༺ I Became The Crazy Wizard Of The Academy – 2 ༻
The lighting shining on the podium wavered uneasily.
In The vertically falling light, deep shadows were cast on the wizard’s face. However, his eerily glowing red eyes and the faint smile hanging on his lips were all too visible.
Some viewed it as ridicule, others as delight, and yet others as a bitter smile.
The wizard was quite tall. His forearms, visible beneath the flowing sleeves, were pale and thin without any sign of muscle. Was it perhaps due to his lifeless skin tone? He looked even thinner than his frame would suggest.
At the inquiry regarding their dreams, the gazes of the academy students gathered on this peculiar wizard. He was calm even in front of hundreds of piercing stares. Every single one of his movements, from the shrug of his shoulders to the sweeping of the lectern with one hand, was natural.
It was as if there was absolutely no one before his eyes. Or as if he did not care the slightest bit about such gazes in the first place. After a sufficiently chilly silence, the wizard began his speech.
He did not introduce himself.
“I am here with two objectives. To strengthen your countermeasures to Illusion Magic……and to supplement practical experience.”
Instead, he talked about his goals. Even without using a magical device to amplify his voice, the wizard’s voice was heard clearly, as if he was whispering straight into their ears.
“But to achieve these goals…….I needed to convince you. Exactly why you must prepare against Illusion Magic. And whether the wizard before you possesses the necessary skills to assist you in such an endeavor.”
He spoke in a formal yet soft and friendly tone, as if facing someone who he had been friends with for a long time.
But because of that…
“So, I have gifted you dreams……but about 30% of you seem unhappy. It is fine. Even if you did not realize it was an illusion, there is no need to be disappointed in yourself. If we all work hard, we can all improve together.”
This, combined with the slightly off behavior, created a strange dissonance, as if forcing mismatched puzzle pieces together.
Saintess Tara stood up abruptly. She glanced around. The expressions of the students in the lecture room were all similar. There was no doubt that they had all experienced ‘happy dreams’.
Was he seriously confessing to having unleashed a Dream Demon in the Academy? Tara, recalling her unpleasant dream, furrowed her brows and vented her anger.
“So……you’re saying that you showed us that damned dream? To everyone attending this lecture?”
“That is correct. It was a small event to stimulate your motivation to learn. Oh, and you do not need to…….worry about the empty seats. It is not because the magic went wrong and they are stuck in dreams. They are under investigation for suspicion of being Black Wizards.”
“That is not what I’m talking about! How dare you release a Dream Demon in the Academy! Are you out of your mind?!”
“There seems to be a misunderstanding. It was Illusion Magic.”
“Unbelievable. You’re going to try to brush it off with such a flimsy lie……! Are you going to make such crude excuses for that as well? The fact that you hid a Demonic Sword in the Academy?”
Murmurs filled the room.
At the Saintess’s condemnation, a commotion spread among the students. However, the wizard let out a sigh of relief, as if this was actually for the better, and stretched out his hand into the air like he was receiving something.
The air shimmered and a ponytailed woman in a suit appeared, handing a thick document to the wizard. He then sent it using 『Telekinesis』 to the Saintess.
A directive permitting for a Black Wizard Tracking Operation stamped with the seal of Second Prince Irid.
A thesis on the manufacturing process of Demonic Swords that did not use souls by Yuna Violetiris, the Purple Magic Tower Master.
With Saintess Tara’s insight and knowledge, it was impossible to determine whether this pile of documents was true or false. But if one thing was clear, it was the Second Prince’s approval. The thick authority of the Imperial Family protected the wizard.
“Is that enough of an explanation?”
“……Even if everything is legal…Even if you did something through some unknown method! The fact that you played with the students’ hearts does not change. Because of what you showed, I had the worst morning of my life!”
“I had definitely crafted the magic to let you experience your most desired moments, though……. I apologize sincerely. Could you perhaps share what you went through?”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯!!”
The student’s gazes cascaded onto the Saintess. She shuddered with a flinch.
“How could I possibly say that……!”
“I see.”
The wizard nodded as if to say he understood. The Saintess, at a loss for words, fumbled and then bit her lower lip in frustration and sat down. Niolle patted the Saintess’s shoulder, not knowing what else to do.
Bennett thought. Like himself, the Saintess must have also dreamed ‘something she deeply desired’ and was hurt by the gap between the happy dream and the grim reality. The attributable reason was clear. However…
The wizard’s cunning maneuvers had silenced the Saintess.
Most students, not realizing it was an illusion, seemed to have simply enjoyed the happy dream. Clearly, they would be puzzled. After all, she had gone out of her way to publicly condemn the wizard for insulting her. As such, she would need to disclose what she had experienced in the dream to have any semblance of persuasion in her accusations.
After all, merely stating ‘I felt like shit’ wouldn’t carry much weight.
But she couldn’t speak out. Neither could he. For Bennett, the dream from the previous night contained both his most deadly secret and weakness. If the Saintess was in a similar position, she, too, could not possibly speak out.
That would be like laying one’s heart bare for all to see.
Efforts to use the Saintess’s standing as a form of pressure were nearly impossible. The Saintess’s reputation had been diminishing due to her rather unique behaviors. Moreover, behind the wizard was the Second Prince. In addition, the case of the Demonic Sword was refuted in the name of the Purple Magic Tower Master.
The wizard scanned the auditorium. Almost as if looking for more dissenters.
As silence took over, the wizard serenely continued.
“Illusion Magic is, thus, sometimes fatal. Together, you will experience various illusions with me and explore methods on how to build stable mental barriers……. Have you all understood? Very well.”
Step, Step.
The wizard walked to the center of the podium. And then, he took out a glass bottle containing various chemical reagents from his robe before spilling them on the floor. He was about to cast a spell.
Bennett gripped the handle of his sword, ready to draw it at a moment’s notice. He was a student and the other was a Professor. Professors merely taught students; they did not harm them…….was way too naive to take it as obvious common sense, given the wizard’s suspicious actions.
“A thousand doors, a thousand stairs, a labyrinth with nowhere for the eyes or heart to rest. 『Step into a Door, Ascend into a World (踏門昇界)』.”
His premonition was correct.
As the chant continued, swirling colors writhed from the puddle of reagents the wizard had spilled. And then, after a certain amount of time, it explosively expanded.
The space was overlaid. The murmuring students looked around. The auditorium building had transformed into a bizarre otherworldly scene.
Ceilings, floors, doors densely packed on walls. Under desks, inside textbooks, on top of someone’s white board, and even──.
“……Is there a door on your belly?”
“Where do you think you’re looking?!”
Regardless of location, doors sprung up throughout the area, numbering in the hundreds.
A feast of doors. However, the original exits of the building were nowhere to be found. Curious or impatient students began opening doors at random.
-KIYAAAAAAAH!
“AHHHHHH!!”
The doors led to trivial places or became traps that had monsters springing out. For the students, it was no different from having been thrown into a dungeon suddenly. While watching the disoriented students, the wizard quietly spoke.
“Class will only end when you find the exit.”
The Red Tower Wizard, Selvier, screamed out.
“W-What do you think you’re doing?! From the very first class! And what’s with that weird way of speaking?!”
“You do not have much time. And my role is to create time for you. Didn’t you say you wanted adversities and hardships?”
“Ugh…….For some reason, I was just fired up at that time……!”
Bennett glared at Selvier in spite of himself. The content of their conversation wasn’t particularly special, but the expression on the Red Tower Wizard’s face was one of a guilty conscience, as if she had inadvertently stepped into a large-scale trap that swept up everyone with her.
The students knew the rules. That wizard wanted them to navigate this labyrinth. Faced with this sudden crisis, they all responded in their own way.
“Let’s all put our strength together to break through!”
“If we kill the caster, the magic will be dispelled, so attacking the Professor is the correct answer!”
“The doors might be traps. We should break through the walls inste…….!”
Bennett watched the chaos unfold, quietly organizing his thoughts. He was unsure of that wizard’s true intentions. However, considering his manner of speech and demeanor, the refusal to reveal his name, the swordsmanship testified by Alexon……..and the action that turned the classroom into a labyrinth…
There was absolutely no doubt that he was walking a fine line of utter madness.
===============================================================
While keeping my figure concealed, I watched with a pleased smile at the students enthusiastically navigating and joyfully wandering the Illusion Magic. It was really a relief that they seemed to like it.
I also cleared up the misunderstanding with the Saintess. I was worried it might take more time, but fortunately, the timely delivery of the thesis and the directives helped me provide proof successfully.
Was my use of Illusion Magic dope as fuck? (O)
Did the students become vigilant towards Illusion Magic? (O)
Was practical experience being supplemented as well? (O)
The day when students would flock saying, ‘I want to learn Illusion Magic’, was not far off.
The checklist was filled solely with circles. The only flaw was that the Saintess didn’t seem to like the happy dream I showed her. Because I was a bit stingy with the capacity when designing the magic, I didn’t include a recording function.
So, I didn’t know what kind of dreams the students had. What could have been the mistake? Do I need to go find the Saintess and ask her directly?
Mm. Perhaps I was a bit thoughtless. If something like a shota in shorts appeared in the dream, it would be embarrassing to talk about it in front of others, wouldn’t it?
Well, regret is the nourishment of tomorrow. Let’s grow even further. I asked Pink-Haired Lesbian, who was sitting next to me, for an objective evaluation.
“Pink-Haired Lesbian, how was today’s class?”
“You seemed like a crazy bastard.”
“Which part?”
“Why didn’t you just speak as you normally do?”
Well, I mean. But still…it was my first class, so I was really nervous and embarrassed. If I hadn’t picked a concept and rambled, I might have stuttered a few times.
And what. Wasn’t there always one or two suspicious professors in an academy?
Moreover, if I thought it over carefully, I wasn’t even all that suspicious. Didn’t I just arrest a bunch of Black Wizards? Then I must be a good guy, right?
“Mmmm…….”
However, I still took her advice to heart. Maybe I overacted because I tightened my asshole too much. I did put a lot of effort into the performance, after all. Should I just show my true self and approach them more friendly for the next class?
Anyway, enough thinking about class.
Now it was time to think about something much more important. I’m talking about 『Otherworld Exploration』. Only three people had signed up so far. I had left the registration open, welcoming students at any time and hoping more would join later.
But for now, just three.
I had prepared the scenario. It was a heart-pounding, basic Call of Cthulhu1classic RPG. The previous and the one before the previous sessions didn’t have much of an introduction and I just went with the flow. But for this one, I had enough time to properly structure it.
First, let’s start with the introduction.
“Pink-Haired Lesbian, I have a favor to ask.”
“Until the chest is fine.”
“That, what. Why. I’m sending the applicants to an Otherworld. I’m not quite sure from where to where I should explain. Could you go first and come back?”
“Is it a reconnaissance mission?”
“Strictly speaking it’s a sightseeing mission. It’s not that dangerous, just a quick tour…….and then, all you need to do is write a report for those who will follow.”
“Very well. I look forward to the reward.”
===============================================================
Pink-Haired Lesbian looked extremely tired after a brief visit inside the simulation. It seemed like it was quite exhausting to play a round of tag with a cult, followed by shooting a hardboiled genre movie.
“You’re sending the students here.”
“Eung.”
Pink-Haired Lesbian, Yuri Lanster, glared as if cursing with her eyes. She seemed to have a lot to say, but let out a sigh instead. Then, as if suddenly remembering…
“That…. About the participants. Is Red Tower Wizard among them?”
“She didn’t sign up.”
“After being the one to stir everything up, she dares to sneak away alone……?”
Her tightly clenched fist somehow looked like she felt very, truly wronged.
On the other hand, I was grinning. Thanks to briefly dipping Pink-Haired Lesbian in and out of the simulation, I finally remembered a friend’s name.
Should I call her Yuri to surprise her? was what I thought for a moment, but the nickname Pink-Haired Lesbian had stuck. Moreover, somehow it tickled a corner of my heart and it felt somewhat embarrassing as well. So, I just decided against it. Pink-Haired Lesbian was perfect for Pink-Haired Lesbian.
It had been a long while. It was time to open the Third Session.
