Chapter 18 – Abduction Incident

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This is what it meant to be caught off guard.

One morning, when Mewnew was heading purposefully towards the dining hall, he was greeted by a very pale-looking Mr. Harnes.

“My-my daughter! Valette!”

“Harnes, please calm yourself.”

“She is gone!! Completely gone!”

As he was shouting and on the verge of tears, Menew made him sit down and explain the situation.

It was not as if Menew was completely calm himself. However, he felt that it would be unwise for him to fall into a panic as well right now.

After being here for three months, talking with people and learning about the culture, Menew had become better at controlling himself. There had been so much chaos when he first arrived, and so he was now stronger for it.

“First, tell me how it happened.”

“Yes, the fact is…”

As Valette woke up at the same time every morning, the maid had gone to wake her up, but there was no response.

And when she opened the door, the window was open, while the bed was empty and in disarray.

And while there were a number of footprints at the bottom of the window, they faded away shortly after.

All of the soldiers had been sent out to search for her. And the Knights Guild had been alerted as well.

Approximately two hours had passed since then

Upon receiving the news of Valette’s disappearance, Harnes went to the dining hall in his night clothes and waited for news.

(Abduction…how unusual…)

During his studies, he had learned much about the way magic worked in this world.

Magic was a phenomenon that occurred through affecting the seven elements that flowed in the world, and by delivering mana, which was fuel for the elements.

This ‘affecting’ was done through a shortened technique called ‘spells.’

Menew had the spells for all of the elements already carved into him. However, with magic you could not just memorize the spell, but had to learn the complex techniques as well.

And if you could affect the elements, it is not too difficult to discover traces of people.

And so such crimes were not wise.

The Search spell that Menew had used previously was also magic that allowed you to find someone through the elements.

For instance, if it was an insignificant crime. Magic would not be used if someone stole bread in town. Because it was not worth the mana depletion.

However, for serious crimes like abduction and murder, magic would be used immediately to trace the culprit.

As this was well known, such serious crimes were surprisingly rare.

And yet, she had been abducted and it was being investigated.

“Excuse me! …I’m sorry, but we cannot find any traces of them!”

(So they have someone who can use magic. How foolish.)

The crime rate of magicians was low. But it wasn’t nonexistent. There were some who were part of the criminal underworld, but it was unusual for one to aid in a crime just once.

In order to acquire one of the magic attributes, it was comparable to the work and money necessary to graduate university.

There were other ways.

Methods such as going to specialized schools or apprenticing under reclusive figures like sages and hermits.

However, these all took a lot of time and money.

If you committed a crime, then it would all be for nothing.

And yet some fool had still abducted Valette, in spite of these risks.

(I thought that an amateur like me had no business getting involved, but…)

The only way left now was a slow investigation on foot.

But Menew owed a great debt, and it would seem wrong to not offer help now. Besides, he couldn’t bear it.

He had no interest outside of drawing, and yet such human wishes and emotions were starting to grow inside of him.

“Bu-but… What of my daughter…!?”

“We are doing everything we can to find her!”

The guard said, and then returned to the investigation.

Harnes sunk weakly into his chair.

(…I guess I have no choice. I would have liked to have tested it first.)

Another thing he had learned after studying was regarding skills.

His skill of manifesting things was not in the book, but he had found similar skills.

Materialization, Matter Creation. These were the two skills.

With Materialization, you have to visualize a very detailed image and use a great quantity of mana in order to create something.

As for Matter Creation, by using even more mana, you had the ability to create objects from your imagination.

Materialization was better suited for large things, while Matter Creation was suited for tools.

However, both were advanced skills that you had to spend most of your life in order to learn them.

Menew’s Manifestation of All Things seemed like a combination of those two skills.

On top of that, there was Divine Beast Creation.

It had happened when he created Stan, but as he had no intention of creating a divine beast with Cheeta, it had not activated.

…Menew had been planning on leaving.

And so, he had wanted to talk about that today, and turn Cheeta into a divine beat. However, Valette and Cheeta were now gone.

“Harnes. I don’t know if it will work, but do you mind if I try something?”

Cheeta was Menew’s creation. And so Menew had ultimate control over it.

No matter how far away it was.

“Mr. Menew…”

He was clearly desperate. Harnes looked at Menew with pleading eyes.

Cheeta had been made for Valette. And its presence had not disappeared. In other words, its purpose, Valette, was not gone.

“Valette is still alive. So do not despair. Just wait here.”

And then Menew turned his back to Harnes, and ran out of the mansion.

Next Chapter

Anything Could Be Manifested Efude no Shoukanjutsushi - Kamieshi ga egaitara nandemo gugenka dekimashita- Paintbrush Summoner: When the God Artist Painted