Chapter 28 Pouring Light Arrows
Warm wind hits my face as I drive.
I didn't feel it before.
I look at the car next to me.
Thomas is up there with Keel, making a wall.
He sees me and his eyes shine.
"You're gonna do it, senior!?"
I can almost see his tail wagging.
"Luka made me."
Luka isn't even looking, but the fireballs coming at him get stopped by his clear wall and disappear.
That wall is super strong.
It helped me a lot when I was still working.
"Luka loves senior's magic, you know."
"He just doesn't want to be tired."
Luka's the second-in-command of the [Fourth].
He's strong, but he never tries hard.
He always makes other people do the hard stuff and just watches with a smirk.
He's a real piece of work.
"That's not true! Today, he said he wanted to go as soon as he heard you were coming!"
That's just because he wants to make me do the work.
Thomas always believes the best in people.
I sometimes worry he's been tricked into buying a weird jar or something.
"Ugh... Guess I'll do it."
I can't just stand here talking forever, even if it's about Luka.
Thomas's wall can probably last an hour, but staying here won't make things better.
I should finish this quickly, since I have to go home.
I look up at the sky.
It's a nice day.
"I'm happy too! It's been a while since I've seen your magic, senior."
Even Thomas is saying that.
I think about the magic I'm gonna use, its power and how far it goes, and wonder if it's really that special.
They say Arcanists' skills depend on their talent because their magic shows what they imagine.
But that was a long time ago, when people learned magic from masters or on their own.
Now, everyone goes to school, so it doesn't matter who you learn from.
I don't think there's much difference, either.
But since magic gets stronger and more precise the more carefully you spin it to pack it tight, you gotta be a bit careful when you launch a big magic that covers a wide area.
The textbooks say the best way is to spread out your magical power like a net, thinking about how to let it flow most smooth and even.
"It's probably fine, but if it's gonna brush the car, I'm counting on you to cover it."
"Yes!"
I thought of it like designing Arcane Circuitry.
So, if my magic is called 'clean' or 'pretty,' maybe it's the same beauty Sesto talked about in Arcane Circuitry that I discovered.
If that's true, then what I got from my grandfather is recognized by the Arcanist folks, which makes me happy.
"Is this about right?"
Soon, a huge geometric shape made from invisible threads of magic appeared──only visible if you knew it was there and looked for it, even Arcanists couldn't see it otherwise.
This is the net I made, Arcane Circuitry without machines.
"[Pouring Ray]"
If the big magic setup is a circuit, the spell is the switch.
The moment I said the words, my magic glowing white stretched across the sky, and endless shining arrows rained down on the ground.
The salamanders got stuck together, which was bad──they got impaled before most could even realize the danger and run off.
I think it only took a few dozen seconds.
When the shooting stopped, the fire arrows didn't come anymore, and after the dust settled, only a pile of huge lizard corpses was left.
Checking there was no new group coming closer, I let out a small breath.
Thomas spoke to Keel, who was all curled up inside the car.
"Mission done. Keel, clear the path of the bodies."
"Okay!"
As the two of us started piling up the dead bodies by the side to make room for one car's width, Luka finally got out of the car.
"Magic can do stuff like that?! I'll work hard to use magic like Senior Tsukumo!"
Keel kept moving his hands but turned just his neck toward Luka, sounding excited.
"The captain's stuff is special, you know."
Now you're acting all high and mighty.
Don't think a little kindness wipes out all the rough bossing around before.
Even so, using magic guns and magic again after a while really wore me out.
I tossed a few monsters in my bag to gather their stones, left the clean-up to the other 3, and peeked inside the car.
"Did I live up to your expectations?"
"Yeah, it really was beautiful. I think I kinda got what Sesto meant this time."
"That's good to hear."
Since Yuruyana seemed pleased too, we called it a day.
I went around, got in the back seat, crossed my arms, and closed my eyes.
"You still not feeling well, huh?"
"I'm fine. Just tired from using a lot of magic again after such a long time."
"Want to lie down? I'll let you rest on my lap."
"That pillow's too thin... ow."
Without a word, I got lightly smacked on the head.
After working so hard, that's a rough way to treat me.
In the end, I didn't rest on his lap but took a break like meditation──eyes open but relaxed──something I used to do all the time when I was active, for about 30 minutes.
Finally, the way back was clear, and the 3 sweaty guys shuffled back slowly.
"Man, I'm beat. Captain, you drive on the way home!"
"I'm not the captain. If you make civilians work, you better pay up."
"Fine, fine. Then I'll just speed us home so we can soak in the hot springs, you guys!"
"Yeah!"
At last, [Fourth] and the others rallied together, fists raised, and Yuruyana looked back up at me.
"Hot springs!?"
"We're at the foot of a volcano after all. I think the hotel's got a big bath, too."
"Really!? Yeah, nothing beats hot springs when you're worn out!"
Says the one who barely did anything.
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