A Death Row Convict Teaches at a School of Magic

“!”

I, likewise, responded on the spot by deploying my “Chakrameth” in both hands. I swung it at Gato, who had closed the distance between us, unfazed.

In melee combat, Gato was more proficient than I had believed. Even his dagger’s short range was ideal in this space since it allowed him to swiftly pivot and slash at me, who was using two swords, on equal footing.

“…Ah?”

But even I felt secure in melee fighting. Matthias had personally mentored me in this field in addition to my expertise in Japan. If I succumbed to this, Matthias would kill me in hell.

I swiftly dodged his attack, and while Gato was seeking to thrust with a knife, I caught him off-guard and executeda leg sweep. Gato slumped, apparently in utter shock.

I can steal “that” with his skill.

No sooner had I swung “Chakrameth” down on his vulnerable chest than Gato opened his mouth in his hood.

From there, what was revealed was a magic circle drawn on his tongue―

“Tsk!”

“Hah hah!”

Shortly after I turned aside adroitly, a breath of flame stroked my cheek. It was Gato spewing forth flames from his mouth.

Having somehow managed to avert a direct hit, I tore my eyes away from Gato briefly. Intuitively, I defended my side and felt the soles of a shoe on my arms.

“You’re going to blow into pieces!”

With an explosion of crimson light, Gato’s foot impacted as if it had detonated, and I, who had sustained the full brunt of it, pounded my back squarely against the wall.

This was likely the intermediate-class magic “Scarlet Sky Burst”, but as usual, my invoking of the magic after generating magical power was too brisk. I slowly rise to my feet after confirming that my scorched right arm was able to recover unobstructed.

“Oh wow, you seriously regenerate quickly, you are a man worth waging war against.”

“I have no desire for war. All I want to the end is a serene routine.”

Nothing but lies.

When I looked at Felt, she averted her head away from me. No, you definitely said that, didn’t you?

“Are you still doing it?”

“Of course. Your ability is not at that level, right? Well, your request will be denied if that is the limit of your capacity. You can die here.”

“…It can’t be helped.”

I deactivated “Mist Veil” and turned off “Chakrameth” as well.

“Ah? Are you yielding?”

“No, I no longer have to cover my face. I had intended for cooperation from you with my request, but I felt that I needed to tone down your battle-obsessed disposition.”

After applying body-enhancing sorcery, I held my unarmed hands in the air.

“So I will educate you for a bit. Oh, and you can be free of worry because I will be assuming full responsibility for any injuries afterward, and I will heal any wounds to perfection.”

“…Hahahaha! As expected of the man brought by Felt! He’s totally out of his mind!”

“What do you mean?”

Felt’s question was dismissed by Gato. He removed his own cloak.

“I am going to have to show my true worth, then. Please don’t interrupt me on the way, okay?”

“…I see.”

I was convinced at the sight of Gato’s physique.

His body was tattooed in numerous spots all over his body. At the very least, on the arms, neck, calves, and all over the face that was not obscured by clothing. Every single tattoo was of course of a magical origin. Even in the absence of magical tools, it would be conceivable for him to execute magic at the same speed as the magical tools.

He, on the other hand, genuinely seemed to be fond of killings. With that body, it was doubtful he would even be able to walk in the outer world for the rest of his life. It made perfect sense for him to maintain his skin-covering attire for so long. This kind of body can only be attained by choosing to pursue a life dedicated solely to combat.

And while I watched, Gato underwent a metamorphosis.

From the tips of his hands and feet, jet-black claws sprouted, his flesh-colored skin transitioned into a series of hard-looking scales, and on his face, his mouth began to protrude forward and a set of menacing teeth followed. His eyes were dyed a brilliant scarlet, beyond bloodshot, and to add to the spectacle, a tail grew out of his body.

I had read about this magic in a textbook on the history of magic. The magic was called “Cryptid Transformation,” which was prohibited a long time ago for its ability to transform a human into a deformed form, and it was one of the definitive forbidden magics.

In essence, this man likewise had the same access to forbidden magic as I was.

“I never dreamed that I would be able to see ‘Cryptid Transformation’ in the flesh.”

“Hyahahaha! How can you be smiling at this stage! This is the real deal!”

It was when Gato sank down with a broad smile on his face that a peach-colored barrier enveloped his surroundings.

“Both of you, the game ends here.”

“Aah!?”

The intervention came from a woman who had accompanied Gato in the room. On closer inspection, she was a strangely aged woman in a kimono-like outfit, and while masking her mouth with a fan in her hand, her words flowed out.

“If either of you carries on with your rampage any further, this store will be reduced to rubble in no time. Even the Garrisoned Corps won’t watch from the sidelines if that occurs. And it would not be only me who would be inconvenienced by that.”

Her tone of voice carried the accent of the old-fashioned, almost picturesque, style. In most cases, this sort of eccentric tone of voice would be somewhat incongruous if heard in real life, let alone in print, but this woman has mastered the art of verbal expression to perfection. While in Japan, I never had the opportunity to actually hear such a phrase, but over here, I have heard it frequently, and found it rather fascinating.

“As if I care! I would kill him right now! If you interfere, I will finish you off first, Mira!”

“Good grief, you barbaric…”

Viewing Gato in a mad frenzy, Mira or whatever her name was, heaved a sigh. Come to think of it, her name… Mira…

“Um, excuse me if I am wrong, but are you ‘Heavenly Eye,’ Mira Frymer?”

“Oh, you know me?”

“…No, no, no, no, no, no…”

Rather than saying I knew who she was, nobody would dare to speak out against her as I did.

“…If I ever meet you someday, there’s something I definitely wanted to say to you.”

“Hmm, what is it?”

I drew in a deep breath.

“Why did you raise Ms. Alice, who defies all expectations of personality norm!”

I screamed with all my force at Mira―the woman who had been Alice’s magic teacher―what I had been longing to express ever since the incident.

“…Are you an acquaintance of Alice’s?”

“We aren’t simply acquaintances! She killed me thirty-seven times, you know!?”

Behind the fan, an erupting sound could be heard.

“Ahahaha! I see, that’s how she treated you! For that, I do apologize. Then you are ‘Eraser’?”

“Yes, I am! I am the rumored Eraser!”

“H-Hey, you need to cool down a little bit.”

Felt was uncharacteristically worried about me, and I adjusted my breathing. Damn it, I became so uncontrollably flustered after meeting someone related to Alice.

“Hey, Mira! I get it, I won’t be killing any more today, so get me out of your barrier now!”

“―Oh, I forgot.”

With a tap of her fan, the barrier instantly fizzled away as if it were melting cream.

That “Warmaker” Gato was so easily confined, it was no wonder she was “Heavenly Eye” aka “Barrier Master” that was so well-known.

On second thought, though, I was once again struck by how out of the ordinary everyone in this room was.

“Viper” Felt. Rate S+.

“Warmaker” Gato. Rate S.

“Heavenly Eye” Mira. Rate SS-.

Incidentally, there was also a bonus called “Eraser” in this list. The rate can be speculated.

Any number of forces would have been adequate given the nature of the request I was going to make, but with these individuals, it seemed plausible to seize at least one or two minor regional cities.

“So, Eraser. What is this request of yours? I like you reasonably well, so I will at least listen to what you have to say.”

Gato, who had just released his “Cryptid Transformation,” questioned as he put on the cloak that had fallen off.

In the midst of Gato, Mira, and even Felt looking at me, I announced the details of my request.

“My request―is to steal a book that lists forbidden magic at the bottom level of the Royal Library of Magic.”

——————

T/N:

The old-fashioned language spoken by Mira is from Edo period. The same language used by women of a high-standing rank. Well, you usually hear this language from Geisha in drama. And it is the words that Boa Hancock from One Piece used if you are wondering what it sounds like. There is no direct translation of that tone so I will be translating it normally.