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72 - Chaos Returns




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Chapter 72: Chaos Returns
“I’m tired… I’m going home. See you later, Meety.”
“…Hey.”
“Hmm? What’s up?”
“…No, it’s nothing. See ya.”
“Yeah, see you.”
After Arthur and Meety were relentlessly questioned at the station, they thought they were finally free, only to find the sky wrapped in a vibrant sunset that seemed ablaze. Despite earlier commotions, there were already scattered people on what should have been an empty main street.
“…”
In the multi-ethnic empire where elves walking around isn’t unusual, Arthur went unnoticed.
“An unexpected gain…”
Luke mused, holding a common misconception about Arthur’s race.
He’s not exactly an elf, but an “Ancient Elf,” a being who lives through the aeons due to ancestral return.
However, it’s no surprise Luke is unaware of this fact, as, in his knowledge, Arthur doesn’t exist.
“It was good to see it firsthand. Truly beautiful and unblemished magical power. Much more monstrous than expected. He was constantly using at least nine spells. A mere human? Impossible. He resembled the elf once called the ‘Demon Lord.'”
Arthur has two distinct personalities.
And he can switch between them at will, so even Luke didn’t notice. This man harbors an unfathomable hostility towards humans.
It’s not just a metaphor; he is quite literally a different person than he was moments ago.
“…Haha, but what’s more unusual is that black hair. Why do humans always seem to produce such unique beings in every era?”
Arthur laughed like an innocent child.
“He has such weak magic, yet he holds a massive capacity for it, almost as if—”
—his magic was completely stripped away.
“Moreover, he has the same aptitude for ‘Light’ as I do. I can’t understand it. He’s too distorted. What really is that human?”
Arthur is merely postponing his plans. Naturally considering Luke’s existence, he now finds an additional critical uncertainty in “Abel.”
However, his deliberation lasts only a few seconds.
“—The die has been cast.”
Arthur reflects on his memories.
In every era, there have been exceptional individuals among humans—a characteristic and strength of their species. Thus, finding such individuals early in the modern era could be considered lucky.
Above all, once Luke succeeded in analyzing the “Dominion Flute,” there was no turning back for “them.”
§
“…”
Luke muses again, looking out the window at the vermilion-streaked western sky from the imperial castle.
“What is that guy?”
The figure that comes to his mind is that elf who introduced himself as Arthur.
He has an extraordinary amount of magical power, far exceeding any creature Luke has encountered, including the Ice Dragon Dia. Moreover, he possessed the attribute of “Light.”
This world is supposed to be from a novel Luke read in a past life.
Despite that, Luke has no memory of such a being. There are two possible reasons: either he stopped reading midway and never reached the part where that elf appears, or—
“Excuse me, Luke-sama.”
“—Alfred, is it?”
He stops his thoughts suddenly, and then, changing completely, he smiles as if he’s having fun.
“So? Let’s hear how it went.”
“Yes. Except for a few items that already have buyers, I’ve bought all the magical tools in the store. They will be delivered to the kingdom later.”
“That’s excellent.”
“Also, regarding that matter, I need to consult with ‘the higher-ups’…”
“…Kuku, I see. Well, they probably won’t be able to refuse.”
Luke slowly turns and looks at Alfred.
“More importantly, I’ve been thinking, you are quite strong.”
“…Not at all.”
Now recognizing a different kind of strength in Alfred, known as “battle spirit” distinct from magical power, Luke’s respect for Alfred has greatly increased.
His battle spirit is incredibly refined, truly befitting a seasoned warrior who has fought on numerous battlefields and earned great honors.
“But… knowing that I still have room to grow, despite my age, fills me with excitement.”
“Hahaha! That’s great, we’ll spar when we get back. Let’s go all out.”
“Heh, I’m looking forward to it.”
Unbeknownst to Alfred, he hadn’t known about skills. However, his relentless efforts had not betrayed him and had laid the foundation necessary to wield skills.
And through Luke, Alfred also became aware of skills. There was no reason he couldn’t master them.
(Kuku… irresistible. Alfred’s eyes are seriously challenging me.)
The air grew tense.
Here were not a noble and his butler, but two swordsmen, eager to test their own strength, just swordsmen.
“Come to think of it—what is this?”
“Is something wrong, Luke-sama?”
Luke suddenly feels some kind of magical connection—an impulse. He immediately suspects it’s “telepathy.”
However, this magic has a critical flaw: it’s terribly inefficient. It consumes a huge amount of magic power, especially over long distances.
“G-G-G-G! Greetings! It’s Dia, Luke-sama!”
“…”
“Uh… can you hear me?”
“…What is it?”
“Ah! I’m glad to see you’re well, Luke-sama!”
The most likely source, the Ice Dragon Dia, sounds unusually cheerful, which is somewhat concerning. But using telepathy suggests an urgent matter.
“What’s happened?”
“Well, numerous enemies are heading this way. There are signs of dragons of my caliber too—”
“—What?”
“Hiii! I’m sorry! I mean, about to—”
“No, you did well to report.”
“Y-Yes!!”
“Wait a moment.”
“Understood!”
Luke sighs heavily, pondering the situation. He had just managed to arrive at the empire, and now this happens.
(If it’s creatures like the Ice Dragon, perhaps I should return… There are other options… but… ugh…)
I can’t return to Gilbadia now, but this is a clear crisis. The Gilbert family is the leading noble faction, so they can’t mobilize the magical knights for such vague reasons. Naturally, the options are limited.
Two people come his to mind.
One is Alice’s brother, Yolande, who always wears a creepy smile. The other person is—
“Later, I’ll send two humans to you. Work together on this.”
“Humans?”
“Yes. Listen, cooperate. Don’t embarrass me, alright?”
“Yes, of course!”
“Good. Then, report back if anything else happens.”
“Uh, is our telepathic connection ending already!?”
“What? Is there something else?”
“…No.”
“Then it’s over. Contact me if anything else happens.”
“…Understood.”
Luke ends the telepathy.
He’s concerned about Dia’s behavior at the end. Is there something she couldn’t say? He considers all possibilities, including betrayal, but concludes it doesn’t matter.
If they want to challenge us, let them come. I’m not running or hiding. Whatever the worst scenario might be, there’s nothing I can’t handle.
He has absolute confidence.
“Alfred, you can step back now. I have some things to take care of.”
“Understood. Call me if you need anything.”
“Yes.”
After dismissing Alfred, Luke activates telepathy to contact another person.
“Hey, it’s Luke! That’s rare, what’s up!? Ha! So, you’ve finally decided to fight me!?”
“…”
Indeed, it was Eleonora, the eldest daughter of the Godwin family, which ranks alongside the Gilbert family as a top noble faction.
“Hmm, but you’re supposed to be in the empire right now…”
“Shut up. Listen when someone is speaking—”
“Wait, it’s a hassle. I’m coming over.”
“What?”
Suddenly, a magic circle appears. Spatial magic requires varying amounts of magical power depending on the distance. Traveling from the kingdom to the empire would inevitably require a vast amount of power.
Although not many in the empire are proficient in magic, the presence of such powerful magic could still be detected.
Therefore, Luke envelops the room with dark magic. However, it’s not an easy task. He must block the magic without hindering Eleonora’s teleportation. But for Luke, this is relatively simple.
“Are you well, Luke?”
“You… daring to use me like this, you’ve got nerve.”
“Hahaha, sorry.”
Eleonora laughs cheerfully without any sign of remorse.
For better or worse, she trusts Luke’s abilities.
“Well, fine. I’ll let it slide—”
However, it’s impossible to completely hide the massive presence of the teleportation spell. Those proficient in magic will eventually notice it.
The door opens slowly with a click.
“Luke, was that just now… as I thought?”
There stood “Mia.”
As expected, her eyes were dark and murky.
Luke’s first reaction was a “sense of crisis.”
This was the second time he felt such a clear danger, the first being when he witnessed that elf’s extraordinary magical power.
And then, doubts filled his mind. What did she mean by “as I thought”? What was “as I thought”? A chill ran down his spine.
Moreover, for some reason, she was surrounded by crackling “lightning,” chains appeared at her feet, and she was repeatedly enveloped in the light of “healing.” Why all this?
Just before Luke gave up thinking as a defensive reaction due to unbearable stress, he thought, “This has happened before.” And yet,
“…Huh?”
That was all he could utter.
§
Abel stood alone, sword in hand.
“I apologize for deviating from the righteous path. There’s no room for niceties right now. Yet, I am Fortis, a proud warrior. Even if you are from the despised kingdom, I wouldn’t kill you in such a manner.”
“Hah… hah…”
“So stop this. Don’t challenge me. You can’t beat me. If you answer my question, I’ll let you go. Where is ‘Nicole’?”
Swirling in his heart was an exhausting anger and disgust towards evil. Contrary to his weakening body, his senses sharpened.
──This battle would awaken Abel once again.
TLN: Fortis is an Oni from the Myura Holy Kingdom.