Magic? Muscle Is Much More Important Than Such A Thing! Chapter 32

Leaving Phelia in the hands of a magician capable of recovery magic, I wait for her to regain consciousness in a small room at the station.

Sitting on a sofa, I reflect on what all had occurred.

“…No good. That was totally no good.”

However you look at it, I was way too impatient.
The fatty's estate was one thing, but to go about screaming at the knights' station like that was a meaningless thing to do.
While it may be true that I have some strength, it wasn't as if I wanted to act in such an overbearing manner, and it was pretty clear I was overcome by tunnel vision.

Phelia was kidnapped, and yet I was unable to do a thing. I have to become even stronger.
Without noticing, I had begun shaking my leg.

“…Haa~”

As I became disgusted at my own weakness, I sense someone approaching.
Opening the door, Phelia appears.

“I've caused you to worry. Thank you very much for coming to help me.”
“Phelia! Are you already feeling okay?”
“I'm a little sluggish from pa.s.sing out from magic power exhaustion, but I'm fine for the most part. I'm going to go explain to Gauche, but giving the same explanation repeatedly would be bothersome, so I was thinking of having you come along.”

To say it would be bothersome is just her putting on a brave face. That much even I can understand.
I'm sure narrowly escaping being made into a slave is the sort of thing that would make you want to have someone nearby.

Following a knight, Phelia and I were brought to meet Gauche.

“Oh, Phelia. That was quite the misfortune.”
“Yes, thank you very much for coming to my aid.”

“It is my job, after all”, Gauche says with a gentle smile.
To be able to put people at ease like he does is not something I can do.

“Well then, I'd like to hear what happened. I do think it's harsh to ask the person concerned, but with the other party being as they are, I hope you can tell me.”
“…Yes, I understand.”

Phelia's expression was tense as she began to speak.

“I was out shopping in the city when suddenly I felt a sharp shock go through my head and I lost consciousness. Thinking about it now, I'm pretty sure it was lightning magic. I would never have expected someone to fire such a thing in the middle of town, so I wasn't able to react to it…”
“It's believed that Velquis's talent could make magic more difficult to perceive. That would explain why no one noticed it.”

Gauche gives an answer to Phelia's doubt.

“When I woke up, I was in that cavern. I was injected with some drug and was told “Now you won't be able to use magic”. I don't know what sort of drug it was, but since long ago, the elves have extensively researched the medicinal and poisonous plants of the forest. So, we've developed antibodies to quite a number of poisonous plants. When I tried testing out a small bit of magic, I found that I could use it without a problem. After that, I waited a while for an opportunity, and when they came to attach some sort of enslavement magic tool, I cut off the head of the one who seemed to be the leader with wind magic.”

If you take out the boss at the start, the others will be slow to react.
Even after being kidnapped, Phelia kept her cool. Totally different from me.

“Their movements had become lackl.u.s.ter, so somehow I was gradually able to take them all out. Then just as I was about to run out of magic, the two of you showed up to help me.”

Finis.h.i.+ng her explanation, Phelia took a sip of the drink that had been prepared.

“Thank you, Phelia. We had had our eye on the Velquis bandits and were in the middle of preparing a raid. That's actually the reason I'm in this city. All in all, I'm quite impressed you were able to take out an rank bandit group all by yourself.”
“It's not really like that. I was practically delirious, and I can barely remember a thing…but, thinking of what if it had happened before the special training I did with Yuri for the magic fighting tournament makes me s.h.i.+ver…”

Phelia wraps her slender arms around herself.
That's right. There's no way you wouldn't be scared when something like this has happened to you.

“Then, the interrogation is over now?”
“That's right. Thanks for your cooperation.”
“Wait a minute.”

I stop Gauche who is about to get up from his seat.
There's still something I have to ask about.

“What happened to my punishment?”

This time around, I had clearly acted in a way that couldn't be praised. In the worst case, I could be headed for jail.
“Punishment?” Phelia asks with a puzzled expression.
Right, Phelia still doesn't know about all the things I've done.

Gauche explains what I had done, such as breaking into a n.o.ble's estate, beating them all up, and rampaging in this station.
After hearing everything, Phelia's face is a mixture of surprise and anger.

“What are you even doing, Yuri!”

Phelia's angry voice fills this confined room.
This just might be the first time I've ever heard Phelia shout.

“…I know, I was wrong.”
“I won't forgive you! The part about the n.o.ble aside, why would you go rioting in this office! Yuri, is your head nothing but muscle?!”
“Now now…Yuri was just worried about you, Phelia.”

The knight is covering for me who had been making a mess in their station. It's an odd scene.

“That's exactly why I cannot forgive him. Because of me, Yuri is being accused of a crime. All because I decided on my own to follow him. If it's going to be like this, it would have been better if I didn't tag along…”

So Phelia says with her head hung low.

“…Phelia. I've always lived my life as I liked. To do whatever I feel like doing, freely and selfishly.”

Some parts of training were harsh, but even then, they were all my own choices in order to become stronger.
In short, my self-centeredness is in a cla.s.s of its own.

“It was the same this time. I thought I wanted to save Phelia so I acted. The thought of losing you made me unable to think of anything else. So please don't say it would have been better if you didn't come. In the first place, even considering to leave the forest only happened because I met Phelia. I need you, Phelia.”
“E, even if you try to cover it with pretty words, the fact of the matter is that Yuri acted violently in this building. What level of crime would that be—“

“Ahem,” Gauche clears his throat. A wry smile is plastered on his face.

“Please don't forget that I'm here too, okay?”

“Sorry,” Phelia apologizes and hastily bows her head.
The mood was making it seem like Gauche and the knights were the ones in the wrong. Even though the knights are the real victims here.
Of course, the a.s.sailant is me.

With calm movements, Gauche takes a sip of his coffee before going on to explain about my punishment.

“Certainly, Yuri's actions were not commendable, but to be able to apprehend a n.o.ble who so thoroughly covered his tracks is rather significant. There was no end to the shady rumors that were floating around about him, but as he was good at talking his way out, he had been giving us quite the headache. However, showing up at his house under the pretext of rescuing him, we came across evidence of his wrongdoings. Thanks to that, he's going to jail. Also, the Velquis bandits have been annihilated thanks to Phelia…so well, all in all for us knights, Yuri's actions weren't all that much of a problem.”

Gauche's tone was surprisingly gentle.
Is this the so-called balance of pros and cons?
Perhaps this was the standard way of thinking of things for this country.

“Still, it's not as if we can just write off acting up at the station completely. I would like to ask for your help either with the arrest of a fugitive or a subjugation. Of course this is for the knights' benefit, as well as the benefit of the nation's public safety. Within half a year, if you can bring in at least one, then we'll consider this matter settled. Doesn't matter if it's dead or alive, but if you can't do it…I'll try to vouch for you, but it's still possible that you'll end up going to jail.”

By fugitive he means those internationally wanted criminals. And he's telling us to go capture them.

“Okay. Within half a year, right?”
“Thank you. We're busy maintaining public order, and we're forced to go around dealing with matters as they pop up, you see.”
“We should be thanking you. I really thought I'd be going to jail no questions asked.”

I'm honestly relieved.

“So, let's go out searching immediately.”

I stand up from my seat.
Phelia grabs a hold of my arm.

“Eh? Right this minute?! No matter how you look at it…We have to make our preparations, ask around for information, that sort of thing first.”
“Right. We'll do that.”

Listening to Phelia, I sit down.
Phelia has the prudence and composure that I lack. Let's follow her lead here.
We decided to gather information on the fugitives.