Antagonist Protection Service-Chapter 217 It’s Been More Of A While Than I Thought

217: It’s Been More Of A While Than I Thought

217: It’s Been More Of A While Than I Thought

Before we moved on, I had one more thing I was curious about.

“Wait.

Those Black Fang guys, are they still going to be that big of a problem?

I thought all they wanted to do was hand me over to the Imperial Knights anyway.”

‘Sure, I was trying to escape them, but now that I think about it, I don’t think it’d be that bad even if they caught me, right?

That’s why my bounty was changed to only be rewardable if I was alive.’

Perhaps I was only looking at it from a surface level, but those were my thoughts.

“It’s not that they’ll become a problem, but that they are simply exhausting to deal with.

And, if they did catch you, it would have surely become a problem.”

‘Huh?’

“Why?”

Lightly sighing at my question, he explained it simply.

“Those lot care for nothing but the compensation.

In a situation where there is a large reward tied to someone’s capture, they will hand them over, yes, but that’s not where it ends.

They would simply abduct the target again from even the Imperial Palace’s dungeons if they needed to, just to hold them hostage until another reward is announced, where they will hand them over again, then abduct them again, repeating that cycle until something inevitably changes.”

“…Oh.”

That meant, if they succeeded in catching me back then, I would’ve only continued to get kidnapped over and over again even after being handed over to the Imperial Knights, right…?

‘That would’ve been awful…’

Having it explained to me like that, I felt like I could understand why it could spiral into a problem.

“Do you understand?

And worse, they know the empire cannot force their hand.

In the event that Drakon-Rasa meets a time of danger, as powerful as its military force is, the Black Fang’s strength is also such that the Emperor would be foolish to mistreat and lose them.”

“Right…

And I would imagine that this situation with the Demons is one of those times.”

‘If the Demons were that big of a threat, the empire would need all the fighting force they can muster, meaning driving the Black Fang away is something they couldn’t afford to do.’ fгeewebnovёl.com

“Precisely.

Anyhow, we shall go over the details regarding that situation soon enough.”

Turning his body halfway, Joádin then pulled out a small crystal orb from within his robe, gazing into it as the surface appeared to glow dimly.

I couldn’t see what he was looking at from this angle, but it was probably some kind of visual medium.

At least, that’s what magical orbs tend to be for, as far as I knew.

His face also looked a bit serious as he watched something, and so, not wanting to disturb him, I simply leaned back into the bed and focused on recovering.

‘…Librarian.

You there?’

In the meantime, there was something I was curious about that I hadn’t really thought to ask until recently.

[Certainly!

Whatever might you need, Enki?]

‘Hey.

Do you know how much time has passed here since I left?’

Ever since I first glimpsed her back in the Sunlit Temple, I thought in the back of my mind that she looked a little bit different, and when I met her again properly last night, I realised again that that feeling wasn’t entirely untrue.

‘The same is true with this guy.’

Casting a furtive glance at Joádin standing to the side, I thought he also appeared more mature than I remembered, and I’m sure the same went for the others as well.

Of course, it was because they were all still young, so even just one year having passed was bound to bring about drastic change, even more so considering how old they were when I came here the first time.

That’s why, I was curious to find out exactly how long it had been.

Obviously, I already knew time flowed slower in Drakon-Rasa than on Earth, so they already would have experienced more of a gap than me, but with the additional time distortion from all the other Illusory Worlds, particularly the last one which I still felt quite regretful for, I wondered how the math worked out.

Thankfully, I wasn’t left wondering for long.

[Okay!

I just calculated it, and from the time that you left the Illusory World last time and arrived in the Illusory World this time, approximately 562 days have passed!]

‘562 days!?

That’s over a year-and-a-half, right…?’

[Certainly!

I-I think so…!

Um, that’s rounding down to the nearest full day, by the way!]

I took a few moments to process the Librarian’s words.

Considering I left on the night of Lucretia’s birthday, the Winter Solstice, it didn’t take a whole lot of mathematical prowess to work out that right now was the middle of summer, just a little bit past the Summer Solstice and over an entire year later.

I wasn’t sure about the ages of the various male leads, but at least for Lucretia, that meant she’d be turning eighteen in almost exactly five months…

‘…Ah.

Now that I think about it, how old am I…?’

As much as it was frightening to admit, that was a question I wasn’t even sure I knew the answer to anymore.

Before all of this started, I was nineteen.

Even after I visited a few Illusory Worlds, there wasn’t a whole lot of difference in the amount of time I spent in various places, so that much could be discounted.

Really, it was all fine until that Apocalypse world.

Seven-and-a-half months, gone just like that…

My birthday was on the first of August, so I already missed that milestone a long time ago.

“…”

[Enki, fret not!

You’re here, I’m here, that’s all we need!

Don’t let yourself be weighed down, we have a responsibility to fulfil!

I’ll cheer for you, so don’t be sad!

Let’s go!]

Having the Librarian’s high-pitched, overly-enthusiastic voice echoing in my head in an attempt to cheer me up, I couldn’t help but give a smirk, no matter how slight.

‘…Thanks.

But don’t worry.

I wouldn’t compromise everything we’re doing just because of that.’

[Okay…

Um, well, know that if you need anything, I am always readily available to assist you!

So, there’s no need to fret!

Never!

O-okay…?]

‘Yes, I understand.

I’ll make sure to rely on you, Librarian.

Thank you.’

She really could be cute sometimes, huh.

Anyway, I couldn’t lie that it was something that made me a bit sentimental, but at the end of the day, it…

it wasn’t really something that meant anything on a grand level.

I was never someone who cared about my birthday from the beginning, so missing out on that honestly wasn’t a big deal.

Really.

“…Hm.

Sir Enki, I just listened to the princess’ speech.”

Suddenly, Joádin turned to me, returning the small orb into his robe.

Giving him my full attention, I sat up properly in the bed.

“Oh, that’s what you were watching?”

“Just listening.

It’s a new magical technology Her Highness thought up that we hope to make available for the general public in the coming years.

Introducing a visual aspect is the next step, but that’s off-topic.

I also received our instructions for the next step.”

“You did?”

“Indeed.

And as it appears, we will be going ahead as previously planned.”

‘As previously planned?

Like, what he mentioned earlier?’

I faintly recalled him saying something about it before, but wasn’t it supposed to change?

“What about the Black Fang?

Didn’t you say their interference would disturb things?”

“I thought they might, but fortunately, Her Highness doesn’t seem to be concerned.

Plainly, you’ll be staying here for a week before handing yourself in to the Imperial Knights.

The announcement included a pretend message towards you, saying you’ll be spared from death if you hand yourself in.”

Oh right.

That bit.

Rather than having someone else capture me, just handing myself in would be much easier, wouldn’t it.

‘…Hey, now hold on a second.’

“Wouldn’t the public be suspicious if I just did that?

I killed the crown prince, so I don’t think they’d take too kindly to me being spared so easily.”

Following my question, Joádin smiled, momentarily raising his index finger.

“That’s why it’s only step one.

We’re waiting a week to give the pot time to stir, but that’s not where it’ll end.

Not at all.”

‘Hm…’

Something about the way he worded that made me uncomfortable, but even if I furrowed my brows, it’s not like I had any real say in what the plan going forward was.

Still, if there was one thing I could decide, it should at least be how I spend my time waiting for that week to be up, right?

And, now that the very mage I had been considering was actually here…

“Alright.

Well, since we have the time, can you teach me how to control my magic energy?”

Might as well make good use of the opportunity, after all.