NOVEL NEXT Chapter 41
“Muhahaha!! The Royal Jelly of the Armored Queen Bee! Well done, Licht’s team!”
A yellow-haired man with a scar stretching across his entire face laughed at me. The Dragon Slayer, Drake.
“If you were just focused on slaying monsters, you wouldn’t have obtained such materials! The faculty was watching closely too!”
“That’s right. If the boss monster had died first, harvesting would have been nearly impossible.”
“..Licht, you knew it, didn’t you?”
He was evaluating our group’s spoils with a hearty laugh.
“Isn’t swordsmanship the best? Licht!”
That look from my mentor is a bit scary. Did he catch on that I joined the magic club? Sweat dripped from inside my helmet.
“Now then… it’s almost dinner time, so let’s announce the winner! Dennis, are you ready?”
“Uh, Drake.”
Before he could finish his words, Dennis pulled out a 3D magic circle, projecting a translucent ranking screen. I had seen this magic during our practical class.
[1st Place: Licht’s Team.]
[2nd Place: ….]
My name proudly at the top. Of course, as the team leader. I turned my head to look at the others.
Then the red-haired elf cheered with a bright smile, even doing a cheer as if she were delighted.
“Kai, Helmet Guy, Mardol! We did it!”
“How many monsters did we slay? Just by estimation, it’s at least dozens, right?”
“…We won.”
The blonde-haired hero looked at me as if it were obvious, while the glass knight clenched his fist, as if he had accomplished something.
“Honestly, if we hadn’t brought back the Royal Jelly, we would’ve scored about 2nd or 3rd place, Licht.”
“Is that so…”
“Just being good by yourself isn’t everything in this world.”
I guessed correctly. Regardless, group projects are still group projects. Overall teamwork is essential. The blue-haired Dennis spoke up.
“…So, do you really not think about graduate school? Licht?”
“Not at all, professor…”
“That’s a shame… It’s rare for an undergraduate to understand the traits of the Armored Queen Bee.”
If I mess up training with Drake-sensei or get tangled up with Mardol, I might end up locked in the imperial palace’s basement and never see the light of day again.
The prospect of possibly being caught in a three-way choice for graduate school research was terrifying.
“…You utilized the traits of the bee, accurately utilized your teammate’s abilities, and in the end, you even protected the other team members.”
“Right, Licht.”
Did I? Well, I did slash away the bee stinger coming at me in the last moment. The glass helmet rattled as it approved Dennis’s evaluation.
“Thus, our faculty has decided to give Licht’s team a perfect score. Any more questions?”
“None, Professor Dennis.”
“Good, the sun will set soon, so let’s return to the academy.”
Seemingly satisfied with the outcome, he chuckled and patted my shoulder. At times like this, nostalgia from the original story hits me like a wave.
‘Actually, this person was really friendly with me.’
The protagonist of Night Heart. The human man who loved the cursed dragon.
The reason he is introduced as a human and not a mage from the start is quite significant.
“Then, everyone seeming to gain good experience, we’ll return to Grand Hertz Academy for some rest. Tomorrow’s classes are all canceled, so take care.”
Grinning, Dennis offered words of encouragement to the other students.
“Hooray!”
“Thank you for your hard work, Professor!”
Looking back, even if it’s the past, Kai’s good-natured reputation has not changed.
“Right, reflect well on today’s work and grow. Our academy students have worked hard too.”
In the original story, he was a character with a striking white aura. He was described to have transferred from the real world, much like me.
‘…So, a human man who isn’t a mage. His profession was never a mage in the first place.’
However, revealing that I’m a reincarnator is dangerous. The fictional world he lived in is different from mine.
‘To save this person, I must capture the Demon King of All Knowledge…. In the original story, that’s how the happy ending was achieved.’
A man called a drunkard, who in the bad ending, longed for his lover related to the lily flower and perished.
Seeing him force himself to drink just now made my heart feel heavy.
“Well then, let’s move.”
As I was lost in thought, the 3D magic circle rotated, and teleportation was initiated.
*
The moment Dennis cast the teleportation spell, an old woman with white hair and a magic hat was wandering around the empty classroom.
“Hmm, is this it?”
As she checked the lingering traces of mana around her, she sensed something odd. Multiple traces of magic circles being clustered together showed evidence of use.
“So they used teleportation magic like this…. Since it’s water attribute, must be Dennis?”
Muttering to herself again, her golden eyes pondered how she could relocate to where the hero was.
“Oh, I got it!”
Seemingly having a good idea, she clapped her hands.
Then, a red revolver appeared from within the magic hat. Looking at it, her eyes twinkled like crescent moons.
“If it’s the holy sword used by the Demon King of All Knowledge, then reverse engineering the circuits is definitely possible, right?”
Bang!
She then accurately fired at the podium where Dennis had teleported. Shortly after, several rings formed a 3D magic circle.
“Hooray! Fun things are always in my calculations! Oh, was that not it?”
Bouncing around like a child, the white-haired magician expressed her joy. She took a step closer as if approaching an intriguing toy.
“..I think touching this could move me to the other side.”
The 3D magic circle drew nearer to the Demon King.
“After a long time, meeting a hero, I should teach a little as a senior!”
With a grin stretching ear to ear, she was struggling to hold back her laughter.
The moment the magic hat’s hand touched the 3D magic circle, it reacted, and white light burst forth from the circle.
*
A sudden shift as if the stage set was changing.
“Well then, everyone…. No, students. This concludes the group project.”
I had moved from being in the forest just moments ago to the classroom that had been there yesterday morning.
As expected, 3D magic circles are cheat codes. I felt an inexplicable sense of pride using the ultimate move I had taught.
‘In the original story too, depending on how you mix magic circles, countless applications were possible.’
The other students were already packing up and starting to leave the classroom. Soon it was just Dennis and me left in the empty classroom.
Wait, it feels rather empty.
No matter how many times I look around, I can’t spot Kai, Ariel, or Mardol. Did Dennis mess up the teleportation? I asked him.
“..Excuse me, Professor Dennis?”
“What is it, Licht?”
Something feels off. The pinnacle of water magic couldn’t be this sloppy. He cares about the students’ lives more than anyone. There’s no way he’d leave the students stranded in a deserted forest.
“..Our group members haven’t arrived yet, Professor.”
“What do you mean? Licht.”
“Yes?”
“I teleported everyone. There shouldn’t be anyone left behind!”
What?!
“Is there some sort of mistake, Professor Dennis?”
This can’t be.
I called out Kai, Ariel, and Mardol’s names, but he shook his head, saying he didn’t recognize them.
Chills ran down my spine, and my body was covered in goosebumps.
His demeanor, which seemed completely calm as if everything was normal, implied something….
“I’ll check the attendance list again, but there are no such names, Licht.”
“..Professor, do you perhaps remember who else I was doing the group project with?”
“Didn’t you do it alone…?”
It must be ‘that bastard.’
This kind of firm belief in false facts can only happen in one scenario.
A mad magician donning a mask who deceives characters.
The Demon King who covers the world with the power of lies.
“Oh, wait a second…. That can’t be right. It was a ‘group project,’ right?”
Dennis always drinks to resist the Demon King, so my inquiry caused him to show confusion.
The Demon King of Truth, the Magic Hat. That man has begun to act.
‘…Shit.’
I bit down on my lower lip. What exactly went wrong? I assumed a character making his first appearance in a sequel would not act this boldly.
“Professor, this is urgent. Please send me back to the forest I just went to.”
“..You want me to teleport you, Licht? That’s too dangerous. What if it’s really a trap, and the Demon King used his power? Wouldn’t it be safer to stay here?”
By now, he should have noticed that the matter related to the Demon King was at play. Although he attempted to remain calm, his expressions displayed tension, perhaps to prevent chaos at the academy.
“Regardless, hurry up!!”
“..Are you really alright?”
His face was already pale, trembling from the sense of discomfort he felt. He must be experiencing the sensation he had from the Demon King for quite some time.
‘Summoning the Ten Heroes would put the academy at risk.’
Dennis would know that if he left the academy, other Demon Kings would invade.
“..I’ll do whatever it takes, even if it means becoming a graduate student. Right now!!”
He was strong and important enough for that. Plus, at this moment, I was the only one capable of taking down the Magic Hat.
‘In Black Heart, during that forced event, Dennis helplessly died. Drake met the same fate.’
Only I achieved a global first kill. Is that why the creator made me reincarnate as Licht? My entire being started to tremble with fear.
No, I can’t be discouraged already. This is the past.
The unfortunate future can be changed endlessly. I raised my head, and the black helmet rattled.
I clenched my fists. I needed to focus on the present; the Nameless Saintess was in danger, and Kai, Ariel, and Mardol’s safety was at risk.
“Later, no regrets. Licht.”
Seeing my determined expression, he nodded and then pulled out the 3D magic circle. Whether he was a graduate student or not, I needed to act.
The person who killed our Saintess went to the hero couple, so I had to stop them.
“..Let’s see you again, Professor Dennis.”
As I reminisced about the memories from the original story, I bid him farewell. Dennis’s expression showed a mix of hope as he wished the Demon King wouldn’t be involved.
But that’s impossible. The only one capable of such madness is the Magic Hat.
*
In the endless monster forest, three figures remained who couldn’t return to the academy.
“Wait..? Kai, why are we here?”
“Not sure. Ariel, maybe the professor mistakenly left us behind?”
“..Something’s off.”
Like a quiet place with no one around. At that moment, the noise of grass being stepped on and a woman’s voice echoed.
“Oh my, gentlemen and ladies…. And the Glass Knight? You all! How nice to meet you!”
“White hair..? Wait a second.”
“..Who are you? Did Professor Dennis send you?”
The woman in a black magician’s hat faced the hero party. She spread her arms wide, greeting them as if addressing an audience.
“..The Magic Hat.”
Pina drew her sword the moment she saw her, and began casting glass magic. The golden eyes clashed, assessing one another.
“..Do we know each other? I’ve never seen anyone like you before.”
“Shut up.”
“I have many sworn enemies, so that might include you too!”
Soon, the Magic Hat, looking nonchalant, prepared for battle, floating a deck of cards through the air.
“What’s going on, Mardol?! Do you know her?! Why suddenly like this!”
“..Ariel. Be ready to fight.”
“Kai..?”
The light holy sword at her waist didn’t vibrate, but Kai could feel that something was off.
‘Is this the white-haired woman Licht mentioned?’
An ominous and eerie energy wrapped around them. She smiled softly, yet a sense of killing intent was palpable.
The light hero, facing off against a Demon King for the first time, was brutally reminded that special abilities of the holy sword don’t work against mad beings.
“..Oh my, how fun. You’re still a newbie, aren’t you?”
At this, the Demon King of Truth eyed Kai with interest. Seemingly having finished her judging, her eyes twinkled with a relaxed demeanor.
“It seems you’ve broken the Head’s power. Probably!”
“Kai.. What’s that person? What’s going on?”
No matter how chilling the sounds were, she maintained a bright, innocent expression. Ariel aimed her magic circle at the Demon King and posed a question to her hero.
“Probably… a Demon King.”
“What, what..?! Kai. Really? None of the Demon Kings I know were like her!”
The red-haired elf mage’s eyes shook. Likewise, the blonde-haired hero’s fingertips began to tremble around the hilt of his sword.
“Be careful.. Kai, Ariel.”
The glass-armored knight was also afraid if his attacks would be effective.
Just before both sides were about to strike.
“Do I have to kill them all.. No, I should keep their lives! Yes, that’s it!”
With her white hair fluttering, the Magic Hat’s face turned slightly red.
“I mustn’t kill anyone…. The one I so fervently love must know just how devoted I am to him!”
The expression of a madwoman in love.
Spouting a phrase no one in this place could comprehend, the enchanted magician tossed the cards into the air.