The Gursber family was situated inside a big mansion, which was currently expanding. Almost like, they were expecting an influx of people.

When landlord learned that they were from the Holy Church, he immediately granted permission to enter, but he wanted to meet with Bagil only.

The rest were put on standby in the guest room.

Bagil was told to surrender his weapons before the meeting, so he passed his sword to the servant. [¹]

When Bagil entered the meeting room, he spotted a slightly plump man in his late forties. The man saw Bagil and stood up in greeting.

「Nice to meet you apostle-dono, I’m the head of the Gursber family, Koul Gursber」
「Nice to meet you, I’m one of the thirteen apostles of the Holy Church, Bagil Eight」
「Please take you seat, Bagil-dono」
「Excuse me」

When they took their seats, a servant entered and put some tea on the table. After he left, Koul started talking.

「By the way, Bagil-dono, what brings you here?」
「Are you aware of the kidnapping incidents happening across the kingdom, Koul-dono?」
「I am, what about it?」

Bagil looked at his face but failed to notice any changes in his expression.

「I managed to uncover their purpose」
「Their purpose, is it?」
「Yes, do you want to know?」
「Eh, about that」
「I see」

Bagil noticed that, for a moment, Koul’s face flickered with agitation. It was unlikely to unearth anything else this way, so Bagil changed the question.

「The mansion seems to be expanding, are you expecting an increase in personnel?」
「Eh, well」

Koul started sweating. [²]

「Oh sorry, I digressed. It seems that the perpetrator wanted to mass-produce the magicians」
「Ho, that is」

Koul is sweating bullets, but Bagil pretends not to notice. What he was going to talk about now, was only his speculation.

「It seems that they moved around using the base in the dark territory」
「That is…….Why are you telling this to me? 」
「That’s easy. The culprit was receiving orders from you」
「T-that can’t be true! I never mentioned my name! 」 [³]

Of course, it was a lie. The criminal didn’t know the name of the mastermind. However, Koul got agitated and made a slip of the tongue. He was the mastermind.

「*******, you tricked me」
「Not really, you said it yourself」
「D-don’t care. Since you know the truth, you have to disappear. I, who inherited the will of fire, give me the power『Fire Slash』」

Koul took out the hidden katana and immediately cast a spell toward sitting Bagil.

「Hear my call『Ice Wall』」

But in the next moment, the wall of ice appeared before Bagil and protected him. 『Ice Wall』is a popular elementary ice attribute spell used for protection.

「No chanting!?」

Koul was surprised that Bagil cast his spell without chanting.

Koul tried to sneak attack the weaponless Bagil, without giving him the time to chant. He didn’t expect his『Fire Slash』to fail.

If only Bagil couldn’t cast without any chant.

「I can’t do something like the chant omission, I have just shortened it」
「What!? To shorten the chant to this extent…」
「Even if I look like that, I’m still one of the thirteen apostles. Besides, this is the reason I was chosen as one in the first place」

Chant shortening, as its name suggests, allows you to shorten the chant to a certain extent.

Bagil was able to do it since he was 18 years old.

The seven sages came to know about it and offered him the position in thirteen apostles. Other magicians can shorten their chant too, but Bagil is particularly talented in this regard.

「Anyway, you admitted your sin. Come out『Brunak』」

Bagil held the ice spear in his hands.

Bagil grasped the ice spear, Brunak, and stared at Koul. There was perceivable anger in his eyes; Koul finally recognized that before him stood one on the thirteen apostles.

And he remembered Bagil’s surname.

「It can’t be, are you the Quickmaker?」
「Yeah, there was such a name」

Quickmaker, that’s how people called Bagil, before he became one of the thirteen apostles.

A person who could make any armor or weapon with a short chant. That’s why Bagil was called as the Quickmaker. [⁴]

But after he became one of the apostles, this name was no longer around, therefore it took some time for Koul to remember.

「Well then, here I go」

Bagil pierced Koul’s left shoulder with Brunak in his right hand.

「Damn….」

Koul hits the wall with his back and grips the Brunak while enduring the pain in his shoulder.

Facing Koul, Bagil asked with a loud voice.

「Where are the hostages?」
「Did you think I will tell you?」
「You have a point, the shrine maiden of ice『Ice Flower』」
「Guaaaaaa」

When Bagil activated the spell, many ice flowers came out from the tip of the Brunak and tried to engulf Koul.

「If you stay silent, you may become an ice statue」

Koul glared at Bagil and tried to cast a new spell.

「Oh, god of fire, now protect me, the soul of the fire god『Ogun』」

In the next moment, the fire giant appeared next to Koul and Bagil; he was tall enough to pierce the roof of the mansion. He also melted the ice that was about to envelop Koul.

「Gursber family’s guardian deity, unique spell『Ogun』, right?」
「Yes…..This is the end of you」

Koul was convinced of his victory.

At the same time, the appearance of『Ogun』served as a signal for a fight between Gris’s squad and Gursber family’s servants.