After shuffling the cards, the magician said.

  「Let’s enter the 2nd round. Which finger would you want to bet, oh young lad?」


  「Laura, lend me your ears.」


  「Fue?」


  Laura comes close to me and places her ears close to my mouth.

  I blew softly on the defenseless ears of hers.

  「Fueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!」


  Laura’s face turns bright red as she screams and covers her ear.

  「What do you think you’re doing Keima! It felt kinda good okay!」


  「Ah my bad. Your ears were just so vulnerable. I’ll be serious this time.」


  「I got it……」


  (Whisper whisper whisper)

  「Fuee……Ooh, Aaah……」


  Laura was subtly worried, but listened to my request.

  「I got it! Though I didn’t understand a single thing you just said!」


  Laura used her goddess powers to bring about an envelope with pencil and paper.

  Next I asked Lolona to come close, write something on that paper and fold it neatly into the envelope.

  「Alright, I got you now magician.」


  「What did you just do?」


  「Let’s start with the most obvious thing――――You cheated, didn’t you?」


  「Is she?!?!」


  Laura shouted.

  「From the very beginning, the game itself is weird.

  Isn’t this a『Trial of Wisdom』?

  But the rules of the game are to bet your fingers? Isn’t that just gambling? That has nothing to do with wisdom.」


  「You’re right……!」


  「That’s why she’s cheating. If we can spot how she cheats and take some countermeasures, we can definitely win this『Trial of Wisdom』.」


  「Keima you’re amazing! When did you notice?!」


  「From the very beginning when she’s explaining the rules.」


  「As expected of Keima-dono.……」


  「I did not notice it at all.……」


  「That is quite the insight you have there young lad……


  If say I really am 『cheating』as you said, I wonder how you’re going to spot it?」


  「Of course I can prove it. That’s why I have very high confidence with what’s inside this sealed envelope.

  If the envelope inside isn’t the『Magician’s Card』, well then――」


  I cried out and continued.

  「Shall I bet ten of my fingers plus you can do whatever you want with Laura?」


  「Isn’t my penalty even worse than yours?!」


  「It’ll be fine if I win right?」


  「If Keima says that he’ll definitely win, then I can trust in his words……」


  「I will definitely win. That’s because I’ve cast a『magic』on this envelope.

  It’s different from that pattern the magician’s using. This is real magic.」


  「So……Which card would you flip over?」


  Probably being agitated by my words. The magician had veins popping out from his face.

  「The card that I choose is written inside this sealed envelope. That’s why you can turn over everything first.」


  「…………」


  「There’s no problem right? Since I’ve already written my answer on the piece of paper, the outcome wouldn’t change.

  I’m going to tell you what《?????????????》


  And what’s written in the envelope will be 《????????????????》」


  「But isn’t your paper a little too thick……?」


  「Well……it’ll be a problem if what’s written inside is transparent right?」


  「Hou……?」


  The magician nodded meaningfully and started flipping over the card on the far right.

  「As you can see, the card on the right is the right answer. Please open your envelope and show me the answer.」


  「Alright.」


  I opened the sealed envelope.

  Killing intent.

  Bang!!!

  The magician snatched the sealed envelope from me!!

  「What are you doing?!」


  「So you cast magic on this envelope.

  I’ve seen through your identity. Your tricks.」


  「Wh……What are you talking about.」


  「The paper in the envelope is probably blank. But once it reacts with magic, it’ll start writing whatever the answer is. So that’s the reason why your paper is unusually thick」


  「Tsk……!」


  I grind my teeth.

  「But you were too late, I’ve seen through it. The evidence being you were impatient with your speech.

  Then let’s just say that you’ve chosen what’s ‘written’ inside your paper then.」


  「Can’t I redo……?」


  「Of course I can’t do that.」


  「Please, let me do it just this once! Can’t you let me redo it just one more time?!」


  「No.」


  「Keimaaaa……」


  Laura started crying.

  The magician opened the envelope and read the message.

  Then his eyes widened.

  What was written.

  『I shall choose the winning card.』


  I reached for the magician’s card that the magician flipped over.

  「And with that, I’ve chosen the correct card.」


  「Wait a minuteーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー!!!」


  「Hm?」


  「What the heck is this!! This message, as if I’ll let it pass!」


  「That’s right Keima! Isn’t that a little too cowardly?!

  It’s like playing roulette and saying “If it hits 1 i’ll go for 1, if it hits 3 I’ll gof or 3?!”」


  「Aren’t you my ally?」


  「Fumieeeee～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～」


  I pinched her cheeks.

  「But didn’t I beg you?

  Didn’t I beg you to cancel this bet?」


  「That’s right! Keima wanted to repent his cowardice and start over!」


  「I don’t think that’s what Keima-dono is saying, Laura-dono……」


  「What do you mean by that, Lolo-chan?!」


  「Keima-dono also understood how reckless the message was.

  But he asked him to cancel it.

  But the magician said to choose the card that’s inside the envelope.

  And the word that’s written inside the envelope is just that.」


  「That’s that.」


  「Then why, is your paper so thick……?

  If it’s just to write that, you don’t have to use such a thick paper……」


  「If I don’t do that, then you won’t suspect me then.」


  「Wh-?!」


  「I’ve pointed out that you’re cheating. And I even said that I’m absolutely going to win.

  Who the hell wouldn’t think that I won’t cheat as well.

  Hence why I needed to implant the fact that I might be cheating into your brain to trick you.」


  「Gununu……!」


  「To be able to think that far ahead, Keima-dono……」


  「I really thought you casted some magic on it……!」


  「Well, that’s that.

  As I just said, I chose the correct card.」


  The magician’s card――cleared with a quibble!