Chapter 98
“Are you suggesting that we should make the first offer?”
“Exactly. You need to show at least that much sincerity. Am I wrong?”
“No, you’re absolutely right. You can never be wrong.” The mages all fell into deep thought, without exception. So among the 53 people trying to figure out how to please me, there were even three archmages.
“Would an infinite amount of money be sufficient?”
“Do I look like someone who needs money?”
“Th-then, how about the knowledge we possess?”
“You’re the ones hungry for knowledge, not me.”
“What about power, then? At your word or gesture, everyone here would—”
“Have you forgotten who I was just with?”
“A woman—”
“Go ahead, try it. See if it works.”
“……” With all their best cards blocked, everyone visibly deflated. There was no point in making any offers right now since I planned to reject them all. Unless they suggested showing me a ninja wielding a lightsaber, piloting a nanotech mecha-Tyrannosaurus, fighting alongside a bipedal robot on a spaceship while reciting haikus. Honestly, I might consider that.
“Give us some time. We will definitely come up with something you need.”
“Suit yourself.” In conclusion, nothing dramatically changed right away. They needed to learn the healing magic first and then worry about their proposals.
“Let’s start with the most basic healing magic.” I began drawing the magic circle for healing magic on the mana plate prepared by the Mage Association. Exclamations of awe erupted from all around at the sight of the never-before-seen spell formation. As they tried to get a closer look, a fight almost broke out. I had to threaten to throw out anyone who moved from their spot to keep them quiet.
“Wow…! This is…! This is…!”
“What a brilliant light it emits! Truly magnificent!”
“We have finally reached the truth… Our time was not wasted!”
Since it was just a basic healing spell, everyone seemed to grasp it just by watching. Some even shed tears as they admired the green light emanating from their palms. A few eager ones cut their own arms to test the healing magic, only to panic when it didn’t work. With a sigh, I healed them.
“It’s the lowest level, remember? It can only heal wounds that haven’t drastically changed in form.”
“S-sorry…”
“It’s fine. It’s my fault for not explaining beforehand. Let’s move on to the next one.”
I drew the magic circle for a lower-level healing spell right beside it. The lecture hall fell silent once again.
“If we can just capture that person… all that knowledge will be ours, no, mine…”
The female mages, now dressed in even more revealing clothes than when I first saw them, were muttering to themselves and staring at me as if entranced. I could guess their intentions, but I had no plans to choose anyone. It was a pointless effort.
“From the intermediate level onwards, it’ll be a bit more challenging, so take your time.”
After confirming that everyone had mastered the lower-level spells, we moved on to the intermediate level. The groaning increased noticeably. While some succeeded quickly, others struggled to find any clues.
The reason for their struggles was their usual method of casting magic. The prodigies who relied on their innate talent without special knowledge couldn’t understand the technique, while the bookworms who used calculations and knowledge dissected the spell and succeeded.
Of course, both types were geniuses worthy of being tower masters, but if I had to divide them, that was the difference.
“That’s it for today. I’ll teach you the highest-level healing magic in three days, so make sure you master everything up to this point.”
I drew the magic circle for the higher-level healing spell and declared the class over. Everyone nodded with determined faces and focused on drawing the circles.
“If you need test subjects, talk with the Sword Saint. Don’t bother anyone else unnecessarily. You’ll probably get plenty of chances. I’m leaving now.”
“W-wait a moment!”
I was about to head back to the palace after warning them not to use humans as test subjects, but someone raised their hand and stopped me. It was the female mage I first met, now fully cured of the side effects of dragonification.
“What is it?”
“You mentioned there’s a highest-level healing spell. C-can it revive the dead?”
“…Revive the dead?”
It wasn’t a completely absurd question. In this world, spells with the “highest-level” prefix wield unfathomable power. Just the term “highest-level healing magic” might suggest extraordinary abilities.
However,
“If that existed, I would’ve used it first.”
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
.
.
.
I returned to the palace. Laura was still asleep, curled up on top of my clothes. Watching her quietly, I took out the necklace I had previously placed in my inner pocket. Even if Laura woke up and saw me, it wouldn’t matter. After all, Elysier was also a possessor like me. It would be good if she found out now, as I’d have to explain it all to her later anyway.
I put on the necklace. Silence. No voice spoke to me. Until now, the voice had always spoken up as soon as I put the necklace on, as if it had been waiting.
Thinking Elysier might be busy, I decided to wait. I could always try to contact her again later if nothing happened after waiting for a couple of hours. She must have her own matters to attend to as a Demon King.
With nothing better to do, I started stroking Laura’s head. Even in her sleep, she would smile blissfully when my hand touched her and whimper when it didn’t. She reminded me so much of Priscilla.
“How long have I kept you waiting, my dear?”
I heard Elysier’s voice after what seemed like quite a while.
“Were you busy? If so, I’m sorry. Should we talk later?”
“No, things have calmed down now.”
Her words implied that she had indeed been busy. Her voice also sounded a bit more excited than usual.
“What happened?”
“Creatures tainted with dark energy appeared in the Demon Realm. The ones you encountered. They were ordinary monsters, but they were brainwashed… no, infected might be the right word. In any case, they were infected with dark energy and attacked the Demon King’s castle.”
“…Dark energy appeared in the Demon Realm?”
“Yes. They suddenly stormed into the castle, claiming they had come to bring death to the false Demon King. I had to personally deal with them, execute the guards who were on duty at the time per the generals’ recommendations, and take measures to contain the situation. But above all…”
Elysier let out a deep sigh.
“The demonic sword is missing.”
“Wait. What do you mean by that? The demonic sword is missing?”
“Isn’t it exactly as it sounds? It’s vanished without a trace, as if it evaporated into thin air. To the demons, the demonic sword is no different from the holy sword to humans. Even without it, I am still the Demon King, but it’s unavoidable that some will doubt.”
Her words reminded me of something.
“Wait. I have something to tell you.”
I explained about the Demon God. It was a plot device meant to be the final boss of the story, but the author ended the series abruptly, leaving it as a mere plothole.
Elysier was silent for a while.
“……Then, the concept of a demon god may also have been reborn as a real entity. Do you think the black aura is also likely to be the power of the demon god?”
“At least, that’s what I think. The Demon Sword mentioned the demon god, didn’t it? If the goddess created the Holy Sword, then it’s only natural to assume that the Demon Sword was created by the demon god. It’s just a speculation, but the probability is quite high.”
“I understand. That is indeed a plausible assumption. However, may I ask how you can be so certain that the author made it so? Did you discover some arrangement left behind by the author in this world?”
It wasn’t so much that I discovered an arrangement left by the author, but rather that I found the author herself. I glanced down at Laura, who was sleeping with her cheek resting on my palm, a happy smile on her face, and replied, “Laura, the imperial princess, was actually the author. She was also possessed just like you, and before she met me, she had been trapped in an endless cycle of regression.”
“…”
Elysier gasped. I intentionally left out the number of regressions. It was something that Laura herself should reveal, not a third party.
“Th-that… Is that… No, that, or rather, is that really true?”
Elysier stuttered in disbelief, unable to form a coherent sentence.
“Yes, but let’s leave the detailed explanation for later. We have more pressing matters to attend to, like dealing with the demon world. We might need to move up the schedule for dealing with the legion commander.”
“Okay, I understand. I mean, I understand, my lord. Let’s proceed accordingly.”
After settling the internal affairs of the empire, the next priority was to address Elysier’s situation. While ordinary demons might not pose much of a challenge, a legion commander empowered by the black aura could be extremely troublesome.
One concern was the unknown strength of the demon god…
“Hmm…”
Fortunately, there was someone I could ask about it.
.
.
.
“Can you do it properly?”
“Do you know how long I’ve lived as Laura? I can play the role of the crown prince with my eyes closed.”
Laura, who finally woke up when the sun was high in the sky, exclaimed that she had slept well for the first time in a long while. She then tried to make a deal with me, asking for the clothes I wore every day.
Around that time, we received news that the emperor had summoned us. Laura had already transformed back into the crown prince. It was a remarkable change, as if her personality had completely shifted.
After we finished preparing and were about to leave the room, there was no sign of the whiny Laura who had demanded my clothes earlier.
“However, there is a clear limitation.”
“What kind of limitation?”
“In the end, all I have in my head are the knowledge and behavior of the Laura from the novel. If the situation goes beyond the scope of the novel, I’ll have to rely on my own improvisation. Just like I’ve been doing so far. Haven’t you ever felt that my actions are strangely lacking compared to my words?”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“I’m living Laura’s life, but inside, I’m just a possessed person. Moreover, I’m a possessed person who lost most of my memories and believes myself to be the imperial princess. It’s only natural that meaningful actions would be difficult with such a mind.”
Laura gave me a meaningful smile.
“From now on, I’ll be in dire need of your help more than ever. You have a responsibility to fulfill since you rescued me from my fantasy.”
“…”
I had a vague feeling that I had heard those words before.
“If you take responsibility, I will also do my part. Come, let’s go. The emperor awaits.”
“Do we need to go through the usual procedures? I heard that it takes more than three days just for the preparations.”
At my question, Laura scoffed.
“When a father calls for his daughter, how could there be a need for preparations? Anyone who demands such a thing would incur the wrath of the emperor. Just follow me.”
I followed her determined figure without hesitation. Royal guards lined the hallway leading to the room where the emperor resided. As Laura passed by, they bowed deeply to her.
They didn’t bow to me, but they offered a respectful nod with admiration in their eyes. Perhaps it was because they could now receive real-time healing without relying on the Starlight Church.
“Open the door.”
“Yes!”
Four royal guards opened the doors with a disciplined motion, holding them on both sides. In the distance, the figure of the emperor sitting on the throne could be vaguely seen.
While the marks of time were evident on his face, his muscular physique beneath the imperial attire seemed capable of bursting through the clothes at any moment. His presence was overwhelming, capable of intimidating even an average adult male.
As I was about to follow the customary etiquette before entering the room, Laura stopped me firmly.
“Don’t do it.”
“Huh?”
“You have already sworn allegiance to me. Therefore…”
The royal guards in the vicinity were shocked by Laura’s words. Ignoring them, Laura continued, her eyes fixed on the throne.
“You only bow your head to one person.”