Vol 2 Chapter 4 (1/2)

City of Water Mermila I [The Fifth Seat Honorary Director]

AN: The fifth chapter of volume one has been revised. We cannot have Shuten go back and forth between the Demon kings. I apologize for the confusing wording or incorrect notation. I look forward to your continued support.

Leading down 10 miles southwest from the abandoned village of Rene there is a small town called Mermila, a city of water. Because it is near the southwest border, there is a department of the Imperial Academy for defense, and as the 113th branch is was also known as a scholarly inst.i.tute where magical researchers worked.

It was also the place that had caused the silver saturation phenomenon several decades ago that turned the stone highway silverwhite across the plains.

As an Imperial inst.i.tute, it mainly works to measure the unknown. Since it would trouble the Empire if an emergency happened in the capitol city, like when the road was turned white, that was why such an inst.i.tute that worked with dangerous goods was out here in the country.

And currently, the research inst.i.tute was working with one of these dangerous goods, an unknown energy body.

On the second bas.e.m.e.nt floor of the research inst.i.tute.

Surrounded by white tiles on every side, this laboratory was a tightly sealed room with a magic circle drawn on the floor. At this particular laboratory, research on a high purity energy crystal that had been found two weeks ago was under way.

Six people, five male and one female, dressed in magician robes surrounded the center of the magic circle where the crystal had been placed.

However, in the end, it was impossible to drain the high-purity mana as magical energy or as a power source for a magical device. To put it simply, even extracting a reaction from this high purity mana crystal and ethereal object has not been done yet.

What on earth was it exactly?

Even if they were to compare it with the data from the place it was found, or with the data from the weather observed during the time of the discovery, there are no hints lying around.

This plagued the researchers, that there is no response at all and even the mana of this high purity crystal was a secret.

Then from the right of one of the corners of this white tiled room, a door indistinguishable from the wall slid open slowly and a person appeared.

Immediately the researchers stopped working and lower their heads to the man who entered the room through the only doorway.

“Ah, that’s good. How are things going with the crystal?” (Fifth Seat)

“That is…no matter what we do there is no response…” (researcher)

“Hmmm. Show me.” (Fifth Seat)

He slicked back his blue hair.

A monocle hung over one of his sharp eyes that seemed to exude intelligence. Unlike that of the researchers, his uniform was the same long black coat Grendel Glyph-Scale wore.

“…I see, it certainly seems like a mysterious crystal that does not receive any interference.” (Fifth Seat)

Skimming through the informative papers handed to him by one of the researchers, he quickly read through the written words. Once he finished looking through about ten sheets he returned it to a nearby researcher and then turned away to think, his hand on his chin.

“Isn’t there another crystal body in the storage room?” (Fifth Seat)

“It was exactly the same, and the output number was also 0, 0, 0” (researcher)

“Then why don’t you see if the two interfere with each other?” (Fifth Seat)

“…Are you sure? If something happens to that crystal-” (researcher)

“I will take responsibility, for n

ow, I hope that you will be encourage to research without failing to achieve results.” (Fifth Seat)

“Oh, thank you Fifth Seat!” (researcher)

Following the first researcher who lowered his head, everyone else in the room lowered their heads as well.

Surprised at suddenly being called Fifth Seat while trying to leave the laboratory — he immediately stopped in front of the door and said, “It’s fine.”

After coming to this place, he is one of the top members of the research inst.i.tute. However, he grasped the presence of someone else nearby. If it was an outsider, then has this become something urgent? However, there are not many people who are outsiders who could enter such a place. One of two. What came in was the former (しかして入ってきたのは、前者であった).

“It’s urgent fifth seat!” (messenger)

“…You are supposed to be guarding the area near the village of Rene right now.” (Fifth Seat)

“Well, Yes! But…!” (messenger)

“Calm down for now. If you don’t catch your breath you won’t be able to give a decent report.” (Fifth Seat)

“U-Understood…!” (messenger)

Even though he had a slender and tall body, if he held his hand in front of the subordinate’s face it will be more than enough to stop him in his tracks. In order to not rush and to not be impatient, the messenger took a deep breath before addressing the Fifth Seat again.

“As soon as the Third Seat stopped me by the village of Rene, it was up to me to give you her message!” (messenger)

“Tch…Yatano Fuso ArcLight…did you do something?” (Fifth Seat)

“Well, that is…!” (messenger)

For a moment the messenger hesitated to speak. It is not so difficult to understand why. It was simply because the message left by Yatano was equal to a landmine before the man in front of his eyes.

“Well? Spit it out!” (Fifth Seat)

Hearing the name of Yatano ruined his mood halfway through.

Despite having the appearance of an aloof scholar, he did not forget the feelings of his subordinates, and was a popular young man with a good reputation and was a character with a strong sense of justice. However, for only a single “thing” he was famous for showing violent disgust towards.

The twin eyes of jade drilled into the messenger.

With the sharp gaze on him, the man reported, “According to the third seat, the demonic ‘Power’ that caused the tenth seat to flee is invading this town–”

“Huh!?” (messenger)

Before he could finish, there was the sound of something hitting the floor.

“What…do you mean…? A Power…? Just what were you and that old hag doing…!?!” (Fifth Seat)

“I just said that I left because I was looking for you to report, Eeek!?” (messenger)

“Stop playing around you f*$^%** woman…!!” (Fifth Seat)

There is only one opponent in the Empire who he would bad mouth at this time. Even among the similarity of being magic librarians, each individual’s differences in thinking create a difference in the way each moves. From there, it can be said that the compatibility between the fifth and third seat is not particularly good.

“Don’t burden the soil of this empire with something like a demon…this f*$^%** dumb woman…” (Fifth Seat)

At this enormous change in character the surrounding researchers dropped their jaws, though the voltage of the Fifth Seat continued to rise.

From his grimoire he grasped the handle of his naginata (TL: a spear/halberd-like weapon, which seems to be summonable as there is no mention if it before now) and struck it against the stone tile. With the veins visible on the skin of his clenched fist, the Fifth Seat looked up at the ceiling. (自らの魔導書である大薙刀の石突を地面に叩きつけたまま、その柄を血管が浮くほど握りしめて、第五席は天井を仰いだ)

“Okay okay, I have understood. The answer is simple. Is that demon coming over here?” (Fifth Seat)

“Y-Yes!” (messenger)

“I will beat it to death.” (Fifth Seat)

Then with a short swing of the Naginata in the tight room, he quickly went past the messenger up the stairs that led to the ground floor. After regaining their composure from being startled, each of the researchers left the room.

One of the last researchers to leave, the man who had just been having the conversation with the fifth seat before he left, scrolled through the written information from the sheets in his hands and murmured quietly.

“Um…talking about overcoming this project…” (researcher)