……Set the purpose of the spell in your mind. Choose the series suited to that purpose and construct the circuit.
A process expressed in two sentences. It did not need to be all that complicated.
Because she believed in her own talent, she focused only on compressing and heating “magic in its purest form,” rather than on flashy individual techniques or high-level formulae.
The theory of the “Iron Man” taught by Professor Deculein.
With that theory engraved into body and mind, Epherene slowly stretched out her hand.
Gooooooo……
Her artifact—the “bracelet”—was the first to glow blue. The mana born from her dantian spread into the atmosphere, and that vivid current gathered around her arm.
“Haaap!”
With a shout, she thrust out her hand. The spell she sought to manifest was of the wind attribute, destruction series—「Roar of Convection」.
Whiiiiiiiiing──!
A gale surged from her grasp, scattering into several streams as it shattered the distant boulder in an instant.
From the edges to the center, it was utterly smashed to pieces. A great mass of stone had been crushed into fine fragments.
“Hehe.”
It was a perfect result. The spell’s structure, power, and efficiency lacked nothing.
Epherene laughed triumphantly, then blew—whoosh!—to scatter the smoke flickering in her palm. Then, with a face full of pride, she turned back toward the professor evaluating her from afar.
“Epherene, is the demonstration over?”
Deculein was checking something on a document.
It was what they called a “capability assessment.” Before beginning the mission, the abilities of the knights and mages were evaluated in order to form balanced teams.
Deculein said only one thing.
“Go back.”
“……Yes.”
As expected, there was no praise. She was a little dissatisfied by that, but Epherene simply withdrew and sat down by the base of a tree. Then she comfortably watched the next assessment.
Now it was probably Drent’s turn—
“Huh?”
At that moment, Epherene’s eyes widened.
On the road in the distance, the passage leading to Reccordak, she had spotted a somewhat familiar figure.
“Professor Louina?!”
At Epherene’s cry, the other side looked at her as well. Louina gave Epherene a mature smile.
…….
Epherene and Louina gathered in the dining hall. The two of them had matters to share with each other.
“……Really, he has less than five years left to live? Are you sure?”
“Yes. I can’t explain the details, but I’m absolutely certain. I swear it on my name.”
The two had decided to speak casually. Epherene’s efforts had broken Louina’s stubbornness.
“So that really was the case…… I had expected it, but now that I know it’s true, it feels a little empty.”
With a rather hollow expression, she looked down at her tray. Epherene fully understood how she felt.
“But…… no one’s sitting over there?”
Still, as if anything more than that was uncomfortable, Louina changed the subject. Epherene looked in that direction too.
There were Julie, Deculein’s fiancée, and Lieutenant Reilly. Only the two of them were there. No one was trying to sit anywhere near them.
“You’re right? The place is full, but no one’s sitting there.”
The dining hall was packed, yet only the area around them was completely empty. Louina murmured in a small voice.
“Well, she is the person who parted ways with Deculein like that.”
“Huh? Ah~ But isn’t that still not official?”
“……Hehe. Isn’t it only appearing that way because it’s a matter between great houses? Yukline and Freyden. They’re probably adjusting appearances between themselves for now.”
“Ah…….”
At Louina’s answer, Epherene nodded.
Just then, someone sat down beside her.
“What, who is it?”
“Who else? It’s me, Leaf.”
It was Ihelm. Ihelm looked at Louina and narrowed his brow slightly.
“You came too?”
“Yeah. Hello?”
“Hello, my ass. Since when were we on greeting terms? More importantly, Leaf. How’s your work going? I heard you’ve been indiscriminately releasing Deculein’s papers.”
“……Ah, no. We only read them together for a little while…….”
“Oh! Ihelm! Louina!”
A clear, refreshing shout rang out from somewhere. Epherene and everyone else turned that way.
A blond knight was approaching with a bright smile.
Louina’s eyes went round.
“Syrio?”
“Yeah, it’s me. Syrio.”
Epherene flinched in surprise. The vice-captain of the Iliade Knights, the “Swift Swordsman Syrio.”
He was quite a famous figure. In addition, knights such as Raphel and Gwen all took seats nearby as well.
“No, why the hell are these bastards sitting here, stinking of sweat?”
Ihelm muttered discontentedly. Syrio answered, still smiling.
“What does it matter? It’s nice that all our old classmates are gathered after so long~ Been a while since we got together like this.”
“Classmates?”
Epherene asked back in surprise. Syrio nodded.
“Yeah. All of us were classmates with Deculein. If only Julie, sitting over there alone, came over too—”
Syrio spoke as though for Julie to hear.
As if she had indeed heard, Julie briefly stopped moving her spoon and chopsticks. But soon, she rose from her seat and left the dining hall altogether.
“……Ah, damn it. You ruined it because of that.”
Gwen lightly smacked Syrio on the shoulder. Syrio rubbed his shoulder and smiled bitterly.
“Ah, sorry. Still, since all the old classmates are gathered, wouldn’t it be nice to just make up cleanly?”
“What do you mean, make up? Do you not know Julie’s personality? Now she won’t even come to the dining hall and will only eat in her office.”
“Mm…… I guess so?”
“What do you mean, you guess so?”
Epherene watched the conversation between these famous people, who often appeared in the media, with eyes full of slight wonder.
* * *
The North’s dark and lengthy night. With the blizzard raging outside the window as my backdrop, I was drawing up the roster of those who would participate in the mission.
[1. Julie 2. Gwen 3. Devlin 4. Drent.]
[1. Syrio 2. Lillard 3. Dement 4. Epherene.]
[1. Raphel 2. Ihelm…….]
It was an arrangement made with compatibility in mind. So that no matter what monster they encountered, they would not be at a disadvantage.
I had spent 3,000 mana on 「Comprehension」 while compiling this roster, so its effectiveness should be certain.
Knock, knock—
Just as the roster was completed.
A knock sounded at the door. I opened it with telekinesis.
“This is Knight Deya.”
It was Julie. As Reccordak’s de facto person in charge, she was also handling the practical affairs.
“This is the report checking the condition of Reccordak’s prisoners.”
Julie set the report down. I looked at her with 「Vision」.
Her lifespan, once plagued by an incurable curse, had at some point lengthened into years.
I nodded in satisfaction.
“This is the roster for the mission. See to its distribution as you deem fit.”
“Yes.”
“Also, there is something you must do at night.”
“Yes.”
I handed her full-length mirrors.
Holding three mirrors the size of her own body in her arms, Julie looked at me expressionlessly. Her eyes demanded an explanation.
“This is a map.”
At the same time, I held out a map. An artifact I had enhanced with 「Midas’s Hand」 in “Years.”
“I have marked the strategic points. Install the mirrors there. Take care that they are not damaged.”
The new Origin I had obtained, 「Mirror」.
It could make use of all properties of mirrors—not only reflection and refraction, but also as “connection” and “passage.”
In other words.
As long as those full-length mirrors were installed there, I could go anywhere in the North.
Of course, the quality of the magic was still low, so there were restrictions, but my range of movement would expand exponentially.
“Yes.”
Julie asked no questions. She simply slung the mirrors onto her back and left.
She truly was a woman suited to the North.
“……She should not lose her way now.”
I muttered quietly.
Among Julie’s traits was 「Poor Sense of Direction」, but with that map, it should be possible to compensate to some degree.
“Then…….”
I was about to begin my only hobbies in the North, painting or writing.
However.
Tap— tap—
There came the sound of some stone striking the window.
Tap— tap—
“What.”
I furrowed my brow and rose. When I opened the window and looked below it, there was some postman standing there.
“Ah! Professor! A message!”
He was an adventurer who delivered letters.
“Please receive it!”
He took a letter from his bag and flicked it—launching it upward. I caught the sharply soaring letter with 「Telekinesis」.
“Then I’ll be going!”
Whoooosh─! The sight of him flying away was quite something. That postman, who vanished beyond the horizon in an instant, was undoubtedly a Named.
They say the world is vast and there are many masters.
“…….”
I tore open the envelope.
A blizzard swayed in the sky. I watched the flow of those beautiful fragments for a moment, then read the lines inside the envelope.
[Deculein.. It must be night there in the North.. Perhaps you are flustered by this private letter from Us~~ However, there is no particular reason We have gone out of Our way to send you a letter,,]
It was an unfriendly letter that did not state the sender, but from the very first paragraph above, I felt I knew who this person was.
[We simply did not wish to use a crystal ball or message paper.. At times, such strange feelings arise in Us.. The desire to use something that is not magic, that is.. Hahaha~~]
“…….”
For some reason, these phrases felt familiar. It was a style I had read somewhere, sometime.
[We are training in Go in order to defeat you.. We are also allocating a small amount of time to magic and swordsmanship.. But truly~~ these fucking bastard retainers,, why do they have so many things they want.. Ah, damn~~ the more We think on it, the more irritated We become..!!]
I let out a hollow laugh.
Was this something universal? At times like these, I could at least glimpse Sophien’s years.
She was an elder who had lived over a hundred years. Of course, since the only thing she had experienced during that time was death, her mental age had not matured by over a hundred years’ worth…….
[We heard that you are devoting yourself to writing in the North.. So We thought on it..!! Write a book related to Go there.. It means We shall entrust the spread of Go to you~~ Somewhere, there may be a talent for Go slumbering that will surpass you,, and even Us..]
“Go, is it.”
If Go became easier to disseminate, Sophien would be pleased as well. Moreover, finding things that would please Her Majesty was a retainer’s duty.
I considered myself Sophien’s retainer.
Of course, this sentiment was to some extent due to Deculein’s emotions and personality.
Because the pinnacle of the elitism and class system that Deculein followed was the Emperor—namely, Sophien.
[We shall end the letter here.. It has been nearly a hundred years,, though We do not know if a hundred years is correct~~ In any case, as it is the first time We have written directly with Our own hand, it is clumsy.. You need not send a reply..!! Deculein, you arrogant and insolent fellow.. Work hard in the North~~..]
The somehow warmly familiar letter ended there.
I took a sheet of paper from the drawer.
Since it was to be sent to Her Majesty, I bestowed Midas’s Hand upon it, and wrote a single line atop it.
[Yes. I will strive to fulfill Your Majesty’s will.]
* * *
Meanwhile, Julie was carrying out the night mission together with Reilly. Though the temperature was below freezing and the blizzard was falling like mad, she had not a single complaint.
“I’m telling you, he did this on purpose to screw us over! To screw us, to screw us?!”
But Reilly herself was making a fuss. With a face furious at the world, she kept muttering something to Julie.
Julie covered her ears and shook her head.
“I understand. I know. You only have to say it once.”
“Honestly! Why use high-class personnel like us for some night mission! And what, mirrors? Miiirrors—?!”
“……Go and place it over there. It is a strategic point.”
Julie pointed somewhere. It was a basin halfway up the mountain.
“Hmph!”
Reilly stomped over and planted the mirror with a thud—! in the spot Deculein had marked.
“It will break, Reilly.”
“Whether it breaks or not!”
“……Honestly.”
It was at that moment.
Whiiiiiiiiing───!
The blizzard grew fiercer. Reilly flinched in surprise. It was not merely that it had intensified.
Cold swept in together with mana. A chill that froze the convection itself.
It was a “magical phenomenon.”
“Ah, again! Looks like a magical blizzard! Of all times!”
“Do not worry. There is a waystation nearby.”
Julie unfolded the map. This map was an exceedingly convenient item.
Not only did it display her current location.
“Please guide us to the waystation.”
When spoken to like this, it guided her along the path to the nearest waystation in the vicinity. It was an extremely useful and appreciated map.
“Where is it?!”
“Let us go. Follow me.”
“Yes, yes. Hurry, hurry. If I stay in a place like this too long, I’ll freeze to death. Brr!”
She hoisted the noisy Reilly onto her back with both arms. Then she ran in the direction indicated by the map.
“Mm?”
“Huh? There’s someone over there?!”
In the meantime, they spotted a group beyond the downhill road. They were too far away to be anything but dark silhouettes, but as they drew closer, their forms grew distinct.
Rayleigh’s eyes widened.
“Lia!”
She climbed down from Yuli’s arms and ran toward them. Yuli followed after her as well.
“Huh? Rayleigh!”
There were three children there. They smiled brightly and threw themselves into Rayleigh’s arms.
“Leo, Carlos, you’re here too? Good to see you, kids~”
“It’s been so long~”
“It’s been a long time!”
The four of them greeted one another warmly. Watching blankly from the side, Yuli asked,
“…Rayleigh. You know these kids?”
“Of course I do! Oh, right. Guys, this is Sir Yuli.”
“Hello.”
The girl looked at her first and smiled bashfully. She seemed to be the child called Lia…
But when Yuli saw the girl’s face, a strangely peculiar feeling came over her. She herself had no idea why.
“First, there should be a waystation around here. You’re cold, right? Follow me. Sir?”
“…Ah. Yes. Right. Let’s go. Follow me. I’ll guide you to the waystation.”
Yuli walked on, leading the three children.
The waystation appeared before long. Pointing at the warm little cabin, Lia said,
“You have no idea how many times this place has saved our lives.”
“Is that so~? Our Lia even speaks so sweetly.”
First, Yuli swore to the pledge and opened the waystation door.
“Come in…?”
She said that while looking over her shoulder, and when she turned back to face forward—
Her entire body jolted violently.
“…”
There were already other people inside the waystation. Three of them, gathered close together, sipping tea.
“…Mm.”
One was a beautiful blonde woman, and another was a public official with navy-blue hair.
Yuli knew both of them well. They were Sylvia and Primien, respectively.
However, right now, more than those two—
There was someone whose body was larger than the two of them put together.
A knight far too familiar to Yuli, yet at times stranger and more frightening than anyone else.
“…Um. You’re here, Yuli.”
Zeit von Brugang Pheirden. With a hand like a brown bear’s paw, he scratched the back of his neck.
“Well… one thing led to another, and I ended up coming in here too. Hahaha. Ahem.”
“…”
Yuli stared blankly from one of the three to another.
At that, Sylvia glanced at Yuli first, then huffed and turned her head away in displeasure.
Next was Primien. She gazed steadily at Yuli and gave a nod.
Lastly, Zeit. She had no idea why he was here either, but he chuckled and avoided her eyes.
It was truly a combination she had never imagined.
Zeit said,
“What are you doing standing there? Come in and sit down for now. Looks like you’ve got company too.”
“…Yes.”
For now, Yuli let the children inside. It was cold outside, so there was no helping it.
“Now~ everyone, into the waystation… Hrk! What the heck!”
Upon discovering Zeit, Rayleigh was even more startled than Yuli and toppled backward onto the floor. Leo, Carlos, and Lia behind her reacted much the same.
The children flinched and backed away with faces full of unease. They had felt Zeit’s absolute “strength” with their very bodies.
Zeit’s physique, his face, and his magnificent pressure were more than enough for that. If they had been ordinary people, their legs likely would have given out the moment they faced him.
Zeit himself, however, seemed displeased by it and frowned.
“Hey. What, are you looking at some monster, you brats? Just get in here…”