Otherworld TRPG Game Master-Chapter 274: The wrong way (2)

Yes, thanks to that, I’ve been able to gather the pieces more easily—『Noose』.

I’m not entirely sure what happened, but with 『Corpse Flower』 now in hiding, it’s just the two of us left gazing at the same horizon as dark mages. Isn’t this situation amusing? We always thought a loose collaboration would suffice, treating each other more as chess pieces than comrades.

But now, an external threat has bound us together. Who would have thought a madman would show up in this world and make us genuinely 'cooperate'?

If you ask where I’ll use these pieces, the answer is simple: a dagger.

Yes. I’ll piece them together to create a doppelganger of myself. Then, I’ll have it target the original. After all, only a genius can strike down another genius.

Some might suggest, “Let’s imbue malice into it and make it an evil being—” but I disagree with that plan. It won’t be that simple to lead him astray.

He is a monster.

...

Do you know what loneliness is?

It’s like putting all sorts of poisons into a jar, forcing the contents to fight until only one survives amidst the chaos. I saw potential in this method.

If something is too solid to carve away, make it erode itself.

I’ll set up a colosseum using illusion magic and have the pieces fight each other. I’ll constantly feed them the notion that if they don’t win, they’ll lose everything—family, lovers, everything.

Of course, even as fragments, he’ll figure it out. Some pieces will grow suspicious; others will realize it’s all an illusion. The smarter fragments will understand it’s all the dark mage’s scheme... and they’ll come up with their own plans.

But will all the fragments manage that?

Yes. We will find the weakest one. The most delicate, sensitive, and unstable fragment—the one that’s the easiest to sway—and ensure its survival.

In a colosseum where one must kill countless versions of oneself to survive, we will instill a hatred for its own existence. If we push it with enough pain and hatred...

In the end, we’ll create a ‘pawn’ who believes it is the real one, constantly striving to prove its existence by killing the real self.

Thus.

Time flowed endlessly in the nightmares.

One day, when a tiny fragment of the mad mage woke from a restless dream,

“...I’m real. I’m the real one. Don’t abandon me. Believe me, I’m the real one...!”

He was trembling in the darkness of a wardrobe, now a terrified monster.

Analysis Officer C from the Empire’s National Defense Bureau knocked politely on the office door.

A weary voice, belonging to Iride, responded from beyond the door. The Holy City had been turned upside down, and he had been waging a battle against paperwork ever since.

Restructuring the Church of the Goddess, with the Reformist faction at the forefront, was something Tara, once a city girl, couldn’t handle alone. They needed the help of a specialist in bureaucratic processes.

The interests of the reformists and the Empire aligned, as they sought to diminish the power of the Church and make it more Empire-friendly.

“...Hah.”

Normalizing a single city shouldn’t have taken this long, but there were a few complications.

For one, the old men from the Cardinal faction hadn’t been killed, only exiled. Some of them had crash-landed near the city and started making political noise, which required containment.

Assassination squads were dispatched to quietly eliminate the ones who had fallen into seclusion.

There was also the issue of managing public anxiety over the Goddess’s rampage. Some crazies were claiming, “The Goddess has declared the Empire’s destiny is over!” and they needed their heads smashed in.

And that wasn’t all.

So, unless it was an exceptionally important matter, no one dared to knock on the office door. That’s why Iride sighed deeply—because it meant something had gone wrong.

“You may enter.”

“My apologies for the intrusion. The individual known as ‘The Mad Mage’ has requested an audience...”

“...I’m already worried about what kind of trouble he’s stirred up this time.”

“Well, sir, it’s a bit... strange.”

Strange, huh.

That guy was always strange, but Analyst C wasn’t one to repeat the obvious. Did he detect some kind of danger?

“...I’ll talk to him first and assess the situation. But be ready for emergency protocols.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Move according to the signal if I give it.”

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Iride stood up and descended the stairs. He wasn’t being humble by meeting someone in person rather than summoning them to him, despite being a prince.

It was simply that he didn’t want anyone entering the room where memories of Centra lingered.

Iride reached the reception room, where the Mad Mage and his... companion were waiting. The Violet Tower Master and Yuri Lanster were nowhere to be seen.

The Mad Mage flashed a sly grin with his dull red eyes, greeting him with the usual casualness mixed with rudeness.

“You’re here?”

“Yes. What’s the matter this time?”

“I need your help. A minor magical accident occurred, and it resulted in an evil doppelganger of me. And, well, it ran away.”

Another headache-inducing issue. Iride pressed his fingers against his temples.

“...So, what do you want me to do about it?”

“We need to track it down and kill it. I hate to say it, but the thing’s dangerous. It infiltrated the Tower and made off with some data before escaping.”

“...”

Iride blinked his blue eyes slowly.

In truth, he didn’t know the Mad Mage all that well. They had only met a handful of times, and he still didn’t fully understand why the mage acted so familiarly with him.

But he remembered the feeling. The man before him felt... off.

Focusing on the sense of unease, he began to realize the source.

There were no jokes.

Even when the Holy City was on the brink of destruction due to the Goddess’s rampage, the mage had been cracking jokes about saints and holy ones. At his worst, he was frivolous; at best... he always kept his sense of humor, even in the direst situations.

Even if he were drowning, you could imagine his tongue floating to the surface, still wagging. And strangely, Iride didn’t mind that. The guy had a knack for lightening the mood.

But now, none of that was there.

Had the situation grown so severe that even he couldn’t joke? Or was it something else...? Iride couldn’t know without probing.

So, Iride covered his face with both hands.

“...Your Highness?”

“I can’t hide my expressions from you. I doubt anyone could. So let’s continue this conversation without me seeing you. I’m not sure if this will help at all.”

“...”

“I’m suspicious of you, and I’ll ask something to clear this up. Answer carefully.”

Iride wasn’t sure if this question would truly reveal the truth. He didn’t know if he could dissolve the suspicion or understand the mage’s motives, or even if he could read the man’s mind.

Everything became unclear when dealing with this crow-like mage.

And so, this was more of a gamble—a fleeting moment of insight.

“I’ve heard you have a condition where you can’t remember certain names, but I also know that under special conditions, you can remember a few. I understand that this isn’t a mere condition but a global phenomenon.”

“...You knew? I suppose it’s the privilege of royalty... So?”

“If you’re the real one, repeat the name I’m about to say: Kargan.”

“...”

The fake Mad Mage fell silent for a long time.

He didn’t know. According to his fragmented memories, he shouldn’t have known. Kargan of the 『Collapse』 was a mercenary who had cushioned the fall of the Holy City. He hadn’t participated in any sessions. The correct response was ‘I don’t know.’

But.

Had the prince brought up this name just to confuse him? What if, at some point he couldn’t remember, the real Mad Mage had met Kargan? In some session or simulation?

It was a 50/50 chance. One was right, the other wrong.

If it were the real mage, the name would’ve passed by without any lingering significance. But to the doppelganger, it rang out clearly.

After a long pause, he finally forced out a response.

“Kargan?”

“...All agents, prepare for defensive measures! The Mad Mage will remain here until we’ve confirmed—”

“Damn it, every time... 『Golden Silence』.”

Click.

With the snap of his fingers, Iride’s voice was muted as if someone had hit a mute button. He no longer bothered hiding his expression.

Beneath his black hair, his red eyes gleamed with malicious intent.

“Names, names... Right, I shouldn’t remember names. Kargan, or whatever. Satisfied now, Iride?”

“...”

“Why is it? Why do people like you and Yuna keep treating me like I’m fake? I don’t get it. 『Marionette』.”

Vrrr—

A sickly purple light shimmered, and the artifacts protecting Prince Iride began to activate, trying to resist. Iride shouted something, but...

“You should’ve connected those artifacts more seamlessly. 『Mana Disruption.』 Now they’ll all glitch and be useless.”

The doppelganger easily neutralized the defenses.

Mana threads dug into Iride’s mind. In an instant, his pupils dilated, and he became a living puppet.

While the doppelganger subdued Iride, the Godling had already put the surrounding agents to sleep.

The doppelganger slouched into the couch, making Iride fan him like a servant.

“...Why is it?”

Why, why...

Why does everyone treat me like I can’t be the real one?

The doppelganger stared blankly at the ceiling, then tugged at his hair in frustration, repeating the cycle until he was exhausted. Finally, after much deliberation, he came to a conclusion.

“I get it now.”

He acknowledged.

“I’m different from the fake in some way, aren’t I?”

Logically, it didn’t make sense. But he had hit the nail on the head. Something was different enough that even those familiar with the Mad Mage were beginning to suspect him. He had missed something crucial.

“Godling, do you know what’s different?”

“...Who knows?”

“You do know, but you won’t tell me, huh? Sorry, Godling, for being so pathetic. You must hate seeing me like this...”

If it’s because I’m different.

If that’s why Yuna abandoned me, why Iride is treating me like this, then...

“I’ll act.”

“Act?”

“I’ll act as if... whatever it is.”

Wasn’t the Mad Mage always a master of acting? Putting on a mask, crafting scripts, creating characters and embodying them—it was as natural as breathing for him. So...

This time, he would simply act as ‘The Mad Mage.’ If he kept up this method acting long enough, maybe they would turn to him. Maybe they’d acknowledge him as the real one instead of the fake.

“Alright, let’s do this. I’ll keep it up until I’ve regained my place!”

“...You.”

The Godling, watching this unfold, had an incredibly bitter expression, as if she wanted to say something. But in the end, she remained silent. Trapped on her tongue were pity and sympathy.

But even she didn’t fully understand why she felt those emotions, so she said nothing. After all.

She was a ‘Godling,’ wasn’t she?

A being meant to deceive the world and do evil. There was no reason for her to care.

“Alright, gather around! We’re starting the First Doppelganger Emergency Countermeasures Committee meeting. Fourth General in rank, 『Yuri Frostlover,』 please sound the opening drum.”

“Yes, 『Fallen Dark Demon King Lucifer Jeckniel.』”

“D-Do I have to be the one to do this ‘Infinite Nihility’ something or other...?”

“...Am I the only one who doesn’t get it?”

Thud, thud, thud.

Yuri adjusted her glasses and officially opened the meeting. The participants were as follows: a 30% weakened Mad Mage, me, with body, heart, and waist all in a bit of pain.

The Violet Tower Master, Yuna, officially ranked number one as my legitimate spouse.

Yuri, the predator who shifted between ranks zero and two, depending on her mood.

Childhood friend Selvia, who technically wasn’t anything to me yet.

And the residents of the Violet Tower.

We even had beautifully engraved nameplates set out in front of the table and meticulously drawn curtains, with a single cold light creating a somber atmosphere.

I knocked on the table with a loud bang.

“We can’t give him time. So here’s my plan: Yuna lays down some area denial magic to prevent teleportation, then Yuri and I head over, grab him by the neck, and smash his head with a sledgehammer.”

“...And how exactly do you know where he is?”

“I can’t track the pieces, but I can track the Godling. I lost control of 『Golden Shackles,』 but not entirely. If we’re lucky, I can locate them.”

“Fighting against the Mad Mage as an enemy is a dark prospect. He’s annoying, powerful, and insufferable.”

Exactly.

This bastard is skilled in way too many things. If we give him time, who knows how prepared he’ll be. We have to act fast and aim for his throat.

But even the Mad Mage had his weaknesses.

“What if we hit him with ‘Heaven’s Love,’ ‘Bonds of Eternal Binding,’ and ‘Subtraction’ all at once? Shouldn’t that kill him?”

“...How can you say something so obvious with such confidence?”

The weakness was that if we beat him, he’d die.

We had more people on our side. We had to strike swiftly while we had the upper hand. Just as we were discussing how to hammer the doppelganger’s head with precision...

Bang! The scarred senior burst into the meeting room, pale with shock.

“Hey, we’ve been officially marked as enemies of the Tower! What did you do?! They’ve already issued a notice saying they’ll cut our budget before slitting our throats!”

What?!

Frantically, I checked the document, and sure enough, it was an official imperial proclamation stamped with Iride’s name. That bastard managed to sway Iride!

The shocking news caused the Tower’s mages to grab their heads in panic and scream.

“What? You can have my neck, but not my budget!”

“My research! My research!”

“Aaaaahhhhh!”

Cutting the budget... That heartless bastard!

“Pack your bags. He hasn’t gone far from the capital, so let’s go crush him and escape this nightmare!”

“I-I’ll go grab the info bombs I’ve been saving! Just in case we ever got marked as enemies of the Empire...”

“In the meantime, um... how about you bathe with me, too, Mad Mage?”

“Bath? What are you talking about? Wait, you two bathed together?!”

I acted immediately. We’re heading to the capital now to take him down!