The Cost of Breaking the Spell

“I think breaking this will be easier than expected, and if the Demon King’s summoner shows up because of it, defeating them shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Listen to you, talking about defeating the Demon King’s summoner like you’re hunting a common field monster…….”

Simon muttered. I frowned and asked.

“Got a problem?”

The answer came from Simon and John at the same time.

“No.”

“Just saying it’s a relief you’re our Commander’s friend.”

Funny guys. I let out a “hmmm,” and they both glanced at me warily. I didn’t intend to pressure them further, though. I took my eyes off them and continued.

“I think the Demon King’s summoner used up all their strength just summoning the Demon King and creating this village. Look at how they’re leaving this imperfectly resurrected village as it is.”

“Ho…….”

“I might be wrong, though.”

“……?”

Stares of disbelief flew at me like daggers. But as I’ve said many times, the only one who knows the hundred percent certain answer is the game developer. I feigned ignorance and added.

“And if we’re lucky, we might even be able to loot the summoner’s pockets.”

“What does that mean?”

“It looks like they used a fair amount of magic stones to maintain this village.”

As I said that, I pointed to the ground, and everyone’s eyes followed. I tapped the floor with my heel, and the stones beneath began to glow one by one.

“Look at this.”

“Are these all magic stones?”

“Yeah. They aren’t as special as those weapons of yours, but still, this amount is quite impressive, isn’t it?”

“With this much, you could buy several estates.”

“Can you buy and sell estates?”

I want to buy an estate too. Real estate is the best kind of asset. As I asked while licking my lips, an answer came back.

“Why, you want to buy one?”

“If possible?”

“We don’t sell to foreigners.”

“I see.”

A realistic and unbiased answer. At least he didn’t ask why a person from another dimension would want to buy land. I licked my lips again and looked at Azrael.

“What about the Prince?”

“Our Commander isn’t a foreigner.”

“……I suppose so.”

“I don’t have an estate. I never felt a particular need for one.”

“It is actually strange for someone of your age and status to not have been granted one yet.”

I decided to pretend I didn’t hear that last part. It makes my head hurt. Azrael just gave a soft smile.

“I really should buy my Prince an estate someday, seriously.”

“Want to come to our country?”

“No.”

Raphael took the opportunity to do some niche marketing. I answered flatly and continued where I left off.

“Once the magic circle is dispelled, you can just dig them out like ordinary stones. Messing with the magic of another race isn’t very efficient, but about 30 percent should remain, right?”

“30 percent? That’s not even half.”

“If we’re lucky, there might be more, but there could be less.”

“That’s a shame.”

John looked genuinely disappointed. Bewildered by his reaction, I asked.

“I never said I’d give them to you, so why are you disappointed?”

“I think anyone would feel regretful hearing that expensive items are being vaporized into thin air, even if they aren’t theirs.”

Hearing it, he seemed to have a point. As we talked about things that sounded like half-jokes and half-truths, the people around us started giving us the eye. I cleared my throat and spun my wand.

“Well, since I’ve finished explaining, shall I start?”

“I don’t know if you can call it a finished explanation when you only said what you wanted to say.”

“Ask if there’s anything else you want to know.”

“We don’t know anything, so how are we supposed to know what to ask?”

“It means don’t ask because it’s a bother!”

I answered cheerfully and began casting attack magic at the magic circles. Every time a fireball exploded with a loud noise, cracks appeared in the magic circles.

“Who breaks magic in this way…….”

Someone muttered. It was a bit funny hearing that from a knight, a representative of the classes that mindlessly break magic. Whether you cut it with a sword or blow it up with attack magic, there’s no theoretical difference, so why bother? I had no intention of doing something headache-inducing just for the sake of “coolness” or protecting a mage’s image.

“If you have a problem, you become a mage.”

As I spoke with a snort, the surroundings went quiet. It’s actually not that hard of a job if you try it, but knights always tend to look at mages as if they are some kind of monks. Even while I was pondering, the attack magic steadily battered the circles.

The first to break was the [Magic Circle of Phantom Illusions]. Next, the [Magic Circle of Stealth] shattered. The stealth magic seemed to be what kept monsters from noticing this place……. Seeing this made me feel a bit sorry. They had prepared all this so delicately for years, only for it to be an incomplete success and then broken in an instant. This is why you shouldn’t side with evil in a poetic justice game. They put in time and effort, but it all went to ruin.

“I’ve seen many mages, but you’re the first I’ve seen dispelling magic like you’re shoveling dirt with a spade…….”

Levi muttered. His reaction is so consistent. Next, the [Magic Circle of Resurrection] broke. As soon as it shattered, I felt like I had messed up.

[A Neutral Area NPC has died because of you.] [A Neutral Area NPC has died because of you.] [A Neutral Area NPC has died because of you.] [A Neutral Area NPC has died because of you. Due to exceeding a certain number of kills, your alignment has changed. Current Alignment: Evil] [A Neutral Area NPC has died because of you.] [A Neutral Area NPC has died because of you.] ….

System notification text filled my vision. Up until now, I had maintained my alignment as ‘Neutral,’ but it plummeted to ‘Evil’ in an instant. If this happens, debuffs are applied to holy-aligned classes.

“F*ck.”

“What did you say?”

“I’m screwed.”

Tears blurred my vision. When I dismissed the notifications and checked my status window, a more specific number appeared. Number of NPCs dead due to player: 875.

What kind of demon spawn am I?

“What happened?”

“I guess the population of this village was 875.”

“What about it?”

How am I supposed to explain this? Azrael asked urgently seeing my despairing face, but I had no words. 875 people died because I dispelled the magic, and now my alignment is evil. You wouldn’t understand, but if that happens, some of my jobs get buffed while others get nerfed. I stayed neutral because I hated that. Even if I want to go back to neutral, it’s not one or two people; with 875, I’ll be kicked out of the temple. It’s hard to wash away the sin. I’m doomed. What NPC could possibly understand that? I just gaped at Azrael’s face before holding my forehead.

“Did you fail to break the magic?”

“No, it’s not that…….”

“Did you get cursed for breaking it?”

“It’s not that, but it’s something similar…….”

I answered weakly. I mean, how was I supposed to know it would count as a kill when the people aren’t even visible at this hour? I didn’t feel particularly guilty about killing people, but I was furious about my alignment being pointlessly ruined. Just wait until I get out of this game; I’m going to file an inquiry immediately and tell them to restore my alignment. What kind of collab quest puts in a trap like this?

“Did the Demon King’s summoner realize the magic was broken?”

“Good question, but no, and I don’t know if the summoner noticed or not. The magic circles will be completely broken soon.”

Fine, well, if I complain loudly enough to the developers, it’ll work out somehow. If the story progresses like this, other people’s alignments will get messed up pointlessly too. For someone who doesn’t train every single job like I do, the damage would be even greater. Trying to think positively, I watched the last remaining [Magic Circle of Mana Support] shatter. As that circle broke, the inside of the tower was plunged into darkness.

“……You broke it.”

“It broke.”

Someone whispered in my ear. I answered normally, then suddenly felt something was off. It’s a woman’s voice?

“……?”

Startled, I used light magic to illuminate the tower. A woman with a melancholy face, wearing a long black dress, bowed elegantly.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Master Andrealphus. I am the summoner of the Demon King.”

“Eh?”

“I would like to have a deeper conversation, but it seems it is not yet the time. I shall take these magic stones back with me.”

The Demon King’s summoner tapped the floor with her foot. The sound of her heel hitting the floor rang out. Then, before any of us could snap out of it, she vanished like a mirage.

“……What?”

There was no answer for my dazed self.

Suddenly, a video played before my eyes. It was a cutscene showing the backstory of the quest, which is usually hard for a user to know. My body must be fainted or asleep right now. As I looked around, I saw the scenery of the village I had just destroyed.

In the center of the video was the Demon King’s summoner from moments ago. A girl with light brown hair who looked ordinary. And she actually seemed ordinary. An ordinary village, an ordinary girl, a peaceful daily life.

That sort of content repeated, then suddenly, the village was engulfed in flames. It was the enemy. The village was burned to ashes in an instant, and only the girl remained in that village. Only the girl, who had hidden in a closet, survived.

And that girl grit her teeth and began to learn magic. Long years were skipped, and she obsessively prepared everything. Gathering magic stones, gathering mana, planning magic, preparing, surviving for a long time……. Everything seemed perfect. But the moment she reconstructed the village, she realized.

Someone had hijacked her magic.

–Who on earth…….

The melancholy face of the woman twisted like a demon’s. At the same time, the video faded.