Chapter Sixty
“…Manipulating the mind, huh.”
The man who called himself Ryuuzas, with a carefree air and a scruffy beard that gave a first impression of laziness, scratched his head as if troubled, and forced a smile.
He seemed to be pondering whether to speak or not.
After a few seconds of silence, Ryuuzas finally began to speak, as if giving in.
“…This is still just my conjecture, so I don’t intend to make any definitive statements, but…—beware of House Gavelia. The ones with a crest that looks like crossed swords and spears.”
House Gavelia.
I repeated the name several times in my head, but of course, it didn’t ring a bell.
What did he mean?
Perhaps remembering my puzzled reaction, Ryuuzas said, “…Oh, I see. You’re new to the royal capital, kid. That’s why I thought I hadn’t seen your face before,” seeing right through me.
Presumably, the name House Gavelia was a famous one, known to everyone in the royal capital.
“…Hey, kid. Do you know why those of us who left the Knights Order are still lingering in the royal capital with such unresolved feelings?”
“No idea.”
He probably didn’t think I’d be able to answer that question in the first place.
Without a hint of disappointment, Ryuuzas continued.
“It’s simple. Because we couldn’t forgive them. Whether it was political strife or whatever, we couldn’t forgive those nobles who dragged us into their mess for no good reason and did whatever they pleased, so we stayed in the royal capital. …Well, this is also partly to atone for what happened to Bermuda.”
He spoke with a hint of sadness.
A feeling of remorse for the past. I saw a glimpse of it in Ryuuzas’s profile as he turned his face away from me for a moment.
“So, we’ve been secretly interfering with those good-for-nothing nobles a few times…and this incident is probably the result of that. …I knew this day might come, but I never thought they’d involve Bermuda’s brother. …We shouldn’t have made any mistakes that would expose us, but if that’s the case, it makes sense that they’re only targeting former Knights.”
The ‘Magician Hunter’ was someone Ryuuzas and the others felt indebted to, and because they knew his true identity, they were willing to accept his actions.
But in reality, the ‘Magician Hunter’ was being mentally manipulated, or so Ryuuzas judged.
If that was the case, then someone must have instigated the ‘Magician Hunter’ and manipulated his mind in an attempt to kill Ryuuzas and the others.
That was the conclusion I should reach.
And the culprit was undoubtedly someone who knew that using the ‘Magician Hunter’ would be the most effective way to target them.
So who was the instigator?
It seemed Ryuuzas had an idea.
“So, you think it’s someone from House Gavelia?”
“Probably.”
“Hee.”
Be wary of House Gavelia, who might be behind this incident.
After hearing that warning, I figured that was the end of the conversation.
So, I gave a short reply and turned my back on him.
“Then I’ll be careful. Thanks for the information, Ryuuzas.”
“Hey, hey, are you even listening to me? You could be killed too, you know? If they’re behind this, you’re definitely a target now that you’ve interfered.”
However, he stopped me, sounding exasperated, as if to say, wait a minute. He probably thought I was taking the situation too lightly.
…Well, he wasn’t entirely wrong, so I decided not to deny it.
“I know. I know, that’s why I thought I shouldn’t be leisurely chatting like this.”
“Huh?”
He didn’t understand what I meant. I understood what he wanted to say from his reaction.
However, my hands were trembling slightly. My mind was filled with thoughts of how to surpass that ‘Magician Hunter.’ A tremor like a pre-battle shiver wouldn’t stop.
Even with adrenaline-fueled strength, it would be impossible to surpass that. Simply exceeding my limits probably wouldn’t be enough.
Then, what should I do?
Think, think, think, think.
Even just thinking about it filled me with joy.
“I want to become stronger. I want to become strong and prove that I’m the strongest. So of course, I can’t be killed yet. So I have to swing my sword and think of a countermeasure.”
I couldn’t reach him as I was now. That was a clear fact.
And then I wondered.
—What was I lacking to defeat that ‘Magician Hunter’?
“…Damn it, I’m lacking. I lack everything. I’m insufficient. I’m inadequate. Everything about me is clumsy.”
Spirit. Skill. Strength. Thinking. Experience. Resources. Instinct. Will. I desperately lacked the strength to stay true to myself no matter what.
I ran a mental simulation based on our previous exchange. However, I couldn’t reach a conclusion where I won.
“My body is weak. My spirit is lacking. My thinking is ordinary. All I have to do is imitate the examples in my head, but I lack the skill to do even that.”
What should I do?
Even if I asked myself that question, there was no right answer conveniently placed in my hands.
“—But, no. That’s why, isn’t it? Ah, yeah. Not bad… Not bad at all.”
I grinned at this challenging situation. If I wanted to run, I could probably escape now. But that option simply didn’t exist in my mind.
“Hey, hey, are you sane?”
Did he guess from my words that I was planning to challenge the ‘Magician Hunter’ again, alone? Or did he see through the fact that I was genuinely happy, not just bluffing, about the fact that I would have to fight an opponent far stronger than myself?
Seeing the fighting spirit burning within me, Ryuuzas spoke those words.
“This is sanity. That’s why I barged in,” I replied with a laugh, his words far too late. Otherwise, there would be no explanation for my actions.
I didn’t save him because he was being attacked. He knew I wasn’t filled with such a sense of justice.
“…You understand, right? The current ‘Magician Hunter’ is clearly beyond what anyone can handle. And yet, you want to become stronger? If you challenge him with that as your reason… you’ll definitely die this time, kid. If you’re assuming he doesn’t intend to kill you, you better change your mind right now.”
“That’s impossible. I’m probably more aware of the difference in our strength than anyone else. And even so, I’m saying this.”
“…”
“I have my own reasons that I can’t compromise on. So I won’t change my mind. If I die because of it, that’s just how far I could go. If you don’t accept this way of thinking, why don’t you try to stop me by force? I’d welcome it.”
“I’m kidding. I have no intention of fighting you, kid.”
“Is that so?”
Of course, I wasn’t serious.
“…Still, I don’t get it. Your way of thinking.”
I just smiled wryly at his words, saying nothing. Then, I opened my mouth and replied to Ryuuzas’s remark.
“Is that so? For me, I just want to see how far I can climb. How many walls I can break down… I can’t help but enjoy this way of life, proving how strong I, who was just a villager, can become.”
—In the end, I will slay the stars.
That was my way of life, my guiding principle, and my way of thanking the ‘Star Slayer’ who had shown me that unforgettable memory.
“Well, leave the ‘Magician Hunter’ to me. I have no basis for these words, but I’ll take responsibility and cut him down this time.”
My words had zero persuasive power.
I knew, better than anyone, that there was no reason for him to trust me. So I knew he wouldn’t reply with something like, “I’ll leave it to you.”
“Even though you don’t know when or where he’ll appear?”
Ryuuzas had merely used magic to send the ‘Magician Hunter’ away from this place.
Therefore, no one here knew the answer to his question.
However.
A certain word suddenly crossed my mind.
—Precognition.
The face of the man who called his magic that—Amses—appeared in my mind, as if telling me to rely on him.
If I used his ability, wouldn’t I be able to accurately predict it?
“I’ll borrow someone’s hand for that.”
So, well, I had a feeling it would work out somehow.
Saying that, I left the scene, leaving those words behind.
[Translator – Vine]
[Proofreader – Lust]
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