Chapter 73 Reputation Redeemed
I pulled a communicator from my pocket and pressed the call button.
After a cheerful "click," a bright voice came through, mixed with static.
'Oh, there you are! Did the Yuru-Yuru recapture succeed?'
"Yeah."
While replying to Luka, I made Mr. Magnus surrender with sticky bombs, binding bombs, and just in case, a magic seal, then sat him on the ground.
'Good job. Then, you can do whatever you want with him?'
"Whatever I want?"
Before I could answer, Yuruyana popped up, looking worried, and from behind the Arcane Bicycle, a light brighter than flames flashed around them.
Thomas in the driver's seat and Luka in the passenger seat waved at us, leading several large Arcane Cars.
And,
'Hey, Yuru-Yuru. I'm sorry you've been put through such an ordeal this time, it's truly regrettable'
The voice, amplified by the magic used for speeches, echoed across the plain.
"Oh, Mr. Osric?"
Yuruyana was surprised by the unexpected arrival.
"I said it might be Mr. Magnus's doing, but I didn't think he'd show up himself..."
I returned to Yuruyana, removing the Arcane Bicycle's stand while squinting at the brightness of the headlights.
"I see..."
That's just how the head Arcanist behaves.
He couldn't care less about the speed limit, flying around to get attention, but no one would doubt it's for new research.
Of course, he probably has his subordinates do the driving, so he's definitely fine.
'Hahaha! If a family member makes a big mess, it's up to the family to clean it up. Now, let's round them up'
Following the order, figures emerged one after another from the large vehicles.
They wore uniforms that were neither Arcanist nor military, just matching black outfits.
The group with unremarkable, expressionless faces skillfully restrained the men and packed them into the vehicles.
But then, one of the sticky bombs wouldn't come off, leaving them puzzled.
"...I'll come help out"
"Okay."
Yuruyana tried to push the Arcane Bicycle, but it seemed heavier than expected, and he gave up quickly.
Actually, if you run magic through the sticky bullets, they just turn back into water──easy.
Same as magic-sealing spells: they vanish if you get a certain distance away from the user.
But Luka warned me: 'This is still super secret tech, so don't go giving away the reset trick.'
"Why didn't you kill us?"
When I peeled off Mr. Magnus's sticky bullets, he hit me with that out of nowhere.
The guy in the black uniform looked like he wanted to stop him, but I raised a hand──let him talk.
"If you leave us alive, we might bust out one day and go after Mr. Yuruyana again."
Of course they'd figured out I went easy on everyone──nobody died when I shut them down.
I mean, if I can shoot right at their wands, I could've blasted their head or hearts the moment we met.
That's the elephant in the room.
"Even if someone kidnaps my friend, murder's a major crime, you know."
I shrug, acting all innocent.
"So that's it. ...We tried to flee the country, and here we are, kept alive by its own laws. Irony in action."
If this were Norvalen, plotting rebellion gets you executed fast.
No trial, just gone.
But right now, Mr. Magnus hasn't killed anyone.
He never abused the magic he studied, either.
And Yuruyana doesn't want it leaked, so nobody's going to reveal there's a direct prince of the Lilicheska royal line involved.
If people realize Yuruyana was kidnapped──or guess why──gossip-hungry nobles would make a mess.
They'll sweep this whole thing under the rug.
So the only charge they could announce for sure is the fire in the plains.
After that, the bigwigs will brainstorm some fancy crimes so they can strip them of their titles.
"...So, no chance they'll just execute me?"
Mr. Magnus sighed, eyes hollow, like he'd already given up──and I decided to add something.
"There's one more reason. I didn't want Yuruyana to see anyone die right in front of him. Especially not a friend killing a friend."
"..."
Actually, that's the real reason.
It mattered more than anything else.
People forget, because he acts so happy──but he watched his own parents die.
He's got scars way deeper than mine, for sure.
"──Bloodlines, background──none of that matters. Right now, I'm just an Arcanopharmacist, living quietly in the lower town under the capital. ...I want you to believe the world is a peaceful place, without any more fear."
When I turned around, Yuruyana was already perched on the seat of the Arcane Bicycle, chatting with Thomas, who had brought water and food.
Our eyes met.
He tilted his head, curious.
"You're way too gentle for a soldier, you know."
"I'm only an Arcane Engineer."
I nodded, and Mr. Magnus dropped his gaze, whispering, Yeah, I see.
One last thing──I had to ask.
"...You really just wanted to go back home, to ilicheska, didn't you."
Most kids in the court Arcanist troupe are nobles.
Unless they're like the viscount──given special status──or really love the troupe, they usually leave when they're older.
Head off to join the family business.
Take up their parents' rank.
But for Mr. Magnus, as long as he stays in this country, all he can be is Queen Dowager Riv's attendant.
Even if he wanted to return home, he can't leave the country freely.
──He's stuck in the Arcanist troupe. No way out.
"...Sorry for dragging you into this. Tell him that, too. Goodbye... Prince, and brave knight."
Mr. Magnus didn't answer my question.
He just gave a quiet smile and climbed into the carriage.
The car with the group in black uniforms rumbled away, leaving nothing but dry plains, dotted with smoldering patches of fire.
The flames weren't dramatic, but the west gets dry this time of year.
They just keep burning, slow but stubborn.
"The fire won't spread all the way to the town, right?"
Yuruyana nudged closer to the Arcane Car, voice trembling with worry.
"It'll be fine."
Lord Osric hopped out of the car, laughing big and loud like nothing could touch him.
"Yuru-Yuru, you always see the worst of the court Arcanists, huh? Let's fix our reputation. Got that, Ricardo?"
The stiff, bespectacled guy shot me a glare as he stepped down.
"Understood. ...Tsukumo Kreis, watch closely."
Both held thick staffs in their hands.
Nodding to each other, they raised their staffs high.
"[Tempest]"
As they chanted the spell in unison, the rain clouds started to rumble ominously, and cold water droplets began to fall on their cheeks.
"A cloudburst? Is this magic too?"
Just as Yuruyana muttered this, the rain intensified, and a sheet of flames was extinguished with a loud noise.
The protective magic, like an umbrella, spread over the Arcane Bicycle, while outside, large raindrops pattered and streamed down.
'I wonder which is stronger, Kreis's magic or our latest magic?'
Lord Osric seemed satisfied, having successfully activated the magic he'd prepared without my help.
"Admittedly, we can't beat large-scale magic activated by multiple people..."
It's said that the magic Lord卿 has been researching for years is weather manipulation.
So far, it seems they can create clouds and make it rain, but only with several Arcanists working together over time.
Ultimately, they want to be able to cause lightning to strike any location, make it snow, or even clear up bad weather, all quickly and by an individual.
Sounds like more overtime work.
"Interfering with the mind is another matter, delving into the realm of the gods..."
"Will we finish it before we die?"
"Who knows?"
As the two stood side by side, gazing dimly into the sky, the flames vanished with a loud noise.
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