Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: Summer Festival Pandemonium (2)
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*Tap, tap.*
I tapped the shoulder of a completely engrossed Mika.
“Hey, Mika. Have you seen Seon?”
Her reply was utterly impertinent.
“Who goes there? Ah, is it Lansen?”
Huh?
But that was only the beginning.
“Lansen. I find wretches like you who go about spilling ‘justice’ utterly shameful… Just how frivolous is your so-called ‘justice’…?”
Mika said this, looking at me with disdain as she shook her head.
…Should I just punch her?
A fierce impulse washed over me, but I barely managed to restrain it.
*I’ll let it slide this once for your sake, Roia.*
“So, have you seen Seon or not?”
“Who? Ah, you mean ‘that boy’? He was a remarkably talented youth, capable of summoning an Aura Blade at such a tender age.”
Ah… is that so.
For her to call it an Aura Blade, Katrina must have run into Seon before I did.
The blade made of light must have looked like one.
Right. With that, he should be getting a little popular, right?
“That boy headed for the Magic Park. Oh, and I also saw a monster named Katrina, the king of the undead, reeking of a foul liquor.”
Is she insane?
Getting hit by Katrina would hurt more than getting hit by me, though…?
It seemed Mika had lost her mind a little, probably thanks to her friends.
“…Alright. Mika. If you see Seon, give him this.”
This time, the item I brought out was a toy breastplate.
This, too, was an artifact.
It only covered the chest, but with the press of a button, it could transform into a full suit of armor.
It was light, durable, made a cool *clank-clank* sound, and had a brilliant shine.
Even if it was a toy, it was a far more proper piece of equipment than the armor Mika was currently wearing.
“Ha!”
But Mika just scoffed.
“Too humble an armor to give to that little young master. I refuse.”
…I held back one more time. *For you, Roia.*
Instead of throwing a punch, I reached into my subspace.
“I’ll give you this, so you pass that along for me.”
“?”
I explained the artifact I had just taken out to the tilting-her-head Mika.
It was something she would absolutely love.
“It’s an illusion artifact that changes the surrounding scenery to whatever you desire.”
“Wh-what?”
“Try it.”
Like a cat seeing a strange object, Mika tensed up and cautiously activated the illusion artifact.
In that instant,
*Flick!*
The surroundings went dark as if a light had been turned off, and moonlight poured down, illuminating only Mika.
Even though it was broad daylight.
“!!!”
Mika’s face flushed with excitement.
“Th-this is!”
As she manipulated the artifact again, the scenery suddenly changed to a field of white flowers spattered with droplets of blood.
“Kuhhhhhhh—!”
Mika trembled all over. A profound, deep emotion was evident in every fingertip, in the slightest twitch of her eyes.
With a trembling hand, she finally took the toy armor from me.
“I shall accept the mission.”
Uh… sure.
Before I could even finish my reply, a group clad in armor I found utterly unforgivable came rushing over.
“Ooh, Sir Mikisiella!”
It seemed Mika was known as ‘Sir Mikisiella’ around here.
“With this, wouldn’t it be possible to recreate the ‘Path of Glory’ from *A True Knight Never Dies*!?”
I had set out to make Seon a popular kid, but somehow Mika had become the ultra-popular star of a bizarre troupe.
“Hmph. As expected of you, Sir Kashmir. You have a keen eye. Very well, the Path of Glory it is!”
And with that, Mika transformed the surrounding path into a glowing, ancient highway.
“Ooooooh!”
“KyacK!”
“This is insane!”
The bizarre troupe made bizarre noises as they marched down the path together.
I stared blankly at Mika’s receding back.
Right.
I give up.
Mika Seitus (19, Expert-rank).
Just grow up healthy.
* * *
By the time I reached the Magic Park, I somehow felt completely exhausted.
There was no way a Sword Master like me, who had even undergone metamorphosis, could be tired from something like this…
In my head, I could feel Katrina leading her drunkards on a rampage all over the city, and when I looked up, I could faintly see the streets flashing as the scenery changed.
I sighed and trudged into the Magic Park. And I was a little surprised.
“Wow, what a spectacle.”
Spread before me was a beautiful symphony of magic.
Whales made of colorful water floated by, pretty stones summoned from somewhere continuously fell and stacked up, and there was even someone who transformed from a bear to a mouse, and even into the form of a demonic beast.
But the one who stood out the most was, of course, our Asha Krona.
The Krona County.
To have received a countship for magic in Vanroah, which was called the Kingdom of Knights, meant her talent for magic was off the charts.
Asha was also self-taught in magic.
Fortunately, like me, she had a subspace artifact, so she was able to bring her family’s secret grimoires with her.
A mage who reached her level by studying alone. That was my sister, Asha.
“Wow… that’s incredible. How is such delicate control possible?”
“I know, right? And look at this heat. The power is no joke either.”
“Kuh… Re. Spect.”
What was happening now in the Magic Park was a sort of magic free-for-all.
Mages would show off their skills, and other mages or the audience would watch and cheer.
The one who received the most cheers was the most respected, and that person was our Asha.
A castle sculpted from the light of blue flames stood upon a sea recreated from those same flames, and a dragon of fire flew around it.
It was so vivid it could be called a sculpture carved with magic, a work of art in itself.
It was only natural that everyone praised her.
Asha herself was well aware of this fact, and was even enjoying it.
“Heh…”
With a gloomy expression and a crooked smile, she tilted her head back and looked down on the other mages.
Soon, a series of scathing critiques poured forth, following her outstretched finger.
“Your whale… it has no life in it at all…!”
“Keuk!”
The mage controlling the water whale fell to his knees. Behind him, the whale collapsed to the ground in a splash.
Asha’s finger found its next victim.
“Are you just a one-trick summoner?!”
“Ah… Aah…”
The mage who had been continuously summoning pretty stones stumbled backward and fell.
One by one, Asha crushed the spirits of the other mages.
I watched the scene with a pleased expression.
*That’s right. That’s my sister.*
If it’s a competition, you must win, no matter what.
I taught her that since she was young.
You’re doing great, Asha!
After enjoying Asha’s victory for a while, I suddenly remembered my original purpose.
“Asha. Have you seen Seon?”
“H-huh? Brother? Ah, Seon? I saw him. Here, passed through to the main avenue.”
There was a unique way Asha spoke, chopping her words into pieces.
“Everyone’s seen Seon but me. How was he?”
“At the front, leading the kids. Light from his sword. Armor was shiny.”
Oh?!
So our Seon is the leader now?
Of course! I’m glad I took a chance and gave each of the kids an artifact.
*Thump.*
I suddenly wanted to see him.
Seon, leading the children of Kinalo…!
I can’t miss this.
Ah, but just in case.
“Give this to Seon if you see him.”
This time, I handed over a child-sized cape enchanted with levitation magic.
Asha took the cape without a word.
Alright. Now to go see Seon.
I quickly turned around, but Asha grabbed my sleeve.
“Heard from. Sister Katrina. And Mika.”
“Hm? What about?”
“Give me one too.”
Seriously…
I quickly rummaged through my subspace. As luck would have it, there was something Asha would like.
“Here.”
I quickly tossed it to her and ran toward the central plaza. I really need to see Seon now.
But the sounds from behind me were unusual.
“Gasp! My mana! I can see it…!”
“*Sniffle. Sniffle.* So this is what my mana looked like…”
“Why am I crying…?”
They were crying.
I glanced back.
*Asha. You’re crying too?*
I could see Asha wiping away tears.
‘Mana Vision.’
It was an artifact ancient mages used for training.
But, I never thought they’d cry just from seeing their own mana…
It seems that seeing one’s own mana holds great significance for mages.
They were all busy bawling their eyes out.
“Thank you!”
“Thank you! You are the benefactor of our lives!”
The shouts of the mages faded into the distance behind me.
* * *
I headed for the main avenue, but it was too crowded.
After getting pushed and shoved,
*Hmph.*
I just leaped up onto a building’s roof.
But what was this?
The view of Kinalo from up high was…
“Beautiful.”
A procession of revelers.
At its very forefront, an illusion of scattering flower petals and the colorful lines of mana intertwined to create a magnificent spectacle.
So Mika and Asha are both over there.
I leaped across the rooftops. When I arrived at the plaza in front of the lord’s castle, everyone was indeed gathered there.
“Right! Right! To the left there!”
“Ahem! Your flank is weak! Circle around for a mobile strike!”
A strange scene was unfolding there.
Against a backdrop of fluttering flower petals and a crashing sea illusion, two groups of knights were clashing.
One was Mika’s band of idiotic knights in infuriating armor.
The other was a children’s knight brigade, armed with willow swords.
“Keuk! Not bad!”
Mika and her friends were playing along quite well with the children.
They gently clashed with the willow swords, subtly letting themselves get hit here and there.
Hmm, so they were good kids after all? I’ll upgrade them from idiotic knight brigade to amateur knight brigade.
“Kukuk. Though you are my enemy, I must acknowledge your skill. You are the first to block this blow.”
Mika was delivering her lines with a dead-serious expression.
In response, Seon, who was facing her, was having the time of his life.
“You’re pretty good yourself! But you won’t be able to take this! Take this, Aura Sword Blade Storm!”
“N-no!”
*Clang-clang-clang-clang!*
The sword of light in Seon’s hand slashed all over Mika’s body.
“Aaaargh… I may fall here… but justice will remain… and will one day bloom again…”
“Die!”
“Uwaaaargh!”
Well, she’s certainly a good sport.
“Ahh! This booze tastes great!”
“Keh! So good!”
“Doesn’t it feel like we’re not getting drunk today?!”
“I’m not feeling that drunk today?!”
“Killer!”
“Killer!”
The heavy drinkers, sharing their minds through a Spirit Chain, kept spouting similar phrases as they watched the spectacular sword fight.
“Mana… so beautiful…”
“I can see it… I can see it…”
“These flower petals, that seashore… is this all ancient magic? Even the mana of ancient magic is beautiful…”
The mages who had come all the way from the Magic Park were still crying.
The other citizens were also chuckling, enjoying this rare spectacle.
A little time passed like that.
“*Pant… pant…*”
Seon, who had been running wild at the very front, seemed to have tired out and fell back.
I quickly snatched the scruff of his neck and lifted him up.
“Yo, Seon.”
“Ah! Teacher!”
Seon beamed.
Heh.
Yeah, this is it.
“Having fun?”
“Yes!”
*Twang.*
My heartstrings were plucked.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile so brightly…?
Alright. Then let’s go all out today.
I quickly took a stamina potion from my subspace and gave it to Seon.
“Oh! Oh!”
His energy surging again, Seon tried to dash back out.
I quickly snatched the scruff of his neck again.
He struggled.
“Hey, why!”
“Hold on. I’ll make it even more fun for you.”
Today’s final artifact.
I took out the ‘Phantasmal Orb.’
There was only one illusion stored in it.
[Krrrrraaaaaa!]
To create a truly lifelike ‘Azure Dragon.’
“Hiiieek?!”
The gathered citizens yelped in surprise and fell on their butts.
And for good reason.
The blue dragon currently floating in the sky, summoning lightning, looked incredibly real.
“Wow…”
Seon was also captivated.
I patted him on the back.
“Alright. Go on, Seon.”
“Okay!”
He didn’t hesitate for a moment.
He trusted me completely.
*Flutter!* The Cape of Levitation that Asha had passed on billowed behind Seon,
*Whooosh—!*
And he soared into the sky.
[Krrrrraak!]
As if on cue, the Azure Dragon descended to the ground.
“U-ugh!”
Over the faces of the startled citizens, the reflected light from the shining sword Seon wielded fell.
[Kyaaaaaaaa!]
The Azure Dragon shattered into pieces and scattered.
“My goodness. Was that an illusion magic too?”
Among the stunned and gaping citizens, Seon, floating high alone, raised his sword triumphantly.
In that moment,
“Waaaaaaaaaaah!”
“Wooooooooooooooh!”
“Killer!”
“That was killer!”
The first to react were the drunkards led by Katrina.
“Ooooh. How can mana be so beautiful…”
“I’m glad I was born. I’m so… happy to be alive…”
Immediately after, the mages fell to their knees and wept.
“Indeed, it is ‘that boy.’ To think he would even slay a dragon.”
“A feat truly worthy of Sir Mikisiella’s younger brother…”
“The birth of a new Dragon Slayer.”
Mika’s friends also wiped their noses, expressing their delight.
Eventually, all the citizens got swept up in the mood.
“Waaaaaaaah!”
“This year’s festival is insane, isn’t it?”
“Simply. Le. Gen. Dary.”
“Wait, why is this so fun? The city’s mood was a total mess just a while ago…”
“Ah, who cares! As long as it’s fun!”
Amidst the cheers, someone shouted.
Was it a drunkard, a mage, or one of the knight-playing gang… I don’t know. Or maybe it was all of them.
In any case, once someone started, everyone else followed.
“All hail Sword Master Seon!!!”
“All hail Kinalo!!!”
“All hail Mayor Lansen!!!”
This feeling,
You wouldn’t know unless you experienced it yourself.
The tremor of that moment, when so many people chanted my name with genuine heart.
My eyes met Seon’s as he slowly descended from the sky.
A six-year-old child with a flushed face, unable to hide a smile that split his face.
I can guarantee,
My own face probably looked quite similar right now.
“All hail Sword Master Seon!”
“All hail Mayor Lansen!”
The cheers of that day did not stop until late into the night, and just like that, Kinalo became completely my city.