Episode 261 Reverse Five Stars (1)
Iron Man / Difficulty [★★★★ ]
-The student brilliantly solved all the problems presented by the
family .
The certificate surprised everyone in the four major academies.
Even Varangian’s deputy director, ‘Basilios’, Themiscyra’s headmaster, ‘Hippolyte’, Mage’s tower owner ‘Blue Whale’, and Colosseo’s banshee professor all opened their mouths.
“How long has it been since the Iron Blood Swordsman gave you a pass certificate?”
“Hmm…if this is real.”
“The Baskervilles are so closed-minded, so I’m suspicious of all sorts of things. Heh heh heh-”
Basilios Hippolyte Blue Whale looked at the correspondence again and again in disbelief.
at that time.
…widely!
There was a hand that snatched it away with a cold expression.
It was Professor Banshee.
“Are you suspecting my student?”
The other representatives laughed awkwardly in front of Professor Banshee, who openly showed displeasure.
Meanwhile, Professor Banshee looked back at Vikir in front of him and said in a cold tone.
“You must know that I was the last to return among the 10 rankers, right?”
“yes.”
Bikir nodded meekly.
Strangely, a considerable amount of time had passed since he came out of the ‘grave of the sword’.
There seemed to be something in it that distorted the flow of time.
‘I didn’t even know where Cain Corso was at the top of the tower. There might be something else on top of that.’
Professor Banshee continued to be cynical while Vikir had other thoughts in his mind.
“You’re still good with one answer.”
“thank you.”
“Does it look like I’m giving a compliment?”
“sorry.”
Professor Banshee wrinkled his brow when Vikir gave the answer he needed.
“Vikir-kun. Because of your late return, the Artifact Presentation Ceremony was pushed back by ten days. There has been no reply from the Baskervilles in the meantime. We even tried to file a missing person report. Do you know?”
“I didn’t have time to contact you on the way because the mission was so urgent.”
“What was the other mission?”
To Professor Banshee’s question, Vikir answered meekly.
“Recovering the Ghost Tree.”
At those words, the expressions on the faces of all four school representatives suddenly changed.
“A ghost tree?”
“Nonsense. That doesn’t exist.”
“Heh heh heh- that’s a funny joke.”
Basilios Hippolyte the blue whale treated Vikir’s answer as nonsense.
However, Professor Banshee was the only one with a hard expression on his face and was silent.
Because he knows Bikir’s character.
Then Professor Banshee asked in a firm tone.
“Speaking of the Wraith Tree… Do you mean the tree of the image world that appears in the myths of ‘Tzersi’, the greatest Morgue, and ‘Ornati’, the greatest Baskerville?”
“yes.”
“……Did the Baskervilles ask you to retrieve it?”
“yes.”
“…So. You mean you succeeded in retrieving it?”
“That cannot be answered.”
Bikir didn’t answer. He only glanced at the certificate bearing the seal of the head of the Baskerville family.
And as Bikir’s gaze moved and returned, the school principal’s gaze also moved and returned.
yet. Professor Banshee shook his head.
“I don’t know what it is. Let’s talk about this later. First of all, congratulations on completing the quest.”
A brief interview with the principals was over.
yet.
All 10 students, including Bikir, who returned last, gathered.
They now go to a warehouse where numerous artifacts are stored beyond the gate that opens when all four keys are gathered.
Blue whale, the owner of the mage tower, said with a grin.
“The time limit is one day. If you do not come out of the warehouse within that time, the door will be closed and will not open again. We cannot open the door until the next competition, so strictly observe the time limit.”
Then he added a word in a playful tone.
“Ah. By the way, you don’t have to worry about the skeletons you see as soon as you enter through the gate. It’s the words of those who failed to get out of the warehouse because they couldn’t choose an artifact within the time limit.”
It was kind of a creepy joke.
* * *
All 10 students entered the gate in the presence of all students from the four schools.
And when exactly 23 hours had passed, 9 students escaped from the warehouse.
With everyone being chosen by the artifact.
It was quite unusual considering that there are always one or two people in every tournament who came out empty-handed because they were not selected for any Artifact despite being ranked in the top 10.
Tudor Sancho Piggy Bianca was also gathered at the gate, waiting for a friend.
“Wow! Out! Out!”
“Sinclair! Here!”
“Ohhh! You must have picked an artifact! Congratulations Sinclair!”
“Look! My sister said you can do it!?”
Sinclair, looking tired but bright, came out of the gate and waved to everyone.
Eventually, all the students who came out of the gate reported which artifact they had chosen and which artifact they had chosen.
First was Dolores.
She came out with a small mirror in her arms that she could hug.
“The artifact I got is a ‘mirror of truth.’
After speaking, she lifted up the mirror and glanced at Lovegood’s face.
Then, in the mirror, I see Lovegood’s naked face without a make-up.
“Kyaaaaaaagh! What are you doing! You! I even finished fixing my makeup and came out!”
“Why are you so pretty?”
Lovegood hurriedly removed his face from the mirror. Dolores looked at him and smiled.
Next was Lovegood.
As the student body president of Themiscyra and the president of the newly formed Vikir fan club, she shouted with an ambitious voice.
“The artifact I got is the ‘love shield’! It’s a hairpin with a heart-shaped brooch! It’s said that if you wear it, it will block any kind of powerful brainwashing or mental magic! They say they do!”
At first glance, it was an artifact that didn’t look very good.
In general, artifacts obtained by other students are semi-permanent, but that one has a limit on its use.
But somehow Lovegood seemed quite satisfied.
“Where are you going to write it?”
“Never mind the city!”
Dolores and Lovegood, who have become very close before they know it, exchange a bickering conversation.
at that time.
“Ha ha ha ha ha!”
With a pleasant laugh, Bakiraga took out the artifact and held it up.
It was a huge glove made of an unknown metal.
“It is a gauntlet that increases muscle strength. It is called ‘Madong Wangsoo’. It is a gauntlet worn by a legendary warrior named Madong King who lived in another dimension long ago.”
“Similar to me. I got a staff that increases mana. They say ‘Pink Dragon’s scales’ were added in very small amounts. Is there such a dragon in the first place…?”
Hohenheim nodded in response to the words of the Vakira family.
Next came Hive, Middle, Low, and three brothers.
“We got the triple swords, which are said to become stronger when they come together. They say ‘three swords’.”
“I see.”
“I see.”
They held out three identical but subtly different knives.
Unusually, it is said that the power is doubled when three swords are gathered in one place.
These triplets, called the tridents of the Baskervilles, were chosen first by the Artifacts, and they seemed very proud of that.
at that time.
“……only me, what is this?”
A muffled voice was heard.
Grenouille. The guy walked out looking rather downcast.
What he held in his hand was a small brooch in the shape of lips.
“This artifact is said to be ‘The Lips’. It tells the truth no matter what question you ask. But it only gives ‘yes’ and ‘no’ answers and can only be used once in a lifetime…” Then
. There was a hand tapping on Grenouille’s shoulder.
“Why does it look like a very nice artifact?”
It was Sinclair.
“Sometimes I have a lot of doubts about whether I’m living well. It would be nice to ask at that time.”
“…why do you have such a skeptical feeling? I’m always living a good life! A person should be confident!”
However, Grenouille was grumbling and feeling much better inside.
Finally, Sinclair reports his artifacts.
“The artifact that I chose is a hat with a lot of money. It’s a hat that becomes stronger when you eat money.”
It was a strangely shaped black hat like those worn by witches.
The brim, which is worn here and there and has missing teeth, looks far from opulence, only looking shady and damp.
Everyone around me reacted with regret.
Isn’t Sinclair the most money-hungry student in the Colosseo?
Rumors were already widespread that while most students were supported by their parents for living expenses and tuition, she was covering everything from tuition to living expenses with part-time jobs.
In such a situation, being chosen for an artifact that costs a lot of money is what is it if not a pie in the picture.
But Sinclair was still strong.
“Hehe- it’s not a world where money is power. I have to earn a lot of money to wear this hat.”
I just smile brightly as usual.
* * *
Time passes while the other students come out one by one and register their artifacts.
yet. The hands of the clock turned a full circle.
Time passed since Sinclair, the ninth, reported the artifact.
And the time before the end. Less than a minute left before the gates closed.
However, there was one student who hadn’t come out yet.
Bikir.
For this one non-returner, students from all the academies are gathered here and waiting.
Tudor, Sancho, Piggy, Sinclair, Bianca and all other students mutter nervously.
“Bikir…… What are you doing, why aren’t you coming out!”
“It’s a big deal. Time is running out.”
“Now it’s seconds! What can I do!”
“Don’t worry about that! Hyung-ah will come out at the last minute with a jam.”
“Anyway, I really like playing the main character~ I came late to the second test.”
Everyone was looking at the gate, unable to hide their anxiety and nervousness.
……but.
No one came out of the gate after all.
Spot!
The duration of the gate is over.
It was closed in vain.
“……uh?”
Everyone who watched this swallowed up the empty wind at once.
stupid face. Faces that can’t believe reality.
Professor Banshee was the first to shout.
“Open it! Open the gate! Not one of my disciples has come out yet!”
But that was impossible.
The rule of the four academies is to open the gate only once a year for 24 hours at a place where everyone gathers.
This is a system that has been around for a very long time, and it was not something deans could open at will.
In the first place, the warehouse and the portal itself are independent oparts, and it is impossible for mages of the present world to control them other than maintaining and repairing them.
Knowing this, the other deans also had no choice but to bow their heads with solemn and gloomy expressions.
It’s extremely rare, but not very rare.
Those who were greedy for too many artifacts and passed the time limit without being able to choose one of them.
They are often found skeletons at the entrance when the gates open the following year.
That is the price of greed.
“Oh no…”
Tudor approached the gate.
Sancho and Piggy Bianca also stood beside him, looking devastated.
“What happened now?”
“Bikir didn’t come out? Really?”
“Is the gate closed? Can’t you open this again?”
When you enter the gate, you can only take clothes, shoes, and other inorganic items with you.
Everything except your body is burned when passing through the gate.
So it is meaningless to bring food or drinking water separately.
In other words, those who are confined to the warehouse are bound to wither away from loneliness and starvation.
“No! Vikir-sama!”
All members of the fan club, including Lovegood, cry and shout.
However, no matter how desperately he called, he could not help the gate that had already been closed.
“…”
Dolores stared blankly at the gate.
‘Are you lying? Did you actually come out before me?’
But looking around, I don’t see any sign of that.
Bikir is trapped inside. can’t get out now
Dolores just stood there blankly at the incredible accident.
around.
This time.
rundown.
look like.
It felt like my heart had thumped down to the very bottom of my ribs and had stopped.
My eyes were dizzy and my legs were about to give up.
When Dolores is about to open her mouth to this confused feeling she doesn’t know.
…puck!
A strange noise was heard from somewhere.
It’s like a very thick skin being ripped open with a knife.
“…What!?”
The expression of the ‘Blue Whale’, the owner of the Mage Tower, suddenly changed.
Damn it-
the barrier was tearing.
And a face slowly revealed through such a crack.
“Sorry. I’m a little late.”
It was still Bikir with a calm expression.
