Chapter 314

Chapter 314, The Mischievous Black Emperor

After Tifa and Tarawo used the Teleportation spell to return to their dorm room, Pochi came down to the first floor, her eyes still sleepy.

“Mawstahhh… What was that commotion just now… ZZZzzz…”

Then she fell asleep again.

“Man, if she was going to keep sleeping, she shouldn’t have walked down here…”

“Ooh, Pochi’s here, too! I missed her!”

“And why are you still here, Itsuki? I thought you’d joined up with the Silver already?”

“It didn’t feel right to just move to T’oued and leave the kids here, you know? I’m working for them under an outsourcing contract.”

“Ah, outsourcing… I might’ve read something about that before. The contract makes it so that you’re technically not a part of them, right?”

“Mm-hm, that’s right!”

Itsuki winked.

From the looks of it, she’s pretty much the only one keeping this place running… With occasional help from Lala and Tzar, and by having the kids do the chores that they can do themselves.

That’s amazing, really — Can I even manage things on her level…?

“By the way, Sir Asley… You still have things to do, don’t you?”

Itsuki stared at my face.

Man, this makes me wonder… are my expressions really that easy to read?

“I mean, those people you sent out of Beilanea are still waiting for you! Hurry and go — I can take care of things over here!”

Itsuki waved her hand, telling me to leave. I thanked her, threw the sleeping Pochi into my Storeroom, and then stepped onto the Teleportation Spell Circle.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

“…Huh? Where’s everyone?”

Yup, on one’s here.

And I don’t even know where this is. The Teleportation spell shouldn’t have this sort of malfunction, though… I think.

Let’s take a look around… Still no one– wait, no.

“Who’s there?”

“…You have done well to see through my camouflage, Asley.”

Man. I’d recognize that voice anywhere.

Not just by memory, even — but by pure reflex at this point.

And now that I think about it, this guy was also the one who pointed me to my old cave — the place that marked my beginning.

I’m starting to think I’m actually related to this guy’s family… Not that I’d be particularly proud of it, though.

“…It’s been a long time, Warren.”

I stared in the direction where the voice came from.

The shadows started moving, morphing into a human silhouette.

This is the same spell that Melchi showed me that one time… Wait, no, that was magecraft.

“Neat, isn’t it? This magecraft is called the Shadow Mimic. I could show you how it’s used sometime later, if you’d like.”

Warren appears from the shadows, revealing that his hair has grown even longer since the time we met during my Rank-up Evaluation.

“That ponytail looks nice on you.”

“Why, thank you.”

I see Warren’s grin create an overlapping image with Bright’s.

Yeah, they REALLY do look alike. Not just their faces, but also their auras.

“You’re taking forever to address the elephant in the room, so I’ll go ahead and brief you on the situation — I have redirected the soldiers somewhere else. They are all safe, I promise.”

“The way you smile doesn’t inspire much confidence… Ugh, you know what? I’ll just say it — you’re creepy.”

“Oh-ho? You’ve become so much more upfront and straightforward, Asley.”

He deliberately opened his eyes wide, but I could see through them — he was not surprised in the slightest.

If my personality was a little twisted, maybe I’d be enjoying life much more, too… Not that I want to be like him.

“By ‘redirecting’ them… you mean you can use the Teleportation spell as well?”

“Of course I can.”

Warren grinned again.

“…Hah…”

“Would you like to know how?”

“Even if I say I don’t, you’re going to tell me anyway, so…”

“Hehehe… This is why I like having you around, Asley.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever.”

I waved my hand at Warren — just as Itsuki had done to me just now — and prompted him to start talking.

“So, Asley, do you remember where you first completed your Teleportation spell formula?”

“Hmm? Let’s see… where was it, again…?”

“Miss Irene’s personal laboratory.”

“Ah, that’s right, that’s right. She gave me permission to do my research there… Huh? Wait a second…”

“That’s right. She may have been one of the Six Archmages, but the room still is a University facility. As the President of the Student Council at the time, I naturally had the means to… enter and exit the room as I pleased.”

…Man, sounds like he’s having fun telling this story.

“…Which means…”

“Yes, I stole everything. Oh, Asley? You don’t look well. Did you eat some bad food last evening?”

Hmm, I wonder why… I AM raging and want to punch him, but somehow I feel that if I do, he’s going to retaliate HARD.

Man, I sure hope a totally random cluster of rocks drops on his head right about now…

“Oh? Are you about to cast Meteorain, Asley? That’s dangerous. Let’s turn that off for now…”

“…!”

What in the… Isn’t this a Parasitic spell!?

“Hmph!”

“–!? Did you just… jam the casting of my spell? You’ve gotten quite good at this, Asley.”

…Man, I shouldn’t have expected any less from the present day’s Black Emperor. He’s so God damn meticulous.

“Did you intend to drop that on my head just now?”

“Actually… no. Wouldn’t want to cause a commotion out here.”

I had started drawing this Spell Circle in the heat of the moment; reminded of that, I stopped and erased it away.

“That is so nicely considerate of you.”

Here comes another one of his attempts at smiling.

It’s by no means sincere, but I feel like I can’t stay angry at him… which is probably THE intended effect, but hey, it’s working.

“So, about that cave that you said marked my beginning… you knew about it from Kaoru and Jun’ko, didn’t you?”

“The twin Shamanesses of T’oued, yes… Though it’s a surprise that you already know about them, Asley. And as for where you’ve been and what you’ve been up to–“

Warren drew a Teleportation Spell Circle on the ground, completing it in a blink of an eye.

Damn, he’s fast.

“–I’ll wait to hear your story together with everyone else. It is more efficient that way.”

“Gah, all right. I do plan on telling everyone anyway… But you’re being quite aggressive about this, don’t you think?”

“Oh, no, I would never. Rather, it is rare for me to act this nice, I must say.”

Yeah, right… That just means he’s usually even more aggressive.

I erased the Teleportation Spell Circle that I had used just now, and stepped on Warren’s Spell Circle.

In a corner of my eye, Warren’s face is locked in his usual smile.

Looks like he’s… happy.

Sometimes I feel like he sees me as a piece of toy… yeah, that might actually be what he thinks I am.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

“”Sir Asley!””

People have been surprised to see me so much, I’ve already lost count of how many times today… 

Lina and Fuyu practically jumped at me as soon as I arrived.

These two… they sure have grown up quite a lot.

And the way Hornel’s looking at me really… hurts. But now isn’t the time to worry about any of that.

Warren, arriving right after me, started chuckling.

Perhaps embarrassed by his reaction, Lina and Fuyu quickly stepped away from me.

“Now then, this way, everyone.”

Warren walked on ahead, and the rest of us followed.

On the way, I noticed one familiar face.

“It has been two years, hasn’t it?”

“Hello, Sir Dallas.”

Dallas the Scarlet Blade — a member of the Resistance and a powerful adventurer… and the one who had told me of the strangeness surrounding Billy.

He proceeded to walk with the rest of us.

“So this is the place.”

“This is the Resistance’s hideout, yes.”

I knew it.

Hearing Dallas’ explanation, Viola whispered,

“And now the Brigadier of the Magic Guardians is communicating directly with the Resistance… Things sure have escalated quickly.”

I can only guess what she’s feeling right now — because the scale of the conflict up ahead is bigger than ever before.

Eventually, Warren came to a stop in front of a solid-looking metal door.

Behind it is… probably Sayla the Frostgazer, one of the Six Archmages.

Warren nodded once, prompting the Resistance members in front of the door to salute and then open the door for him.

Man, my one interaction with that lady didn’t play out all that nicely. I wonder how I should conduct myself–

“What the–!?”

“…Huh?”

The door opened to reveal… Irene, holding a mirror in one hand and fixing her hair with the other.

Lina and all the soldiers behind us were quite loud, but Irene proceeded to shout loudly enough to drown them all out.

“H-hey! You’re here too early, Warren!”

Irene’s face turns red up to her ears and she throws a hand mirror at Warren.

Warren dodged it, then Dallas caught it when it flew past his face.

It’s apparent that Dallas is used to doing this — must’ve happened quite often.

“H-hmph! Long time no see, Asley!”

Irene straightened her clothes, put her hands on her hips, and stood up straight… but because of the table in front of her, I could see just her face and shoulders.

And she’s still using a chair that’s too high off the ground for her.

“…Huh? Why are you here, Miss Irene?”

I tilted my head — the only reaction I had upon seeing her here.