WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Order

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Chapter 146: Request

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At the news that Starwave's sealing tool had been lost, Marcus recoiled in shock.

"Didn't you always keep the sealing tool on you? Look again!"

Sonia frantically searched her clothes, then rummaged through the small bag she always carried. But of course, she couldn't find Starwave's sealing tool.

"How could you lose something like that?"

Sonia bristled at Marcus's reprimand.

"Do you think I carried it around without any precautions? If the wrong person touched it, a weak lightning spell would go off. And if it left my possession, it was supposed to sound a loud alarm!"

"But we didn't hear anything."

"...That bastard, the Master of the Central Magic Tower, secretly dispelled my magic before taking it."

Elbridge knew little about magic.

Still, it didn't seem likely that Sonia could easily break through three layers of the Master of the Central Magic Tower's barriers. It must have only been possible because the Master of the Central Magic Tower had been focused elsewhere.

'Unless he deliberately exposed a weakness to make Sonia lower her guard...'

Marcus and Sonia were still flustered.

"How did that bastard know you had the sealing tool?"

"I don't really... Ah!"

Sonia's eyes widened as though she had realized something.

"What? Why are you acting like that all of a sudden?"

When Marcus asked, Sonia lowered her voice.

"There was once a secret research project at the Central Magic Tower."

"What kind of research?"

"An experiment to seal demons using only a mage's ability."

"Ah. That did happen."

Sonia narrowed her eyes at Marcus's agreement.

"What? Why are you pretending to know about it?"

"Well... because I do know."

"Stop talking nonsense."

"I'm not joking. I told you I once visited the Master of the Central Magic Tower's office, didn't I? The mages in the Magic Tower's basement were sealing a demon when things went wrong. I helped resolve the situation and was invited afterward."

Sonia looked unconvinced.

"You sealed a demon?"

"Of course, Sir Elbridge handled it, not me."

"That... does sound possible."

This time, Marcus narrowed his eyes. Still, he had nothing to say in response.

"I didn't realize that had been you two. What a coincidence... Anyway, there were quite a few rumors about that research."

"What kind of rumors?"

"It was said to be research into sealing demons with a mage's ability alone, but the Master of the Central Magic Tower seemed more interested in the side effects of sealing than in the sealing itself. Things like the mana fluctuations produced when a demon was sealed, or the faint flow of mana leaking from a stable sealing tool."

That meant the Master of the Central Magic Tower had somehow detected Starwave's sealing tool and quietly taken it.

After listening to Sonia, Rombel muttered, "Old enough to know better, and he's still got sticky fingers. Fucking bastard..."

Sonia continued.

"And to conduct that research, they would have had to repeatedly unseal demons and seal them again, right? Thinking about it now, I think the Master of the Central Magic Tower was more interested in breaking seals than creating them."

Because the research had been presented as an effort to seal demons with magic alone, the mages hadn't been especially suspicious even when they saw the Master of the Central Magic Tower breaking demon seals. Elbridge's group had been the same.

Now that things had turned out this way, Elbridge could hardly understand why they hadn't suspected the Master of the Central Magic Tower at the time.

Elbridge sighed.

"...Damn it. He was so brazen that I didn't notice. His excuse was convincing, too."

"It can't be helped. It's already happened."

Only then did Elbridge's group look toward the gap in space Niserath had created. Compared to when Niserath first entered it, the rift had shrunk to less than half its original size.

Rombel crossed his arms as he stared at the rift.

"Niserath still hasn't returned. Looks like things aren't going well. Shouldn't we go help before the rift closes?"

Sonia recoiled in alarm.

"Do you think spatial teleportation is child's play? To move someone else through spatial teleportation, two archmages need to anchor the coordinates from both sides. Otherwise, you'll get stuck in the gap in space and never come back."

"Niserath can handle that side somehow, so you can take care of this side."

Sonia hesitated at Rombel's remark.

"...I'm not skilled enough for that."

"Niserath was opening gaps in space and moving around like it was nothing."

"That's because that elf isn't an ordinary mage. The circumstances also lined up perfectly. When Niserath came here, that silver coin-shaped artifact anchored the coordinates on this side. And when Niserath followed the Master of the Central Magic Tower, Niserath was able to do it because I was holding onto the Master's trace."

Sonia seemed a little smug as she said that. She appeared proud of having held onto the Master of the Central Magic Tower's trace.

A moment later, Sonia swayed slightly. Elbridge crouched in front of her.

"Get on my back before you collapse."

Sonia didn't refuse and climbed onto his back. She was still conscious because she remained highly agitated, but once things settled down and the tension left her, she would surely pass out.

Then Elbridge heard murmuring.

Only now did he look around.

'Oh no.'

People had gathered around the temple in droves. It was only natural. They had witnessed a spectacle unlike anything they would ever see elsewhere. Blades flashing, high-level magic being cast one after another, and people appearing and disappearing through torn space.

No, calling it a spectacle wasn't enough.

As if they had witnessed a scene from myth, the people watched Elbridge's group with eyes close to reverence. It wasn't only ordinary people. Even the proud nobles were no exception.

The western mages scattered among them were the most shocked of all.

Elbridge lowered his voice.

"Let's leave for now."

"What about Niserath?"

"They said they could track our location with the silver coin. They'll find us wherever we go."

As long as the Master of the Central Magic Tower hadn't killed Niserath.

Elbridge didn't say that last part aloud.

* * *

Elbridge's group returned to House Hagenlot.

The people of Royal Capital Leodel swarmed after them like rats following the Pied Piper, but they couldn't enter the estate.

Once Elbridge's group returned to their room, a rift appeared in the air and Niserath emerged from it.

"...Niserath. You don't look well."

As Elbridge said, Niserath wasn't in good condition.

Their face was as pale as a corpse, their entire body was drenched in blood, and their left arm had withered like an old tree.

Yet Niserath spoke in their usual cheerful voice.

"That one wasn't easy to deal with."

"Still, you made it back alive."

"It probably wasn't easy for him to deal with me either. Here, a souvenir."

Niserath grinned and handed Elbridge an eyeball.

Elbridge stared at Niserath in horror, but both of Niserath's eyes were intact.

'The Master of the Central Magic Tower's eye?'

Niserath brushed back their hair and asked Elbridge, "I thought you'd call me for something normal, but I didn't expect to have to fight someone like that. So what the hell is that mage?"

"He's the Master of the Central Magic Tower."

"Ah. The one who supposedly ascended to heaven and came back down."

"That's right."

"No wonder he was no pushover. How did you end up clashing with someone like that?"

In response to Niserath's question, Elbridge summarized everything that had happened so far.

Niserath sighed regretfully.

"Ah, damn it. If I'd cut off his head, I could've ascended to heaven this time. No, I should be grateful I didn't die... Still, what a waste."

Niserath rubbed their face as if exhausted, then patted Elbridge's shoulder.

"I was only planning to help once, but it looks like you'll keep getting tangled up with the Master of the Central Magic Tower. I didn't exactly solve the problem cleanly either... Call me again if anything happens. You still have the silver coin I gave you, right?"

When Elbridge nodded, Niserath opened another gap in space with a tired smile.

Niserath was about to leave, but paused.

"Oh, right. That young mage seems pretty capable. Tell her to contact me if she needs help."

"I will."

Niserath vanished into the gap in space.

Elbridge remembered the cabin where Niserath lived. Just as Niserath had found him through the silver coin, perhaps they had prepared a way to return home from anywhere.

Once Niserath disappeared, the Goddess of the Rusted Shield sent an oracle in a voice full of concern.

- Elbridge.

"Yes, Goddess."

- Your Goddess is always watching over you.

"Of course, I know."

- But for a brief moment just now, I could not see you. It was as though you were hidden behind a thick veil.

"I think the Master of the Central Magic Tower did something. He seemed to have some method of avoiding heaven's gaze. He spoke freely of heaven's secrets."

- Heaven's secrets? What secrets do you mean?

"He spoke of the Archdemon, and why the Heavenly Council was introduced."

At that, the Goddess of the Rusted Shield grew even more concerned.

- Elbridge. Your Goddess was deeply worried that something might happen to you beneath that veil. Fortunately, it did not lead to a serious problem this time, but there is no guarantee the next time will be the same...

Elbridge asked carefully, "Goddess. In that situation, would it be possible for me to receive your divine power?"

- It would not be possible. Your prayers would not reach your Goddess, and I would not be able to know what situation you were in.

A Paladin being unable to receive a god's divine power was an extreme penalty.

The combat arts of every combat church had been developed on the assumption that they could use divine power.

"I see..."

Elbridge thought about it. Could he face the Master of the Central Magic Tower with only his own abilities?

'It won't be easy.'

If anything, the chances of losing were much higher.

But then a thought crossed Elbridge's mind.

'What about Bella-style Combat Art?'

Divine power bestowed by a god required communication between a god and a Paladin.

Bella-style Combat Art was different. It didn't use divine power granted by a god. Instead, it used the divinity a Paladin had accumulated within their body as fuel.

That meant there would be no problem using Bella-style Combat Art even if communication with heaven was cut off.

'Bella-style Combat Art is essential if I want to break through the Master of the Central Magic Tower's barriers. I have to achieve mastery somehow.'

The problem was that recognizing its necessity didn't mean he knew when he would attain that mastery.

Just considering that it was a combat art mastered only by Sentinels, who had lived for nearly an eternity...

Elbridge stopped his thoughts there, slapped both cheeks with his hands, and gathered his resolve.

'...No. The Paladins of old failed to attain mastery because they didn't know such a combat art existed. But I saw it with my own eyes and even heard an explanation. I know the path I need to take, so if I work hard enough, I can reach it.'

Elbridge raised his head.

Sonia lay sprawled across the bed, snoring softly. Marcus was deep in thought with an intensely serious expression. Rombel was secretly picking up and eating pastries from the table when no one was looking.

Elbridge took a deep breath and leaned back in a soft chair.

After some time had passed, someone knocked on the door.

Knock, knock.

Elbridge rose and opened it.

Standing there was Murvach's younger brother, Marquis Garmon Hagenlot.

Unlike before, when Marquis Garmon Hagenlot had shown little interest in Elbridge's group, there was a hint of tension on his face. He had likely heard about what happened at the temple earlier.

"...Sir Elbridge."

It wasn't simply a matter of interest.

Marquis Garmon Hagenlot seemed subtly intimidated by Elbridge, as though he had only just realized who Elbridge truly was.

"Please speak."

Marquis Garmon Hagenlot hesitated for a moment, then bowed his head as though making up his mind.

"Would you grant me one request?"

Footnotes:

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