NOVEL NEXT C25
C25: The Land of Magicians
Magicalize Kingdom, a country of magicians ruled by a demon king.
The highlight of the country is, after all, the Magicalize Royal Academy of Magic, a large school that anyone who aspires to be a magician would love to attend.
And the amazing thing is that the Magicalize Royal Academy of Magic uses the “Royal Castle” of the Magicalize Kingdom as it’s campus. In other words, the castle where the king resides has been turned into a school, making it a true powerhouse of magic and witchcraft.
In such a great country of magic, two unique adventurers arrived: Brunnhilde, an android who is the opposite of magic, and me, a former teacher at a Japanese school. My companion, Kutone, opens her hands in front of the huge gate that marks the entrance to the country.
“Welcome to Magicalize, the land of magicians.”
◇◇◇◇◇◇
When I passed through the gate, I found myself in a big city, there were people everywhere, it reminded me of the Ostrode Kingdom. The ground was laid out with tiles, and the wide streets were filled with horse-drawn carriages and adventurers.
Streetlights were set up on both sides of the road, suggesting a high level of culture. Besides, a little further away from the main street, a river runs through the city and boats pass by on it. I was impressed by the cityscape, which reminded me of an Italian water town.
“Wow———I’ve never seen such a beautiful city.”
“That’s true. I’ve never seen such a beautiful town. There’s a lot to see here!”
“Wow——“
I scurried along like an ascetic while Brunnhilde was walking ahead with her eyes in front.
“Brunnhilde, nice town.”
“Yes, sensei.”
“Of course! And so, Sage-san, Brunnhilde-san, what are you going to do now? Speaking of which, what are you doing here, Sage-san?”
“I’m going to get a place to stay and rest for now. My business is—– making money, I guess. I’m going to take some requests from the guild. I’m also going to investigate the ruins.”
“Are you an archaeologist, Sage?”
“Well, that’s about it. Anyway, do you have any recommendations for a good place to stay?”
“Hmmm. If you want, you can come to my house. I live alone and I have an extra room and a bathroom.”
“Living alone? What happened to your parents?”
“My parents are farmers, and they have a house in a nearby village. My grandfather was a magician, so I lived in his house here to become his apprentice. When my grandfather passed away, I inherited everything.”
”I see——“
I have money but I don’t want to waste them. But I thought I’d gather some information with Holacty once I got lodgings. If Kutone sees me, I’m going to be in trouble——Mmmm.
“Come on, I’ll pay you back for all you’ve done for me! My house is this way!”
“Oh, shoot.”
“———” Kutone comes up behind me and Brunnhilde and pushes us hard on the back. Oh dear, it looks like we’ve found a place to stay.
◇◇◇◇◇◇
We left the main street and took a back road to arrive at a nondescript house. A two-story brick house, it was an ordinary house that could be found anywhere.
“This is my house. Come in.”
“Hi——I’m sorry to bother you.”
“Excuse me.”
The inside of the house is also normal. Chairs, a table, a fireplace, a kitchen, a door leading to a room and a staircase going upstairs. It’s just an ordinary house, but to my surprise, I was greeted.
“I’m home, Silica.”
“Nanago.”
There was one butch cat in the house. It’s kind of a——fat, stocky cat. It’s cute, but the expression on his face is distorted, as if he’s not happy.
“Let me introduce you to this girl, she’s my familiar, her name is Silica. Isn’t she cute?”
“Oh——you’ve been away all day. Where’s her food?”
“It’s okay. She’s smart, so she’s been eating out.”
“———”
“Nango.”
What a surprise, Kutone handed Silica to Brunnhilde. Brünnhilde took Silica in her arms and stared at her with a blank expression.
“———”
“Na-go, na-go.”
“———”
“Brünnhilde, are you all right?”
“Yes, Sensei.”
Silica was not particularly violent and was being held by Brunnhilde. Well, that doesn’t seem to be a problem. I’ll leave her alone.
“The room upstairs is vacant, so you can use it freely. And I haven’t had a bath in a while, so I’ll take a bath. Let’s wash off the sweat of our journey, Brünnhilde!”
“It’s not a problem. My body can’t get rid of the waste.”
“I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fun. We’re going to go out with a bang today!”
“Yes, Sensei.”
“Let’s get started!”
Kutone went to clean the bathroom, while Brunnhilde and I went upstairs. It was a little dusty upstairs, so I did a quick cleaning before going shopping with Brunnhilde.
“We’ll pay for dinner.”
“Yes, sensei.”
“After eating, I’ll fly Holacty to gather information on the area around the town. For now, I’ll check the location of the ruins. I’ll also ask Kutone about some things.”
“Yes, sensei.”
“Nachtigal, yes…I should ask Kutone to meet with her . If she’s who Kutone says she is, I won’t be captured out of the blue.”
“Yes, Sensei. If I see any signs of capture, I will go into battle.”
“No, that’s not a good idea. Combat is a last resort, so let’s prioritize the investigation of the ruins first, raise the level of my cheat, and collect any ancient items we can use.”
“Yes, sensei.”
“I’m not sure where to start…….Besides, if I’m going to continue my journey, I’ll need some money, so I might as well go to the adventurer’s guild and see what they want.”
Our future plans have been decided. We need to meet with Nachtigal, investigate the ruins, and earn money.
The first thing we need to do is to investigate the ruins, but we also need to check if we need permission from the guild, like the Pholus Temple near Ledar town.
“We have a lot of things to do, but first we need to buy dinner.”
“Yes, sensei.”
◇◇◇◇◇◇
There were many stores on the main street, and we finished our shopping at the butcher shop, fish shop, and grocery store. There was also a weapons shop, an armor shop, an accessory store, and a magic item shop, which intrigued me, but I managed to hold back and headed home. It was indeed a town of magic. Many stores related to magic lined the streets.
Brünnhilde and I split up the luggage.
“Sensei, with my power, I can carry this much luggage.”
“It’s not good to have a girl carry all this stuff while I’m empty-handed, is it?”
“Sensei, I’m not a girl, I am a female-form android.”
“You are indeed an android, but you look like a girl. How would people feel if I, a man, was empty-handed while you, a girl, carried a heavy load?”
“No problem.”
“Yes, there is.”
“………what is it?”
“Look, it’s normal for a man to be nice to a girl. And Brunnhilde, you are a ‘girl’ in my eyes. That means that I, as a man, will be kind to you. There is no deep reason for it. I was born a man, so it’s only natural for me to be kind to girls.”
“I don’t understand. I’m only a female android, and I’m physically superior to you in every way. If efficiency is important to you, I should be the one carrying the bags.”
“It’s not about efficiency or physical ability, it’s about my determination as a man.”
“……………”
“Brünnhilde, I hope someday you’ll understand, once you learn about human emotions.”
“……………”
Brünnhilde just looked straight at me.
◇◇◇◇◇◇
As was the case with Kutone, encounters come suddenly.
“Hmm? What’s that……?”
“…………”
As I was walking down the main street, they came walking down the middle of the street. It was a group of about ten people clad in jet black armor. Crunching and clanking their armor, they looked like the dark knights from a video game. They seemed to have come from outside.
It was as if walking in the middle of a wide expanse of cobblestones made its presence seem even greater. In fact, all the people on the street were splitting off to the left and right, giving way to the group.
“………Ah, could it be the ‘Dark Night Knights’ that Kutone was talking about?”
A group of black knights. It’s definitely such a distinctive feature. I learned from my surroundings and tried to make way………for them.
“Brunnhilde, come here, you’re in the way.”
“Sensei, why are you clearing the way?”
“Because we’re in the way! Just come.”
“What do you mean, “In the way”? I don’t understand.”
“Just come here.”
“…………”
“…………”
“Uh, I’m sorry, I’ll be right behind you! Come on, Brünnhilde!”
The jet-black armored knight who was walking in the middle stared at Brunnhilde. The sword on his waist also has an elaborate handle and flange……and I don’t have time to observe it!
“I’m sorry. Get out of the way.”
“I wonder why. There’s no reason for me and Sensei to give way.”
“Whaaaat? You idiot! What the hell are you talking about?”
The black knight says to Brunnhilde in a muffled voice, but for some reason Brunnhilde refuses to give way. That’s right, this guy listens to me, but doesn’t follow the orders of others. It is a bad habit to prioritize questions over actions if you have questions about what I say…….Or is it a program?
“Haha, you’re right. The road doesn’t belong to anyone, there’s no reason for you to make way.”
“I’m sorry, sir!”
“Sensei, why are you apologizing?”
“You shut your mouth!”
“Don’t worry about it. I know I’m supposed to be a symbol of fear because of my jet-black armor, but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen someone question me as straightforwardly as you do. And……you’re scary strong yet you make me feel nothing.”
“……”
“Silver-haired warrior princess, I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
“Is that the sixth sense that humans have? I’ll never understand it.”
“I’m sorry, too! Excuse me!”
I held Brunnhilde’s mouth, pulled her arm, and left. Oh my god, I’ve seriously shortened my lifespan…….Why are you trying to pick a fight with those scary-looking knights?
Incidentally, the Black Knight’s hunch would come true.