BXBX NOVEL Chapter 94 - The Tower of Illusions (4)
Chapter 94 - The Tower of Illusions (4)
"Now! Stab him!"
"Eek! It\'s stuck on the bone!"
"Not there! You should’ve aimed a little lower!"
"Move aside! Let me do it!"
The kids were busy dealing with the illusionary enemies, clutching their knives and nooses.
Watching them, I sat back and leisurely sipped my coffee with Kaiden. Orendi was nowhere to be seen, who knows what he was up to.
"Are you here alone?"
"No, there are other mages. But this is my private space, so you won’t run into anyone."
"A private space?"
Kaiden explained that the place we were in was actually just a small research room of a few square meters, but we were completely unaware of it due to his extreme illusion magic.
"This is really impressive. Incredible."
"As I mentioned, the VR stories you told me were incredibly helpful. But… becoming a professor at the academy? How did that happen?"
"It’s all because of Linus."
I told him how I reluctantly became a professor due to circumstances surrounding Linus, and Kaiden nodded in understanding.
"That’s exactly like you, Dian. Even after ten years, you’re still a dependable ally for all of us."
"It’s not that big of a deal."
"By the way, Dian, after returning to the capital, did you meet with Lormane?"
"Yeah, I did. I went to ask for help because we needed a priest for the academy."
Kaiden’s half-closed eyes glinted with interest.
"How was it?"
"She welcomed me warmly and helped out. That’s all. Honestly, I was a bit surprised myself."
"Is that so… For the object of her obsession to return after ten years without any incident…"
Kaiden stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"I’m not someone who’s usually called stupid, but Lormane’s reaction is something I can’t comprehend."
"Neither do I. Maybe her feelings changed over the past ten years."
"Hmm, I’m not so sure."
Kaiden shook his head, still doubtful.
"Don’t you remember? Your underwear kept going missing, and when we searched for them, they were all stuffed into Lormane’s bag."
"Hey, shut up about that."
"And when we were escorting that succubus prisoner from the Demon King’s army, she imagined the succubus was trying to seduce you and killed her in the middle of the night without any reason."
"Hah, yeah… that did happen."
"That’s not all. She even claimed once that she had your child."
"Don’t remind me of that, you bastard."
"And do you recall the one time Linus completely lost his temper at her?"
How could I forget?
During a battle, Lormane tried to stage a dramatic rescue of me by intentionally putting me in danger. She kept secretly mixing a paralyzing herb into my food, hoping I’d collapse mid-battle so she could heal me with her divine powers, thereby indebting me to her.
However, her plan didn’t work. I consumed enough of that herb to kill a normal person in a day, but I felt no effects even after several days. When Linus found out, he was genuinely furious with her.
Linus, in a fit of righteous anger, made even the mighty Lormane cower, forcing her to grovel on the ground and swear she’d never endanger a comrade again.
To be honest, even I found Linus’s rage a bit frightening.
"Did you know, Dian? After the war, Lormane tried to leave the church. She wanted to live as a commoner and marry you."
"She mentioned something like that in passing."
"It wasn’t just passing talk. She used the reward money from the Palace to buy a house in some remote countryside for the two of you to live in. She even ordered a wedding dress from the best shop in the capital and still keeps it stored away. She also had invitations made—without a date, of course—and stacked them up. When I last met her, she mentioned she had even prepared baby supplies."
"Wh-What?"
"And this wasn’t right after the war. She kept preparing all of this even after you left, Dian."
I felt dizzy.
"She meticulously prepared everything, waiting for your return, and yet…"
"Kaiden."
My voice dropped as I sternly interrupted.
"Let’s stop talking about Lormane on this happy day."
"Understood. To be honest, I wasn’t entirely comfortable bringing it up either."
After that, we drank our coffee in silence for a while.
# # # # #
It was time to head back to the academy after securing Kaiden’s cooperation. He accompanied us to the front of the Tower of Illusions, disguised as an old, dilapidated hut.
"Hurry up! Come on, let’s go!"
Hindrasta shouted from in front of the dimensional gate, urging us to move faster.
Kaiden, noticing her impatience, turned to me and asked,
"That girl, she’s a dragon, right? The one you and Linus supposedly gave a good beating."
"Huh? Yeah, that’s right. How’d you know?"
"She came to me earlier and asked if there was a spell to undo her polymorph form, and begged for my help."
"Is there such a thing?"
"No. A dragon’s polymorph is a natural ability, not something that can be undone by magic."
Looks like Hindrasta was really frustrated with her current form. I mean, for a dragon who used to soar through the sky, being stuck walking on two legs must be pretty miserable.
"Then she went on about being imprisoned and begged me to help her. What’s that all about?"
"It’s nothing serious. She came to the academy on her own, tried to pick a fight with me, lost, and ended up as a student."
"Quite a dramatic turn of events, but it’s best not to help that dragon."
"Exactly. She won’t be able to break out of her polymorph for another thousand years, so she might as well graduate and get a proper job."
"Dragons are an arrogant species with inflated egos. You’ll have to personally guide her, Dian. No one else in this world could possibly tame her."
"She used to be pretty defiant, but these days, she’s finally doing what I tell her."
"Um, excuse me, Master Kaiden."
At that moment, Merilda timidly approached.
"Do I really have no talent for magic?"
"You don’t, Merilda."
Kaiden’s blunt response didn’t dampen Merilda’s spirit. Instead, she quickly asked another question.
"Then is there a way for me to use illusion magic when I need it? Like through a magic-infused stone or tool?"
"Illusion magic isn’t something you can compare to simple spells like that. It’s impossible."
Kaiden’s answer left no room for hope, and Merilda’s shoulders drooped.
"Hey, Merilda. Just give it up. What’s the point? It’ll only lower your grades."
"But it’s such a shame."
Merilda responded to Knightley’s teasing.
"I waited ten years… I had hoped, even if it was just an illusion… but to have it end like this…"
"What exactly is this ‘ten years’ you keep talking about? And what did you see earlier?"
But Merilda didn’t answer, only lowering her head further.
"Sir Kaiden, I will never forget your teachings. I will strive to improve, again and again."
Clutching his notebook tightly, Orendi repeatedly bowed to Kaiden.
"Very well, Professor Orendi. I hope we meet again."
"Yes, Sir Kaiden!"
Watching this made me feel rather odd.
Ten years ago, Kaiden had been just a kid, and now he was someone being admired and respected like this.
"Hurry up! I’m getting sleepy now!"
Hindrasta yelled from in front of the dimensional gate again, and I shook hands with Kaiden.
"I’ll see you at the competition."
"It’s truly an honor to be able to help you, Dian. I always thought I would repay your kindness one day, and now that day has come."
"Kindness, huh? I just put you to work because you’re smart."
"Regardless of your reasons, you brought me into the light. You’re the benefactor of my life."
"Well, if you say so."
Kaiden was, after all, an important member of the Hero Party, as the original story dictated.
Bringing him along and convincing the Palace to let him join the Special Task Force was all part of following the original story’s progression.
But even so, that didn’t mean my relationship with Kaiden was strictly businesslike.
We were comrades who had faced countless deadly situations together during the war. That bond wasn’t something you could fake with illusion magic—it was real.
"By the way, Kaiden."
As everyone else passed through the dimensional gate, I lingered behind and asked Kaiden,
"What exactly did those kids see earlier?"
"Would you like me to tell you?"
"I’m curious."
"Both Merilda and Knightley saw you, Dian. Though their visions differed slightly in terms of clothing and attitude."
As Kaiden explained each detail, I felt a strong sense of dizziness wash over me.
"Those girls are insane. They’ve completely lost it."
"Girls their age don’t just read romance novels and weep over falling leaves. Everyone harbors secret desires they can’t reveal."
"I’ll have to be more careful with how I behave around them."
Kaiden chuckled and shook his head.
"They’re already completely infatuated with you, Dian. Unless you decide to strip down in the middle of the academy courtyard, I don’t think their feelings will change."
"Maybe I should take a dump on the training ground so they finally snap out of it. Anyway, thanks, Kaiden. See you tomorrow in the capital."
"It’s been a long time since I last visited the capital. I’ll see you tomorrow, Dian."
I gave Kaiden a quick hug before stepping through the dimensional gate.