Chapter 17: AI is easy to do magic (2)

Chloe’s homeland was Pirandel.

A federation of city-states where hereditary lords and elected merchants ruled their respective cities like kings.
The art city of Yaltesance also belonged to this federation.

However, Pirandel wasn’t a particularly powerful nation.

Calling it a federation sounded nice, but could a country divided like a group project really be stable?

It was the ultimate example of a capital-centric nation.
The provincial cities were declining, with dwindling populations.

And to make matters worse, it was surrounded by powerful nations.

A neighboring country sharing its borders.

This was the reason they served the Holy Empire, a baseless bully nation situated in the center of the continent, as their suzerain.

• Why does this feel so familiar?

It felt incredibly familiar to Chloe.

Including the fact that it was, yet again, a peninsular nation.

In other words.

“D@mn lords! D@mn merchants! D@mn religious zealots!”

The Painter’s Guild Master had too many opponents.
Too many people to appease.

• I just asked to meet that Synthia kid, why is it taking so long?

• Should I turn everything below your neck into stone and throw you into the sea?

• Wishing your company continued prosperity. From the leader of Yaltesance.

• I will kill you.

• Thank you. From Yaltesance President P i e r o (man)

“Graaaaaaaaaaah-!!”

The Painter’s Guild Master was losing his mind from this attention, more passionate than a love letter and spicier than poison.

The lords of neighboring cities were demanding,

The president of his own city was demanding,

And even the Holy Empire next door was demanding.

The incessant ringing of the summoning bell from influential figures seeking Chloe.

And the constant nagging that followed.

The Guild Master was gradually losing his sanity to this charming Luntraval-style urging (it hurts).
Peggio, who should have been stopping him, was just as bad.

“That d@mn brat dares to make a fool of me!”

The physical characteristics of Synthia that he’d finally managed to find out.

They were identical to Chloe, whom he met at the exhibition.

It was natural, since they were the same person.

Peggio felt completely played.

Chloe had no such intention─Groomloc did─but anyway, that’s how it was.

Perhaps that was why.

“…We’re kidnapping Chloe.”
“Huh?”

When the enraged Guild Master coldly muttered those words.

The reason Peggio, despite his jaw dropping open, didn’t doubt his hearing.

The Guild Master glared.

“Why are you so surprised? Didn’t you hear? That Chloe brat is entering a monastery!”

Luntraval was clearly a polytheistic culture.

The authority of religion was stronger than in Chloe’s homeland.

This was a world where divine power actually existed.

The effectiveness of religion here was unparalleled.

But what?

You’re an atheist?

You don’t believe in god?

• Why?

• I don’t know. They must be stpid!

You don’t get it?

If you consistently invest in and worship a decent religion and pull the worship lever, even ant-like followers can receive divine power!

It was something like that.

So, what kind of !diot would challenge that authority?

Especially that white house on the hill, detached from worldly affairs.

Opportunities to touch a monastery were extremely rare.

“How are we supposed to break into a religious facility? Are you going to borrow money from the Pope like the Duce?”
“I-I know it’s difficult.”
“If you know that, you should also know that this is our only chance!”

Chloe was actually entering a religious facility?

The letters pouring into the guild would certainly decrease.

Instead, they’d probably get stabbed with a ‘Then die’ note attached.

“If this continues, you and I might end up as stones below our necks, thrown into the vast ocean!”
“M-Me too?!”
“Do you think I’ll be the only one to die? Those b@stards would totally do it!”

D@mn it, who told you to deal with those guys?

He caused the trouble himself, and now he’s yelling at me.

Peggio couldn’t bring himself to say that.

“That’s not a bad idea. If you’re going to kidnap that kid, I’ll help.”

The old man who was with them.

His vulture-like eyes darted around.

Murray, the Curse Eagle.

He was a shaman and criminal who worked with the Guild Master.

“Wait, Master Murray himself?”
“Synthia or Chloe, whatever her name is, she’s a child that Yaltarion cherishes dearly, isn’t she?”

The old mage smiled hideously.

“A chance to make that thief who stole my Archmage position shed tears of blood? How could I miss it?”

The Painter’s Guild Master’s mind raced.

Murray was a master of concealment magic.

There was no better accomplice for a kidnapping.

Frankly, it was a waste of talent.

He’d lived so long avoiding the gaze of others that he’d even forgotten how to hide his expressions.

It made dealing with him quite a chore.

‘D@mn, look at that old man’s grin.’
‘They say you become responsible for your face when you get old. He makes me believe in those physiognomy readings that only orcs care about.’

There was a reason his nickname was “Eagle.”

Grinning with an almost sickly appearance, he looked like a corpse.

Even his stated motive for the kidnapping was absurd.

What?
Yaltarion stole his Archmage position?

Putting this in 21st-century terms, it meant:

• Hey! Back in the day, I was like brothers with Chairman Lee of Samsung overseas!

Like all such boasts, it probably wasn’t a 100% lie.

A little digging would reveal the truth.

Yaltarion must have had a time when his skills were less developed.

They might have competed at some point.

But to reminisce about it as ‘If it weren’t for him, I could have become the chairman of the nation’s top corporation!’?

‘Crazy old man.’

Such an ugly inferiority complex.

The inferiority complex of an old mage who could no longer expect any further growth.

Magic was cold.

God didn’t share the sweet nectar of growth with an old man clinging to past glories.

‘But it is true that he’s a Dawn-grade mage.’

Trainee.
First Light.
Dawn.
Avatar.

The four ranks of mages.
Murray was a skilled individual, ranked second among them.

Even if he was an ugly old man, his skills were genuine.

‘He might be weak in direct combat, but his magical skills are on par with a Tower Master. No reason to refuse.’

He wasn’t even asking for a separate reward.

The Guild Master couldn’t find a reason to refuse.

“I’ll leave it to you, Master Murray.”
“B-But, Master! Kidnapping?!”

Peggio raised his voice, his hands trembling.

It was understandable.

“My goodness, I never thought of that!”

It was truly a brilliant insight.

Aha!

If you can’t do it legally, just kidnap them!

The Painter’s Guild members happily made their plans.

They felt refreshed, as if they’d taken a placebo.

It might seem absurd to modern eyes, but they weren’t exactly driven mad by stress.

The severity of kidnapping as perceived by Luntravalians.
It was roughly equivalent to jaywalking in modern times.

Of course, it wasn’t fair to single out Luntravalians.

Child abduction is inherent to human culture.

It’s a hundred times more historical than painting or music.

It was so mainstream that even modern people did it.

Kidnapping someone’s cat VS ruining someone’s life.

There were plenty of people in the 21st century who would choose the former.

There were even heroes who kidnapped cats, released them into the wild, and ruined their owners’ lives through civil lawsuits.

In an era where pet strollers were commonplace, the concrete jungle’s Druidic Order, firmly adhering to the belief ‘Why is that your family?’, remained steadfast.

Even the 21st century, far more uncivilized than the medieval era, was like this.

Much less Luntraval.

A land with animal protection laws far more advanced than Earth’s.

The life of a stray cat here was comparable to that of a human.

Pointing out that human lives were worth sh*t here was merely stating facts.

Therefore.

“What was it again? Kidnapping an eight-year-old?”

The alley leading to Chen’s General Store.

Valt, a mercenary specializing in dirty work, chuckled.

He recalled the details of the request he’d received yesterday.

“Those artists sure have refined hobbies.”
“As long as they pay well, we’re good. They even prepared a carriage for us to make the job easier.”

Valt’s companion tapped the carriage.

It was the carriage the Painter’s Guild Master had prepared for the kidnapping.

“She’s coming. Get ready.”

The old man’s voice from behind.

Valt stopped joking and focused on the job.

‘Oh, there she is. Is that little one Chloe?’

He sharpened his gaze and observed.

Valt’s eyes glazed over as he looked at Chloe.

‘Huh. Look at that little kid, not even ten years old yet.’

Was this for real?
She was worth hiring a mage and everything for a kidnapping.

Swish….

While Valt was admiring Chloe’s face, Murray also took action.

He rounded the corner and approached from behind.

Concealing himself with invisibility magic, he recited the spell.

‘Nostea, Lilian, Terrenos….’

Invisibility, paralysis, and binding.

He simultaneously cast three different spells.

His skill wasn’t unworthy of someone who once competed with an Archmage.

The prepared spells targeted Chloe’s back.

Murray twisted his lips into a smirk.

‘If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for befriending the wrong people.’

A surprise attack that would knock out even the Spirit Magic Tower Master without fail.

Just as his staff, imbued with a sneer, was about to unleash the curse.

…Whoosh!
The staff vanished from Murray’s hand.

“?”

Huh?

The staff’s ashes swirled and fell.

The three spells crumbled pathetically.

In his astonishment at losing his staff and his invisibility wearing off.

“What an unpleasant walk home. All sorts of trash rolling around.”

• Kick.

Chloe kicked the trash at her feet and looked back at Murray.

As if she had sensed his presence and turned around.

As if puzzled by the faint smell of something burnt.

Murray’s eyes wavered uncontrollably.

—

🔗 Utilizing the function of [Nexo’s Magic Book].
📜 [Activation: General Spirit Magic – Fire Attribute]

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