The Hero’s Party Members Treat Me Well for Some Reason

Street of the Shunned (5)

Time flows on.

Rather peacefully, at that.

It was a tranquility I hadn’t felt in ages, but still, I learned magic relentlessly, pushing forward.

Just recently I’d been taken down with a single blow by Evan’s doppelganger; I couldn’t afford to grow complacent already.

Fortunately, thanks to my Heavenly Body, the learning was exceptionally fast.

Already, both the Arts of Curse and Sacrifice had reached an intermediate level.

And intermediate here meant, of course, a level where one could contend with several knights using just those magics alone.

At the same time, it was the minimum level needed to learn the Pain Art I desired.

Honestly… why did a single skill have to be so difficult?

What was even more astonishing was that there was still one more field to master.

Black magic, though diverse, could be broadly divided into three categories. The very same ones I was learning, at that.

The Art of Curse, the Art of Sacrifice, and the Art of Illusion.

While there were many other kinds of dark arts, most were, in truth, created from a combination of these three principles.

And now, all that remained for me was the sorcery of illusion, just the one.

I’d hoped to grasp it as quickly as before, but… alas, this time I found myself a little lost.

“Illusion, as the word suggests, is a fantasy. It’s making something that doesn’t exist seem real.”

The ‘sense’ spoken of here referred to all the tools a human uses to perceive the world.

Sight, smell, hearing, touch, taste, and so on. By distorting the perception related to these, one could trick their opponent into seeing phantoms.

Truthfully, I had, unknowingly, once learned the principle of illusion before.

After all, [Pain Imprint] was a spell that incorporated such a principle. Strictly speaking, this skill was a magic that combined curse and illusion.

So, I thought it might be a little easier… but, as it turns out, the world rarely works so simply.

“But before that, there is something we must ask. Where does reality end, and falsehood begin? Illusion magic manipulates a person’s perception by digging into that boundary.”

Unlike the other arts, which had been somewhat intuitive, the sorcery of illusion was, quite simply, obscure.

I needed something to latch onto in my mind to even attempt it, but everything sounded like alien tongues.

Even for the dark mages themselves, it was the same, it seemed, as the number of illusion magics was, first of all, small.

This made it difficult to get a grasp on.

“Oh dear, are you finding it difficult?”

As I was racking my brains, the Magic Tower Lord spoke from beside me.

Currently, there was nothing before my eyes. The task at hand was to create something before me purely with magic.

“Truthfully, this is a discipline that even we find very challenging. After all, even if it’s an illusion, creating something from nothing is hardly easy, is it?”

Though I was stuck, what was fortunate was that advice kept being tossed my way.

“So, we usually use experience. If it is something you have experienced yourself, it will be much easier to create concretely. Later, we add variations… but the first step is usually like that.”

The Archmage’s words sparked a flicker of understanding.

‘Experience, is it…’

If it’s about conjuring something like that, the difficulty drops considerably.

I have so many intensely vivid memories, after all. The first that leaped to mind was when I became a hero.

A dark back alley, shattered glass, a mountain range of refuse sacks.

Perhaps because it was a time when I steeled myself so fiercely, the structure of that moment was still as fresh as if it had just occurred.

Thinking of that scene, I projected mana. A small back alley was recreated atop the desk.

For some reason, I felt the sensation of the stench of rot rising around me.

Clap-clap-clap-

The Archmage’s applause echoed quietly from beside me.

“Remarkable. For a first demonstration of illusion magic, to distort more than two senses. Talent that never ceases to astound.”

“…It’s nothing, really. I suppose it’s all thanks to the goddess-given gift.”

Praise was pleasant enough, but it was getting to be repetitive. Compliments about my talent were starting to feel burdensome.

Because, in the end, I knew it was thanks to the ‘Heavenly Martial Body.’

Since it was a talent given to me, it felt too ambiguous to call it purely my own.

Because of that, I couldn’t help but offer a wry smile.

“Hahaha.”

But the Archmage’s reaction was somewhat strange.

He suddenly broke into a meaningful smile and began to stare at me. Finally, he spoke again.

“Hero, do you know who was once the most promising talent in our Magic Tower, even before you, Hero?”

“Hm?”

A sudden query. I shook my head, once. Not so deeply entrenched was I here to know such things.

“It is Melina, directly. The one who shares a floor with yourself, brave hero.”

Melina… The name resonated, at least. A witch whose face was half-obscured by burns. Melina, yes, that was her name. I recalled it from when she’d drawn my blood, not so long ago.

“Her potential lay not so much in intelligence, nor the purity of her mana. No, her potential stems from a darkened past.”

A darkened past. The phrase settled awkwardly, prompting a tilt of my head.

“Talent in dark magic differs from talents of a more… conventional nature. The more tortuous one’s life, the greater the chance of ascendance. Magic, at its core, relies on imagery, and dark magic typically demands imagery of a… negative kind. But seeing you, brave hero…”

He trailed off.

“It seems your life has not been entirely peaceful either.”

” ……”

Speech deserted me. His words resonated, striking some buried chord within.

Instead of replying, I simply nodded, mutely.

“Ah, my apologies. Perhaps I’ve spoken out of turn. Haha, let us then continue with the remaining magics.”

The atmosphere, thick with unspoken things, threatened to settle. But the Master Mage spoke again, dispelling the weight.

And so, time passed.

[Congratulations!]

[You have learned ‘Materialization’!]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[You have learned ‘Pain Sharing’!]

I was still improving by leaps and bounds.

*

“Well, with this, you’ve achieved everything you desired.”

“I learned easily, thanks to you.”

“Don’t mention it, rather, *I’ve* made progress thanks to you. Then, may you fare well.”

And so, a few days later, I descended (下山) from the Black Magic Tower.

Because I had learned all there was to learn. I had even mastered the somatosensory art that had plagued me for so long, and gained much else besides. This journey had been helpful enough, by far.

‘So, what *is* their gender?’

And I hadn’t managed to discern the Archmage’s gender until the very last day.

Neither voice nor manner of speech offered a single clue for deduction, you see. Not that I had ever ventured into the Archmage’s chambers either.

In the end, this was something I had no choice but to leave as an unknown.

In any case, now all that remained was to depart for the Demon Realm.

“It’s been a while. How have you been?”

“…My body felt comfortable, I suppose. But it was *boring*. Nothing to enjoy around here, and the residents keep their distance from us…”

Before setting out for the Demon Realm, I decided to stay in the village for a day, just to unwind.

I’d been living rigorously until now, so I decided to rest for just one day.

Listening to Lily’s complaints, I walked for several minutes. Eventually, I arrived at the inn where I intended to stay.

I roughly washed up, and then collapsed onto the bed.

From tomorrow, it was back to the Demon Realm. As such, I needed to conserve my strength as much as possible.

I believe I have prepared as much as I possibly can. It won’t be easy, but it’s manageable. Although I don’t know what kind of unfairness awaits me. I’ll surely be able to deal with it.

Thus, I drifted to sleep.

“Umm…”

And hours later, I awoke to a peculiar sensation on my stomach.

*Sarruk- sarruk-*

The feeling of something soft, like it was perched atop me.

The rustling of the blanket whispered quietly in my ear amidst the drowsiness. A strange presence. I cautiously opened my eyes.

Upon me stood a figure. Skin of a fine, unblemished bronze, silver hair illuminated by the moonlight filtering through the window, and golden eyes that seemed to mirror the moon’s glow.

Unconsciously, I spoke her name.

“…Adel?”

And then I saw it. Held high in her hand, a blade with a keen edge that glinted sharply.

“…!”

Seeing that, I twisted away in haste.

*Thwack-*!

A dagger buried itself deep in my side.

“Kugh…!”

I groaned, kicking her away with my foot.

*Thud-*! She tumbled backwards. I scrambled from the bed, staring at her with bewildered eyes.

“Such a pity…”

She said, rising from the floor. Even after such a strong kick, her expression remained utterly blank.

“I was aiming for something deeper, you see.”

“…What is this?”

I asked, pressing against the hole ripped in my side. Never would I have imagined being stabbed by a member of my own party.

I’ve endured plenty of insults until now, but this was a first.

“…I’ve thought about this for a long time. But no matter how I consider it, I can’t acknowledge you as the Hero.”

She continued.

“Return Yulis and Lily.”

She raised her dagger once more.