some of my sinister intentions only to hear, “Eww, let’s just stay friends” or something similar.
Or whether I end up getting involved with one of them, and the other leaves, saying, “You didn’t choose me, so I won’t choose you, either.”
Frozen in fear of those unfathomable scenarios, I found myself stuck here, unable to move forward or backward.
I wondered if all three of us felt that way.
Desiring to avoid loss, we didn’t precisely define the relationship with clear words, suppressed our jealousy, and even Yuna, who never crossed that line.
Yuria Lanster, aware she would depart someday for revenge, also drew a distinct line in our relationship as if approaching but never touching.
How about becoming lovers? That one phrase was concealed like a tightly-bound secret deep within my heart. Engaging in meaningless skinship to soothe our cold hearts wouldn’t be enough.
Just because we enjoyed physical closeness doesn’t mean our hearts would align with each other’s, right?
In truth… I wish for something deeper… a bond that never shatters. I hope we can truly become family.
……
……How about we share our thoughts?
Once Yuria Lanster returns, the three of us can sit down together. I would carefully bring it up, expressing honestly that I want to get a bit closer to them.
To share a bit more, to open up about some more intimate feelings.
Of course, revealing oneself might spark a conflict. Our personalities might clash and lead to raised voices. But even with all those risks…
Let’s adjust to each other, take a step beyond the line we’ve drawn, and become more intimate.
So please, tell me.
Yuna, what does the mark carved on that pointed hat signify? Why do you sometimes seem to be crying quietly? What happened in the Purple Tower in the past?
Yuria, what fuels that relentless desire for revenge? What past events gave rise to that narrative?
I want you to let me help with your troubles. If I can’t genuinely solve it, then at least let me comfort and soothe you.
Then.
Let’s make it happen.
When Pinkvalez returns from her trip, let’s gather the courage to bring it up. Just in case things get awkward, let’s prepare a few jokes. Should I even write a script? Maybe I should practice in front of a mirror.
Is that it? What after that?
How about a journey? To travel to the southern continent as if we were a real family. They say there are wonderful beaches. We could enjoy swimming there!
For that… perhaps I should use the wish token I received from Irid and request Pinkvalez to be assigned as my exclusive attendant. So there wouldn’t be any duties taking her away on a sudden trip. Sounds like a good idea.
It’s still raining. With each raindrop falling, I hoped for our meeting.
If everything turned out okay, we’d be a lot… happier and have more fun together. So please, come back without a scratch.
In that moment of prayer…
Bang!
The door swung open.
I turned my head hopefully, thinking it might be the awesome timing of Pinkvalez’s return. But it was Yuna standing there, looking like a drenched rat.
“…”
“…What’s wrong, what’s wrong? Tower Master. With that expression and looking like that…”
I found myself stammering unexpectedly. The shadow cast on her expression, and the way her fists were tightly clenched, filled me with dread.
In the midst of my gnawing anxiety, I repeatedly reassured myself. It’s nothing serious. It’s probably some trivial matter. Please tell me it’s nothing.
However, reality is always cruel.
“…Yuria is in a coma.”
“…”
I realized I stood there frozen, just like a mounted butterfly, with the last gasp of air escaping my lips.
===============================================================
Yuria Lanster lay asleep.
It was a passing Academy student who discovered her, witnessing Yuria discarded in an alleyway and promptly reported it.
The sentinels left at the Academy identified her and handed her over to the priest. After receiving the response from the Goddess Church’s priest stating she was “beyond healing,”
they relayed that news to me asking for my cooperation.
She lay there so peacefully. I could feel an irritation creeping over me. I carefully called out to her closed eyelids.
“…Pingvalez?”
There was no response.
Why wasn’t she answering me?
Did she dislike her nickname? …Alright, maybe it could be perceived as offensive. After all, I first gave her that moniker intending to insult her.
If that were the case, I guess I should feel some shame and call her by her real name.
“…Yuria. Hey?”
No answer.
Such a strange situation.
Only after pondering over that silence for a while did I come to accept that Yuria Lanster was essentially in a vegetative state.
Tick.
As my stress levels spiked sharply, the ‘Psychopath Module’ in my head clicked on.
Alright. It’s nothing serious. Just… a single Succubus is half-dead. No reason to panic or be flustered.
There’s no reason to feel pain. She’s just another stranger, unrelated to me. After all, who’d feel stressed if a passing ant got squished?
To begin with, her intentions had probably never been pure. This must’ve been a setup from the second prince for my surveillance, planning to extract information while appeasing me.
A fox who lured me into her trap was now gone—it’s a net gain. With no observer, I am free at the Academy. Right? Exactly.
So then, nothing…
No.
Slap!
I infused my cheek with magical energy and slapped myself. The module was crushed. Even the innocent modules nearby suffered.
I shook my head violently to clear the thoughts from my mind. She isn’t dead. There’s still a chance to recover. If it’s a mental problem, then I could handle it.
I summoned a magic circle and released my magic. The necessary spells formed instantly. I meticulously examined Yuria Lanster’s mind. I could feel pushback.
I sensed the traces of artificial magical power.
Reaching into her memories, these were akin to what had been planted in the Third Prince’s head. This was from the Succubus Queen. And… there was something else. Something far more complex that resembled a tangled web.
Yuria Lanster was trapped within her own mind due to the queen’s magic. In other words, she was wandering through a dungeon formed in her head.
I know. She must be having nightmares. The black mages inflict pain, wounding the soul to siphon off magic. She is suffering right now.
Can I extract and eliminate it through external procedures?
Impossible. While the queen’s magic might be flimsy and riddled with gaps, the strange… tar-like substance supporting that magic is too intricate and malicious.
It’s like an Iron Maiden embedded with spikes. If I force open the entrance, it will puncture Yuria Lanster’s mind hundreds of times.
From that, I felt magical abilities comparable to my own.
The purple Tower Master, peering alongside me, spoke up.
“…It seems complex sublimation abilities are at play. I thought we could wipe it out with ‘Subtraction,’ but that’s impossible. Yuria would be caught up in it, too…”
“…”
Anxiety began to rise. Is there really no other method? Can I really leave her this way? No. I can’t allow that.
There’s an entrance. I found it.
The trap placed in Yuria Lanster’s mind is vulnerable from the inside and had been perfectly set up with alternate routes designed for easy invasion. This isn’t a mere oversight. The intent of the creator is palpable.
They’re inviting me in. If you want to save her, you must come inside.
It’s a trap.
My reason was warning me. A well-structured trap created with sublimation added from who knows where. It’s dangerous. A little dungeon has been built in her head.
If I were to invade, just like a session, with my consciousness detached… I would be as defenseless as a player venturing into my own session.
So?
That’s not important. I held the ugly simmering feelings of rage and sorrow in check, fearful they might disrupt my magic. Gritting my teeth, I prepared to go in.
Just then, Yuna grabbed my sleeve tightly, yanking me back. She clearly warned me of the danger, stepping in my way.
“…Even if it’s you, you might die. You know that, right…?!”
“I know.”
“No, you don’t. You really don’t know…!! That Elaine, even with her completed narrative, was deceived by your naive self. I too… Even I, with half-fledged sublimation, struggled! The gap between a prepared mage and an unprepared mage is staggering!”
“Alright.”
“Exactly! If traces of sublimation have been discovered, the danger scales exponentially. But, even so… we cannot leave it as it is…”
“You don’t need to rush. There could still be time. At least I’m not diving in unprepared. It’s dangerous!”
But perhaps time may not be on our side. Right now, Yuria Lanster could be dying. No, she’s surely dying.
“I’ll work harder. I’ll gather the purple Tower’s personnel and help. I’m sure we can do this. We still have time! So…!!”
I can’t suppress my anxiety. Calling in the Tower’s personnel, coordinating—it would take a great deal of time. Could she really hold on that long?
If I can just go in now and successfully rescue Yuria Lanster, everything will be alright. The happy future I envisioned in my mind won’t falter.
I can do it. I will do it. Am I not a genius? Right?
Let’s go, let’s rescue her!
Yuna must have read my expression because her face crumpled, and she started to choke up. Her eyes quickly reddened, tears spilling down.
“…What about me? What about me?!”
“…”
I froze up.
When I was at a loss for what to do, Yuna unleashed her pent-up sorrow at me. It’s tragic. What’s happened to Yuria Lanster is undoubtedly sorrowful. But…
“If you rashly intervene this way and end up like this… how am I supposed to live…?”
“I…”
As I struggled to find words, silence enveloped us.
“Absolutely not. I won’t let you. You can’t go! I refuse—!!”
With a scream close to a shriek, drops of water began to rise around Yuna’s surroundings and fingertips. A sign of magic.
Fwoosh.
I was pushed back. No, it felt like the space expanded. The distance between me and the bed where Yuria Lanster lay grew exponentially. Yuna’s illusion magic at work.
I must respond…!!
“Illusion Break, Spatial Coordinate Confusion, Obfuscation…!”
I unleashed waves contrary to Yuna’s magical properties, aiming to break the illusion. Making a dual annihilation event.
Then, she unleashed additional illusion magic to prevent me from targeting her again.
The onslaught facing me from the first wave was a far more potent force. Yuna was casting a long incantation. A prolonged chant, likely a high-level spell!
“Gather the light, and shut your eyes. Blackout!”
All light extinguished. My sensory organs dulling collectively. I couldn’t read any information.
Just as the lights went out, I caught a glimpse of a bubble floating atop Yuna’s chest, gradually filling with a dark liquid—an incantation I recognized.
“Violet Iris’s Condensed Memories, Crystal Explosion.”
She intended to wipe me out with sheer power. If that completes, I’ll lose. I made a frantic escape from the blackout before the casting finished, trying to shower her with attacks to disrupt her spell.
“Magic Distribution, Reassembly, Texture Disintegration…!!”
I couldn’t focus. My head was spinning. Every so often, that expression etched in my mind lingered. To counter her attacks became a reflex action; then──.
“No one can enter here. No one can die! Not you…!!”
────.
An information bomb detonated.
“…Ugh.”
I could no longer distinguish between up and down. Was my leg stuck in my head or were my eyes stuck to my feet? After wandering for a while, I found myself regaining my senses at the door of the lab.
Somehow, I had been kicked out. I attempted to enter the lab again, but the door wouldn’t budge. It seemed like Yuna was blocking it.
I banged on the door for quite a while, trying to get it open before ending up squatting against it.
“…”
My head throbbed.
===============================================================
My mind has cooled a little.
I understand.
I understand. If I were in her shoes, I’d feel the same. If Yuna… went berserk with the thought of diving into Yuria’s head immediately, vowing to save Pinkvalez even at the cost of her own life—I would ironically be the one to stop her.
So then, does that mean I should let Yuria Lanster go?
No. I can’t do that. It’s neither an impossible opportunity nor something absolute. It just comes with danger. Yuna, who shares my feelings for Yuria Lanster, is fighting tooth and nail to stop me.
Spending all this time in contemplation is also a waste. However, I don’t have confidence in breaking through the lab that Yuna is barricading. The genuinely serious purple Tower Master is strong, and I can’t attack her with all my heart.
So neither this nor that.
I stumbled, unable to find a grip. I hoped someone would provide me with the answer. Though I said my head had cooled, it seems I only cooled down relatively from high fever to medium fever.
After wandering for a while…
“…So you came to the girls’ dormitory soaked in the rain?”
“…Huh.”
For reasons I couldn’t understand, I instinctively sought out Selvier.
“You idiot?”
I suppose that’s right.
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