From Gordius’s perspective, the Mad Wizard Professor and the Second Prince of the Empire seemed to have quite an intimate relationship. After all, he had used the prince as a shield and still had his neck intact.
There were rumors that the Mad Wizard was a close aide of the Second Prince, but Gordius hadn't imagined they were this close.
The Mad Wizard, hiding behind his prince-shield, spoke casually.
"I trust in the Prince's magnanimity. I don’t believe he would be angry at something as minor as hiding behind him."
"Why do I have no desire to repay that trust, not even a shred? Could it be because I specifically asked to speak alone, yet here you come with a student wielding a club?"
"This is to everyone's benefit. I’m not so uncouth as to ignore propriety, am I?"
"Perhaps not in the usual sense... Still, I admire your confidence. Have a seat as well."
Irid waved his hand.
The Mad Wizard let out a relieved sigh and sat on the sofa, while Gordius, after some hesitation, also took a seat, dismissing the club.
He wasn’t brave enough to keep a weapon in front of the prince. Only the Mad Wizard, who used the prince as a human shield, would have such a bizarre mind.
But revenge was not forgotten. Gordius glared at the Mad Wizard, muttering to himself, Just wait, Mad Professor, I'll gift you a nice lump on your head.
"Mad Wizard, explain."
"Ah, yes. It concerns the reappearance and resurrection of the entity temporarily identified as the 'Great Beast.' Please take a look at this data."
With a flick of the Mad Wizard's finger, a realistic hologram materialized instantly above the empty table. Gordius recognized it at once.
It was a miniature projection of a South Korean cityscape.
A video played, showing a crack forming in the city center, from which the ‘Great Beast’ emerged. Various message windows popped up, detailing the creature's characteristics.
"Powerful mind control, no fixed shape, cunning, hostile to humanity. We suspect it will soon appear in this world as well, likely even stronger than in this footage."
"If my eyes are correct, this video seems to have precise scale ratios. If a person is this size, then the monster would roughly be—"
"100 meters. However, it could appear in various forms, potentially larger or smaller. It will likely exhibit similar characteristics to those shown in the footage. Please continue watching."
The hologram sped up. A giant robot appeared and battled the 'Great Beast.' As the beast entered Phase 2, it transformed into a sleek form clad in jet-black dragon scales...
Irid's expression hardened as he watched. It was clear he had some understanding of the creature.
"..."
"Oh? Are you familiar with it?"
"That’s a question I should be asking you. You seem to have a deeper understanding than I anticipated... unless you’re involved yourself."
"Aha... so that’s why you’re here today. I suspected you might have a connection to the royal family. Let’s continue; I’m just getting to my proposal."
The hologram zoomed in on the giant robot, showcasing the output of each component and the efficacy of the Magic Engine powering it.
"The giant robot... it’s called 'Meteor.' Don’t you think having one of these might let you sleep easy at night?"
"To fight against it?"
"Yes. Truthfully, it’s always been for that purpose."
"Good. So, you’re the developer then. Tell me your name."
Amidst the cryptic, almost Zen-like conversation, the Second Prince Irid's gaze fell upon Gordius.
Gordius thought quickly.
The pieces were coming together. Why had the Mad Professor sent him to this world? How did he know the ‘Great Beast’ would appear? And why did the Second Prince keep him so close?
There could only be one answer.
In Gordius’s mind, they were members of a secret society, like 'Stellaria,' working covertly to prepare for the inevitable arrival of the 'Great Beast.'
The reason the Mad Professor so fervently taught his students countermeasures for illusion magic was to shield them from the Great Beast’s mind control.
The reason he’d sent him to this world was to discover ways to counter the 'Great Beast.'
And the reason he had interrupted his kiss to orchestrate this meeting was to bring him into the inner circle of this secret society...
Gordius felt his anger subside by about 50%. Woo Chaerin would understand; it was, after all, an urgent meeting to save the world.
Let’s confirm this, so there’s no room for doubt.
"I am Gordius, apprentice to the Tower Master of Gold, your Highness. It’s an honor to meet the most noble blood of the Empire. I have only one question: Will the 'Great Beast' appear in this world as well?"
Gordius finished his introduction, making sure there was no room for misinterpretation. The answer he received was more overwhelming than he expected.
"...Yes, and if it does, it will have power rivaling that of a goddess."
"Ha..."
A 'Great Beast' imbued with the power of a god.
The Mad Wizard chimed in beside him.
"Then we’ll have to create a machine capable of punching a god. Gordius, are you prepared to save the world?"
"Whether prepared or not, it is my duty to put my soul on the line. If the 'Great Beast' threatens my home, my world, I will wager all I have to defeat it."
Gordius spoke firmly. While he secretly relished the prospect of using royal support to build the ultimate giant robot, his resolve was also genuine.
The Mad Wizard smiled approvingly and joked.
"Well, Prince, I raised him well, didn’t I?"
"It wasn’t you who raised him, but destiny. Gordius, get in the carriage waiting outside. We’re heading to the capital."
"Hold on. You’re not taking him permanently, are you? He’s supposed to participate in the ‘Academy Team Match.’ It’s my personal entertainment, after all..."
"I just need to set things in motion. Don’t worry; I’ll return him soon."
And so, Gordius’s journey to the capital was decided.
--- Transition ---
Meanwhile, a brief conversation took place. They shared information.
“'It' is sealed inside me, Your Highness. Do you trust me?"
"I trust you. Though His Majesty called it a game of hide-and-seek, he was wrong. You are not 'it.'"
"You're not planning to stab me in the back after saying you trust me, are you? Because then I might actually cry. I don’t have hard evidence to prove it right now, after all..."
"Your purity was proven when you leaped into the holy sword to save people in the Holy City. We will discuss this further in due time. Prepare your safeguards."
And with that, they looked to the future.
--- Transition ---
In the royal carriage heading toward Crown Hall, the Second Prince probed into Gordius’s mind. He couldn’t see through him entirely, like the Mad Wizard, but a little bit of technique and finesse went a long way.
"That’s how... the 'Great Beast' was defeated."
"Indeed. It must have been a hard journey. I have had a similar experience."
"Ah, so you too have traveled to another world, Your Highness..."
"I observed the future Empire. I did not save the world, though."
It wasn’t difficult to draw out the conversation.
The sudden appearance of monsters, a crumbling world, and people struggling within it. And then... Gordius, who had overcome such trials and emerged stronger.
Inventing the 'Magic Engine' was impressive enough, but you can’t gain world-saving experience just by wishing for it. Irid smiled with satisfaction.
New workers are always welcome.
According to Irid’s understanding, there were eight people who had made contact with the Mad Wizard and had “thoroughly” explored other worlds: himself, First Princess Elaine, the hero Bennett’s party, Envers Redburn, the Capital Knight Commander, and now Gordius.
Rumor had it that the 'Blue Rose' might also be an explorer, but that was uncertain.
Even just looking at the confirmed list, he thought, they had recruited quite a colorful cast.
The interview with the Mad Wizard had clarified many mysteries. 'It' was sealed within him; the dark wizards sought to extract 'its' power, and the Mad Wizard repeatedly foiled their plans.
An impressive person, indeed. Through his pure skill and strategy, he had likely altered the fate that was destined to spiral into ruin and brought it to this point.
Yes, the stunts he pulled at the Academy, and the incidents that had given Irid quite the headache, had all been part of his efforts to fight against 'it.'
In light of this, all grudges could be forgiven.
With the tension somewhat eased, Gordius cautiously made a request.
"Forgive me, but is it possible to return soon?"
"Hmm? Are you, like the Mad Wizard, looking forward to the 'Academy Team Match'?"
"No, there's someone I left behind, and there’s an unsigned contract..."
The expression.
That expression.
Irid could instantly read Gordius’s face. It mirrored his own reflection in the mirror after waking up from a failed kiss with Centra.
Could it be...?
"Were you about to kiss someone?"
"...!"
Gordius was shocked. Did the Second Prince have mind-reading abilities? But then, as he observed Irid’s expression, he, too, realized.
The expression. That expression!
"Could it be that Your Highness also..."
"I woke up just before."
"..."
"..."
Their mutual understanding deepened significantly.
Gordius fiddled with his sleeve, a wicked conspiracy theory suddenly crossing his mind as he spoke.
"Could it be that the Mad Professor did this on purpose?"
"On purpose?"
"Yes, on purpose. He could have given us more time but pulled us out right at the last moment. There’s a significant time difference between inside and outside, so—"
Irid raised his hand, cutting off Gordius’s speculation.
"While he may have his quirks, I don’t want to think he’s that much of a scoundrel. Let’s just forget I heard that. What do you think of the Mad Wizard?"
"That was a slip of the tongue."
"Yes, he’s someone who works hard for the world. Surely, he wouldn’t have done such a thing."
Wouldn’t, but...
But if, by some chance, it turned out that he had a habit of forcibly recalling people right before a kiss...
Then, they didn’t need to speak a word. They communicated perfectly with their eyes alone.
They would beat the hell out of him.
The two silently resolved that, should the allegations prove true, the Second Prince and the Wizard would join forces to discipline the Mad Professor physically.
--- Transition ---
The royal carriage came to a halt in front of a large building within Crown Hall's inner circle. Around the carriage, heavily armed knights were already lined up in formation.
The Second Prince introduced them to Gordius.
"This is the Third Team of the Capital Knights."
"Greetings, Your Highness! And greetings, young man! I am Ronald, the team leader of the Capital Knights Third Team!"
"...Pleased to meet you. You have quite a voice. But why are the Capital Knights here...?"
"There are two reasons."
Irid raised two fingers.
"One, they’re the only group currently field-operating power armor. The potential of that 'Magic Engine' is vast, but it has some technical rough edges. You may find areas for improvement with power armor."
"Indeed... wise as always."
"And second, we have a walking magic furnace here to save on research costs. This way."
"...?"
When Gordius turned to where Irid was pointing, he saw a young girl, looking about middle-school-aged.
Thinking of Yoon-seo, the pilot, Gordius pulled out a candy from his pocket and offered it to her.
"Hello there. Who are you?"
"I’m Kim Luru! The leader of the Capital Knights! I like how informal you are right away!"
"...Excuse me?"
"So you’re the one who can make the power armor stronger? You can use my magic all you want. But you have to make me one more suit. I have someone I want to give it to!"
The leader of the Capital Knights?
The legendary monster who had reached the pinnacle of sublimation, said to stand over two meters tall? She just seemed like a cheerful girl.
Confused, Gordius glanced at Irid, who nodded calmly. He quickly bowed.
"I apologize for my ignorance..."
"Aw, it’s fine. No need to stress! Ronald, shall we take him inside? I’m so curious."
"Yes, indeed! Young man, while you may have His Highness’s recommendation, our decision to collaborate remains! We’ll judge the power of your engine for ourselves!"
"I’m sure you’ll like it. Let’s set up a demonstration."
...
KABOOM! KABOOM!!
"Hahahaha! I’m a Thunder Mage now!"
Kim Luru, clad in the powered suit equipped with the 'Magic Engine,' unleashed a terrifying barrage of lightning from above.
The enormous amount of magic being converted to electricity made her a walking thunderstorm.
With such performance, collaboration was a must. Ronald, stroking his mustache now standing on end from static, asked Gordius. You had to ask for the romance of it all.
"What’s the engine’s name, young man?"
Gordius hesitated for a moment before answering with an unwavering voice.
"'Stellaria'—there’s no other name for it."
The name was inscribed into the world.
--- Transition ---
Woo Chaerin thought.
She was sure... it had been right before the kiss. She could definitely feel Gordius’s breath approaching. She had been waiting for a while, yet felt no sensation.
What’s going on? Why is there nothing? Should I wait longer? Did it already happen? Can I open my eyes now...?
Amidst this inner turmoil.
Slowly.
Woo Chaerin opened her eyes.
Bang!
She was showered with mini fireworks.
"Welcome to self-awareness! I hear you’re also from South Korea? I can’t tell you how long I’ve been waiting!"
"Dizzy? Take it slow, try to control your breathing. Now, one, two. One, two."
"We even prepared a commemorative cake! Although the man and the girl who came with you aren’t here yet..."
"Haha. I’m glad to see the family growing. It’s confusing, but you’ll adapt soon enough. Would you like some tea?"
What is this?
What the hell is going on?