CH 44

44 Monologue of A Certain Former Staff of Magic Tool Research Institute

Ah, the culprit really did come, eh? I mused as I discreetly observed the guy. From how he appeared, that fella seemed to be suspicious of something, but he failed to notice what that ‘something’ was. Still, that fella was indeed good. Even though he realized something was odd about this situation, when he opened his mouth to speak, his expression was still normal. He even showed the snack he carried in the bag with him as if he didn’t notice anything was strange!

“Hey, Bates, how are you? I hear you haven’t gone home in the last few days, always locking yourself inside this store… I brought snacks with me, but… Hey, are you there?!”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m here. Sorry for the trouble. Place it right there, please.”

Always teasing Luke―― Or, should I say that Trevor has always been deliberate in his actions that led everything to a discussion? I wondered idly as I urged him to sit in the chair that had already had been installed with magic tools to restrain his limbs and back.

“EH?!” Trevor exclaimed, unable to hide his shock when the chair suddenly restricted him the moment he sat.

However, I didn’t give him one whit of attention at all, choosing instead to give a signal to the people hiding. Immediately, the military police who had been hiding themselves showed up and surrounded Trevor. And without wasting a moment, two of them began to examine him, seizing every single thing they could find in his pocket or in the bag of food he brought.

After confisticating everything, the military police got away from Trevor and activated a barrier around him. Something like a transparent, light green membrane then appeared from the hexagram magic circle that was installed on the floor.

“W-What’s the meaning of this, Bates?! Why are you doing this to me?!”

I ignored Trevor’s questions and proceeded to examine the confiscated items. The things that were found in his pocket are a pen, notebook, notes containing the progress of the research, the data from the research institution and mage’s department, wallet, key house, proof of being a member of mage department, and things that were normally found in your everyday ordinary bag.

Edged tools aside, none of these seems to be magic tools. That’s strange. Still, this proves that there’s nothing wrong with the alarm. So, that’s one problem shelved. What a relief– No, wait, I can’t let my guard down.

The alarm was ringing like crazy when the armed military police entered this place before Trevor. And yet, the alarm did nothing when Trevor entered! Something is definitely wrong here! I realized. To put it simply, the alarm’s function would ring to warn me if someone entered this underground workshop or the workshop above. It would also ring if there was someone with strange mana in the building.

Yet, the alarm didn’t work even after Trevor entered. Although the barrier was riddled with holes due to military police’s action, it was still stable. I had confirmed it after receiving the report that Trevor was on his way to this place. But… What was this?

And this guy also didn’t bring anything of note with him. What’s the meaning of this?! Does Trevor have the ability to neutralize detection magic? Hah! As if something that convenient would exist! 

I scoffed inwardly since such magic usually needed an invocation, and that action alone would suck a lot of his mana. Even the demon race, of which I had never seen before, wouldn’t have that much mana in them. Ergo, it was much easier to believe that he had invoked a magic tool to neutralize the effect of the barrier.

“Are you satisfied now? If you are, I wish you’ll release me this instant and get these people away from me is what I wanted to say…”

Trevor, who had been resisting up until a moment ago, was now looking at me with a bored expression on his face. However, the sneer in his eyes that was hidden behind his glasses couldn’t escape from my observation and a proverbial lightbulb lit up in my mind.

―― Glasses?

I dispelled the barrier and reactivated it after taking off Trevor’s glasses. Checking it over, I found a densely packed pattern carved on the part that goes over the ears.

“… Detection obstruction formula that is always active… is it?”

This was too complex. I had never seen such a complicated formula aside from the one etched in ancient magic tools. How did he manage to create this?

“Corre~ct. Finally noticed, eh? A~h, it seems my cover is blown. As expected of a rare magic tool researcher like you. If it’s you, you should be able to cancel the effect of the formula pretty easily, right?”

Trevor was laughing. His laughters sounded like he was making a fool of me. There was no trace left of his honest look from a while ago, and the way he looked at us… it was as if he was looking at a bug that would be crushed under his heel.

“So that’s your real personality, huh.”

“Oh my~, are you disappointed? Well, that matters not. I’m more curious about the reason why you managed to discover my identity. It’s supposed to be perfect after all.”

Disappointed? Well, he’s got a point there. I am pretty disappointed. No one has ever held an argument with me like he did after all, and I really enjoyed the last two years of our debate. I even felt pangs of regret knowing that such a talented person was working for the mage department.

But now… Well, the most important thing to me isn’t him. So, what I regretted the most now was the fact that I failed to realize that a low life like him managed to slip into that person’s vicinity from as far as four years ago!

“Indeed. That day, had Theodore not visited this place, I might not realize this matter until the end. And I would never even think of the possibility that the warning alarm might not be working.”

“Tch, that Goldberg again, huh.”

“Again?”

“A-n-y-w-a-y, the matter of the alarm isn’t functioning may be a part of my failure, but that doesn’t automatically mean I’m the culprit. So, doesn’t that mean Ted is also included in the list of suspects?”

“That’s only natural, right? Everyone in the store back then is included in the list of suspects. We’ve already examined Ted, though, and find that he really is innocent. Thus, the next in the list is you.”

“―― Ha, I see now. You examine the commoner first. Using your authority as a noble. Haa, well, that’s noble-sama for you.”

“That’s just obvious. The other’s identities are someone from the Count and Marquis Family after all. Getting the permission to inspect them will take a lot of procedure. And that’s why I’m happy that we manage to hit the jackpot on the second try~”

“How insincere.”

Well, I at the very least have an eye to judge a person. So, I know and I am sure that Trevor will reveal his real personality once I restrict him. Pretty sure that’s why he tried to resist at first.

“―― So? While it’s true that I disturbed your alarm, I have also contributed a lot to the research at the same time. And just today, I contributed to the clarification of ancient language too. Are you sure that you’re going to do this? I mean, it’s not like I’m stealing others’ research or something. Are you really going to judge me as someone dangerous just because I disturb your alarm?”

“Your identity is going to be revealed as long as I check your glasses in detail.”

Although the engraved formula in the glasses I took from Trevor is really complicated, it isn’t really a big deal as long as I patiently and carefully solve it one by o―― What is it now? My train of thought got interrupted when I saw Trevor sneered at me.

“Unfortunately, solving that will trigger the fire magic.”

What was he talking about? From his expression and words, it seemed like the fire magic he mentioned was not like your usual normal flame. Furthermore, if a sealed flame was discharged at once… it might cause spontaneous discharge. At that observation, I straightened up slightly.

So, the Saint’s oracle was real, eh.

“―― Demon race, huh.”

“Is there any proof for your claim?”

He’s still trying to play dumb until the end, huh. I thought, stuffing the glasses into a box and drawing a hexagram on its lid. Then, I placed an enchanted magic crystal in the center of that simple barrier formation.

This should be enough for an emergency situation. I thought, but then Trevor was still sneering at me confidently. I wonder what makes him so confident?

At that moment, the building shook and my eyes widened. What in the world was that?!

Still unbalanced, I saw darkish black particles appearing from who knows where being absorbed by Trevor.

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“HAHAHA! HERE IT COME! THE SAINT’S SEAL HAS BROKE!”

Trevor’s appearance transformed in the blink of an eye and his body became one size bigger, forcibly snapping open the restriction tool used to confine him. His skin turned dark and his countenance became more sinister.

Just what in the world are these blackish green particles?! I wondered absentmindedly as I observed the situation happening before me.

Trevor, who had regained his freedom, brushed his hands together as the barrier broke with a crisp shattering sound.

“What the… with just a single swing…”

Even though Geyson was sealed, he left behind a dense concentration of demonic pulse in his cell.

“Now then, every single one of you will become my food.” Trevor said, right hand turning into a blade as he swept toward me.

Or so I thought when he suddenly raised his right hand.

With a loud ‘Bang’, a pale blue, transparent barrier appeared between Trevor and I.

“You’ve finally shown your true face, Demon Race.”

The figure who had shown himself inside the store was Archbishop Cobalt. It seemed this barrier was created by him. Then, before I noticed, a tall figure suddenly appeared behind Trevor, closing in on him.

As if sensing my thought, Trevor dodged the tall figure’s attack by a hair-breadth.

“Tch. Missed, huh.”

I heard General Crimson said with a smack of his lips as I saw a long trace of blood appearing on Trevor’s right arm.