Kays Translations

Chapter 18

The interrogation continued.

Coolmin still seemed dissatisfied.

"About the lightning magic earlier, you really used it?"

"Well, yes."

"No... I still can't believe you could use it just by reading the chant from a book."

"Sigh."

Not wanting to dwell on it, I decided to keep a guarded attitude.

"...Could you show me a bit?"

"What?"

"Lightning magic."

““What!?””

Everyone present was surprised. Without thinking, the captain reproached,

"What are you talking about!"

"Captain! He can use magic that none of the students at the magic school can use! It's absurd no matter how you think about it!"

I agree with that, but I refuse.

"No way! What if something happens?"

If something happens... no, it's more like I’ll definitely mess up.

Because I can't control it.

Moreover, I don't even know the range of the effect. If it's the entire room, it's certain death for the captain.

The captain tried to reason with him, making a gesture to stop me.

"Ah... I understand that you're concerned, but today we are gathering information from the victims. We can't do anything else."

"...I understand."

Well, if someone says they can use something you can't, you'd naturally want them to prove it. This is bad...

If he could use lightning magic, his incantation would be suspect. If he couldn't, the method of defeating him would be suspect. There's no way to handle this.

"Captain, just to confirm..."

"What is it?"

"Will the information from today's interview be released to the public?"

"Ah, we'll share the information among the captains as part of the report to our superiors. It won't be disclosed beyond that."

I glance at Coolmin.

"What about the other team members?"

"Well... I'll make it clear to each captain, but honestly, there's a possibility of leaks."

"I see."

What's done is done. If I'm asked about it in the future, I'll have to somehow bluff my way through.

The atmosphere became tense, so the captain changed the topic slightly.

"By the way, you don't seem to be from this country. Where are you from?"

"Japan."

"Japan?"

The captain pondered for a moment, stating that he didn't know, and Coolmin also shook his head, indicating he didn't know.

At that point, the chief chimed in.

"He's a student from Japan, but due to certain circumstances preventing him from going back, we've hired him. The school he attended seems to have incredible knowledge of magic, and he appears particularly adept at languages. I've seen him conversing in the language of the cat people with the cat person who recently joined us."

"The language of the cat people!"

Coolmin's expression was one of astonishment.

And then, the captain remembered something.

"Come to think of it, there was a story a while ago about a cat person collapsing in the east gate, and a traveler who spoke the language of the cat people assisted with interpretation and helped—"

"Ah... that was me."

"I see."

Even though being skilled in languages might not be entirely convincing, the captain decided to cut the conversation short, realizing that further explanation would likely be futile.

As if starting over, the captain flipped through the documents and spoke again.

"So, the reason they attacked Mizuki-san was... jealousy."

"Jealousy!?"

Both the chief and I were astonished, exchanging surprised glances—jealousy? Seriously!

I couldn't think of any reason at all...

Captain Carton recounted the information obtained during the interrogation.

It seems that the suspects didn't like it when I got along with the receptionist Carol. They were approached by the archer to rough me up a bit, and they agreed to it.

They were instructed to snatch away a magical tool that Carol is absorbed in among the belongings I had, as told by an archer who said it's inside the luggage.

If that disappears, Carol probably won't have anything else to be interested in.

Well, I must say... It's beyond belief, and words fail me.

I was accused of a romantic involvement with Carol by a complete stranger, and I find myself dumbfounded.

Come to think of it, I vaguely remember hearing Carol's name while being kicked. I thought they were thieves aiming for magical items since they seemed to be targeting the waist pouch.

That wasn't a mistake, but I never expected jealousy to be the root cause.

"Is the archer guy jealous too?"

The captain nodded.

"He apparently had a crush on a staff member named Lily, and although he thought he was keeping it a secret, it was blatantly obvious to the three of them."

Hearing that story, anger welled up within me.

"They tried to kill me over something like that... those bastards are like stalkers, damn it!"

"Stalkers?"

The captain had a puzzled expression, wondering what that meant.

"In my country, it's a general term for those who persistently follow and bother others. They repeatedly propose relationships even after being rejected, stalk, ambush, and harass to gain affection. It's all done for the sake of the other person — a line of thinking that is detached from common sense. And even when they realize their feelings are not reciprocated, their affection turns into intense hatred—"

There was a brief pause.

"They eventually end up killing the person they love."

Coolmin and the chief were surprised.

"Huh? They kill the person they love?"

I nodded, but Captain Carton remained unfazed. He probably knew... understood the psychological patterns of such individuals.

The questioning has concluded.

"He confessed willingly during the interrogation, so I had a rough understanding of the situation."

"Does that mean I'm off the hook?"

"Although you admitted to killing three people, it's clear that you were also targeted for murder."

"Of course."

There was a slight frown.

"I've heard about the severe condition you were in from the medical facility, and your C.T.B.O.A., as you call it."

"That's a relief."

With different countries and political systems, you never know how things will be judged. Knowing that I won't be punished, I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, there are still some uncertainties about the cause of their deaths, but I'll compile a report based on what you've told me."

"Understood."

As I was leaving, I remembered something that had been bothering me, so I asked the captain.

"Can you tell me one thing?"

"Hmm?"

"The archer descended swiftly from the roof and walked casually. What was that?"

"Oh... that's 'Body Enhancement Technique.' You don't know about it?"

"I don't. Is it magic?"

"Hmm, speaking of magic, would you call it magic?"

The captain turned towards Coolmin.

"That's right. We learn it at the warrior school, not the magic school, but it uses mana, so in that sense, it's magic. So, you could say it's a form of magic."

"Does it make you stronger?"

"Well, something like that. It can make you stronger, jump higher, or run faster."

"I see. By the way, what about you, Captain?"

"I can use it."

"Yeah, right!"

While the carriage was being arranged, I noticed several members of the defense squad talking and glancing at me.

They were probably spreading rumors about me defeating the archer. It's a bit disheartening, but there's nothing to be done about it. I hope nothing troublesome comes out of it...

And then, the chief and I boarded the carriage, leaving the defense squad headquarters behind.

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