novelraw Chapter 205 : Chapter 205
Chapter 205 : Chapter 205
Chapter : 205
There are six days left until Iris’s seal is broken.
It is right to improve my skills as a wizard to some extent. Although I have the Writer skill.
‘They will be most wary of this ability.’
Even if I were the opponent, it would be the first ability I would keep in check.
An ability where things become reality as I write them down; calling it fraudulent is an understatement.
Being able to avoid being kept in check until now was all thanks to the luck that the enemy didn't know about my ability.
‘I can’t expect such luck against Iris.’
If I even make a gesture of writing, she will likely target me immediately.
‘I can use the Writer skill right before Iris’s seal breaks.’
And maybe use a little trick to use it once or twice more.
That is an ridiculously small number.
Therefore, I must learn magic that I can use right away.
For that, I need a teacher to teach me magic….
“Should I ask Professor Beatrice?”
However, Professor Beatrice probably won't have the spare energy to teach me.
The second semester of the Academy starts in two days.
“The situation is really.”
She must be busy filling in for Father, who is acting as the Principal.
Some students might already know, but she would want to prevent the mishap of the commotion growing needlessly.
Although the professors' workload has increased, it’s better than confusion and unrest spreading.
Thanks to that, asking Professor Beatrice to teach me magic separately is out of the question.
The next candidate that came to mind was Senior Lilia.
“You’re asking me to teach you magic?”
Since Senior Lilia is also an excellent wizard.
“I understand why you asked me, but it’s difficult for me.”
“Why is that?”
I thought there was no one more suitable than Lilia in the current situation!
Before Lilia could explain the situation to me, the door burst open, and Senior Laurel and Senior Cecilia entered.
“What are you doing not coming to the training ground?”
“I already have a prior engagement.”
“Ah.”
“There is a magic I need to review with my Master. There is a magic I used last time to stop Lerwon, but it needs some adjustment. So I think it will be difficult for me to make time.
Sorry, Theo.”
“No, I was late.”
Come to think of it, for Senior Lilia, training with others would be strategically better than spending time on me.
“Sorry I couldn’t help.”
“No, I understand.”
Smiling slightly as if apologetic, the Senior went out with the two Seniors immediately.
Now I have to find a third candidate.
“Tsk.”
Is this a bit screwed?
Unfortunately, no suitable personnel comes to mind.
Father cannot move, and Professor Beatrice is busy. Senior Lilia has a prior engagement.
I'm like a duck egg in the Nakdong River (all alone).
《You intend to learn magic?》
Hearing a voice after a long time, my eyes widened.
“Albedo? Is your body okay?”
Albedo, who had been silent ever since handing over his memories to me, continued speaking sparsely.
《Such weak senses, it’s the worst.》
“That means—”
《Other than that, I am fine. Although assisting with magic might be difficult, teaching magic is nothing.》
This was the best news possible.
To be able to learn magic from Albedo, of all people!
《However, I do not think you can become an excellent wizard capable of facing Ouroboros within a week.》
“That is true.”
That’s why I’m struggling desperately to add endless tricks.
Learning magic like this was also part of the tricks.
“So I have a favor to ask.”
Perhaps it might come back as a blade later.
But now is not the time to consider future safety.
“Teach me demonic magic.”
《Even though you might be branded a heretic?》
“I’ve already experienced it once, so it’s nothing new.”
《That is not something to say so calmly.》
I know too.
Using magic that demons use is tantamount to openly announcing that I am a contractor with a demon.
Freya, the new Sword of Doctrine, will probably be there too, so the moment I use demonic magic in front of her, I might be summarily executed.
“At least it’s better than a life of becoming Iris’s toy, right?”
I probably won't be able to leave the Academy, so I might have to live in hiding within the Academy.
“If anything happens to me… the other guys will be safe.”
《Is that really okay?》
“Rather than okay, it’s taking responsibility.”
In the original game, it took one year for Lerwon to become Ouroboros.
The incident that happened during the winter break moving from the first year to the second year happened a whole half a year early.
Everyone should have become stronger while going through various incidents for another half year, but since I brought it forward instead of buying time, I have no choice but to fill the blank part myself.
《I really cannot understand you.》
“Because it’s not something I do expecting understanding.”
As long as the system exists, I cannot reveal that this world is a game. Nor is it possible to explain the basis of my actions.
If you ask if I'm lonely because of that, I feel a little lonely too.
But if you ask if it's unfair, I would deny that.
《Alright, I will teach you about demonic magic.》
“Thanks, Albedo.”
Six days left until the decisive battle with Iris.
I must create variables during that period.
* * *
“How is the research going?”
“How is it going?”
Beatrice mumbled with hollow eyes amidst all sorts of dirty things cluttering the desk.
“I wish someone would just kill me.”
I am researching ways to utilize the moment the sealing magic breaks, but I don't know any sharp method.
Beatrice, tapping the quill pen, pulled at her hair.
“I can’t even gauge how severe the damage will be if Iris comes out like this!!”
As a noble of the Empire, she had to move considering the outside situation sufficiently.
But now, having barely interpreted the sealing magic, to have to modify magic she couldn't even use; it was an impossible task even for the genius Beatrice.
“…How about asking Fel for help?”
“Fel?”
“Yes. Since it is sealing magic based on Fel’s holy magic in the first place.”
Why didn’t I think of that?
Beatrice, jumping up from her seat, had shining eyes.
Artemia pressed Beatrice’s shoulders firmly and made her sit down.
“I’ll go bring him, so you stay put. You haven’t slept for a few days already, right?”
At Artemia’s pointing out, Beatrice groaned quietly.
After interpreting the magic, she had to modify it, and when she had a little spare time, she was even doing work as an Academy professor, so it was natural for fatigue to accumulate.
But there is no time to rest leisurely.
At Beatrice’s hesitating appearance, Artemia sighed.
“Then I will cast fatigue recovery magic on you at least.”
“Magic you don’t use often because it’s bad for health?”
“Fatigue recovery magic is indeed bad for health.”
There is a limit to a person’s mental power.
Fatigue recovery magic draws on future mental power, or in severe cases, even pulls on one's lifespan.
“But it’s an emergency, so hurry.”
At Artemia’s urging, Beatrice nodded.
The moment Artemia’s fingertips shone, Beatrice’s head dropped with a thud.
“How foolish.”
Trying to hold on forcibly when she’s the type to fall asleep as soon as sleeping magic is used.
I should let her rest for about four hours like this.
Laying Beatrice, who fell asleep as if fainting, on the sofa, Artemia began doing paperwork in Beatrice’s stead.
“Six days left.”
Will she really be able to modify this complex magic within that time?
‘Even if impossible, we must do it.’
Because the moment we fail, civilian casualties might occur.
I always think about it, but when it becomes a matter involving even the lives of civilians, my shoulders feel heavy.
I felt exactly like this when facing the Night of Rebellion.
A bitter smile lingered on the lips of Beatrice, who recalled the past, then quickly faded away.
* * *
“Is it okay to go on like this?”
At the dissatisfied question, the man sneered.
“Seems you have a lot of anxiety.”
“Then can I not be anxious? In this situation where Iris betrayed us.”
“Betrayal, you say.”
The smile did not leave the man’s lips.
What on earth is so amusing? Unable to endure his anger, the former Pope, Caelus, struck the wall with all his might.
“Do you dare ignore me!”
“I’m not ignoring you, it was just funny because your view is too narrow.”
“If you ignore me any further, I won’t stay still either.”
Caelus’s eyes were full of hostility.
“It seems only I am paying the price for cooperation.”
“No, not really.”
The man strode towards Caelus.
At the spirit difficult to ignore, Caelus clenched his fists and stared at the man approaching him straight on.
“Have you forgotten that neutralizing your demon curse and not having your identity discovered by the Church until now is all thanks to me?”
“That is….”
The Church’s pursuit was more persistent than imagined.
To be precise, Freya, who became the new Sword of Doctrine, tracked Caelus as if he were her parent's enemy.
If not for the ‘man’, he might have been caught by the Church long ago with his tail stepped on.
But Caelus glared at the man as if feeling unfair.
“Helping me was the basic prerequisite of the contract.”
“Seems you forgot your place.”
The man reached out his hand.
With the sound of shackles being released, Caelus flopped to his knees.
“Agares, of all demons, you touched such a demon.”
The anger of an existence like Agares was bound to become a curse just by accepting it with one's whole body.
Since he even committed the reckless act of combining a demon and a human, it was natural logic for Agares’s curse to head towards Caelus.
Staring intently at Caelus crawling on the floor like a bug in unbearable pain, the man nudged Caelus’s body with the tip of his toe.
Then, urgent breaths burst out, and Caelus shed tears as if liberated from pain.
“Sob.”
Traces of the dark curse remained on his skin.
“Iris is not a betrayal.”
Rather, it was a performance surpassing imagination.
To think she would really swallow Ouroboros.
Does human tenacity indeed surpass even the logic of the world?
No, rather than that, Iris’s greed was simply greater than Ouroboros’s power.
“Since she swallowed Ouroboros’s power, hasn’t Iris surpassed you?”
“Hahaha, are you worrying about that?”
It is a worry not even worth having.
Even Iris with Ouroboros’s power cannot surpass the man.
Even if she did, the man knew Iris’s natural enemy.
Her natural enemy against whom she absolutely cannot win now that she has obtained Ouroboros’s power.
“We just need to take the power.”
The power of Ouroboros that Iris will refine.
If he has that, the man will be able to take one step closer to his goal.