episode_0041

In the end, I didn’t use the forgetting magic. I decided to leave the dream alone for now.

Instead.

‘Adam Keynes.’

I thought I’d find out more about the Treasury Secretary.

If the person who appeared in the dream was the great wizard master, the guys from the magic tower, or even Beatrice, I would have understood. It was a curse from someone who hated Chloe, or it was a manifestation of my own inferiority complex in the dream. After that, I would have used the forgetting magic without hesitation.

But why is it that the person who comes up is Adam Keynes, the finance minister whom I met only once? If you look closely, it wasn’t even a very friendly meeting.

And why was the person in the dream looking at Adam so longingly? What on earth was the meaning of the words that came out as a monologue?

Chloe was so bothered by that.

‘So you need to know about the Minister of Finance.’

Well, isn’t it possible that the finance minister, who secretly liked Chloe, made himself appear in her dream? It’s absurd even when you think about it yourself, but you have to keep the possibility open.

Anyway, if you know more about the Minister of Finance, you will probably get a sense of why he appears in your dreams.

So Chloe used her connections to investigate the finance minister.

… … That was all.

This wasn’t what Chloe wanted to know. Something more related to Chloe’s past, or a magical talent that could put a curse on Chloe, or someone who knew someone who could put a curse on Chloe with recurring dreams.

Even though she wanted that information, the information she had researched was just gossip. There was no way she could know why the finance minister kept appearing in Chloe’s dreams.

So Chloe decided to use a last resort.

“Me, the weather is nice. Mr. Finance Minister!”

“… … It’s full of dark clouds.”

“Ah. Oh, is that so? That’s just how it is!”

Go straight to the finance minister and find out.

For this purpose, I secretly followed the finance minister for a while and figured out his lifestyle. I had to approach him at the most natural time possible, not just as a simple greeting, but at a time when I could connect with him more.

Then, what I finally found was just a little while ago. The finance minister was walking down the street, thinking about something.

Chloe could be sure that it was exactly like her own habit. Of course, even so, it was uncertain whether the finance director, who was a faculty member, would ask Chloe, who was just a student, for help.

Fortunately, the Minister of Finance asked for help first, so I was able to accompany him naturally(?).

just.

“Chloe, you can just relax.”

“This, it’s already comfortable? I saw it in the last duel, so of course it’s comfortable!”

“… … Is that so? You keep avoiding eye contact.”

“It’s my imagination!”

I just can’t seem to meet your face.

Every time I have a proper meeting with the Minister of Finance, I keep thinking about that dream.

I remembered the voice I heard in my dream.

──Are you saying that the dead woman is more important than me who is here right now… …?

‘Ugh.’

It’s just that I feel strangely emotional for no reason.

Chloe wasn’t stupid. She knew that this feeling was more than just favor, it was something closer to love.

But these are not Chloe’s own feelings.

‘It’s similar to the time of the rooftop.’

In the Imperial Tower, all sorts of secret fighting and trickery run rampant under the pretext of selecting talent through competition.

They hire thugs to break their opponents’ limbs, create rumors that their family members have been in an accident, and use mind magic to control their rivals.

That was also why Chloe was so sensitive to dreams. She had already experienced this kind of false emotion many times. There were even times when Chloe, with her beautiful appearance, did not do it to eliminate her rivals, but rather out of dirty intentions.

Of course, Chloe overcame all of that and won the competition to become the apprentice of the Great Wizard. She drove away all those who looked at her with evil eyes, leaving them crippled.

So I thought it would be similar this time. A trick to take advantage of her by making her think that he is in love.

Just why the Minister of Finance, and why do I feel such a strong urge for it, unlike when I was at the Tower of Magic?

It was just to find out. That was it.

“So, what are you doing now?”

“First of all, let me say this. I’m not asking you to do anything unreasonable, Chloe. Even if you’re a 5th grader, you’re still a student. It’s just something that’s hard for me to do.”

“Is this something that is difficult for the Minister of Finance to do?”

“Isn’t it a first-class? I need a capable wizard.”

A capable wizard.

It’s probably just empty talk, so why do I feel excited for no reason?

‘Fucking fake emotions.’

Let’s quickly find out who the finance minister is and erase it with a forgetting spell. Even if the finance minister is the mastermind, and this is all a trap and has bad intentions, Chloe has already made thorough preparations a long time ago.

Not only does she have the magical power circulating so she can use her magic whenever she wants, she also brought an escape scroll containing her master’s magical power. Even if there is a powerful magician behind her who can curse Chloe, it won’t be a problem.

There are only two wizards on this continent who are objectively superior to the Archmage, and they are both 8th-ranked wizards of the Empire. They are not people that a mere finance director of the Academy would know about.

Since preparations had been completed to this extent, it was possible to choose to approach the Minister of Finance directly.

Chloe waited for the finance minister to speak, somehow managing to keep her eyes from wandering towards him.

“There is a place I have to go for work.”

“Where should I go…?”

“Yes. You can go there instead of me. It’s not dangerous since the work has already been done there. ”

“What should I do when I go there?”

“Please check what I say and write it down. I received the report, but I still need to check it myself according to the procedure. I don’t know much about magic, so I need Chloe’s help.”

“Magic? What kind of magic is it?”

The Minister of Finance hesitated for a moment.

He continued speaking in a voice that said he himself couldn’t believe it.

“… … It’s a summoning spell.”

“Huh?”

“That’s what’s forbidden in the empire and kingdom.”

*

Summoning magic.

Literally, it is a magic that summons something. It can be as small as bringing an object from the house, or as large as summoning a spirit or monster.

That is precisely why summoning magic was banned in empires and kingdoms. Because it could summon monsters.

‘It hasn’t happened yet.’

Ruth cleaned her old sword as usual and recalled her old memories.

An incident that happened when she was still a freshman and a perennial last place student.

Several professors gathered in one place and attempted to use summoning magic, but failed and ended up summoning a level 5 monster.

Although it was a bit diluted because I saw the Manticore’s welcome at the entrance ceremony and the chairman destroying the Kraken with one blow during the midterm exam on the deserted island… … Basically, a 5th-grade monster is a monster in itself.

He can destroy a small village on his own, and he can level a city without a strong wall.

In order to kill them safely, three or more level 5 knights or wizards must gather. Why didn’t the empire even dare to subdue the level 8 monsters in the Western Wilderness? Why did they give up, even though they knew there were all sorts of valuable resources there, including magic stones?

‘Even if all 8 ranks of the empire come out, it’ll still be half and half.’

Although it is called by rank for convenience, the rank of monsters is not the same as the rank of humans. After the ‘Sanwang (山王)’, one of the 8th rank monsters, single-handedly drove the former hegemonic power, the Holy Nation, to the brink of destruction, the empire that became the hegemonic power wisely gave up the Western Wilderness.

And when empires and kingdoms saw the example of a once-hegemonic power now barely surviving on the edge of a continent, they immediately banned summoning magic.

Monsters are the enemy of humanity and all who live on the continent. And the magic that can release such enemies in the middle of the city is summoning magic.

‘I heard there have been a lot of accidents and incidents since before.’

In fact, if you look at it that way, you could say that other destructive magic should be banned as well, but summoning magic has a long history. Summoning magic is the most frequently used by terrorist groups, and it has often been linked to the survival of many nations or massacres.

Summoning magic wasn’t banned during the time of the Holy Nation, so it was just a ban based on the whims of the hegemonic power. It’s likely that summoning magic won’t be lifted until the empire collapses.

Anyway,

That’s why the summoning ritual that called forth a 5th-grade monster could have been quite a problem, but thanks to the efforts of Circe, who happened to be passing by, the monster was killed and the professors were taken away from the kingdom and imprisoned, ending in a haphazard manner.

It was a big deal, even to Ruth, who had been focusing only on training, and it was also an event that gave Circe, who was already popular as a young genius female professor, even greater fame and status.

However, I was guessing that the future had changed for some unknown reason and that event had disappeared.

‘It’s over there.’

Ruth’s acuity, which has reached the 6th rank, is further amplified by her sword. Her keen senses are one level higher than those of the 7th rank.

Coincidentally, this old black sword was no ordinary sword.

Thinking about all the troubles I’ve had with this sword before, I want to cut it in half right now, but I can’t do that now because I’m receiving help from this sword.

“Let’s go.”

Crunch.

Ruth lightly cut herself on the hand and let her blood soak into the sword, which soon began to change shape.

The handle, crossguard, and even the blade are all dyed black. It transforms from an old, worn-out sword into a magic sword that feels ominous just by looking at it.

Dark Sword.

Ruth, who once held the sword that was called that, put on the mask and hood that she had prepared in advance.

‘Take care of it before it blows up.’

Perhaps it was because I had cut down countless summoning spells used by those fanatics with the Dark Sword. Holding the sword like this, I could vaguely tell when and where the summoning spells were being constructed.

From what I’ve observed over the past few days, the professors only briefly construct their summoning spells during this time frame and then immediately return. They seem to be doing it slowly and carefully, knowing that it’s a forbidden spell.

If possible, it would be better to move at night, but since I was planning to arrive at the summoning magic field in advance and storm the scene before the professors arrived, it was unavoidable.

Without waiting any longer, he leaps out the window. He is wearing a hood and mask, and his entire body is covered with a black robe, so anyone can see that he looks suspicious.

“Is it going to rain soon?”

“Let’s go in quickly.”

“… … … … .”

The students on the street don’t notice Ruth passing right next to them.

This was possible because the weather was dark and covered in dark clouds. If it was this dark, you could use the power of the Dark Sword to hide yourself.

‘Still, the future hasn’t completely changed.’

The summoning ritual did eventually happen, although it was at a different time than Ruth remembered. Or, to be precise, it was going to happen.

Ruth nodded at the thought that something she had already known was happening. It was a relief that the future hadn’t changed in a completely unknown direction.

‘The forest is… … darker, I like it.’

An artificial forest located within the magic field. It boasts a fairly large size, with various herbs and magical plants growing there.

A forest where the magical power that lingers is so strong because it was artificially created that even 1st or 2nd class people cannot enter.

Of course, there are guards stationed to prevent theft of magic herbs, but even among the guards, there are very few people with skills higher than level 6. I was able to enter without any problems.

Ruth’s destination was an abandoned cellar located somewhere in this forest.

‘I said there was a summoning commotion in the forest of magic fields before.’

There is no doubt that the location is the same. It was exactly as Ruth had known it would be.

Normally, Circe, who happened to be passing by, would kill the monster and protect the student, emerging as a hero, but there’s no way Circe would have just happened to be passing by. The summoning itself must have been Circe’s plan.

Now, there is no need for Circe to be active and the incident can just be ended early.

When Ruth came to that conclusion, she entered the dark forest to change the future.

Sabak.

“… … !!”

At the sound of footsteps coming from somewhere, I hurriedly cover my body with the power of the Dark Sword.

Ruth was not startled by the sudden sound of footsteps. After all, no one below Grade 6 would notice her, just like they had on the street earlier.

just.

Because the voice that was heard together belonged to someone I knew well.

“Where the hell are you?”

‘… Chloe Pisty?’

Why are you here?

The Forest of Magical Fields is off-limits to students who have not received prior permission. Did I just happen to get permission to enter today?

As Ruth is trying to figure out the situation, an unexpected character appears.

“Ah, here it is.”

Chloe soon found the door to the hidden cellar in the grass.

Squeak.

I went in without hesitation, then opened the door again and came out after a short while.

Ruth was dumbfounded for a moment as she watched Chloe walk out of the forest.

He followed and opened the door to the basement and went in.

“… … As expected, it’s summoning magic.”

As expected, there was a huge summoning magic circle inside the abandoned basement. However, apart from that, there was nothing else, and strangely enough, the summoning magic circle had no magic power left at all.

Although it was suspicious that there was nothing but a magic circle, I checked the basement anyway. Since I had seen the summoning magic circle countless times, even Ruth, who lacked magical talent, had no problem confirming it.

The only strange thing is that instead of magic stones, cheaper materials were used to draw the magic circle. It’s not that the professors didn’t have money, so why would they use such low-quality materials?

Anyway, it’s definitely a summoning magic circle, even though it’s been erased here and there.

‘Then of course Chloe would have seen the summoning magic circle too.’

Didn’t she know that this was a summoning spell? It’s hard to believe that Chloe, a fifth-grade wizard and apprentice of the Archmage, would do something like that, even if it were someone else.

First of all, there is no way that they would find and enter this hidden basement without any reason, so they must have come to the basement with some purpose.

Why did Chloe come out as if there was no problem even after seeing the summoning magic circle?

‘no way.’

You already knew about summoning magic? And that you were building it in this basement?

Who the hell are you talking about?

… … Well, it was obvious.

‘Circe.’

Chloe Pisteega is connected to Circe?

Ruth’s eyes shook at the thought that occurred to her for a moment.

‘But Chloe followed Adam after the Academy collapsed… …?’

If he was Circe’s comrade or a servant, shouldn’t he have followed her to the Holy Land?

What other cases are there?

‘Did he betray Circe? Or was it to keep an eye on Adam? Or did he only briefly cooperate with Circe, limited to summoning magic?’

My thoughts became complicated and all sorts of possibilities came to mind, but at least one thing was certain.

Chloe is now connected to Circe. Otherwise, it would be inexplicable why she found this basement and why she returned unperturbed after seeing the summoning circle.

Only the professors who worked with Circe would know about the summoning magic circle. The previous academy failed to notice the summoning ritual, and the chairman even made a public apology. There is no way anyone else would know.

In the dark basement, Ruth’s thoughts deepened.

‘… … The professors will be here soon.’

Should I attack them and stop the summoning ritual as originally planned, or should I follow Chloe?

The worries were short.

Tadah!

Ruth, with her mask and hood pulled even deeper, hid herself in the darkness and soon caught up with Chloe, who was slowly walking out of the forest.

“Crazy… …!? Who are you!”

“… … … .”

An unidentified being wearing a strange mask and holding an ominous sword.

Of course, Chloe, who didn’t recognize the disguised Ruth, suddenly shouted at Ruth who appeared out of the darkness.

visor!

Aim the Dark Sword straight at him.

[Answer only the questions asked.]

“What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden… … .”

Thanks to the Mask Artifact, Ruth’s voice is strangely distorted. Chloe will never know who has blocked her path.

He transformed into an unidentified being who exerts his full power, rather than the 6th-grade rookie who had limited his power. It seemed likely that he would use this identity frequently in the future to handle various tasks.

As the sharp tip of the sword was pointed at Chloe, Ruth braced herself.

If, if only. It’s a thought I can’t believe myself.

‘After the Academy collapsed.’

Chloe didn’t follow the fallen Adam.

──What if Adam was corrupted because of Chloe?

What if Chloe, who was somehow connected to Circe, corrupted Adam for some reason?

‘Circe only used men as test subjects. And Adam is a man, too.’

It’s a ridiculous idea. It’s a leap of imagination. It’s just imagination.

Why would you attach Chloe to her instead of just kidnapping Adam? Is Adam, who is only a first-class person, worth that much? When Adam and Chloe met in the border kingdom, it was clearly Adam who took the lead. Isn’t half the world full of men to link up with just men?

Many objections came to mind, but still, Ruth couldn’t stop thinking ‘what if’.

After all, Adam was a benefactor and a kind person who left good memories for Ruth.

It was difficult to acknowledge his corruption even after seeing it with my own eyes, so it was closer to self-defense to try to blame the sin on someone else.

The old Chloe, who was burning down many countries and cities and causing massacres, and the Chloe who was still a student overlap a little bit. Ruth can still hear people’s screams in her ears and sees corpses burning to death.

A hint of hostility began to linger in Ruth’s eyes beneath the mask.

[You must have seen it in the basement.]

“… … You, really?”

[Tell me everything honestly.]

After going through countless what-ifs──if it really was because of Chloe that Adam fell. If only we could find the evidence, the basis for that, and be certain of it.

If that was the case, Ruth wouldn’t have hesitated.

… … Already, once.

Because it was with this sword that I cut off Chloe’s head.

Because killing people is something I’ve done countless times before.

[How do you know about summoning magic?]

The dark sword glowed ominously.