A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 23 Confession Leads to Leniency

"How's the system?"

"The system ran for five minutes and eight seconds last night, during which the phenomenon of a magical vacuum was observed, ultimately burning out three power units."

"I've said it before, I don't care about the machines! I only care about the results!"

The man with the mustache waved his hand, revealing his identity—Bri, a high-ranking mage who was also the head of a secret project within the Andorella Fortress and a garrison mage of the Imperial Army.

A magical vacuum, forming an area devoid of any magic, is called the Dead Magic Zone. In the age of gods before the establishment of the Old Empire, the gods would personally fight on the continent, and such zones might appear on the battlefields of divine wars.

Mortals have created a miracle! This excited and made the mage Brie tremble. He was a powerful spellcaster, but he knew what it would mean if the technology accumulated from this experiment were promoted.

"Just you wait, you lackey of the God of Order, hmph." Bree seemed to remember something, then turned to his student and subordinate and instructed, "Gather all the data and bring it to my office. From now on, leave all matters of the city to the resident mage, that long-haired one."

"Teacher, that young monk Unuk doesn't seem very reliable." The student seemed to have some opinions and dissatisfaction with the resident monk.

"These trivial matters are nothing compared to our current mission! Let that guy handle it! He's usually unreliable, but he's still capable when needed."

"Yes, teacher."

Rorschach and his party, including Hill who stayed behind and the drunken coachmen, were all "invited" to the prison cells inside the fortress.

The attitude was very good, the cell was very dark, and there were many guards.

"That's why I've repeatedly emphasized that we have no connection with cults. In fact, we've encountered similar cult attacks on the road, so it's impossible that we're in cahoots!" Rorschach said firmly.

After all, it was just an investigation and questioning; no one was tied up or subjected to any prisoner's dilemma or separate interrogations. Everyone was simply gathered in a large cell, given seats, and allowed to report their whereabouts, the events of their trip, and the events of that night. Everyone confessed honestly, but avoided some minor details that could lead to misunderstandings.

For example, my dear magic apprentice, Miss Tasia, was once the saint of the damned "Return of Our Lady" order.

Everyone selectively forgot about it, including the former saint herself.

The only one put in solitary confinement was Gasd Yaz, because the spellcaster might possess or transform into an animal. He was given a small, copper, cloth-covered cell, which was thoughtfully provided with some bran and water.

What Rorschach admired was that Hill's two weapons had complete and legal documentation, and not a single problem could be found with them.

A burly man flipped through the files and asked, "If there's no connection, why were you at the center of the ceremony? Why was this apprentice dancing on the stage? Did you know that the dance was part of last night's illegal ceremony? Confess and you'll be treated leniently!"

"I thought it was part of the festival activities! Please understand, I was just looking at the stage and the giant sheep like a tourist, I didn't expect the dangerous believers to surround me when I wasn't paying attention." Tasia maintained a defiant stance, insisting that she was coerced.

Rorschach was getting impatient and asked directly, "Sir, are you and the warriors from last night from a special defense force?" This was information he had obtained from Unuk last night.

"It's Master Luo Xia. I must remind you, I'm asking you now, not the other way around!"

"I'm a graduate of the Imperial Capital Royal Magic Academy, recommended by Discipline Master Sebins to pursue further studies in the Kingdom of Valuva. You should know Sebins, right?" Sorry, Chief, I'm borrowing your bald head's name for this crucial moment!

After listening, the burly man stood up from the interrogation table and said nervously, "Lord Rorschach, please come with me alone." As he spoke, he walked out of the large prison cell, and at the door, he made a gesture, and the attendant next to him took over guarding the others.

The burly man led Rorschach into his office: "Master Rorschach, I'd like to know something about Mr. Sabins and you."

"Let's be frank! I was sponsored by the Chief of Staff to go deep into Valuwana to gather intelligence on the kingdom's capital and the Tower of Stars."

Luo Xia took out his graduation certificate from the Imperial Royal Magic Academy from his storage ring and handed it to the other party: "With my background, being able to go to the Holy Kingdom speaks for itself, doesn't it? My companions and I have already finished explaining things, so please don't delay my journey."

"I'm sorry, sir. I believe in your relationship with the head of the agency. The two officers accompanying you have already explained your situation to our department. However, firstly, you are not officially affiliated with the agency, and the caravan traveling with you still needs to undergo routine investigation. You will be released from the border only after the investigation into last night's sacrificial incident is completed."

The two accompanying them? Rorschach remained calm: "At the earliest, a few days?"

"If there are no problems, one day will be enough."

"Am I free to move around?"

"Yes, but please do not leave the city." The burly man made a huge concession.

"Oh, and I also need to bring my duck."

Upon leaving the heavily guarded inner prison of the fortress, Rorschach was momentarily blinded by the sunlight outside.

Rorschach walked back onto the streets of Andorella City. The bustling scene of yesterday was gone. The roads were washed by rain, and there was mud and puddles everywhere. Shops and stalls had closed hastily, leaving behind a mess. Very few pedestrians passed by.

Rorschach sighed and went to find the Magic Guild.

Not long after entering, the sound of footsteps came from the stairs. It was the guild leader's assistant. He was no longer the capable and proper man Luo Xia had first met. His hair was a little messy and he had obvious dark circles under his eyes.

"Master Luo Xia! You've come in person! This is the first good news I've received since last night!"

Am I that popular? Luo Xia was astonished by his assistant's demeanor. Yesterday, his assistant seemed like a fund manager overseeing billions of dollars; today, he's the fund manager whose billions of dollars have collapsed.

"We were just looking for you! Everything's a mess, a complete disaster last night!" The assistant launched into a tirade: "The equipment and magic arrays are all malfunctioning! Our mail receiving, sending, and defensive magic... Master Rorschach, we're so sorry, we're here because we need you to resend the mail!"

He then led Rorschach to the second floor. "Please understand, a terrible accident occurred during yesterday's transmission. All the letters we sent last night were reverted here, and in a damaged state!"

"Alright, I'll write it again, but I need compensation for the time I wasted, and for the reputation of the Magic Guild."

"Of course, of course we understand. Please tell us your needs first," the poor man forced a businesslike smile.

"I need the scroll to learn [Detection Magic]..."

"Roller! I need to learn how to roll a roller! Mr. Impossible!"

"Don't get excited, of course I'll pay, I need a discount."

"Oh, I'm sorry, my apologies... Learning scrolls is very expensive, but fortunately it's a commonly used spell... The original price is fifteen Golden Eagle Dollars, would you accept twelve?"

"A reasonable price."

(End of this chapter)