The Banished Villainous Noble Son Who Was Used as a Stepping Stone in the Original Work Awakens to Combat and Destroys the Laws of the World - Episode 38: Possibility

Episode 38: Possibility

“Fufuun… Conversion complete!”

Flone was holding the purplish Crystal of Murky Will. She proudly puffed up her chest.

“Yeah, the quality of the material really makes a difference. The old me wouldn’t have been able to refine it this precisely.”

With the lingering afterglow of the conversion still faintly visible, she happily continued talking while putting away the bottle.

“But you know, this is still just a prototype. It’s not that stable yet. If it shatters during transport, I’ll cry, okay?”

I gave a small nod while staring at the crystal in my palm.

(…The Crystal of Murky Will. An item that only existed in the game—seeing it brought to reality like this is deeply moving.)

The Crystal of Murky Will is considered essential for acquiring the “Indomitable” skill.

In fact, this item used to be called a “mystery item” for a time.

When selecting items, they usually come with detailed descriptions—but the description for this crystal only said:

“Makes your mind stronger.”

Because all the other items had clear, detailed explanations, this vague one stood out.

Moreover, its effect when equipped was:

“Damage received is multiplied by 5.”

Which clearly seemed like a pure disadvantage.

The crystal was one of the items that could be obtained from the Somnid Beast. And since it was a monster known for mental interference attacks, people speculated that maybe it made you more resistant to mental attacks—or maybe it granted some kind of damage-related skill.

Some tested it.

But ultimately, the result was: “No change.”

So then… what did “makes your mind stronger” actually mean?

There were many theories: maybe it was a key item for a hidden event, or maybe it just had a mysterious vibe with no real purpose. Some even said it was just a collector’s item. But in the end, it was left as mere rumor.

And finally, someone discovered the real condition that revealed the item’s true value:

“Equip this item, then attack yourself until your HP drops below 20%.”

Only after meeting that twisted condition would the item activate—and grant the “Indomitable” skill.

“Still thinking about it?”

Flone’s tone suddenly shifted to a more serious one.

“You’ve been staring at it this whole time. I thought maybe you had some kind of attachment to it or something.”

“…Not really. It’s just… I have a feeling I can’t explain.”

“Huh, I see. I don’t hate that kind of thing. Actually—”

She tightened her lips just slightly and continued.

“Only people who can enjoy that kind of discomfort can stick with research work.”

In her eyes was a quiet glow. It was different from the cheerfulness she had shown earlier.

“I’d be really happy if you could keep that crystal safe. I’d normally give you a storage orb from the lab, but we just ran out.”

“Understood. I’ll be careful.”

“And also, I have a small favor to ask.”

She struck an exaggerated “pretty please” pose.

“A favor?”

“That crystal—can you observe how it behaves in the field? Like, how it reacts in actual use?”

She spun her palm in a flourish and grinned.

“Using a prototype crystal comes with risks, right? But that’s exactly why I can’t figure out how it works outside the lab, on my own.”

“…I see.”

“Of course, I’m not asking you to do anything dangerous. But if you notice any changes, let me know. That way, I can improve the next prototype.”

Those words carried the seriousness of a researcher’s true request.

“…Understood. If anything happens, I’ll contact you.”

“Thank you~! Oh, and here!”

Flone dug through a drawer and pulled out a palm-sized white orb.

“Here! A talk-orb! Tuned specifically for me!”

“A talk-orb…?”

“Yup. They’re pretty common in the Academy. You can talk through them using magic power. And it only connects to the preset contact—so you’re safe!”

Then, as if to supplement her explanation, she added,

“Oh, and it also uses something called a magic signature for personal authentication. So no one can use it without permission or eavesdrop on your calls!”

“…That’s pretty convenient.”

I accepted the orb and tried passing some magic power into it.

A soft light lit up in the center. And I felt a faint warmth.

“That’s the sign that it’s connected. Once you see that, just call out and it’ll work!”

“I see… Thank you.”

“No problem! If I get experiment data, I should be thanking you, really!”

Though she laughed brightly, her eyes—focused on the crystal—were filled with the anticipation of a true researcher.

…Honestly, there are other items like the Crystal of Murky Will—items with vague or mysterious descriptions.

But most of them remain unused. They never reached their true potential—existing outside even the cut content.

Maybe, just maybe… with Flone’s help, those items might also be brought to life.

Maybe there are effects or skills I still don’t know about.

(If that’s the case—)

Then my “battle” will reach even deeper levels.

A thrill swelled within me from deep inside.

◆

As I left the research wing and followed Lucrane, he spoke quietly.

“Good work. …You and she got along better than I expected.”

Lucrane’s words hinted at something probing. But I decided to give a safe answer for now.

—I was taken to the same waiting room as yesterday.

On the table was herbal tea. But I had no intention of touching it.

(…The crystal was recreated in reality.)

This world is no longer “just a game.” I’ve known that for a while now—yet the word “possibility” stirred a grainy excitement deep in my chest.

That feeling didn’t last long.

“Thank you for waiting.”

A knock came, and Lucrane entered again. He was holding a map and several documents.

“First, the conclusion from the higher-ups: we will conduct a reinvestigation. The reason is that there isn’t enough information regarding the appearance of the ice-attribute monster.”

His voice was calm. But it was firm and confident.

“At this point, we lack effective countermeasures against ice attributes. So, we’ve been ordered to focus on thorough information gathering.”

He then spread the map out on the table.

“Take a look. We’ve matched the two known locations where ice monsters appeared…”

Two red marks overlapped in one area of the map.

“These are the points confirmed. They’re believed to be near the old second temporary base.”

Lucrane pointed to a mid-mountain area. It was a little distance from the current base. It used to be a winter observation site years ago, but is now shut down.

“From now on, we plan to conduct a detailed reinvestigation focused on that area. We’d also like to ask you, Alphonse-san, to accompany the mission again.”

I looked down at the map. I was tracing the overlapping red dots. It was definitely a meaningful point.

“Understood. I’ll depart as soon as preparations are ready.”

“Thank you. The higher-ups plan to provide as much support as possible. However—just as I said earlier, the main focus is on information gathering. What is that monster? Is it related to the instability of the Magic Ore layer? We simply don’t have enough data to judge yet.”

“…I’ll proceed carefully.”

With that, Lucrane gave a slight bow.

“We’re aiming to depart tomorrow morning. If you need anything—equipment, records, supplies—we’ll arrange it. So please let us know.”

“Thank you.”

The room settled into a quiet pause.

What started as an investigation into mana instability had now grown into something more, thanks to the appearance of ice monsters.

No—perhaps this was only the beginning.

(I’ll get to the bottom of it.)

I took a deep breath, full of resolve.

Original Author’s Comment:

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