It seems that it will take five days by carriage from the royal capital to the Neutral City of Shifrea, where negotiation with the Disaria Magic Academy will take place.
And so, we decided to depart a week in advance with some leeway.
It was around sunrise that I left the dormitory room and headed toward the headmaster’s office, where we were supposed to meet.
As it was early morning, there were not many people in the academy.
While looking around the academy, I was walking slowly when suddenly,
“Ah…!”
As I was about to enter the academy building, I almost collided with a female student.
At that moment, a book fell from the girl’s hand.
Before the book hit the ground, I cast gravity magic and levitated it.
“Mmm… sorry about that. I rarely walk around the academy in the early morning, so I was distracted by the surroundings.”
When I apologized, the girl, with her face down, looked nervous and said,
“I-I’m sorry too, for bumping into you.”
The girl’s eyes were hidden by her bangs, and she avoided eye contact with me.
“I’m ──”
“I know. You are Kurt-san!”
The girl answered without hesitation.
“And you are…?”
“Cynthia.”
She introduced herself briefly.
At first glance, Cynthia looked as if she was frightened.
Well, with this uncomfortable feeling, I can’t just leave and set off from the academy.
“You almost dropped your book. But it’s okay. It’s not dirty.”
As I thought about what to do, I used gravity magic to bring the book to me and handed it back to Cynthia.
“Ah…”
Cynthia accepted it carefully.
“It’s a biographical work called ‘The Road to Revolution’, which chronicles the events leading up to when the younger brother of King Aurelian defeated him. I was interested in it, too.”
“Eh…?”
Then, for the first time, Cynthia looked up.
Although I couldn’t tell earlier, she has a cute face. I wonder why she’s so scared.
“Do you like reading, Kurt-san?”
“Just call me Kurt. Anyway, I do like books. Not just the ones that are useful for magic research, but also novels for entertainment.”
Compared to a thousand years ago, magic civilization has declined in this era. However, on the other hand, entertainment, such as novels and plays, has undergone further evolution. They were more refined and interesting than a thousand years ago. Even I found myself wanting to know what would happen next in the various stories.
When I mentioned this, Cynthia’s expression softened a bit.
“I see… I like books, too. When I read a book, I feel like I’ve met many people…”
“I agree. Did you borrow that book from the library?”
“Yes.”
Well, it can’t be helped, but that’s unfortunate.
I know all the books stored in the academy library. And the book that Cynthia has in her possession is one of its kind. I’ve wanted to borrow it for a while now, but it seems it’ll have to wait a little longer.
I wonder if that feeling showed on my face.
“Do you want to read it too, Kurt?”
“But you wanted to read it, right? It’s fine if you haven’t finished reading it. How about this… could you lend it to me after you have finished it?”
Hearing my words, Cynthia smiled brightly.
“Yes…! After Cynthia finishes it, Kurt can read it next.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
That said,
“Cynthia looks cute when you smile. I think you can have more confidence in yourself.”
“……!”
When I said that, Cynthia blushed all the way to her earlobes. And once again, she shyly lowered her face.
“I’ve never been told that before…”
“Is that so?”
That’s strange. Cynthia is quite a beautiful girl. I wouldn’t be surprised if she got a lot of attention.
“Well, I have things to do, so I’ll be going first. I’m looking forward to it, Cynthia.”
After saying that, I turned my back to Cynthia and started walking again ──
“Oh…”
I heard Cynthia’s small voice from behind me, so I turned around.
“What’s the matter?”
“…Nothing.”
Cynthia was moving her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she just said those words.
“What was that all about?”
Cynthia’s face was still bright red, as she was covering her mouth with her book.
I knocked on the door with a sign that read ‘Headmaster’s Office’ and entered.
“I was waiting for you.”
A girl sitting on a chair in the back of the room turned around in her chair to face me.
“Is this the first time we’ve talked like this?”
“Yes.”
I replied, staring straight into her emerald eyes.
Diana Nianca.
She is the headmaster of the Rosanlila Magic Academy.
While I cannot ascertain her exact age, her appearance suggests that she is roughly in our age range.
With hair that glistens as though adorned with precious jewels and a complexion as pure and captivating as freshly fallen snow, she possesses an irresistible allure that has the power to ensnare hearts.
Diana smiled somewhat mysteriously and continued,
“I called you here for the recent exhibition game.”
Hmm, that is exactly what I thought.
As Diana brought up the subject, I remembered what had happened.
I have been reincarnated in a world one thousand years later, seeking ‘someone stronger than me’. It was a miscalculation that there is no one stronger than me, but it is still interesting.
A thousand years later, I enrolled in the Rosanlila Magic Academy and had a reasonably enjoyable time with the friends I’ve met, Lara and Marise. I had no friends in my previous life, so it was an unimaginable lifestyle a thousand years ago.
One day, we were scheduled to have an exhibition game with the Disaria Magic Academy in the Imperial Capital. However, things took a turn.
The Imperial Capital cheated. They even brought out Arnold, one of the <<Four Great Sages>>, and tried to eliminate us. But there was no way I would let that happen.
I defeated Arnold, and the rest was left to the headmaster to deal with.
“Is there something you want to say?”
“The actions of the Disaria Magic Academy in the Imperial Capital are unforgivable. Not only because of their cheating, but also because they tried to kill my precious students. I strongly protested, but…”
“So you are saying Disaria Magic Academy denied the cheating?”
Diana looked surprised for a moment, then gritted her teeth with frustration.
It was just as I thought. The notion of the Empire’s filthiness has persisted throughout millennia, standing as a long-established fact. Hence, upon learning of their attempts to feign ignorance regarding the recent cheating in the exhibition game, my lack of astonishment was quite evident.
“What were they trying to say?”
“‘We didn’t do anything like that. Do you have any evidence?’“
They always come up with such nonsense.
“Of course, we refuted their argument with, ‘Not only the students who participated, but also two teachers were at the scene and witnessed the entire thing. How do you explain that?’.”
She must be talking about Erika-sensei and Desmond.
“‘But that’s all made up. The Rosanlila Magic Academy is trying to frame us…’, Disaria Magic Academy sneered. That’s precisely why the negotiation is not progressing well, and they might just get away with it.”
Diana crossed her legs and spoke with a disgusted tone.
“Kurt, do you have any evidence that can shut their mouth for good?”
Evidence, huh…? If that is what she wants.
“Headmaster, if you want evidence, I have it.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes, please take a good look.”
Using projection magic, I displayed an image on the white wall.
“Is this… the footage of the exhibition game? What’s the principle behind this?”
Diana widened her eyes as she watched the displayed footage from when the Empire’s representatives challenged them… up until the battle with the <<Four Great Sages>>.
“This is a projection magic called Movie Storage. I recorded the footage of the exhibition game just in case.”
It was right when Arnold admitted to the Empire’s cheating.
‘This isn’t the first time. You must have done it many times before, haven’t you?’
‘Correct.’
How foolish. He didn’t even know that the footage was being saved during the battle.
I stopped the projection magic after the battle with Arnold was over.
“If we show this footage, the negotiation should go more smoothly.”
“Impressive. Ever since the entrance exam, I’ve been observing you closely, and you truly stand out. Your ability to wield this kind of magic in the midst of battle is truly remarkable.”
Diana gave a short applause with satisfaction.
This is nothing. I had saved the footage ever since the exhibition game began, just in case.
“However… we don’t know if this can be the deciding factor. Even if we show this, the Disaria Magic Academy will surely come up with a rebuttal.”
Moreover, projection magic is not common in this era. Therefore, Disaria Magic Academy could say something like, ‘This kind of magic is fake. They’re fabricating something that never happened!’. It may sound unreasonable, but as shameless as I know they are, nothing would surprise me.
Should I show them the broken surveillance magic device? Or maybe I should drag out the representatives from the Imperial Capital and interrogate them?
As I was expanding the thoughts in my head, Diana smirked and said,
“As I suspected, Kurt is exactly what I expected you to be. I’m glad I consulted with you.”
…I have a bad feeling about this.
“Kurt, this is my request. In two weeks, there will be negotiation with the Imperial Capital in the Neutral City of Shifrea. It’s related to the recent exhibition game, of course.”
“…And?”
“I want you to come with me and participate in the negotiation, Kurt.”
As expected. I kind of guessed it from Diana’s expression.
── Oh, well.
I sighed.
“I understand. But I’m not that confident in negotiation. If you’re still okay with that.”
If the Empire hasn’t changed in a thousand years, just imagining talking to them makes me feel uneasy. However, I can’t let them do whatever they want. It wouldn’t hurt to improve my image with the academy’s headmaster, so I’ll go along with it this time.
“Good. It’s personal, but I’m interested in you. Hehe… I’m looking forward to it. I wonder what interesting things I’ll see.”
Diana smiled.
She seems forceful and honest with herself. But I don’t hate women like her. It is more helpful to have someone speak honestly rather than being overly cautious.
“Is that all you wanted to talk about?”
“Yeah, I’ve kept you too long. I’ll contact you once I’ve more details.”
It seems that I can take my leave now. However, I have been burdened with a hassle. Well, I will have to think about how to deal with the Disaria Magic Academy in the Imperial Capital when I get back to my room.
But before that…
“L-Lara, don’t push me! Kurt will notice!”
“Ehhh… but it’s hard to hear!”
It was such a small voice that I might have missed it if I did not use detection magic. I knew there were two people in the hallway outside the door from the beginning of the conversation. For some reason, a mischievous idea came to me, which is unusual for me.
I approached the door with concealment magic to hide my presence and footsteps, then opened it quickly.
““KYAAA!””
The short screams of the two people overlapped. And there, in the hallway, were Lara and Marise, who fell on their butts.
“…What are you doing, Lara and Marise?”
“Ouch!”
Lara rubs her butt in pain.
She has a lively and cheerful appearance, yet there seems to be a cuteness emanating from within. With her legs spread apart, her white underwear is fully exposed. Her pure white and minimal fabric underwear leaves little to the imagination and can easily reveal sensitive parts with just a slight movement.
It’s a bit uncomfortable to keep staring at it.
“That’s why Lara… I told you not to come too close…!”
Marise scolded Lara.
Marise has long silver hair that gives off a dignified impression, emphasizing her beauty. Her skirt was loosened, exposing her ample thighs, which appeared soft yet firm. Her skin seems finely toned and soft-looking.
“Hehe, we have been caught!”
Lara adjusted her skirt and stood up. Then, without hesitation ──
“Kurt, please! Take us with you to that Neutral City!”
“W-Wait, Lara! The conversation is moving too fast!”
“B-But, at this rate, we’ll be left behind!”
Lara and Marise argue with each other.
I had a feeling they would bring up something like this.
Lara then turns to me.
“I’m sorry for eavesdropping! But I followed you because I heard Kurt was summoned by the headmaster. I had a feeling that it was going to be about something important. Then I heard about the negotiation with the Imperial Capital…”
She says apologetically.
I let out another sigh. Lara’s intuition is truly remarkable.
“I’m also a representative in the exhibition game, so I’ll do my best to be useful!”
“I’d like to say the same! Besides… I feel like I can become stronger if I’m with you even for a minute longer.”
Both of them bowed their heads and pleaded with me.
It is unnecessary to have both of them with me to negotiate with Disaria Magic Academy. Plus, even with the two of them, it is not a guarantee we will have the upper hand. However ── Lara and Marise are my friends.
“Headmaster.”
“Very well. If Kurt says so, then it’s okay. The more, the merrier, I guess. Although it would’ve been fun for just the two of us to travel together.”
“Welcome to the Adventurer’s Guild! What can we do for you today…… ehhhhhHHHHHH!!”
With Lara and Marise, I went to the guild and placed some magic stones we obtained from the <<Treasure Labyrinth>> on the reception desk to find the receptionist’s eyes widened in surprise.
“The stones are not in the best condition, and I know it’s not much, but can we exchange them for money?”
“With this many magic stones, there’s no way you can’t exchange them! I’ll call the Guild Master! Please wait a moment!”
The receptionist hurriedly walked to the back.
“Why was she so surprised about just a few magic stones?”
I asked Marise and Lara next to me.
“There were three hundred magic stones… and all of them were about the size of the palm of your hand, so of course she’s surprised!”
“Yeah, that’s right. That’s why I said we should exchange them a little at a time…”
Marise and Lara spoke to me in a reproachful tone, which was surprising.
── Since then, we’ve been diving into the <<Treasure Labyrinth>> regularly and bringing the items we obtained there to exchange for money at the guild. However, we have only gone as far as the upper floors of the labyrinth.
The magic stones we brought this time did not contain much magic power, but in this world, which has declined over the past thousand years, they were still important.
After a while, the Guild Master, Angelica, came out from the back and looked at me with a bewitching gaze.
“Can you wait a bit? It’s not easy to exchange so many magic stones for money. I think it’s going to be a huge sum of money.”
“We’re not in a hurry, so it’s okay. Please call us through the academy when it’s ready.”
“Understood.”
Looking at Angelica’s seductive figure, I felt like I was getting caught up in that strange situation again.
I thought of leaving the guild at once, but then ──
“You are searching for a lost kitten…? That’s a problem. At the moment, the guild isn’t accepting that kind of request.”
At the table next to us, I saw another receptionist attending to a client.
Their expression seemed troubled.
“Oh? Are you worried about the lost kitten?”
Perhaps noticing this, Angelica smiled at me as she spoke.
“What’s that…? Doesn’t the guild handle a wide range of tasks from monster hunting to finding lost children?”
“Well, yes. But quests like finding lost kittens have low rewards and can be quite troublesome, so they’re not popular among adventurers. Right now, the guild is busy with quests related to monster subjugation, so they can’t afford to take on those kinds of requests.”
Hmm, even in this era, it seems that no one wants to do mundane jobs.
Looking over to the next table, the client seemed to be quite troubled. It must have been a kitten they had raised with great care.
The client gave detailed characteristics of the cat in order to somehow get the guild to accept the request.
“Kurt…”
Lara looked worried as she glanced at the client, then turned her face towards me. Perhaps she was thinking of helping to search for the lost kitten.
But still… I couldn’t help but be bothered by the words Angelica had spoken earlier. She had mentioned that finding the kitten could be troublesome, but ──
“This kind of request could be completed in a second, though.”
As I spoke, I cast a magic and summoned the lost kitten right in front of the client.
The sudden reunion with the kitten surprised the client, who raised both hands in joy.
“E-Eh? What just happened?”
“Kurt… what did you do again?”
Lara and Marise looked at me in shock.
“It’s nothing, really.”
In that instant, I used detection magic to find all the cats within the Royal Capital, while still in the guild. Then, I found the cat that matched the description and used teleportation magic to bring it here.
“It’s amazing!”
“Really! All the cats in the Royal Capital, you say… Just how extraordinary is your magic?”
However, the reason why I was able to find it so quickly was because the client had described the characteristics of the cat in detail. That was how much the client loved their cat. Therefore, it was resolved so quickly.
── Meow~.
Hm?
“Oh? It seems to have taken a liking to Kurt.”
Before I knew it, the cat had let go of the client’s hand and was rubbing its head against my leg.
Lara squatted down and patted the cat’s head.
“To think it’s taken a liking to me…”
A thousand years ago, even animals wouldn’t come near me because they feared my magic power, let alone monsters.
When people around me found out that I was a child born between a human and a spirit, they hurled insults at me.
‘I can’t believe that a human and a spirit got together and married!’
‘That’s disgusting! You are not human!’
The words thrown at me back then, even now, would haunt me when I close my eyes, and I feel like crying.
I left the village with my father and moved to a faraway place where no one knew about us.
There, I tried my best. I acted cheerful. I plucked up the courage to talk to other children, and even if I did not know what to say, I tried my best to get along with the people around me.
That’s because I did not want to see Father and Mother’s pained faces anymore. I even made many friends there.
I was happy. But then, another thought started to take hold of me.
── I want to see Mother.
I wanted to see her and say, ‘Thank you for everything’.
And so, I decided to attend the Magic Academy in the Royal Capital.
I thought that here I could find a clue to the ‘Magic City’ where the spirits are supposed to go after their death.
I do not care if I have the unfortunate magic power. After all, it is the magic power I have received from Father and Mother. I would never deny myself, and I was determined to do so.
But when I arrived at the Royal Capital, I was suddenly tangled up with scary-looking people.
I was scared.
I was too scared to use magic.
── Ahh, maybe I should not have come here after all.
Just as I thought that, I heard a voice.
“It doesn’t seem like you guys are just picking-up girls. Even then, weren’t you guys being too pushy? That girl doesn’t seem to like it.”
The bad guys were defeated in the blink of an eye, and he saved me.
At that moment, I thought to myself.
── Ahh, the prince has come to save me.
Apparently, his name was Kurt.
I was very lucky to have met him and made another friend.
“I-It’s just a handshake! D-Don’t get me wrong!”
Marise is a little dishonest. But she acknowledged me as a friend, and I felt happy.
I know we could do well together in this Magic Academy. When I held hands with Marise-chan and Kurt, I felt that way.
However, I was always afraid. If I told Kurt the truth, would he come to hate me? After all, a child born between a human and a spirit is creepy.
I was too anxious to sleep at night when I thought about it.
So I made up my mind and asked Kurt out on a date.
“Why would I hate you? There’s no way I’m going to hate Lara for that reason.”
Kurt laughed at my insecurity.
At that moment, I felt tears welling up in my eyes.
── Mother, thank you for giving birth to me.
But I should not cry. I should smile when I am happy.
“Kurt!”
Before I knew it, I was kissing Kurt.
◆ ◆
── I will definitely prove it to them.
That is what I thought.
I was born into the Sizenosna family, which is famous for its magic. So I thought I would become a great mage, stronger than my older brother and sister.
But as soon as they found out I had an inferior magic power, the people around me started cursing at me.
‘You are a disgrace to the Sizenosna family!’
‘Why were you born at all?’
It was frustrating. No matter how hard I tried, people around me never acknowledged me. My older brother and sister were always above me in everything, and I felt as if there was a high wall that I could not get over.
I cannot go on like this. I must prove it to my family.
Nobody was looking at me, so I continued to work hard on my own.
However ── a sudden emotion that I did not quite understand kept me up at night.
And so, I decided to attend the Magic Academy in the Royal Capital.
I thought that if I graduated first there, my family might acknowledge me.
Fortunately, I, who was hated as an unwanted child, was removed from my house as if to get rid of a nuisance and went to the Royal Capital.
I will definitely reach the top.
With such passion burning in me, I took the entrance examination.
There, I met that person.
“Allow me to show you the true Holy Sword.”
It was a complete defeat. No matter what magic I used, that person returned it with a more powerful spell.
It was frustrating. But when I saw his magic, I felt something different.
── I want to be like this person.
Apparently, his name was Kurt.
I did not like him from the beginning.
From the first day of school, he would write the magic formula for lost magic on the blackboard and look unconcerned.
Kurt is a hindrance to my plan to graduate at the top. If so, what should I do? It is frustrating, but I would not be able to defeat Kurt the way I am now, even if I challenged him a thousand times.
So I decided to watch Kurt’s magic up close and steal his skills.
I did not mean to become his friend, as I have grown stronger all by myself until now. I just wanted to take advantage of him.
However, in the labyrinth, a girl called Lara saved me and said to me,
“I want to get to know you better, Marise-chan.”
The first thought that came to my mind was, “Why?”.
Shouldn’t we take advantage of each other?
But ── what is this happy feeling?
I shook hands with Lara and Kurt but was too embarrassed to make eye contact with them because I was not used to doing that.
It did not change the fact that Lara was trying to help me, so I just wanted to express my gratitude.
I know we could do well together in this Magic Academy. When we held hands, that feeling gradually grew inside of me.
One day, Lara fell asleep, and I was left alone with Kurt.
I didn’t know what to say in this situation. When I talked to Kurt, Lara was always there, acting all cheerful.
“Whatever the reason. In my eyes, Marise looks so beautiful trying her best.”
When I told him I wanted to prove it to my family, Kurt acknowledged me.
I was happy but, at the same time, relieved. And I couldn’t help but feel overwhelming love for Kurt.
── If I stayed here any longer, I might fall in love with Kurt for real.
Thinking that, I tried to leave the room as if I were running away.
But then it happened.
“I’m sorry to have disturbed you ── Kyaa!”
Before I knew it, I was kissing Kurt.
◆ ◆
I (I) kissed Kurt.
It was the first kiss in my life.
But I won’t tell Marise-chan (Lara) about this.
Because I (I) wanted to keep this a secret between Kurt and me.
The next day, it was also brought to light that the Empire was cheating, which became a big deal.
The Empire did not admit to it, but still, there were many witnesses, such as Erika-sensei and Desmond, so it would be quite difficult for them to get away with this.
“At any rate, they were trying to kill us…”
Incidentally, the outcome of the exhibition game has become undecided since then.
Oh well. The Royal Capital will now denounce the Empire thoroughly. It will be a nice touch if the Empire is put in a difficult spot as a result of it.
On the other hand, I…
“Now… then. That’s about it, huh. I don’t have much stuff to begin with.”
After cleaning up, I put my hands on my hips and looked around the room again.
To be honest, there is nothing more I can learn from this magic academy, and it also doesn’t seem like there is anyone here who is stronger than me.
More importantly, I would like to investigate more on the decline of magic in this world and the ‘Truth’ that Arnold talked about.
“Even so… I never knew I would be called the ‘Demon King’.”
Arnold had said that, a thousand years ago, there was a demon king in this world. The magic and theories of the demon king were so terrifying that the Empire worked hard to seal them away.
“It’s all a lie”
At the very least, I wasn’t called the ‘Demon King’ in my previous life.
And while everyone was enjoying the convenience brought by the magic, they did not seem to be afraid of it.
Why would the Empire be spouting such lies?
Why was the Empire that was destroyed by demons restored again?
It seems to me that therein lies the truth behind the decline of magic in the last thousand years.
“Well… I wonder what I should do first.”
I muttered to myself and was about to leave the room.
*Knock Knock*
Hm?
The sound of knocking came from the door.
“The door is not locked.”
I called out to the other side of the door.
“Kurt! Please don’t quit school!”
“I won’t let you!”
Lara and Marise came rushing in from the hallway.
They came so close that they made physical contact with me.
“W-What’s the matter? What’s up with that face?”
I could feel their soft touch on me and could not help but slur my words.
“Because! Because… I had a feeling that Kurt was going to quit school…”
“At first, it was just Lara’s intuition… but after the exhibition game was over, Kurt was always thinking about something the whole time. That’s why we got the feeling that you are really going to quit school and became worried…”
They drew their faces close to mine.
…So, they are saying that they had a hunch that I was going to quit school?
And here I am, trying to prevent them from knowing anything about it.
What a mess. I think I have said it before, but Lara’s intuition is really something not to be reckoned with.
However,
“Even If I were to quit, what does that have to do with Lara and Marise? Even if I’m gone, I’m sure the two of you will still be able to perform well in school.”
A sense of mischief arose, and I asked them the question.
Lara’s face then scrunched up as she looked at me.
“Ueeeeeeeeeeeee! Kurt is…! Kurt is a meanie!”
Ultimately, she started crying.
…Hey-hey. What is this situation?
“Kurt! What you just said is too heartless! Please take it back now!”
Marise got angry at me.
Haa… This is getting out of hand.
And so, I let out a sigh.
“I’m sorry. But you two are wrong about me quitting the magic academy.”
““Eh?””
The two of them spoke at the same time.
“Is that true…?”
“Yeah, it’s true.”
“But you cleaned your room? As if you were trying to pack up and leave…”
“I was just cleaning up my room because I had some free time. Having said that, I didn’t have much baggage, so it was done quickly.”
I shrugged my shoulders.
That said, I even considered dropping out at one point since I could not learn any more about magic here. But I have made some good friends here, and they are Lara and Marise.
It would have been unthinkable for me a thousand years ago, but I am beginning to think that having friends is a good thing.
And so, I don’t think I can abandon this kind of life now.
Besides ── I could continue to be a student while also investigating the truth of the decline.
It would be easy for me to balance school life and off-campus activities.
“There’s still so much left to teach you two.”
“T-That’s right! I’m not going to allow you to slip out in the middle of it!”
“What was the magic that you used on the <<Four Great Sages>>? And what is that <<Demon King’s Magic>>?”
Lara, who had been crying until a while ago, was already smiling.
Marise seemed to be her usual self, but she sounded slightly excited.
I cannot get serious in this declining world. But surprisingly, this world which is a thousand years in the future, is not boring either.
As I was patting their heads, my heart was pounding with excitement at what was about to come.
Lara and Marise had grown up compared to when they first joined the party.
I never thought the two could communicate with their hearts and magic power to create such powerful magic together.
Seeing them grow up, I was filled with emotions.
“What’s wrong? Are you worried about your friends?”
“Nah, I was thinking that the fight with you will be a little boring. So I decided to take a quick look around.”
“Hahaha! What nonsense!”
Arnold laughed and readied his right hand.
“Don’t get carried away just because you were able to stop the magic earlier. I will show you true magic.”
As Arnold said this, his body began to be enveloped in light.
Eventually, the light was shaped into armor.
“Oh…? Gigant Deformation, huh…?”
It is of low quality, but it is a spell I thought I would never see in this era.
“Good. To have finally met a mage with some talent. Let’s have some fun then.”
I will have to get the truth out of him.
“W-W-Whoa! What’s that!? Kurt’s in trouble!?”
“What are you talking about, Lara? Kurt will be fine.”
Lara and Marise, who had finished their fight, also came to watch my fight
“Stay close to me.”
They nodded at my instruction.
Arnold used the spell to create thick armor with his magic power. It is a spell that prevents all kinds of attacks and also greatly increases one’s physical abilities.
“Hahaha! With this, I could even fight against dragons!”
With his face hidden by the armor, Arnold smiles pleasantly.
“Dragons?”
What is he talking about?
“You can’t even defeat a dragon like that.”
In such a case, Arnold would have been blown away and killed with a single swipe of a dragon’s tail.
“What’s going on!? We heard what sounded like an ongoing battle, and… T-This is…!”
“Kurt? And… are those the representatives of the imperial capital lying over there? What’s going on here!?”
Meanwhile, Erika-sensei and Desmond also appeared.
They probably rushed over here after hearing the sound of us fighting and sensed an emergency.
“Sensei… We’ll talk later. Please step back a little.”
The opponent is a bit too strong, even for Desmond.
“Kukuku… Are you the teachers of the Royal Capital? In that case, for the sake of the Empire’s victory, let’s take care of all of you together!”
Arnold slowly moved his arms. He grabbed a nearby tree and pulled it straight out of the ground.
“Hmph!”
A large tree was then thrown at us.
I immediately used body strengthening magic to catch the tree that was thrown at us with one hand.
“This transformation is really good. Maybe I can even throw a dragon with this.”
After the throwing of the steel balls, now it is the throwing of a big tree…
“Desmond-sensei.”
“Hm?”
“I am going to try what you taught in the class.”
As it is, I threw the tree at Arnold.
“Tsk…!”
Arnold clicked his tongue and dodged in the nick of time. The large tree was impaled into the ground nearby.
“You are good. But thou shalt not defeat me! Even if you were to hit me just now, you would not be able to break my armor!”
I was not even thinking of destroying his armor just now.
He threw it at me, so I just threw it back.
“Hey, you!”
I drew my sword from its sheath and intercepted Arnold.
“You’ve been using chantless magic for a while now, haven’t you? What do you know about it?”
Considering this era’s average level, his power is clearly the only one out of the norm.
“I’ll teach thee a lesson for your journey to the underworld, that all the magic we know today is rubbish.”
“Rubbish?”
As he spoke, Arnold threw his right fist at me.
I parried it with my sword and continued listening to Arnold’s story.
“I don’t know the entire truth, but it is said that various dreadful magic were used about a thousand years ago.”
One thousand years ago… That was exactly the time I lived in.
“It is said that it was due to one man who was called a heretic and later called the ‘Demon King’. Our ancestors had sealed the abominable magic created by the Demon King. And we called it the <<Demon King’s Magic>>.”
“Heretic… <<Demon King’s Magic>>…”
People called me a heretic for bringing about the magic revolution, but I do not remember being called the Demon King.
After my reincarnation, the name gradually became more and more exaggerated, and I finally became the Demon King.
“All of the magic created by the Demon King is powerful enough to destroy the world. And so, the Empire secretly evoked the sealed magic and continued researching it. The magic and theories were then taught to us, the <<Four Great Sages>>, who were originally just normal mages, to experiment on it. And this is the result.”
Arnold slowly turns his palm toward me.
Suddenly, an explosion occurred.
It was the Ifrit Flare which is considered lost magic in this world.
““Kurt!””
I heard Lara and Marise’s voices.
Are they worried about me?
But to me, such a thing…
“Can’t hurt me, you know?”
Before the explosion of the Ifrit Flare occurred, I modified my body to be able to withstand high temperatures. Even magma would not affect me now.
Because of that, I did not get a single burn, even though I was at the epicenter of the explosion just now.
“In that case, does that mean the magic civilization has declined because the magic of the Demon King has been sealed?”
“That’s right. According to our Empire’s research, it seems that the Demon King has suddenly disappeared from this world.”
If that Demon King is ‘me’, then it is because I have been reincarnated ── a thousand years later in this world.
“I see.”
I understand the reasons for the decline of this world.
However… There are still mysteries to be solved.
Why did they seal the magic and theories that I created?
Was it because it’s dangerous?
No-no, it was supposed to bring convenience to everyone.
In fact, everyone enjoyed the convenience of the magic civilization in the world a thousand years ago.
In that case, the Empire probably contributed to the decline of this world as well.
“Is that all the truth you know of?”
“As I thought, it seems that thou knew as well based on thy reaction.”
Arnold’s face was covered with armor, but the corners of his mouth must have turned up like a half-moon.
It seems like I would not get anything more out of this guy.
“Take this! Ifrit Flare!”
Arnold tried to cast Ifrit Flare again.
However,
“What’s going on!? Why isn’t my magic working!?”
Arnold is startled, and his voice grows louder.
I have seen through all of his magic.
“It’s the dispel magic. It can negate the opponent’s magic. Don’t you know?”
“I-Impossible! A magic that negates other magic? That couldn’t have been done without a considerable skill gap…! What else do thou know…!”
It was a good way to pass the time.
I have learned some of the reasons for the decline of this world, and I finally get to see some better magic being used.
And so, it’s time to end this.
“Let me show you what true magic is.”
I raised my hand to the sky and deployed a magic formula… I also adjusted its power so that it would not break Lara and Marise’s barrier.
“W-What the hell is going on!”
Arnold looks horrified.
“This is what you call the true <<Demon King’s Magic>> that was sealed a thousand years ago.”
── Gate of Judgment.
It is the name of the magic that opens the gate of judgment and destroys the opponent with holy light.
“Ahh… so that holy thing is the power of a Demon King, huh…?”
Arnold’s armor gradually melted, and soon his figure was obscured by the light.
The divine light gradually engulfed everything and made a pure white world.
I learned a lot from this fight.
The reasons, though not all, for the decline of this world.
And… It seems that there is still no one stronger than me.
“You are a thousand years too early to challenge me.”
By the time the gate of judgment was closed, nothing was left of Arnold, not even his body.
Thanks to the telepathy magic, the battle between Lara and Maris looms over my mind.
“Lara! Look out!”
From the Imperial Capital party, a fire spear was launched toward Lara.
Just before a direct hit, Marise pushed Lara aside.
“Ugh…!”
This allowed Lara to escape the fire spear, but instead, Marise was grazed by it.
“Marise-chan, are you okay!?”
Lara immediately rushed to Marise.
“When we first went to the third floor of the <<Treasure Labyrinth>>… Lara saved me, too…”
“Eh?”
“I just repaid that debt… I’m alright. This is no big deal.”
Despite saying so, Marise was clenching her teeth in pain.
It seems that Lara and Marise were being pressured by the Imperial Capital party.
Both of them have exhausted their magic power. It must be hard for them to even speak.
“Don’t worry about me. More importantly… Here come the attacks.”
“Gaaarrrrggghhhh!”
The Imperial Capital party screams against Lara and Marise.
The two had hardly inflicted any damage on their opponents, and they seemed to still be in good shape. But due to the outburst of magic power, their insides are already in tatters. It would not be surprising if they collapsed any moment now.
“Ugh, they are so strong… And their barrier is blocking all of our attacks.”
“It seems that the magic tool that Kurt mentioned also has the effect of deploying barrier magic at the same time.”
As expected, it’s a hard task for them to take on the Imperial Capital party, whose magic power has been raised to a higher level by the magic tool.
As soon as Lara and Marise were done talking, another fire spear was launched from the other side. It is far more powerful than the magic they used earlier, as if they were casting magic at the cost of their lives. There is not a single sane person left among them.
Lara and Marise ran and exchanged words as they dodged the onslaught of spells being hurled.
“Lara, do you remember?”
“What is it?”
“When Kurt taught us how to control our magic power, he said that if we combined our magic power, we could release even stronger magic.”
“Yes, of course. I remember everything Kurt taught me.”
One of the representatives from the Imperial Capital raised his right hand.
It is Meteor Burn.
Through the intervention of the magic tool, magic that normally cannot be used is forcibly conjured with their increased magic power.
There was no way for the two to dodge it. And a direct hit would probably result in death at worst.
Are they at their limit?
No, not yet…
“Let’s give it a try now.”
“But it’s our first try, I wonder if we can do it…”
Even with the massive meteor that is slowly being completed, the two showed no sign of flinching.
“We can do it. Kurt said he would let us cover for him, remember?”
“Yes.”
“And I believe it’s because he thinks we can win…”
“Yes, yes.”
Lara nodded.
Before long, the Meteor Burn, which has been completed, is about to be dropped against Lara and Marise.
However, they did not run away but faced each other and held each other’s hands tightly as they looked at the meteor.
“When I first entered the Magic Academy, I… intended to be second to none. I wanted to be the best, and become someone who can be relied on .”
“Is that still the case?”
“Haa.”
Marise lets out a small sigh.
“That’s not possible ── anymore. After spending time with Lara and Kurt, I realized something. I was lucky to have met you two.”
“Me too. I am glad that I met Marise.”
“I can become stronger when I have reliable friends to work hard with…”
The Meteor Burn that was unleashed on the two, rapidly approaches.
Despite this, the two showed no signs of urgency and started to form a magic formula by sharing their magic power.
Their strong will and voices are flowing back to me and echoing in my head.
‘I was worried about what would happen when I came out from the countryside.
I wondered if I could make friends.
I wondered if I would be bullied again if they found out I was the child of a spirit.
I was afraid of being alone.
The day before I left for the royal capital, I could not sleep at all because I was so anxious.’
~Lara
‘Nobody recognized me.
My family did not even look at me because I was called an unwanted child.
Maybe that was why, before long, I avoided everyone around me and preferred to be alone.
I am not afraid of being alone.
But eventually, loneliness did settle in, and I could not sleep at night due to anxiety.’
~Marise
‘‘But…’’
The two voices overlap completely.
‘‘I (I) met a friend here whom I can cherish.’’
‘‘I (I) am weak compared to that person. But ──’’
And soon, the Meteor Burn was about to hit them ──
However ── an invisible barrier had formed around them.
That is a barrier magic spell called Gospel Sanctuary.
The Meteor Burn’s impact was absorbed by the barrier and disappeared without a trace.
‘‘My (My) courage can protect that person!‘‘
““HOLY SWORD!!””
The two shouted the name of the spell.
Immediately… a huge holy sword appeared above them.
It is comparable in size to the holy sword I made during the entrance examination, and there was nothing that the people from the Empire could do.
““Take this!!!””
While facing each other, Lara and Marise thrust out their right and left hands, respectively.
The Holy Sword pierced the ground where the representatives of the Imperial Capital were at, causing an explosion of holy magic power before the spell dissipated.
“Did we do it!?”
“Did we!?”
As the white smoke cleared ── the entire Imperial Capital party was down on the ground, unconscious.
All of the magic tools were crushed too, as the holy magic power of the Holy Sword had dispelled the evil magic power.
Although the Imperial Capital party was slightly injured… this much would not be life-threatening.
““We did it!!””
Seeing this, the two jumped for joy, clasping their hands together.
I called out to the seemingly empty patch of grass.
“Kurt… What’s the matter? There’s nothing over there, though?”
Lara tilted her head.
At first, the guy did not want to speak, but then, as if he had given up…
“Seems like it doesn’t work on thee. So do thou also know the truth?”
The spell was removed, and an old man appeared.
“Wow! Where did he appear from?”
“Could it be… magic? So Kurt was the only one who could see through it?”
Lara and Marise could not hide their surprise at the old man who seemed to appear out of nowhere.
“Haaa… you should do better with your cloaking magic.”
It was so poorly done that it makes me sigh.
He was hiding himself using a cloaking spell and made it look as if the representatives of the Imperial Capital were the ones who cast the Meteor Burn spell and the barrier magic.
They were so close to each other probably because they would not have been able to imitate the magic formula if they were too far apart.
If it were me, I could have made my magic reach the royal capital all the way from here. He is just a weakling.
“Who are you?”
“I am Arnold of the <<Four Great Sages>>. I came to talk with thee.”
The old man… Arnold, said in a pompous manner.
This guy is ── Oh. The old man was the only one who showed a calm demeanor in the Empire’s secret room.
He must have used some kind of teleportation magic to get here.
But still… Did he come all the way here just to talk to me?
“T-The <<Four Great Sages>> are said to be the most powerful mages in the Empire!”
“It is said that they have the power to see through everything in this world and take control of it…!”
The word, <<Four Great Sages>>, made Lara and Marise brace themselves.
“Now then… Do you admit that the Empire is intervening in the exhibition game?”
“What makes thee think so?”
Arnold smiled wickedly.
”First of all, it’s that surveillance magic device. I was able to reverse the magic power flowing in it, and by doing that, I saw everything. It seems that the Empire was trying to keep track of us from a distance.”
“Correct.”
“And then there’s the barrier magic that was placed on the students from the Imperial Capital. Judging by their abilities, they are not capable of doing that. You were the one who deployed the barrier magic on them.”
According to Lara and Marise, barrier magic is rather difficult to use in this era.
“There’s also the Meteor Burn. You hid yourself and cast it behind the scenes. And you were so used to it, weren’t you? This is not your first time. I guess you’ve done it many times before, haven’t you?”
“Correct.”
responded Arnold, still with his wicked smile on his face.
He confessed so readily. Probably he was thinking, “I’m going to kill him anyway, so let him talk as much as he wants now.”.
Erika-sensei said they had been unlucky and had not been able to win. It was made to look like bad luck, but the Empire was pulling some strings behind the scenes. Just like today.
“Thou art wise. As expected, my eyes have not deceived me.”
“Oh?”
“Now that I have heard thy story, let me get to my point… Will thou join forces with the Empire?”
Huh?
“Thy power is being wasted on the foolish royal capital.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I can tell from your magic. Thou knows a part of the truth as well as we do. This I know.”
“About the ‘Truth’ you spoke of… Do you happen to know anything about the decline of this world?”
I asked.
Lara and Marise do not understand what I am talking about.
“Kukuku…,” laughed Arnold,
“Just as I thought. Come to the Empire. I’ll tell thee the truth.”
Arnold puts out his hand.
“Kurt… don’t go!”
“Y-You can’t go!”
Lara and Marise grabbed my arms.
…Good grief.
The two seem to be worried, but there was no need to think about it.
“I refuse. I’ve always hated the Empire. So why should I join forces with you guys?”
I spat out.
The <<Four Great Sages>> certainly bothers me.
It is possible that there is someone who is stronger than me, but… looking at Arnold, it just did not seem that way.
More importantly, it was the nobles of the Empire who harassed me for being the heretic who brought about the magic revolution a thousand years ago.
Even if there is someone who is stronger than me in the Empire, there is no way I would join forces with them.
After all — I do not want to befriend the strong ones, I want to fight them.
It would be easier if we were enemies.
“Don’t you want to know the truth?”
“All I have to do is fight you now and find out.”
“Oh?”, said Arnold with a more sinister grin on his face.
”…Very well. This answer was somewhat predictable. Then as originally planned…”
Arnold unleashes his magic.
“I will have to kill you.”
“GUUUAAAAAHHHHH!”
As it is, the representatives of the Imperial Capital, who had been lying on the ground, suddenly roared.
“Hey, you trash! You can at least be my shield!”
The representatives of the Imperial Capital got up and turned toward us.
They were out of focus.
What’s more, the magic power inside their body is out of control. They were probably in unbearable pain.
This is…
“Oh? Did you boost their magic power with the magic tool? But if this continues, I’m afraid that after their magic power is exhausted, they’ll be burned to a crisp, and you won’t be able to get away with it.”
“Well, trash will die as trash.”
He is quite a nasty person. But if we take care of it quickly, everything should work out.
“All right, let’s get it done.”
As I was about to begin my assault with the representatives from the Imperial Capital ──
“Kurt! Leave them to us!”
“I can’t burden Kurt all the time.”
said Lara and Marise, who stepped in front of me.
“What’s the matter, you two? If you are worried about me, don’t be. This is as easy as setting fire to a ladybird with a magnifying glass.”
“Even so… I don’t want to rely on Kurt all the time!”
“That’s right. And we are in the same party, aren’t we? Please depend on us sometimes.”
“So Kurt, leave the representatives of the Imperial Capital to us. Let’s work together and win this!”
They look determined.
“Ha… Hahaha.”
I could not help but laugh.
I did not think the words, ‘We are in the same party’ or ‘Work together’… would be directed at me.
A thousand years ago, I always took care of things myself.
But it doesn’t feel bad at all ── to have friends, which is truly reassuring.
“All right. I will leave my back to you two.”
“Yes!”
“Take care of the <<Four Great Sages>>, Kurt!”
One of the <<Four Great Sages>> is a bit too much for them to handle, but they can deal with the representatives of the Imperial Capital.
Just in case, I will use magic to share consciousness with them. This way, I can see how they are doing, and if something unforeseen happens, I can come to their aid.
“We will be your opponent!”
“Come here!”
Lara and Marise led the representatives of the Imperial Capital away as they cast their magic.
And now I am left to confront Arnold.
“Now then… my friends will take care of your human shields. I wonder what will you do?”
“I have not planned to rely on them from the beginning. Rather, repent that thy life is shortened. Die in the hands of my magic!!”
Arnold tried to cast his magic.
Judging from the magic formula, it was probably the Thunderbolt spell.
“HAHAHAHAHAHA! DIE, DIEEE!!”
Thunderbolts flew toward me.
Arnold, who was pleased with himself, laughed loudly.
As for me ──
“This is boring.”
I raised my right hand high. A circular barrier then appeared in front of me and completely blocked all the lightning strikes from all directions.
“Wha ── !”
Arnold looks surprised.
After making sure that all the lightning strikes had stopped, I removed the barrier.
“Now…. you’re going to let me get serious, won’t you?”
Now that I know their location, let’s just use Teleportation Magic to get there.
“What do you mean by that?”
“The Imperial Capital is cheating? What makes you think so, Kurt?”
asked Lara and Marise.
“There they are! The royal capital’s mages with their defective magic power!”
“Let’s get them!”
The representatives of the Imperial Capital came running toward us and tried to cast their magic.
“These cunning fellows.”
Lara and Marise were caught off guard and failed to react to the sudden attack.
“Gather yourselves together in these hands, O flame. Be a spear, pierce the enemy, and burn them!”
The representative of the Empire began to chant.
But ── they are too slow.
I raised my hand and cast a Dispel.
“Huh…? Why isn’t it activated?”
The representatives of the Imperial Capital looked puzzled when their magic did not activate.
”Eh… why would the people from the Empire attack us? Is this the kind of cheating that Kurt was talking about…?”
“Y-You guys! This is against the rules!”
Finally understanding the situation, Lara and Marise retorted.
In response, they began to show a wicked grin on their face.
“Shut up! The only thing you need to do is to keep your mouth shut!”
Or so they say.
I see.
I do not see any teachers around.
“So they knew what we were doing with their surveillance magic devices… and even directly interfered with us, which is forbidden in the exhibition game.”
Perhaps this is not the first time. They probably did this in every exhibition game until now.
So this was the reason for the royal capital’s unnatural record of nine consecutive defeats.
“I’ve been crushing a lot of surveillance magic devices. So as soon as they saw that the situation was getting worse, they either came to get rid of us. Or maybe they came to steal the items we collected…”
As expected of the Empire. What a vulgar act.
Even after a thousand years, nothing has changed at all.
Perhaps the teachers of the royal capital are being held back from this place.
“Stop spacing out! It might have failed just now, but not this time!”
“I’ll show you… our true power!”
Oh?
Magic formulas began to revolve around them.
Someone is pulling the strings behind the scenes directly.
“Red Lotus Fire, descends from the heaven and strikes down these foolish ones ──”
At first glance, they seem to be casting a spell called Meteor Burn.
But to my eyes, it was obvious that someone else is deploying the magic formula instead.
“Meteor Burn!”
A large flaming meteor appeared above our heads and was about to fall on us.
However ──.
“It’s still too slow.”
I raised my palm up and intervened with the magic formula.
…It is just as expected. Although it is a little more powerful, it was so easy to reconfigure the magic formula.
The meteorite that was about to fall on us suddenly reversed direction and fell towards the other party.
“Aaaaahhhh!”
“W-Why is the spell we cast heading toward us…!”
As they were screaming, the meteor struck the Imperial Capital party. They were then lifted into the air by the impact and came falling back towards the ground.
“Hmm. It seems that the barrier was also deployed by someone else.”
It was originally powerful enough to kill anyone, but because of the barrier magic, most of the meteor’s killing power was absorbed.
That being said, the representatives of the Imperial Capital are not likely to recover any time soon due to the impact of the hard fall.
“Is this… over?”
“Lara. Don’t let your guard down! They may still come up with something!”
Marise had not released her tension yet and was in a position where she could deploy a magic formula at any time.
“I’ve been thinking of it as child’s play… but now I’m running out of patience.”
“Eh?”
I had just crushed the twelfth insect today, and I am really starting to get angry for good.
“What’s the matter, Kurt?”
Marise looked at me dubiously.
I guess she did not notice it. Well, it cannot be helped. As for me, I can clearly see the surveillance magic devices that were flying around us.
At first glance, these magic devices look like any normal insect.
However, footage can be transmitted to a distant place through the magic device.
That means someone is using it to keep an eye on us.
But for what purpose?
Are the teachers using it so that students do not fall into danger during the exhibition game?
No. If that were the case, there would be an explanation before the exhibition game even began, but no such explanation was given, and considering the level of civilization of this world, it’s just unthinkable.
”The surveillance magic device is beyond the current civilization’s capabilities…”
In that case.
“Everyone listen up.”
“What’s the matter, Kurt?”
“Even though we’ve been collecting the items at a very good pace…”
Upon hearing that, everyone stopped.
Incidentally… we had stepped into the second floor after obtaining the supreme treasure on the first floor.
Unfortunately, the supreme treasure was a disappointing item for me. It was <<The Fool’s Staff>>. But Marise seemed excited and said, “A-Amazing!! It’s an SSS-rank item!”.
“We’ve got to pull ourselves together here. Stay alert.”
“That’s right. I know I shouldn’t let my guard down either, but this is indeed already……”
said Lara and Marise, but I continued in a serious tone of voice.
“Listen to me. Someone has been watching us since a while ago.”
““What?””
The two responded together.
“Kurt, that means…”
“I mean it as it is. Those surveillance magic devices had been flying around us for a while now. It should be all right now because I destroy it every time I discover one… but probably this was set up by the people from the Imperial Capital.”
“T-That’s… against the rules, isn’t it!?”
Marise is right.
Originally, it was against the rules to intervene from the outside during the exhibition game. For example, receiving help from the teachers. If a teacher intervened, they would lose by disqualification.
If we show them one of the broken surveillance magic devices and point out the rule violation, we might be able to win.
But that would be boring.
That being said… It seems that even in this era, the Imperial Capital is a cowardly one.
And with only one piece of evidence, you never know what kind of excuses they might come up with.
Therefore,
“We are going to take control of the people who are watching us now.”
As I declared this, a surveillance device that looked like an insect flew in at just the right moment.
Lara and Marise didn’t seem to notice it.
“Volt Bird!”
I cast a spell at the flying surveillance tool.
In an instant, the magic formula of the spell that made the electric shock took the form of a bird and headed toward the surveillance tool.
A direct hit would only destroy them.
So… I’m going to get creative this time.
Originally, the surveillance magic device and the relay point are connected by magic power.
The principle is that the magic power becomes a cable that transmits the footage.
In that case.
Through that magic power, it is also possible to send spells to the relay point.
“Kurt. You used magic again… Could it be that there‘s another surveillance magic device again?”
Marise is questioning me, but I will have to explain later.
Because even I have to concentrate a bit more from here on out.
My plan succeeds, and the Volt Bird travels to the relay point through the surveillance magic device.
Doing so, I was also able to observe what is happening on the other side in my mind.
‘What just happened! T-The monitor suddenly…!’
‘What’s going on? Is it malfunctioning!?’
The other side is flustered by the rampaging Volt Bird in the room.
This magic spell called Volt Bird has a certain degree of autonomy and keeps going toward the target.
Some of them are… hmm? There were also teachers from the Imperial Capital. Including the faces that I saw before entering the <<Treasure labyrinth>>… There’s no doubt about that now.
But still… They were quite careless.
It would have been common sense a thousand years ago to reflect spells or magic back to the other side through surveillance magic devices.
That was why one or two jamming spells would be used to prevent that from happening.
‘Hahahahaha! What a surprise! I thought it was only theoretically possible to cast magic through the device but to think that someone could actually make it happen! And that such a monster would appear not from the Empire, but from the Royal Capital!’
Among them.
There was an old man in a robe.
“Hm?”
“What’s the matter, Kurt? You seem to have been deep in thought since a while ago.”
I heard Lara’s voice, but rather, I was surprised to see the man in the footage.
Oh..? He seems to be deploying barrier magic.
Hence, only one of them is able to survive the Volt Bird’s attack.
“Seems like there’s someone who’s a little better than the rest in this world, too.”
“Kurt. What are you mumbling about? Please explain it to us, too!”
At any rate, the situation has been confirmed.
“The people from the Imperial Capital are cheating.”
