Saikyou Mahoushi no Inton Keikaku (LN) - Volume 2 - Chapter 9

Ninth Chapter 

Fomenting Darkness 

Several days later, at midnight, when most people had turned in for the day... 

Darkness, often seen as a symbol of fear, covered the region. 

There weren’t many places as dark as this in the human sphere of influence. This was a great forest some distance from the highway within Alpha’s borders. It had been left in remembrance of their former territory, their past glory. 

And it wasn’t just Alpha. The original symbolism of the seven nations keeping nature as it had been was because the small area they had as living space now wasn’t all that they should have. 

And, as if to recall that fact, the forest was alive and well within the barrier even now, to keep that memory fresh—so that humanity wouldn’t completely forget the splendor of the world they should strive to return to. 

The great forest in Alpha, as a representation of that, could even be mistaken for the massive sea of trees in the Outer World. It was so deep that a single wrong turn could leave you stranded, and as such, without permission from the government, entry was forbidden. 

Because of the thick veil of tree leaves, the shadows that fell were exceedingly dark. Moreover, shadows weren’t the only things in that forest. 

In reality, all of the inhumane research once performed in the past had been disposed of inside, and it was dotted with facilities that had researched shady technologies. It was a dumping ground for a negative legacy. 

And now... the light from the false moon in the sky shone down on the dark curtain of the forest. 

In that eerie night, nobody would notice the irregularity that couldn’t even be seen with a bird’s eye view of the forest. One would need to have very sharp senses or excellent hearing to pick up on the faint trembling of the atmosphere. 

Voices were exchanging words. All members in their positions, just barely out of detection radius, focused on the Consensors in their ears. 

“I expect a swift judgment as always. Don’t leave any traces behind. I wish you the best of luck, Silencers.” 

In the darkness, once the transmission stopped, they shifted their focus off their Consensors and to their own duties. 

However, that’s when a private transmission reached the ears of one of the members. “Feli, don’t overestimate your abilities... and don’t chase too far either. I’m glad you’re more passionate than usual, but...” 

“You don’t have to worry about me. I know my place, Captain Vizaist. Well then, I will begin my mission.” The confident voice replying belonged to a young woman. 

The transmission ended with the man she called ‘Captain’ sighing. 

Transmissions were only allowed when necessary. Moreover, the previous transmission had been a consideration shown to family. Normally, that was unnecessary before Felinella Socalent began a mission. 

Eventually, the members cast camouflage magic on themselves to blend in with the darkness, before heading toward the points they’d been assigned. They would be searching through all of the facilities that had been abandoned in this sea of trees. 

Near the front of the group was Felinella, advancing while blending in with the darkness. The spell cast on the outside of her robe wrapped her in a dark mist, making her meld perfectly with the night. 

Once she reached her third point after the mission began, she jumped up to get a full view of the area. 

Using the densely-packed branches to jump higher, moving upwards as if unaffected by gravity, she looked beyond the gaps in the grove. 

The structure ahead looked just like what she’d seen during the briefing. It was a building that had once been used to study a certain kind of magic. Just one look at the peeling wall was enough to tell how deteriorated it was, and it wouldn’t be strange if it were to fall over at any moment. 

I’d like to find it soon... 

Felinella’s black hair fluttered as she disappeared into the dark mist. She’d already been to two points, but they were both busts. A feeling of wasted effort washed over her, but she quickly collected herself and narrowed her dark red eyes. 

Her excellent intuition picked up on a minor sense that something was out of place. The building was strangely short at only two floors. A portion of the wall had fallen down, revealing the interior. 

There were no signs of life, but she felt a faint tingle at the nape of her neck—that strange sensation that something was off—and could intuitively tell something was there. 

Felinella licked the tip of her finger and stuck it up in the air as her hair fluttered in the wind. 

“This is a nice wind...” Her red eyes had a bewitching look as the moonlight fell on them. 

In the research building Felinella was gazing at, the exposed steel girders rose up from the ground in heaps. The ceiling was unnaturally low, blending in almost perfectly with the trees of the forest. 

Taking a look inside, the things that were left had clearly been there for a long time, as they were crumbling away. The only thing that stood out was the refuse. The materials had deteriorated and there were glass shards everywhere. Other than that, there was just dust, puddles of water, and leaves that had blown in. The moonlight shining in from the ruined walls lit up the dust in the air. 

It was impossible to imagine what the facility had been researching just by looking at what was left behind. There were few who knew the reason why the items had been discarded and left to begin with. 

This was an abandoned building that shouldn’t have seen life in a long time. Being abandoned by the world, everything inside had fallen silent as if it had given up. 

The two figures leaning against the wall in the corners faintly lit by moonlight were no exception. They were positioned on the first and second floors as if guarding an old tomb. 

Based on their hair lengths, one seemed to be a man and the other a woman. However, their stained cloaks covered their bodies, making it difficult to tell. Their strewn-out limbs were limp, with no signs they would move anytime soon. And their slightly-opened eyes likely wouldn’t blink even if dirt got in them. Considering their appearances, they must be vagrants or the like. Or they could have come here in their last moments of life. 

Their bent-over postures covered up their facial features, but their puppet-like silhouettes had a sense of mass to them. At a glance, their limp hands were holding blades that gleamed in the moonlight. These machetes seemed to be the only things rejecting the general deterioration, as they were still sharp. 

Suddenly, the two figures’ hair began fluttering in a wind that had come in from somewhere. Next, the muffled sound of glass being stepped on echoed in the building. It was very faint, but in this silence, it reached far and wide. 

That’s when the fingers of these lifeless figures twitched. Their dried eyeballs began moving about, looking in the direction of the sound. The figures stood up, arms above their heads, and now firmly grasped the handles of their weapons, to the point marks were left in their palms. 

The figure on the second floor moved, followed by the figure on the first floor. Dragging their feet across the ground, they made their way to the origin of the sound. The wind that had unnaturally blown into the building turned around and headed back out. As if lured by the wind, the figures recklessly moved their withered legs. 

The two figures met at the first floor, lowering their heavy-looking weapons. When, suddenly, a voice came from the entrance. 

It was a young woman’s voice. Hearing that, the two that looked like corpses became filled with hatred and let out beast-like growls. More and more strength was poured into their legs as they headed toward the voice, stepping over the glass shards with bare feet. 

The silhouettes of the man and woman jumped outside with dexterity that was impossible to imagine based on their appearance. Running toward the voice, they once again raised their weapons. 

But in the next moment, the two figures, their eyes filled with hatred, began wandering around the darkness like they’d lost interest. At their feet was a single Consensor. The woman’s voice appeared to have come from it. 

That somewhat muffled voice wasn’t very clear. If one were cautious enough, one could tell something was wrong, but the two dispirited figures had no way of recognizing this. 

“Oh my. It seems I even got two of them.” This time, the woman’s shrewd voice didn’t resound from the Consensor but from nearby. The camouflage spell dissipated, revealing the young woman, Felinella, and her charming smile. 

The feeling she’d gotten was from these two figures. By using a wind attribute detection spell to search the interior, and then creating an unnatural sound by controlling the atmosphere, she’d easily gotten them to move. 

The smile on her face was in part due to relief that she’d finally be able to get some information. “Well, if they’re only at this level they’re just decoys... but if they were positioned here, it must mean I’m close,” Felinella said in a faux innocent tone. However, her smile didn’t budge a bit. 

This is a big catch, she told herself. The covert forces dispatched to these woods were small in number, so going through each and every spot in this sea of trees was a job that required a lot of effort. 

Counting the two figures as fighting capabilities was ridiculous, but having found what were clearly decoys proved their conjecture was correct. Their main goal was somewhere in the area. 

But before that, she needed to confirm something. “I don’t want to think it, but they’re not civilians, are they?” 

“Agh... urgh, found... i-intruder. Kill... KILL.” 

Felinella’s expression brightened at the answer that was unlikely to have come from an ordinary human. She quickly put her hand in front of her mouth, elegantly hiding her face that had turned to a joyful look. “I’m glad. I don’t hate drudge work, but being sent out each and every night is bad for a girl’s skin. There are a lot of things I’d like to ask you... but, well, that doesn’t look like it’ll be possible.” 

The smile was still on her face as an ominous light appeared in her eyes. Flipping away her robe, she drew the AWR hanging off her waist. 

Before her were the two figures, the pair wearing shabby cloaks. Their cheeks were scrawny, their hair so tangled it’d take more than a simple comb to get through it. Their hoarse, madness-filled voices were hard to hear, most likely because they couldn’t properly move their lips. 

They dragged machetes with black blades behind them. Felinella’s sharp eyes saw the flickering of magic formulas on those wide blades. 

“Kill... the stranger...” 

“Bury, bury... whe-when she stops moving... bury, bury.” 

“My, how scary.” As if coming across a friend on the street, Felinella acted calm but surprised. However, the two figures showed no reaction. Like she’d thought, it seemed impossible they could come to a mutual understanding. Though she was already aware of that, she couldn’t help but give it a try. 

She’d already finished preparations for battle. The faintly-glowing rapier-like weapon was her baton used to conduct the wind, as well as being her AWR. However, it didn’t have an edge for slashing. Only the sharp tip could be used to attack. It was a custom-made AWR specialized for her affinity, and the black magic formulas wrapped around the thin silver blade in the form of a spiral. 

The wind blowing around Felinella made her robe flutter as if it was playing around. The next moment, she stripped her robe off and hooked it on the tip of her AWR. In response, the wind whisked the robe away like a faithful servant. 

She took elegant steps forward in the sudden breeze. Her steps were as light as a feather, as if she was riding the winds. 

Finally, the spark to set the battle off in the dark forest came. 

From an onlooker’s perspective, everyone’s AWRs must have appeared as fireflies crossing paths. 

The two figures unleashed their first attack, a charge that relied on their abnormally high physical abilities. They came at a speed you’d never see at the Institute, completely ignoring the strains on their bodies, as if they were Mana Chariots with broken brakes. 

Meanwhile, Felinella opposed them with slow, dance-like steps. The tip of her AWR was pointed, not at the enemies, but at the ground. 

With the first attack being easily sidestepped, the pair attacked again in turns. They repeatedly lunged at Felinella with their black machetes. In terms of pure power, she’d likely lose, but she stood in the center of their attacks, stopping all of them with her AWR. 

The two machetes’ blades never even touched Felinella’s AWR. A few centimeters before touching it, they clashed with an invisible wall of wind. 

Haphazard physical attacks weren’t going to be able to get through an AWR wrapped in a highly-compressed wall of air. 

Next, after blocking an attack, each of the figures had an arm that bent at a strange angle. The wind Felinella controlled wrapped around the arms like a large snake, forcibly bending them. A magical wind wasn’t something you could resist with just physical strength. If they let their guard down for a moment, the wind would snap their wrists. Even if they moved away, the arm holding the machete wouldn’t budge. 

“If you don’t let go of those dangerous-looking things...” Felinella warned in a soft voice. At the same time, the two unleashed kicks in a pincer attack. They were essentially abandoning their wrists with this desperate attack. 

What a bother. 

The whirl of invisible wind wrapped around her AWR could rotate in two directions. By rotating towards her hand, it would turn into a twisting force unleashing its power at whatever was caught in the whirl. 

By rotating it the other way, however... 

The moment before their kicks were released, the machetes were blown away and the two figures that had been freed from the wind had their bodies sent flying. 

As Felinella pulled her upper body back, the toes of the two passed by her face, just barely scratching her porcelain white cheeks. 

The two enemies were spun around and slammed into the ground. But they quickly sprang up, not giving Felinella a chance to breathe. 

Their twisted wrists hung down, but they stared at their useless hands before using their functional ones to take hold of them. Before long, they’d forcibly turned their wrists and shoved the dislocated joints back in with a grotesque noise. In the opening created from Felinella’s surprise, they picked their machetes back up. 

The wind from before had been unleashed from a snap judgment, intended to avoid the attack. However, the enemies’ decision to attack while sacrificing their arms ended up being the best option, and they took the least amount of damage thereby, merely dislocating their wrists. 

It was unclear if they had deliberately made the best choice, but the smile disappeared from Felinella’s face. 

It was said that the most decisive factor in battle wasn’t the difference in magic or physical abilities, but determination. The words of her father, Vizaist, an expert in the path of a shadow, were close to being an absolute truth. 

That held true in the Outer World and elsewhere. It was a type of gamble, where strategies were put together based on how much you were prepared to sacrifice for victory, be it an arm, a leg, or even your life. 

Only those who could decide that without hesitation would be able to use their determination to build a path toward victory. It wasn’t a line of work for people who got cold feet from high stakes. 

That was the first thing she’d been taught, and had drilled into her when she began helping her father with his work. 

Vizaist himself had probably gone down the same road in his younger days. That’s why Felinella made a choice swifter than the wind. She’d use her AWR and magic depending on the situation, walking down a different path from her father. 

Breathing out, she brought a hand to her chest, while taking an elegant pose. “I will now be a little more rough and unrefined, but please do be lenient.” In contrast to her words, Felinella politely apologized. Being rough was something that was normally unimaginable for her. However, in the next moment, contrary to her best smile, a cruel light began shining in her eyes. 

The dense movements of the wind encircled Felinella. 

Then the machete in the woman’s hand began glowing, a sign that the magic formula on the blade was activating. As if to cover her, the man stepped out in front. 

And suddenly a ball of light appeared in the thrust-forward hand of the woman being protected. The ball of light was sent flying without hesitation. 

Felinella, unperturbed, lightly swung her AWR. It was a nimble movement, and a slashing wind came flying from the tip. 

Yet despite their proximity, the man managed to avoid it in the last moment. As a result, only the ball of light was cut down by the attack. 

Light attribute... 

The instant Felinella said that to herself, the slashed ball of light didn’t dissipate, but rather burst. Black smoke bellowed forth from the explosion, covering the man and flying toward Felinella. But the cover wind around her immediately brushed away the fumes from the explosion. 

However, the man who appeared from out of the smoke should’ve been at least somewhat injured. 

But he didn’t seem to have taken any damage. His movements weren’t impaired, and he was ready to swing his machete. He closed the distance before the smoke had cleared, showing no hesitation or emotional disturbance over killing somebody. 

And despite being hit by an explosion from so close, the man’s face remained composed. The clothing around his flank had been blown away and a portion was burnt, but there wasn’t a single change in his expression. 

Mana ran through the man’s machete, creating a sharp blade and making its way toward Felinella’s neck in a flash. 

As if unaware of the threat, Felinella didn’t even move her eyes, let alone her head. But before the blade reached her, she bent backwards like a bow and evaded the attack. The lethal weapon, dragging mana along its path, passed by above her head. 

While in the sphere of influence of Felinella’s spell, so long as the two figures were in contact with the wind around them, she could easily read their next move. She had clearer recognition with that than relying on her sight. 

With his swing missing, the man abandoned the machete. Instead, he spread his arms wide to capture Felinella. She didn’t miss the ball of light, just like the one the woman used, in the center of his chest. He was going to hold onto his target and blow up the ball of light. It was a suicide attack. 

The man leaped toward Felinella with his arms outspread, closing to less than a few centimeters of her. But when he was one step away, his feet suddenly weren’t on the ground. 

Having lowered her stance, Felinella swept the man’s legs just before he landed. His posture destroyed, the man was about to hit the ground. 

That’s when Felinella fluidly stood up, and with gallant steps passed by the falling man. Without even looking at him, she held her free hand over his chest, just over the ball of light, and her five fingers formed a circle. 

“‹‹Tempest››” Felinella whispered. 

The ball of light exploded. The man was caught up in a gale exceeding the shockwave in force. With a wall of wind preventing the explosion from going anywhere but in the man’s direction, he was blown back at an intense speed. 

A trail of black smoke followed him as he flew at the speed of a cannonball and crashed into the wall of the research building. As the building was already on the verge of collapse, the man’s body broke through the wall and disappeared, rubble falling along the path he’d flown. 

A very vivid, blunt sound rang through the night. 

Exhaling, Felinella looked at the building the man had disappeared into. The wall he’d crashed through had fully collapsed, and the rubble kicked up a thick cloud of dust. 

“Well, it looks like you are the one who was buried.” 

In contrast to her bright voice, her expression wasn’t the slightest bit cheerful. Felinella sported an expressionless look, with no hostility or intent to kill in it. Despite her bold strategy, her heart didn’t waver in the slightest. It was the perfected appearance of a covert force operative, her five senses sharp and her heart composed. 

Felinella wasn’t relaxing her guard in the slightest. That’s why no matter what kind of ambush or surprise attack the enemy might spring on her, her response would be immediate. 

Only one enemy remained. Felinella’s focus was turned directly towards the woman. 

The next moment, she launched a thrust from her elegant stance, reaching her target. A vast amount of blood poured out from the woman’s right arm. A dark hole had been drilled into it. 

However, the woman didn’t even try to protect herself as she attacked Felinella with the same agility as before. She was unable to move her arm properly, and should be in excruciating pain, but she seemed to be only slightly weighed down by her injury. 

Holding the machete with her left hand, the woman let out a growl and lowered her posture as if she was a beast. 

It was hard to believe a slash so quick could be performed by a badly injured person. 

“Kill... bury...” 

“It’s like you’re a puppet. Unable to think of anything other than what you’ve been told... an empty puppet without feelings. So is your friend, no? It really is a shame. I only needed to talk to you.” 

As expected, Felinella’s words didn’t seem to reach the woman. Instead, the woman began breathing heavily. 

She howled, seemingly desperate, and her black blade approached Felinella. But for some reason, the sharpness in her movements was blunted. Her strike was dull, with no trace of the quickness of her previous attacks, and Felinella chose to block it with her AWR. 

“I played around a little with the pressure.” 

With those words, the woman was instinctively able to tell that the air around her hand had changed. She acted like a creepy puppet, but it appeared she was still human, recognizing a clear change as living creatures do. The rapid change in pressure caused her blood vessels to expand, and pain in the form of a headache assaulted her. As she was out of breath, having exerted herself, that sensation only grew worse. She was likely feeling the effects of vertigo, too. That was the reason why her attack had been so out of form. 

On top of that... she also had a wall of wind surrounding the area, keeping out all sound, so even if the woman did have more allies, they couldn’t get in the way. 

Even the sounds of the wall the man crashed into, the rumbling noises of the falling remnants, couldn’t reach outside this barrier. 

This was the usual measure Felinella took in her work, and it was that kind of tactic she had referred to as being unrefined. 

Moreover... Felinella unleashed the whirl of winds around her AWR at the woman, who was trying to brute force her way through. 

“‹‹Libera››” 

Receiving that order, the AWR released the dense wind at close range, bursting at the woman. 

The gale, which was like a compressed tornado, turned into countless blades of air. 

The woman had expected it, but didn’t even guard against it. The merciless blades of wind chopped the woman up without even letting her scream. 

Under the pressure, her body was lifted up from the ground. But the intensity of the wind blades increased, despite the blood being thrown up in the air. Her muscles and weapon were cut to pieces, and all that was left was for her body to powerlessly fall to the ground like a rag... yet she responded with a monstrous force of will. Her body moved again like it was manipulated by invisible strings. 

She waved her machete covered in her own blood, and thrust it at Felinella at lightning-quick speed. 

The control of the winds, even the wall of wind around them, was temporarily dispelled during the activation of Libera. And the lethal weapon approached Felinella, not even giving her time to create a barrier. 

Despite the unexpected attack, Felinella’s reaction didn’t show any delay. Getting a read on the length of the woman’s arm and the machete, she moved her body with the minimal amount of movement to skillfully dodge the attack. It seemed her cold, dark red eyes had completely seen through the attack. 

However... “!!” 

Her eyes opened in surprise. She saw the woman’s dexterous finger movements around the machete, that caused her reach to extend past Felinella’s expectations. The woman held the handle at its end with two fingers, forcibly pushing it forward. 

Felinella bent her body, placing one of her hands on the ground and doing a backflip. Her legs moving at high speed, she kicked the woman’s wrist, knocking the machete upwards. 

By the time Felinella landed her backflip, the woman, having lost her balance, fell to the ground. At the same time, the machete’s blade slammed into the dirt, its rotational movement keeping it going, gouging through the soil by a tree’s roots, burying itself up to the handle. 

Then there was the fallen woman. A pool of blood was spreading out from her due to the cuts all over her body. She’d lost so much blood that she shouldn’t be able to move anymore. 

At last silence fell, and it wasn’t just due to the magic isolating the area. Felinella finally dispelled the magic. An invisible veil of wind dispersed into mana remnants, signaling the end. 

She looked over at the fallen woman once more. As she stood next to the abandoned building, a shadow appeared across her face, perhaps a moment of grief. 

“The location was a decoy, but I have secured some who I believe to be related...” Without even bothering to look for the Consensor she’d used to lure the two out, Felinella took out a spare and spoke as she walked toward the building, before the man she’d blown away was completely buried in the rubble. 

“...!!” Suddenly, dread sent a chill down her spine. Not only was someone behind her, but she’d also lost the initiative. But the area was soundproofed by magic, just who could...?! Felinella thought to herself, as the situation far surpassed her expectations. 

She could tell without looking. It was the woman who stood behind her. With that kind of blood loss, she surely had to be on the verge of death. Even if she was still alive, she shouldn’t have the strength to move even a finger. 

So her standing there meant her tenacity exceeded the limits of life. Felinella’s preconceived notion that she was facing humans had been the blunder of a century. 

She immediately turned around, but the woman standing there was unmoving. Meaning that she’d missed her big chance. 

“...” 

Her arms were limp, red fluid dripping down from her fingers. It was hard to imagine her standing up by her own will. It seemed more likely that something had unnaturally driven her body back up. Her appearance even seemed sorrowful. 

The woman’s half-open eyes weren’t looking at Felinella. Instead, they were pointed towards the ground. She was instinctively maintaining her sense of balance, though she swayed back and forth. 

She was like a balancing doll. Felinella could no longer see anything resembling a consciousness in her. It was a frail existence that would fall over flat if she was so much as pushed. They’d been fighting to the death just a moment ago, but seeing her stand up despite her serious injuries made Felinella reluctant to finish her off. 

Really... talk about depressing... it’s like she’s just a tool. Felinella knew those kinds of feelings were out of place for a mission in the shadows. Despite that, they filled her inside. 

“I’m sorry. But you’re going to have to come with me,” she said, focusing on her Consensor again. 

Then she ignored the voice coming from it, staring at a point in the forest. I guess they did notice. Reinforcements... and considering the speed they must be pretty good. 

She had just a few seconds to think. While the soundproofing spell she’d used was a low level one, it covered a wide area and thus consumed a lot of mana. That’s why she’d unraveled it as soon as the fighting was over, but reinforcements were coming, possibly strong ones, leaving her with only one choice. 

Calmly calculating the time she had, Felinella put on a rarely shown unfortunate expression when she reached her conclusion. “Well, if you insist,” she whispered, in place of a sigh. With newcomers approaching, it would be difficult to escape with the woman who would be a valuable witness if she could regain her sanity. 

Even if she put her hopes on grouping up with her allies in the covert forces, that choice carried a high risk. If she didn’t know when to call it quits, the intelligence gathering they’d been doing up to now would go to waste. 

Felinella briefly spoke into her Consensor one more time. “I’m falling back.” Her supple legs danced in the wind, and she disappeared into the darkness of the forest. 

Left behind was a lone figure... the woman lying on the ground once more. Her bleeding had been stopped by a needle made from mana, pushed into an acupuncture point, sparkling in the moonlight. 

Felinella’s cautiousness and ability to make snap judgments were some of her good qualities, and as she’d been especially proactive on this mission, she already had an escape route and means of confirming her position prepared. She had the knowledge necessary to be able to escape under any circumstances. 

The more information, the better. Or course, greed could pull the rug from under someone, but she’d already taken her limits into account. She was calculating at all times, ending it just before things turned for the worse. That’s why she pretended to escape, putting the real ability of the covert forces on display, as she chose to pull off one last job. 

Concealing herself at the top of the densely packed trees, Felinella quietly watched over the area. 

The false moonlight shone down on the fully-collapsed research building. 

As Felinella expected, a robed figure appeared from out of the trees. Considering the slim legs and narrow shoulders, it didn’t appear to be a man. 

The figure suspiciously stared at the woman, whose bleeding had been stopped, lying on the ground. Determining that it wasn’t a trap, she grabbed hold of the woman’s ankle and headed for the abandoned building, dragging the woman along. 

Without hesitating, she then stopped at a certain point in the rubble, moving it away with a single hand, and pulled out the man. 

At first glance, she didn’t look like she had the kind of strength to do these things. But her pace after she’d shouldered the man was incredibly light. It was hard to believe she was carrying two adults with her. 

It looked like the female figure was about to leave with the two in tow, but she suddenly stopped. Her head, hidden by a hood, turned to the side. 

She looked straight at the top of the tree where Felinella was hiding. 

“!” She must have sensed her faint presence. Felinella also had a hood on, so even if she was found out, her features were almost completely hidden in the darkness. 

Their eyes met... just who was watching, and who was being watched? 

Suddenly, the woman looked away, and with an adult under each arm, she disappeared into the grove of trees. 

The moment had safely passed. That aside, based on the slender chin and length of the hair peeking out from the hood, Felinella was sure that the figure was a woman. Of course, she didn’t overlook the two knives at her waist. 

But she hadn’t risked staying behind just to confirm something like that. That would be too reckless. In fact, if she couldn’t bring the information back it would all have been pointless. 

Moreover, this kind of large-scale information gathering normally never took place in Alpha. The top brass giving the go ahead despite that, meant they were expected to perfectly complete their mission and quickly resolve this incident. 

Seeing the woman walk into the woods, Felinella deliberately drew her AWR. The magic formula engraved on it began its work on preparing the next spell. 

For some reason, the woman had found the man in the rubble without difficulty. She must have a method for finding the figures. 

Which meant there was a high chance of Felinella being tracked down if she’d taken the injured woman with her. And that could have meant even more reinforcements coming after her. 

As I thought, leaving her behind was the right move. 

She exhaled, letting those thoughts escape her mind, and softly spoke out her spell’s name. 

“‹‹Air Map››” 

Wind spread out like ripples, with Felinella in its center. The new wind chased past the natural wind and blew through the entire vicinity. 

In the next moment, the wind detected everything it came in contact with, and conveyed it to Felinella’s mind. At the same time it picked up the mana needle she’d placed on the woman, letting her know where she was. 

The needle wasn’t just meant to stop the bleeding, which was why she’d put it in an acupuncture point to keep its existence hidden for longer. 

“Looks like I made it in time.” In the end, the needle was made up of mana. However, the mana deteriorating was inevitable, which meant it wouldn’t be active for long. That’s why it wouldn’t leave any traces once she was done with it, making it perfect for this kind of work. 

Before long, Felinella picked up on her target. All she had to do now was wait for the woman to be taken to the hideout she was looking for. Even if the needle dissolved, she could still get an idea of its location based on the path it had taken. 

* * * 

At the same time, late at night in Alus’ laboratory... 

Tesfia and Alice had already gone home a long time ago. Loki had waited for Alus while working on her detection training, but as she started dozing off, he had put her to bed after careful consideration. 

Characters on the monitor screen scrolled past at an amazing speed. 

Without so much as blinking, Alus restlessly moved his serious eyes back and forth. 

“!!” Rather than finding a portion that caught his attention, he found a character string that was unnatural. He used the virtual keyboard to scroll back up. 

What is this...? 

He’d turned the mana information he’d gotten from Alice into code, displaying it on the screen. That’s why he could tell right away. This disorderly character string hadn’t occurred because he’d changed the data into simple code. What the several blotted-out lines showed was the existence of irregular data, very similar to bugged output from a program. 

Alus immediately looked around for the reason. He brought out the information on Alice’s body and compared it to her internal mana factor information that he’d scanned. He shifted his attention to the analysis results. 

A few hours later... his work continued into the wee hours of the morning, but it hadn’t been for naught. 

“So that’s how it is...” 

Thanks to the analysis results, the reason for why the attribute-less magic formula had reacted when Alice’s mana came in contact with a ring in Night Mist’s chain had finally been made clear. 

Normally, one would feel refreshed over finding an explanation to a problem. But, in this case, Alus was feeling bitter. As expected, once the results were clear, that strange character string revealed the reason. 

Talk about depressing. 

The sleepiness Alus was feeling had already completely disappeared. He wondered whether to become more involved or not. First, however, he’d need to make sure. He also felt a responsibility as a researcher. But the headache he felt from that surely wasn’t just from his lack of sleep. 

In the end, Alus was unable to get a single wink of sleep, and he was still sitting down in front of the monitor looking at evidence corroborating what he was more or less convinced of, when Loki woke up sometime past 5 a.m. 

“Good morning.” 

“Morning.” Alus was a little impressed, thinking Loki must always wake up around this time, but he acted normally so she wouldn’t catch on. 

Her voice was clear, but she still seemed to be a little out of it as she rubbed her eyes. Suddenly, she realized a certain truth and her eyes shot wide open as she shouted, “Don’t tell me... you haven’t slept?!” 

“Yeah,” Alus said in a worn-out voice. 

“You can’t. Please go to sleep right away. I will take care of all of your duties for today, so please.” 

“No, I don’t think I’ll be able to rest today,” Alus answered. He’d already turned his head back to the monitor. 

“... I understand. Then perhaps some coffee will do?” 

“Sorry about that.” Alus stopped for a moment and moved to the table, while pinching the area between his eyebrows. His lack of sleep was giving him a minor headache, but it wasn’t a big deal. 

Warm sunlight came shining in through the window that Loki opened up. The cool breeze brought with it the fragrance of flowers, but it didn’t ease Alus’ feelings. 

Today was technically a day they needed to attend at the Institute. Simply put, it was the day of the end-of-term ceremony. 

However, Alus had reached the required number of days before the exam, and he’d already received his report card, so he felt attending would be nonsensical. But he still decided to drop by. 

The principal appeared on the massive monitor in the classroom, going on about what frame of mind the novice Magicmasters should keep while on their summer vacation, and to remember that they were humanity’s hope and so on. 

In total, it took less than an hour, but... “I shouldn’t have come,” Alus mumbled in class, while holding back the urge to yawn. 

“That’s true.” Loki, seated behind him, had an amused smile. The way he looked right now was just like a normal first-year student. To her, the sight of Alus living an everyday life was very refreshing. 

“You don’t look well today, so maybe we shouldn’t come? We can train in our room, anyways.” 

“It’s fine. I bet he just stayed up all night. You’re always so unhealthy. Doesn’t Loki get angry?” Unlike Alice, Tesfia was a little harsh with her words. 

Based on her expression, she seemed to be convinced Alus had spent the night playing games or something, but it was true he hadn’t slept, so he had no objections. Or even the energy for it. 

“Well, even if it’s for your research, I would prefer it if you took more care of your body...” Loki said, while peeking over at the two girls that had appeared next to Alus. Rather than refuting Tesfia like always, she was unable to defend Alus this time. 

She had her worries, but he wanted this for himself. And she wasn’t sure she could rob him of his valuable time for the sake of looking after his health. That conflict always made Loki uneasy. Most of all, she couldn’t compare the current No. 1 Magicmaster, who was also a first-class researcher, to an average person. 

Alus was aware he was causing concern for Loki. But he also thought this kind of extreme act was necessary to make up for the time he’d lost. That said, a lack of sleep might have made things pretty ineffective, or so he told himself. 

“If you’re living with him, you’ll need to harden your heart, Loki. This kind of guy just keeps on going until he collapses once he gets into something. It’s a sickness, I say!” 

Tesfia’s way of speaking was even harsher than before, but after hearing Loki’s words, she realized he hadn’t spent the night playing. In fact, her expression made it clear she was worried about him, regardless of what she might say out loud. 

“Alice, I don’t mind going on as usual today. And aren’t you going home today, Tesfia? Are you sure you can just waste time here all day?” 

“I still have time. It’s not like I need to hurry. But I have a lot of luggage, so I don’t think I can make it over there before I leave...” 

You don’t have to come over just because you’re going home, Alus thought to himself. This redhead tended to be strangely sincere. Of course, she’d get angry if he said that out loud, so he kept it to himself. 

Finally, the four of them left the classroom. Once they reached the entrance to the research building, Tesfia and Alice parted ways with the other two and headed for the girls’ dorm. Alice would be coming back once she’d seen Tesfia off. 

As if waiting for the moment Alus entered the room, the alarm sounded, signaling an incoming call. He showed no signs of hurrying, however... in fact, he prayed for the ringing to stop, as he took his time moving to the display to press the button. 

“Loki, you don’t have to do anything.” Loki had been about to leave, planning to show consideration, but there was no need for that. Instead, he wordlessly gestured for her to lock the door. 

The terminal was a video phone, rather than the basic kind you put against your ear. Even seeing the other party face to face, Alus did things at his own pace. 

But he had a bad feeling about this. After all, only Sisty and a few in the military knew of this line. And with this being a video phone call, it surely had to be Governor-General Berwick. 

“Pick up faster, don’t keep your elders waiting.” Accompanying that exasperated voice was the visage of an elderly man. 

“Indeed, if you’re this impatient you can definitely be called an old man... Pardon me. I happened to be at the end-of-term ceremony.” 

This was practically a routine for them. Alus tried to figure out his intention behind the call, but it didn’t seem like it was for fun. Of course, if it had been, he would have just hung up. 

“... Hm, I’m glad to see you enjoying your studies.” At first glance Berwick seemed impressed, but that couldn’t be his true feelings. If Alus missed any credits, there was a chance he could be pressed back into service. 

Berwick smiled calmly, but depending on the person seeing that smile, they could believe he hid an ulterior motive behind it. “I see young Loki managed to become your partner as well. That’s one less worry off my hands.” 

How shameless, Alus thought, furrowing his brows. As the paperwork for Loki becoming his partner had already gone through, there was no way a man at the Governor-General’s level didn’t already know that. 

To begin with, Berwick had already been nagging him to decide on a partner. Then again, he knew Alus didn’t need one, so he hadn’t forced it on him. 

“That aside, what do you want? You didn’t use the secret line just to confirm something like that, did you?” Alus pressed Berwick to move on to the main topic. 

The wrinkles on Berwick’s forehead grew deeper. In the next moment, the man in the position of Governor-General spoke in a solemn tone, with a troubled look on his face. “You’ve got work.” 

It was as Alus expected. Since the Governor-General had called him, it meant that he either needed someone excellent for an important matter, or there was a job only he could do. 

It was at times like these that Alus got sick of the military putting a half-assed leash on him. 

While he may be a student, he was still part of the military, and he couldn’t refuse so easily. But even then—“I’m pretty busy.” 

“Listen to what I have to say at the very least, Alus.” 

It was only a minor show of opposition. He never had any intention to refuse, and he knew he didn’t have a choice either. So Alus closed his mouth to get the Governor-General to continue. 

He wanted free time, but he also owed this man a debt of gratitude he could never repay. Alus would never say that to Berwick’s face... but that complex emotion was probably a big part of what still connected him to the military. It was a chain he could never fully sever. Fate, in a sense. 

“The target’s a scholar by the name of Godma Barhong.” 

“A human,” Alus said in a low voice. 

But the surprise on Loki’s face, next to him, was minimal. Before she left the military to become Alus’ partner, the Governor-General had explained the situation to her personally. Her keeping that information confidential was one of the conditions that allowed her to leave. 

Having accepted those terms, Loki had said she would serve the military for the rest of her life if she didn’t become Alus’ partner. Of course, she’d prepared herself not to return until she did. 

Geez. Alpha had a security force, but many of its members weren’t Magicmasters. The military dealt with the Fiends, while the security force kept the peace inside the border. The precious Magicmasters were needed for the Fiends of the Outer World; they couldn’t give any to the security force to deal with things normal people could do as well. 

The army actually consisted of two armies: the Local Army in charge of inside the barrier, protecting the citizens, and the Outer Army, in charge of eliminating foreign threats outside the barrier. This formation was created shortly after the seven nations were established, but only the people who knew of those times used these names. 

Currently, emphasis was placed on the Outer Army dealing with humanity’s greatest threat—the Fiends—and they were prioritized for it. The Governor-General had the final say in military matters, but there were many other matters where he couldn’t ignore the top brass or the ruler of the nation. 

And since this mission’s target wasn’t a Fiend, responsibility lay with the Local Army. So with the mission falling into Alus’ hands, that meant this target was too much for them. It must be quite the criminal. 

A picture of the person’s face was displayed on the screen. A detailed profile began scrolling down. 

The man was past 40 now, but was in his 30s in the photograph. He had a thin build, wearing rimless glasses, with short hair. His face was slender, like you’d expect from a scholar, and he looked the perfect picture of slyness. 

However, his unhealthy-looking eyes had insanity and vengeance smoldering deep within. His record showed he had quite the twisted, inquisitive mind. 

Alus frowned as he confirmed the details. 

“He’s performed quite a few ethically questionable experiments outside the public eye. A warrant was put out on him because of that, but before he could be apprehended he went into hiding. We’ve been unable to ascertain his location since then.” 

“And now you’ve got a lead?” 

“Yes. For some reason, he was gathering children.” 

He must have pushed his luck too far and given himself away. Alus nodded in understanding, as two questions popped into his mind. 

“Why now of all times?” 

“We don’t know that much, but we believe he’s been continuing his inhumane experiments in hiding. We suspect he’s getting careless because his experiments are in their final stages.” 

“I see. So, why me?” 

That was Alus’ second question. Considering what he heard, the matter needed to be resolved immediately, as this man couldn’t be left to his own devices any longer. But Alus didn’t like accepting an assignment while something vital was being left out. 

Governor-General Berwick let out a sigh. His expression was bitter, but he’d expected that question. “You’re the same as always.” 

“Thanks for that.” 

“But I can’t reveal the reason.” 

“In other words, when he was delving into his human experiments, he touched upon something seriously bad. And some high-ranking official in the military or government was colluding with him. And... that being exposed now would have major repercussions.” 

Berwick remained silent, but that only confirmed Alus’ theory. 

“... It’s a disgrace on Alpha’s name that can’t see the light of day again. Back then it had to be kept confidential, but I believe that was careless. But there are things I can and cannot do.” 

The wrinkles on Berwick’s forehead grew even deeper. Him spitting out weak excuses was probably only because he was dealing with Alus. The two had known each other for a long while. 

“We can’t afford to sink the military’s influence right now.” 

“I bet.” 

“This concerns you, too. This is an emergency. If the military’s authority wanes, there’d be a demand to reinstate you.” 

“...” So you say, Alus thought. Instead of ‘limited to just emergencies,’ don’t you really mean ‘at every opportunity’? This wasn’t the first or second time he’d been threatened with reinstatement. 

But even if this mission was a clean-up operation for the past government or top brass, failure would affect him as well. Alus’ current position was only allowable while Berwick was Governor-General. In fact, if Berwick stepped down, Alus had no reason to focus his efforts on this nation. 

An indescribable feeling of desolation cast a shadow on Alus’ heart. Not even he was aware of where it came from. While not expecting any major changes in your surroundings sounded mature, it was kind of like a distrustful child fearing change, fiercely protecting their own place in the world. 

“I’ve sent all the documents to you.” 

Alus expanded a new window, and looked them over. “... I understand.” 

“Good. I’ll need you to adhere to the designated date and time. I’ll leave the means to you, but try to use the best method.” 

Alus nodded like he didn’t need to hear the rest. It was the same as usual. The best method was, simply put, the deletion of the target. A nasty smile appeared on Alus’ lips. This was going to be a lot of trouble. His target seemed to be the truly problematic type. 

“Best of luck,” the Governor-General said, and hung up. 

You don’t even mean that, Alus thought to himself. But he moved on to the material sent to him. 

The separation of the element factor, huh. He might be scum, but he has interesting ideas. He at least has some intelligence in there somewhere. 

While Alus was thinking, Loki muttered to herself, “... How selfish can you be?” The corners of her eyes rose in resentment. She truly felt anger. Though she’d kept quiet during the call, she’d been enduring quite a bit. 

The military tried to win Alus over by granting him temporary freedom while still trying to use him after working him to the bone. She could understand it in her head when she took Berwick’s position into account, but she still couldn’t stomach it. 

Alus patted the stern-looking Loki on the shoulder with a small smile, as if to say that kind of expression didn’t suit her. “Don’t say that. It’s not like this is the first time.” Though he could see it looked that way from an outsider’s perspective. 

“But...” 

Without touching on the confidential matters, Alus skillfully found the words to stop Loki. “Having the Governor-General owe me one would be just fine. Besides, as a researcher, I honestly have some interest in this guy.” Or more accurately, the research data he had. 

Sidestepping the worried look Loki was giving him, Alus reasoned it wasn’t all downside, and had Loki stand down. 

* * * 

With the sudden top secret request done with for now, Alice showed up at the laboratory around lunch time. 

“You should have come to see Tesfia off too, Al.” 

“Talk about overdoing it. She’s only going to be gone for a week.” In reality, Alus was earnestly enjoying the silence. With the noisy one gone, he was feeling good, to the point where he began to wonder if he should set up a schedule and not offer any guidance outside of it. He also considered having the two of them work on the next stage of their training on their own. 

“Anyways, that hysterical person being gone is only convenient.” 

“Hysterical? That’s pretty mean, Al.” Alice had a wry smile, but she seemed to understand he was only joking. Lately, she’d started getting used to his style. 

“No, I mean convenient for you.” 

“Huh?” 

Alus searched through a shelf and pulled out a strange piece of equipment that looked like a projector. 

“Loki, sorry, but can you leave the room?” 

“...!” It was Alice who was surprised by his words. Loki seemed to have expected it, as she gave Alus a look of acknowledgment and disappeared through the door with indifferent steps. 

“...” 

The two were alone in the room. 

Sensing something, Alice let a sound escape her throat. But she soon put a finger on her cheek, tilting her head, while wondering what he intended. 

Alice sometimes had a habit of trying to evade things through childish behavior when the atmosphere turned serious. She looked straight at reality, while at the same time unconsciously trying to avoid it. 

She was considerate and good at reading the mood, which meant she also had sensitivity. 

That said, Alus wasn’t about to talk to her about anything that serious, nor was he going to give her a sermon. Instead, he needed to confirm something for the sake of continuing his research. 

“I noticed something when I analyzed your mana. Of course, I have no intentions of prying into it without your permission, as promised. But in order to continue with my research, I need to talk with you. If you have an idea of the reason behind what I’m about to say, I don’t think either of us have anything to lose from knowing why.” 

Alus tapped on the virtual keyboard projected in the air, and brought up a screen in front of Alice. 

A lineup of characters scrolled past at amazing speed. After several hundred, several thousand strings of characters, Alus stopped it, giving Alice a meaningful glance. 

“...?!” 

Though she didn’t know what it meant, she understood that what was being displayed was unnatural. 

Alus pointed to the problem line. It was data showing analysis of the structure of the mana factor, but the lines around it had blurred characters, meaningless characters, or were just left blank. 

“Normally it’s possible to express the information representing the mana factor as characters or symbols, regardless of its form.” 

“Yes...” 

“But that transformation hasn’t happened here. In other words, I’d suspect that it’s an error—some kind of defect,” Alus said bluntly. It wasn’t a matter of deteriorating information, but instead, that it was partially missing. “Do you have any ideas?” 

“...” 

Before he knew it, Alice’s eyes were on the floor. She wasn’t even looking at the screen. Her face was pale, and she looked shocked. 

... She did have an idea. It existed clearly in her mind. The scars of that accursed experiment in her past. She wasn’t able to speak right away, not because she recalled how painful it had been, but because she remembered her parents. 

Alus wasn’t so thick-headed as to assume nothing had happened when he saw her expression change. “Like I said, if you don’t want it, I’m not going to pry any further. But since it was made clear to me by the analysis, I decided that I at least needed to tell you.” 

“Does this mean that I’m defective as a Magicmaster...?” Alice asked fearfully. She worried for her aptitude and future as a Magicmaster with a sorrowful look on her face. 

“No, it’s nothing you need to worry about. Though it’s not like there’s no effect at all.” 

“Then... good.” Relief washed over Alice. 

Alus, however, figured that he needed to properly explain himself. “First, in regards to that small problem, a defect with your mana information has an effect on the duration of spells. Fortunately, it seems that time has passed since the defect happened, so there won’t be much of a difference compared to others.” 

He purposefully chose to say ‘since the defect happened.’ Meaning, it wasn’t something she had been born with. “Of course, unlike mana capacity, this isn’t something you can affect through training. It’s common for mana information to become more dense with age, but in your case, you don’t have any older information because of the defect.” 

When Alice heard there wasn’t a big difference, she let out a heavy sigh of relief—though it was unclear if she understood all of what Alus told her. 

“Well, simply put, it means your mana is young.” It was a rather rough example, but it really wasn’t that serious. 

“Young...?” It would probably be the ‘not so young’ women who’d smile at that, but Alice took it as a compliment and didn’t seem to think any more of it. 

While Alus had managed to briefly explain the situation, he didn’t feel any better. Because it was clear that the defect was man-made. Something like this occurring naturally was practically impossible when living a normal life. 

He also knew that Alice had scars when he scanned her body. Though healing magic wasn’t instant or perfect, it still existed. And unless it was something major, there wouldn’t be any scars left behind after proper treatment. 

However, the largest scar on Alice was something even a limited scan could pick up on. That was proof she had undergone a major operation in the past, and that it had been performed carelessly. 

“Alice, this defect is really baffling.” 

“...” 

Alice bit her lower lip, silently looking on. She didn’t regret helping Alus with his research. Tesfia, in fact, knew about her past too. Of course, it wasn’t the kind of thing you’d reveal to just anyone. She’d only talked about it to Tesfia once, never bringing it up since. 

That said, there was nothing hindering her from telling Alus everything if it would help with his research. 

Yet her words seemed to clump up in her throat and wouldn’t come out no matter how hard she pushed. Her heart was unconsciously rejecting it. 

The words began to feel like a weight inside her, and got in the way of her breathing. She was breathing heavily like she’d just sprinted at full speed. She didn’t know what was happening. 

“Alice...?!” 

It was unclear if Alus’ voice reached her, as she opened her mouth a little and took shallow breaths in a daze. She was hyperventilating. Without being able to speak, she desperately sought oxygen as if she were drowning. 

Realizing the abnormal situation, Alus rushed to Alice’s side. 

“—!” 

Her consciousness drifted away, her limbs were stiff. At this rate her entire body would freeze up and she’d be unable to think of anything at all. 

However, as if to wrap around her sudden state of confusion, the view in front of her was quietly covered up, and at the same time she felt a mysterious warmth. 

“I’m sorry,” Alus said. He put his hand on her chestnut-colored hair. 

Alice’s face was pressed against his chest, and she could hear the rhythmical beating of his heart. She naturally found herself tuning in to that beat. Synchronizing with that rhythm, her own breathing gradually calmed down. 

How long had she been like that? Ten minutes? Thirty minutes? Or maybe even an hour...? Alice couldn’t tell, but she felt like she’d stayed that way for a long time. Her memories of the time were vague, like in a dream. 

When she came to, her hands were gripping at Alus’ clothes so hard they wrinkled them. At the same time, the side of her face was against his chest for some reason. Her ear was pressed against his shirt, wet from her tears, as if to listen in to the sound deep within. 

“I-I’m sorry?!” As Alice became fully aware of the situation, she turned red up to her ears. She pushed herself away from Alus. 

“I’m the one who’s sorry. So just forget about it.” 

“... Yes. I’m fine now.” 

Her heart was still throbbing. Be it from embarrassment or because she hadn’t recovered from the shock yet... but this feeling of her heart being moved wasn’t unpleasant at all. 

“I think you should go home for today,” Alus quietly said. 

“But... I haven’t...” 

He made the suggestion because she didn’t look to be in the condition to train, but Alice was a little hesitant. Being as serious as she was, she didn’t want to go home without having done anything. But she knew she wasn’t in good condition too, so her insistence was weak. 

“Just rest for today. Vacation starts tomorrow, so you have plenty of time.” 

“Yes, okay. Then that’s what I’ll do.” 

“Good. Come back when you’re feeling better.” Alus meant emotionally rather than physically. 

“Yes... See you tomorrow, Al.” 

A dry smile crept onto Alus’ face, as he figured she’d be back right away tomorrow. 

He then saw her out of the room. Since he didn’t want anything to happen to her on the way back, he had Loki accompany her to the girls’ dorm. He’d had something to do with this matter concerning Alice, after all. 

The laboratory was quiet. Alus sat down on a chair. For the first time in a while, he was alone in here. 

“Haah.” Alus brought a teacup to his lips. When he noticed it was empty, he let out another sigh. 

He reflected on how careless he had been. At the same time, he considered how deep-rooted it was. Seeing Alice’s abnormal reaction—clearly indicating a psychological trauma—and taking into account the incomprehensible defect with her mana information and the scars of surgery, it was only natural that her mind would shut down. 

While it was a private problem, he couldn’t leave it alone either. 

“Once Loki gets back, I’ll have to have her make some coffee,” Alus muttered to himself, as he pushed his cup to the edge of his desk. 

His eyes moved to the virtual keyboard and screen, but he suddenly changed his mind and turned it off. 

Sensing the deep darkness within, he couldn’t get in the mood to reconfirm the data. 

* * * 

Having returned to her room, now missing her roommate, Alice fell onto the bed. 

“What happened with me?” She felt embarrassed. Her face turned red just thinking about it. 

At the same time, she felt melancholic. She was having flashbacks to the past she should have put behind her long ago. Perhaps she still hadn’t been able to get away from it. 

Thinking that she couldn’t run away from it, she felt frustration she couldn’t put into words. 

She wanted to become strong like him. 

Alice had mistakenly assumed that she was strong enough. However, she’d been made aware of her mistake when her transient confidence was so easily destroyed. 

I never overcame my past. 

But she was wrong... it wasn’t overcoming her past. She’d only covered it up. All she did was put a lid on it, covered with thin cloth. 

That’s why her wound had been so easily exposed. No, if it had only been exposed, there would have been no reason for her to get so flustered. 

Back then, everything had been explained to the young Alice. What had been done at that facility, what happened to her and how her parents had died. She’d understood everything, but she couldn’t accept it. 

Her hatred for the person who was the cause of it all remained. 

It was a dark emotion that she hid away alongside her memories. 

And when she recognized it— 

“I can never be free while he’s still alive,” Alice spoke to herself in the dim room. 

The past couldn’t be forgotten. And she didn’t actually want to forget it, either. 

At the same time, she was frustrated by not being able to do anything. That was why she would begin by facing her past. 

Having decided that, her eyelids finally lost to her fatigue and closed. She suddenly felt like she’d forgotten something, but was unable to struggle against her sleepiness and fell into a deep sleep. 

Alice was having a dream. Before falling asleep, memories she couldn’t recall were, as expected, connected to her past. But the truth was that her past wasn’t just filled with bad memories. And the meager memories of joy and happiness were thanks to her being in a dream world. 

The flickering fragments of her memories invited her to glimpse an old sight. 

Alice wasn’t the only one in that military research facility. The moment she remembered that in her dream, a group of children appeared before her in a trance. Their ages were varied, but they were still children. 

Her time in the facility was so long, dark and miserable, that the thoughts of reuniting with her parents weren’t enough support to overcome it. That’s why there had to be more. 

Others overcoming the painful experiments alongside her. Friends that supported her... there had to be... 

While she was dreaming, tears streamed out of Alice’s eyes, down her cheeks and falling onto her pillow. 

When she awoke from her dream, Alice would surely realize why she’d forgotten it. She’d hidden away all her painful memories of the past, alongside the few fun days and bonds she’d formed. 

Her memories began resurfacing after what happened today. 

“... Melissa.” 

Alice’s lips moved, as she quietly spoke in her sleep. The name that didn’t belong to anyone came out of her mouth, and disappeared into the silent room.

The next day, Alice came to the laboratory earlier than usual, or rather too early. There were very few people walking around outside at this hour. 

“That’s fast!” 

“Hee hee... I fell asleep early yesterday, so I woke up early too.” Alice playfully stuck out her tongue, as if nothing had happened the day before, and Alus didn’t hide how bothersome this was to him, as always. He didn’t just mean the time of day, but more that she’d been emotionally devastated only yesterday. 

Yet as Alice stepped into the laboratory again, seemingly without care, her expression then turned serious as she looked at Alus. 

“Wait a minute...” Alus turned off the virtual monitor as he’d already been working, and glanced over at Loki who was in the middle of making breakfast. “Loki, step outside for a moment...” 

Alice said, “Wait. I want Loki to hear this, too.” 

“... I see.” 

Loki stopped her preparations with a surprised look. In the end, she made tea for three and they sat down around the table. 

After taking a deep breath, Alice put her hand on her chest. I’m okay, she told herself, before starting to speak. 

“It happened when I was seven...” 

* * * 

Alice told of her harsh past, pouring her heart out, stopping every now and then. 

Alus intently listened to her, his expression unchanging. Loki also remained expressionless, but when the name of that researcher was mentioned, her eyes opened wide. Fortunately, Alice didn’t have the composure to notice. 

Meanwhile, having finished telling them everything, Alice felt like a weight came off her chest. 

“I see. I’m starting to understand,” Alus said. 

“Yes. I think my mana started going weird because of the experiments back then,” Alice frowned, thinking, as she answered him. Having learned the truth, she’d decided to accept the results. And her revealing her past to Alus and Loki might have been a show of her resolution. 

“The Element Factor Separation Project, is it... I don’t know what kind of use that would have,” Loki said. 

“Yeah, but still, I’m surprised you agreed to participate in my research.” Alus glanced over at Loki and casually changed the topic. 

Loki caught his drift and closed her mouth. But still... she thought to herself, looking at the girl before her. While Alus’ research would benefit her, it was indeed impressive that she’d agreed to it. 

“I thought I had it sorted out... but it looks like I can’t handle needles... besides, taking part in the experiments was the only way to see my parents. Thinking back on it, I might not have been that opposed to it... Oh, but it wasn’t all bad. I even had a friend in the facility.” Finally, Alice forced a smile. 

“I see.” 

Alice let out feigned laughter at Alus’ muttered statement. 

Alus didn’t know the warmth of having parents. He’d never seen their faces. That’s why he didn’t understand just how far a child would go to be with their parents. So to him, it was a hard-to-grasp emotion. 

However, Loki had had similar circumstances. She silently stared at Alice, who’d regained her composure. While Loki hadn’t been toyed around with by fate like Alice had been, she’d been exposed to the irrational, unfair world, just like Alice. 

She didn’t sympathize with her. But she could feel a faint empathy and fellowship. Loki had been able to live because of Alus. She figured Alice must have had support in life too. And that redhead who wasn’t here now was surely an important existence to her as well. Then again, Loki wasn’t willing to acknowledge Tesfia’s worth all that much. 

That’s when Alus glanced her way, bringing her back to reality. She returned his glance in kind. 

Hearing Alice’s tale, Loki had also realized that the target for elimination that Alus received, Godma Barhong, was related to Alice’s story. 

Alus’ look pressed Loki into silence, just in case. 

Meanwhile, Alus was also thinking of something different. They weren’t going to let Alice know that Barhong had a target on his back. He also couldn’t reveal military secrets on his own accord, either. 

While Alice had said she’d sorted out her emotions based on the past, her feelings toward Barhong himself were a different matter. 

Even if she wanted revenge, this was Alus’ job. 

“Alice, your defect most likely wasn’t planned.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“That it wasn’t the point of the experiment, but a result of it. An accident, in other words. It was probably carried out sloppily, but even then, it’s likely that it only happened to you out of several subjects.” 

Alice turned pale. If that was true, she was beyond just being unlucky. “No way... why just me?” 

But Alus continued, as if to suppress her unrest. “To begin with, it’s impossible to cause a defect to affect a person’s mana information.” It was a change large enough to affect the mana spheres supplied by the heart. Doing that intentionally would put a life-threatening strain on a person’s body. 

Then, perhaps, interfering with the mana that arose from the mana spheres was possible. But, in reality, that was even more unrealistic. Trying to rewrite mana information inside the body would, at best, result in the ego or personality collapsing, but there was also a high chance of rejection, resulting in the body being unable to sustain life. Mana information more delicately and strictly defined a person, as compared to physical information. 

Before, Alus had supplied Loki with his mana, but he’d simply been pouring it into an empty vessel, and hadn’t interfered with the supply source. As such, strictly speaking, it wasn’t overwriting the information. Despite that, he’d worried that her body would reject it. 

“You were unlucky, but you can also say that you were lucky.” 

“—!!” 

Alice was rendered dumbfounded and speechless. In her mind, she figured he meant she was lucky to be alive with that defect. 

But Alus continued on as if he’d read her mind. “Well, that’s not all I mean by lucky.” 

A puzzled look appeared on Alice’s face. She wondered how she could be lucky, apart from not dying. Thinking about it normally, there was nothing positive about it from a Magicmaster’s point of view. 

In place of Alice, who couldn’t speak, Loki asked, “What exactly do you mean, lucky?” 

“Yeah. I’d like to think about that a little.” 

“Huh?!” Alice was willing to grasp at straws. If she could find a glimpse of hope in her unfortunate past... if there was any luck that could lead her to a brighter future, she’d be able to more optimistically accept her fate. It would be a big step forward for her. 

But what Alus said was contradictory. When she agreed to become his test subject, he’d said it wouldn’t be fair if he didn’t tell her the process of his research. 

“Can you say why you won’t tell me?” 

“Of course. But if you hear it, you might be even more worried. In the worst case, you might be asked to become a test subject again in yet another project. If the nation finds out, that is.” 

To Alus, that was an evasive answer. But Alice caught his drift when he mentioned the words ‘test subject.’ 

He was thinking of her. When she realized that, she felt a weight lifted off of her. 

“But you’re the one who has to decide, Alice. That’s why... there’s something I want you to try one more time.” 

“... Okay.” Not sure if she could rejoice yet, Alice hesitated. But the option of not complying with him had already disappeared from her mind. 

If Alus’ words were the truth, then receiving more detailed information would be great, but she was still a student, and it might be too much for her. There was also no guarantee that her trauma wouldn’t return. As she was still immature in a lot of ways, Alice might not be able to accept or understand what he’d tell her. 

As for Alus, there was still something he wasn’t convinced of. He should probably make sure of it first, before telling her. And so he started by preparing himself. 

“Wait a second,” Alus said, walking into his room, before coming out with a black case. 

“What’s that?” Alice asked about the creepy-looking case, but she’d already seen what was inside it before. 

“It’s my AWR, Night Mist.” 

“Why your AWR?” 

Alus didn’t answer her second question, opting instead to put the case on the table and pull the short sword in its sheath out from within. 

Alice recognized it then, but Alus said, “Save your questions for later. For now, pour mana through this.” 

He held onto the sheath, and presented the handle to Alice. As she timidly grasped the handle, Alus pulled the blade out. 

Unlike the time after the extracurricular lesson, Alus pulled out the chain. Before long, a 10 meter-long chain attached to the short sword spread out across the room. 

“Good, now just enchant like usual.” 

“Y-Yes... okay.” With the short sword in both hands, Alice closed her eyes and focused. 

Loki looked on from behind with a dubious gaze, but it would take more time before Alus revealed his intentions. 

Eventually, around the time Alice’s mana began circulating around the chain through the sword... 

“Okay, that’s enough.” 

“Oh? Okay...” Strictly speaking, she was still in the middle of enchanting. She hadn’t covered all of the chain, but it was enough for Alus to confirm what he wanted to know. 

“Sir Alus, what did you understand from that?” 

“This.” Alus lifted up the only ring in the chain that showed a reaction. 

“The magic formula there did seem to react. Does that mean she has that affinity?” Loki asked him. 

“That’s right. And what attribute do you think this formula has?” 

Alice said hesitatingly, “I have a light affinity, so... light?” 

“Too bad. The elements are the only things I can’t use,” Alus said, by way of reply. 

“—!!” Both Alice and Loki reacted. 

Elements referred to the light and dark attributes, which were special. And Alus’ denial made it clear that this wasn’t some trivial issue. Loki and Alice were taken aback. 

That said, Alus wasn’t going to let them guess until they got it right. The only ones who’d get it right immediately would be himself or the Governor-General anyways. 

“So, some other attribute? But I think I’ve tried them before,” Alice said. 

“Maybe that was a little mean of me... the right answer is that it’s none of the attributes. Just so you know, brace yourselves, as what I’m about to tell you can’t be repeated to anyone else.” He meant Loki, too. 

The two obediently nodded. But they didn’t look like they were bracing themselves for the secret Alus was about to reveal to them. Instead, they looked very curious with straightforward interest in their eyes, like kids waiting to hear the answer to a riddle. 

Alus worried over whether they actually understood that they’d need to keep quiet about this, as he continued, “Anyways, the formula that reacted to Alice’s mana doesn’t belong to any attribute. I call that ‘attribute-less.’” 

“...?” Loki looked confused. “Sir Alus, what is attribute-less?” 

Everything defined as magic was categorized within one of the attributes, such as Loki’s specialty, lightning, or Tesfia’s ice, and Alice’s light. 

“I thought I was the only Magicmaster that could use this power known as attribute-less,” Alus told them. 

“—!!” It was only natural the two would be surprised by this bombshell. 

Alus had never seen Loki be so shocked. Her eyes had shot open bigger than ever. 

However, she quickly changed gears—though not in the sense of calming down. “Sir Alus, why didn’t you tell your partner this sooner?” Resentment filled her words, and there were no traces of a smile to ease the atmosphere. She made no attempt to hide her indignation. 

But she seemed more unhappy than angry. In fact, her entire body exuded discontent and her emotions were out of control. 

“Wait, even though you’re my partner, it’s not something that easy to talk about. Up till now this has been a secret between me and the Governor-General,” Alus said, attempting to pacify her. He might not be able to completely silence Loki, but right now Alice was more important. 

Perhaps having sensed that—“Then I’ll leave it at that for now. But I will have you tell me all about it tonight,” Loki said, with a strangely meaningful smile. 

Alus shrugged, then said, “First of all, aside from the light attribute, it seems Alice has some affinity for attribute-less as well. There’s almost no doubt that this comes from the defect in her mana information.” 

It was a silver lining. The mana defect affected the duration of Alice’s spells, but depending on how you looked at it, she got something even greater in return. Of course, that affinity was an exception, and it remained to be seen if it would wind up being a positive or a negative. Alus saw it as being an unknown potential. 

“So your affinity is attribute-less, Al?” Alice asked to reconfirm. 

“I just said so.” 

When Alice heard Alus’ answer, joy for some reason filled her face, and she faintly smiled. She was happy to have an ‘attribute-less’ friend, but of course, Alus didn’t realize that. 

Incidentally, Alus could use all of the attributes aside from light and dark, but if he were to have an affinity, it would be attribute-less. That said, due to overwhelming poor efficiency in the other attributes, his talents were backed up by deep knowledge of magic formulas and their construction. 

And the reason for his disposition was different from Alice. He was born with two differing manas, which created his attribute-less disposition. Alus conjectured that his heterogeneous manas interfered with each other, preventing them from assuming a normal attribute. 

Meanwhile, Alice had received her affinity after birth. Partly because of that, she still only had a portion of the affinity for attribute-less. Whether or not she could use that power to some extent remained to be seen. 

Last night, Alus had confirmed that Alice’s defective mana data was not similar to his own. He’d gone through the trouble of bringing out the confidential data on his own mana, so there was no mistaking it. 

It was the first time he’d seen it in a while, and as he’d recalled, it was filled with strange code indicating something anomalous. But that wasn’t because the device was damaged; it was expressed that way because it couldn’t be analyzed. The abnormal portions with the affinity had been made clear, thanks to the existence of Alice. 

Alus’ own data had been the first sample, and now Alice’s was the second sample. Currently, there was too much that wasn’t known about attribute-less. All the clues he could get from the mana information were unintelligible. That was because there was much that the current measuring technology couldn’t analyze. 

If Alice didn’t just have the potential, but could actually use attribute-less magic, then defective wouldn’t be an apt description of her mana information anymore. Instead, it would more accurately be described as an unknown potential. And if that was the case, the same could be said of Alus. It wouldn’t be a defect, but rather the absence would be meaningful. 

A lot of things were still left unexplained to this day. Mana information wasn’t expressed as numbers or current characters, but as the ancient forgotten characters known as Lost Spells. And it wouldn’t be strange for there to still be symbols that hadn’t been discovered yet. There were only the analysis results that had been identified as of now. 

“Like I said before, there’s no doubt that Alice has some affinity for attribute-less magic. Though that doesn’t mean she’ll be able to do anything right now. But if she accepts it, I can come up with attribute-less spells. That’s my affinity, and if Alice has some aptitude for it, then it’ll save me some time.” 

That’s where Alus stopped for a moment. He figured he needed to stress the next point. “However, in Alice’s case, this only concerns a portion of her mana information’s character string... in other words, only the defective portion is showing a reaction to attribute-less magic, so she can’t fully use it like me.” 

Of course, it was because she had the ability to use it at all that he’d decided to tell her. It was possible she could accidentally activate an unnatural spell that would expose the existence of attribute-less magic to others. By instead having Alice stick with the light attribute, and only using the attribute-less to complement the portions of the light attribute she was bad at, it was possible to cover up her attribute-less magic as some strange light attribute spell. 

In that regard, it was a good thing that research on the light attribute, let alone attribute-less magic, was so far behind. This kind of camouflage was only possible thanks to these details not being so well known. 

“But it’s a secret, right? If someone else finds out...” Alice said, worried. That was part of what Alus meant by her accepting it. She’d already been a test subject for some weird government project. The government or military top brass might set their eyes on her for some other type of research. Being as rare of a case as she was, she might attract too much interest and invite unnecessary dangers. 

“You don’t have to be so pessimistic about it. A rare existence can be a powerful weapon. That’s what it was for me. While it’s been a secret between me and the Governor-General, if it came out, nobody could make me do anything.” 

Of course, it was that confidence of his that enabled Alus to open up to the two. He’d been hiding it until now to avoid anything bothersome, and concealing the ace up your sleeve was normal between Magicmasters. 

For starters, if anything was to happen to Alus, the current No. 1, Alpha would be unable to respond to unforeseen emergencies. If the worst threat in history, the SS-class Fiend was to return... Alpha and all of humanity would have no way of fighting back if Alus was gone. 

Alice seemed to be thinking for a moment, but Alus didn’t wait for her answer. “Just raise your rank. Have the people around you and the country recognize your value.” 

“But I can’t do that so fast...” Alice hesitated. 

“I think you have the qualities for it.” Alus grinned, as he saw Loki put on an uninterested expression. 

As for Alice, she’d stiffened from the unexpected praise, but Alus’ words had enough weight behind them to harden her resolve. She unconsciously clenched her fist. 

“Besides, if something happens, the Governor-General and I can put in a good word for you, so don’t worry.” 

“Really?!” Alice’s face shone. The backing of the current No. 1 and the Governor-General was more than she could ask for. The only other one that could compare was the ruler of the country. But she was fickle, and Alus personally didn’t like her, so he counted her out in his mind. 

At any rate, he’d need to meet with the Governor-General, but he’d owe him a favor if Alus dealt with the top secret request. It shouldn’t be hard to get him to accept. 

In fact, Alus didn’t think this would become a big deal, even if it leaked. While Alice had an affinity for attribute-less, it was only a little. And it wouldn’t be enough to use any big spells. At best, it could aid her light attribute. Of course, that blessing could be very powerful, depending on how it was used. 

“So, what are you going to do? It might end up not making a big difference.” 

“I’ll do it!” The answer was immediate. No one who saw Alice now would imagine she’d just revealed her dark past with a sorrowful face. 

Alice felt saved just knowing that her characteristics weren’t all negative. No matter the reason, it could become a foundation for her future as a Magicmaster if she learned how to control it. 

“Then it’s decided. Let’s begin with some study on attribute-less magic.” 

But that was also the most problematic matter. After all, Alus was the only one who could teach her. 

While it was called attribute-less, its use was rather restricted. Space manipulation was primarily governed by attribute-less. The other attributes had the concept of manipulation as well, but that was indirect. Attribute-less, however, could directly affect space. 

For example, if a fire-attribute Magicmaster were to create a fireball 20 meters ahead of them, they would of course need to set target coordinates. The magic would usually be expressed in such a manner that the construction of the spell itself was projected in a limited space. This would be done by setting the manifestation location through the magic formula. 

The fire magic having an effect on the designated space was manipulating space. As for what would happen if this was used in parallel with attribute-less—it would allow the process of projection to be omitted. 

Normal magic could affect space as well, but manipulation of space itself was the essence of attribute-less. Because of that, it could distort the laws of the world to a greater extent. 

Just distorting space required vast energy, however, as the world constantly worked to right itself. Someday, it would be possible to use this effect for destruction. 

Though such a thing would be impossible without ability on Alus’ level and the massive power to manipulate the laws of the world. Alice should only be able to use more restricted means. 

Moreover, Loki was joining in this study-like training at her own request. Alus assumed she was doing this out of obligation as his partner. Now that she knew he could use attribute-less magic, she must have wanted to learn more about it. He was impressed by her passion. 

That being the case, Alus wanted to teach them effectively. Taking his secret mission into account, it would be a good idea to avoid spending too much time doing this. So he suddenly declared, “Alright, Alice—you’re staying here for now.” 

“Excuse me?” 

“Yes, indeed.” Having heard Alice’s past, Loki was surprisingly agreeable to this. 

“Excuse me?!” Alice said again. 

Of course, their goal wasn’t to devote themselves to debauched living during the holidays. Unfortunately, Alus didn’t have any carnal desires. In the battlefield, staying alive took priority. Instinctive urges in particular dulled logical thinking, so Alus suppressed any and all emotions. He secured the No. 1 spot thanks to his exceptional talent, on top of his thorough exclusion of anything unnecessary, so he could focus on polishing his skills and techniques. 

“If I’m going to be teaching Loki at the same time, it’s more effective to do it together. Training and studying will last well into the night. It’d be a waste of time to go home every day.” 

“I wish you’d said that part first...” Alice muttered with a beet-red face, after hearing Alus’ matter-of-fact explanation. 

Seeing that, Alus thought she should’ve been able to guess it was for the sake of making training more effective... He felt like it was about time for Alice and Tesfia to learn the basics of how to put their minds to work. 

“Then we’re on the same page. You’ll stay here starting tomorrow. Of course, I’ll only be teaching you the basics of attribute-less magic. You probably wouldn’t be able to understand anything beyond that yet. I’ve got my own research to focus on as well, so I’ll beat it into your head in the fastest way possible.” 

“G-Got it,” Alice said awkwardly. 

Alus was only planning on having her stay over for three days or so. He’d already taken prep time for his mission into account, and he was going to teach her all of the basics in the meantime. 

Taking notes, of course, wouldn’t be allowed. Putting the information on paper carried the risk that it might get leaked, so all of it needed to be patiently conveyed verbally. They’d have to rely on mental notes.

That special training camp feel didn’t last long. Perhaps enjoying what she was studying, Alice spent the time training without any signs of the trauma she’d shown before. 

However, things got loud every night as Alice and Loki bathed. While it was called a laboratory, it was pretty much just a big room with equipment lying about. The bare necessities to live were in place, but as it had only been intended for one person to live there, the walls were thin. 

Alus didn’t really think the two of them had to bathe at the same time, but they seemed to have a different opinion. As saying anything about it would be boorish, he had no choice but to endure the noisy racket. 

Today being the last day, the sounds were extra tumultuous. Then again, Alice was mostly the one who was frolicking loudly. Finally, it quieted down. 

“Phew, that was a nice bath,” Alice said, coming out and entering the dressing room with a bath towel around her head. 

Her skin was smooth, and a little pink from the warm water. 

Loki, who’d come out alongside her, used the towel hanging off her neck to dry her hair. Her translucent-looking silver hair glittered thanks to the water drops. 

They were still out of sight to Alus. Only their voices reached him. In fact, this was the last day, and Alice had no need to stay here anymore. So she could have just gone home, but she’d chosen to get in the bath instead, which Alus didn’t get. She was staying for dinner after this, too. 

Finally, Alice bowed deeply at the door. Alus said, “Leave the rest to me, you just come back to training like usual tomorrow.” 

“Please do,” Alice said. 

Alus shrugged in response. “I got it, so just go home.” In reality, the prospects of using Alice’s characteristics were looking bright. Though research had stalled on both the light attribute and attribute-less magic, there were many uses for it, even if they were experimental ones. If anything, there were almost too many. 

As the door closed— 

“I think it’s about time you talked to me, Sir Alus,” Loki whispered behind him. 

So she didn’t forget. 

Alus grimaced. The explanation, or rather justification for why he’d hidden his attribute from her had been stayed while Alice was here, but it seemed she still remembered. “Loki, like I said...” 

“That’s not what I mean. I’m talking about you thinking I’d let the secret slip,” Loki interrupted him. Her voice wasn’t angry, but more sad. “Do you really not trust me...?” 

She looked like she would cry at any moment. 

Alus poked her forehead, and headed for the table. “It’s not that I don’t trust you. It just isn’t something you spread around. If I didn’t think it would cause you trouble, I would have told you from the start.” 

“That’s... but keeping it a secret was...” Loki didn’t like it emotionally. 

Alus didn’t think it was a problem, so long as there were no drawbacks, however... “Don’t you have a secret or two of your own, Loki? You’re in no position to...” 

“I do not.” 

“... None?” 

“At all. I have nothing to hide from you, Sir Alus.” 

It was an unexpected declaration. Seeing her confident attitude, Alus glanced away for a moment to think of what to say next. Not even the Fiends of the Outer World could make him explore a means to escape like this... 

“... That aside... From now on, if I have something I need to say to you, I’ll tell you as my partner before anyone else, when the time is right.” 

“Really?!” 

“I don’t go back on my word.” 

Loki flashed a relieved smile, as she’d just been prioritized before Tesfia or Alice. 

Alus felt relief as well, but only for a moment. To Loki, this was just a warm-up. Her eyes looking up at him seemed to glow a little. 

“From now on... meaning that you still have secrets.” 

“...” She was too sharp. And Alus found himself keeping an uhm from escaping his lips. 

He was thinking of the other kind of mana within him. However, that wasn’t something he could carelessly touch on. 

Even he was just barely able to control it, and he had no means of researching it. So if he brought it up, he wouldn’t know what to say anyways. That power was also part of the reason for his passion in researching magic in general. 

“Yeah, I do, but I can’t tell you.” 

“I won’t let you get away.” 

After that, Alus had business to tend to in the room; however, Loki stuck right next to him, bombarding him with questions for quite a while. During that time, in contrast with the lord of the laboratory’s sullen face, the girl following him around looked to be kind of enjoying herself. 

In the end, he managed to avoid having to confess his secret. 

But after lying down on her futon that night, Loki hugged her sheets and violently kicked with her feet. Now I’ve done it. I got too relaxed after becoming Sir Alus’ partner. I already knew asking for more was too self-indulgent. I didn’t even think about that... what a blunder! 

She reprimanded herself, but it only backfired on her. Remembering the barrage of questions, and following him around, only made her smile. It was like a dream. 

“Haah...” 

The owner of the room was likely still toiling away at his research on the other side of that thin wall. While Loki knew she wouldn’t be able to see him, once she acknowledged his presence, she couldn’t help but want to peer through the wall. 

He was surely resting his chin in his hand at his desk right now. His presence was so calm, he must be very focused... 

Almost an hour had passed since Loki had gone to bed. Maybe I should bring him some tea. 

The moment she thought of it, she remembered that she should be restraining herself. Then at least I can prepare the pot in advance. 

She shook her head resting on her pillow. That would make it stronger than necessary, though. There has to be a way... 

The more she thought, the less she could gather her thoughts. Eventually her mind dimmed and her consciousness faded out. Only her quiet breathing filled the room. 

Meanwhile, in the laboratory beyond the wall... So she finally fell asleep, Alus thought to himself. The rustling sound of the pillow and sheets died down after Loki stopped writhing around. 

It had been a hard three days for her and Alice. She must be exhausted. Moreover, she’d always accompanied him, so she hadn’t gotten enough sleep. 

Guess I’ll go take a preliminary look on my own. 

Alus decided to let Loki get a good night’s rest. He pulled out the robe he’d used during the extracurricular lesson. 

After putting it on, he jumped out the window. He grabbed the edge of the roof and pulled himself up.

I’ll wrap this up quickly. 

Who knew what Loki would say if he wasn’t back by the time she woke up? That said, Alus thought to himself, it wasn’t too bad having to concern himself with timing or his location, as he gazed at a distant place from the roof. 

At the frontlines were the military’s defensive line and bases, and behind them, far, far away, was the Tower of Babel. In order of proximity to the Outer World was the area garrisoned with troops where the military headquarters was, followed by the industrial area, then the area where the Institute was. 

Going inward from there was the urban area. There were a lot of commoners there, with the nobility and luxury residences in the area closest to Babel, the safest area. 

Alus was headed to a stretch of land between the middle and upper class areas. That place was intended to serve as a buffer zone, with plenty of roads and communication lines running across it. People were rarely seen there at night. It was a bit of a no-man’s land, despite the lack of Fiends. 

If someone were to look at a map, they’d be able to see an invisible wall called position and status, keeping humanity from being truly free. 

Nature was also being preserved there. It was a heavily forested area. In the past, the military established many secret facilities there. In other words, it was a place of dark history, filled with the ghosts of wicked research. Apart from the roads and other paths, civilians were barred entry. 

Blending in with the darkness of night, Alus dashed across the ground without being noticed, moving like the wind. 

Since he focused on being light of foot, he wasn’t carrying anything big with him. He already had the map in his head. His preliminary look today was also intended to make sure the map matched the reality. 

It wasn’t like he didn’t trust the Governor-General’s information, but there was a lot that could be learned from seeing the site with his own two eyes. This was something he did for every request. In order to do a perfect job, he also felt there was no one more suited than him to take a look. 

Entering the middle-class district, there were still lights on here and there. People were awake even at this hour. Of course, as this was the most densely populated city in Alpha, that was only natural. 

“I guess I’ll cut through here.” Alus immediately accelerated and ran across the rooftops of the houses and commercial buildings. Nobody around would be able to catch a glimpse of him. 

The majority of citizens here were non-Magicmasters. Well, they could all use practical magic for everyday living purposes, but couldn’t be counted as combatants, as they lacked the technique and training to use their spells in combat. 

Alus jumped across the rooftops without making a sound, before stopping and looking over the area. He could hear the hustle and bustle of the main street. The city spent a calm night, engulfed in the brilliant lights. 

This was without a doubt a result of Alus’ efforts. He’d brought peace to the city by eliminating Fiends. 

“This place sure is carefree,” Alus said, exasperated, but he also seemed happy at the same time. 

He spotted people in restaurants finishing the day with some drinks and food. Even at this hour, there were drunkards and others strutting around the main street occupied with their own activities. 

Most of them had probably never seen a Fiend. Of course, they were paying taxes to ensure they never had to face one. 

To Alus, that was the ultimate form of living carefree days. 

It was at that moment that Alus’ trained vision spotted something. It was pure coincidence that he happened to see what was going on in the dark alleyway off the main street. 

There were five men, most likely not Magicmasters, dragging someone into the darkness. That was trouble no matter how you looked at it. Five men teaming up on a lone person, and Alus couldn’t help but feel they were announcing their small-fry status by doing so. 

It was impossible to tell if the person being dragged into the dark alley was a man or a woman, as the person was wearing a robe and hood. And as Alus was looking on from above, he couldn’t see the person’s facial features. 

But he could see that the person was smaller than the men and had slender limbs. It was most likely a woman... taking a closer look, the men were giving her vulgar looks. 

This was the kind of matter best left to the security forces, but it was night, and it was taking place in a dark alley. Moreover, stamping out this kind of crime was difficult. 

However, he was currently on a secret mission. At worst, he’d just have to anonymously report it to the authorities on his way out. As Alus was about to leave— 

“This should be good enough. I can’t take it anymore, lady.” The man closest to the woman threw away his bottle and moved his hands to his pants. Provoked by that, the other men let out crude laughs. 

“Hey! You’ve already got a wife.” 

“Come on, that’s no fun. Don’t put a damper on things.” 

“You can’t find beauties like this around here. Stop talking shit and wasting time!” 

“You’re right, my man! Anything that happens from now on is because of the booze. My memory’s already gone, heh.” 

“Sheesh, what kind of woman keeps a man waiting... Now then, lady, you’re the one who invited us, so get rid of that ugly thing.” The drunkard reached out towards the woman to pull her robe off, with a vulgar smile. 

“—!! Huh?” 

But as the man took another step forward, he staggered. It wasn’t the alcohol. He hadn’t tripped over himself, but rather his sense of balance had suddenly been thrown off. Taking a second step, he stabilized himself and tried to approach the woman again. 

His hand, though, couldn’t grab her robe. Impatiently, feeling like something was wrong, he raised his hand to look at it. 

A sudden ray of moonlight shone on the man’s arm. 

His hand was gone. 

It was lying at his feet. 

“AAAGGHHHH!! MY HAND!!” the man screamed, as blood spurted from his wrist and covered him. 

Just before that, Alus had seen silver hair peeking out from the woman’s hood. Feeling a headache coming on, he muttered, “That’s going too far.” 

That extreme response would only bring about more trouble. The kind of resistance a normal woman would put up when in danger would have been enough. That way, while nobody might step up to be a hero, she would attract attention and the authorities would be alerted faster. But there was no way a normal citizen was capable of what just happened. 

Either way, according to what the man said before, the woman had invited them to go with her, so why the sudden change? Alus didn’t think he was obligated to intervene, but if it came up later he’d only have to track her down again. So he reconsidered, and decided to get involved before things got serious. 

“What the hell just happened?” 

“His fucking hand got cut off!” 

Fear spread among the men. The woman held aloft a bloodstained blade that gleamed in the moonlight. 

However, the drunk men only managed to let out frightened shouts as their knees grew weak, and they fell down backwards. Not a single one showed signs of running away. Their lower halves stained as they looked at the first man rolling around, holding his stump. 

The robed woman readied her blade to attack the men again. However— 

“—!!” Her eyes stopped on a silhouette that suddenly appeared. Having swiftly stepped in, Alus stopped her blade by grabbing her wrist. 

“Just leave it at that.” 

“...” 

Without taking his eyes off her, Alus spoke to the men. “And you guys get out of here. Don’t forget your friend rolling around over there. If you’re fast, his hand can be reconnected.” 

To think I’d have to step in to save these men, Alus thought, with a wry smile. 

“O-Okay.” One of the men crawling about grabbed their friend’s fallen hand. Another two supported him from either side as they walked away. They forgot to thank him, but Alus didn’t particularly care. 

“That wasn’t just a little squabble you had there. You guys should get lost before the security forces show up, too.” 

Alus let the woman’s wrist go, and pushed her away. If she ran off now, he had no reason to chase her. However... 

“Don’t... get i... in the way of... the test... run...” the robed woman muttered, as if groaning. Before he knew it, she was biting her lip so hard she broke the skin. She glared at him with bloodshot eyes. 

And, as expected, another two silhouettes appeared behind Alus. Based on their physiques, it was a man and a woman. Their robes fluttered, as they’d jumped down from above. 

“I’m saying I’ll overlook you, so why would you come out?” Alus muttered to himself, finally moving his head to look at them. 

Like the woman in front of him, their eyes were bloodshot. Before long they pulled out a sword and a kunai respectively. They weren’t even trying to hide their bloodlust. 

They’re serious. But I’d stand out if we do it here. Fuck, I really shouldn’t have gotten involved. 

While Alus complained to himself in his mind, the three attacked him without warning. 

However, he jumped up in the air before they could reach him. Landing on a nearby roof, he glared at them from above. 

The three kicked back and forth off the walls, chasing him. They surrounded him on the roof. 

“You’re Magicmasters, aren’t you?” 

“...” 

No answer. That was Alus’ conjecture based on the weapons they held... those were probably AWRs. Moreover, their response and encirclement of him weren’t bad. Their movements being better than most Magicmasters annoyed him. 

“Eliminate... nuisance.” Their encirclement complete, the three figures closed in and attacked as one. Since Alus was on a reconnaissance mission, he was empty-handed, but he quickly formed mana blades with both hands and faced them. 

They’re pretty fast, but... 

Alus dodged the attacks, blocking the sword with his mana blade and returning the favor with a kick. The enemies temporarily stopped their attacks at that skillful display, and he took the opportunity to run. 

He jumped across the roof and ran through the night. 

He didn’t even need to look to see that they were hot on his heels; he could perceive them with his senses. The amount of mana they enchanted their AWRs with was pretty good. That alone wasn’t enough to measure their abilities, but from their brief encounter he rated them at around Triple Digit level. 

Eventually, he landed in an abandoned part of town. He didn’t think he’d been running away so much as given the enemy the option not to chase him. 

Alus had been observing their moves, and it seemed this trio was rather aggressive. 

This appeared to be a rest stop, with benches and water fountains and several lights around to repel the darkness. There was still a slight risk of being seen, but there’d be no problems slinging magic about. 

Following after him, the three robed figures landed beside one another. None of them were out of breath. 

“I don’t have time for this, you know. Haven’t you heard the persistent ones die young?” 

Four kunai came flying at him for an answer, and the man jumped high into the air, swinging his sword down. The woman who threw the kunai charged at Alus as well. 

It appeared to be a straightforward attack, but the main attack would come from behind by the woman whose AWR glowed with the light of the magic formula. This maneuver probably wasn’t arranged ahead of time. It took a lot of training to wordlessly carry out a move like this. 

Alus didn’t even look at the kunai, focusing purely on the two women coming at him. 

He pulled back an arm, then unleashed a palm thrust into nowhere. 

An invisible wall deflected the kunai and blew away the approaching woman and the one behind. Staggered from the shockwave, the caster’s magic formula was canceled and the AWR’s glow disappeared. 

Alus then took a half-step to the side and dodged the follow-up attack from the man. With his full weight behind the sword, the man’s attack only ended up destroying the ground and sending debris flying. While there was power behind his attack, that kind of simple swordsmanship was easy to dodge. 

Not missing the opening, Alus kicked the man in his flank. 

Landing on his ribs, the kick sent the man flying like he weighed nothing, and he crashed into one of the street lights. 

He was probably too injured to move properly anymore. 

Even unarmed, the three of them weren’t hard for Alus to deal with. He’d rated their control of mana at the Triple Digit level, but their combat skills were nothing to write home about. Their physical capabilities were strangely good, but the skill level of their attacks was amateurish at best. 

Another way to put it was that they were incredibly easy to read and lacked experience fighting people. The power and speed were fine, but there was no variation in their attacks. 

“Nuisance, nuisance, nuuuuisaaance...” one of the two women blown away mumbled as she got up. 

Suddenly, a sharp whistle rang out from afar. The security forces were coming. Apparently a curious onlooker must have alerted the authorities. Based on where the whistle noise came from, they probably wouldn’t show up right away. 

The sound had more of an effect on the three robed figures than on Alus. They all raised their heads in unison. 

“Return, return, return.” The group turned to look somewhere completely different, and their bloodlust disappeared as if they’d forgotten all about Alus. And they simply repeated that one word like a broken record. Their mouths opened wide, their lips moving while their eyes and expressions remained static. 

The next moment, they all split up and ran in different directions. 

“Now then, what do I do?” 

There wasn’t enough time to catch them all. At best, Alus could nab two of them. Moreover, the effort he’d need to put in didn’t match what he’d get back. On top of that, he’d already lost more time than expected, so he decided to forge ahead on his own mission. 

If he came in contact with the security forces, he’d only end up wasting a bunch of time confirming his identity as he wasn’t carrying his AWR or license. Just thinking about it brought on the start of a headache.

* * * 

By the time Alus returned, the sun was just about to rise. He came in as he went out, through the window. 

“Where did you go?” 

And the moment he entered, he was stared down by a small silhouette with crossed arms. Loki frowned as she closely questioned him. 

“I was preparing for the mission. I didn’t want to wake you up, and I was fine on my own.” 

“That just means that you don’t need me.” 

“I didn’t say that. I really only went to take a look. I couldn’t bring myself to take you with me when you were so tired,” Alus said, haphazardly coming up with excuses. 

“Haah...” 

Alus wondered if that sigh was because she accepted it. 

“I understand.” 

She did end up relenting. But when she pointed him to the table and poured some coffee from the pot, Alus scratched his cheek, realizing this would take a while. 

“So what exactly did you do?” 

“...” 

She was like a nagging sister-in-law or butler, but saying that would only pour fuel on the fire. While she was good at hiding her feelings, this partner of his knew how to talk. 

“I was confirming the documents I got from the Governor-General. Like I said, seeing it yourself is more reliable.” 

“I’ve never done missions like these, so I wouldn’t really know.” 

That made sense. Alus had practically been the only one working behind the scenes, even after Loki became his partner. “Well, this is completely different from eliminating Fiends. That’s why... it might be better if you don’t get involved,” he finished earnestly. 

“That won’t do! Now that I’m your partner, I...” 

He immediately cut her objection off. “Loki, you’re my partner when it comes to Fiends. This is work specifically for me. You have no obligation to tag along.” 

Moreover—the target was a human being. This was fundamentally different from dealing with Fiends who weren’t alive in the usual sense. 

But Loki immediately opposed this idea. “No! Sir Alus’ sins are my sins. Can’t we both carry them? ... Besides, I have plenty of... o-obligation...” 

Her words tapered off at the end, and he couldn’t hear them, but Alus decided it was best not to ask her to repeat herself. 

Then there was that look in her eyes. During their mock battle for her position as his partner she’d shown the same look. It revealed her unshakable will, saying that she wouldn’t look away or yield. 

“I... I didn’t say I wouldn’t take you with me.” That was also why he’d let Loki listen in on the mission call before. “I’ll take you with me, but I’ll be the only one carrying the sin. You just need to be backup.” 

“I have resolved myself for that!” Loki slammed the table and stood up. She drew her hands against her chest, and that insistent stare made it clear she understood the sin she’d have to carry, and that she had the strength to do so. 

Alus dropped his shoulders. She wouldn’t pull back no matter what. “Okay, I got it.” He raised his hands in surrender. 

He knew he’d been contradicting himself. Just taking her with him to the mission alone meant she could wind up becoming an accomplice to murder. And if she wasn’t prepared for that, he might even be putting himself in danger. He’d had a feeling this was going to happen when he took her on as his partner. 

But still, he was apprehensive. Alus believed that killing people was more difficult than Fiends, in a sense. It required something other than mere combat power. The ability to remain sane... one’s claim of resolve could just be a bluff of the inexperienced. 

Killing someone was a double-edged sword. The blade that ended a life also came down on your own heart. There was a chance that the mental trauma would prevent you from using magic again. 

One might be fine with enough resolve, but Alus asked himself if it was worth the risk of losing precious combat capabilities. Of course, that was an excuse; it could be that, deep down, he just didn’t want Loki’s hands to get dirty. But he wasn’t going to express his feelings out loud. 

Either way, it was up to Loki to decide and not him. He knew that well enough. 

“If you’re going to go that far, then let me share the information I have. Then again, it’s pretty much what the material we’ve got says. However, there’d be something very off if his research has shown results. If he’s continuing that insane Element Factor Separation Project of his, he can’t do it without human experiments. Meaning, he’ll need large-scale equipment and funds. In other words, he’ll have a sponsor.” 

“We don’t have any information on that.” 

“The Governor-General just might not have gotten wind of it. Now then, I wonder what we’ll catch.” 

These kinds of missions weren’t just about eliminating a target. After getting a lead, they’d need to rope in their supporters and take them all down in one fell swoop. The four days he’d been given was likely meant for him to look into those matters. 

Moreover, the target could under no circumstances be allowed to escape. Careless probing could result in their cover being blown, throwing their chance away. 

“We can only hope the Governor-General doesn’t mess up.” 

“That’s true...” Loki looked like she wanted to say something, and mumbled, “Uhm... what about Ms. Alice?” 

This mission was, by coincidence, connected to Alice. After all, the target was the man who left a literal large scar on her in the past. 

Loki felt that Alus had taken that into account, after what he heard from Alice. But unless she did something, he probably wouldn’t say anything. 

Besides, she’d spent a few days with Alice during their special training camp. The distance between them had closed while she was unaware of it. And her words had a tone of appeal and sorrow to them. 

“We probably shouldn’t tell her anything. It’s not like she could do anything even if we did. We can’t take her with us, after all.” 

“Yes... of course,” Loki muttered, and looked down at the floor. In the past she’d proclaimed her dislike of the two girls, but having trained together and learned of Alice’s past, something had changed in her. Alice seemed like she’d shaken off her past, but at the same time there were things she hadn’t been able to put behind her, and Loki hoped that an opportunity of some sort would help with that. 

Alus didn’t think there was anything wrong with that. But if Alice were to face the man who’d ruined her life, she’d surely shudder in anguish. There was also the possibility that getting revenge wouldn’t remove her pain, instead bringing in a darkness that would fill her heart. And then what would happen? 

It was often said that a Magicmaster needed to remain calm at all times. That was because they needed enough self-control to keep their emotions in check in order to use magic. Alice was still immature and at risk of losing that control. The trauma symptoms she’d shown the other day ran through Alus’ mind. 

And even if Alice managed to overcome her trauma through revenge, that went against the way of Magicmasters. The power of magic was a weapon of possibility created to drive away the threat of Fiends. It certainly didn’t evolve to lay down a bloody path. 

Alus didn’t even want to think if she seriously wanted that. At any rate, Alice had to decide on the path she took on her own, or it would be pointless. If she had to borrow someone else’s help to get revenge, she’d be better off not doing anything. 

That’s when Alus suddenly recalled the smile Alice had often shown during the time they’d spent together. 

That’s right—in the end, he only had to do it himself. If Alice were to find out that the cause for her trauma was already gone... time would surely heal her wounds. 

Alus decided to put his faith in that. Alice was no longer alone. By working on her studies and spending her days with friends, what she was missing should fill in, in time. Eventually, the day would come when she was whole again, like a scab on a wound disappearing, leaving behind just a small scar. 

Most of all, he felt she was happy with her situation right now. That was why, for the time being—“This discussion is over.” 

“Yes.” 

“I’ll be resting until noon, so sorry, but can you look after Alice’s training if she shows up?” 

“Of course.” Loki had a relieved expression as she agreed. She’d understood that the normally curt owner of the room was caring for Alice. 

As Alus opened the door to his room, he found his bed made. 

He was impressed by his considerate partner and headed to bed, feeling unusually mentally exhausted. Going out of his way to thank her felt like it would be inconsiderate. It was a foolish act that wasn’t as much considerate as it would make her worry more. 

The light coming from the main room didn’t stop him from getting his rest. Just a few minutes ago he’d been perfectly clear. But he was already prepared to rest before he saw his bed and laid down in it. This wasn’t the Outer World, nor was it a military barracks. That knowledge eased his sharp senses, letting him unwind. 

He knew what would happen next. His consciousness was sinking deep under the ocean as he fell asleep surrounded by the dark colors of the sea. Eventually, his body would completely relax as he entered a state of deep sleep. 

Suddenly, he realized that he’d forgotten to tell Loki about the strange group he’d encountered, but, oh well—that could wait for another time, he thought, and closed his eyes. 

His mental exhaustion reached its peak. Alus had no means of resisting the overwhelming sleepiness that would wash away his exhaustion. 

This all started from the day he entered the Institute... none of it was anything special compared to his battles in the Outer World. But lately he’d ended up talking a lot, and his mental fatigue had gotten bad. Even then, Alus fell asleep just a few seconds after lying down. 

The bedroom fell silent, to the point that you could hear a pin drop. Being able to rest from the bottom of his heart like this was likely thanks to the diligent Loki creating the space for him.

* * * 

A few hours later, the girl with honey-colored hair showed up at the laboratory. 

Alice opened the unlocked door in a familiar fashion, and greeted Loki who was working in the kitchen. 

“Hello, Ms. Alice... I’ll put on tea right now,” Loki answered back in a restrained volume. But her next words explaining how Sir Alus was asleep didn’t reach Alice, having been drowned out in the sounds of her preparing the tea set. 

Alice stepped into the laboratory. She scanned around for Alus with a confused look. Before long, she put her finger on her chin; and as she came to a realization a mischievous smile appeared on her face. 

Like she was playing hide-and-seek with children, she made her way over to Alus’ bedroom. 

That said, it was only a simple partitioning with a door, just like Loki’s room. 

She slowly approached the door, and used her finger on the slightly ajar door to open it up, just enough so she could peek in. 

Inside she saw just a bed—a lonely sight. 

She found the boy lying on top of the bed. Slipping inside the room, Alice approached the bed. 

Conforming to his breathing, her breathing also turned quiet and calm. 

Finally, she planted her elbows on the edge of the bed, her knees on the floor, and she gently gazed at Alus. 

He had such an innocent look, as if that usual stern expression was just a dream. Alice also felt his eyelashes were long for a boy. 

He really was like a child, Alice giggled to herself. Considering he hadn’t noticed her at all, he must have been in a deep sleep. 

Her face softened as she looked at the sleeping Alus. She didn’t know why, but she felt like he was extremely mentally fatigued for reasons unrelated to magic. 

“Thank you.” Gratitude naturally flowed from her mouth. Just as she reached her finger to move the bangs covering his eyes away... 

“... Ms. Alice, please be quiet,” a low voice said right next to her. It was so soft that Alice could barely pick up on it. Surprised and embarrassed, she pulled her hand back. And with a smile, she looked over. 

“... Yes. You’re right.” 

There she saw Loki standing with a lone finger in front of her smiling mouth. Realizing the meaning behind that expression she never showed, Alice tried her best not to make a sound as she rose. 

“I bet he was very tired. He didn’t wake up, even though I was nearby. As far as I know, he’s never slept this soundly since I began living here...” It truly was distressing, Loki continued, speaking in a quiet voice with a wry smile. 

That was inevitable, however. The cruel battlefield he’d been used to before was a place where he couldn’t rest his mind for even a moment. Loki didn’t even want to imagine how long it had been since he’d had a truly deep sleep. 

She continued, “That’s why... I want to let him rest for now.” That’s right, for now... she repeated in her mind, looking away with a relieved smile. 

Thus the two girls left without making a sound. Finally, Alice turned her hazel-colored eyes towards Alus. 

“Good night, Al.” 

With that, the girls left the bedroom and closed the door. Slowly, but surely... making sure the door made as little noise as possible, the two being of one mind in this. 

The door now fully closed, they headed toward the center of the laboratory. Loki stopped, and turned back to Alice with an undaunted expression. “As for today’s training, I will be serving as Sir Alus’ replacement.” Her behavior was clearly based on Alus’ atmosphere. 

Unfortunately, that only ended up looking cute to Alice, who was taller than Loki. Her attempts at imitating her partner ended up leading nowhere. She’d obviously tried to mimic the atmosphere for a military instructor with the way she held her hands behind her back, but Alice didn’t think she had any dignity. 

She pulled herself together at being faced with this adorable display. 

“Yes, understood. I look forward to it... Loki dear.”