This chapter was brought to you by the collaboration between PolterGlast and Saekano Translations.
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Volume 1 Chapter 6.2
An Unforgettable Birthday Part 2
Translator : PolterGlast
In front of the main
gate of the Francilt mansion.
The darkness of the
night had descended, and an old man was standing in front of it.
A maid, who happened
to be in the hallway, noticed the old man and went outside the mansion to
intercept him.
The old man was
dressed in a crisp gray butler's suit, and his elegant appearance indicated
that he was obviously serving someone of nobility.
"May I ask who
you are?"
"I apologize for
disturbing you at such a late time of night. I am here to discuss a matter with
the master of this mansion, and I was wondering if you would be so kind as to
arrange a time for us to meet?"
"Regrettably, a
party is being held today to celebrate Milady's sister's birthday, so no one
will be able to help you. I will inform Milady of your request after the party
if you don't mind."
The maid was a little
impressed by the old gentleman's very polite attitude, but at the same time,
she wondered why he was visiting so late at night.
The maid inquired
about his business, but the old gentleman insisted that he had to speak to the
owner of the mansion directly, and would not compromise.
"I know it's
rather rude of me to visit at this time of night, but would it be possible for
you to arrange a time for us to meet?"
"You may,
therefore, please state your business here."
"I am sorry. I am
not permitted by contract to disclose the matter to a third party."
The old gentleman
repeatedly asked the maid to arrange a meeting with the master of the mansion,
but the maid kept refusing him politely.
"Well, it can't
be helped then ......"
Eventually, the old
gentleman seemed to give up, let out a sigh, straightened the collar of his
butler's coat, and snapped the fingers of his right hand.
Then, suddenly, the
maid's strength drained from her body and she collapsed on the spot.
"Forgive me. This
is my Master's order."
The old gentleman
caught the maid's body as she fell over the bars of the gate, leaned her body
gently against the front gate, and then swiftly ran his fingers through the
air.
A light reminiscent of
fireflies danced in the air, forming a shining white magic circle on the path
leading from the front gate to the mansion.
The old gentleman
nodded his head, looking at the shining magic circle at his feet, and quietly
entered the mansion.
◆
After calming Mars and
Ena down, Nozomu and the others regained their composure and were about to hand
over the presents they had prepared to Somia.
"Well, it's a
birthday party, so we've prepared some things for you ......."
Nozomu and the others
let out a wry smile upon seeing Somia's eyes sparkling even before they handed
over the presents, and she was impatiently begging them to be quick and hurry
up.
But at that moment,
the door to the venue of the party, the grand hall, slammed open and an elderly
gentleman walked in.
"...... Huh? Is
that person a guest of this party?"
An elderly gentleman
with silver hair tied behind his head, dressed in a gray butler's coat, and
wearing a monocle.
Nozomu tilted his head
at the appearance of a man whose figure he had not seen before at this party.
"Hmm, I don't
recognize him either. He is not a member of the Francilt family."
Irisdina, who was
watching over Somia beside Nozomu and the others, also frowned doubtfully.
An old gentleman with
glowing red eyes and a monocle. In Irisdina's memory, there was no such person
in the mansion.
The attendees who were
enjoying the party noticed the suspicious old gentleman, and all of their
attention began to focus on the old gentleman.
With the appearance of
the suspicious old gentleman, the venue was gradually enveloped in silence, and
with the silence came a sense of tension.
"May I ask who
you are? I don't believe you were invited to today's party."
Irisdina, stepping
forward, questioned the old gentleman in a stern voice.
The old gentleman, on
the other hand, upon seeing Irisdina, put his hand on her chest, took a step
back, and responded with a magnificent curtsy.
Each gesture, such as
the gaze, the position of the shoulders, the hips, and the gait. All of them
were the most perfect curtsy that even Irisdina, who had lived as a noblewoman,
had ever seen.
"I am truly sorry
to have disturbed you with my rude manners. I am a butler in the service of a
noble family in a certain country, and my name is Rugato. I presume you are
Irisdina and Somiriana, the owners of this mansion."
"Indeed I am
Irisdina Francylt, the Master of this mansion. Behind you is my sister
Somiriana. What brings you here?"
Irisdina, who had
guessed from the old butler's mannerisms that he actually served a high-ranking
aristocrat, asked again in a condescending tone of voice.
The person on the
other end of the conversation was apparently a high-ranking nobleman's
messenger.
However, Irisdina did
not recall allowing this person to enter the mansion.
If he was clearly
trespassing, she needed to deal with him with the proper decorum, even if it
meant accusing him of being disrespectful.
"First of all,
why don't you tell us the name of the master you serve? It is a bit
unreasonable to welcome a person who has suddenly entered a mansion and does
not even introduce himself on behalf of his master."
"Indeed you are
right. However, if possible, I would like to speak only to Irisdina-sama and
Somiriana-sama ......"
"Do you think
you, who suddenly interrupted my sister's birthday party without my permission,
the owner of this mansion, have the right to demand such a thing?"
"Understood. I am
a servant of the Waziart family of the Dizard Empire. On this occasion, I have
been entrusted with a message from my master."
"The Dizard
Empire. I believe it is in the northwestern part of the continent ......"
Nozomu's mouth
twitched as he muttered the name of the country.
The Dizard Empire is a
snowy country surrounded by mountains in the northwestern part of the Arkmel
Continent. The country is exposed to a harsh climate, but what makes it unique
is that it was founded by seven different races.
The seven races that
founded the country all have powerful abilities, but at the same time, they
have a history of being ostracized by other races for a variety of reasons.
The nation that these
races joined together to establish was the Dizard Empire.
Because of their
historical background, they did not have diplomatic relations with other
countries and did not interfere in other countries themselves.
However, the power
that it possessed was so great that it was able to repel a huge army of demonic
beasts that crossed its borders alone during the Great Invasion 20 years ago.
"My only
objective is for you to return the treasure that was previously loaned to the
Francilt family, [the Furnace of Spiritual Flame]."
"[The Furnace of
Spiritual Flame]?"
Irisdina tilted her
head upon hearing these words, which she had never heard before.
As the next head of
the Francilt family, Irisdina has a detailed memory of the family history, but
she seemed to know nothing about the item, [the Furnace of Spiritual Flame].
"Yes. It is a
sacred artifact that allows one to take the soul of another person and make it
one's own, and originally belonged to the Waziart family, whom I serve."
With a glance,
Rugato's gaze turned toward Somia.
Irisdina frowned at
that meaningful glance.
"...... From what
I have seen, it seems that the artifact currently merged with Somiriana-sama's
soul. I request you to return it at once."
"Wha!?"
Everyone present could
not believe what they were hearing.
According to Rugato,
[the Furnace of the Spiritual Flame] had merged into Somia's soul.
Moreover, he said he
would have that artifact returned to him right this instant.
"Well then, I
will carry out the contract now."
"W-, wait!"
Irisdina, who had no
idea what was going on, called out to Rugato to stop him, but he ignored her
words and ran his fingers through the air.
The next moment, a
tremendous amount of magical power covered the entire mansion.
The magic power that
filled the surroundings enveloped the bodies of everyone present, and a powerful
suggestion came over them that they must leave this room.
"~, kuh!"
Nozomu reflexively
raised his Qi to resist any suggestion that assailed him.
The quickest way to
deal with suggestion-type magic, such as sleep and hypnosis, is to raise one's
magical power and Qi.
The raised Qi repelled
Rugato's magic power, and the suggestion that surfaced in his mind receded in
the blink of an eye.
But the butlers,
maids, and Somia's friends in the mansion, unable to resist the suggestion,
walked out of the grand hall with empty expressions on their faces.
The color of the
entire hall changed from white to grayish, and the scenery outside the window
seemed to have faded as if time had stood still.
"W-, what is
going on?"
Somia asked her sister
with an anxious voice.
"Perhaps it's
some kind of barrier magic ....... It seems to be the kind of magic that makes
a strong suggestion on people other than the target."
Barrier magic is a
type of formation magic that creates lasting effects within a certain area by
drawing a magic circle on the ground or at a fixed location.
The duration of effect
is relatively long, and depending on how it is used, various effects can be
produced over a long period of time, but it is a magic that basically requires
time and effort to set up the formation and requires a tactical approach.
Furthermore, the wider
the area of effect, the shorter the duration and the less effective the magic
is.
By looking out the
window, the barrier seemed to cover the entire Francilt mansion.
"What about Mars
and the others? ......"
Nozomu looked at the
condition of the others and found that Mars and Tima, like Nozomu, seemed to be
able to resist Rugato's barrier magic.
However, Ena, who was
not familiar with magic, was under the suggestion of barrier magic and went out
like the other maids and butlers.
"I am terribly
sorry for being so violent so suddenly. But this is part of our contract. In
order to retrieve the artifact, I will have to extract Somia-sama's soul."
The words of the old
gentleman named Rugato further struck Nozomu and the others into a whirlpool of
shock.
"W-, what do you
mean by 'extracting my soul' ......?"
Somia asked Rugato in
a trembling voice. The expression on Irisdina's face next to her could not be
stiffer, and she glared at Rugato with a hostility in her gaze that could only
be described as deadly.
"I mean it
literally. Three hundred years ago, the head of the Francilt family at that
time made a secret contract with the Waziart family."
The old gentleman took
out a piece of old parchment from his chest and unfolded it so that Nozomu and
the others could see it.
"At that time, in
order to solve a problem that the Francilt family was facing, they sought
support from the Waziart family. At that time, one of the magic tools given to
them was [the Furnace of Spiritual Flame]. And here is the contract that was
signed at that time."
The parchment clearly
stated that the Waziart family would indeed provide assistance to the Francilt
family, and in exchange for providing the magic tools owned by the Waziart
family, the Waziart family would be given a huge amount of goods and the return
of the used magic tools after a certain period of time.
In addition, as proof
of this secret agreement, a covenant bracelet was to be made and held by the
Francilt family as proof of the agreement.
It was further
stipulated that when the term of the contract expired, the messenger of the
contract summoned by the bracelet would forcibly fulfill the contract and
retrieve the magic tools.
And further, it said
that the Francilt family could not protest against the Waziart family in any
way for any damage caused in the process.
The contract also
included, as a final touch, family crests that only the head of the family was
allowed to use.
"No
way......"
"Ane-sama......"
The contract proved to
be true, and both Irisdina and Somia looked into each other's eyes.
"In order to
retrieve the artifact, we need to remove the soul, so Somia-sama's soul, who
has been merged with the artifact, will die, but that is also part of the
contract. Now, let us fulfill the contract."
"W-, wait!"
Rugato, after saying
so, began to pour his magic power into the contract parchment in his hand.
The engraved old letters
began to glow mysteriously.
Then, with a pounding
sound, the magic power poured into the contract pulsed. At the same time, black
magic light seeped out from Somia's bracelet.
"E-, eh, what's
going-......"
The bracelet, which
began to glow with an ominous light, vibrated in a chittering manner, as if in
resonance with the parchment Rugato was holding up.
The next moment, a
black mist erupted from the bracelet, and a hooded shadow emerged from the
darkness.
A tattered hood and a
skeletal body beneath it.
In its hands, it
carried a huge scythe that was taller than its body.
His figure was the
very embodiment of the god of death.
"It is the
familiar that presides over this contract. The overseer of the contract and the
custodian of the artifacts. Please rest assured. You will not feel any pain or
suffering."
"Eh, Kyaaa!"
After Rugato declared
so, chains suddenly sprang out from under the hood worn by the Grim Reaper and
bound Somia up.
The Grim Reaper,
carrying a scythe worthy of its name, attempted to reach out its skeletal hand
toward the bound Somia.
"I won't let
you!"
Irisdina cast a spell
in an instant in front of the Grim Reaper, who was about to reap Somia's soul.
Black chains appeared in the air and entangled the familiar of the contract.
[Restraint Magic・Chain of Darkness]
This is a dark
attribute magic that belongs to the intermediate level. The black chains, which
emit a pale light, bind the Grim Reaper's body, instantly restraining its
movements.
"Hoo, that
deployment speed. Is that [immediate Deployment] ability?"
Rugato expressed his
admiration for the high-speed cast of magic by Irisdina's ability [Instant
Deployment].
From his point of
view, Irisdina's magic had an incredible power, which was hard to believe that
it was a magic constructed only by her imagination.
But it was not enough
to seize this Grim Reaper. Every time the familiar moved, the chains that
restrained it creaked and cracked, and countless cracks began to appear in the
rings of the chains.
"Kuh!"
Irisdina, who judged
that it would be difficult to restrain the Grim Reaper for a long time with her
own magic, pulled out the rapier at her waist and slashed at it.
However, before
Irisdina's blade could reach it, the Grim Reaper destroyed the chains that
restrained it and intercepted her slash.
The Grim Reaper's
physical strength was stronger than she expected, and Irisdina's body was blown
away.
"Ugh, Tima!"
"Un!"
The Grim Reaper, who
had just repelled Irisdina, attempted to attack Somia again.
However, Tima, who had
finished her chanting while Irisdina bought time, blocked the Grim Reaper with
more powerful restraint magic.
Four different magic
circles were deployed around the Grim Reaper.
The four magic circles
of red, blue, green, and yellow formed an even larger circle with each of them
at the top, and the Grim Reaper was bound to the center of the circle.
[The Four Circles of
Sealing Formation]
The magic circles of
the four attributes intertwined with each other to form a complex magic circle,
completely confining the familiar within the circle.
"Hoo, what a
marvelous magic. Each attribute is constantly circulating without repelling
each other, forming a stronger restraint. I have lived for a long time, but I
have never seen someone who could use magic like this so well."
The magic deployed by
Tima seemed to have stirred Rugato's heartstrings as he clapped his hands with
a wave of praise.
"Irisdina-sama's
magic is amazing as well. The effect of magic through [Instant Deployment] can
easily be weakened depending on one's concentration, and yet you're able to
restrain this familiar, albeit temporarily......".
The old gentleman's
praise was also directed at Irisdina, who had bought some time.
"However, no
matter how many times you stop the familiar, it won't be enough to end
it."
Intense magic power
welled up within Rugato. He judged Irisdina and Tima to be obstacles in the way
of fulfilling the contract and began to eliminate them.
Rugato extended his
left hand and drew a magic circle in the air with his index finger.
Then a magic bullet
shot out from the magic circle and hit Tima directly on the shoulder.
"Kyaaa!"
A sharp pain struck
her shoulder, tearing her uniform and causing blood to flutter.
A jittery pain then
began to spread from her shoulder to the rest of her body.
Tima almost collapsed
from the pain and shock but managed to hold her ground and continue to maintain
her magic.
The restrained Grim
Reaper glared at Tima, the caster of magic.
"~ !"
The cold, yet somewhat
silent gaze from the Grim Reaper and Rugato's hostility toward her chipped away
at her feeble spirit.
But despite the pain
and the fear that shook her body, she refused to release the magic that was
restraining the Grim Reaper.
While biting her lip,
she just kept on concentrating her mind on maintaining the magic.
(Scary, this is so
scary ....... But if I were to dispel the magic, Somia-chan's life would be
hunted!)
She is the younger
sister of her dearest and best friend.
Tima, having awakened
to excessive magic power at an early age and being at the mercy of
uncontrollable power, found herself growing up with a gloomy and reclusive
personality.
And that did not
change even after she came to Arcazam and entered Ecross.
Her magical abilities
clearly exceeded that of even the truly talented individuals on the continent.
Furthermore, she had an extremely high aptitude for four attributes.
[Symphony of Four
Scales].
This is the nickname
that was given to her for her abilities.
Hence, even in Ecross,
she was isolated and her reclusive nature grew worse and worse.
Irisdina and Somia
were the first friends and family she made.
She still remembered
it.
Even after entering
Solminati Academy, she was isolated, and her dark-rooted personality made her
even more distant from her classmates. Until Irisdina came to talk to her.
"Hi, nice to meet
you. May I have a moment?"
"H-, hi ..."
An ordinary, casual
greeting. But for Tima, who was longing for human interaction, these were the
words she had been waiting to hear.
They began to talk
little by little, and before long they became friends.
In the process of
getting to know each other, she also met Somia, and being charmed and guided by
the two who were so different from her own dark personality self, her world
gradually began to regain its light.
For her, Irisdina was
the brightest star in the night sky, and Somia was the sun that dispelled the
darkness.
"Do you still
want to keep going? Your magic power may be quite impressive, but you seem to
have pretty little mental strength."
Thanks to the two of
them, the lonely girl was no longer alone.
With this gratitude in
her heart, Tima concentrated solely on her own magic.
While witnessing Tima's
resistance, Rugato deployed his magic circle in a nonchalant manner. The five
fingers of Rugato's left hand moved in the air and simultaneously deployed five
magic circles.
"I won't let
you!"
Irisdina attempted to
slash at Rugato, but the old gentleman deployed four magic circles with his
available right hand.
Two of the four magic
circles produce blood-red swords that shoot out toward Irisdina.
"~ !"
Irisdina flashed her
rapier, [the Silver Wing of the Evening Star], to repel the approaching
blood-colored swords.
However, the swords
flew back into the air and rushed toward Irisdina again.
The flying swords,
even after being repelled, repeatedly attacked Irisdina, preventing her from
reaching her target.
If one were to look
closely, two of the four magic circles deployed in Rugato's left hand were
still in motion, and his fingers were moving in a complicated manner.
Apparently, Rugato was
using yet another magic to control the swords he had created with his magic.
The difficulty of
magic will jump exponentially as the power, variety, and number of magic
deployed increases.
Tima felt a cold sweat
running down her spine upon seeing Rugato's skill at manipulating multiple
different types of magic at the same time at will.
While Tima was frozen
in shock at Rugato's skill, five magic bullets were formed from the magic
circle in the old gentleman's left hand.
As Rugato swiped the
air with his index finger, the generated magic bullets gathered into a single
point and became a giant light bullet that came rushing toward Tima.
"Ah ......."
Tima, who was in a
state of maintaining an extremely high level of restraining magic, could not
move.
She stared at the
incoming light bullets and then bit her lip in frustration.
There was no way for
her to avoid the incoming attack. Nevertheless, Tima decided to withstand it
and stared at the light bullet.
However, the magic
never struck her body.
Just before Rugato's
magic bullet struck her body, a shadow intervened and obliterated the light
bullet.
◆
