NOVEL NEXT Chapter 15
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Episode 15
Richie’s Hideout (4)
Two years, in the form of six months, have passed.
For Riley, it must have been hellish days.
Dispelling the endless magic generated by the lich day and night consumed quite a lot of stamina.
But she endured.
She grit her teeth and continued training, sometimes even increasing the intensity by herself.
Is that all?
Whenever she had spare time, Riley would spar with Death Knight Jeremy, awakening her physical senses.
With no moment of rest, it was only natural that she achieved explosive growth in just half a year.
Whoooosh—.
Crack—!
“…Huh?”
And today, exactly half a year later.
Richie’s flustered voice filled the open area.
The spells of the lich that sharply flew toward Riley vanished in midair.
It was a perfect demonstration of dispel with not a single error.
*
[You’ve done well.]
Riley roughly nodded in response.
She must have been really hungry as her gaze was glued to the food in front of her.
After eating for a while, she finally opened her mouth about thirty minutes later.
“I’m used to dispelling… but the fact that I haven’t used it in a real situation is concerning.”
[Hmm.]
That might be true.
Through her duels with Richie, Riley’s “Dispel” had reached a significant level.
A success rate of nine out of ten.
Considering her opponent was a former archmage who once ruled the continent, that was an impressive score.
But…
As Riley said, this was merely the achievement from training.
Richie had never used magic on Riley with a serious intent.
The aim of the attacks was solely to help Riley grow. In other words, this was half-hearted magic, devoid of any deadly intent.
The situation would be different in the Selection Test.
The magicians Riley would face wouldn’t be merciful.
Their goal was solely to catch the eye of the Five Great Towers.
So, no magician would intentionally lower the power of their spells like Richie did.
Instead, they would cunningly hide the flaws in their magic.
Though I didn’t doubt Riley’s dispel skill, would she be able to show the same side in a real battle?
That concern lingered. It definitely seemed necessary to verify.
“Ah, right!”
At that moment, Richie snapped her fingers as if remembering something.
“Master.”
[Huh?]
“I have a good idea.”
*
[So, in short… ]
Richie’s words could be summarized like this.
[…You were conducting research five years ago on creating chimerae that use magic?]
“Yes!”
[And they rampaged, forcing your research facility to close?]
“Yes, yes!”
Richie continued to smile brightly as she spoke.
“For a first real battle, they’re the perfect opponent, right? The closed laboratory is just inside this cave, so it will only take about ten more minutes to get there.”
Sure, well.
The proposal itself wasn’t bad.
Chimeras that use magic.
Naturally, they would attack Riley without caring for anything.
Even if a dangerous situation occurred, Richie would accompany her, so Riley’s life would be safe.
As Richie said, it seemed like the best opponent for a first real battle. Some risk paired with guaranteed safety.
[… ]
But something felt fishy.
Why did I feel like I was being used?
“I see I’m not the only one who feels this way.”
[Exactly.]
No matter how I thought about it, it felt like she was trying to dump the troublesome cleanup tasks onto us.
Was that just my imagination?
Stop.
Richie, who had overheard our conversation, paused for a moment.
With a guilty expression on her face. She’s always been a friend who can’t lie.
[Right. She’s trying to make us do the dirty work while we’re here, isn’t she?]
“That’s not true.”
[Yes, it is.]
“No, it is not!”
Richie, who had been sulking, began to assert herself with effort.
“But still, even if it is true, don’t I have the right to ask for it?”
[……. ]
“For the past six months, no, what am I saying, during this nearly two years of time, you’ve fed me, trained me, and took care of me, and you can’t do one little chore for me?”
That was ridiculous.
[Then just ask politely.]
I didn’t understand why she acted like she was doing a favor.
In reality, she was merely passing off her own troublesome work onto us.
[We have received something too. After all, for the past six months, we’ve only relied on you, so how could we ignore your request? Say it again, politely.]
“Umm…”
Richie started to stroke her chin. Soon after, a sincere request flowed from her lips.
“Cough! Cough! Then… Could you handle some chores for me? To build up my actual combat sense, can you eliminate the chimeras in the closed research wing? I’d really appreciate it.”
[Sure. I should help out. It’s a request from my old apprentice, after all.]
“Thank you!”
[However, you have to pay the price properly?]
“…What?”
Richie’s expression soured.
“No! You said you’d do it without any cost! Since we’ve just received help for six months, it’s time to return the favor!”
[When did I say that?]
I never said such a thing?
[Riley, when did I say that?]
“Never.”
[That’s what they say?]
With a dumbfounded look, Richie alternated glances between me and Riley. She mumbled as if in despair.
“How shameless can this be…”
[Anyway, pay properly for the errand. When we leave, make sure to take a few expensive artifacts with you. Got it?]
“…”
[Love you, my old apprentice.]
Of course, saying “I love you” was a joke.
*
According to Richie’s guidance, we arrived at the entrance of a closed passage.
It looked like a bomb shelter.
Various magical barriers were preventing entry.
“I’ll break the barriers for you, so you can go inside and take care of the chimeras.”
[You’re not going in?]
“I’ll watch from here, and if I judge that Riley’s in danger, I’ll intervene then.”
[Suit yourself.]
If Richie entered, the tension would dissipate.
The urgency of actual combat would disappear, if that makes sense.
As she said, it felt right for only Riley and me to enter the closed research facility.
With someone like Richie, she could teleport and join immediately if Riley was in danger.
“Alright, I’ll open it.”
Richie’s power dismantled the barriers and spells placed at the closed entrance one by one.
Creeeak—!
Soon, the tightly closed door opened, revealing the eerie interior of the research facility.
Gooool—
A sinister aura flowed amidst the accumulated dust within the research facility. Far away, the cries of strange creatures could be heard.
In the dark laboratory devoid of light.
Richie peeked inside and continued speaking with confidence.
“There are seven chimeras in total! They all have unique characteristics, so it will be more than enough for you to build your combat sense!”
[……. ]
“Anyway, Riley! Do your best! As your master, I’ll be cheering you on!”
Well, why not give this a shot.
*
Whoosh—.
KABOOM—!
“Aaaaah!”
A giant chimera in the form of a lion began to rampage like mad.
Was it because all its companions had been killed?
It was glaring at Riley with eyes filled with hatred.
Whoosh—.
A storm of mana was condensing in its wide-open mouth. Seizing the chance, I shouted to Riley.
[Now! Dispel!]
Crack—.
At that moment, the mana gathering around the chimera scattered in all directions.
This was the moment when Riley’s “Dispel,” which she trained so hard over the last six months, shone.
The spell’s cancellation.
And immediately followed a counterattack.
Riley formed a Magic Missile.
The manifested Magic Missiles began to fly fiercely toward the core located at the heart of the chimera.
Swoosh—!
The chimera tried to deploy a defensive spell too late, but it was already too late.
As the spinning Magic Missiles flew through the thick skin of the chimera, they completely shattered its core.
KABOOM—!
With a dying scream, the chimera fell.
Thus, the grand ordeal that lasted seven hours came to an end.
“Phew…”
Riley sat down on the floor.
It had been a tough battle.
As Richie said, the chimeras each possessed unique abilities.
Some mindlessly fired mana like a laser cannon, others breathed fire, and some scattered mana bullets like a machine gun, and so on.
Moreover, they were scattered throughout the vast research facility, making it a real hassle to find each one.
Fortunately, Riley’s “Pathfinding” shone every time.
If someone without the excellent ability of “Pathfinding” had come here, they wouldn’t have a clue where to go.
Anyway.
The thought I had after witnessing Riley’s real combat was just one.
[With this, even a mid-tier magician wouldn’t pose a problem, right?]
“Really?”
[Yeah.]
The only attack spell Riley knew was a simple “Magic Missile.”
Her mana manipulation and application ability were still lacking, so her pure magical attack power could be said to be low.
But…
Riley’s defensive capabilities were outstanding.
Based on her high mana affinity, she could sense where the opponent’s spells would come from and dismantle them one step ahead.
Honestly, I was already getting vibes of her being a cheat character.
[If she refines her attack magic a bit more, she wouldn’t be lacking at all…]
I was enveloped in thought while scanning the now ruined research building.
[Huh?]
Right then.
A worn parchment came into my view.
[Hey, Riley.]
“Yeah?”
[Do you see that parchment at the corner over there? Let’s take a look at it.]
Riley, who was sitting on the ground, stood up to grab the parchment upon hearing my words.
And…
“…”
She was forced to wear a dumbfounded expression as she scanned the content of the parchment.
“What is this…?”
[…….]
I stared at the parchment.
Written on it was “Seriously! Richie’s World Domination Plan! Vol. 12” with an absurd title.
[Hey.]
-…….
[Are you listening?]
-………
[I know you’re listening. Answer me.]
-Yes, what is it?
Richie’s nagging voice came through as it rode on the mana.
Her voice was woven with a feeling of inexplicable anxiety.
I quietly muttered while looking at the parchment Riley was holding.
[What the heck is this.]
-…….
The title alone was ridiculous.
But the content of the plan was even more outrageous.
-I definitely burned that…
[So what? Were you planning to conquer the world while I was away?]
-No, no!
[What do you mean, no? This plan is right here.]
I read aloud the plan for Richie, who was trying to deny everything.
[Step 1. Create Death Knights. Wow, that’s how you made Jeremy. Step 2. Create chimeras that can use magic… ha, this is completely insane. Were you trying to lead the entire continent to destruction while I was gone?]
-No, I wasn’t!
[Hah.]
-I’m serious! No, this is really a misunderstanding!
Richie’s cries of injustice echoed, and silence followed.
How long did that awkward air last?
Finally, Richie revealed the grand plan she had been harboring in her heart.
-Ah! I got it! I was going to conquer the world!
[…….]
-B-But not the whole continent! I was just going to take a tiny city at the eastern edge and make it my kingdom! Is that alright?
[…….]
-Why! Why are you reacting like that! Isn’t it natural for someone like Richie to have that kind of ambition!?
I’m scared she’s going to cause some trouble soon.
No.
I fear I might already be wrapped up in some mess without knowing!
-Uh, um, uh…
[What? Why are you reacting that way just from something I said?]
-I-I didn’t cause any trouble!
[…….]
-I’m serious.
Oh my gosh.