Ch.364Adjustable NPC. (2)

One month before the dissolution of the Empire. When Ragni and Jack were stuck at their desks.

It was truly by chance that Ira came up with the idea for what would be called an “engine” in modern times.

“Welcome, Master!”

“Heh. Now you can even detect me when I’m watching from a distance.”

With Ira’s level already exceeding 700, the Chancellor could no longer stay outside her magical detection range even when trying to watch over her from afar out of concern. Even now, he was observing from nearly 3km away, having teleported to that position.

Yes. Having reached level 700 as Jack had hoped, Ira could now use teleportation almost freely.

“Hehe. When you come, Master, I can feel your pleasant magical energy and elemental power!”

“My, what pleasant words. So, how are your dungeon rounds going? Not too difficult?”

“Yes! The sisters are all helping me so well that I just cast magic from the back! Oh, and Ppiyak has gotten much stronger too!!”

“Good, but don’t forget to practice the basics every day. Even though you’ve become strong enough to detect and find me…”

“‘Magic without a solid foundation is weaker than a water balloon.'”

When she recited the phrase the Chancellor always emphasized to her, he smiled contentedly. Ira responded with a bright smile. Then.

“The reason I came today is to teach you how to twist holy magic and demonic energy with magical power, as I mentioned before. Since the enemies you’ll face in the future are like that, it would be unfair for you to face them without knowing.”

“Ah! That thing from before!!”

He was going to teach her in advance the magic used to bind High Priest Torrens.

At this point, though he hadn’t yet spoken with Jack, he knew Jack was a reincarnator. This action came from his prediction that he might become too busy because of it. Moreover.

‘Our Ira can never have too many cards to protect herself.’

The Chancellor genuinely thought of Ira as a precious disciple, like a daughter. So on the day the Chancellor was teaching Ira using the corpse of the Greed fragment they had killed before.

– ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯!!!

“Eek?!”

“Tsk!”

When Ira, whose magical power had grown enormously, tried to forcibly twist demonic energy before mastering the technique, an explosion occurred. The Chancellor immediately deployed a barrier to protect her. Seeing the explosion, Ira realized that forcibly suppressing demonic energy with magical power creates a tremendous ‘recoil.’ While her magical power was certainly considerable, it was strange that an explosion comparable to Ppiyak’s full-power fireball would occur. And then.

“Master, does mixing demonic energy and magic normally cause such huge explosions?”

“…Simply mixing them doesn’t cause that. What I’m teaching you is how to twist demonic energy. Understand? Mixing is like pushing more people into a narrow path to make them go in the same direction. It might be a bit rough, but it won’t explode. If too much gets mixed…”

“It would stop! Because when there are too many people, they can’t move forward!”

“Right. Usually it stops like that. But twisting is different. In an already crowded path—no, perhaps a balloon would be a better example here. If you twist a water-filled balloon properly, you can separate the water inside without bursting the balloon. However.”

“…If you twist while adding water, it bursts!”

“Exactly. Think of magical power as the external twisting force, demonic energy as the water inside, and magic as the balloon. You use magic to block the demonic energy, creating a water balloon, and then twist it with magical power without letting it enter inside. That’s the principle of twisting demonic energy and holy magic.”

Of course, creating that magical water balloon in the first place is an incredibly difficult spell, and you succeeded on your first try, causing an explosion by flowing magical power into the magic while suppressing the demonic energy inside. After explaining all this, the Chancellor gently stroked Ira’s head and continued.

“From now on, I’ll be quite busy. It won’t be easy for me to come see you weekly like this. What I’m saying is that visits like today will be difficult.”

“…It’s because the Empire is struggling, right? Big brother and Ragni sister said they’re very busy too.”

“Yes, that foolish assistant is making grand plans to help the remaining people of the Empire. And when that happens, the Holy Nation will no longer just move stealthily from behind, but will take direct action.”

When that happens. Ragni, Jack and his group, who have nearly resolved this entire matter—naturally including Ira—will become targets of the Holy Nation. The Chancellor thought Ira could understand this much, so he didn’t explain it directly. And, as he expected, Ira understood everything.

“…I need to become even stronger than I am now. Strong enough to protect big brother and all the sisters.”

“Hmm, I think it’s harsh for someone as young as you. If it becomes too difficult, tell me. You are a student under my, Neiti Naika’s, protection. Never forget that there is always a place at the Academy where ‘you all’ can rest.”

“Hehe. Thank you, Master!”

“Hmm.”

What remained was how Ira would master this technique going forward. Well, with one of the Seven Deadly Sins demons by her side, she wouldn’t lack for demonic energy samples. After discussing that part as well, the Chancellor saw Ira off before afternoon and departed. And from that day to the present.

“I, I, I did it!!!”

“The silly sister succeeded!!”

-Tremble tremble tremble tremble!

“…It’s shaking a lot, is this really okay?”

“From what I can see, a large amount of magical power and a small amount of demonic energy are colliding inside, steadily creating strong energy. This is truly a groundbreaking technique.”

A modern engine from Jack’s previous life. Though too crude to properly call an engine, the model that converted the energy generated inside into rotation, rapidly turning the gears outside, was at least sufficient to be called a motor. However.

“But, Ira, what are you going to use this for?”

“Huh? Well, that’s…”

“…Wait a minute. Don’t tell me you went through all this trouble to make it without thinking about what to use it for?!”

“It doesn’t matter if she didn’t. Are you, a demon, questioning Lady Ira?”

“No, I’m not!!!”

An engine created from the repulsive force between magical power and demonic energy. She had made it on impulse when the idea struck her, but what should she use it for? In an era without even automobiles or semi-automated devices, everyone could only tilt their heads at this device that was too far ahead of its time. As a result.

“…I’ll give it to Master!”

It all started with the question of whether another great energy could be created using the repulsion between demonic energy and magical power. It was a practical demonstration. Although the magical power contained here was less than one ten-thousandth of Ira’s total power, it was still turning the gears. If she presented this to her master, it would surely lead to new magical studies. That’s what Ira thought, and.

“…W-what is this?”

“I adjusted the water balloon magic you taught me to be a bit looser so the magical power and demonic energy inside constantly collide! Master! It’s a gift!!”

This completely dumbfounded the Chancellor, who had stopped by thinking he should see Ira’s face once more before going to create the warp gate.

*

-Scratch scratch. Scratch scratch.

She had built a mountain of documents.

The papers, which had literally started to reach the ceiling, had buried the entire massive room that had been filled with expensive furniture. However, the voluptuous woman doing paperwork inside didn’t mind at all and silently continued her work.

She already knew from her centuries of life in the human realm that this was what being in charge of resources for a major nation during an international war entailed. After all, all these documents represented ‘her money.’ So she was working diligently with a satisfied feeling. As she continued her paperwork.

-Knock knock knock.

“Come in.”

“M-Mayor. A guest has arrived, but.”

“Who.”

“W-well. An old man who says you’ll know him when you see his face. This is…”

The stammering voice of a mere laborer, not even a secretary, always irritated her. Did they think the Mayor of the [Trade Neutral City] was some small merchant who could see anyone who wanted to meet her? Really. Should she hire a new secretary? She considered it for about a second, but shook her head.

Hadn’t she already decided that selecting a real secretary would happen either a century from now or after all the other Seven Deadly Sins had perished except herself?

“Name.”

“Y-yes? Oh, m-my name is…!”

“You idiot. Who said I wanted to know your name?”

“Ah, th-that!”

-Knock knock.

“Excuse me.”

From behind the laborer who probably couldn’t even read, a hooded man knocked on the already open door, revealing his age with a raspy elderly voice. The Mayor of the trade city, Avaritia, assuming this was the guest, gestured for the laborer to get out, stopped her pen, and opened her mouth.

“Who are you? I hope you don’t come here without knowing where this is or who I am. Otherwise…”

I’m busy as hell, so say what you need to say quickly. If it’s useless nonsense, I’ll give you a punishment to match. With such an overbearing attitude, she directed an intense gaze at the hooded old man, who found something amusing and chuckled with his raspy voice before entering the room.

-Crack!

“When did I say you could come in? Have you lived long enough? Ready to die now?”

The pen she had stopped broke in two in her hand, and she began to emanate killing intent as if genuinely annoyed. The old man stopped laughing and spoke while standing in place.

“My, my. Despite my fairly high position, this is the first time I’ve received such treatment. I suppose appearance matters when dealing with the ‘Seven Deadly Sin of Greed’?”

-SLAM!!!

The door made of millennium water that Jack had once destroyed, which had been repaired and looked brand new, closed with such force it seemed about to shatter despite there being no wind, and all the surrounding documents collapsed. And then.

-Rumble rumble rumble….

“You, what are you?”

She didn’t try to deny it by asking what he meant. This wasn’t the first person to come here like this claiming to know her. The gambling den rat had done so, and so had that mountain keeper a few years ago. Avaritia changed her eyes to their original reversed form to be ready to attack at any moment and began directing her demonic energy.

-Rustle.

“Put away that power. Even if you pick a fight with me here, you’ll surely end up losing more.”

“You…!!!”

Seeing the old man maintaining a gentle expression despite being exposed to tremendous killing intent and viscous demonic energy, Avaritia’s face turned pale. This old man…!

“This is our first meeting, correct? Greed’s Avaritia. My name is Pope Benedict VIII. Insufficient as I am, I serve as the Pope of the Holy Nation.”

The old man, standing in complete opposition to her, smiled benevolently.