Chapter Sixty-Two
“—Is it really alright? To not stop that boy…?”
A man named Rodriguez addressed Amses, waiting until Julius had left the Adventurer’s Guild. Despite his seemingly concerned tone, his words were laced with irritation akin to killing intent.
The reason was his concern that Julius’s half-hearted provocation of the ‘Magician Hunter’ might bring unforeseen trouble upon them.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. If he had suggested ‘talking it out’ or something equally naive, it would have been a different story, but if that’s not the case, I have no reason to stop him.”
—Besides, he’s already gone too far for anyone to stop him.
Amses replied to Rodriguez, who hadn’t met his gaze, with a faint, bitter smile.
“Ah, right.”
Then, as if a thought had suddenly occurred to him, Amses’s voice brightened.
“Since we’re here, let me hear your opinion. What do you think is necessary to change this country?”
“…Didn’t that boy already answer that? Isn’t that the answer?”
“No, no. While his answer wasn’t wrong, it’s not enough. I’d give him a 20 out of 100 at best. That’s a failing grade on a test.”
Rodriguez furrowed his brow.
…He didn’t understand what Amses was thinking. What was the true intention behind his actions?
…No, strictly speaking, he knew.
Amses had declared his objective to be protecting magicians from the ‘Magician Hunter.’
But Rodriguez couldn’t believe that was Amses’s only objective. What was this indescribable, “unidentifiable” something that he occasionally sensed from Amses?
He couldn’t find the answer.
However,
“—The answer is simple. A great many sacrifices. To change this corrupt country, these nobles, a great many sacrifices are essential. Sacrifices so great that they won’t be forgotten even after decades.”
Only then could things be changed. The nobles, the country, the complacent commoners. With sacrifices, they would undoubtedly change. If the sacrifices were great enough to go beyond being someone else’s problem, they would have no choice but to change.
Hearing Amses’s reply, Rodriguez felt like he finally understood.
“Amses… you…”
“But don’t worry. I swear I will never lay a hand on a magician unless absolutely necessary. I know and appreciate the value and strength of magicians more than anyone.”
He didn’t state the reason.
But he continued, saying that he had no hostility towards the magicians who had responded to his call, including Rodriguez.
And Rodriguez was beginning to understand.
Why Amses had gathered so many magicians.
“You won’t… lay a hand…?”
If I were to believe Amses’s words, that sacrifices were necessary, then this situation with the rampant ‘Magician Hunter’ must be a godsend for him.
And who would benefit the most from the existence of a ‘Magician Hunter’ who was killing former Knights who were also magicians?
In the first place, why had the ‘Magician Hunter’ only recently come to the royal capital?
Countless questions swirled in his mind.
And above all, why had Amses just told that lie to the boy named Julius?
If Rodriguez’s memory served him correctly, Amses’s magic wasn’t precognitive, but the ability to ‘control’ inanimate objects like monsters and puppets.
“…Could it be that the real reason you gathered the magicians of the royal capital wasn’t to subjugate monsters, but—”
If…
Wasn’t it to encourage the actions of the ‘Magician Hunter,’ who harbored an intense hatred for nobles?
Judging the deaths of magicians affiliated with the royal family and nobles as necessary sacrifices, he amplified the ‘Magician Hunter’s’ fighting strength as much as possible. And to fulfill his long-cherished desire. Wasn’t his objective to eliminate the possibility of other magicians, mistakenly believing they might be hunted, interfering with him?
Thinking about it that way, it seemed like everything fell into place. A massive fighting force of dozens of magicians. Yet, Amses had decided to take a wait-and-see approach towards the ‘Magician Hunter.’
Instead of searching for and eliminating the external threat together, he had stuck to the policy of only counterattacking if attacked. He could have ended it all by defeating the ‘Magician Hunter,’ but he deliberately didn’t. Rodriguez had always wondered why, but now he understood, and was about to question Amses about it when—
“So what would you do?”
As if seeing through Rodriguez’s thoughts, the words that reached his ears were undoubtedly an affirmation.
And Amses’s casual smile as he replied seemed to indicate that he believed without a doubt that his way of thinking was correct.
“If the ‘Magician Hunter’ steals all the magic of the Knights, his next target will be the nobles. With the power in his hands, he’ll definitely go and kill the nobles he has a grudge against. Then, the corrupt nobles will surely hide behind the commoners and their soldiers to protect themselves. However, the ‘Magician Hunter’ will go after them no matter what. After all, they’re his family’s enemies. …Well, it’s a necessary sacrifice. It can’t be helped.”
So, whether nobles died, innocent commoners died, or countless hired soldiers died, it was just a necessary sacrifice, he said calmly. Such sacrifices were naturally necessary for the transformation of the country.
“And the cornered nobles will say this: ‘I was just following orders.’ What happens next is the shifting of responsibility. That’s for sure. After all, that’s what happened… in my case.”
“In your… case?”
“It’s a long… story.”
He didn’t seem to want to go into detail now.
With a slightly sad look, Amses lowered his eyes.
“I don’t want to kill unrelated people. That’s why I’m only killing the nobles I have a grudge against. …The result of upholding such beautiful ideals is just a replacement of similar noble scum. It’s just the same thing repeating itself. Just a slight change in the hateful faces. No matter how gruesomely they’re killed, the truth will be forgotten in a few months.”
That was the reason he said sacrifices were necessary. He was implying it.
…Indeed, that must have been the case. Rodriguez couldn’t help but grimace at those heartfelt words.
“That’s why it was perfect. For him, and for me. The existence of the ‘Magician Hunter’ was convenient.”
—That’s why I could sympathize with his feelings, and he could sympathize with me.
Rodriguez’s eyes widened at the way he spoke, as if they were acquaintances. Could it be that you were connected to the ‘Magician Hunter’? he thought.
And at the same time, a single possibility, like a bad premonition, crossed his mind.
Amses was a magician.
There was no doubt about that.
And he had heard that his ability was to ‘control’ something, and he had already demonstrated it openly in front of others.
But was it really true, as Amses had said, that he could only ‘control’ monsters and inanimate objects?
Was it possible that ‘humans’ were also included among the things he could control? Just as that thought came to mind, words of denial arrived. However—
“No, I was just asked. I was asked by the ‘Magician Hunter’ himself. He said he was a coward, so he asked me to use my ability to make him forget any lingering compassion. I was asked, and I simply complied. I swear, it wasn’t my will. Let me at least say that.”
Those words meant that Amses’s ability to ‘control’ could even be used on humans.
It was nothing less than an affirmation of that fact.
[Translator – Vine]
[Proofreader – Lust]
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