The Abandoned White Magician’s Tea Life - Chapter 68 : Rescue Operation
Translator: Sunnyshies
[unedited]
Chapter 68 : Rescue Operation
For almost a full day, Yugo continued to fly.
Leonardo was concerned about Yugo’s condition, but he would not listen to him in his current state in any way. He occasionally landed so that Leonardo could eat portable food and do his business, but all the while Yugo remained in his dragon form, staring at the western sky, and as soon as Leonardo returned, he soared back into the sky.
He just flew westward―― and at dusk, he could already see the shadow of the capital city of Kyros, which Leonardo had visited about four years ago, and which he had a connection with.
“…indeed, we can’t just go into the castle like this. Yugo! Strategy meeting!”
Although he felt bad, he patted Yugo on the back. Then Yugo roared deeply and lost altitude, landing in the woods.
After landing, and snapping the trees around in the process, Leonardo got off his back, and in a flash, Yugo’s body shrank and a naked boy plopped down.
“…o-oi, Yugo?!”
“…don’t worry. I’m just a little tired.”
Yugo picked himself up, and said in his usual pompous tone, but his lips were pursed tightly, and his body was limp. It was obvious that he had flown very recklessly, and Leonardo certainly glared at Yugo.
“I know you’re worried about Amalia-san, but don’t do anything rash! If you fall, it would be obvious that Amalia-san would be sad!”
“…hmm, why are you preaching to me….well, you have a point. But I realized that my mom would be in danger if I didn’t do what I was doing. Forgive me.”
Leonardo bit his lip and asked the question as gently as possible.
“…have you sensed anything about Amalia-san?”
“Hmm…it’s difficult to explain in words, but she was upset. I think my mom might have been attacked by that fvcking kid, so I can’t help it.”
“You said attack…Amalia-san was kidnapped for her abilities, right? And yet, if Amalia-san dies or something…”
“I don’t know. But if they knew my mom wasn’t worth it, they’d at least try to eliminate her.”
Yugo ruffled his hair and glared resentfully at the distant city of Kyros.
“…those kids have abandoned my mom once. What happens once can happen twice…okay, I’m starting to get a little clear-headed. Let’s go when the sun comes up, Leonardo.”
“Hold on. It would take quite a while before Bruno-san and the others arrive. It’s not right for us to go into the castle by ourselves.”
“I told you, I’m not going to take my time…Leonardo, you know your way around the castle, don’t you? If so, you will have to go into the castle by yourself and search for my mom.”
At the word “alone,” Leonardo raised his eyebrows and gripped Yugo’s shoulder.
“…hey, no way, you――”
Yugo was unmoved. He just shook his head, while smiling, staying strong.
“Its exactly as you think…by the way, Light Dragon is said to be the strongest species. And when the creature that they were supposed to have defeated appeared in the Royal Capital―― how do you think they’ll react?”
…
…
…
On the outskirts of the Royal Capital, he camped out with Yugo in the woods. The next morning, after the “preparation”.
Leonardo was in front of the main gate of the castle of Kyros.
He has a large cloak over his armor, so he should look like a traveling merchant. Although he was wearing a sword belt, in this day and age, a merchant would not be blamed for carrying a sword for protection.
About four years ago, Leonardo rode alone to the Castle of Kyros and met with Alphonse and Esmeralda. He recalled that he was so angry at the way they spoke to him, that he angrily asked himself if he could still come back to such a place again.
He never thought that he would come back there again only four years later.
He glanced toward the gate. Naturally, the security is strong, and no matter how nimble Leonardo is, he is not going to be able to sneak in with ease. Four years ago, he could use his identification card, but now it would be a bad idea to reveal that he was an acquaintance of Amalia’s.
Leaning against the wall, he crouched down. Acting as if he were a merchant waiting for someone, he waited patiently under their breath for a while.
A black shadow quickly descended on the main street where people were passing by. It moved smoothly, blocking out the winter sunlight, and when the people looked up at the sky, they were stunned.
The golden figure against the blue sky is unmistakably a dragon. It is a light dragon, the most powerful species that can use rare light magic, and even its appearance is said to be rare.
“A dragon! A dragon flew by!”
“That color, it can’t be a light dragon!”
“Why is that thing in Kyros?”
While the people in the downtown area were in an uproar and frightened by the dragon that flew in without warning, the dragon was flying in the sky without hesitation.
And when he reached the sky above the castle, he stopped in mid-air, flapping his wings, and opened his mouth in a flash――
Cue in!
A ray of light from the dragon’s mouth shot out and blew away the castle’s walls.
There was a roar and people screamed. Leonardo stared wide-eyed as the dismantled walls turned to rubble and flew through the air.
Yugo also had no intention of killing innocents, so his first attack hit the nearly empty castle walls. But having received it, the castle would quickly become a war zone, and would probably mobilize the troops to confront the golden dragon.
――Leonardo pulled his hood up over his head deeply and headed toward the castle gate. When he looked at the situation earlier, there were more than ten soldiers on the other side of the drawbridge spanning across the moat, but the appearance of the light dragon has completely disrupted the situation. If it were a normal defensive battle, the drawbridge would have been raised, but the gatekeepers seemed to be on edge because of the attack from the sky.
Leonardo crossed the drawbridge with his hand on the hilt of his sword. “Hey, what the hell are you doing? Stop!” He was stopped by a voice, but he turned deaf ear and ran into the garden.
The gardens were crowded with soldiers on their way to defeat Yugo. Black magicians were out in the garden, reaching their hands toward the sky. Once Yugo, who is now at a distance from the castle, appears, they intend to shoot him down with their black magic.
…Yugo is not weak enough to be shot down by the magic of just a few black magicians.
However, Yugo, who is smaller than an adult and whose fighting ability is declining due to the winter climate, cannot continue this diversionary strategy forever.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Leonardo went around to the back of the castle. As expected, the servants seemed to have evacuated through the back door, and the maids and servants in their underclothes were grouped together and on the street.
…with this outfit, it would be possible to blend in by pretending to be a peddler.
“I-I’m sorry! Which way should I run?!”
When Leonardo, posing as a merchant, asked a nearby maid, she turned pale and shook her head shakily.
“We don’t know either! His Majesty is eager to intercept the light dragon, but we can only tell him to run away…”
“Is that so…”
It is good that he is a brave and daring king, but it must be hard on the people who are not respected.
Thanking the maid, Leonardo then caught a boy who appeared to be a servant in the kitchen and asked him the same question.
“I want to know too! I heard that His Highness Prince Alphonse and the others will fight back, but since the dragon flies, you never know where it will attack from…”
“Is His Highness Alphonse…anywhere to be found?”
When Leonardo asked for the name of the person who was probably the main suspect in Amalia’s kidnapping, the boy pointed west with a trembling finger.
“T-there is a detached palace over there. Your Highness usually lives there, so I’m sure he’s preparing for battle there!”
“Will His Highness…be able to slay the light dragon?”
“Well, didn’t His Highness defeat the light dragon ten years ago? If so, then this time, it’s an easy victory! That’s why we just have to run away, right?! Ah, already! Why is this happening?!”
Leonardo looked over at the boy who had just run off and turned himself around.
Leonardo knew that Alphonse did not have the support of the people of Kyros. But he guessed that they all believe, in a manner of speaking, that he slayed the golden dragon―― Yugo ―― ten years ago.
Leonardo looked up at Yugo, who circled in the air and dodged a flurry of fire magic fired by the black magician, and then ran along the path to the detached palace.