I spent a few months in a state of complete and utter laziness, but it's about time...
...that I head back to...
...the other world.
Sophia's long leave of absence from the Commercial Guild should be coming to an end soon, anyway.
After teleporting Sophia back to the Raging Kingdom and stepping outside the House—one only visible to those with the loser skill—I caught sight of a building in the distance that looked like the upper half of a square pyramid had been cut clean off.
Or rather, it looked like a pyramid still under construction.
It was being built on a site where they had shaved down a mountain north of the royal capital to create flat ground.
If it extended a little further north, it would probably reach the land where Falmes's [House Territory] was.
Wait, that wasn't there when I went to Falmes's place...
And there were all kinds of people working—the whole site was bustling with activity.
"Come on, move it! Faster, faster!"
"You earth mages—pour your mana in and harden those rocks!"
"Alchemists, coat the rock surfaces with gold! This is the True King's pyramid—don't you dare cut corners!"
"Who said you could rest?! Anyone who takes a break without permission gets the whip!"
The sharp crack of whips echoed everywhere.
Everyone being put to work had dark circles under their eyes.
Something's off here—why am I looking at a sweatshop even in another world?
◇◇◇
Approaching the golden pyramid under construction, I asked someone who looked like a foreman holding a whip.
"Um, what are you doing here?"
"Who the hell are you? Slacking off? Get to your post, now!"
"I'm just passing through."
"Then get to work! You look like you can use magic. Can you use earth magic? Go work over there. We don't have time — we need to finish this quickly!"
"I'm not a construction worker."
"Quit whining and get moving! We're behind schedule and I'm losing my mind here! You want me to whip you or what?"
What an impatient guy.
[Tele-Mesmerism]activate!
An invisible hypnotic beam should be shooting from my eyes in concentric circles.
The foreman's eyes went blank the moment our gazes met.
"Oh man, what do you wanna know, brother! We're buddies now — I'll tell you anything!"
The hypnotic skill's effect was set to "best friend."
Being the highest-tier [Tele-Mesmerism], both the setting and the duration were completely under my control.
"What are you building here?"
"This? It's the True King's pyramid.
True King Mausoleum
or something like that, they call it."
Who the hell is the True King?
"The current king, apparently. The Electoral Princes are all gone, and now they're saying Julian Radias is the true ruler."
"And what's the point of this pyramid?"
"No, apparently everything they're building is to show off the True King's greatness. Oh, and it's his tomb too."
Building something this massive — the coffin's bound to be at the very back anyway. Wouldn't it be a nightmare for anyone who comes to pay their respects?
"It's a national project. They've got to finish it in another month. They've mobilized the entire kingdom, but there are some who refuse to cooperate, so progress has been slow."
Yeah, figures.
Even with magic, something like this can't be built that quickly.
"On top of that, between you and me, apparently once this True King Mausoleum is finished, they're going to offer up some human sacrifices. It's no ordinary tomb, that's for sure."
"Sacrifices? What are they going to do?"
"Who knows. What the big shots do is beyond me. Anything else you want to ask, Brother?"
"Thanks, that's all. Alright, good night — you can forget everything now."
I released the hypnosis and the guy passed out cold.
When he woke up, he wouldn't remember any of the conversation we'd just had.
I really don't want someone like that as my friend.
◇◇◇◇◇◇
Skills:[Reverse][Divine Eye][Sword God][Fist God][Spear God][Scorching Magic][Freezing Magic][Clear Gale Magic][Rock-Iron Magic][Holy Magic][Dark Magic][Space-Time Magic][Thunder God Sword][Phantom Thief Gentleman][Ninja Master][Seeker of Truth][Berserker Power][Idaten][Pain Dampening][Complete Status Ailment Resistance][Dark Spirit's Protection][Hyper Intuition][Heaven's Gate][Abyss Contractor][Magic Hand][Treasure Search][Seduction][Incitement][Telemesmerism][Eloquence][Lucky Break][Tenfold Growth Speed][Growth Limit Breakthrough]
Rank: Orichalcum
Thank you for reading!