Chapter 50: Targeted Rio
The next day was spent preparing to visit the Castle Gate once more. The focus was primarily on countermeasures for combat against individuals. The Magnetic Field and Magic Disruption Field had worked well, but whether they would be effective again was uncertain. While I didn’t think they would be easily broken, it was wise to consider a backup plan.
After all, both of those spells would have no effect on close-combat classes that lacked metal equipment.
“How about we try the Gravity Field this time?”
I had already practiced applying gravity in fixed locations or using it on myself to fly. What I was planning to do now was create a Gravity Field centered around myself.
The Magnetic and Magic Disruption Fields had little effect when activated in empty spaces. But gravity was different. If I concentrated it too much in one spot, it could create a pit in the ground.
“That sounds good, but controlling the exact point where the gravity is applied might be quite difficult,” Rio remarked.
“True, but I don’t want to affect you while using it.”
“Then… if you apply gravity in the opposite direction equal to what you feel, wouldn’t that work?”
“I see.”
I pondered over Rio’s idea as she seemed deep in thought. Indeed, it might be easier to control the gravity while keeping track of her position. If I could detect the gravity acting on myself and activate it in the opposite direction, automation would be simpler.
“Alright, let’s get started on the experiment!”
“Okay, let’s do it outside the city.”
“Sure.”
“Hmm, it would be good to activate it in a way that affects above the ground.”
“Right. That way, the ground won’t collapse, and it seems unlikely that the bridge we’re walking on will fall.”
The primary concern I had seemed to be resolved. With this, using the Gravity Field on the bridge leading to the Castle Gate or on the second floor of a building should pose no problem.
“Still, this magic is quite powerful…”
“Yeah. It consumes a lot of Magic Power, and there’s a good reason for that strength.”
While the consumption of Magic Power was indeed high, it wasn’t something I had to worry about immediately after starting to use it. The more Magic Power I poured into it, the more powerful it became, which was easy to understand.
“And… there’s also the possibility that our classmates might show up, so we need to be well-prepared.”
“That’s true. We need to make sure we can respond properly…”
At my words, Rio clenched her fists, her resolve renewed. It seemed I had inadvertently fired her up. But well, having that motivation was a good thing.
“Let’s kick them all away together.”
“Yeah.”
“But that method was dangerous…”
I recalled the explosive results of a method I had thought of on a whim. It had created something resembling a crater, and I had hurriedly used Earth Magic to fill in the ground.
“Indeed… it seems like there are various applications for it.”
“But let’s move a bit further away from the main road for the experiment.”
“It might cause quite a commotion.”
After moving quite a distance, we ended up immersed in magic experiments until dusk.
“Shuu, it’s about time we head back.”
“Huh? Oh… is it already that time?”
When Rio called out to me, I looked around and noticed it was starting to get dark. There were no streetlights outside the city, so once the sun set, it became pitch black, making it impossible to see anything. While I could light up the area with magic, the Castle Gate would soon close, and we wouldn’t be able to get back inside.
“It’s a bit inconvenient that it’s hard to experiment near populated areas.”
“Don’t forget that overdoing it isn’t good for your health, okay?”
“Ah, right.”
I recalled being warned not to disrupt my daily rhythm for the sake of experiments. Back then, I had been told I was starting to resemble my mentor.
…
I was definitely not similar, or at least I hoped not. Probably.
Yeah, moderation is important.
“Anyway, let’s head back for today.”
As I used Earth Magic to smooth out the gouged ground, I tried to act as if nothing had happened. Having concealed the aftermath, I hurried down the path leading back to the city.
Once we returned to the main road, I could see a few other figures making their way back to the city. With the gates about to close, this time of day was bound to be crowded.
“It looks like we might make it just in time.”
“True. If you hadn’t made a mess of the ground, we might have had a bit more leeway.”
“Ahaha…”
I forced a wry smile at Rio’s jab while scanning the surroundings. I spotted several adventurer parties and a group of merchants heading towards the Royal Capital in their carriages, along with a lone adventurer clad entirely in black robes.
As we approached the Castle Gate, we naturally fell into line. The merchant’s carriage sped up to take the lead, followed by the two of us. Behind us trailed the figure in black and several adventurer parties.
“Waiting in this line is a bit dull.”
We arrived at the gate and lined up for the identity check. As expected, there were many people at this hour. The line behind the adventurer party had grown even longer.
Rio and I stood side by side, staring blankly at the gate ahead. The figure in black behind us seemed to be getting restless, fidgeting with something—
“Rio!”
Suddenly, a surge of murderous intent surged from behind, aimed directly at Rio. “Get out of the way!” I thought, reaching out to grab her left side. Realizing I couldn’t pull her back in time, I pushed her forward instead.
“Kyah!”
In slow motion, I saw something long and thin protruding from her right chest as she fell, piercing through her back.