Author: Suisei
Translator: Rinkage
Character page: Here
Chapter 107 – I investigated the ruins with the girl I like
“As you can see, the inside is just as decrepit. If you touch the supporting pillars of the ruins, they might break.” [Cecilia]
The place literally looked ancient. Plants seemed to be growing normally in the ruins as well. Was there any value in investigating such a place?
“So please be careful as we proceed. If an official investigation is carried out and we are found out to have caused damage to the place, it would be a big problem.” [Cecilia]
Cecilia seems to be genuinely anxious this time. Scratch that, she is always struggling with worries.
“Don’t worry, Cecily. I’ll complete this investigation without breaking a single pillar…” [Youki]
“Magic Knight-san, loud voices are also a no-go. If there are any demons inside, you might provoke them.” [Cecilia]
“Sorry.” [Youki]
She scolded me in a whisper, so I also whispered my apology.
I should do this properly without causing her any trouble. In the first place, I’m the one who wanted to take on an A-rank request, so I should pull myself together until we leave this place.
“Let’s proceed slowly and check the general structure inside.” [Cecilia]
“Got it. I’ll fully use my enhanced senses to investigate.” [Youki]
I could not figure out the exact size of the ruins, but I could detect the location of any presence inside. I could tell that there were living creatures from my enhanced sense of smell and hearing, although, I wasn’t sure if they were harmless or not. We should be able to neutralize them without damaging the ruins provided we don’t get ambushed or run into them first.
“I’ll be relying on you, Magic Knight-san.” [Cecilia]
“Leave it to me. Those who stand in our way will receive an unrelenting hammer of justice.” [Youki]
“…You remember that we’re not supposed to harm any living beings inside the ruins, right?” [Cecilia]
“Of course. I remember your instructions clearly, Cecily.” [Youki]
“That includes demons, too.” [Cecilia]
“Y-Yeah, I’ll try to neutralize them without causing harm.” [Youki]
Nothing is impossible for Magic Knight of Black Lightning. They will get the full taste of my lightning magic.
“You are also not allowed to use any magic that could destroy the ruins.” [Cecilia]
“As expected of an A-rank request. Even my lightning magic is forbidden.” [Youki]
Clad in black while wielding the speed and power of lightning magic – this should be the power of Magic Knight of Black Lightning.
“In that case, I shall rely on my swordsmanship…” [Youki]
“Do you know how to use a sword, Magic Knight-san?” [Cecilia]
“Heh, the sword on my back is not a mere decoration. I will showcase my imitation swordplay abilities!” [Youki]
I shall fight with my sword by imitating Duke and Raven’s swordplay techniques… What’s wrong? Why is Cecily holding her head? Is there some sort of problem?
“I understand. I will be the one fighting against the demon. You can be the rear guard.” [Cecilia]
“Why? Cecily, in terms of our roles, I’m the bodyguard while you’re the archaeologist.” [Youki]
Our positions would be completely reversed if I were to be the rear guard.
“Listen, Magic Knight-san. There’s a saying that goes, ‘The right person in the right place’. In this case, it’s better if I take the vanguard.” [Cecilia]
“No, I can sense where the demons are. I can even estimate their numbers and respond immediately. Besides, I still have hidden magic that I haven’t shown you yet.” [Youki]
When I announced that I still had a hidden trump card, Cecilia looked at me with skepticism. She was probably aware that trouble might be ahead.
“…Will it really be okay?” [Cecilia]
“Rest assured. If there are any demons, I will resolve the situation peacefully!” [Youki]
Striking a pose, I began walking in front of her. Cecilia, seemingly resigned, followed after me. It appeared as if she still didn’t believe what I said as she seemed to have her guard up, ready to cast a spell at any moment.
As we explored the ruins cautiously to avoid damaging the structure, we came across a spacious area.
“There are demons ahead. There are roughly… 13 of them.” [Youki]
“I still can’t see them.” [Cecilia]
“Let’s go closer so we can have a better look.” [Youki]
We pressed ourselves against the wall and peeked inside.
“There are gargoyles.” [Cecilia]
“They must be relatives of Gai. There are also giant rats.” [Youki]
There were five gargoyles and eight giant rats. The overall size of the gargoyles was smaller than the gargoyle that we knew. Gai was probably special. The giant rats, on the other hand, were merely bigger-sized mice. They didn’t seem to be much of a threat.
“Even though they are different types of demons, they seem to be coexisting.” [Cecilia]
Demons usually have territorial disputes based on their species, but the ones here didn’t seem to mind each other’s presence. They might have been living together in the ruins for a long time.
“They seem to be harmless, but if we enter their territory all of a sudden, we may encounter resistance.” [Youki]
“Yes. From their point of view, we are intruders who invaded their territories.” [Cecilia]
They’re not particularly strong demons, so we can definitely win in a normal fight. However, there are too many of them. If they start rampaging before we can subdue them all, they might damage the ruins.
“I’ll use ‘Saint Chain’ to bind them all at once.” [Cecilia]
“All at once? That would exhaust you. Leave this to me!” [Youki]
I drew my sword and pointed it towards the gargoyles and the giant rats.
“Illusion Sphere.” [Youki]
A mid-level magic, ‘Illusion Sphere’. It’s a spell that creates illusions, similar to the one Gai recently learned. A white sphere appeared in the center of the gargoyles and giant rats, emitting an eerie light. The eyes of the demons gradually turned vacant as they moved towards the sphere.
“Magic Knight-san, how long will they remain in this state?” [Cecilia]
“Until I release the spell.” [Youki]
If Cecilia were to see the light of the ‘Illusion Sphere’, she would fall under the spell’s effect, so I shielded her view with one of my arms. We passed through the crowd of gargoyles and giant rats and reached the next passage.
“…So, what kind of magic did you use?” [Cecilia]
“It’s a spell that creates illusions. First, I generate a magical sphere. Then, it takes effect on anyone who looks at the light of the sphere.” [Youki]
“Illusion, is it?” [Cecilia]
“Yeah. To those under the spell, that sphere would appear as the thing or person they are most attracted to.” [Youki]
For example, for me, it would look like Cecilia, and for Raven, it would appear as Happiness.
“It’s such a convenient magic.” [Cecilia]
“It does consume quite a bit of mana. But, for me, Magic Knight of Black Lightning, it’s a trivial amount. Now, let’s hurry ahead.” [Youki]
“Yes, let’s go.” [Cecilia]
Having earned Cecilia’s trust, I took the lead and continued exploring the ruins. As usual, there were demons around, but I easily avoided them with ‘Illusion Sphere’. We checked for hidden rooms as we advanced deeper into the ruins.
“Cecily, are ruins supposed to be this empty?!” [Youki]
“What brought this on all of a sudden?” [Cecilia]
“No matter how far we go, it’s just demons and plants. Shouldn’t there be something more…?” [Youki]
Like an android that’s been sleeping for a thousand years, or a sealed magic sword. Or perhaps this is the tomb of an ancient king with treasures that were previously dedicated as offerings.
“Ah, sometimes we do find things like the holy sword of a hero. But often, these places were just living quarters for people in the past. In other words, just because it’s a ruin doesn’t mean we’ll always find something valuable.” [Cecilia]
“Damn it, has romance abandoned me!?” [Youki]
Unable to hide my frustration, I ground my teeth, though, Cecilia couldn’t see it because I was wearing a helmet.
“But even if the ruins appear to have nothing, they still hold cultural heritage value. And while we might not find anything worthwhile, the investigation team might discover something.” [Cecilia]
“Hmph, unlikely.” [Youki]
I have investigated the place with my enhanced senses, so if there were any hidden rooms or doors, I would have noticed them first.
“Well, there were several passages leading to small rooms in the corridors we passed. So, this place might be the remains of a residential area abandoned for some reason.” [Cecilia]
“I see…” [Youki]
It didn’t seem like there would be any more progress even if we went on with the investigation. The national researchers would probably look into it in more detail. All we needed to do was to report to the guild about the approximate size of the ruins, and the types and number of demons residing in the place.
RinkageTranslation 
Thank you!
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