Water Magician

Editor: Tseirp

"Ryo, are you sure you don't need to rest properly?"

"I'm fine. I've been resting on Andalusia's back."

To Abel's concerned question, Ryo nodded firmly in response.

He also gently tapped Andalusia's neck, who let out a slightly worried sound, to reassure her that everything was okay.

True, the potion had taken effect and his wounds were healed.

However…

"I lost too much blood. I did some emergency treatment using water-attribute magic, but the internal damage to my organs was complicated… The ice membrane might not have been enough to fully stop the bleeding."

"Well, when you came back, you had a cut on your neck too."

"You're insane…"

Listening to Ryo's explanation, Abel must have imagined the scene in his mind.

He shook his head slightly.

After a while, the suppression army stopped to rest by the riverbank.

Ryo got down to the ground and sat on a chair made of ice.

Andalusia stood by, looking worried, but he smiled and stroked her nose.

Repeating "It's okay, it's okay".

At that moment, Prince Ryun and his entourage arrived.

"Duke Rondo, I heard you were injured."

"Oh, Your Highness, sorry to trouble you with such news. It's nothing serious. The potion healed all the wounds."

Ryo stood up and answered with a smile.

"We are heading into battle now. And yet you're already injured…"

The one who spoke with clear reproach was Wen Shu, one of the attendants.

Clearly, he disliked Ryo.

"Enough, Wen Shu."

"No, Your Highness, I must speak. Duke Rondo is your advisor, and it's rumored he's marching to protect you. If he's injured now and not present when it matters most…"

"I said, enough!"

With sharp anger in his voice, Prince Ryun silenced him. Wen Shu finally held his tongue.

Ryo could only manage a wry smile.

He understood where Wen Shu was coming from… but some misfortunes are simply unavoidable.

At that moment…

Without any warning, a pitch-black space appeared right beside them.

Roughly four meters wide and four meters tall.

A 'gate', one might call it.

From it, naturally, emerged an Akuma…

"Ryo, I'm sorry!"

The Akuma who emerged apologized to Ryo immediately.

Of course, it was the Akuma Leonor.

"You always appear so suddenly. And why are you the one apologizing?"

"I heard those two fought you. And you were injured, right? I gave them a good beating."

It was easy for Ryo to imagine the two with lumps on their heads after being punched by Leonor.

He could only smile wryly.

For all her seemingly humble behavior, Leonor had tried to kill Ryo before.

Compared to that, causing injuries was practically mild.

Still, he didn't bring that up.

Otherwise, she might suddenly say, "Then let's fight now".

Akumas were… eccentric beings.

"As an apology, is there anything you want? Anything at all. I'll get it for you."

"I've told you before, I don't really want anything…"

"Right, last time I offered you the Kingdom and you declined. Then, how about this—how about the Eastern countries? In one hour, I can bring you the heads of every royal."

"I said I don't want it."

At the moment Leonor mentioned bringing back royal heads, Ryo noticed out of the corner of his eye that Prince Ryun moved.

So did Wen Shu.

But both had their sleeves grabbed hard by Captain Lu Yao, who was violently shaking her head.

Her eyes wide and teary.

"Ah… Leonor, this is His Highness the Prince of Darwei, the greatest nation of the Eastern Countries. So please, don't say such ominous things."

"Hm? Is that so? I must have startled him. Don't worry, Ryo said he doesn't want it, so I'll do nothing. But still, I feel like I owe you."

"Well… I don't think you owe me anything, really. But fine. Still, I truly don't want anything."

It's not that Ryo had no desires.

There were things he wanted to achieve through his efforts… but nothing he wanted badly enough to sell his soul to an Akuma for… well it didn't seem like he would need to this time, even if he asked.

Previously, he might have asked for a golem from the Union.

But over the past three years, Ryo had studied the notes on golem engineering left by Frank de Verde at the Royal Alchemy Workshop.

So now, he did not need the real thing.

His goal was a different kind of golem anyway…

"I'll think of something eventually, so for now, please leave."

"Hmm… I suppose I have no choice. You don't look too well either. Ryo, until next time."

With that, Leonor vanished the same way she came.

For a while, no one spoke.

The prince and his entourage couldn't quite grasp what had just happened.

Ryo didn't think it was necessary to explain either.

The first to speak was, of course, the usual one to clash with Ryo.

"Duke Rondo, who was that disrespectful being just now…"

"You idiot! Shut your mouth!"

The one who snapped at Wen Shu was none other than Captain Lu Yao of the magic artillery corps.

Even Ryo, who had thought she was a strong-willed woman, was surprised by her words.

Her tone was nothing like the refined speech of a noble attendant to a prince.

She was truly, genuinely furious.

"…"

Wen Shu was clearly stunned. Unable to speak.

Not just him—no one else spoke either.

But with Prince Ryun looking at her, Captain Lu Yao seemed to realize she needed to explain.

"That being just now… is not something humans should be involved with. You should forget that encounter entirely."

She said it with complete conviction.

Her complexion was still pale.

She was a magician, after all.

She must have instinctively recognized that the Akuma Leonor was no ordinary existence.

"Commander Lu Yao, your insight is truly commendable."

Ryo said, affirming her statement.

"Forget…?"

"She and her kind exist outside the natural order, you might say. The claim that she could conquer the Eastern countries in an hour is probably true. If anything, it would only take that long because of the time it takes to collect the royal heads—pure destruction alone would take maybe ten minutes."

"A being like that actually exists…?"

"Yes. Such beings do exist in this world."

Prince Ryun fell silent. Ryo nodded once.

In the world of 'Phi', humans are not the dominant power.

Prince Ryun and his entourage left for the command center.

"The prince seemed shocked."

"It can't be helped. That sort of thing happened."

Abel shrugged in response to Ryo's observation.

"Were you shocked too, Abel, when you first found out?"

"Ah… well, I saw Ryo and Leonor fight right away, didn't I? Rather than shock, I was… amazed. It's a weird way to put it, but I was inspired."

Abel was aware.

Seeing that battle had pushed him to a new level as a swordsman.

Sometimes, people grow stronger just by witnessing greatness.

"How unusually humble of you, Abel."

"What do you mean, 'unusually'? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you are Abel. I always thought Abel was synonymous with arrogance, insolence, cruelty, and savagery."

"It absolutely does not!"

When Abel snapped back, Ryo smiled sweetly.

A dazzlingly radiant smile.

"What now?"

Abel gave him a skeptical look.

"This. You making a comeback when I joke around— it's the best."

"You really say the weirdest things…"

TLN: Please read my translations at tseirptranslations.com, I did not give permission to any site to host my translations.

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