The Magic Twins Ch. 4: Great Rewards and Great Power, comes with Great Responsibility and Great Regrets
"Well, seems this experiment is a success. However...," Schtrom trailed off while staring at Shin from afar on a rooftop.
"What's the matter, Shin? Worn out from being a hero all of a sudden?" August asks as he entered the classroom. "True, but something else is bothering me," Shin answered while staring at the whole classroom, with Chin clutching his staff while Maria assists him.
"Is it really that easy to become a demonoid?" Shin retorted. "Actually, you're right about that," August answered.
"Huh? Wait, what do ya mean?" Alice asks. "Once, a high-level magician became a demonoid, said to have messed up while casting advanced magic–urgh! And ended up demonizing," Chin explained while enduring the leg injuries taken from Kurt. "Sorry brother," Shin apologized.
"Brothers have each others' backs, and I got yours. You owe me," Chin replied, making everyone except August laugh loudly, getting Shin embarrassed.
"Rietsburg had just barely enrolled in the magic academy. Even if he did what the first demonoid had done, he'd only over-throttle. So for him to become a demonoid…," August thought out loud.
"But he did turn into one," Maria says.
"Which can most likely mean one thing," Chin stated. "Which is what Chin?" Sizilien asks.
"They could be artificially induced, correct?" Shin retorted. "You mean someone created a demonoid?!" Lyn asks.
"Well, our grandfather said that demonoids lose their sense of reason, yet Kurt is still able to speak, he was surprisingly weak for one," Shin replied, scaring the group except Chin.
"If that's the case, then Kurt would've been used as a human experiment," Chin says, shocking the group. "It's just a hunch, but it'll do for now," Shin adds.
Time skip: After two hours later...
Next Location: Entering the House of the Wise Man and the Guru...
"Huh?" Uncle Dis?" Shin notices. "Oh, home just in time," Diseum responds. "Um, for what occasion?" Chin asks.
"Your Majesty," asks the confidant getting a yes before saluting and announcing: "Shin Wolford and Chin Bowen, in this kingdom's time of need, the appearance of a demonoid, with no concern for the danger to yourselves, you successfully put it down. Therefore, you are hereby awarded the First Order of Merit by King Earlsheid."
"Th-The First Order of Merit!?" "A-are they giving us medals!?" Shin and Chin thought out loud, exciting both Maria and Sizilien.
"Diseum, didn't you say that you won't use Shin and Chin for political purposes?" Merlin asks. "What exactly is the meaning of this?" Melida continues.
"When a demonoid appeared once before, the kingdom of Earlsheid was in danger of being exterminated. That threat has appeared once again and its news have spread to much of the population, even if it were suppressed in short order. As far as the kingdom goes, both of these matters must be made public," Diseum replied.
"I understand that, but what's the meaning of this award though," Merlin asks, making Melida even more anxious.
"It is because they have accomplished the same feat you two have, and we can't very well withhold granting their awards," Diseum answered.
"You do have a point but–," "There are those who would exploit them of course, but I will do everything in my power to prevent that. So I implore you to allow this to happen. Not for my sake, but for the people, please" Diseum pleads and bows, shocking all in the vicinity.
"Hahh, very well Diseum, I will take your word for that, but break your word, and we will leave the kingdom. Is that clear?" Merlin negotiates, making Sizilien and Maria nervous.
"As long as we are still viewed as students of the Magic Academy, we may be considered neutral, so I too ask that you be vigilant with those that seek to exploit the academy," Chin adds, with Maria gently grabbing his hand to assure and calm him and Sizilien with Shin.
"Very well, I'll take them to heart," Diseum answered. "Also, a nation's king should not bow to someone so readily," Merlin comments.
"Hahh, seriously, troubles sprout wherever you two go, one after another," Melida commented, embarrassing both Shin and Chin.
Time skip: The next morning...
Next Location: In the streets of Earlsheid...
"Hey look! There are the heroes! Shin and Chin!" the villagers murmured as Shin and Chin walk through the streets with Sizilien and Maria.
"Those are the new heroes who defeated the second demonoid in history!? Wow, so cool!" commented some of the village maidens.
"Uncle Dis said he issued a gag order, but word has still spread like crazy," Shin commented, with Chin's face downcast.
"Well, His Majesty said we can't keep the fact that you two defeated another demonoid a secret, right?" Maria adds.
"Then again, he said not to reveal details, remember?" Sizilien says.
"I wonder who are those with them. I'm sure when someone's great as Shin and Chin, they're already spoken for. Maybe they're their fiancées," commented the maidens, making both Sizilien and Maria embarrassed.
"We're sorry about this, putting you two through all that," Shin and Chin apologize.
"Oh no, please don't worry about it," Sizilien replied. "We handled more than just remarks and comments, it'll be a snap," Maria assured.
"Maria, Sizilien," both Shin and Chin thought.
"We are here with you by our own initiative," "So we're sharing these burdens together," Sizilien and Maria assured, making Shin and Chin remember their own words of assurance from them.
Time skip: An hour later...
Next Location: Inside the academy...
"We want to master our magic with the heroes' grandsons!" exclaimed one student, crowding with the other students.
'This is a fix. I can't exactly let all of them into the study group,' Alfred thought. "Is there anyone here who can use other-dimensional storage space?" he asks, shocking the group.
"That's the minimum standard. Anyone who can use it can stay here. I'll conduct an entrance exam," Alfred continues.
Next Location: In a certain room within the palace...
"There's a possibility that demonoid is artificially created!?" Dominic questions.
"Yes, Shin and Chin fought him personally and that's what they hypothesized," Diseum confirms.
"Then maybe the sudden recent increase in demons is also...," Dominic continues, getting a nod from Diseum.
"This could be a serious situation," Dennis Willard, the Security Bureau Chief, says.
"Dominic, Dennis, work together and thoroughly investigate this matter. Don't overlook anything!" Diseum commands, with them responding likewise.
Next Location: In the academy study room...
"Please excuse me," says one male student. "Perhaps you two are the students Mr. Marcus admitted into the group," Chin guessed.
"Yes! My name is Mark Bean! My family runs Bean Works, a smithy," replied the orange-haired teen.
"Oh? Bean Works is a pretty well-known outfit you know," Tony comments. "You know of it, Tony?" Shin asks.
"Bean Works' weapons are nice and sharp. I've always wanted one," Tony adds. "Nice, what about you miss?" Chin asks.
"Oh um, I'm Olivia Stone. Mark and i have known each other since when we were kids and my family runs a dining hall called the Brick Oven," the long-haired brunette says.
"The Brick Oven! That's an ultra-famous restaurant! The brick oven gratin served there is the best!" Alice explained.
"I celebrated passing my academy entrance exams at the Brick Oven. And it's amazingly good!" Maria says. "Now I'm kind of jealous, we couldn't get any reservations," Tony adds.
'Hmmm, best gratin and reservations, good good,' Chin thought while noting them down in his small notebook.
"U-um, if you like, all of you can come by, I'll serve you," Olivia suggests.
"Really!? Shin, Chin! These are some incredible new additions!" Alice exclaims. "That's no way to compliment them!" Shin rebukes.
"So son of a blacksmith, does that mean you can make anything?" Chin asks. "Huh? Well, kinda...but I'm the very bottom of the barrel and I've just barely become able to forge knives," Mark explains.
"Oh, if you could make things, I'd have liked to have gotten a new weapon," Shin explained. "Oh no! Wolford, your sword is one that was able to slay a Demonoid! You'd be hard pressed to find something to replace that," Mark explained.
"Actually, I wish to acquire a new weapon as well, a long one like a spear or staff if possible," Chin asks. "But my smithy's weapons don't have anything as strong as your staff," Mark continues.
"But our weapons are just regular weapons," Shin and Chin replied, showing their sword and enchanted collapsible staff, shocking Mark.
"My sword is enchanted with magic that makes the blade to vibrate at ultrasonic speed, allowing me to cut things without using force," Shin explains as he hands his sword to Mark.
"Mine is enchanted to become indestructible as diamond that even the strongest steel like Mithril won't easily chop it in half. It is also enchanted to retract itself so that it may become compact and portable for easy travel," Chin explains, turning his baton into a staff before handing it to Mark.
"I prefer the blade itself to be on the thin side, but they get brittle and break easily, so Iwas hoping to make some improvements," Shin replied.
"I too wanted my staff's shaft to be less thicker, so that it may be lighter and easier to swiftly swing it, but that too makes it fragile, so, can you please?" Chin begs.
"In that case, I can forge one, I'd just have to confer with you while I did so," Mark assures.
"Really!?" "We couldn't ask any finer details just right. Thank you!" Shin and Chin replied.
"Imagine coming up with something like this, too," August says. "Incredible. I thought I was pretty handy at enchanting myself, but now, I'm not so sure," Yuri answers.
"Yuri, you too will be able to do it soon enough," "If you'd like, I could ask Granny to teach you how," Shin and Chin assures.
"Huh!? You mean that!? Oh I'd be thrilled!" Yuri exclaimed and thanked, grasping Shin and Chin's hands, which made Maria jealous and Sizilien pout with irritation.
Next Location: In the Rietsburg Estate entry hall...
"Kurt was visited by a middle-school teacher the day he demonized," reminded one detective. "Sounds worth looking into," says the other detective.
Time skip: Hours later...
Next location: In a certain room of Earlsheid Middle School...
"Mr. Schtrom, I am Security Bureau Investigator, Ault Lieckermann," says the black-haired investigator. "and I am Investigator Carlos Bale," says the brunet investigator.
"Oliver Schtrom is my name," says Schtrom while pouring tea imbued with a magic circle.
"Is that sensory magic? I mean, you have a patch over both your eyes, but your movements are sure and true, so I thought you might be using magic to replace your sight," Ault confirms .
"Well similar to that," Schtrom replied as he laid his cups on the cupboard.
"If you'll pardon me, what happened to your eyes?" Aults asks.
"I was born into a noble family in the empire. However, I was beaten out in a power struggle over family leadership, and exiled to the kingdom. I lost my eyes when one of my family members attacked in an attempt to do away with me, and I was injured," Schtrom explained.
"That right? Forgive me if my question's inconsiderate," Ault asks. "Don't worry, I get that quite often. Anyhow, what brings you here today? I'm sure you didn't come here just to ask me about my eyes," Schtrom asks.
"No, Mr. Schtrom, we understand that you have students with magical aptitude participate in a study group here at school and have fostered some exceptionally talented magicians," Ault points out.
"Yes, what of it?" Schtrom asks. "We heard that you are quite fervent and have invited many students to join the study group," Ault continues.
"Well I am a one-time imperial noble after all. I face more than my share of opposition in the kingdom. I needed to show tangible results to establish myself at this school," Schtrom answers.
"So that is why you invited them," Ault thought out loud. "All of the children part of my study group improved their magic abilities. As a result, they seem to have acknowledged me somewhat lately," Schtrom explains.
"Which would make this incident an unfortunate one for you," Ault guesses.
"Indeed. I never imagined something like this would happen to Kurt," Schtrom comments. "Mr. Schtrom, would it be alright to ask you a favor?" Ault asks. "What favor exactly?" Schtrom asks.
"As it happens, we are currently assembling specialists to try to examine what happened to his demonized body, and we would like you to join them," Ault asks. "Who, me?" Schtrom asks.
"From what I heard, you are a fairly high-level magician. We'd appreciate having you weigh in as well," Ault pleads. "Very well, I will assist," Schtrom agrees and follows him.
Time skip: Hours later...
Next Location: In the school cafeteria...
"Shin, is something on your mind?" Sizilien asks, startling Shin. "What's up?" Chin asks.
"Sorry, just wondering how to improve my sword," Shin answers.
"What kind of sword do you want, Wolford?" Mark asks.
"Well, having a thin blade is one thing, but it is prone to breaking," Shin explains sadly.
"I could enchant the sword, but it has to be proportionally larger for the enchantments to fit, so that would mean you'd need a larger blade," Chin calmly replies, scaring Shin.
"Then can't you like replace it with another sword? You're one of the Wise man's grandsons. You can afford like a ton of swords!" Alice exclaims.
"That's not going to work, we don't get that much allowance," Shin answered.
"Huh? You don't?" Thor asks with surprise.
"Granny told Gramps to not give us too much allowance, just so that we can gain a reasonable sense of the value of money in ourselves," Chin explains.
"That's the guru for you. There's nothing wrong with equipping oneself with either moderation or armor," Julius deadpans.
"That may be true, but…," Shin trails off.
"Maybe it'd be a good idea if we make the blades replaceable, so that the hilt may be reused for a long time. Normally not having the blade firmly attached to the hilt would be bad, but with your sword, you don't have to force the blade" Tony suggested, making Shin, Chin, and Mark open eyes widely.
"Wolford, will you come to our workshop right now? I wanna give that idea a try!" Mark pleads.
"May I join too?" Tony asks.
"I wanna come," August answers. "I think we'll tag along as well," Thor and Julius agreed.
"Sizilien, Maria, will it be alright if we stop by Mark's place?" Chin asks.
"Sure it is," Sizilien replied.
"But then in that case, while all of you are over at the workshop, would it be alright if we stop by at Olivia's?" Maria suggests.
"Actually, you read my mind, you guys could stay there and wait for us," Chin replies, with Maria blushing in response.
"I-I-I just want to ask you all sorts of things, like what can be the new menu items and the other new menu items!" Maria excitingly exclaimed.
"As long as you agree to go easy on me, like a dish of non-cheese gratin,"
'Hmm, interesting,' Chin thought.
Next Location: At the Security Force parade grounds…
Outside, the investigators and Oliver Schtrom get off the carriage and enter inside the grounds.
"If I may ask, why is the examination taking place in the parade grounds?" Schtrom asks.
"We've had our own circumstances to deal with," Ault replies as they enter the parade grounds.
"So where is Kurt's body?" Schtrom asks, and at the spur of the moment, soldiers swiftly appeared to surround Schtrom, along with Dominic. "This doesn't seem like we're going to examine a body," Schtrom points out.
"But we will be examining one: yours," Aunt answers. "Mine?" Schtrom asks.
"Schtrom, you made one error, right after the incident, His majesty issued a gag order: he told us to not make the demonized person's name public. It was done to keep his family name out of it so they would not receive unjust treatment, yet you knew it was Kurt who had demonized. How do you explain that," Ault concludes, making Schtrom uncomfortable and nervous before suddenly laughing hysterically.
"I was not expecting Kurt's name to have been undisclosed. The whole kingdom was in an uproar, so I was sure everyone could've known who it was that had become a demonoid," Schtrom answers gleefully.
"Was the incident your doing? What is your objective?" Ault asks.
"An experiment," Schtrom answered.
"What!? are you saying you conducted experiments on humans!?" Ault hysterically asks.
"Now then, I have completed all the experiments here in the capital, so it's time that I excuse myself," Schtrom replies while summoning magic missiles.
"Seize him!" Ault commands the soldiers.
Next Location: Somewhere outside, close to the parade grounds…
"You and Mark are dating!?" Maria exclaimed with surprise.
"Yes, I've known Mark since we were little, so it just kinda happened," Olivia replied.
"Please tell us about it!" Sizilien pleads playfully. "All of it?" Olivia asks nervously.
"Yeah, like which of you made the first move!" Maria curiously asks until an explosion occurred next to them, scaring the group and prompting them to check inside, where Schtrom battles the Security Bureau and Royal Guards.
"A patch over both his eyes, Aug, could that be–," "Yes, that man is Oliver Schtrom," August answers Shin.
"Ahh, my student Prince August, and the new heroes, Shin Wilford and Chin Bowen, a pleasure to make your acquaintances," Schtrom greets.
"Prince August, Please run away! This man's the culprit behind the demonoid incident!" Ault yells with concern while bruised on the ground.
"What!?" August hysterically reacts.
"So you're the one who demonized Kurt?" Shin asks with rage and a clenched fist.
"Yes! It was fascinating on how he followed every single word from me," Schtrom gleefully answers.
"Is that right?" "Shin! Don't let him get you, calm down and think, let's handle this with care," Chin advised Shin standing next to him, noticing a fireball heading towards their direction.
At that moment, Chin uses his original spell "Iceman" to turn his body into translucent ice and block Schtrom's fireball, making it evaporate and dissipate in the air.
"Chin! Are you–!?" "Alright? Of course, fully testing this new spell I made from reading last books in the library," Chin answers Maria excitingly in his ice form.
"Shin, new plan, let's finish him," Chin answers as Shin nods in agreement and charges at Schtrom with his fireball and sword in hand, battling against Schtrom's magical arsenal.
"Interesting, your sword is magic, correct? In that case, you won't reach me that easily," Schtrom comments as he suddenly levitates in the air, but dodges several water blades flying towards him that cuts through stone and wood.
"Shin won't, but I can," Chin replies while summoning more water cutters and flings them to Schtrom who fires "Dark Flame" at him multiple times.
Chin uses "Frost Dragon Bite", a spell resistant to Flame that forms an ice whip with a dragon's head flung towards Schtrom, only to be smashed into pieces in his hands.
"I was expecting more of a–," Schtrom comments but cuts short from a swift slash to his face patch by Shin's sword, who is hovering with his jet boots before landing safely, revealing Schtrom's blood-red eyes.
"Red...eyes?" Shin questions from the sight.
"Now you've done it Wolford, Bowen, though I'd like to have my identity hidden for longer," Schtrom replies with anger and frustration.
"A demonoid?! With his sense and reason intact?" Shin and Chin thought with surprise.
"Reason? Is that what you assume what makes a person a person? That may be a different case for my standing I'm afraid," Schtrom answers.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Chin asks.
"As you all now know that I'm no longer human, humans have been reduced to creatures that mean nothing to me. So whether I kill or exploit them means nothing to me anymore!" Schtrom exclaims with confidence and fires "Dark Flame" at August and the rest, only to be blocked by Chin's "Iceman" armor that slowly transforms and reemerge as a huge behemoth of ice.
"Not while we are here!" Chin yells as he blocks Schtrom's shots before grabbing hold of him tightly, making Schtrom spat blood out.
"Shin! Now!" Chin yells while holding Schtrom still.
"But!–", "Just do it!" Chin cuts off Shin while holding Schtrom struggling in his grasp.
"Thanks Chin!" Shin yells as he summons radiant rays of light from the sky into the holes in the ceiling, piercing and burning Schtrom's body along with Chin in his "Ice Behemoth" armor.
But of the blast wreckage, Chin lays unconscious in the remnants of scorched and melted ice while holding a severed arm that seems to belong to Schtrom.
"Did you get him!?" August yells.
"Hey don't jinx it like that!" Shin yells back.
"Chin!" Maria exclaimed with great worry as she jumps to run toward Chin with the others and Shin catching up.
"No-nono Chin please! Don't die! Please!" Maria cries out to Chin, seeing him wink as a response before slowly opening his eyes.
"Ugh, wha-what happened? Who's there?" Chin asks with squinting eyes.
"Chin, it's me, Maria, remember?" Maria answers.
"Why is...everything so blurry?" Chin asks.
"Ummm, sorry bout that, I think that was the aftereffect of my spell," Shin embarrassingly replies.
"Granny's gonna kill you you know?" Chin deadpan, making the group laugh.
"Hurraaah!" the soldiers chanted cheerfully.
'But it is strange though Shin,' Chin told Shin with his "Telepathic Voice" spell.
'Yeah, even though I don't detect anything with my search magic, did we really get him?' Shin replied back telepathically.
"What's the matter, are you feeling down after killing someone, demonoid though he was?" asked the man in a black coat.
"Ummm, not exactly," Shin replied back nervously.
"Then hold your head high, for you two are the reason the rest of us survived. Thank you, Wolford, Bowen," answered the investigator.
"It is all good," Chin gleefully accepted, until he got crippled by Maria's elbow strike to the waist.
"But still, when we heard of another demonoid appearing, we dashed over, only to see it taken down," Dominic replies.
"Ugghh, and, um…," Chin trails off nervously.
"I am Dominic Gastor, Michel's successor as the knight commander of the order," Dominic introduces.
"Oh yes, I have forgotten to introduce myself as well. My name is Rupert Olgran, captain of the court magic division.
"I've heard about you two from Michel, saying about two young men that he enjoyed training," Dominic comments, making the twins embarrassed and nervous.
"Wolford, Bowen, if I may, I would wish to hear about what you did and how you do you do them?" Rupert asks kindly.
"Well, I…," Wolford tries to explain his spell's scheme, confusing everyone. 'Right, they can't understand,' Shin thought.
"Mine's like Ice magic, but it's my original spell, so not many can replicate it, hehe," Chin answers nervously.
'But still, that explosion, did the ray really cause it?' Shin thought while helping the crippled Chin stand up on his feet.
-To be continued-