『Noose Engraving Despair』 was carrying out operations in various ways to conquer Crownhall.
What kept the Empire strong and stable?
It was the unwavering competence of the imperial lineage.
Because humans were inherently imperfect, even a great ruler could sometimes have less capable offspring.
High-class Dark Wizards could afford to wait however. They could extend their lifespans many times over using various wicked techniques powered by crushing others' souls.
Historically, the reason why many kingdoms faced destruction at the hands of the Dark Wizards was because they struck during its most vulnerable times: under a foolish king, an arrogant king, or a useless king full of misguided ambition.
In such times, defending against a precise strike was nearly impossible.
But the Empire was different. It seemed like there was no concept of an 'incompetent Imperial Descendant' within its ranks. Every Imperial Descendant was a genius, and even if they had personal flaws, they were never incompetent.
Was it the power of their lineage? Did their blonde hair bring such great traits?
It wasn’t. Even if someone stole the royal seed and created children, they were only born with blonde hair and blue eyes, not with talent.So, then⋯⋯.
The secret of their competence might lie in the Imperial Capital, Crownhall.
Was it the blessing of the Goddess, or the effect of some ancient artifact, or maybe a secret technique of an unknown Archwizard? Nobody knew for certain. But it was clear that something existed, hidden at the center of Crownhall—in the Imperial Family quarters.
If they could destroy it, or take it into their own hands⋯⋯.
The Empire, seemingly eternal for thousands of years, could finally be toppled.
Usually, Dark Wizards rarely cooperated with one another, but the promise of the 'Fall of the Empire' was too enticing. It was worth investing considerable power.
Therefore, with the backing of other notable Dark Wizards, 『Noose Engraving Despair』 was able to pursue several plans to attack and take over Crownhall.
The magic that turned people into living spies was also a gift from another named warlock. He thought he should make good use of this gift.
They contacted a moron and gave him the power to control anything he desired. It was convenient that he was a noble, even better that he was greedy and thought primarily with his lower body.
Using an artifact that could manipulate others as bait, they could use his influence to spread their magic throughout Crownhall.
The plan was progressing smoothly. They had already gathered significant information and were looking forward to obtaining even more. Now, they could take their plan a step further.
The use of hypnotized people to cause chaos. If sudden terrors erupted everywhere, panic would ensue⋯⋯.
『Noose Engraving Despair』 assigned three useful men to the viscount for this work. They acted as a guard, a watchdog, and a command tower to lead all operations, leaving the virtually useless viscount as just a figurehead.
All three were Dark Wizards at the level of Metamorphosis, capable of using their souls as fuel.
One among them had a skill level of Metamorphosis that could be amplified by sacrificing others' souls. The power was so great that even those at the same level wouldn’t be able to handle it.
And then there was the stone statue.
The hypnotizing function was merely a side effect of the magic engraved on its surface. The true power lay within the statue itself.
There was a reason why magic was engraved on a rough stone statue rather than on precious metal that had high Mana conductivity. In times of emergency, the stone statue itself could be used as a power source.
So, they weren't worried even when uninvited guests entered the mansion.
“That’s 『Puppet』 Lorei. And the other one⋯⋯ looks like an agent from the Defense Bureau. Her breasts are incredible.”
“The agent seems to be pretty good at fighting, but that weak-looking guy is nothing special. Three moves would be enough to kill him. And is that little kid⋯⋯ a servant? I can’t sense anything from her.”
“A kid? What do you mean by kid? That one? Hey man, if you call a bitch with breasts like that a kid, how big do you want them to be?”
They even had time to joke. There were four enemies, but only two were of any concern. The Dark Wizard, who had mastered Metamorphosis, lowered his voice and spoke while adjusting his bowstring.
“Quiet. We'll descend and ambush once the viscount is gone. We'll kill all but one person.”
“Yeah yeah, I’ll break it. Let's go.”
The Dual-swordsman spat and drew his sword from his waist.
Chajajajack-! Rumblee!
The dual-swordsman destroyed the ceiling and dropped down. Up until that point, the Dark Wizards believed they would be able to finish off the intruders in one fell swoop. If they had time to spare, they even considered capturing them alive and having some fun.
But then, an indescribable light flashed from the twin-tailed girl's hand.
“Th-This is⋯⋯ the Purple Magic Tower’s⋯⋯!!"
When the archer, the most powerful Dark Wizard among them, was 'erased' in half mid-sentence as if he had figured something out, they realized that things had gone terribly wrong.
There was a monster hiding amongst them.
===============================================================
I blinked to focus my eyes. Obviously, the guy with the dual swords had swung his weapon while falling⋯⋯ and I had fired magic in a hurry. When I came to my senses, I saw that Pink-Haired Lesbian was standing between me and the swordsman.
"You⋯⋯."
Her forearm was cut and bleeding. Judging by the amount of blood, the cut wasn’t deep enough to expose the bone.
She summoned the chain and wrapped it around both arms, speaking without looking back.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“⋯⋯Thanks to you, I’m not.”
All kinds of thoughts flooded my mind. If I had been a warrior and not a wizard, Yuri Lanster wouldn't have gotten hurt. Or, maybe if I had prepared some immediate defensive magic⋯⋯
But now was not the time to indulge in such thoughts. I quickly surveyed the battlefield.
A big muscular guy wielding a greatsword.
A slim guy with dual swords.
And the archer was⋯⋯ dead. His mind was completely shattered by Tower Master Yuna’s interception. He lay on the ground, drooling.
They probably never expected a Tower Master to be among us. This fight was already our victory. Because we were too strong for them.
In fact, the guy with the dual swords was sweating coldly and glaring at the archer's corpse.
“What, is he dead⋯⋯? What happened, damn it⋯⋯! Why?!”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
Let's think this through. If the Tower Master used her magic, the battle would end immediately. However, we needed information.
Given the circumstances, there was a high probability that the viscount was just an empty shell Subduing the attackers could yield useful information. So, we needed to extract it through interrogation or other means.
So I asked.
“Tower Master, is it possible for you to capture them while keeping the information intact?”
"Hm⋯⋯."
The moment she hesitated, that meant it was a no. Due to her inability to control her power precisely, she could capture them at best, but nothing useful might remain. If their brains were wiped clean, no amount of interrogation would retrieve any information.
Basically, aiming was the problem. She needed to fire a cannon, but she had to aim well enough so that their heads didn’t explode into pieces. So.
“It’s possible if we hold them in place, right?”
“Eung. If you d-do that. I will cleanly erase only the limbs. B-But if anyone is in danger, I’m going to shoot them right away.”
Roger that.
“Esteemed Junior, I'll handle the one with the greatsword alone.”
"⋯⋯Are you saying that a wizard is going fight one-on-one alone without a vanguard? 『Puppet』 Lorei?”
“There’s no need to worry, Ms. Agent. I’m taking him because I’m confident. That guy doesn’t look as strong as you.”
“In that case, Crazy Wizard and I will⋯⋯ subdue or kill the dual swordsman together.”
Distribution complete. Senior Scarface moved away, casting spells to keep the Greatsword Guy in check, while Pink-Haired Lesbian charged at the dual swordsman.
The blood seeping through her chains kept distracting me.
I gritted my teeth and prepared my magic.
===============================================================
The Dark Wizard wielding the greatsword glared at Lorei. He recognized her from the list of persons of interest he had received in advance.
“『Puppet』 Lorei⋯⋯I’ve heard the name a lot. I heard you mainly do dungeon exploration quests?”
“Do you have an exploration quest to entrust? But I don’t think this is an ideal situation to accept it.”
In response to Lorei's cunning reply, the Dark Wizard hefted his greatsword above his head.
"It's easier to deal with idiots who are adventurers than mercenaries. You lot are the type of people to show off after barely managing to tussle with golems. Have you ever even killed anyone before?"
“Probably more than you think.”
“Then let’s find out. Burnt Offering(燔祭), 『Burning Mental Barrier』-!!"
Kkeuaaaaaack-!
A tortured soul stored in the greatsword let out a terrible scream and was torn to pieces. Dark, thick mana spread, and the Dark Wizard used it to complete his spell.
A pitch-black flame flickered in his eyes.
“⋯⋯That’s the Red Tower’s Mental Protection Spell.”
“Yes. It burns away all attempts to harm the mind. 『Puppet』 Lorei... It's obvious from your nickname. Aren’t you going to use Illusion Magic to manipulate other people’s bodies as you wish?”
Woosh Woosh. The greatsword slashed through the air with a menacing sound.
“The wizard of the Purple Magic Tower is really easy to hunt⋯⋯. With just a few souls, I can easily block it like this-!!"
“『Dispersing Illusion』.”
Thump thump thump . Lorei calmly finished her incantation as she faced the massive Dark Wizard charging at her. Since Mental Interference didn't work, she used magic that distorted light and affected vision.
There was nothing awkward about a highly skilled wizard’s illusion. Lorei created an intricate illusion based on solid fundamentals built through hard work.
As the light spread, Lorei's image split into three. The movements of each illusion were natural, each moving in different directions. The Dark Wizard couldn't distinguish between real and fake.
“Heueup!”
Woosh-!
The greatsword split an illusion in half.
Swooosh-! Ting!
Lorei seized the opportunity and threw a dagger. However, the Dark Wizard blocked it by channeling Mana into his entire armor. He spoke as he cut down another illusion with his greatsword.
"If you're waiting for my Mana to run out, you're mistaken. I have ten souls stored in my greatsword! With this, I can fight all day. Even though your head will fall off before⋯⋯that!"
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
There was no weakness for a Dark Wizard wasting so much mana. He could easily win by simply increasing the output without any effort or research for efficiency.
He could wield such great power by committing the sin of burning the souls of others.
Then, what reason was there to hesitate?
The Dark Wizard channeled a vast amount of mana into his greatsword. It was covered with so much mana that the blade was no longer visible. Though it lacked sharpness or precision, it could crush easily.
There were no more illusions left. Lorei, standing there blankly, had to be the real one. The Dark Wizard swung his greatsword at her.
In front of him, Lorei quietly raised her finger.
“Let me correct you one thing.”
"DIE──!!"
Swish- Boooooom!!
The greatsword fell. Right next to Lorei. On the ground.
Cold sweat broke out on the Dark Wizard's face.
"⋯⋯Wh-What? I tried to⋯⋯!"
“A spell that blocks attempts to harm the mind, you said? There’s no way that would work.Because 『Puppet』 is not a spell that steals control or something like that.”
His senses⋯⋯ felt strange. His arm didn't feel like his own. Something, something was strangely twisted. He was sure he had cast the Mental Protection Spell.
“What, did you⋯⋯!"
“『Puppet』 doesn’t mean turning others into a puppet. The puppet is not you, it’s me.”
The Dark Wizard tried to pull out his greatsword. But no matter how hard he tried, his arm wouldn't move. Instead, Lorei in front of him raised her own arm, as if on strings. Lorei spoke quietly.
“Because this magic, it gifts myself to someone else.”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯!!"
Only then did the Dark Wizard realize the source of his discomfort. Lorei had ‘gifted’ him the sense of her own body. The arm he had been trying to move wasn’t his own, but Lorei's.
The Dark Wizard quickly thought. If this arm was Lorei’s arm⋯⋯
"Then⋯⋯!"
That meant all he had to do was move Lorei's arm to hit her through his own movements. The Dark Wizard moved his arm and punched himself.
Thwack-!
"Kkeuk⋯⋯!"
The Dark Wizard ended up hitting himself in the face. This was because Lorei had canceled 『Puppet』, returning his senses to normal.
Lorei smiled.
“Now, which one of these is your arm? Think carefully and let me know.”
“EU, EUAAA──!!"
It was a swamp of terrible mind games. He never knew when or how he would be 'gifted' a sense. He couldn’t tell if the arm he was about to swing was his own or Lorei’s.
When he extended his fist forward, he didn’t know whether he would hit himself with his own fist or Lorei with her arm. Amid the complicated and distorted chaos, the warlock danced according to Lorey's will.
At the end of the puppet play, only the fainted Dark Wizard, who had repeatedly punched himself in the face, was left.
Lorei stretched her body, having finished the battle. Since he was an ignorant brute, she had easily defeated him. If he had honed his senses even a little, she would’ve needed more complex mind games.
“And now, how is Esteemed Junior doin─⋯⋯."
Lorei turned her head. The Dual-Swordsman was emitting light and was on the verge of self-destructing.
"?"
===============================================================
EUAAAAAA-!!
“Burnt Offering(燔祭), 『Reinforce Mental Barrier』, 『Body Reinforcement』."
As the soul's scream rang out, a large amount of Mana overflowed from the Dual-swordsman’s body. The buff he received was quite basic.
A simple enhancement that increased physical performance by excessively spending Mana without any special process. Therefore, there were no particular weaknesses. It was like pressing someone down with sheer brute force.
"『Trojan Horse』, 『Time Perception Distortion』, 『Ticklish』⋯⋯."
I had been casting magic into his mind, but he didn't build a Mental Barrier using skill—he just did it with sheer quantity. It felt tightly packed with countless dirt bags, making it incredibly difficult to penetrate.
Even if I managed to persistently gnaw at it and one spell slipped through⋯⋯
“...Hmph, do you think that would work?”
He broke it with a mere shake of his head. This guy was using Mental Cleanse in real time. Since I was getting pushed back by weight class, there wasn't much I could do against him.
“Metamorphosis (羽化) - 『True Desire Restraint (本望拘束) : Foreplay(前戲)』.”
Chiiiiiiiiiiiiiiink!
Yuri Lanster entered Metamorphosis in a durable form. In addition to just using it all at once, like when she destroyed a golem, there also seemed to be a way to sustain it over a long period of time.
“Heueup!”
_WHIIIIRL-!!_
Yuri swung the chain wrapped around her arm. The silver chain drew a semicircle, instantly shattering and scattering the tables and chairs it struck.
The Dual-Swordsman wasn’t in the wreckage. He lowered his stance, nearly glued to the ground, and shot out like a cockroach.
_Paat-! Kagagagang!_
The blade soared upward like a salmon swimming upstream. Yuri deflected a strike with the chains wrapped around her forearm, and then threw a kick at his face as if she was sweeping the floor.
_Smack!_
Hit by the kick, his body lifted into the air, but I saw him raise one hand to block it. It hadn’t struck properly. He used Yuri's attack to intentionally propel himself upward.
“Yuri, block it-!"
“Heht!”
Swooosh! Clang!
The Dual-Swordsman’s body rotated rapidly in the air. The two blades spun like a blender, and her blood sprayed out as her chains were cut.
“Y,-You punk⋯⋯!!"
The Tower Master pointed with her finger. Wooong . The light that carved out information gathered at the tip of her finger, but it seemed like the Dual-swordsman was well aware of her presence. He constantly moved, keeping Yuri in the line of fire.
He knew who the most dangerous one here was.
I needed to create a variable. I summoned a hologram.
"『Hologram : Butler Army』!"
“What kind of joke is thi⋯⋯ keuk?!”
The Dual-Swordsman tried to ignore the rushing holograms, thinking they were illusions. But after being hit by the Butler Punch, he realized that they had physical force.
“What kind of strange magic⋯⋯ fuck off!”
Chajajajack!
The holograms clinging to the dual-swordsman were instantly slashed apart. But I had bought some time. I quickly started thinking.
The current Illusion Magic wasn’t really effective. He literally poured Mana into blocking it with sheer force. Even if I broke through it, he immediately used Mental Cleanse.
No matter how many debuffs I cast, it was useless against an enemy who essentially drank debuff removal potions every second.
If it had been an environment where other people's beliefs could be absorbed like in『Step into a Door, Ascend into a World (踏門昇界)』, I would have been able to exert sufficient deterrent power, but there were no handful of weak ones to absorb belief from.
No wonder Senior Scarface was so critical of Illusion Magic. It was a real pain in the ass when I got countered.
I needed⋯⋯ a different kind of magic.
Something beyond the usual TRPG spells, something else.
Ever since I reincarnated into this world, I never thought much about harming others. I never thought of magic for killing either.
Because it wasn't fun. And I didn’t need it. Since I was protected by the Tower Master, I thought complacently⋯⋯ that I didn't have to delve into such violent magics.
But now I felt like I needed something like ‘that’. A magic that could cut people's heads off.
A magic that could pierce through that bastard⋯⋯ before more wounds were inflicted on Yuri’s beautiful body.
If the mental barrier created with a ridiculous amount of Mana was the problem, I would break through with a focused attack.
If Mental Cleanse was the issue, I just needed to take him down in one shot. Like the Tower Master’s magic.
I had to create my own.
I twisted the magic into a spiral. The tip was sharp and pointy, designed to pierce the barrier and reach deep into his brain.
I infused emotion into the Mana. I had data: the despair and suffering of the trio who had been immersed in and extracted from a Cthulhu session, the Second Prince's heartbreak. I crammed all that mental suffering into the Mana.
“What, are you⋯⋯ damn it!”
“Mr. Wizard, I’ll protect you. Whatever it is, keep doing what you were doing!”
Let’s concentrate. Carve it precisely.
It was a simple but effective arrow shot. But there is no need to throw off projections. It would doggedly pursue its prey, preying on people's hearts.
“The shadow beneath the feet, the darkness peeking through the cracks in the closet, the solitude of the pitch-black night.”
A pitch-black arrow that shatters minds.
I shot him dead.”
===============================================================
“This is what happened, Prince.”
“Ah, I see. So, what you’re saying is that⋯⋯ the Dark Wizard, whose mind was shattered, decided to self-destruct and caused an explosion that blew up half of the mansion. Fortunately, there were no casualties because the Tower Master redirected the explosion. But then you got arrested by the Capital Knight Order that came after hearing the commotion⋯⋯ and I just bailed you out from that?"
“Right.”
Second Prince Irid closed his eyes and thought for a moment, then finally came to a conclusion.
“Get down.”
“Yep.”
I quietly placed my head on the ground and laid down.
But still, we got something out of it. We captured hostages, including the viscount, obtained evidence, acquired the hypnosis app, and also found something suspicious and interesting but⋯⋯.
If I told him now, all the accomplishments would be used to calm him down. I wanted to receive praise and reward. I should tell the Second Prince about it once he calms down.
***
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