Book 3: Chapter 23

The only way to enter the royal capital Edius that was surrounded by stone walls was to pass through the gates that were created in the four cardinal directions.

The largest one was the main gate where the front of the royal castle could be stared at, and was a place where the royal castle guards followed by the elite soldiers could be stationed.

And then, the one that Rokuna was currently trying to pass through was one of the other three gates.

Although it wasn’t the main gate, as long as it had the disposition of being a place that was a vital point to the royal capital’s defense, it should be a duty to be proud of……but she just couldn’t feel any motivation from the soldiers.

When Rokuna approached the gate, she called out to a soldier standing there.

「Hey, can I go through here?」

「Nn? Ahh, a Human huh. You can go through. What is your name?」

Seeing the soldier answer her while yawning, Rokuna turned an astounded gaze towards him.

「It’s Rokuna. That was pretty easy, wasn’t itー. Is that alright? For it to be like that.」

「Sure is. It’s because no matter what I hear, in the end, everything will be known with this.」

Seeing the thing that the man pulled out, Rokuna went “I see” and nodded.

A『Reveal Crystal』──It was an item that would display the person’s Status when used.

However, with the low performance 『Reveal Crystal』 that the man currently possessed, it wasn’t possible to see Rokuna’s true identity.

Name: Rokuna

Race: Human

Rank: S

Level: 67

Occupation: Magician

Equipment: Magic Rod

Magic Robe

Technical Skills: Magical Power Perception E

Magic Development A

Chant Disposal S

「Heeh……Ojou-chan, you’re pretty amazing. The fact that you’re coming from here means that you’re probably from the Canal Kingdom but……Are you an Adventurer or something?」

Hearing the soldier’s words, Rokuna grinned and answered.

「I’m a mere researcher. So, can I go through?」

When the soldier, who had written down several of the items displayed by the 『Reveal Crystal』, raised his head back up, he made a broad smile.

「Ou, of course. Welcome to the St. Altlis Kingdom. Don’t get too close to the back alleys. The public order has been pretty bad lately after all.」

「I’ll remember that.」

Answering like that and passing through the gate, Rokuna gazed at the Edius townscape after reaching the plaza.

Most of the buildings were made of stone, and even the streets were paved with stone.

There were also many buildings that emitted grand atmospheres, which most likely exemplified the St. Altlis Kingdom’s power.

The people that were coming and going were all Human, and there wasn’t even a figure of a Sylphid, Metalio, or Beastman.

「I see……」

Rokuna muttered “so this is the result of that Demi-Human argument thing”.

The Syphid also had a tendency to create their own communities, but that was because of the difference in the time that they lived in and the aspect that they did so reluctantly was strong, but even so, the effort that they put into interacting with other races somehow gave the potential for them to change in a good direction.

However, this spectacle before her right now was the result of elitism.

Other than eliminating that ideology, there was no way for them to improve.

「Well, that’s fine. More importantly, I wonder which way the 『Steel Fish Store』 was.」

「Did you say the 『Steel Fish Store』?」

As she restlessly surveyed the area, a fat hand was placed on Rokuna’s shoulder.

When she turned around, there was a large muscular man and three men expressing suspicious-looking smiles standing behind him.

「We know where that is. Shall we guide you there?」

「Right, right, Kinia-san is super informed about the town, ya know.」

「Just leave it ta us. ‘Kay?」

They were clearly of the same kind as those bandits from earlier.

Although she had become sick of it, Rokuna expressed a smile.

And then, smoothly escaping from the man’s hand, she impishly thrust her index finger at him.

「Saying something like that, is it trueー?」

「Ou. The 『Steel Fish Store』, right? The shortcut to it is this way.」

What the man called Kinia had pointed to was clearly a darkness that seemed to be a back street.

Certainly, the place that the 『Steel Fish Store』 was at was a back street, but she at least knew that it wasn’t that way.

Thinking “there’s a limit to being so easy to understand”, Rokuna moved her index finger to the front of Kinia’s chest while expressing a smile.

「……Do you know about the specialty of a store in the back streets called bokovokko?」

「’Course I do. Come on, let’s go, ‘kay?」

Maybe because started to find the conversation to be a pain, Kinia tried to grab Rokuna’s hand, and at that moment.

*Zudon* Together with that sound, Kinia’s body was blown backwards.

After confirming that the other men who were standing behind him got dragged into it and fell down, Rokuna breathed an exaggerated sigh.

「I seeー, so you know about itー. The bokovokko that I know of is where you beat someone up (bokoboko) with Wind Pressure Bullets until the shape of their face changes though. It must be some kind of fate that you would know about it here……I’ll treat you to it. How about I give the choice of having seconds?」

The men who somehow stood up raised screams that went “hii” and stepped back.

「P……pl, please wait a moment.」

「A moment. ……Okay, I waited.」

The Wind Pressure Bullet blew the men away once again.

「Wrong, wrong! Please listen to what we’re sayin’!」

「Sure, it was wrong. I don’t know what was wrong though. Okay, I listened.」

A Wind Pressure Bullet blew the men away even more.

「I told you to wait, oi!」

「Don’t wanna.」

This time, as she was about to blow the men away with a Wind Pressure Barrage Bullet──a magic that fired multiple Wind Pressure Bullets, someone grabbed Rokuna’s arm and pulled her away.

「Hold on there, Nee-san! What’re you doing. Come this way!」

「Ha?」

「Come on, quickly!」

Being pulled by a man with golden hair, Rokuna left the place that started to gather people.

Coming to a stop in a place that was about two streets away, Rokuna looked at the guy how was still too young to be called a young man.

She was called “Nee-san”, but Rokuna didn’t have a golden haired younger brother.

「Jeez, if you did any more than that, then even the security soldiers would have come flying over, you know?」

「So, you intended on saving me from that?」

「Eh? Yeah, pretty much. Was I a bother?」

Being told that, Rokuna shook her head sideways.

「I wouldn’t say that. But well, things did finish before I could break their spirits. It might’ve been better if I made the finishing blow.」

「No, I wonder about that……」

The wryly smiling boy noticed that Rokuna was gazing at him and swallowed his words.

It was a terribly serious expression.

Feeling an atmosphere he was unable to make fun of, the boy gazed back at Rokuna while feeling confused.

When he did, Rokuna quietly opened her mouth.

「You, what’s your name?」

「Eh, ah……Kain. I’m Kain Stagias.」

That name, was one that Rokuna knew. He was the young boy that Ein had come into contact with.

「Hmmn……」

Looking at Kain, Rokuna immediately noticed the size of the magical power that immanated from him.

She didn’t know about it in detail, but she was able to understand that it was most likely a distinguished amount even among those of mankind.

He might become a considerably influential person in the future, but after facing Kain like this, she didn’t feel any discomposed feelings in her chest like when she met Sancreed.

In that case, there was a high possibility that Kain was not the Hero.

Rokuna decided that for now, and talked to Kain.

「Ehー……Um. Kain?」

The fact that she met with Kain here was actually perfect.

It was because Rokuna’s objective this time was the young girl who was Kain’s acquaintance.

「Ah, yes.」

「I’m Rokuna. I’m a travelling magic researcher.」

Seeing Kain go *hehー* and be impressed, Rokuna showed a smile.

Since he had gone as far as to save her, Kain shouldn’t harbor any wariness towards Rokuna. There was no way she wouldn’t make use of that.

「What I’m researching right now, is Summon Magic.」

「Summon Magic……is it.」

「Kain, can you use it?」

After she purposely asked him that, Kain expressed a troubled-looking smile.

「No, I can’t use it.」

「I see, that’s unfortunate.」

Rokuna answered, and clicked her tongue in her mind.

She thought that he would talk about the young Summon Magician girl here, but it seemed that Kain was not that careless.

Rokuna decided to attack from a different angle.

「Actually, I had heard that there was someone who could use Summon Magic in this town. Incidentally, I had hired a person who said they knew that person as my guard.」

「Eh, could it be those earlier men……?」

「No way.」

When Rokuna smiled and snapped her fingers with a *pachin*, a black shadow swooped down next to her.

「E, Ein!? The guard was you!?」

「That’s right. Kain, please introduce that girl to this person.」

「Eh? Eh, uーm……」

They get along quite well……is the impression that Rokuna had as she saw the two’s exchange.

There were various things that she wanted to say to Ein, but they would have to be postponed for now.

「Is there some kind of problem?」

When Rokuna asked that, Kain scratched his head looking troubled.

「Well, although there isn’t a problem, there is kind of a problem, um.」

Kain groaned “how should I explain thisー”, and after he twisted his body and folded his arms, he spat out words looking like he found it painful.

「……If I increase the number of beautiful women acquaintances any more than this, my life will honestly be in danger.」

「Sorry, I don’t understand what you mean at all.」

「Ahー, in other words.」

Seeing Rokuna look astounded, Ein supplemented the conversation while looking at Kain with scornful eyes.

「This man called Kain is a genius at increasing his lover candidates one after another. Since he doesn’t show any self-restraint at all, it is the women that do the rectifying.」

「Hーn. He’s like the Hero, isn’t he?」

「Ahaha, I’m often told that.」

Kain replied to Rokuna’s words with a strained laugh mixed in.

Seeking Kain reply like that with absolutely no hesitation, Rokuna suffered disappointment.

If Kain were the Hero, he surely wouldn’t make this kind of reply.

「Well, it’s fine. If you have an acquaintance that can use Summon Magic, introduce them to me. If you don’t, those fictional lovers will increase by about seven by tomorrow, you know?」

「Wait, that won’t be funny at all!」

Rokuna said “I’m joking” to the panicking Kain and continued her words.

「Time is finite and important. Please promptly introduce me to that acquaintance-san.」

「Ha, haa. If it’s at this time, I think she’s probably at the store.」

「Store?」

Ein quietly whispered to Rokuna who expressed a question mark.

「She is the daughter of the president of the company called the 『Tianot Company』 which has expanded its influence in the St. Altlis Kingdom. They have put out a large store even in the royal capital.」

Being told that, Rokuna remembered the contents of the reports from Ein.

Sharon Tianot.

If she remembered correctly, she should have been a young lady with that kind of name.

「Hーn. Well, that doesn’t matter if I can meet with her.」

Saying that, Rokuna urged Kain on, and Kain started walking while being confused.

While guiding the two, Kain spoke out the question that came to his mind.

「Rokuna-san……what, are you going to do once you meet her?」

「What do you mean by do?」

「Well, like I’m trying to say. The fact that you want to meet her means that you have some sort of objective, right?」

Hearing that, Rokuna thought “I see”.

Most likely, it seemed that Kain didn’t completely trust Rokuna.

However, that could also be said to be natural.

Considering the situation that encircled the current St. Altlis Kingdom, it wouldn’t be strange if there were people that would try and make political use of rare magic.

No, perhaps there might have already been various things that happened in relationship to that.

「Although that question is meaningless, I’ll answer it.」

That is why, Rokuna did not divulge her true objective──However, she decided to answer him earnestly.

「First, Kain, how much do you know about Summon Magic?」

「Erm……it’s more like a ritual, and currently, only specific people can use it……that’s about it.」

Hearing Kain’s answer, Rokuna nodded.

「That’s right, that is the current common knowledge. But, there isn’t any magic that can only be used by specific people.」

Magic is a phenomenon, and is something that can be used as long as specific processes and conditions are satisfied──that was Rokuna’s pet theory.

「At this point in time, the fact that it can only be used by specific people means in other words that there are conditions that only those specific people can satisfy. And then, that should most likely be something that makes it easy for them to use Summon Magic.」

Something like chants and magic formations which makes it easier to use magic.

That sort of thing most likely exists for Summon Magic as well.

If even that could be explained, then it should be possible for Summon Magic to be used by people other than the 「specific people」 as well.

Rokuna’s objective went even further beyond that……but she had no intention of going out of her way to explain that here.

「I will explain that. For the sake of that, I want to meet with the girl who can use Summon Magic.」