Chapter 25

After the race, for some reason, I was the only one scolded by the officials, and we were taking a break.

"Why did I get scolded?"

While gulping down the water from the water dispenser, Miu tilted her head curiously. I followed the rules, didn't I?

"Hahaha, that's just like En-chan. But, we were told it's forbidden from now on."

"That was dangerous to watch."

"Yeah, I was on the edge of my seat."

"Want to buy some juice?"

Yamato and the others laughed with interest. The water from the water dispenser was refreshingly cold and delicious. This must be the power of magic. The cooling effect is too strong.

After the race, we enjoyed various games, and it was getting close to evening. I found the game where you shoot down holographic balloons floating in the sky the most fun.

"Should we head back soon? Want to play again tomorrow?"

Tomorrow is Saturday, a day off. In this world, weekends are days off. It seems Yamato wants to play again tomorrow. Hmm, I wonder if Yami doesn't go to the dungeon. The dungeon was banned for a while after the Stone Golem incident.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to the theater with Dad."

"I'm going to see a Kabuki performance."

"I have a piano recital."

Hokuchan and the others answered with what seemed like a very posh schedule. Yamato looked disappointed, but En-chan looked at me.

What about my schedule? In the morning, I practice somersaults and breakfalls. After that, I study and review my lessons. Nap, snack, dinner, and that's it.

"You don't have any plans! Why don't you stay over? We have a lot of Horn Bear Cow meat, and we're having sukiyaki tonight."

"I'll call Mom!"

Her eyes sparkled. I'm looking forward to the sukiyaki with mystery meat. Sukiyaki is one of my top three favorite dishes. In my previous life, I used to use premium wagyu beef for sukiyaki. The local supermarket often had half-price stickers on the thick slices of beef, which made it delicious for sukiyaki.

My mother laughed and said I could stay over, but I had to be careful not to be a bother. She also said I should have fun. I was told to come back to get my overnight bag.

Also, my mother said she would bring a gift. Staying over at a friend's house is a big deal for kids. In my previous life, I never had the experience of staying over at a friend's house when I was young.

So, I said goodbye to everyone and went home. Yamato and the others laughed, saying she understands En-chan well, but I want to eat the mystery meat. My body is screaming for it. It's true, okay?

After changing at home, my mother drove me in the car. The gray-haired girl was bouncing with excitement in the car.

"Mom, they have a lot of Horn... something!"

"Now, now, you have to behave properly, okay?"

"Okay! I'll eat meat, vegetables, vegetables, tofu, and then meat in that order!"

I was invited, so I need to be polite. When I nodded, my mother chuckled. She always has a gentle smile. Our family is still close.

"What did you bring as a gift?"

"Yokan from the wagashi shop in front of the station."

"That place's yokan is delicious!"

The gray-haired girl was fidgeting, thinking about the gift. She loves yokan. My mother chuckled and drove the car.

As we approached Yamato's house, which is a magician's house, I saw something strange. It's a house of a magician, but they don't reach combat level and seem to make magical items. They are wealthy because they are skilled, so they live in a high-end residential area.

As we passed by the large mansion, I saw something odd. The butler was talking to three people at the gate. As we got closer, the car stopped with a screech.

"Mi-chan, stay here and don't go outside."

"Okay! I'll wait here."

She must have sensed something ominous. My mother frowned and spoke sternly. She left the window open to hear the conversation.

Well, of course. It's just... It feels suspicious!

The people talking to the butler are wearing white robes with pointed hoods! They look like they never get questioned by the police.

Moreover, they have a large tree embroidered on their backs. It's very detailed, and you can see each branch and leaf.

I knew who they were as I opened the window.

"'Yggdrasil'..."

"Mi-chan, do you know them? That is indeed 'Yggdrasil.'"

My mother looked at them with disgust. She is usually gentle and rarely shows such a face, which is rare. Those three are very suspicious. Should we call the police?

This is a scene you'd see in a novel. A killer wrapped in bandages, a magician passing by the corner in a clown's costume, and suspicious men in robes. They stand out too much. In reality, the police would definitely be called.

But this is a world within a novel. Moreover, there are quite a few people in robes. Like the back row of adventurers, they walk around with staffs and robes. It's frustrating, but the world's background is like that, so they aren't suspected. ...Really? Should we call the police?

'Yggdrasil.' The main organization of the enemy. There are other enemy organizations, but ultimately, 'Yggdrasil' remains.

They claim to save people by curing the sick with the power of their top saint, but of course, for an exorbitant price. The religious organization 'Yggdrasil' is their name.

In secret, they aim to reconstruct the world by reviving the 'Demon God Ashthorot.' Its true name is 'Nidhogg.' They plan to destroy the world and rebuild an ideal world. Of course, they intend to ride 'Nidhogg' to avoid the world's collapse. 'Nidhogg' has the power to survive Ragnarok.

The protagonist interferes with the summoning of 'Nidhogg' and defeats the revived 'Ashthorot.' This is the main story of 'Magical Night,' a typical fantasy story.

In the game, there are hidden routes, but the story is mostly the same, so I remember it. Their bases appear randomly, and attacking them was a good way to earn money. In the old novel, villains didn't have human rights. Were they thieves?

I remember the game content. Especially 'Nidhogg' drops extremely rare items, so I loaded and defeated it multiple times. The event dialogues were tedious. The game didn't have a skip function, so I remember 'Nidhogg.'

I peeked secretly to see what was happening. I remember there were clear criteria for the enemies... What was it? I leveled up too much by doing side quests and sub-stories, so the main story enemies were all cannon fodder.

This is a common issue in open-world games. You level up too much by doing side quests. I think I read something similar in a novel.

Miu's gray hair fluttered, and she tilted her head cutely, searching her memory. She had a cute, troubled face, but their conversation was progressing.

"This potion is the best for curing 'Magic Syndrome.' We'll give you a dozen for free right now."

"We'll also give you this soap to clean the skin."

"If you join 'Yggdrasil,' everything is free."

The content I heard was extremely fraudulent. It sounded like no one would fall for it. Listening to such casual conversations makes me feel like I'm in a novel. The minor villains have simple lines.

"What is that?"

I thought it would be a more serious recruitment, but their talk skills are extremely poor. No one would join with that. Miu's eyes narrowed.

The final boss of the enemy organization was the secret leader of that religion. This makes them look like a pyramid scheme or a fraud group. The mastermind suddenly seems less impressive.

The butler, of course, looked displeased and was about to refuse... but something was off. I would glare silently and slam the door, or call the police on my smartphone.

However, he seemed troubled but didn't refuse. You need to clearly refuse. I'll do it for him.

The righteous Miu, huffing and puffing, unbuckled her seatbelt to go outside, but the buckle was hard to remove. She fiddled with it with her small hands but couldn't get it off.

"Mom, can you unbuckle my seatbelt?"

She quickly forgot the earlier agreement, and her mother tapped her head and whispered.

"They are looking at the feet. There is a child with 'Magic Syndrome' in the Yuki family. It's Yamato's younger brother."

"What is 'Magic Syndrome'?"

It's a name I've never heard before. It sounds like a magic-related illness. It wasn't in the game. I don't think it was in the novel either. I only read up to volume 10.

"'Magic Syndrome' is a rare condition that affects children of magicians. It's like asthma. It's rarely fatal, but the 'Mana' in the body goes out of control, causing the child to be sick and have high fevers multiple times until they grow up. During these fevers, the face can become scarred like a burn, leaving bumps like acne scars."

That's pitiful. Even if it's not fatal, it's sad for the child when they grow up.

"Does that potion work?"

"I don't know. It doesn't seem to be certified as a medicine... That's why they are in trouble. 'Yggdrasil' seems to have some effective potions."

In this world, potions can't be sold unless they are certified as medicine. But if that's the case, why are they hesitating to buy such suspicious medicine?

Potions are indeed expensive. In the game, they cost around 10,000 yen each. I wonder how much they cost in this world?

While I was thinking about asking, the men with the fraudulent tone continued to push the potion, even though the butler looked troubled.

"What do you think? Our 'Yggdrasil' wants to form a bond with you. They also want to buy magical items."

"I'm very sorry, but we must ask you to leave. Your attitude is unacceptable."

The butler, unable to bear it any longer, decided to reject them. He sighed and glared at the men. However, the 'Yggdrasil' followers smiled.

"Let's stop the nonsense. As we mentioned last time, would you exchange your Yuki family's secret magical items and elixirs for ours? Our master wants the Whirlwind Axe, the Thunder Spear, and the Earth Block Forehead Crown as part of his collection."

"I've already told you multiple times, we refuse."

The butler in a suit firmly refused, but the men didn't give up. The leader smiled and folded his arms.

"Then, how about one of them? Can you give us something you don't need? Our master collects relics. Any of them would be fine. Please ask your master. We'll come back tomorrow."

They bowed politely and turned to leave. The butler watched them go with a bitter expression.

I understood. They are using a psychological trick, pretending to let the other person choose but actually guiding them to choose what they want. I forget the name, but it's a known technique.

They want the Earth Block Forehead Crown. I want it too. It's clear. It's a magical item known as the Rusty Forehead Crown.

...But, something feels off. I remember it being in a different place?