Chapter 417
I’m out of breath.
“uh… … .”
I had no choice but to stop abruptly at the feeling that someone suddenly squeezed my breath without any warning or reason.
“Reinhardt? what’s the matter?”
“… … Were you even shocked?”
After confirming the information about the corpses, we chatted in a different space for a while, but when I suddenly felt strange, Harriet and Bertus looked at me.
“No, just a little… … .”
No, it’s not like that.
It was obviously a horrific sight, but there was no reason to suddenly choke.
A feeling as if someone is tightening your breath for no reason or warning, as if you can’t breathe well.
A strange feeling that something big is about to happen. This intense feeling of uneasiness for no reason or cause was a sensation I had never felt before.
It was similar to the panic disorder symptoms I experienced when I suffered a lot in the past. The sudden sense of crisis in her calm state was both unfamiliar and familiar.
“what’s the matter… … . Reinhardt… … .”
As I shivered in a cold sweat, Harriet quietly held my hand. Even though Harriet’s doing it all made me feel better, I couldn’t escape the strange feeling.
It was a long time ago that I had panic disorder. I know that this is not a feeling that comes from that class.
This is a warning from the wind.
I’ve never felt so threatened that I couldn’t breathe properly.
What’s happening, no, is it happening?
Is it that the Ministry of Magic is attacking us, or something like that? So, he hasn’t left the Ministry yet?
I had never felt this kind of pressure before, so I was afraid that something different might happen, but I didn’t know what it was until it happened.
something will happen
You don’t know what it is, so you can’t be afraid.
“Whoa… … . Uh, just suddenly.”
Taking a deep breath, Bertus laughed.
“I thought it was familiar, but I guess it wasn’t like that?”
“It can be like this. me too… … I keep getting lost… … .”
Apparently, the two of them thought it was because they were at least shocked by what I saw.
In fact, it was such a horrifying sight that I wouldn’t be surprised if I reacted like this.
The real reason was different, but when I seemed to have calmed down, Bertus crossed his arms and started talking.
“By the way, did Lotwin wonder about the source of the magic book?”
“Yeah, it seems covetous, but… … . How to say, it seemed like he was more curious about where the magic book came from… … . Maybe that’s why they tortured people like that.”
He committed this crime not for the purpose of money, but for the source of the magic books. Of course, I took all the magic books.
That statement further strengthened my guess that Lothar Dewyn was a member of the Cantus Magna.
“Maybe there is a newly discovered tomb of a lich in the Dark Land, so maybe it’s there… … . I think that’s what I was thinking.”
“Oh, you mean there… … ?”
Bertus narrowed his brows.
“hmm. There’s a good chance you’ll think so… … .”
Judging from Bertus’ reaction, the spell book that was stolen yesterday is the lich’s grave, so the bait I and the Black Order spread didn’t arrive all the way here?
“The important thing is that Rossor Dewyn couldn’t have gotten the information he really wanted by torturing the three dead mages.”
It must have meant that the dead did not know about the source of the magic book.
“More important than that is how Rossor Dewyn got out of the Imperial Palace as well as the Ministry of Magic… … .”
“You said there was no record of leaving the Ministry of Magic and no record of leaving the imperial palace, right?”
“yes.”
At Harriet’s question, Bertus nodded.
“First of all, it’s clear that Lothar Dwyn was cheating on his skills. Judging from the level recorded in the first place, Lothar Dwyn was supposed to be one that even one of the Watchers couldn’t handle. But all three of them were subdued and tortured with no hands.”
As well as being well-versed in black magic, Lotwin was actually a wizard with even greater skills.
“But in the first place, like the temple, it is impossible to enter or exit the imperial palace through space movement. To leave the Ministry of Magic, you have to go through the main gate of the Ministry, and to leave the Imperial Palace, you have to use the Four Gates of the Imperial Palace… … .”
It is not known if it will be possible by flying in and out like Sarkegar. I don’t know if Rothwyn knows how to transform into a sparrow, but even if there was a transformation technique of that kind, it wouldn’t be possible unless he completely transformed into that creature like Sarkegar did. Because there must be a dispel field in the sky as well.
“By the way, I searched the entire Ministry of Magic building, but there is no trace. It’s impossible to hide with trivial camouflage magic or invisibility.”
It was plausible to assume that Rossor Dewyn was hiding somewhere, but it was clear that the Ministry of Magic wasn’t there and they were searching the entire palace, but they couldn’t find it.
Space movement could not be used, and there was no way he could have quietly escaped from the Ministry of Magic building with camouflage magic.
Of course, the guy who had the courage to commit murder in the imperial palace couldn’t be an ordinary guy.
If it’s Kantus Magna, can you neutralize the shielding barrier and escape?
no.
It won’t be.
This is the Imperial Magic Ministry.
Of course, the building itself is huge, and there must be any number of departments that perform other roles, such as the magic research library.
It was an illusion that spatial movement was impossible within the imperial palace.
Didn’t he immediately set up a space movement area in the basement of the Palace of Spring and set up a warp gate there?
Obviously, I have tried to move from the outside to the inside through that micro-gate, as well as from the inside to the outside.
“By any chance, isn’t there a facility in the Ministry of Magic that researches warp gates?”
At my words, Bertus and Heriot tilted their heads.
* * *
Warp gates are basically imperial magic.
So it was only natural that warp gate research was being conducted at the Imperial Ministry of Magic, not at the Wizard Guild or Magic Association, and it was natural that there were facilities for warp gate research in the basement.
That’s why there was no choice but to have a small gate that was made because warp gate research was in progress, even if it was not a super-large one inside the facility.
Due to the murder at the Ministry of Magic, all research was suspended, so Bertus called the person in charge to talk.
“that… … . I think it will be impossible.”
The researcher shook his head when asked if it was possible to activate the gates here and connect them to the gates outside.
“The gates here are not made to general specifications, but are mostly research-level gates for special applications. Since most of the gates are not completed… … .”
“Are there gates that work?”
There are numerous gates, but if at least one that works properly, it means that it can communicate with the outside world, so Bertus asked back.
“yes. There are warp gates that work, and certainly there are warp gates that aren’t for testing purposes… … . Still, it would be impossible to get out with it.”
“Why?”
“All warp gates made at this facility are non-regular gates. The gates inside the facility are connected to the gates inside the facility to view the entire gate system. So these gates have never been connected to an outside gate.”
“If you’ve never been connected, can you connect?”
“Then we need to go through the process of including these warp gates in the normal imaginary dimension map.”
“What do you mean?”
Bertus didn’t seem to understand when he said something that only warp gate technicians knew, and neither did I. I just know that imaginary dimension maps are similar to subway routes.
Harriet looked at Bertus and said.
“Warp gates function properly only when there are rules that determine which gates to connect to and which to connect to. That’s why you have to specify in advance which gate each gate will sync with.”
In order to incorporate one regular gate into the imaginary dimension map, a facility called a gate must exist, but it is necessary to go through the process of adding a gate to the entire system.
“Can’t we connect without that process then?”
“If you connect a gate here to an outer gate without exact coordinates, it may collide with the other gate’s path. In that case, a dimensional distortion occurs… … .”
“It’s a complicated story. You mean there’s an accident? What kind of accident are you talking about?”
“Not only those who use this gate to go outside, but also everyone who uses the gate at the destination may be blown away to a ‘place that does not exist’ due to the influence of the gate at the destination. Of course, I don’t know if such a place exists… … . There have been quite a few cases in the past where I couldn’t come back due to an accident during the gate experiment.”
At those words, not only Bertus but also Harriet and I widened our eyes.
where it doesn’t exist.
Does this mean that it will fly away to the imaginary dimension and will not be able to return to the present world?
“So, is it impossible to escape through this gate?”
“You can try to escape by activating the gate, and you may actually arrive safely, but… … . This is an overly risky method. It would be a gamble with your life.”
I don’t know the details, but the principle is simple.
If a subway transfer station that is running well as calculated by many people is arbitrarily overlaid with a line, trains collide with each other, destroying the line and killing all passengers.
Warp Gate is a train station and at the same time a train itself.
Even if trains and trains were prepared, it was said that escaping to the ecliptic through this warp gate was crazy, as a major accident would occur if the line was laid without thorough calculation.
Therefore, if you are using an already activated gate, you will move on the created path.
In this case, you have to go by making a road that does not exist. So, it is inevitable that it will be a high-risk gamble.
The artifact that leads to the basement of the Palace of Spring is also a kind of warp gate distortion device, but in the end, people just don’t know.
Officials said escaping through the facility’s gates was impossible, and that it was a gamble with one’s life.
“no… … . I could have done it.”
However, Harriet said so in a trembling voice.
“Saint-Ouan, what do you mean by that?”
Harriet’s complexion turned white at Bertus’ question.
“If you understand the map I showed you yesterday… … . you could have… … .”
I was the only one who could understand Harriet’s words.
I couldn’t understand what Harriot had done yesterday, but I knew that he had made a great contribution to improving the warp gate system.
And Lothar Dewin saw the results of Harriet’s research firsthand.
He is not an outsider in the first place, but an expert in handling the warp gate system.
Harriet calmly explained the events of yesterday, more precisely the theory she had put forward, not Lotwin’s.
“It might be a mage who doesn’t know anything about the warp gate system, but he was an expert. As soon as I saw the theory I presented, I could understand it. I’m not using my theory. I’ve annotated all the imaginary dimension maps. therefore… … . Some gates are connected in some way, so they are loose somewhere, or empty parts of the dimensional coordinates, for efficiency… … .”
An outsider would not know how to deal with gates, but Lothar Dewyn was an expert on gate theory.
He used what Harriet wrote to establish the theory.
Harriet annotated all existing imaginary dimension maps to establish the theory.
I analyzed all the imaginary dimension maps that were piled up so huge that even many experts could not understand them, and analyzed all the warp gate connection paths.
“So, even if you couldn’t connect one warp gate globally, if you understood the map I gave you, you could have calculated a safe route to connect to a specific gate.”
Harriet’s theory is still too early to put into practice.
However, Rosso Dewin did not use the theory, but the evidence to make the theory.
Gates that are tangled like a spider’s web, and the link between gates, it’s difficult to organize them, but it wasn’t difficult to create a single, safe path that connects to a specific gate.
“Of course, this is a risky and poorly tested method, but… … . It must have been something worth trying… … .”
At the time Harriet showed the map, Lothar Dewyn was plotting the crime.
In other words, Harriet showed the best escape route to those who were contemplating the escape process after the crime.
“no wonder… … . It seemed like I liked it more than enough… … .”
Harriet was distraught when she learned that she had not seen the criminal suspect for the last time and had been used by him to escape the ecliptic.
Bertus bit his lip with a serious expression.
“Then, it is certain that Lothar Dewyn used this facility to escape.”
“sorry… … . Sorry… … .”
Bertus smiled wryly at Heriot’s apology, whose face turned blue.
“He’s the guy who just decided to leave anyway. Since he was the one who killed three people here, he must have intended to kill them all while escaping in the first place. But thanks to you suggesting a safer escape route, dozens or even hundreds of deaths ended with only three deaths.”
“… … .”
As such, it is unknown how much Dwynn’s actual combat power is.
However, it was enough to easily subdue three high-ranking wizards and kill them.
Even if he got a hint from Harriot’s method and escaped, Rossor Dewyn was already planning the crime.
That said, even if it wasn’t through the gate, he already had the confidence to escape the imperial palace by force.
So, if he had escaped through the gate inspired by Harriet’s words, then more people would have died and less people would have died.
“Even if it’s not like that, think of it that way.”
Even if it’s not true, you have to think so.
I was grateful even though Bertus’s words were not the person in question.
* * *
Charlotte and Ellen did not discover anything conclusive through their inquiry, but rather aroused suspicion.
Suspicions involving Reinhardt.
Charlotte and Ellen had no conversation about how it would lead.
The moment we talk, something we don’t want to imagine may become reality.
The two walked without saying a word.
Charlotte’s next destination was the identity bureau of the ecliptic.
Soon, it was a place that served as a district office.
“Even if you use a pseudonym, your identity will be registered. Based on that, there might be a clue to track something down. This part of the place of origin is probably a lie, but for now, it should be possible to deduce when the activity started in the ecliptic by itself.”
“Sure.”
A spy in the Dark Lands who worked under the pseudonym Elena.
For now, Charlotte intends to pursue her as far as she can.
Even if it was a fake identity, it would have been registered once, so there were records including the place of birth, and in fact, Charlotte had asked her various questions after looking at her ID, but even such detailed memories, including the place of birth, did not remain.
Of course, such personal information could not be accessed without permission, but Charlotte was the princess.
Just as Bertus was able to search the personal information of all the subjects of the imperial capital with a single word, Charlotte was also able to do so.
“Please query and show all identity data registered under the name Elena on the ecliptic.”
“Yes, I will prepare it right away.”
When the princess appeared out of nowhere and asked for data, the director started to move quickly.
In the Director’s office, Ellen and Charlotte waited for the materials to be ready.
They both knew that the place to dig now was not on Elena’s side.
I don’t want to admit it, and I don’t even want to think about it.
That Reinhardt is suspicious.
It’s because I know it even if I don’t say it.
“… … .”
“… … .”
They didn’t say anything because they knew something would go a long way once they started talking.
how long has it been like that
“Here we are ready.”
A list was prepared of every person named Elena within the ecliptic.
Charlotte was supposed to infer the period of activity from her place of birth and date of identification, and later call the landlord of the store to ask more about Elena.
So Charlotte handed over the papers about the person with the same name.
“This is it.”
– flutter
Charlotte picked out an ID document that matched Elena’s face she remembered.
Charlotte already knew Elena’s face, so all she needed was written information.
but.
The document served as decisive evidence to Ellen.
“for a moment… … . wait for a sec… … .”
“huh?”
“I, this person… … .”
Ellen’s voice trembled.
“I know this person.”
At those words, Charlotte’s eyebrows narrowed.
“what? Where have you seen this person before?”
Ellen has a good memory. That’s why she had to suddenly realize something.
“Last year in the second semester group mission… … . in that castle… … . A statue that looks exactly like this person… … . saw… … .”
If you look closely, it’s a different face, but I thought it subtly resembled a stone statue.
A sorceress named Lelia who briefly accompanied her in the Dark Land.
And the discovery of a stone statue resembling Lelia in the ancient city of Epiax.
Those things remained strong in Ellen’s mind, so the moment she saw Elena’s picture, Ellen couldn’t help but recall the memory of that time.
“A statue? Why is there a statue of this man in the castle?”
“this person… … .”
Ellen muttered in a trembling voice, in intense shock.
“It’s a dragon… … .”
“What dog… … . No, what are you talking about?”
Perhaps she was joking about this situation, Charlotte managed to suppress her swearing.
But regardless of Charlotte’s astonishment, Ellen’s complexion was turning blue.
Relia, an unidentified sorceress who claimed to be a dragon.
A statue resembling Lelia in the old castle of Epiax.
And a picture of Elena that seems to have imitated the statue as it is.
The photos of Lelia and Elena in Ellen’s memory never seemed to be the same person.
However, when a link appeared in the middle of the statue, a kind of neutralized appearance, the only thought that came to Ellen’s mind was that.
Wizard Lelia, who followed them while hiding her true skills.
Even then, Reinhardt was with him.
Ellen has a good memory.
‘… … Wouldn’t it be nice to have one of our wizards?’
The self-proclaimed dragon mage Lelia met by chance, but Reinhardt deliberately brought her in.
“… … .”
Ellen couldn’t help but stare at Elena’s picture with her eyes wide open.
