Chapter 79 - 79 The Cause of Magic Runaway
"Erica, I'm sorry."
Ashley apologized upon seeing Erica. Erica was confused not knowing the situation and asked Ashley.
"Ashley, what do you mean?"
"It was my misunderstanding. Lord Archibalt didn't come to kill Erica, but to find the cause of the magic runaway and solve it. So, you don't need to run away."
"That's right. So Erica, come out."
Baron Warner also called out to Erica. Erica briefly thought they conspired to call her out and have Lord Archibalt attack her, but Father aside, Ashley couldn't act that way, so she believed them and opened the castle gate.
Then a boy stepped forward before her eyes.
"Nice to meet you, Lady Erica Warner. I am Steve Archibalt."
"It is an honor to meet you, Lord Archibalt. I am Erica Warner."
Erica was surprised to realize the person before her was Lord Archibalt with the Dragon Head Medal, but managed to greet him. She had heard he was a child, but he really was a child.
"Well, as your family just said, I came to stop your magic runaway, but I can't feel any such aura. Did the magic really runaway?"
Steve, a mage, can see the flow of mana. If it ran away, a certain amount of mana should be visible, but Erica showed none, and he felt no mana.
Erica honestly told him about the magic not running away against Oakley earlier.
"Until now it was like that, but actually today the magic didn't runaway against Oakley."
"Oakley?"
Steve looked at Baron Warner and Ashley at the unfamiliar name. According to pre-arranged info, Erica should have run away to the mountains alone.
"I don't know either."
"Erica, who is that?"
There, Erica introduced Prince Oakley to Steve and the others.
"In other words, a political change is about to happen in the neighboring Kingdom of Pinebay, and the First Prince there has defected."
Steve, hearing the circumstances, immediately pictured Brian, Aurora, and William looking confused.
Oakley felt awkwardness in that expression and bowed to Steve.
"It is an honor to meet Lord Archibalt, renowned for his martial valor. I apologize for dragging you into my circumstances. I would be fine if I could just meet King William. And if I can deliver this Royal Jewel and foil the Duke's plot. I will not cause trouble for you, Lord."
"Ah, it's not about trouble, but when I go out, some kind of incident happens, so I was told not to cause an incident this time either. I came just to solve Erica's magic runaway, but if I bring back such a neighboring country's family dispute, I think I'll be told various things again. Since my rumors must have spread, except for the Forest Kingdom, it's all accidental. I got dragged into war just by visiting my fiancée's home or delivering goods, and I don't choose to wage war. And this time too, I wasn't doing anything I wanted, but it turned out like this. I want Prince and Baron Warner to explain that point well to others."
Oakley's eyes widened at Steve's words. In the Kingdom of Pinebay, Steve Archibalt was said to be bellicose, starting wars with enemy countries wherever he went, but hearing the actual person's words, it was different.
Baron Warner also had mistaken Steve for being bellicose.
"Well, let's talk about Prince Oakley's story later, and first let's do the original purpose, Erica's magic runaway."
"Lord, is it possible?"
Baron Warner, remembering the original purpose, looked at Steve's face anxiously.
"To confirm that, I will ask Erica a question. Did you use magic today?"
Erica answered Steve's question.
"Yes. Since Ice Golems melt, I make new ones every day."
"Eh, you can make Golems!"
Steve's voice grew loud at the word Golem. Erica was surprised by that.
"I apologize."
"No need to apologize. Can you make one right before my eyes?"
"Yes."
Saying that, Erica made a new Ice Golem. Of course, Steve recorded it in the Work Standard Book. Just learning how to make a Golem was worth taking this job. Steve was happy he had gotten his money's worth sufficiently.
"I see. So you made a Golem like this. And, did the magic runaway while you were with Prince Oakley?"
"No. I thought it would runaway, but nothing happened to the Prince."
"What about after entering the mountain?"
"I was making a castle and making Golems, so it might not have runaway. When I was at home, sometimes walls and floors froze, but in the mountains, magic activates only when I thought to use it myself."
"I see, I see."
Steve nodded at that answer.
"Did you find something?"
Erica asked Steve anxiously.
"Probably, but, Erica, you are a constitution where mana is endlessly created and overflows."
"Mana is endlessly created and overflows?"
"Yes. People all have mana even if they are not mages. And they have a vessel to store mana. Normally when the vessel to store mana fills up, the body stops making mana, but in Erica's case, it doesn't stop there. To put it simply, it's like pouring water into a cup, and when it looks like it will overflow, you can't stop pouring, resulting in water spilling. As far as I can see now, there is no sign of mana overflowing. And since you used magic today, there is still room in the vessel."
"No way, something like that."
"When the magic ran away, did you use magic beforehand?"
"No, it ran away on days I didn't use magic at all."
"Try making a large ice in the garden every day from tomorrow. If the magic doesn't runaway with that, my assumption is correct."
"Understood."
Originally, I wanted to confirm where magic ran away, but if that can't be reproduced, assume the true cause from the situation and try verification according to it. It is the same method as countermeasures for defects.
"Well, then shall we return?"
Steve said he would return since he assumed the true cause, and Prince Oakley made a solemn face.
"Lord, the soldiers chasing me might come here again. They went back to call a mage to defeat the Ice Golem."
"Oh yeah, they crossed the border."
Steve remembered the soldiers chasing Oakley. Baron Warner also made a solemn face.
"Soldiers of a neighboring country crossing the border armed without permission can be considered an act of war. Naturally, we cannot leave it alone."
"Come to think of it, that's right."
When Steve said that, Oakley was startled.
"Lord, are you planning to invade the Kingdom of Pinebay now?"
Steve hurriedly denied that question.
"I won't do that. You are being targeted, Prince Oakley, and there are no damages other than border crossing. But, I can't leave it alone, so I thought I'd search and catch them."
Steve said that and started using wild birds to search for Pinebay Kingdom soldiers and mages from the sky. Those around were dumbfounded looking at Steve.
"Found them. Catch them a bit, take them to Lord Sowell's place and wait."
Saying that, Steve used teleportation magic to move to the Pinebay Kingdom soldiers' location. About 20 minutes after Steve before her eyes disappeared, Steve returned again.
Oakley asked Steve where he went.
"Lord, where did you go?"
"Went to catch the enemy, then transferred to Sowell Land. There were procedures so it took a little while. Ah, I thought if I saw Lord Sowell's face I'd be scolded again, so I came back without greeting."
Oakley felt awe towards Steve, who killed the lives of those who protected him in just 20 minutes, and returned unharmed. And decided that as long as Steve is here, they should avoid war with the Kingdom of Cascade no matter what.
Baron Warner called out to Steve.
"Lord, how many enemies were there?"
"Six knights and one mage. Unfortunately, they used fire attribute magic."
"Good thing you are safe."
Baron Warner didn't understand the meaning of Steve saying unfortunately, but didn't touch on it. For Steve, he thought he could learn a new magic, but it was unfortunate that it was fire attribute which already had a Work Standard Book created.
As usual, after incapacitating the soldiers with a surprise attack, I tried letting the mage attack only, but when the Fireball appeared, Steve's tension plummeted. I created a Fireball myself to cancel out with the opponent, and knocked out the stunned mage, ending the battle.
Just calmly did the work and came back.
"I'm dumping the diplomatic problem to Lord Sowell. It makes me heavy-hearted thinking about what I'll be told later."
"Only Lord would be complained about with this achievement."
Baron Warner laughed. Steve also smiled bitterly. And Erica, Ashley, and soldiers who were together also laughed along, but Oakley couldn't laugh. Because he was not a citizen of the Kingdom of Cascade.
If you have this combat power as a companion, it's reassuring, but conversely if you are hostile, it's only terror. That is the difference.
"Well, let's return this time. After sending everyone to the mansion, I'll ask Your Majesty for permission to meet."
When Steve said that, Erica looked at Oakley.
"Well, while waiting for the Lord, I'll treat you to apple jam, Prince Oakley. It's a promise."
"Thank you. I'll be in your care for a while."
When that conversation ended, Steve teleported everyone to Baron Warner's mansion, and then he teleported to the Royal Capital himself.
Oakley, who remained, was served bread with apple jam as promised.
Taking a bite, it was delicious as Erica boasted.
"Delicious."
"Right?"
Praised by Oakley, Erica showed a beaming smile.