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Exile time
”Oh, right. I have one piece of advice for you. Be careful when you go outside. You seem to be quite a popular fellow.”
As he was leaving, the boss of the Abane Group said something that. Popular?　I had no idea what this man was talking about.
But that would soon become clear once we left the royal court.
”Oi, he’s coming out!”
”This tax thief!”
”I hear he’s been lining his pockets with inflated bills for some nonsense magic architecture tricks.”
”It’s because of him that our taxes went up.”
”Throw stones at him!”
”Get out of the country immediately, you scum!”
”Be thankful you didn’t get executed!”
”Instead, we’ll kill you instead!”
”Yeah, kill him, kill him!”
”That scum committed treason against the state! Kill hiiiiiim!”
All sorts of absurd verbal abuse was thrown my way, while the seething citizens threw stones at me together.
”Unii! Unii!”
”How disgusting. Leave already.”
”Ah, he’s getting away! Chase hiiiiiim!”
”Set him on fire and burn him to the ground!”
”Don’t let him leave this country unscathed!”
Seriously, what’s up with them? Why on earth would they
 no, I think I know. The words my master told me on his deathbed: this country is most likely a lost cause. He said he regretted that the king had changed. Also, that when push comes to shove, I should leave the country and live as I like.
Most likely my master, no, my father probably foresaw this happening.
”Unyu~”
”Ah, we can’t stay here any longer. There’s no helping it, let’s leave immediately.”
”He’s leaving, chase hiiiiiim!”
”Hyahaa! Leave it to us adventurers, we’ll decapitate that head of his!”
Adventurers, like magicians and warriors, came to chase us. They’ll catch up to us at this rate, but it’s no problem.
I spent three days making a transforming machine thinking something like this might happen.
I brush my hand against the bracelet on my arm, and deploy architectural techniques. As soon as I did that, the bracelet transformed into a magic construction vehicle.
”Wha-! It’s a magic construction vehicle! Where the h**l did he take that out from!”
I heard a surprised voice but couldn’t be bothered. I got into the vehicle with Uni and stepped on the accelerator, rapidly speeding up.
By the way, magic vehicles are the product of a magic architect’s skills. However, this country honestly doesn’t have the craftsmen to make it. In the end, simple architectural techniques can only manage to put road-based products on the market, so there’s still only a few currently being used alongside the horse-drawn carriages.
And what I have prepared now is a magic construction vehicle that is different from such a general magic vehicle. It’s also characterised by the convenient traits of having thick armouring and being able to handle any construction site.
Speaking of which, the minister said he wanted to include this magic vehicle, as well as the magic train, in the country’s foreign exports.
I told him it as impossible, though. It’s inevitable, since it honestly can’t be made for export.
”He’s getting away!”
”Unyu!?”
”Ah, use the magic bike.”
They chased the magic construction vehicle on a magic bike, which moves thanks to two wheels powered by sorcery. There are bicycles that people peddle, and magic bikes are the automated version of that.
As they are less expensive than magic vehicles, adventurers who earn a certain amount often buy one. In fact, there’s even a craze for it.
However, those bikes make an annoying “Vroom, vro, vro , vroom vroom” sound. Bikes that move due to sorcery don’t normally make such sounds, that sound like a large chorus of horses, but it seems like some bike enthusiasts intentionally modify theirs to make sound.
”Shoot ’em to death!”
Be that as it may, the rowdy lot attacked with magic bows and magic guns while mounted on their bikes.
Both are things made as a by-product of magic architecture. A magic bow incorporates the power of sorcery into a conventional bow. It produces more power using less strength.
Magic guns is a weapon that uses the power of sorcery to fire conical, metal, magic bullets. It also has the feature that, depending on the bullet loaded, it can manifest the power of magic even if magic can’t be used.
Arrows and bullets hit the vehicle I was driving. There were even some explosions.
”He-, he’s unharmed!”
Yep, we’re unharmed. This magic construction vehicle has thick armour in order to be able to operate in dangerous areas where magic beasts and dragons seem to appear, and the armour has been reinforced using architectural techniques. This armour isn’t so easy to break. Not to mention, magic bows, as well as magic guns, were made using magic architecture. There’s no way that I, a magic architect, would get damaged by it.
”But that’s the sea over there!”
”You won’t be able to get away!”
”Unyu-!?”
There is indeed a harbour with the sea spread out in front. “Still, it’s fine,” I told Uni, who was in the passenger’s seat, while patting him on the head. Now then, let’s deal with the lot that’s chasing us for the time being.
”And, click.”
At the press of a button from the driver’s seat, a hose extends from the back of the magic construction vehicle, and a large amount of oil, which is a useful lubricant in architecture, is sprayed out.
”Woah, wh-, what!”
”S-, slidiiiiiing!”
Due to the oil covering the road, the group of bikes coming from behind slipped, lost their balance and fell, causing them to collide with the other bikes, severely damaging them. To make matters worse, the bikes immediately exploded in flames, likely due to the poor manufacturing.
It was a disaster. Well, I suppose they deserved it.
Now then, without making any changes, I made the vehicle pick up speed, then from the harbour, took a big dive into the sea!
The cheers of the citizens of the kingdom echoed behind us. They probably thought we’d sink into the sea.
However, the magic construction vehicle changed its shape and transformed into a boat. It’s a magic construction boat which can be used for construction work at sea.
””””””””Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!?””””””””
I heard their surprised voices. I got out onto the deck, and gazed at the royal capital’s harbour as we moved away from it.
”This coward!”
”You tax thief!”
”Get sunk!”
”Go die on the island’s plains!”
Seriously, that’s some ugly things to say. My father and master, Ruth, is surely crying in his grave.
The magic architects are said to have contributed the most to the development of the country. But the king, and the minister, and the kingdom’s people have denied it all. What will become of that country from this point on
 if the techniques wear off and no measures were put in place, you won’t get out of this scot-free.
Well, I naturally don’t care anymore. From here on, I’ll prioritize my own things.
”From hereon out, I’ll persevere on my own.”
”Unyu! Unyu~!”
”Oops, sorry. Uni too, just the two of us.”
”Unyu~â™Ș”
While I stroked Uni’s head as he drew closer to me, I thought about what island we should head to.
I get back inside the magic construction boat, and deploy a map of the surrounding area using the magic radar.
Hm, there seems to be an island northeast of here.
”For now, shall we head to this island first?”
”Unyu~”
I then steered the boat in the direction of the island I had yet to see.