Heibon na Watashi wa Tonikaku Hibon Chapter 5

Aide-sama is troubled.

Speaking of “Reyfaras Kahannah,” not only is he a powerful being in the Salauin Empire, but he is also a powerful magician that is known even to demons.

He became a mage at the young age of 15, and overflowing with ingenuity he became a High Mage in a mere two years. He then proposed his theory about the “spirits” making magic possible, and was thus labelled as an oddball.

That Reyfaras was now walking down the corridors of the Royal Magic Villa with a stern expression.

Reyfaras violently opened the door to a small office, where his aide “Arami Kaizart” sat. The almond shaped eyes hidden behind the gla.s.ses widened in surprise.

「Did something happen, sir?」

「…No, nothing.」

After composing the silver hair that had been disheveled from his rough behavior, Reyfaras sat by the window and gazed outside.

「Is Rio still at Tonic’s place?」

「Yes.」

「I see.」

Reyfaras nodded, slumping into the chair as if it were his own office with a heavy sigh.
“Rio” was the girl that was mistakenly summoned in the G.o.ddess Summoning ritual from before.
She was average in all aspects, and she did not even have an ability so she was deemed incompetent by most people, but the one who offered her a hand was none other than Reyfaras himself.

「Did something happen with her?」

「…You remember how Rio is to leave the castle by tomorrow?」

「Yes.」

Originally she had not been allowed to stay in the castle for even a day, but Reyfaras personally met with the king and managed to stretch that time into a week.
That lease of time ends tomorrow.
He wondered if Reyfaras was upset over that matter.

「I just came back from asking the current king about where she would be placed to live from now on. Of course, I thought they would at least prepare a dwelling in the imperial city.」

They were the ones that arbitrary summoned her and judged her to be a “mistake,” and he thought the location of her new house would work out somehow on its own.

But…

「But the place that has been prepared for her is a small hut located in the “Beast’s Fang Forest.”」

The frustration could be clearly heard in the tone of his voice.
But as to why, it was something Arami couldn’t comprehend.

「Why do you care about that girl so much?」

「…」

「With all due respect, no matter how I look at her, all I see is just a normal girl. Other than being able to see these “spirits” the same as someone as great as you do, she does not have much power. Do you really have the need to personally teach her magic? The same with Tonic-san. He’s the vice captain of the Front Line Pioneer Regiment, and he should not be in the position of teaching a complete amatuer. His position is to wield a sword against the threat of the demons, why did you ask him to guide her?」

It wasn’t as if Arami was saying these things out of spite for Rio.
He just wanted to know why people of Reyfaras and Tonic-san’s status would go out of their way to help someone like her.

「…Did you know?」

「Yes?」

「That while she learned about magic from me, she also trained in the sword?」

「…」

「And then she would practice magic in her own room.」

「That is… 」

「That she had long finished studying the book I had given her, so she lowered her head and asked the King personally to grant her access to the royal library, and then began read books about strategy?」

「…」

「That she has done all her a.s.signed training with the knights while smiling, never breathing a word of complaint.」

「…」

「That while she is studying in the hallway outside, she gets ridiculed but still continues her studies diligently. Did you know that?」

「……I did not.」

Arami let the words Reyfaras had spoken sink in.
Reyfaras gave him a wry smile.

「I also didn’t know.」

「Yes?」

「Why she goes that far, I’ll never understand. But she can see the same world that I do.」

It was the first time he had met someone with the same values he had.
She could see “spirits,” and she was able to work together with them.
That was probably why he couldn’t leave her alone.

Also,

「I also partic.i.p.ated when we summoned her. I am one of the people who brought her to this world. I guess I felt some “responsibility” from that as well.」

Although he didn’t partic.i.p.ate in the second summoning, when Rio was summoned he was definitely standing in the circle formation and feeding mana into the summoning spell.
Reyfaras held the “responsibility of involving her.”

That’s why he stopped her when she tried to recklessly rebuke the King.

「I thought she would cry…」

「Eh?」

「I thought she would cry, scream at me to send her home and hate me. But she never did or said anything of the sort.」

She had expressed her anger and her frustration, but still she never shed tears, she never hated the people who summoned her, or demanded them to send her back.

Just, “I’ll make them turn back and look at me.”
“I’ll make them speechless.”
A strong intent burned in those eyes.

「That might have been why I offered my hand… Just as you say, Rio is an average girl. The only special ability she has is that she’s able to see “spirits” like me. But I believe that is where her strength lies.」

Because she there was nothing special about her, she never spared any efforts towards achieving her goal.
She was that kind of person.
He was fascinated by her, so he stretched out his hand.
Just like others had done for him.

In addition, she was loved by the spirits.
Even more than Reyfaras, spirits gathered by her side. It was evident whenever she used magic.

There is no way a girl like that would not become strong.

If she was to be left in the castle and given the best possible guidance, then there was no doubt that she would be able to learn all the magic he knew, no doubt that she would become a first rate swordsman.
Even is she did not, he thought he would at least be able to sponsor a battle royale between the mages and the knights and have her spectate and learn even more if she were to continue living nearby.

「But what do they mean by the “Beast’s Fang Forest!?” It’s a place where you’ll die if you don’t have enough strength!!」

Reyfaras unintentionally raised his voice.
Arami offered some of his knowledge.

「Speaking of the “Beast’s Fang Forest,” you mean the one that’s a one day away by a horse’s carriage? I haven’t been there myself, but since there are a lot of monsters in that area, civilians have been banned from that place.」

「That’s exactly right. It’s a place where the squires visit at the end of their apprentices.h.i.+p. It’s where their goal is to be able to hunt and kill the monsters who inhabit there with one stroke… It’s that kind of place. To send a single girl there, it’s as if they’re telling her to die! What is the king thinking!? Tonic and I did not train Rio to be sent to such a place……」

Reyfaras had probably pleaded with the King to reconsider his treatment towards Rio.
But he was denied.
That’s why he had no choice but to vent his targetless anger out into frustration.

「Reyfaras-sama…」

「……Arami, prepare a “teleportation” square at once.」

Reyfaras said as he suddenly raised his face with new determination.

「A “teleportation” square?」

「Yes. If the King is distancing Rio from us and sending her away to such a dangerous place, then it’ll be fine if we can rush there immediately.」

“Teleportation” magic. It was a magic that could transport you from one place to another instantaneously.
A “magic square” was different from the “magic” that was commonly used in this world. It was a magic where someone would write magical words onto a sheet of paper and charge it with mana. When someone sent mana into the formation later, it would perform the previously written magic. It was a convenient type of magic.
Because it did not fit into any of the magical attributes, it was called “Non-Attribute Magic.”
The people who could make these were few, and the people who could use them were also limited.

Arami was one of the rare people who could use this type of magic.

「Won’t it become problematic if the King finds out about this?」

「If that happens, so what?」

「Eh?」

「Will they deprive me of the status of High Mage and expel me? Well well, won’t that be convenient for me. If that happens, then I will also go and live in the “Beast’s Fang Forest” and teach Rio how to survive in that place. Or, will they put me in prison for defying the King? They should know that kind of thing is useless against me. If so, I will not hesitate to stop serving such a foolish king. If he made such a stupid decision, then I’m sure others will follow suit. Whatever they try to do, it won’t matter to me. The one who will be troubled in the end is the King.」

「You don’t have any attachment to being a “High Mage?”」

「I was never obsessed with it. I only became a “High Mage” to have the prestige to present the existence of “spirits.” Ever since then, it’s been seven years. There was no particular reason for me to quit so I remained, but if the King tells me “it’s fine to quit” then I will happily take him up on his offer.」

「The King would not be that foolish.」

「Who knows.」

Reyfaras forced a grim smile on his face, and Arami became worried.

If Reyfaras were to quit his position now, the people who became mages while striving to be like him would also quit.
Other than that, his MP and magical skill was number one in the country.
It was originally decided that he would be the one to teach the G.o.ddess magic, but he declined that himself and instead the other High mage “Haruin Reichal” was appointed instead.
In other words, once he lost all reason to serve, this country’s war power would be drastically reduced.
And, the people who would get injured in the front lines as a result would end up blaming the King.
The vicious cycle would be complete.

And then, the Front Line Pioneer Regiment Captain “Kleihart Charginal” would hate the incompetent King who let his men die. He was the type of man who would proudly declare, “if the King is incompetent then I will cut him down myself!”
And the Vice Captain Tonic-san’s loyalty lied with the Captain Kleihart rather than the King, so if he was ordered to kill the King it would be done easily enough.

If they fired Reyfaras, then this country would be ruined.

「……I will prepare the teleportation magic.」

「Yes, I’ll be counting on you.」

He silenced the sigh that threatened to come out, and decided in his heart to stick with Reyfaras and his company if it ever got to that point. After bowing, Arami left the room.