Tino, who had been shielded by the dense murderous intent, moved forward with a gliding motion.
He moved his body from side to side and took complicated steps to jump in front of the old man.

The realm of the Magi is attack magic from a distance. If you are an advanced magician like Lucia who can use magic without chanting, there is no way you can win against a bandit at this distance.

I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not. The old man didn't react, perhaps because he didn't expect the girl who was protecting him to come behind him.
The sharpened blade of the dagger shone in the darkness. His transparent eyes devoid of emotion--he was going to kill her completely. Come on, that's not good.

'Tee-hee! They're civilians, take it easy on them!

'...... What?

'It is the duty of the powerful to take care of the weak. Don't forget the spirit of respect for the elderly!

'!

The dagger Tino was about to swing down clashed with the tip of the old man's staff and deflected it. The old man must have heard my instructions and slowed down his momentum, but even so, he's quite healthy to have deflected Tino's blow.
The old man, whose life had been spared, stepped back with a ghoulish look in his eyes.

Tino shouts in a confused voice, unsure of what to do.

'Mastaa! They're not ordinary people!

I know, I know. After all, Tino is Liz's apprentice.
For my childhood friends, even if they are civilians, the moment they stand against us, they become enemies to be killed. Even if the law protects them, I won't condone it, but I haven't lost my morals to that extent.

'I know! But don't kill him! Tino can do it.'

'You can't! They're mages, you know!

'Yeah . But they're just people who study sandrabbits!

'A thousand and one changes. ...... How far are you going to taunt us?

I'm just trying to keep things civil.

I'm just trying to keep things quiet. I don't want to get into trouble if I'm accused by the authorities later.
Between a hunter and a civilian, self-defense is not allowed unless there is a good reason. One of the mottos of Footprints is to stay away from civilians.

I'm sure it's just a little misunderstanding! If we talk, we can understand each other!

I look at the members of the Rabbinical Institute (short for Sand Rabbit Researchers). You have the eyes of an animal watching its prey.
Maybe we'll never understand each other.

'They're not my enemy! Please be gentle...'

Just as I was about to say this, the area around me suddenly brightened.

The man standing just behind the leader was raising his staff. A blue ball of flame was floating at the tip of it.
It was not me he was looking at. It was Tino, confused and caught between my instructions and the master's teachings.

Seriously? .......

The mage's offensive magic is powerful. I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I think it's a good idea.

In addition, I couldn't hear the chanting. Discarding chants is an advanced skill. Why would people who just study rabbits use such a technique...

Tino's eyes catch the fireball. At that moment, a ball of glowing blue flame was released.

Can you avoid it? Maybe. Or maybe not. There's no way I can make that decision.

I kicked at the ground. I didn't hesitate. I knew enough about the power of warding fingers from my hunter activities.
I jumped in and twisted my body into the line of fire of the spell. The warding finger is activated.
A tremendous blast, reminiscent of the end of the world, blows in front of your body. The grass in the vicinity instantly disappears into dust, and the impact dents the ground.

'Masutaa!

Tino screamed. I stop her from jumping on me with my hand.

'It's okay. No problem. Not a scratch.'

But it was bad. That ball of fire was clearly not something you'd use for self-defense.
It was powerful enough to kill a hunter who'd absorbed enough mana material. It's not something you can withstand without treasure.

I quieted the pale Tino and turned to the people at the Rabbinical Institute. The man who cast the spell steps back at my gaze and removes his staff.
That's a lot of offense. He must have been confident.

The dog's chain at his waist trembled at the appearance of an external enemy.
He lightly brushed the area where the ball of flame had hit with his hand and raised his voice.

'That was clearly an attack. It won't work on me, but I don't know what's bothering you, but you'd better leave it at that. If you try anything more, I'll have an idea.'

'......'.

The Safe Ring is a rare commodity. Even if you know it exists, not many people have ever seen the moment it goes off. It must be a bluff.

Observe carefully. I was astonished at the reaction of the rabbis without expressing it.

There was no surprise there. Just a strong sense of caution and a little fear. I had never seen this reaction before.
Fear is bad. You never know what a person consumed by fear can do. A spell of that power would turn me to dust in a heartbeat.

Keep negotiating.



'......, I'm still a hunter. I've got a lot of power. It'll take me less than a second to wipe you all out. Wouldn't take a second. But I'm a philanthropist. I'm a little annoyed by the attack on my junior, but I respect your work on Sandrabbit. I can't do such a boring ...... thing. No, I'm not mocking you. It's only natural to respect those who can do what you can't--'

I'm not trying to be a jerk. I'm impressed.

Tino praises me in a whispered voice as I desperately try to persuade him. I'm not goading you.
He clears his throat a little and starts to close it.

'...... So, what I'm saying is, ...... I'll let you off the hook if you leave here right now. You don't want to get caught either, do you?'

'Mastaa!

'...... What the hell?

The leader's eyes flinched. The two pupils glowing in the darkness resemble those of a sand rabbit, but far more horrifying.

That's fine. There's no reason to fight. I'm tired of being in the dark. I want you to leave.

'Let bygones be bygones. Let's just call it even for me laughing at you. It was an unfortunate accident for both of us that we met this time.

'It wasn't ......? What do you mean?

I don't know what you mean, but what didn't happen is what did happen.
If you've been attacked by a phantom, it's understandable, but being attacked suddenly by a human is unacceptable. I don't remember holding a grudge against you.

The old mage fell silent. I've made my best concessions. If this doesn't work, we'll just have to deal with them, ready to kill or maim.

Tino looks disapproving, but remains silent.
You're a good kid even though you got attacked. I'll take you out for ice cream next time.

'We're on our way home, and if you want, I can leave...'

Just as he was about to say that, the old mage came to a conclusion.

'Kill all of them! Make them regret taunting us. It's impossible for him to be unharmed by the magic we've mastered! There must be a trick to it!

'......!

My prayers went unheeded. It seems my prayers were not heard.

At the same time as the men behind me reply in unison, the old mage himself kicks the ground and retreats, still facing me. He's trying to escape alone.

If you're going to run away anyway, why don't you run away with all of them? ....... I don't know.
I don't think he's joking. I don't think I'm that naive.

I didn't mean to taunt you. ...... Apparently, they don't intend to let us go either.

The men raise their wands in unison. Their expressions are stiff and some of their hands are shaking.
But no one is running away. There was a determination to die.
I wonder what kind of group the Rabbinical Institute is. ...... They seem to be as disciplined as the regular knights of the Empire.

Tino's eyes widen and he looks up at me.
I think Tino can take out a few of them. But there's too many of them, and there's always a chance.


I sighed deeply and made up my mind.


I'm level 8, despite my appearance. I can handle them if they're ordinary people and not illusions.
I've already passed the level certification test. I was not bluffing when I said that I had an idea, although I lied when I said that I could turn you into charcoal.

The treasure trove is almost out of magic. But one of my best trump cards was still in play.

I'm glad I didn't use it at the White Wolf's Den.
I had planned to save it until the end when Lucia came back, but it would be impossible to persuade her with words alone if she came this far.

He took out a pendant-shaped treasure from around his neck, which he had kept in his clothes. It is a pentagram made of gold with a crystal attached to it. In the transparent crystal, jet black swirls like the night sky.

Realize Outer.

It is a treasure that originated from a tool created by an engineer who once had a deep yearning for magic.
In exchange for a huge cost of about a hundred times the magic power originally consumed for its use, it has the simple power of being able to stock a single magic and release it at will.

Most of my power comes from the wealth collected by Strange Grief.
But this is the best of them all.

It contains an advanced gravitational spell that flattens the entire area around you, except for you and anyone you touch.



She's my sister.


I'm not sure if it's because of the stock of magic that the natural rate of magic power drainage is so slow, but that treasure tool was my trump card in case Lucia had to be away from me for a long time for some reason.

I've been told to use it only when my life is really in danger. If a civilian attacked me and found out that I had used it, Lucia would definitely scold me. She might not speak to you for several days.

But if I don't use it here, even if I manage to get out of this situation, I won't be able to ...... forgive myself.

He grabbed Tino's arm and pulled him close.

It's a great way to make sure that you're getting the most out of your time with your family and friends.

Magic unfolds on the tips of the mages' wands. Fire. Ice. Lightning. Wind. Simple, yet deadly.
And all of them are chantless--unbelievably, it seems that everyone in the Rabbinical Institute is a high-ranking mage.
But I wasn't worried.

'Have you ever seen the best offensive magic in the world?


At my words, the mages' eyes widened in surprise, but their hands never stopped, and the attack was unleashed in silence.
The sound disappears. The sound disappears. I release the spell of the treasure, looking at the various colors of light that fall on me with a sense of serenity.





§§




The ground just trembled quietly once. It was all over.

The treasure brought no visible effect. The stockpile of magic was released without a burst of light or sound.

On the ground, the members of the Rabbinical Institute who had pointed their wands at us earlier were lying on their backs.
There were five of them. At first glance, there were no external injuries, but if you looked closely, you could see that they had been pushed to the ground by a tremendous force from above.

The whole area had been cleared. Everything, including plants and trees, was suddenly crushed into a heap as if from above.
The only ones standing upright are me and Tino, who was removed from the effect by touch.

The offensive magic that had been shot at us had vanished without a trace, like a candle being blown out.
Magic is the manipulation of phenomena through the use of magical energy. If two mages try to manipulate the phenomena in the same place at the same time, the weaker magic will be drowned out.

This meant that the "trump card" he had received from Lucia was far superior to the magic of the members of the Rabbinical Institute.
Well, it seems to be a very dangerous organization, but I guess there is too much of a difference in power between hunters and ordinary citizens.

Gravity magic (Pressure) is, as the name suggests, a magic that manipulates weight.

I don't know much about it, but it is a minor spell, and is said to be one of the most difficult and difficult to use among the many spells.
Although it is useful, it is inferior to other spells in terms of pure destructive power, and it consumes more layers of interference than other spells. There are only a handful of mages who have mastered it, according to Lucia.

The reason why I asked her to put a gravity spell instead of a kill spell in this treasure trove is because that spell is suited for the "subjugation" of humans.
The gravity spell, which interferes with the entire world rather than just a point or a line, dampens the magic that is released and stops a wide range of enemies from dying as much as possible.
It's not powerful enough to deal with illusions, but it's enough for me because I don't go to the treasure house alone.

I'm not going to go to the treasure house alone.

You can only release the magic that you have in your stock of "Realize Outer".
You can't adjust the power of the spell, which is possible when a mage uses magic, but it seems that the mage was able to adjust the power of the spell so that it wouldn't kill anyone as I requested.

I was a little worried because she has been a little rebellious lately, but as expected of Lucia. My brother is very happy.

The old man, the leader of the Rabbinical Institute, who was the only one who could only kneel, looked up at me dumbly, probably because he was farther away from me than the others and the gravity magic had less effect on him.
The wand had left his hand and was deeply embedded in the ground, but he seemed to be able to move.

'--This is a ...... magic ...... technique! Is it gravity magic (pressure)?

This is what happens when you make an unwarranted complaint just because you're playing poorly.
I quickly got carried away and said.

'It looks like you're not dead. ...... It's a good thing I chose a less powerful spell.

'That's ridiculous. ...... No way! I'm sure you're not the only one who's had it.

I'm not sure if my anger was suppressed by my astonishment. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

A wise man? Are you sure this old man is a big deal? I'm sure you've heard of it.

...... No, either way, it's the fault of the impatient rabbis who messed with me when I didn't do anything.

I regretted getting carried away a bit, but I couldn't back out of it now, so I dressed up.

'Mage? I'm just a hunter.

Hard-boiled, right?

I've been quiet since a while ago and Tino is looking up at me with tears in his eyes. Because of his firm grip on my shoulder, Tino is unaffected by gravity magic.

Probably he is sad that his clan's Masutaa is doing something immature. Don't look at me like that. ...... I'm sorry. It's okay to dress up a little.

There's no way ...... I'm the one. You'll be able to find a lot of people who are interested in this kind of thing.

'What? Are you sure you can stand? Did I go too easy on you ......?'

Hmm . Did I make Lucia go too easy on me?

The big man from the Rabbinical Institute groaned and slowly lifted his knees.
But it was obvious from his expression that he was straining. His eyes were wide open, and drool was dripping from the edges of his lips as he clenched his teeth.

The air was distorted. A terrible spirit.
The reason she didn't chant was the power of the weapon. The power should be equal to the one Lucia used with chanting.
It's not normal to be able to stand up to Lucia's Gravity Frame, even though it's been tempered.
Even if it was non-lethal, it would still take some damage.

I've used my last trump card. Gravity magic isn't something that lasts forever, and I have no other means of attack.

But what I felt was not impatience, but pity. I looked down at the old man with compassion.

'You shouldn't do that anymore.

'What ......?

I don't know why they were so angry with me.
But no matter how much they resist, I have no intention of harming them. Our people are always causing trouble for the general public.

'We have no intention to fight. I'm a hunter. My enemy is not people like you who hide in the dens of sandrabbits and love rabbits.

'..................'

For some reason, the old man bared his teeth and looked up at me with tremendous anger in his glaring eyes. But I guess he can stand up, but he can't walk.
He's at his limit. His body is at its limit. If he pushes himself too hard, it could be irreversible.
In the first place, we had Tino, and the game was unwinnable from the start.

Suddenly, a word passed through my mind.

Don't say it. Don't do it.
I told myself, but my words slipped out. And with a big smile on my face.

'............ attacked me or something, but I'll forgive you for today. I won't hurt you anymore, so go back to your ...... den.'

Oh, I said it. It's a bad habit to say things when you know it will definitely add fuel to the fire.
Maybe he was stressed out because he was suddenly challenged and even hit with a spell.

'...... Colosse. I'm not sure what to do. I'm not sure what to do. Akasha! I'll make you pay for insulting me! I'll make you pay for it!



As I expected, the old man was pissed off. The emotion in his eyes could already be called hatred.
He looked like a villain. It is a wonder of the world that an old man like him is working on the Sand Rabbit.

Perhaps the spell had just worn off, and the old man's stance returned to normal. But the effect of the load on his body is still there.

'...... be prepared ...... and keep ......! You'll regret letting this Noto go!

I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not, but I think it's a good idea.
If you can say that much, your life is probably not in danger. That's a relief.

Then I realized that I had forgotten one thing, and released the Dog's Chain.

The chain, which had been making a lot of noise just now, sprinted across the ground as if it had gotten its will, and became entangled in Old Man Noto's leg.
When Noto's foot was caught and he fell on the ground, I pointed to his companion who was twitching on the ground.

'Wait. You should take the fallen comrade with you. If you leave them here, the SandRabbit researcher will turn into a SandRabbit.

'I don't think so, sir.

Tino said in a small voice.