CH 35

Name：My Dream is to Get My Own House Author：
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The mages shook the iron bars and shouted.

“Don’t touch that b-bomb! We’ll all die! We’ll die!”

“Even Duke Saboia is in a frenzy right now!”

I calmly replied to the scared mages.

“It’s not a frenzy, just foam.”

“Whatever!”

“If we’re going to die anyway, I want to die peacefully! I’ll write my will!”

“Ah, I’ll save you. Just wait.”

However, they didn’t believe me.

Some of them were in despair and shedding tears.

Regardless, I approached the door.

There was only one fist-sized bomb exposed near the door.

Shimmering letters were engraved in the center of the bomb’s round body.

<html>

As expected, the dismantling method should involve entering a magic formula.

Meanwhile, the scamming mages who saw the blinking letters on the bomb exclaimed.

“A magic formula bomb!”

“I-It’s already difficult!”

What nonsense.

“It’s easy. It means you just have to enter the information value.”

I placed my finger on the magic formula.

Then, the entire magic formula slowly appeared in the air.

<html>

<body>

<h1>prison</h1>

</body>

</◇◇◇>

Their expressions twisted in disbelief as they checked the formula behind them.

“T-The formula is empty?”

“Do we have to guess?”

“Maybe we have to write the letters there!”

“If we just write the letters, will the bomb be defused?”

“This is absurd. We don’t even know what kind of formula it is, how can we guess that?”

The mages trembled in fear.

Their arrogant attitudes from earlier had long disappeared.

“We should have trusted the Duke, even if he’s dead, instead of relying on foolish 1st Circle mages.”

I quietly hummed along with their miserable voices.

“Ugh, it’s obvious.”

Since there were <> written in front, I needed to close it lightly with a slash (/).

I skillfully wrote ‘html’ in the empty space.

Then, the formula sparkled.

“Y-You got it wrong!”

No, I got it right.

“The bomb is going to explode!”

It won’t explode.

“Stop making noise.”

Until now, it was just a practice game.

Next, it was time for the body of the text.

<label>

You’ve shown yourself properly until here.

When I looked at the <label> and touched my chin, the imprisoned mages started rolling their feet restlessly.

“H-Hi, what’s this?”

“You really unlocked the magic formula?”

“Can we really escape now?!”

As soon as the performance ended, they seemed to gain some confidence.

That’s when someone poured cold water on their excitement.

“Can you really?”

He was the man who had remained still while the mages eagerly scratched their heads.

He raised the corner of his mouth slyly.

“Let’s observe a little longer.”

I stared intently at the man and then turned my gaze back to the bomb under the influence of dark magic.

Since the mages trapped in the cell were only watching the tip of my finger.

The responsibility was immense.

At that moment, the next text appeared.

<label>EXODUS, reverse</label>

One of the scamming mages added a pitiful remark.

“What on earth is this strange text?”

“I’ve never seen it before.”

“This time, you were lucky, but it’s really the end now.”

The icon of a fleeting moment.

They are truly weak, so weak.

But apart from their weakness, the code written before me was simple.

The ‘label’ code meant a question.

Therefore, it meant asking about EXODUS (escape) and reverse (backward) inside the code.

In combination, it was a question that had hints for escaping.

“It’s really easy, right?”

I raised my hand.

With a flickering sound, the sentence disappeared.

“Now, the code demanding an answer to that question will appear soon.”

I had left 30 seconds before the bomb exploded.

I spoke to Duke Saboia, who had collapsed at the doorstep.

“You’ll be able to leave soon.”

In response to my voice, Duke Saboia groaned as if in pain and murmured.

“Oh child, is it you… or an illusion…”

What child?

It seemed like he was dreaming of something happy.

I diverted my gaze from him, focusing on the bomb twinkling in the air.

Before anything else, the bomb came first.

Tap, tap.

A thread dangled on top of the round bomb.

Just as the flames were about to ignite, the final code appeared as expected.

<input type=’text’ value=’◇◇◇’>

10 seconds,

9 seconds,

8 seconds,

7 seconds…

If you flip the ‘EXODUS (escape)’ written in the middle forward, it will be solved.

I quickly wrote SUDOXE.

Right at that moment.

Tick, tick, tick.

<0:00>

Time was up.

At the same time,

Beep!

With a loud noise, everything in front of me flickered brightly.

“Damn it! Did the bomb explode by a hair’s breadth?”

However, it was when I opened my eyes after closing them.

My body was still intact.

In other words, the bomb didn’t explode.

The bomb was completely defused.

But…

“It’s a flare!”

The man who had been bothering me all along had thrown a flare at me.

The gloomy mage approached me.

He held a knife in his hand.

“You’re quite clever, girl.”

I calmly replied, “I’ve always been clever.”

“I can’t let you live, so it’s time to finish you off.”

The scamming mages who were still trapped in the cell shouted in outrage.

“What is this!”

“He must have been a spy from the terrorist organization!”

“That bastard! Damn it!”

I thought he was just a gloomy mage, but he turned out to be a member of a terrorist group.

The situation was dire.

Duke Saboia had collapsed.

The bomb was defused, but the prison door didn’t open.

The other mages were inside the cell.

I was the only one who could confront him.

The terrorist pushed the blade of his hand toward me.

“In the prison, only Duke Saboia can use magic. Neither you nor I can use magic. Besides, I have a knife.”

The blade was excessively sharp.

My belly that he started to poke felt excessively soft.

What a jerk.

“If I push you right now, you’ll die, right? Why don’t you try using a magic formula once?”

The tip of his knife began to lightly prick my belly.

I stared at him with narrowed lips.

He chuckled as if enjoying my fear.

“When I try to use the magic formula, he will stab me.”

The fatal drawback of the magic formula was that it took time to use.

There was no way to counteract it.

There was no one here to rescue me.

* * *

The reason Dylan broke his routine and arrived at the Knight Management Bureau was one.

Purely because Ishael bothered him.

He had even pushed her away on the subject that harbored dirty desires.

With disgusting jealousy in his chest and filthy desires in his lower body, how dare he.

After Ishael left, Dylan took hundreds of cold showers.

Chills he had never experienced even during his time in Winter Castle swept over his body.

But that had allowed his desires to subside.

This time, he could finally say, “You can touch me.”

Dylan’s body could be a public good as much as it was Ishael’s.

Since he admired her, it didn’t matter that much.

Unaware that his thoughts were half deluded, Dylan stood in front of the Knight Management Bureau.

For some reason, Henry wasn’t outside.

“Oh, Sir Dylan…? Hahaha.”

“Where is Ishael?”

“Of course, the lovebirds! I’m going to look for Ishael right away, sir.”

Dylan’s expression stiffened severely.

“…You’re angry. I apologize for mentioning personal matters.”

Misunderstood because of this face again.

Instead of explaining, he turned his head.

“Where is Ishael?”

“Oh, that… um…”

Henry scratched his head with a troubled expression.

“She said she’s going to prison.”

“Why would she go to the prison? Is it for work?”

“Not exactly…”

“What exactly are you talking about?”

“She… voluntarily turned herself in because the high-ranking mages asked Ishael to solve the magic formula.”

“…”

“It seems like she felt guilty and willingly surrendered.”

“…I see.”

“It’s not a serious crime, so she’ll come out soon. I heard she’ll be held for about a day.”

The fever that had subsided with the cold shower was now disturbing his mind at a sluggish pace.

“I see.”

He gave a light bow.

Then, he straightened the collar of his stiff uniform.

“Thank you, then.”

“Would you like to visit her?”

If he followed his usual routine, he should have dueled now.

But she had messed up his routine, his emotions, everything.

Dylan ruffled his hair roughly and muttered to himself.

“I have something to do to assist her in escaping, so I’ll be leaving now.”

“E-escape?”

When Henry’s mouth fell open,

Someone came running from afar, shouting at the top of their lungs.

“Tower!”

“…Why are you running like that?”

“Hu-Huh. Hu-Huh. There’s been a t-te-terrorist attack at the Sage’s Tower Prison! It’s a big problem! They say everyone will die!”

Henry and Dylan’s gazes collided in the center.

Dylan calmly asked.

“Is it true that Ishael is trapped in the Sage’s Tower Prison?”

“Well, well… probably…”

Dylan slowly drew his sword.

The blade gleamed sharply.

Later, Henry testified that Dylan’s eyes were half-turned at that moment.

It was the beginning of a vivid blue evening when the Blue Door started to appear clearly.