WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 611: Curl and Gradient

──────

A violent storm, as though it had gathered every wind in the world, swept across the floating castle. The wind pressure was strong enough to tear the deck apart. Shei's Skywarbler could endure it thanks to her control over the wind, but it was as clear as a candle in the wind that it would not last long.

Unable even to scream, I cried inwardly.

One-Way? That's a ridiculously overpowered innate arcane.

Innate arcane was inherently irrational and unfair. Still, the innate arcane called One-Way was a brutal, one-sided power worthy of its name. We could not move from this side to that side, yet they could attack us from there?

More than anything, the combination of White magic and innate arcane was devastating. It merely condensed air, yet its force surpassed strategic-grade magic. It was war-grade magic, power capable of stopping or starting a war simply by existing.

Only those who went beyond wielding innate arcane and amplified its power through White magic earned the title of mage.

And I had forgotten that Lankart, facing such overwhelming, irrational violence, was also a mage.

"Hey. Aren't you getting a little too worked up over something pointless?"

Lankart inserted a packet into his biological terminal. Thick gloves rose around his hands in an alchemical glow.

They were magic tools made by modifying the military state's clothing packets into gauntlets. The pure-white gloves were covered in magic circles, with jewels hanging from every knuckle, making them look almost like brass knuckles.

"Set, Re."

Lankart had learned the military state's formula magic. Formula magic, which used the caster's body as a medium, was fast and convenient, but limited in grade and power. Gems and magic circles were essential for higher-grade magic.

So why not combine the strengths of both?

That was why Lankart had created his own magic tools by combining White magic and formula magic.

He folded his fingers. His thumb pointed upward, his index and middle fingers remained straight, his ring finger was half-folded, and his little finger bent at a right angle. It was his own White magic, converting finger positions into rune language. Lankart formed a hand sign and cast his spell.

"Eye of the Storm."

What Lankart created was a small patch of low pressure. In the right-hander's world, though, even that became a storm.

The rushing wind was sucked into the right-hander's world. The vortex swallowed it with terrifying force and directed the raging current upward.

If the Green Tower Master's innate arcane was One-Way, Lankart's was Vortex. It trapped force fired in a straight line within a vortex. The storm could weather even stones into grains of sand, but Lankart stood calmly at its center.

"It won't work. Your innate arcane and mine belong to different domains. You're one of the few right-handers I acknowledge... but a right-hander is still a right-hander."

Any power directed at Lankart would miss him. In the right-hander's world, the rules of the right hand lost their power.

Only a left-hander could destroy that world.

Once again, I keenly realized just how cowardly innate arcane was. The Green Tower Master felt the same.

"Lankart... As expected, your mental image doesn't suit mine..."

"I don't have any feelings about you. Why don't you stop being stubborn and move aside? You're getting annoying."

"I can't do that."

Clicking her tongue, the Green Tower Master folded the umbrella and slammed it into the floating castle. Just as Lankart, thinking it was over, began to walk away without concern, a magic circle appeared beneath his feet.

The magic circle spread across the entire floating castle. Lankart stared in shock at the surging mana beneath his feet.

"Huh?"

"The Green Tower's role is defense. Its duty is to protect magic and knowledge from all harm. Lankart Spendry, an Arcane Federation investigator who not only illegally entered the floating castle but also rejected lawful judgment and counterattacked, I, Eliot, Green Tower Master, will summarily punish you under my authority."

"Hey. That's cheating! The power of the celestial axis...!"

Even Lankart's expression changed, as though the floating castle's magic posed a danger to him. Having quickly grasped the magic circle, he tried to leave its range before the spell could be completed.

He was one step too late. The magic circle finished just before Lankart escaped, shining as it activated the magic engraved into the floating castle.

The Green Tower Master lightly twisted the umbrella planted against the ground.

"Begone, Investigator."

The celestial axis trembled, and the floating castle's magic "launched" Lankart.

Even Lankart, who controlled the rotation around himself, could not cancel the change in gravity pushing him away. His body was expelled from the floating castle faster than anyone else.

His defeat was so absurdly sudden that I muttered loudly enough for everyone to hear.

"...What was that guy doing? He talked so big, then got kicked out that quickly!"

The Green Tower Master deactivated the magic circle and replied, "That's the foolishness of illegally entering while relying on someone like that."

"I wasn't relying on him! He said he'd take us here, so I just rode along like I was getting into a carriage! How was I supposed to know he'd bring us here all smug, then get kicked out a few minutes later?!"

"...Hmm. I see. Commoners would not know any better. You commoners who came here relying solely on Lankart may feel wronged."

Maybe because I had sincerely insulted Lankart, the Green Tower Master spoke in a much gentler tone.

"Whatever the circumstances, you commoners have also violated Federation law. Under the Green Tower Master's authority, I will temporarily detain you. Please come quietly."

Huh? Just detention? Whew, I thought we were getting expelled. That wasn't so bad.

I was about to happily head out when Shei suddenly flared up.

"What? You attacked us without warning, and now you're saying we'll be detained? Do you think we'll accept that?!"

...Why not? It would be nice to accept it. I was already exhausted, so wouldn't it be better to rest here for a while?

Still, I was shy around strangers and hated stepping forward, so I couldn't cut in. The Green Tower Master answered Shei.

"This is not a request. It is a notice. You commoners will accept it."

"Who says so?!"

"I do."

Without chanting, the Green Tower Master created water with magic. She lightly scattered the water gathered at the tip of her umbrella, then activated her innate arcane.

"Do not misunderstand. You commoners cannot ask anything of chosen people like us."

Fluids flowed because every individual droplet was an object in motion. Even when water appeared still, its droplets were moving at considerable speed every moment.

The authority of One-Way forced all that motion in a single direction.

"You probably don't understand the mystery contained in these water bullets either."

The moment they touched the authority of One-Way, the scattered droplets accelerated in one direction. Bullets made of water shot toward Shei from all around. Since I had never been much of a target to begin with, I barely dodged them, but Shei had to swing Skywarbler to block them.

"You!"

Shei swung Skywarbler wide and launched herself forward, reaching the Green Tower Master's vicinity in an instant. Having judged her opponent to be an enemy, she swung her aura-wreathed blade without the slightest hesitation.

One-Way, though, was closer to a defensive innate arcane than an offensive one.

Skywarbler was effortlessly blocked by the Green Tower Master's barrier. Exhausted from the long battle, Shei nearly lost her sword from the recoil.

"Low and foolish commoners cannot ask anything of chosen people. How could an ant understand a human's perspective? And how could a human make an ant understand their knowledge?"

They could not even dare approach. The Green Tower Master spoke arrogantly, without so much as twitching an eyebrow, as though it were the natural outcome.

Shei bit her lip and shouted.

"Tch... If only I had Stair-Step, something like this...!?"

Shei, who had shouted on instinct, suddenly froze.

'Huh? Wait. Stair-Step? What is that? Why did it suddenly come to mind?'

Are you actually senile? Did you regress so much that you got amnesia? Ugh, you elementary-school dropout idiot. How are you supposed to overcome One-Way's innate arcane by walking up stairs? Aura can't do that. Unless it isn't aura somehow?

'This isn't the time. Think about that later! Focus on the fight!'

If a strike against a mage failed, one had to disengage. Shei tried to faithfully follow that doctrine. Just as she kicked off the ground to retreat, her footing slipped.

As she fell, Shei instinctively realized that something had interfered beneath her feet.

'It shifted my foothold with One-Way...!'

If she had not been exhausted, she would have reacted. Shei did not have that much leeway. As she slipped on footing she could not send her aura into, the other mages' spells flew at her. Ropes crackling with lightning wrapped around her body.

"Urgh...!"

She protected herself from the electricity with aura, but the lightning-charged ropes stuck together and tangled, hindering Shei's movements. The Green Tower Master walked up to the immobilized Shei, raised her chin proudly, and spoke.

"Do you understand now?"

"Yes! I understand! I'll follow the Green Tower Master's wise decision!"

I raised my hand high and ran in front of the Green Tower Master.

I had wanted to stay quiet, but I needed to act before Shei struggled any harder. We couldn't defeat the Green Tower Master here, and even if we did, it wasn't as though we could fight the entire floating castle.

For now, we should lower our heads and go along with them. If I did, Shei would at least stay quiet.

"You're a commoner who can be reasoned with. Accept your restraints quietly."

"If it isn't too much trouble, could I be tied up with rope that doesn't conduct electricity? I don't really like static electricity."

"Of course. I am not cruel even to commoners who know their place."

Innate arcane reflected its caster's mental image. Their beliefs were also part of that image.

The Green Tower Master called One-Way was one-way in the literal sense. She wanted to influence others but had no desire to be influenced herself. At times like this, I had to follow that one-way path obediently. I could gradually coax it in another direction, but if I resisted, we would collide head-on.

"I can tie my own hands! Give me the rope!"

"...I don't think that will be necessary."

Ah, did I overdo it? It was fine. There was no such thing as being too accommodating.

That was how I had survived this harsh world with my frail body.

'You're going to let them catch you? Wouldn't it be better to escape?'

When would we escape? Wouldn't it be better to eat prison food in the floating castle than go back outside? I desperately signaled at Shei with my eyes. Shei had been sulking, but under my continued glances, she gradually reddened and lowered her gaze slightly.

Something felt strange... Anyway, Shei had obediently accepted the aura restraints. After confirming everything, the Green Tower Master was about to order us onward when she suddenly looked at me and frowned.

'...Wait. What did that man do?'

What now? What's the problem?

'I definitely fired water bullets at that man. How did he respond without even drawing up mana...?'

Well, that was simple. I was lucky.

If I read her thoughts, I could estimate the range of One-Way and dodge its trajectory. And I could also... twist it a little.

"...You appear to be quite a skilled aura user. Consider this a warning. I expect you to follow my instructions quietly. Commoners who possess nothing but strength are dangerous elements even the floating castle keeps an eye on."

"Hmph. It'll be fine as long as you don't act however you please."

The Green Tower Master wondered why Shei was answering, but since Shei was clearly a skilled aura user as well, she did not bother correcting it.

"Let's go. Open the magic tower."

It was not quite the form we had wanted, but that was how we entered the floating castle.

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried