Saikyou Mahoushi no Inton Keikaku (LN) - Volume 3 - Chapter 11

Eleventh Chapter 

Garden of Madness 

In Alpha, when one said the word “nature,” the first thing that came to mind was the huge forest situated between the middle-class and upper-class districts. 

But at the same time—its grand appearance was also being used as a cover, concealing the ruins of unspeakable deeds. 

After humanity had its living space taken away, there was a time when it deeply invested in magic research. And the militaries of all the nations spearheaded inhumane and unethical research projects. 

Alpha was no exception. The remains of that stain on its past still lay abandoned in that forest. 

While it wasn’t true of all the research, there were still a lot of research projects the nation would have to take responsibility for if they ever came to light. Because of that, entry into the forest was strictly forbidden. Right now, that black mark on the nation’s past was being managed strictly through the law. 

The forest was green during the day, but as the sun set, the shades of red dyeing the leaves gradually turned darker. Eventually the forest became dark as night, making the shadows cast by the grove of trees even blacker. 

In the depths of the forest—the faint silhouette of something artificial could be seen. 

Hidden by the dense canopy of trees were the remains of a secretly-constructed research facility. It had probably been a four-story building, but had deteriorated with the passage of time. The top floor had completely collapsed, leaving the remaining three floors barely standing. 

Its insides could be peered into, thanks to all the holes in the walls. The only reason the building still stood was because of the now-exposed steel beams. 

The desolate atmosphere gave it that characteristic abandoned building feeling. Only the most eccentric explorer of ruins would want to approach this eerie building draped in darkness. 

In a room deep below the building... 

Staring into several screens, a man pushed his grimy glasses up with the tip of a finger. His gray hair was crudely tied up, and he wore a dirty lab coat. He had his hands in his pockets as he stared fixedly at one of the screens flickering with lights. 

Godma Barhong. 

His many cruel human experiments had been exposed, and living life on the run, he’d been offered this place as a hideout. 

Noise filled the screen he was staring at, and in the next moment a video call appeared. As one-sided as it was, there was only one person who would contact him like this in the past few years. 

“What is it, Enouve?” Godma asked the person on the other side of the screen, in a low voice that was hoarse and grating to the ears. 

“The military is putting their plan into action tomorrow. You better not screw up.” 

But on the screen wasn’t this Enouve person. Instead, lines of text appeared as if to add subtitles to their voice. The voice was garbled, but Godma could just barely make out enough to presume it belonged to a man. 

In fact, Enouve might be a fake name that was being used for convenience’s sake. 

In short—Godma had no clue as to Enouve’s identity. 

“You’ve received this much support. You better show some results.” 

“Oh, I know.” Not only had Godma, on the run from the military, received a hideout and funds for his research, but even the early stages of a full set of equipment. That alone was enough, and he had no reason to pry further. 

Besides, Godma only expected backup from Enouve. Having abandoned the world, and having the world abandon him back, Godma’s sole desire was to fulfill his research. “Understood. Then let us meet at the foot of Andel as planned.” 

Along the border of a nation, two nations north of Alpha, was the Andel mountain range. Once the dust settled, Enouve and Godma were to meet there. That said, Enouve was being cautious and seemed to have arranged for a representative. 

In exchange for providing Godma with a place of rest and supporting his element factor separation research, Enouve wanted more from Godma—his additional research on the ability to acquire the elements after birth, as well as the mental manipulation that created living combat dolls. Enouve also wanted an explanation for the elements and how they occurred. 

To Godma, who’d been out of options, this secret meeting and the accompanying proposal had been a shining beacon of hope. 

However, after several years, the deadline was almost here; and at the same time his research was finally reaching the practical stage. At the very least, he’d reached the standard Enouve was asking for. 

But that wasn’t enough for Godma. In order to use the light attribute, mana information needed to be overwritten with an excellent element factor. 

That much was fine. But the experiments created that way weren’t actually able to use light magic. The reason for that was to be found in the self. The mana information that constantly changed with accumulated experience was rejecting the element nature that had been transplanted as a shallow layer. 

Godma dealt with that by filling the mana information, including the Fundamental Words, with the element factor. The result of that was the collapse of the self, but to him that was within expectations, and he actually preferred it that way. After all, he was able to make puppets that obeyed orders by taking control of their brain waves. 

The biggest flaw was in the details of the element factor used to overwrite the mana information—it was overwhelmingly lacking. The replication of the factor itself only resulted in an inferior version that didn’t have the same strength of the original. 

When he made his escape, he’d only managed to get away with some documents and the small number of blood samples that had been drained and put in test tubes. 

The experiments with the replicated factor written into their mana information were only able to use around one light attribute spell. 

But seeing the enormous amount of data that was written in as knowledge inside the brain, Enouve pushed the project on to a practical stage: namely, remaking the minds and bodies of people to create augmented humans. That was a little different from the goal of Godma’s research, but it was an accomplishment in its own right. 

Godma had no problem with operating on young boys and girls that were either orphans with nowhere to go, or had been kidnapped from somewhere. In fact, he felt something akin to pleasure in creating Magicmasters that rivaled Triple Digits with his own two hands. And now he could see the further heights of his research. 

He carefully held up an old crumbling book like it was a treasure for Enouve to see. “Even I was surprised by this. An original first part of the Four Books of Fegel. It’s completely different from the copied versions. I can see why Alpha didn’t even want to let the copies out into the world. If this is just the first part, what is in the rest...?” 

“Don’t bother thinking of anything unnecessary. All you have to do is bring results. If you can do that, we will be generous. Eventually we might even consider meeting in person, rather than through a representative, and even allow you to touch the other books.” 

“Now that is a very enticing offer. Don’t worry, no matter who you might be, you won’t regret it. I’ll shave away at Alpha’s power. After all, they’re even preparing a sacrifice for me.” 

“We’re sure you’re aware of this, but they have the current No. 1 on their side.” 

“Alus Reigin. I just confirmed it on my end as well. He might be No. 1, but he’s only human. The power of an individual is no match for my works.” 

Not even Godma had expected that a young man stood at the top of the hundreds of thousands of Magicmasters. Moreover, his being at an institute for novices was nothing short of a joke. At first he’d thought he was a fake, but according to Enouve’s information the young man was without a doubt the current No. 1. 

Backing up that information further was the encounter between him and Godma’s experiments that he’d dispatched to the city as a test. It had only been a coincidence that they’d run into each other, but Godma’s calculations told him that 30 or so experiments would be enough to deal with him. While he didn’t go so far as to consider him a mere child, he was still more or less making light of him. 

“... That would be nice. But what we demand is results from your research. Whether they will be of use in combat or not is all that matters.” 

“If I follow the escape route, I should arrive in four days.” This was the last stage of a carefully laid plan. According to the plan, Godma would be able to show off the results of his research, throwing Alpha into chaos while he made a leisurely escape. 

But Enouve’s muffled voice coming from the screen replied without any intonation. “Fine, as long as you bring results with you. But still, all you magic researchers being insane is a big help. I wish you the best of luck, Professor. Next time we meet will be at the foot of Andel,” he concluded, and hung up. 

If you asked Godma who was more erratic, though, he’d firmly declare Enouve to be far more insane than him. Not only had he brought with him the Four Books of Fegel, whose very existence was questionable, he also supplied Godma with raw materials for the creation of augmented humans, and sometimes a guinea pig or two. 

Moreover—“I even got a magic formula that was supposed to have been erased... Hm, hm, hm, I’d say you’re just as insane as me.” 

Enouve, however, was still cautious. He never gave Godma any critical information. Enouve alone could never have been responsible for the vast funds and more that Godma had received. Some sort of massive organization was behind him. 

It wasn’t like Godma had never considered who it was, but whenever he did, it was just a passing thought. Something as trifling as that wasn’t a problem to him, so long as he could continue down his path of lunacy. 

But while he wouldn’t say it out loud, Godma, with his intelligence, already had a good idea of their identity. 

The experimentation on augmented humans, a black mark on the past, was one of the things the seven nations had declared to be illegal. In the past, however, the seven nations each had their characteristic research, and several nations had had a fixation with augmented humans. Then again, that was something Godma had only managed to learn after hacking into the military’s database. 

Or perhaps it was a nation that had suffered at the hands of Fiends repeatedly breaking through Babel’s barrier in the past. The nation of Balmes, situated to the north on the opposite side of Alpha, was one such nation, as its Single Digit Magicmasters were inferior to those of other nations. Perhaps they wanted something to bolster their forces as quickly as possible for the sake of survival, even if they were still just experiments. 

It was also possible that it was some kind of anti-Magicmaster organization. It could also be an organization that worshiped Fiends, as being above humans. Dark cults existed even before human dominance of the world was overthrown. With the appearance of Fiends, they were given a clear direction for their worship, making them more radicalized. It wouldn’t be strange for a group such as them, constantly oppressed, to choose to fight fire with fire. 

Either way, all Godma had to do was to erase every trace of the research he’d done here and bring the data with him. 

While the owner of the room stared at the screen that had filled with static once the call was ended, the other screens still displayed the recordings the experiments had brought back. That’s when a clear voice came from behind Godma. 

“That’s the last of them. This one took severe damage and died on the way back.” 

The voice belonged to a girl wearing a robe, with a hood covering her eyes. The chestnut-colored hair peeking out from the hood was clearly not being taken care of, as it hung over her face. At one point in time she’d had pretty facial features, but now her complexion was awful and she looked haggard. She grimaced with chagrin, and had a scar on her face. 

The flickering screens lit her up as she spoke. Her voice was robotic, but there was obvious pain in it. 

She’d set out to pick up the experiments Godma had sent out, collecting one of the experiments that had barely managed to escape but didn’t have the strength to make it all the way back. It must have been seriously injured during the attack on the Institute. 

She held it in both arms. It had passed away with its eyes slightly open, turning into a real puppet. 

“Good work, Melissa. Too bad about that one, but let’s dispose of it. I sent out five of them, and three have been completely put out of business, huh. Well, I suppose they tried their best.” 

His words of appreciation were shallow, and his tone was cruel. He’d only bothered to glance in the experiment’s direction, and having lost interest, his gaze drifted back to the recordings playing on the screens. Truth be told, he didn’t care. He’d only lost a few pawns. 

The girl called Melissa easily held the female experiment in her arms, but when she heard his instructions, she began walking. Before long she put the expired experiment down on what looked like a stretcher, alongside the others. An automated scan began running right away, sending the recorded data to one of the screens in front of Godma. 

Once he finished watching the recording, he finally turned back to the three experiments. Pushing the stretchers, he moved them to the corner of the facility, speaking out to the silent experiments. 

“Unfortunately, I’ve decided to dispose of you. You can’t keep failing like this, you’re setting a bad example for the others... nor is it fair. But don’t worry, I still have plenty more to replace you.” 

Having arrived at his destination, he used his wrinkled hand to operate a panel on the wall. As he did, the floor below the stretchers opened up, revealing a huge hole. 

Next, Godma pressed a glowing blue button on the sides of the stretchers. The stretchers began to slant down, with a quiet humming noise. Eventually, the bodies of the three experiments fell down into the hole. 

Just like that, Godma finished disposing of the three like they were toys he’d gotten sick of playing with. 

The remaining two that had returned from the attack didn’t seem the least bit concerned with the treatment of the other three, as they simply directed their cold stares at the ceiling. Even when they blinked, their movements were mechanical and without vigor. 

Incidentally, this made six experiments dumped into the disposal chute, including some lookouts around the base. 

Unlike Godma who went through the process in a familiar fashion, Melissa behind him turned her eyes away, staring at a wall until the job was done. 

When he was finished, Godma turned his eyes to a different experiment cowering in the corner of the room. This was one of the experiments that had returned from the town the other day. A dirty hood covered the woman’s face as she tremblingly bit on her nails, despite her thin fingers no longer having any nails left to bite on. 

As he coldly observed her, Godma thought to himself, I suppose now’s a good time. 

After shaking his head, he softly spoke to the experiment. “If I recall... you were one of the first-born ones.” 

This crude experiment’s emotions had all been stolen and she wouldn’t move without Godma’s orders. As time passed, her body began to quiver and withdrawal symptoms started to appear. Eventually, she’d become unable to even remain still. 

I’ve gotten more than enough samples, and it’s been about three years. Before long, Godma stopped walking and sat down in front of the shaking experiment. “You’ve done well to last this long. But a failure is a failure. It wouldn’t be fair to the others if I gave you special treatment. You understand that, right?” 

As expected, there was no answer. Not even his orders could reach her. The experiment couldn’t stay quiet, as she let out a groan. 

Godma lifted the thin girl’s body in his arms and slowly headed for the disposal chute. 

A sound reached his ears. It was a scream from Melissa who was watching him. “What are you doing! Stop, she’s still alive!” 

“No... she’s done more than enough. We should let her rest now.” 

“Wait! Wait!!” Melissa raised her voice in desperation, but by the time she weakly grasped at Godma’s lab coat it was already too late. “A-Ah... no...” 

Godma dusted off his hands over the hole like he’d finished a job. When he turned around, he noticed Melissa’s hand on his coat and raised his eyebrow questioningly. “What are you doing, Melissa? They’re not family anymore. As the eldest, how do you not know that? Now, how long are you going to be going on like this? Even though there’s so much of what you wanted here!” he scolded Melissa with anger in his voice. 

He mercilessly swung his hand and gave Melissa a slap. 

“—!!” She closed her eyes and accepted the blow, her body trembling. 

Godma’s angry slap had a surprising amount of force behind it for his thin body, but the pain dealt was emotional rather than physical. “Don’t make me regret leaving your emotions intact. You’re the oldest sister of this family, don’t make me deem you a failure!” He pulled out a small device from his lab coat’s pocket. 

And when she saw that, Melissa forgot about the pain in her reddened cheek as she clung on to Godma. Her eyes glistened with fear like a young girl. “No, please... anything but that... I’ll do anything... but that scares me... I can’t take not being myself anymore.” She desperately squeezed out the words from her quivering throat, pleading with Godma. Crying, clinging onto Godma’s lab coat, she sought for a means to escape her fears... begging him for mercy. 

Because of the light above, the shadows cast on Godma’s face as he looked down on her made it impossible to make out his expression. Perhaps taking pity on her, he bent over. He then smiled gently at her before grabbing hold of her hair and pulling her head up. 

“Aaaaahhh—!!” 

“You had the ability to use the light attribute, but were crushingly lacking in talent for a Magicmaster. I’m the one who made you usable!” 

Melissa was one of the test subjects Godma gathered from the Element Factor Separation Project. But she didn’t have the qualities to make full use of the elements. Not everyone could become a Magicmaster by earnestly studying and trying. 

A construct domain in the mind was something used to cast spells, and was one of the fundamentals of a Magicmaster’s power. However, a portion of the population wasn’t born with the ability to put this domain to proper use. 

That only closed their path to becoming a Magicmaster. It wouldn’t impact their ability to lead a normal life. They could still have a family and be surrounded by happiness, plain as it might be. 

But as an orphan, Melissa had no relatives. She had nobody she could call family, unable to find tranquility in that. 

“Oh, poor Melissa. That Alice you met at the facility was quite attached to you... but you still parted ways with her. Even after losing her parents, she still had her talents to fall back on. Do you understand what I mean? Melissa, you have nothing. That’s why this is the only place where you’ll ever belong. In exchange, I’ll prepare people for you to love.” 

Giving her a smile like a loving father, Godma let go of Melissa’s hair. He then pulled a comb out of his pocket and began carelessly fixing up her messy hair. He slid the comb through her hair, ignoring any strands getting caught and torn off. 

Melissa bit down on her lip to keep her groans of pain from leaking out. Once Godma saw a bunch of hair unable to withstand his forcible approach lying on the floor, he took a break. “There, now you look beautiful.” With a satisfied look, he shoved the comb, still covered in hair, back in his pocket. 

Godma had a gentle look on his face as he stared down at Melissa, but an insane sadistic streak could be seen in him as well. He pushed his finger into her chest and instructed her. “Don’t worry, Melissa. Alice will always be at your side, quite literally inside of you... You may have treated her like a substitute for your family, but you have a bond that runs stronger than blood. How ironic that you would be a match for her factor.” 

“... Stop...” 

Don’t say any more than that, Melissa pleaded in her head, proof of the guilt she felt. She’d parted ways with Alice of her own accord, yet even now she was looking for someone to fill the hole in her heart. It was because of that miserable side of hers that she’d distanced herself in the first place. Indeed, she hadn’t changed at all since then. 

“—!” 

Suddenly, Melissa held her breath. Her eyes opened wide. Her stare was fixated on one of the many screens in front of Godma. 

On it was a girl with honey-colored hair. 

Alice! 

There was no doubt about it. She’d grown a lot since they last met, but Melissa would never forget her beautiful hair and hazel-colored eyes. 

Her innocent smile looked just like she remembered seeing once in a while at the facility. She really was the same as back then... Melissa was frozen on the spot, captivated by Alice. The only thing different was that there was no longer any sadness hidden in her expression. 

Melissa was shocked. To think she would ever see Alice Tilake again... 

She quietly held back the feelings welling up inside of her. She couldn’t let Godma catch on. 

Not to this, and not to a certain plan she had... 

Melissa tore her eyes away from the screen with painful reluctance. That’s when Godma walked up to her and softly whispered something into her ear. 

She silently listened without budging an inch. But if he paid close attention, he would be able to see her trembling fist. 

With a satisfied smile, Godma backed away from Melissa and pulled out that small device again. It was just big enough to fit in his palm and had several buttons on it. “And I believe you’ve reflected on your actions enough as well. Now it’s time for you to go to sleep.” 

“Please, stop it!” 

Ignoring Melissa’s sharp scream, Godma smiled and pushed a button on the device. 

With a click, Melissa’s consciousness sank. She felt like she was falling into darkness, at the same time as she felt something else floating to the top. Something that wasn’t her was filling up her now empty shell. 

That’s what she feared more than anything. The thought of asking herself who she was, was a scary prospect. 

She didn’t even know if she’d ever be able to make it back to the surface again. And the fact that her body would move while she was unaware made her question her very reason for existing. 

Eventually, when all strength left her body and the light faded from her eyes, Godma quietly gave her instructions in a gentle voice. 

Having become an obedient puppet, Melissa’s body moved mechanically, carrying out the order she’d been given. Her body left the room, returning to the ‘house’ where she’d be surrounded by her big family. 

Reaching her designated location, she stopped and remained motionless. 

Indeed, she was standing in one of the lines of experiments filling a vast room. The way they were lined up, in such an orderly fashion, made them look like weapons of war before an attack. 

There was one more experiment standing at the front with Melissa, guarding the silence. This one had a peculiar feature in that its eyes were different colors. One appeared to be an artificial eye with a transparency that made it look like glass. Despite the short hair, its slender jawline made it apparent that it was a woman, as did the bulges under the robe. 

Godma slowly followed after Melissa, walking up to the other experiment. He lightly tapped her shoulder, as if to show his deep affection. 

As he did, the experiment with the rare odd-eyed affliction slowly blinked her eyes. 

“You know your role, don’t you? That’s also why we attacked.” 

The lips of the peculiar experiment—Odd Eyes—trembled for a moment before moving. “R-Run... Deliver.” 

Godma nodded at the satisfactory answer, and returned to the other room to look over the screens again. 

His eyes fixed on one of the recordings that had played before. 

His thin lips twisted into a smile, and his dark eyes seemed to be enraptured. 

“It’s a near unscientific possibility, but this isn’t bad for a coincidence. Don’t you think... Alice?” 

* * * 

The time was just past noon, shortly after Tesfia had taken Alice with her to the girls’ dorm. 

A silence, and slight melancholic feeling filled the room as if the party had just ended. Training was next on the schedule, but since the girls would eat before returning, Alus had some time on his hands. 

Yet when they left and Loki headed for the kitchen, she would end up having to prepare four cups of tea. 

The moment of quiet was soon broken by the appearance of a rude visitor. 

“Come in,” Alus said in an exasperated tone, urging the person in, having picked up on a presence. 

Just then, the bell sound signaling the existence of a visitor rang out. The sturdy door slowly opened, and the person in question could be seen loitering with a dejected expression. 

“Principal. Sorry for keeping you waiting.” 

That was of course sarcastic, but the person in question didn’t seem to mind. “Oh no, no need to worry... actually, could you not call me in before I even ring the bell? You scared me. In fact, I feel stupid for even using magic to hurry over here.” 

What was with that manner of speaking when she’s the one who showed up unannounced? Alus felt a little fed up, but still answered apathetically. “So what would you prefer I had done?” 

Sisty cleared her throat and straightened her posture. She then pressed her finger on an imaginary doorbell and said, “Ding dong.” 

The thought of having to participate in this farce bothered Alus, so he decided to get out of this in the fastest way possible. 

As a result—“... Come in.” 

“Thank you for having me!” 

In the end he’d followed Sisty’s lead, which seemed to alleviate her snit a little. After nodding in satisfaction, she suddenly realized something. “This is less of a place to live and more like a laboratory. Do you even need such a thick door?” 

“That’s something the Governor-General did on his own. The equipment here is pretty expensive, and the materials are even more precious. It’s only natural that it’d be strictly secured.” 

Sisty had a look on her face that said nothing here seemed that expensive... or rather, she didn’t have a grasp on it. She’d read everything related to the textbooks they used for studying, but she had no interest in boring research material that wasn’t directly related to magic. However, all the materials here were valued pretty highly. 

No matter how much Sisty looked around, this certainly didn’t look like a Magicmaster’s room. It was much more like a researcher’s room. Even the equipment was on a par with military equipment. But after gazing around the room once, she lost interest in it. 

“Uhm, don’t you have anything else to do?” Alus had no idea why she’d even shown up, and seriously wondered if she was just here because she had a bunch of time on her hands. 

“... How rude. There’s nothing strange about the principal inspecting a student’s room, is there?” 

“No, that’s definitely strange.” His chin in hand, Alus was already finding it troublesome to deal with Sisty’s behavior. This was without a doubt his home ground, yet he felt like Sisty was seizing the initiative. 

Eventually, Loki spotted an opening and brought out two cups of tea. 

“Thank you, Ms. Loki. It’s like there’s nothing more I can ask for.” Taking her cup, Sisty headed not for the table, but towards Alus’ desk. 

“I’d prefer it if you didn’t hang around here too long, just so you know. I have to watch over that sloppy pair after this,” Alus said, referring to Tesfia’s and Alice’s training. 

“I’m not free enough to hang around. After all, it seems my students are hard workers that are energetically taking part in activities even outside of school.” 

“Wouldn’t the principal be proud to have a group of hard workers? And as students like those gather at the Institute and grow, you’ll be able to take it even easier. I feel envious just imagining it.” 

Having had her sarcasm met with sarcasm, Sisty flashed a brief smile before deliberately sighing. Taking a sip of tea, she sat down at the corner of Alus’ desk and looked down at the documents on it. 

Despite being raised in the military, Alus wasn’t boorish enough to bring up manners over Sisty’s behavior, but he was still worried that she might knock over his mountain of papers. 

“So you really do remember,” Sisty sighed. 

“You should have complained to me back then.” 

Of course Alus and Loki remembered the large Fiend invasion that happened several years ago. After all, they were at the frontlines of what could be considered one of the three greatest threats in history to the nation of Alpha. 

“You haven’t changed. Anyway, once you reach a certain status it’s hard to take it easy,” Sisty said. 

“Yes... you’re right about that.” 

“But you still haven’t given up challenging the impossible. You’ve already realized it, haven’t you? The fundamental problem... that it’s impossible because we’re only human.” 

Alus’ excuse for wanting to take it easy was that he could then focus on his research. And that was indirectly caused by something unnecessary that Sisty had once brought up. “Of course. Five years have passed since I began my research, but I realized that in my first year.” 

“But you’re still continuing.” 

“As a researcher, you realize that there’s value in something precisely because it’s impossible. I seem to be possessed by the impossibility of that notion I heard from you. I have no qualms about making it one of my research themes.” 

“You really are strange,” Sisty said in a dumbfounded tone, and looked at Alus like he was some kind of eccentric. She quickly covered her lips with her cup, but she probably had a calm smile underneath. 

That’s when the bell to the laboratory rang out again. Another visitor was waiting for permission to come inside by the open door. The reason it was open was due to Sisty’s consideration. 

“Principal, you’re here.” 

“Yes, I was waiting for you, Ms. Felinella.” 

And with that, Loki’s four cups each reached their destination. She had probably scanned her surroundings once the principal arrived, and noticed another would likely show up soon. 

Apparently, Sisty had chosen this time to appear so that she could listen in on Felinella’s report. 

Bothered by Sisty’s problematic statement, Felinella gave Alus a questioning look. The reason, of course, was because Alus’ mission was classified and not even the principal was privy to the details. 

Felinella received her cup from Loki and waited for Alus’ decision. 

Alus spoke to Sisty, convinced of something. “I see, so you went ahead and talked things over with the Governor-General.” 

“Of course. It would be negligent for the principal to not be aware of the whole story when my students are involved.” 

“And will you be taking part in the mission?” 

“Unfortunately, I still have a ton of work to do. But since the Institute was attacked, I wanted to at least hear what you had to say. Nobody has a clearer picture of the incident than the people concerned, right?” 

Alus had expected that she wouldn’t take part in the plan, but he objectively decided to agree to have Sisty hear Felinella’s report. Especially so if she had the Governor-General’s permission. 

He urged Felinella on, but she still looked a little hesitant. 

She excused herself to Sisty and slowly stood up. The cup was still in her hand, but the surface of the tea didn’t move in the slightest as she elegantly made her way to Alus’ side. After putting her cup and saucer down on Alus’ desk, she leaned over to whisper in his ear. 

“... Are you sure this is all right? The principal might have deep connections with the military, but she’s no longer a soldier. She has no need to fall under their command. In fact, if she moves on her own she might risk the entire mission... huh?!” 

Felinella’s surprised intake of breath reached Alus’ ear. As her hair fluttered, an elegant fragrance different from tea reached his nose. 

She was surprised by his actions. He had put his finger against her lips to silence her. “Say no more. There’s no problem, I guarantee it. The reason being the circumstances for her standing down from her seat as a Single Digit... that’s right, the Witch only ever moves for Alpha,” Alus said, referring to Sisty’s past. 

But Felinella was even more surprised by how he’d silenced her, and she was taken aback with her eyes wide open. 

After a few seconds she managed to calm down. Felinella’s lips curled into a smile under Alus’ finger, and after pulling back a little, she spoke out again. “I-I understand... I may have been overstepping my boundaries.” A faint rosy color appeared on her cheeks. 

“Ahem! Excuse me,” Loki blatantly cleared her throat and apologized for interrupting. Her brow furrowed, showing her displeasure. 

Next, she violently brought tea to her mouth and glanced over at Felinella to keep an eye on her under the guise of drinking. It was clear that this was just a demonstration, as in reality the tea only touched her lips, never passing down her throat. 

Enjoying this, a mean smile floated up on Sisty’s face. “Heh, it’s certainly not easy... in fact, it’s a handful. But what you just said was problematic. I appreciate the consideration... I’m not sure where you heard about it, but I ask you not to say a word to anyone about it.” 

“Understood... so Feli, with the Governor-General’s permission, this isn’t something I can interfere with.” Of course, the Governor-General might just have been cajoled as well. 

Alus wasn’t sure if that was the truth behind Sisty’s moniker of Witch, but she wasn’t the principal of the Institute for nothing. She was a former Single Digit, but she still had a political and diplomatic existence matching that rank. 

“Yes, I understand. Then I’ll briefly summarize the current report.” Felinella’s expression suddenly turned into that of a dignified soldier’s, and she moved in front of the desk. 

Sisty leaned against the wall, listening. 

As for Loki, she put her cup down on the edge of the desk and positioned herself next to Alus. 

After a short pause, Felinella began her report. 

During the previous report, a concern regarding the lack of Magicmasters in the encirclement had been brought up. At the moment they had a big enough number for the encirclement, but there was a problem with the quality of them. 

There were few Triple Digit Magicmasters or higher, meaning that it was an encirclement only in theory. If they came into combat with the Dolls, it was very likely that the enemy could get the upper hand. 

As of now, the Double Digit Magicmasters still hadn’t returned from the missions in the Outer World. Moreover, Magicmasters were being divided up for other purposes as well. With the Institute having been attacked, important facilities had been assigned Magicmaster guards. 

Incidentally, Godma’s hideout had already been located thanks to Felinella purposefully letting the opponents she had fought escape, and tracking them with a mana needle. 

“Feli, how many Dolls are there?” 

“I’m sorry. At the moment, we’ve only confirmed 17, but... it will likely be difficult to get an accurate count before the day of the mission.” Supposedly there were too many uncertain factors to specify the enemy numbers. 

There was also the attack on the Institute, where the Dolls could have just as easily been destroyed. If they were few in numbers, such a plan would have been nothing short of stupid; but the fact that they went through with it meant they had plenty to spare. 

“Well, since we know their hideout, we could use a powerful detection spell to get a grasp of their numbers,” Sisty said. 

While that was a possibility, there were exceptions to everything. When it came to detection magic, it was possible to counteract it to a certain degree as long as you were aware of it, something Fiends might not do but humans would. 

The target, Godma, wasn’t a Magicmaster himself, but he had a mysterious backer that allowed him to complete the Dolls. It wouldn’t be strange to assume that they were prepared for something like detection magic. 

“Lord Vizaist should be aware of the limits of detection magic. He’s most likely concluded it would be difficult to fully grasp the situation after considering all possible methods,” Alus said. 

Loki nodded. “Something like an underground facility will make it difficult for a user of something like mana sonar to pick up the reactions. It would be even more inaccurate from afar, and there may be countermeasures in place too... meaning that I wouldn’t rely on the results too much.” 

Having finished her tea, Sisty put her cup down next to her. “I see. Then I have to ask, at what kind of numbers would they start posing a problem for the mission?” 

Realizing what Alus was trying to figure out, Sisty was essentially asking him the upper limit of what he’d be able to deal with, in order to tell how big of a hurdle he could handle before the mission would be in jeopardy. 

Alus didn’t hesitate to stick up the five fingers on his hand. “Well... about 50.” 

“My, what a modest estimate.” 

“I’m sure you experienced it for yourself. They can take a lot of punishment and keep going. You can’t assume they’re normal. And since I don’t know what’s going on inside their hideout, I can’t just blow it up with magic. There’s no guarantee there aren’t any innocent civilians there, after all. However...” 

Having said that, Alus proposed the quickest solution he could think of. “If I take out Godma, who’s likely at the top of their chain of command, their numbers won’t matter. With the head gone, they’ll just be fumbling around in the dark. The only problem is that I don’t know how they’ll act after that. I don’t even want to imagine it if they all followed their master and self-destructed, and if they scatter and escape, Loki and I won’t be enough to stop everyone. Meaning that would be left up to the Magicmasters encircling the area... but it would probably be too much for them.” 

Felinella added on to Alus’ suspicions. “At the moment, we’ve gathered around 500, but the majority are four digits or lower. The security forces have also sent some squadrons in, so there’s some non-Magicmasters involved, too. If there are more than 50 of them... that could be a problem.” 

Alus estimated the Dolls’ combat capabilities to be around the same as a Triple Digit Magicmaster, meaning they could very well break through the encirclement. He racked his brain. In order to make an informed decision, he needed to know the forces’ chain of command. “And who’s in charge?” 

With over 500 taking part and plenty of enemies, unless an experienced commander stood at the head of their forces, the encirclement would quickly be broken through. There was even the chance that the encirclement would have a lot of holes. Just keeping them reined in would be difficult. 

It had already been decided, but Felinella was slow to explain. “T-That would be, uhm... my father...” 

“Lord Vizaist, is it? It’s rare to see him take command of a larger force, but if it’s him then I have nothing to worry about.” Alus trusted Vizaist so much because of his personality and because he recognized his capabilities. 

While he was now head of the intelligence department, Vizaist was once a renowned Magicmaster active in the Outer World. He was also Alus’ former superior officer and had achievements as a commander. 

Meanwhile, Felinella let out a sigh of relief. She knew Vizaist’s opinion of Alus, but not the opposite. As his daughter she felt she had a good grasp of his abilities, but she couldn’t help but worry how the current No. 1 would see him. She’d had her concerns as family, but hearing Alus’ praise, her opinion of her father rose. 

However, there was one person present who didn’t know much about this mission’s commander. “Sir Alus, I only met Lord Vizaist once, but from my impression he’s not as much a commander as a...” 

“Well, that’s probably what it would look like to you, Loki. Witch Sisty, one of the three leaders that built up Alpha’s splendor, is more knowledgeable about this than I am...” 

Sisty glared at Alus, sick of hearing him use her Witch moniker over and over again. It wasn’t an alias she was fond of, but there wasn’t a more fitting second name that described her better. 

“Among the wind attribute users, Lord Vizaist is very well suited for information gathering,” Alus continued. “He can get a grasp of the entire battle situation with detection magic.” 

In other words, he was able to do what Loki did during the extracurricular lesson all on his own. Just that alone would have been enough to surprise her. 

“I’ve learned a lot from him, too.” 

“Even you have, Sir Alus?!” 

“It’s not like I could do everything from the start.” 

Vizaist himself might never have considered himself as teaching Alus anything. Meanwhile, Felinella knew about it. Her father had brought it up a few times. To her, Vizaist was her father but also her master. Which was why her opinion of him again went way up. 

No matter how competent Vizaist was, the security forces joining in made the situation more complicated. Out of the 500 member force, fewer than 40 were Triple Digits. 

When dealing with an opponent that was underground, the standard was to have a tight, thick encirclement. The forces would be deployed with the powerful individuals set up at certain intervals, and the situation would get stirred up with the Triple Digits acting as the main line. 

“Will you be taking part in this too, Feli?” Strictly speaking she wasn’t a soldier, but a student at the Institute. If she became even more invested in this mission, she’d be far exceeding her role as auxiliary personnel. Lord Vizaist likely wouldn’t agree to put his daughter in a dangerous position so easily, either. 

“I offered to, but I was harshly scolded—being told that it was a job for soldiers.” Felinella shrugged with a wry smile, suggesting that she knew what would happen when she asked. 

That would indeed have been overstepping her boundaries. No parent would send their beloved daughter into a life or death situation while she was still just a student. Involving a student could even put the principal of the Institute under fire. Even if she was a noble that had a duty to uphold, and would eventually join the military, she was still a student at the moment. Vizaist’s decision was objectively correct. 

“... But I was allowed to join on one condition.” 

“Huh?” Alus exclaimed, in a rare surprised tone. 

“And what condition would that be?” Loki asked in Alus’ place. She must have been anticipating something, as her expression was stiff and more curt than usual. 

“I was given permission as long as I help you, Mr. Alus,” Felinella said in a carefree tone. She was wearing the brightest smile he’d seen today, as well as exuding an atmosphere that wouldn’t accept any answer other than yes. 

Finding himself at a loss for words, Alus averted his eyes from her smile in an attempt to escape from reality. 

Meanwhile, Loki glanced at him, looking worried. 

“Oh my,” Sisty laughed. Thinking this was the perfect situation for alcohol, she headed for the kitchen while humming. After Loki called out to her to steer clear of the spirits, Sisty began preparing tea on her own. 

Alus ignored the older woman, and scratched his head, trying to conjure up a solution for his biggest problem. 

What is Lord Vizaist thinking? It’d be one thing if Felinella was in the rear providing support, but Alus was all but guaranteed to get caught up in the fiercest fighting. 

On the other hand, she’d dealt with one of the intruders during the attack on the Institute, and she led her team through the extracurricular lesson without letting them get hurt. 

And most of all—her soft yet firm willpower showing through her smile made Alus suspect he no longer had a say in the matter. 

“... Well, I suppose it’s all right.” That was the best he could muster. It wasn’t like Felinella would be holding him back. And since they were already lacking numbers, having a Triple Digit’s help would be a big boon. 

The worst situation could be avoided as long as she was with him, but Alus dreaded the thought of what Vizaist would say if she got hurt. 

Unaware of how Alus felt, Felinella bowed with a spring in her step, and thanked him profoundly. 

It was rare for someone as reserved as Felinella to be so energetic, and at the same time, Loki looked like the world was ending. Her hands trembled, and her shoulders and head drooped. She was feeling so down that one could almost see the dark clouds gathering above her. 

After glancing Loki’s way for a moment, Alus decided to lay down the law. “... But I’m not going to babysit you. If you look like you’ll get in the way, I’ll send you back.” 

“Of course. I have no objections to that,” Felinella answered immediately without any hesitation. Her joyful expression had only lasted for a moment, and was now replaced with intelligence and calm. She already knew that doing something unnecessary, or not doing anything at all could bring trouble to everyone. 

Hearing Alus push Felinella away, Loki felt a little relieved. Serenity returned to her eyes as she stared at Felinella, and she started to focus on the mission again. 

With a sigh of relief, Alus thought of yet another concern. While their opponents might be experiments, they looked just like normal humans. So he worried over whether Loki and Felinella could be cold-hearted when dealing with them. 

Though he could give them some cover, this mission required that they have the resolve to do what was asked of them. Dealing with Fiends was much simpler mentally. 

Vizaist probably gave his daughter permission to go, in order to let her gain more experience. In any event, Alus wanted her to—at the very least—be able to protect herself. That said, to Alus the condition that she only was coming along if she helped him, sounded a lot like Vizaist was saying he would never forgive him if something happened. 

As Alus recalled that giant’s hearty laughter, that man who doted so heavily on his daughter, his worries had no end in sight. 

* * * 

Tesfia and Alice left the girls’ dorm around the time that Felinella and Sisty left Alus’ laboratory. That was because they’d taken a short break after retrieving Tesfia’s luggage from home and had lunch at the cafeteria commons. 

They’d changed out of their uniforms for the training, but the conversation between them was more distant than normal. From an onlooker’s perspective they still looked like good friends, and there hadn’t been any awkward silences during lunch either. 

But it was mostly Alice bringing up things to talk about. She was especially passionate about hearing what had happened when Tesfia went home. When she asked about it, it was as if she was trying to get away from something... in fact, there was something she would rather not think about. 

Something felt off about her, something only her best friend Tesfia would notice. There had been times when Alice forced a laugh, or had been strangely talkative. It seemed to happen whenever Alice’s family or past was touched upon. When it happened, Alice would always try to change the topic to something lighter and act cheerful, but that only made it look more forced and her behavior more awkward. It was the flip side of her considerate nature, and an attempt to distract herself from her loneliness. 

There were plenty of students that didn’t go home during vacation. But that was ultimately because they’d chosen not to. Alice, on the other hand, didn’t even have that choice. Without any relatives, and with the small amount of money her parents left behind, she literally had no place to go home to. 

During the summer season she would always act cheerful in an almost manic fashion. At the same time, traces of loneliness would mix in with her expression. 

In the past, when she’d come to play at the Fable family home, she had a line she wouldn’t cross. That happened so many times that Tesfia’s mother eventually told Alice to think of it as her home. But that wasn’t enough to overcome her feelings of loneliness. 

Right now, Tesfia was brightly joking about things that had happened at home. She actually had worries of her own to think about, but her best friend took priority now. Alice might still be trapped in her past... that’s why Tesfia focused on being merry and optimistic. 

That was something she’d decided on in secret, as she and Alice lived together—so that she and her irreplaceable best friend could continue walking forward while they were at the Institute, and beyond that time as well. 

But she was starting to doubt herself now. Despite her attempts at cheering Alice up, there were still traces of gloom in Alice’s answers and expressions. This was the first time that had ever happened. 

After hesitating for quite a while, Tesfia stopped in her tracks. 

Alice had a puzzled look, as she stopped and turned to face her. 

Tesfia gazed at Alice, took a deep breath and began speaking. Being as awkward as she was, she’d told herself that this was the only option she had. 

“Alice... Do you have something on your mind? It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it, please don’t force yourself.” 

“... Yes, I’m fine. Thank you, Fia.” 

Alice’s eyes opened wide for a moment, realizing that she couldn’t hide it. She acknowledged the conflict inside her, and at the same time she was grateful to her friend, who had seen it. 

She felt a slight weight drop off her shoulders, but she was still undecided on whether or not to tell Tesfia everything. It wasn’t like her anguish would disappear if she talked about it. 

Thus the two girls ended up quietly walking along the wide path. 

Alice’s feeling that things couldn’t go on like this had only gotten bigger. But she couldn’t undo what had already happened, or take back what had already been lost. And she was made to realize that she was still looking for a means to that end. Or perhaps she’d already realized that deep down, long ago. 

That contradiction sparked a fierce conflict inside of her. Like blood still poured out of an unhealed wound in her heart. 

Another contradiction was that Godma Barhong, the man responsible for Alice’s dark past, was still alive. 

That was something she’d heard from that soldier that saved her from the facility. He’d looked and sounded frustrated when he told Alice that the mastermind had gotten away. 

Her dark feelings for Godma had almost faded away into the depths of her memories, but they now were screaming over how unfair it was. That project had led to the untimely deaths of her parents, and ruined her life. 

Yet Godma was still walking the world unpunished. Was that something she could ever forgive? 

However, yet another person appeared from her memories. Perhaps she would know the right answer... that idea was always in Alice’s mind. 

Alice was thinking of the girl who had gently smiled at her, and given her a warm embrace when she was hurt and lonely. That girl was like a sister to her, but she had left Alice. Maybe that somewhat dark expression she’d had when they met for the last time, meant she was trying to tell Alice something. 

Alice silently continued mulling that thought over. 

Tesfia had started walking closer to Alice, silently waiting for her to speak again. 

As the strong sunlight of the early afternoon shone down on them, they slowly made their way toward the laboratory. 

That’s when Alice suddenly stopped. 

They were almost at the laboratory, and when Tesfia looked at Alice questioningly, she saw that her hazel eyes were wide open. 

Following the astonished Alice’s stare, Tesfia saw a lone woman with chestnut-colored hair making her way towards them with a smile. Because of the sunlight, she couldn’t get a good look at her, but she seemed to have a similar atmosphere to Alice. 

“... M-Melissa?” 

The name leaked out from Alice’s lips, her eyes tearing up as her memories reawakened. It was as if her mouth had moved on its own. 

The woman answered back, “Alice.” Her voice sounded like it was gently caressing Alice’s ears. That nostalgic voice soothed her tense nerves. 

Tesfia was a little surprised as she looked at Alice’s change in expression. When she glanced over at the person responsible, she figured it must have been an old friend or the like. 

So even Alice had someone like that. Tesfia’s surprise eventually turned to relief. Though it was a shame that she wasn’t the only one special to Alice, Tesfia knew that wasn’t going to be a problem. 

Which was why she smiled as she saw Alice wipe away her tears. She wasn’t alone. She had someone precious to her. 

Before long, the redhead was gradually filled with happiness and her chest felt full of it. That didn’t feel bad. It was like she was being wrapped up in a golden light. It felt like her best friend was finally being rewarded. 

As such, what Tesfia should be doing wasn’t crying alongside Alice... instead, she softly pushed her back, in the direction of the young woman. “I don’t really get what’s going on, but I’m happy for you, Alice. Go to her.” 

“Y-Yeah... thanks, Fia. She’s my old friend. So I’m going to say hello.” Alice wiped away what remained of her tears and flashed a dazzling smile. 

“I’ll tell Al, so take all the time you want to talk. And if you want, could you introduce us later?” 

“Y-Yes...” 

There was a slight hesitation in Alice’s answer, but that was just due to her wondering what to say to Melissa. A trifling problem compared to the happiness she felt from this unexpected reunion. 

With a gleeful expression, Alice began running, as if to make up for the long, long time they’d been apart. Her anguish had completely disappeared, and she had a jump in her step. 

Tesfia gently watched as Alice’s back receded into the distance, and the black-robed woman gave Alice a slight bow.

“What, it’s just you?” 

Tesfia had shown up at Alus’ laboratory on her own. “Yeah, Alice had some sudden business to attend to. Ah, is my present in one piece?” 

So it really was on purpose, Alus thought to himself, but he still thanked her and then asked what happened. 

After hesitating for a moment, Tesfia gave him a vague smile, as if to say that’s a girl’s secret. That woman showing up at the Institute must have had something to do with Alice’s past. Seeing Alice’s reaction, there was no doubt about it, which was why Tesfia wanted to treasure her best friend’s privacy. “Well... it’s probably a really good thing. And I think it’s going to take some time until she’s done, so why don’t we do mana control today?” 

“If Alice isn’t here, then what else can we do? Let’s stick with that until she gets back.” 

Tesfia nodded and picked up her training stick, pouring mana into it to show off the results of her training. 

“It looks like you didn’t skip out on your training while you were away.” 

“Of course not! I can’t waste my time on this forever.” 

While her attitude was admirable, this kind of training was something any active Magicmaster looking to master mana control needed to perform regularly. The few years Tesfia would spend at the Institute wouldn’t be enough to master the essence of it. But telling her that would only negatively affect her willpower, so Alus decided to keep quiet instead. 

The mission was set to start tomorrow, but Alus acted the same as he always did. Tesfia catching on was highly unlikely, but there was no harm in being careful. And if he were to let something slip to her, it wouldn’t be long before he got the retirement he wanted... in a way he didn’t want. 

“Loki, why not look over her training a bit?” Alus said to Loki, who was hard at work on her detection training. It would make for a good break. 

Hearing his voice, Loki softly exhaled and opened her eyes. 

“It looked like you were able to give Alice some good advice the other day, so don’t you think it would be unfair to leave Tesfia out of it?” 

Though it sounded cynical, Alus had said it out of consideration for Loki. If she got too much into her detection training, she might end up too tired for tomorrow’s mission and maybe even risk its outcome. 

Loki, of course, picked up on his intention. “I understand.” 

“Huh, you’re going to watch over me?” 

“Loki seems to have found an unexpected talent, you see.” 

“Please don’t tease me,” Loki said with a frown, trying to hide her embarrassment. That said, she didn’t look all that unhappy as she walked over to Tesfia. “Well, Ms. Alice seemed to pick up the trick for something.” 

“Really, when I was gone...? Hurry up and teach me, Loki.” Feeling like she was being left behind by her best friend, impatience filled Tesfia’s expression.

A few minutes later, Alus was watching Loki teach Tesfia. There was a lot for him to learn as well, including thoroughly going through parts that he’d personally never had trouble with. He’d overlooked that. 

Finding an equilibrium for your mana while you’re controlling it is definitely more efficient. 

Either way, the goal was to do away with waste, and adapt to the situation by using the bare minimum amount of mana. That’s why it was logical to learn how to adjust the amount of mana being expelled. The point of the training stick was ultimately to focus mana. By smoothly enchanting the AWR with mana its conductivity for magic increased, and when used as a weapon its power was thereby increased. 

Eventually, Alus began to feel that he wasn’t suited for teaching people. When he thought about it, the training he’d been assigned deviated from what Magicmasters normally went through. Which was why he couldn’t really understand how to overcome the common walls Magicmasters came up against. 

By the time he was aware of his surroundings he was at the frontlines; and having grown up in a place where he’d die if he couldn’t do something, he’d interpreted training differently to begin with. 

But he never had any intention of training all kinds of Magicmasters, so Tesfia and Alice would just have to try their best to keep up. It appeared that more difficulties than Alus had imagined stood in the way before the girls would be usable. 

“Ah, this is so irritating!” Tesfia’s sudden shout broke the silence. 

Her focus from before was all gone. She raised her voice and seemed to be throwing a tantrum as she began expelling mana. 

As expected, she wasn’t suited for minute control. Simply put, she was very clumsy at mana control. She was short-tempered and wasn’t the kind of person who was good at work that required patience, such as threading a needle. 

Alus wanted her to at least be able to do the basics, but now might be a good time for a break. She was desperately trying to catch up, but it was clear that she wasn’t going to achieve anything if she didn’t take breaks every now and again. 

The moment Alus told her to take a break, Tesfia unbuttoned the top button of her blouse to let off steam. 

He didn’t particularly care, but it definitely wasn’t the kind of thing a well-bred young lady should be doing. 

“Ms. Alice sure is late, is she not coming today?” Loki asked, as she handed a glass of iced tea to Tesfia. 

Tesfia received it with thanks, and thought for a few moments before answering, “I’m not sure... the truth is that an old friend came to visit her.” 

“Is that so?” Loki was a little surprised, and Alus was somewhat disgruntled. 

“Sorry, Al. It looked like special circumstances, so I thought to keep quiet about it... but they looked like old friends so I wanted them to spend some time together. Besides, Alice seems to have been worrying about something lately.” 

“I see,” Loki replied. 

Tesfia was honest. Another way to describe her was simplistic, and keeping quiet about this was apparently a burden for her. 

A cold drop of water slid down her glass as if symbolizing the weight dropping off her shoulders. “Ahh, this feels good,” Tesfia said with a slack look, as she pushed the cool glass against her cheek. 

“But who would visit Alice at a time like this?” Alus asked Tesfia. 

“She looked very kind and beautiful... Ah! Just because she’s a beauty doesn’t mean you can go interrupt them out of curiosity, okay?” 

“Who’d do that? There was an attack here just the other day, I don’t care if she’s a beauty or what, but the security here sure is lax. But anyways—I guess I can overlook her skipping today.” 

As he said that, Alus recalled something. “Oh yeah, I guess we didn’t tell you. While I was researching Alice’s constitution and light attribute, she talked about her past. Loki was there too.” 

“So she told you. Then I guess it’s okay. It was rough, but she’s done her best up until now. If she trusted you enough to tell you, then you have to live up to her expectations, okay?” 

“What are you on about? You’re the ones who are supposed to live up to my expectations... but don’t worry, because they’re not that high.” 

“Hmph, speak for yourself!” Tesfia cheekily flashed her white teeth, but in contrast to her behavior she seemed to be in high spirits. 

With the break over, Alus decided to put the free time he got from having Loki teach Tesfia to use by returning to his research. His goal was to develop another spell for Alice. 

There were several methods for creating spells, and the most common one was done through combining Lost Spells to create a magic formula. 

However, in order to find an effective and working combination out of the countless possible combinations for formulas, one had to have the deep knowledge necessary to accurately understand the hundreds to thousands of characters. 

A magic formula that created a single phenomenon was a combination of basic formulas. Moreover, the origin of spells came from the detailed deciphering of the structure of common spells used in daily life. The combination of the magic that branched out from that was what led to the modern magic structure. 

However, Alus was looking to create a completely original spell. That would be of help to Alice, as well as being research worth doing. For that sake, the first thing he needed to do was understand it. 

The more one experienced and understood the reason for a phenomenon and its results, in other words, the closer one got to the essence of a spell—the easier it was to activate and the more subtly it could be changed. 

Other things to consider included what kind of spell was important to reach a goal, and whether or not the mana used was worth the effects of the spell. 

In this regard, a Magicmaster’s experience, practical intuition and creativity came into play. He’d have to imagine, to determine and choose well over 200 topics. Just the designation of coordinates alone had a vast number of combinations of methods and elements. 

If one were to compare it to a jigsaw puzzle, he would first have to decide on the picture, the entity that would become the spell. Next, he’d need to accurately design the hundreds or thousands of pieces that would make it up, gather the materials needed, and then build them. With that, the framework for the spell would finally be complete. 

The next part was even more difficult. Even if all of the pieces were determined, there were hundreds of variations of materials. If he didn’t make it capable of adapting to any situation and take the caster’s mental state into account, it wouldn’t work as a spell. A single flaw would spread through the circuitry, affecting the entire spell. 

The construction of advanced, and expert—which stood above advanced—spells in particular was extremely delicate, with only one possible answer out of billions of permutations. Putting something like that together from scratch was frankly the work of gods. 

As such, creating an original spell around the fundamental Lost Spells was the kind of work that would drive one insane. That’s why creating a completely original spell of intermediate level or above was a massive project that took a full team of researchers several years to create. 

Incidentally, when using the more common combination method, a spell was determined to be original depending on the ratio of well-known combinations to the creator’s own combinations. If the existing combinations were less than 30 percent of the total, the spell was considered original. 

And because there were so few light attribute spells, almost any spells made would be considered original. 

Alus felt that Alice was lacking in offensive spells. Right now, he was in the process of picking out the topics necessary for that. 

The old books in his lab were very useful for determining the spell’s phenomenon. Their ancestors’ research may have been absurd and reckless, and their ideas and concepts unpolished, but there was much valuable knowledge to be had from it. 

Whether other researchers noticed it or not, Alus, with his vast knowledge, was able to find great value in the old research by looking at it from a different perspective. And the spells they’d created were all worthy of being called original. 

Alus was extremely focused, as if in a space where only he existed. 

However, as he was putting together this new spell, that focus was suddenly interrupted. The reason for that was... 

“Sir Alus!!” 

“I know. They should learn when to give up.” 

Loki had shouted out to warn him. A few seconds after that, an alarm rang out across the Institute. The robotic voice exclaimed that this was a threat level V. The next thing the voice said was to go to the shelters that were on the Institute grounds. 

Tesfia exclaimed, “Huh, wai... What’s going on?!” 

“You’re so loud. You came back because you heard about the attack, didn’t you? It’s probably the intruders from then, they were easily repelled last time, but it seems they didn’t learn. Revenge for that time, maybe? Either way, we don’t know what they’re after.” 

“Why would they be after revenge? Why would they come back to the same place they lost at? Do they have a grudge against the Institute, or something?” 

Leaving the confused Tesfia aside, Alus’ eyes were fixed on the virtual screen. But next to him, Loki also had a confused expression. That was because she’d already sensed that. 

“Sir Alus, get ready to intercept... t-this is...!” 

That had a presence so large Loki didn’t even need to use detection magic. It was a vast amount of mana that gave even the flustered Tesfia goosebumps. As far as Loki knew, this wasn’t the amount of mana a single Magicmaster could muster. 

Alus sent out his vision with magic to confirm something, before reassuring the two. “Loki, who do you think is at this Institute? She might be modest and use the word ‘former,’ but she’s definitely still worthy of the title of Single Digit. I’m sure this Institute has the greatest protection of them all.” 

Loki’s anxiety eased up a little at this strong statement from the top of all Magicmasters. But she still had her worries. Based on the mana she sensed of the spell being activated, it would be classified above expert level. 

It was practically on the level of myth. 

Magic was normally categorized as one of four levels: novice, intermediate, advanced, and expert. 

That was merely what was made public and used for the levels that humans dealt with, but magic that exceeded this definitely existed as well. In the world of Magicmasters, that kind of magic was referred to as Apex magic. A Single Digit might be able to use one or two spells at that level. 

The spell Loki could feel aimed at the entirety of the Institute definitely had the presence of such a spell. 

Alus could also feel the abnormal presence of the mana rapidly gathering above the Institute. 

A taboo, huh. 

He dug through his memories, and when he recalled a spell that matched the activation pattern he unconsciously clicked his tongue. 

A taboo always came with a price. 

Just what had been sacrificed to cast a spell of this level? And it’s a remote spell... so the last attack must have been for a preliminary investigation. 

Casting a spell like this remotely required extremely accurate coordinates for the origin of the spell. Meaning that the previous attack was just for scouting, all in preparation for this moment. 

The principal’s personality was one thing, but Alus did trust in her abilities. And if the Institute were to take this attack head on, it would be destroyed, and she would lose her position. 

But even so... Alus slightly braced for impact, and gently brought Tesfia and Loki closer. 

* * * 

Just before the attack. 

The sun was finally starting to set, and the Second Magical Institute’s principal Sisty Nexophia had finished dealing with the mountain of paperwork on her desk. It was mainly gathering reports to be sent to the top brass, but it also included damage reports. 

Sisty pulled the curtains back from the window. The warm afternoon sunlight streamed in, but the principal’s office remained at a comfortable temperature. There was no air conditioning in sight. Based on the traces of mana in the room, she’d used a spell for it. 

The intruders from the other day managed to infiltrate the Institute, engage in combat, and retreat in less than ten minutes. Sisty had to expend well over ten times the amount of labor just to clean up from that, and she frankly felt it wasn’t worth it. “Can you spare me from having to do any more work, please...” she said to no one, sighing. 

As should be expected—Sisty immediately noticed the sudden, unusual event. She furrowed her brows and swiftly stood up, throwing open the double doors leading out to the veranda. 

A gust of wind blew in, sending the papers flying. 

Sisty didn’t give them a glance, as she stepped out on the veranda and looked up in the air, as the alarm rang out. 

The sky was filled with a vast amount of red light from mana. A massive magic circle was being constructed in the air. 

Unlike Loki, who’d also sensed that amount of mana, Sisty had a fearless smile on her face. “Hmph, they’re looking down on me.” 

The last time, they’d needed to take down the intruders that had split up one at a time, but things were different if the assailant used a spell against the entire Institute. There were still guards around due to the attack the other day, as well as defensive equipment, but it was actually Sisty who was the crux of their defense. 

She quietly thrust out an open hand. As she did, her staff hanging on the wall floated up on its own and slid across the air into her hand. 

It was a staff-type AWR made of a mysterious white material. It had a metallic feel, but with a peculiar luster to it. Grain-like ripples faintly covered its surface that was filled to the brim with magic formulas. 

The top of the staff was shaped like a quadrangular pyramid, its tip sharp, with a mystical jade-green stone slotted in at the top. 

Sisty tapped the staff against the floor. A bell-like sound rang out. 

The next moment, she rose up into the air and landed on the roof of the building. 

“Well, holding onto my ace forever would be a waste.” She’d gone up to the roof to confirm the details of the spell’s construction and scale. The school’s grounds were vast, but she could just barely survey it all from the roof. 

And right now—a massive magic circle big enough to cover the Institute was floating in the air. 

Sisty narrowed her eyes as she identified what kind of spell she was facing. It had an ominous presence that was very similar to several spells she’d witnessed during her days in the military. 

To think I’d come across an abominable spell like this again... this must be fate. Oh well, that just means I don’t have to hold back. 

Next, she let go of her staff. It floated and stopped in mid-air. As Sisty poured mana into the AWR, the magic formulas on it began to glow. 

The jade-green stone at the top of the staff reacted, with what looked like clouds stirring inside of it. 

As she poured more mana into it, Sisty held her hand above the stone. 

Suddenly the air trembled. The ground rumbled. She could see a huge cylindrical shadow stretch up into the air in front of her. 

A mana tower... it was a vast structure, similar to a water tower, that supplied mana. 

But it wasn’t just one. Upon closer inspection, the shadow consisted of several pillars linked together. The towers formed a ring surrounding the outer circumference of the Institute, each and every one of them exuding huge amounts of mana. 

They were the several hundred spires built underground to protect the Institute. 

Sisty was adding their mana onto her own. And now that they’d all been released, her mana filled the entirety of the Institute grounds. 

Meanwhile, the red magic circle in the air pulsated. In the next instant, it unleashed a light of destruction towards the Institute below it. The red pillar of light had so much energy it could have been a small vermilion star, and the heated air was enough to even cause a disturbance in the barrier that covered the human domain. 

It rained down like the hammer of god, bringing overwhelming destruction with it. 

But without a moment’s delay, translucent mana light filled the air surrounding the Institute’s main building. 

Sisty softly spoke the name of that spell. “‹‹Ligra Litas››” 

The power expanded in an explosive chain reaction. The slightly jade-colored golden winds spread out to cover the Institute. The winds overlapped in several layers, turning into a defensive barrier against the red light of destruction. 

The whirl of fantastical winds spread out again and again, layer after layer, becoming new barriers. 

Those winds were so dense that they covered the entire Institute like a thick carpet without gaps. 

In the next moment—the red spell of destruction assaulted the Institute. 

However, the golden winds stood in its way. 

One spell destroyed all in its path, and the other protected all. They clashed and bit into each other, canceling each other out as they created a whirlwind. The fierce sounds of their clashing could be heard all across Alpha. 

That high-pitched shrill sounded like the skies themselves were screaming, or perhaps it was the painful screams of souls taken in sacrifice. The bizarre sound engraved itself in the ears of all who heard it. 

Light poured through gaps in a portion of the barrier that had begun to come apart, and every so often, blinding light filled the skies. 

Sisty was well aware of the taboo spell that had been unleashed upon the Institute. Out of the many taboo spells that had been birthed in the fierce fights against Fiends, this one had been created as a last resort in order to stop a large-scale invasion, and was even referred to as a ‘forced offering.’ 

The Apex spell was a taboo that had no way of being used by a single Magicmaster; and as such required human life as a catalyst. 

And the spell being unleashed towards the Institute was made exactly for that forced offering, using the light attribute instead of its original attribute. 

They’re even using Senas Requiem... just where did this leak from? But compared to back then, the non-taboo spells have evolved too. 

While stopping the fierce radiation of red heat up above, Sisty sighed inwardly. Even her defensive barrier wasn’t going to last forever against a spell with this much output. 

The two forces appeared to be struggling for supremacy, but the outer layer of Sisty’s Ligra Litas was gradually being melted away. They looked to be balanced for now, but it was evident that a hole would eventually open up in the barrier. 

However— 

“Protecting the Institute is the principal’s job. I still have lots of work left to do, so let’s finish this.” 

Sisty manipulated the glowing staff in the air, and firmly grasped it in her hand. 

A magic circle had formed at her feet. She gave it a light tap with the end of the staff. The mana light enveloping the area turned golden and began to swirl. 

And as if to deliver relief—it began spiraling upwards toward the barrier in the skies that was starting to thin out. 

Sisty was going to mend the barrier until she ran out of mana. By thickening the weakened portions, the barrier would be able to last for several more hours. That was just how much mana was being injected into Ligra Litas. 

The thunderous roars from before no longer reached Sisty’s ears. All she heard was the comfortable sound of the golden winds blowing across her surroundings. 

Then—a change happened. The red pillar of light that had looked like it would go on forever—weakened a little. 

Not missing the opening, Sisty reached her arms into the air and began another incantation. At the same time she transformed all of the mana around her into power to support the barrier, and pushed it upwards. 

The golden winds around her turned into a maelstrom, heading up to the red light. And then the golden wind barrier grew thicker, pushing the red light of Senas Requiem until it was eventually swallowed up in a golden light. 

Unable to maintain the amount of power necessary to resist it, a crack formed in Senas Requiem’s magic circle. 

Finally the magic circle let out a last scream across the skies, as Ligra Litas in its spiral form pierced and destroyed it. 

The spiral continued rising up until it collided with Babel’s barrier, and the winds withered like a flower, dispersing into the air. 

With the red magic circle completely destroyed, the golden wind barrier draped over the Institute crumbled and disappeared. 

A few minutes later, the Institute was so quiet that it was hard to believe anything had happened at all. 

Babel’s barrier still seemed affected, as a buzzing noise could be heard every now and again, but on the surface the artificial sunlight shone down on the citizens as always. 

“That was exhausting... maybe I’ll go have some more of Ms. Loki’s tea to relax.” While Sisty put proper attention on taking care of her skin and figure, she still felt an age-appropriate fatigue. That said, she spoke the words in an innocent-sounding tone. 

While she might have overcome this difficult situation, Sisty’s work was only going to increase. That’s why she hoped some minor escape from reality would be forgiven... especially so after that massive battle just now. 

Either way, as long as she was the principal, the Second Magical Institute would still be considered as having the strongest security. 

In reality, she’d stepped down from active service to make room for Alus. 

There was a limit to Single Digit Magicmasters, and in order for the seven nations to maintain a political balance they had an unspoken rule that each nation would have one Single Digit. 

At the time, Alpha wasn’t on top yet, but they had two Single Digit Magicmasters with Alus and the other one being Sisty. Because Sisty was the oldest among them, she made the decision to leave the frontlines. But she still had her power that rivaled other Single Digits. 

Before she knew it, the alarm across the Institute had stopped sounding. And having confirmed that the situation had settled down, the teachers along with the military guards led the students out of the shelters. 

Sisty watched from the roof, but something felt off to her. They’d neutralized a dangerous situation, but ever since the attack the other day she felt like they were falling behind their foe. 

It was like everything was proceeding according to a plan, and even she was dancing in the palm of their enemy... 

It seemed to Sisty that Godma and his Dolls were focusing their attacks on the Institute a little too much, even going so far as to use taboo magic. 

Godma likely knew about the extermination plan. But if he had spells like this at his disposal, then it would make more sense for him to target the military headquarters, or at least one of their facilities. 

And though Sisty didn’t like to toot her own horn, everyone in Alpha knew that she was the Institute’s principal. So Godma’s actions didn’t make any sense. 

The first reconnaissance in force was one thing, but why would he attack the Institute a second time in a contest of strength? 

Is the goal to make us wary of an attack on the Institute or other facilities to draw away the military’s attention? But we’ve already taken plans like that into account. In fact, the military had sent out some personnel in response to the first attack. 

But even if that was Godma’s intention—his next target should have been somewhere other than the Institute. Yet he had launched another attack at a place that had its guard up, even using a taboo that came at a great cost. 

The feeling that something was wrong stressed Sisty out, and she bit her nails. “I don’t like where this is headed.” Unable to let go of that feeling, Sisty slowly descended from the roof and landed on the railing of her veranda. 

There was one thing for certain. And that was how a remote spell like Senas Requiem had been aimed so accurately. 

Such delicate coordinate designation required preparation in advance, and Sisty could faintly sense it. It was something she could grasp having been directly involved in the battle, probably some kind of mark that transferred specific coordinates to a location, and had been left behind by the Dolls during the first attack. 

“Those children sure are a handful. But I don’t want them trying to play any more tricks on the Institute, so I should make sure to clean it thoroughly.” 

After swinging her staff, Sisty could feel some faint noise in her mana filling the Institute. Perhaps the remnants of mana in the air were still unstable... 

No, this was the sensation of a foreign object. The next moment, she picked up on the precise location of the cause of that sensation. 

With a slight smile forming in her fearless expression, Sisty narrowed her eyes as she looked in that direction. “I see...” 

* * * 

Sisty’s skill when she repelled the attack was more than enough to shut Loki up, who had harbored suspicions about the principal. 

That barrier spell Sisty used wasn’t even listed in the spells encyclopedia. Meaning, it must have been a national secret. Storing vast amounts of your own mana in the Institute in preparation for an attack wasn’t something your average Magicmaster could do. 

In order to ensure the Institute’s safety, the Witch had pretty much restrained her body to a single location. But not even Alus knew if that was something she’d wanted for herself, or if someone had told her to do it. All he could say for certain was that no matter how big the Institute might be, it was far too small to chain up a former Single Digit. 

Either way, order had now returned to the Institute, and the situation was back to normal... but in Alus’ laboratory things got noisy again far too fast. 

Having calmed down and returned to her senses, Tesfia screamed, “Alice!! Alice should still have been outside!” 

When she remembered that she couldn’t stay still and began looking out the window, scanning for Alice. In the next moment, she raised her voice again as if she’d had a flash of brilliance. “Loki! Can you detect her?” 

“Unfortunately, no,” Loki said. “There’s still too much remnant mana in the air...” 

“I’m sure she’s fine. There was an alert to evacuate, and there wasn’t any actual damage to the Institute, either.” 

Despite Alus’ reassurances, Tesfia still looked uneasy. Her bonds with Alice must be far deeper than he could imagine. Because of the harshness of the Outer World, Alus had learned to distance himself from others. That’s why those two had something he didn’t. “Ahh, you’re so noisy. Just go out and find her on your own.” 

Seeing how awkward Alus was, Loki couldn’t help but smile wryly behind him. 

Then, as if remembering something, Loki ran into the kitchen and picked up a beverage container and some tea snacks and handed them to Tesfia. “I know that the Institute was just attacked, but feel free to tell Ms. Alice to enjoy this with her friend. It got pretty hot out there during that exchange, and anxiety eats away at your stamina.” 

Alus couldn’t tell from Loki’s expression, but it was possible that Tesfia’s present was having a small effect on her. At the very least, she was showing some consideration. Of course, if he were to bring that up, she’d immediately deny it. 

“Yeah, I’ll let her know. Thank you, Loki!” Despite her flustered state, Tesfia accepted the gift with a bright smile and thanks. The beverage container rattled, but that must have been because of the ice inside. Even fully opening the door must have seemed to Tesfia to take too long, as she squeezed herself through the opening and dashed out of the laboratory. 

“... Still, it’s pretty ballsy of them to attack during the day. Now let’s see how the military moves after losing face. It’s been a while since I last saw the Governor-General’s face red with anger.” 

“Sir Alus, the mission is tomorrow. Won’t we just have the burden pushed onto us?” 

“Hmm... I’d rather they didn’t,” Alus said, furrowing his brows. 

Either way, the time limit was closing in by the hour. Yeah, having necessary military personnel taken away from the mission is a problem for me. I guess his goal was to divert some forces away by pretending to attack these novice Magicmasters. 

No matter what his goal, there was no way that Godma had used that taboo spell on his own. He was making a show of force, having gotten his hands on a great power. In other words, he and the organization behind him were openly putting their hostility on display. They were even making an enemy out of the nation of Alpha. 

After thinking that far—Alus came upon the same question that Sisty had. 

But... why is he so fixated on the Institute? It was Sisty that blocked that taboo spell. Moreover, Feli and I fought against those Dolls in the last attack, so he should have the impression that the students are pretty tough, too. So wouldn’t an attack on another military facility be more logical? 

It just didn’t make sense, Alus thought. 

A little worried at his behavior, Loki called out to him; but he was too focused for her voice to reach. Sensing that, she simply watched over him. 

The next moment, Alus returned to reality, having seemingly realized the truth. His expression was exceedingly bitter. “We’ve been played... our premise was wrong. Godma’s research isn’t complete yet.” 

“—!! W-What do you mean?” 

At this point, Loki didn’t think it mattered if Godma’s research was finished or not. The plan would be executed tomorrow either way. But her doubts were interrupted by Alus’ voice. 

“Loki, use your detection right now. Find Alice! Force yourself if you have to!” 

“Y-Yes!” 

However, the result was obvious. “I can’t! ...the mana is too dense, it’s disrupting my mana sonar.” 

“Same here. The influence from the mana remnants is preventing me from getting any information around here. We just walked right into it.” Alus clicked his tongue in frustration. “Tesfia’s likely wasting her time, too. That friend that came to visit Alice is suspicious. I’ll ask around about it, but...” 

“Sir Alus, do you mean that Alice was Godma’s target this time? I heard a little about her past, but why would he do something now? She was at the facility, so he should already have enough data from her. At the very least, Godma’s experiments are able to use the light attribute already.” 

“No, that’s not correct. The act of extracting the light attribute factor itself is difficult. Godma, who was one of the researchers back then, must have noticed that Alice’s mana information is defective. The damaged parts included the core of the element factor, the Fundamental Words.” 

“...” 

Alus manipulated the virtual screen with a serious expression, as Loki listened to him. “The reason for her defect was the extraction of her factor. It might have been an accident, but as a result Godma succeeded with his experiment and at the same time Alice’s mana information was damaged. Or more accurately, the information was stripped away.” 

But because it was an accident, he couldn’t repeat the results with another test subject. Which was why Godma had no choice but to retrieve his only successful example. 

A notice popped up on the screen. Alus immediately ran his eyes across it. “It’s security... as expected, they never let anyone that matched Tesfia’s description of the woman in.” 

“Then, Ms. Alice has already been...” 

“Yeah, there’s no doubt about it. Those two attacks were all for this. Talk about a flashy diversion.” 

Alus felt he’d been played for a fool. He quickly gave Loki an order to get in touch with Felinella. “Loki, we’re moving the mission forward. Tell Feli that we don’t have time to wait around till tomorrow. And keep the information sharing short.” 

Loki nodded, and easily caught the license he threw to her. 

Alus spent that time getting ready, but it didn’t even take a minute. When he came back out after changing, however, he clicked his tongue in his mind. He should have just jumped out the window. 

With the worst possible timing, Tesfia returned to the laboratory. Her breathing was ragged, her trademark red hair a mess, and she looked like she might start crying at any moment. “What do we do? I can’t find Alice anywhere!” 

The next moment, she saw Alus’ outfit, and realized something must have happened while she was gone. He wasn’t wearing his student uniform, nor was he wearing casual clothes. Instead he was wearing his military uniform. The other side of him had surfaced. 

“Where are you going? Did something really happen to Alice?!” 

“...” 

Tesfia wasn’t normally this dim. Especially not when her best friend was involved—but she quickly grasped the situation. 

Alus hesitated for an instant. He didn’t have the time to explain, and the mission was top secret. 

Time was of the essence. Alice was probably taken away just before the taboo spell was unleashed. Since not even Loki could detect her, the pursuit would be difficult. 

That’s why the only choice was to break into Godma’s base and take Alice back. And it needed to be done as quickly as possible. 

Loki was in the middle of explaining the situation to Felinella through the license’s communication feature. 

Clicking his tongue at the reality they faced, Alus gazed into the red-haired girl’s eyes. “That’s right. Alice has most likely been taken away. I never expected they would use a taboo spell as a diversion... This is my mistake. So I’m going to bring her back.” 

Tesfia responded by staring right back at him. She then reached out to grab his robe, putting everything into her fist to keep him from leaving. “Tell me what’s happening.” 

Alus glanced across the room. Loki’s call didn’t seem to be over yet. “Sorry, I can’t tell you everything. But a man named Godma is the key to all this. He’s also the one who took Alice. I’m headed over to where he is now.” 

“—!! Wasn’t Godma Alice’s...” 

“So you know about him.” 

“Yeah, Alice told me about her past a long time ago...” 

“Then this will go faster. If you know that much, there’s not much to keep secret. I never expected that he’d come after Alice after all this time.” 

“But why come after Alice again...? Ah! Then, maybe that other girl was also...” 

“Yeah, I’ll bet it’s true she’s Alice’s old friend, but she’s probably connected to Godma. The army was keeping an eye on him, but he still outfoxed us.” 

Tesfia’s eyes opened wide from shock, but as she gathered her thoughts, determination filled her expression. The next words she would say were predictable. 

To Alus, that was a form of beautifully innocent foolhardiness. She had the eyes of someone prepared to walk down a stern path. Seeing that, Alus coolly opened his hand and gathered magic force in it, ready to knock her out if he had to. 

While it might be a secret mission, it was still an official military one. He couldn’t bring Tesfia, a student, with him. This was Alus’ job from here on. 

“I’m going to save Alice too!!” 

I thought you would say that. What can I do with you? Alus thought to himself. At the same time, he resolved to put Tesfia to sleep. By the time she woke up, everything would be over. And he was prepared to have her abuse and criticize him once it was done. 

However— 

“But I’m sure I’m not strong enough to save Alice on my own. That’s why...” 

Tesfia let go of Alus’ robe, taking a step backwards. Her red ponytail bounced around. She then bowed deeply. “That’s why, please lend me your strength.” 

The words leaving her mouth were more than just ‘take me with you.’ 

Taken aback by that, Alus eased up on the magic in his hand. As for the real intention in her words... “You’re requesting my cooperation.” 

“I know that the Governor-General is normally the only one with the authority for that. But please...! I’m begging you, despite knowing that I’m being unreasonable!” 

Tesfia hadn’t forgotten about the knowledge Alus had once used to show up a teacher. In fact, she’d asked him, knowing that it was against regulations. 

However... she’d thrown away her flippant behavior, her noble heart truly shining through. 

Alus could feel an incredible soul power, something indescribable, from the girl in front of him. Either way, Alus was going to save Alice even if it meant going against the mission plan, so he didn’t have the right to reproach her for her unreasonable request. 

“Do you know what you’re asking? Even the Governor-General’s requests come with recompense. That’s what it means to move a Single Digit. The reward that the nation pays out to Single Digits is massive,” Alus said heatedly, but that wasn’t how he truly felt. As a Single Digit Magicmaster he wasn’t short on money. 

But Tesfia took him seriously. She bit her lip. “I-I can’t promise you everything... but I swear I’ll manage something!” 

“You’re working to support yourself, you know.” Alus recalled hearing from Tesfia that she was attending the Institute without financial aid from her parents. 

At this point Tesfia gave up on trying to reason with logic, and simply spoke out her true feelings. “I’m willing to give up my AWR if you would accept it as your reward! Please, I’ll do anything that I can!” 

She wasn’t very persuasive, but she sounded serious about giving up her AWR. Would she have been able to be this bold in the past? 

The logic in the conversation had already broken down, but something in her words moved Alus’ cold heart. Having noticed that, he wondered what it was as he stared at her desperate face. 

“Besides... I’ve been together with Alice since forever. Ever since, and ever after... We decided to walk down the path of Magicmasters together! That’s why I want to save Alice! If she’s hurting over her past then I want to help her overcome it. If her past is still binding her, I want to be the sword that cuts those bonds. Alice will forevermore be my only best friend.” While Tesfia may have been illogical, there was no hesitation in her eyes. 

Is that so? The future... that was probably something that had just appeared in Tesfia’s mind, something she hadn’t really put much thought into. 

But after hearing it, Alus sighed, exhausted. Tesfia’s straightforwardness far exceeded Alus’ imagination. It was a simple honesty that Alice lacked. And at the same time, it was still one possible future. 

Right now, Alus found himself on the fence. The hand he’d opened to charge up so he could knock her unconscious still didn’t close. 

He was still hesitant. His mind was warning him that it was a reckless gamble. A possible future sounded nice, but it could also be written off as a mere hunch. His mental brake was too strong for him to rely on something that vague as the basis for his actions. 

Alus had a hunch that his decision would definitely have an impact later... be it as a huge boon or a massive liability. He didn’t know which. 

At the same time, he realized that his past self never would have hesitated like this. Alus felt like he was being tested... could he fully entrust himself to this fundamental change? 

The recompense he’d asked Tesfia about before was just to test her determination. She’d passed on that end... but even then it wasn’t quite enough. 

It was overly foolish to decide on things based on temporary feelings. Alus’ sharp senses developed in the Outer World were ringing an alarm over the decision. There was doubt in his inner feelings, which came out as noise in his mind. “...” 

Alus had seen how harsh and merciless the world was, to the point of getting sick of it, but his heart dyed by reality was starting to feel heavy. What else would be needed in order to come to an understanding with himself? 

Perhaps interpreting his silence differently, Tesfia hurriedly added, “That’s right, about that reward, could I repay you later...?” 

“What the hell?” A wry smile appeared on Alus’ face. 

Tesfia had a panicked expression as she continued, “Oh, and one more thing! I don’t know how helpful this is... but I know a little about the person who was with Alice.” Even she thought this was a weak basis. Her voice dropped in volume as she timidly stared up at Alus’ face like a scolded puppy. 

“You mean the experiment... was it not an intruder?” 

“Hmm, I don’t really know... but she called Alice out by name. She was smiling, and looked a little sad.” 

That sounds different from the Dolls I know. Was she Godma’s ally? Either way, if it’s not Godma himself or one of the Dolls, maybe she’s related to the situation that’s backing him? This might actually be a useful clue, Alus told himself, and he also let out another wry smile at what sounded like somewhat forced reasoning. That’s because he realized in the end, the only thing that caught his interest was how this woman was an old acquaintance of Alice’s. 

Regardless, there was no time for indecision. He considered the die thrown. 

“Well, that’s pretty good for you. But if you know how the person that took Alice away looks, then you might be useful. Either way, if you have that much determination, then you won’t complain if you end up dying, will you?” 

“T-Then...” Tesfia’s face lit up with joy. 

Alus nodded, before giving her a reminder. “Yeah... I’ll take you with us, so make sure you’re useful at least. And I’ll say it as many times as I have to—but you’ll have to protect yourself.” 

“Thank you, Al. And Loki too... once again, I’m very grateful.” Tesfia gave the two a deep bow and thanked them again. 

As the atmosphere was starting to go soft, Alus brought the discussion back on topic with a warning. He had something he had to say. After all, they were about to thrust themselves into a fight that was fundamentally different from fighting Fiends. 

This was a fight between humans. A fight to the death. If they jumped into something like that, they would inevitably have callousness imposed on them. 

“You haven’t seen them directly... but these experiments look like humans. Can you still swing that thing for Alice’s sake? Can you kill the enemy?” 

Tesfia’s shoulders trembled for a moment at those words. By ‘that thing’ Alus was of course referring to the proof of a Magicmaster, and their pride, the AWR. Ironically, hers was a katana, a weapon originally made for the sake of killing, with the form of a tool for slaughter. 

As in Alpha, the other nations put a blackout on information on the criminals within their borders. Their battle against Fiends was tough enough, and they needed to stand together to oppose them. As such, they needed to keep quiet about the criminals to prevent any needless chaos. 

Because Magicmasters were too precious, their attention needed to be put toward the Outer World. Even in Alpha, Alus was often called upon whenever they were dealing with a criminal that was too much for the average soldier or Magicmaster to handle. All of them were dealt with secretly, the missions never reaching the public’s eye. 

That’s why Tesfia must have discarded the idea of having to fight against other people, somewhere deep inside her. 

It was a fact that detestable criminals shared the world with decent citizens. Nothing bad would result from not having to step into the dark side, but looking away from it this time would make rescuing Alice difficult. 

Moreover, a world under the threat of Fiends helped form a stronger sense of kinship between humans. 

That’s why Alus was concerned if Tesfia would be able to handle herself against the Dolls. Or rather, Tesfia probably didn’t understand the true terror of pointing a weapon against another human. So it was possible that she might fall behind in the middle of battle, as her determination was put in question. 

But as long as Tesfia didn’t hesitate to swing her blade to protect Alice and herself... 

“... I can do it. I think. Well, I can’t say for certain, but I’m not going to hold back against the people that took Alice, and I won’t hesitate if it’s to save her!” 

“I see... then make sure you remember one thing. You won’t be able to protect anything as long as the enemy is still alive. Give up trying to protect those precious to you while keeping your hands clean. If you cling on to naïve thoughts like that, that katana in your hands will one day be pointed towards your friends... or yourself.” 

“I’m okay. I’m definitely going to save Alice. Until then... I won’t let my guard down.” 

Seeing Alus’ dark, cold-hearted eyes, Tesfia gulped and gave him the best answer she could muster. She thought to herself that the cold face he’d show from time to time was also a mask for him, so he could devote himself to being merciless. 

“Sometimes you have to kill someone to protect someone. In battles like those, you don’t have to kill just the enemy, but yourself as well.” 

“... Yeah.” 

Alus’ eyes returned to normal. At the same time he looked to be carrying an unending sadness to Tesfia and Loki. 

Tesfia meekly nodded. Suddenly she narrowed her eyes in surprise, as Alus reached out with his hand to ruffle her red hair. 

He then turned around and called out to Loki. “There you have it. You’re involved in this too, Loki, so I won’t listen to any complaints. We’ll be moving on our own. And let Feli know that we’ll cooperate with her mission.” 

“I understand... and that’s what he said, Ms. Felinella.” Loki returned to the call, and after some more discussion, she hung up. She couldn’t just throw his license back at him, so she neatly held it in both hands and returned it to him. “It seems the military is planning on pushing the mission forward because of this attack, too.” 

“That’s convenient. Let’s have them match our movements. If anything happens, my client, the Fable family, will take full responsibility.” 

“Wait a minute!! You’re wrong, it’s my own personal request!! My family has nothing to do with it, okay?” 

“Well, we don’t have time for this. Let’s get ready to move, Loki.” 

Loki had already finished preparations when Alus rushed her. Of course, in her case she only had to change into her military uniform. 

Tesfia adjusted her grip on her AWR, and nodded as well. 

Alus already had the data on Godma’s hideout in his head. He also felt something was wrong with his own actions from before. In the past, he would’ve knocked Tesfia out by force before even considering taking her with him. 

Making up for your lack of strength was just an excuse of the weak. A squad where everyone had an assigned role made sense, but the truth of the matter was that he still hadn’t found a convincing reason to bring Tesfia with him. 

However, he felt like his reason wasn’t just to save Alice, but for the sake of something further beyond. Tesfia had coincidentally used the word future, and as the strongest, Alus felt like it contained something he himself didn’t possess yet. 

As he smiled to himself, Tesfia hesitatingly asked him something. “... Say, Al. If you decided I was just throwing a tantrum, what would you have done?” She averted her eyes from him, perhaps finally realizing how conceited interfering with a military mission was. 

Alus expressionlessly answered her as he adjusted his robe. “I would have knocked you out. Bringing a brat that’s only a hindrance on the battlefield is what idiots do. So if someone dies, it’s my responsibility.” 

Tesfia nervously swallowed. Hearing his reply, she realized how thin the ice she’d trodden had been. But it was too late for that now. She’d made her request knowing the risks. And there was nothing that exceeded her desire to save Alice. 

So she reaffirmed her conviction to walk alongside that girl, regardless of what shame she had to endure or what dangers she’d have to undertake. 

That’s when Alus knocked on the now serious-looking Tesfia’s head with a fearless smile. “So try to be useful. Also... it was you who overturned the decision I made. That’s why I’m letting you onboard this small but valuable ship. If you hesitate for a moment—this ship will lose its chance and easily sink. This ship won’t be carrying just me, but Loki and Alice as well. So don’t let it sink, got it?” 

“... Okay!” Tesfia touched the katana at her hip and nodded, taking his words to heart. 

With his great power came a great responsibility. So far, Alus had held that responsibility by himself by doing missions on his own. 

No, maybe he’d abandoned it. He didn’t think he could protect everyone. He’d learned that lesson repeatedly in the Outer World... that kind of thinking was arrogant. 

Alus believed that there was a chance he wouldn’t even be able to fully protect his allies around him. A single human was nothing before this cruel and merciless world. He was lauded and praised as the greatest Magicmaster, the current No. 1, but that result only came after slaughtering Fiends. 

The mission this time had a fundamentally different meaning from that. He would be fighting only to protect. It wasn’t a hunt, but a battle to protect those close. 

The goal was different, but the means were the same... but Alus felt like there was an absolute difference in that. I’ll at least protect those of you within arm’s reach. I might not have wanted it, but we’re in this far... it doesn’t matter what happens to anyone else. 

With a dry smile on his face, Alus imposed that single objective on himself. 

“Well, I’ll take care of the fighting. Fia, you just think about saving Alice. Loki, try to keep an eye on her... it wouldn’t be funny if we stumbled over her corpse.” 

“Hey!!” 

“Understood.” Loki calmly nodded. As expected, she was more reliable than Tesfia. When the battlefield turned chaotic, her detection would prove effective. Even if remnants of mana covered the area during the brawl, her detection should still work fine within a limited area. 

“Sorry, can you wait a minute? I’m sure this will be necessary...” Tesfia, having suddenly remembered something, told Alus that she wanted to stop by the training grounds. 

However—“Who’s going to wait? Your legs are too slow.” 

He’d already gone this far, so Alus swiftly lifted Tesfia up and decided that going out through the door would take too long, and jumped out the window instead. 

Loki made sure to follow suit. 

With big leaps, they made their way to the training grounds where there was something Tesfia wanted to pick up. She hurried inside, while Alus and Loki waited for her. 

“Are you sure this is okay, Sir Alus?” 

“Yeah, it’s fine. I’m the one who made the call,” Alus immediately answered Loki’s sudden question. His eyes looked off into the distance. “Of course, I’d never have brought her along if I was only thinking of the mission.” 

“Then... why did you?” 

“I wonder why. Maybe I’ve just gotten sick of killing Fiends and humans.” 

As Alus muttered this, the fleeting and nihilistic glint in his eyes disappeared. His expression was sparse as always, but Loki could see a mysterious feeling she’d never seen before in his eyes. 

“Then that’s good...” Loki smiled and stared in the same direction as Alus. A sudden gust of wind blew away her words, keeping anyone from hearing them. But a joyful relief filled her chest as she felt a conflict inside of her ease up. 

“Did you say something?” 

“No... it was just the wind.” 

Waiting for them was a harsh mission. Despite that, Loki had a sweet smile on her face as she answered Alus. 

The next moment, Tesfia returned with what appeared to be Alice’s naginata AWR. It had a new appearance as it was telescoped down to a fraction of its usual size. 

“So that’s what you wanted. Now then, let’s go get revenge on those fools that dared to kidnap Alice from under my nose. Loki, don’t fall behind. As for you, you get the seat of honor.” Alus received the shortened naginata from Tesfia, before turning around and crouching down. 

Tesfia was bewildered for a second, but that was it. Being pressed for time, she couldn’t afford to hesitate. 

With a “please,” she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned against his back.