Chapter 71: Sudden Turn
With his physical abilities, infiltrating was all too easy for him. Moreover, he was equipped with various magical tools to handle any situation. It was unlikely that anyone would even notice his presence.
The imperial capital was equipped with magical weapons to block any external enemies, but they posed no problem at all.
Using a magical tool, he became “unknowable,” moved to a high location, and surveyed the city. Then, activating another tool, he visualized all magical energies and—found it.
“…”
But then, a problem arose.
The amount of magical energy was far beyond what he had anticipated. It was impossible to interfere directly. Moreover, besides his target, there were two others with extraordinary amounts of magical energy.
So, next in his view were two people.
An elderly man resembling a butler, and a young man with black hair.
§
— [Glen Empire]
Compared to the Kingdom of Myrstia, the Empire was significantly smaller in scale and population. However, it was no less prosperous.
Apart from a few trade cities like Gilbadia, governed by Count Gilbert, the Kingdom saw very little influx of foreign talents or technologies. On the other hand, the Empire was very open, actively engaging in international exchanges and eagerly adopting new things.
Various cultures mingled together, resulting in a unique culture that defined the Glen Empire.
Even in normal times, the imperial capital buzzed with activity. With the Sword Saint Festival approaching tomorrow, the atmosphere was even more lively.
However, in a particularly bustling street of the capital, there was a slightly odd atmosphere. People walking by all seemed to cautiously stick to the side of the road, casting sidelong glances at something.
“L-Luke-kun… we’re getting a lot of looks… aren’t we? It’s kind of unsettling…”
“Act confident. You’re walking beside me after all. Don’t do anything embarrassing. But indeed, it’s annoying to be stared at like we’re just a spectacle.”
“I’ll say it again, we’re here in the imperial capital as part of an international exchange. Let’s not cause any trouble, okay?”
The reason was obvious.
Three people dressed in kingdom attire were walking around. It was hard not to notice them.
These three were Luke, Abel, and Freya. The idea started with Abel’s suggestion, “Let’s go see the imperial capital!” Fortunately, Luke had his reasons to visit, so he agreed, and Freya was guiding them.
Technically, it wasn’t just the three of them; two elite knights of the empire were also accompanying them, ready to deal swiftly with any disrespect.
Taking Luke out had also angered Alice and Mia, making Abel feel even more uncomfortable, but that was a story for another day.
“It’s a good opportunity. Trying something to eat wouldn’t be bad. It’s also a chance to learn about the empire’s food culture.”
Freya said this without changing her expression, but inside, she was feeling quite agitated.
(I want to go home, Onee-chan! I couldn’t sleep at all last night because the pillow was so uncomfortable, and just when I wanted to talk, you fell asleep right away. Ever since we left the kingdom, everything’s been so unfamiliar, and I’ve been on edge the whole time. I can’t take it anymore! …No, you can’t be weak, Freya! If you’re like this, who will guide the students who are probably even more anxious than you are?)
Freya usually has a sharp look that makes her seem a bit cold, and now, with her lack of sleep, her gaze was even sharper. To others, she might just seem like she was in a bad mood, but inside, she was fiercely trying to motivate herself.
“Maybe, how about some sweets…?”
She suggested.
There was no personal craving in her voice; she was purely thinking about what might cheer up her students.
“That sounds great, Freya-sensei! I’ve heard the Empire’s food is really delicious, so I’d love to try some sweets! What do you think, Luke-kun?”
“Well, okay.”
“Alright, it’s settled then. Let’s go.”
Actually, Luke liked sweets too.
Freya felt a rare joy inside her, and it lightened her steps just a bit.
“By the way, what happened to Alfred-san? I thought he was with us when we left the castle.”
“You don’t need to worry about that… Kuku.”
“Luke-kun, you’re definitely up to no good…”
Abel, sensing something was off, had a bad feeling but realized this was nothing new with Luke.
“Anyway…”
Luke surveyed the imperial capital.
It was thriving in every aspect, much more than the Kingdom. There was the main stage for the Sword Saint Festival, the arena, and scattered around were museums, theaters, and music halls that highlighted its superior arts and culture.
The development of magical tools was also incredible. Above, a huge “magic barrier” enveloped the capital, and the city walls were mounted with magical weapons like none he had ever seen.
“It’s ironic. The ‘Land of Knights’ has more advanced magic technology than Myrstia.”
Luke felt displeased.
He couldn’t accept that a foreign nation was superior to his own.
“Maybe I should become the king or something—Huh? Wait, Freya.”
“Address me as ‘teacher.’ What’s wrong?”
Luke suddenly turned around.
His every move was tense, and everyone sensed where he was headed.
“There you are, half-elf girl.”
“…What! H-How come?”
Luke approached the girl who harbored a unique magical power in her left eye only, smiling as he walked up to her.
Then, he noticed a young elf drenched in potion, with pure white hair and blue eyes, somewhat resembling Abel.
“Hey, Gilbert. Something happened?”
“Ah, you’re the one from that time…!”
Freya and Abel joined them too.
“Hello! Nice to meet you, folks from the kingdom!”
The young man, nervous and lacking any assertiveness, hurriedly bowed.
“What’s with you?”
“Uh… well, when you ask what’s with me… Ah, my name is Arthur. As you can see, I’m an elf…”
The young elf looked at Luke with an inquiring gaze, perhaps aware that the kingdom discriminated against non-human races.
However, the unease Luke felt wasn’t just about that.
Elves are known for their magical prowess. It’s a well-known fact, and indeed, the half-elf girl nearby had an immense amount of magical power.
But strangely, Luke couldn’t sense any magic from Arthur, the elf who introduced himself.
(Kuku… Always interesting characters around this girl… Maybe I should try an experiment…)
Luke thought, recalling the first time he met her.
“I’m Luke Wizaria Gilbert.”
He said, extending his hand.
The meaning behind this gesture was clear. Abel was surprised by Luke’s action but he ignored everything else.
“Ah, oh! How do I—oops!”
Arthur reached out to shake hands, but then, unfortunately, he slipped on a fruit peel on the ground, falling and hitting his face.
But for Arthur, such mishaps were routine. He quickly got up, even with a nosebleed, and apologized.
“…”
“Sorry about that! I’m Arthur Pendragon. Pleased to meet you!”
Then, they shook hands.
Luke was expressionless, and Arthur smiled wearily. But inside, both were filled with a mix of emotions and thoughts.
Luke was curious. He wanted to know why the elf before him was “hiding” his magical power. Maybe, like the half-elf girl, this was something rare to witness. It was just curiosity, nothing more.
Meety, the half-elf girl who knew Arthur’s true nature, watched them anxiously, hoping nothing would happen.
“…!”
Suddenly, Arthur grimaced slightly in pain. The cause was Luke. Through their handshake, Luke had directly struck Arthur with dark magic, aiming to destroy the pendant Arthur wore, which he intuitively knew was hiding his magic.
This was based on nothing but Luke’s own arrogant confidence in his intuition, without any hesitation.
“…!!”
Luke himself was surprised next.
He felt a new sensation as his dark magic, which usually swallowed everything, was repelled and rejected. It was somewhat similar to Yolande’s magic, but never had it been so clearly rejected.
However, since his goal wasn’t to steal magic but rather to test his theory, this wasn’t a problem.
As planned, the dark magic flowing through Arthur destroyed the pendant. At that moment—
“──!”
A massive surge of magical power burst forth, almost like a violent storm. It was so overwhelming that even Luke, who had faced the Ice Dragon Dia, felt a “sense of crisis” he had never experienced before.
He was truly in mortal danger. He was certain of the immense life force before him.
And this magic— it was imbued with “light.”
“Get back! — ‘Wind Barrier’!”
Freya was the next to act.
It wasn’t certain that they were facing an enemy, but she had to assume the worst and act as if they were.
She created a barrier between Arthur and Luke using her “wind” attribute.
“Eh, wowww!”
Next, she used magic to ensure Luke and Abel’s safety. Abel was carried away by the wind, but Luke neutralized it with his dark magic.
“What are you doing! I told you to get back!”
“Don’t be silly. There’s no way I’d run.”
With a fierce smile, Luke’s dark magic surged. People around felt the danger and started panicking, running away.
The two knights behind Luke and the others started running too, activating every enhancement skill they had.
The situation was on the brink of erupting when—
“I’m so sorry! I don’t want to fight at all!”
Arthur was on the ground, apologizing with all his heart.
§
“I wonder how far I’ll be blown away.”
Abel was being carried by the wind from Freya’s magic.
Actually, he could escape the magic wind with his own strength and return to Luke.
Abel wasn’t great with magic, but he knew the elf named Arthur had incredible power.
However, he didn’t feel threatened. Somehow, he couldn’t help but think Arthur wasn’t a bad person.
(At least, I didn’t feel any malice…)
Abel, who had been exposed to many negative emotions before, could understand this well.
And more than anything, he couldn’t imagine Luke ever being defeated. He had complete trust in him.
To Abel, Luke was that significant of a figure.
However, he couldn’t just keep being carried away. He started to make his move to return to Luke and the others—
“Found you.”
“Eh?”
Someone grabbed him.
Before he could even turn around, he suddenly disappeared from the spot.
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