Otherworld TRPG Game Master - Chapter 284



Chapter 284 – Sub. Winter of the Academy

Enbus Redburn, who had been brainwashed by the passing fake mad wizard, lost the trust of Duke Redburn because of it.

There was a concern that the effects of the brainwashing might still linger, or that the mad wizard might pass on the brainwashing to turn against the family. However, it would be a waste to dispose of a capable individual over mere suspicion.

After being freed from the brainwashing of the fake Mima, Envers had remained in a rather pitiful state until he heard from Roderus about the survival of the “Blue Rose.” Realizing his own shortcomings, Envers had wandered around almost like a corpse.

To the Duke, this appearance seemed like one of self-reproach and reflection for not being of help to the family.

So.

“Brother, what is it?”

“It is the Duke’s command. You are to return to the Academy.”

“What?”

“Go and identify those who can be swayed with the Duke’s money and power, and if the opportunity arises to assassinate the mad wizard, do not hesitate to act… That is all.”

The verdict handed down was release instead of execution.

Kugung.

Envers froze as if struck by lightning. He had set out from the Academy with aspirations to change the family alongside his brother, and now he was being told to return?

He had even said his goodbyes before leaving. He had created an atmosphere as if he would be gone for a decade, yet now, less than half a year later, he was to come back. How was he supposed to face his friends?

But Roderus was unyielding.

“Go. Fortunately, it seems the suspicion has subsided, so for the time being, remain quiet at the Academy. When the time comes, I will call for you.”

“…I understand. However, I am worried about leaving you alone. Do not get too close to the ‘Blue Rose.’ Her intentions may be just, but she is using your purity for her own sense of justice!”

“……..”

“A man must be cautious of the ends he pursues… Ack!”

Roderus dismissed Namgung Cheong-hwi’s heartfelt advice with a kick. Thus, Envers Redburn was to return to the Academy.

—

What is the Academy like at the end of the year?

During this time, the students had grown through various trials under capable professors. Now, they needed an opportunity to showcase that growth and prove themselves. If they had learned, they ought to apply it, right?

This aligned with the needs of potential employers eager to know how capable this year’s Academy cohort was.

Last year, the Academy had celebrated the end of the year by organizing one-on-one duels with professors. Visitors from outside the Academy were invited, and amidst the gaze of countless spectators, they showcased their skills.

This was also an opportunity for students with ambiguous social standings or uncertain futures to choose their career paths.

In any way, if they could even brush against a professor’s cloak, offers would pour in, asking them to come serve as knights in their territories or join their mercenary groups.

This year, students who thought the duel with professors would again be the main event busied themselves with strategy guides.

“If I want to show off the power of my magic, I think I should target Professor Alejandro. Since he specializes in defense, my attack will stand out.”

“If I mess around with Professor Alexon using foot magic, I’ll lose, right…? Then I might as well target the mad wizard.”

“Are you crazy?”

But their plans would turn to scraps of paper.

The mad wizard, having returned to the Academy, would not miss such a delightful event, and he repeatedly suggested adding a touch of romance to it.

Thus was born.

“Form a team of no more than ten…”

“To showcase the diverse talents of our students, the faculty, including the ‘Mad Sorcerer,’ has prepared various trials. The challenges will be drawn from the entire curriculum of the academy.”

“The rankings will be determined by the total score obtained from each trial. While there will be many combat stages, there will also be trials that require wisdom or specialized skills. A balanced team composition is encouraged.”

It was the ‘Academy Team Competition.’

Naturally, the academy was ablaze with excitement as everyone sought to form the optimal team.

The trio of goddesses, who had returned to earn their academy diplomas, were the top priority for recruitment, and the already legendary White Snow was receiving countless love calls.

In response, the legendary sorceress White Snow declared at the registration desk.

“Solo.”

“What?”

“I’m going to be a team of one.”

A declaration of solo play.

At this, Selvier, who had been chatting with Enbus nearby, spontaneously ignited. If White Snow was doing it, so would she. Having already achieved her own legend, there was no longer any reason to hold back.

Finally, the time had come to end this long-standing rivalry and prove who the true champion was!

She dashed to the registration desk and shouted loudly.

“Me too! I’m entering solo as well!”

“Selvier, didn’t you say you would team up with me…?”

“Not anymore. Go find someone else!”

With a burning fighting spirit, Selvier glared fiercely at White Snow, but White Snow merely gazed off into the distance, seemingly uninterested.

Having shared a bond of friendship in the Tower of Trials, Selvier had initiated the conversation first, yet she departed in pursuit of her own path. Thus, only Luna remained for Enbus.

In truth, Enbus had intended to seek out Luna before meeting Selvier.

However, no matter how much she roamed the academy, not even a shadow of her could be found. Wondering if she might have left the academy, Enbus sought out the Mad Sorcerer to inquire, but was told that Luna was still enrolled.

Unable to find her and make an invitation, she had first approached the more visible Selvier.

After much searching, Enbus finally managed to gather eyewitness accounts of Luna.

“If it’s Luna Sterira… I believe she’s with Lady Baekryeom.”

“Thank you!”

Found her. Surely, she would agree to be on my team…

With her heart full of hope, Enbus sought out Luna, only to be met with a tremendous shock that left her gaping. Beside Luna stood another woman.

A figure characterized by a broad heart, the leader of the academy’s noble faction. It was Lady Baekryeom.

“V.”

“Luna, why did you join Princess Baekryeom’s team…?”

“Are you saying it was a mistake to choose the princess’s team?! Naturally, everyone wants to feel eternal peace in the warm embrace of the princess!”

“That’s right! It is as natural for followers to arise from the princess’s leadership and grace as it is for the sun to rise and the moon to set! How dare you question it!”

The loyal guards beside the princess raised their voices, but Enbus, focused on Luna, did not hear them.

Luna spoke.

“If we don’t become a different team, we can’t fight.”

“We have to fight…?”

“If we don’t fight, we won’t know.”

A warrior communicates primarily through fists. Sharing a drink under the moonlight should come only after testing each other’s skills… Luna was saying just that.

Enbus was bewildered. He understood that fighting could be a great means of communication. However, he had achieved the fable, while she had not. Wasn’t it a fight with a predetermined outcome?

“But, there is already a gap between us…”

“That’s a misunderstanding.”

Luna shook her index finger side to side, firmly denying it.

And then, faintly. The silhouette of someone with crossed arms appeared behind her.

How could he forget that figure, an indelible mark left in Enbus’s mind by a terrifying presence? It was the Celestial Demon. Enbus was taken aback.

“What is happening…?!”

“One day I came, and one day I left. But, I learned a lot.”

When Mima was torn into pieces, the Celestial Demon module had taken residence in Luna Steri’s body. Eventually, Yuna came to retrieve the module… but the martial prowess remained.

Once, the mad sorcerer had overwhelmed Rodellus even in a frail body. If Luna had properly inherited the Celestial Demon’s martial skills, the gap of the fable might as well not exist.

Luna extended her fist.

“A duel.”

“…Hmm, fine! I too have learned and experienced much from my brother and the noble one. I shall show you my growth!”

“Put your wish on the line.”

“Any amount!”

Thud.

Their fists collided. It seemed their reunion would be a lengthy affair.

And beside them, Princess Baekryeom was fidgeting slightly. On the surface, it appeared to be a cool and heartwarming scene, but beneath it was different. Hadn’t Luna said? If we don’t fight, we won’t know.

Enbus seemed to interpret it as meaning he wouldn’t know (his growth) if they didn’t fight.

But to Princess Baekryeom, it meant that if they didn’t fight, she wouldn’t know (his anger). After all, wasn’t it time to settle the debt for leaving the academy in a hurry after planting a kiss and claiming she would handle her family matters?

The princess remembered the conversation from the day Luna had come to see her alone.

– Why do you want to join my team? Of course, I would gladly accept if Luna were to join, but… there’s already someone who gets along well with me.

– If you want to lose, it has to be a different team. The princess doesn’t accept men. So, it has to be a team completely different from Enbus.

From noble mtl dot com

– I don’t particularly discriminate based on gender when accepting followers…?

– That follower is zealous. If a man joins, he’ll burn with ambition to target the princess. He’ll be driven out.

– Ah.

Luna made it clear. She wanted to take a swing at Enbus.

What Enbus should do now wasn’t to boldly mingle, but to kneel modestly and apologize.

However, with his dull intuition, he couldn’t grasp Luna’s true feelings, and the golden opportunity slipped away just like that…

Snap.

Only the tendons that had emerged on the back of Luna’s concealed hand hinted at the future.

—

If Luna had attached herself to Princess Baekryeom, where and with whom should he form a team? The conclusion to his pondering was clear. On the opposite side of the aristocratic faction was the ‘Golden’ faction led by the wizard Gordius of the Golden Tower.

Like a wandering knight searching for his team, Enbus sought out Gordius.

He lived in the male dormitory of the academy, which was extravagantly decorated to the point of being an affront to other dormitories. From the entrance, a magnificent statue posed elegantly, and the main gate was layered with various defensive spells.

And Gordius himself was adorned with expensive items.

“Welcome to my faction, Enbus Redburn! Just in time, I was gathering personnel. A prime asset has rolled in on its own, so it seems today will be a good day.”

“……..”

“Come in and let’s talk. You can admire the paintings along the way, but don’t touch anything.”

The interior was extravagantly luxurious. The hallway was lined with various masterpieces, creating an overwhelming atmosphere for anyone who entered.

But something felt… different.

Enbus pondered where this sense of dissonance was coming from. The flashy and lavish decorations were identical to those in the Redburn Duke’s mansion, so why did it feel different?

Click-clack.

As Enbus walked, he gained insight from the sound of his footsteps. There was no carpet. No candles, and while there were magical lights, their numbers were truly few.

Though there were all sorts of expensive items, if one looked closely at the wallpaper or floor tiles, they were made of cheap and sturdy materials. Not marble. The furniture didn’t give off the impression of having been prepared with a large sum of money.

Thinking back, Gordius was a wizard of the Golden Tower, skilled in golem crafting. If he had made the entrance statue himself… it would be as good as free.

And the masterpieces, the jewels… if sold, they could be recouped!

“Ah, nobles really do recognize things right away. That’s right. This is an interior that looks wealthy without spending money, a luxury investment that also makes my home appear affluent. Since I can recoup it all, it’s practically free.”

“So the rumors about you saving money were true…?”

“I just don’t make unnecessary expenditures. And Enbus… I heard you returned to your family, but you’ve come back to the academy. Just in time for the end-of-year season. Shall I take a guess? You came to the academy to hire talent on your family’s orders!”

“……..!!”

Enbus wore an expression of disbelief. Gordius’s eyes sparkled. Thinking it might be an inedible persimmon, he poked it, only to find it was perfectly ripe.

If Enbus was sent as a scout… from this moment on, he was no longer just a fellow student but a potential investor. The scent of money wafted through the air.

What if he could charm Enbus and coax research funds from the Duke?

What if a portion of that immense wealth were to be bestowed upon him?

Gordius threw an arm around Enbus’s shoulders and dragged him inside. His expression was calm, but inside, his mind was half-dazed by the flickering budget.

“I have a few inventions I want to introduce to you. Come on, take a good look and make sure to speak well of them to His Grace, Duke Redburn. I’m sure he’ll love them.”

“No, I came to save the team for the team competition…”

“Right, but first, just take a look at these inventions. They’re surprisingly economical!”

He invited Enbus into his laboratory.

The interior of the lab was astonishingly practical. Only the essentials were present; everything else was absent. It seemed he had extracted optimal efficiency from a limited budget.

Gordius showcased his inventions to Enbus.

“Here, this is a pet golem. You can swap out parts for any design you want, and if you give it some soil, it will grow a little. It can even combine with other models.”

“Will that make money?”

“This is a prototype for a next-generation transport. It has three wheels that roll automatically, running until its internal magic runs out.”

“But you could just use teleportation magic.”

“…Well, then. How about this? A wireless showerhead.”

“That’s no different from an apprentice wizard in the Blue Tower.”

Enbus’s gaze grew increasingly cold. No matter how little desire he had to fulfill the Duke’s orders, if he were truly loyal to Redburn, he wouldn’t invest in such pointless inventions.

He became a stubborn investor and asked, “Gordius, didn’t you say your specialty was golem creation? I’ve heard you’ve researched it for a long time. Set aside these vague ideas and show me your main work.”

“I was waiting for you to say that. Then let me present the detailed blueprints for my 50-meter golem…”

“What?”

“Wait, wait a moment. What would you even use a 50-meter golem for? It would cost a fortune to make, and I doubt it would have any utility. Who would invest in something like that? I may be ignorant about golems, but for it to be viable, it should be human-sized…”

“Nonsense! I don’t need an investor who wants to shrink the size of the golem. This negotiation is over. Leave!”

“???”

The gestures of courtship for an investor vanished, and Gordius instantly flipped his attitude 180 degrees. Enbus blinked in confusion. Unable to comprehend, he asked again, “…Why are you so unwilling to reduce the size?”

To this, Gordius replied firmly, “Because a golem must be colossal.”

Ah.

Enbus realized.

With the dazzling title of being the foremost disciple of the Gold Tower Mage, why was he struggling with research funds, even skimping on food expenses? It couldn’t be due to a lack of ability, so why had he never heard of any investors showing interest?

This was the reason.

That obsession. For reasons unknown, the desire to create a colossal golem had left him impoverished. If he had lacked talent altogether, he would have starved to death long ago.

Enbus quietly mourned in his heart. Gordius’s yearning would ultimately remain unfulfilled. To craft such a massive golem, the entire empire would need to mobilize, or he would have to perform a transcendent feat.

Unless a national emergency occurred, wasn’t it a dream destined to remain unachieved…?