Isekai Mahou wa Okureteru! (LN) - Volume 1 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The One Who Seeks Mysteries 

A few days had passed since the night the golem was destroyed. In the dead of the night in Royal Castle Camellia where everyone had gone to sleep, Felmenia was tailing a single young man. 

She chose this evening to confront him while he was secretly walking around. To put this boy—who wasn’t just prowling around the castle, but now allegedly had designs on the king’s life—in his place, she would maintain her distance for a while until she had a chance to corner him. 

As usual, Suimei hadn’t noticed her. There was no way he could. Whenever she tailed him, she was using wind magic so that her footsteps, body heat, and even her slight exhalations would not reach him. When she used this concealment spell, even if the cleverest guard searched for signs of someone present, they would never find her. Suimei didn’t stand a chance. 

There were no lights around, yet the young man walked straight down the passage cloaked in utter darkness with no hesitation. He seemed to be headed somewhere different than normal, but just like usual, he was dressed in the strange article of clothing Reiji had called “a blazer.” She wasn’t sure where he was going, but she fully intended to confront him tonight. 

“…Huh?!” 

Felmenia spied a moving shadow out of the corner of her eye. She was quite surprised by it and whipped around to see what it was. She didn’t think that there would be anybody else walking around at this hour. The most likely suspect would have been a guard on the night shift, but knowing that she was going to be going after Suimei tonight, Felmenia had put a stop to their patrol for the time being. Not even the guards should be out and about right now, so then just who was it? 

Felmenia scanned the hallway for the shadow again, but no one appeared. It seemed she was imagining things, but that was only natural in the dead of night. Even the plants were asleep at this hour, and without another soul around, Felmenia was left alone in the darkness. So what if her eyes were playing tricks on her? She turned her determined gaze forward again to give chase after Suimei, but… 

“He… vanished?” 

Suimei wasn’t there. She had only looked away for a moment, but he was gone. It was baffling to Felmenia. At the pace he was walking, he shouldn’t have made it to any of the intersecting passages. She glanced down them anyway just to be sure, but there was still no one to be seen. 

Felmenia, however, wasn’t going to let that stop her. If she’d lost sight of him, she’d just have to find him again. With an iron will, Felmenia gathered the mana within her body and wove together a spell using wind magic. 

“Oh Wind. Thou art my servant. Inform me of that which I desire. Wind Search.” 

What she invoked was a sort of detection magic. Using it, she could use the wind to perceive the area around her. Before long, Suimei’s footsteps were carried to Felmenia’s ears by the wind. Tap, tap… She knew the sound of his rhythmic steps well. He hadn’t gotten far, so she stayed calm and pursued him. 

“This way… Hmm?” 

Following the sound of his footsteps as she hurried along, Felmenia was suddenly struck by something. 

Wait, this way is… 

When she realized where Suimei was going, her anger flared. He was headed straight towards the Garden of the White Wall. It was one of the gardens within Royal Castle Camellia, and it sat right next to the audience chamber. 

It was a private area and entry was limited to those who had special permission. It was one of the few sanctuaries where the king could spend his private time. How dare this rude mage try and trespass there? It was unforgivable. The anger in her heart intensified into fury, and it spurred her forward. Felmenia gave chase with heavy steps. 

Stomping through the stone passageway and passing a small courtyard after that, Felmenia continued onward. She swore to herself over and over that she would strike that impudent mage down with her wrath as she finally came to the last gate. The light from the stars and the moon overhead shone down in dazzling beams as she ran into the garden, her entire body overflowing with mana. 

She was met with the sight of a single mage cloaked in jet black from head to toe. 

The Garden of the White Wall. Next to the obelisk that rose out of its center, Suimei Yakagi stood still with his back to Felmenia, gazing up at the starry night sky that looked like a downpour of twinkling gems. The bluish black of night extended from the earth to the heavens, and from the heavens to the earth. It seemed to stretch forever, but it was lit with the magnificent glow of the moon, which practically animated the stillness of the breathtaking scene. That moon and Suimei were all Felmenia could focus on right now. 

But… when had he changed? Earlier he was wearing that blazer of his, but now he was donning a black coat. He was so well dressed and put together that she had to wonder for a moment if she had mistaken him for someone else. 

“My goodness… Surely it’s in poor taste to stalk someone like this. That’s behavior befitting the pitiful and foolish stray sheep who know nothing of the truth and providence of the world, you know?” 

Suimei’s mouth curved into a broad, daring grin as he spoke snidely. He then turned around casually, like he’d known she’d been there all along. Yes, he looked like he was sneering at a lost child who didn’t know where they were going. 

“It couldn’t be… You noticed me?” 

“But of course. After darting around behind me like that, it would have been stranger for me not to notice.” 

“…!” 

Suimei replied in a composed fashion, as if the answer were only obvious. He already knew she was shadowing him. Felmenia was stunned that he had the capability to see through her perfect concealment. 

The situation was rather suddenly turned on its head for her. She’d gone from being the cat to the mouse, and she’d played right into the palm of his hand by following him here. Felmenia ground her teeth to the point they were audibly creaking. To think that being made to dance in the palm of someone’s hand was this vexing… It was the first time she tasted such humiliation, and it only fanned the flames of her rage more. 

She had been lured in, sure, but she wouldn’t let that be the end of it. She boldly stepped forward and began to question the man in front of her. 

“If that is so, you bastard, what are your intentions here?” 

“There’s no need to ask such a thing. I’m just taking an evening stroll. I don’t have a curfew, do I? And this time around, I simply thought I would go somewhere I hadn’t been before, you see.” 

“Do you honestly think an excuse like that would work on me? If you realized I was following you, then you came here full well knowing that, did you not?” 

She didn’t know exactly what or why, but she knew he was playing games with her. She didn’t hesitate to call him out for that, and she didn’t bother hiding her irritation at doing so. When she did, Suimei let out a shameless laugh like a naughty child whose prank had been exposed. 

“No dice, huh? I was afraid of that.” 

“I’ll ask you again. Why did you come here?” 

“Why, you ask? That’s…” 

Suimei let out a laugh like a gentle spring breeze was brushing by him. He seemed to be taking exceptional delight in whatever he believed would come next. And then, with eyes that looked like they saw right through Felmenia’s true motive… 

“It’s the same reason you came here, isn’t it?” 

“…” 

“The silent treatment, hmm? I was sure that was the reason, though. Was I wrong?” 

With that, Suimei slipped on a pair of black gloves with well accustomed movements. When Felmenia showed no reaction, he spoke up again in a seemingly disappointed tone. 

“I never thought that I would be stuck having to do this kind of thing with you. Honestly speaking, I would’ve liked to settle this in a more peaceful manner…” 

“How shameless of you to speak of handling matters peacefully…” 

That’s right. Suimei was after the king. There was no way he had any intention of handling things peacefully. And when Felmenia pointed that out, Suimei flashed a somewhat self-deprecating smile. Rather than objecting to what she said, he admitted to it. 

“Perhaps I shouldn’t speak that way after setting this stage. Thinking about it, there were several other methods that could have settled this peacefully by now.” 

“Hmph.” 

Did he think it would be alright if he simply confessed? Completely clueless as to what Suimei was thinking, Felmenia scoffed at him. Suimei then looked up at the sky like he was recalling something. 

“Is this the second time we’ve talked?” 

“It is.” 

After curtly replying to Suimei’s question, he grimaced as he continued. 

“My, you’re a tough one to love…” 

“What of it?” 

“Aah, nothing. It’s just some idle chatter. There’s no deeper meaning in it, but… My, my, you really hate me, don’t you? Is it that? Are you still holding a grudge over what happened last time?” 

“…” 

“Again with the silent treatment.” 

Suimei let out a somewhat disappointed sigh, but he wasn’t the only one feeling that way. Indeed, Felmenia had thought him to be a rather upright man. He’d refused to participate in the Demon Lord’s subjugation, but when it really came down to it, he was good-natured and did truly care about his friends. Reiji and Mizuki never had an unkind thing to say about him. Hesitation still lurked in a corner of Felmenia’s heart, but… 

“Honestly speaking, I too wished it wouldn’t come to this.” 

“You wanted to settle it a while back, you mean? Certainly it would’ve been much quicker with what you cooked up, huh?” 

“…?” 

Just how had he interpreted what she said? He was nodding as if he’d come to some sort of understanding. She wasn’t sure what he was talking about, but as she looked at him now, something else piqued her interest. 

“Be that as it may, you bastard, where did you come up with those clothes?” 

She had never seen him in the outfit he was wearing before. In fact, she had never seen anything like it. He was wearing a pitch-black coat with long coattails and an embroidered blue rose on its lapel. A piece of cloth shaped like an inverted sword hung down from the collar of his tightly knit, pure white shirt. He was also wearing trousers the same pitch black as his coat. It was a truly unusual ensemble. 

“Hmm? Ah, you mean the suit? I always carry my combat clothing around so I have it whenever I need it.” 

“You carry it around? But you had no clothes with you other than what you were wearing the day you were summoned.” 

“This was in my bag. You saw that I was carrying that, didn’t you?” 

Felmenia heard what Suimei’s tone was really implying: “Try and remember.” He gestured with his hands, indicating the size and shape of the bag to try and jog her memory. Thinking back on it, it was true all three friends had arrived with bags of personal belongings, but… 

“There is no way such bulky clothes could fit inside such a small container.” 

“…Really? Regardless of how you come at this, isn’t that a little narrow-minded of you?” 

The way Suimei shrugged his shoulders in astonishment annoyed Felmenia, but he had a point. He was a mage, so if what he was saying was true, there seemed to be an obvious answer. 

“I see… A magic tool?” 

“Magic tool, huh? That’s quite a plain way of putting it, but you’re not wrong. It’s a bag that can hold several times its apparent size—it’s one of my favorites.” 

Suimei spoke in a slightly boastful tone. Magic tools were objects given some sort of power that would ordinarily be impossible. She knew such things existed, but Felmenia had never heard of an enchantment that could increase the capacity of a container without increasing its size. She couldn’t think of which of the eight attributes would even allow for such a thing. If Suimei did truly have his hands on an exceptional magical tool like that, she could understand why he would boast of it. 

While Felmenia was admiring the effects of his bag, Suimei fastened his gloves, fixed the collar of his coat, and boldly cut to the chase. 

“Now then, the hour is already quite late. Shall we begin?” 

Felmenia responded arrogantly. 

“Do not say such stupid things, you damned fool. Where do you think this is? This is the Garden of the White Wall, a favorite of His Majesty the King. Do you think for a minute that fighting is permitted in a place like this?” 

Yes, this was the Garden of the White Wall. The king’s garden. Laying it to waste with a battle would be a terrible indiscretion. Condemning him for the suggestion, Felmenia challenged Suimei with a sharp glare. Suimei, however, only seemed amused. He answered her with a bold smile as he sneered. 

“Hmmmmm? The Garden of the White Wall, huh? It’s a perfectly pompous name for such a gaudy garden, but… are you sure that’s really where we are?” 

“What kind of incomprehensible thing are you suggesting? The Garden of the White Wall is identifiable above all else by its signature white obelisk in the center—the very structure you’re standing right next to. The colorful flowers which decorate the garden come from every manner of seed, ordered from all over the entire kingdom. This is His Majesty’s favorite place, and the spire that you can see on my left is— Huh…?” 

Not there. She emphatically raised her left hand to point it out, but the grand spire which housed the king’s private quarters wasn’t where it was supposed to be. It was gone without a trace. 

Felmenia’s mind instantly plunged into the depths of chaos. Perhaps aware of her inner turmoil, and as if sneering at her inability to say anything further, Suimei made a declaration. 

“What’s up? There’s nothing where your left hand is pointing, you know? The spire that houses the king’s quarters and commands a view of the Garden of the White Wall—the one I assume you’re talking about—is over there on your right, isn’t it?” 

Suimei exuded an ominous aura. His bangs concealed his eyes as he hung his head, and Felmenia could feel her heart being sucked in by this black devil. His lips peeled back into a foreboding smile that revealed his canines. Felmenia whipped around to see the spire she’d been looking for… right where he said it would be. 

“Preposterous… His Majesty’s personal quarters should be on the left side. Why… How is it on the right…?” 

Felmenia was aghast at this baffling phenomenon. She could think of no explanation. It was impossible, but she couldn’t deny what she was seeing with her own eyes. The spire was on her right instead of her left. 

Just what happened? Doubts swirled in Felmenia’s head, threatening to drown her. The royal family’s spire should have been on the left side of the garden. She hadn’t been invited into the garden but so many times, but she was quite sure that she distinctly remembered that much. She would have sworn to it. So how was it now that it was on the wrong side? And why? 

Suimei closed his eyes with a knowing look and explained the mystery. 

“Let’s see. There are two answers that come to mind. It’s simple, really. The spire is on your right because either you were simply mistaken in the first place, or perhaps this is not the Garden of the White Wall as you know it.” 

“Absurd. Those are both impossible.” 

“Are they really? Then how is the spire on your right instead of your left as you remember it? Why is the moon that we’re seeing rising on your right as well? Why are the colorful flowers planted here in the reverse order you might recall? Try answering that for me.” 

“Th-That’s…” 

Suimei kept talking as if he intended to pry the answer out of her, but she still didn’t know it. It was just as he said. The Garden of the White Wall they were standing in appeared to be entirely reversed, as if its existence was reflected in a mirror. 

Even the moon and the constellations… Everything Felmenia could see was inverted. It was as if, without her knowing it, she had lost her way and stumbled into another world. 

“Phantom road…” 

“Fan tum… Rode?” 

Suimei began speaking a foreign language of some kind, which wasn’t automatically converted into the one Felmenia spoke. It must have been something extraordinarily unusual. Felmenia did her best to repeat what he said, sounding it out in words she knew in her own tongue. 

“That’s right. This is the inside of a barrier I created. It’s a confined phantom world where anything and everything in the present world is reversed as though reflected in a mirror. Weaving in numbers that do not exist in the world, I created a place that does not exist. In other words, this is a complex number space, so to speak.” 

“Wh-What is that? Numbers that do not exist? A c-complex numb-her space, you say? What the hell are you talking about? What did you do?” 

Suimei’s explanation only served to fan Felmenia’s impatience. The words she’d never heard before were bad enough, but she had never seen nor heard of such magic before either. Never. Not once. And she was a court mage. 

To her, magic was the mysterious power of the Elements: fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, wood, light, and darkness. Since mages borrowed the power of those eight Elements, magic always held one of those eight attributes. That Elemental power gave way to great miracles. Mana was the driving force, the chant called to the Elements, and their power came to the mage in the form of a spell. 

But what Suimei had done didn’t play by those rules. It had no Elemental power whatsoever. 

“My goodness, it’s that bad…? Well, I said what I did knowing that much. The magicka here is some Dark Ages level nonsense. And the theory seems to be several centuries behind even that… Well, that’s why the language and concepts of it are completely unknown to you, right?” 

“This is… You mean to say this is magic? Magic that can change the appearance of the world? Such a thing exists? Without even using an attribute… How could you reflect the entire…” 

“It’s not just the looks that have changed, you know… Is it really that confusing? This is just slightly more intricate barrier magicka.” 

That was yet another phrase she had never heard. Maybe this mysterious thing he spoke of was some kind of unknown attribute. 

“Bury-her magic-ah?” 

“What?! We have to go that far back?! Don’t tell me the concept of barriers doesn’t even exist here…” 

“Like I’ve been saying, just what are you—” 

“Barriers! Barrier magicka! Have you seriously never heard of it?!” 

“I-I haven’t! I don’t know what you’re talking about, but that kind of suspicious magic does not exist in this world!” 

“N-No… Seriously? I feel like I’m suddenly peerless in this world.” 

Suimei looked floored. He held his head up with his hands like it felt heavy. Was the magic of this world that shocking to him? Had he come to the conclusion that it wasn’t even worth his time to try and explain anymore? Suimei let out a grand sigh of resignation. 

“Well, whatever… Let’s leave the discussion for later. All that matters right now is that this isn’t the Garden of the White Wall as you know it. It’s a mirror world I created with magicka based on the Garden of the White Wall. This way, even if we sling spells and make a ruckus, nobody will ever notice. It’ll be like it was all a dream.” 

“…” 

Felmenia still didn’t understand half of what he was saying. The magic he used was a complete mystery to her, but she understood the situation she’d gotten herself in. She’d been lured into a cage. An arena, even. Suimei took her silence as understanding. 

“I know it’s above your head, but it seems you’ve at least gotten that much down. Well, it’s important to be able to calmly come to grips with any situation. Now then, it’s about time… Shall we begin?” 

“Cut it out. You seem to be quite full of yourself after dragging me into this incomprehensible place, but do you seriously think a bastard with your level of mana could defeat me? I am a court mage of the Kingdom of Astel, Felmenia the White Flame. I will not lose to a man who cannot face his opponents unless he uses this kind of cowardly, petty trick!” 

Suimei tried to lord some perceived advantage over Felmenia, and she roared back at him. She wouldn’t be spoken to like that. She was the White Flame. The mage who arrived at the truth of the flame. There was no need for her to shrink in the face of this man. If it came to a fight, her position was absolute. She’d reduced countless beasts and monsters to ashes before this day. 

There was no way she would lose to this young man who barely even had mana. Even if he’d lured her into this strange place, what real advantage did it give him? He was the kind of disgraceful mage who couldn’t fight without such wiles. She had nothing to fear from him. 

“Hmph. You insist on prattling nonstop about utter nonsense, but the outcome of this fight has already been determined.” 

“Oh me, oh my. You sound awfully confident. But can you really defeat me with your power, I wonder?” 

“How admirably spoken. Allow me to demonstrate. I shall show you why I am called the White Flame here in Astel. I shall show you the truth at the summit of the ways of magic, my flame!” 

“Huh? The truth?” 

Felmenia loudly sang her own praises, and she heard Suimei’s voice turn quite serious at the last bit of what she said. He’d looked like was leisurely basking in the breeze this whole time, but his countenance turned grave now as well. But Felmenia was unsurprised. What she had threatened to use on him was the truth of the flame. There was no way a degenerate mage like him could maintain his smug facade hearing that. And so she began chanting. She was going to manifest that very magic right before his eyes. 

“Oh Fire. Thou art imbued with the essence of all flame, but burn unbound by the laws of nature. Now, turn everything in existence to ashes, the white calamity of truth! Truth Flare!” 

The moment she recited the final words that served as the key to her spell, a shining white flame swirled around her. It sucked in the wind in the surrounding area, and it gave off heat several times that of any red flame. It was fire that could reduce anything and everything to ashes, the true flame. 

“Wha— Huh?” 

Suimei let out a confused stammer as the white flame wrapped around him. Bewilderment was written across his face, and unable to do anything else, he simply stood there dumbfounded. 

But that reaction was to be expected. The white flame that all coveted and revered threatened to engulf him. Before such power, it was perfectly normal to give up without any resistance. 

Yes, that was how things normally went. It was how things should go, but for some reason, after Suimei spun around with a bewildered look on his face, he timidly snapped his fingers. Then it happened in the blink of an eye. The white flame lost its color and became a plain red flame. 

“Wh-What?!” 

And in the brief moment that Felmenia was astonished by this phenomenon, the flames surrounding Suimei quickly lost their fury. They died down and vanished as if nothing had happened at all. 

After casting a sidelong glance at the surprised Felmenia, Suimei took a good long look at where the once white flame had just been burning brightly. He eventually sluggishly turned back to her. 

“So… is that it?” 

He sounded as though he had been expecting something extraordinarily violent, but those expectations had been disappointingly betrayed. It was what someone might say at the turn of an anticlimax. 

His tension and worry lost all purpose and merely hung over him, aimless and with nowhere to go. But Suimei’s nonchalant words triggered a whole new firestorm of their own—a conflagration of confusion from Felmenia’s mouth. 

“Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-What?! HOW?! Why did my white flame disappear?! It’s the summit of all flame that only those who have arrived at its truth can use! How did it… with only a snap of your fingers…” 

“Wow… No, are you serious right now? You said ‘the truth,’ so I was wondering what kind of dangerous magicka you were about to whip out on me, but then all you did was mix in oxygen to slightly accelerate the combustion…” 

“I-I won’t stand for that attitude! M-My flame is…!” 

Seeing Suimei’s striking disappointment, Felmenia was unable to choose her words properly. Why did her white flame vanish? Why was he so disappointed? Those thoughts dominated her mind and were hindering her ability to make any sort of meaningful retort. But Suimei wasn’t done. He moved from outright disbelief to offering candid advice. 

“No curse, no meaning given to the flame… If there isn’t even a single thread tied in from legend, you can barely call that magicka. If I were your teacher, I’d be yelling at you to go back to the basics right now.” 

“Wh-What?! Just where do you get off saying my magic is so lacking?!” 

“Everywhere! Anywhere! It’s got nothing of what I just said. You’re nothing but a glorified flamethrower! And a crappy one, at that!” 

“What?!” 

“Hahh, that’s enough, damn it… Seriously…” 

Suimei spoke like a professor who had abandoned all hope of trying to explain something to a student. He had gone well past exasperation and his eyes were now swaying more towards pity, all of which infuriated Felmenia. And that was on top of her initial confusion. What had actually just happened? What had he done? Suimei let out another grand sigh, and then suddenly… a magic circle manifested at his feet. 

“What?!” 

“…What is it now?” 

His reproachful tone conveyed how over this he was. But Felmenia didn’t care. She was still reeling from seeing the impossible just happen before her very eyes. 

“A magic circle drew itself on the ground… Impossible…” 

“…Hmm?” 

“Hmm, my ass! Why… Why did a magic circle suddenly manifest at your feet?! Such a thing shouldn’t be possible! S-Suimei Yakagi, what the hell did you do?!” 

While Felmenia was shouting over the strange phenomenon, Suimei furrowed his brow. He was starting to look a little pale, but Felmenia felt like she was the only one who had the right to be making that kind of face right now. 

A magic circle had to be drawn, but it didn’t necessarily have to be on the ground or the floor. They could be drawn on walls, rock surfaces, paper—largely anything that could be written on could be used to construct the magic either in whole or in part. These circles served as a way to simplify the course one had to follow to invoke a magic spell. 

In short, a circle contained the letters or numbers that comprised a spell’s equation and combined them with precise shapes. Since it required a fair amount of effort to draw one carefully, it was needless to say that it wasn’t something that could be done in the middle of combat. Creating one was far more complex than any one single gesture or motion, but this man… 

“That’s normal, isn’t it?” 

“How is that normal?! Just how exactly do you manipulate mana to get a magic circle to just draw itself?!” 

“That kinda thing is just done using liturgy on the spell beforehand to…” 

In the middle of explaining, Suimei seemed to realize something else and once more put his hand to his head. 

“Man, this too? This world is even further behind than I imagined. Do you guys even take magic seriously?” 

Suimei paid no mind to Felmenia as he vented his anguish. But after racking his brain for a long few moments, he came back to her question. He repeatedly traced a circle with his finger on his forehead, and spoke in a much different tone than before. 

“Um, you know… This is all set up in advance. By interfering with the world beforehand so that when a portion of the spell is constructed, the magicka circle which supports it automatically forms, it then gets inserted into the infrastructure of the magicka being cast. So by doing that, when the magicka is used, the magicka circle automatically manifests, and the magicka can be invoked at a high speed. Got it?” 

“Eh, ah…?” 

“Don’t just fucking chirp like what I’m saying doesn’t make any sense. This is totally legitimate. You just saw me do it right in front of you. I’ll say it before you start ranting and raving again, and this also applies to the magicka before, but if you’re gonna deny the mysteries that happen before your very eyes, I can’t acknowledge you as a scholar of the mysteries. Got it?” 

“…” 

Hearing Suimei reprimand her so, Felmenia was at a loss for words. There was no room for her to object in the slightest. He had a good point, but this was the very first she’d ever heard of a technique that could automatically manifest a magic circle even existing. Nobody had ever used a magic circle like that before. Even the sage had never talked of such things. 

“Simplifying the process of invoking magicka is essential in the middle of combat, isn’t it? I thought this was a world of swords and sorcery? If you guys are this inept, then the world I came from is more fantastical than this one…” 

“W-We do have a way of simplifying the process to invoke magic! Magic without chanting is the extreme pinnacle of that!” 

“Huh, oh yeah? You think not having a chant is some kinda sophisticated technique?” 

“O-Of course.” 

“Well, I guess for some grand magicka it would be, but… Well, let me ask you this. Is this kinda thing really some amazing technique to you people?” 

With those vexed words, Suimei snapped his fingers. When he did, with a profound snap—in complete concert with the sound created by snapping his thumb and index finger—the air right in front of Felmenia’s eyes burst with violent vigor. 

She had no time to take a breath or even gulp. It was as if the air in front of her eyes exploded in all directions. Its destructive force surpassed that of wind, and rattled everything in the area with a shockwave. 

“Huh, ah… What… was that? No chant, and not only that, but no keyword…” 

“‘Amaaaaazing, Suimei-kun! You invoked magicka without a chant! From today on, I hereby acknowledge you as one of the great magicians…!’ Hahh, how stupid…” 

Suimei’s chest, which had been proudly puffed out, now deflated. After pouring cold water all over his own joke, Suimei was no longer in a good mood. 

“I’m tired of explaining things. I can’t keep up with all these questions. That’s why…” 

Suimei trailed off, and then switched tracks. 

“Archiatius overload!” 

Arc hiatus over-lode? 

Was it a magic chant? It was far too short to differentiate between the spell and the keyword. She didn’t even have a single clue what he was even calling out to. Yet all the same, the magic circle at his feet began shining brightly. It then filled with a corona of a rainbow’s brilliance and unleashed something within the young man. 

“Huh?!” 

Immediately following that, an enormous amount of mana blew against Felmenia. She reflexively closed her eyes against such dazzling power, but when she reopened them after the torrent had calmed down, she could see the form of something standing there with tranquil mana filling it to the brim and covering it in an overpowering aura. 

“Y-Your mana increased?! What did—” 

“What did I do? I said I was done with questions, remember? I’m not gonna explain any more. Oh, wait, I get it. You’re surprised that my mana was amplified just now. I suppose you can’t even get your head around that, huh?” 

Suimei spoke in a somewhat irritated voice. He’d lost all interest in answering her questions, to the point he didn’t even want to hear her ask them anymore. Taking a moment to return to his normally calm disposition, he brought the conversation back around. 

“Hmph. Ever since saying that we should begin, we’ve wasted quite a lot of time, so… now then, little miss mage, is it my turn yet?” 

Suimei scoffed like he wasn’t amused at all. 

Felmenia was taken aback. Just what was happening right before her eyes? She’d lost count of how many times she’d wondered that after wandering into the garden now. The amplification of his mana was one thing, but the circle he used to activate it was genuinely mind-blowing. 

Going out of your way to construct a magic circle to simplify the process of invoking magic seemed contradictory. Drawing the magic circle would only increase the effort, and in the end, increase the overall time that went into casting the spell. Yet this man had turned all logic on its head and invoked magic in far less than what should have been the bare minimum amount of time required to do so. 

It was no trick. Nothing she’d seen was just for show. And acknowledging that, she could no longer treat this young man as someone inferior to her. Things that she couldn’t do, things that she couldn’t understand… He did it all with ease. Surely this young man wasn’t overestimating himself when he proclaimed his power. He’d walked down a magical path she knew nothing about in a world she knew nothing about. His knowledge towered over hers. 

Felmenia took a moment to ponder what that meant. Surely this young man was stronger than her. Surely he was stronger than the sage who taught her. Surely he was even stronger than the hero Reiji. Surely this young man, even before the Demon Lord who was guiding the world to ruin… 

“…Who are you?” 

“Now that you mention it, I guess I haven’t properly introduced myself since coming here, huh? Well, fine. Just for you, why don’t I do that now?” 

Suimei looked like he’d remembered something long forgotten, and then looked right at Felmenia. 

“I am the magician Yakagi Suimei. One who aspires to unravel all the truth in the world using the mysteries, and a scholar of the mysteries from modern Japan.” 

Magician Yakagi Suimei. 

That was the name of the man who would, shortly after this, bring the mage extolled as the greatest in all Astel to the ground for the first time. The name of the mage she could never catch up to. 

“Hmph…” 

Impudently and quietly, Suimei scoffed. Just as he had planned, Felmenia Stingray was lured into his barrier, and at present, he had just transitioned to demonstrating his utmost power as a magician by activating his archiatius, his mana furnace. 

Having finally come to grips with the overwhelming difference in power between them, Felmenia was bound in place by unease and fear. Suimei stood before her, making the most of his knowledge and skills, with his mana overflowing from within him. If anybody with a proper understanding of the situation had been present, they likely would have thought that using the full extent of his power was going too far. 

Felmenia Stingray—no, the magicians of this world were just that far behind magicians of Suimei’s world. He knew that, and it would have been prudent to hold back in order to suppress any needless mana consumption. That would be the smartest, most efficient, and most gentlemanly way of carrying things out. 

But Suimei had no such intentions. Even if this world’s magicians knew nothing of the varied systems of magicka, even if they knew nothing of the effective usage of magicka circles, even if they didn’t dedicate themselves to improving their chants, and even if they didn’t do something as fundamental as forging mana furnaces with themselves, to Suimei, a magician was a magician. 

And so he prepared the stage for battle. As the host who beckoned her to battle, no matter how lowly the conflict would be, Suimei couldn’t ignore etiquette as a magician of the Society by not demonstrating his full powers. A magician should act like a magician, and that meant using magicka with all their heart and soul to mesmerize their opponent and force them to yield. Regardless of what his intentions were after the fight, as the host, he had to stand tall in battle and put on a good show. That was Yakagi Suimei’s pride as a magician. 

Suimei squared off with Felmenia. Naturally, this battle had no starting signal. Really, it had already begun. All that was left was for one side to make their move. And unable to bear the tension anymore, the first to act was Felmenia. 

“Tch! Oh Fire! Thou art imbued with the essence of all flame, but burn unbound by the laws of nature! Now, turn everything in existence to ashes, the white calamity of truth! Truth Flare!” 

It was the same magicka that she used before—the one she said demonstrated the truth of flame, the white flame. Though she claimed it revealed the true nature of fire, it was really just magicka that caused a flash of fire at a higher temperature than normal. But it seemed her attack from before was just a warmup. This one was on a remarkably larger scale. The amount of mana she poured into it was also considerably increased. 

The flame that was suddenly given birth undulated like a wave and twisted like a vortex as it clashed against itself. As it spread out, it focused on Suimei in an instant and converged at his location. 

In that moment, Suimei’s heart completely changed gears. 

This was a flood of fire that could burn him to death. He held nothing against it, but he wouldn’t let that just happen. Certainly not. Sucking in a nimble breath, he focused his gaze. Then, optimizing his mana, he invoked his magicka. 

“Secundum, tertium, quartum moenia, expansio localis.” 

[Second, third, fourth rampart, local expansion.] 

This was Suimei’s defensive magicka. 

The ramparts from the brilliant golden fortress—what he’d nearly used in the ritual chamber the day he was summoned—spread out within a limited area. Suimei stuck out his arm as if catching something with his palm, and three golden magicka circles piled atop each other to become his shield 

A flame that was only hot would never get to him now. The fortress’s walls were sturdy. Mere flame wouldn’t be able to bring them down. The worst it could do would be getting caught up in the threefold rampart shield and extinguishing itself in vain. 

The white flame roared thunderously along its trajectory as it tapered to a point and crashed into the golden magicka circles. The obstructed white flame let fly pure white sparks upon contact and fanned out. It burned so brightly and furiously that the whole area was bathed in a blinding white light. With a thunderous roar like an excavation machine, the collision hurled white sparks every which way, showering the area around Suimei. One second, two seconds, three seconds, four seconds passed. But the white flame couldn’t pierce through the shield. Caught up on the second rampart which served as a barrier against spells, the rotating third rampart unraveled the spell behind the incoming attack. Thanks to that, the dazzling white light faded as it regressed to red. Then by the fourth and final rampart’s reflective power, what was left of the magicka exploded and was scattered. 

“I-I’m not done yet!” 

Suimei could hear Felmenia’s panicked but brave voice. That was likely her declaration of intent to follow up. He managed to ward off her attack straight from the front, but as she implied, there were still white flames burning in the air around her. 

Issuing the command, she sent them flying. The white flame rushed for Suimei once more, but this time it wound around and came at his side. It continued to shift and change directions as it closed in. It seemed Felmenia’s title as a court mage wasn’t for show. The mana to manipulate the flames, the quick thinking to manage their movements, and the strength to handle them—she was showcasing her skills masterfully. That unhindered magicka control could be called first class and was certainly worthy of admiration. 

However, in the end, no matter how flashy the fire was, it wouldn’t amount to anything without substance behind it. Magicka that couldn’t penetrate his ramparts and had no special destructive effects would never even scratch the golden fortress. But Suimei released his defenses and took evasive action instead. The flame chased after him without missing a beat as he charged off in a straight line, his coattails not so much as singed. 

Casting a glance back at the white flame that couldn’t keep up with him, Suimei shifted to his counterattack. The distance between himself and his opponent was quite large, so he conjured some acceleration magicka. 

“Gravitas residito, massa reducito.” 

[Abate gravity, reduce mass.] 

With that quiet murmur, Suimei’s body was lightly released from the shackles of gravity. It was now as though he weighed nothing at all. He then ran—no, he flew. With his black coattails whipping through the air behind him, he tore away from the white flame that was chasing him, and then closed in on Felmenia at the speed of a darting swallow. 

“Too fa—” 

Was she trying to complain? She likely mistook his acceleration as he closed in on her as instantaneous movement. By the time she realized it, he was only three meters away from her, after all. 

But before she could even finish voicing her complaint, he snapped his fingers at her. In an instant, his cold eyes met her shocked gaze. 

Strike magicka. As a modern magician, Suimei could invoke magicka that could compress air and then release it in a burst without a chant just by snapping his fingers. While it was simple magicka, its power was easy to guess. Precisely because it was simple, its speed was excellent. And since its effect was purely physical, it was easy to understand. 

Snap! 

As if a transparent bomb had triggered a transparent explosion, a shockwave burst forth right at Felmenia’s feet. It was so close that she only managed to evade it by a hair when she rolled away. 

“Ugh, ah…!” 

As if blocking off her path of retreat, Suimei snapped his fingers once more. Felmenia seemed to sense the impending danger and changed her course. She ran for dear life from the shockwaves, evading left and right almost like a dance. Unhappy with this turn of events, she screamed at Suimei. 

“Th-This is absurd! How can you just continuously fire off magic so easily?!” 

“Hahh. You’re a third-rate magician precisely because you can’t do it. Did you think that I was going to shoot once and let you have another go at me? We’re not playing an RPG here, you know?” 

That’s right. This was no game. It was a competition with their lives at risk. Suimei came from a world where a single second’s hesitation could bring a merciless end to things. It was incomparable to the mysteries Felmenia knew. 

While Felmenia was scurrying about trying to dodge his attacks, Suimei pulled a reagent vial from his pocket and opened it quickly. Inside was mercury, the only metal in the world which was naturally a liquid at room temperature. Alchemists nicknamed it quicksilver, but when magicka was cast on it, that name took on its true meaning. 

With great force, Suimei swept his arm from left to right as if to scatter the contents of the vial, then focused on the mercury that was waiting for him in a line in midair. 

“Permutato, coagulato, vis existito.” 

[Transform, coagulate, become power.] 

Grabbing the mercury while it was still in a liquid state, he swung it back as if flicking blood off of a katana. By the time he followed through on the swing, the mercury had taken shape. Since he’d been using it like a sword, it naturally imitated that shape. That was what he’d intended. What he held was a weapon, a mercury katana. Using magicka, he could give it any shape. It was a weapon with no form—a Mercurial Arm. 

“Oh Earth! Turn thy body into obstinate stone and smash my enemy! Stone Raid!” 

The moment before Suimei’s mercury solidified, Felmenia completed her magicka. She called out to the earth, and small stones took shape and flew at Suimei along planned trajectories. Just before they reached him, they finished tapering to sharp points and became vicious projectiles. 

“Eat th—” 

“Too naive!” 

Suimei cleared the incoming stones out of the air with his newly-formed sword. Not even a bullet could get past a trained magician’s eye. Flying rocks posed no threat. Suimei’s blade smashed through one stone fired off with mana after another. The flow of his swordsmanship was elegant. He was unfazed, his face never revealing even a single hint of panic. 

“You can use a sword even as a mage?!” 

“Is there something wrong with that? Close combat techniques are essential to magicians where I come from, I’ll have you know. But whether up close and personal or at a distance, it isn’t a hindrance to using magicka though—” 

Slash! 

“Shit! Shitshitshitshithsitshiiiiiiiiiiit!” 

Felmenia began to fire off stones blindly in an act of desperation. But they would never hit Suimei. Not even a speck of sand would reach his coat. As he cut down the last rock, it shattered into crumbling lumps of earth. They could no longer maintain their form. 

“Oh Fire! Become my will to pierce through and—” 

“Permutato, fluctuato, acutum flagellum exisistito.” 

[Transform, flow, become a sharp whip.] 

Suimei and Felmenia started their chants at the same time, but his was shorter and he finished sooner. The thought that longer chants were better was old fashioned. Chants were meant to be short, and they were far more functional that way. It was smart to only pull power from words with meaning. 

By trimming away the excess, word for word, and thoroughly considering the vocabulary used for every single verse, the chant would eventually become faster. The answer was obvious and clear. 

And with Suimei’s expedient chant, a magicka circle formed centered on his mercury katana like the sword was piercing through it. Suimei then deftly flicked his wrist. The mercury, which was in the shape of a sharp and stiff blade, then transformed into a whip like a leather cord. Just like his chant implied, he now had a mercury whip that flowed freely through the air. He used it to lash at the ground by Felmenia’s feet and interrupt her chant. 

“Huh?!” 

The mercury whip surpassed the speed of sound, and a violent boom rang out like a gun firing a blank. The ground where it struck was deeply gouged. The metal whip possessed destructive power that far surpassed one made of leather. Its weight, its hardness, its sharpness, and even its length were free for Suimei to control. It could penetrate iron plating like it was paper, so the effect it would have on flesh and bone need not be said. Its destructive power could be glimpsed just by looking at what it had done to the ground. 

“Ugh… This can’t be…” 

With a single swing of his arm, Suimei could reap her life. Staring down that cold realization, Felmenia was frozen. She couldn’t take a single step from where she stood, and her lips simply refused to chant anymore. She could hardly articulate herself, but the mortified look on her face said it all. 

Suimei could see her grow pale. He knew this was the endgame, but he couldn’t stop yet. The curtain wouldn’t fall until his opponent was on their knees. If she was merely mortified, then she had not yet given up. She was still wondering how to recover, still looking for an opening. And until all such thoughts were purged from her mind, Suimei wouldn’t relent. He would carve utter defeat in the depths of her heart. 

With that intent, Suimei fed his passion to his mana furnace like kindling, and his mana suddenly exploded. With a roar that sounded like an earthquake, the whole castle shook. The erupting torrent of Suimei’s excited mana unleashed a surge of ultramarine light with a thunderous cry like a dragon. 

And right before Suimei’s eyes, Felmenia lost the ability to even tremble in the face of his true identity. Seeing the truly overwhelming difference between them, she fell to her knees in a daze and simply stared up at him in awe. 

Suimei then sang out another chant. 

“Intra velum. Noctis lacrimarum potestas.” 

[Beneath the curtain. The majesty of the tears shed by the night.] 

At his feet, an enormous magicka circle expanded to cover the entire garden. It shone with an ultramarine light made of mana that was deeper than even the hue of the starry sky. Its remarkable brilliance was dazzlingly bright, and the illusionary world they were in grew even more fantastical. 

“Insigne Olympus et terrae pingito.” 

[Colored by the symbol of heaven and earth.] 

With every verse of his chant, something new happened. This spell was not built up all at once, unlike the magicka of this world that required an entire recitation to manifest. Each line of this chant was an embodiment of power. With each line, the world was changing, already transitioning toward the mystery that would occur. 

Like fireflies dotting the air, golden particles of power rose from the earth and soared heavenward as they were sucked in by the vast emptiness of the starry sky. 

“Infestato ad irrationabilis veritas.” 

[Infest towards the irrational truth.] 

Next, a massive magicka circle appeared directly overhead and covered everything below. As if projecting the stars that lit up the sky, countless smaller magicka circles took shape within it. 

“Caecato, pluvia incessabilis.” 

[Dazzle, incessant rain.] 

The magicka circle which covered the heavens was categorized as a wide area expansion type. Its attribute was the void, modelled after ether. Its system was a combination of Kabbalah numerology and astrology. It was a fusion of styles, which could be said to be the representative style of modern magicka. 

All that was left was the final verse. A bold grin crept across Suimei’s lips as he pronounced her execution. 

“Court Mage-dono. Get ready to defend with everything you’ve got.” 

Felmenia didn’t even protest. She deployed her best defensive magic as she clung to dear life. 

And then… 

“Enth, Astrarle—” 

[Oh starry sky, fall—] 

With those keywords as a signal, pillars of light shot down from every single magicka circle covering the starry sky. Those countless pillars of mana and starlight held directionality, and came down like a rain of meteoric tears. 

All sound above ground was blown away by the thunderous roar of the grim reaper’s approach. Death bared its fangs at all the earth within its range in a magnificent spectacle. Those rays, which looked like they could consign even enormous beasts to oblivion with a single strike, hailed incessantly from the countless magicka circles overhead. 

Everything directly below naturally had no way to defend against such destruction, and the ground rumbled like it was letting out a death knell as it crumbled under the merciless light. This was the star magicka Starfall. 

Using the power of the stars themselves and the dormant seed of power sleeping within humans, it manifested in concert with the words left behind by Pericles, “Enth Astrarle.” It was one of Yakagi Suimei’s grand magickas. 

Eventually, the rain of stars calmed down. And all that was left, as if that destructive scene was nothing but a dream, was the original Garden of the White Wall in complete tranquility, Yakagi Suimei wearing his black suit, and Felmenia in her pure white robe, reduced to such tatters it could be mistaken for rags. 

“No way…” 

The first one to speak was Felmenia. She was still on her knees, completely devoid of her usual dignity and unable to move as Suimei held his mercury katana to the nape of her neck. 

“I’m calling this my win. Any objections?” 

As he inquired about his victory, a trembling voice came back to him. 

“A-Are you a damn monster…? Just whose mouth was spouting bullshit about how they couldn’t fight…? Why did you refuse to take part in the Demon Lord’s subjugation? If you went, even that damn Demon Lord…” 

“Could be defeated? That’s bullshit and you know it. I said it back in the audience chamber, but fights are about numbers. History has proven that much. No matter how strong the individual, they cannot win against overwhelming numbers. There is no precedent for a single person attaining victory. Even if someone’s remarkable, talented, and tough, they’ll still drown in a sea of violence big enough. An individual is no match against the united will of many.” 

Suimei felt like he had made his point, but he didn’t stop there. 

“You’re not just asking us to defeat the Demon Lord you call Nakshatra or something, right? There are the legions of demons under this guy. That barcode baldy said that the army that toppled the country called Noshias or whatever numbered in the millions, but just think about it. Surely that wasn’t their whole force. If they gathered their reserve soldiers, who knows how much bigger it could be? Is it double? Triple? How were you going to suggest I take on one million demons, much less three? Even with a solid plan to take out a few elite demons to turn the tables and shake up morale, there’s no guarantee you’d even make it through the rabble. No matter what you do, you can’t fucking beat that.” 

“What the hell are you talking about? It is said that battle is where one’s individual valor means everything. With that much power, our victory would be certain and defeat would be impossible.” 

“Are you an idiot? I’m saying that quantity and quality are in different categories when it comes to war. There’s no way that quality equals quantity, right?” 

“You bastard of a… How could a man of your strength say such a cowardly thing?” 

“What? Me? Stop it. I’m no first-rate magician. Well, I’ve been told I’ve got a bit of talent, but back home, I’m only a magician in about the lower-middle class at best… I guess you’re right in that if we actually had the best of the best here, they might be able to do it with one hand tied behind their back. Sure. But that kinda talk doesn’t have a single iota of relevance to what we’re talking about.” 

“…” 

Felmenia was unable to say anything. Whether it was because she was terrified of the people of Suimei’s world, or of him as he laughed and bragged about them wasn’t entirely clear. But nevertheless, her speechlessness only reasserted the difference in power between them. 

“Well, I knew it before we started, but the magicka here is pretty outdated, huh? Frankly speaking, this wasn’t even all that fun. Granted, that may be a bit harsh to you.” 

Suimei spoke honestly. The joy of witnessing mysteries not known to him and working out techniques to deal with them, giving birth to new magicka… That was what Suimei desired from battle as a magician. He’d gotten none of that out of the fight just now. 

There was nothing surprising, unexpected, or praiseworthy in what had just transpired. Suimei’s victory was inevitable, negating all pleasure he should have taken in winning. All he’d gotten out of it was throwing it in Felmenia’s face. 

“Alright then, it’s about time we bring the curtain down on this stage, mage.” 

Suimei took a tone so cruel that it would send shivers down the spine of anyone who heard it. He froze his heart. His gaze was subzero. He was ready to end this. Felmenia was on her knees and wasn’t trying to stand back up. This was it for her. As if she was facing the end of the world all on her own, her face was pale as a sheet. 

“A-Are you going to kill me…?” 

“I wonder. How do you think I’ll bring this score to an end?” 

“I-I’m a court mage…” 

“Oh, so if you’re a court mage, then it’s no biggie?” 

Whenever Felmenia asserted her title, it was an attempt to stoke her bravery and steel herself, but her nerves failed her here. With Suimei’s mercury katana to her throat, she could no longer pretend to be bold. 

“Ah, ngh…” 

Hearing the fear overcome Felmenia, Suimei showered her with rebuke. 

“Don’t fucking seize up with fear this late into it, you damn good for nothing. All I did was answer your request in kind.” 

“S-Silence! You’re the bastard who… to His Majesty…” 

“What about the king?” 

When he sharply questioned her, Felmenia’s tone wavered. Why did that come up all of a sudden? Did King Almadious have anything to do with their quarrel? 

“You were planning to harm… His Majesty the King…” 

“What? Are we just making up excuses now? Just when, exactly, was I going to hurt your good-natured king? I don’t have a single reason to do that kinda crap, do I?” 

“Huh…? But you…” 

“Hmph. I’ve had enough of your shit.” 

“—!” 

When Suimei viciously cut her off, a shiver ran down Felmenia’s spine. And then, scoffing with a cold stare, he asked her a grim question. 

“A magician is always prepared to pay for their actions with their body, isn’t that right, court mage?” 

A magician must head into all things prepared for the consequences. In the world Suimei came from, that was common knowledge. But the young Felmenia had no such resolve. 

“P-Please! Anything but that!” 

Felmenia cast her pride to the wind and fell prostrate before Suimei. She silently pleaded for him to spare her and show mercy without a care for her appearance. She would have even sworn never to defy him again. But Suimei was unamused. He scoffed and began to mean-spiritedly interrogate her. 

“Hey now. You couldn’t wait to knock me off, but now you’re begging for me to go easy on you?” 

“Y-You’re wrong! I never had any intention of killing you! I just… wanted to chastise you a little…” 

Felmenia shook her head vigorously to the sides, and Suimei threw a suspicious gaze over her like a wet blanket. Even though she had nothing to stake her life on, her lack of resolve was pitiful. She had the backbone to try and take out her opponent, but clearly hadn’t considered what the worst-case scenario might be like for her. Suimei considered this her punishment. 

He recalled hearing that she was some important noble, and for better or worse, that seemed to have had an effect on her personality. But putting that aside, Suimei went back to interrogating her. 

“Is it true that you had no intent to kill me?” 

“It is! I swear to the Goddess Alshuna, I’m not lying!” 

“I don’t know what her name means to you people, but as a Japanese person from another world, it means nothing to me.” 

Suimei adjusted the katana, and it chinked as though it had a guard on it. Since Felmenia wasn’t Japanese, she likely didn’t know what that sound signified, but she instinctively seemed to sense she was that much closer to losing her life. She then resorted to sorrowful supplication. 

“P-Please! I don’t want to die yet! I don’t want to die… Please…” 

Anyone would have been able to see he’d bullied her too much. But now that she was this much of a mess, Suimei thought it was about time to move on to the main subject. Maintaining the malicious act, he began speaking in a decidedly bored tone. 

“Then let’s see… In exchange for sparing you, shall I have you accept my conditions?” 

“…C-Conditions?” 

“That’s right. First, you will never speak of what has happened here tonight to anyone. Second, you will never tell anyone that I am a magician. Especially not Reiji or Mizuki. Got it?” 

As Suimei pressed her for consent, Felmenia shook her head from side to side with all her might as she trembled in fear. 

“N-No, please wait! Reiji-dono and Mizuki-dono is one thing, but I have already informed His Majesty that you’re a mage. In that case, what do I…?” 

“Hmm, how unexpected. I’m surprised someone as overconfident as you would have bothered talking to someone about it. I thought you would deem someone like me to be insignificant, and being sure that you could deal with me at any time on your own, wouldn’t even set up any insurance in the event that you lost against me… Well, I don’t really mind that much. In any case, you must never speak of the details of this encounter to anyone ever.” 

Dodging the bullet of having violated his request before he’d ever even asked it, Felmenia let out a sigh of relief. Suimei then moved on to the final and most important condition. 

“And third, based on the two previous conditions, I’ll have you sign this document.” 

With a gesture like he was reaching into thin air, a single piece of paper and a pen appeared in Suimei’s left hand. The pen was the one he always used, and the paper had some sort of agreement written out on it in a foreign language. Naturally, Felmenia couldn’t understand any of it. 

“What is that?” 

“It’s nothing. Just a contract. It says that you will absolutely keep your word if you agree to these conditions. A binding agreement, if you will. You don’t mind just signing something like this, right?” 

“…Understood. I will sign it.” 

Felmenia seemed to find it just a little suspicious, but she was quick to agree to it. She hardly knew what to make of this strange document presented to her, but considering the duress she was under, she hardly had a choice about signing it. 

After writing her name, she sealed it with a thumbprint in blood. After overseeing this, Suimei shamelessly informed her of what it all meant. 

“Also, I forgot to mention this, but now that you’ve signed this, in the event that you break your promise, you’ll die.” 

“Wh-What?” 

“Hmph, you were probably planning on just spilling everything to the king after this, so this was a little insurance to keep that from happening, you know? I also don’t want things to get complicated by having you make some kinda weird report to anyone.” 

“Wait, there’s no way that you can do something like that with just—” 

“To a magician, a master of manipulating the mysteries of the universe, nothing is impossible.” 

It wasn’t like Felmenia was making light of what he said, but she stared at Suimei with a skeptical expression. He decided to demonstrate its effect in the simplest way possible. He let go of his mercury katana for the moment, then poked the signed document with his finger clad in mana. As he did, Felmenia’s chest was seized with pain. 

“Don’t be ri… Hngh… UAAAAAAAAH!” 

“It works a little something like that. It’s quite hard to endure the feeling of having your heart crushed, isn’t it?” 

Suimei pulled his finger away from the document. When he did, Felmenia was released from the pain that was crushing her heart, and began gasping for air as she voiced a complaint without any strength behind it. 

“Ack, aha… You didn’t say anything about this…” 

“Whether or not I said anything, we have an agreement now. And I said you’d never speak of this, right? That’s all there is to it. It’s not all that complicated, really. All you have to do is keep your mouth shut. About what happened today, and about how I’m a magician. As long as you pretend to forget all that, no harm will come to you. Isn’t that far more fair a deal than being sold or going to pick a fight with the Demon Lord?” 

Suimei turned around as he spoke, and asked his last question over his shoulder. But no answer came. Finding that to be quite puzzling, he took a careful look at Felmenia, who was hanging her head. 

“Hngh… Hic, hic… You’re… so mean… Waaah… Uwaaaaaaaah…” 

It seemed every last bit of pride she had was gone. All Suimei could hear now was Felmenia’s sobbing. 

Hrm… Did I kinda overdo it a little here? 

It seemed he’d done an exquisite job of breaking her. Used to facing off against magicians in his own world, he couldn’t imagine taking anything other than a severe, hardline attitude against anyone who would come after him like she had… but he couldn’t hide his bewilderment now. 

It wasn’t just about magicka. There seemed to be an impassable gap between his world and this one when it came to maturity. Having realized that, could he really continue to back her into a corner? He momentarily considered it, but then relented. Suimei wasn’t a cruel person, after all, and he was actually starting to panic a little. 

“W-Well, that’s how it is, so keep your promise, alright? It’d also be bad for my heart if I needlessly killed someone.” 

He spoke with a far more casual tone than before. Sympathy had taken hold of him. He never thought she would cry like this. And since she continued to do nothing but sob, Suimei couldn’t even tell if she was listening to him. He scratched his head in a fluster, and then deviated from his plans. 

“Renovato, atque restituito… There.” 

[Restore, and then reconstruct.] 

At the very least, he thought he could fix up her clothes, so he cast his restoration magicka for her. As the magicka circle rose up from the ground below the despondent Felmenia, her robe was flawlessly restored. By the time the circle reached the top of her head, there was not a single hole, frayed thread, burn mark, or speck of dirt to be seen on it. 

And then, with nothing else to do, Suimei left Felmenia alone and exited the garden. In the end, he settled everything by letting her go. Leaving the consequences for later, Suimei quickened his pace as he walked away. 

A fight between magicians wasn’t the same as a death match. Really, it was quite rare for a magician to take the life of another magician. Certainly, mercy was never shown to those who arbitrarily intruded in the workshops of others, but aside from those cases, magicians inherently carried a mutual amount of respect for each other. They were brothers and sisters in their pursuits. 

Nowadays, magicka had fallen by the wayside thanks to science, and its development had come to a halt because of its decline. With things as they were, the life of each and every person who aspired to further magicka was important. So to ensure that the art known as magicka was never fully wiped from the face of the earth, there was an implicit understanding that magicians were not to needlessly kill other magicians, even if they used different styles. To that end, the contract Suimei had just used was employed quite frequently instead. 

In exchange for not killing someone, a magician could use the contract to ensure that no further harm could be inflicted upon them. And with a power like that, there was no real need to kill anyone in the first place. It kept magicians from killing themselves off, and helped maintain the ratio of those studying mysteries in the modern era. 

There were exceptions, of course, but it was worth bearing in mind that a duel between magicians was more of a competition than a fight. It was a chance to show off how well they understood the mysteries. In other words, it was a contest of the precision of their magicka, the strength and the complexity of their spells, their knowledge of theory, and any special characteristics they could use. In a way, it was a chance to study and learn from each other, mutually furthering the goals of their craft. 

Thinking about it like that, what about the fight just now? There was no magicka that made him unintentionally ooh and aah in admiration. There was nothing for him to linger on after his victory. No, only one thought came to mind on the subject. 

“They’re really too far behind, huh?” 

He’d said something similar to Felmenia earlier, but it was really bothering him now. From here on, after all, he had to live in this world. He was worried whether or not there were any mysteries here that would make his heart dance. With nothing to stimulate and inspire him, he—or any magician, for that matter—would become a fossil. To Suimei, who was pursuing his thesis, this was a huge setback. In any case… 

No intention to kill, right… 

The next thing he remembered was what Felmenia said earlier. How could she say something like that after setting up that violent golem? But even so, she hadn’t appeared to be lying when she said it. 

“I guess I’ll look into it a bit.” 

Felmenia had also said something about Suimei planning on harming the king. Thinking back on it, it didn’t seem like an excuse. If he assumed that she was under some kind of misunderstanding, there was probably more to what was going on. Realizing that the curtain had yet to actually fall, Suimei grumbled to himself. 

Felmenia was left completely defeated. Things had gone slightly out of order, but his original objective had been accomplished, and that reduced the potential risks for him. That being the case, it seemed like as good a time as any to make a move. And so Suimei quietly flipped open his black coat, and melted away into the matching darkness. 

A few days after the incident in the Garden of the White Wall, King Almadious Root Astel called Felmenia Stingray to the audience chamber. The reason for this summons was naturally to receive an update on the status of Reiji’s magic lessons straight from his instructor’s mouth. 

He’d made inquiries from others, but their reports only ever said things like “a bundle of talent,” “a magic genius,” and “the greatest in the world.” Nothing but abstract praise. The important parts were all glossed over, and in short, all the king really knew about Reiji’s magical ability was that he was talented. Since the king had the responsibility of sending him off, he wanted to know more in-depth details. 

So he’d called on Felmenia to report as his instructor. Her pure white robe quietly fluttered behind her as she knelt down before the king, and attentively reported on both Reiji and Mizuki’s progress. According to her, Reiji’s talent for magic was indeed extraordinary. His capacity for mana was over ten times that of the castle’s court mages, and while he still had some small shortcomings when it came to minute control of spells and mana, he was exceptionally quick on the uptake when it came to understanding magic. 

In regards to Mizuki Anou, though she wasn’t on Reiji’s level, she also held a fair amount of power. Her ability to understand and conceptualize magic seemed to have no limits, and she often left her peers wondering just how she was able to arrive at such notions. It was to the point where it was regrettable that she hadn’t also received divine protection from the hero summoning. 

“That is all, Your Majesty. The speed at which Reiji-dono and Mizuki-dono are learning magic is incredible. Someday, I am sure they will be comparable to the great mages from around the world.” 

Injecting one last compliment, Felmenia brought her report to an end. The king then added on one more question as a light joke. 

“Does it seem they will surpass even you?” 

“With Reiji-dono’s power, perhaps.” 

“I see. That is reassuring. If Reiji-dono has that much talent with magic, then my concerns are likely just needless worry.” 

“I certainly hope so, Your Majesty. I was also surprised. They’ve only been introduced to magic for some two weeks now, and to already be a match for intermediate level mages just goes to show that Reiji-dono was not chosen to be a hero for nothing. If you will allow me to say this as a single mage, my envy is irrepressible.” 

Felmenia said that last part quietly. With her head bowed, the king couldn’t see her expression clearly, but if she was jealous enough to admit it to him, he had no doubt that it was showing on her face. But there was no helping it. From what he had heard, Reiji was acquiring magical knowledge from her at a rate that could no longer be described by just the word “exceptional.” 

“I am certain it is. However, if he did not have at least that much power…” 

“It is just as Your Majesty says; he would not be able to defeat the Demon Lord.” 

“Indeed.” 

The king nodded back as their opinions lined up. Having heard everything he wanted to about the hero, he hung his hopes on Felmenia’s efforts and hard work to continue training him. 

“Court Mage Felmenia Stingray, your report has been received. There are still three days until Reiji-dono’s departure, so make full use of that time.” 

“All is as you will, Your Majesty. Then, I will excuse myself here…” 

After respectfully accepting the king’s order, Felmenia bowed down and then turned to leave. However, the king had not dismissed her yet. He still had business with her, and he stopped her from going. 

“Felmenia, I have something else that I would like to hear from you.” 

“Huh? O-Of course, Your Majesty.” 

“That young man… It’s about Reiji-dono’s good friend Suimei-dono.” 

The king wanted to talk about Suimei Yakagi. Ever since Felmenia’s previous report on him, the king had been worrying about Suimei almost as much as he had been about the hero Reiji. He was mostly concerned about the potential clash between Suimei and Felmenia, and he wanted to know if anything had come of it in the several days it had been since they’d talked on the matter. 

“S-Suimei-dono, Your Majesty…?” 

Felmenia felt blindsided, and the dumbfounded look plastered on her face said it all. Her voice slightly cracked, but even so, the king pressed her on the matter. 

“Indeed. After we last spoke, what kind of movements has that young man made? You have continued your surveillance, have you not?” 

“R-Regarding that… Um…” 

“Felmenia?” 

She was avoiding his gaze for some reason, and hesitated to speak as if it were something difficult to talk about. In utter contrast to her report about the hero, it was like she had completely lost her composure. 

It seemed that she had done something, otherwise she would be speaking loudly and with dignity as normal. Despite being quite young, no matter the situation and no matter the opponent, she never lost her composure. That was all out the window right now. 

“Ah, uh…” 

“What is the matter? Could it be that something happened?” 

“No, sire, that’s, um…” 

Even when he asked a second time, Felmenia could only answer evasively. When the king looked closely, he could see that she was sweating slightly. He then asked her a third time, this time in a strict tone. 

“Answer me, Felmenia. If you do not speak, we will be unable to progress, will we not? Tell me everything that has happened and everything you have witnessed. Conceal nothing.” 

However, Felmenia would still not answer. Instead, she bowed down so deeply that she appeared to be rubbing her forehead on the floor. 

“Y-Your Majesty! Please, I beg of you! In regards to this matter, please allow me silence!” 

“Are you saying you cannot speak of it?” 

“Yes, sire. Though it is foolish of me, it is just as you say.” 

“Why?” 

“The answer Your Majesty seeks is an undesirable state of affairs brought on by my lack of virtue. I cannot speak of it…” 

“Hmm…” 

Seeing her continue to behave so unlike herself, the king unintentionally groaned. Prostrating herself, she refused to speak of the matter. She was being unusually obstinate. 

The question was why she was going to such great lengths to conceal what had happened, but the answer was obvious enough. After being told not to do something, she’d naturally be reluctant to admit it if she’d defied that order. Even if she tried to skirt the issue, one wrong word might reveal her, and then she would be punished accordingly for defying the king. 

Then was this silence some form of self-defense against that punishment? If that was the case, she’d already given herself away. 

“…I told you that you mustn’t act, did I not, Felmenia? And it seems you’ve done something to Suimei-dono after all. Am I wrong?” 

As the king raised his voice, Felmenia’s shoulders trembled like a small animal that had been discovered by a predator. Seeing her like that, it appeared she truly feared being found out and reprimanded. The fact that she was unable to expect such a thing despite her wisdom was both unexpected and disappointing, but no matter how much she trembled, responsibility was responsibility. 

But before all else, he actually needed to know what was going on, and that would mean getting the details out of her. 

“Speak. Before I pass down your punishment, I must hear what you have to say. Until then, nothing can begin.” 

“P-Please, Your Majesty. I beg of you… I beg for your mercy.” 

“There is no need to be so obstinate. I already expected you to disobey my orders. Resign yourself and hold nothing back.” 

“Y-Your Majesty…” 

“I have had enough of this, Felme…?” 

When he looked closely, the king saw that this dignified young woman had tears coming from the corners of her eyes. Just how long had it been since he last saw her cry? It must have been when she was still a small child, the night she’d visited the castle for the first time for an evening party and had gotten separated from her parents, the countess and Earl Stingray. This was most perplexing. 

“Why will you not speak?” 

“…” 

Felmenia would not answer. All she would do was bow her head down. King Almadious took a long, silent moment to think to himself. Just why wouldn’t she speak? Why was she being so obstinate over this? The answer to those questions didn’t come to him, but he eventually thought of a plan and changed his line of questioning. 

“Felmenia. From here, I shall ask you questions.” 

“But Your Majesty…” 

“Listen to me, Felmenia. If the answer to my question is correct, then remain silent as you are now in response. If it is incorrect, then just shake your head. Understood?” 

The king made himself quite clear, and Felmenia kept silent without objecting. He then proceeded to pose the questions that had come to him, one at a time. 

“Within the last few days, did you take some sort of action against Suimei-dono?” 

“…” 

Silence. Thus, a hit. But he had expected that much. This wasn’t news to him. 

“Was it a verbal warning?” 

This time, Felmenia shook her head. 

“Did you use force?” 

“…” 

Another hit, though it was likely no more than overawing him as a punishment. Felmenia should have known full well not to do anything more than that. He didn’t think it was possible, but he still had to ask. 

“At the time, did you injure Suimei-dono?” 

The king was worried he may have phrased that a little strongly, but… 

Felmenia adamantly shook her head. With that, one more question came to mind. 

“…Wait, did you try to injure him?” 

“…” 

In response to Felmenia’s silence, the king was also stunned into silence for a time. This was far too surprising. Not the fact that Felmenia had actually used force, but that she, despite being considered the most prominent mage in the entire country, had failed to injure Suimei when that’s what she’d had the express intent of doing. That was what shocked him. Just what did it mean? Had the boy who was not given the divine protection from the hero summoning, a mere mage who had no strength imparted on him by the Goddess or the Elements, truly walked away unscathed from an encounter with the White Flame? 

While listening to the sound of his own gulping, the king resolved himself and asked one more question. 

“Then let me ask you this, Felmenia. Were you defeated?” 

“…” 

Affirmative silence. There was nothing more to doubt. Felmenia had acted on her own, disobeying the king’s order and confronting Suimei, and as a result, she had tasted a crushing defeat. 

“And at that time, Suimei-dono took hold of some kind of weakness of yours. And because of that, you are unable to say anything to me. Is that correct?” 

“…” 

A hit. As expected, Felmenia couldn’t speak freely on the matter because of some sort of weakness, despite the fact that she could not be seen or heard by the one exploiting that weakness at the moment. The king had his doubts as to why she was honoring whatever arrangement she had with Suimei, but… 

Felmenia, and also the one who laid her low, Suimei, were both people walking the dark, winding path of magic. For the king who had only dabbled in the magic arts, it was difficult for him to comprehend what kind of agreement the two of them may have come to. 

“Hic… Hic… Your Majesty, my deepest apologies… In addition to going against your orders, I am being disloyal only to protect myself. I, Felmenia Stingray, shall accept any… any punishment that you deem appro… appropriate…” 

“It is fine. You have already received your punishment from Suimei-dono, have you not? There is no point in lashing the dead. I have no punishment to bestow on you.” 

“Your Majesty…” 

Repenting for her mistakes, Felmenia’s tears flowed freely and she became excessively despondent. For her to be in such low spirits was likely because her fight against Suimei had been that devastating. In that case, the king could see that she’d already been punished enough. If the situation had rendered her so humbled, her self-conceit and pride were likely no longer an issue, and that was a relief to him, honestly. But it wasn’t all good news. One worry quickly replaced another. 

“Felmenia. I cannot leave this matter unaddressed. After this, I am thinking of summoning Suimei-dono to the audience chamber.” 

“Your Majesty, calling Suimei-dono here… But why…?” 

As Felmenia raised her head in bewilderment, the king answered her without holding anything back. 

“Is it not obvious? Since I cannot hear it from you, I shall ask Suimei-dono. Besides, there is the matter of the summoning as well as your weakness. I ought to diffuse any potential discord between that man and us.” 

“You mustn’t, Your Majesty! Suimei-dono is not that kind of halfhea—GUAAAAAAAAH!” 

When she tried to object, Felmenia was strangely afflicted. Suddenly, right in the middle of her sentence, a shriek came from her mouth and she was grasping at a terrible pain in her chest. 

“Felmenia?! What happened?! Felmenia!” 

At this strange, sudden occurrence, the king reflexively rose to his feet. Felmenia’s fit was that alarming. But the pain that rendered her writhing on the ground did not seem to last for long. In a few moments, her screaming stopped and she righted her posture. 

“Hahh, hahh… I apologize for showing such a disgraceful display before… Hrm, ahem…” 

“Just what is the matter? Is it some sort of sickness?” 

“No…” 

She denied that much, but the king knew this was no coincidence. A veritable fountain of cold sweat was running down her beautiful, wise face. She was as pale as a corpse. It was only reasonable to assume the cause was illness, but the king had never heard of her suffering from any such thing. 

The king reviewed the events in his head. Moments ago, Felmenia had been on the floor grasping at her chest, seemingly at her heart. And she was afflicted with this pain suddenly. Objecting to the king’s idea, she had started to say something about Suimei, the very boy she’d refused to talk about otherwise. It was moments after mentioning his name that she began screaming. Following that logic… 

“Could it be that pain is the weakness…?” 

“…” 

“Is it magic?” 

“…” 

Felmenia would not answer. No, because of her weakness, she likely could not answer. The king could only barely see her downcast face, but it was a vortex of bitter feelings. It was part self-condemnation and part remorse. Seeing her in that state, the king had nothing more to ask of her. 

“Understood, Felmenia. You may leave everything to me.” 

“Your Majesty?” 

“As I said before, I shall call Suimei-dono here.” 

“B-But…!” 

“It is fine. I shall take all responsibility. You shall—” 

And from there, King Almadious sent a messenger to retrieve the magician who had cursed one of his mages. 

Night had fallen since the king concluded his business with Felmenia. He sat in the audience chamber of Castle Camellia, and was eventually greeted by the sound of the door opening. The one who entered was none other than Suimei Yakagi. He was a good friend of Reiji’s, and according to Felmenia, a mage from the other world. 

At first glance, this young man looked completely plain. He bowed at the door, and then approached the king with an unhurried gait. The atmosphere around him was just the same as it had been the first time he visited the audience chamber, but he was dressed differently this time. His new monochrome outfit gave him a certain sense of refinement. Perhaps because he was not used to such situations, Suimei knelt down before the king in a somewhat clumsy manner. 

“At your messenger’s request, I have come to see Your Majesty.” 

“I must apologize for summoning you so late into the night. Forgive me for saying so after you have already been so courteous, but today it will only be the two of us here. Please be at ease.” 

“…” 

“Would that be alright, Suimei-dono?” 

“…Yes, Your Majesty.” 

After a long pause, Suimei consented and raised his face. His expression was still a little stiff. Seeing him like that, the king deferred moving on to the main topic and inquired about his clothing instead. 

“I am unfamiliar with that outfit. Just what is it?” 

“It’s clothing that I brought from my home world. It was inside the bag that I had on hand, and part of the few personal belongings I was able to bring here.” 

“It has a different sense of refinement from the clothing the hero wears.” 

“In our world, this clothing would be part of what is considered to be full dress. It’s more appropriate for a place like this.” 

Hearing Suimei’s words, the king passed his gaze over Suimei’s outfit again. The black cloth had not one wrinkle in it. The piece of cloth fastened around his neck that hung down like a sword was a nice contrast on top of the stark white shirt he wore underneath it. And paired together with the black trousers he was wearing, the whole ensemble had an indescribable sense of refinement. 

“I see. It suits you well.” 

“Thank you very much, Your Majesty.” 

As Suimei responded, though still kneeling, he deftly smoothed down his coat, straightened his sleeves, and corrected his posture. In that brief moment, it seemed as though the awkwardness had vanished. But Suimei suddenly bowed down his head when he seemed to recall something. 

“Though it is quite overdue, You Majesty, I apologize for making such an unsightly scene the other day.” 

Suimei humbly offered an apology for what had happened on the day they met. When Suimei had heard he could not return home straight from the king’s mouth, though it was a completely natural reaction, Suimei had completely lost sight of himself. 

The moment he’d heard those words, he rudely stood up and started shouting. “Don’t fuck with me. I can’t believe it. If you can’t return us, then you shouldn’t have summoned us.” Something to that effect. He’d completely unloaded on the king. His insolent behavior had offended and enraged the audience who witnessed it, but such was the situation. With the king’s mediation, everything had calmed down since, but he never thought that he would receive an apology after the fact. 

“…Ah, yes, that. It’s quite fine. Your feelings were justified. After arbitrarily summoning you three to this world, we made things worse and said that you could not return. Truly, there is no reason you should have to apologize. I would have you raise your head.” 

“Then…” 

As the king frankly declared that no offense had been taken at his outburst, Suimei obliged and once more raised his head. From his expression, the king could see that regardless of who was at fault during the commotion on that day, Suimei was concerned about it. There was still a sense of awkwardness about him. But with that out of the way, Suimei cut to the chase. 

“You said that you had something to discuss with me, Your Majesty?” 

“Indeed. There is something that I must know, Suimei-dono.” 

“…Your Majesty?” 

What the king heard now was a troubled voice. Was this bewildered face and furrowed brow a glimpse into who this young man really was? 

“It is about Felmenia, Suimei-dono. There is something that I would like to hear from you.” 

“Felmenia-san, is it…? If I remember correctly, I have heard she is the one who has been instructing Reiji and Mizuki in magic. But what of her, Your Majesty?” 

“She has told me before that she has seen you outside of your room and loitering around the castle.” 

As Suimei shamelessly claimed that Felmenia was someone he was only casually acquainted with, the king confronted him with what he’d heard about his behavior. Suimei then smiled with a weak and bitter expression like he’d been embarrassed somehow. 

“Ah, ahaha… I was under the impression that I was free to look around the inside of the castle, so I have been taking walks to keep myself occupied. Have I caused some sort of inconvenience?” 

“No, that’s not a problem. It was my intention that you should be able to do that, after all. You have committed no offense in that regard.” 

“Then is something else the matter, Your Majesty?” 

“You don’t know?” 

“…” 

Suimei wore a bewildered expression to hide his inner thoughts. The king had brought up Felmenia, but Suimei had said nothing. In fact, he was playing dumb precisely because he knew what the king was really getting at. 

In a way, this was an extension of the tension between them from their first encounter. Being summoned was likely enough to put anyone on edge. If the king were Suimei, he could only imagine he would have taken some measures himself. Specifically, using force as a threat. The king had no means of controlling a mage who could defeat Felmenia. That much was simple. 

However, for Suimei to be so powerful and not have acted on it all this time, he seemed to be implicitly telling the king that he would like to end things peacefully with everyone pretending that they were none the wiser. “If you keep quiet, I won’t do anything, so just don’t touch on it.” Something like that. The king knew the hornets’ nest he was potentially poking, but he had to get to the heart of the matter. 

“What, exactly, did you do to Felmenia?” 

“I do not understand, Your Majesty.” 

“Suimei-dono, there is no way that you do not know what I speak of, is there not? Speak hon—” 

And just then, the moment he tried to say more, terror and goosebumps ran down Almadious’s back. Just what kind of expression was this boy hiding under the hair that covered his face? Through the small gap in Suimei’s bangs, the king could see a deep crimson glow. It inspired an indescribable dread in him. And then… 

“With all due respect, Your Majesty, are you sure you want to ask that question?” 

Almadious felt like had lost his voice. Like it had been stolen. Suimei reproached the king in a sharp tone that made him seem like a completely different person. As a little test of the king’s resolve, Suimei had silenced him for a moment and taken his breath away. However… 

“…S-Suimei-dono. Yes, I wish to have an answer.” 

Seeing that the king would still speak of it after that, Suimei ceased kneeling and abruptly stood up. He then swung his arm backwards, and a coat appeared over his shoulders with a flutter from nowhere. The king had no idea what he’d done, but, if he had to guess, it was likely magic. It was the magic Suimei used that the mages here could barely comprehend. 

As for Suimei himself, there was no sign of the awkwardness and stiffness from before. His gentle gaze had turned sharp, and his eyes were alive with a deep crimson glow that could pierce darkness. His expression was tinged with the pride that the king had seen from mages countless times before. 

If there had been a proper audience in the chamber, people would be whispering about Suimei’s insolence again. But this time there was no one to comment on his behavior. While the king was captivated seeing this mage-like attitude from Suimei for the first time, Suimei spoke as if letting out a sigh. 

“Good grief. I haven’t heard anything about that woman eating it, so how do you know that much?” 

“As expected, you…” 

“Yeah, it’s exactly that. When I was first summoned here, that woman found out I was a magician, and the result of somehow or other sealing her mouth took on that kinda shape. But seeing as how she can’t talk about it now, how is it that Your Majesty is so informed about what I’ve done?” 

“I asked her about it. If she could not speak of it, I told her to remain silent.” 

After the king concisely explained what had happened, Suimei spoke quietly as though he’d come to some kind of understanding. 

“I see. I didn’t consider that. Certainly the covenant that binds that woman only forbids her from speaking.” 

In stark contrast to his gentle voice as he recalled that, Suimei shot a sharp glance the king’s way. 

“However, why have you called me here? I’m the man who holds that woman’s life in my hand. If you understand that much, I do believe that you fully grasp the dangers of summoning me without a single guard present.” 

He was right. The king understood just how dangerous it was to call Suimei here privately. Yet even knowing full well how dangerous it was, he’d summoned him without preparing any sort of countermeasures. Suimei’s question was only natural. However, the king had his reasons. 

“That is certainly a concern. However, both you and the hero are guests that I have called to this world. No matter what happens, that remains unchanged. To have pushed our problems forcefully on those of you from a different world with a different set of principles was my sin, and I will accept that much.” 

That’s why the king refused to bare his fangs against them, no matter the reason. The moment he did that, he would become nothing more than a beast who concealed his true nature behind a mask of kindness. It would be too much to his own convenience. As if carefully scrutinizing what the king had said, Suimei remained silent. 

“…” 

“Suimei-dono. After summoning you to this unfamiliar place and shutting my eyes to the misconduct of my subordinates, it is presumptuous of me to ask more of you, but would you please speak of it to me?” 

“Why do you want to hear it so badly? Even if I say nothing, my silence won’t harm Your Majesty, will it?” 

“That certainly may be the true. But if I look the other way and she were to lose her life by some chance, my regret would be endless.” 

“Even over that kind of conceited woman?” 

“That is right. She is my retainer, and I must protect her.” 

Suimei let out a sigh as he replied. 

“As long as she doesn’t talk, there is no threat to her life. That is absolute. I also don’t want to needlessly take the life of another. That should conclude our talk, right?” 

“No, not yet.” 

“I don’t believe there is anything else for us to talk about, is there?” 

Suimei questioned the king with a dubious expression. But even if their real business had been settled, the king still had things that he wanted to learn. 

“Suimei-dono, I know nothing about you. As the one responsible for summoning you here, I would like to learn. I would like to hear just who you are, and what you plan to do from here on out. I want to have a frank conversation with you. If possible, I would like to completely clear the air between us.” 

Yes, that was the king’s true intention without any pretense. Certainly, the previous matter would be settled as long as Felmenia and the king kept their mouths shut. They were the only two who knew about Suimei. And their silence would buy peace. If they stayed quiet, they could return to their everyday lives without any problems. 

After calling a hero from another world, they would send him off to subjugate the Demon Lord. In a way, that was just abandoning the responsibility for having summoned them here. If something happened to the summoned children after they were brought to this world, if the king neglected them to save himself, even knowing that the children were strong enough to protect themselves, that would make him a horrible person. He wanted to get to know them in order to better understand their wishes. It felt like the least he could do. 

“Naturally, you need not tell me. Forcing you to talk for my own gratification would defeat the point. But if you do not mind, then I encourage and welcome it. The choice is yours.” 

While sitting atop the throne, the king lowered his head. It was an unfitting gesture for the king of an entire nation, but it was his way of showing that he would not lose himself to his pride. When he raised his head again after a short time, Suimei looked shocked. “Why would you do such a thing?” and “Why would you go so far?” were the questions written all over his face. He stood there silent for a moment, and then let out a defeated sigh. 

“Can I take that as your true intention beyond a shadow of a doubt?” 

“Indeed, those are my feelings without any pretense or falsehood.” 

When the king clearly articulated that, Suimei straightened his posture. 

“I apologize for my impolite manner of speaking up until now. Please, ask all that you will of me, Your Majesty. I, as one of the humble members of the Society, will answer all that I can within the permissible range.” 

The fact that he still did not kneel would have been called impolite by others, but the haughty atmosphere from just a while ago vanished like morning dew. Even Suimei’s tone had changed completely. It was likely, finally, that this was his true self. 

It wasn’t his usual self when he was together with Reiji and Mizuki. It wasn’t the haughty version of himself he became when he faced his enemies or unknown situations, either. It was just him as a lone mage, Suimei Yakagi. And to the king, this was the greatest respect he could show. He then began his inquiry in an attempt to unravel as much as he could about him. 

“Who are you?” 

“In my own world, I am what is called a magician. Something like a scholar who researches the mysteries to accomplish a thesis. In general, I do believe we are not all that different from what you call mages.” 

“A magician…” 

The king repeated that strange word. Why was it that what he could only hear as “mage” before due to the effect of the hero summoning now sounded different? Was it because Suimei had used it in a way that revealed its true meaning? It was something different from a mage, and his ear could now properly appreciate the difference. His questions continued from there. 

“Why do you hide this? Setting aside those of us from this world, why keep it even from Hero-dono and Mizuki-dono?” 

“In our world, unlike this one, a technology known as science has developed. You may have heard this much from Reiji already, but magicka is something that has been driven into the underworld over there, and magicians have become a target for elimination by all powers. That is why, to the public, magicians do not exist. If we revealed our identities, we would be taken out mercilessly for going against the perceived normalcy of the world. That is why I do not openly identify as a magician. It is the reason I hide, even here. I’m just being careful.” 

“So Hero-dono and Mizuki-dono do not know, but Felmenia discovered your identity?” 

“Yes. At that time, I couldn’t know for sure if I’d been found out. So exactly what she knew and how she acted on it was a potential problem for me. And so, after investigating, I worked out a plan and sowed the seeds to lure her out, but some kind of dangerous automaton or something was put in place—well, since she didn’t seem interested in talking, that’s what it came to.” 

One word in particular there piqued the king’s interest. 

“Automaton?” 

“Yes. It was a well made one in the form of a heavy cavalryman. It attacked me, so I destroyed the spell that controlled it.” 

“Sage Slamas’s golem, huh…?” 

The king had an idea as to what had attacked Suimei. The only golem in the entire castle was the one Slamas had created. Naturally, if Suimei was talking about armor that attacked him, that was just about the only thing that came to mind. The golem Slamas created was well made, and powerful. If Felmenia had brought that out, it gave the king a glimpse of just how stubborn she’d gotten before being knocked down a peg by Suimei. However… 

“I asked Felmenia the same question, but was it not a little too impatient to resort to force?” 

In the end, the development of this conflict felt a little irrational. There would have been several opportunities for them to talk things out. Felmenia was the first to make a move, but the king couldn’t help speaking his honest opinion. And in response to that, Suimei spoke with an extremely serious expression. 

“Certainly I cannot deny that I was somewhat caught up in the moment. However, I am also one who walks the path of magicka. A magician has a magician’s way of handling things, and when a simple braggart—no, someone conceited—enacts violence, we are ones who would seek revenge. Also, well, I was still resentful about being forcibly summoned here and was blowing off a little steam.” 

In the end, Suimei let out a laugh suitable for a boy his age, and seeing that, the king sighed. 

“…What a brat.” 

“Magicians are often just like that. We are beings who only have interest in what we are selfishly trying to accomplish. It is normal not to think of those around us. Besides, I do not believe Your Majesty is in a position to complain after shutting your eyes to the matter in the first place.” 

“You certainly have a point.” 

Yes, the king was also responsible for turning a blind eye despite knowing what Felmenia would do. He wasn’t in a position to strongly reprimand Suimei, and looking at the results, his way of dealing with her was arguably rational. 

If he used his magic without restraint, there was a countless number of crimes Suimei could commit. If he wanted to satisfy his own greed, he could have freely done so all along. Yet he’d quietly stayed in his room in a way that didn’t bother anybody. When investigating whether any harm had come of his sneaking around the castle, it was revealed that the treasury, the throne room, the depository, and any other place of material significance had gone untouched. 

And when it came to Felmenia’s violence, it could be said that Suimei had treated her sympathetically. He didn’t know how things worked in this world, but after she’d used the golem against him, nobody would have been able to argue if Suimei had killed her in self-defense. 

Suimei then looked to a pillar to his side. It couldn’t be… 

“That’s how it is. That was just an extension of me venting my anger, so you can also relax. I have no intention of ordering you to do anything else.” 

He was speaking to someone other than the king—no, there was no need to be ambiguous. Suimei was talking to Felmenia. She was certainly there, hiding behind the pillar he was looking at. 

“…” 

Felmenia stepped out from the shadow of the pillar with a shocked expression. Suimei only gave her a cursory glance as if she didn’t interest him, and then turned back to the king. Seeing this, he had a new question for the young magician. 

“…Since when did you notice?” 

“Counter-question: why would you think that I hadn’t noticed?” 

“…” 

He certainly had a point there. Suimei had gotten the better of Felmenia at every turn. Rather than assuming he wouldn’t have noticed her, it would have been safer to assume that he would. 

“Suimei-dono, regarding this…” 

“I can tell without you saying it. I was suspicious when you said you wanted to talk privately with just the two of us, but like you said, she’s your precious retainer. If she’s that important to you, then it’s not like I don’t understand your actions.” 

“I am sorry.” 

The king honestly apologized. The reason he’d had Felmenia hide there was not for his protection, but for her benefit. If Suimei knew Felmenia was there, there were likely things that he wouldn’t talk about. And if she wasn’t present, she would never get answers. Hiding her in the room was the king’s compromise. In the end, Suimei saw right through it, but talked anyway. 

Felmenia then called out Suimei’s name with a pale face. 

“S-Suimei-dono…” 

“I said I wouldn’t do anything, didn’t I? Don’t just fucking go pale. You really are good for nothing, aren’t you? If you’re also a magician, then stand up straight right until you’re on the verge of death. Aren’t you a court mage or whatever this kingdom prides itself on?” 

“Auuugh…” 

Felmenia didn’t look away in the face of such sharp criticism, but tears formed in the corners of her eyes. It seemed she was unable to say anything back to that. As Suimei stood there waiting for the king’s next question, he cut straight to it. 

“So the reason that you’re investigating the summoning circle after all…” 

Indeed, it was because his will remained unchanged. 

“I do believe I told you I wanted to return. I have things that I must accomplish back home. Besides…” 

“Besides?” 

“When Reiji and Mizuki happen to want to go back, I will have the path to return made ready for them. I am not accompanying my good friends as they run off into danger. As a magician, this is the least I can do for them.” 

“Aha…” 

The king unintentionally let his admiration escape his lips. Naturally, Suimei’s objective was motivated by his own desires. He wanted to return, he said so himself. However, he was also thinking of his friends. He wanted to give them the same chance. But even more surprising than that… 

“Are you able to decipher that thing?” 

“Given the time, to an extent. It’s not impossible.” 

“T-Truly…?!” 

The hero summoning magicka circle was said to be undecipherable by anyone, and Suimei had just rather offhandedly suggested he could do it. That summoning circle was passed down from a forgotten age. Using the precise amount of mana and reciting the proper chant was all that it took to activate. But the spell itself was too difficult to understand, and up until now nobody had been able to comprehend the principles behind the way it worked. Yet this young man had just declared that he could do so in a tone like he himself also found that to be unexpected. 

“I have studied spiritualism and mediumship to an extent, but I never thought it would come up in a place like this. Seriously, it makes no sense.” 

However, if it was such good fortune, then… 

“However, if you are thinking of Reiji-dono to this extent, why do you not speak of everything to him? If you open your heart to the hero, then…” 

“Your Majesty, if my friends were to learn of my lineage, whenever we do return to our own world, it would only invite the possibility of harm befalling them.” 

Without holding back, Suimei admitted the real reason why he could not tell his friends the truth. It was a matter of danger and concern for their safety. 

“Would not all be well if they simply kept your secret?” 

“Your Majesty, I don’t know how things are here, but the world I come from is a den of thieves.” 

“A… den of thieves?” 

“Yes. Where I’m from, even if you keep your mouth shut, just having knowledge is dangerous. There are techniques to extract or steal one’s memories, and spells that make one speak of their memories unconsciously. When it comes to magicka, the number of such methods cannot even be counted. If I carelessly let my identity slip in a world like that, there’s no telling what the price would be. There are lunatics over there who would point their blades at those who don’t even know of magicians.” 

“Is the path of magic in your world truly such a dreadful thing?” 

“Yes.” 

Seeing Suimei nod clearly, a thought came to mind. If he was truly thinking of his friends, then it seemed he ought to be honest with them. But apparently that wasn’t an option. The path of magic in Suimei’s world went much deeper into darkness than it did here. Their enemies were many, and they spent their days with the danger of being exposed always hanging over them. Suimei’s prudence then seemed perfectly reasonable. 

“When the time comes that they say that they want to go back, I will probably have to tell them about it, but… After hiding it all this time, it makes it difficult to talk about.” 

“I can imagine.” 

As he said, when he revealed the return circle, he would probably have to explain himself then. And since they’d learned magic here in this world, they would have to be apprised of the dangers of returning home with it. There was certainly a long talk ahead of them, but it wouldn’t be easy for Suimei and he was in no hurry to get to that. All of this carried another implication as well, and the king spoke of it with disappointment in his voice. 

“This means you are indeed resolute to not go with them.” 

“I said something similar before, but I do not want to act recklessly.” 

“After defeating Felmenia, I do not think it would be all that reckless. Besides, Suimei-dono, would your presence not be a great boon to your friends?” 

“That may be, but in the end, it is unnecessary.” 

“Why do you say such a thing?” 

“We had a bit of an argument about it in the heat of the moment, but Reiji isn’t a shallow person. He’s the type to get caught up in crazy things, but he always thinks things through before making any judgments, he never forgets to be careful, and in addition to that, he has that terrifying power of a hero in his body now. Me worrying about him is as fruitless as being concerned he’s going to trip over a pebble on the side of the road. I cannot say that he will definitely succeed in the Demon Lord’s subjugation, but I do know that he will not just helplessly die.” 

“I see.” 

Suimei wasn’t worried. He spoke with a smile on his face. Moreover, he trusted Reiji and Mizuki quite a bit. Despite the fact that he clarified that he thought Reiji should have to go through something horrible once in a while, he was still thinking of him. He didn’t wish anything ill on either of his friends. And so the king questioned Suimei as if to confirm something. 

“I will be repeating myself, but about Felmenia…” 

“Just as I said before, nothing will happen as long as she doesn’t talk, but—well, whatever.” 

With a knowing look, Suimei pulled out a pure white sheet paper. It looked completely normal other than the fact that it was a beautiful white like freshly fallen snow, but looking at it carefully, the front of it had words scribed on it and something that looked like a bloodstain. Suimei held the sheet with both his hands as if to tear it up. 

“S-Suimei-dono?! W-Wait—” 

Felmenia’s face paled in an instant and she screamed for Suimei to show restraint, but her voice did not reach him. Without a moment’s hesitation, the sound of ripping paper filled the audience chamber. Just how did Felmenia’s ears interpret that sound? 

As she was swallowed by emotion and fell to her knees, Suimei tore the paper many times over and scattered the shreds to the audience chamber floor. And with a snap of his fingers, they were all swallowed in a crimson light and vanished. 

“Ah…” 

“Court Mage. With this, the constraints that bound you are no more. Do show your gratitude to His Majesty until the day you die for putting his life on the line for you, understood?” 

Setting aside Felmenia, who had fallen completely dumbfounded, the king moved on to question Suimei, who was scoffing at her. 

“Is that alright?” 

“Your Majesty, you said you wanted to clear the air completely between us, right? If anything would generate ill will, it would have been that. So I took care of it. After all, it was a guarantee no longer required between us.” 

Suimei smiled a bit, and then continued. 

“However, I would still like you to promise not to speak of this to Reiji and Mizuki, and to not take any action that would lead to them to figuring it out. I hope I don’t need to ask for your cooperation in that, but…” 

“Understood. I will do as you ask.” 

The king accepted Suimei’s terms. If he was willing to yield so much, then there was no reason for the king to refuse. The king then moved on to asking about one more thing he wanted to hear. 

“What will you do after this? Until you have a rough idea of how to return, I do not mind if you wish to stay in castle…” 

They were guests that were called to this world against their will, including Suimei. The king accepted his responsibility in that. It only stood to reason that he should take care of him within the castle until he was able to complete a return circle and get home. That, however, was only if Suimei wanted to stay, which was why the king had to ask. And Suimei responded by shaking his head. 

“No. After Reiji and Mizuki leave the castle, I was thinking of leaving as well.” 

“What do you plan on doing after leaving the castle?” 

“I was thinking of going to the Nelferian Empire. It’s a key point where three countries meet. I will be able to attain all sorts of information and goods that I’ll need there, and I believe it’s a suitable location for me to set up.” 

The king groaned upon hearing Suimei’s plan. It was true that the Nelferian Empire was an important cross-section that bordered three countries including Astel. Trade was certainly more active there than it was here. As it was an allied nation of Astel, entry would be relatively easy, and it was possible to attain goods there that would be hard to find elsewhere in Astel. It perhaps was the optimal location for gathering information from every which direction. 

Honestly speaking, the king didn’t want a master of Suimei’s level to leave the country, but be that as it may, it was impossible to stop him from going. Even if he had the power to do so, he wouldn’t have wanted to restrict him in such a way. 

“I see. Then if you have any needs, simply say so. As long as it is something that I can do, I will grant you all that I can, though it may be naught but a meager offering to you.” 

In order to make sure he was free to do as he wished, the king offered Suimei his support. However, Suimei shook his head in return. 

“I thank you for your consideration, but please do not mind me.” 

“Why is that? You are about to venture forth into unknown lands. Do you not require some kind of aid?” 

Suimei was a human from another world. He was unused to the culture and customs of this land. And he would be alone. It seemed he should require some sort of assistance, but… 

“That’s quite alright. From here, unable to endure living in the castle, I will selfishly run away. And there is no way you could show leniency after such a disgrace, much less reward that kind of behavior. Rather than myself, please think of your own reputation, Your Majesty.” 

“However…” 

“After the uproar that came up last time and my shutting myself in my room, the rumors have only gotten worse. If you were to support me at your own discretion, there would undoubtedly be those who would praise your kindness, but the vast majority of people would decry such an act. That would be quite the inconvenience to Your Majesty.” 

It was just as Suimei said. If he left the castle, taking into consideration his public appearance up until now, things would go precisely as he surmised. Rumors of him running away would spread. There was no doubt about that. And if it was discovered that the king was supporting him after that, public dissatisfaction would be high. Why would the king go so far out of his way to be so generous with an ingrate? 

“And… if I said that I would do so regardless?” 

“I am grateful for your consideration, but you are being repetitious.” 

“Hmm…” 

The king was at a loss for words at the sudden bit of upbraiding. Suimei was obstinate. He didn’t mind. And he was telling the king not to mind. It could be taken as groundless confidence, but he was showing the right kind of spirit to back such a claim up. 

Just what were those black eyes directed at the king really looking at? Something far beyond. His was the gaze of someone who was to challenge whatever difficulty lay on the path ahead of him. His personality was unexpected for a boy his age; it had far more gravity to it than his years would suggest. And then… 

“To live in the world, one will always find themselves coming across walls that impede progress. No matter how broad or tall they may be, those who easily overstep such obstacles are known as magicians. I, Yakagi Suimei, am one of them. I leap over the walls known as the mysteries of the universe. And so, Your Majesty, I will say it once more. Just the consideration you’ve shown me is more than enough; I will graciously accept only that much.” 

Suimei’s declaration was serious, confident, and left no room for argument. All he had was strength, but it was the strength of a boy who earnestly pushed to break through the deadlock known as impossibility. 

In the end, he really was something else. This young man was definitely the kind of person who shouldn’t have been dragged into the hero summoning. The king held his breath as he gazed at him, but Suimei then broke his stern expression and spoke in a self-deprecating tone. 

“…Though I put on airs like that, it’s really not something a man who refuses to face a fight out of fear for his own life should say, huh?” 

“That wouldn’t be limited to just you. Those who, frightened by the threat of the Demon Lord, have forced everything onto innocent children could also be accused of the same thing. And would include me.” 

Really, who had the right to say that Suimei’s boasting was excessive? Only two people came to mind: those who were actually heading off to take part in the Demon Lord’s subjugation themselves. Those who hid in safety and put their own lives before all else were in no position to criticize him. Suimei was throwing in his lot to strike out on his own and stand against all difficulties that would come his way. 

Just how much had those who were all too ready to hurl insults obstructed this young man who was pushing forward towards his unfinished goal? How much had they held him back? The king had no way of knowing, but it must have been a serious blow. The cry he had unleashed in this very room that day had wounded the king’s heart. 

And what the king felt for him now was sympathy as much as anything else. Even though they were far enough apart in age to be parent and child, it wasn’t like he didn’t understand. And as he steeped in that strange impression, Suimei pushed the conversation forward. 

“Is there anything else you would like to ask me?” 

“If you don’t mind, then…” 

Taking him up on his offer, the king fired off several more questions, and about far more than just magicians. About him, about Reiji, about Mizuki, and even about the trivial foolishness between the three friends. 

A spell had passed since the king and Suimei had begun talking. When the conversation came to a natural lull, Suimei suddenly changed the topic. 

“Would it be alright for me to ask something small as well?” 

“What’s the matter?” 

When the king asked that, Suimei turned his gaze to the side. 

“No, not Your Majesty.” 

“You mean… me?” 

“Yeah. I mean you. If I remember right, at the time, you told me that you had no intention of killing me, didn’t you?” 

Just when had they talked about that? The king wasn’t aware, but Felmenia seemed to know. 

“Y-Yes, and it’s true. I swear to Goddess Alshuna.” 

Since Felmenia was willing to swear on her goddess, Suimei didn’t bother asking again. He simply nodded to himself. 

“I got a little curious when you said that, you see. After that, I did a bit of digging around, but I wound up stumbling across something even more interesting.” 

“Something… interesting?” 

“Yeah. It isn’t unrelated to you either—actually, you’re more like a victim. How ’bout it? Wanna come with me and take a look?” 

With the smile of a villain who had just concocted some sinister trick, Suimei began explaining the matter that he had thoroughly investigated.