Chapter 16: The Imperial Prince And The Nutcase Wizard

Chapter 16: The Imperial Prince And The Nutcase Wizard

༺ The Imperial Prince And The Nutcase Wizard ༻

Even in a volatile situation, the wizard remained serene.

Rather, he looked at Irid with pity.

“Prince.......This is just Illusion Magic.”

“Do not insult the time I spent with her.....!”

His grip on the collar tightened. Irid glared at him with an intensity as if he was about to kill him. The wizard sighed heavily as if scorched by the stare.

“What do you think you can possibly gain from denying it’s Illusion Magic?”

“.......What?”

He started to speak the language of a nutcase.

“This explanation is far simpler. Prince. Moreover, it’s also the right thing to do.”

“A no-good wizard has.......played a bit of a trick on you, Prince, so all the events and accidents you experienced inside were nothing more than a midsummer night’s dream.”

“The next step is easy. All you need to do is righteously get angry and punish the offensive wizard. That’s it. There’s nothing for you, Prince, to take responsibility for here.”

“However.......if you believe a momentary illusion to be the truth......Then, my goodness. Where do we even begin to unravel such a mystery, thus finding a solution?”

The wizard’s low-spirited eyes gazed at Irid. Despite his still rising anger, Irid had no choice but to loosen his grip. Because of the indifference that swirled in the wizard’s eyes. Because of the madness that truly seemed to take all this lightly.

“I have seen many like you, Prince........”

“Those who couldn’t maintain their distance and got immersed always met a terrible end. It is inevitable. Players are always......outsiders. They cannot stay forever. They are destined to part ways eventually.”

“It is just.........Illusion Magic that shows the most feared form of oneself. Wouldn’t this sort of explanation be good enough?”

Irid’s hands trembled as much as his wavering heart.

It was a cruel mockery and insult that tore at his wounded heart, yet it was as tempting as it was hurtful. If all the pain he received, Centra’s crisis, and the miserable future that was the Wither Emperor were a lie...

Then, it was alright not to be angry with himself.

He didn’t have to despise himself for failing to foresee the attack and letting her get caught in the explosion. Just pouring out his anger on the wizard in front of him would settle everything, after all.

However....

Even now, the memories he made vividly came to mind when he closed his eyes.

Even now, the lingering scent of rosemary was still on the tip of his nose.

Even now, his heart ached.

All of these were resisting with all their might.

.....He could not bring himself to run away to a more comfortable choice.

Second Prince Irid reminisced about his nine-day journey. Scenes from the past flashed through Irid’s mind like a panorama.Ñ00v€l--ß1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.

“At first.....I was scared. After falling into an unfamiliar future, I lamented about my failures while wandering the back alleys of the city. It was a terrible experience. I still hear, from time to time, the resentful voices blaming me.”

In the future where he was known as the Wither Emperor, he had thought of giving everything up. He was terrified and tried to run away.

“However.....after that, I was very happy. At some point, I forgot the compulsion to become the Emperor and my terrible failures.”

She had held the fleeing Irid, refusing to let him run away.

She, like a firefly, guided Irid’s soul.

“As if a hole in my soul was filled, I felt complete. I received something far too precious from her.”

And that was why the Irid of now was here.

Irid, trapped in anger and anxiety, could reflect on himself through the twisted words of the wizard. After all, the wizard in front of him was illuminating the future of himself who had fled in terror.

He couldn’t throw away the precious things he had barely gathered just to run away. He had to embrace both the hurts and the joys, taking a step forward.

“U-Uhmm.......But you know....”

“Yes?”

“If we’re comparing you and the Prince, aren’t you the one who’s a bit.......Mentally? Unwell, right......? Couldn’t it actually be real Dimensional Magic?”

“???”

At the Tower Master’s ludicrous remark, I was about to deny it........but......

Now that I think about it, she might be right. When comparing His Highness to me, wasn’t he more composed and put-together? And he also remembered people’s names.

Was I actually a brain in a vat?

Was I, who thought of myself as a GM, actually a Dimensional Wizard?

Was the Virtual Idol Heart-chan, whom I thought I created and sent out, actually my hidden ego??

“KEUUAAAAAGH NO! NO WAY!!”

Caught in the whirlwind of the Prince’s Talk No Jutsu2a joke alluding to the ninja techniques used in Naruto and the trope that a protagonist can talk a villain into not attacking., both the Tower Master and I plunged into mass panic and confusion.

After turning the totem3a ritual to differentiate whether it is reality or a dream and pinching each other’s cheeks...

Only after reconnecting to Virtual Reality and creating three hundred copies of Heart to make them do a group flash mob....

Did we think, ‘Ah it was indeed an illusion’, and was able to stretch out both our feet in assurance and sleep with peace of mind.

===============================================================

“Sir Knight, invite the wizards of the Flame Tower skilled in calculations. And please contact my sister as well.”

“......Are you certain you are alright? Your Highness, I suspect hypnosis.”

“Then could you try releasing it from me?”

“Please excuse me.”

The boy knight gathered mana in his hand and lightly touched the forehead of Second Prince Irid. Irid staggered briefly, then steadied himself.

“How do you feel?”

“Fine. I don’t feel a sudden rise or drop in emotions, nor gaps in memory. My resolve is still........fully intact.”

The boy knight furrowed his brows. It had only been three hours. In that time, the Prince had changed into a completely different person. His impulsive nature had turned into firm initiative. The righteous light shining from his eyes reflected an unwavering resolve.

“What have you experienced?”

“In the future, a hundred years from now......I fell in love. How embarrassing.”

“It sounds quite unfamiliar to me. Wasn’t Your Highness uninterested in such matters?”

“Well....I just hadn’t met an attractive and truly charming woman until now.”

“If you have fallen for her that deeply. I am anxious I might have to stop you to fulfill my duty as a loyal subject. I am referring to using the Dimensional Magic once again.”

“I shall be honest. I would like to stay in the future, a hundred years from now, but I won’t. After all, I must make this Empire resound with 『Beer and Song』. And stop the black wizard of the Kingdom Alliance.”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯”

“I am trying to be brave. But before that......I wish to save the one I love. So I must put my efforts for bettering the Empire on hold for a bit. Will you join me, Sir Knight?”

“It is quite charming and pleasant to see. I shall follow you.”

Irid walked ahead and the boy knight followed. One week remained.

Irid gathered experts from various fields to save Centra.

1

the person who has the Magic cast on them

2

a joke alluding to the ninja techniques used in Naruto and the trope that a protagonist can talk a villain into not attacking.

3

a ritual to differentiate whether it is reality or a /genesisforsaken