I Am A Wizard Who Can Travel Between Earth And The Other World
Chapter 97 - 99 The Deputy Mayor's Gamble

The deputy mayor panicked, waving his hands in a frantic gesture of denial.

"No! You've misunderstood! I would never dare harbor such thoughts! I sincerely sought your advice, that's all!"

Owen's gaze softened slightly as he leaned back against the plush sofa. The elegant, yet commanding posture was enough to make the deputy mayor relax—just a little. He discreetly wiped the sweat beading on his forehead.

This was the first time a member of the Freeden house had come to him in person. Not just any member, but Owen, the rumored heir to the family's future.

Why is he here? The question gnawed at the back of the deputy mayor's mind.

From the atmosphere, it was clear Owen's visit was connected to the magical artifact competition. But what interest could someone of Owen's standing possibly have in something so minor?

"Let me be blunt," Owen said calmly.

The deputy nodded quickly. "Of course. I'm listening."

"I don't particularly care how City Hall conducts its operations. That's the Willex family's concern, not mine."

The deputy's throat tightened again. Owen wasn't stating the obvious without reason. There was a point coming, and he dreaded what it might be.

"Whether officials accept bribes or conspire with criminals makes no difference to me," Owen continued, his voice cool and indifferent. "My only concern is that the Willex house maintains control. I simply watch the results."

This was the Freeden family's long-standing approach—leave the city's day-to-day governance to their subordinate families and remain distant, intervening only when necessary.

"However," Owen's eyes sharpened, "when something irritates me, the situation changes. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Y-Yes, of course. You're absolutely right," the deputy stammered, his nerves fraying further.

That phrase "something irritates me" was not a casual remark. It was clear now—there was dissatisfaction about the competition.

But what exactly was it? His mind raced through possibilities. Was it the selection process? The underground workshops? Did they expect me to supply defective items to the military? Or perhaps the participants themselves?

"How did you handle Shine Workshop after the competition?" Owen suddenly asked, his voice laced with quiet authority.

"Excuse me?" The question struck the deputy like a hammer to the skull.

"That major incident—they caused a disaster.

Yet there were no follow-up measures. Why is that? Unless, of course, you received such a hefty bribe that you decided to overlook it."

"N-No! Absolutely not! I-I was so overwhelmed with other matters that I didn't have time to address it. But I'll take immediate action!"

Owen's expression hardened. "You're not planning to stop at just punishing Shine Workshop, are you?"

The deputy froze. In that moment, he understood exactly why Owen Freeden had come.

The truth was glaringly obvious—he was the one who had accepted bribes from the underground workshops.

His hands began to tremble slightly as Owen leaned forward, his voice turning icy. "Wouldn't it be better to uncover everything? If the Runewright Workshop hadn't intervened properly, this entire city could have suffered catastrophic damage. Could you have handled the fallout?"

The deputy straightened his posture, placing both hands firmly on his knees.

His voice trembled but grew louder in conviction.

"I will do whatever it takes to uncover the truth.

I will ensure that everyone responsible pays for their actions. Please, trust me with this responsibility!"

Owen offered a faint smile, finally rising from his seat. "Very well. I'll trust you. Let's see what you do from here."

With that, Owen left the office, his footsteps echoing faintly in the hallway beyond. The deputy mayor collapsed into the sofa, the tension draining from his body like water.

"Haaah... I almost died."

But deep down, he knew the ordeal was far from over. Owen's final words, "Let's see what you do," echoed ominously in his mind. It wasn't just a warning—it was a promise that the Freeden house would be watching closely.

If his investigation fell short of their expectations, the consequences would be dire.

Still, in crisis, the deputy saw opportunity. If I handle this perfectly, who knows? The mayor's seat could end up being handed to me like a gift.

A new spark of ambition flared in his eyes.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, the lightning team's relentless assault continued to deal the greatest damage to the Needle Giant. Owen's magic was unlike anything the other mages could produce—its power eclipsed their spells with ease.

When Owen harnessed the combined strength of his group, he extracted almost all of the ability-users' lightning mana and intertwined it with his own magic.

The process amplified the spell's potency, causing the lightning to coil and twist like a living serpent before striking.

This technique had been Gin's solution after extensive preparation, developed specifically for this hunt.

Initially, he had hoped to merge all magical attacks and channel them to a designated point, maximizing firepower through spatial transfer. However, that required a mastery of spatial manipulation that even his recent breakthroughs had not yet achieved.

Despite gaining deeper insight into dimensional space after "crossing the wall," he was still far from perfecting long-range spatial magic.

Now, Gin focused his domain on the Needle Giant, shrinking its radius to gather detailed information. He observed how each strike affected the monster, how its body reacted, and how quickly it regenerated.

The key discovery lay in its core.

The Needle Giant's vast magical energy diminished sharply with every successful hit. It was as though the beast's body used magic to absorb the brunt of the damage.

Yet, moments later, the core would surge, replenishing its reserves almost instantaneously. On the surface, it seemed unaffected—but Gin knew better.

Each surge came at a cost. The core's energy was depleting, little by little. If they continued this pattern, the core would eventually run dry, leaving the giant vulnerable.

'A war of attrition,' Gin mused.

This was likely how other cities had brought down giants in the past. But such tactics had their limits. Against higher-level giant beasts, cities had likely struggled to sustain such prolonged battles.

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