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𝐑𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧
“After being away from the capital for a while, I thought to ask for directions, but what’s going on here? Why are the royal guards attacking the regular soldiers?”
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Although only his back is visible from Alma’s perspective, it seems the young man is protecting her.
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“Shut up, shut up! This is a matter for us soldiers! Civilians shouldn’t interfere! Get lost now!”
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“That’s not how it works. If it’s a military matter, it should be handled through proper procedures, not here.”
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He replies calmly, even to Thomson’s arrogant shouting.
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“What happened earlier was clearly a lynching. We can’t overlook such outnumbered violence. As a magic knight, I’ve been taught never to ignore violence.”
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Having said that, the young man turns to face Alma.
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He has white hair with a single black strand, and his left eye is hidden by his hair.
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He’s wearing a frayed cape and a dirty shirt, oddly wearing a black glove only on his left hand.
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Although his clothes are dirty, his toned physique is evident from his forearms extending from the sleeves.
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His eyes, gazing at Alma, are jet black like obsidian, shimmering as if glowing.
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He somehow resembles Luke, Alma thought.
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“Are you all right. . .”
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The young man addressing Alma suddenly stops moving.
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He looks at her as if he’s seen something unbelievable.
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“Could it be. . . you’re Alma. . .?”
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Surprising words escape from the young man’s mouth.
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“?. . .Why do you know my name?”
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“It’s me! Luke! Your old friend, Luke Surberry! Alma! I’ve wanted to see you for so long!”
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Luke lifts Alma up and swings her arms excitedly.
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“I’ve wanted to see you so much these past five years! There’s so much I want to tell you! Right! I’ve finally learned magic too. . .Alma? Alma?”
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In his excitement, Alma suddenly collapses to the ground in front of Luke.
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Alma has fainted.
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“Alma? Hey, Alma-san?”
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In a panic, he holds her to prevent her from falling and taps her cheek, but she doesn’t respond.
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“Damn, maybe I startled her too much. But I’m just as surprised to see her here. . .”
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He gently lays the unconscious Alma on the ground, smiling kindly at her.
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“Hey, you! Don’t ignore me! Look this way!”
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Tommy’s angry voice comes from behind.
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Luke slowly turns to face the three men.
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“You! You just said you’re Luke Surberry! Are you really that Luke?!”
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Tommy shouts, his face red with anger, and Luke nods quietly.
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“Yes, I’m Luke Surberry, your former classmate. Trinal Triples, you seem the same as ever.”
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“Hmph! Don’t be presumptuous, a dropout like you claiming to be our classmate!”
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The trio’s attitude becomes even more arrogant upon realizing they’re facing Luke.
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“First of all, you’re supposed to be dead! I heard you fell into a ravine in a carriage accident when transferring schools! Why show up now all of a sudden!”
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“I see, so that’s what it has come to. . .”
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Luke let out a wry smile.
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He had imagined that he was considered dead.
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The territory is probably now under Greed’s rule.
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But now, there are more important matters at hand.
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Luke spoke to the three of them in a quiet voice.
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“Rather than that, can you give us this explanation? Why are you harming Alma?”
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He remained calm, but there was an undeniable resonance in the air.
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“Hmph! I told you it’s none of your business! This is a matter between me and her!”
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Tommy, who had shouted back, found himself cowed by the quiet intensity emanating from Luke’s entire being.
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“That’s not going to work. She’s my best friend, so she can’t be unrelated. Can’t I get a satisfactory explanation? Why does she have to be hurt by you all?”
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And Luke had no intention of backing down.
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“. . .H, How dare you, an incompetent like you, defy us! We are members of the Royal Palace Guards! We can even arrest the likes of you and throw you in the dungeon!”
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“T, That’s right! You made that Bastille private soldier lose consciousness earlier! This is a clear criminal act!”
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“We’ll arrest you right now! Submit quietly!”
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The three of them surrounded Luke, encouraging themselves with their words.
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“A, And besides, if you think about it, you’re already dead. It’s not a crime to do anything to a dead person, right?”
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Tommy, with his sword ready, wore a twisted smile.
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While Luke had been intimidating earlier, he now realized that there was no way he could lose to Luke, who couldn’t use magic.
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The wind blades that had sent towards Alma inexplicably vanished in front of their eyes, but it was probably a mistake.
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Yes, I had unconsciously canceled them out because he had suddenly appeared.
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Tommy convinced himself and created wind blades in his palms again.
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This time, he would definitely finish him off and send that annoying brat flying.
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To avoid attracting attention, he launched the wind blade with just a snap of his wrist. . .
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. . .and that’s when Tommy’s magic disappeared.
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“Huh?”
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He looked at his palms, not understanding what had happened.
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However, the wind blades that should have been there had completely disappeared.
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When he looked around, Thomson and Thomas, too, were looking at their own hands with puzzled expressions.
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“I’ve neutralized your magic.”
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Luke answered quietly.
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“What?! That’s impossible!”
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Furious, Tommy tried to generate wind blades again, but they also disappeared in his palms.
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“R, Ridiculous. . . A neutralization magic? Why can you use such advanced counter-magic?! Weren’t you supposed to be ‘depleted’?!”
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Neutralization magic, unlike simple defensive magic, required vast knowledge and precise timing because it had to build a magic formula tailored to the opponent’s magic and trigger it at the moment of activation.
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It was so difficult that there were hardly any users, and in the present day, when defensive magic had evolved, it was considered a disappearing magic.
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Luke had activated it against the three of them simultaneously.
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This was Luke’s unique magic, the power of “Analysis.”
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Magic goes through stages of generation, activation, reaction, and extinction before it takes effect.
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Luke’s analysis can predict the occurrence of magic and its activation time by analyzing the slight fluctuations that arise between those stages.
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Additionally, by analyzing the opponent’s habits and behavior patterns, these predictions have become so accurate that they could almost be called foresight.
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However, this is possible only with magical techniques that can be accurately activated down to fractions of a second.
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Having undergone intensive training under the demon Iris for five years, Luke’s magical skills had become unparalleled, not just in the kingdom of Arrogas but across the continent.
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“It’s not that difficult. Tommy, your right shoulder drops for a moment when you activate it. Just hit at that timing. Thomson, your right foot drops for a moment to brace for the magic’s recoil. Thomas, you have a habit of closing your eyes just before activation. Your habits haven’t changed since our school days.”
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“Im. . . Impossible. . . You dispelled our magic just with that. . .!”
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The three were astounded by Luke’s matter-of-fact observation.
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“You may say it’s ‘just’, but habits can sometimes be a major factor in deciding victory or defeat. Timing is important in magic as well.”
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Saying this, Luke picked up Alma.
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“Wait! Where do you think you’re taking Miss Bastille!”
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The three, with swords drawn, surrounded him.
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“Seems like you’ve gotten cocky neutralizing magic, but don’t get carried away. There are three of us here.”
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The three surrounding Luke said this and began to spin at a ferocious speed.
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“You won’t have time to spot the habits with this! Brace yourself for the Trinal Triples’ whirlwind attack!”
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“Sorry, I have no intention of engaging with you.”
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Luke snapped his fingers.
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In an instant, the three stopped moving and collapsed, completely exhausted.
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They had lost consciousness, or rather, fallen into a deep sleep.
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“I think they’ll wake up in about 30 minutes.”
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Leaving those words behind, Luke walked away carrying Alma.