Episode 168
I returned to the building where Dean Alderson was located, shaking off the group of dolls that were clinging to me persistently.
It wasn’t that far, but it seemed like it took about three hours.
It was because the dolls were literally clinging to me like crazy.
Fortunately, there was no damage, but the mental fatigue was not negligible. To the point where I feel like it would be better to fight monsters.
The doll demon didn’t feel like a living thing.
Not only the Beast I fought at the retreat, but even the Grim Reaper who was collecting souls didn’t feel this way.
The charge, which ignored not only wounds but also life and death, had a tendency to tire people beyond its strength.
“You came back safely.”
Dean Alderson welcomed us back in full condition.
My complexion was a little better than when I left. Barter, still out of breath, answered.
“I’m glad you’re safe, Dean. This is Barter Goodspring, second leader of the Imperial Task Force. “I regret having to reveal my identity at this time.”
“hmm… “It’s okay.”
Alderson nodded with a puzzled face.
Barter’s external identity was that of a professor at the academy’s swordsmanship department, but being a member of the special task force meant that he was also a disguised identity.
The academy dean might have felt bad.
Anyway, the two started talking, exchanging information with each other… … .
Meanwhile, I looked around the inside of the building.
You can see the cadets who were with Glenn. It seems like their condition has improved a little. It wasn’t completely rude like before.
“… “What happens to us now?”
“It’s a nightmare. This is all a nightmare… … .”
“Ah, ah, ah… … .”
“… … .”
Of course, returning to sanity may not necessarily be a good thing.
I passed the cadets spouting depressing monologues and reached the ones who were still holding on to their sanity.
They were young leaders.
“… “Luan.”
The guys spread out in the hallway looked at me and raised their heads.
Of course, these guys were not in good condition either. Still, I’m more physically tired than mentally, so I guess it’s possible to talk.
“I’m glad everyone is safe. “Is everyone okay?”
“It’s okay, but… … .”
“… “I don’t know what kind of situation this is.”
Since they were asking for an explanation, I gave a cursory answer.
“It’s ridiculous. I told you last time. There is a member at the academy, and the summoning of the Demon King has already occurred. In short, we were dragged into the devil’s side world.”
“In other words, we need to save a cadet, but you suddenly find ourselves in the same situation…? … .”
Charles said in a depressed voice.
“I guess you are. “I am different.”
“yes?”
“I came in on my own feet. I didn’t get caught, I went hunting myself. “It would be a shame to be treated the same way.”
“… Even in this situation, there are jokes. “You’re not normal either.”
Charles shook his head.
It’s not a joke.
Regardless of understanding the situation, the confusion does not seem to have disappeared.
I left it until the Youngdo guys calmed down for a moment, and instead called Evan aside.
“Explain what happened.”
Fortunately, he was the one who understood the situation the best.
Evan explained with a wry smile.
“Thanks to you buying me time, I was able to get out of the research building without difficulty. “I arrived at the main building without any incident, but I lost consciousness right after that.”
“hmm… … .”
“One thing I remember is that right before I lost consciousness, I felt like the people around me were also falling down.”
After listening to the explanation, I vaguely understood what was happening.
“It would be fair to say that everyone at the academy was involved.”
“I think the same thing. What skills, mental strength, tolerance… It has nothing to do with that. Well, I didn’t have time to react. She expected the princess to do something, but she never expected her to explode so quickly and so violently… … .”
Evan muttered in a serious voice.
“… Perhaps all of the people residing at the Academy were dragged into this hidden world. Everyone has been kidnapped, so even if it’s quiet for a day or two, you won’t be able to hide this forever. “She will definitely be noticed by the empire, so what on earth is the princess thinking?”
The last words were almost like talking to myself.
I thought for a moment and then said.
“You might want to finish it in a day or two.”
“What are you finishing?”
“All.”
This was the moment Evan looked at me with a puzzled look on his face.
Beepeeeeeeeeee-.
A terrible amplified sound echoed throughout the building.
It’s a very irritating sound, like a metal scream that rips through your ears.
‘Communication fix?’
I saw a few things that looked like that inside the building, but did they work?
The instructors and cadets who were standing still, and even the dean and barter who were far away quickly covered their ears.
[hmm. I’m not sure if I can hear you well. Academy gentlemen.]
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Next, the princess’s voice was heard.
It was a cool, cheerful voice, as if it had been spoken during a walk.
[My name is Perist Scarlett. He is the one who invited you to this world. First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who participated in my game… … .]
“… … .”
[It doesn’t seem like you really want that, so let’s get straight to the point.]
The princess’s voice continued with a low laugh.
[The total number of ‘humans’ who have entered this world now is 613. Excluding those whose souls have been mortgaged by puppets. On the other hand, my dolls spread throughout the academy… A total of three thousand and six hundred.]
The sound of inhaling breath spread.
At first glance, fear spread across the faces of the cadets.
Are you seeing that?
The princess smiled again and said.
[Of course, the number of cavalry that Dean Alderson gave me as a gift is not included.]
“… … .”
[I’ll give you a reprieve for one day from now on. After that, all the dolls in the academy will attack Building 12 of the research building where you are. ruler. It’s simple, right?]
The princess’s voice sounded low, like a whisper in my ear.
[Until then, if you come to Building 13 where I am and kill me, it means you win.]
“… … !”
[Then I sincerely wish you good luck. Please follow the rules and have fun playing the game.]
Suddenly, the voice broke off.
It was a one-sided notification.
“… “It’s completely crazy.”
The moment Evan clicked his tongue, the surroundings became noisy again.
“You’re saying we’re going to launch an all-out attack tomorrow?”
“Then what happens to us?”
“I-I don’t want to die yet… … ! “How much do I still want to do?”
The panic is understandable.
Not long ago, cadets who were concentrating on their studies and enjoying their youth were suddenly dragged into the underworld and sentenced to death.
It is too harsh to ask for cool-headedness.
Barter looked at Alderson and asked in a low voice.
“Dean, what will you do?”
He didn’t even bother to listen to other people’s opinions, but his attitude of respect was evident, perhaps because he was a man of the rank of an archmage.
“hmm… … .”
Since the dean could not readily answer, Barter spoke again.
“If nothing comes to mind right away, can I tell you what I think first?”
“Tell me.”
“We must gather all our strength as quickly as possible to attack the princess. If we kill the princess within a day, we win. On the contrary, failure means defeat and immediate annihilation.”
“… … .”
“I will be in charge of selecting and directing the attack force. Dean, if you have the ability, please help us.”
“Wait a moment.”
And Alderson’s eyes turned to me.
“Young Luan, I would like to hear your opinion as well.”
Barter’s eyebrows twitched.
It didn’t seem to make sense to ask for my opinion in this situation.
However, it was a natural attitude for a dean.
This was because, among those here, I was the only one who knew that I had defeated the corps commander.
I slowly said what I was thinking.
“I agree with hitting the princess. However, having too many people is actually not good. “Let’s have five people.”
“What nonsense-.”
“Wait, Lord Barter.”
The dean calmed Barter down and looked at me with lonely eyes.
“Of course there must be a reason, right?”
“of course. “Pam?”
“Uh, huh?”
Palm, who was resting quietly, was startled.
This is an attitude that he never dreamed would be called by his name here.
“You told me about a ghost story related to the research building, right?”
“Well, it was like that, right?”
“Tell me here.”
“now? here? I?”
“hurry.”
“ah… … .”
As the crowd’s gaze gathered, Palm’s face stiffened slightly.
But apart from that, his cheeks were turning red, and he seemed a little excited about being noticed by big names.
‘You said your dream was to be a journalist.’
If so, you must also know how to take advantage of people’s interest.
Pam said in a trembling voice.
“Joe, building number 13, which can’t possibly exist, a game of tag with ghosts taking place inside the building, a white woman wandering the hallways, and the sound of a window being knocked on in an unoccupied place… … .”
“That’s enough. thanks.”
“Uh, huh.”
I tapped Pam’s shoulder as she took a deep breath, then looked back at the Dean.
“It’s the ghost story that Pam told. “It’s a little different, but it was actually happening in the world behind here.”
“What do you want to say?”
“The princess said. Let’s play a fun game while following the rules. This is a world where the wind becomes the law. “Princess Ferist is the one who sets the laws and rules.”
Even though I’ve talked about it up to this point, these are still confusing faces. I continued.
“I also heard this. The princess belongs to a club, and she wants to secure up to five members.”
I felt Seren’s gaze.
It was that guy who told me that story.
“We must pay attention to the number five. “If we form a raiding party of just five people, we will be able to face the princess without much interference.”
“It’s not worth listening to.”
Barter said sarcastically.
“It’s sophistry without logic or basis. “Are we going to risk our lives on nonsense like that?”
“The logic is weak, but the basis is there. Have you already forgotten? “For some reason, we were never attacked when we went to building 13 where the princess was.”
“… … .”
“At that time we had five people.”
“… … .”
Barter closed his snout.
“There is no grand reason for these laws. “It’s just because the princess decided that way.”
“… … .”
“As you just heard, the princess sees this whole situation as simply a game. logic. It’s an important factor. It’s different here. “Why are you asking logic from a crazy bitch?”
Charles took a breath.
Since he is an aristocrat by nature, he seemed shocked by my remarks.
Dean Alderson said.
“That makes sense… … . Isn’t there a possibility that it’s a trap? “Something like a plan to form a group of five people.”
“The trick is to exploit the weak. The current power difference is obvious. If the princess really wants to kill us, just trample on her and it will be over. If the Dean’s damn white knights are added to the thousands of dolls… What kind of day is it? “In one hour, this building, number 13, will disappear without leaving even a foundation stone behind.”
“… … .”
The dean also closed his mouth.
“There is one reason for not doing so right away. The princess does not want a one-sided game. “She wants to feel the thrill of losing with some degree of possibility.”
It felt like shit because I was being openly belittled, but it was something I had to deal with because the situation was so hopeless.
Rather, we should take advantage of that aspect of the princess.
“Come to think of it… … .”
Charles, who had been silent the whole time, opened his mouth.
“Nothing much happened inside Building 13 until Charis and Mir joined us. After the two appeared, the devil suddenly appeared. Until then, there were five people inside the building.”
Charles reinforced my guess.
I nodded and said.
“That’s right? Anyway, I also do the raid selection. From now on, let me tell you in order. Me, Seren, Evan, and Charon. “Five people, including Mir.”
“… … .”
Mir, who had been sitting blankly, suddenly came to his senses and spoke.
“Me, me?!”
“Yes, you.”
After answering Mir, I looked at Barter, who was smiling.
“Do you have anything to say? “I’ll take some advice.”
Barter was looking at me with a smile. Of course, I wasn’t laughing because I was happy.
“… You’re crossing the line, Luan Badnicker. “On my part, I treated you with the utmost respect.”
When I heard those words, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
Why are the speaking styles of authoritarians so similar?
Probably because I don’t know.
The fact is that such a tone of voice cannot be expressed unless one ignores the other person.
“What are you complaining about? “I’m saying we should follow Lord Butter’s advice.”
“It was called Barter. “What does it mean?”
“Who should take the lead at a time like this?”
“… … .”
“A person who can accurately judge the current situation, a person who can make the right decision based on that, and a person who can take responsibility for the decision made. The strongest person here… … . omg.”
I pointed to myself.
“It’s me, right?”
“… … .”
fantasy,
