After test-firing and verifying [Program] activation, I checked Brünhild’s blade-mode for durability.
Built from assembled parts — but [Modeling] essentially welded the non-moving sections, and dragon-horn toughness was baked in. In fact, I felled a thick tree without effort. Edge incomparable to my old sword.
We headed back into the city; I bought three knife sheaths and one larger sheath, and reshaped them with [Modeling] into holsters. Walking around exposed would draw eyes.
I bought three dedicated waist pouches for ammunition too. The girls had only [Paralyze]-rubber rounds for now — in the city, no monster threat — but my pouch had live rounds plus rubber. …If I were right next to Yumina or Linze when one of them reloaded, my live rounds might end up in their cylinders.
I caught it and re-programmed everyone’s guns. “Reload from within range, the kind of round the speaker desires.” The base spell is [Apport] — that much is doable.
What to enchant onto bullets, then. [Explosion] — Linze used it at the old royal-capital ruins; powerful enough to blow up rubble at a stroke. Hard to find a context. [Ignis Fire] — target lit aflame on impact… also feels excessive.
For human opponents, [Paralyze] should suffice. Even if a charm blocks the magic, the rubber-round impact is significant. Slow think on the rest.
“Since we came to the city — let’s eat something?”
“Yes — I’d like to try this country’s local cuisine.”
”…Apparently Karae is famous.”
Karae, huh. Worth trying for the story. A nearby stall sold it, so we went over. The signboard listed Beef Karae, Chicken Karae, Cutlet Karae — various. Hm — this smell is…
Yumina ordered Beef Karae, Linze Chicken Karae, I ordered Cutlet Karae (Kōhaku, oddly, refused). At a table beside the stall, our food arrived shortly.
This color, this smell… Yeah — curry, this is. No rice, so not curry rice, but.
“You know, this might be…”
Before I could say might be hot, the two had spooned in.
""!?""
Bang! — they slapped hands over mouths and stood up, eyes watering. Aah — hot, then. Mild would’ve been nicer. This level seems pretty hot.
The two grabbed at the table-pitcher, sloshed water into cups, gulped. Watching, I tried mine — quite hot. Even me, used to spice — this hot. For their first time, must’ve been a major shock.
“Whut a flavor…”
“My tonggue is shtill prickly…”
Tongue not working from heat. We left the karae stall behind and bought fruit juice from another stall to wash it down.
“You get used to it, then it’s not that bad.”
“Touya-shan, you’d had karae before?”
“Aah — something similar.”
I gave Yumina, still slurry, a vague answer. Linze had ice from her drink in her mouth, rolling it around. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen much spicy food in this world. Belfast leaned sweet. …Hm?
I’d been thinking that and felt a gaze. I scanned around. Hmm? This feel — before too…
«Master. Someone is observing us. Likely the same as before.»
Kōhaku spoke through mind-message. Figured.
«The ones from Langley… right — let me go say hello. Where are they?»
«To your right, top of the tallest building.»
Pretending not to notice, I glanced toward the building’s roof. On the third-floor rooftop, yes. Pretty far.
“All right — let me prep. Reload.”
I loaded [Paralyze]-rubber into the sword-gun Brünhild on my hip.
“Touya-san?”
The two looked at me, puzzled by the sudden reload, but explanations later.
«Kōhaku, guard the two.»
«Take care.»
Right — let’s go.
“Boost.”
I leapt up. Onto the next rooftop, then the next, jumping roof to roof, charging straight to the building where the watchers were.
“Yo.”
""!""
The two watchers were startled — I think — by my casual greeting.
I think because their faces were hidden. Both wore similar black robes; what I could see beneath was also black. And — white masks under hoods. Strange patterns on the foreheads. Both similar at first glance, but one had a hexagon, the other an ellipse.
“Uhh — can you understand me? I’d like you to tell me who you—”
The hexagon suddenly produced a small test-tube-like vial, smashed it at his feet. A blinding flash filled everything.
“Tch…!”
When my vision cleared — gone. Got away. Not so fast. I pulled out the smartphone, searched masked suspicious individuals. Found them. North back-alley, fleeing. Still catchable.
“Accel Boost!”
Magic-driven hyper-acceleration; I tore across the rooftops. The view raced past, and in moments I caught the two fleeing through the back alley from above.
I curved around and dropped in front of them.
""!?""
Masks again obscured it, but they seemed startled. The hexagon immediately reached into his robe for another vial. Not happening.
Without hesitation, I drew Brünhild and pulled the trigger on the vial-reaching masked figure.
A gunshot — the hexagon collapsed. No anti-paralysis charm, looks like. The other one — ellipse — flicked between me and the fallen hexagon, hesitating. Opening. The shot rang out again.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
“Right, then. What to do.”
I bound the paralyzed pair with wires shaped by [Modeling] and propped them against the alley wall. I could remove the masks to see who they are, but [Paralyze] only paralyzes the body — consciousness remains. If their code is “to look upon our face is to die” or “we kill any who see us” — disaster.
“I’ll undo the paralysis now. Behave?”
I peered into their eyes and focused mana.
“Recovery.”
Soft light wrapped them. Paralysis cleared. Hopefully they’ll talk.
“So — who are you? Why were you watching us?”
”…”
Mn — pleading the fifth, I see.
The hexagon shifted — wires biting in, perhaps. Or — trying to do something to escape. That flash-vial earlier? If they had something to corrode the wires, that’s trouble. Better confiscate items.
I reached into the hexagon’s robe.
“Hyau!?”
A cute sound from the hexagon, and a soft sensation in my hand. The instant I understood what — sweat poured.
“Y-you’re a woman?”
The hexagon nodded, small. I yanked my hand back, but the soft feeling lingered. Bad. My face is going red, I think. Also — that voice… heard somewhere…
In that moment, the hexagon-marked white mask — caught when I pulled my hand back — fell to the ground with a clatter. The face beneath was one I knew.
“Eh!? Lapis… san?”
Face flushed, our maid — supposedly back in the Belfast capital — nodded again, small.