(Rudeus POV)
Finally, that prank Ariel had planned was over. This Illusionary Ring was frighteningly useful if even Luke, who already knew of its existence, could fall for it.
But the results are not what I had expected.
The vision he got from Hitogami.
How much of it can I believe? How likely is it to come true?
Some true berserk mode seems to be locked inside of me, and one day it will bring the end of the world before bringing down Hitogami. The latter one sounds so delightful that it's too good to be true.
Then again, it seems to come with the cost of sacrificing the whole world I'm standing on.
I stopped at a nearby window and looked outside to see the students of this school walking all over the campus.
Even as I am now, I could destroy this entire city if I wanted to. But I won't because it would be a meaningless slaughter, and I'm in enough control over myself to know better than to do that.
'Some people work their asses off just to get to the height you have. But, like myself, you came to the realization that strength isn't fulfilling to you.'
'Sounds cliche.'
Also, I still need to process just how, in the good name of logic, Randolph ended up getting stuck inside the ring he gave me.
It's not even something it's supposed to do. The ring's actual purpose is to kill Death God Laxus's sworn enemy, Nether King Vita, the sole survivor of the Slime tribe.
There is just so much that we both don't understand here. The best we can think of is that there was a reaction between my curse and the ring's core functionality.
And there is more. Not only can Randolf see through my eyes, but he is also able to say the incantation of his stealth technique and let it work through me, but Touki, as a whole, not much.
It seems that it's a combination of Touki's speed boost and some physical nullification from Barrier Magic that dampens sound significantly.
Even the heightened hearing senses of the Beast race shouldn't be able to hear anything, so it seems mine were especially good in my Demon Dragon Form.
As I am now, I can't use it without Randolph's help. He says the nullification part needs precision.
Every body part needs a different coating form it to produce better results. This is why so many struggle to go higher than Saint class when it comes to advanced Touki control.
I haven't told anyone else about Randolph, not even Sandor.
Besides, I have another thing to worry about, and it's regarding the surprise I got the other night.
Getting a bunch of Demon Eyes out of nowhere isn't actually a bad thing, and changing each eye into six different ones is surprisingly easy.
There would be the following types of eyes:
The Foresight Eye: allowing me to see into the future within the perspective of my sight.
The Clairvoyant Eye: allowing me to see far distances away by changing the perspective of my vision.
The Magic Eye: allowing me to see mana directly.
The Absorption Eye: as the name says, it absorbs mana, but my own is included.
The X-ray Eye: allowing me to see through non-living things.
And lastly, and perhaps the one I've used the most, the Identification Eye: almost any object I look at is labeled with descriptions, and concentrating on it allows me to see more details about it, even if it's stuff I already knew.
But what makes this eye so special that I have been using it so frequently is the effect it showed when I helped Nanahoshi with her project with her Summoning Circles the other day.
I only gave it a peek with that eye, and it showed me the possible summoned object, what method of drawing it was called, and what could be added to it.
Also, as if using some three-dimensional holographic system, I could put together the circles I remember and form formations of them. This allowed me to assemble and rewrite the circles without using any ink.
However, the downside is that I have to use my hands to move them, which makes me look a bit like someone who is haunted by a ghost, and I'm trying to shove it away.
Nanahoshi was both upset that I was hiding such a useful skill and creeped out that I could willingly change my eyes at will.
I don't think she would handle the ridiculous way Kishirika changes her eyes. I'm glad mine don't do that and instead just dissolve into them.
But I'm also sparing her the detail of how I replaced my right eye with someone else's by ripping the damaged one out.
All in all, most of them should bring me some great support for the upcoming monster raid.
But there is a cost I'm currently suffering from.
"Argh, not again."
My vision in my left eye started to blur so much that it gave me a headache. I closed my eyes and rubbed them a bit while applying Healing Magic to them.
'That not gonna help it in the long run, ya know.'
'It's the only option I have right now. Even just experimenting the day after I got them damaged it so much. It's like I'm dissolving and reforming them within my eyesocket.'
'And your regular eyes get damaged from it. Why not keep using the eyes that match these?'
'None of them have that dark tone to them like my regular ones. The light tone will make people think I'm constantly angered, thanks to the rumor spreading around. I will have to start looking for glasses eventually.'
'You're making a big deal out of this.'
'Whatever. There is still work to do, so let's leave it at that.'
'You're doing it again.'
'You know, I'm starting to regret telling about myself after accepting you're still alive… in a way.'
After having healed my eye to a certain extent again, I headed for the one place I could be useful: the school's combat area, which is constantly being occupied by those who will participate in the monster raid.
Classes that require that building are only being used for demonstration during the training of the Magic Soldiers.
So far, about 70 Magicians from both the school and adventurer guild became awakened Magicians.
Not all of them will go out. Some will stay in the city should there be an emergency and other monsters attack them.
Luckily, some veteran adventurers settled down in Sharia and are now resuming for this occasion.
Most, if not all, of them, refer to me as Lord or Sir Rudeus, Number Five, Magician Emperor, or just straight up my title, Flourishing Calamity. A few even asked to become my disciples, but I had to decline them all.
If you would think that I barely get something in return, then you would be wrong.
I have made a deal with the Three Magic Nations to protect me from Hitogami's schemes from the Asura Kingdom.
By providing them with awakened Magicians and assisting them with the monsters they are dealing with especially the insect colony, I get the special protection the country has to offer for me, someone who brought a new peek to the arts of Magic.
In addition, measures to place search orders for Zenith have been distributed to other countries.
This is the part I'm especially glad about since becoming a Great World Power, even if the guy I had to kill for it is wrapped around my left ring finger.
My way to the building was… awkward, to say the least.
Everyone was making way for me, even the hallways I wasn't going through. They were careful on a dramatic level.
After a few demonstrations against other Magicians in the form of mock battles, the distance in power between me and them was ever so evident. And I was going easy on them all.
That alone seemed to turn everyone's perspective of me into something more akin to a monster of a talented Magician.
But the torture will not stop. Not while the Flourishing Calamity himself is just a few steps away from the next session in the same building where it started.
After entering through the door, the first one saw my figure and froze in place, and the rest followed suit.
Their eyes are already showing all signs of fear of becoming my next target… maybe I do get a little overboard with them.
At least I'm not doing any of this on my own.
Anastasia, Timmothy and Mimir are also helping. Since those three are the most experienced in this and are available at the moment, they were asked to assist in training the Magicians with me.
Mimir and Anastasia are currently occupying all the Magic Circles, explaining some spell mechanisms to others or conducting a mock swordsman vs. Magician battle.
The latter one shows just how much of a difference it makes for a person to skip the incantation entirely if the swordsman needs to act more than just quick.
I saw Timothy standing alone at the edge of the building, observing the others, so I decided to join him.
"Ah, Rudeus. Finished with your special job yet?"
"Thankfully. I hated every second of it."
In return for my complaint, he shot me a wry smile.
"Well, there is a lot to be expected from you. Especially since people don't believe your actual ranks in Magic."
"I still don't understand how they came to that conclusion. I only had a rank up my Fire and Earth Magic to King class the day after we had to shorten the list of candidates and take extra precautions for the left-out knights.
Some even say I learned some ancient Dwarven Blacksmith Magic and secretly became an Earth God. Their imagination is going way too off."
"Can you blame them? Forming a material with great properties in the form of a black stone is unheard of, and forming metal like your sword is even more uncommon."
"Melting that metal is almost impossible due to its high melting point, so I couldn't give it to them directly.
Forming it would take a lot of time and consume too much mana in such an extended time. Even my sword, with all the connections I formed for the crystals, took over a month to make.
Well, it's better that way anyway. Oseye couldn't heat up the metal enough to even deform it, nearly breaking his furnace when trying."
"Which makes it even more incredible that you can conjure it in the first place."
"Would you mind telling that to the city's head blacksmith?"
"The one who scolded you for creating such a demonic sword?"
"Yeah, that one. He doesn't like that its main function is to dissolve an object enough to make it easier to cut. He says it defies the purpose of a masterfully crafted sword and shouldn't exist."
"I heard he is an ex-swordsman. He is probably just one of the people who fear what you will cause about the standing between Magicians and swordsmen in the future."
"Not like I am the first sword-welding Magician there is."
"You're just the first one who can do both at the same time with the least amount of time consumption. Not even the first Water God could integrate his Magic with his swordsmanship like you can."
"Are you just gonna contradict me the whole day?"
His reply to it was just a small laugh.
Honestly, he is one of the very few people in this city who looks past my power and rank and is able to go into small talk like this with me. And frankly, I really like that about him.
But he is doing that because he saw my sorrowful state after coming back from the assassin's attack and violently healed his arm.
He never mentions how I should have handled that differently, but it could have been him who suggested to his party to follow me to the Luster Grizzly mission in the first place.
I should appropriately apologize to him while I'm here.
"You know, you could take it a step further regarding Sara."
Okay, darn, missed my chance. Well, change of subject. So be it.
"I'm not sure if the timing is really appropriate for it. I was thinking about it a few days ago, but then the colony thing came around. People would look with disdain at the both of us if we went on a date at such a time."
"Sara knows that. That's why she came to me and Susanne for advice."
Actually a good call. Even if Timothy doesn't seem like the most experienced with women, he doesn't just go get one to have a nice time in bed like Paul and Soldat would.
Timmothy is more the type who sets his love interest on one person only. Which happens to be Susanne.
"Susanne actually pushed her into asking you out after we came back with the Dwarf child, but then you went to the school and came back with that membrane filled with those Magic Stones. And then you went and found the colony, so she refrained from asking since then."
Oh… oh shit.
'Told ya.'
'Shut up.'
I really have no idea how to compensate for that. On our way to Sharia, I did put my mind to take a step further in our relationship, but I got distracted. Dammit, it's Millishion all over again!
"Is she mad?" I asked with a hint of embarrassment.
"Of course not. She is actually more hesitant than she was before. Though, her giving you a lap pillow seems to have worked a little."
"Please tell me she came up with that on her own."
"It was Susanne who gave her that advice."
Dammit! What am I doing here!? I can't be the only one between the two of us who is allowed to get comforted. What kind of light will that shine on me if I don't stand up for myself more in her sight!?
Screw Paul's advice on showing some weakness in front of a woman. I need to do something ASAP.
"Take it easy. Just keep that in mind for now and take her feelings into consideration."
"I feel like you and Susanne get a laugh out of this too much."
"It's not just us; it's both of our parties."
Nooooo… how much worse can this get? I'm basically the dense male main character in a crappy romance story.
'Hah!'
'Got anything else to comment?' I angrily said in my mind.
'Nah. Never was the type for romance. It was either fighting or running a restaurant before a brat with anger issues broke the last bit of spirit only to ignite the former one.'
'...Sorry. I promise, once I'm done with my goal of finding Zenith, I will search for a method to get you a new body.'
'Eh. It's not that bad being a ring. Just promise to put me away when the time comes for you and your girlfriend to let your bodies speak.'
'How am I the only one mature right now!?'
"Rudeus!"
"Huh?!"
Instead of the inner voice talking to me, an external one spoke to me.
I looked to my side and found the white mask-wearing Nanahoshi before me. Actually, everyone was looking at me.
I was so caught on talking to Randolph that I must've zoned out on the outside perspective.
"I guess the rumor about you being a workaholic is true."
"Just say what you need," I said before this got any more awkward.
"We need to talk privately about it."
"Is it him again? Does he not know I don't have the time, especially now?" I irritatedly said.
"{Your family needed to take refuge on [Chaos Breaker].}"
"…..."
'What language was that? Didn't sound like any I have heard before.'
Randolf's words went unanswered by me. I was occupied with processing the meaning of Nanahoshi's answer.
Paul and the others are outside of Millishion. Either the calamity that hit it made them seek a safer place, or something else has happened.
I could've sworn I warned Paul about listening to Hitogami. Whatever that self-proclaimed god told him, he has his eyes on them as well.
"Well, I think I'm paying the man a visit after all the invitations he gave me."
"Lord Rudeus, what is the meaning of this?" One of the teachers asked as he approached me.
Some of the people in the background were already gossiping at the sight the man in fancy attire approach me.
I remember him being one of the strict ones who didn't regard me very highly and treated me based on my age alone.
He has a somewhat noble background through connections he has made with the Magicians Guild, so~ he's the arrogant type.
But because of the aid I have been giving, he refrains to a certain extent from enraging me in any way.
Until now.
"Need I to remind you that Sword God could arrive at any moment? Therefore, you need to be ready for the time when the troops go out."
I looked at him with dead eyes, and his response was flinching back.
Something within me called for a bit of rewinding and dropping the good guy act for now.
A giggle escaped my lips, catching the attention of everyone in the building.
"What's so funny?!" the teacher angrily asked.
"Nothing, nothing. It's just that-"
With a smile on my face and scratching the back of my head, I looked at the teacher with an intense killing intent.
"It's funny how people like you, who aren't even willing to participate in the monster raid and potentially save the city, believe they could give me command over what I can and cannot do.
Surely you heard what happened to the fool who made fun of my master, right?
He can call himself lucky that I allowed him to keep his arms after the treatment I gave him."
Spreading my arms out to my sides, I gave him a narrow-eyed smile as I continued threatening him.
"Now, do you want to repeat what you just said to me? It sure sounded to me like you have authority over the one guy in this city you do not want to anger."
He was frozen in place and couldn't utter a single word.
It took him a few seconds before bowing his head and immediately running out of the building like his life depended on it.
Distinguishing my killing intent, I let out a sigh.
I didn't think I would ever resort to this, but things have changed in a direction I do not like.
Looking at my left, I saw Timothy wipe off the sweat from his forehead.
"Phew. I will never get used to your kind of blood lust getting unleashed. Not even the Sword Saint was that bad."
"Jester was only out for me. He didn't even provoke me; he just commented on my prowess while keeping a smug smile."
"But he nearly blinded you."
"Wasn't the worst injury I ever received."
My response made Timothy crack on his smile while signals of fear came from him.
Wait, no, it isn't him. It's the rest of the people in this building. Some of them even went back into a corner. Wait, even from outside, I can pick up signals of fear coming from this building!
I apologized to the people in the building for causing trouble and ensured that someone informed the principal and Jinas about my short leave from Sharia. I promised to return before the end of the day as the teacher had a valid point as well.
Just hearing about Paul and the others being on [Chaos Breaker] made me go back to becoming short-tempered like I was at Millishion.
Perhaps my gut feeling is due to some trouble related to Hitogami that's making me nervous.
I just hope that Paul listened to my warning and isn't mentioning Hitogami's name to anyone.
Particuarly, Orsted.
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