Chapter Index

    Click, clack… clink.

    “Ah.”

    Creak.

    The door opened listlessly. Nero and Noah stared at me with wide eyes. I closed the door quietly with an expressionless face and locked it again.

    “My skills haven’t died, it seems.”

    In fact, I had only tried picking a lock once during my training, and today was the second time, but I shrugged my shoulders as if to say that it seemed necessary. Returning to the kitchen, I heated up some cold soup while contemplating.

    “Does this prove it? The laws of the comedy anime world remain intact.”

    I thought as I added herbs to the bubbling soup.

    “Then what genre does this fall into?”

    The world I had transmigrated into was a dark fantasy, almost devoid of dreams and hope. To think that the laws of the comedy anime world were added to such a world?

    “…Only dreadful results come to mind.”

    After narrowing my eyes and racking my brain, I could come up with a new answer.

    “Or… maybe it only applies to me.”

    If indeed the laws of the comedy anime world were unleashed in the dark fantasy, it would not have unfolded as it did in the original work.

    “Surely the hero would scratch his head and become friends with the Demon King.”

    The development in the original work was absolutely impossible in a world so violently infused with the laws of the comedy anime world.

    “To confirm exactly… what should I do? I’ve become so accustomed to living in the comedy world for so long…”

    As I pondered, the food was ready. First, I brought warm food to Odile. I discreetly removed the nuts and placed them in the corner, and a crow spread its wings and made a thumbs-up shape. After showing my own thumbs-up to Odile without him noticing, I left the room.

    “I’ll check the laws of the comedy anime world later – …Oh, it sounds too formal. Let’s just call it the comedy filter. We’ll check later if the comedy filter is being applied.”

    Thinking so, I went downstairs and shared the soup. The children emptied their bowls with bright faces. It was very satisfying.

    ***

    A new slave had arrived. The word implied that the existing slaves would soon be consumed.

    Scratch, scratch, scratch.

    Some of the children couldn’t hide their fear and scratched their bodies. They didn’t stop until blood dripped from their inflamed skin. Lily was no different. She scratched her reddened skin and thought,

    “Who will be taken this time? Will they come back alive?”

    Even if Lian tried to show affection to the children in captivity, it didn’t change their situation. They were destined to be taken by the dark wizard for terrible experiments and die, or live a worse life.

    “Hyung, what should we do from now on?”

    “Don’t worry. No matter what happens, I’ll protect you, Nero.”

    “Mm.”

    Lily raised her head at the small voice coming from the adjacent cell and found Pia. Pia held a worn-out cloth with a vacant expression.

    “It’s okay. Unni will protect you. I’m here, right next to you.”

    She continued to stroke the dirty cloth as if it were her own younger sibling, murmuring. Shocked by losing her past younger sibling, Pia sometimes lost her mind like this.

    “Pia unni…”

    “Yeah? Oh, my little sister is here. Come here, unni will protect you.”

    As Lily approached and spoke, Pia opened her arms. When Lily embraced her, Pia squeezed her arms so tightly that it hurt. Despite the pain, Lily didn’t show it.

    “Sister, my sister.”

    For a while, Pia gradually regained consciousness as Lily stroked her. Her unfocused eyes slowly focused, and the tension in her arms eased.

    “Sister, I’m cold.”

    “Let’s cover up together.”

    Lily knew that Pia was projecting someone else onto her. However, it didn’t matter. Lily needed someone to embrace her.

    They waited for death to come, holding each other tightly.

    ***

    Ahem, since I participated in the meeting of black magicians this time, never peek into my room at dawn.

    Gasp! Th-That… You mean you participated in the meeting that only recognized and respected black magicians can attend?!

    ..Yes.

    Odil’s mouth curled up. He looked pleased. I scanned Odil from head to toe, like a mother looking at her son going for his first interview.

    Then we should prepare quickly from now on!

    What? Prepare for what?

    To better convey Odil’s greatness!

    Is that… possible?

    Of course! Trust me! You will surely become the most dignified and elegant black magician among those who attended today! You can be chosen as today’s best black magician!

    …Really?

    I nodded firmly with a stern expression at his cold, sealed ears.

    Yes.

    Well then, let me try once. But if – …if you embarrass yourself for no reason…

    Odil flashed his eyes and exuded an eerie aura. I chuckled inwardly as I watched him turn and enter the laboratory.

    Phew, it seems to have gone well.

    The reason I deliberately intervened in the matter was all because of the memories lingering in my mind. When I was an experimental subject, an old man who had been imprisoned with Lian warned me in a trembling voice to be careful on the day the black magician meeting was held. He said that on that day, black magicians always felt bad because they were ignored by other black magicians and vented their frustration by shattering experimental subjects.

    If possible, such things should be eliminated.

    Until the protagonist arrived, there was no way to escape from here, so I had to stay quiet, but I couldn’t just abandon the children who were being experimented on. It was best to protect them within his capabilities.

    Then, first…

    I briefly groped for the original and tried to recall how a meeting of black magicians would proceed.

    “It feels like a video conference.”

    As they were often scattered all over the place, most meetings proceeded as video conferences.

    “Then let’s fix what’s visible.”

    Pretending to roll up my sleeves, I headed towards Odil’s closet.

    Rustle!

    Boldly, I opened the closet door and rummaged through the clothes inside.

    “Tsk tsk, they’re all brand new clothes.”

    These clothes didn’t suit Odil, who had a thin and delicate face. They would make him look ridiculous, like a child borrowing his brother or father’s clothes. I took out a few items that didn’t seem to fit well.

    Then, without delay, I turned my head towards Odil’s laboratory and asked, “Odil, is it okay if these clothes are altered to look more stylish?”

    “What? Um… those clothes? It doesn’t matter. I won’t wear them anyway.”

    “Thank you!”

    Ignoring me, Odil began to look menacingly at a book he was flipping through. At that moment, I took out the nuts I had brought in my pocket and dropped them on the floor. Then, I looked towards the raven.

    Is there a machine to alter clothes?

    I earnestly conveyed my thoughts with my body, and the raven, after looking at the nuts, swiftly turned its head. It was a sign that the amount given was insufficient. I clicked my tongue and dropped more nuts. The raven glanced at the nuts and then swiftly turned its head again. I increased the amount of nuts.

    The raven seemed to ponder, tilting its head. I subtly reached out my hand, pretending to offer the nuts. It meant, “This is how the deal goes!” In response, the raven quietly spread its wings and nodded its head, pretending to take the nuts with its wing. I faced it and pretended to do the same.

    Tuk, tuduk.

    Quietly descending from the perch, the raven brought something from among the cluttered shelves.

    “Oh… thank you.”

    “Caw.”

    Quietly expressing gratitude, the crow let out a soft cry and pecked at the fallen nuts on the ground. I returned to my room holding the item that the crow had given me.

    “Wow, it looks strangely fascinating.”

    The dagger-shaped machine threaded the needle like a sewing machine, inserted the fabric into the groove, and when it moved, the thread was pierced. Its exact purpose was a tool that could easily draw magic circles, but for now, it was just a mere sewing machine.

    “If I have this…”

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