Kays Translations

Chapter 17

The day before yesterday, after the itinerant merchants, the parent and child, Rumil, had returned, a guard came with a letter.

The contents stated a request for an inquiry into the recent attack incident.

When I informed the chief, he said there were no particular issues, so he agreed and said he would accompany me as well.

Honestly, I felt uneasy, so I'm grateful for the assistance.

So today, I am heading to the Defense Force headquarters with the chief in a carriage.

――But I feel a heavy burden.

I sustained serious injuries in the attack, but in the end, I became the perpetrator who killed three people.

I wonder how such a situation is treated in this country... Is there something like self-defense?

And I'll be asked about the method I used to ensure their defeat. What should I say and how much should I reveal...

I pondered these questions while looking at the cityscape outside.

Heading from Higashi University Avenue towards the central downtown, then turning north after entering Nishi Street, a two-story Western-style building came into view from the carriage.

For some reason, the word "Shikanosuke" came to mind.

That is the Defense Force headquarters.

Passing through the gate, there is a decidedly solemn atmosphere reminiscent of a military garrison.

Then, the chief and I were led into an interrogation room without windows.

The person we met at the healing institute entered the room. He was Captain Carton of the Defense Force's First Squad.

His handsome aura remained unchanged... but perhaps because it's his home ground, the pressure felt stronger than before.

If I were alone as the away team, I'm sure my spirit would have been broken.

And there was another person, a squad member who seemed to be a magician, the same one as last time.

"How have you been since then?"

"Thanks to you, I'm fine."

"I see. That's good."

It started with a casual greeting, and then the inquiry about the attack began.

First, a reaffirmation of the timeline.

It was to confirm that there were no inconsistencies with what was discussed at the healing institute. I explained the events from being attacked to surviving.

With no particular issues, the next topic was the identity of the perpetrator and the current situation.

The culprits were four in total.

The three who were lying in the alley were adventurers, all swordsmen. They were registered at the Tiara Adventurers Guild, with over a year of experience each.

The archer, the fourth member, was also an adventurer registered in Tiara but had recently been active in Yomuyomu. They had over three years of experience.

They attacked me, and in the counterattack, two swordsmen and one archer died. One was healed by a cleric.

The one who survived was the person who had kicked me, or so I was told.

Imagining the situation while listening—

The one who was trying to snatch my bag got a solid shock due to the close contact, and the kicker survived because it was just a momentary thing...

When asked about any acquaintance with them, I answered that I had none and was then questioned about the reason for the attack.

"Before we get into that, I want to ask—"

Oops, they got straight to the main topic.

"They attacked you, and in self-defense, you managed to defeat them, resulting in three casualties..."

The captain was asking in a gentle tone, but his demeanor suggested he was dealing with a serious offender. The pressure has intensified.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

His eyes showed no signs of laughter.

Well, the person in front of him had killed three people—a murderer. It was a Guild staff, an ordinary civilian, who had defeated adventurers using violence for their livelihood.

"I don't quite understand... I was almost killed. It was self-defense."

"Self... defense..."

The meaning seemed to get through.

"You were attacked, so you retaliated... is that the gist of it?"

"I don't even know if you can call it retaliation."

He tilted his head.

"What do you mean?"

It's tricky. Being evasive or lying could lead to trouble, but revealing everything wasn't an option either.

"In reality, I can use magic. I read a book by a deceased wizard in the forest, and I became able to use it. I used it on the spot."

The captain immediately recalled hearing a report from Captain Gutmil at the East Gate about an adventurer who had died in the forest.

"What kind of magic?"

"Lightning and earth magic."

As I answered, he glanced at the person who had been standing behind.

"So, you chanted lightning magic?"

"And you are?"

"I'm Coolmin, the mage of the First Squad."

Indeed, another person who could use magic.

"I don't know."

"...You don't know?"

"I discovered during practice that lightning magic makes my body charged. When those guys tried to snatch my bag and got close, I chanted it on the spur of the moment."

"Taiden... is that right?"

"Yes."

"And that's how you defeated them."

The captain interjected.

"So you don't know. You just realized they were down when it happened."

I stubbornly insisted on not knowing.

In reality, I truly didn't know. I probably could make an assumption, but it wasn't something I wanted to admit voluntarily.

"Lightning... huh?"

Coolmin wore a somewhat dissatisfied expression.

"Yes."

"You read a book and could use it..."

"...Is there something wrong?"

The captain shifted his gaze to Coolmin.

"Lightning magic... well, nobody at the academy could use it."

"Huh!?"

He couldn't believe his ears.

"Why not?"

"I don't know."

"Huh!?"

What is he saying?

I asked him to clarify the meaning of what he just said—

According to him, lightning magic seems to be a spell that "won't activate even if chanted literally."

Even the professors who teach it don't understand why it doesn't activate. He's troubled because there isn't enough information for decryption.

So, it's a case of "not knowing what will happen."

It sounds pretty serious!

Even the professors at the magic school can't make the magic work.

Come to think of it, the page on "Lightning Magic" in the magic book had fewer pages compared to others.

Don't put that kind of thing in a beginner's magic book...

Well, I guess it helped me because it was there. Gratitude and all.

I didn't know lightning magic was difficult, and using it easily has raised my suspicious-person level... I need to explain myself.

"I was surrounded, and it looked like they were going to snatch my bag. So, I curled up on the spot and chanted lightning magic. The next thing I knew, they were all down. That's all I know."

There might be a sense of urgency on my face, but I decided not to say anything more.

The captain seemed to sense that I might be hiding something, but he shouldn't be able to press further.

"...Well, that's enough."

Alright, I managed to get through it.

The captain flipped through the documents and moved on to the next topic.

"Now, please tell me about the situation when you defeated the archer."

"Crawling out of the alley with my wounded body, I was shot in the left shoulder the moment I emerged. After a while, I was shot in the right leg. Thinking I would die like this, I covered my head with my hands. That's when I saw a figure on the roof. And then... that person jumped down from the top of a three-story building and walked towards me."

The captain stared intently at me.

"I kept my hands in front of my face, pretending to be frightened. When the person, thinking I was scared and not paying attention, reached for my bag, I shot magic in their face while keeping my hands in front of my own."

I placed my hands in front of my forehead, mimicking a scared performance.

Coolmin immediately asked a question.

"You used earth magic?"

"Yes."

"Did you chant it?"

"Yes."

"They didn't catch onto your chanting?"

Seems like using non-verbal casting is a bit tricky after all.

"Oh, I whispered so quietly that they probably didn't hear, and besides, they likely didn't expect me to use magic."

"So, you hit them with earth magic up close?"

The captain explained that the person's face caved in, making it impossible to look directly at.

Knowing the power from practice, I could imagine what would happen if I hit someone directly... well, it would be a gruesome sight.

The captain turned his gaze toward Coolmin.

"Does it look like that when hit up close?"

"Well, I don't know. I've shot it at the back or legs of fleeing targets, but I've never hit someone in the face at close range..."

Saying that much, he glanced at me, as if there were something more.

"But..."

"Hmm?"

"The power is said to depend on the accuracy of the chant, so it must have been a pretty skilled incantation."

He stared at me for a moment.

"If you told me you could cast spells just by reading a magic book... honestly..."

"What's the matter?"

The captain urged him on.

"Well... it's just hard to believe."

I see... "the power depends on the accuracy of the chant." Maybe it's because of the ring's ability to provide a native language that makes it perfect.

"Is Coolmin-san good at chanting earth magic?"

"Pretty decent."

The captain turned to him, narrowing his eyebrows.

"Weren't you saying 'perfect' before? What's with 'pretty decent' now?"

"Oh, no... it's perfect."

He seemed a bit puzzled.

"But, you know... even if I use earth magic, I thought at most it would be something like a facial bone fracture. I didn't expect it to blow out the insides... until then."

"Was it really that severe?"

"There was a guy among the squad members who vomited... it's embarrassing."

Thank goodness...they covered him with a cloth.

After receiving several additional questions for clarification, it ultimately settled into:

"The three in the alley received a lightning magic shock, two died, and one was seriously injured. The archer received a close-range earth magic attack and died."

So, the situation finally calmed down.

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