The Returnee Wants Peace

“This is…”

“Froy, stay close to me.”

Rosha hurriedly grabbed his arm and checked their surroundings.

As the temperature dropped sharply, a cubic room made of an unknown metal appeared.

The only light source was a circular clock on the wall that glowed on its own.

Although it had no markings or numbers, and only a single hand moved slowly.

“Rosha. It might be my imagination, but… doesn’t it seem like our vision is getting darker as the clock hand moves?”

Froy spoke with an unusually cautious tone.

It wasn’t just their vision.

His voice and breathing were also becoming fainter, and the hand that had tightly gripped his arm was becoming numb, losing sensation.

Their perceptions were accurate.

❲Hmm, you noticed quite early. Those who enter my domain gradually become ‘anesthetized’ like patients on an operating table.❳

❲Only your senses will disappear while your mind remains clear, so feel free to tremble in fear. In a little while, I’ll open your heads and thoroughly examine your memories to see how much you know.❳

Anesthesia, he says. Indeed, a statement befitting a magician who conducts all sorts of experiments.

‘It seems our senses are lost as the clock hand makes one full rotation.’

It was certain, seeing how their hearing was fading in real-time even now.

Taking away the senses of those who enter the domain – it was quite lethal even among the domains they had experienced so far.

However.

“Hmph, there are guys like this. Guys who only focus on function without properly constructing the appearance of their domain.”

It was as Koko said.

A cubic room made of metal, with just a single clock.

Perhaps because the function of ‘sensory loss’ was so overwhelming? The domain itself had an extremely simple structure.

Koko flapped his wings as if exasperated and urged:

“Can’t you see through the setup? Hurry up and break it.”

“…Easier said than done.”

She had broken a ‘setup’ before in the crystal maze, but that was by chance and couldn’t be done at will.

Moreover, she was hesitating to use her ability in front of the enemy when suddenly:

❲…This won’t do. I’ll have to look into that impudent bird’s head first.❳

“Eh?”

Suddenly, Koko was lifted into the air.

A domain is a space where the magician is almost like an absolute being. Though it varies depending on the magician’s capabilities, they could do anything if they had enough magical power.

❲What a strange bird. I can’t feel a heartbeat. Moving with magical power instead of life force… Yet you say such surprisingly piercing words.❳

Koko flapped his wings vigorously as if asking to be saved.

Seeing it like that, her already angry heart became very urgent.

“Don’t touch Koko!”

Of course, shouting wouldn’t make him listen, and rather, she felt an ominous energy approaching the bird.

At that moment, Froy whispered to her:

“Let’s do what we can for now. I’ll try to block that for a moment.”

As he spoke, a transparent barrier formed around Koko, deflecting the enemy’s energy.

Seeing this, Rosha hurriedly tried to use her ability but hesitated.

‘Come to think of it… [The Guiding Lantern] helps me read the ‘setup’ easily, right?’

But she already knew there was a ‘sensory loss’ setup here.

So, didn’t that mean she didn’t need to use her ability?

Whoosh-

With a firm resolve, Rosha ignited flames at her feet instead of using her ability.

It wasn’t the ‘domain’ she had used after reaching the 7th stage in her previous world. Naturally, as she wasn’t at that level yet.

However, she could imitate it to some extent.

If there was a ‘setup’ here-

And if she had the will to burn it away.

Crack, crack!

Suddenly, tiny cracks began to form from beneath her feet.

The more she interfered with the enemy’s domain, the more magical power was drained from her body, but she didn’t stop.

Through the cracks, bright light seeped in, and she felt her senses gradually returning.

‘Somehow… I think I’m finally understanding what Koko said before.’

She looked at Koko.

Hanging in mid-air with both wings caught, Koko was staring intently at something.

She reached out and burned away the force holding the bird, and a certain scene flashed by.

It was the sight of a young magician with long hair casting a great spell.

The silver-white, dazzling hair with streaks of gold here and there was striking.

❲You, you are…!❳

The enemy’s astonished voice was heard.

However, now was not the time to leisurely observe his surprised appearance.

Whoosh-

The flames that burned away the force holding Koko quickly traveled somewhere, as if climbing a rope. And then…

“Aaargh!”

Right after, the space violently shook, and the domain shattered into pieces.

Beyond the crumbling walls, the magician’s figure could be seen. He was covering his eyes with his palms and screaming loudly, where the flames had transferred.

“Hmm, flames that devour the ‘setup’. Not bad for something you thought of in such a short time.”

Koko flew over triumphantly and praised her.

‘Devouring the setup?’

Just as she wondered what that meant, another scene flashed before her eyes.

Cities from ancient times rapidly crossed her vision. Considering that the flames were currently staying with the enemy, this must be that magician’s memory.

A high-level magician with memories of ancient times.

A hypothesis quickly crossed her mind.

‘…Could this person be one of the ‘traitors’?’

She couldn’t get an answer, but the probability was high.

The moment she thought of the word traitor, the remaining questions were mostly answered.

At that moment.

“Urgh…!”

As if making a final struggle, sharp magical power burst out randomly from the magician.

This rampage, indiscriminate of friend or foe, shattered and destroyed the laboratory.

Froy, who barely blocked the glass shards flying this way, said:

“We should leave quickly. This doesn’t look good.”

Indeed, the magical power concentration in the laboratory was rising rapidly. Besides the magical power the enemy had released, it seemed separate measures had been taken.

‘For example… an explosion to destroy evidence.’

Moreover, as the glass windows broke, the black slimes inside were crawling out.

Seeing them swelling up to pounce on the magician, Rosha quickly nodded.

“We need to go now.”

“Indeed.”

While she suppressed the flames, Froy stored Marquis Lycaon somewhere and swept all the documents here into his mansion.

Though he moved quickly as if not to miss even one, the explosion was faster than expected.

“Froy!”

Boooom!

The deafening sound lasted only a moment.

With a movement that grabbed her hand, poof – her body was half-buried somewhere.

It was snow.

The sky was still dim, darkness not yet fully dissipated.

Rosha, waiting for her hearing to return in a small snow-covered forest, looked at the man lying next to her, still holding her hand.

They had been in battle just moments ago, but this situation now felt somewhat surreal.

Even more so with the gray smoke rising in plumes above the forest.

“…Is it over?”

“Probably. Even if he didn’t die, there’s nothing we can do about it.”

Froy let out a small sigh.

A breath of relief at having safely escaped from there floated through the air.

“…The imperial palace will be in an uproar.”

It was already bustling despite the early dawn, as if imperial knights were rushing over. Rosha, who had stayed up all night, was finally starting to feel sleepy as the tension eased.

Haaam, as she yawned, Froy smiled and said as he raised his upper body:

“Just sleep for now. Leave the aftermath to me.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’ll create evidence that we were somewhere else. This is something I do all the time, so don’t worry.”

Could there be any words more reassuring than these?

Feeling the gentle touch brushing her hair, Rosha looked up at the sky with half-closed eyes.

Dawn was finally breaking.