Kays Translations

Chapter 460: The Duke’s Capital

Saint Matilda and her entourage arrived in the capital of Prime Minister Duke Barriera’s territory.

Two Spike Wolves, a Dark Wolf, and a Stone-Throwing Monkey prowled around the Saint’s carriage, making their presence impossible to ignore.

Matilda had taken a liking to Mahodo after his demonstration and placed the young tamer among the attendants nearest her carriage. Although the decision had been little more than a whim on her part, it was an extraordinary opportunity for a common-born tamer to advance in the world.

Mahodo was flushed with excitement and pride.

“Doesn’t this undermine the image of a Saint a little?” Aeris observed.

The people of Barriera’s capital had come out in great numbers to welcome Matilda, but the sight of monsters accompanying her made many of them uneasy.

“Tamer is a rare occupation,” Tauro agreed as he watched the residents’ reactions. “Many people have probably never seen trained monsters walking openly through a city. It might have been wiser to make the display less intimidating.”

Just as the enthusiastic welcome began to grow hesitant, a plume of black smoke rose from one corner of the city.

“A fire,” Tauro said.

Their carriage was moving slowly through the crowd, giving him a clear view of the smoke.

“And a fairly large one, judging by that column.”

Another plume appeared in a different district.

Then two more rose in rapid succession.

There were now four fires burning in separate parts of the city, and panic began to spread through the welcoming crowd.

“That can’t be a coincidence,” Tauro said to Aeris and Zion.

“Agreed. Zion, come with me. We’ll deal with the nearest one!”

Aeris leaped from the slow-moving carriage.

“Right!”

Zion followed immediately.

“Then I’ll go too. Ankh! Ragune! With me!”

Tauro shouted toward the carriage traveling near the rear of the procession.

Ankh and Ragune leaned out, saw him beckoning, and jumped down to join him.

“What’s happening, leader?” Ankh asked as they ran through the crowd. “Do you think those fires are part of an attack?”

“Four fires starting just as the Saint enters the city strongly suggests someone planned this.”

“Then the fires are probably a diversion,” Ankh said. “The target could be the Saint, or the culprits may simply want to damage Duke Barriera’s reputation.”

“The timing also takes advantage of the reduced security elsewhere in the city,” Ragune added. “Most of the soldiers and officials are concentrated around the welcoming procession.”

“The Royal Guard and the duke’s territorial troops will reach the same conclusion,” Tauro said. “They’ll tighten security around the Saint and the city’s key facilities. We should leave that to them and concentrate on saving the people threatened by the fires.”

Aeris and Zion reached the nearest scene first. Zion drove back curious onlookers while Aeris searched for the best place to cast.

Tauro, Ankh, and Ragune arrived moments later.

“I’ll extinguish the flames,” Aeris said. “You three bring down the dangerous sections of the surrounding buildings and make a firebreak!”

“””Understood!”””

Aeris raised her ebony staff and began chanting.

Zion remained beside her, watching the crowd and the nearby alleys so that no one could interfere.

Tauro, Ankh, and Ragune split up around the burning structure.

“Gather, clouds, and pour down! [Great Rain Shower]!”

A dense black cloud formed directly above the fire. A few heavy drops began to fall, then became a concentrated downpour.

The onlookers fled beneath nearby eaves as rain hammered the street hard enough to sting exposed skin.

The magically summoned torrent began suppressing the flames.

Meanwhile, Tauro and the others demolished the sections most likely to carry the fire into neighboring buildings. The enhanced strength granted by Tauro’s equipment allowed him to tear through pillars and beams. Ankh smashed walls apart with his personalized magic greatsword, while Ragune pierced structural supports with her personalized magic spear and used earth magic to break up the ground around the building.

Before long, the burning structure collapsed inward. Aeris’s rain smothered the remaining flames, preventing the fire from spreading.

Once she was certain it had been extinguished, Aeris lowered her staff and dispersed the cloud.

The residents who had sheltered from the rain stared in astonishment. Then, as sunlight returned to the street, they erupted into cheers.

“That spell controlled the weather!”

“Could she be the Saint?”

“The Saint extinguished the fire!”

The beautiful, rain-soaked Aeris was standing at the center of the scene with an ebony staff in her hand. The residents naturally mistook her for Matilda.

“There are still three fires! We need to move!” Aeris called.

“Make way! The Saint and her companions are going to the other fire scenes!” someone shouted.

The crowd immediately opened a path.

“They have misunderstood, but this isn’t the time to correct them,” Tauro said. “Let’s hurry.”

Still bewildered by the sudden acclaim, the members of Black-Gold Wings raced toward the next column of smoke.

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