I Want to Live a Normal Life - Episode 8: [Magic Eye]

Episode 8: [Magic Eye]

“I wish both the crappy Hartelia royal family and the damned Miltia religion would just perish.”

Alone, I dashed down the highway towards Hartelion at full throttle with my [Magic Armor] activated. I didn’t even stop at what seemed like a checkpoint along the way. I think some fences were broken, but I didn’t pay attention. I had more pressing matters at hand.

The morning after the attack, the border count interrogated and tortured the captured “Apostle of Miltia,” making him spill various details. I don’t know if they used extreme torture or if the guy just had loose lips, but he confessed to a lot of things. I thought he might commit suicide saying something like “betraying God,” but he seemed to lack faith. Well, I appreciate that.

Anyway, these “Church of Miltia Apostle Dogs” are the operational units when the church moves behind the scenes, so what matters to them is not faith but strength. Some of them are fanatics, but many join because they simply love killing. This guy is probably one of them.

So, the information obtained from him includes the names of nobles closely tied to Miltia, other “Church of Miltia Apostle Dogs” within Hartelia, their relationship with the royal family, and various other details. Personally, I don’t really care about that stuff, but there was one piece of information I couldn’t overlook. It was about what would happen to the surviving family members of the border count after their defeat—they were supposed to be taken to an experimental facility underground in the capital. When I heard that, I thought, “Huh?” Then, after racking my brain, I finally made the connection. Why didn’t I realize it sooner?

“Could it be that Miss Liela is that girl…?”

In the original story’s War Arc, the protagonists who invaded Hartelia’s capital in their counteroffensive searched for an experimental facility underground. There, they encountered a battered girl who had escaped from the facility. Amidst the chaos in the capital due to the counteroffensive, she managed to escape by taking advantage of a guard’s carelessness and told the protagonists about the entrance to the underground before dying.

That girl is probably Miss Liela. There’s a vague resemblance. She was in a sorry state in the original story, and considering the timeline, it’s been six or seven years, so her appearance might have changed, but that’s just an excuse.

This also explains why Alt, the protagonist in the original story, followed Gargaine, his parents’ enemy. Miss Liela was probably being held hostage by them. That’s why he continued to fight for him until the end.

Considering the situation, it’s likely that Alt from the original story was also modified underground in the capital. Yes, the same place where Mine was modified. In that case, don’t I have to destroy it? Honestly, it’s a pain, and do I really need to do it? I’m not so sure.

But it pisses me off. Regardless of the original story or whatever, it just pisses me off. The border count’s family and Mr. Fenfield are practically family to me and Mine. They tried to do that to them. Are you prepared for the consequences?

So, with the border count’s permission for separate action, I’m rushing towards the capital. Mr. Fenfield wanted to come along, but I politely declined. It’s just a matter of sneaking in and blowing things up. I do think about taking out a few enemy characters from the original story while I’m at it, but I won’t push it. If I can kill them, I will.

Also, the border count is heading towards the capital as planned, so I want Mr. Fenfield to prepare for any remnants or separate forces.

Oh, right. Before I left, the border count gave me a letter addressed to his father, the former border count, and a proof of knighthood. This proof bears the crest of the border count’s family and guarantees the status equivalent to that of a noble. With this, I can use noble gates, access the noble district in the capital, and enter and leave the border count’s mansion. It also allows for some flexibility when dealing with guards and such. …Does breaking through the checkpoint fall within that flexibility?

“Where was the entrance again? I’m pretty sure it was in the slums.”

Yes, I’m lost. I made it to the slums outside the walls of Hartelion, but I don’t know where the entrance to the underground is. It’s connected to the slums, the royal castle, and the temple through underground passages, but I don’t remember the map from the original story. That’s why I said they should reincarnate hardcore fans.

“I guess relying on memory won’t work. [Subterranean Survey].”

Normal [Magic Detection] expands your magic into space, so it doesn’t reach underground, and it interferes with others’ [Magic Detection], making it unsuitable for stealth or surprise attacks. Gargaine and the others didn’t use it during the attack either. So, I created [Subterranean Survey]. It infiltrates magic into the ground to investigate the underground situation and can grasp the positions and numbers of people and monsters around based on the weight on the ground. I developed it by applying the method used during wall repairs. It doesn’t work against flying opponents, but it doesn’t trigger the opponent’s [Magic Detection], and it’s useful against the “Sage.” …He isn’t floating, is he?

“Just start from around here—”

“Oh my, young man, it’s dangerous to be alone in a place like this, you know?”

“Young man…”

The one who spoke to me was a beautiful sister. Maybe in her late twenties? She seems to have a lot of magic power too. Wearing a nun’s habit with a design similar to that of the “Miltia Church Apostle sympathizers,” she’s probably associated with the Miltia religion.

Calling me “young man,” huh. Well, I am pretty small, I guess. I’ve been malnourished for a long time. But I’ve still grown. And I’ll keep growing.

“What’s wrong? Are you lost?”

“…Well, technically, I’m an adult.”

“…Really?”

Hey, why won’t you believe me? Okay, I was lost, but still. I’ll definitely get back at that marquis someday. I’ll beat him up so bad in the training grounds. Remember that.

“I’m sorry!”

“…No need.”

“So, what are you doing here?”

“…My friend has gone missing.”

“Missing…”

“…Do you know anything?”

“And what would you do if you knew?”

“I’ll crush them. Immediately.”

“…Come with me.”

Hmm, good thing I have my guild card. She believed me right away.

So, I made up some reason for wandering around, but it seems this sister has some idea. It seems like it’s something we can’t talk about here, so I’ll just follow quietly.

I don’t know if she’s an enemy or an ally, but I do want information for now. Even with [Subterranean Survey], searching this vast slum one by one is a hassle. If I’m tricked and taken underground, that would actually be convenient. It saves me the trouble of infiltration.

“…So that’s the situation.”

“…I see.”

“So, will you lend me a hand?”

“…Huh?”

“What is it?”

The sister, who introduced herself as Sasha, runs an orphanage in the slums. She has been in this slum for a long time and seemed to know more about this matter than I expected. Apparently, the number of missing persons has been gradually increasing, mainly around the slums, for the past few years. And it’s been rapidly increasing in the past year. But neither the guards nor the church seem to care at all. Well, their leaders are probably behind it all.

Furthermore, according to Sasha, there are rumors that an organization called the “Wings of the Dark Night” is kidnapping people somewhere. This organization, which was originally weak, has rapidly expanded its influence since the increase in missing persons began. …Yeah, there were some losers with such a lame name in the original story. I think there were a few skilled bodyguards among the bosses and executives, though.

So, Sasha suspects them and is secretly recruiting allies.

“…Why me?”

“Because you’re strong, aren’t you?”

“…Why do you think that?”

“I can see magic, you know. Oh, this is a secret, okay?”

“Wow… I see…”

There’s an ability that allows you to see magic that you normally can’t see. That’s [Magic Eye]. It’s an advanced skill, above the [Magic Detection] and [Magic Sense] that I’ve acquired. The difference between it and the other two is that it’s one of the [Divine Eyes] said to be given by the gods at birth. It’s the highest-ranked skill. I think the “Sage” also have it. I want it too.

“…You should have told me that earlier.”

“I usually don’t look. It tires me out, you know? And I wasn’t sure if you were someone I could trust.”

Was there really enough evidence for her to trust me? I wondered, but apparently, she can tell if I’m lying by the movement of my magic when I’m talking. It twitches, apparently. Huh, she’s sensitive.

So, she figured out that my story about my friend being missing was a lie. But she understood that I was serious about wanting to crush them, so she decided to cooperate.

By the way, although it’s a convenient [Magic Eye], because the color of the magic varies depending on the attribute, the world looks incredibly colorful when [Magic Eye] is activated. So, she usually tries not to use it. It’s a bit much, even if it’s convenient.

Come to think of it, I think the bishop, who also has [Magic Eye], said something like that… I suddenly had a really unpleasant thought. Because are there really that many people with [Magic Eye]? No, there aren’t. Are there any? Hell no.

“Geez, no. Seriously, no.”

Man, the Miltia religion cult is really the worst.