Chapter 22: Turning Point
Chapter 22: Turning Point
Roxy casually looks outside the window and knits her eyebrows.
The colors in the sky are very strange, grey, black, purple and yellow.
The usual blue color is gone.
But the colors have been seen somewhere before.
"What is that..."
Even though she has seen the colors before, but she has never seen the sky change before in that way.
But anyone will know just by looking at it, that it is an unnatural phenomenon.
Most likely it is due to some reason that caused the Mana to rampage.
That scale. From afar, it looks like like a Mana whirlpool.
Roxy finally remembers where she has seen this. That shining location was seen at the Magic university back then. It is similar to Summoning Magic.
"That location is from Asura... Could it be Rudeus?"
Roxy gets reminded of the image of her student, a young boy that she has once taught.
That young boy had created a tempest without breaking a sweat at 5 years old.
At that time he already had complete control over his Mana.
He's now 10 years old. It might be possible for him to do that now. Even though he mentioned that he was unable to learn Summoning Magic in his letter. But he might have gotten teaching materials by chance.
"Your guard is down!"
When she's deep in thought, she gets hugged from the back, and her chest gets massaged, at the same time she feels something hard on her butt.
"Haaah..."
Roxy becomes weary. Pushing and massaging against such a thick robe obviously won't have any feeling to it.
Furthermore, even if the attacker feels anything, the victim will not be happy.
"Bursting flames cover my body, <<Burning Place>>!"
"Gyaaa!"
The barrier covered in flames sends the person behind flying.
Even though she can't do the same level of voiceless incantations, but she has managed to shorten the chants within these 5 years by a lot.
Rudeus has also let his students train in voiceless incantations, and after knowing that Roxy started training in Chanting Omission, but it's not something so simple to use.
That talented youth must be expecting quite a lot from his students. But it doesn't mean that everyone else has his talent.
"Your highness, you can't rub a female's chest from behind."
"Roxy, are you trying to kill me? I will throw you into prison!"
The current 7th prince who's 15 years old, Pax Shirone is a brat.
At first he was charming, but lately he seems to become more perverted, as he's bluntly showing off sexual desire in the daytime.
"Please excuse me for that, if you die at that level, it looks like Your highness is lower than a fly."
"Nggghh! The crime of disrespect! This is not forgivable! If you want to beg for mercy roll up your robe and let me see your pantsu!"
"I refuse."
Some of the maids have already been attacked by him and the king is tormented over that.
And lately he has been targeting the royal court tutor with his sexual harassment.
(What's so good about this unfashionable girl?)
Roxy doesn't understand.
But she doesn't need to obey any of the prince's orders no matter what requests he makes.
It's written clearly on the contract. Even if the prince demands something selfish, the tutor can use her own judgment.
In this castle, there are very few people who will listen to the prince's orders directly. Since he's the 7th prince, the possibility of him becoming king is very small, and he has almost no authority.
If it's about authority, Roxy, who is appointed as the royal court magician has more authority.
"Roxy, I know you have a lover."
The prince begins to use other methods.
"Dear me! When did such a exaggerated thing happen where I have a lover?"
Roxy tilts her head and asks, facing the prince who is suddenly talking in his sleep.
Lover, even though she considered finding one, but there wasn't anyone suitable that she met.
Even when she did meet someone, they didn't even took a look so she gave up because of the Migurd's racial trait.
The prince is a little special and seems to want to try that kind of body, but Roxy doesn't intend to sell herself out so easily.
"Hehehe, I entered your room secretly and found a letter amongst the piled up stuff in the shelf! I don't know who it is, but I can use my authority to smash him up! If you don't want to see him be cruelly executed, become my woman!"
The other methods are something like that.
Using the target's lover as a hostage and threaten them with their bodies as ransom, violating them in front of their lovers, and experience the pleasure from dominating them.
The prince naturally has no authority. Nevertheless, he's still a prince, and he has his own troops, and in truth there were rumors where the maids' lovers were kidnapped as hostages.
(Bad taste. There's only feelings of revulsion, hmm.)
Roxy thinks that's it's good that she has no lover. The letters are all written from Rudeus, and he's only a respectable student and not a lover.
"Go ahead and do what you wish."
"Wh! What! I'll really do it! If you want to beg do it now! If you beg for mercy it will be paid with just your body!"
The prince isn't even thinking. Plus he doesn't even know where Rudeus is.
With that approach, he definitely has not read what's written in the letter.
"If you can do something to Rudeus, you can have my body if you want to."
"W, why are you so confident... Don't you know my authority!?"
Roxy is very clear of it, the authority that he has as royalty is at a degree where one can laugh scornfully.
"Rudeus is under the high class noble, Boreas, in the Asura kingdom."
"Boreas...? As a prince why would I be scared of a mere high class noble?"
He doesn't even know the names of the high class nobles in the Asura kingdom. Roxy sighs at that fact.
(What are the other tutors teaching him.)
Asura's four feudal lords, Notus, Boreas, Eurus and Zephyrus are famous.
Once war happens to the Asura kingdom, these military officers are the ones in every generation who bear the full brunt of the attacks.
If there are any ceremonies in Shirone, it wouldn't be strange for the nobles carrying these names to visit.
They are nobles who must be remembered.
"Asura is a country that is ten times bigger than Shirone, if you want to send their members to the gallows under suspicions, you need extremely high political power and strategy. With your highness authority, it is impossible."
"A, assassin! I'll send my imperial guards..."
Hearing the words imperial guards, Roxy's heart sighs again. Truly, this prince doesn't think at all.
"The Imperial guards cannot leave the borders right? Even if they passed the borders, the Boreas family has hired Ghyslaine. To sneak into the mansion inside Fedoa's territory's fortress city, under the eyes of Sword king Ghyslaine, and kill a Master Magician? Do you think that's possible?"
"Grr, grrmumu..."
The prince grinds his teeth and stomps on the floor hard, and Roxy sighs again looking at him.
(Haaa. Really, he's already 15 years old and he still can't read a single word.)
The Eris Ojou-sama who's under Rudeus, was like an unrestrained beast. But it was heard just recently that she has turned quite demure.
In comparison to the prince right now that she is teaching.
He was quite cute and had the potential in the past. But after realizing he could use his authority, the will to improve himself quickly diminished.
Recently he's mostly sleeping in the class. Roxy deeply feels that she lacks the capability as a teacher.
"Also, soon I'll no longer be Your highness' home tutor, even if you send assassins you won't make it in time."
The prince raises his voice in surprise.
"Wh! Whaaat! I didn't hear anything about this!"
"You are to be blamed for not remembering."
The promise was to teach him until he becomes an adult. At first Roxy thought that she would continue to stay if she got invited to stay, even after the contract ended.
But there were many people who saw Roxy's existence as an eyesore.
Retreating from here would be a wise decision.
"This is a good chance, hmm."
"What good chance?"
"The western skies have some sudden changes, I want to take a look."
"W, what is this..."
"I want to see Rudeus whom I have not seen for a long time", that line is not said out loud.
If she did, he would become enraged.
"I, I still need Roxy! My lessons are still in the middle of teaching right!"
"What do you mean by middle of teaching, aren't you always sleeping?"
"It's Roxy's fault for not waking me up."
"Is that so, then this terrible teacher will be gone soon. Please hire a teacher who can wake you up, as for me I'll be declining."
Roxy feels that she is unable to teach him.
Teaching one thing to Rudeus will have him learning 10 to 20 things on his own. After meeting such a pupil by chance, she doesn't have the confidence to be a teacher ever again.
With that, Roxy set off from Shirone, in the middle of the journey she was attacked by the 7th prince's knights, but they were all driven back.
The 7th prince claimed that Roxy attacked him, and it's a violent act that couldn't be forgiven, and should immediately issue an arrest warrant for her.
But the Shirone king ignored him.
Rather, he scolded the prince for not being able to retain the [Water King Magician <<Roxy Migurdia>>], and severely punished him.
Part 2
It wasn't only Roxy who noticed the changes in the skies, those abrupt and unusual changes, every powerful being in the world has noticed it.
— In the Crimson Dragon mountain range —
The 100th generation "Dragon God" Orsted looks up to the western skies.
"The mana is gathering there...? What, has something amiss happened?"
He shows a puzzled expression.
"Well, I'll know if I go there."
And he progresses directly to the west, stepping over a red dragon's corpse that he killed in a single strike.
Countless dragons are revolving around him, but none of them makes any move. They know what being is walking on the ground.
They know that even if they attacked together they would be killed by him. At the same time they know they won't be killed if they don't do anything.
That's a dragon god, an existence that's abnormal in the world's common sense.
An existence that no one should fight.
Another arrogant young dragon without any sense attacks Orsted, and is turned into a mass of flesh instantly.
The red dragons know, if they don't raise the ire of this existence, then flying in the skies is safe.
The red dragons are definitely the strongest in the central continent, but not because they have the combat ability, it's because they are intelligent and thus seen as powerful.
The red dragons know.
This is the strongest person in the world, even if they joined forces together they wouldn't beat him.
He slowly walks down the mountains, under the eyes of the red dragons...... No one knows his goals.
— In the sky fortress —
One of the 3 heroes, "Dragon King" Perugius looks down from the northern skies.
"What is it, that thing? It looks like the same light as when the Magic world's great demon emperor is about to be revived.]
Standing beside him, is a Heaven race female with black wings wearing a white bird mask.
"The quality of the Mana is too different."
She quietly says.
"Yes, it looks more like the light from a summoning."
"But the size of that summoning light... I seem to have seen it somewhere."
"It's very similar to when this Sky Fortress was created."
Perugius moves.
Right now Perugius is sitting on the Sky Fortress' (Chaos Breaker) throne. He leads 12 servants and continues to observe the skies with only one goal in mind.
Revenge. Once the Demon God Laplace revives he will defeat him.
He's only waiting for the moment where the seal is removed, and he awaits in the sky.
"Could it be the seal for the Demon God is removed by the Magical world's Great Demon Emperor?"
"It's possible. The great demon emperor has been quiet to the point of ominous, after being revived for 300 years."
"Alright. Arumanfi!"
"I'm here."
The man dressed in white and wearing a yellow mask, kneels quietly in front of Perugius.
"Set off now, investigate... No, since it's surely something evil being done. If there are any suspicious people, kill them."
"Understood."
"Armored Dragon King" Perugius takes action.
12 followers accompany him.
For the sake of revenge for his 4 dear friends.
This time for sure, to kill Laplace.
— At the Holy land of the swords —
"Sword God" Gull Farion looks at the southern skies.
"That sky is... I say."
During the moment where he is concentrating on something else, his two cute students attack at the same time.
"When I'm watching don't attack."
In comparison to students feeble breathings, he is composed.
The Sword god feels that they have no sense as usual.
Even though they are called as Sword Emperors, they only reached to this extent.
Boring, boring.
You don't need to be famous for sword techniques.
You only need to become strong, that is all.
If you want fame it's only for money and authority.
Those things have no value at all, and these things that can be gotten so easily by anyone, I'll cut them into two with my sword.
If you become strong you can do anything you want.
You can consider yourself as living if you can do anything you want.
Ghyslaine knows this the best, but she's becoming soft gradually.
She doesn't advance after reaching the Sword King.
Even if a greedy person is weak, he doesn't need to swing a sword to become strong.
Once you attain power your greed wanes.
The Ghyslaine now is unable to make it, her greed isn't enough.
These two fellows aren't without talent, but with the drab desires they have will only bring them to reach only the Sword emperor rank.
To live on through do-or-die battles, you must have infinite desires.
"Oi, oi, quickly get up. Even if you defeat me and fight each other, don't think you can get the sword god's title! Money can be thrown around in buckets, women can be lined up from slaves to princesses with their butts lined up for you to poke in, names can be brought up to scare anyone witless, you can even split the sea of men into two equal parts with every single step you make, right!"
"I'm not learning the sword for these reasons!"
"Shishou! Don't look down on me!"
That's right.
Be more honest to yourself.
With that you can surpass and kill me easily, stealing the Sword god title.
The Sword god has already forgotten about the things in the southern skies.
— In the Magical continent's unknown area —
The great emperor Kishirika Kishirisu looks up to the sky.
[Hah! Even if I have my back faced to it I can still see it! How's that! Amazing right?"
But no one replies, because there's no one around her.
"You're ignoring me! Wahahaha! Fine, fine, I'll forgive all you humans! Come to think of it, it's all because of this peaceful era that no one is approaching me so there's no choice but to forgive the humans! Wahahaha, fuhahahaha, fuhah cough... cough cough cough."
Kirishika is alone, how do you put it, because no one cares about her.
The moment she revived she yelled [The great demon emperor Kirishika is here! I made everyone wait! Fuawahahahaha!], but nobody was around her.
She ran to the streets shouting that, and someone cast a pitying eye on her. After that everyone ignored her.
She found her old friends, but she was told that it's now the era of peace and she needs to more reserved.
"What the heck are the human astrologers doing? In the past when I was revived, there would suddenly be a gatagata noise that's going to come from the window, a freedom fall performance that would be done.
Without that opening performance it won't fit the grandness of my revival...
Haaa, sheesh. What are the young ones doing recently."
Kirishika kicks the pebble on the ground and looks up at the Mana whirlpool in the western skies. The great demon emperor is also named as the "Magical Eyed Demon Emperor", having over 10 magical eyes, and knows what's happening with a single glance.
No mater how far it is, she will see it clearly. She will see the powerful Mana energy, the familiar summoning light, and the person controlling it.
"What, I can't see through it, there's a barrier huh. Doing something so big like this without showing the face. That person must be shy..."
Kirishika's magical eyes aren't almighty. So she will only stop at Great Demon Emperor, and no matter long time passes, she will never be called Demon God. But she doesn't mind it.
"Calling the heroes over is pretty interesting, but recently everyone is following Laplace...... Huh, Kirishika? Who's that?
Isn't that how it is...
They must have gone to find the heroes or gone over to the good looking Laplace dude... Ahh, I'm so jealous, I really want to parade in the limelight again."
Kirishika travels on with a sigh.
Moving towards a casual direction that she sees fit.
— At the same time, Rudeus' point of view —
I walk up to a small hill outside the Fortress City Roa.
In order to fulfill the promise from my birthday, to show Ghyslaine Saint-ranked Water Magic.
Eris naturally comes along too.
The Magic stone on the wand and my hand that's holding onto the wand are both tied up.
Even though it looks ugly, compared to hiding the Magic stone, I'm thinking of covering up the Mana away.
Thieves will approach if they see something expensive like this.
Before I use the Saint ranked water magic, I test out the <<Arrogant Water Dragon King.>>
I use the same Mana output that I use normally and create a waterball that's a few times bigger than the usual size.
"Woah, that's really big."
When I try adjusting it, the waterball is too small and cannot be seen with the naked eye.
Looks like I have to change it bit by bit.
After 30 minutes of experiments, I begin to understand it's around 5 times the effects.
The Attack Magic becomes stronger, and to achieve the same strength as before, I can reduce the Mana output.
If you use numbers,
Without Staff: Output 10, Strength 5.
With Staff: Output 10, Strength 25.
With Staff: Output 2, Strength 5.
Which means it's like a telescope or microscope, it's a little difficult to do detailed adjustments, but it will probably be fine if I get used to it.
"W, what is it?"
"It's a little difficult to adjust it, but this thing is amazing."
Eris looks worriedly over me.
Don't worry. I'm in a trance with this new toy.
After that I did more experiments. I got to understand that Fire Magic is 2 times the effectiveness, Earth and Wind Magic is 3 times the effectiveness, and it seems to be difficult to use Melded Magic with this Magic wand.
No, I'll probably get used to that too?
"Alright, sorry for making everyone wait. Rudeus Greyrat will show you my strongest ultimate Ougi move!"
"Waaa—-!"
Eris happily claps.
Ghyslaine is also greatly interested.
I'm also stoked. Alright, I'll do it here.
"Fuhahaha! Gather now Mana! Oh great Water spirit ascend to the skies... Ara?"
When I start to chant the words of the spell Cumulonimbus, raising both of my hands and raising the wand to the skies.
Everyone looks at that sky, and we see that.
"The color of the sky is starting to change...... What is that!"
The sky's colors are changing into uncomfortable colors. It seems to be mixed with grey and purple...
Ghyslaine takes off her eye-patch, showing a deep green eye, what's that.
You mean to say your eyes are different?
"What's that?"
"I do not know. That Mana is extremely powerful......!"
That eye can actually see mana.
I only know after 3 years, Ghyslaine's true strength...
Ghyslaine immediately puts her eye-patch back.
"In any case, let's go back to the mansion first?"
"Even though I don't know what this unusual premonition means, we should find a place to hide before something happens."
"No, the Mana gathering near the city is even stronger, it's best to leave here."
"If that's the case, we should warn them!"
We should tell Philip to get the people in the city to avoid this situation.
"Then I'll go back...... Rudeus! Down!"
I get down with reflex. I hear something slice the air with a whoosh sound, something flew over me in high speed.
Cold sweat gathers on my back.
What, happened. What happened just now?
In front of me, Ghyslaine's hand that is on her sword swings out in an instant. After that I only see Ghyslaine keeping her pose after swinging.
The Sword god style ultimate technique "Light of the Long Sword", and named "Art of the Sword of Light".
I have seen that many times.
After swinging your sword to the limits, the tip of the sword reaches the speed of light, the the ultimate technique in the Sword God style.
Ghyslaine tells me because of this technique, the Sword God style is the strongest amongst the styles.
Ghyslaine knits her brows tightly, and I finally turn my head back over.
"W...When..."
A man is standing over there, his hair golden, and wears something like a white colored student's uniform, buttoned shirt and long pants.
The yellow colored mask is probably masking an ikemen's face. The mask is probably based on a motif of a fox or related animal.
His right hand is holding on to a dagger. It is probably what flew over my head just now.
Then, the guy's face releases a tremendous amount of light that washes the view completely white in an instant.
"GAAA!"
I hear Ghyslaine roar.
The metallic sounds that collided together.
The sound of someone running.
2, 3 times of metallic clashes.
When I can see again, Ghyslaine is in front of me. Her eye patch has been taken down.
I see, during the instant of that blinding light, she took off her eye patch to use her other eye to look.
"You bastard. Who are you. Are you an enemy of the Greyrat's family!"
"Arumanfi of the Bright. That is my name."
"Arumanfi?"
"I have come for this unusual phenomenon. This is the order of Perugius-sama..."
I heard of the name Perugius, he seems to be one of the "Three heroes that vanquished the Demon god" (Didn't vanquish). He is a summoner who controls 12 familiars.
I also remembered the name Arumanfi. He's one of Perugius' 12 familiars, Arumanfi of the Bright.
"Ghyslaine, be careful. It's said in the books that he moves as fast as light."
"Rudeus, retreat with Ojou-sama."
I follow the orders and block Eris behind my back, and move away to somewhere that will not interfere with them. But it can't be too far either, in case there are any abrupt situations Ghyslaine can still aid us.
If that's really Arumanfi of the Bright, using a sword probably won't hurt him.
But where was this person hiding?
... No, I remember that Arumanfi of the Bright is one who governs the light spirits. As long as he can see the place, he can move there instantly no matter how far the distance is.
When I read the book I thought to myself that's impossible, but he suddenly appeared behind us.
I believe Ghyslaine is not careless enough to make a mistake, and Arumanfi has no reason to hide here either. He flew over, exactly as the words described, at the speed of light.
"Woman. Step aside. If I kill this boy perhaps the phenomenon will stop."
Regarding that, what did you say? Phenomenon, did he mistake something?
"I'm the Sword king Ghyslaine Dedorudia. That has nothing to do with us, leave us!"
"Why should I believe that. Show me the proof."
"Look! This is one of the sword god's 7 swords Pillar of Peace 'Hiramune'!
The sword king and this sword is right here, do you still not believe me!"
Ghyslaine extends the sword in her hands, and shows Arumanfi it. That sword also has a name, hmm.
Hiramune. That weapon's name is completely unsuited for Ghyslaine.
"Swear upon your Shishou and tribe."
"I swear upon my teacher Gull Farion and my tribe's name Dedorudia!"
"Very well. If you are not innocent, Perugius-sama will sentence you in the future."
"Go ahead."
Arumanfi puts his dagger away. Even though I don't know what's going on, he seems to have agreed to things.
In my past world, saying something like that and swearing cannot be easily trusted, but it seems to be different in this world.
To think that he will completely trust Ghyslaine's oath. It's almost like the faith of the pope believing in God.
"If it's not you, then forget it."
"...... Are you not going to apologize for attacking us all of a sudden?"
"You are to be blamed for appearing in a place like this."
Arumanfi of the Bright prepares to leave.
Right at this moment.
"Ah."
My eyes capture this moment.
The sky has been painted white from the beam of light firing at the ground.
The moment the white light touches the ground, it devours everything like a tidal wave.
The mansion disappears.
The city disappears.
The walls disappear.
In this instant where every single flower and plant gets devoured, and the light approaches us.
Arumanfi turns his head and sees it. In the next moment he turns into a golden light and escapes.
Ghyslaine rushes to us after seeing it, but disappears amongst the white light rushing towards us.
Eris stays without moving in blank amazement after seeing this.
I want to at least protect Eris, and cover her.
That day, Fedoa disappeared.