231 Magical Disaster Occurs

231.

,”It seems everyone has arrived. First, I would like to express my gratitude to the Seven Colors-nim for attending despite your busy schedules. In the name of Ferreint of Green.”

The place is reminiscent of a university lecture hall. Of course, the chairs and wall materials we’re sitting on have a magical feel.

Despite its spaciousness, the place is filled with fewer than ten people, including me. Familiar faces and unfamiliar faces are mixed, sitting sparsely.

The familiar faces are Selena, Rene, and Eldrich.

The unfamiliar faces are a man with a fierce impression wearing a yellow bandana, and next to him, a gloomy-looking woman with long, abundant black hair.

And the refreshing-looking young man who went up to the podium and greeted us with a voice amplified by magic is also someone I don’t know. I just learned his name is Ferreint.

The Seven Colors Emergency Meeting. It seems that the young man summoned the pinnacle mages, including Selena and Rene.

Ferreint of Green… he’s quite handsome.

But there was one face I knew missing here. Bonaparte of Orange. I couldn’t find that infuriating old geezer’s mug here.

It seems I wasn’t the only one with that question. The man with the yellow bandana asked loudly without raising his hand.

,”Is that everyone? Orange hasn’t arrived yet. That weak old fart.”

,”That’s certainly true, Dalph-nim. But that’s also why you’ve all gathered here. Please listen to the story for now.”

As if it were a real lecture, something like a presentation began to be projected onto the front wall, which served as a screen. Looking at the screen, Ferreint said.

,”This is a photo taken near Surtia eight days ago. Can you see what’s in it?”

It was a village. A village covered in black with something. Looking closer, what was covering the village was dolls. A terrifying number of black dolls.

,”Dolls? Could it be Bonaparte’s?”

,”Yes, that’s right. This army of dolls has attacked nearby villages and begun massacring civilians. It has been growing steadily, and currently, more than 80% of Surtia’s residential areas have been attacked by his doll army.”

The recent whereabouts of Bonaparte of Orange. It popped up in an unexpected place. Although I didn’t want to find out this way.

Photos flowed by in order on the screen. Burned villages, the gruesome appearance of dead people, and an endless number of dolls.

And I found it among the passing photos. The figure of Blade’s Black Armor, naturally blending into the front lines as if he were one of the dolls.

That idiot… he said he was going to catch Bonaparte, but he got caught instead?

,”Why? He was a cranky old geezer, but he wasn’t the type to do something so outrageous, was he?”

,”It’s unclear. Just yesterday, I tried to communicate with him to advise him to stop the slaughter and destruction, but he was not in a state where conversation was possible.”

,”Not in a state where conversation was possible? What does that mean?”

,”To put it simply, I could use the word ‘crazy.’ But the impression I got was a little different. He was endlessly listing meaningless words. It was as if he was a being who looked like a human but was no longer human.”

,”…Could it be…”

A being who is human but no longer human. That’s a story I think I’ve heard somewhere.

He was already a creepy old geezer, but Ferreint’s description made me feel a strange sense of unease.

,”Currently, the affected area is expanding. It seems that the number of dolls increases after attacking a village, so it is presumed that they are using humans as materials. Adventurers and the military are responding, but at this rate, they will only be providing good-quality doll materials.”

Ferreint shook his head as if he was sorry. And he said in a loud and clear voice to the audience.

,”The agenda of this emergency summons is this: the expulsion of Bonaparte of Orange, a member of the Seven Colors, and the designation of that being as a magical disaster and its subjugation!”

As soon as Ferreint’s declaration ended, Eldrich raised his arm.

,”What is the cause? Your description gives me a rough idea.”

,”Perhaps it’s as Eldrich-nim thinks. I think he used too much black magic. Traces of black magic were also found in the dolls.”

There was a bit of a stir at the mention of black magic. I whispered to Selena.

,”Why black magic?”

,”It’s like a loose taboo. Because it’s the magic of the devil. There are still many unexplained parts, so it’s dangerous.”

The black magic I saw in Astaroth and Tentacle. That’s why there was no black among the Seven Colors. That’s what I could have guessed.

Selena gave a little more explanation.

,”But for a mage, a taboo is like a temptation. Several careless idiots get drunk on black magic every year, but to think that such an idiot would appear among the Seven Colors…”

Selena sighed as if she was pathetic as she finished speaking.

Eldrich, who heard Ferreint’s answer, also said with a sigh.

,”I see. That’s unfortunate. Another talent for the development of magic has been lost like this… But those who have been invaded by black magic must be subjugated.”

Those who have been invaded by black magic must be subjugated. It seemed that all the Seven Colors in the room agreed with Eldrich’s words. As if it were an unwritten rule for mages.

,”Good. Well, from now on, let’s discuss the subjugation…”

As Ferreint started to speak again, this time the man with the bandana raised his hand. The one who was called Dalph.

,”Yes, Dalph-nim.”

,”Everything’s fine, but what’s that guy doing here?”

He was pointing at me.

Uh, me?

,”Hehe, Dalph. You don’t seem to know what’s going on in the world. He’s the one who defeated the Demon King…”

Eldrich’s cover. But Dalph cut him off sharply.

,”No, I know. The Hero, that is, Eldrich old geezer’s disciple, right? Since when has the meeting of great mages become a playdate where disciples can accompany them?”

Well, I guess you could think that way, but the way he’s talking is a bit irritating.

Ferreint tried to calm Dalph down and said.

,”Now, Dalph-nim. Hero Elena-nim’s attendance was approved by the consent of three of the Seven Colors. So…”

Selena, Eldrich, and Rene nodded in agreement with those words. But Dalph still didn’t give in.

,”Three people? Wasn’t a majority vote required? What kind of approval is that with only three people?”

,”Shut up, Dalph. Stop picking fights all the time. You’re seriously like a moron.”

Dalph wasn’t intimidated by Selena’s annoyed tone. He smirked and returned the favor.

,”Is that the high and mighty Selena? Wagging your tail at your new master, you’ve become quite the bitch, haven’t you? Where did you sell the pride of the Seven Colors!”

It seems that Dalph has no intention of losing in words either. Selena’s eyes became as fierce as they were in her days as an evil sorceress. It seems like it’s my turn to step in as the person he’s pointing at.

I looked him straight in the eye and asked.

,”What do you want to do?”

I’ve already heard everything I needed to hear. It doesn’t seem to make much sense to leave this place now.

,”Get out of the subjugation.”

,”No.”

I also have something to repay Bonaparte for. And there’s something to get back.

Besides, Blade was captured by him probably because of his actions to help me. Then I have a duty to save him.

Dalph turned to Ferreint and said. As if he was genuinely dumbfounded.

,”Hey, Ferreint. Are you really going to tolerate this humiliation? A group that is supposedly the strongest mages in the world is borrowing hands from an outsider.”

Dalph glared fiercely at Ferreint. Ferreint calmly replied.

,”Dalph-nim, right now, the most important thing is to minimize the damage and quickly subjugate him for the sake of the Seven Colors’ honor. It is obvious that the Hero-nim’s power will be of great help. Can’t you please be generous and let it go?”

,”Tch, stop with the cliché.”

Dalph kicked his seat and stood up abruptly. And he said.

,”If that’s the case, then Dalia and I will drop out. Good luck doing it yourselves.”

,”Huh? Me too?”

,”…Just follow me.”

Dalia trotted after Dalph, who was walking out with heavy steps. Looking at them, Ferreint said with a face as if he had stomach cancer.

,”If Dalph-nim and Dalia-yang drop out… our power…”

As if to comfort him, Rene threw a word.

,”No, it’ll be okay. If we’re with the Hero-nim, we’ll definitely succeed.”

,”Haa, if Rene-nim says so, then that must be the case…”

Eldrich also added a word to Ferreint, who still had a tired squirrel-like face.

,”Yes, our Hero will be able to handle the work of two people with ease. He’s nothing more than a destruction machine in human skin.”

The word ‘our’ Hero is a bit unsettling, but well, it’s not wrong. I’ll be able to make up for the two mages who left. Besides, there’s Liel too.

But for some reason, I could feel my heart pounding.

Bonaparte was the type to be cautious and thorough, even though he was an enemy.

Is it really an overuse of black magic due to carelessness? That Bonaparte who dug into and exploited the performance of my Overdrive one by one?

For some reason, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone had intervened in Bonaparte becoming a non-human being.