How to Live as a Hero in a Magical World (48)
Settling Accounts Is Fun
It was a clean break that Pett hadn't expected.
"I'm requesting termination of the request due to identity fraud by the client and the discovery of a double contract."
Identity fraud and a double contract.
He had tried to deceive merchants.
There was no way the price would be small.
Only then did Pett wipe the drool from his mouth and look at Kaian.
"M-Mister Reaper..."
He put on the most pitiful expression he could manage.
But it was already too late.
The employee at the information desk placed her hand on the crystal orb and recorded the conversation.
"Thank you for informing us."
She continued politely.
"We will temporarily isolate this space so that we can hear the details."
"If you feel nauseous or uncomfortable at any point, please tell me immediately."
Then she pulled a wand from her waist.
Swish.
The movement was perfectly clean.
Not a single unnecessary motion.
Kaian admired it.
No matter how many times I see it, it's so neat.
The stance a mage took when using magic was called their casting posture.
Its style varied enormously depending on the mage's personality.
But the casting postures of Saint Dust employees all resembled the woman standing before him.
It felt almost ceremonial.
Like swordsmanship or a formal tea ceremony.
It was very different from Kaian's own style, which favored slightly flashy but highly efficient magic.
Maybe it's because she uses a wand.
Kaian didn't use a wand when casting.
Partly because Eldarin had taught him to use his own body.
And partly because Kaian himself thought it was better.
It's the fastest and most efficient.
Most mages, however, used wands.
A wand was custom-made according to the distance between the user's wrist and elbow.
The feeling changed greatly depending on its material.
Wood?
Metal?
A combination of both?
If wood, then what kind?
Oak?
Paulownia?
Ash?
Ebony?
That employee's wand is willow.
The possible materials were almost endless.
But their purpose was generally the same.
They use it to stabilize mana control.
For Kaian, a wand was almost useless.
His left hand would be far more useful.
But I'd like to own a few staffs someday.
Unlike a wand, a staff wasn't meant to stabilize magic.
A staff existed to push a mage's powerful mana farther and harder.
That was why even obtaining the basic materials required enormous effort.
The mage had to personally find a mana stone capable of enduring their mana waves.
They also had to find a craftsman whose soul felt compatible with theirs.
That must take an unbelievable amount of time and money.
Kaian was about to sigh when the receptionist drew a semicircle in the air with her wand.
"[Gentle Veil, Be Polite.]"
A soft green light spread along the semicircle.
Shhhhh...
The light soon formed a hemisphere around the employee, Kaian, and Pett.
Kaian was impressed again.
This really is strange.
How can magic feel this natural?
Normally, when someone else used magic, there was an instinctive sense of danger.
That person's about to do something.
Or...
The mana around me is moving.
But Saint Dust employees were different.
I don't feel threatened at all.
The employee had pulled out a wand directly in front of Kaian.
She had spoken an incantation.
She had even visibly activated the isolation spell with bright green light.
Yet Kaian hadn't felt even a trace of caution.
When I really think about it, that's terrifying.
It wasn't a style of magic Kaian particularly liked.
I'd rather cast faster than my opponent can even notice something feels wrong...
Still, every Saint Dust employee used magic in this way.
As a private hotel, their policy was apparently to never make their guests uncomfortable.
That's probably why even drunken fights almost never happen here.
It really is a comfortable place to rest.
They didn't suppress people with force.
They calmed them with comfort.
It sounded simple.
Actually accomplishing it must've required enormous effort.
Who exactly owns this place?
The owner of the northern entrance remained surrounded in mystery.
The only thing anyone knew was that she was a "beautiful Madam."
Nothing else circulated as rumor.
If there aren't even rumors, that means she's controlling the rumors themselves.
Kaian sincerely hoped he'd never become involved with that mysterious Madam.
She was probably both an incredibly skilled mage and a terrifying businesswoman.
He had no desire to become part of the capital behind her success.
I'd be lucky if I only became capital.
If I became an obstacle, I'd probably disappear without anyone hearing a thing.
Kaian shivered.
The employee briefly checked his expression, then continued.
"People outside the [Gentle Veil] cannot see or hear us."
"Because perception interference magic is active, even anyone passing nearby won't think anything unusual is happening."
"If you aren't experiencing any discomfort, may we continue?"
Kaian smiled gently and nodded.
"Thank you."
The employee continued.
"Have you identified the client's true identity?"
"If you've only confirmed the impersonation but not the client's original identity, ⟨Saint Dust⟩ can assist with identification."
It was extremely polite.
Yet Pett immediately noticed the violence hidden beneath those words.
His face turned pale.
Identify me? How exactly are they going to identify me...?
Fortunately, Kaian already knew who Pett was.
Using [Quick Draw], he pulled out Marius's identification card and Pett's wanted poster.
Whoosh!
"The person who originally requested the transaction was Marius Sterling, the man shown on this identification card."
Kaian handed them over.
"But during the journey, I discovered that this man had changed his appearance using a magical tool."
He pointed to Pett.
"His real identity is the wanted criminal known as Sewer Rat Pett."
Kaian deliberately didn't mention the Artifact.
Later, Saint Dust or the Silvaris Federation might try to verify his testimony.
But with [Intention] magic placed on Pett, it would be difficult to uncover the full truth anyway.
The employee recorded the information in the crystal orb, then nodded.
"We will verify the truth of your statement and assist with ending the request."
"If no major issue is discovered, the request will automatically be terminated without requiring another visit."
"Please keep that in mind."
Then, even without Kaian asking, she brought up something he would likely need.
"If the client is confirmed to be a wanted criminal, he will need to be transferred to Silvaris."
