Volume 9 - Chapter 9 – Jammer (1/2)
09-09 Jammer
Coinciding with Jin’s activities on Hourai Island, the small countries were in an uproar.
Amidst that Reinhardt was making his way back to Shouro Empire as planned.
He had a company of guards with him. Its commander was Captain Matheus Geist von Realgar. He was the company commander of the third Imperial Guard force.
He was Reinhardt’s friend, and also Reinhardt’s fiancee’s elder brother.
“So Matheus came here for me, huh.”
Right now, Reinhardt was returning home while being protected by the men led by Matheus.
“Yeah, even His Majesty wished me to escort you, so.”
“His Majesty did?”
“That’s right. The rumors about your Schwarz Ritter have reached all the way our home country. Overall victory in the mock battle of combat golems held in Celuroa Kingdom’s capital! Didn’t it also wreck the Adamas Warrior?”
It was a story from about a year ago, but for the current Reinhardt it felt like a tale from the distant past.
“Moreover, I hear you got second place in the golem boat competition held in Elias Kingdom?”
Matheus kept talking while keeping precise pace with the carriage on his horse. He was rather skillful.
“Well, yes. Although it was a shame I couldn’t win.”
“What! It was a match outside your field of expertise, isn’t suddenly getting second place a big deal?”
Now that Mathias mentioned it, Reinhardt remembered that the competition was when he had first met Jin. Since then his every day has been very busy.
“…Come to think of it, where’s your cousin?”
Mathias’s voice interrupted Reinhardt’s thoughts. He was asking about his cousin, namely Elsa.
“Elsa, huh. …It’s not something for me to say. Ask Fritz.”
“Major Fritz, huh. I do not like that man.”
Reinhardt knew that as a child his friend had cared about Elsa. However, now she was but a nobleman’s wife to him.
“Fritz…”
Now that he had learned much from Jin, he couldn’t help but think that perhaps Fritz too was under the influence of [Seduce].
But there was no way of confirming that.
They spent the night in the provincial city Tunsten.
＊ ＊ ＊
Jin received reports from Laojin.
“Regulus-4 has discovered ruins in Mt. Galatt at the outskirts of Blue Land. He found a sealed box containing a Gigantes and is traveling here.”
“Deneb-7 has discovered ruins near the lake Cedrolia on the border of Cline and Celuroa Kingdoms, it appears to be empty.”
“Spica-10 has discovered a sealed box containing a Gigantes in the ruins on the shore of lake Manoce in Cline Kingdom, and she is traveling here.”
Today two sealed Gigantes boxes were discovered. Now three remained.
“Regarding the war between Celuroa Kingdom and Egelia Kingdom, currently Celuroa Kingdom is slightly superior. They’ve apparently crossed the border and invaded with three battalions.”
“Mh-hm…”
“Finally regarding the war between Frantz kingdom and Cline Kingdom, they seem to be presently struggling for supremacy. Both countries are at a standoff.”
“…Understood.”
Jin stood up and headed for the workshop. Reiko followed him silently.
“War isn’t a good thing. I know that. However, I think I’ve heard someone say that what is right is decided by the many. But wouldn’t that mean that countries decide what’s right for them…”
Jin walked while thinking.
“I’m not a hero or a brave man. I’m not even a soldier. I’m the Magi Craft Meister.”
And then, he remembered what the new noble girl of Cline Kingdom had said.
“‘I… am I fine the way I am right now…?'”
That’s what she had said.
And that was Jin’s current mental state.
“Father, where are you going?”
Reiko called out to Jin who had walked past the workshop while deep in thought.
“Ah, oops. Sorry.”
Jin walked back while scratching his head. Reiko watched Jin with concern but said nothing.
“Now then, I was thinking we should develop a new weapon today.”
The very first thing Jin said after entering the workshop was that.
“When I analysed the ‘chant-obstructing choker’ that had been attached to Reinhardt and Stearina earlier, I thought of some interesting ideas.”
“Please do tell.”
“Of course. First of all, that choker had the effect of interfering with the gathering of Magic Energy.”
His earlier worries disappeared somewhere as Jin gradually heated up.
“When one uses magic, the chant works as something like a ‘power word’. It works as a ‘trigger’ and completes the spell with miniscule amount of Magic Energy.”
If one could compose that trigger without chanting then casting of chantless magic would be possible, but he didn’t touch on that for now.
“The function of that choker is to completely diffuse the infinitesimal Magic Energy required for the casting.”
You could think of it as the flame of the match that lights the gasoline known as Magic Energy. It was a function similar to blowing out that match.
“If this was done on a large scale, it would be possible to make a field where magic cannot be cast.”
Jin wrapped up the explanation.
“That’s amazing, Father.”