LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 25
Chapter 25
—–CROW—–
“So, today, I’ll be satisfied with monopolizing the attention of the famous Successor of the Mage King, my Master.”
This was the first time I’d seen Eleanor with such an expression. When I had [Observation] activated, Eleanor’s expression was always tinged with a slight anxiety. Outwardly, she smiled brightly, but inwardly, she always harbored unease. It meant she carried a significant trauma.
But this moment was different. It was a moment where her inner and outer selves were perfectly aligned.
“…”
A clumsy smile. Both externally and internally, she wore a clumsy smile. She had the look of someone who wasn’t sure what she was saying even as she said it. That ambiguous expression made me feel ambiguous as well.
But one thing… One thing I could be certain of.
I could be certain that Eleanor’s words were genuine. I didn’t know what kind of feelings she had for me, but I understood that she wanted my attention right now. I didn’t know if it was love, admiration, or simply a vulnerable desire to rely on someone.
“I have to continue patrolling, so that’s going to be difficult.”
Eleanor’s expression immediately soured.
“…You’re the worst, Master.”
The burden she carried, and the burden she would carry in the future, was heavier than I could imagine. Her mental state must have been that unstable.
Well, either way…
“Instead, if you’re near me, I’ll always find you and talk to you. Before you cause any trouble.”
“Really…?”
Lending a hand with that burden should be fine. Keeping an eye on troublemakers wasn’t a new task, and this much wouldn’t be a problem. Wasn’t this a special occasion? In the original story, this part passed without incident, so this much leeway should be fine.
“Master tends to speak lightly, relying too much on his looks. If you keep making light promises like that, relying on your face, you might get stabbed by me someday.”
“…”
“Just kidding.”
…Strange. Why was that a lie? She clearly said she was kidding. It *should* have been a joke. Eleanor looked at me with cold eyes, contradicting her words. I couldn’t read anything in those dark eyes, like seawater dredged from the abyss. That perfectly mismatched inner and outer expression sent a chill down my spine.
“Can you guarantee that, Master?”
“Guarantee what…?”
“That you can stop me before I cause trouble. I could jump into the crowd and throw a punch right now.”
“…I spoke too hastily.”
Eleanor was right. Unless I understood her thought process, I might not be able to stop her from causing trouble.
“I knew it. So, you don’t need to promise to stop me from causing trouble. Just… talk to me.”
“Alright, I will.”
“…Even if there are a lot of people, and I’m alone and isolated, will you find me?”
“Yes.”
“…Even if I’m locked up in a dark, narrow place, blindfolded and gagged, unable to speak, will you find me?”
“Yes, even if it’s in the middle of a battlefield, I’ll find you and talk to you.”
“Haha… Thank you for saying that.”
Eleanor shook her head. She dismissed my words as a joke. But I was serious. With [Observation], as long as she was nearby, I could find her no matter where she was.
“Should I make a Mana Oath?”
It couldn’t be helped. If I made a Mana Oath, Eleanor would understand I was serious.
“I already know that Master uses Mana Oaths to deceive people.”
Eleanor was a tougher opponent than I thought. Was it because I’d brought up Mana Oaths too often? My credibility was already rock bottom.
“So, let’s do this instead.”
“…”
Eleanor extended her right hand. Her fist was clenched, with only her thumb and pinky extended. What? Was she asking for *that* kind of Mana Oath? A pinky swear?
“Promise?”
But seeing her innocent expression as she intertwined her pinky finger with mine made me realize how corrupted I was. Yes, I was trash.
“…Yes, I promise.”
“Master has big hands. Heehee.”
I made a promise with Eleanor. The heaviest promise in the world, to always find her, no matter what.
* * *
I was dreaming. A lucid dream. It probably wasn’t because [Erosion Blade] had exceeded its limit, like last time. I hadn’t yet broken past the 30% threshold. Then what was this dream? Perhaps it was a periodic memory transmission due to exceeding 20%, or maybe it was just a normal dream.
But something was different. This dream was too strange to be simply Oz’s memory. Was this a dream shared by both me and Oz?
Yes, I was standing in front of a mirror. The mirror reflected Oz’s usual cold and arrogant expression. Yes, the same as always. An appearance that could be jokingly described as “plot armor.” Cold eyes that seemed to see through everything. An expressionless, yet somehow arrogant face.
But on Oz’s face… on the face I saw with [Observation]…
It was as if a mask was covering it, concealing something.
* * *
The weekend arrived, the day after I’d placated the dejected Eleanor and made a promise I could keep. The other students were probably resting, recovering from the party they’d enjoyed the previous day. Normally, I would have practiced magic or visited the daily dungeons to earn gold, but today was different. Besides, I already had enough money. Oz’s personal assets were greater than I’d expected, so I didn’t feel the need to visit the weekend daily dungeons. Moreover, perhaps due to bad luck, out of every ten chests I found, nine were empty. It wasn’t even worth the effort.
I had 82
“Hmm…”
It was called alchemy in the game, but alchemy was a more complex field of study than I’d thought. The exams were brutal enough to demonstrate that. And that was just the beginner level. The difficulty curve was terrifying.
“I need to buy ingredients…”
Naturally, I couldn’t make potions with just
“There’s something I want to confirm…”
In *Broken Sky*, high-quality, efficient ingredients appeared randomly. Yes, this was also random. There was no way to visually identify them. But…
“I think I might be able to see something with Observation…”
What about [Observation], which could see through the nature of all things? Perhaps I could sweep up all the high-efficiency items. But I couldn’t ignore my current situation. I was safe within Scientia’s barrier, but it would be different outside.
I was being targeted. The [Dragon Emperor]’s protection only extended within her territory. In other words, she wouldn’t intervene outside Scientia. It seemed she’d drawn a line because too many people had abused her name.
“In the end, I have to handle this myself…”
No one would attack me in broad daylight in a crowded area. Or rather, even if there were, they wouldn’t do something stupid like bombing the Imperial city center. Since they would be limited to covert methods, it would be difficult for them to exploit my weaknesses with [Observation] active.
“Hmm…”
*Rustle*
I unfolded a map of the surrounding area. For a fantasy world, maps were ridiculously expensive. Considering this world was full of magical tools, I couldn’t understand the value system that made maps so costly. Of course, it didn’t matter to me, as I had more than enough money. I was a man who could eat steak every night. A man who could order another one if I felt like it and even leave some leftovers. See, I was that extravagant.
“This route is problematic…”
No matter how I looked at it, I had to pass through two deserted alleyways. Of course, I could take a detour, but that would take too much time. I had plenty of time, but if it got dark, I’d be dancing with assassins. So, I needed at least one person as a shield.
The problem was that I only knew two people who were guardians: Olivia Blue of the
It was deplorable.
“Did I screw up my relationships too much?”
Yesterday’s incident with Eleanor made me feel bitter. I’d been acting aloof and intimidating to avoid being underestimated, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of loneliness.
“Should I contact Tenebris?”
I rummaged through a corner of my room and found a dust-covered crystal ball. It was a ‘two-way communication crystal ball,’ which was basically a cell phone. The design was ridiculous.
I infused the crystal ball with mana, and a ringing sound started. It was a familiar ringtone from my previous life. If they were going to make it like a cell phone, they could have added more features. I didn’t expect games, but a conference call feature would have been great.
“H-Huh?! A call? Uh…? Prince Oz? Uh…?”
“Were you sleeping?”
“Ah, no? I wasn’t sleeping?”
A groggy voice came from the crystal ball, as if just woken up. What time was it that she was still asleep?
“Were you sleeping in because it’s the weekend?”
“W-Well, sleep is hard to resist for a cat-person.”
Making such a mysterious and believable excuse now was pointless. It only made her seem more mysterious in a different way.
“More importantly, this is surprising. I never thought you’d contact me first, Prince Oz.”
“Just get to the point. Can you arrange a guardian for me?”
“Straight to business? How disappointing.”
She had a point. Was I being too businesslike? This was why I had no friends.
“Well, that’s to be expected from you. Anyway, a guardian… are you planning to go somewhere?”
“Yes, are there any among the infiltrators nearby?”
“None among the infiltrated
“You’re not planning to put me in your debt, are you?”
“Hmm? No, I promise I won’t ask anything of you for this, Prince Oz.”
“…What are you planning?”
“Well? Are you worried I’m setting a trap? You have less faith in me than I thought.”
“…”
A playful tone. Was she acting like this because it was through the crystal ball? This girl, who would be fidgeting with her tail if I activated [Observation], seemed unusually relaxed today. This was why I hated using the crystal ball. It rendered [Observation], my greatest weapon, useless.
“…Fine, I’ll take the bait this time.”
“You can look forward to it, Prince Oz. It’ll be very interesting.”
“Then how soon can you send them?”
“Hmm… I think I can do it right away.”
“Then shall we meet at the front gate at 9?”
“No, that’s too soon. I’d like a little more time.”
“Then 10 o’clock.”
“Alright. Then…”
I removed the mana from the crystal ball. Since the negotiations were concluded, there was no need to get caught up in her pace any longer. I would deal with the rest when I had [Observation] active. I still had time until 10, but it wouldn’t hurt to prepare in advance.
“…Wait a minute.”
Something… something was strange. Lucia had been asleep until just now. But she said she could arrange someone immediately. Was it possible to coordinate with someone outside of
Was she planning to follow me?
“This is unsettling…”
* * *
“Heh…”
Lucia smirked, looking at the deactivated crystal ball. Fortunately, Oz didn’t seem to notice her intentions. She’d suffered so much humiliation from his intimidating gaze.
“He doesn’t sound so bad when I only hear his voice.”
Since she didn’t feel any pressure through the crystal ball, Lucia had the upper hand. Now it was time to fulfill Oz’s request and, at the same time, unleash her pent-up frustration in the form of revenge.
‘This is for making me work on a day off, Prince Oz.’
With that thought, Lucia got out of bed. Her tail wagged excitedly. Standing in front of the mirror, Lucia examined herself. Slightly disheveled black hair, a twitching tail, and wrinkled pajamas from sleeping. It would take some time to get ready.
But Lucia smiled slyly. And shouted,
“Noah! Can you help me?”
“What?! Lucia’s already awake? You usually sleep until noon. Are the people around me changing?! Master Oz was acting strange yesterday, too!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about! Just come and help me, quickly.”
After a moment of commotion, Eleanor peeked into her room through the gap in the door. She still seemed suspicious.
“What do you need help with?”
“First, can you call Baekyang too? I have something to discuss.”
“Okay! Got it!”
As Eleanor cheerfully left, Lucia fixed her hair. She hummed, excited about what was to come.
“Haa… What is it~?”
A moment later, Baekyang, still half-asleep, was dragged in by Eleanor. She was also a heavy sleeper, like Lucia.
“So, I’m going on a date, and I was wondering if you could help me choose an outfit.”
“A date…?”
“Ooh?”
Lucia smirked inwardly at their expressions. Judging by their excitement, she knew they’d taken the bait immediately.
“W-Who?! Who are you going on a date with?!”
“Wow~ Congratulations~ …So, who is it~?”
It was chilling. One was filled with pure excitement and a mischievous glint, while the other exuded a sly curiosity. Neither seemed like a saint.
“Yep! A date with Prince Oz!”
And the moment Lucia finished speaking, their expressions froze.
‘This is… Eleanor’s expression is more intense than I expected.’
Eleanor’s reaction was particularly strong. Her eyes seemed vacant, colder than the white goblin who wielded ice and snow beside her.
“…I’ll help you.”
“I’ll help you too~”
Despite having brought this upon herself, Lucia broke out in a cold sweat at their unexpected reaction.
* * *
“Prince Oz! Hello!”
What the…
“Am I a little late?”
What in the…
“I’m looking forward to our date!”
What the hell is this… crazy…?
“What kind of trick is this?”
“Why don’t you just enjoy it, since it’s come to this, Prince Oz?”
“What about arranging a guardian and a warrior?”
“They’ll be following us, keeping their distance.”
“What…?”
At Lucia’s words, I activated [Observation] and looked around. I sensed two familiar presences.
“A love affair is irresistible to girls of this age…”
“Are you insane…?”
The guardian and warrior Lucia had arranged weren’t escorts. They weren’t just mischievous students following a classmate. Their expressions were different.
“…If I had to make an excuse, I didn’t expect it to turn out like this.”
“Crazy…”
Eleanor, a born delinquent, and Baekyang, a goblin with a habit of playing pranks whenever there were people around. The thought of the chaos these two troublemakers, among the most dangerous of their kind, might cause gave me a headache.
“Truly insane…”
—–CROW—–