Chapter 320: Resentment

Yuna barely managed to compose herself. It was a result of Yuri and me sticking by her side, providing mental support. Instead of melting down in a panic like before…

“────.”

It felt like she was calming down, if only for our sakes.

As proof, the world was still screaming. The ceiling lights flickered like dozens of eyes, squirming to find prey, and darted out their tongues at the approaching gnats.

I snapped my fingers to draw the attention of the kid who was terrified by this distorted world. Seeing that only adds to the horror.

“You’re chasing after that b*stard, and I’ve got a reason to fuck that son of a b*tch up now too.”

“…You’re saying we should cooperate?”

“Yeah.”

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Interests align. There’s no reason not to join hands, then.

Beyond the capabilities of the “Hypnotic Detective,” this boy’s book. The information within it is tempting. Seems it’s packed with details about “The Goat” or whatever it’s called.

“But before that, we need to build trust. ‘Hypnotic Detective,’ there’s one thing about your existence that I find suspicious. You’re too young.”

“……..”

“Not a long-liver, not a reincarnated youth, just a pure kid… and on top of that, you’ve been acting as the ‘Hypnotic Detective’ with a book full of questionable codes of conduct. This leaves only one possibility.”

“──That’s right, I’m the second generation. I inherited the ‘Hypnotic Detective’ position from my master.”

The kid nodded readily, but what I want to focus on is beyond that. It stems from the fact that the kid has a disqualification as a mage – a body that cannot normally generate magical power.

Usually, when taking someone as a disciple, talent is the first thing considered. Of course, emotional factors can lead to teaching someone with disqualifications, but to appoint them as a successor to your name is another matter entirely.

I asked cautiously, beating around the bush.

“How long did you study illusion magic under this so-called master?”

“……..2 years.”

“In the recording before the battle, ‘The Goat’ was said to have killed his disciples and collapsed the magic tower. When did that happen?”

“……..I don’t know. Like, a long time ago.”

Organizing the timeline with this testimony, it looks like this:

Elder of the Tower, escapes the Tower – Flees to the kingdom and works as an Illusion Mage – Loses disciples to ‘The Goat’ – Starts working as ‘Hypnotic Detective’ – Meets this kid and takes him as disciple – Passes down the name to the kid (1st gen presumed dead).

In other words, all the disciples were killed during the attack… and this kid was chosen out of necessity, wasn’t he?

Think about it. Your internal injuries have left you with little time left to live, and you can’t even dream of revenge. And the only disciple you barely managed to get is flawed, unable to generate magical power.

So, from the perspective of someone who knows hypnosis, if you really put your mind to it…

“I’m guessing you might be under hypnosis. From the past until now.”

“……..?”

“Your hatred was strangely immense. You were living well in the kingdom, and yet you came all the way to the Academy, risking your life on a single, flimsy clue. And it wasn’t even for your own grievance, but for someone else’s.”

So it is.

Could it be that the 『Hypnotic Detective』, before dying, passed down all his hatred to this poor child? Etched it into his brain forcefully? That’s what I’m suspecting.

It’s a truly filthy thing to do.

I pulled a nearby magic circle and held it up like a magnifying glass. Looking through it with X-ray vision, I could clearly see the hypnosis remaining in the boy’s mind.

I raised a finger.

“I’ll erase it for you. Once that blind hatred disappears from your head, it will be much easier to live. You won’t have to suffer with an immature body like this.”

“W-wait, just wait a second!”

“Why, it’s not like I’m the one hypnotized… is that it? I can show you proof, plenty of it. If you’re worried about the procedure itself, you can relax. My head doesn’t make calculation errors.”

“No, don’t erase it! This… This is something I received from my master!”

The 『Hypnotic Detective』 raised his guard, as if protecting his own head.

Huh.

“What are you talking about?”

“Master was about to give up on revenge. He said his time was short and I was too young. But I’m the one who decided to take it. I… I said I would inherit it.”

“Why?”

“…You gotta grant a dying old man’s wish, don’t you? That’s the least the 『Hypnotic Detective』 can do!”

Oh.

Oho.

“…But what’s with that expression?”

It’s an expression of being moved by this kid’s unexpectedly high level of manliness.

A back alley orphan becoming an old wizard’s apprentice, building a bond, then, in his last moments, vowing to avenge his master, the image flickered through my mind.

Judging by the vibes, even with some differences in details, the backstory wasn’t likely to be too different here.

I felt good, actually, it was a more romantic tale than I’d expected. I was about to punish him for getting on my bad side, but maybe I could dial it down a bit.

I turned to the person who’d lost out the most, the one who’d missed the first session of my course—a gifted professor’s class, at that.

“What do you think, Selvier?”

“…Um, well, sure. He’s a kid, too, so it might be a bit much to give him a harsh punishment. And nobody actually suffered any real damage. All the students were just happy about the class being cancelled… Oh, um, Professor? You wanted me to come over there for a second?”

*Swish swish.* Selvier was dragged over to the corner by a beckoning Yuli Lanster.

Curious about what they were talking about, I strained to hear, but Yuli used subtle magic to scatter the sounds, leaving only fragmented bits.

“…are you thinking of abandoning the trial theory you’ve championed, Selvier? The hand that tore down the academy students’ paradise…”

“…but the students who enrolled themselves are a bit different from a young child…”

“…that boy is already prepared, and thus inherited hatred from his master… judging based on age is rather disrespectful…”

“…is that so?”

Selvier, looking unsure whether he was coming or going, returned, and then changed his stance.

“…to respect the boy’s spirit, and to prepare for the upcoming enemy, the ‘Goat’, he needs a ‘trial’ of sorts to rapidly increase his skill in illusion magic… I think that’s it. Yeah. Come to think of it, that makes sense, Professor.”

That was a valid point.

Somehow, Selvier’s proposal of increased difficulty struck a chord with me, especially today.

I scrapped my existing content and changed my plan. She was right. This boy needed a rapid boost in combat power.

“Hey, ‘Hypno-Detective No. 2’, you know about ‘The Great Labyrinth’?”

“……!!”

Yup, he knew.

Charrrr-rrr-rick-!

The kid went pale, attempting a swift escape maneuver, but was instantly caught in glass chains, dangling like a cocoon.

“Let go, let go! You evil, mad wizard!”

“This is all for your own good. You have to suffer a little to level up in a short time, and also… you infringed on my teaching rights to hundreds of academy students. You should be taught as much as you’ve taken, shouldn’t you?”

“Hwaaack-!”

Th-wack. A massive maw, resembling a human mouth, opened on the ground. It was the entrance to the ‘Great Labyrinth.’

After the team competition, I wasn’t sure whether to scrap the ‘Great Labyrinth’ or leave it be… so, I parked the whole facility in the basement of my lab. Thanks to that, it was easy to move it like this.

Next, I plan to head to the Violet Tower.

And reveal and excise the identity of the ‘Goat’ hidden in the tower. I figured I’d need the ‘Hypno-Detective’ for that process, so if possible, I’d take him along.

I also wanted to help him achieve his desire to carry on his grandfather’s revenge.

So, the ‘Great Labyrinth’ was perfect, wasn’t it? Yeah, I was being considerate for the boy. It’s definitely not because I still hold a grudge about being scratched earlier.

“Right, Yuri?”

“Yes, Mima. We are righteous, clean, and pure.”

Smiling brightly.

Yuri and I laughed in unison.

Cut.

“…The effect?”

“…Doesn’t seem to be working.”

Well, that was a skit that Yuri and I improvised on the spot… but, glancing over, Yuna’s lips hadn’t even twitched. Guess humor wasn’t going to lighten the mood.

I cleared my throat and said, “Ahem.”

“……Yuna? Can we talk for a bit?”

“Sorry, right now, I’m a little… yeah. Give me some… time.”

“Then, um… the sky was cloudless today. How about we meet when the sun sets and the moon rises? Maybe get some fresh air and clear our heads.”

“……Mm.”

I carefully set the appointment.

–

Inside the academy grounds, there’s a massive earth-dinosaur. It’s technically a type of golem, but the cost-effectiveness of moving it is awful, so it’s only used as decoration.

Which makes it perfect to use as an observation deck.

Climbing up the outer wall, step by step, I somehow reached the top. There was someone there already. A beautiful and cute woman with a pointy hat and long, blonde pigtails.

I silently sat down next to her.

I looked down from the flat head of the dinosaur. There aren’t many tall buildings around here, so the academy view is excellent from this spot.

I looked up. Few buildings had their lights on, and the stars in the night sky twinkled clearly. It was a breathtaking sight.

Counting the stars, I spoke.

“I’m thinking of launching a satellite one day. Something that orbits that orbit and shines with illusion magic… a fake star, you know?”

“You could even make constellations, then.”

“Of course. And name them too. So that future generations can remember and call them by their names for a long time… but so that their meaning isn’t lost, in a secret language only we know.”

“Mmm. That… sounds fun. Yeah.”

Yeah, it definitely would be fun.

Right now, I’m wasting my efforts and time on useless stuff like black magic, but if I throw off those shackles and find freedom.

If I just think about how much I could do with this powerful strength and time, doesn’t your heart race? If I just wished it, spreading computers and changing the era in a century wouldn’t be a pipe dream.

Or, using a suspiciously good memory, I could bring all sorts of masterpieces from the world I used to live in…

Or, by working intensely with guys like Gordius, we could reach an era of space travel that even modern civilization hasn’t touched.

“Or, I want to create a whole virtual reality game server and run it. I read a lot of game fantasy novels in my past life and enjoyed them a lot.”

“So, we’d be playing the role of suspiciously incompetent GMs… like, ‘Hidden class discovered, Team Leader, what should we do?’”

“Ah, that’s a line I really want to say. Sounds fun.”

Making it doesn’t seem particularly hard. With just one Dragon Heart, I could whip up some shared-illusion magic that could be used worldwide.

And so, I was quietly chatting about the future.

Then, I gave a bitter laugh.

“…I can’t shake off the past, can I?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Is it okay if I ask what happened now?”

“It was just… painful. Those kinds of memories. Like someone born into misfortune who did nothing wrong, being tormented without cause. So, there’s no need to explain, and I don’t want to explain either. Those… kinds of memories.”

A deep shadow flickered in Yuna’s eyes.

People should move towards the future, and everyone knows that, but in the end, what makes up a person comes from the past. You can’t turn away from it.

A stain you thought you erased, a villain who left a huge wound in your heart, was actually still alive. I don’t know how that feels.

That’s why I want to understand, and if possible, I want to share it like in the case of『Hypnotic Detective』. I wanted to be angry with Yuna as one. But Yuna won’t allow it.

The reason she’s so stubbornly silent about the past is half because she doesn’t want to remember it anymore. And the other half is.

“You want me not to worry about you?”

“…Half and half. I’m happy you’re worried, but, uhm… I just want you to laugh, and chat, and be happy as usual. I don’t want to cause trouble. I don’t want to be someone’s burden. I don’t want to be your worry. Yeah, I’m sorry.”

“What are you talking about? I understand how you feel. So, don’t say you’re sorry…”

I picked at the words for a moment.

After a long, yet short silence, I said,

“Right, then. Yuna, you stay here and wait comfortably. I’ll head to the spire and wipe the slate clean with that Painkeeper.”

“……No. It’s, it’s my ‘filth’ I missed, isn’t it? I, I mean….”

I know. Now, I can read Yuna’s thoughts by the rhythm of her breathing. Her anxiety and her pain.

She suffered a deep wound, one so painful she’d lost control of herself in front of Irid back then, a memory she hates to even recall. How stressful must it be for her to meet that person again?

So… because I was born too late into the world, I couldn’t be there to share her hardest moments. I wanted to take care of the cleanup, at least.

“Yuna, you know I never lose to a mage, and if that opponent is an illusion mage, then I’ve already won. Aisha’s by my side now too. It’s so safe, this is a yawn-worthy job.”

“……”

“It’s just like throwing out recycling, right? You can ask for help for this much, can’t you? You even ask me to wash you when you’re too lazy.”

“Th-that’s, th-that’s because, you didn’t react when I…”

I pulled Yuna into an embrace. This is one thing I wanted to push through, no matter what. I didn’t want to see her hurt.

After that, Yuna was hesitant, thinking stuff like ‘Maybe it’s better if I go…’ and taking a step back, but each time, a kiss shut her up.

About 30 minutes of lukewarm persuasion.

“…..Really, is it okay to leave it to you?”

“We’re a couple, we’re one, right? Yuna is me, and I’m Yuna. You helped me a ton when I was wrestling with ‘it’… it would be a shame if you refused to let me handle this alone.”

“Then, then… If you get hurt, you can’t. I, I could cry for a week…”

“Of course not. I’ll take care of everything.”

To my chest-pounding confidence, Yuna looked up at me with eyes that swirled with stars, rain, and wind, a violet hue.

“You remember the promise, right…?”

“Yeah.”

It was a question, a confirmation like that.

Remember, you say.

I’d been searching for a story for a long time.

In TRPGs, these small dramas unfolding on paper, I wanted to find a story.

A story that could repay every single unhappy part of my life, a truly thrilling and wonderful one.

In the past, a past that feels so incredibly far away, when I confessed these inner feelings to Yuna. She confessed that she too was looking for a story.

I pinky-promised to make a happy world for her. I remember. How could I ever forget? I remember it with all my heart and soul.

Whisper, whisper. Yuna murmured like we were sharing secrets under the blanket, covering the night sky.

“You’ll come back and finish telling it to me, right?”

“Yeah. I’ll sing a perfect happy ending that no one can argue with.”

“……With three wives?”

“Th-that part… I can only say I’ll work harder on my outer appearance.”

And just like that, I received permission to depart.

–

The huge shadow of a dirt-dinosaur.

As I lumbered down the ladder, Aisha, leaning against the wall, spoke to me disjointedly.

“You said his name. Painkeeper, the steward.”

“……I know. I was surprised too. Didn’t show it in front of Yuna, though.”

I, afflicted with a magical disease that prevents me from remembering people’s names, could somehow remember and pronounce *his* name. Aisha put her finger to her chin and muttered.

“The only names Father can remember are of the humans who became his toys.”

“That’s a bit harsh. Putting that aside… I’ve never had a guy like that as a player. It’s absolutely impossible that he was among the players I’ve been through.”

“Right. I think so too. But— in a way, Father is one with the ‘Evil Dragon,’ isn’t he?”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

So, he’s not Father’s toy.

“That guy is probably ‘It’s’ toy. Close enough for Father, who shares a part of ‘It,’ to remember their name… close. Used to be close. My main body was once an existence close to a god, so you could call him an apostle of an evil god.”

“Doesn’t matter. Even the succubus queen who used the evil god’s power ended up dying by my hand, and now I have you by my side.”

“Aren’t you being too trusting? What if I betray you the moment I get the chance?”

“Then next time, it’ll be reverse bunny suit, so you better behave.”

Aisha shuddered in disgust, then giggled. I guess she came to warn me to be careful, in her own way. How thoughtful.

But I’m certain. Whether he’s an apostle of an evil god or whatever, if the opponent relies on illusion magic… there’s no way I can lose.

This time, just this once. No compromise, no change of heart, no pity, no sympathy. I’ll use all my power to rip off Pain Keeper’s head. And, by doing so.

I will erase the lingering resentment from Yuna’s heart.