NOVEL NEXT chapter 149
149. The Skull of the Dream Horse (7)
The ‘Illusory Dream Horse Irteka’ was a scenario prepared to hone the practical skills of Belman, Rix, and Edina.
It was deemed right to let them fight amongst themselves, making intervention a hesitant choice.
Yet, a variable emerged with Sila’s unexpected presence, one who should not have been here at all.
It became necessary to ascertain whether they would discover Irteka’s heart hidden within the statue.
Even this made Belman anxious, so he intended to offer a hint to help them find it quickly and then slip away quietly…
“Cough, cough. So, what now? This man has also become a loyal servant of mine.”
The sleep gas spread more swiftly than anticipated, and in my haste to escape, I found myself unwittingly playing the role of Irteka’s servant.
‘This situation feels both absurd and pitiful.’
‘It does seem that way, Hershel.’
Yet, to be deceived like this…
Irté felt remarkably significant once more.
It was no wonder, for the armored knights chose only those who had not succumbed to hypnosis to pursue.
Yet, the very master of those knights remained oblivious to this fact.
‘But you know, I thought, could this actually work? And it does!’
‘Indeed, it does, Hursel.’
After all, that fool was employing the “Eye of Domination,” a power capable of bending even the strongest into mere pawns.
He must have had absolute confidence.
Moreover, with commands followed without question, there was no room for any sense of alienation.
Irté, with a solemn expression, inquired of me.
“Who is the master you must serve?”
“The Lord of Dreams, Irté. It is you.”
As I answered, I felt the struggle to contain a laugh that threatened to escape through my cheek muscles and lips.
Even with just the technique of pursuing those not under hypnosis, he should have caught on immediately, yet this fool merely nodded in satisfaction.
Ha ha, that sound has been echoing in my ears since earlier.
—Foolish Irté.
As the future Dorothian had said, Irté is foolish. Thus, he must have been blindsided and buried in the ground.
* * *
Belman was drenched in cold sweat.
‘If it were just Professor Rockefeller, I thought I could manage somehow, but this…’
There was a glimmer of hope.
Hypnotic magic typically had the weakness that those ensnared could not fully wield their abilities.
Especially for a wizard drawing complex spells.
But for a swordsman, the story was different.
Only his swordsmanship would be diminished.
His physical prowess remained intact, and while he might not handle his aura with precision, he could still wield it with ease.
Rix trailed off in a tense tone.
“Of all people, it had to be Hursel…”
A man stronger than most professors.
It was a fact he knew all too well.
Belman gritted his teeth and reinforced the barrier.
“Dammit, this is a situation without an answer. No matter how I think about it, I can’t come up with a way to break through.”
As the group tensed, Irte grinned and pointed at the barrier.
“Come now, shatter that thing.”
At Irte’s gesture, Hershel stepped forward.
With a blazing gaze, he unsheathed his sword with a swift motion.
His focus seemed particularly fixed on Rix.
Amidst the rising tension, Belman quietly instructed his companions, his voice barely above a whisper.
“First, we retreat.”
Whether escaping from Hershel was even possible, he couldn’t tell…
Just then, as they watched for an opportunity to slip away, Belman’s eyes widened.
Hershel had gripped his sword in a reverse hold, as if to stab his own belly.
‘What in the world…?’
The question lingered for only a moment before he thrust the blade into his own side.
Thud!
No, more precisely, into the narrow space between his ribs and forearm.
“Cough…”
Blood erupted from the corner of Irte’s mouth, who stood behind Hershel.
The man stared at the back of Hershel’s head, his expression one of utter confusion.
“W-why?”
As Irte asked, Hershel coldly flicked his heart off the blade and onto the ground.
Then, with a tone that suggested it was of no consequence, he replied.
“Did I look like the kind of fool who would fall for such brainwashing?”
Hershel lifted a foot as if to stomp on the heart.
Irte, kneeling, reached out with one hand.
“Wait, you…!”
But he could not hear Irte’s following words.
For Hershel showed not a shred of mercy, crushing the heart with a sickening squelch!
As blood splattered, the faded garden returned to its original vibrant hues.
Whoosh—
The skin of Irte began to crumble into powder, scattering in the wind, while only the severed bones lay strewn across the floor.
Rockefeller knelt down, then collapsed in a heap. From the stillness of his body, it was clear he had fainted.
Hussel looked down at him, shaking his head, and walked toward the garden path.
Clack, clack.
In the blink of an eye, the scene unfolded, and everyone held their breath.
The first to speak was Sheila.
“What, what just happened… Did he just break free from his own brainwashing?”
Belman fell into deep thought.
If even Rockefeller had been rendered powerless, this was no ordinary form of mind control.
Yet, he seemed to shrug it off as if it were nothing.
‘Just like with the venomous serpent of blood, no matter how much I observe, I can never gauge his true abilities.’
Hussel moved with a calm gait, crossing the threshold of the indoor garden.
His figure gradually faded from view.
Belman pondered if there existed a creature without weaknesses, and if so, perhaps it was something like that.
* * *
As he exited the indoor garden, he sank into profound contemplation.
Was it truly right for me to destroy Irte’s heart?
Depriving the main characters of their chance to grow was not a good thing for me, either.
“Hm.”
Still, to offer some excuse, in this case, there had been no real choice.
Had I not played the role of a servant, I would have fallen victim to Rockefeller’s brainwashed hands.
And if I had attacked Belman’s group, it was clear I would have had to endure the relentless barrage of magic while my ‘one-second invincibility’ was on cooldown.
…Let’s set this aside for now and resolve to be more cautious next time.
Before long, I found myself wandering the corridor downstairs.
One by one, the dazed students sprawled on the floor began to return to their original expressions.
“Uh?”
“What were we just doing?”
“…I don’t know?”
I wanted to respond with, ‘We were lost in a dream, creating a dark history,’ but such words should not be spoken.
By tomorrow, Rockefeller would likely issue a notice, dismissing the incident as a mere mishap, claiming that a sleep gas had spread throughout the academy due to a research experiment gone awry.
The reason is the fear that those who realize the truth, unable to bear the shame, will flood the world with their suicidal hopes.
Of course, those who had not fallen into hypnosis or had been released would be silenced separately.
“Ugh, my shoulders feel a bit knotted.”
I passed by them, stretching my stiff body as I went.
Before long, I had descended to the floor where the Adele Café resided.
Just as I was about to pass by, the alarm bell hanging on the door rang out with a cheerful ding.
A soft sigh escaped, and our eyes met. It was Leana.
“Um…”
Leana raised her hand as if to greet me.
Then, as if caught in hesitation, she paused midway and slowly lowered her arm.
I responded with my usual annoying grin.
“Did you stick that hair to your lips just to chew on it?”
“You mischievous person…”
Leana, with a vexed expression, pulled the hair from her cheek.
Then, relaxing her furrowed brow, a gentle smile graced her lips.
“…Why are you smiling?”
“Just because I had an amusing dream. It reminded me of that.”
It seemed that the events leading to the hidden room lingered in my mind as a dream.
Not exactly a pleasant thought, so I continued on my way.
Then I caught Leana’s voice, murmuring softly.
“I wish it had been a little more like that…”
I halted, spinning around sharply.
Leana, perhaps realizing what she had just said, covered her mouth with her hand.
I shook my head and clicked my tongue.
“Tsk tsk.”
It seems I’m destined to be harshly treated by a man pretending to be kind.
“W-why are you suddenly clicking your tongue?”
Such things exist.
* * *
After the monsoon ended, ten days felt like a single day.
Perhaps it was because there was no particular scenario to feel for a while that it seemed this way.
Now was a time of peaceful self-improvement.
Yet, it wasn’t as if nothing had happened; Rockefeller, perhaps feeling quite bored, had drastically increased the frequency of the monster defense drills.
At first, there were quite a few who jolted awake in the middle of the night, scrambling to prepare, but as time passed, that number dwindled.
“It’s a snowflake monkey!”
“Stop them from climbing the walls immediately!!”
Ukkikiki!
Recently, the snowflake monkeys had awakened from their winter slumber and began to appear frequently.
Due to their overwhelming numbers, the effects of Rix’s blessing were also being maximized.
[Mana amount slightly increases.]
[Mana amount slightly increases.]
.
.
.
[Mana amount slightly increases.]
Now, the inventory slots that had been limited to three had expanded to five.
As these days passed, a new incident arose.
“Ugh, Hursel…”
Just as the number of snow-struck couples began to rise, Limberton found himself single once more.
I had really put in a lot of effort to soothe his heart.
“I told you so, didn’t I? That girl was just after your coins. You ignored my advice, and look at the mess…”
I had to hold back such words, patting his shoulder instead.
“Think of it as a lesson learned. You’ve made a lot of progress, haven’t you? You’ve got your own strengths, so next time, you’ll meet a good girl.”
“R-really?”
“Of course. Half the world is women, and most will be drawn to handsome men, but somewhere out there, there are those who can see your true worth. Maybe overseas…”
Fortunately, he seemed to have regained some spirit, his tears finally ceasing.
And then, something else began to weigh on my mind.
“Hello? Hursel. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
Dorothian’s appearances in class had increased.
Seeing her always come with a book in hand, it seemed she had been passing the time with borrowed books from the library.
Of course, these were not books related to studies; they were the genre novels that had always been absent whenever I went to borrow.
Thanks to our overlapping hobbies, I had managed to find my voice, at least to some extent.
“You seem to be deeply engrossed in reading these days.”
“Isn’t it surprising? I was taken aback myself. Who would have thought I’d get so wrapped up in something like this?”
Dorothian showed a puzzled reaction to her newfound hobby.
Gradually, the number of books she had finished began to grow, and she even expressed a hint of regret.
“Reading slowly and savoring it is tough, isn’t it? I’m curious about what happens next.”
“Hm, the ending of that book. Should I tell you?”
“Guess I should give you some credit for your courage?”
Spoiling the plot for a woman who had already been spoiled about the future.
Thinking about it, this felt like a game with life on the line.
Still, I shared the news that new titles would soon be arriving.
“Just read at your own pace. New books will be arriving at the library soon.”
This assurance came from Arental, the elder of the Pathfinders.
If the library were to be filled with more books, her boredom would surely wane.
Thus, I spent my time looking positively at this new relationship.
Of course, I always gave my best in classes and training.
Beyond the training that dealt with hundreds of gold coins, there was magic. Especially magic—I practiced swinging my wand with such fervor that my wrist would cramp.
“How about it? Fire Arrow.”
Even though I had grown it to the size of chopsticks, no longer just a toothpick, I still had to endure comments like Donathan’s.
“There’s no beast in this world that would die from such a thing. I can assure you of that.”
These days continued on.
Then one day, I received astonishing news from Professor Gomon.
“Hershel, we have a problem.”
“What now?”
“I’ve heard that dungeon hunters have been appearing frequently, and there are rumors that someone has seen Luon Al Banus.”
Dungeon hunters referred to a band of thieves who preyed on the pockets of adventurers.
It seemed Luon had decided to become a thief after all.
Given that he likely had no means of making a living, it wasn’t too shocking.
However, the truly shocking news was this.
“Have you heard the announcement? A dungeon tower has been discovered in the Orbella domain.”
“…I’ve heard that. But why bring it up now?”
“They say they spotted Luon right near there.”
At this moment, there is but one band of thieves bold enough to raid the Orbella family’s dungeon tower.
What else could it be but the largest criminal organization, the Watchers of the Shadows?
For reasons unknown, it seems Luon has ventured into the lair of these corporate villains.
“My word. Finally, a new celebrity has emerged in Frost Heart. You must be so proud?”
“No, you shouldn’t joke about such things…”
Of all the tasks to undertake, it had to be one that would put him at odds with the lazy man, Delager.
Perhaps Luon might meet his end here.
* * *
Inside the tower, the expanse was far different from what one might expect from the outside.
Each floor bore its own theme.
On a level with a lake nestled in a cave, Luon set down Alena—once known as Pheldira—upon his back and turned to face those who followed.
Men with brutish visages and women who appeared to be under the influence of some substance were busy grooming their nails with daggers or yawning widely.
These were the comrades Luon had gained since his rapid rise.
One man, with his index finger pressed to his lips, turned to Luon and asked, “Hey, Chief. How about we light up just one smoke before we go?”
Luon studied Alena’s face. She shook her head.
The man pouted, his lips jutting out in a childish display of discontent.
“Aw, come on, Deputy. Who knows when we might kick the bucket…”
Alena snapped back in a sharp voice.
“You fool. We’re here to commit robbery. Do you want to flaunt our presence with that wretched stench?”
Luon nodded silently.
Under normal circumstances, he would have let them be, but now was not the time for reckless behavior.
In fact, they needed to be on high alert.
“Delager Radis, the Sword of Aria del Orbella. A man whose name has been flagged for caution from above. That very man is right upstairs.”
He had gathered much information about Delager.
A former member of the Ashen Knights, he was a formidable force whose name remained obscure due to his lazy disposition.
—Delager of the Ashen. If you encounter him, run without hesitation.
—
If Henderson spoke so boldly, one had to act with utmost caution.
“Our goal is to swiftly seize the treasure and make our escape through the secured exit. Whether it’s drink or smoke, we can indulge after we’re clear.”
With that, Luon finished his orders and moved to search the area.
Then, from a previously silent corner, an unfamiliar voice emerged. It was a man’s voice.
“Oh, thieves. How annoying…”
Long, flowing black hair.
With a matching expression, it could only be Delgar.
He opened his sleepy eyes, scratching his temple as he spoke.
“Let’s do this. I’ll spare your lives, and you just find your way out. How about it? A fair deal for both, wouldn’t you say?”