Volume 7 - Chapter 16 – Blue-haired Ann (2/2)

“N. Ow.”

At Ann’s mark, Jin fired a spell.

“[Stun].”

“Agh!?”

Then Rucall collapsed on the spot.

“Ohh, it should be over now.”

Jin took a breath and Reinhardt asked a question.

“Jin, what was that magic just now?”

“Ah, you mean [Stun]? It’s a magic that, utilizing lightning magic, gives the other party an electric shock for barely an instant, paralyzing them. It’s effective againts human opponents.”

Jin explained and Reinhardt admired,

“Hmm, is that also a benefit from ‘science’? You make me want to take lessons in science from you more and more, Jin.”

“Yeah, when we’ve got the chance.”

Jin had also come to think that way little by little.

“First is this guy.”

Using the fainted Rucall’s own robe they tied him up. They tied him up and Reinhard asked Jin a question seeming marvelled.

“Hey Jin, earlier when you faced this guy you stirred him up a lot, but was there a reason behind that?”

Jin nodded. He then replied to Reinhardt with a question.

“Did you feel that his response was somehow strange?”

“Hm? Yeah, come to think of it. But isn’t that what you’d expect from a religious fanatic?”

Reinhardt replied, but Jin said no.

“Try to remember. Dominique too felt like that when she showed her true colors, right?”

Reinhardt tried recollecting what happened that time. And then he thought that indeed, maybe what they both had in common was their seeming abnormal excitement.

“Well, she did get so upset that I thought it strange.”

He replied and Jin said that’s exactly what he felt like, and nodded.

“Well, I hear that there’s a possibility that that might be because of the influence of [Hypno].”

“What’s [Hypno]?”

It could very well be described as a version of hypnotism magic. But where did Jin get that information, Reinhardt was surely thinking. Then he noticed that the Automata was next to Jin and,

“Could it be, you heard it from that Automata?”

He asked. Jin smiled and replied to confirm.

“Yeah. Ann told me that.”

Ann began to begin the supplementary explanation, or so they thought, when unexpectedly the one who began to speak was Reiko who had moved next to Ann without anyone noticing.

“The magic known as [Hypno] is something that appears to manipulate targeted people as one pleases, but that is not the case.”

“Eh?”

It was a detail both Jin and Reinhardt were hearing for the first time.

“In the case of [Hypno], manipulating everything about the target person is impossible. Then speaking of what it is able to do, it can guide the target’s actions. In other words, in Rucall’s case he was made to continue investigating the ruins, see.”

The two reached comprehension then.

“Ah, so that’s why in spite of not having any results, he spent ten years in a place like this.”

Usually, one wouldn’t be in ancient ruins that seemed to hold nothing to find for ten years. The two felt much better knowing the reason for that.

“In addition, having him report to the Unifilers supporting him, that much it can do.”

“I see. So, why did you know he was affected by [Hypno]?”

Reinhardt asked the most pressing question and,

“The person under [Hypno] enters a light state of agitation with things regarding the party who bestowed them with their ‘goal’ and ‘directions’.”

She explained. Indeed, Jin said and nodded once.

“Is that so. Certainly at that time Dominique also felt like that.”

“Rucall wasn’t just in a light state of agitation though.”

There was also a reply to Reinhardt’s doubts.

“It appeared to be the degree of excitement associated with orders instilled forcibly.”

“I see. In that case, doesn’t that mean Rucall wasn’t originally a Unifiler. But why stir him up so much?”

Reinhardt’s question was only natural. Even to Jin, at that time Ann had only told him to

provocate Rucall. And the answer to that question was,

“That is because if the affected person receives a shock when they have reached their highest state of agitation, they wake up from [Hypno].”

And that was Ann’s explanation conveyed through Reiko.

“You mean that therefore, there’s a possibility that Rucall will wake up from [Hypno] now. Alright, shall we try waiting until he comes to?”