Chapter 32 (1/2)

Leaving Phelia in the hands of a magician capable of recovery magic, I wait for her to regain consciousness in a small room at the station.

Sitting on a sofa, I reflect on what all had occurred.

“…No good. That was totally no good.”

However you look at it, I was way too impatient.

The fatty's estate was one thing, but to go about screaming at the knights' station like that was a meaningless thing to do.

While it may be true that I have some strength, it wasn't as if I wanted to act in such an overbearing manner, and it was pretty clear I was overcome by tunnel vision.

Phelia was kidnapped, and yet I was unable to do a thing. I have to become even stronger.

Without noticing, I had begun shaking my leg.

“…Haa~”

As I became disgusted at my own weakness, I sense someone approaching.

Opening the door, Phelia appears.

“I've caused you to worry. Thank you very much for coming to help me.”

“Phelia! Are you already feeling okay?”

“I'm a little sluggish from pa.s.sing out from magic power exhaustion, but I'm fine for the most part. I'm going to go explain to Gauche, but giving the same explanation repeatedly would be bothersome, so I was thinking of having you come along.”

To say it would be bothersome is just her putting on a brave face. That much even I can understand.

I'm sure narrowly escaping being made into a slave is the sort of thing that would make you want to have someone nearby.

Following a knight, Phelia and I were brought to meet Gauche.

“Oh, Phelia. That was quite the misfortune.”

“Yes, thank you very much for coming to my aid.”

“It is my job, after all”, Gauche says with a gentle smile.

To be able to put people at ease like he does is not something I can do.

“Well then, I'd like to hear what happened. I do think it's harsh to ask the person concerned, but with the other party being as they are, I hope you can tell me.”

“…Yes, I understand.”

Phelia's expression was tense as she began to speak.

“I was out shopping in the city when suddenly I felt a sharp shock go through my head and I lost consciousness. Thinking about it now, I'm pretty sure it was lightning magic. I would never have expected someone to fire such a thing in the middle of town, so I wasn't able to react to it…”

“It's believed that Velquis's talent could make magic more difficult to perceive. That would explain why no one noticed it.”

Gauche gives an answer to Phelia's doubt.

“When I woke up, I was in that cavern. I was injected with some drug and was told “Now you won't be able to use magic”. I don't know what sort of drug it was, but since long ago, the elves have extensively researched the medicinal and poisonous plants of the forest. So, we've developed antibodies to quite a number of poisonous plants. When I tried testing out a small bit of magic, I found that I could use it without a problem. After that, I waited a while for an opportunity, and when they came to attach some sort of enslavement magic tool, I cut off the head of the one who seemed to be the leader with wind magic.”

If you take out the boss at the start, the others will be slow to react.

Even after being kidnapped, Phelia kept her cool. Totally different from me.

“Their movements had become lackl.u.s.ter, so somehow I was gradually able to take them all out. Then just as I was about to run out of magic, the two of you showed up to help me.”

Finis.h.i.+ng her explanation, Phelia took a sip of the drink that had been prepared.

“Thank you, Phelia. We had had our eye on the Velquis bandits and were in the middle of preparing a raid. That's actually the reason I'm in this city. All in all, I'm quite impressed you were able to take out an rank bandit group all by yourself.”

“It's not really like that. I was practically delirious, and I can barely remember a thing…but, thinking of what if it had happened before the special training I did with Yuri for the magic fighting tournament makes me s.h.i.+ver…”

Phelia wraps her slender arms around herself.

That's right. There's no way you wouldn't be scared when something like this has happened to you.

“Then, the interrogation is over now?”

“That's right. Thanks for your cooperation.”

“Wait a minute.”

I stop Gauche who is about to get up from his seat.

There's still something I have to ask about.

“What happened to my punishment?”

This time around, I had clearly acted in a way that couldn't be praised. In the worst case, I could be headed for jail.