Chapter 109: The Crisis-Ridden Chaldea
T/N: Thought why not end the volume.
...
"..."
Ian hesitated for a moment, and after confirming that he had not misheard, he spoke again:
"You mean, the staff responsible for picking you up to Chaldea all fainted."
"So it was your turn to fly the helicopter?"
"Yeah! I wouldn't know how to fly it, no matter how I think about it!"
Fujimaru Ritsuka, lying on the bed, became excited again.
However, she was soon screaming from the wounds on her body.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch!"
She could only slow down her tone slightly.
"I should be asking you about this, right?"
"Can someone tell me why the people sent to pick me up were in such a state?"
"..."
Sure enough.
The situation was not as simple as it appeared on the surface.
Fujimaru Ritsuka was forced to become the pilot.
Realizing this, Ian sat down on the chair next to her bed.
"Although it might bring back some bad memories."
"But Miss Fujimaru Ritsuka, can you describe the situation in detail?"
"Huh?"
Fujimaru Ritsuka struggled to reach out her hand.
"Then help me sit up, it's too uncomfortable to talk like this."
"Okay."
Following her instructions, Ian took Fujimaru Ritsuka's hand and helped her sit up against the back of the bed.
"Let me tell you!"
Fujimaru Ritsuka, with a large roll of bandage wrapped around her forehead, looked very excited.
Ian was sure that if she didn't have such serious injuries, she would probably be gesturing wildly now.
"That day in the city center."
"Didn't I see a blood donation truck or something?!"
"Yes."
Ian knew that was a detection point disguised by Chaldea.
"Then what happened?"
"Then there was a loudspeaker outside saying that as long as you participated in a blood donation, you could get a free box of milk!"
"So you participated?"
"Of course!" Fujimaru Ritsuka's orange eyes shone with a thirst for light.
"That's a free box of milk!"
"...Okay."
For the sake of Fujimaru Ritsuka's efforts to tell the truth, Ian resisted the urge to complain.
"Then what happened?"
"Then someone called..." Fujimaru Ritsuka recalled her past memories.
"Oh, right, someone called Anderson told me, 'You can go to a place called Chaldea, where there are high-paying jobs suitable for you.'"
"So you came?" Ian was even more speechless.
"No." Fujimaru Ritsuka shook her head.
"It sounded too dangerous, of course I wouldn't agree right away, what if they cut my kidney?!"
"Uh... I don't understand, why are you here now?"
"Because he said there were more than forty people like me in Chaldea!"
"..."
Okay.
Although he didn't want to evaluate Fujimaru Ritsuka like this, Ian felt that her operation was a bit bizarre.
But it was not the time to dwell on these things.
"Then what happened after that?"
"After that, I got on the helicopter to come here."
Fujimaru Ritsuka truthfully explained her movements.
"At first, everyone was talking and laughing."
"Later, they seemed a little tired and didn't make much noise."
"Then—"
Fujimaru Ritsuka frowned.
"People started to faint one after another, first the people around me, then the people in front, and finally the one flying the helicopter."
"..."
Ian thought for a moment and asked another question.
"Before they fell, were there any signs?"
"Signs?"
Fujimaru Ritsuka shook her head.
"No!"
"If I had to say, it was just the feeling of suddenly falling asleep, right? After all, we were just talking about what to do when we got to Chaldea!"
Although she was easily deceived, her social skills were first-rate.
Ian had a new understanding of Fujimaru Ritsuka in front of him.
However—
Listening to Fujimaru Ritsuka's description, Ian realized that the situation was even more different from what he thought.
"Understood."
"Then Miss Fujimaru Ritsuka, please rest well. If you need anything, press the thing on the head of the bed, I'll come right away."
"Okay~"
Leaving Fujimaru Ritsuka, Ian came to the door and saw Mash and Mordred waiting.
"Senpai, how is she?!" The pink-haired girl came over and asked with a worried face.
"Apart from the pain all over her body, she's fine."
Ian stroked Mash's head.
"Didn't I say it was just multiple soft tissue contusions, broken hand bones, and mild concussion? She won't die."
"And—"
"If you're so worried, why didn't you go in?"
"This..."
Mash glanced at the door of the room next to her.
"I'm afraid too many people will make her feel pressured."
"You're really kind, Mash."
"So what's going on?" Mordred curled her lips and asked with a puzzled face.
"Master, did you find out why she was flying the helicopter?"
"..."
The question Mordred asked was also the question Mash cared about.
After all, it was very strange for Fujimaru Ritsuka to sit in the pilot's seat at that time.
It was not surprising that the girl was confused about this.
Looking at the two people looking at him, Ian did not hesitate.
This was not something worth hiding—after all, it was an accident, and everyone would know sooner or later.
"Mash, Mordred."
"This is what happened."
In the next few minutes, Ian told the two people in front of him the situation he had learned from Fujimaru Ritsuka.
Their expressions became more and more surprised as the story went on.
"This..."
Mash blinked her violet eyes.
"Senpai, how can there be such a situation of suddenly falling asleep?"
"Um... maybe because they were tired?" Mordred scratched her face and replied.
"I've tried it before because I was too tired from playing."
"Then I started to doze off and finally fell off the tree I was sitting on!"
"..."
Ian shook his head.
"I don't think it's that kind of situation."
"After all, according to Fujimaru Ritsuka's description, they didn't have a gradual process of falling asleep, but 'suddenly fell asleep'."
"Mordred, you should understand the difference between the two, right?"
"So..."
Mordred nodded.
"It seems it's not the same thing."
Listening to this conversation, Mash pursed her lips and thought seriously.
Suddenly, she realized a possibility.
But this possibility was so absurd that she couldn't accept it.
Almost subconsciously, Mash looked at Ian next to her, hoping to get some courage to support her statement from his attitude.
But what the girl didn't expect was that when she looked at the man, he was already looking at her.
Mash's face turned red.
Then she hurriedly said "Senpai" and lowered her head.
But Ian did not end the exchange of glances. He said:
"Mash."
"I see you've been thinking for so long, you must have some ideas, right?"
"If you don't say it, it's like wasting time."
"But—"
Mash hesitated.
"I think my idea might be a bit absurd and make Senpai laugh."
"There's nothing to laugh about."
Ian looked directly at Mash in front of him.
"Whether something is absurd or not is not determined by one person."
"Only by telling it and letting others participate in the judgment can the final definition be made."
"Before that—"
"All ideas are just speculation about it."
"Mash, I don't want to see you fall into this kind of self-doubt."
Ian's words gave the girl great courage.
She nodded and said:
"Then Senpai, I'll tell you what I think."
"Say it."
"I think it's because of magic." Mash revealed her idea directly.
"Magic, magic?"
Mordred was confused.
"Where did the magic come from?"
"Um... I don't know either."
"But—"
Mash looked at Ian in front of her.
As long as he was there, she would have enough courage.
"If the relevant magic was set on the helicopter before it took off."
"It can achieve the current effect, right?"
"Set the relevant magic on the helicopter?"
Mordred was even more confused.
"According to the initial statement, wasn't that thing called a helicopter to pick up Fujimaru Ritsuka?"
"Setting this kind of magic on it, is it to kill her–"
"..."
"..."
As soon as she finished speaking, Mordred realized.
"Master, Mash."
"Are they really planning to kill her?"
"..."
Ian was silent for a moment, then nodded.
"Well, based on the current deduction, I'm more inclined to support Mash's statement."
"But perhaps we need to revise it a bit."
"It's not that magic was applied to the helicopter, but magic was applied to those people from Chaldea on the helicopter."
"Making them fall asleep at a specific moment."
The reasoning was not difficult to understand.
One person suddenly falling asleep could be called a coincidence.
But if everyone, including the helicopter pilot, fell asleep, it was definitely not that simple.
Wide range and high precision.
Basically, only magic could do this.
And because Fujimaru Ritsuka herself was not affected.
So, compared to what Mash said, "applying magic to the helicopter," a more reasonable explanation would be that magic was applied to people other than Fujimaru Ritsuka.
But this raised a new question—
"Why do this?!"
Mordred shouted.
"Isn't she, like my Master, a Master candidate?"
"Killing her on the way, isn't that the opposite of the original goal? There's no benefit to this!"
Even Mordred could understand this, so Ian and Mash naturally knew it.
The man had already thought about it.
"It's simple."
"Someone wanted to target her, but because Fujimaru Ritsuka didn't come, they could only kill her halfway."
"However—"
"That person probably didn't expect Fujimaru Ritsuka's vitality to be so strong... even though she didn't understand the operating principles of the helicopter, she still managed to reach the sky above Chaldea."
"It's not just because Fujimaru Ritsuka's vitality is strong."
Mash, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke.
"Senpai and the 'Servant's' efforts were also one of the keys to saving her."
"Maybe." Ian gave a wry smile.
"I think being able to use that kind of terrain is also her ability."
"Not everyone dares to force a landing in that situation."
"Stop, stop, stop!"
Mordred reached out her hand and interrupted Ian and Mash's back-and-forth.
"Can you two stop talking to yourselves and consider my feelings?"
"Who wants to do this?! What's the benefit of killing Fujimaru Ritsuka?! And wasn't she just selected not long ago?"
"Well, just connecting to her alone, it shouldn't be like this."
Ian looked at Mordred in front of him.
"But what if—"
"The actual target is a group?"
"A group?" Mordred looked puzzled.
"Yes." Ian nodded.
"Think about it, if you plan to kill everyone in a group."
"And someone hasn't come yet."
"Then Mordred, what would you do?"
"Of course, I'd find a way to kill the remaining one! Otherwise, there would be hidden dangers, right?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Mordred realized.
"Eh?"
"Isn't this exactly the same as the current situation?"
"Master... are you saying someone wants to target the entire Master candidate group?"
"It seems you're not completely incapable of thinking." Ian looked at Mordred in front of him and said with a smile.
Because the target was all Master candidates.
So even if Fujimaru Ritsuka didn't arrive at Chaldea, they had to find a way to kill her.
But the person who caused all this didn't expect Fujimaru Ritsuka's will to survive to be so strong, and even less expected Ian to help her without hesitation.
This was a stirred-up whirlpool.
And at the center of the wave was Ian himself.
Many things were quietly changing.
Just like the current situation where the forty-ninth Master candidate "saved" the forty-eighth Master candidate.
"This... this won't do!"
Mash said worriedly.
"If someone is targeting the Master candidates, then everyone, including Senpai, will be in danger?!"
"Yes, Mash, you're right."
"Master candidate, maybe it's going to become a high-risk profession."
He commented with a smirk.
"Senpai! Don't joke like that! It's not funny at all!"
"No!" Mash patted her cheeks as she realised something.
"I have to tell the director right away!"
"No one in Chaldea can be missing!"
After saying this, the pink-haired girl hurriedly left.
"Father, I'll go with you!"
Mordred also ran away.
Suddenly, only Ian was left standing in front of Fujimaru Ritsuka's ward.
And just as he was about to grab the doorknob again, ready to push the door open and ask her for more details.
That feeling came again—it was stinging his hand.
But this time.
Ian heard a faint voice.
"Suggestion—"
"It's best not to open this door."
"The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons in Heian-kyoto."