Chapter: 197
The mole’s eyes had degraded.
Having been created to live a life in the dark underground, those murky eyes could only distinguish light from darkness.
So if a mole were to accidentally come across a rainbow, it wouldn’t feel beauty or excitement. The spectrum-emitting sky didn’t evoke any emotion in the mole.
However, if some lunatic or someone who pitied the mole were to equip it with functioning, delicate eyes…
The mole would be able to see many things now. Even the unnecessary ones.
As it looked around at the vividly colored world and felt its beauty, it would also witness the dim parts of the dark tunnel.
The gritty texture of the dirt particles, the sparse feeling of oxygen in the air, the gray of the stones washed away by the waves, and the agonizing yet grotesque writhing of the worms one must chew on.
If it hadn’t been able to see them, it wouldn’t have really cared.
Now the mole stood at a crossroads. Should it endure the pain as designed and live in its tunnel, or venture above ground to see the rainbow?
Though that would be a story for a distant future.
Whether having clear vision was a curse or a blessing would be decided at the moment of choice.
===============================================================
Evil God-chan pondered about 81 possible detours. Could they shed the murderous restrictions of Gingoa to accidentally or coincidentally kill the boy? Or perhaps hypnotize themselves or create a second personality…
Impossible.
After two cracks and three spasms, they realized the Mad Wizard had meticulously set traps against such tricks. The blockade against ‘harm’ was nearly perfect.
Even in a hypnotized state, the monstrous threat would be released in seconds.
As long as Gingoa was present, returning to their original form was impossible. There was no method to undo it. Unless the main body locked away in the Mad Wizard’s head was released, which now seemed out of the question.
Then it was time to submit once more. They had to quietly embark on the journey home and reach the Imperial Academy.
Upset, Evil God-chan kicked the blanket and rolled around on the bed.
“Those bastards abandoned me, so why must I crawl back while sniveling!! Evil—!!”
While expressing their stress like that, the door creaked open, and the boy peeked in.
This poor girl, presumably played with by the Dream Demon, had seizures several times a day. Hadn’t they changed the bed sheets twice today alone?
“Did you, by any chance, have another… spasm?”
“No, I didn’t!”
“Thank goodness. We don’t have any bed sheets left…”
“Whatever, just mind your own business… Wait, why are you using casual speech?”
Evil God-chan glared at the audacious human boy who had no qualms about throwing out honorifics when they’d use it fine even on first meetings.
Though they wanted to mix in some chilling malice or break his spirit with their gaze, they knew that would trigger Gingoa.
For a mercenary long molded by the battlefield, just exuding an intimidating presence could faint a child.
Even such indirect damage was designated as ‘evil’ by Gingoa.
So… while expressing their anger, Evil God-chan tried to restrain the intensity of their glare. To the boy, it probably appeared as if the coy girl was merely pretending to be angry out of shyness.
With that lukewarm rage, the boy smiled and said, “You’re a commoner, right?”
“?”
“I thought you were a noble at first, but nobles are quiet and fairy-like. They have dignity. But you….”
Even if her face looked like a fairy, she was noisy, rude, and brutish.
Evil God-chan could perfectly translate the unspoken insinuations of that ellipsis with their high intellect.
And immediately, they picked up a pillow and threw it. With a whoosh, the straw pillow struck the boy’s face.
“Ugh!”
“I’m a being greater than those petty nobles!”
“If you keep saying stuff like that, you might just disappear without a trace… Do you know how scary nobles are? You should be careful.”
Evil God-chan was about to argue that such social hierarchy created by humans was weak enough to collapse at a flick of their hand.
But given that they could currently do no harm to humans, proving it was also challenging.
Also, even if they’d draw respectful gazes from the boy, it wouldn’t mean anything. It was pointless to be angry at him.
She sat cross-legged on the bed, resting her chin on her hand, and asked the boy nonchalantly, “So, why did you save me?”
“Well, it’s because a victim of the Succubus appeared in my house… The Priest said that we should help others if we want the Goddess to be pleased.”
“Ah, goodwill? But I bet you want something from me.”
“…No, that’s not it.”
In Evil God-chan’s eyes was certainty. It wasn’t doubt. The premise that “the boy rescued me out of sheer goodwill, not because he was interested in gain” was false.
When the boy asked, “You’re a commoner, right?” his eyes revealed a flicker of desperate hope. Once he fully convinced himself that Evil God-chan was indeed a commoner, despair or disappointment had crossed his face.
He wished with all his heart that she might be a noble.
Thus, he’d lavish praise on the commoner who assisted him, extending a helping hand… such a sweet and naive dream it seemed. To hope, and then to be disappointed, was amusing.
Yet, there lingered a whiff of tragedy.
The boy knew well that nobles were fearsome. He must have understood that if one were to mistakenly lay a hand on a noble lady, they could very well lose their head.
If one were to witness them crackle, the chance of survival would plummet. Nobles notorious for their violence would mercilessly deal with commoners who spread scandalous rumors.
Logically thinking, instead of extending a hand, he should have bolted from the scene. Yet, he hoped. He gambled on the possibility that Evil God-chan might be a good-natured noble. There was palpable greed in his expectations.
Evil God-chan grinned slyly. “Just spill it. What are you hoping for?”
“…”
“Though I’m no noble… I’m a wizard of the Purple Magic Tower. A disciple of the Tower Master of the Purple Magic Tower. Do you understand the social standing this entails?”
“A wizard? But you don’t seem that much older than me.”
Shall I show something through illusion magic? No, it might be dangerous to make him feel it physically with Gingoa possibly going off at any moment.
In that case, I just need to be a tad more convincing. After quickly weighing several possibilities, Evil God-chan said,
“The Tower Master’s disciple has black hair and red eyes. He’s a lecher who always has two girls by his side.”
“…Lecher.”
“I said ‘disciple,’ but more like a toy for him. I’d either end up as his test subject for various illusion spells or be toyed with inside out.”
The boy’s complexion paled slightly. He must have pictured the tragic story of being a malicious wizard’s servant subjected to all sorts of abuse.
“But that’s not what matters. What’s important is… I’m favored by him. When I return to the Purple Magic Tower, I’ll have enough power to completely change the life of a commoner.”
“…”
The boy seemed to understand. Be they a wizard, knight, or merchant, those with power and authority always have beautiful women by their sides.
With Evil God-chan’s striking looks, it wasn’t strange to think she could be ‘chosen’ like that. The boy mulled over whether he should share words of consolation or jump straight to the main topic.
“I have an older sister…”
There was no way to rescue a girl from someone like the Tower Master’s disciple. So, the boy turned away from the misfortune standing before him, as he divulged his personal story instead about how his sister was struggling.
===============================================================
Doddle doddle. The legs of Evil God-chan, sitting on the bed, shook alternately.
“Hm…”
Once, there were siblings who wandered the streets begging. Living in hardship, one day the sister manifested divinity.
She joined the Goddess Church and asked if her brother could live with her. It was granted. The boy became a worker in the Goddess Church.
But one day, the sister began to fall ill, losing consciousness. It wasn’t only her; several other priests were also affected.
But the High Priest steering the Elmest branch of the Goddess Church said, “It’s fine.” There’re no issues, just a trial sent by the Goddess.
Once the fever subsided, they would be reborn as faithful servants of the Goddess.
The boy had no choice but to trust his words. But the oddities didn’t end there. Strange individuals raided the sanctuary and broke the goddess statue, while knights from the territory invaded the sanctuary…
At some point, the High Priest went missing.
Alone in a destroyed, unkempt church building, it was just the boy and his sister surviving day by day.
“I can guess what happened.”
That High Priest was likely ensnared by a Succubus. And the cultists within had slowly been brainwashed. It wouldn’t be surprising if the boy’s sister had also been devoured by a Dream Demon.
Evil God-chan smiled brightly, saying, “It’ll be alright. The Purple Magic Tower consists of the masters of the mind. If I go there and ask… then surely your sister’s illness can be cured.”
“…Really?”
“Of course, I promise. But you see, I’m currently broke. If I’m to travel to the distant Magic Tower, I’ll need funds. So, try to think about how much you can spare for your sister.”
“…”
That single sentence was enough.
The boy left only with the bare minimum necessary to survive for just a week, trusting Evil God-chan’s word about the promised week, giving her all the rest of his wealth.
“Then, we’ll meet again. I’ll bring good news.”
“I’ll wait, I’ll wait. I’ll pray every night.”
“It’ll reach you. The Goddess hears all prayers from the mortal realm.”
If only she actually listened, that would be a problem.
Evil God-chan chuckled softly, pocketing the heavy coins and leaving the church building. On the way out, she peeked at the entrance.
Chink. Just some petty cash.
This wouldn’t be enough to use a teleportation facility, nor would it cover a personal carriage. If she had to choose, some sort of shared carriage would have to suffice.
It looked like she’d need a bit more money. Where could she haul in some big bucks? Surely, if she thought hard enough, something would come…
While Evil God-chan pondered possible routes, Gingoa wailed.
“Hmm…? Ah, right. You could help the boy. Is that what you mean?”
She lightly tapped the choker around her neck, muttering to herself. Of course, she was Evil God-chan, the one who had cobbled together the minds of humans directly under the influence of Succubi.
Recovering the consciousness of someone like the boy’s sister who was in a coma should be easy.
“But why should I?”
Evil God-chan shrugged. Was it really so wrong to walk past someone dying in the streets? Surely not.
If she were to suffer due to grudges entangled, she’d be the one getting burned.
“I never directly harmed her. I was merely passive. I will keep my promise. Having received money, I’ll go back to the Academy and tell that crazy wizard her situation.”
But the journey to the Academy was long. If she ran into bandits along the way, it would stretch things out too much.
Then, with the boy’s living expenses running low, his situation would worsen. He might start resenting his sister. Even if he tried to find money, things rarely go as one wishes. Wait and wait.
Clutching his hungry stomach until the last breath while waiting for the girl he saved… only to ultimately die in vain hope.
“My deed was still goodwill, wasn’t it? Right?”
Gingoa did not respond.
True, the Mad Wizard, however maddening, was… reasonably fair in his own way. He always adhered to the rules of the game. If Evil God-chan had indeed been forced to give endless goodwill, there’s no telling how that would turn out.
Perhaps she would be captured as a slave by passing pedestrians and work as a docile servant for thirty years with no way to resist, right?
Unless that boy demonstrated astonishing goodwill, it wouldn’t matter. In the end, she had disregarded Evil God-chan’s plight while she was being tortured by the Mad Wizard. The weak are not synonymous with good.
This gray area.
Might I dance to my heart’s content amidst this drearily ambiguous grayness! Evil God-chan chuckled to herself, waiting for the moment her rescue arrived… only to expire.
Ugh.
“…?”
At that moment, something ambiguous… a very vague sensation brushed through her inner self, but she dismissed it as nothing and shook it off.
===============================================================
She needed funds for travel.
And a brilliant idea for raising cash emerged from the boy’s tale. Information. There are always people trading information in various places of the world…
Information about the Mad Wizard should be quite alluring, wouldn’t it?
The Dark Horse of the Second Prince’s entourage, yet having spent too much time cooped up in the Magic Tower, details about him hadn’t circulated outside.
Though he frequently spun tales to the students, it remained impossible to discern whether those tales were fact or fiction.
Only the upper class who held power whispered such rumors, making it uncertain if the person even truly existed.
Disguising herself as a wizard from the Magic Tower, she could leak inside information as though she were selling it.
Connecting with information vendors was simple enough. With just half a day’s stroll, she managed to pinpoint four information organizations existing in the Elmest territory.
She would avoid the Defense Bureau’s entrapment and also filter out the two smallest organizations, settling on a suitable trading partner.
Wouldn’t sharing classified information mean Gingoa would mess it up for her?
True. So she wouldn’t disclose truly critical intel, such as the Mad Wizard’s name or schedule.
But if she made up false information, wouldn’t that mean swindling others and draining them dry? Isn’t that when Gingoa would come crashing down on her?
True again. Instead, she simply needed to share bland facts. While making sure they sounded thrilling to others.
Essentially, it was slander.
“This Mad Wizard… takes pleasure in casting enhancement spells on young girls, enjoying the spectacle of them squirming.”
“…Does that mean the Second Prince has such a lunatic as one of his aides?”
“The guy’s simply that talented. You’ve got to overlook some of those personality flaws, I guess, but I can’t say for sure.”
Take that, Mad Wizard.
I shall avenge myself through the contempt, sorrow, regrets, and fury you tossed me aside for… by subtly undermining your reputation!
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