episode_0005

With over 10 years of experience in household management, this was a piece of cake for me. The needle and thread pierced through the air, and in an instant, the clothes began to take shape. It truly felt like they were being made effortlessly.

“Phew—.”

Once it was finished, I wiped my forehead and looked at the completed work. Although the materials were all black fabric, what had been created was a splendidly decorated, elegant uniform. Most people would have been astonished, but I wasn’t. In the world of comedy, this was expected.

“This should probably earn me some praise.”

Carefully carrying the clothes, I left the room and headed to the laboratory where Odile was staying.

“What’s the matter—… Huh?”

“I tried mending your clothes… What do you think, Odile?”

“This is…”

“Today, Odile, you will wear this outfit! When you put it on, you’ll look not just twice as great as usual, but three times as magnificent!”

“Was this kind of clothing… in my house?”

“Whether it was or not!”

“Hmm…”

It seemed that Odile liked the elegant uniform and took it with him.

“Put it on once we get there.”

“Yes! I’ll be waiting.”

As Odile headed to another room, I was left alone, staring at the desk where he had been sitting just a moment ago.

“So this is a communication mirror.”

I knew it had a fancier name, but I couldn’t remember those details. The mirror still wasn’t functioning, casting light around the room. When I eventually used the mirror, it would reflect the same scenery within the room.

“Alright, now that the clothes are all done…”

Placing my hand on my waist, I surveyed the messy room. Thanks to having cleaned it thoroughly last time, the crimson carpet and wallpaper were spotless, but the rest was a mess. It was a result of my hasty actions, but since such things were common in the world of comedy, I didn’t feel particularly upset.

“Should I start by tidying up the room?”

A new white cloud of dust rose, and sounds of clattering and banging echoed throughout the space.

The sound of construction spread through the air, and as the room filled with a white, fog-like dust cloud, Odil, who had been leisurely walking in, rushed into the room with a startled expression after hearing a terrifying sound.

“What’s going on here!”

Swoosh.

At his appearance, the white dust settled in an instant, revealing the elegant sorcerer’s room.

“Huh…?!”

Unlike before, the entire room sparkled in black. Odil’s laboratory had been beautifully decorated like a room design expert had arranged it. The problem was that there were pieces of furniture placed there that he hadn’t brought in.

“W-what is all this? Where did you…?”

“Huh? Weren’t they all in the room?”

“Where in the world were these things?!”

“Well… among the pile of stuff…”

“No, the size of these isn’t something that could come out of that pile, right?!”

As he said, the celestial model hanging from the ceiling boasted a size equal to the pile of objects. It didn’t make sense for such fancy furniture and decorations to come out of the pile. But in the realm of comedy, anything could happen.

“But… they were there, weren’t they?”

As if truly questioning, I tilted my head, and Odil eventually gave up.

“Sigh… forget it. I won’t ask where you got these, so just leave the room now!”

“Yes…”

I left the room, feigning powerlessness, and as soon as I exited, I pressed myself against the door, holding my breath.

Gently, I cautiously opened the door and peeked inside.

“Hehehe… this is supposed to be my lab?”

Terrified of leaving, Odil sat in front of the desk with a mirror, striking a cool pose on the elegant chair, looking as if he had become a great sorcerer. Even without trying, it was obvious he was making a triumphant expression like a delighted child. I quietly closed the door.

“This should be enough.”

Even if I did this, if the experiment continued, it would be unavoidable.

“After working for a long time, I’m tired. I should rest a bit.”

I stretched to relax my stiff body and headed back to the room.

Until now, I didn’t even dream about how my actions today would come back to me.

***

Standing tall on the land that had turned pitch black, in a spacious room resembling the royal dining hall, there was a rectangular table. Some people were seated at the table.

However, most of the seats were occupied by round, flat machines. The palm-sized machines emitted a faint glow and projected holograms into the air.

Hmm, hmm.

Holograms appeared in the empty seats one by one. They depicted those who couldn’t attend the sorcerer’s meeting in person, using magical devices to participate.

Hmm!

A hologram emerged in the seat of honor, and a deeply cracked voice resounded through the meeting hall.

[ Is everyone present? ]

In response to his question, someone spoke up.

[ Odil has not joined yet! ]

Smiling mischievously, a chubby figure looked at the inactive machine. Some others chuckled as they gazed at the non-operational devices.

“I’ll clear a corpse today.”

“Odil… He had quite a useful body. Should I say I want his head and body?”

“You’ve been acting foolish for a while, and it ends up like that.”

They inwardly mocked Odil for failing to attend the meeting on time. As the grand sorcerer Pan, with dry eyes, momentarily gazed at Odil’s machine, he was about to speak to start the meeting.

Hmm.

The dormant machinery vibrated, and a screen suddenly lit up.

[ Apologies for being late. ]

All the sorcerers’ gazes turned towards Odil.

“Oh…!”

“Wow…”

As soon as he revealed himself, the sorcerers, who had been quietly watching, expressed their admiration.

Odil wasn’t particularly handsome, nor did he have a great physique. Moreover, he wore loose, cheap-looking clothes that seemed to have been bought in bulk from somewhere.

Despite this, today he was wearing a perfectly fitting tailored suit and leaning back in an obviously expensive leather chair, looking at them.

“What’s floating behind me? Could it be a celestial body?”

“Hmm… Could the thing hanging on the wall be the bone of the unknown animal, Utia?”

Not only that, but even his background was extraordinary. It was as if a beggar had suddenly appeared as a noble overnight. As everyone gaped in astonishment, a woman’s voice, tinged with sarcasm, echoed through the conference room.

“What’s this, Odil? Quite a splendid appearance, isn’t it?”

A woman, wearing shorts barely covering the important parts and a flashy bra, flashed her pink nails and smiled oddly. When she spoke, everyone in the conference room clamped their mouths shut.

“Why is the Four Heavenly Kings participating in this meeting? Damn, I hope we don’t make eye contact.”

“Tsk, now that she’s noticed us, life will become difficult from now on.”

Most of the dark wizards couldn’t even meet her eyes properly and avoided her gaze.

“Umm, can I come and play for a bit?”

[Uh, well…]

Odil shrugged off his sullen appearance. Just as the atmosphere was getting eerily quiet, the door behind Odil quietly opened. Fortunately, the sight of the door opening was hidden by the chairs.

The one who opened the door and peeked inside was Lian.

“Are you doing well?”

Like a mother worrying about her son going for his first interview, Lian glanced into the room. At the same time, a suspected “comedy filter” power was activated. The heavy atmosphere in the conference room softened in an instant.

“Why ~ I said I want to go play!”

The dignified woman, who had been showing herself, suddenly acted cute and winked. Odil, who would usually be scared to death of losing his life, widened his eyes and blatantly stared at her accentuated chest.

“If… if you want, anytime.”

“Really? Really going?”

[Yes, yes.]

It was like a conversation between an inexperienced nerd and a high school girl.

“Ahem, let’s start the meeting now.”

At that moment, the grand wizard, who had been maintaining the solemn atmosphere, cleared his throat and refreshed the mood.

“It seems to be progressing well.”

It seemed possible to pass the situation without a terrible outburst. Lian closed the door quietly with a proud smile. As his gaze drifted away, the soft atmosphere suddenly became heavy.

“What, what did I just say? Did I invite that crazy woman? Me?”

Odil, who belatedly regained his senses, trembled and his eyes shook wildly.

“I-I’m going to die! I’m going to die!”

Odil shuddered in fear, but the gaze looking at him was completely different from before.