A Child's Play
Yen was a person who respected basic protocol.
Even though she was so anxious that it wouldn't have been strange for her to rush straight down to the basement, she stopped by the Chief's office first. The demon in the holding cell was strictly a resource of the Security Bureau, and the Chief's authorization was required.
When they explained the situation, permission was granted without much fuss.
"Very well. Do as you wish."
"Is it really alright?"
"It is not my place to interfere. Especially since the two of you have already reached an agreement."
"Didn't we just feed him a few days ago?"
Shadia nodded, acknowledging that his point wasn't entirely off.
"Indeed, too much frequency is not ideal. A contract with a high-ranking demon may seem equal at first glance, but you never know when they might seize control. You shouldn't rely on him too heavily either."
This was something Muzark was also cautious about.
Although the tightness in his chest had been relieved after feeding him, there was no telling when the demon would cry out in hunger again. Since he had no intention of greedily seeking knowledge day in and day out like Claude Regan, he needed to tame him through a careful tug-of-war.
And Shadia, too, had been just as concerned about Harmensales as Yen was. Muzark had expected to waste a lot of breath trying to persuade her, so her ready permission left him rather bewildered.
Seeing through Muzark's thoughts, Shadia smiled faintly.
"I heard about the recent incident through Yen. I heard you played quite an active role."
"I don't think my contribution was quite that significant..."
To call it an active role felt like a stretch, considering Yen had done almost all the heavy lifting.
When he looked at her, Yen just shrugged her shoulders slyly.
"Even a small contribution is a great feat. He is a fellow who killed four mages in the span of two months. The fourth victim wasn't a Security Bureau member, but we had received help from him during our duties."
"So that's why he was called the Mage Hunter."
"A typical alias. It is the first time someone from the Security Bureau was directly targeted, but you survived. If something had gone wrong with you and Yen, there would have been a lot of noise within the organization."
A brief silence fell as she seemed to ponder.
"This is actually good timing. Since you are also an involved party, I will share this with you."
Shadia slid a photo between Yen and Muzark, who were standing side by side. It was a photo of a man's profile. The image was blurry, but not to the point of being unrecognizable.
It was the face of the bastard he had seen back then.
"Bay Losper. He was registered in the Archive as a Lower 5th Class mage, but he was not someone to be judged by rank alone. They say he mainly used guns and blades for his crimes. That's also why he was given that name, under the assumption that he was a non-mage hunting mages. Though the reality was different."
"His identity has been revealed already? The Archive really is something."
Judging by Yen's words, Shadia seemed to possess access rights to the Archive. Of course, there would be limitations, but even considering that, it was a massive privilege.
"What kind of guy was he?"
"He was a resident of Southred, not here. I don't know why he came all the way to Eastred, where the Security Bureau's influence is strong, to commit crimes. We'll have to dig deeper."
A criminal from another city in Redline. A chilling and troublesome premonition tickled Muzark's nerves. He had a feeling that this case wouldn't end just like this.
"If there are any further developments, I will let you know."
With that cliché platitude, Shadia wrapped up the conversation.
"Enough of this stiff talk, you may go down now. You can think of it as a reward for the two of you. I am curious to see what you will receive in return for granting Yen what she has yearned for so much."
"I'm just returning a favor. Since I've received so much from her."
At Muzark's words, Shadia wore an inscrutable smile.
"Is that so."
Fishy, damp air. The cries of demons and the ear-piercing screech of metal. Although it was his third visit, the Security Bureau's basement was a place that was hard to get used to.
He didn't want to get used to it either. That would go beyond adaptation and mean his sensitivity was completely numbed. And on Yen's profile, illuminated by the lamp, there wasn't a trace of sentimentality to be seen.
With a sullen face, Yen grumbled.
"That's quite a talent, if you can call it that."
"The Chief?"
"She acts generous, but then she says one unnecessary word that leaves a bad aftertaste. It makes you wonder if she has an ulterior motive. I guess you could say she has a personality that makes it hard to feel genuinely grateful."
"Well said. I know exactly what you mean."
He had certainly received help from Shadia, but he had never felt purely grateful. Just now, too, her meaningful smile at the end had completely wiped out any goodwill she had accumulated.
"But didn't you tell me not to trust her?"
"Yeah. Be grateful when she treats you well, but don't trust her. In the Chief's priorities, the individual can never come before the group. There's a very high probability she won't take your side when push comes to shove."
After hearing it a few times, he was starting to get a sense of what kind of person Shadia Drury was. More precisely, how Yen viewed Shadia.
"What about you? Will you take my side?"
"...I wonder."
Yen found Muzark's change unfamiliar. Until just a few days ago, they had maintained their boundaries well. When he approached her so suddenly like this, it was awkward to react.
How would their relationship, which wasn't even a friendship yet, be defined in the future?
Now it was time to take the first proper step.
"Please."
Leaving Yen's voice behind, Muzark proceeded with the same process as last time.
Muzark found himself completely unfazed in front of Harmensales. It was laughable. He felt uncomfortable in this underground space, yet the high-ranking demon didn't bother him at all.
Perhaps his sensitivity had gone numb without him realizing it.
Not that he felt any affection for him, no matter how many times they met.
"I want to ask you something unrelated to the contract. Why did you stick with me?"
"Cheapskate. Fine, I wasn't that curious anyway."
Regardless of familiarity, every time he faced Harmensales, he realized it. It was better not to summon such a being if possible. If he wanted to live a normal life, he shouldn't even get involved.
I'm starting to understand what this stiffness is a symptom of.
The connection with Harmensales resided in his Magic Circuit. Although it was merely a spiritual thread connecting the two entities, the massive presence of the high-ranking demon was putting a strain on the circuit.
If I'm not careful, this bastard might take hold of me and sway me to his whim.
It made Claude Regan, who offered mana stones every day, look impressive in comparison.
There was a limit to being reckless; just how blinded by greed had he been?
Clicking his tongue inwardly, Muzark immediately stated his demand.
"The estimated time is around February 11th, Imperial Year 1420, between 8:00 PM and 10:00 PM. The location is Florence Street in Northyellow. I want to know the truth behind the large-scale weather magic manifested there at that time."
He added, conscious of Yen, who would be beyond the fog.
"If you don't know, just say so. Don't try to cheat me."
While he wanted to help Yen, he was also half-doubtful. He doubted how Harmensales would know. It was a fleeting incident that had occurred in an upper region, after all.
The other half of his belief stemmed from the disaster 200 years ago that he had viewed before. How had Harmensales possessed a record that wasn't even in the Archive?
While the question remained in his mind, a familiar answer returned.
Eyes like an abyss swallowed Muzark's consciousness.
When he came to, he was already sitting in the audience seat. After looking around at the unique, mysterious scenery, he focused on the screen. Soon, the video began to play.
First, the night sky came into view.
It was a pitch-black night without a single speck of starlight. Soon, the field of vision lowered, and the coldly sparkling city lights were reflected on the screen. It was a neighborhood that was clearly more sophisticated than Eastred.
Next, a voice.
"People really live in a shithole like this."
A girl sitting on the railing of a building's rooftop muttered. It was a youthful voice and an appearance to match. She was a young girl who looked to be ten years old at most.
The girl was in the middle of grumbling.
"There are over thirty mana reactions detected from that tiny building. Isn't it suffocating? It's smaller than our Pony's house. If it were me, I would have died of frustration!"
"Gyut!"
"It's narrow, smelly, and the air is dirty. If you stay here, even magic that would have worked won't. It's having a bad influence on a genius like me. This is a loss for the entire Empire."
"Gyugyut!"
A strange creature poking its head out from inside the girl's collar chimed in. A miniature crocodile? He swore he had never seen such a creature in his life.
"The sky is so black too. It's usually super pretty."
After staring blankly up at the night sky for a moment.
The girl smirked, as if she had thought of something.
"Dad is busy right now, so he won't know, right? Right?"
"Gyut?"
"You said it was okay! If Dad catches us, you have to tell him that, Downy!"
Some kind of communication was taking place between the two, but the reception seemed a bit off. The strange creature's eyes trembled as it looked at the girl, and the girl laughed like a mischievous child.
The next moment, the girl stretched both hands straight up to the sky.
They were short arms and cute hands. But the phenomenon that occurred immediately after was by no means small. Admiration filled Muzark's eyes, which had been full of bewilderment.
A cluster of stars appeared along her small fingers and crossed the night sky.
It was like wielding a brush against the sky. Sparkling powder poured down from the trajectory that followed like a tail. It was as if starlight itself was falling.
"Hum, huum."
The girl hummed and continued to paint. The pedestrians walking below stopped with their mouths wide open. And not long after, Muzark witnessed it.
There was a child who ran out of an alley.
The girl in precious clothes did not notice the dirty girl. She never once looked down at the street. She was merely waving her fingers, completely absorbed in her own magic.
But the magic did not last long.
"What on earth are you doing, Sariella!"
"Eek! D-Dad!"
"I brought you because you kept begging to come along. You can't stay still for a single second...!"
A man, who had appeared out of nowhere, scolded the girl. As her hands lowered, the magic quickly dispersed. The brilliant starlight was wiped clean, returning to the dull night sky.
"I'm thorry. I won't do it again..."
With those childishly lisped words, the video ended.
"Ha. What is this."
Muzark, who had watched the whole story, let out a hollow laugh. The magic was certainly wondrous. Yen's description was not an exaggeration. He had never seen such a beautiful sight, even in photos.
However, the truth itself was futile and insignificant.
Unlike last time, Harmensales concluded simply. He must have deemed a lengthy explanation unnecessary. Muzark understood the situation at the time perfectly.
The real magic that Yen had spent half her life chasing.
The reality was a fleeting prank pulled by an immature kid.
How do I tell her this?
She's going to love this.
In the end, Muzark conveyed exactly what Harmensales had shown him to Yen. Trying to wrap it up nicely to spare her feelings would only be a form of deception.
"..."
Yen didn't answer for a while. It wouldn't have been strange if she was disappointed. Although it was a ridiculous conclusion to an outsider, it was a turning point in her life.
After waiting a moment for her to organize her thoughts.
Breaking the silence, Yen's voice was surprisingly calm.
"I know that name."
"A name?"
"Sariella Prision."
She explained, as if telling herself.
"She's famous as a genius mage. She's also the only daughter of a great family that sways Blueline. A silver-spoon mage born from a combination of natural talent and an incredibly solid background."
An influential figure of the 3rd region, Blueline.
An unexpected big shot had emerged.
"Ha! Now I understand. No wonder. I was wondering why there were no proper records when there were so many people who saw the magic back then. Of course, since they're the Prisions, they could cover it up."
"I don't know much about this, but is it really something that needs to be covered up?"
"Who knows? How would we know the circumstances of those high and mighty people? From our perspective, it's just an absurd incident, but to them, it might be a lifelong embarrassment."
"Or maybe there was another issue involved."
"Maybe."
After brushing it off lightly, Yen let out a deep sigh. Muzark stared at Yen's face. Contrary to his thought that she would be disappointed, she looked somewhat relieved.
While coming up from the basement and returning to their lodging.
Yen, who was quietly looking up at the night sky, said.
"Muzark, I'm going to go up."
"Is that so."
"I don't even care if there's some hidden circumstance. Whether it was the magic of a ten-year-old snot-nosed kid, or magic cast by an old man on the verge of dementia in his final years, what does that matter?"
Muzark also knew that this was her unadulterated sincerity.
"Now that I know who she is and where she lives, I'll work my way up and meet her. I'll meet Sariella Prision and beg her. To show me that magic just one more time."
"While you're at it, why don't you ask her to teach you."
"Ah, that's a great idea. If I learn it, I won't have to worry about making a living for the rest of my life."
Yen took her eyes off the sky and looked at Muzark. She didn't say thank you. Whatever his inner thoughts, he had expressed it as a reward himself. Wouldn't a return of a return be silly?
Instead, something popped into her mind.
"Do you want to stop by my room for a bit?"
While Muzark flinched, Yen added.
"I have something that's hard to deal with. It might be useful to you."
"...Ah, I see."
"What's that? Look at you, what were you thinking? Huh?"
Yen, who was giggling, scratched her neck upon seeing Muzark's expression.
"Uh, sorry for teasing you. Let's not be so serious, okay?"
Although invisible to the eye, it was definitely there.
It was a day when something precious between two people had shifted.