Chapter 84

The Wizard’s Disguise

“Squeak-! Squee-!”

A vampire bat summoned from Rilwid’s ring perched on the back of his hand and cried out.

It’s a 1st-grade summoning magic that detects living creatures by shooting ultrasonic waves in all directions with tremendous range echolocation.

“You want to find other survivors with this?”

Aimus asked.

“That’s right.”

Rilwid quietly nodded his head.

Yernil’s team had made a temporary ceasefire agreement. Until each found their party members.

“Let’s check our combat rules again as we go.”

The priest said.

Walking quietly behind the bat.

“We don’t attack each other.”

Aimus said.

“When we discover Golden Golems or the Blacksmith, we hunt them if we can handle them.”

The barbarian said.

***

Counting the enemies inside the steel mill one by one.

Ingelram’s 5th floor party, the Blacksmith, and the Golden Golem.

If I had to fight one of the three, I would choose the Golden Golem.

Next, I would choose the Blacksmith.

What I want to avoid most is Ingelram’s party.

Someone like Yernil would think that’s unexpected.

Caleb! That Ingelram party is currently getting beaten up by the Golden Golem and running away. Aren’t they the weakest?

Maybe that’s true.

But still, I’m more afraid of facing an adventurer party.

‘Because I don’t know what magic and special abilities they have.’

I’ve hunted many monsters in games, so I know all their patterns, and if I just fight according to my preparations, I can control things to some extent.

As long as there aren’t bizarre phenomena like the Golden Golem and Blacksmith suddenly appearing at the same time like this time.

But adventurers are different.

‘What should I do?’

About Ingelram, I mean.

That 5th floor wizard sitting in the furnace corridor catching his breath hasn’t noticed me yet.

I’m hiding behind the fountain and have the initiative.

Three options have emerged.

1.Turn the hourglass whose cooldown has finished and ambush him with triple-stacked Hail Storm to kill him.

2.Just pretend not to know and hide until Ingelram leaves.

3.Actually propose a temporary alliance. Those guys will have to hunt the special bosses anyway.

Which of the three is wisest?

In the Steel Processing Room, I was about to turn the hourglass and unleash massive damage, but the reason I’m hesitating now is because I don’t have Yernil, Aimus, Backstab, and Neko’s team to back me up.

‘If only I could figure out the remaining slots in his Memory Book.’

Depending on what 3rd-tier magic he has, I might actually get beaten even if I strike first.

In that case…

Rustle.

While hiding tightly behind the fountain, I folded and unfolded a scroll as quietly as possible.

[Watcher]

A magical eyeball that sees through disguises and invisibility slowly rose above the scroll.

I’m going to attach this to the ceiling of the furnace chamber and move it. So I can observe Ingelram from above, looking down.

The reason I’m doing this is because Ingelram will probably open his Memory Book.

Just like now.

“Memorize!”

A Memory Book floats up in Ingelram’s grasp.

I knew it.

Since he showed me his Ground Rising Siege Engine magic, and that magic isn’t very efficient against Golden Golems or the Blacksmith, he’s changing it.

Let me secretly take a look at what magic he has registered…

‘Huh?’

Wait a minute.

What’s this?

[Memory Book]

▶Possessed Magic

-Fireball, Oil Blob Summoning, Telekinesis, Thorn Shot, Resin, Magic Missile, Fire Pillar, Large-Scale Disguise.

▶Registered Magic

-1st-grade Magic Slots (4/4)

① Fireball

② Oil Blob Summoning

③ Telekinesis

④ Thorn Shot

-2nd-grade Magic Slots (1/1)

① Fire Pillar

This is a bit strange, isn’t it?

It’s normal to have Large-Scale Disguise magic.

But if this is Ingelram’s Memory Book, it should definitely have Earth Wall, Carving, Rock Covering, and the binding spell Ground Rising Siege Engine, and it should also have Noise Suppression magic.

But if the magic composition is completely different, then this is…

‘This isn’t Ingelram!’

Fuck.

What kind of situation is this now?

That bastard, could it be?

Bang!

I immediately leap over the fountain and rush forward.

There are currently four wizards total in the steel mill who can summon Memory Books.

Me, Neko, Ingelram.

And…

“Rilwid!”

The ears of the face that looks up in surprise are definitely pointed.

The disguise was dispelled because of the Watcher. The Ingelram face from before disappeared and returned to Rilwid.

The reason I didn’t immediately notice when observing with the Watcher was because this guy had completely switched clothes with Ingelram.

Moreover, since the Watcher was observing from above looking down, I could only see the back of his head.

“Wh-what are you talking about? Caleb.”

And he still doesn’t know.

That his disguise has been dispelled.

“I’m Ingelram.”

Is this guy somewhat like Yernil’s type?

“That… The thing I proposed to you. Do you remember?”

He asked with a completely terrified expression.

“About doing business together with me. I was serious. If we work together, I’ll definitely take care of you…”

“Your disguise is dispelled.”

“…!”

Rilwid was startled and stepped backward.

At the same time, his lost and wandering gaze accidentally shot upward and made direct eye contact with the Watcher.

“Watcher!”

“I’ve been using that since you guys entered the steel mill.”

“H-how can you guys deploy something like a Watcher?”

Most of Soren’s Watchers are owned by Black Dog, and the few that universities or Security Headquarters have wouldn’t be lent out for a 4th floor incident!

That’s what his expression seems to be thinking.

“You don’t need to know that. Did Ingelram disguise you?”

I asked, pointing my wand directly at him.

“Y-yes…”

Rilwid nodded with a tearful expression.

“Then is Ingelram disguised as you?”

“That… That’s…”

“Answer!”

“Yes…”

Rilwid slowly nodded his head.

Fuck.

This is a bit concerning.

If he completely changes to a different class through disguise magic, he can’t properly use his abilities.

For example, let’s say I disguise myself as Aimus. Even so, I’d only look like a bald, muscular monk on the outside, but inside I’d still be a shrimp who put everything into wisdom.

Therefore, the iron rod I carry around would also be an unreal illusion, and I couldn’t use skills like Aimus with it. Naturally, I couldn’t fire my original magic from the iron rod either.

‘But if it’s the same wizard, the story is a bit different.’

Magic is fired through wands from what’s stored in the Memory Book anyway.

After disguising, if he just throws away the illusory wand and holds a real wand in his hand, he can freely use his original magic even while disguised.

I think I know why that guy disguised himself as Rilwid too.

Because it’s safer.

First, the security officers won’t try to kill Rilwid when they meet him. They can kill the pickpocket since he’s wanted, but Rilwid lost all his party members and doesn’t have much power, so they’d try to escort him to Security Headquarters for investigation.

Therefore, when meeting security officers, Rilwid’s face is safer.

What if he meets our party members?

Even then, having Rilwid’s face is safer. Ingelram is a much more dangerous person, so they’d be on guard.

Even I was thinking about silently ambushing when I thought this guy was Ingelram, but since it’s Rilwid, I came out to have a conversation.

So that guy, with Rilwid’s face, having completed all preparations to cast magic at any time, being treated like trash while inciting people to kill all the security officers, kill the Golden Golem and Blacksmith, and either kill or recruit my party to escape.

“Where did Ingelram go?”

“I-I don’t know either… While we were running away, only the two of us remained, and he suggested we switch clothes, so we did, but then suddenly the floor collapsed…”

Rilwid rambled incoherently.

I pulled out a message transmission wand from my waist.

I was thinking of quickly conveying this news to Yernil, Backstab, Aimus, Neko, and others to warn them, but.

‘Oh no.’

The wand is broken.

During the steel mill’s structural transformation, while rolling all the way down to the furnace, something made a cracking sound.

“C-Caleb.”

Rilwid suddenly said while watching my reaction. Very anxiously.

“Save me.”

My appearance of pulling out a wand from my belt and examining it probably seemed like choosing a weapon for execution.

“Save me. Please! I… I want to quit everything now.”

Rilwid sobbed.

“I’d rather turn myself in to Security Headquarters! Please! I did bad things, but it wasn’t a crime deserving death!”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

I can’t trust this guy either.

He tried to pretend to be Ingelram to me. Why did he do that? Why did he move as Ingelram told him to? When we were alone, he could have honestly confessed and asked to be sent to Security Headquarters, so why?

“You want to kill us all.”

“N-no!”

“Ingelram promised to let you live if you cooperated well, right?”

“…”

“Right?”

“That’s… Ingelram did make that suggestion, but I really want to quit now.”

Rilwid wailed while pulling at his hair.

“The reason I pretended to be Ingelram…”

He said while crying.

“Was because I didn’t have the courage to refuse what he told me to do… Really. I’m too tired now. Please save me.”

“…”

At least those words felt sincere.

Certainly this guy has much less guts compared to a wizard like Ingelram.

From the beginning, there’s a high possibility that Ingelram didn’t think of this guy as a business partner. He might have seen him as a figurehead president, a sucker, a errand boy to do annoying tasks.

“I’ll cooperate with everything you tell me to do! If only I can get out of here alive…”

Rilwid even threw away his wand and begged.

“What other conversations did you have with Ingelram?”

“W-we didn’t talk much. After being captured, just that you guys and Security Officer Neko know Ingelram’s identity…”

“Got it.”

I still don’t trust this guy.

I won’t show mercy to this guy, unlike Neko.

I think it would be better to kill this guy instead of dragging him to Security Headquarters. But.

“Your Memory Book has Large-Scale Disguise magic.”

“…”

“Disguise me.”

And…

[It is your turn. Remaining time: 60 seconds]

[Action Points: ■■■■■■]

If Ingelram disguised as Rilwid is with Neko or the security officers, there’s no big problem.

They’re security officers by my standards, even though they’re somewhat lacking.

They’ll figure it out somehow.

What if Ingelram is with Backstab?

I’m not too worried about this either. Rogue types are strong against wizards, and Backstab is cunning, so he won’t be easily fooled.

Aimus. I’m a bit worried because he’s good-natured, but isn’t he the most experienced adventurer among us? He’s relatively fine.

But Yernil?

I can’t predict. In one way, it seems like she’d draw her bowstring as soon as she sees Rilwid because of their bad relationship, but in another way, it seems like she’d be swayed if Rilwid begged for his life with a soft heart.

“So, Yernil.”

I should give some preventive shots just in case.

“If you meet Rilwid, be suspicious of whether he’s Ingelram or not.”

However, I need to be flexible depending on the situation.

For example, if Yernil is alone with Ingelram, and Ingelram tries to use Yernil by begging for his life with Rilwid’s face, it’s safer to be fooled. Rather than the two of them entering into one-on-one combat.

On the other hand, if Yernil has many allies like Aimus, Backstab, etc., it would be better to confirm Ingelram’s identity.

“If you have more allies around, test his identity. Ask questions like this.”

***

“That ring.”

Yernil suddenly threw out a question.

To Rilwid.

“You said the replica made with that was what Lady Lenik was scammed with at the black market, right?”

“What?”

“Give the original back to Aimus.”

“…”

Rilwid thought for a moment and then answered.

“If we get out of this steel mill safely, I’ll return it. Sorry about that…”

Then Aimus suddenly thrust his iron rod forward.

“What?”

“What my wife was scammed with was a pendant.”

“…”

“What’s your identity?”