Chapter 179
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 179
Chapter Title: That's as Far as It Goes.
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Yuna Kyung thought to herself.
She didn't know if London was a city of magic or not, but it was undoubtedly the most extreme city in the world.
The scene of everything being swallowed by fog, turning it into a ghost town, was still vivid in her mind.
Yet, as if nothing of the sort had ever happened, the citizens casually rode around in silent carriages and flying carpets, leaving her dumbfounded.
[It's pretty impressive. I don't think I could live so carefree in a city like this.]
"Humans are creatures of adaptation, after all."
[Is fog that eats people every day something you can just brush off as 'adaptation'?]
"What's the big deal about this? Back in the day, it was common for people to shrug off raiders stealing everything they owned and just go about cooking and doing laundry."
[Were people back then made of dungeon alloy or something for their mental fortitude?]
"No, I'm talking about the time when the Zhonghua Seventy-Seven Federation was falling apart."
[Hmm, yeah, that makes sense then.]
Yuna Kyung nodded without thinking.
The chaos of the Zhonghua Seventy-Seven Federation's collapse was well-documented in textbooks.
And considering how nations that once fought to the death were now united under one federation, it was indeed remarkable adaptability.
"It's funny that you're the one judging others' adaptability in the first place."
[Me? Why?]
"You're saying that after a former human is now living a new life?"
[Oh, right, that happened, didn't it?]
"...Is that something you can just gloss over?"]
[Well, that was my past life. You have to coolly forget the past to enjoy the present, right?]
"Your positivity is refreshing."
Rimon stuck out his tongue in amazement.
Even for him, who had lived a long life and seen all sorts of people, Yuna Kyung's adaptability was astounding.
Unaware or perhaps uncaring of his thoughts, Yuna Kyung casually asked another question.
[Anyway, Team Leader, what do you think?]
"I'm realizing my life experience is still lacking."
[...I don't get what that has to do with anything, but I meant what that witch sister told us yesterday.]
"About the violin?"
[Yeah, what do you think is going on?]
"Who knows."
Rimon furrowed his brow.
When Syr had unexpectedly confessed that the Violin of Deep Darkness was one she'd made, Rimon had been surprised but accepting.
There were very few humans capable of creating divine relic-level magic tools, especially cursed instruments.
And Syr was one of them.
As far as Rimon knew, when it came to curses, she was the top expert outside of black wizards.
So, her connection to the Violin of Deep Darkness wasn't all that surprising.
If anything, it was fortunate.
He'd thought it lucky just to appraise it, but now he could even meet the creator.
For Rimon, who was curious about what the Seven Arcs were—why the Liberation Brigade targeted them and how they could melt constellation fragments—it felt like a gift from the heavens.
But the story he'd heard from her only gave him a bigger headache.
[Honestly, I don't get it. She says she's the creator, but she doesn't know the violin's power? How does that make sense?]
"That old hag didn't make the violin herself."
[I heard she only helped with the cursing part... But she's still the creator, right?]
"Even creators don't always know everything about what they make. Especially with powerful magic tools."
Items with fixed effects that could be appraised with skills were one thing.
But among magic tools, unclear effects or unintended powers and curses were surprisingly common.
Magic was that kind of power, after all.
So when Rimon asked about its ability to melt constellation fragments, Syr's intrigued response—"Does this violin have that kind of power?"—wasn't strange.
It was just that his high expectations led to greater disappointment.
[Tch, I thought we'd finally learn something. Now there are even more mysteries.]
"Not necessarily. At least now we can make some hypotheses."
[Hypotheses?]
"Yeah. Like, maybe the Saint of Muse, the violin's creator, has some connection to the Seven Arcs."
Yuna Kyung grumbled, but they'd learned plenty from Syr.
They'd confirmed that the original creator was a priestess of Muse, as heard when acquiring the violin.
Including the unexpected tale that she was a saint who made it and then took her own life.
[I know that much. That's why you asked the White Dragon Princess sister to investigate, right?]
"Yeah, lucky timing."
Rimon nodded.
Ainsha had just returned to the Holy Alliance, making it easy to ask.
Her enthusiasm—"That's easy. Just wait and trust me"—suggested results soon.
The Holy Alliance was the homeland of the White Dragon Clan, after all.
For a White Dragon Princess like Ainsha, almost nothing was impossible there.
"The problem is if even that saint has no connection to the Seven Arcs—or the violin's power."
[Nah, no way.]
"It's not impossible. We don't even know exactly what the Seven Arcs are."
All they knew came from Eugene's dying words.
They had zero knowledge of their true nature.
They'd vaguely guessed it was some magic tool related to constellation power, since the Violin of Deep Darkness was one.
That's why Rimon spoke softly.
"We'll know more with further investigation, but... the Seven Arcs might be something entirely different from what we imagine."
[What do you mean?]
"Just a hunch."
[I can't just dismiss it when you say it's a hunch...]
Hearing Yuna Kyung's grumbling, Rimon lightly tapped her head.
"Don't worry about it. Once that old hag finishes her task, we'll know much more about the Seven Arcs."
[...I felt it when you handed over the violin, but you really trust that witch sister?]
"Her skills are top-notch."
[And you trust her not to betray you?]
"Even more so."
Rimon chuckled.
Then he revealed the biggest reason he could entrust the violin to Syr without hesitation.
"That old hag clings to life so much, she won't do anything suspicious if it risks her dying by my hand."
[...Aren't you and that witch sister friends?]
"That's why I didn't draw my sword the moment I saw her."
[Your standard for 'friends' is whether you draw your sword on sight!?]
"At least with opponents like that old hag."
Rimon stated matter-of-factly.
He knew what kind of witch Syr was and how she'd lived for over a thousand years.
Not drawing his sword on sight was consideration for their old grudge and her as an elder.
Yuna Kyung shook her wingtips in exasperation at Rimon's swordsman logic.
[Well, anyway, if you're right, we just wait for the witch sister to finish with the Seven Arcs stuff.]
"We still have plenty to do meanwhile."
[Like sightseeing around London?]
"It's investigation, not sightseeing."
[Even if you call it investigation, it just looks like wandering around aimlessly. You really think we'll catch the witch killer this way?]
Yuna Kyung looked skeptical.
He'd come to London to find the Seven Arcs and track the Liberation Brigade.
But Syr was handling the Arcs investigation, and the bait Claire showed no movement yet.
So now, Rimon was focused on the witch serial killings.
"No, we won't."
...Though he wasn't actually doing much.
Yuna Kyung stared at him incredulously as he openly admitted it.
[Then why are you wandering around?]
"To figure out why the witches are being killed."
[Huh?]
"The culprit in this case is obvious. What's important isn't who, but why."
[...I don't follow. The culprit's obvious? And how does wandering help with the motive?]
"Well..."
"Thief! It's a thief!"
"Hm?"
[Eh?]
Rimon and Yuna Kyung turned around in unison.
And lost their composure.
Not because of the street vendor screaming or the man fleeing toward them with stolen goods.
Because of his getaway method.
[...I never thought I'd see a thief escaping on a flying broomstick in my lifetime.]
"Me neither."
What kind of magic had turned this London into?
Rimon clicked his tongue, stepped on a pebble, and flicked it lightly with his toe at the right moment.
The pebble didn't shoot like a bullet or pierce the thief.
It just bounced high, spinning into the thief's escape path.
The thief, fleeing furiously, didn't see it and smashed his forehead into it himself.
"Urk!"
Reeling from the starry impact.
As the broom's path veered off, Rimon extended his arm smoothly.
Thwack!
"Gweh!?"
It happened in an instant.
The thief's neck caught on Rimon's arm, spun 270 degrees in midair, and flopped to the ground, broom flying back.
Yuna Kyung clapped her wings at the feat.
Clap clap clap.
[Nice lariat. I'll give it an 80 from the crowd.]
"Why not 100?"
[No KO. Look, he's getting up.]
"I held back on purpose so his neck wouldn't snap and KO his life, you rice bucket."
"Kuh, ack, cough! Cough cough!"
Even held back, the full lariat's impact was huge.
The thief coughed violently before staggering up, glaring venomously at Rimon.
"You bastard!"
He drew a wand—a clear attack magic item—aiming at Rimon without hesitation.
As Yuna Kyung shook her head and Rimon frowned, muttering, "Should've KO'd him," and clicking his tongue.
The thief finally activated the item toward Rimon.
Or tried to.
"That's as far as it goes."
If not for the clear voice and the woman suddenly appearing before him.