Published: July 4, 2025
"His Majesty King Robert Pirlo. The abnormal situation refers to this slight magical power extraction, correct?"
Ryo, who had just arrived, asked eagerly.
"Indeed. As expected of Lord Ryo, you noticed it," Robert Pirlo replied.
"Well, not exactly... I only realized it when Grown, who came to call me, mentioned 'abnormal situation' for the first time."
Although Robert Pirlo complimented him, Ryo gave a wry smile, feeling slightly embarrassed.
Even Ryo was not omnipotent.
"No, it's merely a difference in experience. I've been a mage for seventy-five years, so I noticed it," Robert Pirlo said with a laugh.
He then returned to a serious expression and inquired, "The extraction is occurring right here in the audience seats. As a member of the delegation, I would like to avoid any disruptions to this inauguration ceremony... It might affect the results of the negotiations the officials have worked hard on. However, those officials are the ones suffering the most... Can't you think of a way to resolve this peacefully?"
Robert Pirlo was known as "the man whom Lord Aubrey could not kill."
His intelligence was widely recognized.
Yet, even such a man could not come up with a way to "resolve it peacefully..."
Ryo pondered for a moment.
To be honest, he still did not fully understand what "magical power" was.
However, it was not something that existed outside the principles of physics.
That much could be inferred from what Michael (alias) had said.
If that were the case... then it should be possible to block the extraction of magical power, that is, to interrupt the movement of magical power.
"There is a suitable spell in water attribute magic. If you don't mind, may I try it with Your Majesty? In this area, it seems only Your Majesty and I can accurately recognize the minute extraction of magical power..."
"Lord Ryo, that is..."
"That's fine, Grown. Lord Ryo's suggestion makes sense. Before we apply it to everyone, let's test it ourselves."
Ryo made the proposal, which Grown, as the captain of the guard, tried to stop, but Robert Pirlo interrupted him.
He was the kind of man who willingly put himself in danger.
"Well then, excuse me. [Ice Path Multi-layered Ice]."
As Ryo chanted, an icy floor appeared beneath both his and Robert Pirlo's feet.
It was, nothing more than the usual [Ice Path].
At least in appearance.
"Ah, it’s an ice floor, so be careful not to slip. I made it as slip-resistant as possible, but the property of 'slipping' cannot be entirely eliminated."
Ryo cautioned Robert Pirlo, who was touching the [Ice Path Multi-layered Ice] that spread even to the chair area.
"This ice is not cold..."
Robert Pirlo commented.
"Yes, that’s an important point. It halts the transformation from ice to water, and prohibits the transfer of heat. It may look like a single layer of ice, but it actually consists of multiple layers, with a layer in the middle that has almost no molecular vibration. That layer is forcibly stopping molecular vibration, which should also be obstructing the movement of magical power."
Whatever magical power is, it should be vibrating.
By forcibly stopping that vibration, its propagation is interrupted.
To put it in a very simple model, it might be like a magic bottle when limited to heat.
By making the space between the double structure into a vacuum, it prevents the transfer of heat.
It could be that it was the Dexter mechanism, not the Felster mechanism.
When Ryo pondered this while looking at the magic barrier and the absolute magic defense known as the sanctuary array and absolute sanctuary, he guessed it probably wasn't entirely wrong...
Well, it did feel a bit different, but he didn't dwell on it.
After all, he still didn't fully understand the essence of magical power...
"At first, I thought it would be enough not to touch the audience seats directly... But since the magical power is being extracted even while wearing clothes and shoes, it seems that alone wouldn't suffice. So, I decided to encapsulate it with layers. Your Majesty, let’s check if the magical power extraction has stopped."