“Luna, are you alright?”
While I was absorbed in the development of new compound magic, the fairy who is always by my side—Pixie—spoke to me.
“Yes. I am fine, Pixie. Thank you for worrying about me.”
“That’s good. But really, Luna, how long are you planning to stay here? Sylph said the air in this place is stagnant, and the people who come to talk to you feel strange. Shouldn’t you leave soon?”
Pixie almost never initiates conversation on her own. She is a spirit who simply watches over me, occasionally offering a helping hand. However, after ten days of watching me remain in this place, even Pixie seemed to have reached the end of her patience.
“What you say is perfectly reasonable, Pixie. However, I am not permitted to leave. That is the rule.”
“I see. Until when are you not allowed to leave?”
“I do not know. But I suspect I won’t be able to go anywhere for quite some time.”
“Oh. Okay.”
With that final murmur, Pixie lapsed back into silence.
Ten days had passed since the day Oliver-san and Philly-san devastated the city, occurring simultaneously with the Stampede. I was currently residing inside a cell within Tsutrail’s criminal detention center.
Though it was called a detention center, the area where I was held featured a toilet and shower room partitioned by walls, and fresh changes of clothes were provided. It seemed this section was reserved for individuals of noble status, meaning the environment was far from squalid.
To be honest, I was grateful. I found myself wondering why I—who held no noble title—had been assigned such a room, but I used the facilities without hesitation.
◇
Ten days ago, having exhausted my physical strength after subjugating the Water Dragon, I had watched the battle between Orun-san and Oliver-san.
When I first caught sight of them, golden mana was piercing Orun-san’s abdomen. I had braced myself for the worst possible outcome, but fortunately, that nightmare never came to pass. Orun-san healed his injuries in an instant; and although he took one more hit after that, he spent the rest of the fight completely overwhelming Oliver-san.
While his sheer strength was astonishing, what surprised me most was how several spells I had never seen before were activated without a single magic circle appearing.
Magic is a general term for phenomena produced by mediating mana through a spell formula—a magic circle. In other words, a magic circle must always manifest where magic is being invoked. Yet, Orun-san’s black magic produced no such circles.
The only thing capable of triggering phenomena similar to magic without a circle is an Ability. However, Orun-san’s known Ability, [Mana Convergence], could not explain those effects.
Could it be that his Ability is something other than [Mana Convergence]? No, the Heavenly Flash he unleashed at the very end of the Martial Arts Tournament finals was undoubtedly a product of [Mana Convergence]. That would suggest it was something else entirely—something I am unaware of that is neither magic nor an Ability.
Titania might know. I think I shall ask her the next time she visits. Until then, I will consider the various possibilities alongside my work on compound magic. After all, I have plenty of time.
After the battle between Orun-san and Oliver-san concluded and the magic beasts on the surface were largely dealt with, I was taken into military custody. I underwent interrogation and have spent every moment since within the confines of this room.
I am currently awaiting my sentence. A high-ranking military official informed me that there is a strong possibility I will be granted clemency due to my efforts in defending the West Gate. However, given the suspicion regarding my involvement in the child kidnappings perpetrated by my family, I doubt I will be released without some form of penalty. Child kidnapping is a grave offense that can, in some cases, carry the death penalty. I should be satisfied simply knowing that particular outcome is off the table.
“Even so... while I have no complaints about the room itself, the inability to verify my spell formulas is quite a problem.”
The complaint slipped out before I could stop it. Even though I was quite fortunate to be in this room, it seems human greed knows no bounds.
The process of magic development is broadly divided into ‘creation’ and ‘verification.’ Creation is the act of building the basic formula of a spell from the ground up, while verification is the process of confirming whether the completed formula actually functions without issue.
Verification naturally requires the activation of magic. As a formula nears completion, it needs to be cast many times in rapid succession for fine-tuning. Since repeated casting causes severe headaches, it is common practice to perform verification using magic tools with the formulas sealed inside.
But this was a jail cell. Naturally, I lacked the magic stones required to power such tools. Without magic stones, my only option was to construct the formulas in my mind. However, while I could perform the construction, I could not perform the mana infusion, rendering mental verification impossible.
The reason I could not infuse mana was the magic tool fastened to my left wrist. It was a standard-issue device for all detainees here, designed to interfere with mana flow. It was a necessary precaution; without it, anyone capable of special-grade magic could escape at their leisure.
Oh, and naturally, the magic stone embedded in the cuff had been tampered with so that it could not be removed.
There was no point in grumbling. For the time being, I would focus on drafting the basic formulas for each attribute-based compound spell. That task alone promised to consume an enormous amount of time. If I still found myself with time to spare after that, I would worry about it then.
◇
As I was sketching out the formulas on a stack of paper, I heard the footsteps of a guard approaching.
(It is a bit too early for dinner...)
Judging by the orange light filtering through the recessed window high up on the wall, it was roughly late afternoon. The guard stopped in front of the door, and then I heard the lock turning.
Over the past ten days, every meal had been exchanged through the small hatch near the door. It hadn't been opened a single time. Was I being taken for further questioning?
When the door swung open, a man in a guard’s uniform stood there with a sullen expression.
“Luna Flockhart. Come out.”
The guard addressed me with a commanding tone. This wasn't unusual, but the way he seemed to be suppressing all emotion behind a blank mask caught my attention. There was no benefit in ignoring an order, so I rose from my chair to head toward the door.
“Don’t leave those papers behind. Take them with you.”
He wanted me to bring my notes? I didn’t think they would be necessary for an interrogation, but I didn't argue. I gathered the stack of papers and stepped out of the cell.
“...Follow me.”
With that curt instruction, the guard turned his back to me and began walking briskly. I hurried to keep pace. After a short walk, we arrived at what appeared to be the building’s rear exit. I wondered if I was being transferred to a different facility.
“Raise your left hand.”
As the guard issued the command, I followed his instructions and lifted my hand to chest height. He touched the magic tool on my wrist, and the cuff clicked open. Then, he handed me my hairpin-type storage magic tool—the one I had surrendered upon my arrival.
I accepted it, still failing to grasp the situation.
“The contents of that tool haven't been touched. But check them later just in case. If anything is missing, report it.”
The guard’s explanation came in a hurried rush.
“...?”
As I tilted my head in confusion, he delivered the final blow: “You’re a free woman as of now.”
(Free? Does that mean I’m being released? But why?)
“It’s only natural for you to be confused. Once you step outside, you’ll probably be able to figure out what’s going on.”
The guard spoke again as I stood there, dazed. I stored my stack of papers in the hairpin and fixed the ornament back into my hair. With trembling hands, I reached for the door handle. I pushed the door open and stepped out of the building.
◇
Outside, the sun had already begun its descent, and a pale moon hung in the twilight sky.
“Ah! Seirei Lady! Over here, over here!”
I looked toward the voice. This was the second time I had been called by that name. Caroline-chan was waving her hand at me from a short distance away. Sophia-chan and Logan-kun were standing beside her. Behind them sat a carriage emblazoned with the emblem of the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky—the moon and the rabbit.
(Why are they here? It’s as if they knew exactly when I would be coming out...)
My confusion, which had been mounting since I left the cell, only intensified. As I stood there, utterly bewildered, I heard the sound of the door opening behind me.
“Luna.”
Someone called my name. I could never mistake that voice. I turned around and saw Orun-san standing there.
“Orun-san...”
“It’s been a while. I’m sure you’re confused, but for now, would you mind getting into the carriage?”