𝐋𝐮𝐤𝐞’𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜
“Delicious! As expected, the street food in this city is the best!”
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Biting into a heavily spiced sausage, a specialty of St. Arrogas, Luke shouts in joy.
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“I’ve dreamt of this sausage so many times over these five years. . .”
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Tears even appear in his eyes.
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“Was the food situation that bad. . .?”
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“Ah, no, we had food, but it was limited to animals we caught, river fish, and wild vegetables. Seasonings were limited too, so we couldn’t eat elaborate dishes like this often. I wish I could take some to master.”
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Alma, looking skeptically, asks Luke with a puzzled expression.
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“. . .Are Luke and your master really just in a teacher-student relationship? Listening to you talk, it sounds like. . .”
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“Thief!”
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Suddenly, a sharp shout echoes around them.
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Hearing this, Alma immediately starts running.
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Luke quickly follows her.
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“I am Alma Bastille, a guard! What happened?”
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“A pickpocket! That man stole my wallet! It has a month’s worth of living expenses! Guard, please get it back for me!”
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An elderly woman crouched on the road clings to Alma.
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Turning around, they see a figure entering a back alley.
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“Over there!”
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However, when the two enter the alley, the figure is nowhere to be seen.
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“We’ve lost him. . . This area is complex, and many uncooperative people are involved in shady businesses, making it hard to pursue. . .”
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Alma grinds her teeth in frustration.
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“No, it’s okay.”
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Luke squats and places his left hand on the ground.
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Luke’s left eye clearly sees the footsteps escaping through the alley.
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“Trace Manifestation. The target is the footsteps, the time is just now, enable visual confirmation.”
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As he speaks, glowing footsteps appear in the alley.
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“What is this. . .?”
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“My unique magic, Analysis. I made the footsteps made just now in this alley visible. Fix the target, extend the manifestation over time.”
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Glowing footsteps continue to appear.
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They pass through the alley and lead to a small door.
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The footsteps go through another door and wind through narrow alleys.
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But they never disappear.
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“Amazing magic! With this power, we might not need guards!”
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“Thanks! I’m happy to help Alma.”
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The two chase the revealed footsteps, eventually reaching a small man sitting in a bar.
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“What are you staring at? Got any business with me?”
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The small man becomes wary of the two who suddenly appeared.
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“Let’s return what you took from the lady.”
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Surprised, he jumps up, but Alma quickly restrains him.
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“This?”
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“What are you doing! That’s my wallet! Who are you people!”
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The man shouts in anger as his wallet is snatched from his pocket.
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“Your wallet? Let’s verify that.”
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Luke spreads the contents of the wallet on the table and places his hand over it.
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“Trace Manifestation. The target is the fingerprints of the man in front of us, the time is the observable limit. Enable visual confirmation.”
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Luke’s words, along with the fingerprints left on the wallet and coins by the small man, shone light on the situation.
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The outside of the wallet was covered with the man’s fingerprints, but there were hardly any on the coins.
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“It’s strange. If these are your belongings, then your fingerprints should also be on the coins.”
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“Hah, don’t be ridiculous! This is nonsense! A trick! You two are trying to frame me!”
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“We’ll hear your side of the story later. For now, please come with us.”
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The small man, protesting vehemently, was taken away by Alma.
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◆
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Ultimately, the small man was handed over to the on-duty guard, and the wallet was safely returned to the woman.
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“Thank you so much! This is definitely my wallet! I would have been in a real bind without it! I truly appreciate it!”
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“It’s okay. It’s part of my job, after all.”
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With tears in her eyes, the woman expresses her gratitude, to which Alma responds with a smile.
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The woman repeatedly bowed her head in thanks as she left.
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“Good work.”
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Once everything calmed down, Luke handed Alma a cup filled with cold juice.
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“I’m sorry, Luke, for dragging you into this.”
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Alma accepted the cup apologetically and sipped the juice.
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It was a summer staple of St. Arrogas, made with ginger and perilla.
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“To think, I’m spending my day off with Luke and here I am. . .”
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The bittersweet juice helped calm her exhilaration from the chase, while also fostering regret for wasting their precious time together.
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“It’s okay. The lady was happy, and besides. . .”
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Before he could finish, Luke chuckled amusingly.
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“That’s just like you, Alma. You couldn’t overlook someone in trouble in the past, and you haven’t changed a bit. That’s reassuring to know.”
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“Oh, stop it. You make it sound like I haven’t grown at all. I’ve changed a bit, you know.”
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Alma blushed and puffed out her chest in a playful manner.
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“But I’m surprised. Luke’s unique magic is incredible. With that magic, it seems like any incident could be resolved in no time.”
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“Shoot, I forgot to be careful about that. Alma, would you mind keeping my unique magic a secret? I don’t want it to be widely known yet.”
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“Understood. I won’t tell anyone. I can tell Luke’s magic is no ordinary thing.”
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Alma nodded firmly.
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“That’s a relief. I’m glad you can do that for me. . .but aren’t you scared? I couldn’t use magic before, and suddenly I can do all this. Doesn’t it seem creepy?”
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“?I don’t think so? After all, you’re still Luke. You helped me today, and you’re still as kind as ever. Besides. . . what you did earlier. . . was kind of cool. . .”
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“Thank you. It means a lot to hear you say that, Alma.”
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Luke smiles at Alma, who murmurs with flushed cheeks.
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“Anyway, I think my magic proved to be a little helpful for your work. I’m looking forward to working with you again from tomorrow.”
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“Likewise! More than that, I’m just happy to be with you again, Luke!”
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“Oh, but before that, I guess I need to get permission from your boss?”
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“No worries! I’ll make sure I get the approval! Oh, but Luke, you’re supposed to be dead, right. . . What’s your current identity?”
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“Ah, right now, I’m going by the name of an adventurer. I even have a registration card.”
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Luke took out a metal plate from his pocket.
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The registration card only had the name Luke inscribed, without the Surberry surname.
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“I’ve abandoned the name Surberry since descending the mountain. Now, I’m just Luke. It’s more convenient for many reasons.”
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Being an adventurer who tackles dangerous requests like demon beast hunting and dungeon raids, it’s a profession that attracts those with a rough temperament, and many have a checkered past.
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Therefore, when registering, there was no need for a guardian or a custodian, making it the perfect occupation for Luke who wanted to leave his past behind.
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“So that was the case.”
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Alma looked at the registration certificate with admiration.
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“Is this enough then?”
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“Yes, I think this is sufficient. The guard corps sometimes cooperates with adventurers.”
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Luke let out a sigh of relief at Alma’s words and extended his hand.
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“Good. Shall we continue our walk then? We still have plenty of time.”
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“Yes.”
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Alma took his hand with a shy smile.
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The two of them, holding hands, once again entered the bustling crowd.
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