The bound Hypnotic Detective twisted his body, attempting to free himself from the chains, but the supernatural restraints weren’t something he could escape through sheer struggling.
With a deadly glint in his eye, unusually intense for a kid his age, he shouted, “Just die already, you damn bastard!”
“You probably meant to say, ‘just kill me,’ right?”
“No, I said it right! You’re the one who should be dead—why should I be the one dying?!”
“Fair enough...but considering that you’ve been stripped of all your artifacts and mana stones and are fully restrained, isn’t that a bit strong of a line?”
His true colors revealed, his ferocity was almost like that of a wild animal. He must have been suppressing his emotions all this time, likely with self-hypnosis.
This misunderstanding has gone on long enough. Let’s try to clear things up.
“First, I’d like to introduce you to someone. Right here, this lovely young lady.”
“Uh, um...hi. I’m, well, from the Purple Tower—”
“Heh, even if she’s pretty on the outside, if she’s working with a scumbag like you, she’s clearly a vile woman. And she’s short! Anyone under 170 cm doesn’t even count as a woman!”
“......!!”
Yuna, who had started to introduce herself, was taken aback by the unexpected insult.
Thud.
She stumbled briefly, looking up at me with the expression of a squirrel struck by lightning, as if to ask if I truly didn’t see her as a woman. I responded with a gaze filled with boundless affection, hoping to lift her spirits. She may be petite, but where could I find anyone else like Yuna? I love her.
“I-I’m not short! I’m a woman too...!”
Encouraged, Yuna glared at the boy and protested.
“Sorry, can’t hear you from down there.”
“......!!”
Unable to endure the insult of being called short by another short person, Yuna puffed her cheeks ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) in anger and stepped forward to deliver her signature “Yuna Punch.”
I held her back from behind, lifting her up. The Yuna Punch is exclusively for me; I can’t allow it, even for a young kid.
“Easy now.”
“Let go, let go...! I need to teach him some respect!”
“It’s alright; Yuri will teach him respect for adults.”
“Are you subtly saying I’m short?!”
It’s true, isn’t it?
Our second negotiator, Yuri Lancaster, stepped forward. Adjusting her glasses, she emanated an authoritative aura. Having worked on the frontline in extermination operations, she had a presence that couldn’t be ignored.
The kid, who had confidently insulted Yuna, seemed momentarily subdued in front of Yuri, but then spat out a venomous remark.
“Monster breasts! You must weigh a lot too!”
“Your ignorance shows. One day, you’ll come to appreciate the curves of the human body and the marvel of human reproduction. When that day comes, you’ll regret your words.”
Yes, he’s still just a kid.
The Hypnotic Detective rolled his eyes before shouting, “Old hag!”
“There is a flaw in that statement. I am not—”
“Hag! Hag! Hag!”
“.......”
A vein visibly bulged in Yuri’s neck. I was stunned; I’d never seen her this provoked before.
Though Yuri and I are around the same age, I always assumed she didn’t mind much about age. But that reaction seemed...personal.
“Hag—”
“Silence.”
Clink! The chain tightened around the boy’s neck, choking off his words.
“Cough, ack...!”
“Whoa, hey! Yuri, you’re going to choke him out!”
“There are certain types that only understand hierarchy established through force. Tell me...do I look that old?”
“You could pass as an academy student in a uniform. The kid’s just saying whatever comes to mind because he’s feeling scared and bitter. Let it go.”
I gently calmed Yuri down, patting her on the back. Who would’ve thought two of my comrades would be defeated by a mere child’s taunts?
“Yeah, that’s right. You’re in your prime, sis!”
“Are you picking a fight, Selvia? Choose: bed or ring.”
Meanwhile, Selvia, having jumped into the conversation, seemed to be egging her on further. As expected of a fire mage, her talent for stoking flames was top-notch.
It looked like Selvia had no intention of participating in the Hypnotic Detective interrogation. Of all of us, she was the most hot-tempered, so if the kid hit her with a line like “you look like you’ll never find love,” a fireball would probably fly straight at his face. She seemed to know her own limits and wisely stepped back.
Looks like I’ll have to handle this myself.
“Alright, young man. Let’s act like gentlemen. I’m here to clear up misunderstandings, but if you keep this up, we’ll never get anywhere.”
“You...‘Goat’... You snuck into the Academy to torment students. You’re useless to the world at your age, and your tone makes it sound like you’re just pretending to be polite. Pathetic.”
Whoa, easy now.
I raised both hands, trying to calm the atmosphere. The Hypnotic Detective was like a cornered wild dog, growling out of fear. I needed to assure him that he was safe, that we weren’t enemies, that he didn’t need to be on guard. I smiled gently.
“Listen, just take a breath and hear me out. Give me five minutes, and I’ll explain everything. I understand the urge to throw insults in case it’s your last chance, but...”
And then the kid hit my weak spot.
“I get it now. You’re just a weird, pathetic old man with childish hobbies.”
“What do you know, you brat?! TRPGs are the most intellectually perfect hobby, influencing countless famous works, improving social skills, and reading comprehension! Even ancient records extoll their virtues, and—”
“Stop him! Yuri, grab him!”
“Mima, get ahold of yourself! He’s a child!”
“Professor, how are you going to fix this if you’re the one getting riled up?”
Yuna, Yuri, and Selvia dragged me away.
Defeat.
Three grown-ups, plus one, sat slumped around a table with gloomy faces, brooding over our loss to a prepubescent boy’s sharp tongue.
Then Aisha walked in, taking one look at us and asking, “Dad, what are you doing? And what’s with those three? Are you about to...you know, pass on?”
“We’re reflecting on our defeat.”
I briefly explained the situation. Upon hearing that we’d lost to a kid’s innocent insults, Aisha burst into laughter. Rolling up her sleeves, she volunteered to clear things up herself.
“Humans get so caught up in trivialities. Things like age or body shape are illusions that can be changed. So all I have to do is clarify things and get him to listen quietly, right?”
“No extreme measures.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m not going to rip out his fingernails or anything. But respect has always stemmed from fear, you know?”
Crrr. Crrrack.
“A little scare should do the trick.”
“Oh, so Goat even has a child minion under his control...!”
“Now, now, Hypnotic Detective, don’t be fooled by appearances. Inside every beautiful flower lies something much more terrifying—”
Aisha’s form started to shift, transforming the scene into something out of a horror movie.
Her pupils split, her tongue darted out, her head split vertically, revealing rows of monstrous teeth and protrusions—
“Oh, hey, knock it off!”
I urgently hit the back of Aisha’s head, prompting her to reluctantly revert her transformation.
“Why?!”
“We’re already being mistaken for villains! Showing them that will just make us look like dark wizards!”
“You said it was important to clear up the misunderstanding. So, as long as he knows you’re not this ‘Goat’ guy, mission accomplished. Look, Hypnotic Detective, this man is far greater and stronger than any Goat or whatever.”
“Is that...really the right approach...?”
The kid’s face went pale as he looked at Aisha, as if recalling a long-forgotten nightmare.
“...Page 32, line three, ‘Goat’ has an obsession with illusion magic. He doesn’t dabble in other types of magic. That belief borders on faith. It can be used as an indicator of identity.”
“Hmm...?”
“He wouldn’t have tampered with his body. So...you’re not Goat. You’re still a disgusting dark wizard, but not...him. How could you turn someone into that...!”
Well, it seems the misunderstanding is finally clearing up!
“How was that, Dad? Did well, didn’t I?”
Aisha grinned mischievously, her eyes brimming with mischief. She’d clearly done it on purpose, just to mess with me.
“Now you’ve really tangled things up, you brat.”
“I didn’t lie! I clarified the misunderstanding and knocked down his pride a notch, didn’t I?”
“Get back here, you!”
“Nyah-nyah.”
Chasing after Aisha with a surge of magically boosted speed, I went along with her playful antics, hoping to lift Yuna’s spirits a bit as she wore a subdued look.
But, as the Hypnotic Detective pondered, could it be that it was illusion magic, not body modification? Suspicion crept back in. In the end, Aisha’s intervention had only stirred things up more.
After a long, drawn-out period of persuasion, we managed to reduce the suspicion level to something like “perhaps the Mad Wizard and Goat aren’t the same person.” We also confirmed Yuna’s identity as the Purple Tower Master. Apparently, she had access to some critical keywords that only a tower master would know.
The Hypnotic Detective’s eyes widened.
“So...the fabled Purple Tower Master who purged the corrupt has always been...a kid?”
Yuna almost lost her composure but steadied herself before addressing the boy.
“Yes. So, please believe me. Whoever this ‘Goat’ may be...if he’s as evil as you say, I would have erased him. I made sure that no one related to that past remained.”
Her declaration had a chilling certainty, a prayerful promise that seemed like she desperately wished it were true. I trust her. If anyone could purge illusion magic, it’s Yuna and her Subtract spell. If she erased it, it’s gone.
But the Hypnotic Detective shook his head resolutely.
“No, Goat is definitely still alive.”
“I wiped out everyone involved. I said that. Are you lying to me?”
Creeeak.
The space around us seemed to scream as Yuna’s anger surged. Her sheer presence cowed the boy, but he didn’t back down.
“Still...he’s alive. I have proof. It’s...in my bag.”
“Yuna, let’s hear him out.”
I gently held Yuna back, feeling her rapid heartbeat through my grip.
The boy, sweating profusely, continued.
“There’s a way to identify him. A way to prove he’s alive. It’s the same. If you’re really innocent, give me back the items you confiscated. Then I’ll believe you a bit more.”
“Quite the little prince, aren’t you? Here.”
“...If it turns out you’re not Goat, I’ll apologize. But not yet.”
“Fine, suit yourself.”
Returning the items, the boy prioritized retrieving a thick book. Judging by his expression, it was precious to him.
Then he picked up two scrolls, intricately designed and tightly packed with mana-infused patterns.
“This is a tracking scroll. If I activate it, it’ll point to Goat’s location for ten seconds.”
“The contents seem like data fragments. I see... You’ve maximized the essence of returning to the source to create it?”
“How did you know...?”
“If Goat is dead, it won’t go anywhere and will vanish on the spot. But if he’s alive, it’ll work. Go ahead and activate it.”
“...I can’t.”
Oh.
Right, the kid has no magic of his own.
While he could use mana stones to power it, the scroll was complex, requiring a skilled mage’s precise control. Out of those present, probably only Aisha or I could manage it.
“No wonder you were so quick to assume the worst. You couldn’t use it yourself.”
“...Since the verdict’s still out, you’re still a suspect! Keep that in mind!”
“Prepare your apology, Hypnotic Detective. I’m activating it.”
I tore one scroll, triggering its effect.
Whoosh!
A beam of light shot forward, disappearing beyond the wall. Briefly visualizing a mental map, I noted the direction led toward the Purple Tower.
Of course, there were plenty of areas and buildings along the way, so it wasn’t a guaranteed destination. Still, I had a gut feeling that if the light continued indefinitely, it would eventually reach the Purple Tower.
“...So, it really wasn’t you.”
The Hypnotic Detective relaxed, his suspicions eased now that the light hadn’t pointed to me. But I tensed up. I’d long suspected there was a traitor within the Purple Tower, though I hadn’t imagined it would be one of the people Yuna thought she had already purged.
If the boy was right, then somehow, Goat had survived Yuna’s Subtract. I’d need to increase his threat level by at least three ranks.
I turned to the boy, now breathing a sigh of relief.
“So, who is this Goat? What does he do?”
Flip.
The Hypnotic Detective opened his book, revealing page upon page of meticulous notes. Methods for tracking criminals, etiquette for detectives, principles and advanced techniques for hypnosis magic, reward tables.
And then, on one page, information scrawled in rough handwriting, detailing a vendetta for revenge.
“Page 31, he resembles a jester. A relentless fatalist, he sometimes behaves as if fate itself were his religion. He is exceptionally eloquent, skilled at stirring human desires. Though he may seem kind, he lacks empathy for others’ suffering. Heartlessly, the heavens granted him a natural talent.”
“.......”
“I avoid uttering his name for magical safety, so I call him Goat. You too, my apprentice, refrain from saying his name. In the next paragraph, I’ll write it, so read it without speaking. His true name is—”
“Payne Keeper.”
The name came not from the boy, but from Yuna.
Crack.
The space around us twisted, the dining table bucked like a foal, the ceiling grinned, and the sofa contorted, folding in on itself repeatedly. The air was filled with lingering illusions, projections of Yuna’s unstable emotions.
I caught a glimpse of a memory—a prison, with a young Yuna trapped within.
Beyond the bars, a man stood smiling, mouthing words. Though silent, I could read his lips.
“All your friends died in agony. The project is complete, and you’re the last one. Start thinking about what you’ll tell them when you join them in hell, Yuna Lurensto.”
So that was it.
I had always suspected Yuna had endured something horrific in her past. I didn’t know the details, as she always brushed it off as something “long resolved.”
But the one who had scarred her so deeply was still alive, clinging to life somewhere out there.
Perhaps closer than I had ever imagined.