Saikyou Mahoushi no Inton Keikaku (LN) - Volume 4 - Chapter 16

Sixteenth Chapter 

Yearning 

She had a dream since she was young. 

That someday, the hero of a fairy tale would one day appear and take her as his bride. 

Heroes of fairy tales always journeyed in a straight line, unwavering and unbending, just honestly adhering to their path. Their actions weren’t always intended to save someone, but the result would be that they’d save the lives of many. 

The girl’s ideal was the kind of prince that was straight out of one of these fantasy stories. 

Thinking back on it now, she realized that was in large part due to her father’s influence. When she was young, he’d always read so many colorful bedtime stories to her, so in a sense it was only the natural result. 

That’s why the girl always sought to refine herself, to become a better person, so that when the prince arrived one day—he would turn her way. She thought that one day a perfect man like her father would surely appear. 

That girl’s name was Felinella Socalent. She was the daughter of the rising noble family that was taking the nation of Alpha by storm. 

Her father’s personality being what it was, he was never strict on manners or etiquette befitting of a noble, nor of a woman’s accomplishments. But Felinella didn’t take advantage of this, instead taking the initiative to gain those qualities, most likely due to her ideal from when she was young. Nothing gave her more energy for driving herself forward than that. 

She believed that when she met the man who embodied her ideals, she would need to be worthy of him. Along with her strong will, she had the kind of personality where she took what she did seriously, which eventually turned her into her ideal self. 

She picked up many kinds of refined skills such as music and painting. And due to her father’s influence, Felinella took an interest in the ways of magic. 

But most of all, she questioned how attractive a woman would be if she always had to be protected. If she was somebody as weak as that—would her ideal prince find her among the many women in the world? 

With that thought running through her head, Felinella gained expertise in magic through untiring effort. 

Several years passed, as that belief drove her forward. 

At the age of 11, ideals and expectations had filled her heart, and she had already been struggling to differentiate between dreams and reality. Everything she’d done so far wasn’t useless, but as expected, everyone in noble society was far distant from her ideals. 

They’d all had the values of nobility instilled in them since birth, and were pretty similar. Despite their status and riches, she believed that none of them could become the hero of her story. They were just puppets loyally fulfilling their parents’ wishes. And everything they spoke of was superficial. 

Her growing disappointment forced her to eventually accept the reality that, in the end, fairy tales were only beautiful because they were fantasies. Reality was far more raw and sinister. 

At some point she accepted that as truth, and came to believe that disappointment and the faint ache in her chest was just something that came with being a noble. 

So when Vizaist told her a new story, the childhood dream she’d almost given up on made a recovery. 

Her father told of a boy, one year younger than her, who had joined his squad. His name was Alus Reigin. 

Every tale she heard of the boy made her heart flutter, to the point that she would beg to hear more every day. If there weren’t any new stories, she’d ask him to tell an old one. 

His achievements and his way of life seemed like they came straight out of a book, despite the harshness of reality, and he had a hard-to-resist attraction for her, though Vizaist was probably embellishing the tales to some degree. 

Even despite that, Felinella wanted to know more about Alus. What did he like, and what did he hate? What bothered him, and what did he enjoy? 

Before long, an image formed in her mind that she colored in herself, and she began to hold him in high regard inside her girlish heart. Hearing how he’d saved her daring father countless times, as well as the many stories that couldn’t be made public, that boy who wasn’t that different from her in age had become her beacon of hope. 

But as a result, Felinella never asked Vizaist for anything other than more stories about Alus. She also worried if she was a woman who was worthy of him the way she was now. She’d worked to refine herself all this time, but still felt like it wasn’t enough. 

When she thought that he might not even bother with her, she began to refine her magic skills even more, and a few years later she enrolled at the Second Magical Institute. 

Finally, after much time had passed, she asked Vizaist, “Father... please let me serve in your squad. I’ll do anything, even chores, as long as it brings me a little closer to the top of the Magicmasters...” 

Her request truly troubled Vizaist. If he’d just been in charge of a normal reconnaissance squad it wouldn’t be a problem, but the missions he dealt with at the time were primarily inside Alpha. 

It wasn’t so much that it was dangerous, as it was shady work. And there were many missions that he doubted her still-young mind could handle. 

However, in the end, Vizaist buckled. Felinella had overpowered him with passion. She went on to wholeheartedly do her best for the day when she would meet Alus. After all, she wanted to be of use to him, even if it was through the shadows. 

Even after Alus left Vizaist’s squad, she and Vizaist were always there to do the preliminary investigations for any missions Alus received. And Felinella was able to keep up her efforts because she could always feel him at her side. 

That was probably when Felinella developed an attraction for Alus as a person, rather than as an ideal in her head. While he didn’t embody the ideals she had held as a child, she grew more interested in him the more she learned of him. She wanted to know everything there was to know about him. 

This likely wasn’t something that would have happened just because she heard stories from her father. If she hadn’t taken an interest in the boy called Alus, she probably would’ve continued chasing her dream prince. 

Whenever Vizaist spoke about him, he would always add in some unnecessary details. He probably did it unconsciously, but it was his personal opinion of Alus. And so, Felinella’s image of Alus got fleshed out. 

This Alus was far from a perfect human being. If anything, he had a horribly fragile side to him. He was an imperfect Magicmaster who held his pain in, maintaining his isolated position at the top through abnormal strength. She even imagined herself hearing the scream of his soul, something he would never say out loud. 

At some point, Felinella came to understand how the world worked, and she realized the unreasonable environment he was in. And when Vizaist spoke of him in a heavy tone, she shed more than a few tears. The story of the Magicmaster fighting on his own reminded her of the many bad endings to stories she’d heard. That’s why Felinella truly wanted to be closer to him. 

She was aware it was stupid to yearn for someone she hadn’t even met yet, but those were her true feelings. In fact, she began to tell herself that her feelings were closer to the real thing because she hadn’t met him in person yet, and still felt this way. 

She saw a photo of him once in the middle of a mission. Her feelings remained unchanged. They truly were real. 

Alus’ face was expressionless, but he had an inexplicable gloom hanging over him like he was carrying isolation and sorrow, doing what he could for the nation. To Felinella, it looked like the expression of someone who didn’t know of any happiness in the world. 

While she wanted to free him from his chains, while doing her missions she came to understand that magic was the only thing that could defeat Fiends and how valuable Magicmasters were. 

That was just how dirty the world was. That was just how much the world demanded sacrifice. 

Ever since then, when Felinella had it rough, she would tell herself that Alus had it rougher. 

That’s when Alus Reigin’s name stopped being brought up during missions. Even when she asked her father, all she found out was that he was alive, but that all else was unknown. 

She didn’t have the composure to seek to meet him, and she was anxious that he might be in a difficult situation—and that she might not yet be worthy of him. 

Waiting for him wasn’t acceptable, but Alus’ whereabouts remained unknown. 

Even in her anxiety, she kept up her efforts, and reached the realm of the Triple Digits as a student. 

As the first year ended, she was called to the principal’s office. She’d been chosen as the representative to speak at the new students’ welcome ceremony. It was of course an honor, and she immediately accepted. As she did, she happened to see the profiles of the newly enrolled students. 

It must have been a coincidence. But among the profiles, she saw Alus Reigin’s name. 

Her heart skipped a beat, as she felt fate at work. 

After that, she practiced her greeting endlessly and refined it. She couldn’t afford to embarrass herself. She’d do what she could to get him to remember her. 

Felinella spent more time practicing her few minutes-long speech than she did preparing for any of her tests. 

However... 

The spotlight shone down on her, and she brought the microphone to her mouth. Shortly after the speech began, she ran her eyes across all the new students to find him. 

She searched, but... her cheerful voice gradually lowered in tone, and slight disappointment cast a shadow over her expression. 

He wasn’t there. 

It wasn’t like she hadn’t been able to find him. Instead, she saw an empty seat that she was convinced was his. Once she realized this, her voice faltered for an instant. 

In the end, Felinella carried out her duty, as was expected of her. She still had all the time in the world, she told herself. She didn’t know why, but she believed that if he was at the Institute, he must have retired from the military. But she hadn’t heard anything about it from her father, so she wasn’t sure. 

Suddenly, she recalled something he’d said before: the Governor-General now had the authority to give Alus orders. Vizaist had sounded strangely ecstatic when he talked about it. 

He’d returned home late one night, dead drunk, proudly speaking of Alus as if he were speaking about himself. “Alus has finally become a Single Digit.” 

Taking that into consideration, it was likely that her father didn’t know Alus was enrolled at the Institute. Felinella would eventually have to tell him, but she could wait a little longer... at least until she could meet Alus. 

With that thought in mind, that time came one day as she stood in front of the girl’s dorm. 

* * * 

Morning came. 

Felinella Socalent opened her eyes in her dorm room. She’d woken up naturally. Nothing had disturbed her sleep, like sunlight acting as an alarm. Her ingrained habits had automatically woken her up. 

She rose from bed with a yawn, stretching as usual. These motions were enough to fully awaken her... usually. 

Instead, she was sitting on the bed as if trying to avoid the sunlight peeking through the curtains, hanging her head a little. 

Perhaps she was still stuck in a dream... however, the remnants of her feelings were too vivid for a dream. 

She recalled her overwhelming feelings and how they’d developed. It felt like the feelings that had been lurking deep within her heart had finally shown up on the surface. Perhaps that was why her heart began beating like an alarm. 

She’d ended up blurting it out. It had slipped out of her under the moonlight, on the night of that incident. It was the first time she’d made it clear that she had feelings for him. 

Two days had passed since then, but it wasn’t until now that she realized just what she’d said. It was an expression of determination that she didn’t need to be ashamed of, but Felinella now knew how much it could shake her heart. 

Up until now, she’d been confessed to several times... but now that she was the one confessing, she learned how anxious and hesitant one could be while doing it. Having learned how it felt, Felinella now wanted to commend the courage of the boys that had confessed to her. 

She couldn’t take back what she said. She’d have to accept that. Felinella put her anguish aside and, seeking to re-energize herself, headed for the showers. 

That’s when her license that she’d left on the table rang out to signal a call. 

Felinella cursed her inability to ignore it, and turned around. The ringtone sounded a few times... she would confirm the caller, and if it was a friend, she’d just call back later. 

“...!! Mr. Alus?!” 

Now I’ve done it, she thought to herself, feeling a headache coming on. 

It had already rung several times. Knowing who she was dealing with, it wouldn’t be strange for him to hang up at any moment; she couldn’t keep him waiting. With a sense of panic, she pushed the license up against her ear. “Is that you, Mr. Alus?” 

Her confirmation, after picking up the call, was completely meaningless, as she’d already made sure who it was. 

“Ah, no, excuse me. It’s Felinella Socalent...” 

Her mind ran around in circles. It wasn’t until after she said it that she realized how pointless it sounded. This was a license to license call, so it was obvious Alus knew it was her on the other end. 

The next moment her face turned red with embarrassment. In her confusion, her incoherent speech headed further into the deep end. 

“First off, why don’t you calm down,” a young man’s low voice said through the license. 

When she heard him, Felinella felt her heart skip a beat. After taking a deep breath, she feigned composure, but felt her voice sounded as embarrassed as she feared she looked. 

Putting her hand on her chest to calm herself, Felinella spoke again. “... O-Oh, I just woke up, so please don’t mind me. Yes. I am doing just great.” 

As they continued to talk, her heart began to settle down, and her words became more fluent. The hand on her chest moved to her lips, as if to hide the smile blooming on her face. “Yes, I understand. Then, I will be waiting for you at the entrance gate.” 

From that point on, until Alus hung up, Felinella kept the license pressed against her ear in bliss. 

After a warm sigh, she hurried off towards the showers. 

* * * 

For the diligent students of the Second Magical Institute, a summer vacation was unnecessary. And for now, peace had returned to the campus grounds. 

While they were passionate students, they had no way of knowing what had happened behind the scenes, after a mad scientist’s attack on the Institute. 

Due to the incident with Godma Barhong, Alus ended up losing half his summer vacation. However, that wasn’t solely because of the clean-up after the Element Factor Separation Project, but also due to the reports he’d had to write about the involvement of not only Loki but Tesfia, as well as various other reports. That had wound up taking two whole days. His work had been no less diligent than that of any of the other students. 

Loki, having helped with the large number of reports, had completely run out of steam. Alus had told her that there was no need for her to help, but she’d firmly insisted. Thanks to her, he’d managed to cut down on the amount of time he’d needed to spend on it, but he still had one last thing left to do. 

“Right then, I guess I should wrap this up too.” Of course, this didn’t mean writing more reports, but something completely different. 

Alus sent the written reports to the Governor-General, with a single line: “No reply necessary.” 

By now, Loki was fast asleep. Alus had accidentally dropped a cup as he was pouring coffee and, despite the loud crash, Loki showed no signs of running in. Her efforts during the incident, as well as the exhaustion from helping Alus, had finally caught up to her and she was now recovering. 

Since noon arrived, and Loki still hadn’t woken up, Alus wrote a note for her and left the laboratory. In his mind, all he wanted to do was let her get some well-earned rest.

“I have been awaiting you, Mr. Alus,” Felinella greeted Alus with a refreshing and alluring smile. 

He’d called her in the morning. Perhaps because they were still on vacation, she was wearing casual clothing. She wore a vest over a bright white shirt and a pleated skirt. She’d come dressed up; unlike her uniform, this gave her a neat and clean, more adult look. 

Alus’ destination was the girls’ dorm. A male student couldn’t enter without an appointment, so he’d made one with her. In fact, if he didn’t, stepping inside this impregnable garden would be a handful. 

It wasn’t a big deal if one followed the proper procedures, but the fortress-like dorm looked like the kind of place where men were strictly forbidden. The paperwork to get in was strict and incredibly detailed, and applied to any male, even other Institute students. 

The entrance had a keypad that required the use of a license, and without the proper procedures in place the only thing a man would receive when he placed his license there would be a loud error noise, rejecting his entry. 

The truth was that Alus had experienced the dorm’s strict security before. That’s why he’d made sure to get in touch with Felinella ahead of time. Normally male students were rejected at the gate, but with the dorm supervisor’s permission, he would have no problem getting in. Alus didn’t become the No. 1 Magicmaster by repeating old mistakes. 

He pulled out his license so he could open the gate. As he did, Felinella tried to say something, but Alus went on ahead. 

“Sorry, did I keep you waiting?” Alus raised his hand and tried to enter, when an unpleasant sound rang out. 

It was the intruder alarm going off. At the same time, barrier arms closed in on both sides of him and one struck his abdomen. 

Twitching slightly, Alus tilted his head downward to look at his feet. There he saw shackles firmly attached to his ankles, not budging an inch. 

While he’d trained for live combat, this was too much of a surprise attack. 

Alus had a sullen look on his face, as Felinella hurried over and apologized repeatedly. “I’m so sorry for this, Mr. Alus! I should have told you sooner—even if you contact us ahead of time, permission for the system can only be granted from the inside. The doorkeeper happens to be taking a break right now.” 

“Yeah, i-it’s fine. This is n-nothing. I was being careless too.” This was the place that had the strictest checks in the Institute. But even Alus had underestimated it. 

With quick motions, Felinella brought out what appeared to be a master key, and held it against the gate’s keypad. A green light turned on, letting them know that entry was granted. At the same time, the shackles on Alus’ legs released, and the barrier arms retreated as if they’d never been there to begin with. 

Felinella apologized once again, her head hanging low. 

With the security system disarming itself so quickly, there wasn’t time for Alus to garner unwanted attention from the dorm residents. He looked around anyway, just in case, and let out a sigh before he finally stepped inside the forbidden area. 

“Sorry for calling you in the morning. Did I wake you up?” It had only been a short call, but Alus could tell that Felinella sounded like she’d only just woken up. Though by now, she was all cleaned up and well dressed. He felt a little bad as he gazed at her face. 

“Not at all. I was planning on waking up anyway... I’m the kind of person who can’t stand unhealthy living.” 

How very like a noble, Alus thought. Or perhaps he should praise her for being a model student. 

Inside the dorm were a few female students. The reason they weren’t glaring at the male student in their dorm was because Felinella stood next to him. Of course, Alus couldn’t help but receive his fair share of strange looks, despite that. 

He obviously had a clear reason for coming all the way to the girls’ dorm. It was because he needed to meet with Alice right now. 

As Alus stood before the girls’ door, a cutesy tone rang out. After a short while, a girl’s voice could be heard, yawning, and the door opened. “Yawn. Yes, who is... it?!” 

The person peeking through the door wasn’t Alice, but Tesfia. Tesfia’s face twitched at the unexpected sight of a man outside her door in the girls’ dorm. 

She was nobility like Felinella, but still, she looked sloppy after waking up, with her unkempt hair sticking out in places like a sore thumb. Incidentally, it was already past noon. 

Alus’ rude stare then fell on her negligee, which reached to her knees. It wasn’t exactly transparent, but the fabric was thin, revealing the lines of her body. At the very least, the sight could be called suggestive. 

“Wha—huh?! No way! Stop! Don’t looook!!” 

Tesfia, realizing how improper her appearance was, didn’t do something modest like covering herself up. Instead, she tried the brute force method of knocking Alus out. A fist swung at full force approached Alus’ face. 

Perhaps taking it head on was something a man should do. Following up with an apology for his unannounced visit would be even more gentlemanly. 

“—!!” 

However, Alus didn’t subscribe to that kind of policy one bit. He easily caught her fist in his hand. “Shut it, I’m not here for you today, so bring Alice out,” he said, still holding onto her hand, preventing her from moving. 

Unable to take the shame anymore, Tesfia began wriggling her body, holding her negligee in one hand, while tightly closing her legs together. 

“Mr. Alus...” 

At Felinella’s soft urging, Alus realized he was still holding onto her hand and let go, and Tesfia responded by promptly slamming the door shut. 

Soon loud noises came from behind the door. 

“Fia, try not to break anything. I’m the one they’re going to get angry at.” After calling out to the other side of the door, Felinella let out an exasperated sigh. “I hope you can come to understand a woman’s heart a little more, too, Mr. Alus,” she said, looking down at her own clothing. 

It looks like this is going to be a struggle. She skillfully hid her not-quite exasperation, not-quite complaining about Alus’ blockheadedness, giving him a gentle look instead. 

“Is that so? I’ll be more careful next time.” Alus seemed to have reconsidered his behavior for once, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. 

Giving him a sidelong glance, Felinella’s lips curled up as she thought of something. But that kind of negligee might be good. It seemed she was making preparations for enticing him. 

After 30 minutes of waiting... “How long are you planning on making me wait?” Alus said grumpily, as the door finally opened and the room’s two residents stepped out. 

“You’re the one who came here unannounced,” Tesfia retorted. She and Alice were in their usual outfits, standing side by side. 

Fortunately, Alus had Felinella with him, so they’d spent the time waiting by talking with each other. 

“Three minutes is more than enough time to get dressed.” 

“Girls have a lot of circumstances they need to attend to, okay!” 

Felinella rubbed her temple as she watched the two argue, but it wasn’t as if she couldn’t understand where Tesfia was coming from. After Alus had called her, she’d hurried but still had taken quite a bit of time to get ready. 

“I don’t care about those circumstances. Anyways, I called for Alice, not you.” 

“Alice and I come as a set. Besides, there’s no way I’d send her off alone after you’ve acted like a pervert before.” 

That time had been a misunderstanding, so Alus could easily refute it. But no matter how logical his explanations were, if this commotion grew bigger, onlookers would gather and rumors would spread. 

With nothing else he could do, Alus signaled for rescue with his eyes, leaving the rest to the dorm supervisor. 

“Fia, I’m the one who brought Mr. Alus here. And even if this is your own room, as a lady you should always strive to be dressed in a fashion that won’t bring your family shame. Besides, you are to blame for opening the door without confirming who it was.” 

“B... but...” 

“But what?” 

As Felinella furrowed her brows, Tesfia flinched and fell silent. 

That prim attitude was exactly how Alus imagined a noble lady should act like. For now, the noisy one had piped down. 

“Alright, Alice—let’s go.” 

“Huh? Where?” Perhaps she’d slept in like Tesfia, but Alice, who’d been sleepily looking on, suddenly shot her eyes wide open. 

Even Tesfia had a surprised look on her face. In fact, Felinella also seemed a bit startled to hear they were going somewhere. 

“Why don’t you tell us what you’re here for first? And why is it just Alice... What about me?” Tesfia held onto Alice’s arm, with the size difference looking like a child throwing a tantrum. Although that might not be completely inaccurate... 

“That’s because it doesn’t have anything to do with you. In fact, you’re not needed at all. It’s not something I need to hide, but talking about it out here would be bad.” 

“Then, would you like to come in...?” Alice nervously suggested. 

Tesfia interrupted her. “Alice, are you serious?!” 

“Well, if we don’t do it, we’re not going to get anywhere,” Alice said, using perfectly sound reasoning. 

Seeing that Tesfia still hesitated, Felinella decided to use even more logic against her. “Fia, you’re the one who brought up talking about Alus’ business for being here. Or do you have something in there that you’d rather not show?” 

“I don’t... I don’t, but... Can it wait a minute—!” Tesfia broke out in a cold sweat, then slammed the door shut on Alus and the others once more. 

And again—a noisy racket sounded from inside the room. 

“My, my,” Felinella said, with a small wry smile. Alice had a similar expression as she called out, “That’s why I told you to keep things clean.” 

“We’re not getting anywhere like this. Right,” Alus muttered, as he made up his mind. He’d already waited 30 minutes. He wasn’t going to wait anymore. “We’re coming in.” 

“Al, wait!” 

Ignoring the surprised Alice’s attempt to stop him, Alus opened the door. 

“Haha...” Felinella could only laugh, a little bitterly, as she braced herself for what would come next. 

As Alus stepped in, he saw the room for himself. The room with white walls was rather spacious even for two people. The girly accessories and colors here and there stood out... and when Alus saw a massive silhouette, he was taken aback for a moment. 

At closer look, it was a giant stuffed animal. It had some frayed spots, but was in good condition overall. Either it had seen a lot of use, or it was just old. 

It was clear that the room’s residents had a very girly, cute side. Though that stuffed animal probably belonged to Alice. 

“It’s still not... What! Don’t come in!” 

“I don’t mind. I’d already assumed that you lived a sloppy life.” 

“Shut it, you!!” 

With Alus having entered the room, Felinella and Alice shrugged, and stepped in. 

In front of them, Tesfia shouted, breathing heavily, “I can’t believe you!” 

“I’m pressed for time here, and you’ve already made me wait 30 minutes,” Alus replied in a composed manner. 

“Oh, Fia,” Alice sighed, then shrugged. 

“Give it up, Fia. You brought this on yourself.” 

“You too, Ms. Feli?” Tesfia finally seemed to surrender, as she hung her head low. There was no point in resisting any further. 

The room Alus entered had the unique smell of a girl’s room. It was a sweet, somehow familiar smell. “So you guys are the reason why there’s been a sweet smell in my laboratory.” 

“Ack, don’t smell it! Don’t inhale!” Tesfia launched herself at Alus, trying to stop him from breathing. 

Alus easily caught her arms. “Don’t be ridiculous.” 

“It is a nice smell, isn’t it?” Felinella took in the smell as well. 

That said, nothing good would come from continuing on with this silly kind of exchange. Especially with the redhead around. 

Eventually, three of them sat down around a table. However— 

“Hey, what kind of treatment is this?” 

Indeed, there were only three chairs at the table. And as Alus had continued his arguing with Tesfia, he was the last to take a seat. As such, no chairs were left, leaving him standing. Though it wasn’t like he was fuming as much as he sounded. Still, considering what had transpired up to now, he had a hard time accepting this. 

Well, the others aside from Alus all sat down around the same time, so it wasn’t like Tesfia was being malicious. 

“Oh fine, Al...” Tesfia, who’d managed to calm down, began to get up from her chair. After her head cooled, she realized that having him wait 30 minutes had maybe been a bit too much. She acted reluctant, but in reality, she felt a little guilty about it all. 

However, the moment Tesfia started to stand up— 

“Here, Mr. Alus, we can share half of my chair.” Felinella slid over to the side of the chair, inviting Alus to sit. She beat Tesfia to the punch, and smiled at him to hide the embarrassment she was feeling. Sharing a chair was a bit much, and they’d end up having to press against each other. So perhaps it was only natural for a teenage girl to feel some resistance to it. 

Either way, Alus felt like it would only exhaust him. “I’m fine, so you can just sit there.” Alus refused... or tried to, but Felinella insisted on the matter. And ultimately, they ended up wasting even more time. 

In the end, Alus pushed his will through, and when he checked the time he found he no longer had any leeway left. “Now, I’m going to have Alice head over to the military headquarters with me to meet the Governor-General. I already have an appointment. I told you, didn’t I? The Governor-General and I will support you,” Alus said, referring to when he’d discovered Alice’s attribute-less state during his examination of her. 

It was an unintended consequence of the Element Factor Separation Project, and Alus made the suggestion to keep Alice from becoming the subject of any further strange research or investigations. 

“Ah!” Alice let out a little yelp, as she remembered. 

“The Governor-General? Why would Alice be meeting someone so important?” 

“Even if we tell you, you’ll have to keep it confidential. But if you want to know, then ask Alice.” Alus was starting to feel a headache come on. But since any leaks would negatively affect Alice, Tesfia probably wouldn’t let anything slip. 

“Can I hear it, too?” Felinella timidly asked. 

“I don’t mind.” Alus figured Felinella was already working with the military, so she would understand the severity of the situation. Either way, she was smart, so she definitely wouldn’t cause any trouble. 

After Alice briefly explained the matter, Tesfia immediately spoke up. “In that case, I’m going too!” 

“I wouldn’t be as nervous if Fia came along...” 

It was a bit of a pain to Alus, but he thought leaving Tesfia behind would be a problem, too. He could already imagine her pestering him with questions without end. “Since this concerns Alice, then you can come as long as she’s fine with it... but please try not to stand out.” 

Seeing Tesfia clench her fist in joy, Alus started feeling anxious about all of this. “What about you, Feli? If she’s coming, I might as well take you all.” 

“I’ve heard the important details, so I will refrain from joining you. I also happen to have some other work left to do after this as well.” 

“I see.” Then it couldn’t be helped. Alus nodded. They’d ended up wasting a lot of time unnecessarily, but he had a hunch about what her ‘work’ might entail. 

Considering her resolute behavior, it was clear Felinella took her job seriously. They still didn’t know exactly who was behind Godma. And Vizaist’s squad, in charge of information gathering, was likely still on a mission to find out more. 

“Right, Feli. Once that’s done, bring a report over to me.” 

From Felinella’s point of view, it wasn’t really something serious enough to be called clean-up. At most she saw herself as just assisting Vizaist. But she couldn’t help but smile at Alus making a request of her. “Yes!” 

Nodding at her answer, Alus checked the time. “We better go. I’d never hear the end of it if we’re late.” 

“What! Already? ...I can’t go dressed like this, right?” 

It was then that Tesfia checked her outfit, and asked this in an anxious tone. She’d already changed out of her negligee into something that wouldn’t stand out unless she went somewhere truly upper-class. They were normal clothes that wouldn’t cause a problem in most places, but she worried whether it was something that was okay to wear in front of the Governor-General. 

It wasn’t strange for nobility like Tesfia to mind her appearance, but Alus was also wearing something very casual as well. The blackish monotone outfit he wore was provided by the military, and it was very tasteless in terms of fashion. “No, you should be fine like that. If you don’t like it, then change into your uniform,” he told her, and indicated the same to Alice as well. If this took even more time, then the Governor-General might grumble some more.

Alus and the two girls traveled through three locations using the Circle Port, then headed from the middle-class district towards the edge of the human-controlled domain in Alpha. 

The closer they got to the defensive line, the heavier the military presence. That much was clear from the uniforms and AWRs the military personnel carried. 

There were cities out here too, but their appearance was very different from the ones in the middle-class district. 

One of these cities was Folen, an important location in Alpha. It was also referred to as the second defensive line. If the first defensive line were to be broken somehow, the defense personnel would fall back to Folen, and stand by for further orders. Because of that, there was a military command in the center of the city. 

The walls around the city had been fortified in case of a Fiend attack, but everyone knew it was only for show. 

Babel’s barrier was far more sturdy, and had kept the Fiends out for decades, but that also meant that humanity’s survival relied solely on that barrier’s existence. 

Folen would be one of the first cities put in danger should the barrier fall, so plenty of escape and evacuation routes had been constructed. But even if something were to happen, only a minority of the population would likely escape. 

Many of the people here were stubborn and stuck to their way of life. They were ready to die fighting for their city. 

The population’s attitude was reflected in the city’s atmosphere. Folen was always lively. Not only was the city scene vibrant and full of life, but there were also many shops that were focused on Magicmasters, showing off the magical technologies of the industrial cities. 

Even many Institute students came here to purchase tools or materials. The Institute had a large inventory of such things as well, but the young couldn’t be blamed for wanting to personalize their own equipment. 

Of course, there were also workshops that specialized in AWRs, so practically all the senior students who wanted their own personal AWR visited Folen at least once. 

“Hey, I said we don’t have time!” 

“But...” said Alice. 

“I can’t take my eyes off of them,” Tesfia said. 

In this city... two people were being unreasonable. Since Alus was the one leading them, the unreasonable children were of course Alice and Tesfia. As this was their first time here, they stopped in front of all of the display windows to gawk at the wares. 

And every time they did—Alus told them to hurry up, but this was the umpteenth time... because of this, they weren’t making any progress. Seeing the two with their eyes sparkling with the spirit of curiosity, and their inability to turn away from the precious goods, Alus couldn’t help but worry for the future. 

“What did you guys even come here for? I’ll leave you behind.” 

“Wait a minute!” Tesfia exclaimed. 

Alice said, “Can’t we take it a little slower?” 

When Alus walked away, fed up with them, the two hurriedly rushed after him. They still looked around them with the same interest as before, as they continued on. 

It was at this point that Alus lost out to their persistence. While he resigned himself, he also decided to get something to help cheer Loki up. She’d helped him with the reports as well, so as her partner, he wanted to thank her in some way. 

That said, their business still came first. “Well, we can take some time on the way back.” 

“Really?! ...Thank you.” With a slight blush, Alice gave her thanks excitedly. 

... Though the other one didn’t even seem to hear what he said. Well, what could you do... 

Most of the Institute’s students enrolled to study magic properly. So they didn’t get a lot of chances to visit Folen. “There’s a lot you can learn here, so it wouldn’t be a waste to come for a visit,” Alus said. 

Even if one didn’t do any shopping, this was where the latest news circulated about. This country developed a new technology; that new product was of high quality; and so on. This was a city that was rife with the latest talk. 

Alus frequented Folen often when he was off-duty... that said, this was the first time he’d led others around it. 

Exasperatingly enough, just getting down the main street took a lot of effort. The two girls were reacting to every single shop they passed by, making them perfect targets for the shopkeepers trying to attract customers. 

Alus had to lead them away by the hand, as they looked ready to succumb to temptation. Losing Tesfia to a store visit wouldn’t hurt, but Alice had to come with him. 

One could select multiple locations from a transfer gate, but when traveling through Folen, one had to cross through the city. To access the transfer gate required a license issued by Alpha, and the transfer was effected by reading the military base’s location through the license. 

Alus had chosen to go through Folen to see the sights for the first time in a while, and it need not be said that he regretted this decision. 

As they finally neared the Circle Port, they came across a wall that was even higher than the outer walls, with forked spears on top. It was a quasi-barrier, commonly referred to as the Second Babel. 

Babel’s barrier was the result of countless researchers coming together. This was an imitation of that barrier. 

That said, it could only repel weaker Fiends, and its range was extremely short. So it wasn’t very practical despite its high cost, making mass production of it pointless. 

The Tower of Babel that had protected humanity for so long was now something they could no longer reproduce. There were rumors that only the rulers of the nations knew its secrets, but some claimed that not even they knew everything. It was clearly a construct of some sort, but the principal theories and the mechanisms involved were wrapped in mystery. 

Some even saw Babel as an object of worship; but nonetheless, its construction and workings were more than likely all lost technology. 

Having now reached the transfer gate, Tesfia and Alice looked behind them with regret. To Magicmasters, this city was definitely a treasure trove. 

Alus had said there was a lot of knowledge to be gained here, but as students the most they’d manage would be perusing the AWRs. Unless they were looking to become engineers, they probably wouldn’t make any discoveries. 

But Alus figured they probably weren’t even looking to learn anything. From what he’d heard, women were usually the kind that were attracted to gems and loved to shop. And these two were likely no exceptions to that. So despite his consideration, he once again realized that he’d made a poor decision. 

He stifled an urge to complain, and nodded for the girls to move on. “We’re leaving.” He put out his license, started the transfer, and their surroundings began to change. 

“...!” “...!” 

Alus was used to this, but Alice and Tesfia were not. He could understand their reaction as a grand building suddenly appeared before them. 

The two were startled, and silently looked at the changes around them, not moving at first due to a sense of pressure. 

The building was at least three times the size of the Institute’s main building. The shape was unique, a curved cube. It looked like the building was leaning. This vast base worthy of being called the military headquarters had a presence similar to a mountain range. 

There were several watchposts around the entrance, and Alus once more held up his license at what appeared to be a checkpoint. “I’ll leave you behind!” 

The two girls were still in awe when Alus shouted this, but finally they began to follow him. 

Despite the quizzical looks he received, he continued walking without any concern. On the other hand, many knew who Alus was, and some even stopped to salute him. 

Strictly speaking, Magicmasters on the frontlines didn’t have a military rank. If one had to give them a rank, their rank as Magicmasters served that purpose. 

Single Digit Magicmasters, who were vastly stronger than the rest, were referred to as Singles. Ranks in the tens were referred to as Doubles. 

Those in the hundreds were Triples; those in the thousands were Quadruples; the ones in the ten-thousands were Quintuples; and the ones in the hundred-thousands were Sextuplets. The last three were abbreviated as Quads, Quins and Sixes. 

These were all official designations, but Quins and Sixes were no different from rank-and-file soldiers, so nobody used those. 

While there were no ranks—Singles were recognized as being on the same level as generals, Doubles as field officers, and Triples being company officers. But they didn’t have the authority to give orders, so no one really differentiated between the ranks. 

Of course, a chain of command was established for each mission so the unit could function as an organization; and for that reason, there were many that respected a Magicmaster’s rank in the military. 

Moreover, due to their position in companies, Triples also served as actual company officers, so while there was a difference between their ranks as military officers and Magicmasters, it was a differentiation based on the occasion. 

So seeing Alus command such respect, Tesfia looked at him with refreshed interest. “You’re pretty popular.” 

“It’s not popularity. They’re only respecting the rank, unlike you.” 

Recalling how she’d acted in the past, Tesfia felt a tingling pain in her chest. She couldn’t brush off his comment like she’d usually do. 

These older people lowering their head to him might not be entirely willing, but they still understood the value of the rank. Thanks to Alus, the load they had to accomplish on missions was lessened, which brought peace to Alpha as a result. 

Though, while they knew his face, very few people had witnessed him in battle. That’s why most of the people here looked on in confusion as a somewhat frail-looking young man was receiving respect from his elders. 

Incidentally, once inside the headquarters, the ostentatious atmosphere presented by its exterior faded somewhat, though the size was still overwhelming. Inside, Magicmasters rotated in and out of standby, being the main force of Alpha’s military strength. Excluding the ones out on missions in the Outer World, seventy percent of the Magicmasters of the nation were stationed here. 

“I’m starting to get kind of nervous,” Alice said. As they stepped inside the building, the sheer number of Magicmasters they encountered as they walked along was staggering. She seemed a little intimidated, and straightened her back. 

With this many Magicmasters, the AWRs they wore stood out. They all looked well-used, which gave off an impressive and imposing aura. 

Having experienced the Outer World in the extracurricular lesson, Alice was made painfully aware that this place was the closest of all in the human realm to the Outer World. 

“Most of the Magicmasters here are more capable than you guys, after all.” 

“O-Of course they are!!” Tesfia retorted without a moment’s delay, but even she was being a little reserved as she looked at the Magicmasters around them. If they were below students like them, Alpha would have been devoured by Fiends long ago. 

“Well, you’re on completely different levels, so don’t worry too much about it. And since I’m here, there’s not much else to worry about either.” 

“You just do what you please, huh?” Tesfia responded in exasperation. She had a sullen expression, and it was about all she could muster. But she still couldn’t help finding it strange that someone her age was being held in such high esteem by adults. 

As a member of the Fable family, Tesfia had experienced adults lowering their heads to her as well. But that was because her mother, the head of the family, was walking behind her. She was well aware that she wasn’t really the one they were bowing to. 

So when Tesfia saw Alus as a lone Magicmaster receiving such respect, she began wanting to make it her goal to reach the same heights. 

Then again—since she knew what Alus was normally like, she still felt reluctant about it. 

“You can consider it a perk of being a Single.” With a dry smile, Alus walked through the base with familiar steps. 

The closer they got to the center, the fewer people were unaware of who Alus was. Many stepped out of his way, thanks to his title as Alpha’s strongest. 

He didn’t, however, have any comrades-in-arms that called out to him; and there were even some that turned on their heels and walked away when they spotted him. 

Alus boldly strode forth in spite of this, but there was a strange feeling in the air. He’d walked down the hallways of this base countless times, but right now he thought he could feel an oppressive atmosphere around him. 

There’s more Magicmasters here than usual. Besides... 

He could see some Magicmasters’ faces looking like they were on guard for something. The tension was similar to that of the Outer World. Alus could feel it prickling on his skin. The tense atmosphere wasn’t affecting all of the military—just some members of it. 

If they were in the Outer World, it would be nothing to concern oneself with. But it didn’t make as much sense in the military headquarters. When he thought about it, there seemed to be more guards as well. 

This is a strange sight. Why is the military on guard in their own headquarters? 

Alus considered it for a second, but it didn’t seem like they were worried about him, so he decided to put it on the back burner for now. 

“I can’t tell if you’re respected or hated.” Completely oblivious to the tension in the air, Tesfia continued on with her carefree remarks from before. She’d seen people recognizing him, and people avoiding him. 

“It’s a bother either way.” To be more accurate, it was a little different from hate. The eyes on him were probably from people on previous missions who’d seen his strength firsthand, and were either astonished by the overwhelming power or afraid of it. 

Regardless, nobody tried to form a friendly relationship with him. Alus suspected being directly under the Governor-General’s command likely played a part in it as well. 

But he didn’t feel bothered or lonely because others distanced themselves from him. That had always been the case on the frontlines, too. In this world, there was no guarantee that yesterday’s smile would be around for tomorrow. 

A vast number of grave markers were located in a lot at the edge of the headquarters’ grounds. Only a very few of those buried there had intact bodies. Most of the graves contained only what remains were left, or the belongings of the deceased. It was a tradition for people to go there for a visit when first enlisting in the military. 

After reaching the center of the ground floor, they began climbing the stairs. Once they reached the top floor, the atmosphere immediately turned very oppressive. 

The high command was gathered here, with the Governor-General’s office alongside those of other high-ranking members of the military. The average age of the people here was older, with Magicmasters at the general rank passing through the area with serious expressions on their faces. 

The only unchanged thing was Alus’ attitude. But at the top, everyone knew of Alus, and many people looked afraid. They all acted cold and distant, in order to not get any closer. 

However... 

“It’s been a while, Alus! I haven’t seen you around lately, so what are you up to now?” 

Strange humans existed everywhere. That’s why true peace was something not so easily obtained. 

The person greeting Alus was a man in his early thirties. He’d climbed up the ladder to become a commanding officer at a young age, and was riding the elite path toward the top. 

He lacked the characteristic rugged build you usually saw in soldiers, being instead on the slender side. With no AWR at his waist, that was proof that his rank as a Magicmaster was high enough that he no longer needed to step out into the Outer World. 

Despite being some distance away for what could be called a friendly conversation, his voice traveled well. 

Alus waited until they were close enough that they could hold a normal conversation. “It has been a while, Commander Lindelph.” 

“Oh, stop that. It creeps me out.” Lindelph didn’t seem to appreciate Alus’ formal way of speaking to him, as he flapped his hand up and down in an exaggerated fashion. 

Alus didn’t particularly hate this overly friendly man. 

“I’m only in this position thanks to you. I wasn’t recognized by my own powers alone, so I still have a long way to go.” 

Lindelph was one of the master strategists in command of the defensive line. He mostly dealt with low-classed Fiends detected near the line, and the units under his command often dealt with those themselves. He was ranked as a colonel. Originally, he was a staff officer integrated into the squad Alus was in. 

His skills as a Magicmaster couldn’t particularly be praised as great. Without mincing words, he was a leader without ability. 

After Alus finished the Magicmaster training program at a young age, they spent some months on the same team. He was one of the few comrades-in-arms that had fought alongside Alus, and was still alive and on active duty. 

“Don’t be so modest. You’re the youngest to be promoted in history, aren’t you? I hear there are plenty of jealous voices within the military.” 

“That hits close to home... Oh?” Seeing the two girls in uniforms half-hiding behind Alus, Lindelph smiled mischievously. “A beauty on either side, aren’t you a smooth operator? So you’re finally at that age, too. Ah, youth.” 

“If that’s what you think this looks like, you’ll probably be demoted soon.” 

Lindelph’s cheek twitched at Alus’ cynical response. His wide smile broke up, but he only remarked, “Well, just you watch, I’m planning on making myself an even more integral part of the top brass. But that aside, what business do you have bringing students in?” 

“It’s not anything special...” Alus stopped as he felt the two girls peeking out from behind him. The looks on their faces seemed to be asking him to introduce them. Enduring the urge to ignore this and move on, Alus briefly introduced the two. 

“Let’s start with him. This frank guy is Commander Lindelph, who’s secretly planning on receiving a posthumous promotion. He’s currently being promoted at the speed of an out-of-control train.” 

“Hey! What’s with that dangerous-sounding introduction!” 

“And these two are my classmates, Tesfia Fable and Alice Tilake. I only came here because I have some business with the Governor-General.” 

“Did you say classmates? Here I was thinking that I hadn’t seen you for a while, but now you’re a student... Vizaist can be pretty mean, he should have said something... but hmm, did you say Fable?” 

Lindelph looked deep in thought for a moment. Then he clapped his hands together. “Speaking of Fable, could she be the daughter of former General Frose?” 

Tesfia’s shoulders trembled at his words, before answering, “Y-Yes...” 

“I see, I see... so you’re the daughter! I received some harsh training under the former General. Nice to meet you. I’m Lindelph Maeger.” Remembering his bitter experiences, Lindelph held his hand out. He was good at commanding, but his skill at magic didn’t improve, so his expression wasn’t exactly unfounded. 

Tesfia took his hand and exchanged a polite handshake, but her expression seemed a little bitter as well. 

“This young lady is very beautiful, too.” 

“Thank you very much.” Alice smiled, and shook his hand. 

With introductions out of the way, Alus urged Lindelph on. “Now, didn’t you have some other business to attend to?” Seeing the stack of documents in his hands, Alus could tell that he must have been on his way to somewhere. 

“Right, then I’ll be taking my leave here.” Lindelph quickly walked away, before turning around as if recalling something. He shouted out, “Alus, why don’t we go for dinner next time. I found a nice place!” 

Alus wasn’t sure what he meant by ‘nice place.’ Was it good food, or was it the kind of place where gorgeous women would serve them? He paused for a moment to consider Lindelph’s personality. “Your wife would kill you.” 

With the distance between them, Alus’ voice probably wouldn’t reach him. And considering the content, he hesitated to shout it out loud. 

But Lindelph seemed to have a good understanding of Alus’ personality, not even paying any heed to his response, as he’d already started walking away again before the response was made. 

Self-centered as always, Alus thought to himself, as he watched the commander walk away. Leaving Alice and Tesfia, who had perplexed looks, aside, Alus turned his attention again toward where he was headed.

They reached the top floor of the seven-story building. 

The Governor-General’s office had a sweeping view of the defensive line. In case of emergency, the artificial scenery being displayed inside the barrier could be cut to show the Outer World. 

That had never happened, as of yet. Or more accurately stated, since the construction of the Tower of Babel, the artificial imagery had never had to be stopped. 

There was dark red carpeting in the office, and almost no furniture. This was to the Governor-General’s personal preference. However, it wasn’t desolate either, as in place of a luxurious interior there was a mountain of documents. 

After permitting his entry, Berwick glanced at the clock as Alus stepped into the room. “How unusual for you to be late, even if only by two minutes.” 

“Please say that to Commander Lindelph.” 

“I see.” Berwick smiled, and offered Alus a seat on the sofa. 

“Hey, get in here already.” The two girls stood frozen stiff in the doorway. But their paralysis was broken by Alus’ voice. 

The next moment, Alice saw the owner of the room, and clapped a hand over her mouth as a surprised “Ah!” escaped her lips. 

“It’s been a while, Alice.” The Governor-General’s voice was cheery. 

“Alice, you know the Governor-General?” 

“Huh, this person is... that soldier?! No way!” 

Alus had been told that Berwick was the commander years ago, when they moved to arrest Godma for the Element Factor Separation Project. When Alice was saved from the facility, it looked like he’d taken care of Alice. Perhaps he saw this as an atonement for letting Godma escape. 

“I see, so you enrolled into the Institute too... I see, I see.” 

Only Alus felt something was off with the Governor-General’s playful tone, due to having known the man for a long time. 

Thinking to himself how shrewd the old man was, Alus started off with an apologetic-sounding statement. “In regards to this incident with Godma, I honestly believe there was some ineptitude on my side.” 

“Well, don’t worry. I’ve received a report from Vizaist. There’s no problem.” 

Alus had expected that answer. No real harm had occurred, and as the strongest in Alpha, he hadn’t been asked to take responsibility for anything trivial in any other mission either. 

The reason for that was because Berwick was mostly in command of those missions, and the details of them were never made public. 

But this time, despite him having said that there were no problems, Berwick had a serious look to him, although Alus would be the only one to notice. 

“But I never would have dreamed that young Alice was your student.” Contrary to his words, it seemed that maybe Berwick had anticipated all of this. Perhaps Alus being forced into the Institute and ending up in the same class as those two excellent students Alice and Tesfia, was all according to his plan. This method of Berwick being two or three steps ahead was familiar to Alus. It was like a convenient light appearing to guide him in the darkness. 

As the two spoke, Tesfia and Alice sat down on the sofa, but as a soldier Alus remained standing in front of the Governor-General. However, with no outsiders present, his tone remained less than formal. 

“It’s been a while since I last saw you too, Tesfia, though you probably don’t remember.” 

“Huh?! ...I’m sorry.” 

“Oh, don’t worry about it. It’s been a long time since then.” Berwick smiled, as he recalled the good old days. 

Tesfia’s existence was why Frose, her mother, had chosen to retire in the first place. When Frose was active, she served as the supreme commander of a battalion, and was seen as a peerless commander of her time. She excelled at using shrewd tactics to eliminate Fiends. 

When she retired, there was a grand party, which was where Berwick met Tesfia. That said, due to the busy nature of the party, they had only exchanged greetings, so it was no wonder she didn’t remember him. 

“By the way, Alus. You didn’t come here just for something like that, did you?” Berwick knew better than anyone that Alus wasn’t the kind of person to come all the way here just to apologize for a blunder. 

Alus nodded, then moved on to the main topic. “When human experiments were performed on Alice, there were some unexpected side effects. That is to say, I found a defect in her mana information.” 

“—!! I see.” 

Alice stiffened. 

This also reminded the old general of his past regrets. With a bitter expression, he told Alus to continue in a heavy tone. 

“That in itself won’t result in any consequences. We could call it a simple accident.” 

“No, this isn’t the kind of problem that can be swept under the rug as an accident,” Berwick said. “Especially not when it was manmade.” 

Alus saw it as something that could be explained away as accidental, but Berwick saw it as something more serious. 

“As a result, Alice developed an affinity for attribute-less.” 

“—!!” Berwick’s eyes shot open for a moment, and to calm down he clasped his hands together, resting his elbows on the desk and hiding his mouth. 

Alice had already heard this before, so she wasn’t very shaken. Meanwhile, Tesfia, who was hearing this for the first time, looked perplexed rather than shocked. 

“So like you, she’s...” 

Alus stopped Berwick by raising his hand. He hadn’t told Alice everything yet; in fact, he’d only told her a portion of the truth. “She’s attribute-less, but it’s not the same as me.” 

Hearing that, Berwick immediately realized he’d almost carelessly let something slip. He cleared his throat and nodded. 

However, that truth raised a concern. It showed the possibility of artificially creating people with an affinity for attribute-less through human experiments. 

Berwick glanced at the two on the sofa. “Is... is something like that possible?” 

“I imagine it would be impossible to do intentionally. It was likely all a coincidence. And it’s not like she’s lost all of her mana information, like me. It would be more apt to assume that a portion of the light attribute was altered.” 

“I see. So that’s the reason why you came all this way.” 

“That’s why I believe it’s the Governor-General’s duty to protect her, so she’s not made a subject for strange research again.” 

Berwick exhaled. “Of course. You don’t have to bring up duty. If something happens, I’ll back you up.” 

“Thank you very much.” 

“You don’t have to thank me over something like this. If anything, I’d like to offer my support. Don’t worry, I’ll guarantee your safety. As long as you don’t throw yourself into it, that is.” 

Alice, embarrassed, bowed as a sign of her deep gratitude towards Berwick. 

To be honest, Alus came here to secure this pledge from the Governor-General. If the secret of Alice’s affinity for attribute-less were to get out, people with a similar mindset as Godma were sure to appear. 

Anyway, that should settle things for now... or at least that’s what Berwick thought. 

Tesfia and Alice looked to be getting up from the sofa, when Alus quickly changed topics. “Oh, and Governor-General, about the Friendship Magical Tournament...” 

“Hm?” Berwick gave him a puzzled look, followed by Tesfia and Alice’s similar expressions. 

“Now that you mention it...” Tesfia said. 

“It’s a big annual event, after all,” Alice chimed in. 

Berwick said, “What about it... Ah, this is because of Vizaist, isn’t it?” 

Hearing Berwick’s remark, Alus continued without affirming it, “I have no intention of participating.” 

“I figured you’d say that, but you won’t get anywhere by talking to me. You’re already a student at the Institute, and they’re the ones who do the selection.” 

Alus responded with a wry smile. “So that means you won’t interfere then, if I were to fail.” 

“... I won’t accept any corner-cutting.” 

“—!!” 

“Even if it’s a friendly tournament, it’s still an official event—and a legitimate match.” 

It seemed Berwick had an answer for everything. This meant that if Alus were to fail the selection, Berwick would definitely intervene. In essence, this was an order to Alus. 

That said, Berwick understood that he was forcing the matter. He sighed, and rubbed his temples. “I just got a call from Rusalca, letting me know that their nation has a lot of excellent Magicmasters lined up this year, too.” 

Rusalca was a big nation near Alpha. And they’d secured the victory in the Friendship Magical Tournament the year before. 

Alpha trained a lot of excellent Magicmasters as well, but Rusalca was particularly passionate in their training, and had snatched victory from Alpha’s hands. 

Unfortunately, when recounting Alpha’s results in the tournament, you’d find them faster by starting at the bottom. 

Berwick wanted Alus to participate so that Alpha could have a better record. While the country’s pride was involved, some personal feelings were mixed in as well. 

“No matter what Rusalca said, I refuse. That has nothing to do with me.” With Alus being a student this year, he had qualified to participate. 

“Oh, it’s not all bad. If we can show the world that Alpha trains superb Magicmasters, it will be easier for you in the future.” 

“Do you think I’m naïve enough to fall for something like that?” 

“I’m not asking you to do it for nothing. I’ll even get you ten rare books from other nations. Even if you’re not hurting for money, there are some things that you can’t just get your hands on, aren’t there?” 

“Tsk...” Despite knowing he was being led by the nose, Alus couldn’t help but hesitate with a reward like that being offered. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Alus already had all the important rare books in Alpha. He’d gathered enough knowledge. But his spirit of inquiry didn’t have any brakes. 

Meanwhile, Tesfia and Alice were blankly staring at the scene before them. 

Berwick took to the offensive when he saw Alus stopping to think it over. “Additionally, I wouldn’t mind speaking with Sisty about omitting a portion of next term’s credits, if you get good results at the tournament.” 

“Y... You’re on.” Alus finally succumbed to temptation, and grabbed Berwick’s outstretched hand. 

“That’s dirty!” Tesfia muttered, after seeing the whole thing play out before her eyes. 

“He got bribed,” Alice said cheerfully. 

Berwick smiled wryly at the two girls. “There are just some adult circumstances. Isn’t it only natural for an adult to reward those who do well?” 

“... Just this one time, though,” Alus said preemptively. But Berwick thought to himself that he’d be able to use this method several times over in the future. 

Ultimately, Berwick had ended up profiting off of Alus’ unchanged personality, while Alus’ resentment remained unresolved. Fundamentally, only an equivalent exchange, a compensation for his efforts, could make him move. A fair trade was fine, but a one-sided negotiation killed his free soul. 

Alus had experienced that enough times to get sick of it. That’s why he didn’t demand something as vague as trust, but instead pain equal to what he felt from having his freedom chipped away, as compensation from the other party. 

That said, he had to admit that something as uncertain as trust did exist between him and Berwick, because everything they’d agreed on here was simply a verbal promise. In a sense, it showed how close they were. 

But it wasn’t over yet. Berwick stared seriously at Alus, as if to say they still had something to discuss. 

“... Sorry, Fia and Alice, but could you step outside for a while? It seems I didn’t receive enough yet,” Alus said. 

“—!! Aren’t you being a little greedy?” Tesfia asked, exasperated, when Alus flashed a dark smile. 

Alice grasped at her best friend’s sleeve to soothe her. “Come on, Fia. Al had a lot of things going on too... we’ll be waiting outside.” 

“Yeah, you do that. I’ll be with you soon.” 

After bowing to the Governor-General once more, Alice left the room, pushing Tesfia ahead of her. But before she stepped out, she looked back. “Al, don’t cause too much trouble, okay?” 

“That depends on what the enemy does.” 

“Oh, geez,” Alice moaned, as she gave him a resigned smile and left. 

With the two of them out of the room, Berwick made a show of his relaxed sigh. “Sorry about that. I might cause young Alice to worry for no reason if I were to say it in front of her. I’m sure she’s suffered through more than enough...” 

“Is that something you’d say to someone looking to become a Magicmaster? It’s not a thing you can pull off if you’re weak.” 

“I know that. But rushing through it is difficult. Everyone needs to take measured steps to advance, especially so if they’re walking down a thorny path.” 

“How protective of you.” 

“Don’t say that. Not everyone can make clear decisions as you do.” Beneath his gentle expression, Berwick conveyed his bitter emotions. 

Normally, it wasn’t a decision made so easily, nor was it one that was all good. But Berwick had the responsibility of forcing his hand. His complex emotions were due to his awareness of that. 

“Alright, get to the main topic already. Who knows what those two will say if I keep them waiting.” 

“Hmph, I see even a Single has no chance against the ladies.” Berwick’s expression eased up for a moment as he poked fun at Alus. 

So far they’d just been exchanging pleasantries... but from that point on, Berwick’s demeanor turned into that of a strict military man. 

Seeing that, Alus eliminated anything unnecessary, including his emotions, his face turning expressionless. Even the tone of his voice turned blank, simply stating information in a matter-of-fact way. “If you’re worried about Alice, does that mean this is Godma-related? I doubt the headquarters security being beefed up is unrelated, as well.” 

As a heavy atmosphere overtook the room, Berwick nodded. “We still haven’t fully grasped who was behind the incident, with Godma himself being our only lead. And information has to be obtained, even if the person’s life is coming to an end.” 

“Using the dark attribute for interrogation goes against international law.” 

“... There are some who feel that there are exceptions to everything.” 

It was possible to use dark attribute magic to control the mind. And a way of interrogation used in the past was a brainwashing type of method to extract information. 

Serious offenses by Magicmasters tended to be covered up by the military or nation, in all the seven nations. Crimes that disturbed the national order were especially dangerous, and the nations did whatever it took to solve them. 

“As you know, a taboo spell not even recorded in the spell encyclopedia, Grimoire, has been confirmed to have been used. So this won’t end at Godma,” Berwick said. 

“I’ll bet. Godma isn’t a Magicmaster, but a researcher, and devoted to it as well. It’s only natural to suspect someone behind him, if even he was able to make use of taboo spells.” 

“That’s right. While we couldn’t expect much, we should still have been able to extract some nugget of information from him.” 

“Should have?” Alus asked. “Meaning...?” 

“The day after he was put on life support, he was murdered.” 

“—!!” Alus narrowed his eyes. He immediately guessed at the circumstances around the situation, as well as its severity. 

Since he was an important prisoner, Godma should have been securely confined by the military. That meant he’d been killed inside a military base, which seemed unlikely. Even Alus, well-versed in covert operations, would avoid committing a crime inside a military base. 

Military facilities were full of spotters, and experienced, excellent Magicmasters. Committing a crime somewhere like that, undetected, was simply impossible. It was nothing short of a suicide attack, but based on Berwick’s manner of speaking, it seemed that the culprit hadn’t taken their own life, nor had they been apprehended. 

As Alus gazed at Berwick, he received a bitter answer in response. 

“It’s exactly what you think. The culprit completely escaped us. They located the room that only the brass knew about, and got inside. They also knocked out the security systems. The crime took place during the few minutes it took to bring them back online... we couldn’t confirm their appearance, but we managed to identify the remnant mana, and after an analysis we were able to link it to someone in the military. The problem is that said person was, without a doubt, in the Outer World when the crime took place, with the other squad members attesting to that as well. It’s a truly perplexing situation.” 

It was a mysterious phenomenon that was normally unthinkable. But Berwick had already settled on a criminal profile. There wasn’t any confusion on his face, nor did he look like he’d given up, as he had his eyes set on a specific target. 

The incident was completely unbelievable, yet it pointed to a single possibility. 

“A crime committed by those using Godma behind the scenes... in other words...” The situation reminded Alus of a name that could never be made public. When thinking of who was capable of making a practically impossible crime possible—only that name came to mind. 

Berwick knew exactly who Alus meant with his vague words, and affirmed it with, “There’s probably no doubt about it. They haven’t made any moves since you dealt with one of their cadre... but it seems they’re on the move again.” 

“That’s the most logical conclusion. The seven nations have allowed too much corruption to exist.” The razor-sharp coldness of Alus’ words highlighted the threat this organization posed to them. 

“We’re in the middle of investigating as deeply as we can. Also, we were unable to locate that book, one of the Four Books of Fegel that you reported on.” 

“I see. Well, I had no conclusive evidence that the book I saw was one of them.” 

“I find it hard to believe that you of all people would make such a misjudgment. Even if you did, we haven’t even found a book that matched your description.” 

“If it really is one of the originals,” Alus said, “there’s no doubt that they would try to recover it.” 

“Indeed.” 

“Maybe I should have prioritized recovering it during combat.” 

“Perhaps,” Berwick said. “But you can hardly be blamed for that during a mission. Anyway, that’s about all I have for you now.” 

“Well, vacation’s over, so I should be taking my leave... I just hope they can stay quiet for a little longer,” Alus said with a fed-up expression, taking his leave. 

“We might have you make a move again,” Berwick said firmly, in his role as head of the military 

Alus all but ignored this as he made his way to the door, but as he reached it, he stopped with his back to Berwick and said, “You’ll be too late.” With that, he stepped outside. 

If they had moved faster, then perhaps everything could have been taken care of in the darkness. 

* * * 

On the way back, Alus stopped at Folen as he said he would. Even if they took their time, they shouldn’t be home too late. Besides, it might be the perfect way to blow off some steam. 

But as expected in a prosperous city, it would take more than a day to go through all the stores. Just as Alus thought they’d need to narrow their choices down, he realized those two weren’t following him. 

“Fia, what do you think this is?” 

“Hmm... I don’t know.” 

The two were pressed up against a window display, gazing at the goods for sale with confused faces. In the display case were coins engraved with circular magic formulas. 

“They’re smoke signals. In the military they’re used to request backup, or tell others their location. There’s also some that can be used as smokescreens against Fiends.” 

“Really?” Alice said. 

“So this place even has things like that...” Tesfia marveled. 

These were inexpensive consumer goods, but the higher quality items went for higher prices, and compared to the lower quality items they could sell for ten times the price. But when buying these things, it was common practice to buy from stores that served the military. Being too penny-pinching could land you with tools that failed to work properly when you needed them the most, or even some that would explode before you could use them. 

Those familiar with magic formulas could judge the quality by looking at the engravings, but this was beyond a normal Magicmaster. 

Tesfia and Alice didn’t seem interested in buying anything, but that didn’t stop them from looking at display windows every time they saw something that caught their eye. 

Alus quickly realized they would never get anywhere if this went on. Which was why—“I’m going to a store where I’m a regular, so let’s meet at the transfer gate in an hour.” 

“Don’t leave me behind! I’m coming too,” Tesfia quickly said. 

“Me too!” said Alice. 

They immediately claimed they’d follow him, the moment he said it. Alus shrugged, and decided to drive his point home. “I don’t mind, but it’s going to be boring.” He knew it was probably pointless though. Considering the sparkles in their eyes, everything they saw must have been new to them. 

After that, he trod through a narrow alleyway, making his way to the familiar shop at the end. 

The shop was located within an old, decrepit building, which looked like a normal residence from the outside. 

The two girls let out sudden cries, because they thought Alus was trespassing. 

As he opened the wooden door, the bell rang out with a dull sound. This was an industrial city, and the fact that a building like this still remained was quite remarkable. According to the proprietor himself, it was because it had charm to it. 

“Old man, you here?” 

“That voice is... oh, it’s just you.” The vigorous voice of an old man from deep inside the store responded to Alus. 

Age-wise, it wouldn’t be strange to see him walking with a cane, but it would be quite a long while until this man needed one. A fire still burned in his eyes. 

The old man had given Alus a disappointed look and rude reply, but Alus ignored it. After all, this happened every time. As far as he knew, the old man did the same thing to all his customers. But he wasn’t senile or anything; he actually had a fantastic memory for his age. 

The full name of the one called ‘old man’ by the neighborhood was Budna Yorts. He was something of a well-known AWR technician in Folen. 

“How’s business been looking lately?” 

“Well, it has been darn confounding. Since a month ago, when we got newly designed AWRs from Rusalca, the wares have been streaming in at a terrific pace.” 

“Is it that different?” 

The old man was particularly well-informed about the news in Folen. Moreover, he was an extremely skilled AWR smith. He’d been in the military’s AWR production department in his younger days, and even after quitting the department he’d made use of his know-how to get by. He was known as a master craftsman in the right circles. 

“Naw, they’re not that much different from the others. But it’s more that the kinds of AWRs that a Single or Double uses are being mass-produced. Right now, a magic book type AWR, like the one that Single used. What was her name again? Anyways, that one’s very popular right now. Even though only a fraction can make full use of it.” 

Budna had a sharp nose when it came to business. Doubles were recognized by the public enough as they were, but Singles were admired by all. As a result, the type of AWRs they used turned into something like brands. Of course, the material used was different in order to bring down the cost. 

“So I take it the other stores are in a slump?” 

“You’d think so... wouldn’t you?” Budna had a sharp stare beneath his long eyelashes. 

The stream of AWRs from Rusalca should have been making a mess of the market, but Budna seemed unperturbed by it. “Of course, it’s a blow to the unimpressive AWR craftsmen. But strangely enough, the purchase of military articles increased around the same time. In fact, at a glance, we’re prospering more than ever before.” 

“Isn’t that good, then? I doubt it’ll last long anyways.” 

All the craftsmen around here were proud of their skills. They could easily overcome minor troubles like this. Ultimately, the world of the craftsmen was a place where skill trumped all, and Alus knew this too. 

“It’s not a bad thing, of course. But there are things you get when you do business here. What I hear is that it’s not soldiers doing the buying, nor is it some broker that’s settled down here. It appears they be avoiding the public eye, making large orders and buying up the goods. It’s organized and in large numbers to boot. I don’t know what they’re after, but it’d be harder not to notice them moving about when they’re this active.” 

“Aren’t they just making investments in a popular product?” Alus asked. 

“You’d think so. But in just two weeks, enough goods to last four months have been bought up here in Folen.” 

That was indeed suspicious. The military wasn’t related to the buying, so perhaps it was a peddler without a base within the nation. Still, it was unnatural for them to buy up this much. “I see. I’ll keep that in mind. So, can I see that new AWR?” 

“Naw, you probably won’t find any left in this city.” 

“Oh,” Alus said, in a disappointed voice. Having had his research ambitions stirred, hearing that made him feel discouraged. 

“Well, don’t worry. The AWR you’re using is my greatest masterpiece. You don’t need a replacement. And even if I tried to mass produce it, you’re the only one who could use it.” 

Like Budna said, Alus’ AWR, Night Mist, was a joint work made by the two of them. Making use of the most cutting-edge technology, each and every ring had been carefully made and engraved with superfine magic formulas. 

Due to the difficulty of handling it, Night Mist was extremely picky when it came to choosing its wielder. If someone who didn’t understand the essence of Lost Spells tried to use it, they’d find it hard to even activate a spell. 

“Huh, you’re the one who made Al’s AWR?” Alice, who’d been carefully perusing the wares of the store, said in surprise. 

“Aye, but it was a collaboration. He engraved the magic formulas while I made the AWR.” Budna closed his eyes and glowed in self-satisfaction, as he reminisced about the time when he’d finished his masterpiece. 

While he did so, Tesfia picked up one of the wares for sale. 

The moment she did, Budna’s eyes shot open. “Hey!! Don’t touch the goods, missy!” 

“Let me touch them just a little... you don’t have to be so stingy!” Tesfia complained, though she hurriedly put the item back on the shelf. 

With a harumph, Budna turned back to Alus. “But still, it’s rare to see you come here with others.” 

“There were some special circumstances.” 

Undeterred by Budna’s scolding, Tesfia continued rummaging through the store with sparkling eyes. Budna narrowed his wrinkled eyes further, keeping an eye on her. Once she was done perusing, she suddenly blurted out a frank compliment. “But this place really has an amazing assortment... even an amateur like me can tell.” 

“—! That so? Hmm, I see you have a pretty discerning eye. That’s exactly right, I’m proud of everything here. For example, the one over there is...” Just a moment ago he’d been looking at Tesfia with suspicion, but his expression had turned joyful now. 

Since the old man would go on forever if you complimented him, Alus quickly brought the discussion back on topic. “Well, actually I’d already finished the design for the AWR, but when I brought it to the military, they told me it was impossible to make something so advanced. That’s why I brought it here, to a smith I’d heard good things about.” By using Night Mist, Alus successfully baited Budna back on track. 

“The rings are actually made of the exact same material as the blade,” Budna told Tesfia. “I also applied a coating to make them suitable for engraving magic formulas on.” 

“Really? There are hundreds of rings, right?” 

“Aye, and those alone took me two years. I haven’t gotten any job as big as that since then. A long time has passed since I took on that job...” Budna said, as he began to pour hot water into a small teapot. 

Sensing he was about to drift off-topic again, Alus decided to get right to business. “For starters, have you got any good, high quality materials for AWRs?” 

“Everything in my store has been judged by my own eye. Right now, the only thing I don’t have on hand is mithril.” 

“Well, it can take months between mithril discoveries, so that can’t be helped. What other stuff do you have?” 

Mithril was a type of magical metal widely used for various magical purposes. It was also one of the best materials for AWRs, and due to its scarcity, it required a great deal of luck to get your hands on some. 

What Alus meant by ‘other stuff’ wasn’t referring to other high quality materials, but rather, what other different materials Budna had. 

Budna understood that right away. After all, Alus was a regular, and they went way back. “I can’t say I don’t have anything...” With a fearless smile, he stood up and headed into the back room. 

He soon returned with a golden ingot in his hand. 

“What’s that?” Tesfia exclaimed. 

“Don’t know,” Budna replied. 

Surprised by its luster, Tesfia butted in to get a closer look. “Gold?” 

“Hey! You’re nobility, so don’t act so greedy!” 

Brushing Alus’ words aside, Tesfia stared curiously at the ingot. “Don’t be so stingy, it’s beautiful... so is this gold?” 

“Naw, it’s not. To be honest, I don’t really know what kind of material it is. It has some good mana conductivity, so I’m sure it’ll make for a fine AWR, but since its composition can’t be analyzed I can’t use it as material in my products.” 

“It can’t be analyzed?” Tesfia said. “That’s interesting.” 

Normally that meant that it couldn’t be analyzed using current technology, or that it couldn’t be put out for analysis due to special circumstances. 

For example, it might be something that came from the black market that couldn’t be manufactured through normal means, and was thus illegal. It could even be material that would lead to punishment if it was identified and in a person’s possession. 

Based on Budna’s statement, it seemed to be the former, something your average artisan couldn’t analyze. But the shop owner also felt the substance hadn’t been acquired through regular means either, making it a very shady piece of material. “I was thinking of letting you see it when you next showed your mug here. So, do you recognize it?” 

Alus handled the golden ingot and carefully looked it over. It didn’t seem to be a normal mineral, but he couldn’t really tell. “Old man, how much do you want for this?” 

“I’m not struggling for money. So just take the average price of some material lying around here. In return...” 

“I know. If I manage to analyze this mineral, I’ll ask you to make an AWR with it,” Alus said. He pulled out his license, which also served as a money card, and held it over the payment terminal. 

Seeing that, Budna quickly worked the register. The number that showed up had six zeroes after it. 

“—!!” Alice reacted. 

“It’s that much?!” Tesfia cried. 

“This shop only carries high-quality stuff. That thing you picked up before costs a pretty penny, too,” Alus told her. 

“Seriously?!” 

“At the very least, it costs more than the yearly wage of your average Magicmaster.” 

Having said that, what Alus bought wasn’t on the level of an annual income, but instead on the level of buying a house. But depending on the outcome of the analysis, it might end up being worth far more. 

However, it would stand out if he brought it home like this, so Budna put the ingot in a plain wooden box. 

The elderly man’s eyes weren’t just lit up by the golden glow of the ingot, but also with hopes that with this, he’d be able to make his greatest work yet. He had the spirit of a true artisan, Alus thought, as he told Budna, “I’ll see you again soon.” 

He then left the store with the two girls in tow. 

Time had passed before they knew it. It was getting dark outside. At this time of day, Folen took on a different face. The main street was suddenly lined with stands, and the town that smelled of iron completely changed. Unlike daylight hours, the main street was lively, and you’d be forgiven for thinking there was a festival going on. 

At night, the industrial city’s craftsmen set up stalls selling accessories and miscellaneous goods as a side job, and to take a break. As a result, the main street was dazzling, and saw a surge of female customers. 

“You can find accessories that are more sturdy here, instead of one of those boutiques over there. Stalls like these can have unexpected bargains, too...” Alus was of the mind that the sturdier something was the better, which was a completely different mindset from the female fashion-oriented one. 

But not a single word of what he said reached the girls anyway, as they were totally fixated on visiting all of the stalls. 

“Isn’t this beautiful, Fia?” Even Alice’s words went unheard. Tesfia was running from stand to stand, licking her lips at the wares on display. 

“Geez...” With a dumbfounded look, Alice turned to Alus, but in reality she looked just as eager as Tesfia. 

Just a quick look was enough for even Alus to guess at what she wanted. “That’s fine, just don’t get lost.” They were on the way back after all, and he’d said it would be fine, so Alus decided to quietly follow after them. 

Alice was excited, but Tesfia stared at literally everything around her, busily running around. Alus eventually got sick of it, and decided to just wait in the middle of the street. 

As a result, he stood in the middle of the road with nothing to do for a time, while the two girls went every which way the moment they spotted anything interesting. 

Finally, they suddenly stopped. Alus noticed this, and headed for the stall that seemed to have seized their attention. It was a simple stall consisting of wares placed on top of a sheet on a board. 

However, the colorful wares themselves interested the girls to the point of them crouching down to get a closer look. 

“Hey uncle, how much for this?” Tesfia picked up a pretty hair clip and asked this of the stall owner in a lively voice. 

The owner looked a little too young to be called ‘uncle,’ but he showed no signs of being upset as he raised three fingers. 

The currency that humanity used was called a Deld. The coins were made of copper, silver and gold, and their worth was 500, 5,000 and 10,000 Deld respectively. 

There were also 100 Deld paper notes, and half notes worth 50 Deld. 

But with the increase in the number of Magicmasters, there was little coinage and notes left in circulation. It was now common to use a money card, or a license if you had one, to pay. 

The man was holding up three fingers, and normally you’d imagine that meant 3,000 Deld. “That’s 30,000 Deld.” 

“—!! That’s expensive,” Alice exclaimed, in a tone of frustration. 

Tesfia, on the other hand, calmly put the hair clip back. 

“Sorry, but if I go any lower I’ll lose money.” The owner smiled wryly. It really was the best he could do, and he almost looked apologetic about it. 

Alus, having arrived at the stall, sarcastically called out to Tesfia, “You’re nobility, so don’t be such a cheapskate. I bet you get more than enough in allowance for that.” 

“I don’t have enough money to splurge. I’m a working student, you know!” 

Hearing such a reasonable answer, even Alus fell quiet. 

Thirty thousand Deld was enough for an adult to live off of for a month. The closer you were to the defensive line, the cheaper the land got, and the further away the more expensive it became. For a place like this, the rent would be around 40,000 Deld. That also happened to be the average monthly wage of a non-Magicmaster. 

A Magicmaster earned around 400,000 Deld a month, and those who worked in the Outer World also received bonuses based on their achievements. With those circumstances in mind, a 30,000 Deld purchase wasn’t cheap. 

However, even Alus could tell that the hair clip Tesfia chose was a fine quality accessory. Even without the beautiful craftsmanship, it was very durable and wouldn’t break easily. The creator might have been an AWR smith, as it consisted of the same kind of material used to make AWRs, not obstructing the flow of mana. 

Tesfia gazed longingly at the hair clip again. Alice, who’d had a similar discussion with the stall owner, sadly put back the bracelet she’d picked up. 

This stall carried some pretty expensive things, Alus thought to himself. Which meant that he probably made a lot of sales. The cost of things like this at the other stalls would only run a few 1,000 Deld. 

Stalls sometimes carried expensive goods like this, but these prices were a bit much. But from Alus’ judgment, this kind of item would cost twice as much at the stores. In that sense, the two girls had a good eye for quality. 

It was then that Alus spotted a case by the owner’s feet. “Hm? What’s that?” Since it was by his feet, it might not be for sale, but it grabbed Alus’ attention. 

“I see you make astute observations. I thought this would cost too much to sell at my stall, and I didn’t want to put it out with the other wares.” 

Inside the case was a pendant. It had a silver chain made with fine workmanship, and the gem-like ball was a cloudy white. Size-wise, it was about as big as a thumbnail. 

It was hard to describe it as beautiful. But Alus let out a groan as he realized what the ball was. “This ball is a type of magic stone, huh.” 

“—!! Just who are you? This isn’t something you’d find around here.” 

The owner’s observation was spot on. Magic stones were most often carried by Magicmasters on missions in the Outer World as a necessity. While they weren’t incorporated into AWRs, gemstones with high mana conductivity were called magic stones. Many of them had the property of confining mana within them, and they were processed based on the type of stone. 

The pendant’s ball was a hazy white color inside. Alus predicted that the mana stone would be classified as a seal stone. Seal stones worked by sealing one’s own mana inside them, and could be used as decoys to confuse Fiends. It came in handy when escaping multiple Fiends. 

The reason why the owner said you couldn’t find it around here was simple. This kind of mana stone was manufactured as military munitions. To turn one into a decoration was exceedingly rare. 

“I think this is the first time I’ve seen one fashioned as an accessory, and the raw material is different from the usual stuff the military uses, isn’t it?” Alus asked. 

“That’s right.” 

Which meant there was nothing to complain about with regards to this item. Alus also hadn’t forgotten about finding a gift for Loki. Not only was it unusual, but he felt it was an interesting idea, too. 

But when it came to accessories—the gem itself felt lacking. While he wasn’t looking for something obviously expensive such as what nobility would prefer, even he felt a dull white color was lacking in beauty. 

Seeing Alus deep in thought, the owner began ambitiously describing his ware. “The gem is what’s called a calderite.” It was a special, high purity quartz. Not only was it a seal stone, but it was also used to identify a Magicmaster’s affinity. “This is a first-class product that’s been made with great skill. The chain’s made of mithril, and it was designed by a first-rate craftsman. Yet, you saw right through it.” 

The owner bent over, his hand held over his mouth as he whispered, “The murkiness inside responds to mana flowing through it, and lights up depending on the attribute. For example, the water attribute would turn it a deep blue...” 

“That’s interesting, but it wouldn’t last long like that,” Alus said. 

Once mana was outside the body, the information began to decay. In other words, as time passed, the remains of the mana would eventually disappear. Seal stones were originally made to contain mana, but even the ones used as decoys in the military only lasted a day at most. 

“They’ve thought of that. The surface has been coated to maintain mana semi-permanently. So once you pass your mana through it, the color will remain the same after it changes.” 

“I see. So how much is it?” 

When Alus asked this, the owner got an apologetic look on his face. “I’m afraid a youth like you can’t afford it. It’s 3,600,000 Deld.” 

However, that was far lower than what Alus anticipated. He’d braced himself for it to cost at least 5,000,000 Deld, so he almost jumped at the offer immediately; but then he realized he could squeeze a little more out of it. “That’s fine. I’ll buy it, so throw in that and that,” he said, pointing to the items Tesfia and Alice had wanted. 

“—!!” 

Alus pulled his license out, in front of the wide-eyed stall owner. 

Seeing that, the owner finally understood that he was dealing with a Magicmaster. “I see. I don’t mind selling them as a set, but seriously, who are you?” 

“I’m just a Magicmaster. You don’t come across something like this often... still, at 3,600,000 Deld will you even make a profit off of this?” 

“Well, I did say that I didn’t have any intention of selling it, but in reality I just couldn’t find a buyer. That’s why I left it in the case. It was just too expensive to sell around here... I probably won’t make another one of these. But I’m moved to hear you say that.” 

It need not be said that not all of the city’s craftsmen were crafty salesmen. 

Alus held the license against the card reader and finished paying. 

“Thank you for your patronage,” the stall owner said, as he saw Alus and the others off with a look of satisfaction. 

“Thank you, Al!” Tesfia said. 

“Thank you so much!!” Alice said happily. 

Tesfia received the hair clip from him and Alice the bracelet. The two put their new gifts on right away, with excited expressions. 

“Well, it was just because I was buying a souvenir for Loki.” In reality, it really didn’t cost very much for Alus. So if they were happy over something like this, then that was fine too... 

“I feel like my sense of money is going to be thrown out of whack when I’m with you,” Tesfia said, but with a bright smile. 

It seemed the two girls were completely satisfied. Now all that was left was to return home. 

True, it might not have been a cheap purchase, but Magicmasters received a high salary. As the highest-ranked Magicmaster of them all, Alus had more money than he could ever spend. 

A portion of that money came from his research results, but the majority was from his retaking land on his own. Normally, several hundred high-ranking Magicmasters would be sent out to retake land. Since Alus would receive the same money all of them collectively would receive, he easily had more money than the Governor-General. 

* * * 

Alus came back to the laboratory a bit later than dinner time. 

It was nearly dorm curfew time, but Tesfia and Alice accompanied him back to the laboratory, and without any hesitation, like it was the most natural thing in the world. 

When the door opened, a silver-haired girl was waiting for him. 

The moment Alus caught a glimpse of silver when he opened the door, his face twitched. It was like being faced with a ticking time bomb. 

He saw Loki dressed in an apron, her arms crossed and cheeks puffed up with resentment. Her powerful stare shot lasers at Alus’ eyes, and silence followed. No one wanted to be the first to speak in a chilly atmosphere like this one. 

However, it seemed that could be handled based on one’s position and how one used it. 

“Ah, oh, would you look at the time... I guess I’ll be taking my leave then!” Alice was unable to look Loki in the eye, and came up with an excuse to escape the laboratory. It was a dirty method of pushing all the responsibilities of dealing with Loki onto one person. 

And following on to that—“T-That’s true! We can’t miss the curfew!” Tesfia desperately tried using logic. She also couldn’t look at Loki. 

I was the only one who cared about the curfew to begin with, Alus retorted in his head. He had half a mind to cut off their escape, but reconsidered, since it wouldn’t be very mature. 

“Then, see you later, Al. And thanks for today!” 

“See you tomorrow. I’ll take good care of this.” Tesfia showed off her new hair clip in her ponytail, as she turned to the door. But the red gem in it might just have added further fuel to the flame. 

When Loki stared at the hair clip, her eyes narrowed further. 

Saying thanks was fine, but why’d they have to do it now? These girls just returned a favor with spite. 

Sensing a dangerous aura coming from Loki, Alus was unable to take his eyes off of her, but he mentally cursed the two girls he could hear walking away from the laboratory. 

At last, Loki gave a long sigh. “So, where did you go today?” When she finally spoke, she didn’t sound as angry as expected. If anything, she sounded exasperated. 

It wasn’t like Alus had any ill intentions. He’d only left a note for her because he didn’t want to wake her up when she was so worn out. “We went to the Governor-General’s office to talk about Alice’s attribute-less affinity, and to request his support.” 

“I see, and it looks like it went all right. But if you were going to go through the trouble of writing me a note, you could have just woken me up.” 

“You helped me out writing reports all night. I’m not cruel enough to force you to get up when you’re tired.” Alus started to walk on, as if to say that was that. As he passed by her, he put his hand on her head. 

“Sir Alus should be tired too, so how could I sleep?” Loki rebutted in a voice so quiet that Alus decided he could brush it off. 

Thinking he’d successfully dodged the question, he sighed in relief. 

“So, on your way back, you enjoyed a date with those two.” Contrary to Alus’ prayers, Loki had seen through him. And she’d heard what the girls said. When that kind of thing played out before her very eyes, of course she wouldn’t overlook it. 

“It’s those two, so of course it wasn’t a date, and those gifts were just something I got while I was out.” Alus rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a stylishly wrapped package. The stall owner had showed an unexpected amount of consideration and taste. “Here, it’s your reward for this time.” 

“Huh?!” 

He carelessly handed over the small box to Loki, who reflexively took it. The small box was wrapped in paper, with a cute ribbon for decoration. 

“... Can I open it?” 

Alus responded with a simple “Yeah” as he moved to his room to change clothes. 

“...!!” 

He could hear the sound of the box being opened, but a long silence followed after that. When he finished changing, Alus returned to the room and asked if she didn’t like it. “If you didn’t, I’m sorry. I’m not really used to this whole present-giving thing.” 

“No...” With downcast eyes, Loki was clutching the pendant against her chest. “I’m just happy... thank you very much, Sir Alus.” 

As Loki looked up at him, her eyes welled with tears of joy that looked like they might spill over at a single blink. 

“It was a surprisingly good find, and if you pour mana through the stone it’ll supposedly light up beautifully depending on the disposition of your mana. I’m sure it’ll be a beautiful color if you try it.” 

“Yes,” Loki said, and looked down at it again. After rubbing her eyes, she returned his gaze with a huge smile on her face. As if to try it out right away, she put the pendant on the palm of her hand... but didn’t let any mana course through it. “... Sir Alus, how many times will this react to my mana?” 

Magic mana stones were all single-use items. Alus responded with what the stall owner had told him. “Just once. And supposedly it’s been coated so that the mana information sealed within won’t decay.” 

Loki cast her eyes down once more, before looking at Alus with a firm resolve. “Then can I ask you, Sir Alus?” 

“You mean... using my mana?” 

Loki nodded, with a smile that expressed that was how she truly felt about it. 

Mana information reflected the attribute as well as all kinds of tidbits. It included everything about the person, even their accumulated experiences. 

Which was why... “I don’t think my mana will make a beautiful color.” Thinking of his dirty past, Alus’ mana was abnormal. That’s why his mana would never in his life give a clear light to a gem. 

“I want it to be your mana.” Loki desperately tried to keep her racing emotions from showing, holding the pendant out towards Alus, who casually grabbed it. 

They say women can’t help but be attracted to sparkling things. In that sense, Alus’ mana wasn’t really a suitable fit. 

Well, if that’s what Loki wanted, arguing against it any further would be uncouth. While he wasn’t really inclined to do so, Alus let his mana flow through the pendant. 

He then slowly opened his hand. As his hand opened to reveal the pendant, Loki gazed steadily over it. 

“... I told you.” Like Alus expected, the gem had turned the color of blackest night, with no stars to see. There were even several cracks running inside of it. Leaving it as a dull white would have been better. “Sorry about this. I’ll get you a new one someday.” 

However, the pendant was plucked out of his hand. “Thank you very much, Sir Alus! I’m so happy... I couldn’t ask for anything more.” 

Alus’ mana was inside of this. A portion of what he’d built up; and Loki valued being able to feel that close to her more than anything else. There wasn’t anything better she could ask for. 

“Like I said, it’s been coated. While I don’t think it’s been weakened by the cracks... are you really fine with that? Pendants can be much more beautiful...” 

“This is fine. This is what I want. And you said that there are more beautiful things, but to me there’s nothing more beautiful than this!” Loki pressed the pendant to her chest, as if to embrace it. 

Seeing that, the edges of Alus’ lips curled up into something of a wry smile. Ultimately, he didn’t understand how a woman’s heart worked. “Well, if you’re fine with it, then that’s that.” That was about all he could manage to say. 

“Sir Alus, could you put it on?” 

Alus nodded and took the chain in his hand, the cracked black gem dangling below. Loki turned around and brought her hand behind her neck to brush her hair away. Her white slender nape was captivating. Alus put the chain around her neck and closed the clasp. 

Loki then let her hair down, turning to face him and asking him how she looked. The gem hanging at her collarbone shone against her pale skin. 

“Yeah, it suits you.” 

“Thank you very much,” Loki told him, with a bashful blush. As long as the person herself liked it, Alus was fine with it. 

“More importantly, dinner.” 

“Yes! I’ll prepare it right away.” Loki got to work on dinner in high spirits, looking as if she’d start humming at any moment. The dinner must have already been made some time ago, as she only had to lightly heat it up and put it on the table. 

Alus sat down, and as he was about to bring the food to his mouth— 

“But you got those two presents, too.” 

“—!” 

Couldn’t you have just let it be? he thought to himself, as he froze. When he did, the food on his fork fell off. 

“... Only while I was out.”