Chapter 28

1 Ix woke to the sound of excited voices. He looked outside to see large crowds milling about, enjoying themselves in the light drizzle. When he left his bedroom, he found Yuui, Nova, and Camilla already eating breakfast. It looked like gruel. “Good morning,” said Yuui. “How are you feeling?” he asked before anything else. “Thankfully, I’m doing perfectly fine. There aren’t any effects from the poison, right?” “Yes,” said Nova with a nod. “If no symptoms have developed by now, you should be, fine.” “That’s good,” said Ix. “I heard you went out for my sake last night. Thank you,” said Yuui. “It’s Camilla you should be thanking, not me.” “She’s already done that.” Camilla laughed. She held out a bowl of gruel to Ix, who accepted it with a “thank you.” “Where’s Gidens?” he asked. “He had to run off to the festival early in the morning,” said Camilla. “It looks like none of the other food had mewmose on it. I’ve been racking my brain about it and wondering if it wasn’t on the dishes instead…” “Hmm…” They didn’t know if the poisoning had been accidental or deliberate. And regardless of intent, the question of where the mewmose came from still lingered. It seemed that this incident might just cloud their moods. Camilla brought her hands together, as if to say there was something else to focus on. “Today’s the festival. You three should go have fun.” “Yes, thank you. And, um…,” said Yuui, looking at Camilla hesitantly. “Hmm? Oh, I’m fine. I’m not good with crowds. Don’t worry about me.” “A-all right.” Camilla saw them off with a hearty wave, and the three of them decided to wander around the festival. The job for Layumatah and their investigations into the witch were over, letting them feel relaxed. The majority of people from other villages had come early in the morning, and the tranquil sights from yesterday were like a different world compared to this, with people overflowing from the roads. In the end, it was almost like they’d brought Leirest here. The main part of the festival mostly occurred in the village square, but the road there was already filled with celebratory chaos. The sight of small children dashing about in excitement was enough to bring smiles to their faces, but the young people were celebrating in a frightening manner. There were people dancing while cross-dressing, bounding into the fields, shouting absurd things, and propositioning literally anyone they laid their eyes on. They were the kinds of things that might make you question someone’s sanity if they were happening on a normal day, but this was actually what the festival was all about… As they strolled, Ix told Yuui about what happened the night before. They’d turn back every once in a while to make sure Nova was still there, a few paces behind them. He didn’t know whether she could hear his report or not, but she wasn’t showing any reaction to it. “I see… So there was a misunderstanding between the adventurers and the witch…,” noted Yuui. “Yeah, seems to be something dumb like that. They’ll probably be a bit relieved if you let them know.” “What do you think, Ix?” “About what?” “About the witch’s story,” she said, raising her head. “Just as Morna said before, we have no way of proving that the witch eats people, that she’s immortal, or even that she possesses that knowledge. It all hits a wall when she says she got it from a dragon… But what was your impression? Can we trust her account?” “Who’s to say…? Not like I have the ability to see through lies.” Ix shrugged. “But I do have thoughts on the wands.” “…That’s very like you. Go on, then.” “If my eyes were right, I saw an original Rednoff-style wand hanging on the wall with the others.” “I believe I have heard of that in class…,” said Yuui as she tilted her head. “It was the oldest type of man-made wand, yes?” “It’s the method that Rednoff used in the beginning; he’s the one who developed the base theories of wands. That was two or three hundred years ago. There have been all sorts of advancements to create far more effective varieties since then, so those types of wands are no longer made. And no longer used. It’s said there are only a few still in existence.” “Are you claiming this as supporting evidence for her story?” “Is it not strong enough?” “Well, does it mean that you believe her, Ix?” “Hmm, well. I’m not sure I can really put it into words, but…” He hid his mouth with his hand. “For some reason, the way she talked just felt different. Honestly, it didn’t seem like I was speaking with a living human. It was as though she were floating slightly above the ground… That’s the sensation I got when talking to her.” “And have you moved on?” she asked suddenly. “What are you talking about?” “You asked about yourself, I assume.” “There wasn’t really any closure…,” said Ix, his expression unchanged. “I just confirmed what I already suspected was true. Besides, I wasn’t particularly bothered by it in the first place.” “I see.” While they talked, they eventually reached the village square. The adults seemed to have control over the situation here, as there was still a certain level of order, but the fervor of the large crowds was still overwhelming. Meat was being passed around everywhere, drinks were being poured for one and all, and red-faced townspeople let out boisterous guffaws. They walked in the direction of a delicious smell that was drawing them in, which was where they found Gidens, busily grilling meat. There were several other villagers with him. “Hmm? Ah, you lot,” he said with a smile as he looked in their direction. “Ha-ha, too bad, though. If you’d come a bit earlier, you could’ve seen the cow get butchered. Now, we’ve only got meat left.” “That is perfectly fine for me,” said Yuui with a sigh. “Well, today’s got nothing to do with who lives here or who doesn’t. Eat up!” he said and handed over three skewers of meat. Nova took all three of them. This meat didn’t appear to have any seasoning on it, but the people around them were biting into it with zeal. They picked up a variety of other foods that were laid out and moved to the edge of the village square. Perhaps Nova was somewhat hungry, because she bit into the food before anyone else. Ix tried taking a bite of the meat as well and found that it was incredibly tough. If he didn’t chew it thoroughly, he’d risk it getting caught in his throat. It seemed eating the meat with zeal was actually a necessity. Still, this was a new experience for him, as he so rarely had the opportunity to indulge in beef, so he kept chewing away. The flavor was completely different from fish. He was mystified by the fact that something living on land could be this different-tasting from something that lived in water. While Yuui was chowing down in enjoyment, Nova was beside her reaching for new food after new food. Her mouth never stopped moving. After a moment of rest, Ix suddenly asked, “Yuui, can you fly?” “Uh, what?” she asked back as she looked at him. “It came up when I was talking with the witch. Whether or not someone could fly using magic. What do you think?” “Magic-propelled flight… Yes, many theories have been put forward in the past for it, and it still comes up from time to time as a topic of debate… So, in simple terms, I would say yes, it is theoretically possible.” “Really?” “Yes. Hmm, how should I explain it…?” Yuui set down the food she was holding and folded her arms. “For example, if one was to fire magic forward, the recoil would apply a force to the caster that pushes backward. The more powerful the magic, the more powerful the recoil. Which means, if one fired a spell at their feet, there would be a force propelling them upward. And truth be told, that does allow people to jump higher than normal.” She held up a finger and continued. “However, just as I said earlier that it was theoretically possible, there are a number of already identified hurdles between leaping and flight. First, even if one were to reach the sky, it would take a huge amount of mana to maintain altitude. Next, ‘flight’ isn’t simply getting into the air. You would still have to move forward, which would require constant expulsion of magic behind and below. On top of that, you would have to finely control that magic so as not to throw off your balance. I’ve read papers on the topic, but I honestly believe it would be impossible with current techniques.” “Uh-huh—” There were parts that Ix couldn’t grasp because he himself was incapable of using magic, but he understood the logic. “Um, excuse me,” interjected Nova after swallowing the food in her mouth. “Do you mean, current techniques within magicology?” “…No, actually,” said Yuui, looking down. She prefaced that this was just her own opinion before continuing. “I mean techniques using current wands. I believe you would need a specialized wand or staff for flying… Ah, I don’t mean to say current models are bad, just that it’s a mechanical matter.” Ix couldn’t help furrowing his brows. Was something like that possible? Based on what Yuui had just said, you’d first have to branch the magic conduit partway down and create at least two outlets. Then you would need some mechanism to adjust the volume of mana being discharged in response to positioning. And if that couldn’t maintain high transmission efficiency, the user would run out of magic energy. Actually, humans probably didn’t have enough mana in the first place… A cold sensation ran down his spine, making him shudder. It was like stepping out into the dark, without any ground underfoot. He couldn’t think of a single solution for what he’d just been considering. Could humans really achieve that someday? It was, at the very least, impossible for him. “A wand like that…,” he muttered. “I-Ix, it’s just a thought of mine. You don’t have to think so seriously about it,” said Yuui as she placed a hand on his back. “Would you like something to drink?” “Yeah…” He took a sip from the cup she handed him. After a little while, a performance of musical instruments began in the center of the village square. A group of people sat on the ground in a circle, flutes and drums in hand. Their playing seemed free-form but surprisingly complex. Crowds gathered around them and clapped to the beat or added in whistles. Others danced in time. “Mm.” Nova suddenly looked up from her plate and cast her eyes left and right. “What’s wrong?” asked Yuui. “I just felt, someone watching us.” “Huh…” Yuui tilted her head. “You can sense eyes on you? Is that specialized training as well?” “It’s, a figure of speech. What it really means, is that I saw someone looking this way, though it was from the corner of my eye, not in the center of my vision.” “Did you find them?” asked Ix. “No.” She shook her head. “They seem to have, hidden.” “Is this really something to be concerned about? We are unusual visitors here,” said Yuui. Sometimes, a villager would notice them standing by the edge of the gathering and come over to offer them alcoholic drinks. In the square, there was beer, fruit wine, and the oh-so-special mead. The same sweet scent from before spread to fill the area. “No, I don’t need any,” said Ix, turning down the offer. “Well, you’re boring…,” griped the man with a frown, a cup of alcohol in each hand. “How ’bout the two of you over there?” Both Nova and Yuui shook their heads but didn’t say anything. The man clucked his tongue in annoyance, then left. “Ix, do you not drink?” asked Yuui. “I don’t understand why people have to do it. Actually, I want to ask them why they want to.” “Hmm, I don’t really get it myself, either. It seems they have fun doing it, though…” “Would’ve thought a festival would be enough. Not like the children are getting sloshed.” “Perhaps it’s the opposite, and they’re drowning their sorrows.” “Sorrows?” “Yes. Alcohol is served at funerals and other such occasions in my country. I’ve heard it’s for dulling painful emotions.” “If that’s true, then why can’t children drink it?” “I don’t know; I’ve never had any, either…,” said Yuui as she looked at him. “But your saying all that must mean that you’re having a good time, yes?” “Huh? No, I—” “…Hee-hee.” She chuckled as he fumbled for a reply. He couldn’t see her face, since it was hidden beneath her hood, but her shoulders shook slightly. After her bout of laughter, Yuui said, “Would you mind if I step away for a little while?” “What’s this about?” he asked. “I just thought I would take some of this food over to Camilla.” “Oh…” “Yes, go on,” said Nova with a small nod. “I will wait, for you, here.” “Huh? Are you sure?” asked Yuui. “Sure about, what?” “Well, you’re sort of my surveillance…” “I don’t think there will be any issues, if we separate slightly in this village.” “Oh…” Yuui tilted her head slightly, then looked at the food arranged in front of her. “Um, I’m sure this can’t be the case, but is it that you would like to eat more?” “No,” said Nova immediately. 2 Nova watched Yuui as she picked up freshly cooked food from the square, then said, “Let’s go.” “Huh? Where to?” asked Ix, but Nova was already a few steps away by the time he asked. She slipped deftly among the people gathered in the square. Ix managed to catch up with her. While still facing forward, she said, “I was only able to do a broad inspection, but there was no mewmose.” “…You were eating to taste test for poison?” “Yes.” Her eyes showed as her bangs swayed. “The mewmose, was only on the food we ate. In other words, we can assume the mewmose was added, on purpose.” “Who did? Why? And who were they targeting? asked Ix, thinking on it as he did. “Gidens? He’s the only one who could’ve put it on the meat.” “Yes, I thought so, too, at first. That he was the most, likely suspect.” “Which means it’s not him? How do you know?” “Now.” She pointed ahead. She gestured to a figure hiding in the shadows of a building, watching Yuui as she walked. They wore black vestments. It was Gidens. “It’s him, then, isn’t it?” insisted Ix. “No. If it were, he wouldn’t hide like that; he would have just put it on the meat he gave us earlier. No matter who the target was, he could have poisoned them directly. And last night, he was also alone with Yuui, but didn’t do anything to her. I believe he’s doing that, because he’s figured out who put the poison on the meat. He’s not watching Yuui; he’s keeping an eye out for the culprit.” “So then…she’s the target? But why?” Nova didn’t answer. She approached Gidens from behind, walking so naturally, it almost looked like she was out for a stroll. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and he spun around violently. “Hello,” she said and bowed her head. “A-ah, Miss Bangs… What are you doing here?” “The same, as you.” “The same…?” “Anyway.” Yuui had stopped walking and glanced to the side. She hadn’t noticed them. Instead, she was looking at the storage building they’d carried the cargo into the day before, when they’d arrived in the village. It looked like someone inside had called to her. She gave a small nod and went into the building. Gidens cursed under his breath and ran in that direction. Nova chased after him immediately. She called to him. “We’ll block the rear entrance.” “O-okay. Not sure how much you can do, but grateful for the help!” he replied. “Yes.” Having been included in “we” all of a sudden by Nova, Ix did as he was told, though he wasn’t entirely happy with the situation. This was the first he’d heard of a rear entrance to the storage building. They pressed their ears to the back door once they got there. “Hey, if you need help, I’ll lend a hand,” they could hear Gidens saying. “Can’t go making our guests work for us; we get so few of them.” “Are you sure?” said Yuui. “Yessir, miss. You get out of here.” “Thank you,” she said; then they could hear light footsteps receding. Ix felt relieved. Gidens’s voice moved just a little closer. “What the hell’s this all about? You saying you’ve got some grudge against visitors who just arrived in town yesterday? You could at least tell me why. We’re friends, right? Just put down the ax—” Having listened to that point, Nova quickly bent her legs and kicked in the door. The sound was hard on the ears but probably wouldn’t stand out amid the hustle and bustle of the festival. Ix followed her into the building. Gidens’s face was just visible against the backdrop of the dimly lit storage building. A man with broad shoulders carrying an ax stood between Gidens and the trio. He turned his scowling face briefly to glance at them. “Can we just have a calm chat, Gus?” proposed Gidens with his arms spread. The other man, his chubby face red, tightened his grip on the ax. Nova pulled a wand seemingly out of thin air and trained it on him. Gus slowly turned to face her and said in a low voice, “…Visitors, I’ve been told about your strength. Particularly how you’re good in a brawl.” Nova said nothing and didn’t move an inch. “But at this close a distance, and this difference in size, I’ve got the advantage,” continued Gus. “Let me by.” “She’s got a wand,” pointed out Ix from behind Nova. “I know. But I also know you chose to use martial arts in a situation when you could’ve just used magic. Which means…you can’t actually use it, can you? No one would think of using a wand as a distraction.” “Huh, is that true?” asked Ix, unable to stop himself. “Yes,” replied Nova in a quiet voice. “Ha-ha, I knew—” Just as Gus went to raise his ax toward her, a purple beam shot from her wand. There was a thud, and Gus sprawled out on the ground. No one said anything for a while. It wasn’t until after Nova had confiscated the ax and tied up Gus that Gidens let out a low “no way…” Once the assailant regained consciousness, he looked like he’d aged significantly. There was no energy in his expression, and his personality seemed completely different from moments before. “…I’m not going to try and make excuses for myself, like I was overcome by something,” he said, his head hanging low. “Hey, you can be all down on yourself, but unless you were possessed by an imra spirit back then, I want to know why you did that,” demanded Gidens, crossing his arms. “I mean, you just met that young woman yesterday, yeah?”