Episode 228. The Last of the Festival (2)
Several days have passed since the horrific events at the Magic Banquet.
The broken village was quickly restored with the help of the golems, and was able to regain its former happy status.
The shopping district was revived in an instant and began doing business. People regained their sense of security as they returned to being an ordinary town where people were gathered again.
Although the festival they had worked so hard to prepare for had gone down the drain, they were grateful to have survived.
Thanks to the quick response of the bachelor’s side, we were able to survive, and thanks to the mysterious demon appearing and destroying the meteorite, this continent was safe.
-Did you see the newspaper today? It said Princess Mirona was escorted to the Imperial Palace today.
-You were basically taken away. What kind of hardships do you have to endure at a young age because you met the wrong father?
-Who would have thought that the Emperor was such a person? What crime could his bloodline have committed?
But recently, the merchants have been feeling sorry while doing business due to the news they have heard.
Emperor Carmine, the mastermind behind all the events at the Magic Banquet.
To be exact, the lives of many nobles were threatened by the demon king who possessed the emperor’s body.
Although there were no casualties, I couldn’t help but be very angry that the continent was almost destroyed because of one person.
As a result of the investigation conducted while the Emperor was away, the corruption and secret operations that had been committed were spread to the world.
The people of the empire were shocked to learn that the plan to ruin the Magic Banquet had been in the works for many years.
-This was something they had planned and intended to destroy the world.
-You even secretly joined hands with the water people outside our borders who are enemies with our Divine Empire!
-So that’s why those clueless people were causing chaos in the village during the festival.
That guy named Machia had been plotting his plan step by step ever since he stole the Emperor’s body.
Public anger grew even more as it was revealed that he was controlling a fanatic group called Doomsday behind the scenes.
Because there are more than a few people who have been harmed by that group of weirdos.
-Shouldn’t we be executing all those associated with the emperor at this point?
-Hey, that’s going too far.
-But most of them probably participated. Looking at it, it looks like those guys like Charis and Meloin also cooperated in bringing in the Suin tribe.
-Then are you telling Princess Miro to die too?
-… .
Since there were many people who wanted him executed, there was no better bait for the nobles who were eyeing the throne.
There will be many angry citizens. Then, it will be easy to carry out public executions of the Emperor’s associates under the pretext of cleaning up the mess.
I was jealous of Carmine being a saint, so now is the only way to erase his traces.
Moreover, it was an opportunity to gain a good position by carrying out executions on a large scale.
Of course, that included Miro and the Princess.
-But that’s ridiculous! They say that the Duke of Chainsilver is right next to you.
-And also, it is said that two saints followed the princess and went out to the imperial palace for an overnight stay?
-Hahaha! Then it’s impossible!
-Is it any use executing innocent people?
However, it has been a long time since Mirona was used as a political tool.
This was because the Chainsilver family, who had power equal to that of the imperial family and could be said to be the most powerful family in the current empire, were protecting the princess.
Moreover, it is said that the nobles who had been shouting at the princess took a step back in fear at the sight of the gaze of a white-haired young man who was sticking next to the princess or the princess.
-Anyway, you’re blinded by the approval ratings. You’re a complete idiot!
-That’s why you shouldn’t become a noble. You should live moderately like us.
-Is that so?
-Hahahaha!
While the villagers were laughing and chatting about news, a guest arrived.
She has pink hair like a peach blossom and her school uniform is always fluttering because of her small body size.
The merchants spoke kindly to the girl when she asked for items to buy magic task materials.
-Little lady. What do you need?
The moment the merchant makes that statement, a fellow merchant next to him starts urging him to cancel it immediately.
And only too late did the merchant realize his mistake.
I’m telling you, you should never call this girl a kid.
Boom!-
Suddenly, a large explosion occurred in the middle of the shopping district.
* * * * *
“I really don’t understand. Where did you see me as calling you a kid?”
A small-bodied genius wizard, Mary Ludsiel walked down the street with her arms hanging limply.
When I went to buy ingredients, the merchant told me that I was a little girl.
What might have sounded like a light greeting to me, sounded like a huge insult to Mary.
The more I think about it, the more my teeth chatter and I feel like shaking my arms and legs.
As the explosion occurred, the guards came rushing towards me, so I quickly jumped away using my flying magic.
“But those guys, they’ll definitely remember my face.”
This time again, penalty points have been confirmed.
I would have gotten over 10 points and if I hadn’t been the top student, I would have definitely failed the exam.
“Haaah… Why on earth am I like this?”
Mary sighed deeply and sat down on the bench next to her.
I’ve wondered if I’m really short dozens or hundreds of times.
I looked in the mirror and compared myself with my friends, and I even measured my height myself.
In fact, I already knew it then.
He is a short kid.
But I didn’t want to admit it.
“I’m definitely the same age as Jenny and Crona…”
Everyone is 17 years old and above average in height, but I am the only one who is the same height as elementary school kids.
It seemed as if nothing had changed since my elementary school days.
“Eww! I’m so pissed! Bug! Where’s the bug!”
Mary sitting on a chair, waving her arms and legs and screaming.
The townspeople who witnessed the strange sight looked at him as if to say, “What is that?”
In times like this, bugs are the best.
And when I listen to the Nobel Records, all my stress melts away.
Yeah, let’s forget everything! Let’s reset all our thoughts and start fresh!
Just then I saw a swarm of ants carrying a grasshopper’s carcass on the ground.
Mary, who saw it and tasted it, reached out to grab it.
“Is that tasty?”
“Yes! It’s really delicious. Huh?”
Suddenly someone sat down next to me and spoke to me.
Mary turned her head with great alertness, as she clearly did not feel any sign of approaching.
“Hello, kid.”
“Ugh! You!”
The moment Mary saw the woman’s face, she was horrified.
Because it was Shaikhar, the so-called King of the Spirits of Life, who could never be here.
Although it was an avatar and not her actual body, she was still an amazing being.
“How did you get here? And more importantly, you just called me a brat!?”
“Hehehe, don’t be too angry. It’s all true anyway.”
“Ugh!”
Mary bit her lip in exasperation as Shaikhar threw a fastball.
This time I wanted to use explosion magic again, but my opponent was the Spirit King.
If you mess with her carelessly, you could end up in danger due to the spirit army she leads.
“How did you get here, ma’am? Didn’t you use up all your strength?”
“You heard, right? Your student council president was dragged off to the imperial palace.”
“Oh, you mean our Miro or Comrade?”
“I originally created the avatar to keep an eye on that child…”
In her previous life, Mirona was the adopted daughter of Shaikhar, who was called Saint Maria.
Just like her previous life, she hurriedly created an avatar this time, thinking that she might fall victim to human politics.
But there was no need for that, because there were already powerful forces protecting her.
But since I had already created the avatar, I was bored so I went to Alighieri.
“I ended up here by chance. I should walk while I can.”
And this Alighieri ground was filled with mystical life energy. Just stepping on it seemed to recharge me with strength.
In fact, he used that power to make a full moon appear in the night sky.
“If you have any worries, why don’t you ask me? I’ll listen to anything.”
“Really?”
“Well then, tell me.”
Mary needed someone to vent her worries about.
Although it is a distant goal, Shaikhar can certainly achieve it.
“Make me taller!”
Shaikhar looked dumbfounded at that proud shout, and a cold silence fell.
Only after the crows stopped croaking and flying away could Shaikhar answer with a smile.
“Ahahaha! Hey kid. Are you finally admitting that you’re a brat?”
“Ugh…”
“But I’m curious. What made you worry about that?”
In my 17 years of life, I have never once asked anyone for a wish like that.
Because I felt that I was attractive even in my current state, I never felt jealous of other tall friends.
But strangely enough, I’ve been feeling that way more and more these days.
“I want to look good in front of my friends.”
“friend?”
“My one and only friend.”
Those friends are definitely not just the kind of guys who hang out with their same-sex friends.
Shakir, who had been observing countless times over the years, could tell just by looking at Mary’s expression.
It’s definitely a man. And that man is none other than…
“Are you concerned about that shaman guy?”
“Actually, I don’t want to call you my friend anymore. Because…”
“I want to call you ‘honey’ now,” he added, and Shaikhar smiled with interest.
“Radon Crowler… do you like him?”
“Yes! I love you so much! I’m going to take you as my husband soon!”
“Ah… I see.”
Usually, a girl who is shy in love would always feel embarrassed in times like this.
However, Shakir looked intimidated when he saw Mary acting the opposite way.
Of all the nonsense I’ve seen so far, this one wasn’t your average nonsense.
“But there are many other friends beside my friend. There’s Jenny, there’s Ruska, and these days, even Saint Nevia is always hanging around by my side.”
“Aren’t you the one who sticks around too?”
“That’s right. But I’m worried because it seems like he’s the only one avoiding me.”
The reason for avoiding them is obvious. No one wants to be close to Mary, who will start using magic the moment she says a single wrong word.
Even Radon Crowler, who is the only one who stays close to me, seems like a saint.
But Mary also knew that she had many human qualities.
Because even though she had the power of the Demon King, she wasn’t mentally devoured, and when she fought against Commander Lutis, we could see her human side.
“I don’t lose to you in terms of charm either.”
“That’s right. You’re attractive enough. You still have that charm.”
“Really?”
Mary’s eyes sparkled at the subtle compliment.
I was drenched in the sweet words I wanted to hear, but in the end, all I heard was a sound that was hard to hear.
“But you have to acknowledge your flaws. Otherwise, you won’t be able to bring out your true charm.”
“The downside…?”
“For example, whenever you hear someone call you a brat, you get really angry. Can’t you fix that?”
“But that’s a lie… not…”
He’s short. He’s small. That was an obvious fact, not a lie, so I couldn’t refute it.
However, because he did not want to admit it, he altered his memories and committed violence.
How can even the mind be childish?
What kind of man would like a woman like this?
“Okay, admit it. You can do it. Otherwise, he’ll run away and abandon you.”
“That won’t do!”
When Mary screamed in sensitivity, Shaikhar also spoke forcefully.
“Then let’s face reality! Humans are creatures of courage. If we have that courage, we can overcome any harsh reality that comes our way.”
Even though being called a slacker is a reality, it is not impossible to overcome it.
To lay that foundation, we must first acknowledge it.
“Okay, can you do it?”
“yes yes!”
In this way, the spirit of life, the bloodline of the great wizard, and the host of the demon lord joined hands.
It was like watching a scene of people sharing a drink under a peach tree.
Shaikhar, with his stern expression on his face, thought to himself.
`This is more fun than I thought?`
* * * * *
It’s been a while since the newspaper club has been active.
There was a mountain of news stories piling up, so even ten hands weren’t enough.
The princess and the saint went on an overnight trip to the imperial capital, and Lyman also followed them after receiving permission from the department head.
If Lyman is attached, there is nothing that can happen to them. Unlike the main story.
“Ah… my arm is about to fall off.”
I stretched my wrists while tapping on the paper.
I felt like I was a prolific writer.
“Radon, now is not the time to rest. Do you know how many scoops are coming from the Academy right now?”
“Of course I know. There was even a statement held to prevent the princess from becoming a victim of political interference. Do you know how much trouble I had to go through to cover those guys?”
“Don’t joke around, it’s not just you, it’s everyone here.”
“Yes, yes”
Trisha, the newspaper editor, was also quite busy, so she just said what she wanted to say and then closed her mouth.
Last time, the novel I presented at the Magic Banquet for the Novel Record was so well-received that I had to write an explanatory note about it as well.
If you actually look at it at the evaluation meeting, it is a work that you would shout out, “Are you really putting this out there as a work of art?” But who would have thought that the citizens would actually like it?
`Did you put that ninja development in for nothing?`
Now, just thinking about that fox mask makes me sick.
The ninja of the assassination will freeze to death.
Suddenly-
Just then a girl opened the door to the newspaper office and came in.
“Excuse me.”
I was very disappointed when I found out that it was Mary who opened the door and came in.
And this time, he was wearing a fox mask again.
I’m busy with work right now, what kind of prank are you trying to pull?
“Mary, what are you doing here? I’m busy right now, so keep it short.”
Yes, that was the moment when Trisha’s words coincided with the thoughts of our members.
This time, Trisha seemed like a strong wall protecting us.
“I came because I have something to tell you.”
“…?”
I tilted my head at what Mary said.
There have been many times when the child has acted out of the ordinary, but how often has he spoken so politely and with such an intelligent attitude?
Even in the unique hall where dignity had to be maintained, Mary was the one who acted like a lunatic.
“I am…”
Mary took off her mask and spoke slowly.
“I will admit that I am short!”
… .
… .
A silence fell.
Everyone was left silent.
I doubt my ears, wondering if I just misheard.
And then again there was a tremendous noise.
“I was a little kid!”
The newspaper reporters who had been moving busily stopped moving.
Even the cold-hearted Tricer remained motionless with his eyes wide open.
An atmosphere where time seems to have stopped.
I couldn’t open my mouth either…
『… .』
『… .』
My masters who heard that also blinked and were confused.
“Rain… Rain…”
Eventually, Trisha’s hands began to tremble more and more.
And then he would sit up straight and scream.
“It’s an emergency!!”
Immediately, the other members ran outside and shouted the same thing.
“Let’s hurry and tell the professor and the department head!”
It was like watching a civil defense evacuation drill… no, it was a scene that was no different from a real battle.
Surviving as an Academy Fraudster
