Isekai Mahou wa Okureteru! (LN) - Volume 1 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Place I Must Return to Is So Far Away 

Two weeks had flown by since Suimei and the others were summoned to this strange new world and asked to defeat the Demon Lord. The time Reiji was set to depart was swiftly approaching. Two weeks to prepare for subjugating such a powerful foe seemed woefully insufficient, but looking to the stories of previous heroes, it seemed two weeks was historically what it took for a hero’s power to fully manifest. And so Reiji had spent his days endeavoring to learn magic and master combat. 

Since she’d decided to accompany him on his quest, Mizuki was training alongside him, and they were taking lessons from both the captain of the royal guard and Court Mage Felmenia. Their schedule was mind-bogglingly packed to try and fit in everything they needed to learn in two weeks. As for the results of their intense training, however… Suimei didn’t even want to think about it. 

Hahh… 

Suimei had watched Reiji and Mizuki training from his window, and they both dropped by every day to let him know how things were going. All he could do was sigh at their progress. He was aggrieved at what they’d achieved in such a short span of time. It was downright cruel. 

Since Reiji was just an ordinary citizen before all this, it was no surprise that he got thoroughly schooled in combat training. He’d never studied a martial art before and didn’t even know how to defend himself—for the first two days, at least. He picked up on things so quickly that by the third day, he was able to seriously go toe to toe with the captain of the royal guard. Now there wasn’t anyone that could stand up to him, so he’d taken to fighting against several men at once for training. 

And if that wasn’t cruel, what was it? Suimei wouldn’t dare call it amazing. He knew the only way to properly describe power like that was “cruel.” He didn’t know if it was the divine blessing from the hero summoning or whatever else might be at work, but regardless of the reason, the progress Reiji was making was absurd. 

Rather than a sponge, he was taking things in like a water pump in overdrive. He wasn’t absorbing the water known as talent, but relentlessly sucking it up. Watching it happen, Suimei felt like all the hard work he’d ever put into learning anything meant nothing. It was a terrible feeling. 

That’s cheating. Seriously. 

Even when it came to magic, Reiji’s newfound talent was remarkable. It had taken Suimei two years from his first encounter with magicka to definitively get his head around the concept and hone his senses enough to be able to see the power he had. But Reiji had only needed one afternoon. He’d manifested fire on his first try, and things had only escalated from there. 

It was incredible, and incredibly dispiriting to Suimei. Life was simply unfair. And unable to face it, Suimei had kept himself shut up in his room while Reiji only continued to grow stronger. 

Yet even though he’d sequestered himself, he was far from idle. He spent most of his time reading books from this world. Suimei remembered King Almadious telling him he couldn’t return home all too well, including the uncharacteristic temper tantrum he’d thrown afterward. It sucked, but it was reality. Suimei was stuck here. 

So for the past two weeks, Suimei had amassed the knowledge he’d need to survive in this world by devouring books retrieved from the castle library. Since he was going to be living in this world now, there was plenty that he needed to relearn. And that knowledge might be the make-or-break difference in his survival here. It would be the difference between him adapting seamlessly and struggling to scrape by. 

Fortunately, thanks to the benefits of the hero summoning, Suimei was able to understand the common language of this world, both spoken and written. That gave him the ability to read books here without relying on anyone’s help, and he was utilizing that to the fullest. 

As for the masses of knowledge he was attaining, he was breaking down information and sorting it into three categories: things he could easily remember, things that were important enough to hold on to and store in his bag, and things he could write down on his magickal memo pad. With that system, the amount of knowledge he’d acquired over the last two weeks was nothing to sneeze at. 

But it still wasn’t enough. There was no doubt that he’d increased his knowledgebase several fold, but only harvesting information from books was insufficient. Sadly, articles on current events were scarce, and books on the magic of this world were inaccessible to him. In short, Suimei wasn’t satisfied with what he’d managed to accomplish. 

“Now then, setting that aside…” 

But what he needed to focus on now was much more pressing. 

Currently, Suimei was shut inside a gloomy stone room. It was completely devoid of furnishings, and there was no sign it had ever been lived in. In that sense, it was quite strange, but the most interesting thing of all was the enormous magicka circle at Suimei’s feet. It was the teleportation circle. 

Indeed, Suimei was in the ritual chamber where they’d first arrived, and he’d come here with a purpose. 

“…” 

What Suimei was focusing on in silence was obviously none other than the magicka circle drawn on the floor. It connected his world with this one, and as the main agent of the summoning spell that had brought him here, was an object of great disdain. 

If what King Almadious had said in the audience chamber was to be believed, the spell worked by having a summoner in this world reach out to another. The target of the summoning—in the language this world used to describe magic—was hailed by the summoner. That was the problem, since the summoner had no way to reverse the process and put the target back in their original world. The magicka behind the summoning circle was essentially a worthless one-way ticket, which Suimei regarded as a giant pain. 

But there was nothing that could be done about it. If no one knew of a spell to return, Suimei would simply have to come up with it himself. And he was ready to pull out all the stops to do it. To that end, analyzing the summoning circle that had brought him here seemed like the quickest possible way to get a lead. 

“Just a little bit more until the analysis is complete…” 

Just how many times had he already gone out of his way to try and do this? Over the past two weeks, he’d taken every opportunity he could get to sneak out of his room and come to this chamber to try and study the circle without anyone finding out. 

But this wasn’t a standard spell, and there was nothing standard about analyzing it. Normally analyzing magicka began with examining its roots, but information on this summoning magicka was so heavily guarded that Suimei had given up and decided to try something different. Instead, he’d adopted a top-down approach that started with investigating the circle itself. 

“Alright, let’s get started…” 

Talking as though he meant to convince himself of what he was doing, Suimei invoked his analysis magicka. 

“Correspondence of all creation…” 

Acting in concert with Suimei’s chant, a jade light made of mana rose up from his feet. It was an analysis circle, and it would be what he used to try and unravel the summoning circle. The spell that had actually been used to transport them here was still unknown to him. The exterior circle supplied support and kept things in balance, but there was no protection from the other side at all. The secondary circle didn’t seem to play a role. The triangular shapes of the diagram were inverted, suggesting a way to control the target, and the small intermediary circles were… 

Finishing up his business for the moment, Suimei decided to return to his room and left the ritual chamber. Sneaking, of course. As for the path back, he recalled it from memory. He’d long since memorized the way to and from his room. As he walked along, he muttered to himself. 

“At any rate, the fact that nobody has found me out yet… Practically speaking, isn’t that kind of troubling?” 

It was true. Suimei was able to go the whole way to and from the ritual chamber multiple times now without being spotted. Since he didn’t want to be seen, he was using astrology magicka to cloak himself, but even then, not a single person had suspected him or sensed that something was amiss. Security seemed lacking, to say the least. On the way over, Suimei had even walked right by someone who looked like a court mage. He’d leaned in to taunt them and test his limits, which likely looked quite silly, but they’d had zero reaction whatsoever. 

“Hrmm…” 

Suimei folded his arms. The fact that there wasn’t any sort of alarm or detection magicka system in place struck Suimei as rather reckless of them. Perhaps the castle just didn’t have any talented magicians on staff. 

But nothing would come out of Suimei contemplating the castle’s security issues, so he quickly put the thought out of his mind and continued on his way. In a matter of moments, however, he realized that he’d walked into a rather unexpected problem. 

“Uh oh…” 

The stupefied gasp that came out of his mouth perfectly matched the dumbfounded expression on his face. Thinking too hard must have distracted him enough that he’d taken a wrong turn somewhere, because he now found himself in an unfamiliar passage. Just how was he supposed to get back to his room from here? That question now dominated his thoughts. He’d only memorized the way to and from his room, and hadn’t bothered learning the layout of the rest of the castle. 

Oh my god, I’m an idiot. 

Suimei put his hand on his forehead as he looked up at the ceiling. This was yet another blunder. He was kicking himself over it, but he knew it wouldn’t help to dwell on it. 

“Oooh well… I guess I’ll just pop out somewhere and ask someone for directions.” 

Suimei dispelled his astrology magicka for the moment, and went looking for people. Surely if he said he was lost, someone would tell him where he needed to go. With a little luck and good timing, after walking down the passage for a short while, he quickly spotted someone. Approaching from behind, he called out to them. 

“Um, excuse me.” 

The robed figure then came to a stop and gracefully turned around. 

“What is the… Oh my, Suimei-dono.” 

“Hmm? Ah, if I remember right, you’re…” 

“My name is Felmenia Stingray.” 

Her voice and face were familiar. After politely giving him her name once more, he realized this was the young woman who’d taken part in the hero summoning—the silver-haired court mage Felmenia Stingray. He then nodded and let out a quiet “Aaah.” Seeing that, Felmenia knit her brow. 

“What are you doing here, Suimei-dono?” 

It was a perfectly good question. After the incident in the audience chamber, Suimei had shut himself in the room he’d been given. But now that he was suddenly out and about without Reiji, it was quite reasonable for her to be a tad suspicious. 

“Oh, I just thought I would take a little walk for a change of pace or something.” 

“I see. I do think a change of pace is a good idea, but you’re still a little unfamiliar with the castle to be walking around on your own, no? On the occasion that you would like to go out, it would be better for you to call someone and have them escort you.” 

“You have my sincere thanks for the advice. Much obliged.” 

Despite appearing to be about his age, the girl took a somewhat formal and cool tone with Suimei. Perhaps it was because of her position as a court mage, but Suimei took to imitating it when he spoke back. 

“It pains me to ask after you’ve already been so helpful, but could you perhaps introduce me to somebody who knows how to get back to my room?” 

“…Have you forgotten the way?” 

“It’s rather embarrassing to admit.” 

“Understood. I know where your room is, but I have business to attend to, so I can only accompany you part of the way there. If that will suffice, then please follow me.” 

“My apologies for the trouble.” 

After bowing his head, Suimei followed behind Felmenia as she walked down the hallway. Since she was here in the castle now, she’d probably just finished her magic lessons with Reiji and Mizuki for the day. She was probably on her way to give a report to the king or something. As Suimei continued to wonder what she was up to, she suddenly came to a stop. She then turned around and spoke to him in a quiet voice. 

“Suimei-dono, may I ask you something?” 

“What is it?” 

Suimei urged her to continue with a question of his own, but wondered why she felt such a need to stand on ceremony. Perhaps she was going to ask him about the magicka he’d used in the ritual chamber on the day they met. It was possible she’d noticed. As Suimei was making that grim supposition, Felmenia questioned him in a somewhat sharp tone. 

“Suimei-dono, why do you refuse to take part in the Demon Lord’s subjugation?” 

“Even if you ask why…” 

“The hero is your good friend. So why is it that you will not go forth and assist him? I do believe that you are in a position to do so.” 

As far as Suimei was concerned, these people had summoned him out of laziness and convenience, so to hear one of them talk about duty and obligation—especially to him—was comical and meaningless. Of course they wanted him to save them, but to him, even the thought of having to do that pissed him off. But he knew that he wouldn’t get anywhere raising hell about it every time it came up, so he decided to be as blunt as possible. 

“My answer to you will be the same as what I told His Majesty in the audience chamber. I flatly refuse to do anything so dangerous. That’s why I decided not to go with them.” 

Felmenia’s expression grew even more stern. 

“Even the delicate Mizuki-dono said that she would accompany the hero, but you won’t?” 

“I have no intention of making an emotional decision and getting dragged along.” 

“…Are you suggesting that’s what Mizuki-dono did?” 

“Isn’t it? In the heat of the moment, what other answer could she have given?” 

Suimei knew he was being bitter, but what he was saying was still true. Mizuki had made the same mistake Reiji had and made a commitment without fully understanding the situation or taking the time to discuss it with her friends. They’d all been put on the spot, but Suimei felt Reiji and Mizuki had acted foolishly. 

When Suimei dropped his formal manner of speech, Felmenia’s attitude also changed. She’d been treating him rather courteously up until now, but her tone suddenly turned cold. 

“Hmph, what a despicable man.” 

“What did you say?” 

In response, Suimei immediately became combative. Seeing Felmenia look at him so scornfully irritated him. But despite the change in his mood, she continued to pour oil on the fire. 

“I said you’re despicable, you damn coward. Do you really think you’re so smart for looking down on the courage your friends have mustered? No, it makes you petty and a fool. A bastard like you has no right to call himself a friend of the hero.” 

“Whether or not agreeing to this insanity was the right thing to do, don’t you at least think it was my choice to make the call for myself? Let me remind you that we were magically kidnapped—‘summoned,’ you call it—and asked to go to war to save the people who kidnapped us. Forget me. Don’t you think any sane person would say no to that?” 

It was a nearly unthinkable situation to be in. Suimei found it hard to believe that anyone, even from this world, would actually agree to a request like that. Felmenia, however, seemed completely unmoved by his argument. 

“Even though you were brought here by the hero summoning, however imperfect you may be?” 

“So what? It’s not like I came here to help you guys out. All you did was arbitrarily summon me. I was dragged into an accident that you caused. Kidnapping, remember? Don’t you see that I’m a victim here too? I don’t know what kind of ideals you hold that hero summoning or whatever it is to, but I have absolutely no obligation to you people. I don’t owe you anything.” 

After Suimei further drove that in, Felmenia reluctantly conceded that he had a point. 

“…I understand what you’re saying.” 

“Good.” 

“But regardless, Suimei Yakagi, isn’t what you’ve done dishonorable compared to Hero-dono and Mizuki-dono?” 

“Ugh…” 

Suimei had no intention of arguing with her there. He wasn’t the only victim in all this. He had no reason to be nice to the people who had summoned him, but as Felmenia was saying, they weren’t the only people he should be thinking about. While Reiji and Mizuki had selflessly stepped forward despite knowing the danger that lay ahead of them, Suimei was still keeping his true identity a secret for personal reasons. It was dishonorable. Selfish, even. And he knew it. He wasn’t going to make excuses. 

“Yeah, okay… You got me there. The fact that I care more about myself than this world may very well be because I have no honor whatsoever.” 

“You can admit that, but you still won’t help them? What a bastard. You’re beyond salvation.” 

Hearing Suimei cop to being dishonorable, Felmenia exploded. When it came to matters of morality, it seemed she felt quite strongly. 

Tch… This damn… 

However, to Suimei, Felmenia’s anger was quite unexpected. He didn’t enjoy being told he was beyond salvation, but she was mad for Reiji and Mizuki’s sake. After watching them work so hard, she just couldn’t stand Suimei’s cavalier attitude on the matter. When he realized that much, despite her role in the miserable summoning that had brought him here, he started to think she was actually a good person. 

But while what she was calling him out for was quite valid, he had no intention of opening up to her and telling her the real truth. His thesis was something close to his reason for living, but it was private. And so instead, he frivolously shrugged his shoulders and replied like he didn’t care in the slightest. 

“Yeah, yeah. Sorry ’bout that.” 

“You bastard!” 

Felmenia was visibly displeased with Suimei’s insolent attitude, and glared daggers at him. More importantly, Suimei could see the mana inside her body growing agitated. 

“Hey now… just what’re you planning to do in this kind of place?” 

A strong wave of bloodlust swept down the stone corridor. While keeping his focus on Felmenia as her rage only grew, Suimei put his hands on either side of his head. It looked like a gesture of exasperation, but he was at the ready if worse came to worst. Not a moment later, Felmenia fluently began weaving a spell together. 

“Silence, you damned fool. I, Felmenia the White Flame, shall beat some sense into you!” 

“Oh come on… Why did it have to come to this?” 

“You should take a good look in the mirror and ask yourself that!” 

“I mean, you can say whatever you want, but…” 

Seeing that Felmenia had taken excessive offense to it all, Suimei let out a somewhat perplexed groan. Her getting fired up for no good reason would only make things more difficult for him. Suimei himself couldn’t have been more disinterested in a fight, but when Felmenia realized that he wasn’t taking her seriously, she only grew more infuriated. 

“Bastard… Are you even listening to me?!” 

“Yes, and I can hear you just fine without the yelling. If you keep shouting like that, you’re just going to start bothering other people, get it?” 

“H-How rude of… No, you bastard! You need to pay serious attention when—” 

“My god, just calm down a little… Hmm?” 

As Felmenia grew more and more indignant, Suimei scratched his head with a vexed expression on his face. Starting to think there wasn’t any way to keep this from breaking out into a fight, he took a moment to size up his opponent. His narrowed eyes looked her up and down, and it was then that he realized the hem of her robe was caught between the sole of her shoe and the floor. In other words, she was stepping on it. 

“H-Hey, wait a sec. You’re gonna…” 

Fall. And dramatically. She would magnificently trip herself on her own robe. He could distinctly envision that future. 

“What?! I’m going to what?!” 

“I just meant that if you keep this up, well… You see, your foot…” 

“Did you think that I would fall for such a transparent ruse, you bastard?! Don’t insult me!” 

“No, I’m not insulting you or anything. But good grief, calm down already. Seriously…” 

In the end, it was tragic. Consumed by anger, Felmenia failed to heed Suimei’s warning. She never looked down at her feet, and Suimei’s moment of clairvoyance came to fruition. 

“Hmm? KYAH!” 

Trying to take a step forward with her robe still underfoot, Felmenia pitched forward violently enough that her robe flipped up in the back. Not only did she fall over, but she looked like she was trying to moon someone while doing it. 

“Wha?! What did you do, you bastard?! M-My robe, m-my robe is…” 

With the back of her robe now flipped up over her head, Felmenia couldn’t see anything. 

“I didn’t do a single thing. I’ve been standing right here in front of you the whole time.” 

“What did you say…?! Huh? Huh?” 

As she angrily thrashed about, Felmenia ended up strangely wrapping herself up in her robe like a net. That she managed to tie herself up so neatly on her own was actually impressive in its own right. Suimei waited for her to get back up, but contrary to his expectation, all that rose from the lump of cloth on the floor was a tearful whine. 

“It won’t come off… It won’t come oooooff…” 

“Good grief. I guess I don’t have a choice…” 

His face tinged slightly red, Suimei put his hand against his brow in exasperation. The sight of Felmenia with her underwear completely exposed and her curvy backside sticking out as she wriggled around on the floor was unequivocally pitiful. 

He couldn’t just leave her like that. She hadn’t exactly done anything wrong, so he didn’t see the harm in helping her. Averting his gaze from her exposed underwear as best he could help it, Suimei untangled the robe that had wound itself up in her incessant struggle to free herself, and then wrapped his arms around her as he pulled her up. 

“FUWAH?! Wh-Wh-What are you doing?!” 

“That’s enough. Just keep still… Hup.” 

Suimei ignored her protests and got her back on her feet. Once she was standing again, he even fixed the disheveled portions of her robes. 

“Ah…” 

“There. Are you alright?” 

Felmenia was still in a daze and had no answer for him. She simply stared blankly, and Suimei couldn’t help noticing the dirt she had on her face. It was most unladylike; she must have collected it rolling around on the floor. Even though she’d been furious with him just moments ago, he felt sorry for her now and took pity on her. He retrieved his handkerchief from his pocket and began wiping the dirt off of Felmenia’s face. 

Seriously, how troublesome… 

And when he did… 

“Ah… Huh…?” 

Looking like she still barely understood what was going on, Felmenia’s eyes darted around as if she were assessing the situation. 

“AAAAAAAAAAAH!” 

She then shrieked. 

“Whoa, now what…?” 

Suimei jumped back in surprise. Felmenia was glaring at him, her face bright red. 

“Wh-Wh-Wh-what are you doing, you bastard?!” 

“What am I doing? You can tell without asking, can’t you?” 

“Not that! I mean, I mean… Why are you doing that kind of…” 

“You looked like you needed a hand.” 

“I-I didn’t really need any help, you bastard! I was ready to take you down, I’ll have you know! But then my face…” 

“This and that are two different things. Besides, letting you walk around like that would have been a waste of your cute face. I at least had to wipe the dirt off.” 

“?!” 

The moment Suimei casually said those words, Felmenia suddenly straightened out like a rod had been jammed down her back and went completely stiff. 

“Hmm? What’s wrong?” 

“C-Cute…” 

“Come again?” 

“Saying I’m cute is a little…” 

“Hellooooo?” 

Before Suimei knew it, Felmenia had gone somewhere else. He waved his hand in front of her vacant eyes, and it took a good few moments before she snapped back to reality. 

“Huh? Eek! Th-Th-That’s enough! I have business to attend to, so if you’ll excuse me…!” 

Felmenia’s face went from bright red to deep crimson. It really wasn’t going too far to compare her face to an apple or tomato. However, after storming off a ways, she came to a stop and turned around with tremendous zeal. 

“I-I will w-w-withdraw what I said earlier!” 

“Whazzat?” 

“About calling a bastard like you foolish! A-A-A-A-And you can get to your stupid room by following this passage around the bend, and… Argh, after that, just catch someone else and ask them! But remember this, Suimei Yakagi! One day, I will repay this disgrace a million times over, you hear?! Don’t forget! Don’t you dare forget— FUGYAH?!” 

Though she was standing still, she was flailing her arms so violently as she yelled that she pitched forward like a fish on a hook. Indeed, Felmenia fell over once more. It seemed tripping was her signature move. 

“What the hell’s going on…?” 

While watching her unsteadily pick herself up and dash down the hallway, Suimei muttered to himself. Felmenia, however, was still screaming her lungs out even as she disappeared into the distance. His image of Felmenia Stingray, a cool girl with a just and resolute heart, was shattered. In the back of his mind, he now filed her away under the klutz category. 

“…Whatever. It’s about time I get going.” 

And with that, Suimei’s quest for his room resumed. 

Aside from his unexpected encounter with Felmenia, Suimei managed to safely return to his room from the ritual chamber without any fuss. But he didn’t have long to catch his breath. 

“Hmm…” 

Suimei detected the sound of footsteps and the presence of mana approaching his room. After his last run-in, Suimei was thinking of just relaxing in his room for the time being, but this put him on edge. He focused his mind and shifted his attention to the approaching presence. 

It was likely a visitor to his room. Whoever it was was headed straight towards his door with no hesitation. Concentrating on their mana presence, Suimei could break it down into three wavelengths he recognized. It was his friend who had been growing more powerful by the day, Reiji, and two other people. One of them, enamored with him and serving as his advisor around the clock, was Titania. The other was Mizuki, who clung to Reiji even more than before thanks to Titania. 

The moment he sensed them, Suimei gathered the books and magickal items on his desk and used magicka to cloak them without leaving a single trace. 

After the incident in the audience chamber, the people of the castle believed that Suimei had locked himself away in his room and was merely sulking in his bed. Felmenia had demonstrated she was under that impression too, and of course Reiji and the others were no exception. 

If Suimei came into contact with people, the possibility of his identity being discovered would only increase. To prevent that, he’d pretended to seclude himself and made sure not to interact with anyone when it wasn’t strictly necessary. He’d gone to such lengths all to conceal the fact that he was a magician. 

As a guest of the castle, all his meals were brought to his room. The only times he left his room were to check on Reiji and Mizuki, to go to the castle’s library, or to investigate the ritual chamber, and those activities were all conducted in secret. Apart from that and going to use the bathroom, he stayed in his room. 

That would reduce the chances of him being found out. He didn’t want to be taken advantage of by those who would have their eyes on his power, and he was still resistant to the idea of Reiji and Mizuki learning his secret. In addition to that, hiding in his room gave him the privacy and the free time to study and investigate things. 

But for every day he spent locked away in his room, the people of the castle thought less of him. Whether it was for his cowardice in refusing the mission with the hero, his pettiness in locking himself up in his room, or his uncouthness for the scene he caused in the audience chamber, no one had anything nice to say about him. Other than the king and Titania, the entire castle staff was quick with a vicious word about his behavior. 

To Suimei, this was all a cover, so he didn’t really care what they thought. In fact, the less they wanted to do with him, the better. Contemplating that, Suimei slipped into his bed like he was sulking. A few moments later, he heard a reserved knock at the door and Reiji’s voice. 

“Morning, Suimei. Are you up?” 

“…Yeah, come in.” 

“Sorry to intrude.” 

“Pardon me. I’m coming in too.” 

Waiting until they entered the room, Suimei slowly got out of the bed. Waiting for everyone to take their seats like usual, Suimei struck up a conversation with Reiji. 

“So? What happened today?” 

“Oh? Th-That’s awfully sudden of you, Suimei.” 

“The atmosphere around you is a little different from usual today. You’re getting restless, aren’t you?” 

“Ahaha, so you can tell?” 

“Well, yeah.” 

Reiji laughed as if to hide his embarrassment, and Suimei replied with a nod. When Reiji entered the room, Suimei had noticed something was off. Though Reiji looked fine, he was anxious. It was as if both something good and something questionable had happened—that kind of feeling. Reiji put on a brave smile as he began explaining. 

“I learned body enhancement magic today. Wanna see?” 

“Yeah? Show me.” 

So was that it? Reiji was just excited that he’d learned some new magic? Suimei could relate to that pretty well. Weaving together new magicka and then putting it to use for the first time was a thrill like no other. 

Reiji began stretching his joints and loosening up his muscles. This was body strengthening magic. If it wasn’t used together with magic to stabilize the body, it could be dangerous. Such preparations were a serious matter. 

“Here I go.” 

With that, Reiji spread his mana throughout his entire body. The spell took shape in the blink of an eye, and he activated the stabilizing magic without a chant. 

“Burn Boost!” 

Reiji then spoke the name of his true spell, and flames born from those words coiled around his body. Thanks to his invocation, Reiji’s physical abilities had been enhanced. Right now, his body was overflowing with an intense power on top of the strength he’d been granted by the hero summoning. 

“Oooh!” 

Yakagi Suimei, a magician at heart, couldn’t help admiring Reiji’s performance. His use of magic just now was splendid. From the optimization of the mana to the way he’d prepared the spell, right down to the details of its activation, it was a grand display. To sum it up in one word, it was masterful. Of course, it wasn’t a particularly complicated or high-level spell, but for someone who had only been studying magic for two weeks, his exemplary demonstration of the basics was truly praiseworthy. Suimei found no fault in it. 

He’d cast body enhancement magic with a fire attribute, so in addition to improving his physical abilities overall, it granted him an explosive increase in strength. In a similar fashion, using the wind attribute would have dramatically increased his speed, the water attribute his agility, and the earth attribute his constitution. While Suimei thought about Reiji’s body enhancement and began to analyze the potential effects of other attributes, Titania drew nearer to Reiji with an entranced look in her eyes. 

“That’s Reiji-sama for you. Truly exquisite…” 

“Ahaha, thank you, Tia.” 

Reiji thanked Titania, who was cheerfully smiling at him. He was apparently close enough with her now to have a nickname for her. Hearing it, Mizuki looked at Titania with a somewhat sulky expression. 

“Hey, Tia, aren’t you a little too close?” 

“Is that a problem, Mizuki? You’re usually the one who’s this close, so surely you can manage to share a little with me.” 

“Wh-What? I’m never that close!” 

“That’s simply not true, Mizuki. You’re always unnecessarily close to Reiji-sama. It’s unfair.” 

Even though Reiji’s body enhancement was supposed to be the star of the show, the girls were apparently more concerned about his attention. Sparks were flying between them as they glared at each other. Suimei had had more than enough of it already. 

“Guys like you should just… I mean… That’s some pretty cool magic, huh, Reiji?” 

“Hmm? Oh, yeah. Sure is, isn’t it? It’s pretty easy to use too, so I quite like it.” 

“Yeah. It looks good. Surprisingly, it doesn’t give off any evil or ominous vibes, either.” 

That was what Suimei honestly thought. If nothing else, it got high marks for style. Fire was wrapped around Reiji’s body like a coiled dragon. It was quite cool. It had impact, and that was worth something. It could go a long way towards intimidating and overcoming an opponent. With magic, looks were a surprisingly important matter. 

Mizuki finally interjected her part too, but she turned to Reiji instead of Suimei, the boy she’d come to visit. 

“I-I’m also able to do it now!” 

“I see. You really are working hard too, aren’t you, Mizuki?” 

“Huh? Oh, yeah…” 

Mizuki nearly seemed startled that Suimei was the one who replied to her. Because of her quarrel with Titania, it seemed that Mizuki was solely focused on Reiji and had completely forgotten Suimei was even there. Really, she’d wanted Reiji to praise her, and to use that as ammunition to antagonize Titania. At any rate, the friend who was watching them from the sidelines was half ready to kill Reiji, and half charmed by the amusement of it all. 

“Heh…” 

“Wh-What is it, Suimei-kun?” 

“Nothing. Give it your best.” 

“Mm! I won’t lose!” 

Just who was it she was determined not to lose against, exactly? If anyone had been listening in on their conversation, they would have probably assumed she meant the Demon Lord, but that was the wrong answer. And Suimei only fanned the flames by cheering her on. But then he turned his attention back to Reiji. 

“So, what else?” 

“Huh? Well, all sorts of stuff…” 

Reiji gave an evasive answer. Something had clearly happened, but he was apparently reluctant to talk about it. Whatever it was was likely the cause for his strange state of agitation today. 

“What is the matter, Reiji-sama?” 

“Huh? Oh, nothing…” 

“Princess, did something strange happen?” 

“Nothing strange, no. But we did witness something beyond amazing from Reiji-sama.” 

Titania spoke in both excitement and happiness. Suimei didn’t think that she was lying, but if what she said was true, why was Reiji trying to brush it off? 

“So what was it?” 

“Th-That’s, um…” 

Reiji tried to shoot down Suimei’s question, but Titania paid no mind to his hesitant answer. As if she was proud of something she herself had accomplished, she explained what happened in a boastful tone. 

“You see, today, specialists from every branch of the Mage’s Guild affiliated with the Kingdom of Astel came to have magic bouts with Reiji-sama.” 

“Hmm, the Mage’s Guild, huh?” 

The Mage’s Guild. That was something Suimei had yet to investigate thoroughly, but if he remembered correctly, it was more or less a coalition of most of the country’s mages. 

“Indeed. We’ve consulted with them about this for quite some time, and everyone managed to gather for the event today.” 

“Is that strange?” 

“Yes. They’re all dignitaries and they keep quite busy. Normally they’d be running all around the country performing their various duties.” 

That did make it sound like it would be hard to get them all in one place at the same time. But Suimei was more interested in what she’d said about “specialists from every branch,” so he decided to ask her more about that. 

“So what do you mean by ‘specialists?’” 

“They are the most skilled mages in the eight schools of fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, wood, light, and darkness. Each one of them is talented enough to go toe to toe with the court mages, and they have each been granted the honorary title of elemental emperor for their talents. The emperor of the school of fire is known as the Flame Emperor, the emperor of the school of light is the Brilliant Emperor, and so on.” 

Really? 

The word “emperor” was supposed to imply something exceptionally exalted, and there were eight of them? Even in modern Japan, that title was exclusively reserved for the most esteemed man in the country. Suimei wondered if something was being lost in translation there since the language Titania was speaking was being magically translated in his head, but be that as it may, it still left him a bit puzzled. 

“Suimei-sama, is something that matter?” 

“Ah, no, it’s nothing. So, what was the result of the bouts?” 

“Naturally, Reiji-sama won.” 

Titania puffed out her chest with pride as if she’d been the real victor. But then she said something that really got Suimei’s attention. 

“And on that occasion, Reiji-sama was given his own title by the master of the Mage’s Guild.” 

“A title?” 

A title was an honorary name used to celebrate the achievements or characteristics of the person it was bestowed upon. Naturally, they were an indispensable part of a fantasy world. Reiji, however, tried to change the topic in a somewhat awkward tone. 

“D-Do we have to talk about that?” 

Apparently finding Reiji’s discomfort amusing, Mizuki let out a stifled laugh. 

“Pfft…” 

“What’s up, Mizuki?” 

“Heehee, nothing. Just wait ’til you hear it.” 

“Oh yeah? So, Your Highness, what was the title given to Reiji by the guild master?” 

“Listen, Suimei, that’s—” 

“The guild master bestowed Reiji-sama, the miraculous prodigy who controls all attributes, with the title of Attribute Master!” 

Titania thrust a triumphant fist in the air and passionately declared Reiji’s title. The room completely froze for an instant. But when Suimei couldn’t take it anymore, he burst into hearty laughter. 

“Pffffft!” 

“What…? Suimei-sama!” 

“A-Attribute Master? Haha. Ah crap, I can’t, pfft… Aha… AHAHAHAHA!” 

Titania was utterly shocked at Suimei’s sudden fit of laughter. She looked around in a fluster, but Reiji had his face planted in both hands as he shook his head, looking utterly disappointed it had come to this. Mizuki, on the other hand, was fondly looking at Reiji’s blushing face like they were talking about her favorite food. After letting Suimei have a good laugh, Reiji finally spoke up in a pout. 

“…Look, that’s why I didn’t want to say it.” 

“I… I don’t understand. Receiving a title is a great honor for a mage, so why is Suimei-sama…?” 

Titania just couldn’t get her head around Suimei’s reaction. She looked dumbfounded, but she had no way of knowing that standards for what was considered cool could differ between worlds. Mizuki already knew, but that was exactly why Reiji wanted to avoid bringing this up altogether in front of Suimei. 

“Seriously? Attribute Master? Oh crap, guys! Look out, it’s Reiji the Attribute Master! Pffffft! What kind of guild master would pick a title like that? One with no style, that’s for sure! Absolutely none! Oh god, my sides… Pfft! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” 

“Suimei, I’m begging you… don’t say it.” 

Reiji sounded utterly disheartened, but the rest of their conversation that day was in high spirits at his expense. 

A few days later, Court Mage Felmenia Stingray was on her way to lessons with the hero and his good friend Mizuki Anou to teach them the ways of magic. 

“To think I would become the hero’s instructor…” 

Felmenia’s inner thoughts escaped her lips as she walked down the hall. What was swirling around within her chest at the moment was a mixture of delight and exaltation. After all, out of the dozens of court mages, Felmenia—the youngest among them—had been charged with the responsibility of teaching magic to the boy who would save their world. That’s right, Felmenia was the hero’s magic instructor. To a mage of this world, there could be no greater honor. She could hardly contain herself. 

“Heehee…” 

Felmenia was a fair beauty who was always dignified, but for the moment, that was superseded by her childish smile. When she realized she was giggling to herself, she panicked for a moment, but was unable to stop herself. She was grateful there was no one else around. Such a girlish laugh from a court mage like herself, who should always be stately and proud, was wholly inappropriate. She would have been devastated if someone had heard her. 

The honor of teaching the hero magic had actually come rather unexpectedly to her. She was certain that in order to train a hero, the greatest masters of both sword and sorcery would have to be called in. In reality, she was stiff competition for that title, but that wasn’t the point. 

As it turned out, the hero came from a world that had no magic whatsoever, so he needed to be taught the basics from the very beginning. On the day the summoning was carried out—the day that Reiji and his friends arrived in Castle Camellia—they witnessed magic for the first time. The surprise on their faces as they watched the great doors to the audience chamber open was etched into Felmenia’s memory. Just like when she had first witnessed magic, their eyes were sparkling. 

When she later inquired how their civilization advanced despite not having magic, she was told that they used science instead of magic to develop technology and mechanisms that used steel and a controlled form of lightning. From what she heard of it, it sounded quite interesting. So— 

“Is that… Suimei Yakagi?” 

While Felmenia was pleasantly ruminating over the honor of her duty as she rushed to meet the hero, she caught a glimpse of one of the hero’s friends at the end of the corridor. 

Suimei Yakagi was a good friend of Reiji’s, and an extremely commonplace man. Other than his neatly kept black hair and gentle eyes, he had no notable features. His appearance was unremarkable, and when he stood next to Reiji, he was completely drowned out by Reiji’s extraordinary aura. 

Felmenia recognized him even from a distance because of her last run-in with him, and she was keenly aware she needed to keep her guard up around him. 

No, that was… 

That was wrong. At that time, she had been completely overcome by rage. But he never laughed at what she said, or at the complete embarrassment she’d made of herself. She knew he was a kind person beneath it all. She couldn’t bring herself to hurl insults at him for refusing to take part in the Demon Lord’s subjugation anymore. Moreover… 

“Cute, huh…?” 

She remembered the choice word Suimei used to describe her that day. Just how long had it been since somebody had called her cute? When she thought back on it, it was something that was only said about her when she was a small child. But when she recalled Suimei saying it, her cheeks burned. 

“N-N-No, what am I thinking?! It’s not like I’m particularly happy about hearing that kind of… that kind of…” 

She couldn’t actually say she wasn’t happy to hear it. The words and actions of that kind young man had truly touched her heart. And for that alone… 

“I should at least apologize to him…” 

If he was taking a stroll, then he was probably on his way to meet up with Reiji and Mizuki. Since she didn’t see him that often, she couldn’t pass up a chance encounter like this. It was only proper for her to apologize for getting carried away and saying too much last time. Even if they didn’t get along any better for it, she wanted to clear the air between them. 

So with the intent to apologize, Felmenia marched straight down the hall towards him. Before she could catch up to him, however, Suimei vanished around a bend. 

“Huh…?” 

The direction he was heading was the opposite of where she was. Seeing him go that way surprised her, and she stopped to think for a moment. Why would he have taken that turn? He was headed to the north side of Royal Castle Camellia. Not the kitchen, the toilet, or even Reiji were in that direction. The only thing of any significance down that way would be the ritual chamber. He shouldn’t have any interest in that, so just what was he up to? 

Actually, if I’m remembering right, people have been saying that Suimei-dono has been keeping himself confined to his room ever since the incident in the audience chamber… 

Squinting her eyes, Felmenia’s expression turned serious. She hadn’t been involved with Suimei, so she didn’t know exactly what his circumstances were, but it was true she’d heard the rumors that he’d kept himself locked up in his room practically since he’d arrived. People said he only ever left to use the bathroom or go see Reiji and Mizuki, but just recently, Felmenia had run into him while he was out taking a stroll. 

And the castle staff loved to talk about him. She’d heard all kinds of things. That he was locked in his room because he was terrified of being brought to an unfamiliar land, that he was sulking like a child because he couldn’t get what he wanted. It all seemed reasonable, really, yet everything she’d heard came from the mouths of the same people who all too readily ridiculed him as a coward and a churl. But either way… 

“Just what…” 

Just what was he doing here in the sparse north wing of the castle? The moment that question crossed her mind, Felmenia could no longer suppress her curiosity over such a mystery. She gave it a moment’s consideration. 

It’s not like the hour for the hero’s magic lesson was precisely arranged beforehand. I still have some time before I need to be there, so let’s see where this leads for a bit… 

And so Felmenia quickly made up her mind and followed after Suimei. And she wasn’t just motivated by curiosity or her desire to apologize. As a servant of the castle, this was her duty as a court mage. If by some chance he was out for revenge over the summoning and planning to do something dangerous, she was obligated to stop him. That said, Felmenia wanted to believe that wasn’t the case. 

No… 

But that wasn’t the only thing on her mind. Suimei knew of her arrangement with the hero, including their schedule. That meant that he had to have known that he likely wouldn’t encounter her if he went sneaking around at this hour. 

That’s right. When we went to greet them on the day they arrived, Suimei-dono was most certainly… 

He had been trying to use some sort of magic. When they opened the door to the special room constructed in the secluded north wing of the castle explicitly for the purpose of the hero summoning, they’d walked in on him preparing to utilize a spell. Felmenia was the only one who had noticed. The princess possessed great talent as a mage, but not even she had picked up on it. 

He’d released the spell on sight, however, and had conducted himself like nothing had happened at all since then. But there was no mistaking it. Felmenia was quite sure of what she’d seen and sensed. It wasn’t her imagination. Without a doubt, the young man known as Suimei Yakagi was a mage. 

But Reiji and Mizuki had said that there was no magic in their world. They had described the world they were from in great detail, including science and its countless milestones and achievements. They had structures many times the size of even Royal Castle Camellia that could illuminate the darkness of the night like it was daytime. They had devices to allow men to fly into the sky and beyond to the moon. Overall, their quality of life thanks to science was so high that this world hardly held a candle to it. 

And it certainly didn’t seem like Reiji was lying. His straightforward gaze belied no falsehood, and there wasn’t a hint of dishonesty in his character or behavior. So how was it that Suimei could use magic? Did even his close friends not realize he could? 

Pondering those questions as she walked along, Felmenia caught sight of Suimei once more. She’d finally caught up to him, but it seemed Suimei had yet to notice her. He was walking forward at a regular gait and without looking back. He had no idea anyone was following him. She watched as he disappeared around another corner. She hurried along after him, but when she took the same turn… 

“Oops!” 

“Kyah!” 

Felmenia reacted instinctively when she heard a yelp. Just as she was about to collide with somebody, she took an evasive step to the side. When she composed herself and looked back, she saw one of the castle maids was standing there in a fluster. She must have been the one who yelped. 

“My apologies. Are you alright?” 

“N-No, I should be the one to apologize! Stingray-sama, is your face injured?” 

“Huh? No, why? Does it look like it?” 

“Th-Then are you hurt somewhere else?! Aaah! What do I do?!” 

“No, I’m completely unharmed. Since I moved out of the way, I have not even a single speck of dust on me to show for it all.” 

What was the big deal? They had narrowly avoided each other, but the maid was making an exaggerated fuss like she had personally offended Felmenia somehow. There wasn’t a soul in the castle who would punish her over such a minor blunder. Felmenia tried to reassure her with a gentle smile. Seeing that, the maid took a deep breath and looked a little relieved. 

“Really…? I’m so glad…” 

“Sorry for the fuss.” 

“N-Not at all!” 

“Very well.” 

Felmenia gave a dignified nod. It was polite, but not in the austere fashion that court manners sometimes called for. It was gesture that emulated the behavior of the sage who had been her mentor. She believed that carrying herself that way, even though she was young, would convey her dignity without being too imposing with formality. 

In response, the maid simply beheld her with an entranced gaze. It took her a few seconds to realize she was staring, and when she did, she embarrassedly bowed her head. 

“M-My apologies!” 

“No, that’s quite alright.” 

After telling her not to worry, and after the maid bowed one more time, Felmenia was about to take her leave when she realized something. 

“Sorry, but could I trouble you over something?” 

“Oh? Ah, of course. Is something the matter?” 

“Just before we bumped into each other, you should have passed by a young man. Did you happen to see where he went?” 

“…No? I’m afraid until I ran into you just now, Stingray-sama, I haven’t seen anyone here…” 

“What?!” 

Quite out of character for herself, Felmenia raised her voice. She simply couldn’t believe what the maid had just said. 

“U-Um, did something bad…?” 

“I shall ask you once more: did you truly not meet anyone in this hall?” 

“T-Truly.” 

“You’re not lying?” 

“No. I swear by the Goddess Alshuna. I would never lie to you, Stingray-sama.” 

Shrinking under Felmenia’s intimidating stare, the maid swore in the name of the sole deity that the Church of Salvation worshipped, Alshuna, that she was telling the truth. But that couldn’t be right. There was no way that the two of them hadn’t crossed paths. While that was spinning around in Felmenia’s head, she began questioning the maid again. 

“It’s simply impossible that you didn’t see him. Just before I turned this corner, Suimei-dono, a friend of the hero, should have come around it.” 

“One of the hero’s friends? But I didn’t…” 

The bewildered maid’s eyes darted around frantically like she was looking for the right answer. Seeing her genuine confusion only confused Felmenia more. 

“Just what does this…” 

“U-Um, Stingray-sama, I’m expected in the south wing, so… um…” 

“A-Ah, sorry. My apologies for holding you up over such a strange matter.” 

“Think nothing of it. If you’ll excuse me…” 

The maid took her leave after shyly bowing to Felmenia. 

Then… 

Felmenia saw the maid off, but her eyes narrowed as she turned this bizarre situation over in her head. Just what had happened? It seemed that right after she saw him last, Suimei had simply disappeared. 

I still have time. Let’s look around some more. 

Felmenia proceeded further into the north wing. But just as the maid had said, there didn’t appear to be anyone else around. Finally, she arrived at the last room in the north wing, the ritual chamber. And she was in for quite a surprise. 

Wha—?! 

What she was seeing should be impossible. She had to look twice to believe her own eyes, but the door to the ritual chamber, which nobody could open except in an emergency when the leader of the court mages commanded it, was ajar. 

Not only was it a directive that the door never be opened unless required, it should have been sealed with special magic to keep it shut. Unless someone knew how to dispel that, no one should ever be able to enter. But sure enough, the door was open even though only the king and the court mages should have the ability to do that. 

But if neither the king nor any court mages were present aside from Felmenia, then who exactly had done this? She gulped and suppressed her presence as she approached. Rather than muscles, bone, and skin, it was pure tension that was keeping her together right now. 

Who could possibly be inside the room? She could hazard a guess based on the string of events that had brought her here, but she couldn’t stop her heart from pounding. When she peered through the slight gap in the door, she could see a pure white notebook—a true rarity in Astel—as well as a long, narrow glass cylinder, and Suimei Yakagi, who was holding both objects while scowling over the summoning circle. It seemed he was grumbling to himself and concentrating quite intently on the notebook and thin cylinder. 

As I suspected… 

Just what kind of magic and wiles had he used to open the door? Felmenia was surprised, but she couldn’t deny what was right in front of her. She now had irrefutable proof that Suimei was a mage. 

But… what do I do? Should I reveal myself? 

Felmenia was torn between the mystery before her eyes and the laws of the land as she racked her brain over the matter. This was a restricted area. Normally she would immediately barge in to stop him. That was what her duty as a court mage demanded. But this young man was the hero’s friend. Not only that, but he was a mage. 

Certainly, even if her opponent was also a mage, Felmenia had full confidence that she could still subdue him. Her main concern was his status as the hero’s friend. If there was another scene involving Suimei, the hero might get involved. And Felmenia couldn’t risk doing anything that might ultimately lead to the hero changing his mind about subjugating the Demon Lord. That would be a serious crisis for both Astel and the world. 

But this man… What is he doing? He’s likely analyzing the summoning circle, but… 

Looking at it from the perspective of a mage, his actions were completely baffling. He appeared to be investigating the summoning circle, but in the most amateur way possible. He was just randomly walking in circles with a notebook and cylinder in hand. It was difficult to even call it analyzing. 

To analyze a spell, a second magic circle had to be drawn around the original. From there, you would use that to expose the spell and read it. That was standard practice when it came to analyzing magic, but it wasn’t anything close to what Suimei was doing. To Felmenia, he looked less like a mage and more like a normal person who knew nothing of magic and was arbitrarily grasping at straws through trial and error. 

At any rate, this summoning circle was something that had been passed down without knowledge of the laws behind the spell itself. No one had ever truly been able to analyze and comprehend it, but… 

In the end, Felmenia couldn’t make a move or call out to him. She did nothing but observe Suimei’s mysterious actions until it was time for her to go meet the hero. 

Later that evening, a visitor had come to Felmenia’s private quarters in Royal Castle Camellia. 

“What…? Is that truly the case?” 

Felmenia questioned the court mage who’d come to deliver information to her. She received an affirmative but unconvincing answer. 

“Yes. It is just as I said.” 

“…” 

Hearing her colleague’s tone, Felmenia narrowed her eyes and ruminated over what she had just been told. This fellow court mage had come to see Felmenia privately, saying it was an urgent and important matter. While she wondered what had happened for him to arrange such a meeting, it seemed that for the last few days, Suimei Yakagi had been spotted walking in and out of all sorts of places around the castle. 

Gripped with anxiety that he was plotting some kind of mischief, yet unable to do anything for fear of Suimei’s status as a friend of the hero, this court mage hadn’t gotten anywhere on the matter and had decided to come to another court mage to discuss it. Her apparent disbelief made him worry that she thought he was lying to her. 

“Do you not believe me?” 

“I do. In truth, I have also caught a glimpse of him walking around.” 

“Truly? Are you certain?” 

“Yes. It was just today, in fact.” 

“Then there can be no doubt. By any chance, if Suimei-dono is plotting something…” 

When it sounded like her colleague was starting to imply that Felmenia might know what Suimei was up to, she shook her head. 

“No, we cannot be sure. It’s far too hasty to decide he is plotting something before we even investigate, is it not?” 

It was certain that Suimei’s actions were suspicious, but from what Felmenia had witnessed to date, all he had done was go in and out of the ritual chamber. That in of itself was worth a reprimand, but not a witch hunt. The court mage visiting Felmenia seemed to come around quite quickly. 

“You’re right. Your wisdom never fails, White Flame.” 

“Ah, no…” 

Felmenia was glad he was on her side, but she was slightly conscious of his flattery. 

“I am in full agreement. I will begin an investigation on my end.” 

“I will leave it to you.” 

“Then I shall excuse myself for now.” 

Saying that, the court mage swiftly made his exit. Felmenia closed the door to her private quarters, and making sure there was no longer anyone nearby, muttered to herself. 

“Suimei-dono, just what are you doing…?” 

It was a question that would go unanswered for now. 

“About the hero’s good friend, you say?” 

It was now a few days after Felmenia had witnessed Suimei’s mysterious behavior. Currently, she was in Royal Castle Camellia’s audience chamber before the king. The reason for their meeting, quite naturally, was Suimei. After seeing him in the ritual chamber, Felmenia had thoroughly observed him and was now reporting her findings to the king. She was bowed before him on one knee, but the king looked puzzled. 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” 

“Do you mean Mizuki Anou?” 

“No, sire. What I wish to tell you concerns the other one, Suimei Yakagi.” 

When Felmenia said his name, the king frowned. 

“Hmph. So far as I have been informed, he still hasn’t left his room after the scene he caused.” 

“I’m afraid that’s not so, Your Majesty. In truth, Suimei-dono has been seen walking around the castle on many occasions.” 

Felmenia had determined this from her investigations over the past few days. After witnessing him sneak around for herself, she’d used all of her free time to dig deeper into what he was doing around the castle. From there, she’d discovered that sequestering himself was a complete farce. In reality, he was quite active and likely had been this whole time. Hearing this news, the king gave Felmenia a probing gaze and his tone grew stern. 

“I have not heard any such reports prior to this.” 

“He is maintaining the facade that he’s locked away in his room, and moving about behind the scenes.” 

“Without being spotted by anyone?” 

“Yes, Your Majesty. It seems that only a handful of people, myself included, actually know about this.” 

The king managed a perplexed frown at Felmenia’s explanation. 

“This makes no sense to me. How can he be going around the castle, yet so few people have noticed?” 

“That I happened upon him walking around was complete coincidence. My theory is that in order to avoid the eyes of others, he is using some sort of magic.” 

“Magic, you say? Did you teach him?” 

“No, sire. I have taught him nothing.” 

“Then what? Did another court mage?” 

“No, sire. I believe that Suimei-dono was somehow able to use magic from the very beginning.” 

The king had been hesitant and puzzled so far, but with those words, he now looked outright baffled. Felmenia had expected as much. 

“Felmenia, I have been told that magic does not exist in the world the hero hails from. The hero himself said that they had technology in its place, and that magic was a mere fantasy to them.” 

“I understand, Your Majesty. I have personally spoken to the hero on that matter, but nevertheless, I can say with certainty that Suimei-dono can use magic.” 

“Are you saying that the hero lied?” 

“No, there is absolutely nothing to suggest that, Your Majesty.” 

Reiji hadn’t lied. She could say that definitively. Reiji’s aptitude as a mage was quite high, but when it came to the fundamental knowledge of magic, it could be said that he had absolutely none at all. The king also seemed ready to trust in Reiji’s honesty. 

“Yes, I believe in him myself. However…” 

“You wish to know why there is an inconsistency with Reiji-dono’s statement and Suimei-dono’s ability, correct?” 

“Indeed. Either that young man personally requested that his power be concealed beforehand, or the hero is not even cognizant of the fact that magic does actually exist in the world he’s from. How mysterious.” 

Even the king was puzzled over this. Magic was a technology in its own right. Even here in this world, it was able to protect people and improve their quality of life. Magic was inherent to the universe, and therefore to all intelligent life that inhabited it. Humans were unable to sever their bond with it any more than they could with their own history. 

So how was it really that the hero’s world—one of such advanced technology—was without magic? No matter how developed and superior their science may be, it wasn’t the same thing as magic. It was simply impossible for magic to be rendered completely obsolete. How then had Reiji been able to declare so honestly that his world thought it was just make-believe? 

“Your Majesty, I’m sure the world the hero comes from is a complicated one indeed. But for now, the pressing matter at hand…” 

“Is the young man who is skulking about the castle, right?” 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” 

“Despite them being new to this world and outsiders, I placed no restrictions on their movements within the castle. There’s no issue with him walking the grounds freely, so he should have no reason to hide it…” 

Suimei was a guest, the same as the hero. Concerning their stay in the castle, the king had decreed that they were free to roam and do as they pleased, and the castle staff was to assist them if there was anything they needed or wanted. In a demonstration of his hospitality and consideration, the king had placed no restrictions on them whatsoever. And after pondering this strange situation for a moment, the king gave his answer concerning Suimei’s movements. 

“Ultimately, I don’t believe there to be a problem.” 

“I’m afraid, Your Majesty, that the places that Suimei-dono has been visiting do indeed make it a major problem.” 

“The places he’s been visiting, you say? Just where has he been?” 

“First would be the library. He goes every day to retrieve several books and take them back to his room.” 

“You don’t say… I thought he had been spending his time idly, but I am quite impressed that he has been visiting the library. Since he cannot return to his world, he is likely trying to amass knowledge on ours.” 

The king had a surprised look on his face and a twinkle in his eye as he voiced his approval of this piece of news. He nodded repeatedly, seemingly touched by the story of the young man who was summoned against his will, but refused to be defeated by it and immersed himself in studying. And he wasn’t wrong about that part, but there was more to the story yet. 

“That may be, Your Majesty, but there is evidence he’s gone into the forbidden archives as well.” 

“Wh-What did you say?! No, that can’t be. Not just anyone could waltz into there…” 

As the name indicated, the forbidden archives were off limits to most people. Since historic and important documents were stored there, entry to the archives was strictly regulated with magic. The king was rightfully startled to hear Suimei had gained access somehow. 

“It appears he did so with ease, Your Majesty.” 

“My goodness… So, is that the only place that young man has been visiting?” 

When the king asked her that, Felmenia paused for a moment and shook her head. Digesting just how grave the situation was, she hesitantly gave her answer. 

“Suimei-dono has also been going in and out of the ritual chamber, Your Majesty.” 

“Preposterous… The only ones who should know the spell to enter are myself, you, and the other court mages.” 

“I understand, Your Majesty, but I believe Suimei-dono was able to open the door through some kind of wile.” 

With those words, an oppressive silence fell over the audience chamber. It was no wonder. The ritual chamber was specifically designed and built to prevent unauthorized access to it. That door had been sealed with such complex earth magic that not even a specialist in that attribute would be able to grasp it. To a degree, that in and of itself gave them a glimpse of Suimei’s abilities as a mage. And in that case, it went without saying what significance that had. 

“What was he doing… is a foolish question, I suppose… That young man was investigating the summoning circle, was he not?” 

“It did not look that way at all to me, but considering the circumstances, I do believe that was his goal, Your Majesty.” 

“He wants to return so badly that he would go these lengths…?” 

The king’s expression as he uttered those anguished words appeared to be melancholic at a glance. As expected, this weighed heavily on the king since he felt responsible for having summoned Suimei to this world. As a kind, considerate king, his heart went out to the poor boy who felt trapped here. 

Even during the summit between all the nations, Felmenia had heard that the king was opposed to using the hero summoning ritual. He thought it was cruel to call on people who had no relation to this world at all and push such an outrageous task on them. Even if they succeeded, they would never properly be able to repay them for their service. They weren’t even able to return them home after calling them here. 

Moreover, if the people of this world relied too heavily on the strength of others, they would never have the power to deal with a dangerous crisis on their own. And the weaker they grew, the more situations like this would present themselves in the future. Eventually this world would be brought to ruin that way too, the king had said. 

And even though he’d declared that much, his voice would never be loud enough to reach the leaders of each nation cowering in fear of the Demon Lord. In the end, he was forced to agree to performing the hero summoning by an overwhelming majority vote. 

As Felmenia recalled the bitter sense of powerlessness the king must have tasted as his noble heart was trampled on, he began speaking in a heavy tone. 

“And so, Felmenia… Why is it that you’ve remained silent and waited until now to inform me of all this?” 

“I judged that it was not a good plan to make contact with him by my own will and risk complications, Your Majesty. If it ended up becoming a scene and it reached Reiji-dono’s ears…” 

“Certainly, we cannot ignore the potential threat of discord between us and the hero.” 

“And the reason that I did not deliver this news to Your Majesty sooner is because I had not yet gathered enough information to make a full report.” 

An incomplete report—or what amounted to speculation on the matter—was a dangerous prospect. Something like that was bound to produce misunderstandings and lead to mistakes being made. It was Felmenia’s wish to avoid that, which was why she hadn’t spoken up sooner. 

“Naturally, if anything were to happen, you were planning to take action, I presume?” 

“Yes, of course, Your Majesty.” 

That much was obvious. That was why she was constantly keeping tabs on him. 

“And so, have you discussed this with any others?” 

“Aside from myself and Your Majesty, only a few of my colleagues are aware of this matter. Regarding Reiji-dono and Mizuki-dono, they seem to know nothing of it either.” 

“Understood. Then see to it that word of this doesn’t reach anyone else’s ears. I shall speak with the other court mages myself. Also, you may not inform the hero of any of this. Understood?” 

Felmenia respectfully acknowledged the king’s order. She didn’t understand his intentions in trying to keep this information from spreading, but she trusted him and had faith in his decision. She would obediently follow his lead. The only question on her mind now was how to proceed in the future. 

“Your Majesty, what should I do from here on out?” 

What exactly should she do with regards to Suimei? How should she deal with him? Felmenia was certain he shouldn’t be left to his own devices, even knowing he was the hero’s good friend. However, the king frowned at this unexpected question. 

“Hmm? There is nothing for you to do. Are things not fine as they are? If that young man has no ill intentions, then there is no need to forcibly get ourselves involved. He’s been moving in stealth and clearly does not want us involved, so we shall respect that for now.” 

“But Your Majesty, the forbidden archives…” 

“If he has already entered them, then so be it. All that is stored there are records of historical significance and maps. Nothing will come of him learning their contents.” 

That much was true. Felmenia wouldn’t be so trusting of someone from a foreign country having access to them, but Suimei was from another world and had no connections here. Even if he stole a document, he wouldn’t know what to do with it. She understood that much, but even then, she thought the king was being naive. 

Is that why His Majesty doesn’t want word of this to get out? 

The king intended to continue to let Suimei do as he pleased. But letting someone off the hook after breaking the rules would set a bad example. It was an insidious poison to public order. But if the public didn’t know of the offense, there was no need to hand down a punishment for it for the sake of making an example. So was that why the king wanted to keep Suimei’s behavior hush-hush? Because he knew he was going to look the other way? As long as the only people who knew about it were in the palm of the king’s hand, he would have nothing to worry about. 

Impartiality was required to be a king. Felmenia’s master had taught her of decorum, and she had always lived by her morals. She believed stoutly in the king and the proper way he should behave. And that’s why she grew irritated at this lax lapse in his judgment. 

“Then… does Your Majesty intend to do nothing about this?” 

“Are you opposed to that?” 

“Suimei-dono is a mage, Your Majesty. I think that we should take some measures against him. It is true that we must be careful about this in regards to Reiji-dono, but if we let him run amok within Castle Camellia, then it will reflect poorly on Your Majesty’s good name. And in the unlikely event that something does happen…” 

“…Personally, I am not concerned.” 

The king flashed a completely disinterested expression at Felmenia’s proposal. Based on that, she could see his intention to put an immediate end to all talk of taking measures against Suimei. However, if she stepped down here, how could she call herself a court mage? 

“Your Majesty, a light punishment… Yes, at least something like a punishment. I shall do nothing that would cause injury to his body. And if Suimei-dono informs Reiji-dono of it and something happens, then I shall persuade Reiji-dono.” 

“Oh? It’s rather confident of you to suggest you could persuade him like that, is it not?” 

“Though I may not look it, Your Majesty, I am still his instructor. I know that he will take my words to heart.” 

Felmenia was indeed confident she could persuade Reiji if something were to happen. After all, she was the court mage who’d taught the hero magic. Reiji even called her “sensei.” And if his sensei told him that his good friend was doing something wrong, even if that friend had to be strongly reprimanded, she thought that things would work out. Even from their daily casual conversations over magic lessons, Felmenia could tell that Reiji had a just heart and believed in doing the right thing. There should be no issue there, meaning there was only one thing left to handle. 

“All that is left is for Your Majesty to give the command. Please give me your wise sanction.” 

As she made that royal request, the king shut his eyes for a moment in consideration, and before long, he spoke in a solemn tone. 

“…You mustn’t.” 

“Your Majesty! But…!” 

“Felmenia, I have said that you mustn’t. Suimei-dono is, just like the hero, an important guest of my castle. I cannot allow you to think of doing him harm.” 

“I would never think of doing that…! I would merely dress him down appropriately for having such a flagrant disregard for the rules. I-It is true that I do not think Suimei-dono is planning any mischief, but… Before he does something and it becomes a serious matter, we should put a stop to this. That is, um… I believe it to be my duty, so…” 

Seeing Felmenia cling so obstinately to the idea, the king made a curious expression. This was somewhat strange to him. 

“You seem quite fixated on this.” 

“Your Majesty?! Ah, no… That’s, um…” 

“Is Suimei-dono that much on your mind?” 

“N-No, sire! I am not particularly… It’s just, because of him… I thought it would be bad if he causes trouble for Reiji-dono…” 

Having her unusual behavior pointed out to her, Felmenia’s thoughts scattered hither and thither as she tried to stay on track. Certainly if she said that she wasn’t fixated on this, it would be a lie. Seeing her like that, the king suddenly became quiet. She once more requested his consent, but… 

“What mustn’t be simply mustn’t be, Felmenia. Understood?” 

“…” 

“Understood?” 

“Yes, Your Majesty…” 

When the king pressed her for compliance, Felmenia relented. She had no choice. Swallowing her chagrin, she bowed her head down deeply. Just how long had it been since she was so utterly shot down? Since the day she became a court mage, it had happened once or twice, but nothing in recent memory. The opponent she was focused on was a mage, and that only amplified her frustration at not being able to take him to task. She was unhappy with the king for not granting her permission to do so, but in the end, her anger was focused on Suimei. He was right in the crosshairs of her rage, which was now easily increased fivefold. 

How had things gotten like this? Why did she feel so strongly about it? If Suimei had just kept quiet and stayed obedient, that would have been the end of it. But sneaking around the castle like some common thief was unacceptable. It was like he was mocking her. Taunting her. Felmenia knew that Suimei wasn’t a bad person, but knowing that only made her angrier over his present behavior. 

No, not yet… 

Though the king hadn’t granted her request, she had no intention of blindly obeying his order. This was the royal court, the king’s garden. Even cutting her personal feelings out of the matter, as a court mage, there was no way she could stand for some mage running amok in the castle. 

And that being the case, the time to act was now. While there were still only a few people who knew of the matter, she would be able to act without scrutiny. This would be her only chance. Suimei still didn’t know that she was following him. And if no one else was involved, she would probably be able to bring the matter to an end without anyone ever knowing. 

That’s right. I am a glorious court mage of Astel. 

Felmenia assured herself of her pride in her identity. The king’s dignity, order in Castle Camellia, and her self-respect as a court mage all had to be protected. And she would be the one to protect them. That was exactly why she’d become a court mage in the first place. 

So no matter what that insolent young man was up to, Felmenia was going to put her foot down. She didn’t know what the magic and mages from his world were like, but he had to learn his place here. Regardless of his origins, if he got a taste of the greatness of this world’s magic, he would surely fall into line. 

Just you wait, Suimei Yakagi! I’ll show you. I, the White Flame, will put an end to your damn foolishness. 

Felmenia was a court mage, the mage known as White Flame, and the hero’s instructor. She was without peer in that regard. No other mage held all three of those honored titles. And a mage of her caliber should be able to handle a meager problem like this with ease. She was more than qualified. 

“My goodness, you are still so young, Felmenia…” 

After watching Felmenia exit the audience chamber, King Almadious muttered to himself. He could tell just by looking at her that her youth would lead her astray. Indeed, her eyes were not the eyes of a girl who had given up. Surely she was intent on acting in secret from here on out. 

But perhaps there was nothing that could be done about it. The king felt a bit sorry for that young man, but it could also be said that he was merely reaping what he’d sown. But after Felmenia acted on her own, what would be a suitable punishment? 

“It is also a difficult thing to have talent, I see…” 

Recently, Felmenia’s self-conceit had grown considerably. It was the flipside of her strong sense of responsibility, but it was also a problem when it manifested like this. King Almadious sighed once more. 

“North wing, all clear… Huh?” 

The sound of military boots tapping against the stone floor rang out in the hall as a soldier wearing the standard equipment given to him by the kingdom marched down his patrol route. An open door had caught his attention, but after peering into it with a torch, he shut it and moved on. 

It was the last room in the north wing, and since there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary, that marked the end of this section of his patrol. Tonight, this soldier was in the middle of doing his evening rounds around the castle. The daily patrol was divided among the soldiers, and didn’t just take place during daylight hours. There was an additional check once everyone had gone to bed for the evening. 

Camellia at night was very different from Camellia during the day. Naturally, the firelights didn’t illuminate the entire castle. Candlesticks were stationed in the darker areas so that it was relatively easy to get around, but between the candlelight and the pale moonlight, the castle could be rather dreary at night. 

Thus, the nighttime patrol wasn’t a particularly popular job. Not only did it mean missing out on a good night’s sleep, but it took quite a bit of backbone to navigate the vast and complex castle in the dark. Add to that the somewhat spooky atmosphere, and the whole task seemed rather daunting and ominous. No one enjoyed the job, so it was inevitably pushed onto the younger soldiers by the older ones. They would justify it by saying it was important to learn their way around the castle inside and out. 

“Hahh, will this ever end…?” 

This soldier in particular was one who’d had the night shift pushed on him. Fed some line by his senior and more domineering colleagues, it was a task he’d been forced to take on often quite recently. But night after night, it was all the same. No matter how you cut it, no idiot would dare attack or invade the castle where the hero was staying. 

The soldier muttered to himself in the darkness as he proceeded along, quite understandably. Ever since the hero had been summoned, there had been a directive to strengthen security around the castle. However, after having seen the hero training, anyone would realize that such measures were unnecessary. 

This soldier had happened to witness it by chance, and it was honestly a terrifying sight. He’d seen Reiji holding his ground and squaring off with the most idolized and feared knight in all of Astel, the esteemed captain of the royal guard. And nowadays, Reiji was regularly taking on the captain in addition to ten or so other men all at the same time. 

Reiji was the hero who would be protecting the whole world, so did he really need protecting himself? It made sense on a certain level as a courtesy, but this slightly selfish soldier could hardly see the value in that as he wandered the halls at night. And just about the time he was grumbling about his discontent with the higher-ups… 

“…Hmm?” 

He heard a clang behind him, a sound like metal slamming against something. The soldier immediately turned around and held out his torch. 

“Is somebody there?” 

The soldier called out, but no reply came. He couldn’t see anyone where his light was shining. The only thing in that direction was the hall to the room the court mages allegedly used for their special rituals. The door to that weird room was at the end of the hall, and nothing more. The soldier had just patrolled that hall as well, and there was nothing out of the ordinary. The only thing of note was that, unlike the previous day, some ornamental armor had been placed in front of the door. 

“Harris, is that you? Cut it out with the bad jokes.” 

Hiding the anxiety sprouting in his heart, the soldier called out to his comrade who had also been stuck with the night shift. This part of the north wing was the place none of the soldiers wanted to come, especially on evening patrol. There was a possibility that, knowing this, his comrade had come to play a prank on him and get a rise out of him. 

It was irritating, but he was also hoping that was the case. As the soldier suppressed the desire to curl up and hide, he stared down the dark passage before him. The only answer to his call was the blackness that was so dark it seemed to absorb his very voice. There was no sign of his smiling comrade lying in wait for him. Then once again, a little louder than before, a clang rang out. 

A chill ran down the soldier’s spine. Was it an intruder? Even his joking comrade wouldn’t go this far just to play a prank. And if it wasn’t him, the soldier didn’t know where they might have gotten the information from, but it might be a demon pawn who had come for the hero. 

The soldier was skeptical that any intruder could get through the magical security systems put in place by the lauded White Flame, but the soldier drew his sword, took a deep breath, and slowly moved closer to where the sounds were coming from. Worst-case scenario, he had his emergency whistle. Even if something happened to him, he could use that to inform his allies of the danger. 

“Hmph. What’s this? There’s nothing here. Seriously, fucking scaring me like that…” 

In the end, the soldier’s fears all turned out to be groundless. When he went back down the hallway, all he saw was the ornamental armor that had been placed in front of the door. Everything was as it had been. There were no intruders, and certainly no demons. But that was good news, and all was well. The only person who could possibly be prowling around Royal Castle Camellia in the dead of the night like this was the young man right before his eyes, after all. 

It turned out that there was never a need to draw his sword in the first place. He had wasted his energy getting worked up over nothing, which was a crying shame. After getting stuck with the evening patrol, he was tired enough as it was already. All he really wanted to do was get some rest. In fact, a sudden wave of drowsiness overcame him, and the boy in front of him smiled and bid him goodnight with a wave. Raising one hand up to respond, the soldier turned around and headed back down the hall once more. His shift had finally come to an end. 

“Pheeew, holy crap. By the skin of my teeth…” 

As Suimei waved goodbye to him, the sleepy soldier vanished around the corner. Suimei then let out a sigh of relief. He hadn’t thought that soldier was still on patrol. 

He’d been a little negligent in just assuming that there wasn’t anyone around, so this risky encounter was the fault of his own carelessness. But everything had turned out fine. The soldier was no magician, just an ordinary person with no magic training. He was caught by Suimei’s magicka immediately, and was none the wiser to what was going on. That soldier would go immediately to the barracks to sleep, and would wake up without a single memory of what had happened. 

It was an unexpected encounter, but that soldier was the least of Suimei’s worries. More importantly was the matter of the suit of armor standing in front of him. 

“To think they’d put an automaton here… There was nothing here last time. That woman is really getting spiteful…” 

Suimei passed a cold gaze over the ornamental armor. Was he mad at the suit, or the person he believed to be responsible for it? 

Automata. Generally classified under alchemy, they were the products of one of the techniques used to manufacture golems. Earthen and wooden figures and puppets, or sometimes even armored suits like this one, were stitched together with mana to imitate a living being using a core and a spell. They were given a predetermined condition that would activate them, and they would take specified action accordingly. In modern terms, they were something like programmable androids. 

In Suimei’s world, it was one of the techniques that stemmed from the Judaic secret art of Kabbalah. Since this was a different world entirely, the spell behind it was probably completely unrelated, but that didn’t matter. 

When Suimei touched the ornamental armor, it collapsed into a neat pile of scrap on the floor as if it had been completely disassembled. It was loud, but there was now no longer anyone around to hear it. Suimei then let out a sigh. The first clang had rung out when the automaton attacked him, and the second when Suimei broke it. 

But in all seriousness, it’s quite well made. It doesn’t look new, though, so it isn’t likely that someone here was the one who made it… 

Just where had they gotten a relic like this? Suimei had sensed its presence and the danger it posed on the way over, so it hadn’t caught him off guard. But nevertheless, he couldn’t help admiring it. 

Just as he’d suspected, the automaton was programmed to activate when an intruder endowed with mana entered a certain range. It would automatically start sucking up the mana in its surroundings. Its anti-magicka and physical defenses were quite high, and it was aggressive. When it had detected Suimei, it came at him with its sword raised high and the intent to kill. It was vicious, but impressive. 

“…Seriously, just what the hell was that woman thinking? No matter how much I’ve been sneaking around the castle, arranging for my murder is a little over the top. I’m not even her enemy, damn it. Is she just that much of a goody two-shoes?” 

Suimei griped about Court Mage Felmenia in a tizzy. He was pretty pissed about the whole thing. Even as someone else walking down the path of magicka, just how much value did she put in her pride and her service to the royal court to be so calculating as to set up a trap that could have easily gotten him killed? This seemed like a pretty blunt way of saying she’d have no mercy to any potential threats in the garden that was Castle Camellia, and she would act without hesitation to nip any danger in the bud. 

“I guess… That’s normal for a magician, right? Right…? Surely.” 

That was just the law of the magical jungle. He didn’t need to read into it so much. Even if this was another world, magicians were still magicians. It was perfectly normal to use lethal force against other magicians who dared to trespass or tried to steal research. That kind of behavior may not be quite as pronounced in this other world where magic was as common as saying hello, but Suimei couldn’t overlook that possibility. 

But still, how violent… Is that it? Is this what she meant by paying me back a million times over? 

Suimei knit his brow as he remembered what had happened between them last time. He didn’t have a problem if she didn’t want to be indebted to him over even a small act of kindness, but this was extreme, to say the least. She was totally trying to kill him. 

“…Well, whatever. If that’s her intention, I just have to respond in kind.” 

There was no way he could let this slide after she’d gone so far. He scoffed as he muttered to himself and began thinking of what he might do. And it wasn’t just the boasting of a teenage boy; it was a declaration by a trained magician. 

Suimei then casually shifted his attention to the collapsed armor at his feet. He couldn’t just leave it this way. He didn’t really care if Felmenia found it, but it wouldn’t make him happy if somebody else found it in the morning and raised a fuss over it. After all, it would only be a pain for him if they increased patrols because of something like that. 

“I guess I’ll fix it…” 

With that, Suimei optimized his mana and began invoking a spell. At his feet and centered on him, a small magicka circle giving off a red light slowly spread out and became bigger. It rotated while it expanded, and after a fixed amount of numbers and characters were set within it, it stabilized where it was, and then… 

“Renovato, atque restituito.” 

[Restore, and then reconstruct.] 

It was fundamental restoration magicka. It was a technique that didn’t repair anything per se, it simply returned something to its previous condition. And he put that to good use. 

Two magicka circles appeared below the automaton and split apart. They were both rotating, and one steadily rose up into the air. As it did, the broken parts began stacking themselves together in the reverse of the order they’d fallen in. It was like watching a tape rewind, and by the time the magicka circle reached its peak, the automaton looked just like it had when Suimei first arrived. 

“Okay. Not good and not bad, just as usual.” 

Suimei praised himself for his smooth, practiced use of magicka with no abnormalities. The automaton stood before him in good condition. It could no longer move, however. Since Suimei had completely destroyed not only its body and core, but also the spell that was engraved into it, it was now just a mere shell in the shape of an automaton. 

Leaving behind the restored automaton, Suimei snuck into the room it was guarding. This was quite a casual affair for him by now. 

The ritual chamber where he was originally summoned was one of the few rooms that Suimei visited aside from the library. His objective, of course, was to continue to investigate and decipher the summoning circle drawn on the floor with the ultimate goal of figuring out how to return home. To that end, Suimei had read every book that he could get his hands on and had been coming here to research the summoning circle whenever he had the chance. 

He wanted to get home no matter what. Suimei had the magicka thesis that his father entrusted him to take care of. To complete it, it would be fastest to return to where his research results, research materials, and various magickal items were. Certainly, given the time, it may have been something that he could accomplish in this world, but he wasn’t even sure if he had enough time to do it in his own world. Time was of the essence, and he couldn’t afford to waste any of it. 

That’s why he was so desperate to return home. Yes, that was certainly his primary reason for it, but… 

“Surely those two want to go back too, don’t they?” 

Suimei looked up at the ceiling of the stone room illuminated by the glow of mana and muttered to himself. Suimei knew. He would catch Reiji looking up into the empty sky every now and then. Beyond that void, beyond the horizon he couldn’t see, was a vision of his hometown. It was a sign of longing, and a sign of regret that he hadn’t been able to say goodbye to his loved ones. 

Suimei knew. He knew that Mizuki would sob all alone in her room. She mustered her courage to be with the boy she loved, but the price for that was all-consuming fear and loneliness. 

And when Suimei thought about the two of them, he could feel something bubbling up in the depths of his heart. It was difficult to describe and he didn’t know how to express it, but it was a heavy feeling. 

He didn’t want his friends to remember leaving for school that morning as their final farewells with their families. He didn’t want them to wallow in the regret and sorrow of never being able to see them again. He didn’t want them to struggle with that weight in their everyday lives. Tragedy may strike, and they may even be separated from each other, but Suimei didn’t want his friends to suffer. As long as there was hope, he didn’t want them to give up. 

That’s why on the day his father had asked him to become a magician, he’d accepted. It was so that he could stand up in the face of unfairness. To prove conclusively that there wasn’t a single person in the world who couldn’t be saved, and that no one should have to feel that way. 

“…It’s not like me, but I just thought I’d give it my best shot too.” 

Suimei put that feeling into words, and once he did, it could no longer be denied. He’d said it himself. Those words were a manifestation of his determination. They were proof. Even though he wasn’t accompanying his friends on their foolhardy quest, he would do his part to help them here. He wanted them to have a choice too. 

Yet as he spoke those words to himself, as if to pour cold water on his noble determination, a mana presence appeared nearby. It was being skillfully concealed, but Suimei recognized it. Indeed, there was no doubt in his mind who it might be. It was the court mage called the White Flame, Felmenia Stingray. 

Felmenia drew closer to the room, and after stopping for a moment near the automaton, she leaned against the door. It seemed she was using the gap in the ajar door to peek at what was going on inside. 

Just how many times had they gone through this song and dance before? She’d been shadowing him for a while now. Naturally, he pretended not to notice and left her to her own devices, but this was getting to be incessant. She would spy on what Suimei was doing for a time, but then eventually withdraw without making a sound. 

“The stage is almost set, I believe would be the expression. It’s about time I think about the timing and the venue…” 

Yes, this had gone on long enough. Felmenia was determined to set straight this boy who’d been sneaking around and sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. She was intent on punishing him at first, but perhaps just embarrassing him would be enough. 

A little after Suimei entered the ritual chamber, the innermost room of King Almadious’s Royal Castle Camellia’s north wing, Felmenia was standing in front of it stock still and completely dumbfounded. 

What… in the world…? 

Her mind was overflowing with such expressions of bewilderment. But her state of confusion would be perfectly understandable to anyone who knew what that armor was and what it could really do. 

The armor she’d stationed at the ritual chamber door was called the Slamas Armor. It was something created by a celebrated heroic mage famous throughout the history of the Kingdom of Astel. It was an autonomous mobile golem hailed as the greatest of its kind. 

Slamas was a great sage known for his use of earth magic, and he himself had heavily contributed to the construction of Castle Camellia. This automaton was the crowning jewel of his life’s work. How it had ended up in front of the ritual chamber was a simple question with a simple answer: Felmenia had done it. 

The reason was to chastise the mage Suimei Yakagi who didn’t know when to stop. She’d asked a favor from an influential former court mage, and had had the automaton dragged out of the treasury for her. She’d set it up in this spot exactly, predicting that Suimei was likely to come again today. She’d come to check on it after she knew the evening patrol would be over, and at first glance, it appeared it hadn’t been activated. 

That meant that either Suimei hadn’t come, or that he’d come and turned back when he saw the armor. But then her sharp gaze spotted the door, which, yet again, was slightly ajar. 

How? 

Shaking her head to try and rid her thoughts of that question, she moved closer to inspect the golem. When she did, she discovered that the kingdom’s greatest golem was reduced to nothing more than a wreck in the likeness of a golem. 

For this golem to be so cruelly… 

Felmenia was truly dumbfounded. There was no mistaking that the golem had been activated. Before setting it up, she had personally run an activation experiment on it. Though it was an antique, it had functioned perfectly, so there was no way it hadn’t worked when Suimei approached it. 

But if it had activated, that meant that Suimei must have fought it. Contrary to all expectation, however, there wasn’t a single hint anywhere that suggested a fight had taken place. That should have been impossible. This golem was specifically created for localized defense. This was its designed purpose. She’d tested it out herself, too, so she knew that it wasn’t easy to defeat. 

So how in the world had it ended up so utterly and thoroughly destroyed? The spell engraved within the golem was entirely annihilated, yet the exterior looked exactly the same as it had before. It was even standing upright just as she’d left it. 

Just what kind of divine skill would it take to render a golem like this into such a tragic state? If someone had defeated it by using brute force to tear it to pieces, it wouldn’t still be standing. Moreover, all traces of the magic holding it together were erased. Felmenia had no idea what kind of power it would take to do something like this. 

But one thing was clear. The person responsible for it was in the ritual chamber with a light, glaring at the summoning circle as he always did. It was as if he was saying that he thought nothing of her. 

Shit… 

As she imagined that, her anger roiled and she spat out a vulgar word that she hadn’t used once since the day she was born. The thought of her, Felmenia Stingray, the genius who became the youngest court mage ever, being completely ignored pissed her off to no end. She knew that Suimei didn’t actually realize that she was there, but she was still unable to stop her anger. 

She couldn’t tolerate the magic wiles he used to insult her and the other court mages. She couldn’t tolerate the way he behaved himself with no consideration for her whatsoever. The golem had been set up as an indirect way of making a move on Suimei so Felmenia wouldn’t have to get her hands dirty. It was supposed to be a dependable method of keeping him in check, so how was it that he was still being so rude? 

“Suimei-dono… Tch.” 

Felmenia stewed on the matter, but it wasn’t like she could do anything. Judging she’d done more than enough for one day, she silently returned to her room to seethe. 

Departing the ritual chamber in the north wing, Felmenia headed back to her private quarters. She’d had enough sneaking around the castle and decided to turn in for the night. When she put her hand on the doorknob to her room, however… 

“Hmm…?” 

What was this? She could suddenly sense the faint presence of mana. Felmenia didn’t recall using any magic when she’d left. And as she investigated using her own magic, it seemed it had just been her imagination. There were no traces of any magic around. 

It was likely the remnants of mana that she was unintentionally leaking out. It was the magical equivalent of jumping at your own shadow. For her to react to such a thing, she knew she must be quite tired. And it was all Suimei Yakagi’s fault. 

“Tch, just you wait…” 

One day, she would teach him a lesson or two. She went into her room grumbling. She knew she should get some sleep, but she was a bit distracted by planning her revenge. But then… 

“I apologize for coming in the middle of the night. Is Lady Stingray present?” 

Along with a reserved knock, a courteous voice came from the other side of the door. Felmenia recognized it. It was the same court mage who’d come to report Suimei’s activities to her the other day. She was in the middle of preparing for bed, but she couldn’t just ignore him. Felmenia put her white robe back on and called for the court mage to enter. He opened the door and cautiously stepped inside. 

“Dear me, please excuse the intrusion.” 

“What brings you here at this hour?” 

The time being what it was, Felmenia had no intention of starting with idle chatter. She cut straight to the chase, but the court mage replied politely without indicating at all that he felt somewhat slighted by her curtness. 

“I had something to relay with all haste…” 

“With all haste? What is it?” 

“Naturally, it is about Suimei Yakagi.” 

So it had come. Really, it was unlikely the court mage had come to talk to her of anything else. If Suimei did anything, he was to notify her immediately. Since there was also the incident with the golem, Felmenia braced herself for what he was about to report to her. 

“So, what has that man done now?” 

“Well, this is hard to say, but…” 

“What is the matter?” 

“I only caught hold of this information just now, but it seems that he’s no longer satisfied with merely sneaking around the castle. I fear he has plans to harm to His Majesty.” 

“What did you say?!” 

The court mage relayed all this to Felmenia with a grave countenance, and it was quite a shock to her. It was so outrageous, in fact, that she couldn’t hide her surprise at what she’d heard. However, thinking about it rationally, she knew that there was no way it could be true. 

“…Oh, come now. That’s a bit incredible, don’t you think? For starters, Suimei-dono has no reason to target His Majesty.” 

“I agree with you, but it seems that Suimei-dono bears quite the grudge against the king. One of the castle maids reported him saying something treacherous along the lines of, ‘It’s the king’s fault I can’t return. Just you wait.’” 

“What…” 

“It also seems he’s been having violent outbursts in his room and striking furniture. It appears there may be more to this than we think.” 

Felmenia was at a loss for words. Certainly, what he was saying wasn’t unthinkable. Even if the hero summoning had been the result of an international accord, the one who’d actually signed off on it in Astel was the king. That gave Suimei one very big reason to hold a grudge against the king, and Felmenia couldn’t deny that. 

“There are other reasons for us to suspect him as well. Several magic tools that were installed today to deal with intruders were destroyed, predominantly near His Majesty’s quarters.” 

If it had gone that far, she could predict the rest of what he had to say. But even so, Felmenia had to hear it for herself. 

“So then…” 

“Yes. They were put in place during the day, and there were several witnesses who spotted Suimei-dono in the area that night. I believe the evidence speaks for itself.” 

“Suimei-dono, you would really go that far…?” 

Casting her gaze downward, Felmenia muttered to herself. She wasn’t expecting this. The shock was too great. Not satisfied with skulking around the castle, he was now planning on resorting to violence. Felmenia didn’t even want to think about it. She didn’t want to believe he would do such a thing. The kind boy she’d met that day suddenly seemed very far away. 

“Hngh…” 

And just then, Felmenia’s vision suddenly became shaky. Was it dizziness? She could see the worried face of her colleague, but it was distorted like ripples across the reflection on the surface of a pond. 

“Is something the matter?” 

“No, I’m just a little dizzy.” 

“You must be tired, White Flame-dono. I know how busy you are.” 

“Hahh… My apologies.” 

Her colleague spoke with a sociable smile and a concerned tone, though Felmenia’s dizziness had mostly settled down by the time she answered him. She could tell she had worried him, but that struck her as odd. 

This colleague was one she had quarreled with previously. Up until recently, they hadn’t gotten along well. It seemed with the passage of time, however, that there were no hard feelings, and perhaps they made a good team after all. 

It was a nice thought, but right now Felmenia’s focus was on Suimei Yakagi. She couldn’t forgive him if he really was planning on bringing harm to the king. And now that her dizzy spell had passed, that was the only thing on her mind. Plagued with questions, she turned to her fellow court mage for answers. 

“…Have you spoken of this matter to anybody else?” 

“No, I came to you first.” 

“Understood. Then please keep this matter private from the other court mages. If it is reported to His Majesty, it will affect what happens next.” 

The court mages looked puzzled at Felmenia’s statement, which carried a profound implication. 

“Lady Stingray?” 

“I will settle this matter personally. I would like you to leave everything regarding that man to me.” 

Felmenia made a simple but weighty request. Just like after she’d made her request of the king, she was planning on taking matters into her own hands. The most qualified person to put an end to this was the one with the most information on it, and she knew that was her. 

“As you wish. I’ll take my leave then.” 

“Thank you for going out of your way to inform me.” 

“It was nothing. Goodnight, Lady Stingray.” 

They exchanged farewells as the court mage exited the room. Shortly after he left, the frustration Felmenia could no longer contain escaped her lips in a mumble. 

“To think he was that kind of man after all…” 

Giving words to her disappointment, anger swelled up deep in her heart. Without a care for his friends, he moved only to satisfy his own revenge. Worse yet, he was targeting the compassionate king who’d been nothing but kind and considerate to him. Was he truly that dishonorable? Was the kindness he’d shown her that day just a conjured ruse? Was he the type of calculating mage that only used magic as a means to his own selfish ends? 

The more Felmenia thought about it, the more righteous indignation stirred in her heart for that unseemly man of a mage. 

“Ugh…” 

Felmenia suddenly felt dizzy again, but once the sensation passed, her anger immediately returned. 

“A mage who can do nothing but sneak around in the shadows without a shred of pride is…” 

Gripped with emotion, she spoke as though he were there in the room with her. 

“Very well. I’d be happy to show you how this works. If a bastard like you thinks you can continue to act so foolishly with impunity, then just you wait…” 

A dark fire began to burn in the young woman known as the White Flame. A proud, consuming fire that threatened to burn so brightly that she lost sight of herself. Indeed, that was the moment that Felmenia stopped acting out of a sense of duty and began acting out of self-conceit. 

The image of the young man from another world immersing himself in what was at his feet as he ignored her was burned in the back of Felmenia’s eyelids, and she declared her own personal war on him with irrepressible anger. 

“Suimei Yakagi, say your prayers and wait for me. I shall fully and thoroughly demonstrate to a bastard like you the power of the one known as the White Flame.” 

That was her intention, not knowing the despair it would bring her in the future. 

After Felmenia made that dark pact with herself, a contemptuous insult was quietly hurled her way. 

“How naive…” 

The ridicule was directed at the proud words she’d uttered, audible even from outside her room. It was the court mage who’d come to deliver information to Felmenia, who was still standing outside the door to her private quarters. 

“And so the stage is set.” 

With those words, he pulled up the hood to his robe and vanished into the darkness.