* * * * *
—It was a quiet night filled with countless stars shining in the sky.
A deserted night in the capital, so quiet that even the creaking of one’s bones could be heard.
The night sky, devoid of a single cloud, clearly illuminated the shadow of a single person.
“—Kuhihi…”
In the midst of the deserted city, the shadow laughed viciously, and his eyes narrowed with a smile that split his cheeks.
Dripping from his hand was a sticky, viscous liquid.
The man’s eyes were filled with joy as he gazed down at his work, savoring the peculiar smell of rusted iron, befitting something as unique as blood.
…It was indeed a madness-filled city at night, unbeknownst to everyone.
The next day, a certain magician was found dead in a cesspool within the capital.
And from that very day, incidents of magicians being found dead in the capital continued to occur every five days, and various rumors began to circulate.
People gradually started to believe that all of it was the work of a “Magician Hunter.”
* * * * *
“—Magician Hunter, you say?”
It was noontime, and with the sun shining down on me from above, I asked Lilea, a female swordsman, as we dined in a restaurant in the capital.
“Yes, a ‘Magician Hunter.’ You were traveling to Minaura alone at that time so you may not know this, but there have been some disturbing rumors spreading all over the capital recently.”
Deliberate murders targeting only magicians.
Lilea filled me in on the details in a sarcastic tone.
It had been two weeks since I left Minaura.
And just when I thought that it was about time things cooled down, I found that the two of them were still holding their grudge against me.
Especially Sofia who was sitting next to me, only stabbing her lunch with a fork and throwing it into her mouth without saying even a single word.
In the end, I only got a big “no” when I tried to get her forgiveness about the recklessness I did regarding the Minaura incident, with Lilea only disappointingly saying that I could’ve at least let her know, but I didn’t.
“The only ones getting killed are ‘magicians,’ and to be precise, one of those very ‘magicians’ is killed every five days.”
So in terms of the cycle, the next magician will get killed the day after tomorrow, Lilea spat out in disgust.
“Five people have already been killed, but there’s no sign of the knights making a move at all… I wonder what the hell they are up to…”
“Now that I remember it, I haven’t seen Lowe nor Joshua for a couple of days now.”
“If you’re curious about what those two were up to, they went away for a request about escorting certain people. I got left out because, in this day and age, magicians are more of a nuisance than they are an asset.”
That’s why I’m having a leisurely meal with you guys, she complained.
The unidentified ‘Magician Hunter’ probably kills magicians for a specific reason.
Although the cycle was now being carried out once every five days, there was no telling when this cycle will be broken.
Therefore, if the request was to escort magicians, which was the cause for concern in the first place, we would have to do our best to keep them safe.
And from what I’d heard, it seemed to be a perfectly reasonable idea.
“It would be less concerning had that hunter chose to hunt us two, given that we are well-versed at close combat, but there’s also a good chance that he might choose to target a non-combat-oriented magician like Sofia. So for the time being, I’d like the three of us to stay together.”
Lilea said that as long as the three of us stick together, we will be less likely to be targeted by this unidentified person, or a group, had they been working with others.
***
Reaper Scans
***
And finally, I realized.
The reason why Lilea invited me and Sofia to have a meal together was to talk about this.
“If that’s the case, I’ll go along with your proposal.”
There was no reason for me to refuse.
Besides, I still owe Sofia an apology, who was still not in a good mood.
And as long as it was for Sofia’s benefit, I have no reason to refuse.
“It’s decided, then. I already talked with Sofia about this while you were gone, so I was just waiting for your response.”
Was it when I was fighting the Jabberwock with Siva in Minaura, or was it while I was still on my way there?
I wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but I knew that if I said anything, I would just end up in a heap of trouble, so I just kept my mouth shut and let it slide.
“Well, then, I know this is sudden, but I wonder if I could ask you to help me out with this request.”
Saying so, Lilea took out a piece of paper from her chest pocket.
And that paper was a written subjugation request.
“We’re already working together now, so I’d be a fool not to put my swordsmanship to use with you, wouldn’t I?”
Although we were good friends with Lilea and her companions, Sofia and I weren’t adventurers like them.
And so I attempted to tell her that it might be a bad idea to accept a request given that the two of us aren’t adventurers just yet, but:
“I forgot to mention, but don’t bother with the small details.”
“…I haven’t said anything yet, though.”
“You’re very disciplined in a weird way, so it’s easy to read you like an open book.”
It was a perfectly valid thought, but for some reason, she saw right through me, hence why I was taken aback.
“…It’s still a lot of time before we accept this request, but do you have any plans later?”
“Why?”
“There’s one person I’d like you to meet.”
But that person could only come at night, she said with a laugh.
And given that it’s still a lot of time before we could officially do the request, she told me that it’d be a good way to kill time.
“Are you interested in defeating a certain monster, Julius?”
“…A certain monster?”
The image that immediately popped into my mind was that lump of insanity, the Jabberwock.
However, I thought it was too unlikely, so I eliminated it from the list of possibilities.
“Since the hunt for magicians started, more and more magicians like me are being shunned by party members. The rumored ‘Magician Hunter’ has already killed two-well known military figures, after all.”
Therefore, the perception that he was an opponent ordinary people couldn’t compete with had already spread.
Unless they were on good terms with each other, she said, no one welcomed magicians with open arms.
She also said that because of this, many magicians, who would normally be valuable, have been left out of their respective parties.
“As a result, the prevailing sentiment was for everyone to keep quiet for the time being, but then one person spoke up.”
Being alone carries the risk of being targeted.
If that is the case, why not put together a group of magicians?
And if we’re already grouping up in the first place, why don’t we defeat a monster?
Not just a small, regular one, but the biggest monster of them all.
“—His name… is Amseth. It’s up to you to decide whether or not you want to take me up on the offer, but would you be interested in hearing what I have to say?”
——
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