Since When Did You Have The Illusion That You Don’t Have Magical Powers?! - CH 19

Characters in this chapter:

Sapphiras Perfectio, 2nd son of the Earl of Aldridge

Percival Belisario, 3rd son of Margrave of Vanderwall on the Eastern Frontier

Gilliam Anderson, son of Marquess of Spencer

After the meal, they checked my physical condition and asked me to give a detailed account of what had happened again. I was asleep most of the time, so I don’t know anything beyond what I just said.

“I’m going back to that dungeon. If they don’t want to kill me, the culprit might come back.”

“I can’t let you do that.”

Percival strongly disagreed with my proposal.

“Don’t worry. If the culprit comes back, I’ll just bring him back here with me.”

“But…”

If it’s me, I can get to the other side in an instant. Rather than searching for the culprit here, it would be quicker to catch the person involved and ask them directly about the details. If the problem can be solved with the least amount of effort, then there’s nothing better.

“Because, you see, I can still use magic even if I’m wearing a curse tool. The kidnappers don’t know that I don’t need incantations. They’ll be caught off guard, it’ll be fine.”

“But no matter how much magic you can use, it’s still dangerous.”

“No, I don’t think that’s a bad strategy.”

One of the knights interrupted the debate between Percival and I.

“Can you transfer us to the location, Sapphiras kun?”

“There are some limitations, but it is possible.”

The knight nodded deeply and proposed a plan.

A few knights will go with me to the building in question. I will wait for the kidnappers in the dungeon, and the knights will hide in the vicinity in wait. That’s it. It’s really simple, but it’s also a strategy that is made possible with my transfer magic. If we head out as a group, we can search the area and identify the location. The principal agreed, but this time Percival refused to budge, saying that he would go as well. The principal was opposed to bringing a student along, but Percival insisted that even I, Sapphiras, who was also a student, will be acting as a decoy, and in the end he was allowed to go with us because he is a son of the Belisario family.

The keystone of the country’s defence. The Belisario family, so strong.

I then returned to the building with the five knights and Percival. I couldn’t get five burly knights within range of the transfer, so I had to divide them into two groups.

Sure enough, the knights who had been transferred were all surprised. After all, it seems that magicians who can transfer so accurately are rare. On top of that, I still have the curse tool on my neck. The knights looked at me as if they were looking at something strange, but there are plenty of things in the world that are beyond common sense. When I was looking a bit proud of myself, I was invited to join the Royal Order of Magicians in the future. No, you’re a knight, why are you inviting me to join the Order of Magicians? I inwardly puckered my lips in dissatisfaction, wondering if I can’t be a knight, but in any case, I want to be an adventurer, so I politely declined the invitation.

It is already getting dark. The sun will set soon. The knights immediately head out to investigate the area before the sun sets completely, while Percival and I go down to the dungeons.

Inside the dungeons, it’s as dark as ever, and if you don’t use magic to light the way, you won’t even know if someone pinches your nose. If you have a sane mind, being locked up alone in a place like this would be devastating even for a few hours.

When the surroundings become visible, Percival furrows his brows deeply. He’s a bishounen1, but I’m worried that he’ll end up with a mark. Isn’t Percival wrinkling his eyebrows a little too much these days?

“Were you pushed into this awful place?”

“Well, yeah. But surprisingly, I was able to sleep. Above all, it was quiet. I even slept until noon by accident.”

“Sapphiras, you’ve got guts.”

“Ahahaha. I have magic. I can handle most things myself.”

“……But don’t push yourself too hard.”

If you say that with a serious face, I have no choice but to nod. Percival is worried about me. I can’t let that feeling go unnoticed.

For some reason, I felt a little shy, but I first started preparing to meet the enemy. Percival was to wait in the cell next to me, ready to move in case of an emergency. When I put the shackles on again, I heard the sound of the door opening. I turned off the magic light and waited for the culprit to appear. The knights outside should be waiting for an opportunity to step in.

A flickering light approaches. It is Gilliam who appears with a western style lamp.

……What, it’s you as expected? He’s a guy who does not disappoint me at all.

“How’s it going, have you become a bit more obedient?”

Gilliam had a really unpleasant smile on his face. I guess he intended to put me in a hopeless situation and break my heart2. Certainly, if you are trapped in a pitch-black prison where you can’t even tell how time has passed, you may have lost your sanity instead of breaking your heart. Just being able to think of it is the pinnacle of vulgarity.

He may not have realised it, but his face is getting uglier and uglier.

“If you obediently become my slave, I’ll let you out of here. Well, if you resist, I’ve promised to sell you to a slave trader.”

“You think you can get away with this scot-free?”

“As long as they don’t find out I did it, there won’t be a problem, will there? Your father’s in on it, too. It will go well.”

“Haaa?”

I couldn’t help but sound appalled. The Earl is in on it too! I thought it was one of them, but it turns out that he’s an accomplice. Or rather, that Earl really doesn’t like Sapphiras. Is he a hindrance whether or not he has magical powers?

Certainly, if his son, who until now has existed as a disgrace without magical power, gains the backing of the ducal family as soon as he is disowned and stands on the stage as a promising young magician, the Earl must feel like he has his face smeared with dirt, but. That’s one hell of a backhanded thing to do. The seed was sown by himself in the first place.

Gilliam unlocked the door and entered, and hung a light on the lamp-hanger on the wall. His eyes are glazed with lust. A chill crawled up the soles of my feet and ran down my spine and over my head. My root of life is rejecting this guy with all its might. Before he remembered his previous life, Sapphiras must have been terrified to be attacked by such a man. That’s why he would jump out from the second floor, even though he knew that if he was not careful, he would be seriously injured.

“You can’t escape anyway. Just be obedient and I’ll make you feel good.”

Gilliam leaned over me energetically. He was already aroused in the lower half of his body, and it hit my thigh. In an instant, I removed the shackles of my hands and slammed my fist into Gilliam’s lower jaw. A dull thud was heard.

“Te!”

I was the one who raised my voice. My delicate fist could not withstand the hardness of Gilliam’s lower jaw. But the damage should be enough. I also removed the shackles from my legs while he was still on his back and away from me. The next target is the crotch. I’m going to crush him with all the strength of Sapphiras. Those who claim their existence in vain should not be left in this world in the Insania Metus class.

“You! Unforgivable! I will thoroughly remind you of your place!”

That’s when Gilliam, in a fit of rage, shouted.

“The one who will know his place is you. Gilliam.”

Percival’s sword was pressed tightly against Gilliam’s neck.

“Be-Belisario? W-why……more importantly, do you think you could get away with this, even though you’re the son of a margrave?”

Before Gilliam could finish his sentence, knights came rushing into the dungeon. He probably didn’t expect the knights to come. Gilliam, who was terribly upset by the unexpected situation, was subdued without even having time to resist.

The Marquess’ power is no longer enough to cover up a problem when the commotion has reached this level. The Marquess of Spencer will bear a certain amount of responsibility for this time. No matter how much they say their son ran off on his own, he committed a crime in the academy, where the sons and daughters of aristocratic families gather. Moreover, there is a possibility that he is connected to the slave traders. That would make the problem even bigger.

Even though he is a useless son, the Marquess of Spencer had shown him affection as a parent. He really is a foolish man.

……Well, maybe the way he poured out affection was wrong.

“Even though Percival was kind enough to tell you. I, as an outstanding magician, am under the patronage of the Duke’s family.’

I flicked the curse tool on my neck right in front of Gilliam’s eyes. The shattered curse tool scattered to pieces on the floor.

“Na!”

“This junk means nothing to me.”

Gilliam’s eyes widen as the knights seize him. I wasn’t bluffing when I said I am an outstanding magician.

I’ll leave the rest to the knights.

He will probably be interrogated from now on, but no matter how much Gilliam says that the Earl was an accomplice, that man won’t admit his guilt without solid evidence.

“Ah, yes.”

I called out to Gilliam as the knights took him away. There is one last important thing I have to say. Gilliam, white-faced, slowly turned his gaze to me.”

“You’re extremely revolting. Enough to shake my primal disgust.”

Gilliam’s pale face instantly contorted into anger, and he tried to say something back, but was dragged away mercilessly before he could utter a word. As I see him off, Percival gently raises my right hand.

“Is your hand alright?”

“Ah, it’s probably fine. He’s got a really hard jaw.”

Percival patted my hand nervously, took out a handkerchief and wrapped it around it. The pain was more than I expected, and my body stiffened.

“Ouch!”

It seems that my fist is hurt more than I expected. That man was not satisfied with mental attacks alone, and used his jaw as a weapon. I can’t underestimate him.

“You should have a thorough examination when we return.”

”I will……”

I then transfer to the academy with the knights and the captured Gilliam.

All the way back to the academy, Gilliam was yelling that he wasn’t at fault, and that the cheeky Sapphiras was at fault, but his face hardened at a loss for words when he was faced with the expressionless principal who was waiting for him, along with the fierce-looking knights and guards. It seems that he has finally realised the gravity of what he has done.

From now on, this hubristic man will have to pay for his behaviour up till now.

Though was a shallow and foolish man, but still, if the Earl had not instigated him, he might have ended up as a mere petty villain.

It is probably time for Perfectio to give back the title of Earl of Magic. The magician who saved the country is now only in history books.