The Gradually Complicating Conspiracy

The four still sat in their four chairs. As Professor Garcia raised his hand, Miss Jones began recording what followed at an even faster pace.

A halo appeared around the professor's slightly pointed ears. As he softly chanted the spell, Shade saw patches of vivid color continuously filling his Gas Lamp-lit Living Room.

The entire Living Room was split in two. The normal half was the eastern side, where the four sat upright, while the western side gradually blurred amid the spreading colors before slowly becoming clear again.

But the half of the Living Room that came into focus had turned into a dim, low-ceilinged room.

That low room was likewise divided in half and joined to Shade's Living Room. Its lighting was extremely dim. There was a short bed covered in grimy yellow sheets, a desk with a metal typewriter fitted with rusty gears, and bookshelves filled with all manner of other reagents.

Those reagents contained human eyeballs of various sizes soaking in liquid. There was even the corpse of a small primate-like creature, its eyes closed and body curled up, making Shade deeply uncomfortable.

The room was incredibly dark, and the old Gas Lamp above the desk looked as though it would go out the next second.

A thin middle-aged man with patchy hair and a brown overcoat sat hunched like a rat in the chair before the desk. He turned his head in stunned disbelief, staring at the suddenly appearing unfamiliar Living Room and the four people within it.

His face was covered in pockmarks, and his large red nose was dotted with blackheads. His pupils had shrunk in terror, while the bottle in his left hand poured mercury onto the tabletop.

"I am currently using the Thaumaturgy—Space Division and Space Merging. It can only be learned at the Eleventh Ring or above."

Professor Garcia of History College said.

"Please tell the truth."

Professor Sanchez, his expression stern, reached out and pointed at the man in the low half of the room. A suggestive pink glow shone from his fingertip.

"Who are you?"

the professor asked loudly.

"Dwarf Rat Peter of Blood of Mercury."

Under the light from the professor's finger, the small man's eyes became vacant. His accent was very similar to Professor Garcia's; he was probably also once a Kasonlik native. The bottle of mercury fell from his hand onto the desk, but he was completely unaware of it.

"What are you doing?"

the professor asked again, and the suggestive pink glow between his fingers became stronger.

"We lost an important item—the statue of the Old God, Vampire Duke Lawell. We wanted to use a Keeper of Secrets Level relic to take revenge on the person who stole the statue, but the other party was Too Strong. So they had me use the Thaumaturgy—Smell of Rat Companion—to search for clues.

"The alley was full of mixed scents, and there had been a battle there last night. I searched all day before discovering that one of the people who had once been in the alley was performing a ritual, and was very weak himself. I am now using the Thaumaturgy—Mercury Poison Mist, trying to kill him directly."

Professor Sanchez nodded. Looking at the pink glow on his finger, Shade felt somewhat dizzy as well. Professor Garcia explained:

"This is the curse Charm Human. Its effect should not have been this strong, but Professor Sanchez's Spirit Rune system and frequent practice allow it to display such properties. It really is not easy to make the disobedient young students at the Academy tell the truth about their assignments."

"Who else knows about Mr. Hamilton?"

Professor Sanchez pointed normally at Shade. Dwarf Rat Peter answered slowly with vacant eyes, his voice growing ever softer, as though he were speaking to his lover:

"Only me. I haven't had time to report it yet. I wanted to claim all the credit for myself. This technique of mine has never failed. Even the Silver-Eyed One praised my Thaumaturgy."

"Have you killed anyone?"

the professor asked.

"Yes, many. Many Thaumaturgies require fresh human organs as—"

"All right."

The pink light on Professor Sanchez's finger went out. Then a ray of black light flew from his fingertip, Crossed Over the boundary between the two rooms. Dwarf Rat Peter's corpse fell to the floor, and he entered eternal sleep.

Shade opened his mouth slightly, gaining a new understanding of the professor's decisive methods. Several seconds later, he remembered to say:

"Professor Sanchez, Professor Garcia, thank you for your help."

This had completely resolved the trouble caused by that Old God statue.

As for the dead man, Shade felt no pity for him. The man had been an Evildoer to begin with, and he had even wanted to harm Shade. Shade was actually relieved that he did not have to dirty his own hands.

"There is no need to thank us. If I had not been meeting you today, he would not have discovered your identity."

Professor Sanchez said, then gestured for Shade to stand.

"Go see whether there are any important documents on his desk. Do not touch anything. During the ritual, our side cannot leave our seats, or the projection will end unilaterally."

Shade nodded and stood. He heard Little Mia scratching at the door more loudly. The curious but timid Cat probably very much wanted to know What Happened outside.

He left his seat and walked toward the other half of the divided Living Room. When his body Crossed Over the Central Front and entered the low room, a foul stench of long-sealed air and decay immediately struck his face.

From the second floor of 6 Saint Derain Square, he had stepped into a narrow, cold rental apartment somewhere in Tobesk City. Rather than inspect the row of reagent bottles on the shelves, he went straight to the desk.

Besides a puddle of mercury, the desk held the Spellcasting Materials needed for the two Thaumaturgies used to seek clues and pour mercury. The only document was the unfinished one still in the typewriter. It was a letter written in Kartherian Language, and its ending had not yet been completed.

Most of it consisted of Dwarf Rat Peter complaining about the trouble of his work, the dangers he had encountered, and the Great Fog weather in Tobesk City.

Only the beginning of the final paragraph had been written. It mentioned their cooperation with the Cultists of the evil god Lord of the Blood Feast, and Blood of Mercury's attempt to obtain certain materials from the Cultists. Another organization, the Blood Spirit School, had originally promised to help them, but seemed to be occupied with some Birthing Room matter in the New Continent. Thus, so far, it had only sent a Keeper of Secrets Level relic as assistance, which had enraged the Silver-Eyed One.

The Cultists of Lord of the Blood Feast, Blood of Mercury, and the Blood Spirit School—three organizations had become involved at once.

Shade memorized this information. After returning to his Living Room and sitting down, he reported everything exactly as it was. The two professors offered no opinion. Professor Garcia dispelled the Spatial Anomaly, restoring Shade's Living Room to normal.

Even the mercury mist disappeared, as though Just Now had been nothing more than an illusion. This Way, the cautious Outlander no longer needed to worry about dying of mercury poisoning.

"In any case, Mr. Hamilton, as a First Ring Arcanist, try to involve yourself in such dangerous matters as little as possible. Where were we?"

To the two professors, what had happened Just Now was merely a Trivial Matter. Shade was also glad that the hidden danger was gone. After noting down Lord of the Blood Feast, the Blood Spirit School, and what he had Just Now witnessed, he straightened in his chair and said:

"Just Now, we mentioned two matters. Professor Garcia said that he came tonight to guide my time-travel practice, which would be carried out after all other matters had been discussed. The second matter was that you wanted to talk about our five-person group."

Professor Garcia nodded at Shade, while Professor Sanchez patted his forehead.

"Oh, yes, the matter of the five-person group. Someone in your five-person group has a serious problem. One of you, 'Another Me,' differs from the normal situation. The Academy considers it a major hidden danger."

Shade's heart lurched. His joy from moments ago vanished, and his face changed dramatically.