Water Magician-Chapter 636: Aftermath

Editor: Tseirp

“Ugh…”

“Ryo!”

A familiar voice pierced Ryo’s ears.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the speaker.

“Abel… where is this?”

Ryo checked Abel, then looked around to assess the situation.

He seemed to be lying on a bed.

When he touched his stomach with his hand, the wound was closed… someone must have cast

or the like.

With so many national leaders gathered here, there were probably high-level healers among their attendants.

The room where Ryo lay looked like a school infirmary.

“This is the medical room inside the Supreme Council.”

“Oh—no wonder.”

Ryo hadn’t been wrong to think it resembled a school infirmary.

“After the sounds of battle stopped and no one came out, we went back to the conference room and found Duke Helb frozen in ice and you lying on the floor.”

“Right! What about Duke Helb? Is the ice preservation being maintained properly?”

“He’s fine.”

“His right hand from the wrist and the sword… he said it’s the Holy Sword Tatien — what happened to those?”

“Right hand? There was no sword either.”

“What…?”

Ryo distinctly remembered cutting off Duke Helb’s right wrist.

The wrist and the sword had fallen to the floor… and now they were gone?

It felt a little strange, but for the moment it wasn’t a major problem… he thought.

Probably.

After that, many of the leaders visited the medical room and thanked Ryo.

They didn’t want him to overexert himself, so they left quickly.

The last to enter was Zlurma of the Duchy of Atinjo.

Formerly a second secretary.

Now apparently promoted to Undersecretary in the foreign affairs office.

“Ryo-dono, thank you for stopping Duke Helb.”

Zlurma bowed deeply.

The gratitude was sincere.

From the first time Ryo and Abel met him, they’d mostly just been yelled at, but they didn’t have a bad impression of Zlurma.

With the Grand Duke of Atinjo dead and Duke Helb frozen, Zlurma was apparently the acting head of the Atinjo diplomatic delegation.

“We’d like to bring His Grace… Duke Helb, back to the capital. Will you cooperate?”

“Of course.”

Ryo nodded without hesitation.

Then Ryo asked the question that had been gnawing at him.

“It may not be our place to interfere, but… with the Grand Duke deceased and the Duke’s younger brother incapacitated, who will inherit the grand ducal throne?”

“If anything happens to the Grand Duke, it has already been decided that Prince Bashu will succeed to the grand ducal seat.”

“Ah, that’s a relief.”

As expected, the Grand Duchy of Atinjo had already taken measures.

Zlurma said more detailed arrangements would be handled later and left the medical room.

Only Ryo and Abel were left.

Abel had noticed.

Ryo’s expression had remained tight for some time.

Of course, Abel understood why.

“It’s not your fault, Ryo.”

“Huh?”

“You must be worrying about having had to freeze Duke Helb, right?”

Abel’s tone in moments like this was gentle.

He understood Ryo’s anguish.

“You were told to end his life, but you stopped him without killing him.”

“But… I can’t help thinking I could’ve done it better.”

Ryo understood what Abel meant.

In his head, at least.

But the heart cannot be deceived.

“For example, couldn’t I have sealed the Phantom King like I sealed the Djinn using alchemy…?”

“I see.”

Abel’s understanding deepened when Ryo spoke concretely.

He regretted not having trained his alchemy further.

“Kenneth and Frank de Verde collaborated to make an alchemy device to seal a Djinn and brought it to the battlefield.”

“Those two!? They’re arguably the pinnacle of modern alchemists.” 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

“They tried to strip away the Djinn’s power and create an ideal containment… but in the end, they couldn’t seal it.”

“Unbelievable…”

“Even they couldn’t do it. Sealing a powerful being is truly difficult.”

Abel shook his head slightly.

Ryo nodded wordlessly.

In other words, those who sealed the Djinns centuries ago were exceptional.

Legends attribute it to King Richard… perhaps sealing such beings truly requires alchemists praised in legend.

“The path of alchemy stretches far and wide.”

“That it does.”

They both sighed softly.

After a while, Ryo spoke quietly.

“I don’t know when it will be… but I will defeat the Phantom King.”

“Because if you defeat the Phantom King, Duke Helb won’t be possessed anymore?”

“Yes. I can’t free him while that remains unresolved. Even now, it’s more likely he’s still possessed.”

“True.”

Abel nodded at Ryo’s words.

“Cut off his head and pierce his heart.”

“There may be a way to free him without killing him.”

“Hm? Free Duke Helb without killing the Phantom King? Is that even possible?”

“Persuasion.”

“…Huh?”

Abel made a bizarre, incredulous sound.

“After subduing the Phantom King, instead of taking his life, I will speak to him at length.”

“Explain the foolishness of conflict, the terror of violence, and the absurdity of Abel’s own unreasonable-ness…”

“You said it first…”

Ryo was dumbstruck; Abel had beaten him to the line.

“People aren’t so gullible that the same trick works over and over.”

“Astonishing… Abel the Joke-Crusher.”

“I don’t like that nickname.”

They laughed.

Ryo had saved Abel’s life several times up until now.

He understood as well.

That his own heart had been saved many times by Abel.

Like now, again and again…

The next day.

The Eastern Countries Joint Conference concluded, and the delegations departed the autonomous city of Kwebasa.

Ryo and Abel accompanied Duke Helb, frozen in ice, to the Duchy of Atinjo’s capital, Campho.

Along with Zlurma leading the Atinjo diplomatic delegation.

They had permission from Prince Ryun of Darwei.

They were also permitted to use the public vessel Tenth Ship as transport back to Darwei after the mission.

Ryo had declined, but when asked earnestly not only by Prince Ryun but also by Princess Shio Fen, he couldn’t refuse.

The tenth ship’s captain, La Wu, smiled and agreed.

The Tenth Ship would be sailed to the Atinjo port town of Hoi An.

After finishing their duties in the capital Campho, Ryo and Abel would move to the port town of Hoi An and board the Tenth Ship there to return to the imperial capital Hanlin.

Bidding farewell for a reunion at a later date, the two parted from Prince Ryun, Princess Shio Fen, and the Darwei diplomatic corps.

They could not imagine what had happened back in Darwei…

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