Published: July 3, 2025
It's a short intermission.
The next chapter, "0107," will be posted today, the 21st, as usual.
The "red sword," led by Abel, proceeded northwest after parting ways with the Gecko caravan in the Eastern Border Town Redpost.
In that direction lies the Royal Capital Crystal Palace of the Naitorei Kingdom.
"Hey, isn't this totally strange? Why did that letter arrive at Redpost and not the City of Run? Because of that letter, we're now forced to go directly to the royal capital from Redpost."
Among the four, the mage Lin, who is the most self-aware about her lack of physical strength, starts grumbling for the umpteenth time since leaving Redpost.
"I don't know. You should ask Lord Ilalion about it once we reach the royal capital," Rhea, the priest with even less stamina than Lin, responds casually.
"Ha! There’s a possibility that internal information has leaked! Surely there is a traitor among us..."
"Lin, you're starting to sound like Ryo lately."
"Why would you say that?!"
Abel interjects into Lin's banter.
The four of the red sword changed their destination from Run to the royal capital due to a letter they received through the adventurers' guild just as they were about to depart from Redpost.
The sender of the letter was, as usual, Ilalion.
Ilalion learned through connections from the adventurers' guild that the red sword was currently in Redpost, but they were intentionally not informed of this.
"Ilalion’s letter is typical, but this one has a rather unusual content," Rhea says to Abel, who is walking beside her.
"Yeah. 'Meet my Elder Brother'...," Abel's expression is anything but bright.
It's not a matter of his relationship with his "brother," but rather due to the urgent nature of such a message, which he found suspicious.
He shakes his head a few times and decides to forget about it.
"I wonder if Ryo and the others have already arrived at the public capital by now."
Sensing this, Rhea changes the subject.
"Well, who knows?"
"I just hope they arrive safely."
"At the very least, Ryo should make it. More importantly, I'm more concerned about whether the assassination cult that tried to interfere will be annihilated..."
"Speaking of which, you froze those assassins that were coming at us in the inn's conference room, didn't you?"
Rhea recalls the bandits that attacked during Shaafi's surgery.
"They were frozen before I even knew it," Abel responds.
"Yeah, that! I heard before at the magic academy that you can't freeze living people with water attribute magic. But since Ryo froze them, I wonder how he did that..."
Lin interrupts their conversation.
"Hm? You can't freeze them?"
"Of course not. If you could, you'd be the strongest in combat just by specializing in that magic."
Lin promptly answers Abel's question.
"Apparently, humans have a trait that prevents the intrusion of others' magic up to about ten centimeters beneath the surface of the skin. The 'magic barrier' is said to be an extension of that trait."
"Now that you mention it, we learned that at the temple too. The best way to use light attribute healing magic is to touch the target's body."
Rhea adds that she’s heard about this as well.
"What about someone like me who can't use magic?"
Abel, the swordsman who cannot use magic, wonders.
"Yeah, it seems to be the same for those who can't use magic," Lin replies, nodding vigorously.
"So despite that, Ryo can freeze them... while they're still alive," Abel remarks.
"Thinking about it is terrifying..."
Abel mutters, and Lin shakes her head while saying, "Previously, he tried to freeze the Empire's princess..."
"Yeah, Abel, if a war were to break out between the Kingdom and the Empire, Ryo would surely be the cause," Lin says ominously, nodding gravely at Abel's comment.
"Give me a break..."