After calling a hero from another world, they would send him off to subjugate the Demon Lord. In a way, that was just abandoning the responsibility for having summoned them here. If something happened to the summoned children after they were brought to this world, if the king neglected them to save himself, even knowing that the children were strong enough to protect themselves, that would make him a horrible person. He wanted to get to know them in order to better understand their wishes. It felt like the least he could do.
“Naturally, you need not tell me. Forcing you to talk for my own gratification would defeat the point. But if you do not mind, then I encourage and welcome it. The choice is yours.”
While sitting atop the throne, the king lowered his head. It was an unfitting gesture for the king of an entire nation, but it was his way of showing that he would not lose himself to his pride. When he raised his head again after a short time, Suimei looked shocked. “Why would you do such a thing?” and “Why would you go so far?” were the questions written all over his face. He stood there silent for a moment, and then let out a defeated sigh.
“Can I take that as your true intention beyond a shadow of a doubt?”
“Indeed, those are my feelings without any pretense or falsehood.”
When the king clearly articulated that, Suimei straightened his posture.
“I apologize for my impolite manner of speaking up until now. Please, ask all that you will of me, Your Majesty. I, as one of the humble members of the Society, will answer all that I can within the permissible range.”
The fact that he still did not kneel would have been called impolite by others, but the haughty atmosphere from just a while ago vanished like morning dew. Even Suimei’s tone had changed completely. It was likely, finally, that this was his true self.
It wasn’t his usual self when he was together with Reiji and Mizuki. It wasn’t the haughty version of himself he became when he faced his enemies or unknown situations, either. It was just him as a lone mage, Suimei Yakagi. And to the king, this was the greatest respect he could show. He then began his inquiry in an attempt to unravel as much as he could about him.
“Who are you?”
“In my own world, I am what is called a magician. Something like a scholar who researches the mysteries to accomplish a thesis. In general, I do believe we are not all that different from what you call mages.”
“A magician...”
The king repeated that strange word. Why was it that what he could only hear as “mage” before due to the effect of the hero summoning now sounded different? Was it because Suimei had used it in a way that revealed its true meaning? It was something different from a mage, and his ear could now properly appreciate the difference. His questions continued from there.
“Why do you hide this? Setting aside those of us from this world, why keep it even from Hero-dono and Mizuki-dono?”
“In our world, unlike this one, a technology known as science has developed. You may have heard this much from Reiji already, but magicka is something that has been driven into the underworld over there, and magicians have become a target for elimination by all powers. That is why, to the public, magicians do not exist. If we revealed our identities, we would be taken out mercilessly for going against the perceived normalcy of the world. That is why I do not openly identify as a magician. It is the reason I hide, even here. I’m just being careful.”
“So Hero-dono and Mizuki-dono do not know, but Felmenia discovered your identity?”
“Yes. At that time, I couldn’t know for sure if I’d been found out. So exactly what she knew and how she acted on it was a potential problem for me. And so, after investigating, I worked out a plan and sowed the seeds to lure her out, but some kind of dangerous automaton or something was put in place—well, since she didn’t seem interested in talking, that’s what it came to.”
One word in particular there piqued the king’s interest.
“Automaton?”
“Yes. It was a well made one in the form of a heavy cavalryman. It attacked me, so I destroyed the spell that controlled it.”
“Sage Slamas’s golem, huh...?”
The king had an idea as to what had attacked Suimei. The only golem in the entire castle was the one Slamas had created. Naturally, if Suimei was talking about armor that attacked him, that was just about the only thing that came to mind. The golem Slamas created was well made, and powerful. If Felmenia had brought that out, it gave the king a glimpse of just how stubborn she’d gotten before being knocked down a peg by Suimei. However...
“I asked Felmenia the same question, but was it not a little too impatient to resort to force?”
In the end, the development of this conflict felt a little irrational. There would have been several opportunities for them to talk things out. Felmenia was the first to make a move, but the king couldn’t help speaking his honest opinion. And in response to that, Suimei spoke with an extremely serious expression.
“Certainly I cannot deny that I was somewhat caught up in the moment. However, I am also one who walks the path of magicka. A magician has a magician’s way of handling things, and when a simple braggart—no, someone conceited—enacts violence, we are ones who would seek revenge. Also, well, I was still resentful about being forcibly summoned here and was blowing off a little steam.”
In the end, Suimei let out a laugh suitable for a boy his age, and seeing that, the king sighed.
“...What a brat.”
“Magicians are often just like that. We are beings who only have interest in what we are selfishly trying to accomplish. It is normal not to think of those around us. Besides, I do not believe Your Majesty is in a position to complain after shutting your eyes to the matter in the first place.”
“You certainly have a point.”
Yes, the king was also responsible for turning a blind eye despite knowing what Felmenia would do. He wasn’t in a position to strongly reprimand Suimei, and looking at the results, his way of dealing with her was arguably rational.
If he used his magic without restraint, there was a countless number of crimes Suimei could commit. If he wanted to satisfy his own greed, he could have freely done so all along. Yet he’d quietly stayed in his room in a way that didn’t bother anybody. When investigating whether any harm had come of his sneaking around the castle, it was revealed that the treasury, the throne room, the depository, and any other place of material significance had gone untouched.
And when it came to Felmenia’s violence, it could be said that Suimei had treated her sympathetically. He didn’t know how things worked in this world, but after she’d used the golem against him, nobody would have been able to argue if Suimei had killed her in self-defense.
Suimei then looked to a pillar to his side. It couldn’t be...
“That’s how it is. That was just an extension of me venting my anger, so you can also relax. I have no intention of ordering you to do anything else.”
He was speaking to someone other than the king—no, there was no need to be ambiguous. Suimei was talking to Felmenia. She was certainly there, hiding behind the pillar he was looking at.
“...”
Felmenia stepped out from the shadow of the pillar with a shocked expression. Suimei only gave her a cursory glance as if she didn’t interest him, and then turned back to the king. Seeing this, he had a new question for the young magician.
“...Since when did you notice?”
“Counter-question: why would you think that I hadn’t noticed?”
“...”
He certainly had a point there. Suimei had gotten the better of Felmenia at every turn. Rather than assuming he wouldn’t have noticed her, it would have been safer to assume that he would.
“Suimei-dono, regarding this...”
“I can tell without you saying it. I was suspicious when you said you wanted to talk privately with just the two of us, but like you said, she’s your precious retainer. If she’s that important to you, then it’s not
like I don’t understand your actions.”
“I am sorry.”
The king honestly apologized. The reason he’d had Felmenia hide there was not for his protection, but for her benefit. If Suimei knew Felmenia was there, there were likely things that he wouldn’t talk about. And if she wasn’t present, she would never get answers. Hiding her in the room was the king’s compromise. In the end, Suimei saw right through it, but talked anyway.
Felmenia then called out Suimei’s name with a pale face.
“S-Suimei-dono...”
“I said I wouldn’t do anything, didn’t I? Don’t just fucking go pale. You really are good for nothing, aren’t you? If you’re also a magician, then stand up straight right until you’re on the verge of death. Aren’t you a court mage or whatever this kingdom prides itself on?”
“Auuugh...”
Felmenia didn’t look away in the face of such sharp criticism, but tears formed in the corners of her eyes. It seemed she was unable to say anything back to that. As Suimei stood there waiting for the king’s next question, he cut straight to it.
“So the reason that you’re investigating the summoning circle after all...”
Indeed, it was because his will remained unchanged.
“I do believe I told you I wanted to return. I have things that I must accomplish back home. Besides...”
“Besides?”
“When Reiji and Mizuki happen to want to go back, I will have the path to return made ready for them. I am not accompanying my good friends as they run off into danger. As a magician, this is the least I can do for them.”
“Aha...”
The king unintentionally let his admiration escape his lips. Naturally, Suimei’s objective was motivated by his own desires. He wanted to return, he said so himself. However, he was also thinking of his friends. He wanted to give them the same chance. But even more surprising than that...
“Are you able to decipher that thing?”
“Given the time, to an extent. It’s not impossible.”
“T-Truly...?!”
The hero summoning magicka circle was said to be undecipherable by anyone, and Suimei had just rather offhandedly suggested he could do it. That summoning circle was passed down from a forgotten age. Using the precise amount of mana and reciting the proper chant was all that it took to activate. But the spell itself was too difficult to understand, and up until now nobody had been able to comprehend the principles behind the way it worked. Yet this young man had just declared that he could do so in a tone like he himself also found that to be unexpected.
“I have studied spiritualism and mediumship to an extent, but I never thought it would come up in a place like this. Seriously, it makes no sense.”
However, if it was such good fortune, then...
“However, if you are thinking of Reiji-dono to this extent, why do you not speak of everything to him? If you open your heart to the hero, then...”
“Your Majesty, if my friends were to learn of my lineage, whenever we do return to our own world, it would only invite the possibility of harm befalling them.”
Without holding back, Suimei admitted the real reason why he could not tell his friends the truth. It was a matter of danger and concern for their safety.
“Would not all be well if they simply kept your secret?”
“Your Majesty, I don’t know how things are here, but the world I come from is a den of thieves.”
“A... den of thieves?”
“Yes. Where I’m from, even if you keep your mouth shut, just having knowledge is dangerous. There are techniques to extract or steal one’s memories, and spells that make one speak of their memories unconsciously. When it comes to magicka, the number of such methods cannot even be counted. If I carelessly let my identity slip in a world like that, there’s no telling what the price would be. There are lunatics over there who would point their blades at those who don’t even know of magicians.”
“Is the path of magic in your world truly such a dreadful thing?”
“Yes.”
Seeing Suimei nod clearly, a thought came to mind. If he was truly thinking of his friends, then it seemed he ought to be honest with them. But apparently that wasn’t an option. The path of magic in Suimei’s world went much deeper into darkness than it did here. Their enemies were many, and they spent their days with the danger of being exposed always hanging over them. Suimei’s prudence then seemed perfectly reasonable.
“When the time comes that they say that they want to go back, I will probably have to tell them about it, but... After hiding it all this time, it makes it difficult to talk about.”
“I can imagine.”
As he said, when he revealed the return circle, he would probably have to explain himself then. And since they’d learned magic here in this world, they would have to be apprised of the dangers of returning home with it. There was certainly a long talk ahead of them, but it wouldn’t be easy for Suimei and he was in no hurry to get to that. All of this carried another implication as well, and the king spoke of it with disappointment in his voice.
“This means you are indeed resolute to not go with them.”
“I said something similar before, but I do not want to act recklessly.”
“After defeating Felmenia, I do not think it would be all that reckless. Besides, Suimei-dono, would your presence not be a great boon to your friends?”
“That may be, but in the end, it is unnecessary.”
“Why do you say such a thing?”
“We had a bit of an argument about it in the heat of the moment, but Reiji isn’t a shallow person. He’s the type to get caught up in crazy things, but he always thinks things through before making any judgments, he never forgets to be careful, and in addition to that, he has that terrifying power of a hero in his body now. Me worrying about him is as fruitless as being concerned he’s going to trip over a pebble on the side of the road. I cannot say that he will definitely succeed in the Demon Lord’s subjugation, but I do know that he will not just helplessly die.”
“I see.”
Suimei wasn’t worried. He spoke with a smile on his face. Moreover, he trusted Reiji and Mizuki quite a bit. Despite the fact that he clarified that he thought Reiji should have to go through something horrible once in a while, he was still thinking of him. He didn’t wish anything ill on either of his friends. And so the king questioned Suimei as if to confirm something.
“I will be repeating myself, but about Felmenia...”
“Just as I said before, nothing will happen as long as she doesn’t talk, but—well, whatever.”
With a knowing look, Suimei pulled out a pure white sheet paper. It looked completely normal other than the fact that it was a beautiful white like freshly fallen snow, but looking at it carefully, the front of it had words scribed on it and something that looked like a bloodstain. Suimei held the sheet with both his hands as if to tear it up.
“S-Suimei-dono?! W-Wait—”
Felmenia’s face paled in an instant and she screamed for Suimei to show restraint, but her voice did not reach him. Without a moment’s hesitation, the sound of ripping paper filled the audience chamber. Just how did Felmenia’s ears interpret that sound?
As she was swallowed by emotion and fell to her knees, Suimei tore the paper many times over and scattered the shreds to the audience chamber floor. And with a snap of his fingers, they were all swallowed in a crimson light and vanished.
“Ah...”
“Court Mage. With this, the constraints that bound you are no more. Do show your gratitude to His Majesty until the day you die for putting his life on the line for you, understood?”
Setting aside Felmenia, who had fallen completely dumbfounded, the king moved on to question Suimei, who was scoffing at her.
“Is that alright?”
“Your Majesty, you said you wanted to clear the air completely between us, right? If anything would generate ill will, it would have been that. So I took care of it. After al
l, it was a guarantee no longer required between us.”
Suimei smiled a bit, and then continued.
“However, I would still like you to promise not to speak of this to Reiji and Mizuki, and to not take any action that would lead to them to figuring it out. I hope I don’t need to ask for your cooperation in that, but...”
“Understood. I will do as you ask.”
The king accepted Suimei’s terms. If he was willing to yield so much, then there was no reason for the king to refuse. The king then moved on to asking about one more thing he wanted to hear.
“What will you do after this? Until you have a rough idea of how to return, I do not mind if you wish to stay in castle...”
They were guests that were called to this world against their will, including Suimei. The king accepted his responsibility in that. It only stood to reason that he should take care of him within the castle until he was able to complete a return circle and get home. That, however, was only if Suimei wanted to stay, which was why the king had to ask. And Suimei responded by shaking his head.
“No. After Reiji and Mizuki leave the castle, I was thinking of leaving as well.”
“What do you plan on doing after leaving the castle?”
“I was thinking of going to the Nelferian Empire. It’s a key point where three countries meet. I will be able to attain all sorts of information and goods that I’ll need there, and I believe it’s a suitable location for me to set up.”
The king groaned upon hearing Suimei’s plan. It was true that the Nelferian Empire was an important cross-section that bordered three countries including Astel. Trade was certainly more active there than it was here. As it was an allied nation of Astel, entry would be relatively easy, and it was possible to attain goods there that would be hard to find elsewhere in Astel. It perhaps was the optimal location for gathering information from every which direction.
Honestly speaking, the king didn’t want a master of Suimei’s level to leave the country, but be that as it may, it was impossible to stop him from going. Even if he had the power to do so, he wouldn’t have wanted to restrict him in such a way.
The Magic in this Other World is Too Far Behind! Volume 1 Page 18