Otherworld TRPG Game Master - Chapter 286



Chapter 286 – Forging the Magic Sword -2

I rushed out with my companions, grumbling about the situation.

“Why did you include that feature?!”

“I thought it was necessary for the price we paid… Since we were trapping a malevolent spirit, I believed there should be a function to suppress the sword in case of emergencies. But clearly, the propulsion system was designed to operate only on external signals…”

“Oh, really…?”

“I thought it was a good idea, but I apologize, Professor. I will make sure to compensate for this.”

With a sheepish expression, the one I was grumbling about pulled a switch from his pocket. It seemed he had designed it to control the sword’s propulsion system like an RC car.

For instance, when a human possessed by the sword goes on a rampage, the idea was to use rocket propulsion to slam the sword into the ground, preventing further use.

Click, click.

But it wasn’t working now. The sword seemed to be jamming the signals, blocking any forced commands.

I had thought he was crazy for attaching a propulsion system to the sword, but perhaps he had his own reasoning. It was just unfortunate that the spirit was only 1% powerful; if it had been a more ordinary spirit, it could have acted as a safety mechanism.

Yes, it was my fault for not casting the spell correctly. And if I were to rank the mistakes from top to bottom, the one who created the barrier would be at the very top.

I had mentioned before that the barrier specifications Aisha had entrusted to the willow leaf workshop didn’t match, but I never expected that minor oversight would lead to the sword’s escape.

I ground my teeth as I watched the sword soar far into the sky. It was flying off into the distance. Was I really going to let it go, wide-eyed and helpless?

No.

The propulsion system operates on external signals, right? Just like I had demonstrated a remote session to the Rodellus embedded with the Parshimeon, as long as there’s a pathway for data to move, anything is possible.

“Give me the switch!”

“Ah, yes, Professor!”

If it’s jamming the signals, then all I need to do is send a signal strong enough to break through that interference.

I gathered my magical energy, shaped it, and fired!

“Fly towards the earth, ‘Icarus’!”

Beep.

As the signal spread, the sword, which had been wobbling in the air, began to fall, expelling its propulsion system vertically. The predicted landing point was inside the academy!

Yuna gasped, worried.

“Isn’t that going to be a big problem if the students get their hands on it?!”

“No, we’ve sealed it properly, so it’s fine. The fact that it bounced off with the propulsion system is proof of that. If its brainwashing ability had been strong, it would have controlled one of us. Maybe a passing farmer could be entranced, but…”

Who am I? The professor in charge of the ‘Countermeasures Against Illusion Magic’ course.

I had employed every method to ensure that students wouldn’t fall victim to hypnosis apps while passing by, teaching them rigorously and entertainingly.

I also taught them how to build mental barriers effectively and conducted practical exercises. I can confidently say that the current generation of academy students has a higher resistance to hypnosis than any previous cohort.

So, I have confidence. They will not succumb to the sword.

“And if one of my students were to be entranced by the sword, they would have to be stripped of their clothes and spanked.”

—

That said, there was no real reason to conduct a practical test with the students. I left a warning around the academy using voice amplification magic. What’s falling from the sky now is a cursed sword, so keep your distance and wait without making contact.

And when we arrived at the scene.

“Guarantee me! Free time! As well!”

“Ah! Aah! The princess has bestowed a reward upon me!”

“Just how long do you plan to follow me around!”

“B-but, Your Highness, assassins could appear even in the restroom! So I will, even if it costs me my soul…! Ugh!”

There, Princess Baekryeom was mercilessly striking her followers with the blade of the cursed sword.

“…Are you going to hit me?”

“…”

I had no choice but to remain silent in response to Yuna’s question…

—

Princess Baekryeom despised the academy.

The classes were enjoyable, the sense of becoming stronger was rewarding, and the thrill of leading people through challenges was exhilarating, but despite all that joy…

“How dare you pass before the princess without showing respect!”

“Your Highness, I’ve taken out a loan to purchase precious medicinal herbs that are good for the body…”

“Where are you headed, Your Highness? I will follow you to the ends of hell!”

“…”

It was these leech-like followers that made it unbearable. They were draining almost all the fun out of academy life. In fact, I didn’t even understand why they followed me so fervently.

Today, Princess Baekryeom was surrounded by her followers, enjoying her morning tea time. Then, suddenly, an unidentified flying object was plummeting straight down from the sky!

Reading the flow of magic, it seemed there was no need to move to escape. It looked like it would land about three meters away from the tea table.

“Something’s falling! Protect the princess!”

“Your Highness, I will be your human shield!”

“…There’s really no need for that. The trajectory of that sword is way off to begin with.”

Princess Baekryeom’s prediction was correct. The longsword that had dropped from the sky landed with a thud, embedding itself into the ground without injuring anyone.

This academy never has a day without trouble.

That projectile. Only Gordius would attach something like that to a perfectly good sword. Did he create another strange invention and cause an accident while experimenting?

I should pick it up and return it. Princess Baekryeom stood up and pulled the fallen longsword from the ground.

“Your Highness! It could be dangerous!”

“It’s fine. This appears to be the work of the wizard Gordius; he may be eccentric, but he doesn’t make dangerous items… Hmm?”

Whispering.

A whisper urged her to unleash the violence within her through the sword. It was a cursed blade.

Princess Baekryeom narrowed her eyes. The forging of cursed swords was illegal and immoral. Even if Gordius had a poor eye for art, he was not the kind of person to create something like this…

If he indeed made it, then it warranted caution.

Crackle!

Princess Baekryeom exerted her will and easily blocked the whispers of the cursed sword. She hadn’t merely attended the “Illusion Magic Response” lecture for show. The output of the hypnotic faction was quite low, so this level of trickery could be easily crushed.

At the same time, the voice of the mad professor amplified from the other side.

– What’s falling now is a cursed sword! Do not make contact and keep your distance!

It seemed this was not solely Gordius’s doing.

…Is it really that alarming? That professor?

The followers began to murmur. If the mad professor of the Tentacled Labyrinth was warning them about a cursed sword, fear began to spread that Princess Baekryeom might lose her mind in an instant.

But that’s not right. This doesn’t seem like such a powerful cursed sword.

In that moment.

A lightning-like idea struck Princess Baekryeom’s clever mind.

This… isn’t it an opportunity to strike the followers?

They were enchanted by the cursed sword. So, even if she acted a little differently than usual… it would be fine. She could blame it all on the cursed sword.

And if the image of a weak princess, swayed by the cursed sword, emerged, perhaps the fervent hearts of these followers would also soften a bit. Good. A perfect plan.

Crack. The grip of Princess Baekryeom tightened around the cursed sword.

“………”

“Your Highness…?”

Creak.

Princess Baekryeom pretended to be possessed by the cursed sword. It was easy. All she had to do was honestly reveal the flames of anger she had been suppressing until now.

She glared at the followers with fierce eyes, like a wild chinchilla, as she lifted the cursed sword.

“You all… “

“Y-Your Highness?! Are you okay…?”

“At the very least, you should let me use the bathroom alone──!!”

“Y-Your Highness is being controlled by the cursed sword!!”

And she struck.

She hit as hard as she had been stressed until now.

This was the full account of the Baekryeom Princess Cursed Sword Incident.

—

I understand perfectly.

“That’s smoke, isn’t it?”

“…Huh?”

“It’s not that she’s enchanted by the cursed sword. Her pupils are clear, and she’s controlling her strength while hitting people right now… It seems like she’s pretending to be enchanted.”

“Then it’s fine if you don’t hit the princess’s backside, Mima. Are you disappointed?”

If I say I’m disappointed, she’ll probably offer to do it for me. I’m starting to get used to Yuri’s attack patterns. I’ve developed some resistance, it seems.

But Selvier had no resistance. She jumped up with a voice that rose an octave.

“W-What kind of shameless thing is that?!”

“Is it shameless for loving partners to touch each other’s behinds? You still have a long way to go, Selvier. This isn’t the time for latecomers to be picky about their methods.”

“Th-That’s…!!”

“Please stay down there, Selvier. We will soon advance to the next level where the three of us become one—”

It’s concerning.

What does she mean by the three of us becoming one? We’re not even one yet, are we? Is that what I’m thinking about right now?

What on earth is the next level Yuri is talking about…?

“—Are you worried?”

Whoosh. Yuri whispered in my ear, blowing a breath. I was overwhelmed by that profound energy, unable to move, frozen in place.

“…You definitely felt embarrassed.”

“It’s the power of training.”

Training, huh? Recently, there were times when Yuna and Yuri both left at the same time, and when I asked what they were up to, they never told me. Is that it?

“Isn’t this not the time to be chatting like this?! Brother, we need to clean up that mess first!”

“No, well… It’s not like she’s really been taken over. Now that we’ve confirmed it’s smoke, I think it might be better to let the princess rampage a bit more and then retrieve her.”

I was also holding onto the control device tightly so that there was no escape.

Aisha was even set up and waiting on the rooftop of the building across.

Plus,

“I think something interesting will happen if we just wait a little longer.”

“…Now that you mention it, I don’t see Gordius around?”

He’s underground.

—

I need to make up for this.

While there’s a moral responsibility, before that, it’s a matter of practical benefit. I thought the propulsion device I put in would be helpful, but the moment an accident occurred, the intention became irrelevant.

Since a customer complaint has arisen, if it is not resolved neatly, trust will diminish. For those who earn money, trust is as good as gold.

Compensation… It will surely be substantial. The dream of the colossal golem is slipping further away. That is inevitable. However, even if it drifts away, how far it goes depends on the effort put in.

To at least reduce the amount of compensation, the situation with the cursed sword must be managed early on to cover it.

“『Mole’s Submersion』.”

Gordius melted into the ground. The nature of the earth that touched his body transformed like water, allowing him to swim through the very soil.

He approached right beneath the rampaging Princess Baekryeom and surged upward in one swift motion.

Puhak!

“I’ll be taking the cursed sword, Your Highness!”

“Ugh…!!”

The ground erupted as Gordius revealed himself from below. He snatched the hilt of the cursed sword from the Princess’s grasp while gathering magical energy with his other hand.

The destination of this magical energy was his own body. Before the cursed sword could dominate him, he intended to immobilize himself with the spell “Hand of the Earth.” At the same time, he planned to deliver a shock to his head to faint.

That way, even if he were to be controlled by the cursed sword, it would be powerless to act.

However, the moment Gordius seized the cursed sword, he was taken aback by the surprisingly weak mental force. This… with this level of output, the Princess should not have been able to be brainwashed, right?

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At this point, couldn’t he just suppress it with his magical power?

“……..”

“……..”

Gordius looked at Princess Baekryeom. She averted her gaze slightly. A gust of awkward air swept between them.

He soon realized. The Princess was pretending to be dominated by the cursed sword while beating her followers.

The strange silence was pierced by the growing murmurs of the crowd gathered around them. Was that miser being controlled by the cursed sword too? But he looks fine, so does that mean the Princess is affected while he is not?

The Princess blinked rapidly and proposed a deal. A silent conversation passed between them.

– Take the secret you just realized to the grave. And sort out this situation. I was merely under the control of the cursed sword; I never attacked my followers while in my right mind.

– Then what can you offer in return?

– I will appraise all the artworks you possess. I know half of what you have hanging in your dormitory is overpriced.

– Deal.

The negotiation concluded. Gordius began to awkwardly act out while swinging the cursed sword in the air.

“Y-you, give me the research funds! Invest a massive amount of gold! If you don’t provide the funds, I will cause something terrible…”

“The wizard of the Golden Tower has also been controlled by the cursed sword! He has finally gone mad with greed for research funds!”

“But, Your Highness may be precious, but can’t we just subdue that guy?”

“While the Princess’s well-being is important, that guy is not.”

“……..?”

As the Princess Baekryeom struck, I quietly endured the blows; what reason would I have to simply watch the male sorcerer rampage with delight?

The crowd, without hesitation, drew their weapons.

A moment later.

The incident involving the magic sword at the academy was swiftly resolved through the collective beating of brave students.