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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Magic Palace Transfer
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The first floor of the Magic Palace, Blue Island.
True to its nature of changing every quarter, the first floor had transformed its scenery once again.
Into this Blue Island, Hanon's team stepped.
"Huh?"
More accurately, it was Hanon's team, minus Hanon.
"Where's Prince Sweet Potato?"
Seron looked around, her expression puzzled.
No trace of Hanon, who had been with them just moments ago, was anywhere to be seen.
"Did that idiot not follow us in?"
"No. Senior was ahead of us, wasn't he?"
Aisha tilted her head at Seron's words.
She had clearly seen Hanon go in first.
"Oh, I'll go out and check!"
"No."
As Poara exclaimed, offering to check outside, Sharin stopped him.
Sharin, who had been silently observing since Hanon disappeared, her eyes now gleamed with a dangerous light.
"There's spatial refraction."
The Milky Way in her eyes clearly perceived the surroundings.
A strange current flowed throughout the entire Magic Palace.
She felt Hanon's presence caught within the gaps of that current.
"Magic Palace Transfer."
At that moment, Grantony clenched his teeth.
Everyone's eyes changed in an instant.
Magic Palace Transfer.
A transfer phenomenon that occurred at the entrance of the Magic Palace with an extremely rare probability.
The last time a Magic Palace Transfer occurred was 35 years ago.
Magic Palace Transfer was simple.
While entering the entrance, one was randomly sent to an arbitrary floor.
No one knew which floor it would be.
Only one person was caught in a Magic Palace Transfer.
It was a regrettable story, but if caught, the survival rate was almost negligible.
This was the Magic Palace.
A hellscape designed by the Archdemon to establish the world's destruction.
The Magic Palace only sought to kill humans.
"No, no."
Seron's face turned pale.
She, too, was well aware of the dangers of Magic Palace Transfer.
"We have to go save him right now!"
"We will."
When Seron shouted, Sharin replied with a hardened expression she had never shown before.
However, her hand, gripping her staff tightly, showed how much emotional turmoil she was experiencing right now.
"Uh, Belle? Belle, where did you go!"
At that moment, another voice came from behind.
Everyone turned their gaze, and there stood Isabelle's team.
However, Isabelle herself, who should have been there, was missing.
Just like Hanon's team, theirs had become Isabelle's team without Isabelle.
"Sharin Sazaris."
Along with that, another voice appeared.
Following the commotion from behind, a team that had been ahead turned back.
It was Iris's team.
Iris, her ink-black hair fluttering, quietly posed a question.
"What's going on?"
***
Magic Palace Transfer, Cliff.
Isabelle and I were both caught in a Magic Palace Transfer and found ourselves here, absurdly.
I grabbed Isabelle in mid-air and barely managed to cling to the wall, stopping our fall.
Isabelle then looked around with a bewildered expression.
Having been unconscious from the aftermath of the transfer, she was only now able to see her surroundings.
"W-what is this situation?"
"You and I probably got caught in a Magic Palace Transfer."
Isabelle's eyes widened at my words.
She, too, knew the dangers of Magic Palace Transfer.
I clung to the cliff, slowly reducing my speed as I descended.
"It's actually a relief. At least you weren't transferred alone."
The biggest danger of Magic Palace Transfer was precisely that one was transferred alone.
But luckily, the Magic Palace Transfer happened to both of us simultaneously.
It was better for me to be here than for Isabelle to be transferred alone.
Isabelle stared at me with a bewildered look at my words.
"…Don't you think it's a relief that *you* weren't transferred alone in a situation like this?"
"I'm confident I can get out on my own."
"I don't know where you get that confidence every time."
Isabelle said that, exhaling.
"More importantly, if we go down together like this, we'll get tired. Thanks for saving me, but could you let go for a moment?"
At Isabelle's words, I obediently let her go.
Immediately, Isabelle lightly pushed off the cliff.
*Whoosh!*
White wings unfolded behind her back.
They were the Goddess's Wings.
"Just flying doesn't use much stamina."
Isabelle said, extending a hand to me.
"You come here too. Let's go down together."
There was no need to indulge in rivalry in a situation like this.
It was the law to help each other.
As I reached out to Isabelle, she lightly wrapped her arm around me and pulled me into an embrace.
Since I was in Hanon's form, my body was small, so Isabelle could hold me without difficulty.
A citrusy, tangerine scent wafted past my nose.
Since I couldn't ride on her back with her wings, I quietly let Isabelle hold me.
"Being like this, I understand why Lady Iris always holds you. You're incredibly warm."
At that moment, Isabelle let out a chuckle.
They were caught in a Magic Palace Transfer.
She seemed to be trying to lighten the mood with her words.
Then, as if something occurred to her, Isabelle's eyes shifted slightly.
"…What happened between you and Sharin?"
It seemed she remembered what happened at the Magic Palace entrance.
"She told me yesterday she thinks she likes me."
It was something to be grateful for that someone liked me.
But perhaps because Seron had already confessed.
With Sharin added to the mix, my head became complicated.
I had vaguely thought that something like this might happen, given Sharin's behavior so far.
But now that it was reality, it was inevitable that I would have many worries.
"Both Seron and Sharin… are you actually here at Jerion Academy to charm women?"
"If that were the case, I wouldn't be having these worries."
In the *Flame Butterfly* arc, the heroines' roles were important.
So, getting involved with the heroines was essential to advance the scenario.
But I never thought things would turn out like this.
I thought such things were meant for Lucas, not me.
Is it true that familiarity breeds affection?
I think I'm starting to understand what the adults meant by "men and women, even at seven years old, should not sit together."
'And yet.'
The people I've gotten involved with are originally side characters in the scenario.
Sharin and Seron.
Neither of them were romantically involved with Lucas.
Sharin was a character who appeared capriciously and often offered help.
Seron was more like a classmate at the academy.
What about my relationship with Iris and Isabelle, who were Lucas's heroines?
To Iris, I was a comfort doll.
To Isabelle, I was a love-hate relationship.
My relationship with the two main heroines was far from love.
'Is this because I'm Vikamen?'
Vikamen Niflheim, the character I possessed.
A mid-boss who makes a mistake in Act 2, apologizes, and then leaves.
Perhaps because I was Vikamen, not Lucas, I got involved with Sharin and Seron.
"If that's your worry, couldn't you just date one of them and solve it?"
"I told you before."
While advancing the scenario, I didn't have the luxury to date anyone.
Training, academy studies, and even managing the scenario.
I tried to act relaxed, but I was operating on a much tighter schedule than I let on.
It was a regrettable story, but Vikamen's talent was only stamina and quick stamina recovery.
It couldn't compare to Lucas, who was born with genius talent.
What I needed to focus on right now was the scenario.
"…Then couldn't you just reject both of them?"
Rejection.
There was certainly such a method.
If I rejected their feelings, this wouldn't happen.
However, I knew that both of them genuinely liked me.
"I might seem like trash, but I can't do that right now."
I had lost love.
My emotions were not moved by love at all.
A rejection in this situation would not be a rejection from my true feelings.
Since both of them were sincere with me, I wanted to respond with sincerity too.
I thought that was the polite thing to do towards Sharin and Seron.
Isabelle stared at me intently.
I didn't know how I appeared to Isabelle, but I felt like I would be seen as even more of a jerk from now on.
"Sorry, that was bad of me."
Then, unexpectedly, a different answer came back.
I had expected a torrent of curses.
"I know very well that you don't have personal feelings. I've watched you all this time."
Isabelle and I had been involved since the beginning of our second year.
As such, Isabelle had consistently observed me.
Isabelle knew that I didn't show emotions towards the opposite sex.
"At least if you had such feelings, you wouldn't be this calm even in this situation."
Isabelle looked at my face and smiled briefly.
My position, being held by Isabelle, seemed amusing.
"Rather, that makes me curious. No matter what, I think you're a man. How can you be so unaffected?"
Isabelle's eyes took on a slightly melancholic light.
"…Or am I just not attractive enough as a woman?"
Every girl around would be heartbroken to hear you say that.
Isabelle always contended for the top spot in the hearts of the boys.
However, the reason that wasn't apparent was because Lucas was always by Isabelle's side.
After Lucas disappeared, Isabelle had been broken.
That was why no one dared to reveal their feelings.
There were still many who secretly adored Isabelle.
Isabelle was kind and bright to everyone.
Those qualities were enough to sway a man's heart.
For her to say she wasn't attractive was a great disservice to the girls.
"Isabelle, I don't know why you're thinking that, but I guarantee you."
I decided to make her realize the truth.
"There isn't a single man who wouldn't fall for you if you genuinely tried to charm them."
Men were weaker to beautiful women than they realized.
Isabelle needed to know this fact.
At my sincere words, Isabelle fell silent.
Then she quietly looked down at me.
"Then, what about you?"
My eyes met Isabelle's.
Her eyes held intense seriousness.
"Would you fall for me if I charmed you?"
Conversely, I blinked.
"Ah, we're at the bottom."
However, Isabelle landed on the ground before she could hear the answer.
As I stepped two paces away from Isabelle, she folded her wings.
In the dark space, a floor with red lines drawn on it was visible.
The moment I saw it, my face froze.
"It looks like somewhere I've never seen before."
"…That's right."
I replied, clenching both fists.
Isabelle also noticed my hardened expression and showed her puzzlement.
But I was now following the red lines, looking up.
Isabelle belatedly followed my gaze.
Soon, she too froze.
In our sight.
A gigantic door appeared.
A door covered in ominous red patterns.
Only now did I realize where the Magic Palace Transfer had led.
This was the 9th floor of the Magic Palace.
Right in front of the Archdemon's entrance on the 10th floor.