Chapter 9

I froze at Alice’s words. My thoughts stalled, derailed by the sheer unexpectedness of her request.

Once I managed to reboot my brain, I stared long and hard at her face. “What did you just say? Did I mishear you?”

“I want to destroy the world. Will you lend me your strength for that, Mr. Jack?”

Alice repeated herself in the exact same tone as before. I hadn’t misheard her. There wasn’t a trace of a joke in her expression; she was being perfectly serious. I let out a dry laugh mixed with a sigh.

“Lend you my strength? Isn’t that a bit of a leap? First, give me the details. I can’t agree to anything until I hear the full story.”

“You’re right. It’s as you say. Let’s change locations. I’ll prepare some tea as well.”

Alice walked briskly out of the room. I stood up and followed. She led me to another room in the mansion where, while elegantly sipping tea brewed by her golems, she began to speak matter-of-factly.

“Long ago, there was a certain Black Mage. She had a grand ambition, but her lifespan was too short to achieve it. Lamenting the limits of humanity, she developed a forbidden art—a magic that allowed her to pass her magical aptitude and knowledge down to her ‘next’ self. She refused to let death be the end; she made it merely a passing point.”

“That’s incredible. She dabbled in the forbidden just for her ambition? That’s some crazy thinking. This Black Mage was a real monster,” I said, adding a bit of exaggerated reaction.

Alice shook her head in denial. “No, quite the opposite. she was fiercely committed to being human. She could have become an immortal and lived for eternity, but she chose not to. She was obsessed with achieving her ambition as a human.”

“An immortal, huh… Based on the flow of the conversation, I’m guessing you’re the reincarnation of this Black Mage?” I asked bluntly, unable to wait any longer.

She wouldn’t have brought up such a topic out of the blue if it didn’t involve her. It didn’t feel like she was talking about someone else; there was a heat in her voice, as if she were speaking about herself.

After a ten-second silence, Alice began to speak quietly.

“…I am indeed a reincarnation of the Black Mage, but strictly speaking, I am not ‘her.’ I inherited her power and her will, but my personality is entirely different. I possess her knowledge, but I don’t know the emotions associated with it.”

“So the persona of the ‘Black Mage’ itself died a long time ago.”

“Correct. She knew her own mediocrity. That is why she didn’t fix her personality in place. She feared that if ‘she’ remained the same person, her growth would stop. She believed that irregular personality formation would encourage accidental, breakthrough developments.”

Alice paused for a moment. She met my eyes and wove her words with a clear voice.

“I am the thirteenth. The second learned the techniques for compounding. The sixth mastered golem-related magic, and the ninth the art of creating magic tools. I, meanwhile, mastered spirit-sensing. To oppose a single ‘god-like genius,’ the original Black Mage decided to stack an infinite number of ‘average’ talents.”

“Increasing in power with every rebirth… that’s an incredibly patient plan. And after all that, the goal is world destruction? I really don’t get how geniuses think.”

“She wasn’t a genius, which is why she entrusted it to her ‘next’ self… but that’s enough about that. I want to destroy the world because my goal is to become the ultimate alchemist, the greatest in the world.”

“How does that lead to destroying the world?” I interjected. While the full scope of the story was becoming clear, her motive remained opaque. That was what I wanted to know.

Alice took a sip of her tea and answered cheerfully.

“Destroying the world is the ultimate achievement, isn’t it? It’s something no one else can do. If I achieve it, I will be worthy of being called the ultimate existence. Furthermore, in a destroyed world, no alchemist greater than I could ever be born. I would remain the supreme practitioner for all eternity… at least, that’s what the first Black Mage believed.”

“I see. Alice, I’ve pretty much got the gist of your story. You’re a genuine mad scientist,” I declared, clapping my hands.

I’d suspected she wasn’t just some high-born lady, but she was a full-fledged monster. She was rotten to the core—completely and utterly insane.

Something about her was fundamentally broken.

Talking about ethics to Alice would likely be a complete waste of time. She possessed an air that made that fact undeniable.

“…Do you hate me now?” Alice asked, looking anxious. She seemed genuinely dejected.

I shrugged and laughed. “Not at all. It just means you have a strong resolve to achieve your goal, right? That’s fantastic! I respect you for it, and I’m not being sarcastic.”

Charging forward even if it means sacrificing others isn’t inherently “evil.” It’s just that if you get defeated by someone in the process and become the loser, that’s when people start calling you evil. On the flip side, if you mow down everyone who tries to stop you and achieve your goal, you reign as the undisputed “justice.”

Whether on a large or small scale, that’s just how the world works. The law of the jungle is the governing principle. Only those with power can act freely. Since I held those same beliefs, there was no way I would ever reject Alice.

“Thank you. That makes me very happy. It’s not often I find someone who empathizes with me.”

Alice picked up the bomb I had made. She gave it a light shake and smiled.

“I have a vast amount of knowledge and talent. I can provide the materials for bombs, and I’m well-versed in magic. I believe I can help you in many ways, Mr. Jack. I’ll also cooperate in getting you back to your original world. So, in exchange, I want you to help me destroy this one.”

“If I’m the one helping, does that mean we’re going to blow up the world?”

“Yes. Your bomb-making skill will surely be a vital key. This is a unique opportunity for me as well. Will you lend me that power you used to blow away the Imperial Capital?”

Alice asked with a look of pure sincerity. I gave her a firm nod.

“Sure. I’m counting on you, too. Blowing up the world, huh…? It’s a bit of a heavy role for a mercenary, but I intend to enjoy every second of it.”

I didn’t care what happened to this world after I left. Even if it were wiped out, it was none of my business. As long as I could return home, that was enough. Alice was completely insane, but from our conversation, she struck me as highly competent. Her abilities would definitely be useful.

To me, having local backup was invaluable right now. I also liked the fact that our relationship was built on mutual utility. A bond based purely on goodwill is hard to trust. Alice’s goal was refreshingly straightforward and didn’t seem to conflict with mine. I had a feeling we would get along just fine.

“Alice, I’m glad to be partnered with someone like you. I think I’m going to enjoy my life in this world a lot more now.”

“I’m very happy too. I look forward to working with you, Mr. Jack.”

Alice and I exchanged a firm handshake. Her hand was chilly to the touch, but the sensation wasn’t unpleasant. Beyond the surface-level politeness, I could feel a genuine sense of goodwill radiating from her.

—And so, I, the Bomber, ended up joining forces with a mad alchemist.