[356] The Magic Association (2)
They hurriedly finished preparing and stepped out the door, only to find the guards lined up in a row in front of Plu. Shirone hesitated, then slipped quietly to the back of the line and stood at attention.
Maybe that was the right move—Plu glanced at Shirone and then gave the day's orders.
"This is the kingdom's repository of magic, the Magic Association. There are excellent mages working here, but that also means plenty of criminals and a high risk of terror attacks. Today, we'll guard the third floor with ironclad security that not even an ant could get through. Remember—this Association is the power of the state."
Plu scanned the guards' faces carefully, then called out.
"All right, fall out and take your posts!"
As the guards dispersed to their assigned sectors, Shirone was left alone in the corridor. Plu beckoned with a finger, then turned to him.
"You come with me. From now on, our job is patrol and facility maintenance. If you see anyone suspicious, stop and search them. If they don't have an Association-issued ID, you can arrest them on the spot."
It sounded like a lot of authority to Shirone, but at the same time it seemed unlikely someone suspicious would casually wander through the hallowed halls of the Magic Association.
As he expected, Plu's warning was mostly for show. After watching for about an hour, Shirone found there was almost nothing to do. She accepted salutes from guards, watched when a small incident happened, then continued patrolling—that was it.
'This is really easy.'
This was the cushy, secure job people meant.
Of course Shirone wasn't naive enough to think the position was easy by accident; it was because generations of capable mages had held this post before him.
Then a lamp in the ceiling began to rotate and flashed red. A siren wailed for three seconds before someone cut the device off and the noise stopped abruptly.
Shirone, tense, looked around. Plu, however, stopped as if she weren't worried at all and waited for someone.
A guard came running around the corridor corner. His expression wasn't particularly urgent either.
"Sir, Head of Security."
"What happened? The siren went off."
"Well… the circuit board in the mana control device overheated and the internal wiring burned out. I've already contacted the maintenance team."
Most areas of the Magic Association restrict mana through mana control devices. There was a known technical limit—devices couldn't hold back a second-rank great mage—but they were effective at preventing most terror attacks and reducing casualties when clashes among staff occurred.
"Hmph, it's been acting up a lot. Hey, come with me. Let's go take a look."
They followed Plu to the engine room, where alchemists and mages were tearing walls apart and hard at work.
Shirone examined the mana control device's circuit board with interest. Although the technology had been adopted into System 2000 at the Magic Academy, this was the first time he'd seen an internal circuit.
As expected, it condensed the essence of precise magical engineering. Even though Shirone was now in his final year, he still couldn't fully analyze the circuitry.
Plu approached where the maintenance crew were working and asked, "How are things? Think it can be fixed?"
"Ah, Plu. This will take some time. The board's completely burned out. Come to think of it, this is the third time this year. I think the auxiliary regulator is faulty; we'll probably have to remove the whole unit."
Plu frowned deeply at the fact that the mana control for her assigned third floor wasn't functioning properly.
"I've already submitted a request to the higher-ups. They'll likely replace it in this quarter's maintenance cycle, but can't we do something temporary in the meantime?"
No matter how robust the Magic Association, gaps couldn't be tolerated. A broken mana control device meant a serious hole in third-floor security; it wasn't something to brush off.
"If we repair it, it'll last another month. But the Mutol melted and the Jaines unit needs replacing. Those aren't stocked as standard items, so the Association has no spares. We'll have to requisition them."
"Hmm, but if we requisition them, it'll take too long…"
Plu bit her nail and fell into thought.
The mana control device was a security matter under her purview. Normally even nonstandard items had some stock, but on the eighteenth floor the first to use something got priority.
Plu looked at Shirone. She had watched his face study the board with a vacant expression for a long time, then finally made up her mind and spoke.
"Hey, you."
"Yes? Me?"
She beckoned with a finger. When Shirone approached, she drew him to a corner of the engine room and spoke in a low voice so the maintenance team wouldn't overhear.
"Run me an errand."
"An errand…?"
"Take a carriage to Gold Street. If you turn right at the central fountain, you'll find Akim Alchemy Shop right away. It's a designated supplier for the Association. Go in and get a few things."
Plu pulled a notepad from her inner pocket and listed item names one after another. She tore the paper with a snap and handed it to Shirone.
Shirone read the unfamiliar item names on the slip one by one. It was a simple errand, but he wasn't familiar with this sort of thing and felt a little anxious.
"All right, I'll go. How do I pay?"
"You don't have to pay. The Association will handle it in a single payment at the end of the month. Just show them this."
Plu handed Shirone the staff ID she wore around her neck. A serial number was printed on it, and beside the name Ravid Plu the rank "Certified Grade 8" was stamped in the same color.
The photo was from two years ago when she'd just been hired—she wore oversized round glasses in it and bore little resemblance to how she looked now.
Plu's face flushed as she glared and snapped, "Hey! What are you staring at someone else's photo like that? Put it away, now!"
"Ah, sorry."
Shirone quickly tucked the staff ID into his inner pocket.
Some photos could be a woman's worst nightmare, and Plu regretted it too. But the damage was already done.
'Ah, damn. I should've changed it earlier.'
She'd thought of replacing the photo before, but the day-to-day work swallowed her time and she simply forgot.
Embarrassed, Plu cleared her throat and smoothed Shirone's clothing.
"Anyway, go and come back safe. Don't show off by wearing it conspicuously—keep it in your pocket. The Association staff ID isn't something anyone can just wear."
Shirone knew how important the Magic Association staff ID was.
With that same-color staff ID alone, over 90 percent of the kingdom's official institutions opened to you, and more than 60 percent of the facilities under the Red Line's jurisdiction were freely accessible. It granted the holder arrest and prosecution authority over all classes except the royal family within specific areas, and allowed, during internal inspections and with cooperation from state institutions, unrestricted use of wiretapping, eavesdropping, infiltration, special operations, and special missions.
Outwardly it looked like an ordinary plastic card, but inside it housed quantum-encrypted codes, making duplication impossible.
Holding a card with such authority felt heavy in his pocket. Shirone checked the ID again, nodded, and said, "Okay. I'll be careful."
He left the Magic Association and set off. It was a chance to ride the elevator he had dreamed of, but because he was nervous about the unfamiliar errand he took the familiar stairs instead.
When he arrived by carriage at Gold Street, shops spread out in concentric rings. Roads branched in eight directions, and each district specialized in different wares.
A sign at the center read "Alchemy Street." Shirone turned right where the arrow pointed and found a building that looked five times the size of an ordinary storefront.
'This is it—Akim Alchemy Shop.'
Inside, eight rows of shelves stretching twenty meters each spread out. No two items on the shelves were the same; even Shirone, a student of the Magic Academy, didn't recognize the purpose of most of them.
'Nade would've gone crazy if he saw this. I should come back with him after graduation.'
The counter stood farthest from the entrance. There were about twenty customers, and in a corner several alchemists sat on mats, spreading out dozens of items to inspect.
A young man with a sharp, intelligent look manned the counter. He was reading a book titled "Intermediate Transmutation," so he seemed to be an alchemist or an apprentice.
"Excuse me, I have a question."
When Shirone approached, the man closed his book and stood.
"Yes, what are you looking for?"
"I'm from the Magic Association. Do you have these items?"
Shirone put Plu's note down on the counter and handed it over. Judging by the kinds and quantities, there was no way to explain them all.
The man skimmed the list and quickly understood.
"Sounds like the mana control device overheated. I'll get them for you. Could I see an ID? Association purchases are paid at month's end."
"Oh, yes. Here."
Shirone took out Plu's staff ID.
The man stepped under the counter and scanned the card on the recognition device. A beep and an approval indicator flashed. He returned the card to Shirone and said, "All right, verified. Please wait a moment."
He grabbed a thin iron case and moved through the aisles, filling it with items. Some alchemical materials required careful handling and couldn't just be tossed anywhere.
While he waited, Shirone snapped his fingers and hummed, looking around. Turning toward the alchemy books, two figures in black hoods quickly turned their heads.
'Huh? Why are they hooded? Are they mages too?'
Shirone watched a little longer, but the two showed no other unusual behavior. They pretended to look for items and slipped past the opposite shelf.
Avoiding Shirone's gaze, they moved into an empty corner. The man on the right whispered in a low voice.
"Damn, they're from the Magic Association. What do we do? We shouldn't carry this out here."
"Risk comes with finishing a revolution. Let's just do it here."
"But if we fail, our brothers die. Don't—let's move. Go to the Gold Tower. We set up an infiltration route there for times like this."
"Tch. Can't help it. That place was meant to be saved for last."
The hooded pair quietly left the alchemy shop.
Shirone waited about five minutes at the counter. The man returned and placed the iron case on the counter. There were many different things inside, but they were surprisingly small and not heavy.
"Here are the items. We can deliver, but it'll arrive after five. If it's urgent you can take them now."
"I'll take them now. They don't look too heavy."
"Please handle them with care—some items are sensitive to shock."
"All right, I'll be careful."
Cradling the case like a newborn, Shirone left the shop. He didn't know how careful he needed to be, so he walked as cautiously as possible.
Once on the main road, he looked around for his carriage.
Then, from a block over, there was a loud bang. The ground jolted, and a tide of terrified screams surged like a wave.
"What was that?"
People from the maze of alleys poured into the main street. Those in the lead wore frightened faces; their pupils half-dilated, still holding the shock from moments before.
"It's a terror attack! Gold City has exploded!"
"A terror attack?"
Shirone looked up at the sky where smoke was rising.
A terror attack in the kingdom's capital of Bashka—he couldn't even imagine it.
Civilians reacted in various ways. Most of them scowled toward the Gold Tower, but those busy with work cursed and hurried on.