Chapter 53: - Prologue (3)

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༺ Prologue (3) ༻

"Hehehe, it's about time, commoner."

A wicked laughter, in its own way.

Keridna loved theater and was deeply in love with the role of the 'Villainous Daughter', so much so that she would often clumsily pretend to be a villain, designating herself as the villainous daughter.

Her current laughter was a result of that.

At the manor of the Northern Duchy of Whiteclark, the white sky, where snow was slowly sprinkling down, was gradually being consumed by darkness.

Keridna Whiteclark, a woman with short pink hair, sat alone at a desk in her room.

She had seen Isaac's vision through the surveillance spell [Sight Synchronization], but the intense psychological strain caused her to struggle with her emotions for several days.

Now, she had steeled her heart. The time had come to spy on Isaac once again, as she had originally intended.

"Hehe… The time has come to reveal your true colors, petty commoner."

Since earlier, Keridna had giggled and broken out into a cold sweat, while spouting one awkward line after another as if she were in a theatrical play.

She was as nervous as she was a few days ago, which caused her to hesitate.

But for the sake of the future, she figured it had to be done.

Finally, Keridna tightly closed her eyes and activated [Sight Synchronization]. A crackling electricity flashed through her mind, and Isaac's field of vision at the Märchen Academy grounds began to unfold before her.

"Huh…?"

Something was… strange.

All she could see was pitch-black darkness and a raging blizzard surrounding him. It went completely dark for three seconds, then the scenery briefly flickered before darkening again. Isaac seemed to be enduring the bitter cold to the point where it was difficult to even open his eyes.

The Duchy of Whiteclark might as well be winter year-round, but everywhere else, including Märchen Academy, was supposed to be in the midst of summer.

Has he come to the northern region? No, that can't be…

The environment itself was unnatural. It wasn't even time for it to be pitch-black, and there was a raging blizzard.

Yet Isaac seemed to be confidently moving forward in that mysterious and dangerous place.

"Arghh…!"

Suddenly, Isaac crashed into the ground, and Keridna jumped to her feet in alarm.

Isaac's eyes were closed, and he seemed to have lost consciousness, which caused his vision to completely black out.

Keridna ruffled her hair with her eyes still closed.

"Ugh, is something wrong…?" Keridna's voice trembled, "Wake up… What are you doing, not waking up…!"

Keridna felt an urgent sense of panic. Since [Sight Synchronization] could only observe physical sight, she had no way of knowing that Isaac had entered a trial.

The only thing she could see was a person dying before her very eyes.

She couldn't just stand there and do nothing. Keridna's eyes snapped open. She sprinted out of her room as soon as [Sight Synchronization] automatically released.

Her parents had gone to visit another noble family, so her only option was to seek help from her older sister, Aichel Whiteclark, the acting head of the household.

"Aichel!! Older sis!!"

Aichel was wise. So if anyone could find a solution to rescue Isaac, who was in a life-threatening situation in an unknown location, it would be her.

With that thought in mind, Keridna called out Aichel's name as she rushed through the mansion's corridors.

* * *

The trial to obtain an ultimate weapon in ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱.

By overcoming said trials, one could obtain the ultimate weapon pertaining to a specific element.

Even discovering the exact meaning of "overcoming the trial" was part of the trials' content. However, my game knowledge already held the answer.

Simply put, one must fearlessly face and overcome danger while surviving.

For our protagonist, Ian Fairytale, the trial was to face a despicable nobleman who had tormented him. In the past, Ian had been beaten to a pulp by him and his men.

Ian faced death several times during the trial due to the despicable nobleman's actions crossing the line. Should that just be called the setting for a trial? It was a cancerous development, but they did provide a refreshing resolution in the end.

It also explored Ian's backstory and background, his trauma, and why he aspired to become a Magic Knight, etc…

As of now, it seemed like a good story.

In the end, Ian overcame his past trauma, defeated the despicable nobleman, and cleared the trial.

'For me, what I have to overcome is the Evil God.'

Although the scale of the trial didn't quite match up, lamenting about it would be utterly useless. It was already said and done, but the context should be the same.

In my case, 'Prevent the World from Ending' should be the condition for clearing the trial.

Smack-!

I roughly slapped my cheeks with the palms of my hands to gather my determination.

The host of the vacation ceremony and the students all stared at me.

What are you looking at, brats?

The vacation ceremony would last a total of 20 minutes. Then, after 30 minutes, Nephid would be resurrected, which meant that each round was a maximum of 50 minutes.

Time flowed much faster here compared to the real world. I had already experienced this in ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱.

I didn't know the exact difference it would make, but it was easy to tell when I was dying since my character's body would be marked.

'How do I stop the world from ending in the first place?'

It was a fundamental question.

No matter what, it was impossible to catch up to the final boss's level, and the trick that I used in [Fictional Hell] to get stronger wouldn't work here.

'I don't have enough information… First, I need to figure out what's going on.'

With that in mind, I stood up from my seat and started running. My destination was Bartos Hall, a huge palace-like administrative building at the center of Märchen Academy, where Nephid would resurrect. I wanted to get to the bottom of what was causing the Evil God's sudden resurrection.

As soon as I looked up, I realized the answer to my question: a translucent barrier shaped like a dome or a soap bubble covered a large area of the rooftop. I gasped in disbelief.

"Is that how it's set up…"

Unbelievable.

A translucent golden barrier was covering the rooftop. Numerous analog clock models were carved into the barrier, swirling through the space. The shapes of the rotating hour, minute, and second hands quickly caught my eye.

In the center of the rooftop, an obelisk of varying colors stood tall. The barrier originated from that obelisk.

It was the nine-star time magic, [Obelisk of Eternity]

Time accelerated within the area where it was activated. I wonder if that was what caused the sudden resurrection of the Evil God that was supposed to appear in the third year.

It was a common story, but even in this world, there were forbidden domains of magic. Magic that transcended the realm of Truth and God. Time manipulation was a prime example of this.

And that's exactly what was happening on the rooftop of Bartos Hall.

"To reach the rooftop, I have to enter the building no matter what."

It was impossible to penetrate the barrier created by the [Obelisk of Eternity]. Time froze for anything that came into contact with its surface. No shock or impact could even touch that barrier.

It was a bonus that it was impervious to mana perception, as even the mana that emanated from it froze in time.

What about destroying Bartos Hall itself?

Not possible. Upon closer inspection, it was covered by a light yellow translucent barrier, similar to the color of the outer walls of Bartos Hall. It was probably a defensive spell from one of the minions inside Bartos Hall.

'If anyone is capable of all this, it's…'

In the story of ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, only one person fit that description… 'that woman'.

'This is driving me crazy.'

My mind was spinning. First the Evil God, and now her…

A trial was designed to be overcome if one could figure out how.

To put it another way…

This imaginary world would create loopholes as small as a needle's eye for me to overcome my trial. This meant it would do everything it could to stop me.

I swallowed dryly and pushed open the ornate doors of Bartos Hall and climbed the stairs to the roof.

As I entered the building, I couldn't help but furrow my brows at the expected situation.

An eerie central hall; the walls adorned with beautiful structures, statues, and intricate patterns were scattered with splatters of crimson blood.

And rows of soldiers.

Big men in white military uniforms emblazoned with trump card designs stood orderly along the walls, holding spears in their hands.

Trump Soldiers wearing masks with grotesque, half-smiling designs. It was the army of minions under the command of the student body president, Alice Carroll.

[Trump Soldier ♠] Lv: 130

Race: Demihuman

Elements: Water

Danger: High

Psychology: [You*](&%& Lord()!)!so(*] [Trump Soldier ♥] Element: Fire [Trump Soldier ♣] Element: Wind [Trump Soldier ◆] Element: Rock

The Trump Soldiers had seized control of Bartos Hall.

[Hello?]

An eerie voice, neither male nor female, echoed through the air. It came from my feet.

How could I not recognize this voice?

In ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, during the 「Alice Subjugation」 battle, it was one of the powerful bosses that blocked the player's way.

Even though I had already anticipated it, goosebumps erupted from all over my body.

I tilted my head down and saw a purple cat with a black bowler hat on its head. Its fleshy body made it appear sluggish, but it had an expression brimming with nonchalance.

It grinned at me from ear to ear.

[Phantom Cat Cheshire] Lv: 175

Race: Magic Beast

Elements: ^%%!^&

Danger: Extreme

Psychology: [You&*)(&(^%$&^ Kill)(&(*^#$#%^]

Alice Carroll's 8-star familiar, 'Phantom Cat Cheshire'. The strength of this small cat rivaled that of Galia.

This world was out to stop me from overcoming my trial.

It seemed like I was facing one of the enemies commanded by Alice that I feared the most.

[You look cute. Just to Alice's liking. She'll go crazy for you.]

Cheshire had a temperament like a bouncing ping pong ball that didn't know where or how to bounce. One minute they would be having an engaging conversation, then killing you the next.

Or in the process of trying to kill someone, they might abruptly say, 'I'm in a good mood because my breathing just improved' for some absurd reason and spare your life.

An utterly uncontrollable personality.

However, precisely because it had a conceptless and unpredictable personality, some things became even more effective.

'Okay, deep breath.'

As a ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱ veteran, I knew exactly how to lower Cheshire's guard.

After I wiped the sweat from my brow, I placed my hand on my knee and leaned down to Cheshire.

After that, I opened my mouth.

"Oh, how adorable…! I've never seen such a cute cat before!"

[…Meow?]

"Whose cat is it? Wow, look at the fine fur. It's awesome."

[Meow?]

It was said that compliments could even make whales dance.

Cheshire was weak to compliments. Extremely weak. The context didn't matter. The cat simply enjoyed being praised, whether it was in the middle of a war zone or a murder scene.

"Who is your master really? I'm so jealous… I wish I had such a beautiful and handsome cat."

Cheshire is gender-neutral. It loves compliments, both male and female.

[Oh, you have a good eye, rookie. The fact that I'm beautiful and handsome is as clear as day.]

Standing tall, Cheshire was full of energy.

Cheshire's head bounced up and down in delight as I continued to shower them with praise.

"Well done, well done, well done~!"

[Meowww!]

At one point, Cheshire did a trick where they spun their body around like a figure skater, and I bent my waist while applauding enthusiastically.

Amidst the solemnly aligned Trump Soldiers, we felt like we were having a playful party just between the two of us.

[How's this for a showmanship trick, on a scale of one to ten?]

"One… nine points?"

[Meowww! You mean a perfect nine out of nine!]

Cheshire happily laughed and squirmed again. It was a nerve-wracking feeling, but I had to work hard to cater to their mood.

"But what have you, a beautiful, handsome, and talented cat been doing all this time?"

[Meowww! It's because the God of the End is about to resurrect to destroy the world. I was killing everyone to prevent any interference~]

"Hmm, is that so?"

'Interference.' Did that mean disrupting the [Obelisk of Eternity] within Bartos Hall was possible?

'…It might be worth a try.'

As soon as I pondered over Cheshire's words, a clue to resolving this situation quickly formed inside my mind.

In that moment.

「Black Rabbit (Neutral Element, ★7)」

Swoosh─

"…Huh?"

An indescribable shock pierced through my entire body. My gaze wandered against my will. I realized some kind of magic had hit me, and my body had lost the ability to function.

I couldn't even feel anything. My legs lost strength, and I collapsed onto the ground.

Complete numbness. I couldn't even lift a finger. I couldn't even take a breath. It felt like even my sanity was becoming paralyzed.

I was helplessly dying. I realized this fact all too clearly─

Click clack, click clack─

In my blurred field of vision, I began to see a wide central staircase with a red carpet laid upon it. A tall girl dressed in a long-sleeved uniform that was adorned with a black-and-white checkered headband and choker descended the stairs. She approached me closely after withdrawing her ashen magic circle.

"You, the troublemaker."

Her light pink eyes stared directly at me.

A seductive voice. It was a voice that seemed to solely exist to bewitch all men.

'Alice Carroll…'

The darkness of ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱. That shadowy figure, the hidden mastermind─student council president, Alice Carroll.

She flashed a mysterious smile.

[Ali*()(&^%Ce Car&*] Lv: 1&^*&%$

Race: &*@an

Elements: $&^%!#)

Danger: Extr*(&*4#)

Psychology: [♠♥♣◆]

Due to Alice's unique trait [Red Queen's Paradox], her information couldn't be viewed. Her ability to cause all information, including status windows, to completely vanish from observers was no exception.

This was also why Dorothy could not see through Alice's true nature using the power of [All In The World].

Alice knelt in front of me, lowering herself and raising her chin to look at me.

Silence.

She just watched as I struggled to breathe.

My brain was losing its functionality. I couldn't delve deeply into anything.

Before long, my life quietly faded away like an ember that had exhausted its strength.

● ● ● ● ● ●

"We will now be holding the summer vacation ceremony for the first-years of the Magic Department."

"Argh!"

Like holding oxygen in my lungs and then exhaling all at once, I let out a loud breath. Perhaps as a result of my earlier scream, the host of the vacation ceremony paused to stare at me, along with the rest of the students.

"Ugh, ugh… huff."

I rested my hand on my chest and took a moment to catch my breath. As soon as my breathing calmed down, I immediately began to organize the situation in my head.

The host stared at me for a moment and then resumed the vacation ceremony.

The students also turned away from me. Except for the ones I knew, like Luce and Kaya. Luce's worried eyes were especially noticeable.

Of course, I couldn't be bothered by that.

'I think I get it.'

Alice used the [Obelisk of Eternity] to hasten the resurrection of the Evil God. Thus, she was resurrected early.

In other words.

'Defeat Alice and stop the Evil God from resurrecting.'

The methodology was straightforward. The first step was to defeat Alice.

Alice, along with Dorothy formed the greatest powers of Märchen Academy.

By the time the 「Alice Subjugation」 battle took place, Dorothy had already lost her life. Eventually, Ian and his allies would defeat Alice's minions and face her in a climactic battle in Bartos Hall.

But in this timeline, Dorothy was alive. However, there was no way to quickly gather all of the necessary resources to defeat Alice.

In other words, the only way to get past Alice was to recruit Dorothy. There was no other option.

But…

'Where's Dorothy?'

Only then did I realize something.

I hadn't seen Dorothy since the day of the vacation ceremony.

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