Chapter 81
ㄴFridge: The second thing is that the tower has changed. Specifically, elves and dwarves have appeared in the 10th- and 20th-floor ranges.
ㄴㅇㅇ(7F7.7Y7): Is that maybe because of me?
ㄴFridge: Of course.
ㄴFridge: People are freaking out right now. They have no idea why.
ㄴFridge: Of course, I have no intention of revealing the cause. Then I'd have to talk about your existence too.
Seeing the comments, others chimed in as well.
ㄴMagic Is Firepower: Good call. I don't want any more competitors beyond the four of us.
ㄴBeetle: Competitors?
ㄴMagic Is Firepower: Obviously, it's the newbie tug-of-war.
“...I think there’s only one person who’d be thinking about a tug-of-war like that.”
In any case, this person is still a little scary.
I had the feeling our wavelengths wouldn't match with an introvert like me.
ㄴFridge: It was day one of the conference, and thanks to you, it was fun. I had to hold back my laughter watching them fight over ridiculous hypotheses.
ㄴFridge: Some people were even crying because all their research up to now had turned to trash. If they can research the same topic again, it's a gain—so why cry?
ㄴㅇㅇ(7F7.7Y7): Ah, you devil....
“Ah, maybe I should've followed along once?”
What a shame. Such a shame.
It might have been my chance to watch world-class scholars become obsessed with me and go to pieces.
“At this rate, maybe I could even become a professor someday?”
Come to think of it, I might be suited to being a professor.
I'm smart, too. I'd do well.
If I got bored, I could just pick a line or two from what I'd seen in the tower and talk about it.
“Maybe even a Nobel Prize?”
A Nobel Prize, huh.
Just thinking about it made me laugh.
First, I'd refuse the prize, or maybe not even answer the call announcing it.
That would look cooler.
All right, decided.
Once I reveal my identity, I'll use this body to fulfill my dream of becoming the youngest professor ever.
My dream of a second life after retiring as a hunter.
“Oh right. I should ask what magic it has, too.”
ㄴㅇㅇ(7F7.7Y7): Come to think of it, what magic was inside it?
ㄴFridge: Magic Cancel. It's a spell that prevents you from using magic. Simple, right? Of course, the caster isn't affected.
ㄴFridge: I guess you could say it suits dwarves, who aren't very strong at magic.
“Magic Cancel.... It better work on that guy too.”
I looked down at the battery shaped like a belt.
If there was a formidable foe worth using a one-use spell on, there was naturally one obvious target.
I'm a little worried whether it'll work, though.
Since this also came from inside the tower, maybe it has an effect?
Putting it on for now couldn't hurt.
I fastened the familiar belt around my waist and draped my robe over it.
It was time to climb the tower.
***
[Entering Floor 34 (EXTREME).]
Once again, the starting point was the fortress's war room.
I saw serious-faced officers gathered around the huge map table.
“The enemy's main force is gathering in the eastern valley. At this pace, full-scale war will begin by tomorrow at the latest.”
“We need to pull the defense line back further! With our current forces, a head-on clash is impossible!”
“Nonsense! Where is there left to retreat to from here?”
Apparently they hadn't even noticed that I'd appeared.
A fierce argument was raging.
I watched them for a moment.
A familiar face came into view.
“...”
Knight Commander Seymour sat at the head of the table with his eyes closed.
He looked several years older than he had on the 33rd floor.
Beside him stood a woman who was both familiar and unfamiliar.
“Pulling back the defense line is the inferior move. We should strike at the enemy's weak point instead.”
She showed no sign of being intimidated even before generals far older than herself.
Her youthful air was completely gone, but that look in her eyes was unchanged.
It was Sharon, now a mature woman after five years.
“In the end, their strength comes from the shamans behind them. If our ranger unit attacks from the rear....”
Right then, Sharon's shoulders tensed slightly as our eyes met.
“...!”
Sharon's eyes widened.
The voices continuing the meeting stopped for a moment.
Following Sharon's gaze, everyone in the room turned their heads toward me all at once.
Everyone looked stunned.
Silence settled over the conference room.
“S-Sage...!”
Sharon was the one who broke the silence.
A voice full of surprise and delight.
Ignoring everyone else's gaze, she ran straight toward me.
“It really is you, Sage! I knew you'd come back!”
Sharon stopped right in front of me.
Her face was alight with joy.
Sharon spread her arms to hug me.
I reflexively took a step back.
“Uh....”
“Mm....”
Sharon's arms froze awkwardly in midair.
I looked at her awkwardly.
Was she always this lively?
A side of her I'd never seen before.
But one thing was certain.
‘She’s alive.’
I felt a quiet sense of relief.
I had been worried this might be after Sharon had already died.
Fortunately, she was safe.
“Ah.... S-sorry. I got so happy I ended up being rude without even realizing it....”
Only then did Sharon lower her arms, cheeks red.
I shook my head and walked over to the conference table.
I had to change the subject before things got any more awkward.
“It's fine. More importantly, what's the situation right now?”
At my question, Seymour stood up from his seat and walked over to me.
He bowed deeply in deference.
“Thank you for returning to the kingdom once again, Sage. But... this time, the situation is dire.”
‘I don't think these guys have ever had it easy....’
I couldn't bring myself to say that out loud.
“The orcs' large-scale offensive is right around the corner. Before long, the full assault will begin.”
The map was covered with countless red markers.
They looked as if they were about to swallow the territory whole.
At this rate, defeat was obvious.
I nodded.
As always.
My role was decided, too.
“Got it. Then I guess I just go out and wipe them all out?”
[The Sandworm says that even so, taking on the entire army would be impossible.]
‘...Is that so?’
Indeed, I might be a little short on mana to handle that many soldiers by myself.
Still, I could probably grind through quite a lot of them.
Even if I only did as much as I did on the previous floor, it would still be a huge help.
Meanwhile, the young officers stared at me with dumbfounded expressions.
They probably thought, ‘What kind of confidence is that?’
But Seymour knew my power.
However, Seymour also gave an unexpected answer.
“No. Please leave it to us.”
“What?”
I frowned slightly at the unexpected answer.
Seymour continued in a firm tone.
“Your power is our kingdom's last line of defense, not something that should be our first choice.”
There wasn't the slightest hesitation in his voice.
“If every crisis were solved by the Sage alone, our soldiers would forget how to fight.”
“...Is that so?”
“Yes. They would become weak people who only wait for the Sage's miracle, praying even in moments of crisis.... They'd stop thinking about fighting.”
According to the explanation that followed, something like that had already happened several times.
The complacent thought that even in a crisis, the legendary Sage would appear, so there was nothing to worry about.
I let out a hollow laugh.
I only helped them three times, and they're already treating me like a messiah?
Seymour lightly struck his own chest with a fist and said,
“If that happens, we will no longer be able to stand on our own. We must seize victory with our own blood.”
At his words, the other officers in the room also nodded with stern expressions.
I looked at them for a moment.
A pretty convincing reason.
‘This floor must be a quest built around that kind of concept.’
I muttered to myself.
This was probably the scenario the tower had laid out.
Then there was no need to forcefully deviate from the flow.
Anyway, the real objective of this floor was something else entirely.
Saving Sharon.
‘If I had been a little more of a psychopath, I might have watched Sharon die once....’
I had multiple chances.
A chance to change the result through different choices.
Leaving Sharon to die, then saving her on the next attempt to compare what changes.
That might even have been the most efficient way to conquer the tower.
But no matter what, I didn't want to go that far.
I made up my mind.
‘No retries. This ends in one shot.’
The meeting resumed.
This time, I took a seat at the table as well and listened to their battle plan.
“With the shamans' help, we don't stand a chance head-on.”
The outline of the plan was simple.
Right now, the orcs' destructive power came from the support of the shamans in the rear.
Seymour's main force would buy time.
In the meantime, the detachment led by Sharon would ambush the enemy's rear.
The goal was to assassinate the shamans.
“The detachment will be made up of the kingdom's elite rangers.”
Sharon said in a confident voice.
After thinking for a moment, I spoke up.
“I'll go with that detachment.”
At my words, Seymour and Sharon both lit up.
But I added a condition.
“Instead, I don't need any other soldiers. Just Sharon and me, the two of us.”
“What? But that's way too dangerous!”
Sharon protested in alarm, but I was firm.
“This is the most I can compromise. I don't think I can spare the trouble of protecting cumbersome soldiers too.”
At my stubborn insistence, Seymour fell into thought for a moment.
But in the end, he decided to accept my wishes.
In the end, the plan was revised according to my suggestion.
Seymour would lead the main force to the battlefield.
And Sharon and I would head straight for the heart of the enemy camp, just the two of us.