Episode 42

The search had gone on through the night, but the results were meager and they had not been able to find Hofran and his group. As Zeke had said, there were only traces of illusion magic left on the building, and no damage from an actual fire.

“We confirmed only that they escaped… What a disgrace, you lot!”

Their superior’s furious roar echoed through the room. After the nighttime search, they now had a briefing starting at dawn. The soldiers were exhausted, but they had no chance to relax.

“To begin with, it was some foreign brat who captured them, and a man in armor who dispelled the illusion magic, was it!? What are you people doing! …And you’re telling me the brat just happened to be passing by!?”

It was a situation where his rage was about to explode. Those being yelled at could hardly stand it, but because everything he said was true, no one could talk back.

“So, what do you plan to do next…?”

“W-we’ll widen the search area and respond accordingly!”

“Fools! That much is obvious! …Investigate the House of Eeful directly. I’ve already cleared it with the higher-ups. Hit every other suspicious former noble as well!”

This superior was famous for his rough way of speaking, but contrary to appearances, he was quick to act and capable.

“Listen up, do not let them escape! I won’t have them doing whatever they please any longer. Get those bastards thrown into a cell where they belong!”

He pulled the plan together and moved to deploy it quickly. The more time passed, the worse the military’s position would become.

“And what about that armored man and the foreign brat?”

“Sir! As for them…”

Morning came to Wartel after the night of the fire uproar. Bathed in the morning sun, the city of water glittered with a dazzling beauty.
Three people walked through Wartel. The passersby either kept their distance, watched from afar, or whispered rumors, treating them as something out of the ordinary.

“Why do I have to be part of this too…”

“This is the price you pay for your daily conduct, you fool.”

There was a soldier, a boy who appeared to be a foreign noble, and a person clad in ominous full-body armor. To ordinary citizens, they were difficult to approach, and it was only natural they were avoided.

“And why are you acting so high and mighty… Ahh, I’m so sleepy. Working straight through the night is rough.”

“Stupid and frail. You’re already at the terminal stage.”

“…You’re the one who just went off and slept by yourself, though, aren’t you?”

While Kratz and the other soldiers had been rushing around, Zeke had disappeared. For a moment they had nearly panicked, thinking he had escaped like Hofran and the noble faction, but he had been sleeping peacefully in his room as though nothing had happened. They had felt both relief and a strong sense of resentment. Apparently, Blood had taken a rest as well.

“Anyway, if we couldn’t find them after searching that much, there’s no way the three of us are going to manage it.”

“…If those are our orders, we have no choice.”

“Y-yes! That’s right…”

Kratz answered in a nervous, withdrawn tone. Whether out of fear of Blood or something else, a strange distance had formed between them.

The reason Kratz and the other two were operating as a trio was an order from above: search for Hofran and his companions, who had escaped the night before, and capture them the moment they were found.

Wartel, the capital of the Republic of Ignote. A city that lived with water, built along vast canals. Even the military understood that having only three people locate specific individuals in such a huge city would not be easy.

Given Blood and Zeke’s temperaments, it would actually be harder to move them with a regular unit. Their abilities were valued, but their appearance and attitude risked creating friction. The conclusion was that it would be more convenient to use them as a roving strike team. …As for Kratz, the troublesome role of watcher had simply been dumped on him.

“Hmph. In that case, the matter is simple. We just erase everyone who claims to be a noble.”

“That is an unbelievably evil way to think…”

Blood had already earned recognition for his achievements. Zeke had instantly crushed enemy forces with his powerful magic. The military, for better or worse, evaluated the two of them highly.

Because the military had been forced into reacting second in every case, they were hoping these two collaborators would help them turn the tide.

“…In any case, we’ll have to check their residences. I assume some houses have already been clearly confirmed as guilty from the captures?”

“Yes, it seems other units are handling those… In short, we’re supposed to go around on foot and investigate.”

Zeke snorted derisively. It looked like he was irritated at such treatment.

“In your case, it’s only natural they don’t trust you. …But we won’t get anywhere just searching blindly like this.”

“…They’ll make a move sooner or later. But if we only sit and wait for that, nothing will change from before.”

Bridges spanned the canal-built city in every direction. As for other means of getting around, there were boats and ships—some powered by people, others using magic as their motive force. They were all different and rather fascinating to see.

“Oh? So you really are curious about this city. Lately I feel like the water level has gone up, but it varies with the season.”

“…The boy’s homeland was the Kingdom of Diabalet, was it not? I recall it being quite far away.”

“My background has nothing to do with you. …If you’re interested, go see it for yourself. You’ll be sick of it.”

Zeke tossed the words out, sounding uninterested. Kratz could not help wondering if it was really all right for the person claiming to be a noble of that country to talk about it like that.

“…A country that walked alongside the sacred arts, was it? I have never seen them with my own eyes, though.”

“Blood, aren’t the sacred arts just a fairy tale?”

If Wartel was a city symbolized by water, then the Kingdom of Diabalet was represented by the sacred arts. The sacred arts, which counted as the highest level of healing magic, were widely known within the kingdom, but surprisingly often unknown abroad. As Blood said, there were few chances to encounter them, and there were overwhelmingly few practitioners to begin with.

“Wasn’t it supposed to be a divine miracle that healed everything, something used by gods themselves?”

There were users within the Maria Church as well, but due to restrictions from vows and deliberate concealment, only a small portion of them ever appeared in public.

“Are you stupid? There is no such thing as a god.”

“Hey! You can’t say things like that… The church people will be furious.”

From a believer’s point of view, the Kingdom of Diabalet’s actions might well be called blasphemous. There was a history of the royal family’s sacred arts being used for politics and war.

“That is the archetype of the weak. Do you really think there is a future for people who cling to a being they’ve never seen and can’t even be sure exists?”

“…That’s a fascinating way to look at it, boy. …I’ll keep it in mind.”

“It sounds like you’re discussing something incredibly evil…”

The group crossed a large bridge and continued on. They saw only tourists and residents; there were no particularly suspicious individuals.

“By the way, where exactly are we heading?”

At first, Kratz had taken the lead, both guiding them around Wartel and investigating, but now Zeke was walking at the front.

“You really are an idiot. Obviously I’m following their trail.”

“T-their trail!? You found some kind of clue!?”

Forgetting they were in the middle of the city, Kratz shouted, then hastily bowed when he realized people were looking at him.

“…I did think you were following some kind of sign. So, mana residue, then.”

“Mana residue? What is that supposed to be…?”

Just as there had been mana traces from the illusion magic left in the detention block, spellcasting could leave behind remnants of magic for a certain time afterward.

“But wouldn’t it be hard to trace the user’s mana residue? The amount would be tiny, and if it was obvious enough to follow, wouldn’t they normally do something about it…?”

“Use your head for once. Is making a spectacle of themselves the latest trend among this country’s soldiers?”

“You really do have a foul mouth…”

If they used magic to escape and then got tracked through that magic, it would defeat the purpose. As Blood explained, he was following a different trail.

“…Kratz was not on the scene, but the boy used magic to restrain them. Most likely, it’s from that time…”

“W-what!? That seems like pushing it, no matter how you look at it… And if you can do that now, why didn’t you yesterday?”

“Working through the night is the whole point of your existence. Though it seems you didn’t achieve anything.”

This was strange, Kratz thought in shock, since he had barely even met Zeke before. He seriously tried to figure out why he was being insulted this badly, and his conclusion was that Zeke was simply abnormal.

“If you can’t use your head, then use your body. Just keep quiet and follow.”

“He’s like a drill sergeant who doesn’t bother shouting…”

Led by Zeke, the group moved on. They eventually arrived in an area away from the city center, in a residential district where ordinary citizens lived.

“This isn’t a tourist spot, and it’s not where any of them live either, though.”

“…Looks like an ordinary citizen’s house to me.”

“The traces lead to this building. A shabby little shack.”

“It’s a normal house.”

Kratz corrected him. Even from an objective point of view, it looked like a typical home with nothing particularly odd about it.

“Open it.”

“…Me? I don’t really mind, but…”

“No, I mind. We can’t search without permission… And are we even sure this is the right place?”

At the very least, they should knock first—Kratz’s point was perfectly reasonable. Zeke reached for the door to knock as if to comply, but—

“Fool. What a waste of time. …Hey, come out, you small fry.”

A surge of magical power suddenly poured out from Zeke.

Sensing something was wrong, Blood grabbed Kratz and leapt back. Moments later, the magic exploded, blowing away not just the door but the entire front entrance area.

When the shockwave cleared, what filled their vision was a house in ruins. The interior was now clearly visible from outside.

“W-what do you think you’re doing!?”

“Hmph. Every last one of you organization types is needlessly roundabout. That’s why you always end up a step behind.”

“That’s a fair point, but you’re taking it way too far!”

Ignoring Kratz, who was yelling while still slung over Blood’s shoulder, Zeke stepped through what used to be the entrance.

Inside, there were several people: some stood there slack-jawed, some had collapsed in shock, and some wore tense expressions. Judging from their clothes alone, they appeared to be the residents of this house.

“I took the trouble to come to you myself, you pieces of trash. Anyone who wants to disgrace themselves, come at me—I’ll erase you.”