Otherworld TRPG Game Master - Chapter 278



Chapter 278 – Aftermath: Handling the Situation

“…”

Irid felt the fog in his mind slowly lifting. His sharp reason returned, and the suppressed memories began to unravel.

What had happened?

Ah, yes, he had seen through the identity of the fake mad sorcerer.

He had felt suspicious of the suddenly appearing Mima and had prepared soldiers in advance, but he couldn’t stop the true nature of the villain from revealing itself.

Irid had been dominated mentally and had given the order to all available forces to kill the mad sorcerer…

Ah.

“…Oh, goddess.”

They say that in desperation, one seeks the divine, and Irid found himself murmuring the goddess’s name without realizing it. How, where should he even begin to sort this out?

First, he needed to check if there had been any contact with the Empire’s Swordmaster.

Other minor forces could either flee or be subdued by the mad sorcerer, but the Swordmaster was different. The involvement of the purple tower lord was inevitable, and that would lead to a major incident of transcendent forces clashing within the Empire.

He knocked his head to shake off the remaining daze and hurriedly opened the door leading outside. First, he needed to gather his subordinates and regain control. He needed hands to command.

He quickly contacted his sister, and no matter how much the fake mad sorcerer might fly high, he couldn’t invade the palace, so an emergency evacuation was necessary…

Thud.

As he opened the door, it hit something halfway open.

What is this, an attempt at confinement? Curious, he peeked out to see the obstacle, and there lay the mad sorcerer, sprawled on the ground, doing a dogeza.

“…”

“I’m sorry.”

“Is it real?”

“Yes, I have successfully subdued the false Mima, Your Highness.”

No.

I can’t easily believe it. The fake has already begun to stir.

This could be a ploy to manipulate me, pretending to be a mad sorcerer. The kind of brainwashing that could be undone at any moment is a highly dangerous method.

Where else could there be a safer way than to purely deceive and make someone believe?

Whether he sensed my suspicious gaze or interpreted that sharp look as a reprimand, the prostrate mad sorcerer rubbed his hands together nervously.

“This incident was neither caused nor intended by me, but since it originated from me, I suppose… I have a moral responsibility. This is a small token of my sincerity.”

“……..”

“It’s Centra merchandise.”

“?”

The mad sorcerer rummaged through his bag and pulled out various items. I examined them, curious about what they were, and found them all to be bizarre and far removed from common sense.

Perfume with a rosemary scent.

An extremely realistic portrait of Centra, beautifully dressed (a promotional photo).

And even a risqué fashion spread featuring Centra.

“……..”

For now, I felt relieved.

Yes, this is the kind of man the mad sorcerer is. He’s the type who can’t rest easy unless he stirs up some trouble. He is genuine.

If this were a ruse by the fake, then it would be right to be deceived out of conscience.

Then, the emotion that surged up next was anger.

Dressing another man’s woman in such clothes?

“You…?”

“No, no. The photoshoot for this spread was conducted by female staff without my involvement, and if I had made it, it would have looked a bit more appealing. I would have chosen a much more daring swimsuit.”

If that were the case, you would have tasted some fiery consequences too. Ird looked down at the Centra fashion spread with a peculiar gaze. An insatiable curiosity began to bubble up.

“Are you saying there’s a picture of her in a swimsuit in this book…?”

“And it’s what Centra wanted! After our last meeting, she expressed a desire for a gift to soothe her loneliness. I pondered what would be best, and since I caused a major incident this time, I thought I might as well seek forgiveness while I’m at it.”

The mad sorcerer’s explanation halved my anger, and the anticipation for the contents of the spread reduced it even further.

The next emotion that came was a sense of duty as a prince. I was relieved that the matter was resolved, but I still had to deal with the aftermath.

Just then, the mad sorcerer interjected at the perfect moment.

“Our subordinates managed to fight well, and it ended with only minor injuries. The citizens and soldiers of other nobles suffered no significant losses.”

“What’s the situation?”

“It hurts a bit. But they’re using dark sorcerers as slaves to fix it.”

“…Why are dark sorcerers involved here?”

“Well, here’s how it happened—”

The mad sorcerer launched into a passionate explanation to deflect responsibility. The dark sorcerers had siphoned off their fragments to create doppelgängers, and the one known as the Evil God (who apparently renamed herself Aisha) was acting as a double agent, infiltrating things, and so on.

After hearing the circumstances, it made a certain sense.

The mad sorcerer’s fragmentation was, after all, a side effect of his efforts to prevent the tragedy of the holy city. So, it was only right to forgive him.

And… while he mentioned that the facilities in the capital were a bit damaged, how bad could it really be?

It was a clash between illusion sorcerers. And the purple tower couldn’t possibly sustain collateral damage. Whether they hurled fireballs or made spikes erupt from the ground, what could go wrong?

“Uh, uh-oh.”

Irid walked toward the end of the corridor. With a light heart, he pulled back the curtain.

“…….”

And there, he bore witness to the tragic aftermath left by the beautiful quintet of “Bloodstorm,” “Gravity Manipulation,” “Enormous Fire Serpent,” “Dragon’s Wrath,” and “Flame Angel.”

The pavement, completely melted and collapsed due to horrific heat; the ground, turned upside down as if an earthquake had struck, exposing the soil beneath; buildings that seemed to have been affected by some powerful pulling force.

The highlight was the clock tower. The clock tower, which had stood tall and proud before Irid was brainwashed, was now tilted at a 45-degree angle for some inexplicable reason.

Irid’s head and heart felt equally askew.

“Make your excuses.”

“Th-the excuses were all just made a moment ago…”

“No—it’s insufficient. It’s far from enough to quell my anger. Convince me why I shouldn’t hit you right now!”

“This isn’t my fault! I’ve only been trying to clean up, please don’t hit me with that duster! aaah!”

The mad sorcerer was thoroughly shaken.

—

I decided to stay in the capital until things were wrapped up.

We needed to capture the dark sorcerers who crawled out because of this incident, and we had to use them as unpaid labor to restore the streets. There was much to do, and I was busy.

And above all.

“Now, Aisha. What do you think this is?”

“…A wardrobe.”

“It’s for you. Open it.”

“…….”

Aisha approached the wardrobe with a look of deep suspicion and discomfort, slowly opening the doors. Upon seeing the contents, she blinked in confusion and then posed an essential question to me.

“Is this even clothing?”

“What’s your definition of clothing?”

“It’s a functional tool that protects the fragile flesh of humans, and these—whether you wear them or take them off—make no difference at all!!”

Bang bang bang!

Aisha pounded on the wardrobe in frustration.

But if that’s the case, then don’t betray me. If there’s a sin, there must be a punishment, and if you’re possessed by evil, you must shed it. I picked up the maid swimsuit.

“I figured you’d argue like that, so I’ve cast a protection spell. So, even a small piece of fabric counts as clothing, right? Now, it’s time for the fashion show, Aisha-chan. Embrace your karma and sins.”

“…W-What do you plan to do by making me wear that?”

“Of course… I intend to immortalize it in photos and show it to everyone you meet from now on.”

“…….”

She has gained a name.

From now on, she will live as Aisha, forming relationships with many people, and perhaps… in the distant future, she might meet someone she loves and start a family.

Her life expectancy is quite substantial. She will live long enough for anything to happen without it being strange. Inevitably, she will become someone’s friend, someone’s family, someone’s light.

Isn’t it truly… a beautiful thing?

I just want to add a bit of fun to that beauty. I burst into wicked laughter, holding pieces of fabric in both hands, and declared:

“Every time you try to act cool in front of someone! I’ll make sure everyone knows you’re actually a cute girl who once wore a maid swimsuit and did a double piece! You won’t even be able to think about taking on the shadowy villain role!”

“I absolutely refuse──!!”

Aisha screamed like a teenage girl and bolted out. I immediately chased after her.

Of course, with a click of the ‘Gingoa’, I could easily catch her.

But where would you find a dad who brings a bat to play with his child and then hits them? Since she chose this path, I intended to treat her humanely.

Today is somewhat of an exception. A traitor deserves a fitting end.

“Embrace your fate, Aiya! There are colossal destinies in this world that must be accepted by fate!”

“Don’t be ridiculous! I’d rather be tortured! Just do that, whatever it is, a hundred times more or something!”

“Pain is momentary, but history is eternal. And think about it, Aiya. If you allow just a little exposure, the number of clothing options becomes infinitely vast. This is for you!”

“Just wipe that smile off your face and stop babbling!”

People should live with laughter.

A brief game of tag ensued, and I managed to tackle Aisha as she attempted to escape through the front door. Gotcha.

And I reached for Aisha’s button──

—

With a jolt.

Roderus finally awoke from the virtual world injected by the fake Mima.

“…Is this reality?”

“Ugh…”

“Kim Lulu, wake up. This isn’t the time for sleep-talking.”

There might still be enemies lurking nearby.

One day, when he and Kim Lulu opened their eyes, they found themselves back in modern South Korea. Oh Hye-in and Munggae had summoned them, saying, “A new Four Heavenly Kings has invaded Earth,” seeking their help.

Kim Lulu was bouncing with excitement at the reunion with her friend, but Roderus had been suspicious of the entire world from the start. If it could be summoned so easily, they should have done it long ago.

And besides, hadn’t Munggae just been with them moments ago?

Yet, the Munggae in South Korea seemed to have no memory of that. It could only mean one of two things: either this world was fake, or the Munggae outside was fake.

From noble mtl dot com

The world itself felt unstable. Strange occurrences were happening all around—noises, buildings appearing out of nowhere, and more.

Roderus had made many attempts to escape the fake world, and after a long, convoluted adventure, he had come to the conclusion that all of this could be an elaborate illusion created by someone.

And just as he was about to take a gamble to escape the virtual reality…

The fake Mima vanished, and he awoke from the dream.

Roderus moved while carrying the still-sleepy Kim Lulu. The outside was chaotic. He couldn’t see Munggae, who had been at home.

He proceeded cautiously to scout the area. Utilizing the skills of a former assassin, he navigated through Crown Hall. And he was able to gather information.

It seemed that identical twin wizards had been fighting, wreaking havoc in a corner of the capital.

Black hair and red eyes. The very features of the mad wizard who had once defeated Roderus. Did that guy have twins? Or perhaps… he had heard that Duke Redburn was collecting something. Was that it?

Calculating the timing, the moment Roderus escaped the virtual reality coincided exactly with the wizard’s demise. This meant the caster was the fake mad wizard who had died.

“…”

Though the information was still lacking, Roderus’s instincts pointed in one direction.

Looking back, it was quite the coincidence that after losing to the mad wizard, Roderus had fallen into South Korea and become a magical girl. And this time… he had a hunch that a doppelgänger of the mad wizard had sent him tumbling into this illusionary South Korea.

Moreover, in this world…

The Four Heavenly Kings, ‘Yuri Frostlover,’ who had wreaked havoc on the magical girls with plant tentacles… was a close associate of the mad wizard!

Upon further reflection, the name ‘Yunaris of Infinite Emptiness’ blatantly included the name of the Mage Tower, didn’t it?

So, while it’s still unclear whether this is dimensional magic or illusion magic, it’s evident that the mad wizard holds the key to all these mysteries.

It would take a long time to explain all of this to Kim Lulu, so he simply said this:

“…Maybe we can meet Oh Hye-in again. Lulu.”

“R-Really?! We just met a moment ago, and now again?”

“Let’s go check. I’ve figured out where the mad wizard is staying.”

What is the truth?

Can they truly meet a friend they have parted ways with?

With a mix of hope and anxiety, Roderus and Kimlulu visited the lair of the mad wizard, witnessing a scene that unfolded before them.

“If you won’t wear it, I’ll dress you myself! Take it off!”

“Die! Crazy wizard, die!”

“Embrace your inner female! And succumb to frills and exposure…”

“……..”

It was a scene of the mad wizard lewdly toying with a woman in real-time.

Realizing that his social life was on the brink of collapse, the mad wizard hastily concealed the rag he had been holding, crying out his innocence.

“……Oh, no!”

But his pleas lacked conviction.