"This is probably the Water Magister's last resort for escape."
"For an ordinary Magic Knight, he would indeed be a formidable opponent. Unfortunately, he met me."
Ryoma chased him all the way into the forest outside the village and finally saw the stream of water ahead.
Wherever he passed, a thin layer of frost instantly spread across the ground. As if alive, it precisely pursued the puddle of water, constantly sealing and compressing the guy's escape route.
Zzz… Zzz-la…
The moment the water stream touched the frost, a sound of freezing instantly erupted.
The fleeing Water Magister felt an extreme chill emanating from every part of his body, and his flowing speed drastically slowed.
He panicked as he could feel Ryoma's mana getting closer and closer.
"Don't… don't come any closer!"
Disjointed, fear-filled thought waves emanated from the stream.
He tried to reform into human shape and cast magic to resist, but found that his mana was frozen and stagnant the moment it touched the chill, completely unable to be mobilized.
Ryoma appeared before him like a ghost, blocking his path.
"It's over."
No unnecessary words.
Ryoma simply raised his hand lightly.
Eternal Frost Thorns!
Puff... Puff...
Countless sharp ice thorns burst from the ground, instantly piercing through and pinning the puddle of water, which had just begun to condense into human form, to the spot.
Above the ice thorns, an extreme cold burst forth, transforming the puddle of water, along with the vitality it contained, into a lifeless ice sculpture.
Confirming that the opponent was undeniably dead, Ryoma finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Good.
At least no one was left alive.
He wasn't sure when Heath would activate that suicide magic.
After cleaning up the surroundings and ensuring no traces were left, Ryoma slowly walked towards the village.
As for that magic stone...
Ryoma shook his head, no need to think about it.
Nero was much faster than him. The magic stone was probably already in her hands by now.
Never mind, that thing isn't something he can study right now. If there's a chance later, he'll find an opportunity to take a look at it...
When Ryoma stepped back into the square, a strange chill permeated the air. He looked up and saw a scene that made his pupils contract.
"The end has come."
Heath, bound by the flame rope, had a final flicker of madness and determination in his eyes.
A terrifying chill, far exceeding his own limits, erupted from his body.
Crack! Crack!
Ice-blue crystals, centered on him, instantly spread outwards.
Not only he himself, but also the two unconscious accomplices next to him, were instantly engulfed by this chill.
The three of them, in the blink of an eye, turned into three crystal-clear ice sculptures.
Immediately after—
Bang!
The three ice sculptures shattered without warning, turning into a sky full of flying ice powder.
The three grimoires they left on the ground lost the magical support of their masters. Their pages began to decompose, turning into specks of light, slowly dissipating into the air.
"Damn it!!!"
Magna watched this scene, furious, and punched the ground.
"These bastards! They'd rather die than reveal a single piece of information!"
All clues were completely cut off just like that.
Who were they? Where did they come from? Why did they attack this village? Why did they steal that stone?
Everything vanished into thin air with their deaths.
Ryoma quietly watched the dissipating grimoires, lost in thought.
Grimoires…
Are they physical books, or are they some kind of energy materialized from the combination of magic and soul?
Why do grimoires disappear when people die?
As a transmigrator, he understood the plot better than anyone else in this world, but precisely because of this, he was even more curious about some of the underlying rules of this world.
Just then, Magna noticed Ryoma, who had just walked back.
Seeing only Ryoma, the anger on his face turned into a hint of confusion.
"Ryoma! You're back! Where's that guy?" Magna stood up and asked eagerly.
"Did he get away?"
Hearing Magna's words, Ryoma snapped out of his contemplation and calmly shook his head.
"Like these guys."
His tone was completely unruffled.
"Seeing he couldn't escape, he committed suicide."
"What?!"
Magna's face grew even uglier.
All four of them ended their lives by suicide, leaving no one alive. The strictness and cruelty of the organization behind this sent shivers down his spine.
However, after his anger, Magna took a deep breath, stepped forward, and patted Ryoma on the shoulder.
His eyes were filled with sincere gratitude. "Anyway, Ryoma, thank you so much this time."
"If it weren't for you, the old man…"
Magna didn't say any more, but he had firmly remembered that kindness.
"It was nothing." Ryoma said indifferently.
For him, saving Seihi was just a matter of convenience.
"Damn it! Just thinking about these guys makes my blood boil!" Magna irritably ruffled his hair.
In the end, he could only vent his anger on the wild boars, dragging back the several wild boars he had previously left behind.
To express their gratitude for saving their lives, the villagers spontaneously organized a grand wild boar feast for Ryoma and his companions, using the freshest ingredients.
A bonfire was lit in the square, and the aroma of roasted meat filled the air.
The villagers' faces once again showed the smiles of survivors.
Children gathered around Asta and Magna, listening to them boast about their heroic battle.
Noelle was pulled along by the little girl who had called for her help, a hint of shyness on her face, but she patiently played with her.
Ryoma, meanwhile, found a quiet corner and silently watched it all.
Just as the feast was in full swing—
A special anti-bird appeared before everyone, carrying a stone in its beak.
That guardian stone, brought back by Seihi, or more accurately, should be called a magic stone.
Asta, hearing it was such an important item, eagerly tried to snatch it from its mouth, but failed.
Seihi, who was about to rest, saw this scene, first startled, then showed a gentle smile.
He reached out, wanting to pet it. But the anti-bird deftly dodged him.
Seihi didn't mind, looking at the stone and the anti-bird.
"This time, the village was saved thanks to all of you. This stone is useless to an old man like me, so please accept it as a token of my gratitude."
...
Ryoma and his group returned to the Black Bulls' base overnight.
In the base's main hall, Yami was sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed, listening to Magna and Asta's exaggerated report of the mission.
The four handed over the only remaining item from the enemies, a pocket watch.
Finral and Vanessa were sent to the Magic Appraisal Department to see if they could find any clues.