46. Army of Fools
“Isn’t that polar bear glaring at Kousuke incredibly hard?”
Takigawa isn’t the only one. Ishida and Aihara-san also notice the extraordinary hostility being given off by the polar bear.
“So Yuuki-kun is the type loved by animals. How nice~”
The class representative is the only one who hasn’t noticed.
“Gurururururu…”
Due to there being a deep moat between the polar bear and us, it can’t come here. Still, that hostility is dreadful. I can’t turn away.
[What in-credible impact! But, something feels o—ff.]
[Urd!?]
Urd suddenly talking to me is surprising, but what she said is more worrisome.
[Something feels off?]
[Yep, kinda like bear-san is being controlled by some sort of magic. There is something on its neck.]
When I focus on the polar bear’s neck, I am able make out a faint collar like structure of magical power.
[A spell for controlling polar bears…?]
[Army of Fools.]
A spell for bringing animals and those with a reduced ability to think under one’s control. As the number beings under control increases, usability drops. Only simple commands become possible. Conversely, when only one being is under control, complex commands can be carried out. A shared consciousness also becomes possible.
I see, so it’s like that.
At the same time, I also learned it.
An unexpected harvest at the zoo comes following right after the museum.
[That bear-san is being controlled. Someone may be targeting Goshujin-sama.]
[I don’t remember antagonizing any…]
……I have.
That group who stole the Fairy All Seed is likely coming to attack me in order to get it back.
[What now? Locking eyes with a polar bear like this is rough.]
[If goshujin-sama uses a similar spell, you should be able to overwrite it.]
[Overwrite it?]
[Yeah. When you stack up spells with the same effect, the stronger one wins!]
I get it!
“[Army of Fools]…”
I invoke the spell with a whisper. It originally needs a long chant, but by transmitting it through Urd, the chant for invoking it can be omitted.
How convenient.
[Goshujin-sama can also use spells like that!? In-credible! How!? Why!?]
[Alright, looks like I managed to cast it.]
I ignore Urd and confirm the results of my spell. I’ve somehow pulled it off.
The color of polar bear’s eyes have gone from wanting to kill to respect.
“Etto, sit.”
“Guwa—n.”
The polar bear responds to my words and sits down on the spot.
“Cu—te!!”
The class representative is on the verge of going crazy at the polar bear’s obedience.
“Incredible, he’s been properly trained.”
“That bear sure is smart.”
“How cute, desu.”
Tachigawa and the others are all surprised at the thorough discipline the polar bear seems to have received. As the spell was invoked instantly, Urana-chan and Owl-chan haven’t noticed this is a magical phenomenon.
“For now, this issue is closed.”
With that light murmur, the curtains of the Asahiyama zoo trip come to a safe close.
—Imagine an imposing noble diamond here—
“My [Army of Fools]… was disrupted!?”
Io’s connection with the polar bear she was controlling in order to gauge Kousuke’s power is broken. The fact that her own magic was destroyed leaves her stunned.
“This is my… first time seeing… Io’s magic… be destroyed.”
Even Ferum, who barely shows any emotion, can’t help but be surprised.
Io, while being a magician, is also an ability holder with the rank C special ability, [Hypnosis]. Normally, in such cases, special ability holders cannot use techniques. However, should the special ability and magic of the same system be utilized at the same time, a special technique is formed.
The magic organization Io is affiliated with, [The Order of Twilight and Dawn], discovered that and taught it to her.
Fused special techniques are the outcome of when special abilities and techniques can be used simultaneously. As a result, Io’s [Fool of Family] sublimated into
a brainwashing spell on a whole other level, [Army of Fools].
[Should a special ability or technique capable of overcoming [Army of Fools] exist, if that is the case… I no longer have anything to offer this operation.]
Fused special techniques do away with the technique’s chant, diminishes the consumption of magical power, and amplifies the effect by an astounding degree. Special techniques carry many merits, but also carry a major demerit.
The 1 special technique generated by the fused special technique is all that becomes available. In Io’s case, she can’t use any other spell besides [Army of Fools] born from the fused special technique.
“No problem… I… am here.”
Ferum, someone who has engraved a fused special technique into her body just like Io, mutters while giving a strange sway of her hood.
“You’re right. I’ll leave it to you, this time. At any rate, where has that idiot Chrome gotten to? Even though he should be in disguise and keeping watch over the target…”
Io, while having doubts towards Chrome’s whereabouts, continues on to say, “Well, that’s fine. If it comes down to it, it’s just a matter of getting back the [Fairy All Seed] ourselves.”
Io, with that mutter, works out their next plan.
T/N: So, when Kousuke learned Army of Fools, he said there was a chant. When Io uses it, there is no chant. My guess, it is possible to use said spell on your own, but it is much more complicated to pull off.
Thanks for the chapter.
T/N: So, when Kousuke learned Army of Fools, he said there was a chant. When Io uses it, there is no chant. My guess, it is possible to use said spell on your own, but it is much more complicated to pull off.<- If I understood correctly, what she did was mix a lower level spell with her especial ability to sublimate them into a high-tier spell, with the added bonus of chant omission, increased effect and lowered consumption, but the drawback that she can’t use any other spell (and either she can’t use her ability by its lonesome anymore or it just doesn’t matter since it would be aninferior version anyways). That would mean that the high-tier spell does exist, but it’s usually an inferior, more costly version of what she uses (and it has a chant, obviously).