Chapter 0137: I Am a Magic Caster!
"Say something, Clementine!"
"Hey, you're Clementine, right?"
"That golden hair that looks like a turtle's ○ from behind—you must be Clementine, right?"
"Why aren't you answering me?!"
She couldn't take it anymore. She absolutely couldn't take it anymore.
The Jester Girl turned around with veins bulging on her forehead and roared, "It's your hairstyle that looks like a turtle's ○ from behind, you bastard!"
Instead of getting angry, the Second Seat, who had just been insulted, excitedly called out to the side, "Hey, Fourth Seat! Come over here, it really is Clementine! I told you I wasn't mistaken!"
"Eh, really, really?!" The Fourth Seat rushed over with a delighted expression, clapping her hands happily. "Wow, it really is Clementine! Long time no see~"
If Hayashi had been here, he probably would've muttered, "Why are you acting so happy to run into old teammates in prison? Anyone would think you're housewives bumping into each other at the grocery store!"
"Tch, I'm not that close with you guys—" The Jester Girl acted like a rebellious delinquent, sitting alone in the corner of the cell, sneering at the Second and Fourth Seats. "By the way, why are you two here? Don't tell me the Six Scriptures were the ones who captured me?"
"Hmm—"
The Second and Fourth Seats exchanged glances. The Fourth Seat grinned and waved her hand dismissively. "Ohoho, Clementine, if you're trying to fish for information, you're out of luck~ We won't say a thing~"
The Second Seat crossed his arms and nodded. "Yeah, yeah! Just stay put in there—judging by how lively you look, the prison conditions must be pretty decent, huh?"
More than decent—it was practically preferential treatment for prisoners. Damn, even that bald Khajiit had gained weight, now sporting a little potbelly. How's that for good treatment?
"Tch—"
Seeing that her former teammates had no intention of sharing any information, the Jester Girl clicked her tongue in disappointment and turned her back on them, making it clear she wanted nothing more to do with them.
"Hahaha, Fourth Seat, see? I told you Clementine's hair looks like a turtle's ○ from behind—"
"Go die, you—"
...
...
"—bastard!"
Hearing the commotion outside, Hayashi couldn't help but glance curiously at Hisako beside him. "Did anyone else go in before us?"
"Only the Second and Fourth Seats who escorted Gazef, right?" Hisako thought for a moment before answering. "They probably haven't left yet? Should we call them out?"
Hayashi waved his hand. "Let's go in and see first."
Upon entering the prison, the first thing they saw were the Second and Fourth Seats laughing uproariously outside Clementine's cell, while inside, the Jester Girl, like an enraged gorilla, pounded her fists against the door.
Hayashi spoke up in a puzzled tone, "Second and Fourth Seats, what are you doing?"
"!"
At the sound of Hayashi's voice, the Second and Fourth Seats shuddered. Without hesitation, they turned around, knelt on one knee, and bowed their heads in unison, saying, "We pay homage to His Holy Majesty the Emperor!"
"At ease, rise."
Looking at the two kneeling figures, Hayashi helplessly waved his hand and said, "Answer my question."
"Yes—"
The Second Seat maintained his bowed posture and replied, "We were just reminiscing—Clementine was originally the Ninth Seat of the Black Scripture. Later, she not only betrayed the Theocracy but also stole a secret treasure from the Windflower Scripture."
"I know, which is why I arranged for her capture," Hayashi glanced at Clementine and said, "She does have some skill, but unfortunately, she ran into Kayle."
'The Supreme One praised me.'
Kayle instinctively puffed out his chest with pride, causing Morgana beside him to pout and mutter, "I went along too, you know."
Hayashi quickly added, "Ah, right, Morgana was also outstanding."
"Of course—" Morgana shot a smug look at her sister before turning her head away with a "hmph"—The Supreme One praised me too! What are you so proud of?
"So you're their master?" Clementine glared darkly at Hayashi, her expression dangerous as she said, "Do whatever you want—kill me, torture me—but why are you keeping me imprisoned here?"
"Don't you think having a hero-tier warrior locked up in a cell is a symbol of power?" Hayashi smiled faintly at Clementine. "You're just a tool for me to flaunt my might, nothing more."
"Damn you…"
If not for the magical barrier in front of her, Clementine would have lunged at Hayashi and punched him immediately—what the hell did this bastard take her for!?
"Alright, alright, calm down for now." Hayashi sighed and pressed his right hand downward. Layer after layer of black barriers formed around the prison, completely sealing Clementine's cell.
Once that was done, Hayashi stepped forward again, with Hisako following closely behind, heading toward the inner cell where Gazef was held. However, as he passed the cell next to Clementine's, he was startled by the person inside.
Narrowing his eyes, Hayashi stared suspiciously at the greasy, bald-headed man before him and couldn't help but ask, "Who the hell are you?"
"Heheh, it's me, me—" The bald man rubbed his hands together sheepishly before pointing at himself with a fawning grin. "I'm Khajiit!"
'Kakarot I know, Vegeta I know, Bejita I know, Gogeta I still know—but who the hell is Khajiit?' Hayashi wore a bewildered expression. He closed his eyes, furrowed his brows, and racked his brain for the source of this name—did he appear in the Overlord storyline? Bald guy…
Wait, was he that monk from Season 2 who got obliterated by Sebas? No, that guy had tattoos all over—this one doesn't!
Seeming to notice Hayashi's confusion, Kayle stepped forward and whispered a reminder, "Supreme One! He's the teammate of that Clementine—the necromancer you ordered me to capture along with her."
"Ah—"
Hayashi first showed a look of realization, then scrutinized him suspiciously and said, "I remember him being quite thin. How did he…?"
"Ehehe, well, you see…" Khajiit laughed sheepishly, rubbing his head. "The prison meals provided by Your Majesty were a bit too good, so I couldn't help but eat a little more and gain a little weight—"
"..."
Hayashi twitched the corner of his mouth. A little weight? You've clearly gained a whole lot—your belly's sticking out now!
"Hehe—"
Seeing Hayashi still staring at him, Khajiit could only continue grinning obsequiously, lest the emperor decide to take his displeasure out on him.
Hayashi, meanwhile, rubbed the bridge of his nose at the sight of Khajiit's sleazy expression and gritted his teeth. "I've been busy dealing with government affairs these past few days—so busy I haven't even had time to bury my face in Erina's thighs or chest. And yet this bald bastard here's been stuffing himself in prison and getting fat? Where's the justice in that?"
Khajiit, the Second Seat, and the Fourth Seat immediately broke out in cold sweat—Your Holy Imperial Majesty, are these words really meant for our ears? Are we going to get assassinated the moment you leave, with the killers muttering, "You know too much," before slitting our throats?
Just as the three trembled in fear, Hayashi crooked a finger at Kayle and said, "Kyle, starting tomorrow, make sure this Khajiit does 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10-kilometer run every morning, noon, and night. Let's keep him in shape so he doesn't end up with a middle-aged paunch and high blood pressure—not that he has to worry about going bald, since he's already there."
"Wait, hold on, Your Majesty…" Khajiit panicked. "I'm a magic caster! I'm a magic caster! I—"
"Quiet, you." Hayashi waved his left hand downward, and a black magic circle appeared again, cutting off Khajiit's frantic protests and leaving only the sight of a heartbroken middle-aged man futilely pounding against the barrier in his cell.
Truly, a pitiful sight to behold.
...
...
After "punishing" the clown and the bald man, Hayashi finally arrived outside Gazef's cell—wait, why did it feel like he'd just defeated two mini-bosses and was now facing the final boss?
Shaking his head to dispel the strange thought, Hayashi looked at the warrior sitting inside and said, "Finally, we meet, Gazef Stronoff."
The Warrior Captain raised his head, his expression grave as he stared at Hayashi. "You're their master, aren't you? Your true allegiance lies with the Empire, doesn't it?"
"Huh?"
Hayashi blinked, then pointed at the Second and Fourth Seats outside. "Wait, didn't you hear them loudly discussing how they're members of the Black Scripture? If anything, the Black Scripture belongs to the Theocracy, right?"
This left Gazef utterly baffled. With a stunned expression, he said, "Wasn't that just a smokescreen you released to mislead my judgment?"
Now it was Hayashi's turn to be confused. He froze for a few seconds, then pondered for a few more before saying, "You know what? That actually makes sense. Hisako, how do I prove I'm not from the Empire?"
Gazef calmly stated, "No matter what evidence you present, it could all be deliberate misinformation. I won't believe you—"
Faced with Gazef's skepticism, Hisako thought for a moment and suggested, "Young master, how about having Kayle kidnap that emperor and make him cross-dress while dancing to 'Gokuraku Jodo'?"
Gazef covered his face and said, "Alright, say no more. I believe you now."
No one from the Empire would dare say such things—they'd lose their heads if the emperor heard them!