"What's the system status?"
"It ran continuously for five minutes and eight seconds last night. We observed a magic power vacuum phenomenon and ended up burning out three power units."
"I told you, I don't care about the machines! I only want results!"
The man with the handlebar mustache waved his hand dismissively. His identity was now clear—he was a mage from the stationed Empire Army, the person in charge of the secret project within Andorrella Fortress, Advanced Mage Buri.
A magic power vacuum, a region with no magic power whatsoever, is called a Death Magic Area. During the Age of the Gods, before the founding of the Old Empire, gods would personally battle on the continent, and such areas could appear on the battlefields of a Divine War.
Mortals had created a miracle! This made Mage Buri excited, made him tremble. While he was a powerful caster himself, he knew what it would mean once the technology developed from this experiment was widely implemented.
'Just you wait, you lapdogs of the God of Order, hmph.' Buri thought of something and turned to give an order to his student and subordinate, "You, gather all the data and bring it to my office. From now on, the Town Mage—that long-haired one—is in full charge of city affairs."
"Master, that guy... Wizard Unuk doesn't seem very reliable," the student said, apparently having some reservations and dissatisfaction with the Town Mage.
"These trivial matters are nothing compared to our current mission! Let that guy handle it! He's usually not serious, but he's competent enough when something comes up."
"Yes, Master."
...
Rorschach's group, including Hill who had stayed behind and the already dead-drunk coachmen, were all "invited" into a cell inside the fortress.
The attitude was polite, the cell was dark, and the guards were numerous.
"That's why I've stressed repeatedly that we have no connection to the Cultists. In fact, we were attacked by a similar worshiping sect on the road. There's no way we're with them!" Rorschach said firmly.
After all, it was just an inquiry. No one was tied up, nor did they play any prisoner's dilemma games by separating them for interrogation. They simply gathered everyone in a large cell, kindly offered them seats, and had each person report their background, what happened on their journey, and the situation that night. Everyone was forthcoming, only evading a few small details that might cause a misunderstanding.
For instance, the fact that the dear Magic Apprentice, Miss Tassia, had once been the Saintess of that damned "Return of the Holy Mother" sect.
Everyone selectively forgot about this, including the former Saintess herself.
The only one held in solitary confinement was Gaisde Yazi. The reasoning was that a caster could possess or transform into an animal. He was treated to a small, cloth-covered copper cell, thoughtfully furnished with some bran and water.
What impressed Rorschach, however, was that Hill's two weapons were fully licensed, legal, and compliant. They couldn't find a single fault with them.
A burly man flipped through a dossier and asked, "If you're not involved, why did you appear at the center of the ritual? Why was this apprentice lady dancing in the middle of the stage? Were you aware that the dance was part of last night's illegal ritual? Out with it!"
"I thought it was part of a festival! Please, sir, see the truth. I was just a tourist who went to see the stage and the giant goat. I never expected those dangerous believers to surround me when I wasn't looking..." Tassia remained defiant, insisting she had been coerced.
Rorschach was growing impatient and cut straight to the point. "Officer, are you and the samurai from last night part of a special defense force?" This was information he had gotten from Unuk the previous night.
"Yes... Rorschach Mage, I must remind you, I'm the one asking questions here, not the other way around!"
"I am a graduate of the Empire Royal Magic Academy, recommended by Mechanical Director Sibins for advanced study in the Valois Kingdom. You should know the Sibins I'm talking about, right?" 'Sorry, Mechanical Director, but in desperate times, I'll have to borrow your bald head... I mean, your good name!'
After hearing this, the burly man stood up from the interrogation table and said nervously, "Your Excellency Rorschach, please come with me, alone." As he spoke, he walked out of the large cell, gesturing to an attendant at the door to take over watching the others.
The burly man led Rorschach into his office. "Rorschach Mage, I'd like to know about Mr. Sebins and you..."
"Let's be frank. I am sponsored by the Mechanical Director to go deep into Valuva and gather intelligence on the Kingdom Capital and the Tower of Stars."
Rorschach took his graduation certificate from the Empire Royal Magic Academy out of his Storage Ring and handed it to the man. "The fact that someone with my background can go to the Holy Kingdom should speak for itself, don't you think? My companions and I have told you everything. Please don't delay my journey."
"My apologies, Your Excellency. I believe you about your relationship with the Mechanical Director. The two officers accompanying you have already explained your situation to my department. However, you are not an official member of his organization. The caravan traveling with you still needs to undergo a routine investigation and will be released from the pass only after the investigation into last night's ritual is complete."
'Two accompanying people?' Rorschach remained impassive. "How soon at the earliest?"
"One day, if there are no problems."
"Can I move about freely?"
"You can, but please don't leave the city." The burly man had made a significant concession.
"Oh, and I need to take my duck with me."
Leaving the heavily guarded prison inside the fortress, the sunlight outside momentarily blinded Rorschach.
Rorschach walked back onto the streets of Andorrella. The hustle and bustle of the previous day was gone. The roads were washed out by the rain, leaving mud and puddles everywhere. Shops and stalls had been hastily closed, leaving a mess behind. Very few pedestrians were out.
Rorschach sighed and made his way back to the Magic Guild.
Not long after he entered, the CLATTER of footsteps descended the stairs. It was the assistant to the Guild station master. He no longer looked as sharp and proper as when Rorschach first met him; his hair was a mess, and he had distinct dark circles under his eyes.
"Rorschach Mage! You came in person! This is literally the first piece of good news I've had since last night!"
'Am I that popular?' Rorschach was stunned by the assistant's condition. Yesterday, the assistant had seemed like a fund manager handling a multi-billion-dollar portfolio; today, he looked like that same portfolio had just imploded.
"We were just about to look for you! It's chaos, everything went haywire last night!" The assistant lapsed into a rambling rant. "The instruments and magic arrays all failed! Our mail reception, sending, and even our defensive magic... Rorschach Mage, I'm so sorry, but we need you to send your letter again!"
With that, he led Rorschach to the second floor. "Please understand, a terrible accident occurred during yesterday's transmission process. All the letters we sent out last night have been sent back here, and they're all damaged!"
"Fine, I'll write it again. But I'll need compensation—for my wasted time, and for the sake of the Magic Guild's reputation."
"Of course, of course, we understand. Please, state your demands," the poor man said, forcing a professional smile.
"I need a Learning Scroll for [Detect Magic]..."
"A scroll! A Learning Scroll, no less! That's impossible, sir!"
"Calm down. I'll pay for it, of course. I just need a discount."
"Oh, my apologies, that was rude of me... Learning Scrolls are very expensive. Fortunately, it's a common spell... The original price is fifteen Golden Eagle Yuan. Would twelve be acceptable?"
"A reasonable price."