Chapter 34: Look at this one?

“What did you say……?”

The identification plaque Klarm held out shone with a brilliant, pure white silver light.

Even someone with an untrained eye could tell it was a valuable item.

Moreover, it was unlikely that ordinary travelers or merchants would possess such a thing.

On top of that, they were only a party of two, yet the guards were this wary.

“Open the gate at once!”

- I cannot. Connell is currently under a state of high alert.

The identification plaque…….

Those words completely snapped the patience of the knight who had been roughing it for over five days with a serious injury.

“Damn it!”

In an instant, Klarm’s body leaped from his horse and soared over the ten-meter-high castle wall in a single bound.

“Ack!?”

That man?!

Startled by his impulsive action, Muno too reflexively launched himself toward the top of the wall.

Piiiiiing!

Pang!

Atop the wall, a firework, seemingly to signal an enemy invasion, was already exploding.

Pabak.

Heeing!

Moreover, unlike Klarm who had flown up as light as the wind, Muno only managed to soar about 5m despite leaping with enough force to make his horse stumble.

‘Damn it.’

Kwajik.

Pabak.

Unwilling to reveal his chains in a place with so many eyes watching, he kicked off the wall and jumped twice.

Only then could he see Klarm holding a spearhead to the throat of someone who appeared to be a Connell knight.

“……Do you think we’re Seven-Star!?

That the two of us would attack a castle!? What the hell……!”

“Mister! Stop!!”

The soldiers flinched at his belated shout.

Muno had already approached Klarm and was firmly holding onto his spear.

It wasn't as if Klarm would actually stab him, but he had to clearly show the Connell forces that they were not enemies.

Fortunately.

“Mister? Hmph.

Well, it’s a definite improvement over that stuffy title.”

Klarm immediately complied, lowering his spear.

He seemed to be trying to show off by shouldering his spear again in a cool manner, but to Muno, it just looked pathetic.

Because.

“The wound on your leg has burst open.

You should exercise some self-restraint……”

“What? Ugh. Damn it!”

As Klarm grimaced, recognizing the blood spreading from the piercing wound on his right calf that had almost healed.

Muno asked the pale-faced Connell knight.

“Do we need to further prove we are from Trian?”

“B-but your attire doesn't look like that of knights……”

Ah!

Only after hearing the knight’s words did Muno look down at his own shabby appearance.

The armor he had worn when departing from Trian had long since been torn to shreds in the fight against the magicians.

Both he and Klarm were now wearing whatever roughly fit them from the belongings of the bandits they had dealt with a few days ago.

In addition to their relatively shabby gear, in Muno’s case, he was also wearing a crude-looking black armor on his arms and legs, the likes of which were rarely seen.

It was understandable that they looked suspicious enough.

“Ha. Mister Klarm, please show him your identification plaque properly. Since you’re up here anyway.”

“I was just about to do that.”

Klarm tightened the blood-soaked bandage, wiped a bit of the spreading blood, and then smeared it on the identification plaque he took out again.

Then.

Flash.

The gently glowing identification plaque summoned an illusion of a gray rose the size of a person's torso in front of it.

“Oh!?”

“Wh-what!”

“Wow!?”

As the surrounding soldiers let out cries of admiration, Muno too stared at the illusion of the gray rose with surprised eyes.

‘A hologram?’

The identification plaque had a function like that?

It was surprising, but also bewildering.

“If this was possible, couldn’t you have shown it from down below earlier?”

“……This one needs blood.

I wasn't planning on injuring myself on purpose.”

As the flinched Klarm spat out a lame excuse.

The Connell knight stared at the hologram(?) with slightly widened eyes, then immediately nodded his head.

“……It’s confirmed. My apologies for the discourtesy.”

Only then did Klarm’s expression soften slightly as he immediately asked.

“Then, can you explain just why Connell has sealed its gates? I haven't heard anything about this.”

“Ah, that is……”

Just as the knight was about to say something, a strange voice was heard.

“I’ll explain that, brother.”

At the voice that came from above, everyone's heads naturally lifted.

They saw a woman with long, flowing blue hair, wrapped in a pure white wind, descending onto the castle wall.

‘Magic?’

Muno, who had never seen a supernatural ability other than magic, instinctively tried to grab the greatsword on his back.

“Rami!?”

He only stopped after hearing Klarm’s pleased voice.

“I was scared for a moment, thinking it was those magician bastards again.

Why did you enter so roughly? It’s not like you.”

The middle-aged beauty, whose age could be glimpsed from the faint wrinkles around her eyes and between her brows, smiled sweetly as she chided Klarm.

‘Blue hair? brother? Don't tell me?’

He hated to admit it, but Klarm was also quite handsome, so her identity was naturally guessed.

And if it was a supernatural ability of that form, not magic.

“……Spirit Arts?”

“I haven’t seen you before, Sir Knight.

You look young, hmm.

I am the Spirit Master, Rasmia. I’m also the younger sister of my brother Klarm here.”

“I am Muno Drasen.

I have been accompanying Sir Klarm from Trian.”

“Ah, so not a new knight from Trian…… Hmm?

Wait, if you are Muno Drasen, are you that young genius who has become famous recently……. Is that right?”

Looking at the Spirit Master whose eyes were shining, Muno could only give an awkward smile.

‘A genius…….’

He felt embarrassed by the compliment, which he felt was undeserved for someone who had spent both his past and present lives just struggling to survive.

But Klarm chimed in even more emphatically at those words.

“That's him. If anything, the rumors are an understatement.

He’s not just a genius, he's a monster.”

“Oh! Is that so……?”

“Excuse me, didn't you say this was an emergency?”

“Ah, right. Rami, please explain. What in the world happened?”

Muno, who was not at all used to being showered with such praise, succeeded in immediately changing the subject.

But even after that, the Spirit Master, Rasmia, stared intently at him before tilting her head.

“Is something wrong?”

“The feeling is subtly……. Ah, no. It must be my imagination. Oh, well.”

“……??”

While Muno was bewildered.

Rasmia turned her gaze back to Klarm and began to explain the situation.

“As you know, brother, the investigation team came here with the conviction that Viscount Moeno Connell was colluding with the magician.

But for a while, we couldn't find any evidence. Then……”

Rasmia’s words flowed quickly.

She said that although the investigation team couldn't find any direct traces of the magician, they discovered through an administrative audit that a large sum of money from Connell's budget had been embezzled to an outside source.

Therefore, they began to interrogate both the administrator, Gaion, and the lord, Viscount Moeno Connell, together.

And in that very place, where the investigation team and important figures of Connell had all gathered, that administrator named Gaion suddenly erupted with immense magical power.

And because of that.

“……Sir Tinel was seriously injured while shielding me, and Viscount Moeno Connell, who was also caught in the explosion, is still hovering between life and death.

At the same time, magicians caused sporadic terror attacks within the castle, resulting in heavy casualties among the knights and soldiers.

Also, in the process of chasing Gaion, our knights Ricks and Ron were killed.”

“What, Sir Tinel!? No, so that bastard……!?”

“……We lost him.”

“What?! What in the world were you doing? No, in the first place, why didn't a Spirit Master notice the magician's presence?”

Seeing Klarm's glaring eyes, Rasmia bowed her head with a heavy expression.

“It’s shameful, but he was using a strange magical tool. It concealed his magic so perfectly that even the priests couldn't detect it. Furthermore……”

The moment he heard those words, Muno’s eyes couldn't help but shine.

‘As I thought…….’

He had been uncertain until now, but now it was clear.

That at least in detecting the identity of those who concealed their magic, he was superior to priests or Spirit Masters.

“……A man who appeared to be a 4-class mage sacrificed his own fingers to continuously unleash magic beyond his level, so we just couldn't……”

As everyone listening to those words hardened their faces.

“S-still, we confirmed that all of his fingers were blown off, so even if he reappears, he won't be able to exert that much power.”

Even with Rasmia’s hastily added excuse, the heavy atmosphere did not lift.

“If he reappears, that is. So this is why……. Hah……. Have you reported to His Excellency?”

There was an implicit accusation that they had belatedly strengthened their security, like locking the barn door after the cow has been stolen, but Rasmia nodded with a bitter smile.

“Yes. I reported it that very day.”

“And Viscount Moeno’s suspicion?”

“Considering his attitude when he was caught in the explosion and his current condition, it doesn't seem to be a self-staged act.

His life is actually in danger.”

“No suspicion?”

“He hasn’t died yet, but the priests have concluded that recovery will be difficult without a miracle.

Before we can even say whether there’s suspicion or not, it has become meaningless.”

“Damn it all……”

Klarm spat out a curse as if frustrated, and Muno’s feelings were no different.

‘Has the trail to chase them gone cold? No, no.

As long as they are targeting me…….’

As he instinctively ground his teeth.

“First, let's go to Sir Tinel.

After that, connect the communication sphere for me.

I also have things to report to His Excellency separately.”

“I heard that you were so late that people thought something might have happened.

I believed you would be safe, of course, brother, but……”

Rasmia trailed off, turning her gaze to Muno.

……Meaning something could have happened to me?

A sigh escaped him, but in a way, it was a natural concern.

“Let’s go together. Sir Klarm is not in perfect condition either, so I think he needs to rest.”

“Hmm?”

“Don't mind me.

A wound like this is daily life for a knight.

And Muno, you were calling me 'Mister' earlier, and now it's 'Sir' again?”

“Hey, is the honorific that bothersome?

Mis. Ter.”

“There, that's better. Don't make a person feel distant.”

He was truly an incomprehensible person.

Muno sighed again and followed Klarm down the castle wall.

And.

“brother seems to be quite fond of the young master.

He usually only speaks informally to friends or enemies he has to kill.”

Muno just laughed at Rasmia's added comment.

But the face of the Connell knight behind them couldn't help but turn pale.

* * *

“Ugh……? Klarm?”

The first thing that caught the eye in the spacious room in a corner of the Inner Castle they were guided to was a ‘short and stout’ man lying on a bed with his torso wrapped in bandages.

He seemed to be barely 160cm tall, but his unnaturally broad shoulders and muscular physique for his height gave an impression that could only be described as solid.

Such a man stroked his salt-and-pepper brown beard and gave a bitter smile.

“This is quite an embarrassing sight to show……”

“Are you alright?”

“My, you haven't changed a bit. But that companion of yours is……”

“Muno Drasen. Ryan’s son.”

As Muno slightly bowed his head following Klarm’s words, a look of slight surprise appeared on Tinel's pale face.

“Ah. That genius bastard……. Hmm, right.

It’s a pleasure to meet you.

It’s a bit embarrassing to be in this state for our first meeting. Ugh.”

As Tinel struggled to sit up, a wind that suddenly blew in the sealed room helped him up.

“Thank you, Rasmia.”

“It’s nothing. But there's still no improvement……”

“It’s a nasty magic. The magic lingers in the wound and won't disappear. Just as you said, it seems to be a magic enhanced with the power of a curse.”

“……I am sorry. That I couldn't be of help.”

“There’s no need for that. How could a 4-Class Spirit Master handle a curse that even a high priest couldn't resolve. It will disappear with time.”

Seeing Tinel and Rasmia conversing calmly, Muno’s eyes shone as he stepped right forward.

“If magic is the problem, I think I can solve it.”

“Hmm? You?”

“I have an artifact that can offset magic.”

He felt uneasy that this lie seemed to have become second nature to him, but the combat gauntlet on his outstretched right hand certainly drew the attention of those around him.

“What? Such a precious item? No, wait a minute……”

Tinel, who had brightened up, suddenly frowned for a moment before shaking his head.

“No, there’s no need for that.

This is at least a 4-Circle, perhaps even a 5-Circle or higher curse. An anti-magic artifact, as precious as it is, would have clear limitations.

You could end up damaging your artifact for nothing.”

“It will be enough. Probably……”

He was someone who had devoured a portion of 4-Circle magic even before he had grown.

Now that he had finished his second evolution, he should be able to handle something like a mere remnant of magic.

“Let him try, Sir Tinel. We were attacked by a magician on our way here, and it was this child who noticed it first.

This child, and that artifact, are definitely trustworthy.”

“……Is that so?”

Tinel still looked skeptical.

However.

“Then, could I carefully ask for a favor?”

Soon, he said so with an apologetic look and a cough, and Muno smiled and placed his hand on his shoulder.

And.

Tsssssssss.

The instant the black smoke, clearly visible only to Muno's eyes, was sucked into his combat gauntlet and disappeared.

Rasmia looked at him with a surprised expression.

“Oh!?”

Tinel let out a cry of admiration.

Those watching might not have known, but the 5-Star knight, the one directly involved, had quickly noticed the change in his body.

“This easily? You, you possess a great treasure.”

“……Well. I was lucky.”

“Kugh. By any chance, would this be possible one more time?”

“Pardon?”

“Viscount Moeno Connell, he must be hovering between life and death too.

If we can just do something about the curse, perhaps the priests can treat him?”

At Tinel's proposal, made with gleaming eyes, the eyes of everyone listening widened slightly.

“I see.”

“Then perhaps……”

“If Moeno regains consciousness, we might be able to pick up the trail of those damned magician bastards again. Regardless of whether he was really involved or not.”

No one in this room failed to understand those words.

Just like that, Muno was immediately guided to Moeno Connell’s room by the Connell knights.

And.

‘……Well now?

Look at this one?’

The moment he saw the state of Viscount Moeno Connell hovering between life and death, he couldn't help but wear a strange smile.

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