The day had finally come for me to accompany Kurt on his job as a magic destroyer.
Kurt had brought me to the side of a canal that flowed through the city. Upon arriving, Ayra was already waiting at the site, and we joined her, walking along the footpath by the canal.
The reason we were here was because there was suspicion that this waterway might be the entry route for monsters. Recently, there had been multiple sightings of the same type of black ant-like monster that I had encountered before when I was out to measure magic levels. These creatures had been frequently spotted around here, causing significant damage.
In the areas where the monsters were sighted, several incidents of residents mysteriously disappearing had occurred. It was speculated that they had all been devoured without a trace by those monsters. Kurt and Ayra had been assigned the task of exterminating them.
I was worried that my presence might get in the way, but it seemed that, to Kurt and Ayra, both fifth-class magic destroyers, black ants were considered to be in the “small fry” category. That’s why Ayra’s daughter, Fine, was also allowed to come along to observe.
“Kids, don’t go too far ahead. Even though it’s a low-level monster, it’s still a man-eater,” Ayra warned us again. Despite her delicate appearance, there was an undeniable aura of strength around her, not typical of a warrior.
I was surprised that Ayra allowed Fine to come along, but maybe this was a result of the request Kurt had made on my behalf the other day.
“Don’t worry, it’ll be good training. Watch carefully as I handle it,” Kurt said proudly. He’s definitely just trying to show off in front of his daughter as a cool dad, isn’t he?
As we continued walking alongside the canal, we soon came upon a tunnel leading underground. The waterway extended further into the depths of the tunnel.
Are we going in here? It’d be strange not to after coming this far.
Kurt conjured a torchlight with his magic. He led the way, with us kids sandwiched in the middle, and Ayra following closely behind as we entered the tunnel.
The air inside was cool. The water flowing deeper into the tunnel shimmered as it reflected the torchlight. This waterway was likely meant for household use. It was quite an impressive construction.
As I was looking around, something tugged at my sleeve. When I turned around, I saw it was Fine, gripping my sleeve with an anxious expression.
It was a natural reaction for a child of her age. After all, she had been brought into a dark place like this all of a sudden. It was only natural to feel uneasy.
I instinctively took her hand and held it. She looked startled for a moment but soon showed a relieved smile. I’m not used to dealing with kids, but I just felt like doing that. It seemed to have the desired effect.
As we continued walking in the tunnel for a while, Ayra suddenly spoke.
“Something feels off.”
“What’s wrong?” Kurt asked.
“It’s rare for low-level monsters to make it into the middle of the city like this.”
“That bothers me, too. Even if they got in, there should be some trace left behind. Considering the amount of damage, you’d expect to find at least one clue by now…”
“Do you still think this waterway is suspicious?”
“Pretty much. I’ve already done an investigation once, but given that the damage is concentrated around this area, it’s almost certain that this is the place. We should stay alert.”
“Agreed.”
Listening to their conversation, I had a few questions. Once something piqued my curiosity, I couldn’t help but ask.
“Hey, Dad.”
“Yeah?”
“Is it really that rare for low-level monsters to appear in the city?”
“Yeah, it almost never happens. You’ve seen the magic barrier surrounding the town, right?”
“Yeah.”
“With that barrier and the watchtowers, low-level monsters are almost entirely kept out.”
“But doesn’t this waterway lead outside the town? Couldn’t they come in from there?”
“You’re right, this canal connects to the outside of the magic barrier. But before that, there’s a magically reinforced iron grate in place. It’s not so easy to break through.”
“What’s ‘magically reinforced’?”
“It’s a type of magic that strengthens things. The barrier around the town uses it, and Ayra’s combat style is specialized in that magic, too.”
Wait, you can use magical reinforcement in combat? Now that I think about it, I remember hearing that Ayra’s fighting style was defense-focused. So, that’s how non-elemental magic can be used.
“And when I checked the grate during my last investigation, I didn’t see any signs of it being damaged.”
Given Kurt’s experience as a magic destroyer, I figured that was probably true. Then, I decided to ask about something else that had been on my mind.
“We’re looking for the same black ant monsters that I saw before, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right. They’re the kind of monsters even a third-class magic destroyer can handle, but they’ve got sharp fangs. If you’re careless, they’ll bite right through your neck.”
“If these black ants share the same traits as regular ants, wouldn’t they dig burrows? Could they have dug a tunnel under the magic barrier and snuck in?”
“Smart thinking, Nero. It’s true, black ant monsters do burrow. In fact, there have been instances of them sneaking in through tunnels in the past. But they can’t dig that far. That’s why the watchtowers can spot the entrance to their burrows around the town’s perimeter. Once we find the burrow, we can figure out the invasion route.”
“Got it. So, that’s not the case this time, huh?”
“Exactly.”
As Kurt and I continued our conversation, I noticed Ayra staring at us in amazement.
“Is it always like this?” she asked.
“Huh…?”
Kurt reacted to Ayra’s question.
“No… I just can’t believe he talks like a child of Fine’s age…”
“Yeah, I’ve gotten too used to it… When we’re talking, I sometimes forget that Nero is still a young child.”
As he spoke, he laughed heartily. I too often forgot that I was a child and ended up speaking in the tone I used in my previous life. My parents seemed to have gotten used to it, but I should still be a bit more careful.
With that, we continued down the underground waterway. The cool air inside felt a bit chilly. After walking for a while, a light appeared ahead. It was the exit of the waterway that led outside the magic barrier.
As we approached, I saw that, just as Kurt had said, a sturdy iron grate was fitted there, allowing water to flow out through it. Indeed, there were no abnormalities in this place, and there was no sign of anyone having intruded.
“Shall we turn back…? Let’s check again on our way back. There must be an entrance somewhere,” Kurt said, pursing his lips. I could sense a kind of determination in him as a magic destroyer protecting the town. I followed him and began to walk back the way we had come.
I wondered how many minutes had passed since then. While I was carefully observing the tunnel as I walked, I suddenly felt a sense of unease. I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong, but I felt like something was off about the flow of air.
I quickly stopped walking.
“What’s wrong?”
Naturally, Ayra, who had been following behind, asked. Kurt and Fine also halted their steps.
“Just wait a moment…”
Saying only that, I focused my senses. Then, I felt something strange coming from the wall right beside me. It seemed like the air flowing through the waterway was behaving oddly in front of that wall.
Is the airflow swirling just here? Such occurrences can happen in complex spaces due to the shapes of buildings. However, this was a flat wall inside the tunnel. It wasn’t a situation where such a phenomenon should occur.
Yet, it genuinely felt like a faint wind was flowing from the wall. The reason for such an occurrence might be that there was space beyond the wall.
“Dad, I think the wall here is suspicious.”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
When I told Kurt that the airflow seemed off, he approached the pointed wall and gently touched its surface.
“…!”
I could see the corners of Kurt’s mouth lift slightly.
“Good catch, Nero. This is a magical disguise.”
Disguise? You can do such things with magic?
“Everyone, step back a bit.”
As instructed, we all moved back, and Kurt drew his sword. Flames flickered along the blade. Without hesitation, he swung the enchanted sword towards the wall.
If it were an ordinary stone wall, the sword would have either bounced back or produced a hard striking sound, but what happened before us was neither of those. The area he slashed twisted in space, and the wall vanished like an illusion.
So, they created a fake wall with magic to conceal the space behind it. In fact, beyond the vanished wall was an expansive cave-like space. The problem was that it wasn’t just a cave that appeared there.
“Hey, hey… isn’t this a bit too much…?”
Kurt showed a strained expression. The reason was that countless black ants were waiting right in front of us, making uncomfortable clicking sounds with their sharp fangs.
