Chapter 57: Three-Person Strategy Meeting

Chapter 57: Three-Person Strategy Meeting

Three-Person Party Strategy Meeting

Ah, nice to meet you. Welcome. Please, come in. What would you like to drink? All we have is plain water, but with Illusion Magic, I can change its flavor, so its as if we have everything. Please, make yourself comfortable.

As I greeted them with a bright smile, the expressions on two of the three pursuers soured. By that, I meant the Saintess (dressed lewdly) and the Swordsman (half of his face seemed in pain). Only the bob-haired female student, who seemed broad-minded, accepted my hospitality with grace.

The bob-haired girl lifted a whiteboard high.

[Hello!]

Hello. Your bob cut is pretty. It looks like you take good care of your hair Let me guess. Is it the whale oil perfume sold at the store located three blocks from the entrance of the commercial district, right in front of the intersection known for its row of trees?

Bob Cuts expression turned to one that seemed to say, Oh my god, how did he know.

Haha, I have a good nose. And I do take care of my hair as well.

That wasnt true, though. I had never noticed when my girlfriend changed her perfume and I was someone who thought washing my hair with soap was more than enough. The only hair care I had ever received was from the Tower Masters Nadenade.

This was written in the report I received after asking Pink-Haired Lesbian for a background check on the three applicants. Since it had come to this anyway, I wanted to become friends, after all. Having common topics to talk about made it easier to get along.

I led the trio to a table. The Saintess seemed to be in a constantly irritated state, as if she was the Hulk, and I could feel the Swordsmans wariness. It felt like they would draw their swords at any sign of trouble from me.

It was understandable. Students were practically built to always be worried that their professor might be cooking up something wicked. They literally agonize over it all day long. I was like that during my school days too.

Bob Cut sat down on the sofa without hesitation and the Saintess sat a bit away from her. The Swordsman seemed to fall into a dilemma on where to sit before deciding to just stand.

Well, makes sense. After all, being the only male among two females, he probably worried that it would become weird wherever he sat.

The atmosphere was quite stiff and tense. I wanted to ease it a little. I licked my lower lip with my tongue, cleared my throat, and then sat across from them to start the conversation.

Weve been swept up in a situation together, havent we? It started from a minor misunderstanding, so lets put that side. We arent here for that, after all.

I fled because the thesis wasnt read at that time, but you guys didnt look at the paper during class either, right? So, lets forget about that day and think about playing a fun TRPG.

I respect your curiosity, that spirit of inquiry. It must have been a very tough choice. I thoughtit would take some time for the course to progress before students would take an interest. But it seems I was pleasantly mistaken.

Im quite grateful you signed up for this rather unusual course name. I planned to sprinkle some hints during the main class and entice you to play along, but I never expected participants to gather so soon. Im so happy.

Now then, what do you think this object is?

Guess what this is?

I clapped my hands lightly. A stick mucus stretched between my palms, quickly transforming into the shape of a picture frame. The Saintess replied dryly.

An empty picture frame.

Thats right, but its not just any frame. Its a frame that reflects many things.

It was a trailer.

I played the trailer video that I had worked on whenever I had the time to. The video showcased a forest with vibrant green and blue hues, a hell under a red moon, a modern civilization with machine guns blazing, a space colony, martial artists exchanging sword techniques atop sheer cliffs, and an old man observing the stars.

There was no medium that could pack as much information in such a short time as a video. The purpose of this trailer was to spark curiosity. And just as I wanted, the trio seemed immersed in the visual feast that was the trailer.

I asked in a soft voice, as if to urge them.

Havent you ever wished to experience another world?

.

The sole man who had been silent all this time finally spoke with a stern expression.

Was this your goal?

Thats right.

What do you want?

I wish for as many people as possible to know about it. Theres always a.shortage of people for this, you see.

In my previous life, not many people played, and now, it seemed like only the Tower Master and I did. I wished more people knew about TRPG. It was fine if it wasnt to their taste, but they should at least know about its existence, right?

Its time. I presented the Session Introduction I had prepared with great care to the trio.

Bennett pointed to the report with his finger.

The last part of the report, an abruptly cut off combat record, hinted at the investigators death. However, the second paragraph stated, Even if you face death, it is not the end and you will return to the original world without a scratch.

Many who entered the Academy came from influential backgrounds. After all, wasnt the Saintess no exception, carrying significant symbolic value as a representative of a holy order?

The wizard may seem to have a few screws loose, but seeing as how he prepared a dissertation on Demonic Swords, as well as a directive, he has clearly thought about any aftermaths that may occur. He knows what would happen if something went wrong after sending the Saintess to another dimension.

There would be backlash. Someone so meticulously prepared would not overlook such a detail.

Of course, this is all.just speculation. But there is a way to confirm safety.

What is it?

We just need to ask if this investigator.is still alive.

The Saintess expressed slight admiration.

Youre quite sharp, huh. You didnt look the part, though.

Your eye for such things seems as lacking as your tastes in clothes.

Quiet!

And then, there was the most important part. The returns. When entering an Otherworld as the wizard intended, what could they truly gain? A sentence from the report flashed through Bennetts mind.

A mystical relic known to summon evil beings and, on the other hand, provide infinite wisdom..

It could help with the Nightmare Summon that would be casted by the Black Wizards and if the infinite wisdom wasnt a lie, perhaps Perhaps a way to drive out Corpse Flower that Consumes Fear from his little sisters body.could be obtained.

Saintess Tara, too, seemed to have similar thoughts. Though they did not discuss exactly what could be gained The two saw greed in each others eyes.

The trio organized their thoughts and summoned back the wizard.

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I seeSure, Imperial Princes and Princesses might think, This fucker wouldnt kill me unless hes batshit insane, but was this how it usually went for the commonfolk? There was some logic to it.

If a wizard who wasnt even that closer to them asked, Would you like to enter another dimension?, it would be rather unsettling. In response to their inquiry about the investigators survival, I pointed to Pink-Haired Lebsian, who was standing idly by.

Thats the investigator.

Yes, I am the investigator.

Pink-Haired Lesbian threw a double peace sign. I thought she was only playful towards me, but seeing her do it to people who were practically strangers made me appreciate her consistent nature. I imagined she would do the same in front of an Imperial Prince.

A safety measure, huh. Right as I was about to blabber away to prove it was safe even to actually jump in lava, the Knight-Saintess duo intervened.

We would like to verify with the investigator.

Could you please leave the room Mr. Wizard?

I was chased out once again

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They spent time verifying from multiple angles. They asked Pink-Haired Lesbian various questions to confirm she was the person who wrote the report and the Saintess even turned on a Lie Detector Spell.

Since they seemed so doubtful, I even told them to try going in and die once to test it out. Bennett, full of suspicion, went into the simulation, died, and then came back.

For the Second Prince, death was followed by => an effect of disappearing forever, right? But for this trio, lets say there was aHow should I put it? They had this caution to them, as if they always tested the waters before crossing a bridge. So, in case directly facing death felt too dangerous to them In case they might back out of the session in fear.

I changed it so that if they suffered fatal damage, a shield would appear around them to block the attack, then- They would return back to the original world through Teleportation. This might make them feel more at ease, wouldnt it?

It wasnt bothersome. Rather, it was thrilling.

A person who doubted and scrutinized everything..Cthulhu was perfect for those types!

My heart raced. This genre thrived on such persistent doubt and investigation. That was how cosmic horror should be pursued, after all.

We had some time to understand and accept each other, even setting a date. We agreed to start the first session tomorrow, Thursday.

/genesisforsaken