Seeing Anna act so rashly, Captain Watson rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
New recruits really were hard to handle.
The moment Anna raised her hand, Matthew had already used the models within his mindscape to rapidly condense runes.
A translucent, circular barrier appeared in front of him, deflecting the incoming vine.
Matthew had used Protego.
However, he had disguised it as runic magic.
He had no intention of revealing magic from another system in front of these two wizards. While outwardly forming runes with his magic, he had actually cast a nonverbal Protego.
The spells he knew operated on an entirely different principle from runic magic—if he used them openly, it would be easy to expose the inconsistency.
Now that he had mastered meditation, rune condensation no longer took much time.
He could simultaneously condense runes while casting spells silently.
Of course, he couldn't perform every spell nonverbally yet—advanced spells like the Killing Curse or Fiendfyre were still beyond him in that regard.
As for the wand in his hand, he wasn't worried about exposing it.
From Chris's memories, he already knew that wizards in this world used all kinds of strange weapons. A simple wooden wand wouldn't attract attention.
...
After being deflected, the vine coiled stubbornly around the outer layer of the barrier, attempting to crush it.
Matthew reacted instantly.
With a flick of his wand, a sharp, transparent wind blade sliced through the vine, cutting it apart.
Anna, having just cast her vine spell, immediately began preparing her next spell. Twenty-two runes formed rapidly in her hands—she was about to cast a Greater Petrification Spell to restrain Matthew.
But Matthew didn't give her the chance.
The moment he severed the vine, he cast a Transfiguration spell at her feet.
They were standing on frozen river ice.
The ice beneath Anna's feet instantly turned into water—
—and she fell straight into the river.
Captain Watson's gaze sharpened.
Anna was a Second-Rank Wizard Apprentice, yet she had been suppressed almost immediately.
The wizard before him cast spells with astonishing speed and possessed sharp combat instincts. Every move was perfectly timed.
There was no way he was merely a First-Rank Apprentice.
More likely, he had learned some method to disguise the state of his mindscape.
Watson drew the longsword at his waist.
He himself was a Third-Rank Wizard Apprentice, and had undergone two bloodline enhancements, making him a close-combat-oriented wizard.
At that moment, a voice called out from the riverbank:
"Link! Why are you fighting Sir Matthew?!"
Link Watson froze for a moment and turned toward the bank.
"Chris? When did you come to White Stone Town?"
Chris was his cousin—Chris's grandfather and Link's grandfather were brothers.
"Just yesterday," Chris replied. "Sir Matthew came with us to White Stone Town. We even ran into danger along the way—he saved both me and Tina. He's our benefactor."
Chris stepped forward.
"Is there some kind of misunderstanding between you?"
Anna climbed back onto the ice, drenched from head to toe. Her lips had turned slightly purple from the cold, and she trembled uncontrollably.
"I see… then we've made a mistake," Link said, sheathing his sword.
He removed his coat and draped it over Anna.
"The night watchman went missing last night. We were trying to bring Mr. Matthew in for questioning."
Link took out a sapphire from his pocket.
"Mr. Matthew, I sincerely apologize. Anna is a new investigator—I apologize for her impulsiveness."
He handed over the gemstone.
"This is a token of apology. It contains a Mage Armor spell. Once activated, it can block a single attack below the level of a full wizard."
Matthew accepted the sapphire.
Link's attitude was sincere, and Matthew still intended to use him as a bridge into this world's wizarding circles.
Chris asked, "If you're back in White Stone Town, why aren't you staying in Great-Uncle's house?"
Link explained, "I'm staying at Anna's place."
Anna was also from White Stone Town, and they were fellow townsfolk. Back in the capital, Link had taken good care of her.
He continued:
"We came back this time to investigate our grandfather's disappearance.
"The situation is complicated. After leaving his will behind, he left the capital.
"Following some clues, we tracked him to White Stone Town. His destination was the Winter Forest.
"He was already quite old, and his strength had declined significantly over the past two years. Knowing this, he recruited several helpers here before entering the forest.
"But in the end… only one person returned."
Chris's face filled with shock.
"Disappeared? But your letter said Great-Uncle had passed away."
Link's expression turned somber.
"That's what was written in his will. He also said the house in White Stone Town would be left to you."
Chris's eyes reddened.
His grandfather had been the elder brother of Old Watson. After his own grandfather and father passed away, Old Watson had often looked after him.
And now…
He had left him the house.
"Did you find any clues?" Chris asked.
Link shook his head.
"Not long after, the one who returned also disappeared—vanished from his own home without leaving a single trace."
He paused before adding,
"The night watchman's disappearance last night is equally strange. There were no signs at the scene. I suspect these two incidents are connected."
Chris fell silent, his expression dim.
Just last night, the watchman had been chatting with him—saying he'd head to the tavern for a drink after his shift.
And now he was gone.
In this world, ordinary people had little sense of security.
Fortunately, Tina had magical talent. Old Watson had once promised to send her to the Northern United Wizarding Academy in the capital when she turned ten.
But now…
Even a formal wizard like Old Watson had vanished without a trace, his fate unknown.
"If you find anything suspicious, come to the town hall and report it," Link said.
Seeing Anna shivering from the cold, he didn't linger.
He and Anna had come to White Stone Town on a patrol assignment, and usually stayed at the town hall in the center of town.
...
After they left, Matthew reminded Chris,
"White Stone Town doesn't seem particularly safe either. Be careful—you and Tina."
Chris nodded and soon took his leave as well. He still needed to buy ingredients for dinner.
With no more interruptions, Matthew resumed collecting Bluewater Flowers.
Before entering the water, he cast a Water-Repelling Charm and a Bubble-Head Charm on himself, then drank a potion to resist the cold.
Once submerged, he quickly located the plants.
Bluewater Flowers were common aquatic plants, usually growing in the silt at the riverbed. Once removed from the water, they would quickly wither—so they had to be stored submerged.
The collection process went smoothly.
Before long, Matthew had gathered a large quantity of Bluewater Flowers, storing them all inside his Extension Charm pocket.
To avoid a repeat of his earlier mishap during world travel, Matthew had now sewn the Extension Charm pocket directly into his waistcoat.
It was a garment he would always wear.
And if necessary, he could even alter its appearance with Transfiguration—making it extremely convenient.
=====================
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