The soldiers from Ednail escorted Diar and me to Edna Fortress. It seemed these were military police, as the fortress had a facility for holding dangerous criminals. How did I know? Because I noticed something familiar in one section of this fortress—something I’d often seen in ancient ruins.
It was a sealed space using magic-absorbing tablets. Upon entering, one’s magic is absorbed, and combat abilities are significantly weakened. Most people in this world can’t use magic directly. Still, magic power exists here, and people can use it to enhance their physical abilities or cast spells.
Magic power is the fundamental source that allows every living thing in this world to unleash its strength. Without it, people here would be weaker than humans from Earth, the world I came from, which has no magic.
By the way, you might wonder what’s the difference between magic and sorcery. To put it simply, sorcery is a technique to release and utilize the magical power or functions of oneself or another being, limited to extending an existing ability. For instance, if there’s a furnace that can produce fire, it can’t be used to produce water.
Magic, on the other hand, defies those rules, allowing for all kinds of supernatural phenomena. While sorcery is limited to reinforcing or expanding on an existing function, magic is different. It can bring forth powers not originally possessed by a being or create new laws. If sorcery is an extension of logic, magic is its alteration or transformation. I haven’t seen magic often, but the times I did, it felt utterly unreasonable.
“This is the magic-absorbing chamber… Wait! I won’t let you put my brother in there!”
“What?! Are you planning to defy us? If you resist like this, you won’t be able to stay in this country!”
Whoa, Diar is generating an electric aura again, intimidating the soldiers. Sparks are flying off the armor of the soldier holding her, piercing holes in it. The armor is engraved with patterns to enhance its defensive capabilities through sorcery, which reinforces the metal’s toughness and hardness.
And it’s worth mentioning that iron in this world has a resistance to magic and sorcery. So, theoretically, the armor’s resistance should also be strengthened. However… it seems useless in the face of Diar’s power. They can’t put up any resistance.
“Calm down, Diar. No one can interfere with us from outside in the magic-absorbing chamber. They can’t touch us, and the same goes for them, so the danger isn’t that high. Besides, you trust me, right?”
“… Fine. But if something happens…”
Diar stopped releasing her mysterious, crackling aura. She quietly followed the soldiers, and we were placed in separate cells within the magic-absorbing chamber. Though we were close, there was a wall between us, so I couldn’t see her.
──Beeeeeeep!!! Clang!
“Hey! What are you doing?!”
“How am I supposed to feel safe when I can’t even check on my brother’s condition!?”
Diar shot a beam from her eyes, burning through and collapsing the wall in the magic-absorbing chamber. The soldiers’ faces twisted with fear, drenched in cold sweat. Of course, they’d be terrified—Diar burned through the wall from inside the magic-absorbing chamber.
This means that Diar’s power doesn’t rely on magic as it exists in this world. Whether it’s a simple physical phenomenon or something entirely different, one thing is clear—this cell means nothing to Diar.
This is Diar’s way of threatening the soldiers, showing them she can kill them if they lay a hand on me. I get that she’s worried, but isn’t that a bit extreme?
“Still, it’s quite the treatment. Using a magic-absorbing chamber… Isn’t that something reserved for violent criminals or disaster-class monsters?”
“Hmph, don’t play dumb! We know all about you. Jandalum Alpheus—an elite adventurer who’s conquered several unexplored dungeons and interfered in the internal affairs of various countries, even disrupting military operations. You’re a dangerous criminal!”
Oh boy, the leader of the soldiers is glaring at me intensely. Seems I’m not too popular.
“I’d appreciate it if you’d correct that to ‘not a criminal.’ Everything I did was permitted in those countries. And about ‘disrupting military operations’—I only told the truth to stop the fighting after being tricked by enemy misinformation. As for ‘interfering with internal affairs,’ I just helped people, which got me into conflicts with influential nobles. They all ended up having their houses dismantled, though.”
“You! That’s not something to laugh about! It’s as if you’re a reaper—every powerful person who draws your attention ends up ruined. And now, of all places, you’re setting your sights on the royal family here in Ednail… Are you planning to destroy Ednail?”
“What do you think? If you investigated me, you should know. All those people met their end because they deserved it—they were villains. If you truly trust the royal family, then there’s nothing to worry about. Isn’t it you who’s assuming they’re corrupt?”
“You… How dare you! Fine, answer our questions! Why did you come to this country? Why investigate the royal family? Are you planning a coup?”
Wow, so many questions… Seems he’s pretty rattled. Maybe he’s just doing his job, but deep down, I bet he suspects there’s some darkness in the royal family. I’ll avoid provoking him further.
“I came here because there are so many ancient ruins around, and I wanted to research them. As for investigating the royal family, they’ve been blocking access to this country’s historical records. In this case, learning about the royal family helps uncover the hidden history of Ednail. And I have no plans to overthrow the state—its governance seems to be running smoothly enough.”
“What? You think Ednail’s governance is stable? That’s your view of the situation?”
“Yes, while there are environmental issues due to excessive sand magic stone mining, the people’s lives are generally prosperous, and there shouldn’t be much discontent. This balance seems consistent across all levels of society. The elderly and the vulnerable have enough support to live comfortably. Compared to other places, Ednail doesn’t abandon its sick or elderly. There are quite a few, and they seem well. In other areas, it’s common for people to be culled or exiled to reduce the population. But here, Ednail is full of life!”
“R-Really?”
Oh? Is it just me, or is the guard’s attitude softening?
“No doubt about it. From what I see, it seems the quality of food and active community gatherings play a big part. Especially the outdoor tent-based communal dining spaces, used frequently by people from the lower and middle classes. That place is significant. People from all sorts of industries gather there, exchanging the latest industry information. Isn’t it possible that Ednail sees a lot of systems and inventions born from the working class? Environmentally, the foundation seems to be in place.”
“O-Oh… y-you’re very observant. I didn’t think anyone would understand that well… Yes, in Ednail, we respect opinions that rise from below and use them to improve various policies.”
“Haha, I knew it! I thought that might be the case—”
“—Big Brother! Hold your breath! Don’t breathe!”
—Crash! Crash! Shatter!
—!? I immediartely hold my breath, following Diar’s command. Holding it, I scan my surroundings. Shards of a broken glass bottle and spilled purple liquid scatter across the floor of my and Diar’s cell. Outside, there are also fragments from bottles that Diar seems to have intercepted, their contents completely evaporated.
“—Ugh!?”
Poison…? No doubt about it. My body is numb… and I’d thought Diar was overreacting. An interference from outside the anti-magic cell, using a method other than magic.
Poison without magic… this is bad. If this keeps up, Diar…
I look at Diar, and our eyes meet. I shake my head, silently pleading with her to forgive the innocent guards who weren’t behind this.
“It’s okay, Big Brother. I understand.”
With those reassuring words from Diar, my consciousness faded into darkness.
