Chapter 38

Rising to the fourth place monthly, the 30,000 points were almost within reach. I am grateful to everyone who has read it.

Let's go back a little in time, to that morning.

If you ask the residents of Ponde what the "best inn" is, there is a place where everyone's opinion would be unanimous.

It's the "Grand Hotel Ponde."

A group of hotels created by the Hotel King, it only opens in locations that meet three criteria: "prime location in the city," "the tallest building," and "a lavish number of staff."

Of course, it is also in the capital, and in the city of Routehabard, where Hikaru is heading. And there was a Grand Hotel in Ponde as well.

On the first floor, there was a spacious lounge, with the tables spaced far apart.

"Is everyone here yet?"

"There's no need to check one by one! There are only four of us!"

The one who answered the question was Serika Tanoue.

On the table, which had a top made of carved and polished marble, something that didn't match its luxurious appearance was piled up.

It was a hot dog.

Serika had been munching on a hot dog for a while.

"Hehehe... You eat a lot, Serika."

"Because it's delicious! Do you want one, Soliuz?"

"I'll pass, thank you."

Soliuz Rande, the leader of the "Eastern Four Stars" and known as the "Sun Maiden," smiled wryly and declined.

There was no tension in her expression, like when she was in front of Unken.

She was enjoying a conversation with one of her few trusted companions.

"Soliuz, I think you should be more straightforward. Serika, you're going to get fat!"

"From the side, a comment was made.

Her short purple hair was wavy and fluffy on top of her head.

Her eyes, which were narrow, had the same purple shine.

Her arms and legs, which were visible from the shirts and pants that reached her elbows and knees, were slender. However, since she wasn't particularly tall, it didn't give an unbalanced impression.

Though not a beast person, she gave the impression of a "cat."

This was Sera, a member of the "Eastern Four Stars."

"I won't get fat! Because using magic makes me hungry!"

"I don't think there's any research that says that."

"I don't get fat!"

"That might be true, but..."

"...What are you trying to say?"

"Serika, you won't get fat, but your chest won't get bigger either, will it?"

Glaring at Serika, Sera laughed, "Nyahaha!"

Sera, who was shorter than Serika, had slender arms and legs, but for some reason, her chest was full.

However, there was a fourth member of the "Eastern Four Stars" who was even bigger than Sera.

"Let's start the talk, Soliuz!"

"Sure. Shufi is..."

"The church and the orphanage!"

"Same as usual, then. Let's start. First, let's share what we've found out."

Soliuz relayed the conversation she had with the Guild Master at the Adventurer's Guild.

"I went to the Morgstadt Earl's residence this morning, but I wasn't allowed in. However, from a conversation with a servant, it seems that the young lady had 'rare magical talent.'"

"...Really?"

Serika, who had stopped chewing her hot dog.

"Could that girl be—"

"No, it seems different from Serika. She was born and raised in this world, with silver hair and blue eyes, and doesn't speak another country's language or suddenly say things she hasn't been taught."

"See..."

"By the way, it seems that the girl, Ravia, was expected to be a 'combat asset.'"

Soliuz frowned at the word "combat asset" that Sera used.

"Could they have intended to use her in the war with the Quinbrand Empire?"

"The Earl seems to have brought this up to the Emperor."

Soliuz sighed.

"To use a girl who hasn't even reached adulthood... I don't like it."

"Exactly. We should just give up on this country and go somewhere else. Oh, I want to go to the Southern Forestia Federation. A resort vacation is the best, isn't it?"

"I won't wear a swimsuit!"

"No one will force you to, you know."

Soliuz, who had been listening to the conversation with a smile,

"Let's decide where to go next after this matter is resolved. Speaking of which, I'm curious about the movements of the War Minister, who was in opposition to the Morgstadt Earl."

"Hmm..."

Sera tilted her head.

"I thought the same thing, but the War Minister's subordinates were active in the center and seemed to be keeping their distance from the Morgstadt Earl. I think they probably did some groundwork in advance."

"Groundwork... You have such information?"

"Yeah. When I was in the capital, I went to the War Minister's house a few times and overheard it."

"Don't say it so casually. It would be a big problem if you were caught."

"Well, no one has ever caught me before, so it's fine. As long as I don't make a mistake."

Soliuz added, "I'm worried about that mistake,"

"Let's consider this without any preconceptions. Serika, have you found out anything about the 'magic that makes the carriage disappear like smoke'?"

"..."

"Serika?"

"...I had a hypothesis, and I thought it was probably correct, but the Master of the Alchemist Guild completely denied it."

"Wasn't it something about a 'substitute'?"

"Yes."

Serika's hypothesis was this:

The young lady was not in the carriage when it was loaded—she was a "phantom" created by wind and water magic.

Such magic actually exists.

This phantom was highly advanced, not only in appearance but also in the sense of touch. In winter, it would freeze or feel "colder than human skin," but in early summer, it wouldn't be noticeable.

The good thing about the substitute was that when the magic was dispelled, it would dissipate into steam and disappear into the air without leaving a mess.

Of course, there were problems. It couldn't eat, and to control its movements, one had to be relatively close.

However, in this case, it wasn't a problem. As long as the young lady could be moved into the carriage, it would be fine. The carriage would move away, and the magic would be dispelled at a certain distance.

"If the young lady had 'rare magical talent,' I think it's a plausible hypothesis."

"The Alchemist Guild said it wasn't a matter of 'feasibility' but of 'procedure.'"

The Master of the Alchemist Guild testified that "the young lady was in the basement of the mansion until just before she was loaded into the carriage." This was a "high-level magic prison from which escape was impossible."

Once she was taken out of the magic prison, "handcuffs were immediately put on her," so she couldn't use magic.

"So, there's no possibility that the young lady escaped on her own... It means there was a collaborator or a usurper. How would you do it, Sera? You can sneak up and pick the lock, right?"

"Sure, I can do that and pick the lock. And there's something that caught my attention."

"Something that caught your attention?"

"According to the escorting adventurers... they encountered a man who said, 'Give me water.'"

"There were testimonies like that. So what?"

"It's just that, if you walk a little, you'll reach a town or village near the capital. I wonder if that's true."

"Yeah, I found it a bit suspicious too, but no one did much about it. One person gave him water, and that was it. They didn't even stop the carriage."

"..."

"Is it bothering you?"

"Hmm... Just a hunch, but I feel like it's related. But nyaa..."

"What?"

"Even if I sneak up, pick the lock, and get the man to stop the carriage by saying, 'Give me water,' I can't carry the young lady and escape. Unless she can also sneak around."

"...That's true."

Soliuz sighed.

"Back to square one... Should we consider that a Rank C adventurer was bribed?"

"That would be too simple. Let's think about it a bit more."

"Right! I want to stay here!"

Seeing Serika nod vigorously, Soliuz said,

"...Is it just because you want to eat hot dogs?"

"That's part of it!"

"Part of it?"

Soliuz reached out and wiped the ketchup off Serika's mouth with a napkin.

"There must be a transferer from the same hometown—Japan—in this city! I want to meet them!"

* *

After 30 minutes of stepping into the forest deep in the lake, no human figures were seen.

"Well, Ravia, I want to try something—what's wrong?"

Ravia was giggling.

"Hikaru likes experiments."

"Ah... It's not that I want you to use large-scale magic again. It's okay to relax."

"I'm not on guard. Since we are not equals, you can be as arrogant as you like."

"I can't do that... It's my personality."

"You might be right. You are very considerate of me. ...You are very gentle at night too..."

"Huh? What did you say just now?"

The last part was mumbled, so it wasn't clear.

"Nothing! So, what do I need to do!?"

Ravia, blushing, tried to cover it up.

"O-oh... Well, you see..."

Hikaru explained.

Ravia's fire magic was too powerful. While it might be fine outdoors, in a dungeon, it could destroy the dungeon, and if they were buried alive, it would be a disaster.

"...I think so too. But even the most basic magic is that big."

The beginner magic "Fire Breath" was a fireball about three meters in diameter.

"I mentioned it before, right? I want you to 'interfere' with the magic. Disperse it, change its shape—what's important is to make it smaller."

"Make it smaller..."

Then, Ravia cast "Fire Breath" five times. Each one was of a certain size.

It seemed she could change the trajectory, but not the size.

"Phew... It doesn't seem to work..."

Ravia, with a slight sweat on her forehead, looked at the blackened ground in front of her and muttered.

"Hmm... Is it completely impossible?"

"I don't think it's impossible. It was written in an adventure story. A mouse-sized Fire Breath was cast to burn a shed at the end of a narrow gap."

"Really?"

"Every day."

"Every day!?"

The phrase "burn the house every day" flashed through Hikaru's mind but was quickly dismissed.

(It's not impossible, but Ravia can't do it. What's getting in the way? Equipment? Accessories? ...No, wait)

Hikaru called up Ravia's Soul Board and put a point in "Magic Creation."

【Soul Board】Ravia

Age 14, Rank 13

6

【Magic Power】

【Magic Power Amount】11

【Magic Power Principle】2

【Elemental Affinity】

【Fire】6

【Magic Creation】1

"Can you try it again? Imagine compressing the fireball."

"...Okay."

Ravia could tell that Hikaru had done something, but she didn't know what.

With some doubt, she began to chant.

"Answer my call, spirit. With the primal flame, burn everything to ashes."

A fist-sized flame floated in front of her.

"...Huh?"

"Ravia, cast it forward."

"O-okay!"

The flame flew forward, wobbling and swaying.

When it reached the ground, a fire column about three meters high rose up.

"No way..."

"The range is narrow, but the intensity is stronger than the previous Fire Breath. The burning time is about twice as long, too."

Hikaru checked the spot where the fire had gone out. Digging into the ground with a stick, he found that the carbonization was deeper than in other areas.

"...The power is about two to three times as strong. The law of conservation of energy is at work."

"Hey, Hikaru! What's going on!?"

"You did it, didn't you? I can't explain it."

"But I couldn't do it before. You—"

Ravia stopped, letting out a sigh.

Hikaru thought, "She'll be suspicious."

"Hikaru"

"Yeah"

"...Maybe I've used up all my luck in one lifetime."

"What do you mean?"

"Because I met you."

Ravia didn't question Hikaru's abilities or press the issue further.

She just approached Hikaru and gently held his hand.

"You prioritized my ability to fight in the dungeon."

"...Yeah"

"Is it because I'm in love with 'adventure'?"

Hikaru scratched his head, thinking, "I'm in trouble."

Ravia was really smart.

She even knew that Hikaru had used the "Soul Board" to fulfill her wish, despite the risk of it being discovered.

"Hikaru. You should also prioritize your own desires."

"I know. My desire is—to travel the world for now. Dungeons are included in that."

The two of them started walking.