Mounting Questions
Mounting Questions
Kkigigigik. Camellia, having locked the large padlock, turned around.
Emul, who had been watching her, also turned his back and started walking.
The sobbing incident after showing the completed magic, Cheonseolhwa.
After pouring out her emotions for a long while, she offered a polite thank you, as if nothing had happened.
And then, she left these words:
Her determined gaze and tone were burdensome, but the content itself was what Emul wanted.
How was he supposed to teach someone else how to handle magic power like Gi?
Even Emul only found a clue after stealing Gi from the Cyber Psycho, so it was no wonder.
He had no choice but to rely on the talent of the Magic Academy's top student in Academy City.
'If all else fails, I could force magic power into her body to make her realize the sensation of handling it hotly, but...'
She was a student, so he wanted to avoid physical contact if possible.
'If she's in the Magic Academy, is she a college student? ...Still, I can't help but feel reluctant.'
Maybe it's the uniform that reminds him of a school uniform. While thinking that, Emul muttered lowly.
"Why are you following me?"
The metal hood walking right behind him. She wasn't sneaking, so should he consider it an accompaniment rather than stalking? Even though the person in question hadn't given permission.
"......."
The uncomfortable companion didn't seem to have any intention of answering.
Emul let out a faint sigh and was about to move his feet again when he felt a familiar Gi sensation from the corner of the alley.
"...You don't know when to give up."
The woman who had suddenly barged into the abandoned warehouse, spewed only what she wanted to say, and disappeared.
Perhaps she had no intention of hiding, as she leisurely turned the corner and came out.
Black hair stretched long into the darkness. Every time the streetlamp flickered, eerie red eyes reflected Emul.
"So it was you, after all, with the magic power. Long coat, messily cut hair. A mage at the level of Assimilation. You hid your magic power well. As of this moment, you are under emergency arrest. Don't expect any right to speak."
Seureung-.
A gloved hand drawing the sword worn at her waist with a reverse grip.
As she pulled out the pitch-black blade to its full length, an aura similar to the Cyber Psycho he fought at the Sludge Factory wafted off her.
It meant she wasn't an easy opponent.
Looking only at the description she mentioned, it did seem like she was referring to him.
'...Is she the police of this world?'
With the uniform-like white formal wear and the word "arrest" added, it was a plausible deduction.
Emul couldn't claim to have lived a clean life. He had done whatever it took to survive.
However, if there were any innocent victims during those incidents, he at least intended to provide financial compensation.
It wasn't some clumsy atonement.
Sometimes, a single choice leads to irreversible consequences.
If such a thing had happened, there would be accumulated karma that could never be washed away by mere apologies.
Karma that the one who committed the error must endure.
Therefore, instead of easing his guilt, Emul simply chose a path that would be helpful to their lives.
Just as the woman was about to shift her center of gravity to her legs, Emul asked.
"I'd like you to tell me what the charges are."
He had no intention of being arrested obediently, but he at least needed to know what it was for.
"What charges, you ask? Obviously... wait there quietly."
She took out a terminal with her free hand, tapped the screen, and continued.
"Terrorism at a Belisco affiliate manufacturing plant... plus molestation of women and random assaults on the elderly and weak. A total of 33 counts. You must have thought you wouldn't get caught after doing all this; you've got some nerve."
Emul, who had been listening seriously up until the factory terrorism part, tried hard to hide his feeling of absurdity.
He wasn't grading the severity of crimes, but he had never committed petty crimes like molestation or assault.
"That's a shame. You've got the wrong person."
"A trashy excuse."
As soon as the fierce accusation ended, the woman's figure stretched out. The tip of the sword aimed for Emul's side and dug in.
A piercing killing intent, calmly honed. She probably didn't intend to kill him immediately.
Regardless of the woman's intentions, Emul did not—manifest the spell he had prepared right up until the moment of discharge.
Instead, he watched the movements of Camellia, who had jumped in front of him.
Slender fingers wiggling as if drawing sharp strokes.
Magic power took form from the movements containing a specific intent.
"Trigonal System, Quartz."
It revealed its true form in response to the caster's call.
Chaaang——!
A sound too clear to be metal clashing with magic spread through the narrow alley.
A translucent regular hexagonal barrier generated in front to protect Emul.
Intricately repeating geometric patterns spread out from the center like ripples.
The woman, who retrieved the sword blocked by it, narrowed her eyes in disbelief.
"You. Where did you get that magic...?!"
Seureuk-.
Camellia, who pushed back her metal hood.
She asserted to the woman, who couldn't hide her astonishment, in a low voice.
"I don't know who you are, but please put away your sword. I, Camellia El Antera, the eldest daughter of the Antera family, will vouch for this person."
The woman, who hurriedly sheathed her sword, bowed deeply.
"...Please forgive me for pointing my sword at you."
A clearly felt hierarchy.
Emul stared blankly at the back of Camellia's head.
He knew vaguely that she was a child of a high-ranking family, so it wasn't surprising.
The problem was the magic that blocked the stabbing blade. The destructive power contained in the sword was by no means light.
That alone was a fresh shock.
'Failed to steal it, huh...'
Naturally, it had to be.
The barrier that cleanly absorbed the sword's damage and disappeared was magic that existed outside of Emul's common sense.
A technique that didn't exist in the game.
He had expected to encounter magic of unknown origin someday.
Because it wasn't a world completely identical to the game.
'It bothers me that it happens to be the mage who was making Cheonseolhwa.'
Just as his curiosity about the mage named Camellia was amplifying.
The person who had piqued Emul's curiosity opened her mouth.
"Why are you only asking for forgiveness from me, Enforcer-nim?"
Having said that, Camellia looked back at Emul behind her.
The meaning of that action was clear.
"He is someone I, Camellia El Antera, have vouched for. I will forgive the rudeness of pointing your sword at me, so please apologize formally to the person in question."
The woman, biting her lip, seemed to hesitate for a moment, then bowed her head just as she had before.
A soft voice caught the woman as she was about to leave.
"Enforcer-nim?"
The woman flinched and faced Camellia again.
Camellia, the eldest daughter of the Antera family.
She, as if unable to understand, furrowed her brow and pressed her temple firmly with her finger.
"Don't just nod your head. You need to apologize properly."
The woman, looking back and forth between Emul and Camellia, bowed her head and said.
"...I would like to say that I am very sorry for pointing my sword at you without verifying it properly."
Camellia looked back at Emul again. Did she mean to ask if he was satisfied with the formal apology?
Emul, who just wanted this meaningless friction to end quickly, nodded shortly.
"You may go."
The woman, who bowed at the finally issued dismissal, disappeared in a single leap.
The short commotion that had ended.
Emul met the blue-violet eyes looking up at him for a fleeting moment.
This student, who was wearing a faint smile, had called the woman who drew her sword an Enforcer.
'Setting aside what they enforce, it must mean she's someone's bitch. She's a different class from a bounty hunter, but she's definitely that type.'
A resolve to cut down any obstacles in her way for the sake of the accepted request.
The reckless determination that usually wafted off mercenaries was also felt from the woman called an Enforcer.
"Zen-nim...?"
At Camellia's question, Emul turned his back and started walking instead of answering.
Then, low-heeled shoes hurriedly matched his pace.
Would she follow him all the way to the sewer at this rate? Just as a useless worry began to creep up.
As they exited the alley, the dazzling lights of the casinos welcomed them.
Crowds wearing high-end clothing and flashy vehicles that couldn't even be seen in the Undeveloped Area.
Huge bio-machines that looked like escorts were guarding the surroundings.
There were occasional bodyguards in suits who hadn't received any modification procedures, but their numbers were small.
The luxurious life of the upper class that dominated the Outer Zone.
When he first arrived at District 51, he had watched with curious eyes, but since it was a scene he had already seen, it didn't particularly interest him.
Regardless of Emul's impressions, Camellia was observing them as if they were fascinating.
"You're acting like you're seeing it for the first time, even though it's right in front of your house."
A sarcasm that unintentionally mixed in, contrary to his intention. Was there some dissatisfaction he didn't even know about?
To Emul, who was sighing at his own un-adult-like behavior, Camellia answered as if muttering.
"...It's my second time. Though it's my first time accompanying someone else."
"I see...."
Emul added, looking at the group of young people Camellia's gaze was directed toward.
"Let's go now."
It would be better for both of them to part ways here.
Was it the same feeling? Camellia bowed her waist as if to replace a farewell greeting.
And so, she seeped into the crowd.
Even after being left alone, Emul couldn't easily take a step.
His gaze remained fixed on the street where Camellia had seeped into, and the skyscrapers beyond.
'I'll have a lot to think about when I get back. Cheonseolhwa, Camellia, that woman called an Enforcer, and also...'
"...Ha."
A sigh that came up naturally from deep within. It spread up into the sky like smoke in the cold air.
A time that was so dark it had become dawn.
Emul got into a taxi parked on the roadside.
After skillfully entering the destination, he closed his eyes.
Just as he was having a light sleep.
Uung-.
A vibration rang from his chest. Annoyance washed over him, but it must have been sent in the middle of the night because it was urgent.
Holding the terminal, he saw the text filling the screen as soon as he turned it on, and closed his eyes again.
[ Zen-nim. I apologize for the late hour. Are you returning safely? I will never forget the grace you bestowed upon me today. The miracle you showed me has become the milestone for me to move forward. I am ashamed of my foolishness in defining my limits and trying to give up everything. It will take a long time to reach that realm, but I will not forget and will continue to train. Next time we meet, I will show you a slightly more grown version of myself...(Read more) ]