Chapter 48: Complete Suppression
As I stepped out of the room, the commotion outside was palpable. Although we were a bit away from the Castle Gate, it seemed that the ominous presence of armed individuals had drawn a crowd of onlookers. Behind the knights and the Mage Division, I could see a few curious faces peeking our way.
“We came out unscathed!”
“What happened to Alain and the others?!”
“What’s going on?!”
The knights surrounding us were brandishing their swords, clearly eager for a confrontation, but they seemed unsettled upon seeing us emerge. It was a hassle to respond to each shout, but I pondered my options.
“Wait!”
Just then, Tobil stepped out from the room, calling for calm.
“Oh, Tobil! I apologize for the disturbance.”
I didn’t truly feel sorry, but it seemed polite to say so. Somehow, I felt that this person was genuinely kind.
“That’s not the issue… Are you sure it’s safe to be doing this…?”
He still seemed worried, but honestly, I couldn’t say for certain if we were safe or not.
“Well, who knows?”
“Hey, Shuu? You’re not just winging it, are you?”
Rio shot me a pointed look at my vague response. I had no concerns regarding the knights or the Mage Division. As for the leaders—was it the captain or the court magician?—their true strength was uncertain, but the average members didn’t seem too formidable.
“These guys are no problem, but I’m worried about whether we can continue living in the city after this.”
“Ah, that’s a valid concern.”
I wasn’t sure if there were bounties on our heads, but if that were the case, what would we do? This Otherworld didn’t have photographs, so maybe we didn’t need to be overly anxious.
“If it comes to that, we could always disguise ourselves.”
“That might work. Can we manage it with magic?”
“Probably?”
“…I’ve never heard of such magic.”
Tobil merely sighed at our nonchalant demeanor. The humans surrounding us, however, were far from relaxed. They were on high alert, watching our every move with tense expressions.
“Tobil, you should distance yourself so they don’t think you’re with us.”
“…I’m sorry.”
I didn’t think he needed to worry about us that much since we had just met, but I appreciated the sentiment.
“Stay safe, Tobil!”
As Tobil slowly moved away from us, two knights rushed over to him.
“What’s happening inside?”
“Are Alain and the others alright?”
“Ah… the people inside are safe. I don’t think they’re injured…”
While Tobil continued his exchange with the knights, we decided it was time to head back.
“Hey, Shuu. It’s already quite the uproar. Shouldn’t we go see the Third Princess?”
At that moment, Rio posed a very reasonable question. I could hear the knights shouting, “Surrender peacefully!” and “Listen to us!” but I ignored them. Why should we listen to those who wouldn’t hear us out?
Since Rio was maintaining her Magnetic Field, there was no issue if the knights charged in. I would also deploy a Magic Disruption Field, ensuring it formed a doughnut shape to prevent Rio’s field from dissipating. Plus, there were still mages left in the room.
“I was considering that… but if we’re going to do this, I’d rather take down those who are fully prepared.”
“…Huh?”
Rio stared at me, mouth agape. After glancing around, she turned her gaze back to me.
“I feel like there are plenty of targets to take down…”
That might be true if the knights and Mage Division were fully mobilized, but that wasn’t the case here.
“These guys are just underlings, right?”
“Ahahaha!”
“…What did you say? Are you mocking us?!”
The knights reacted immediately, but they were starting to look genuinely furious. I decided to observe them more closely. There were six knights with drawn swords and six mages wielding their staffs, all surrounding us.
“I can’t take this anymore. If you refuse to listen, we have our own plans.”
It seemed they weren’t really planning to subdue us. I crossed my arms and took a listening stance.
“Hmph… so you’ve finally decided to listen.”
No, I was just waiting for my discussion with Rio to conclude.
“Surrender your weapons and submit to arrest.”
At the knight’s words, Rio and I exchanged glances. We were unarmed; what were we supposed to surrender?
“I refuse to be captured for a crime I didn’t commit.”
“Is that your answer…?”
At that moment, the mages behind us began their incantations.
“We’ll be leaving now.”
“…Then we’ll subdue you!”
As the knight dramatically declared his intent, we began to move.
“Dark Bind!”
“Earth Bind!”
“Ice Bind!“
The mages unleashed their binding spells, and the knights charged forward in response.
“Flame Javelin!“
The mages who had remained in the room launched their spells from behind, but of course, they fizzled out within the Magic Disruption Field.
However, it seemed that Ice Bind had successfully activated, as ice surged from the mages’ feet toward us. But with a surge of Magic Power, I easily crushed the ice beneath my feet.
Two knights halted, surprised that their spells had failed, while the remaining four charged ahead, only to be ensnared by Rio’s Magnetic Field, their armor sticking to the ground like magnets.
“What…?!”
Alright, with that, it seemed we had cleared out most of the nuisances. Now, let’s head back to the inn.