Chapter 143 - The Three States of Matter
The stars are visible in the sky. It’s hard to say how long it’s been—whether it felt long or short. After the pressure wave subsided and I deactivated my shield, the underground space revealed a beautiful night sky.
"...You can see the sky."
"The Adventurer Guild must have been blown away?"
"Well, we managed to survive," I said. The explosion I felt through the shield was intense, but it wasn’t powerful enough to breach my Composite Armor. From the underground space, it looked like the buildings above had vanished, but it was hard to tell how much of the explosion had been contained by the magical barrier.
"...Blown away?"
Verone’s voice snapped her out of her daze. "Then what about the members outside!?"
The tension in the air erased any relief from surviving the explosion. Anxiety surged, and we immediately sprang into action. I jumped out of the underground space and surveyed the scene from the air. The aftermath of the explosion that had obliterated the Adventurer Guild was unmistakable. A wide area centered around the guild was now a wasteland of debris.
The debris radiated outwards, clearly the result of the recent explosion, unlike the rubble from the battle with the rogue adventurers. My team members... Some were sprawled out, having been blown away, while others had sought cover or used magic to shield themselves from the impact. I felt a bit of relief.
However, there were those who hadn’t managed to escape in time. The people who were being treated for injuries, the volunteers, and the journalists were in even worse shape. Normally, being hit by flying debris would be extremely dangerous. Even a small rock could cause serious injury, and the debris from the explosion would have been even more lethal. A bad hit could easily be fatal.
My team members were better equipped and trained, with their special cloaks and the ability to cast emergency spells, so I didn’t think anyone had died. I had a lot of faith in them. However, many people were in dire straits, and I couldn’t see Rosabel-san or Colette-san. They might be buried under the debris.
I didn’t have time to heal each person individually. Many were barely clinging to life, and I didn’t want to think about how many might already be beyond help. I couldn’t afford to hold back. It was time to get serious.
I had a special spell that I’d never used before, one that involved casting healing magic over a wide area. Normally, potions are liquid, but I had secretly developed powders and tablets. If I could do liquids and solids, why not gases?
For a large-scale spell, it would be more effective to use incantations, but I couldn’t spare the time. I would have to make up for it with sheer magical power.
"...I’ll do it!"
The vast reservoir of magic within me responded to my will, manifesting immediately. A dense, glowing white mist rapidly enveloped the area, like a surreal cloud sea. This mist was a healing potion, specifically the Grade 2 Super Composite Recovery Potion, and it was potent.
As long as people remained in the mist, they wouldn’t die. Even those buried under the debris would survive if the mist could seep through. The question of death—heart failure, brain death, or the extinguishing of the soul—didn’t matter. If this world’s definition of death hadn’t been reached, my magic would prevent it.
I poured my magic into the glowing mist, focusing on the image of people recovering. I lost a significant amount of magic, but I was still okay. This area was now under my control, saturated with my power. Anything I imagined was possible, and I would make it happen.
Next, I used mineral magic to clear the debris. I knew exactly where everything was—the positions of people, the individual pieces of debris. The sheer volume of information didn’t overwhelm me. If I couldn’t handle this, I wouldn’t be able to cast spells as I wished.
I expended a tremendous amount of magic and mental energy to achieve the desired results. The entire process, from jumping out of the underground space to clearing the debris, took only a few seconds. The mist gradually dissipated from the Central Plaza, now a cleared, cratered area. I landed and collapsed from exhaustion.
"Onee-sama!"
"Hey, Yukari! What’s going on!?"
"Yukari-dono, what was that!?"
Valeria and the others must have rushed out of the underground space and were now running towards me. "I’m just a bit tired. Take care of the cleanup."
My consciousness was fading. I just wanted to sleep.
"Are you okay!?"
The aftermath should have been the only thing left to deal with. I had done what I needed to do. The voices faded as I drifted off to sleep.
When I awoke, I was in my familiar bedroom. The air was dim and slightly cold, suggesting it was close to dawn. My memory was clear; it hadn’t been long since I collapsed in the Central Plaza.
"...Yeah, I’m fully recovered. Feeling great."
My magic recovery was impressive. I rarely pushed myself to the point of collapse, and I hadn’t expected to recover so quickly. Being young probably helped. Using magic to its limits only made me stronger, and I felt I had gained a lot from this experience.
"Alright, time to get up."
The cleanup would take more than a night. The Headquarters was quiet, indicating everyone was still asleep. I had no idea what had happened after I collapsed, but things would be hectic from now on. I decided to let everyone sleep in.
I went through my usual routine—showering to wash away the dirt and sweat, then heading to the underground Training Grounds to work up a sweat. I tested small-scale mist potions to check their effectiveness and experimented with other types of potions.
This secret spell was something I didn’t want to show even to my allies, but the large-scale mist magic had likely been seen by onlookers. They wouldn’t understand what happened, so I wasn’t worried.
Next, I worked on mineral magic, focusing on improving the deployment speed and strength of my Active Armor. My Physical Enhancement Magic was advancing rapidly, and while the improvements were small day by day, they would be significant over a year.
I pushed myself to be a little better than yesterday, repeating this process daily. The Kikyo Society members understood this commitment, and it was why they were so strong. As the president, I led by example.
After a high-intensity training session, I showered and changed. By the time breakfast rolled around, everyone was starting to wake up. The Secretariat Unit had stayed up late, so they were running late.
"Ah, Yukari. Up early, as usual."
"Frederica and the others are running late. Did they stay up all night?"
"We decided to get some rest before dawn, but it was almost a sleepless night. Yesterday was intense, and the cleanup is far from over."
I had collapsed and slept early, but yesterday had been a busy day. From the moment Jallens delivered the rude letter to the emergency meeting, the declaration of war, the midnight raid, and the final confrontation—it had been a long, intense day. I felt the need to take it easy for a while.
Still, today would be even busier. The destruction of the Adventurer Guild and the Central Plaza couldn’t be ignored. Frederica’s calm demeanor belied the urgency of the situation, but panicking wouldn’t help.
First, I needed to decide what to tackle. Interrogating the captured enemies. Reviewing the evidence collected by the Vanguard Unit and Intelligence Unit. Securing additional evidence. I could leave most of this to the Intelligence Unit and just review the results.
After the interrogations, I would have the Intelligence Unit investigate the nobles who hired assassins and the ones who planned the explosion. I also needed to explain the destruction to the city administration and the affected guilds and chambers of commerce. Ignoring them wasn’t an option, given the extent of the damage.
I would leave this to Siegrune. He could handle the situation without giving the other guilds an opening to exploit. He would make sure the rogue adventurers took the blame while protecting our interests.
The final explosion was one thing, but the destruction during the battle was hard to justify, especially with witnesses like the gallery and journalists. The main concern was the Adventurer Guild’s headquarters. Even though the Exembra Branch caused the trouble, they were still part of the same organization.
The Adventurer Guild would have to be careful, given the evidence we had. The guild leader, Valid, was in our custody, and we planned to hand him over to the Adventurer Guild’s headquarters once the situation stabilized. We would protect him from assassination until then.
The Intelligence Unit had found evidence of Valid’s misdeeds, and additional proof had come from the Commerce Guild and Healer Guild. The Commerce Guild provided detailed information about the restaurants, bars, and secret warehouses Valid used. The Healer Guild revealed hidden rooms and safes in his private residence.
Privacy wasn’t a concept here. The guilds and influential figures likely held secret meetings and decided to abandon the Adventurer Guild and Valid. The rogue adventurers had gone too far, and the damage to the city was too great. They had to act, even if it was late.
The city’s reconstruction would be swift, thanks to the advanced magical techniques. The construction guilds had skilled mages, and with the right funding, the area would be restored quickly. The Central Plaza and surrounding areas would be rebuilt, and the human casualties seemed to be limited to the directly involved parties.
However, the reconstruction costs and compensation for lost personal property would be substantial. The negotiations over compensation were still uncertain. The Kikyo Society might be considered a criminal organization, but they would need to compromise to continue operating in the city.
The protagonist’s ace in the hole has been revealed, though it can’t be used indiscriminately. The immediate conflict has been resolved, but the aftermath is far from over. Stay tuned for the next episode, "Gifts from All Directions."