Genius Wizard Hides His Sword Skills [EN]: Chapter 34

Centrifugal Society (3)

“Okay. Since it’s the first day, don’t overdo it. Just look around the professor’s office and think about what you want to research.”

“Yes. I understand.”

“Don’t stay up too late. You can’t be late for the teaching assistant selection ceremony tomorrow.”

Tomorrow was the day all the students gathered in the grand auditorium. It was to announce the selected teaching assistants.

“I’ll just do a little and then leave.”

“Okay. I’ve registered you on the teleportation orb, so take it down later.”

“Yes!”

Alloy and Stenos left.

‘Research, huh….’

I briefly scanned the lab. I couldn’t immediately start tormenting the Centrifugal guys right after the two left. I needed to make sure they were gone.

‘I can’t let them hear something and come back.’

I needed a little time for them to get away.

‘He said he wanted to wield earth that moves like water.’

Perhaps that’s why there were glass apparatus and piles of dirt on each desk – the remnants of Alloy’s research on earth attribute magic.

‘An interesting research topic.’

As I rummaged through the documents on his desk, I saw the content Alloy had organized.

「If we can give the earth the same fluidity as water or wind, much more diverse applications would be possible. Creating freely flowing earth. That is the main purpose of this research.」

I didn’t know why he came to the Magic Tower, but he seemed to be approaching the research with a serious attitude. However, I soon realized the obstacle Alloy had encountered.

「Therefore, I combined Water and Wind attributes with the Earth attribute, hoping to give it the fluidity of water and wind. But the results were repeatedly unsuccessful. It was too difficult to make the earth move freely.」

His research was blocked at this point.

‘I think I can help with this?’

[Oh, really?]

‘Yeah. It was a difficult magic, so I couldn’t understand it at my level before, but I think I can apply it here now.’

A book I had transcribed from the Delema Library because I didn’t understand the content. It dealt with Earth and Fire attributes.

‘If I tell Alloy, won’t he catch on? If Alloy finds a solution, it will help me understand the magic too.’

[Mutual benefit.]

Alloy could proceed with his blocked research, and I could learn the ancient magic that I didn’t understand. It would be helpful to each other.

‘Then shall we slowly start?’

By now, Alloy and Stenos would be far from the lab.

Click.

I opened the door and looked around the lobby.

[They’re gone.]

They had disappeared on the teleportation orb.

I immediately closed the door.

‘Shall we begin.’

I moved to a corner of the lab, to the place where the iron bars were placed.

The guys were tied up and asleep, exhausted from the continuous interrogation.

“Hey. Wake up.”

The prosecutor barely raised his head at my call.

“Ugh?”

The man turned his head this way. The guy who noticed that I was the only one left gritted his teeth.

“This bastard came back wanting to die!”

The prosecutor was trying to lunge at me, even with his hands and feet tied.

“Hey. Calm down. I just came to talk. And be careful. If you touch the bars like that, you’ll faint again, you know?”

“You Delema son of a bitch!”

“Haa……. You’re really hard to talk to. I’m just here to have a conversation.”

“Shut your mouth! I’m going to rip your mouth and kill you!”

The guy kept yelling. There are some guys who just don’t listen when you try to talk nicely. Like this guy.

“That person treated you like a gentleman, right? But I’m not.”

For such guys, a beating was the solution. I infused mana through the bars.

“Wh, what are you doing! Stop it!”

The mana that flowed in wrapped around the guy’s mana rope [a magical binding].

Pazzzik!

Sparks immediately flew.

“Kuaaak!”

Even though I deliberately let the mana flow in minutely, the current that surged was quite intense.

“Y, you son of a bitch!”

The prosecutor barely avoided fainting.

‘He still hasn’t come to his senses.’

The guy continued to spew profanity.

“Hmm.”

My gaze shifted to the magician who had woken up from the commotion.

“I guess not. You guys are a team, so let’s educate you together.”

“Wh, what?”

At the same time as the magician’s eyes widened in panic.

“Kyaaak!”

Sparks flew from his rope as well.

“St, stop it, you crazy bastard! I’m really going to kill you!”

The prosecutor was still glaring.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll cherish you too.”

I continued to infuse mana without paying attention.

“Tell me when you’re ready to talk. I’ll stop.”

“You son of a bitch!”

For a while, the two men’s groans didn’t stop.

* * *

“……Pl, please. Stop it.”

A weak voice came from the magician’s mouth.

“You vicious bastard. Just knock me unconscious…….”

The prosecutor also seemed to have lost his will.

‘They’re nothing special.’

[Hmph. Poor guys. They just happened to run into a devil.]

I looked at the guys who were finally being compliant and spoke again.

“Are you ready to talk now?”

As I started emitting mana into my hand again, the magician hurriedly opened his mouth.

“Ye, yes. What do you want? Why are you doing this?”

The prosecutor also just lowered his head and didn’t resist.

“What are you guys?”

“……The Inner Sanctum.”

“I already know that. What does the Inner Sanctum do? You don’t seem like simple terrorists.”

At that, the two men raised their heads. As if they had forgotten what they had suffered, they glared at me with fierce eyes.

“Don’t you dare compare us to terrorists! We are just carrying on a noble cause!”

The prosecutor, who had been silent, shouted instead.

“Yeah. That’s what I’m asking. What is that noble cause?”

This time, the magician’s trembling voice continued.

“……The source of everything. Sacrificing to achieve oneness.”

The words ‘for the sake of one.’ It was a pie-in-the-sky story, but I had definitely heard it before. Professor Midran shouted the same thing when he died.

‘Come to think of it. Angelus, that con artist, was always saying that too.’

A guy who preached a doctrine only for himself. He was going to create his own unified continent or something. In the end, it was a bizarre request to sacrifice for him in the process.

[It seems the Inner Sanctum is definitely related to Angelus.]

‘Do these guys know Angelus too?’

[Well, wouldn’t they be praising him as the founding father?]

When I’m curious, the best thing to do is ask.

“Hey, do you guys know Angelus too?”

At those words, the two men’s eyes trembled rapidly. Their eyes widened like saucers and shot towards me.

“H, how do you know that name?”

It was the prosecutor’s voice, who had been uncooperative until now.

‘They were definitely on that cult’s side.’

But their shock was only temporary. Their eyes were filled with venom.

“You! Don’t you dare blaspheme our god!”

“Insolent one! How dare the bloodline of Delema utter that name!”

To think there would be followers even after a thousand years.

‘A god?’

He was even being treated like a god now.

‘Hmm……. Angelus. He really created a religion.’

Even though I had only said his name, the guys were agitated. They were hostile to me, as if all the mental training I had given them so far was for nothing. As if they were ready to die.

‘How much have you brainwashed these people?’

Their attitude made the corners of my lips twitch.

[What is it? Why are you acting like that again? It’s unsettling.]

‘I suddenly had an interesting idea.’

I looked down at the tied-up guys and slowly approached the bars.

[What are you going to do?]

‘I’m going to share some good words with them too.’

[Huh?]

‘I remembered some of the things that con artist used to say.’

Leaving Oberon, who was tilting his head, behind, I opened my mouth towards the remnants of the Inner Sanctum, who were getting closer.

“This world is so turbulent that I, the one and only, have appeared to save it. Let all who suffer inequality hear. I will create a unified world with my own hands.”

The laboratory was filled with silence at the words that came out of my mouth.

[What kind of nonsense is that?]

‘What Angelus said before I beat him up. They call it their doctrine.’

Unlike Oberon, who was frowning, the two men in the cage had shocked expressions on their faces. The magician had his mouth wide open and couldn’t say anything.

“Yo, you, how do you know that!”

Only the prosecutor was barely able to utter a trembling voice.

‘It’s working properly.’

I had to drive a wedge in at this moment.

“I am the messenger of Angelus.”

Even Oberon was just blinking at the following words.

[……What are you saying?]

‘What do you mean? It means I’m the one who delivers the message.’

[No, I mean, why are you saying you’re Angelus’s messenger?]

‘These guys are perfect for brainwashing.’

As expected, the guys’ expressions became even more complicated.

“Wh, what are you suddenly talking about!”

“I understand that you are taken aback. I was just testing your hearts earlier to see if you were cherishing the noble cause that Angelus had conveyed.”

“Huh! You want us to believe that?”

The prosecutor said that, but his eyes showed a hint of doubt.

“Alright. I’ll show you the power that Angelus has bestowed upon me for a moment.”

At the same time, I pulled out the dagger from my pocket.

[What are you going to do?]

‘Just watch.’

Whoosh!

I infused the dagger with Aura.

The blade instantly lit up brightly. It was the maximum I could do with 3-star Aura.

“Hup!”

“Th, that’s!”

It was enough to surprise the two people in the cage.

“You guys must know this too.”

With that, I swung the dagger in the air, and the afterimage of the Aura followed like light. It was as if the sword was shining. It was similar to the mark on their necklaces.

“……Luminous Sword!”

The two shouted simultaneously.

Originally, Angelus was a paladin [a holy warrior]. His symbol was a brightly shining sword. Of course, his technique using divine objects was different from my Aura.

‘Anyway, there’s no way these guys have actually seen Aura before.’

A world where the dantian [energy center in the body] has disappeared.

The faintly glowing Aura was the first time these guys had seen it, so it was natural that it looked like the legendary Luminous Sword.

“Ah, Angelus! I’m sorry for not recognizing you at first glance!”

“I’m sorry!”

The two bowed their heads deeply.

“Yes. Now you believe me.”

I immediately raised my chin and looked down on them.

“Angelus-nim [term of respect] has finally become a god, as he said he would, to save this world.”

“Ah! As expected!”

“However, there is a slight problem, so he cannot manifest. Instead, to convey his voice to you, he has chosen me as his messenger. Like a constellation, he is standing next to me now, looking down on you!”

I pointed to Oberon next to me.

[Hah. This crazy bastard. Is he trying to become a cult leader now?]

The guy who had instantly become Angelus shook his head.

‘What does it matter? It’s fun. When else would you get to be a god?’

Looking at the two people bowing their heads, the corner of my mouth naturally went up.

“Messenger!”

I gave them a warm voice as they continued to bow their heads.

“Thank you for your hard work in carrying out my doctrine. I am honored that there are still those who carry on my voice.”

“No! It is our duty!”

“We are the ones who are honored!”

They were instantly filled with loyalty.

“What are your names?”

The prosecutor stepped forward and opened his mouth first.

“I am Horizo. This one is Rio.”

“Alright, what was that Stenos guy asking you about?”

This was what I had been curious about. His soundproofing magic prevented a single word from leaking out.

“At first, I thought he was asking about the purpose of the Central Council…….”

Then Horizo tilted his head.

“But suddenly, he asked us for information about ancient languages, whether there was anything passed down within the Central Council. Other than that, there were no unusual questions.”

“Hmm.”

My eyes narrowed.

‘Why is he trying to find out about ancient languages?’

It was strictly prohibited.

“Alright, I understand. Where is the current location of the Central Council? Angelus wishes to see his followers.”

“Ah! They are stationed in the kingdom of Apate in the western part of the continent. We haven’t told that Stenos guy, so it should still be safe.”

Kingdom of Apate. This was the second time I had heard that name today.

[Isn’t that the place that Gretel girl mentioned earlier?]

‘Hmm……. I didn’t really want to get involved with her.’

First, I nodded.

“Good job. Then I’ll go back for today, so both of you take care of yourselves.”

I was about to turn around when.

“Um……. Messenger.”

Horizo called out to me again.

“What is it?”

“Please release us too. We will return to the Order and wait for the day you come.”

Naturally, I shook my head.

“That won’t do.”

“Wh, why…….”

“There are too many eyes here. If I release you, I’ll be suspected too, won’t I?”

“Hup! That won’t do! Our insignificant lives don’t matter, but we can’t harm the Messenger!”

“Yes. So, stay quiet and behave for now. Don’t breathe a word to Stenos.”

“Yes! I understand!”

They were shouting that they would kill me just a moment ago, but now they were ready to risk death for me.

‘Tsk. This is why cults are dangerous.’