Francis’ Quiz Game (3)-Fixed
same time.
The great Emperor Arnold walked the campus of the Imperial Academy. Looking up at the sunset sky, I circled the same spot several times.
A campus that is so beautiful that it can be compared to the ‘Garden of Peace’.
However, the emperor’s expression was indifferent. He had only one interest.
The victim must have come out by now.
Seriously, how many people are going to die?
“·······”
I was wasting my time making guesses. To be precise, he was holding Frederick.
The problem is that this stuff is starting to get boring.
Arnold stopped walking. Then, Frederick, who had been following a step behind, also stood in place.
Arnold asked, still looking up at the sky.
“Frederick.”
“Your Majesty the Emperor.”
“Do you think that mere humans can change the destinies?”
“I think it is impossible.”
Frederick replied a little late.
Even in a short moment, many thoughts came and went.
The future is a sensitive subject for the emperor, enough to purify all prophets in the empire. If there is even the slightest doubt, they dig into it tenaciously.
Even if it was the heir of a vassal state, even if it was a great mage, it could not escape the suspicion of the great emperor.
So, I didn’t know what kind of test this question might be.
The Emperor’s deep doubts about “Foresight”.
That was the reason why Frederick couldn’t respond hastily.
“But it is happening. With some variable, the future I see is changing.”
“·······”
“Frederick. Do you know why I went ahead and visited the Imperial Academy?”
The emperor’s gaze, vaguely directed to the sky, slowly descended and focused on Frederick.
“I do not know. Your Majesty the Emperor.”
“To check that variable. The opening of the foresight sensed weeks ago and the slowly changing future.”
Arnold looked at Frederick and gave a meaningless smile. Even the world’s Frederick felt a chill on his back.
“You will find out tonight. What is it?”
＊＊＊
Bingo game 4 problem.
There are still 8 victims.
······and.
Kruthul’s demonic energy was gradually weakening. When measured by [Magical Insight], it decreased by about half.
However, it was still insufficient.
By a single margin, Kruthul’s demonic power was superior to my [Superior Magical Quality].
A situation that requires a little more time.
“Even on a medium difficulty problem, there are zero victims.”
Francis, unaware of that fact, was still at ease. He snorted with a mocking face.
“I think I underestimated Professor Leonard. If so, let’s ask a more difficult question this time.”
The corners of Francis’ mouth went up. I tried to launch a spell with a higher level of difficulty than before.
before he snaps his fingers
“for a moment.”
I spoke quickly and stopped him.
You will be given 10 seconds after completing the question.
Time was not enough to put my plan into action. It took a little longer than that.
Furthermore, if it was a more difficult attack technique, I might not be able to interpret it either.
If you can’t write down the correct answer, your whole body explodes.
Of course, since I have a barrier, my life will not be affected, but the other participants will die. Even if Elijah overcomes with his talent, Jeniel will not be able to avoid changes.
As with me and Jeniel, there was no guarantee that the other contestants would share the correct answer. So I had to take my time somehow.
I spoke as calmly as possible.
“Why are you playing such a cruel game? If I had the ability to design barrier magic like this, I could have slaughtered them in one go.”
“You ask very quickly.”
Francis pointed his raised hand at the participants.
“Because I want to see your selfish side. I hate it so much to pretend to be noble and altruistic and drop all kinds of pretense…”
“·······”
“But now it looks pretty good. The way they try to kill each other. If you can live for yourself, it’s someone else’s life. To think nothing of it. That is human nature.”
“·······”
“Those who openly ignore me, idiots who didn’t dare to recognize this Francis, are now acting within their means.”
Hahaha- Francis laughed heartily and raised his hand again. Then, this time, Jeniel spoke.
“Nobody ignored you, Francis.”
Jeniel, who had collaborated with Francis several times, knew. To be sure, no one ignored Francis.
Of course, people around him avoided him because of his karma, but at least he never openly insulted him in front of him.
Even in her frightened state, Jeniel continued to speak calmly.
“People don’t hate you. Everyone is busy with their own work, so you’ve only been a little distracted, but everyone cares about you. So even now-“
“Everyone, shut up! That’s something you can say because you live while being treated!”
However, Francis’ position was different. Because of the inferiority complex and victim mentality that had been ingrained since childhood, all actions of people were negatively accepted. He gave meaning to even the smallest things.
If I couldn’t answer because I was busy, I thought I was ignoring myself.
I thought that if I refused the promise because there was a prior agreement, I would hate myself.
Such pessimistic thoughts turned him into a monster.
and······
Jeniel’s heartfelt words were also accepted as a joke. A magic tower researcher who is welcomed anywhere with a pretty face and decent skills.
There was no way that Jeniel, who was the complete opposite of Francis, could understand her feelings. It was clear. That was a joke.
“What do you know!”
A vein formed on Francis’ forehead.
To calm him down would only inflame him.
“Everyone, everyone die! Anything that ignores me must die. I will kill you as brutally as possible!”
Jeniel’s appeasement was fragmentarily a handshake.
However, thanks to the delay, Krutul’s demonic energy was greatly reduced. This was enough to break through the barrier and manifest magic.
Even if the magic of the other contestants doesn’t work, my magic with the [superior quality of magical power] should be able to do it.
I said looking at Francis.
“Francis, I will break the barrier.”
“no!! I won’t give you that kind of time anymore. We must watch this tragedy through to the end!”
But Francis narrowly refused. Then, he snapped his fingers and launched a spell.
widely-!
A complicated spell floating in the air. It was a problem with a high degree of difficulty corresponding to the ‘advanced attack technique’.
Soon, the countdown to death began.
“I’ll give you 10 seconds this time. Lesser series should only pray for Professor Leonard to solve it.”
Francis’ arrogant eyes shot at me. Not only that, but I could feel the eyes of all the lesser survivors.
Desperation that comes naturally in the face of the fear of death.
The only hope to save everyone.
I shook my head, ignoring all of that. I just stared at the floor indifferently.
“·······”
A magic circle drawn on the auditorium floor.
Barrier magic that combines defense, attack, and black magic.
The area of defensive magic has already been analyzed.
All that was left was the attack class and black magic.
I looked at the magic circle with wide eyes.
For an instant, a high degree of concentration was exerted, and time slowed down. As if the video was stopped, magic poured out from the subspace where everything stopped.
oh oh oh-
The whole body’s magical energy was focused on the brain. The spell recognized through the optic nerve and the magic power to interpret it collided in my head.
Jiji- Jijik-
The brain was overloaded and the back of the head became hot. My eyes were furrowed from the oncoming headache. Kwadeuk- I could feel the blood coming from the biting molar, and the blood vessels around my neck were bursting and stained purple.
“Magical insight” manifested at the same time.
Something appeared above the retina watching the spell.
[Boom area 45% cross…]
I poured all my energy into it. Based on the efforts made so far, the formula was interpreted. Each stroke was analyzed in detail.
As the mana in the body was exhausted, I felt a bit of dizziness, the shattering headache intensified, and both eyes were bloodshot red from the excruciating pain.
As a result.
[ Boom area 45% ]
[ Cross Everter 13% ]
[ Boom Eveject 42% ]
The perfect interpretation floated before my eyes.
It was a success in interpreting the barrier magic.
“under······”
The formidable concentration was disrupted, and time returned to normal.
I took a breath that filled up to the tip of my chin. I barely straightened my staggering body.
“9”
This entire process took only 1 second.
It was a short time, but my complexion, which had exhausted a lot of mana, suddenly darkened.
At the same time, the survivors who had pinned all their hopes on me panicked.
“Le, Professor Leonard is frustrated…”
“Oh, no······”
“Just a little bit more, Professor!”
“please! You can do it!!”
I cried and cried and screamed.
Some begged for mercy from the attacking magicians, while those who had already given up waited for death with their eyes closed.
Francis laughed out loud when he saw it.
“Ha ha ha! Is there a problem that the world’s Leonard can’t solve? That proud Leonard?”
He clutched his belly button and bowed his head. The eerie madness chilled the backs of the survivors.
“Oh my gosh. Now all that remains is to explode and die. hahaha-”
Francis, caught off guard by Leonard’s long-awaited frustration.
This was his chance at a glance.
I immediately manifested 「Expedium」.
The magical energy that flowed out of the body penetrated the solid barrier magic and spread. In no time, the survivors’ seats were covered.
Susseusut-!
Soon after, the participants’ bodies began to blur. The hardened body was becoming translucent.
Existing delay time is 5 seconds.
However, I continued to polish 「Expedium」. Waiting for Narsha, I immersed myself in defense magic every night.
Delay time shortened by hard work.
about 3 seconds.
In extreme conditions, faster than that.
“Hahahaha-!!”
When Francis, who had been laughing for a long time, raised his head.
Susseusut-!
The 40 survivors disappeared in an instant.
Only two people remained in the auditorium where frustration and fear lingered.
“Khahaha-······· Ah·······”
Francis’s pupils fluctuated. Leonard’s grinning face was reflected in his jet-black eyes.
“Hey, how is this-”
“Francis.”
“·······”
“As we announced earlier, we will release the barrier.”
I immediately canceled the barrier magic.
Then, along with a roar that hit the eardrums, a huge explosion occurred.
Kwagwagwagwang-!!!
Francis’ final trap to leave no survivors behind. However, when I manifested the [Barrier], not a single fingertip was injured. Even in the explosion that exploded in succession, it was safe.
Gray explosions visible from the outside of the “Barrier”.
Sueuuu-
Through the rising smoke, he approached Francis. The auditorium, where the barrier magic had disappeared, had returned to its original form.
Tumble- Tumble-
The sound of footsteps resounding in the auditorium.
Francis, who had been hardened by that brave figure, belatedly put his hand in his pocket. He broke the summoning stone and tried to escape to the outskirts of the empire.
However, before holding the summoning stone.
Geeing-
I was bound by the [Barrier]. I said, glaring at Francis.
“A cancer lump, where do you dare to run away…”
Interpretation of barrier magic, expression of Expedium, etc.
He was extremely sensitive because he had exhausted almost all of his magic power, and all of his emotions were directed towards Francis.
I tightened my grip. Then, the barrier was gradually compressed.
Kwadeuk-!
The pressure built up and Francis’ face turned red. I struggled with the pain that squeezed the space.
“Keuuk… that, stop…”
I could have killed him right away, but I had no intention of paying the price so cheaply.
The plan was to slowly compress the barrier and kill him as painfully as possible.
Kwadeuk-!
The barrier pressure was raised by one step.
“Kuh, Kekem…”
The door to the auditorium opened just as he passed out, swallowing foam.
Armed Immortal Knights entered the interior. They looked at the empty auditorium and whispered.
“·····no?”
“Is everyone dead except for Professor Leonard?”
“What happened, Professor Leonard?”
“·······”
I canceled “Barrier” as it was.
I was so excited that I lost my temper. I didn’t have to get my hands dirty.
If he is taken to the Ministry of Magic like this, Francis will painfully pay for his crimes for the rest of his life in the ‘Prison of Mind and Pain’.
“Here it is.”
When 「Expedium」 was canceled, participants appeared in an empty auditorium.
Susssseu-
A total of 41 survivors.
It was the best result I could do, saving 30 more people than the original.
The survivors who stayed in the subspace for a while cheered as they saw the auditorium where the situation was sorted out.
“Sa, live!”
“Oooh! I lived and lived!!”
“Mom… Hehehehehehe!”
They jumped around the auditorium and expressed joy with their whole bodies.
Seeing that, I felt an incomprehensible satisfaction.
However, these people will also have to pay for their sins.
widely-!
When he snapped his fingers, a transparent magic field bound the survivors. The target is 36 people excluding Jeniel, Elia, Raella, and Claton.
They were all perpetrators of sabotage at one time or another.
I spoke to the Ministry of Magic agent who followed me.
“All of the survivors who are currently being held captive are those who have indirectly harmed the victims.”
“Okay, Professor Leonard. We will take legal action after investigation. I would appreciate it if you could visit the Ministry of Magic and testify in the near future.”
“Let it be. Enough then.”
After a brief nod, I passed her. He didn’t even answer the next question. Excessive use of mana caused exhaustion throughout the body. It looked like it would collapse any moment.
nonchalantly – nonchalantly –
I walked down the aisle of the auditorium with my limp body. I passed the place where the Ministry of Magic agents and the Immortal Knights were waiting, and headed to the empty stairs.
The time when I took a step without strength.
“Leonard.”
A soft voice came from behind.
I recognized its existence at once, so I ignored it and moved on.
But······
“Is it very difficult…?”
The voice that followed caught my ankle. It dazzled my weary heart.
I slowly looked back.
Dark hallway stairs with sensor lights turned off.
In the moonlight through the small window, Jeniel’s face was reflected.
I went down one flight of stairs, so our eye level matched.
“·······”
I looked at Jeniel without saying anything.
Jeniel gave me a pitiful look and silently patted my back. The warmth of his hand melted away his fatigue. It seemed that the core tension and burden had been relieved a little.
Took-
As if attracted by a magnet, I naturally leaned against it. Jeniel also hugged me without rejecting it.
On the soft nape of her neck where her lips were buried, the strong scent of her shampoo was felt. At the same time, I felt at ease.
It shouldn’t be like this.
I have to stop cheating somehow.
As much as today, I needed someone to lean on.
Since I came here, I have been running without rest, and unfortunately, the only one I can lean on is Jeniel.
So, for this moment, I decided to rest without thinking about anything.
I don’t like to be bound by any restrictions.
I just wanted to take a rest in a haven where my heart followed.
“Good work… Really.”
＊＊＊
The great emperor Arnold looked at the auditorium entrance from a distance. In order to confirm his suspicions, he personally waited for Leonard.
“·······”
A few minutes after the Immortal Knights and Ministry of Magic agents were deployed, Leonard appeared. It was a very tired face.
Arnold expressed his “precognition” by looking at Leonard.
Geeing-
If Leonard can manifest [Foresight], his future should be invisible.
However, the future of Leonard, who ‘boarded the sedan and headed to the mansion’, was clearly visible. It was the same when it appeared again.
One thing confirmed by this.
Leonard is not a prophet.
“Did you doubt it for nothing?”
I was embarrassed about something.
Although he clearly sensed the opening of his “foresight”, Leonard’s near future was clearly visible.
······Then, why can’t we see his distant future?
It is not that the quiz game that was held a month ago did not happen, nor that there were no victims.
All events that should happen are happening.
Is the variable that changes the outcome of the future impossible just for Leonard’s individual growth?
Is it a ‘rebellion of fate’ brought about by his unprecedented magical talent?
It’s not impossible since he handled the “Francis’ Quiz Game” alone, which even Karios couldn’t solve.
It was a barrier that only Frederick, who had a [multi-talented] mix of attack and magic, could solve it.
“······Twenty thousand things”
“yes! Your Majesty the Emperor.”
After solving his curiosity, Arnold headed to the imperial palace without delay. I boarded a private vehicle under the protection of the Imperial Guard.
Then, looking at the future that I suddenly sensed, I smiled.
I know it’s an all-time great talent that can change fate…
“Why do you change your wife… Leonard ?”