It was rare for gossip, even when based on fact, to spread widely when it was sold by an unidentified wizard of the Purple Magic Tower to a minor information broker in an unremarkable estate. Usually.Peddling unverified information could ruin the business for any broker in the long run. Because trust with clients would be shattered. Therefore, such information were not traded unless backed by solid evidence.
For this reason, the information broker rated Evil God-chan’s credibility as low(下) and shoved it into a cabinet corner.
Typically, such information would never see the light of day.
Unless, of course, a high-profile client demanded it urgently⋯⋯ saying stuff like Bring me everything you have on this person, no matter what , the I will buy everything in this shop type of extravagant buyer.
But this was Elmest Estate. Just a few weeks ago, succubi had been found lurking beneath the local church of the Goddess.
Shortly before that, Dark Wizards had infiltrated the entire church, and its superiors had issued a high-priority command: Collect every detail you can find about the Crazy Wizard.
Why had the Crazy Wizard suddenly caught so much aggro?
Though each of the named Dark Wizards operated autonomously, they still cooperated with each other── news of the sudden disappearance of『Virgin Who Drinks Pleasure』had quickly spread among them.
One of the four pillars of their leadership structure had been eliminated in a single night.
As a result, the Duke of Redburn, 『Noose Engraving Despair』, raised the Crazy Wizard’s threat level to the highest level──on par with the Masters of the Magic Towers.The Succubus Queen had even completed the Evil God’s Sculpture. When fully activated, the artifact was said to grant the Evil God’s power, which was capable of rivalling even Sublimation level powerhouses. But now, this belief had been shaken.
He could think of several possible reasons for the Queen’s defeat.
Aside from their mind-control capabilities, succubi had negligible physical abilities, and the Illusion Magic of the Purple Magic Tower wizards was the perfect counter.
The Dark Wizards had anticipated it would take at least a year to master the full power of the Evil God’s Sculpture, and the Queen was likely inexperienced in wielding its power.
The Purple Tower Master had most likely participated, meaning the Queen had faced a combination of a Sublimation-level power and the Crazy Wizard.
This led to the conclusion that the Crazy Wizard wasn’t as⋯⋯ powerful as he seemed. This was the more probable scenario. Because—
Considering the worst-case scenario would imply that the Crazy Wizard could fight on par with Sublimation-level beings without undergoing Metamorphosis. It was ridiculous. If that were true, he might as well be a dragon in human form then.
It was impossible.
Crazy Wizard’s past was thoroughly documented. Both of his parents were human, and he had been born an ordinary human, with no involvement in magical experiments.
But, nevertheless── it was always better to prepare for the worst.
“That time, should have I stepped in then⋯⋯.”
The time when Roderus had almost pushed Crazy Wizard to the brink of death. If only he had decided to sacrifice more resources and used the『Lantern of Premonition(豫知燈籠)』 to ensure his death. If only he had taken the advice of Lamb more seriously.
No, that wasn’t right. Regretting the past was pointless. What mattered now was the chance to reassess and account for current variables.
Duke of Redburn’s Metamorphosis, 『Lantern of Premonition(豫知燈籠)』 required gathering extensive intelligence about the target to impose a predetermined fate upon them. The more comprehensive the information, the stronger the forced outcome of destiny.
If the Crazy Wizard posed a potential threat as the Great Enemy(大敵), preparation had to start immediately.
Every fragment of intelligence regarding the Crazy Wizard had to be collected without delay! Every scrap!
And so, the scandalous rumors circulated by Evil God-chan found their way into the Redburn family’s grasp.
Through his long experience in politics, Duke of Redburn arrived at a conclusion.
“This can be used.”
The public opinion of the Violet Tower was already unfavorable. Their reclusive nature and focus on mental manipulation painted them as unhinged and inherently untrustworthy.
In contrast, even the Red Tower Lord, despite his eccentric personality, enjoyed a positive reputation thanks to the Red Tower’s contributions to society.
So, any scandal involving the Purple Tower would hit them especially hard.
recently, no explicit connection had been established between the Second Prince and the Violet Tower, so the Duke had refrained from provoking Yuna Yurensto Violetiris…
But now was the perfect time to start scheming.
After reviewing the information, the Duke of Redburn issued clear orders to tarnish the reputations of both the Purple Magic Tower and the Crazy Wizard while simultaneously keeping the second prince in check.
“There’s a lunatic wizard next to the Second Prince! He’s clouding the Second Prince’s insightful judgment!”
“The insane wizard from the Purple Magic Tower has a twisted mind and indulges in all manner of depraved hobbies!”
“According to classified documents from the Defense Bureau, his codename is literally 『Crazy Wizard』. There’s a reason for such a name.”
“Someone said we need to expel this Crazy Wizard from the Academy before he starts preying on both female and male students!”
Despite these allegations⋯⋯ they were nothing more than baseless gossip.
For now, they were vague rumors with no verifiable source—a classic someone told me, but I don’t know the details type of hearsay.
However, the moment the Crazy Wizard made a public blunder, these rumors would ignite into a full-blown scandal, and the Dark Wizards would ensure it happened. The Duke of Redburn silently laid the groundwork for a social assassination.
===============================================================
Naturally, Roderus Redburn was aware of this plan.
However, he had fallen head over heels for Magical Girl 『Blue Rose』 and ended up leaking sensitive family secrets.
Magical Girl Oh Dae-soo then shared that information with Envers Redburn.
Envers could only look at the radiant Magical Girl with a conflicted and unpleasant expression. His voice dripped with bitterness.
“⋯⋯ I told you to stay away from my big brother.”
“Then maybe you should work on improving your position within the Redburn family.”
“I’ve attended lectures under that professor. So the suspicion around me has only intensified. People think I might be an internal spy⋯⋯ if my elder brother didn’t trust me, I’d already be dead.”
“Then you should know your place better within the family.”
Oh Dae-soo clicked his tongue. This brother of his was utterly clueless when it came to managing his reputation. He needed to act a little more cunning and villainous, exude authority, and present himself as a capable leader to gain the Duke’s trust.
Let us settle this with an honorable duel. If I win, stop mocking me. Commoner servant.
At this rate, when would he ever earn any trust? If it were Roderus, he would have beaten him within an inch of his life and then considered his next move.
Speaking of which, Crazy Wiard huh…
Oh Dae-soo shuddered as he recalled the strange techniques he had experienced previously. Reflecting on it now, the Crazy Wizard’s combat style was bizarre—alien.
In a world where Metamorphosis powers were the norm, having a “special ability” wasn’t really strange. But controlling living armor and engaging in close combat as a mage defied conventional understanding.
But, could it be his confidence⋯⋯?
It was as though the Crazy Wizard was operating from a vantage point far above everyone else. Even while bleeding profusely from Roderus’s attacks, there was no sense of desperation about him.
If── if he ever fought by burning his soul and throwing his entire being into battle… What would happen? It was a possibility Oh Dae-soo neither wished to verify nor imagine.
Putting these thoughts aside, Oh Dae-soo returned to the matter at hand. He subtly questioned Envers about the rumors circulating within the Redburn family. Were they genuine or just baseless slander?
Envers had seen the Crazy Wizard during his time at Academy, so he could surely make a judgment.
“⋯⋯That professor guy, how was he? Are the rumors true?”
“Eueum. I do not think he is a⋯⋯ bad individual. But he did have a suspiciously strong fondness for tentacles.”
“?”
“The female students… they were frequently harassed by tentacles⋯⋯.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Oh Dae-soo thought of the nightmare of the past and shivered once again. Heavenly King 『Yuri Frostlover』’s relentless tentacle attacks.
However, as he thought about it, something didn’t quite add up.
In reality, Yuri primarily relied on close-combat techniques and had no ability to control plants or tentacles. Of course, the powers of monstrous-humans could diverge significantly from Metamorphosis abilities since they operated on a completely different system, but still⋯⋯.
Wouldn’t most individuals typically stay true to their core strengths?
Even Oh Dae-soo himself stuck to the rapier, his main weapon. He wouldn’t abandon a lifetime of training to suddenly master some random, unfamiliar skill.
This was just a possibility, but, was Crazy Wizard⋯⋯ one of the Four Heavenly Kings?
And maybe those slippery tentacles were the result of some kind of joint experiment⋯⋯?
If so, then he truly was a crazy bastard.
Oh Dae-soo decided to set these unanswerable questions aside for the moment. There were more urgent matters to consider.
Oh Dae-soo and Namgung Cheonghwi decided to stop leaking internal information, and instead leave the counter intelligence and political maneuvering to the Second Prince. They had something more important to do.
“We’ll use the succession war as bait. Once the competition intensifies, the entire Empire will be thrown into chaos. There’s no way the Duke won’t make a move then.”
“When he does, we’ll trap his hand in place and sever his neck.”
“Exactly. The opportunity will come⋯⋯ we just need to stay focused. And it will happen. Just like when I finally got my hands on that famous patissier’s roll cake.”
“Your analogy is oddly girlish⋯⋯?”
This was the beginning of the Duke of Redburn Hunting Plan.
===============================================================
At a tavern in the Elmest Estate, a man and a woman clinked their beer mugs together.
The man was strikingly handsome, with a perfectly parted 2:8 hairstyle and a distinct beauty mark near his eye. His sly, fox-like gaze exuded a charm that overshadowed any suspicion.
His leather armor was unmistakably high-quality. Anyone with an eye for gear would recognize him as a veteran adventurer.
He was none other than Rowillen, the silver-ranked mercenary who once traveled with Crazy Wizard. Mima had nicknamed him “Beauty Mark Gay.”
Across from him sat a woman dressed in practical adventurer gear. She had a prominent scar stretching across her left eye.
It was 『Puppet Lorei』, a wizard of the Purple Magic Tower, whom Mima called Senior Scarface.
Lorei had hired Rowillen for monster-hunting expeditions to gather materials for her magical research. Now that the job was complete, the two were enjoying a drink together.
Taking a hearty sip of her beer, Lorei let out a satisfied Kueha, before wiping her mouth with her hand. Then, she asked about Rowillen’s recent life.
“How’s everything going? I heard both of your wives are pregnant.”
“Everything’s great. I never imagined each day could be so happy. The idea of becoming a father soon makes me feel the weight of responsibility on my shoulders, but⋯⋯”
“Things will turn out fine. If you only had one wife, I’d advise having them bear two children. But since you have two, even one child each gives you a pair of siblings. That’s a nice bonus for your harem life.”
“My wives⋯⋯ seem to want more children. So I’m looking forward to doing my best on quests. The more mouths to feed, the harder I’ll need to work.”
With his children on the way, Rowillen was planning to earn as much money as possible during the pregnancy so he could stay close to his family when the babies arrived.
That’s what Rowillen said.
So, that was why he had taken on long-distance work all the way in the Elmest Estate.
“Euheum⋯⋯ with all the effort you’ve been putting in, I might need to add a little extra to your payment. I wouldn’t want to come off as a bad person.”
“Ahaha. Was I being too obvious? Thank you.”
“If you’re really grateful, send me a portrait of the baby later. It’s been a while since I saw the birth of a half-elf and half-beastkin.”
“Of course, I’ll make sure to send one.”
Lorei mentally calculated her expenses. The cost of the elixirs she required to extend her body-swap durations were piling up, but⋯⋯ a baby was on the way. How could she cut corners?
Children needed their parents. If spending a little extra ensured peace and stability for a family, then it was money well spent.
As the warm conversation continued, Rowillen suddenly lowered his voice and asked cautiously.
“By the way. Lorei, I’ve been hearing some troubling rumors about the Purple Tower⋯⋯ here in Elmest Estate. Do you know what’s going on?”
“Ah, uh⋯⋯ are you talking about the rumors about knucklehead wizard from the Purple Tower?”
“Yes. It seems to be the same person who called me ‘Beauty Mark Gay’ the first time we met. There’s been talk of him targeting young girls. If this is a sensitive subject, then⋯⋯.”
“No, those rumors are fake. Our Esteemed Junior might be a bit… unhinged, but he knows his boundaries. It’s probably a misunderstanding by people seeing him cuddling with Purple Tower Master and⋯⋯.”
Thud!
The sound of a coin pouch hitting the table cut Lorei’s words short.
abrupt noise, both Lorei and Rowillen turned their attention to the source. Standing there was a young girl who looked like she had a temper, standing with her arms crossed and cheeks puffed out.
The girl spoke with unwavering certainty.
“No.”
“?”
“The rumors are true. At least, the part about him messing with young girls is accurate. I know because I’ve experienced it myself!”
“⋯⋯Well, who? Are you?”
While Lorei was stunned from this brazen attack on Esteemed Junior’s reputation, the seasoned adventurer Rowillen calmly opened the pouch to inspect its contents
It had enough money to qualify her as a client.
The girl, Evil God-chan, puffed out her chest and spoke.
“I’m Crazy Wizard’s illegitimate child.”
“Whut?”
“And your client. I’ll pay you all this money if you escort me to the Academy. You two are skilled adventurers, right?”
“⋯⋯ Wait, illegitimate child? With the Tower Master? I don’t remember them going that far. Then who⋯⋯?”
Evil God-chan had successfully found her guides.
***
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