Chapter 35: Attempted Murder
Could they be talking about that adventurer who harassed us the other day? Rio had shot an Earth Needle in self-defense to scare them off, but it was them who lunged at us while shouting, “Die!”
“Do you have any evidence?”
There probably weren’t any witnesses to the scuffle. And what do they mean by theft? I have no idea what they’re talking about.
“I hear you lot have the evidence. You’ll be handing it over later.”
“Huh? We have it? What are you… Are you saying we have evidence of attempted murder?”
“Attempted murder is just a side note. You’ve got something you stole, haven’t you?”
I really don’t understand. Are the adventurers from that incident not involved in this attempted murder charge?
“I don’t recall stealing anything. Can you tell me what you think we took?”
“Hmph, it’s not something to discuss openly. I’ll tell you at the station. Just come along quietly.”
The guard said this with a bitter expression.
“Shuu… what should we do?”
“They won’t even tell us what we supposedly stole… I can’t just follow them blindly without understanding what’s going on.”
“If you resist, you’ll regret it.”
He smoothly drew a metal rod. It wasn’t a blade, but it looked like it could function well as a blunt weapon.
“Shall we run for it?”
I wonder how strong these guards really are. I doubt they’re as formidable as my master.
“Got it.”
We were on a side street off the Main Street, which was fairly wide and had a decent amount of foot traffic. Before I knew it, we were surrounded by onlookers, leaving no room to escape. Panicking now wouldn’t change anything.
“Well, it’s settled. Either way, now that the guards have their eyes on us, we can’t stay in this city.”
“Settled or not, getting caught won’t lead to anything good.”
Seriously… Guards are just public servants, right? I was kidnapped through a summoning, nearly killed by those in black robes, and now it’s the guards’ turn. This country really is the worst.
I was getting increasingly irritated. I felt a bit bad about wasting a week’s worth of lodging, but it couldn’t be helped. Besides, I hadn’t left my belongings at the inn.
“Those onlookers are a nuisance; let’s scatter them. If I conjure about a hundred Fireballs, they’ll definitely run.”
“Okay!”
I whispered this only for Rio to hear, then stepped forward. I felt her Magic Power surge behind me as the Fireball spell activated, and I could see around a hundred Fireballs floating in the air.
The guards, who had taken their stances, were visibly shaken by Rio’s display of magic. The crowd around us began to stir, and I sensed a few people fleeing. I too channeled my Magic Power into my legs and dashed toward the guards.
“Ha!”
With a burst of energy, I struck the two guards in front of me with both palms, infused with a light amount of Magic Power.
“Ugh!”
The two in the middle were sent flying, while the two on the ends finally managed to react and swung their clubs at me. But their movements were incredibly slow. My master would have countered with magic the moment I charged in.
I easily grasped their clubs with both hands. As they tried to pull away, I pushed their clubs back with force, sending them flying.
“Don’t think you can handle us with just four.”
It was a relief that the guards were so weak. I tossed the club I had grabbed to the ground and began walking forward leisurely. Rio followed closely behind, her Fireballs still floating in the air, causing the onlookers to scream and scatter in panic.
“W-Wait!”
One of the guards I had knocked down managed to sit up and called out to us. I didn’t need to stop, but I felt a bit relieved after knocking them down.
“Is there something else?”
I halted and turned back.
“W-What do you plan to do with that?”
The guard pointed at the Fireballs hovering behind Rio with trembling arms.
“Oh.”
I turned to Rio and asked, “Is it okay to let it go?” She nodded lightly, and the Magic Power sustaining the Fireballs dissipated into the surroundings.
“Wha—!”
Unlike spells that are simply fired off, spells activated in this way can be dismissed afterward. While it’s difficult to erase substances like water or earth created by magic, it’s relatively easy to dispel intangible elements like fire or wind.
“See you later.”
“Bye-bye!”
“…Damn it!”
The guards, still trying to get up to chase us, struggled to rise. If they kept blocking our path, it would become a hassle.
“Let’s hurry before reinforcements arrive.”
I told Rio as I sprinted toward the western gate of the city. It seemed like the west was the closest way out.
“Where are we going now…?”
She asked anxiously, but I didn’t have an answer either.
“Ha ha, what should we do? My master told me to explore the outside world, but it makes me want to hide away.”
“But we just came out of the Forest of Enchantment.”
“That’s true. But just running away feels frustrating…”
“Yeah, I feel the same… I want to get some revenge somehow.”
“I see… Then let’s first go take a look around.”
“Eh?”
As we dashed through the Main Street, Rio tilted her head in a rather cute manner.
“If we go to the Royal Capital or a big city, we might learn something. I want to see how the world perceives the Summoned Hero.”
“Yeah.”
“And there won’t be a Temple unless we’re in a larger city, right?”
“Oh…! Yes!”
Realizing the meaning behind my added words, Rio nodded enthusiastically.