Chapter 97 Mistakes
Dier, Pielot, and Elodie split into two teams and began searching.
Of course, Dier and Pielot were one team. Both of them are still dangerous to deal with their respective demons, and Dier in particular had a lot of anxiety factors.
Elodie headed to Aster’s older sister, Elin Evans, while Dier and Pielot found Edwin von Behertio.
In both cases, the decision was based on growth rather than level of skill.
There are few people who can compare Elin’s swordsmanship skills, but she does not have enough mana.
This is a problem that cannot be easily solved unless you resort to life-threatening shortcuts like Frontier.
In fact, the only way for Frontier until then was to repeatedly increase mana consumption little by little.
In the case of Edwin, although he grew greatly after the Golem incident, he lost his spiritual powers in the process, and above all, he is not a combatant. It is an unreasonable request for a magic engineering genius to be good at combat.
If Dier’s thoughts are correct, it is highly likely that these two will have a hard time, considering the devils who act according to the previous information.
Edwin was a great help in making Frontier’s new necklace, Black Lotus, and Elin was the one who got caught up in the mana injection incident. Of course, both of them helped Frontier in the Cape Cod War.
So it is no wonder that demons are targeting them. Although it’s not as good as Aten, it’s still worth aiming for.
Dier was right up to that point.
“… … .”
And when Dier and Pielot found Edwin.
“Uh, hello to you both. “I’m here to help.”
Edwin had already laid several demons on the floor.
He revealed strange lines of mana from the bottom of his neck to his toes, but when Dier looked closely, they were all magic circles.
“… … Senpai, by any chance, did you put a magic circle in your uniform?”
When Dier asked, Edwin smiled awkwardly.
“Oh, yes. I became acquainted with Mr. Dowd while helping him make Frontier’s necklace. You guys know that too, right? Daoud Forte. “I heard about how to carve a magic circle from him, and an idea came to me.”
“How many have you engraved? “I don’t think they added just one.”
“Well, I got one on each shoulder, under the elbows, chest, abdomen, back, thighs, knees, and ankles.”
A total of 13.
Dier and Pielot’s mouths opened wide.
Pielot asked in confusion.
“Well, if I do it that way, there won’t be any magical interference?”
The biggest advantage of a magic circle is that anyone can enjoy its effects. As long as you have enough mana.
However, if it only had that advantage, everyone would have added a magic circle to their equipment.
Of course, the price will rise accordingly, but in this world, no one will spare money to become stronger.
But that’s easier said than done.
The magic circle engraved on the weapon must be effective for the wearer. In other words, magic is given to the wearer regardless of the location of the magic circle.
Even if the magic circles do not overlap, the effects of the magic circles interfere with each other. If this happens, unexpected situations may occur.
There may be problems with the equipment with the magic circle engraved on it, or in extreme cases, it may endanger the wearer.
“huh. So, in the process of engraving the magic circle, I tweaked various things.”
“You said you left your hand alone?”
“huh. Because I like security magic. The basics of security are to operate when an external intrusion is discovered. Recognizing that someone is trying to break in from outside, and preventing further entry. “If possible, it would be good to identify and exclude intruders.”
“… … So, you are saying that by applying that, you noticed that magical power was interfering and took steps to prevent it?”
“answer! Wow, are you smart? “Are you interested in magic engineering?”
Edwin looked at Dier and praised him.
And Dier was speechless as he looked at Edwin.
There are various types of geniuses in the world. It was a moment when I clearly realized those words.
Then suddenly a thought came to mind and Dier asked.
“Then can that be engraved on other school uniforms? “Is it possible for me too?”
“Hmm, this doesn’t have much effect on strong people in the first place.”
It has no effect on strong people.
In other words, it is effective enough for someone like Edwin to deal with the devil.
Then, of course, this would apply to Dier as well.
“I, too, want to carve a magic circle!”
Dier speaks with sparkling eyes. Edwin scratched his head as if troubled.
“Now, this is something that was modified to ensure that the effect of the magic circle works as a whole, assuming that the mana circuit does not overheat. Mass production is impossible. I also do things that are tailored to me. “There is no blueprint.”
Dier became a little glum at those words. I didn’t understand everything Edwin said, but I knew he meant no.
Edwin saw that and said with a wry smile.
“Then, would you like to try custom-made first? It takes a long time and there is a risk of it breaking. “First of all, I will prioritize your personal safety.”
“… … ! please!”
Dier bows his head. My heart swelled with the anticipation of being able to cover up my lacking abilities.
Pielot, who was watching it, said.
“By the way, fortunately you are safe too. Now, as long as Senior Elin is safe, can we say that the devils’ operation was a failure?”
“ah.”
Dier made a sound. I was so surprised by Edwin’s ability that I forgot what I was doing for a moment.
“What are you talking about?”
Edwin asks, tilting his head. Dier gave him a brief explanation of the situation.
“… … Among the people related to Frontier, the person whose growth rate is not high… … .”
“yes. So, I decided to find senior Edwin, who focuses on engineering rather than combat, and senior Elin, who is low on mana. Senior Elodie has already gone there, so there’s no need to worry as long as you’re not late… … .”
Edwin nodded as if the words were valid, but suddenly frowned.
“If you look at it from that point of view, the enemy now feels like they can just pick anyone. “Because the prediction about Aten was wrong.”
“… … Ah, that’s right. Anyone can get caught… … .”
Dier knew that Edwin had a cooler personality than he seemed.
weird. I heard that Edwin von Behertio had a despondent and timid personality.
But there was room for new thinking in his words. Since Dier always moves through calculation and judgment, he thought that other people would also move in the same way.
But the devils won’t be like that anymore. That is the blind spot.
“… … Tsk.”
At that time, Edwin’s expression frowned. When he was smiling, I felt like he was a friendly senior with a nice, good-natured personality, but the moment he frowned, he seemed like a different person.
“I have a bad feeling. “I need to get everyone together.”
“Everything?”
“okay. Everyone related to Frontier. “If there’s anything at all involved, we’ll collect everything.”
“… … Then isn’t it too much?”
It was even slightly related. What is that standard?
Since Dier and Pielot are first-year students, I think Frondier, a second-year student, has made friends with many people over the course of a year.
But that is an illusion.
Edwin said.
“It won’t increase much. “More than anything, there’s something that bothers me.”
He picked up his phone and operated it. My phone hasn’t been working properly since before. It must be the effect of mana interference.
But even demons won’t be able to interfere forever. If you contact him in advance, his message will reach everyone after the interruption is over.
“… … “Maybe we should worry about the other side.”
Edwin operated the phone and spoke ominous words.
* * *
When Elodie found Elin, Elin was also safe. However, as Dier expected, Elin struggled greatly compared to the others.
A man that looked like a walking mana tank attacked Elin as if it had sniped at her.
The devil’s defeat was because he underestimated Elin’s swordsmanship. He was confident that a blade lacking aura would not be able to cut him.
Taking advantage of that opportunity, Elin pierced the enemy’s neck with a single shot that could not be used several times a day, and barely defeated the demon. It was immediately after that that Elodie came to see Elin.
“Thank you for coming. “It was dangerous.”
“… … So I knocked it down, but what?”
“If the next devil came, I would have been pinned down.”
Elin sighed.
Since being involved in the mana injection incident, I have become increasingly aware of my lack of mana.
She was especially upset when her extremely talented younger brother learned a skill from her and recreated it into an incredible skill to suit himself. He was a younger brother who didn’t have anything cute about him.
Elin and Edwin are both safe. After a while, a text message came from both of their phones. It was Edwin.
“… … “Let’s meet in the auditorium.”
“good idea. “An auditorium would be a good place to deal with demons and provide an escape route.”
However, it is safe to say that the devils escaped when the phone started working.
But their expressions did not improve.
Did the devil retreat because the operation failed, or did he end the operation because it was successful? We don’t know yet.
“… … “Let’s go.”
“yes.”
And when the two moved quickly and arrived at the auditorium.
Most of them were already in the auditorium. Edwin first thought of gathering, but Ospreet designated the location. So we were able to get together first.
They gathered together and checked each other’s faces. There were very few people seriously injured, and only Elin and Cybel were dangerous because their mana was close to depletion.
Just one person.
There was one man receiving treatment for deep wounds.
“… … Robald!”
Elodie saw the sight and hurried over. Aster was already nearby.
Robald Liev.
A fighting genius who was once Constel’s biggest problem child.
Originally, he was one of Aster’s rivals in personality.
“I’m a little hurt. sorry.”
Robald suffered a deep wound to his abdomen and was being treated by Aten.
Robald failed to defeat the devil.
I was saved by Aten, who had moved from one dangerous situation to another. Robald has entered Aten’s surveillance network, which can perform mana care from a distance. It was a very fortunate thing.
‘… … I see ‘Rovald is related to Aster more than Frondier.’
If Aster chases Frondier, Robald chases Aster.
So, if you want to keep pace with Aster, who has become stronger along with Frondier, it will be one step later than keeping pace with Frondier.
That one shot made the difference here.
“… … Wait, no way.”
And Elodie realizes a chilling truth. She looked at Aster in surprise.
“… … Lu, what about Runia?”
“… … .”
When Elodie asked that question, Aster answered with a face he had never seen before.
“doesn’t exist.”
A very short and very sufficient answer.
Runia has been kidnapped.
At that fact, everyone gathered in the auditorium looked at Aster.
Runia Freecell.
Aster’s childhood friend and wizard. In terms of the game, she is the closest person to the female protagonist.
Of course, the game Etius does not have a separate female protagonist. It’s also a game that no one saw the end of in the first place.
However, as the game progresses, players usually end up choosing between Aten and Runia. He is a very important character in the game.
Yes. Because the main character of the Etius game is Aster.
Being a character with a high importance in the game means that he or she occupies a large portion of Aster’s heart.
“… … “It was easy.”
Aster said.
“I forgot something important while trying to figure out the situation. “They are still too much for Runia, but they don’t know that.”
Aster has been growing rapidly over the years so far.
But that’s just how people around him see it, and there’s no way Aster himself would think that way. His target is Frontier, whose strength he never estimated in the first place.
Aster doesn’t know exactly how proficient Frondier is. Just in your imagination, you build the wall ridiculously high and do your best to overcome it.
As Aster dealt with demons, he assessed the strength of his enemies. We determined to what extent these were risk factors.
It was somewhat reassuring by his standards, but his standards were too high.
“… … “We need to contact Frontier.”
“Aster.”
“The enemy’s original goal was Frontier. So, they will probably try to use Runia to threaten Frontier. therefore… … .”
Aster’s words stop there.
What should I say to Frontier?
Runia has been kidnapped, so you want us to follow the demons’ orders?
… … Aster, what are you thinking?
“Aster Evans.”
From Noble mtl dot com
At that time, there was someone talking to him. It was President Ospreet.
“No matter what you think, contact Frontier first and then make a decision. He needs to know what’s going on.”
“… … yes.”
Aster picked up the phone and contacted Frontier.
I don’t know where Frontier is now. Maybe it’s in a place where the phone can’t reach.
A few seconds pass by in such anxiety.
-hello?
Frontier responded.
“… … “Hello, Frontier.”
Aster smiled bitterly. It was close to self-deprecation. It’s a serious situation, but that’s why it wasn’t easy to talk about.
Without realizing it, the greeting I always said came out of my mouth. As if trying to mentally prepare before delivering the sad news.
however.
-what’s the matter?
Frondier asked about the situation, as if he had heard everything from just that greeting.
Aster closes his eyes and sighs. He conveyed the situation slowly but clearly. There was an attack by demons and Runia was kidnapped.
The expressions of the people around them who were watching this also darkened.
After listening to Aster’s entire explanation, Frondier spoke.
-Aster, can you let everyone hear my voice now? I have something to tell you.
“Oh, yes.”
Frontier was actually imagining something like a ‘speaker phone’, but this phone does not have such a function. Instead, Ospreet used magic to amplify the sound.
-It’s been a while, everyone.
Frontier’s voice was heard by everyone.
Except for Elodie, it has been a long time since they heard their voices. Before the war began, there were many people who had never met Frontier since he asked everyone for a favor.
Frontier’s voice is as languid as always. He remained the same. With that alone, they felt the worries in their hearts running away.
Frontier said:
-I can’t help you now.
Everyone closed their eyes at those words. It was a frontier-like statement. Maybe he’s preparing something bigger than this right now.
But there is something they don’t know.
-Still, I plan to listen to the devils’ suggestions.
“what?”
Elodie asked in surprise.
-It was because of me that they invaded Constel in the first place. Everyone suffered damage because of me, so I have to pay for it.
Everyone opened their mouths at those words.
Ospreet opened his mouth with a serious expression on his face.
“Frondier, are you going to follow the threats of your enemies? “There is a plan, right?”
Ospreet actually expected Frontier to give this answer.
When Frondier planned his strategy at the imperial palace, Frondier formed an organization to block the entire wall.
Even though Frontier appears cold, it does not take the strategy of throwing something away. To put it simply, the strategy of sacrificing cattle for the greater good is not possible.
No, to be precise, a cow is sacrificed, but that cow is Frondier himself.
So I thought it was something similar this time too. Frontier is thinking of sacrificing himself again. It’s an operation based on that premise.
But Frontier said.
-There is no such thing as an operation.
“… … Frontier. “Isn’t that too reckless?”
No matter how much Frontier is, there is no strategy in obediently complying with the enemy’s threats. It was too dangerous, and more than anything else, it was unbecoming of Frontier.
There Frontier spoke again.
-To be precise, there is no need for an operation. I don’t have much to do.
“What do you mean?”
Ospreet asked, and then.
Frondier’s voice grew a little louder.
-Aster.
When Frontier called Aster, Aster opened his eyes a little and raised his head.
-I’m sorry I’m so upset, but please save Runia.
“… … !”
-After all, I am a lazy and incompetent sloth. We have no choice but to give in to the threats of our enemies.
Frontier’s sly and carefree voice.
With those words, Aster knew everything.
No, everyone in this auditorium knew what that meant.
-But of course.
Frontier will follow the demons’ orders.
-I think they made a huge mistake. What do you think?
In other words, as long as Frondier follows the demons’ orders, Runia is safe.
So Aster. You come.
Please teach me clearly what they have done.
“I see.”
Aster said.
Runia has been kidnapped. She is an official of Aster rather than an official of Frontier.
What Aster will do is very clear.
“It was a simple story.”
Aster’s eyes were filled with a life that had never existed before.