The Whereabouts of the Mana Stone
Inspection continued until the night sky had gone dark.
But there was still no word that the culprit had been caught.
The two men who had relieved the late shift made their way toward the statue.
The area around it, flooded with Light, was bright as broad daylight.
Under the temporary tent, mercenaries and mages sat around a round table instead of laborers.
They weren’t mages from the workshop.
Judging by the black robes, they were mages from the Magic Tower.
Among the mercenaries, Lawrence spotted a familiar partizan.
Pretending to straighten his collar, he pulled his hood lower.
“...Honestly, I think it’d be far better to search the place from top to bottom. The culprit isn’t stupid enough to carry it around in plain sight, is he? If it were me, I’d hide it somewhere decent and wait for time to pass.”
“That would be easier for us, then. Gather every mage who knows Dig. With time to spare, they ought to be able to search the entire Magic Tower district in two hours.”
The discussion hadn’t stopped just because someone had joined midway through.
A map of the area around the Magic Tower lay spread across the table.
From that, it seemed the people gathered in the tent had been discussing their next move.
“That won’t do either. And that won’t do either. Then what are we supposed to do?”
“You should try thinking before you speak. Do you still not understand that moving around like this is nothing but a waste of time?”
“Hah. You talk a good game. Then why don’t you try saying something, hmm? Got any bright ideas? Something that’ll let us catch the culprit in one shot?”
“The first sweep is almost finished. And yet the thief who stole the mana stone still hasn’t turned up. That leaves only one possibility.”
The smaller mage raised his hand.
Beyond the tent, swaying in the wind, the Magic Tower came into view.
“Don’t tell me you’re saying the culprit is one of the Magic Tower’s own mages?”
“We don’t know, so we should check. In any case, as long as the culprit hasn’t shown themselves, investigating the tower is only a matter of time. Think about it calmly. Someone stole a mana stone that was being guarded under heavy security. Do you really think an outsider, who knew nothing, could have done that? There must be an accomplice.”
“That’s insulting. Not just to me, but to the other mages as well.”
“Sounds like you’ve got something to hide. Come to think of it, your laboratory was full of ugly rumors. Not only did you use poor slaves for your experiments, you supposedly experimented on fellow mages too. Why? Are you hiding corpses you picked up from the Black Market?”
“Hasole, you bastard—!”
“Enough.”
A deep voice rolled through the tent.
At the head of the round table sat an elderly mage in gray robes.
At the tip of his mysterious staff, a mana stone shimmered with dazzling blue light.
“Headmaster Androp. But this man started it first...!”
“Don’t make me disappointed in you any further. Elbrick. Hasole. Have you both truly grasped the situation we’re in?”
As if a headache were coming on, Androp pressed a hand to his forehead.
“I’m not telling you to settle your grudges right here and now. But this is neither the time nor the place. And you should both be aware that there are many eyes on us. If you are mages of the Magic Tower, then don’t show me such shameful behavior again.”
“I apologize. I have nothing to say.”
“We were in the wrong.”
The two mages admitted their fault without argument.
Once the commotion had been settled, Androp turned to Emily.
“I apologize for the unsightly scene. It was not our intention.”
“There’s no need for Headmaster Androp to apologize.”
After bowing their heads slightly, the two continued the conversation.
“First, thank you for cooperating so quickly. The Raynald Family will not forget the Magic Tower’s sincerity.”
“No need. This matter has already become a question of our tower’s dignity. I swear by the name of the Magic Tower that we will catch the brazen bastard who did this and hold him to account.”
His voice was calm, but heavy beyond measure.
“The culprit may already have slipped out of the Magic Tower.”
“Hasole. When did the lockdown begin?”
“The moment the missing mana stone was confirmed. The mercenaries began securing the area immediately after that.”
“Elbrick. Report the specifics.”
“It’s been about ten minutes since the mana stone disappeared. There are no shortage of people who could have slipped away in the confusion.”
Androp stroked his snow-white beard.
“If the culprit prepared an escape route in advance, then it wouldn’t be strange if they’ve already left the Magic Tower.”
That statement was, in essence, an admission that the culprit had escaped.
“You two, go and gather every mage in the Magic Tower. Explain the situation and secure their cooperation. You must finish the investigation by tomorrow morning at the latest.”
“Headmaster, forgive my rudeness, but there will be strong resistance.”
“The Magic Tower is being put through the wringer because of a mere thief. If they are truly mages of the tower, they won’t sit by and allow such a misunderstanding to stand.”
“...I will follow your instructions, Headmaster.”
“I’ll head out first and get the investigation started.”
Following the two mages, Marys also rose from his seat.
“I can only apologize for such an unfortunate incident. I’d like to offer my sincere apologies to the Raynald Family.”
“The Magic Tower has already shown us more than enough sincerity. Our lord is not the sort to judge everything by the end result alone.”
“Ho ho ho. Hearing that makes this old man feel a little lighter on his shoulders.”
Androp smiled with warmth in his eyes.
“Don’t worry about what comes next. In the name of the Magic Tower, this affair will be settled swiftly.”
Then his gaze shifted to Lawrence.
“The man sitting over there doesn’t look familiar. Might I ask who he is?”
“He’s an honored guest of the Raynald Family. He’s helped us quite a lot with this matter.”
Lawrence stood and bowed.
The headmaster of the Magic Tower was, after all, someone of very high rank.
It would not be an exaggeration to say he stood on a plane above ordinary Magic Tower mages.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Headmaster Androp. I’m Lawrence.”
“Lawrence? That name sounds familiar. Would you happen to be the very Lawrence who proved the practical value of Water magic?”
Lawrence was taken aback.
He hadn’t expected a man of the headmaster’s stature to remember a task like that, much less by name.
“Yes, sir.”
“Well now, how remarkable. I’d heard an interesting mage had come to the workshop district, but I never imagined he’d be a friend of our guest. In that case, thank you for lending us your hand this time.”
That was the extent of Lawrence’s conversation with Androp.
Without finding any common ground beyond that, Lawrence left the tent with Emily.
Outside, darkness had already settled over everything.
It seemed the many Light mages had moved with the others.
The pools of light had scattered throughout the workshop district.
“Lord Lawrence.”
Once they were away from the tent, Emily finally spoke.
“Thank you for accepting my sudden request. Because of you, today was a great help.”
“It seems a little early for thanks. The culprit still hasn’t been caught, and nothing about this case has moved forward.”
The chance that the culprit was a mage from the Magic Tower was probably low.
That didn’t fit Lawrence’s common sense, no matter how he looked at it.
Mages were people who often put pride ahead of even life itself.
And the workshop mages who harbored dissatisfaction with the tower’s treatment were hardly likely culprits either. Much less could he imagine a Magic Tower mage laying hands on the mana stone.
“No matter how this ends, I promised to see you safely out of the Magic Tower. You kept your promise, Lord Lawrence, so now it’s my turn. I’ll make preparations so we can leave as early as tomorrow.”
“......”
Hearing that, Lawrence realized it.
Something had felt odd.
The spell he had asked for had merely been for show.
Looking back, it seemed she had intended this from the start.
“There’s no need for such consideration. I promised I’d help with this matter. Then I should at least see things through properly before I leave.”
He did not want to accept such a half-finished outcome.
“This case has already slipped beyond my reach. We can’t simply investigate the Magic Tower’s mages on our own.”
“I’m not talking about the Magic Tower’s mages.”
Confusion flickered in Emily’s eyes.
Once the tower mages were excluded, the investigation was more or less done.
When he looked at her as if asking who else was left, Lawrence raised a hand.
“Those people are still here, aren’t they?”
His finger pointed toward the mercenaries keeping watch around the area.
“They’ve all been assigned to the inspection because there aren’t enough hands. Some of them have been busy controlling the crowds the whole time. I doubt they’ve been properly searched.”
Light from above is always the last to be seen.
Emily nodded as though he made sense.
“I’d like to get the Magic Tower’s cooperation. Would that be possible?”
“This matter is by no means minor. If there’s even a sliver of possibility, getting the tower’s cooperation shouldn’t be difficult.”
“Then I’ll be counting on you, Emily.”
“You’re the one doing the asking for me.”
At her answer, Lawrence gave a wry smile.
“I want to catch the culprit just as badly as you do.”
The headmaster of the Magic Tower approved Emily’s proposal.
Five mages from the tower came out to assist the two of them. Lawrence ordered the mercenaries gathered in one place.
“Once each assigned area has been checked, I’d like you to do one more favor and inspect the mercenaries’ lodgings as well.”
“We’ll check every bag in the lodgings and then come back to the tent. We’ll bring back anything suspicious.”
“Thank you. Hopefully we can finish this before dawn.”
The mercenaries were scattered throughout the Magic Tower district.
It wouldn’t be easy to call them all to one place.
Lawrence began with the mercenaries who had already arrived at the tent.
It was an extension of what he had been doing during the day.
After Emily checked their belongings once, Lawrence searched the mercenary’s body.
Fortunately, the mercenaries cooperated readily.
There were some who showed displeasure at the sudden intrusion, but since they understood the situation in the Magic Tower, none of them made any reckless moves.
“That maid over there is really pretty. How about it? Once this is done, want to go grab a drink with me?”
“You crazy bastard. Now you’re trying to hit on a maid from the Magic Tower? You wouldn’t have enough lives for that.”
Emily was greeted with a stream of filthy remarks from the mercenaries.
She did not even blink, calmly continuing her search of their belongings.
“Hey, pretty maid. Can’t you at least tell me your name?”
“There’s nothing suspicious here. Please go to the mage standing behind me.”
“No, not that. You still haven’t answered my question.”
No matter what his comrades said, this mercenary was unusually persistent.
Just as Lawrence was about to step in, Emily gave a small smile.
“There won’t be a third warning.”
“Huh?”
The mercenary’s body spun through the air.
Along with his iron armor, he flew over the table and slammed face-first into the ground.
“Ghk!”
A short cry rang out.
Emily’s foot came down on his back.
“Let me say this only once more. Please go to the mage standing behind me.”
“You bitch...! Damn it! Fine! I’m going! You could’ve just said so. What the hell is this? Get your foot off me already!”
A mercenary was still a mercenary.
He still had plenty of fight left in him, and he spat out a string of curses.
“Why should I take my foot off?”
“What? You told me to go to the mage!”
“You can crawl.”
“What did you just say?”
“I said crawl.”
“......”
She wasn’t joking.
At her icy tone, the mercenary’s face twisted.
“Damn it!”
He tried to force himself upright, but couldn’t.
Unlike the mercenary, who was now wearing a dozen different expressions, Emily calmly kept him pinned.
“Your backbone seems to be as empty as your head. I’d appreciate it if you could understand that the slower you move, the more everyone behind you has to wait.”
“You damned wench!”
“Instead of wasting time with your mouth, you should hurry up and crawl.”
So she really wasn’t an ordinary woman.
A house of swords.
A retainer of the Raynald Family, the Sword Saint lineage that had produced the Four Knights of the Promise.
Not every maid was the same, after all.
At the very least, Emily was skilled enough to protect herself.
How much time had passed after the small uproar died down?
A familiar mercenary holding a spear stepped in front of Lawrence.
“Still carrying that partizan, I see.”
“......”
Marys said nothing.
Come to think of it, he had been silent even when they first took the commission.
The only time Lawrence had heard him speak at all was when he received his payment.
The items taken from Marys’s clothes were ordinary enough.
A bundle of rolling tobacco. A water skin. A wooden cask filled with jerky.
Aside from a few throwing daggers, they were perfectly suitable belongings for a mercenary.
“Thank you for your patience. You may go.”
After collecting his things again, Marys turned away from the tent.
“...Seems the Magic Tower mages really don’t have anything better to do.”
At that voice, Lawrence turned reflexively.
It had a rough, blunt cadence to it.
A distinctive voice that one wouldn’t normally hear around here.
It was different from the voice he had heard in Mistra.
He didn’t remember Marys’s voice with perfect certainty, but he was sure of one thing: it had not sounded this coarse.
“No way...”
Lawrence watched Marys as he walked away.
Could it be that Marys hadn’t failed to recognize him, but simply didn’t know him at all?
Marys left the tent and soon vanished into the darkness.
text.