Chapter 167
Chapter 167
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 167
Chapter Title: A Dangerous Deal (4)
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Amy walked up to them. She seemed to have had the same thought as Shirone, covering her mouth as she taunted Canis.
“Hohoho! Don't tell me you failed? Well, what else could I expect from you two.”
Shirone might not have held a grudge since he'd won the fight, but Amy had suffered quite a bit at their hands. True to her principle of always paying back what she received, she took this chance to land a solid blow.
But Canis didn't fall for her provocation.
“Hmph, aren't you in the same boat? I see the graduating class isn't all that special after all.”
“That's hilarious! How would you know if I failed?”
“The fact that you know I failed means you took the test too. If you'd succeeded, you wouldn't be wandering around here right now. Are you an idiot?”
“You bastard! Who do you think you are, talking back to your senior like that!”
“And who was it that got completely played by that very junior? Besides, shouldn't you be grateful? If I hadn't stopped Lucas, you might have died.”
A murderous glint appeared in Amy's eyes. The memory of being targeted by Lucas during the Abyss Nova incident, nearly suffering a terrible fate, filled her with rage.
“You son of a...!”
Before Shirone could stop her, Amy raised her fist at Canis.
Just as she was about to smash his face with the power of Schema, the shadow behind Canis shot up, and pitch-black claws reached over his shoulder.
Amy reflexively stepped back. Harvest, protecting Canis as if embracing him, grinned from ear to ear.
“Kikiki! Long time no see, big sis. Your personality hasn't changed a bit.”
“Aaaah! What is that thing!”
Tourists shrieked and fled at the sight of Harvest. From Shirone's perspective, it was completely understandable.
The effects of magic weren't unfamiliar to nobles, but a human-shaped shadow suddenly rising up was a different level of bizarre.
Even Tess was dumbfounded at the sight of Harvest.
“My goodness. The shadow is talking? Rian, have you ever seen anything like that?”
A small face contrasted with broad shoulders and a waist as slender as a tiger's. It had a human form, but its arms were twice as long and thin as a person's. Its palms were as large as shields, and its fingernails were as sharp as swords.
“No, this is a first for me too. But it seems Shirone is already acquainted with it.”
Harvest had spread its palms wide, defending most of Canis's torso. Facing Harvest, which specialized in shock absorption, even Amy had to be cautious.
“Kiki, let's both be careful about getting too close. I'd rather not see blood spilled in a place like this.”
“That thing...”
Just as Amy was about to charge again, Shirone raised a finger. A red photon compressed at its tip, wavering with an afterimage as if ready to fire at any moment.
This time, Harvest remained silent. It was the technique called a laser, the very one that had blasted it to bits before.
“Apologize to Amy. It's not right to bring up someone's old wounds.”
“Wounds? You call something like that a wound? Besides, I'm the one who saved her. Honestly, the way you nobles think.”
“That's for the person who was hurt to decide. If you reminded someone of a painful memory, you can at least apologize. How long are you going to keep looking at the world with such a cynical view?”
“Hmph! I don't need to hear that from some sheltered flower.”
Following Canis's taunt, Harvest swelled its upper body, threatening everyone. At the same time, Shirone's laser shone even more intensely.
Arin transformed her Spirit Zone into tentacles and slowly extended them toward Shirone. Thinking the situation was too dangerous, she planned to use mental interference to make him release the laser.
But before the zone could reach him, Amy stepped in front of Shirone. Arin frowned in frustration. In the face of the Red Eyes' ability, most mental magic was useless.
A magical creature, a laser, mental magic, Self-Image Memory.
Magics of different natures were interlocked, circling like a band. No one could make a rash move; they were all watching each other carefully.
In the tense atmosphere where anything could happen at any moment, Tess grabbed Rian's arm and pretended to cry.
“What's with them? They're scary.”
Rian's thoughts were different from Tess's. People of the world called mages bizarre. In the end, the further one strayed from common sense, the stronger their identity as a mage became.
Rian was pleased by the fact that Shirone had become such a bizarre and abnormal person.
“You're doing well, Shirone.”
“W-What?”
Tess asked back with a dumbfounded expression. Her gaze was like one you'd give to a pervert.
But Rian walked toward the mages without a word. He drew the straight sword from his back and said.
“Hey, I don't know who you are, but...!”
Tess, who had run up from a distance, jumped on Rian's back and covered his lips with her palm, saying.
“Please, read the room. What are we going to do if you join in too?”
“Mmph! Let go! Shirone! Mmph!”
Shirone, Amy, Canis, and Arin watched Rian and Tess's scuffle, looking dumbfounded.
Thanks to them, the tension of the battle subsided, and Harvest deflated its swollen torso.
As the laser's light dimmed, Arin's Spirit Zone dissipated. Amy's Red Eyes returned to their original color.
In truth, it wasn't something worth fighting over so heatedly. Amy had merely provoked Canis, and Canis had simply countered by adding more fuel to the fire.
“Let's stop this pointless attrition. We didn't come all this way to fight you.”
Canis said, absorbing Harvest back into his shadow.
With the other side proposing a truce first, Amy also let go of her fighting spirit and regained her composure.
Once the tension dissipated, Canis asked the question he'd been curious about since he first saw Shirone here.
“By the way, how are things? The fact that you're still here even after failing... does that mean you've found a way into the Kergo Autonomous Zone?”
Shirone was about to say something, but before the words could come out, Amy cut in.
“Why should we tell you that?”
This time, she wasn't just trying to pick a fight. In a way, it was information they had risked their lives to obtain, not something to be carelessly revealed to someone they couldn't trust.
“No need to be so guarded. We also know how to get into the autonomous zone. I'm guessing you're planning to use the Loop smuggling route?”
She didn't show it, but Amy was extremely surprised. Canis seemed to know about the Freeman organization's channel for trading Loops. If so, why did they bother going into the Room of Achievement and Sacrifice to take the test?
Staring intently at the lost-in-thought Amy, Canis raised the corners of his mouth and said.
“I can hear the gears turning in your head from here. Curious? Should I tell you?”
“Hmph! Who said I'm curious? I already know that much!”
“Aha, is that so? Arin, what do you think?”
Canis asked, turning his head. Arin, who had been lost in thought for a moment, hastily came to her senses and answered.
“Huh? Oh, she's lying. She's really curious. Her heart is going *thump-thump*.”
“Eek...!”
Amy gritted her teeth with a frustrated expression. She didn't know what *thump-thump* meant, but it was impossible to hide her feelings from Arin, a psychic with clairvoyance.
At that moment, Arin's stomach rumbled.
The gazes of Shirone's group focused on Arin. She lowered her head in embarrassment, her face turning as red as a ripe persimmon.
Canis looked at Arin with a worried expression he had never shown anyone before and asked.
“Arin, are you okay?”
“I'm fine. This is nothing. It used to be much worse, remember?”
Canis clenched his jaw. They had traveled for a long time after leaving the magic academy, and their travel funds had run out. They hadn't eaten anything for three days.
He could starve as much as needed, but Arin couldn't. The inertia from protecting her for ten years in Radum still remained.
Canis swallowed his pride and spoke to Shirone.
“Do you guys... have anything to eat? Arin hasn't eaten. I'm fine, but could you help her out?”
Only then did Shirone take a good look at Canis's appearance. His clothes were shabby from their long journey, and there were dirt stains on him as if he'd been sleeping in the mountains.
*'He said he lost all the inheritance Arcane left him...'*
Canis hadn't come to school since the Mental Pulse Test. Come to think of it, for them, who had no connections, survival must have been their biggest problem.
Mages with sufficient skill but no license found it hard to get work. Clients were reluctant to hire them. Of course, there were some who would, but most of the jobs were related to crime.
But Canis no longer wanted to live trapped in darkness. He had realized that he could never reach the top by fighting against society.
Amy sighed and said.
“First, let's get something to eat. There's a tavern we went to before, let's go there. Their noodles are delicious.”
“No! I'm really fine!”
Arin waved her hands. In truth, she was starving, but thinking of Canis's pride, she couldn't bring herself to go with them.
Amy grabbed Arin's wrist and forcibly dragged her along.
“What do you mean, you're fine? Your stomach is rumbling like thunder. You need energy whether you're going to fight or not. Canis, you come too.”
“I'm good. Just take Arin.”
“Shut up and just follow me. It's only natural for a senior to buy a meal for her hungry juniors.”
Shirone pushed Canis's back and said.
“Yeah, Canis. Let's go in. I have things to talk to you about anyway.”
Canis reluctantly followed, and Amy led them to the tavern where they had met the mercenaries.
Once the six of them were seated, Shirone introduced Canis and Arin to Rian. Rian was a little surprised to hear they were the disciples of a great mage, but he was inwardly relieved by Amy's kind explanation that they had lost to Shirone.
First, filling their stomachs was the priority. Canis and Arin must have been truly hungry, as they wolfed down two bowls of noodles in a flash.
Shirone's group, who had eaten Yuna's lunchbox a little while ago, felt full just watching them eat.
Seeing them drink up every last drop of broth, a smile naturally formed on Shirone's face. He thought that regardless of their origins or personalities, they were all human just the same.
After the two had filled their stomachs and licked their lips as if they'd finally come back to life, Shirone subtly broached the subject.
“I'm sure you both have a lot on your minds, as do we, but let's talk openly to some extent. Why did you two come here?”
“Canis has always been interested in ruins. So we're exploring them.”
“Oh, was Canis's dream to be an archaeologist?”
“Tch, don't say useless things.”
Canis, who hated talking about himself to others, muttered bluntly. But he didn't tell Arin to stop.
Although he lacked social skills, Arin wasn't the type of girl to just spill everything when asked. It was the best possible answer, revealing the truth while concealing necessary information.
In truth, the two had come to the island for a special reason, not to explore ruins. And to get what they wanted, they absolutely needed Shirone.
“Let us ask you something. Why did you guys come here?”
Canis asked, pointing at Amy. Shirone was likely the leader of their group of four, but he wanted to avoid showing Shirone that he wanted something from him if possible.
But Amy was also more than average when it came to psychological warfare. She knew how to hide the truth while avoiding Arin's clairvoyance.
“Huhu. To go to the Kergo Autonomous Zone, of course. Just like you.”
“Hmph, and you know what's there?”
“Hmm, you say that as if you know.”
“Maybe I do, maybe I don't.”
Amy gave a fake, smiling-eyed grin. But inside, she was going crazy with frustration.
*'He knows. He definitely knows, that bastard.'*
Canis chose the test route, not the Loop smuggling route. That meant he must have a clear understanding of why he had to choose that path.
*'This is tricky. How do I get information out of these two?'*
Canis and Arin were different from the mercenaries they had met before. Moreover, with Arin's clairvoyance, they were at a disadvantage in a psychological battle.
Shirone, who had been just listening until now, asked directly.
“Canis, can you tell us what you know? To be honest, we don't know much.”
He knew what Amy was thinking, but they were clearly at a disadvantage. In that case, it was better to be honest and open up, then see how they reacted.
Contrary to his expectations, Canis took it straightforwardly. Shirone's group must not find out, but in truth, Canis and Arin desperately needed Shirone's help.
“Alright. But in return, there's something I need to confirm first.”
“Ask anything. If I know it, I'll answer.”
“Your reason for trying to go to the autonomous zone. Is it because you want to know about Miro's spacetime?”
Shirone's eyes widened. Only his close friends and the headmaster knew about Miro's spacetime.
“How did you know? Do you know about Miro? No, just how much do you know about the Kergo Ruins?”
As Shirone asked urgently, Canis grew more relaxed, resting his chin on his hand.
“Well. I suppose you could say I know a lot more than you do.”
Shirone sank into thought with a serious expression. Where on earth did he get this information? And in less than a month, at that.
Then, it suddenly dawned on him. The shadow stretching from Canis's feet. The existence of the magical creature dwelling within it said everything.
“It's Arcane's knowledge.”