I didn’t expect it to turn out this way.
I thought the heartbroken Black Wizard would lose all motivation and give up. I didn’t expect him to go ‘I don’t want to live anymore let’s just die.’ and self-destruct……
But I worked hard to protect myself. I scoured through the remnants of the mansion for evidence, caught and transported the Viscount and Swordmaster while keeping them alive, and even rescued all the hypnosis victims locked in a room.
And once I did all that, the captal’s knights arrived at the mansion.
“It’s here. Where the commotion was.”
Whinggg, Click.
"⋯⋯⋯⋯!!"
What the hell is this?
A sound like a heavy engine resonated deeply, stirring my soul. Then, in front of me…
A badass knight order was standing there.They didn’t seem to be the heavy type but rather more agile.
Ten knights with matching sleek silver armor stood in formation. The surface of their armor bore tens of layers of condensed magic spells, and their longswords were far superior to the demonic sword I had created.
Just how much money did all that cost? Damn.
The power source….. It was their own mana. It didn’t run on magic stones but on their internal mana. Any normal person wearing that armor wouldn’t be able to use it properly.
In the middle, a middle-aged knight in golden armor commanded the scene. There was no way that a mere group of eleven knights would be responsible for safeguarding such a large area, so it was probably just a detachment from the Capital's Knight Order.
I didn’t think they would look so tactical.
I genuinely considered if I should just run away. But if I did, I felt like this would get covered up by saying the Viscount unfortunately lost his life in a terror attack by the Black Wizard or something.
If the witnesses claimed one thing and the evidence supported another, the truth might eventually surface, but it would take a considerable amount of time. And since I already caused an incident, let’s cause just a little more.
This needed to become a battle of public opinion. I decided to fan the flames.
So, while Senior Scarface, the injured Pink-Haired Lesbian, and Tower Master escaped, I stayed behind at the crime scene. I shouted towards the Capital's Knight Order, who were trying to figure out what happened.
“That something something Viscount colluded with the Black Wizard! I have proof of my own innocence, and evidence of the Viscount’s evil deeds as well! I’ll gladly accept punishment for causing a disturbance in the capital, but I acted on my conscience!”
Using Sound Amplification Magic, I yelled so loudly that even nearby nobles would hear my accusations. This was the spark to ignite the war of public opinion.
The knight in the flashy golden powered suit arranged his men and, with his arm whirling like an engine, spoke to me. It seemed like if I annoyed him, a rocket punch might be my reward.
“Are you done?”
“May I say one more thing before I leave?”
“You may.”
“Following the orders of that something-something Viscount, he used magic with an evil heart and hypnotized people!”
Looking at the secret documents, his next target was…. ?
The Viscount had mentioned teaching someone a lesson, but I couldn't recall the specifics. I did have that illness. The only thing I remembered was that the name sounded similar to Kiwi, though I had no idea who they were.
So, I mashed the details together and shouted. Since I added honorifics at the end, I trusted they would figure it out on their own—that the Viscount attempted to use hypnosis on someone high up.
“Now are you finished?”
“Ah, yes. I’ve said everything, Sir Knight.”
“Arrest him.”
They clapped mana-freezing handcuffs on me. As I analyzed them, I realized they drained mana and released it outside, much like continuously bailing water from a well.
If I really tried, I could probably get out of this thing. But doing so would likely provoke an engine punch, so I just stayed put.
And then I was brought into a cell.
===============================================================
It was the first time experiencing a medieval prison cell.
When I think of a prison, I envisioned a gloomy stone room with metal bars, but it looks like the capital's prison was different. The interior was cleaner than I had expected.
Not only was it clean, but it also had some luxurious aspects. The floor was made of pristine white tiles, a bed, and even books to pass the time. When I checked the bed sheets, it was properly laundered.
The knight in golden armor instructed one of the knights in silver armor to escort me to the cell. I asked my escort about the facility.
“Is the facility usually this good?”
“That’s correct. Typically, only people of high standing or those under orders from high-ranking officials are imprisoned here.”
The knight spoke gently and even used honorifics. It was surprising, considering I was a suspect who had destroyed a Viscount's mansion. I wondered about the reason.
Hypothesis 1. They had fallen in love with me.
The knight tried to lower their voice to disguise their gender, but my intuition told me she was a woman. Probably would look good in dolphin pants.
If my irresistible charm could even steal the heart of this virtuous woman, I needed to use a honey trap to my advantage. I briefly wondered which romance fantasy male lead I needed to adopt as my persona.
Maybe the classic, suspiciously easy-going young master would be suitable here...
“I know who you are. The wizard from the Purple Magic Tower who entered the academy under the Second Prince’s orders.”
“Yeah.”
How did she know that? I looked at the knight, puzzled.
It wasn’t as if I frequently showed my face in public, nor had my fame spread across the continent. When could she have possibly seen me to recognize me?
“......I suppose you don’t know much about the Capital's Knight Order.”
“Ah, yes. I was only recently acknowledged by the Second Prince. Only thing I’ve done before that was research at the Magic Tower. I don’t really know how things work around here. I appreciate your kindness, so could you explain everything to me?”
“There’s no need for that. If you forget this, then that’s enough. All the favors and grudges.”
What did that even mean?
“The Capital's Knight Order has been trying to keep the Crownhall’s center free of crime. And in the center… The majority are high nobles and individuals with comparable power. So, our actions will inevitably cause political clashes.”
“I see….”
“In the midst of that, we try to remain as neutral as possible while carrying out our missions...”
The puzzle pieces fell into place in my mind.
When there’s an incident in a neighborhood full of powerful people, the likelihood of powerful people fighting each other is high as well. So, as soon as the authorities show up, the battle for influence begins.
‘My son-in-law is a persecutor; are you sure about this?’
‘My relative is a lawyer at a large law firm, and our father knows someone with a golden badge. Do you really wanna try this?’
The "It's your fault" battle, where all kinds of powerful influences clashed….!!
The capital’s knights, who had to navigate these treacherous waters, had to remain politically neutral to perform their duties effectively.
The fact that the prison system was so well-maintained, and that they knew all about me despite my recent arrival at the academy, was likely a result of their efforts to stay neutral.
“I still vividly remember when some noble left their pet’s excrement on the street. Such a trivial incident….. It eventually grew so big that each faction issued official statements about it.”
Now I understood.
The reason I was sent to this luxury-prison: By exposing what’s-his-name Viscount as a Black Wizard, the Second Prince’s side was initiating a fight. Since I was sent by the Second Prince, they couldn't treat me badly without risking trouble.
The reason why they spoke with honorifics: I didn't hold any titles yet, but they couldn't predict the future, and they wanted to avoid offending my superior. He might become angry over poor treatment of his subordinate.
It was all a precautionary maneuver.
The knight request to forget all favors and grudges….. I finally grasped its meaning.
We will comply with your wishes, so please keep the conflict to yourselves. It was a sentiment filled with life’s highs and lows.
I solemnly walked into the cell, deciding to avoid causing trouble and just stay put.
===============================================================
I laid flat on the bed and muttered,
“I’m going to die of boredom….”
I had read all the books provided. It felt awkward to work on modeling and such. No matter how comfortable it was, it was still a prison after all.
If I started working on modeling, they might misunderstand and think, ‘ The wizard is trying to escape! ’ I’d also be questioned about how I got out of the handcuffs.
So, with nothing to do, I was more idle than I had anticipated.
Usually, I would be thinking about what kind of session to try next, but oddly enough, I had no desire to do so.
Maybe it was the result of the newly created 『Heartbreaking Arrow』.
The arrow was made of compressed emotional data. Players in a session would cry, laugh, and experience intense emotional changes. I thought if someone felt all of it at once, it would become a deadly spell.
In a way, it’s similar to the Purple Tower Master Yuna’s 『Information Bomb』. The thing that almost blew up my simulation world. That I thankfully stopped with ELRERERERERERE
When I shot the arrow, I was in a rush, so if some of my own emotions got mixed into it…. I understood this lethargic feeling.
“Ah, fuck….”
I covered myself head to toe in a blanket. With nothing else to do, I tried to sleep, but no matter how long I closed my eyes, my mind remained wide awake.
I kicked the blanket to kill time.
“......You asleep?”
“Tower Master?”
The Tower Master’s voice reached my ears. When I turned my head slightly, I saw the Tower Master, who had appeared out of nowhere, tightly holding onto me under the blanket.
I peered outside the metal bars. I couldn’t see the knight on guard, but since I didn’t know when they’d return, I had to hide her. I moved under the blanket.
“When did you get here?”
“......I was watching the whole time. Wh-What if you got bullied or something.”
“Then I was gonna sell out Tower Master’s name or something to get out of it. Thanks for coming, I was pretty bored anyway. Come here.”
“Huaat….!”
I hugged her tight. She fit perfectly into my arms, like a puzzle piece. It was always nice to hug her.
“Y-You’ll be out of here soon. Yuri…. Yuri went to report this. To the Second Prince.”
“Oh, is that so? That’s a relief. Now I just have to wait patiently until they let me go. Once I get out…… Hm.”
“Is there something you want to do?”
Judging by her expression, it looked like the Tower Master was the one who wanted to do something. I tickled the back of her neck. She closed her eyes softly, seemingly enjoying it.
“What do you want to do?”
“Well, h-hmm…. We got caught up in work, but we were originally meant to sightsee. So if there’s any time left, I want to continue doing that.”
“Just the two of us?”
“......I’d like that. Eheheheh.”
The Tower Master laughed quietly and snuggled closer.
Since the investigation into the Black Wizard and the Purple Magic Tower’s traitor incident had already begun, I had planned to follow the evidence until I ran out of leads… But I suppose I can just wait until everything is settled before continuing my work.
We whispered about where we would go. After about five hours of that, the Second Prince arrived to free me.
===============================================================
Two floors below the prison, in the secret command center of the Capital Knight Order’s team 3.
“Anti-Wizard Cell Number 101, current surveillance state is satisfactory.”
“It appears the target hasn’t noticed the surveillance, Director!”
-I’m going to die of boredom…..
The wizard’s voice was heard clearly. With all systems green, Team 3 Director Ronald touched his mustache in satisfaction and laughed loudly.
“HAHAHAHA! Those wizards think they’re fine if they avoid mana detection! They don’t understand science. Science!”
The secret lay in the golden frame of the bed where the wizard lay.
By using gold pipes, which transferred sound well, they were able to eavesdrop on the wizard’s mutterings physically.
On top of that, they used a hidden lens to monitor the cell in real-time.
It was pure science, with not even a speck of mana in it. No one would expect anyone to install these devices and spend tens of times the price. Even if a seasoned wizard inspected, they wouldn’t notice.
“Indolent….. Way too indolent…. He must think that we, the Capital's Knight Order, are scared of the authorities?! I’ll exploit that weakness in your lazy heart! We are the steel-like enforcers of the law-!!”
Ronald, drunk with exhilaration, jumped up and down. He really enjoyed seeing those who broke the law receive their deserved punishment.
If he could make a noble’s subordinate get thrown away and despair ‘You promised to save me master……!!’ it would be the best. To those that believe they can commit crimes as long as they have authority, they would get their deserved comeuppance!
Like that guy who believed the Second Prince would back him up and calmly walked into prison!
“An attack on a noble without prior warning in Crownhall is illegal! Blowing up mansions, causing noise pollution, and of course, killing nobles are also illegal!
“We haven’t found the Viscount’s corpse yet!”
“Then, the kidnapping of a noble is also illegal!”
Of course, if the Second Prince used his authority, the wizard would be freed. But that would be a mere tactical retreat. The Capital's Knight Order does not forget.
Based on the past records of that Wizard (there were suspiciously few remaining), his unusual actions (he quickly joined the faction of the Second Prince), and eyewitness accounts from the academy, he was suspected to be an elite agent secretly trained by the Second Prince.
Clearly above the law. If he was the Second Prince’s favorite sword, the Prince would do anything to get him out of prison.
By gathering information through surveillance, justice would be served no matter what!
While Ronald clenched his fist in determination, he heard something from the surveillance device that should never have been heard.
-Tower Master?
Silence.
“Wha….”
“What…..?!”
Uneasiness began to stir in the command center. Tower Master? Weren’t those walking weapons of mass destruction supposed to be safely confined in the Magic Towers?
Ronald grabbed the knight who had his ears to the pipe and screamed.
“Surveillance Head! Say, Say it again. I think I must have misheard. You were closest; you must have heard clearly! What did that guy…. What did he just say!”
“To-Tower….. Tower Master! That’s what he said! I heard it clearly!”
-Then I was gonna sell out Tower Master’s name or something to get out of it. Thanks for coming, I was pretty bored anyways. Come here.
“Kyaaaaa!!”
The wizard’s voice was heard again, hammering the point home. That wizard could just be mentally ill, but all the information gathered so far… it made one wonder, ‘What if?’
An explosion large enough to destroy a house, perfectly cone-shaped as if done by an immense amount of mana. Only a few people could achieve this
The wizard was a member of the Purple Magic Tower. That meant he was talking about the Purple Magic Tower’s Master….!
“What about a movement report…..?!”
“None confirmed, Director!”
“A missing movement report….. Does that mean a weapon of mass destruction snuck into the capital!!”
What was thought to be a small fight between the Second Prince and Redburn was completely wrong. The Second Prince pulled out a card called the Purple Tower Master without even consulting the Emperor!
Ronald broke out in a cold sweat.
“Second Prince…… Are you trying to cause an all-out war…..?!”
This was not a mere skirmish. The Second Prince had drawn his sword. The Second Prince, who had been growing his power without regard for right or wrong, had finally made up his mind. If that’s the case… if that’s the case…
“Di-Director! If that’s the case, what can we, the Capital's Knight Order… W-What can we do to prepare?!”
“.......Call Team 1. Request the Capital's Knight Order leader to be….. dispatched.”
“Director, that….! We will face immense property damage again…..!!”
“There’s nothing else we can do! To fight a monster that has reached sublimation, we need a monster of our own! To avoid an all-out war…. No, at the very least, to avoid a fight in Crownhall, we have to stop it!!”
And to stop something of this magnitude, you needed power.
“Oh dear god…..”
Ronald prayed that Crownhall would remain peaceful.
***
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