I and the Witch of Time Who Seeks the Past

Chapter 4 – Magical Fluctuations (3)

December 20, 1920 – 3:11

Lijedahl used air magic to speed up our flight. Since magic couldn't be used too openly, we stayed in the shadows the entire way, slipping past the city patrols as best we could. But once we reached London Bridge, we had no choice but to continue on foot.

"Lijedahl, we're close now. From here, let's run."

"I know... but my stamina isn't great."

"Try using air magic to lighten your steps or make it easier to run."

"... I'll give it a try."

Since we'd already committed, there was no room for hesitation. Every second counted.

We landed in a dark alley, preparing to sprint out onto the main road.

Maybe we didn't have to worry about Mr. Helles's task force after all? As there were police patrolling outside.

But just as that thought crossed my mind, reality mocked my naivety.

"Don't move! Who are you?"

A deep voice barked out as a tall man suddenly dropped from above. At the same time, shadows surged in the alley—figures leapt out from every direction, surrounding us on all sides. Their hands were raised, fingers poised in the unmistakable stance of preparing to cast magic.

"Wait! We're mages too!"

I shouted quickly.

"Stop!"

At once, every hand lowered. But the encirclement didn't loosen.

"Where are you from?"

I was just about to answer when—

“My name is Lijedahl, the 30th Seat of the Table of Truth.”

Her calm, steady voice cut me off.

"Ah..!"

The circle of mages let out a faint gasp.

"Ahem... So it is Miss Lijedahl, recognized by the Table of Truth. Please forgive our discourtesy."

It seemed the man before us was their captain. His attitude shifted instantly into one of respect.

By now, my eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the alley, and I could finally see their attire—plain clothes for ease of action. The captain himself was tall and broad-shouldered, radiating uprightness. He looked to be around thirty, his expression stern and serious.

He saluted Lijedahl, then offered me one as well.

"I am Sean Sturt, captain of Task Force No. 21. The situation was sudden—please forgive my offense. May I ask why you've come here?"

Lijedahl answered unhurriedly:

"Of course, because of the magical fluctuation. It's already strong enough to affect the Savoy Hotel, causing magical disruptions."

"What... it reached that far already?"

"Enough talk—we need to hurry. If we fail to pinpoint the exact location of the fluctuation, the loss will outweigh the gain."

"Yes, miss!"

Without delay, they led us to a car.

The engine roared to life. The other members mounted two more vehicles, forming a convoy of three cars, four people in each.

As the car rolled forward, I noticed Lijedahl exhale in relief.

"Though automobiles are products of science and technology... I have to admit, they do get us to our destination quickly."

Under the glow of neon lights in the city, I finally saw the captain's face clearly—short black hair, clean-shaven, sharp eyes that gleamed with resolve. The very image of a soldier.

"Nothing wrong with it. Since science and technology can aid us, we should make use of them."

Lijedahl already carried the bearing of a commanding officer, her tone entirely different from her usual self.

"Yes, ma'am."

Captain Sean said no more after that, his focus locked on the road.

I noticed Lijedahl kept staring in one direction, so I asked,

"Lijedahl... Miss, can you sense the direction the magical fluctuation is coming from?"

"Yes, I can feel it, Will. Though it's weakening, it's still there."

She pointed to the left; I looked and saw the Tower of London.

"Over there?"

It clicked into place quickly.

"Captain Sean, Miss Lijedahl says she senses it coming from the Tower of London."

"Really from that place!"

He sped the car up and said sternly, "We'd suspected the Tower before, but with the Academy of Sciences people and the police protecting it, we couldn't go in to investigate. Now that it's confirmed nearby, we have to find a way to probe it."

...that was going to be a hard problem.

We drove across London Bridge, that grand suspension bridge. Normally, I might have glanced at the Thames, but there was no time for sightseeing.

"Getting in isn't the hardest part — but where exactly inside is the source? What's the internal layout like? How do we deal with that?"

I shrugged off the drowsy fog that had lingered in my head since early morning and snapped back to normal alertness.

"We have maps of the interior, but pinpointing the exact spot has to be Miss Lijedahl's job. Frankly, Mr. Will, I actually think getting in won't be easy!"

Captain Sean said.

"Tell me the outside situation — how many are patrolling? And tell me whatever you can about the interior."

"There are about a dozen or so patrolling the outside, circling the outer walls. We don't know much about the interior, but beyond the outer curtain, there's another defensive wall like a rampart. Between the inner stronghold and the outer wall, there's a road for passage; only after passing that second wall can you reach the center."

The Tower of London grew clearer in my sight as we approached.

"Slow down. Let's carefully observe the exterior."

The car eased, and I watched the patrols closely.

I could see the outermost guards on repetitive back-and-forth routes — which meant that if we tried to slip past one gap, the next guard would still be able to see us; there weren't any obvious blind spots.

I couldn't make out the exact patrol ranges yet — the car was about to pass the Tower.

"We need to get out of here, Will."

"No — not yet, Miss Lijedahl. Captain Sean, we should park a little farther away, somewhere the Tower can't spot our cars. Only then can we arrange a proper infiltration."

"Understood."

"Will, why not fly up with air magic and descend slowly from above?"

"But... we don't know how many guards are inside, or where we'd land, and flying would be easily noticed."

"Alright."

We drove away from the Tower area and parked in the city. After a short while, the team reorganized; under the cover of night, we crept to a building some distance behind the Tower. From there, we could study the Tower closely.

"Mr. Will, there are people on the inner wall. If we climb over the first wall, we might be seen."

"How can you tell?"

"My magic — heat-sensing magic, combined with one of my Tarot cards."

He took out his Tarot; I saw a card etched with a lighthouse, labeled "The Tower."

"My heat magic lets me see the guards' body heat, and my Tarot ability lets me see farther."

So that's it — like a portable thermal sight. He was an invaluable scout.

"Got it. Then let's deduce the guards' patrol routes."

We watched in silence. I checked my watch — it was 3:30.

After the guards finished their first patrol circuits, we mapped out their routines.

"Mr. Will, it seems the spacing is large — each guard covers a long stretch of wall."

"Hm. We can take advantage of that."

I looked to the other team members, and an idea formed.

"Captain Sean, I have a plan."

"What is it?"

"The wall straight ahead is the Tower's rear; the corner here has the biggest blind angle and is least likely to expose us. We can find someone in your team roughly the same size as that guard. When we get close, we quietly knock that guard out, put his clothes on our team member, and have him pass as the guard."

"That... isn't that a bit risky?"

"At least it's a gamble. Better than leaving it and letting the other guards notice nobody's patrolling here."

"If we get discovered, the whole plan collapses."

"Check if anyone on the team can do it. If there's someone suitable, we go; if not, we think of something else."

"All right..."

He used magic to scrutinize the guard's build. At that moment, Lijedahl tugged on my sleeve.

I knew she wanted to say something, so I leaned over and cupped my ear.

"You really know how to boss people around, huh?"

"I knew you'd say that."

"Ha — I'm just joking. Actually, we need to hurry. The magical fluctuation is weakening. If we can't find anything inside now, we might lose our chance."

"Mm... I'll hurry as much as I can."

I crouched and touched the packed snow at my feet.

"I understand. Jack, you're up."

Captain Sean finished his observation and called someone.

A man of medium build, with the same soldierly bearing, stepped out of the shadows.

"What is it, captain?"

Sean explained the plan once, and the man nodded.

"All right, Mr. Will, we still face two problems!"

Sean said. "One is that the outer ring around the Tower is an open expanse of grass with no cover — if we cross it like that, we'll be spotted. The other is that if we knock out a guard and strip him of his clothes, he might freeze to death out here."

I quickly ran those problems through my head, then said:

"As for the guard—once we succeed, you'll use your heat magic to mask him, Sean. Then, Miss Lijedahl, you wrap that heat around his body with your air magic. To avoid detection, we need to bury him quickly in the snow, leaving a small opening for him to breathe. I don't know whether your magic can actually do that, though."

Captain Sean blinked, then replied,

"I should be able to manage the heat part, but I've never heard of air magic doing that."

I looked at Lijedahl. A trace of doubt crossed her face; in the darkness, I couldn't tell what color her eyes were, but I could see it would be difficult.

"I... I'm not entirely sure either. We can try, but I don't know how long it will hold."

"Make it last as long as you can. If we're a little late, he should be all right; if we return early, we'll undo it during the retreat."

"All right..."

She reluctantly agreed, but another question remained.

"Mr. Will, how do we get across?"

I let the handful of snow I'd been holding drop, glanced at Captain Sean and the man called Jack, and smiled.

"You two—are you confident in your stamina?"