Chapter 2: The Happy Dream Was Certainly in This Place
She could hear a voice. A young voice.
“Vanish, vanish...”
The voice was screaming in rejection. It carried despair directed at all the world and everything in it.
Lured by the echoing sorrow, she opened her eyes and looked forward. There she saw vague figures, as if obscured by a heat haze.
“Burn. Get beaten.”
A small figure tormenting her with words was among the others. That small figure had recognizable features. That young face was always cold. To hide the fear they held deep in their heart, they put on a brave front. But that same face was now shedding tears. Their eyes stricken by grief and anguish were overflowing.
Was she being assaulted? Was she doing the assaulting...? No, she was the one being assaulted. Abused like an insect. Scorned and stepped on, just like that, until she was reduced to a miserable figure herself. If this girl was meant to be granted revenge, to what end would it be? Would it not be the impossible, to redeem fiends who spread atrocities? However, both the screaming voice and the inquisitive voice, held back like a dam, would not come out of her own mouth.
Like that, while just watching the shadows, the small figure’s wailing ended. Before long, the girl began to tremble, and then the figure became completely black. Along with black bubbles rising to the surface, it expanded. Was the one who couldn’t be accepted... finally accepted? As it swelled in size until its original form was but a mere shadow of its current self, it began to swallow everything in its surroundings. The mana scattered in the area, the figure that was tormenting the girl, even the buildings—they all became a black mass and endlessly swelled up. It was headed to destroy the people of the city.
What she heard then was the voice of sorrow.
“Why? Why?” she asked repeatedly with anger as she despaired at the reply that never came. “Wait, why is it just me? Why did I end up with this appearance?”
She questioned the heavens where the highest existence should have been. She only desired an answer, in spite of no longer being able to return to her original form. She only desired to fill the void deep within her chest.
A crying voice remained in her ears. That voice from her heart, which so longed to be saved, turned inside-out and became a voice of resentment. Why would no one save her? Why did the despair brought on by the isolation of not having a single person to depend on have to exist in this world?
Even if it was just, the crying voice still lingered.
That’s why... it couldn’t be forgiven.
Even if it was just, it was true that there were those who couldn’t be saved.
That’s why... she had to rebel against it.
Even if it was just, this wind that blew in her heart would never stop.
That’s why... she could hear that voice.
“Wake up,” it said.
“Wake up and go and achieve what you must.”
The voice of temptation whispered closely into her ear.
This was a curse. A curse born from causing pain to her father and mother that would surely never be released until the day she died.
After successfully escaping from the southern plaza, Felmenia, wary of any pursuers, changed her escape route from the main streets to the alleyways. Not long after, she was rushing down the alley that was home to the Yakagi residence. Once there, after pushing aside some chairs, she laid Suimei down on a table that was set up outside. As she did, Lefille—who had been worriedly waiting outside for their return—rushed over with a pale face.
“L-Lady Felmenia! What happened?!”
Lefille looked at both Suimei and Felmenia in a panic. Felmenia went on to explain what had happened in the southern plaza with a troubled look on her face. About how Elliot was there too. About how Graziella had ordered a compulsory draft upon them to search for the culprit. And about how Suimei had fought with Graziella in a magicka battle to try and avoid it. After getting the gist of things from Felmenia, Lefille groaned with a grim complexion.
“Even for Suimei-kun, fighting Princess Graziella with those wounds was quite severe, huh...”
“I am ashamed after telling you to leave it all to me. I was absolutely unable to cut in on Suimei-dono and Her Imperial Highness Graziella’s fight. I could only run away...”
“No, with Princess Graziella as an opponent, you managed to run away while carrying a single person. That’s a feat only you could accomplish, Lady Felmenia. But that damn Graziella... She really just did whatever she wanted.”
Was the change in her tone of voice due to anger? Lefille glared into the distance as though at the imperial princess, and gripped her fist firmly.
“Lefille?”
“...Hmm? Oh, my, it’s nothing. Setting that aside, Lady Felmenia, how is Suimei-kun?”
“As far as external wounds go, there does not seem to be anything that bad. This is likely due to the expansion and dampening of his mana in an instant. Though...”
“He’s in a considerable amount of pain.”
Suimei, who was lying down on top of the table, had his eyes closed and was moaning in pain. It was like he was having a nightmare.
“The symptoms do not seem serious, so I believe he will be alright...”
“Then there’s nothing to do but let him rest, huh?”
During this exchange, Lefille suddenly felt a presence towards the alleyway entrance. It may have been a pursuer. Seizing this ominous premonition, she let out a menacing loud voice as she asked their identity.
“Who’s there?!”
Perhaps because the presence was startled by her voice, the shadow that Lefille could just barely see jumped a bit. And then, stepping from the alleyway...
“This is... I seem to have surprised you.”
The man who appeared apologetically was the elfin employee from the Imperial University Library, Romeon. Felmenia, who had met him once before, called out to him when she recognized him.
“If I remember, are you not the librarian? What brings you here?”
“You see, I just so happened to catch a glimpse of you in the streets. You were carrying Yakagi-kun, Stingray-san, so I thought that perhaps something had happened with that culprit and came over out of concern.”
“Is that so...?”
Romeon, who walked partway towards Felmenia and the others, then questioned them on the matter.
“It seems that Yakagi-kun has lost consciousness, but what happened?”
“He fought with Her Imperial Highness Graziella in the southern plaza, and, um...”
“My goodness, Geo Malifex? Just why would he do such a thing...?”
As Romeon’s surprise showed on his face, Suimei seemed to wake and raised his head from the table while still lying down.
“Suimei-kun!”
“You’re awake!”
As Felmenia and Lefille raised joyous voices, Suimei, who was still dazed from passing out, looked around his surroundings to get a grasp of the current situation.
“Urgh... We’re home?”
“Yes, we are in front of the house now. I came here in a hurry, and not that much time has passed.”
As Felmenia gave a brief report, Suimei once more showed her his gratitude.
“Aah, sorry. You carried me here, right? Thank y—eh? Mr. Librarian, you’re here too...?”
“Yes. I arrived just a moment ago. I saw you two in the streets and followed you out of concern.”
“I see...”
Suimei replied with a stiff expression. As he did, Romeon turned towards him.
“Yakagi-kun, your body seems to be in pretty bad shape. Would you mind if I had a look at you?”
Romeon was offering up his experience as a magical doctor, and he was looking at Suimei with quite a serious face.
“I’ll be fine. I understand my own body best, after all. I only passed out because I let out too much of my mana at once.”
“Is that so...?”
Suimei politely turned down Romeon’s offer and got up. He then started walking towards the exit of the alleyway, and Lefille called out to him in a panic.
“Suimei-kun, where are you going?!”
“I’m going to search for Liliana. Now that they’re looking for her in earnest, I need to find her quickly.”
“S-Suimei-dono? I do not think that is something you should be saying in this situation...”
Looking at the two girls who were trying to convince him not to go on this unreasonable errand, Romeon spoke up in a dubious tone.
“Could it be... that you mean to go search for the culprit behind the coma incidents?”
“...Yeah.”
“Yakagi-kun, cease this. What do you intend to do with your body in this condition? Right now, you are about to do something far too reckless. Until you’ve properly healed, it would be better to put off your manhunt.”
“...”
Suimei came to a silent stop upon hearing Romeon’s objection. From behind him, Felmenia and Lefille quickly joined in to try and get through to him.
“It is just as Romeon-dono says, Suimei-dono. Please restrain yourself here.”
“That’s it, Suimei-kun. They’re right. You shouldn’t act rashly.”
“...Got it.”
Convinced by the three of them, Suimei gave up and plunked himself down on a chair, facing away from them. Seeing this, Romeon worriedly called out to him.
“...Then I will be going, Yakagi-kun. Please do not do anything rash.”
Suimei raised his hand in a wave for his answer while still facing away from the group. Romeon then bowed to Felmenia and Lefille, and returned to the main street. After a short while...
“...Is he gone?”
Suimei looked over his shoulder and asked Felmenia about Romeon’s whereabouts. He did so in an unusually low tone. Seeing his sharp gaze, she lightly turned her head to look at the street.
“Huh? Yes, Romeon-dono has taken his leave.”
“I see.”
Suimei stood up from the chair upon hearing Felmenia’s reply, though he didn’t look like he was about to go inside the house. Picking up on the nuances of his behavior, Felmenia turned a stern expression on him.
“Suimei-dono, you couldn’t...”
“S-Suimei-kun! Didn’t we just tell you not to go?”
“I’m going to rest for a bit. But seriously, if we don’t make our move now, things might get pretty hairy.”
“Why now? Why are you in that much of a hurry? It isn’t like you.”
“Yeah, I’m in a hurry. If it were just that dangerous woman, it would still be fine. But there may be more than that going on. Sorry, but I’ll have to ask the two of you to split up and search for Liliana too. Please.”
There was a certain amount of urgency in his voice... He spoke as though he was politely trying to make a request of strangers. Hearing him talk like that, Lefille let out a sigh.
“Hahh...”
“You won’t?”
“That’s not it. But—”
“Suimei-dono, how do I put it...? What you’re saying is odd. Back at the royal castle, you said you did not want to get caught up in any danger. But now here in the imperial capital, you’re chasing after it by your own will.”
Felmenia’s voice as she said all that in astonishment was mixed with a light sigh. Her opinion was in line with Lefille’s. And having his lack of virtue prodded at, Suimei weakly winced.
“I-I get that... But this is about picking my fights, you know? Same as anyone else, there are times I have to pass, and times that I have to take action.”
“That’s true, certainly, but...”
“For me, this is one of those times. That’s why I have to go.”
Hearing this, Lefille frowned and added her two cents rather frankly.
“Well, I understand that there are times you have to do what you have to do, Suimei-kun. But there will be another scolding.”
“Aw, come on, Lefi. Please spare me the scolding.”
“No. It isn’t enough just to be looking ahead. I feel it would be better if we all discussed it together.”
“Got it. I’ll give you as much time as you want afterwards. At least grant me that much... How about it?”
Suimei once more petitioned them, and Lefille took a strict attitude this time.
“Under the condition that you don’t act recklessly until your body has healed.”
“Okay. Roger that.”
Felmenia then looked at Suimei earnestly and spoke her mind too.
“I would be happy to offer my assistance.”
“Thanks and sorry. You’re a great help.”
After conveying his gratitude to Felmenia, Suimei began tending to his wounds with healing magicka. As he touched his hand against the affected regions, a pale green glow could be seen. Particles of light and a green mist rose to the air. Like he suddenly remembered something, Suimei turned towards Felmenia.
“Now that I think about it, Menia, earlier you were wary of pursuers, but you didn’t catch on that the librarian was tailing you?”
“Huh? Oh, no. I did not notice him at all until Lefille did.”
“I also only caught on after he was close enough for me to see.”
“I see...”
Hearing this, Suimei fell deep into thought like he was turning something over in his head quite seriously. Seeing this, Lefille called out to him.
“Suimei-kun, what did you mean earlier when you said it would be fine if it was only Graziella involved?”
“I meant that it’s possible that there are others making their move. I don’t have any proof yet, though.”
“Who would that be? Is it the culprit?”
“I’ll explain when I’m more sure of what’s going on. Sorry, but please wait until then.”
Once he’d healed himself, Suimei immediately got up and walked once more towards the exit of the alley.
The imperial capital of Filas Philia was originally built to function as a fortress city. Because of that, its structure was fairly complex. The city was divided into districts using the concept of compartmentalization, and at a glance, it looked like a very well organized layout. Looking closer, however, it was an elaborate maze of alleys and dead ends. Without a firm grasp of its design, it wouldn’t be easy to assault. Ancient traps, arbitrary dead ends that didn’t take into consideration the nearby houses, old waterways, and other dangerous diversions and such had been left as they were for a long, long time.
It was a setup which troubled both foreigners and locals alike. The ramparts surrounding the city were tall, and the exits were located at the north and south ends. Passage both in and out of the city was severely restricted at nighttime. Each and every district housed a station for the military police. Looking at it from another perspective, it could be said they were all jails.
And all this was also troublesome to the girl who had been forced on the run with no end in sight.
Just how much time had passed since she donned her black robe and concealed herself from the eyes of the public? Thanks to the wanted posters spreading around, Liliana continued to flee regardless of whether it was day or night through the restless streets of Filas Philia. She was living through these unpredictable days on barely any sleep and ignoring the condition of her remaining mana.
To navigate the aforementioned maze of alleys, it was necessary to carefully choose her route. It would be unacceptable if she carelessly exited onto the large main streets. It wasn’t just the military police and soldiers moving around she had to be worried about. Even the citizens were talking about her and keeping an eye out for her now. If she listened closely on any given street corner, she could hear them talking.
“The human weapon was the culprit of the coma incidents.”
“She’s on the run in the imperial capital.”
“She may be rampaging in the middle of the city right now.”
With how much people knew about her, a robe wouldn’t be enough to hide her.
“...”
Liliana recalled what had happened up until now as she looked at the cloudy sky. About how she attacked the nobles who aimed to overthrow Rogue, about how she fought with Suimei Yakagi, and about how she’d ultimately obeyed the tall shadow that night... Was that really the right choice? Between the fear of being caught and the anxiety of not achieving her goals, she’d shaken off Suimei Yakagi’s kindness and ran away.
Indeed, Liliana had something that she must accomplish. She had to take care of what was threatening the person dearest to her. But if she’d just admitted to her crimes, cast aside her dark magic, and become friends with him, it was possible that she could have returned to a proper path. Such thoughts floated through her head.
That night, Suimei had asked if she was really okay with what she was doing as she continued to use her dark magic. He wanted to release her from that path. They’d barely ever spoken, but every time they did, she rejected him for her own sake. But he’d pushed her out of the way of her own dark magic and taken the damage for her. When she thought back on it, up until now, she’d never known anyone like him. Even when her dark power went berserk, he ignored his own safety to save her. And then he’d smiled.
It was the first time anyone had ever smiled at her. That’s why, as she recalled the hand that was extended out to her, an indescribable panic gripped her. A homesickness she’d never known about wrenched her heart. Because it was probably the last time, too. The first and last kindness that would ever be shown to her.
“Suimei Yakagi...”
Unknowingly, his name spilled from her lips. It just may have been that she was praying for him to appear, or a sign of her true feelings. She knew that this longing that came far too late was regret. Yet still she prayed.
“Fight, Liliana. If you do, depending on the circumstances, you will be needed.”
“Hngh...”
Those words she’d once heard from the tall shadow tortured her heart and condemned her. Fight. If she didn’t, she would lose her place in the world. Nobody would need her. There was no significance to her life other than her ability to hurt others. She had to be strong. She was unable to shake that voice. Squatting down and leaning against the stony wall of a building, before long, the vacillating of her heart came to a stop. The yearning and pain gripping her up until now had vanished somewhere.
“I am... For the colonel’s sake...”
She must fight. It was just as the shadow said. She who possessed the power of darkness would never be accepted by anyone. That had been true from the moment she was born. She had been ostracized by everyone. This was not just limited to the people in the village she lived in. Even her mother and father had always looked at her like she was something repulsive.
After coming to the imperial capital, nothing had changed. No matter what street she walked down, people still looked at her the same hateful way. Suimei Yakagi alone had been different. The act of extending his hand to her must have been an act to get her to let her guard down. After all, he was trying to catch the culprit behind the coma incidents. That’s why she must fight. For the sake of protecting the only person who’d ever given her a purpose—Rogue.
There was still no sign of the tall shadow trying to make contact with her. After urging her to escape, she’d received no further communication. They’d probably cut her loose. But as that thought passed through her mind, she could no longer stop.
“—?!”
While in the middle of thinking of such things, her shoulders suddenly jumped. It was an extra sense she’d mastered as someone feared by others—there was someone behind her. It would be bad if she was found. She had to hide herself quickly. After a short while, the presence had passed and there was no more attention directed at her. She had not been discovered. She timidly peeked out of her concealment and observed where she had just been standing. What she saw there was neither the military police nor soldiers.
“Dad, Mom, hurry up! Let’s go!”
What came into her sight was a single family walking along harmoniously: a father, a mother, and their small boy. As the young boy urged his parents on, the father caught up with him and took his hand with a smile. The mother watched over them warmly while chasing them, saying, “It’s dangerous if you don’t watch where you’re going!”
All of them shared a smile. Even in the imperial capital currently gripped by a crisis, they were all laughing like they were having fun.
“It will soon be the hero’s parade. Where should we go today? There are street performers on the main street.”
“Dad! Hey, Dad! I want to eat some sweets!”
“Didn’t you just have some back home...?”
“I want sweeeeets!”
“Hmmm, but...”
“Hey, you can’t say such selfish things.”
“But...”
“It’s just the thing to do. When we get back to the street, shall we look for some?”
“Yay!”
The young boy threw both his arms in the air in delight. The mother, who was watching this, let out an exasperated sigh, but she definitely did not show any displeasure on her face.
“...!”
Liliana wanted to run away. This kind of scene was just too far removed from her. As she turned away, the voices of the happy family behind her stirred up her heart. She wanted to get away from them as quickly as possible. If she didn’t, that sight of a happy family that one could find anywhere might awaken something dark lurking within her.
Liliana ran with all her might, and before she knew it, she came out onto the main street. It was far too careless of her considering the fact that she was a wanted woman, but for the moment, it restored the peace in her heart.
She let out a relieved breath. That family wasn’t here. The happy voice of the young boy, the delighted voice of the moved father, and the laughing voice of the mother watching over them gently. Amid the chaotic din of footsteps and the other hustle and bustle of the street, she could no longer hear them. Her heart was finally at peace. But it didn’t last for long.
“Hey, you in the black robe over there!”
“—?!”
As Liliana turned towards the strict voice, she was met with the sight of several approaching military policemen. She’d been discovered. As she groaned internally, one of the military policemen who seemed to be a commanding officer stepped forward.
“The entire city is currently on watch for someone who’s about your height and description. Take off your hood.”
“...”
“What’s wrong? You won’t take it off? It can’t be... You!”
When she didn’t comply with his order, the other military policemen sidled up. Liliana reflexively stepped back. The military police officer judged that to be an attempt to escape, and ordered the others into action.
“Capture her!”
A magic whistle then rang in the air. Before long, military policemen began pouring in from all over. Right in the middle of the street, Liliana was surrounded in an instant. This sudden development got the attention of all the nearby foot traffic. With Liliana at the center, the military police had completely fenced her in, and they were surrounded then again by a crowd of citizens.
The military police were being vigilant about magic and hesitated to get any closer. However, after seeing that Liliana wasn’t chanting no matter how much they waited, they readied their batons and charged in. Liliana evaded their attacks with nimble footwork. She would not use magic so lightly. Her mana was largely depleted, so she could not use it wastefully. However, at this rate, with only a limited hand to play, all her options were bad. Realizing that, impatience began to heat up within her body. “This is bad” was the only phrase that came to mind to describe the situation. Perhaps because she was gripped by such thoughts, she met with one of the police batons.
“Kyah!”
As she was sent flying, her hood was blown off. As her face was revealed, she could hear the military policemen who saw it gasping.
“Just as I suspected...”
Matching the commanding officer’s groan, she could hear the crowd surrounding the military policemen stirring. Their voices were fearful.
“Hey, that’s the girl they’ve been searching for...”
“The human weapon...”
“It’s the culprit behind the incidents.”
Even the military police around her were looking at her like she was a demon or monster. As she looked around, such gazes were being cast at her from all directions.
“Hngh...”
Why did everyone always look at her with those eyes? Like they were seeing something repulsive? Even though she had not even done anything. Even though she was not born with this power because she wanted it. Even though she’d never wished for the unhappiness of others.
“Eek!”
The crowd then collectively shrieked and turned pale. For some reason, they had all been gripped by fear in an instant. And then, before Liliana could determine the reason why, the answer poured in from the surroundings.
“What’s... with that eye...?”
“M-Monster! It’s a monster’s eye!”
Screams filled the air. She realized the eyepatch that covered her right eye had fallen to the ground. The blow from the police baton had snapped the string that held it up, revealing her repulsive right eye altered by the power of darkness. Liliana reflexively looked around. Everyone in sight was staring at her in fear and surprise a shade darker than usual.
It was the same way the people of her village had looked at her when they declared her a portent of calamity and ostracized her. Filled with dark emotions, those eyes, those eyes, those eyes...
“A-AAAAAAAAAAAH!”
From the dark depths of her heart, suppressed memories of her past burst through and began overflowing. They were the memories of a time that she never wanted to remember again. From when she was determined to be the source of all of humanity’s misfortune. And the malice that came with it.
“Wait!”
“Don’t let her get away!”
Liliana ran. The sharp voices behind her gave chase, along with a stampede of footsteps. She’d only been able to get away because they were all caught off guard over seeing her right eye. She dove into an alley and ran with all her might.
“Hahh, hahh...”
Liliana had no idea where she was running. After a while, she came to a stop in some alley to catch her breath, which had long since run out. She’d somehow managed to give the crowd the slip. No...
There is still... someone there...
There was a presence behind her. Had one of the military policemen caught up to her? It didn’t seem like it. The presence was extremely thin, and that kind of stealth skill wasn’t something the military police possessed. When she turned around, she could see a single black shadow stretching out in the umbra of a building. It continued to stretch out, like it was creeping out of the darkness. Before long, after the shadow had stretched out completely, what appeared was...
“There you are, Liliana.”
“C-Colonel...?”
It was her adoptive father and superior officer, Rogue Zandyke. Seeing his figure, she was fraught with emotion. Perhaps he had come to look for her since she hadn’t returned home. But then why was he unsheathing the sword at his waist?
“Liliana, you have made your resolve, haven’t you?”
“What...?”
A bewildered voice slipped out of her mouth. She couldn’t understand what was going on at all.
“Liliana.”
“Please... wait. What do you mean... resolve?”
Just what kind of resolve did she need in this encounter with the man who was supposed to be her father? He should have come to save her, so why did he have that strained look on his face? No matter how long she waited, no answer came. All she heard in response were his cold and stiff footsteps drawing nearer.
“Colonel... What are...”
“Is it not obvious? I have come to take responsibility and uphold my duty. For the sake of punishing you for the crimes you’ve committed.”
“Why... Colonel, why...”
She wanted to ask him why he was doing this. Liliana had only ever committed those crimes for the man standing in front of her. Why must she be the one to take the punishment for them?
“Colonel! I... for your sake!”
“I do not want to hear your excuses. As a soldier of the Empire, you should be aware of your own liability.”
“N-No... That can’t... Colonel...”
The naked blade drew nearer as Liliana shrank away. Its point came down towards her. Was she about to be killed? As this thought flashed through her mind, Liliana’s body moved on its own.
I don’t want to die.
Her will to live acted on her behalf. Before she knew what was happening, she’d evaded Rogue’s sword.
“...Liliana.”
Rogue muttered her name. His expression had become a shadow and was no longer visible. No, it was that she didn’t want to see it. If even he beheld her as something repulsive, her heart would certainly break at last. Rogue’s slow and composed movements once more came into her field of vision.
And once more, light glinted off his blade. Following the light that threatened to blind her, the tip of the blade thrust forward... At this rate, she would be killed. By the man she called Colonel, the man she idolized as a father. By the person she held dearest in the world.
“No... NOOOOOOOO!”
Rogue’s thrust pierced the wall right next to her. Without pausing to think that the chance before her was indeed a chance, Liliana once more began running.
Liliana ran away from Rogue. Being so completely absorbed in fleeing at full speed down these dark, narrow alleyways, just how many times had she fallen over now? She was covered in dirt and scratches. Her clothes were completely tattered.
Where she arrived after fleeing for her life was the city slums. It was a gloomy place, like she’d run into darkness. She was surrounded by the tall walls of buildings, and the cloudy sky above her that looked like it might give way to rain at any time. There was no way daylight would reach her here.
And on top of the gloom, the area was filled with a strong stink. It was as if all of the imperial capital’s pollution was gathered here. But in her flight, this was the only place she could come. After Rogue turned his back on her, she no longer had anywhere to call home. So that no one would find her, she’d come here to find a dark corner to hide in. She hugged her knees while trembling.
If that man had abandoned her, the only path before her was to die in obscurity like this.
With that thought, tears naturally began overflowing from her eyes. With no outlet for her emotions, her anguished cries and sobbing from the depths of her heart would never come out. Only the tears that flooded out of the corners of her eyes and fell down her cheeks. Her entire life up to this point had been a deception. In the end, she could only live in abject solitude. She realized that she was completely powerless.
Thinking back on it, for as long as she’d been aware of her surroundings, she was only ever ostracized by others. Anyone who saw her face would claim that she never should have been born. Why did it have to be her? Why was it only her? She’d wondered such things countless times already. Just because she could naturally use the power of darkness, why did she have to be so loathed by people? Even though she never intended to do anything bad. Even though she never really wanted to hurt anybody. Despite all that, whenever anybody first saw her, they would all look at her the same way.
Liliana recalled the family that she saw earlier. Just casually walking through the streets of the imperial capital, they’d all looked so very happy. The father, mother, and child all had each other and their smiles like it was perfectly natural.
A father, mother, and child. They were just people too; they weren’t any different from Liliana. So why did the Goddess not share those smiles with her? She wasn’t being selfish. Even if it was just a little—even a tiny bit would be fine—she wanted to have a little of that warmth from the smile of a father and mother.
The little boy had begged his father for sweets. And his father, though troubled, complied readily. His mother was looking after them, but not in a scolding way. There was just an undeniable warmth between all of them. The way they were was dazzling. Liliana was envious.
She had never once, not to her mother or father or even Rogue, begged someone for something she wanted. So just why was that young boy allowed to do such a thing? In spite of seeming to know nothing of hardship, pain, or sorrow?
“Ah...”
As she heard footsteps approaching, her voice leaked out. Someone else had come crawling into this place that was like the depths of a drain. Was it someone who had gotten lost in the labyrinthine city streets? Or perhaps a vagrant? Was it the military police on patrol? Or was it Rogue? Liliana turned towards them, and briefly, as the clouded light shined down on them, their appearance became clear. That recognizable face was...
“You people... are...”
“To think that you were in this kinda place, huh? Human weapon. No, criminal.”
“It is just as we heard. Our luck must be good.”
What reached her ears were voices overflowing with blatant, undisguised cruelty. These were the people hired by the nobles who thought poorly of Rogue, the same mages she had previously quarreled with, one of which spoke rudely and the other courteously. The gloomy light revealed their eyes, glittering with hate and malicious intent.
“What did you... come here for?”
“Ain’t it obvious? You know, that kinda thing...”
“You have made utter fools of us until now.”
“So we’re gonna make you fucking pay for all of it!”
The mages were drawing nearer. This was the last stop in Liliana’s flight, so there was no longer anywhere for her to run away to. The moment she stood up, the man with the courteous voice began chanting a spell. Various objects in their surroundings were lifted up by wind magic, and then came flying towards her together with a sudden gust.
“Ugh, guh!”
Unable to endure, Liliana fell to the ground. While she was gripped by pain, the next attack came rushing in. The one chanting this time was the rude man. The magic he spun together with a violent tone brought forth fire that encircled her.
“A-Agh... guh...”
As if whispering to her that they had no intention of killing her quickly, the flame’s heat intensified and stole the oxygen from her, slowly tormenting her. Liliana’s figure as she squirmed in suffocating pain was just like a fish fresh out of the water or an insect with its wings plucked. Hot air was pouring down her throat as the heat from the flames baked her skin.
She sealed her throat in pain and collapsed to the ground. And after who knows how long, she was gasping for air in labored breaths. She came to realize that the circle of flames that was torturing her had vanished. In its stead, the mages were now looming over her. Pain descended down on her. Her head, her arms, her back, her feet... they trampled on all of it. She was being treated like trash thrown away into an alley.
In the brief interval between blows, she looked up and saw the laughing faces of the two men. They truly found tormenting Liliana enjoyable from the bottom of their hearts. Hatred consumed her in the moment, but then suddenly, Liliana recalled what someone once told her. She shouldn’t let the malice swallow her. She couldn’t surrender herself to hatred. If she entrusted her heart to it even once, she would lose who she truly was.
“Hey, what’s wrong? You’re not gonna use some fucking magic like last time?! That it?!”
“It seems that her mana is already depleted. The youngest of the Elite Twelve has certainly fallen low.”
But there was no need for her to endure this. After all, even if she obstinately fixated on her sense of self, she could never attain the things she wanted.
“What’s with that fucking eye?! Turns out they didn’t just call you a monster! You really fucking are one, huh?!”
The rude man kicked her hard. Her body rolled along the stone pavement of the alley and slammed into a nearby wall. She no longer felt pain. She had forgotten what pain even was. The flames of hatred burning within her was all the torment she could feel right now.
“Oh, what? That got you in the mood? You wanna fight back now that you’re in that kind of worn-out state? HAHAHAHAHA!”
“To go through so much punishment and still stand up... A monster like you should only grovel on the ground like the despicable creature you are.”
Their sneering voices were extremely grating to her ears. That’s why, no matter what kind of power she used, she wanted to blow them away.
“I...”
This would be the last time. Surely she would lose herself from this. But in this world of nothing but pain, she had no regrets about vanishing. There was nothing wrong with being swallowed by the darkness. If she did, everything would end. Just like that rampaging repulsive figure that night, it was fine for her to just destroy everything and make it all vanish. The nobles, the mages before her, the streets of the imperial capital, the citizens, that happy family. Anything and everything. If it all vanished, her loneliness would certainly vanish as well. That’s why...
“Vanish...”
“Ah?”
“Vanish... Vanish...”
“What? Did you lose your mind?”
“Vanish! Vanish! Vanish! Vanish! Vanish! Vanish! Vanish! Vanish!”
Everything would vanish. Just as she was about to awaken something dark, she heard an unfamiliar noise. A rapid tapping that was regular, but both stiff and high-pitched. Was it footsteps? She heard it from beyond where the mages were standing, deep within the shadow of a building.
“Buddhi brahma. Buddhi vidya.”
[Awaken power. Along with great knowledge.]
“Ah...”
Invited by the resounding voice, she lifted her head and saw a shadow stretching out towards her. Before long, just where the shadow ended, a single man appeared.
“Asat nada arupa loka.”
[That voice that reaches far and wide is high above in the heavens.]
That man clad in unfamiliar black clothing was humming something like a murmur. His figure was somehow lonely, like a god of death calling out to somebody on their deathbed.
“Kalavinka mahamaya om karuma samkri.”
[Ye who possesseseth the sweet echo shall release the original sin.]
But the man didn’t stop. The continued tapping of his footsteps rang out in the air as he approached.
“...You lot never learn, huh? Is it that fun to torment someone?”
The man’s exasperated voice resonated throughout the alley. With his head hung, Liliana couldn’t see just what sort of expression he was making. He was like a quiet water surface without a single ripple in it, lamenting for the helpless ones before him. The rude mage turned around and to face this man, and as he came into his line of sight, his eyes widened in surprise.
“You’re...”
“That country hick who got in our way that one time... Just what business do you have in this place?”
The courteous mage of the two seemed to recognize him, which jogged his companion’s memory.
“Ah, that’s right! You’re that punk looking for the culprit of the coma incidents, right?”
“That reminds me—I heard you were quarreling with the hero,” said the more courteous mage as he raised a hand to his chin.
“Look, this here monster is that culprit, you got it?”
“The culprit that you are looking for was this girl. And to be pretending to work for the sake of the Empire... She’s a terrible villain.”
Liliana heard a jeering laugh. Then the man in black snorted like he was not amused at all.
“A villain? The villains are you guys, right?”
“What’d you say?”
“I don’t know what you’re trying to say. Care to enlighten me?”
“The fact that you have to ask... Something is seriously wrong with you guys.”
“Whaaat?!”
“Have even your ears gone bad? Seriously, there’s just no helping extravagant idiots like you two, is there?”
Perhaps because they sensed the hostility in that cool-headed declaration, the mages put themselves on guard.
“Hey! Don’t come any fucking closer!”
“Impossible... Are you planning on supporting this criminal?”
“Yeah, it’s just as you say. I’m here to do the impossible.”
Hearing that, the courteous mage scoffed and shrugged his shoulders.
“Then you have made a terrible blunder. That voice earlier... It sounded something like a chant for a spell, but it would have been better if you’d just quickly fired your magic at us from behind and caught us unawares.”
“This time it’s two against one. We’ll fucking beat you to death here too.”
The two mages pronounced a death sentence for the man in black. However, it was like he was fixated on something specific in what they’d said, and was murmuring as if to identify it.
“A blunder, huh...?”
The man hanging his head suddenly unleashed an indescribable dread. At the same time, a wind blew into the area from out of nowhere and it began to get noisy.
“Wha...?”
“Whaaat?!”
The two mages were bewildered by the rapid change, and the man in black spoke up as if to inform them of what was happening.
“Beyond the land that we live in, in the heavens beyond the distance... In the lands of paradise, there is a being known as Kalavinka with the head of a human and the body of a bird. The absolute beauty of its voice, that excellent bird-like voice, is extolled as peerless. To a scholar of the mysteries, it is a voice that is heard from the emission of a higher order ego when they advance to the next level as a human. It is considered as a kind of revelation.”
“You punk!”
“Speaking of more incomprehensible things...!”
“This magicka is something that manifests the hum of a being that exists beyond fantasy: Kalavinka. In general, the emission of a higher order ego can only be brought on by a high-ranking magician. In fact, you have to be a high-ranking magician to hear Kalavinka’s hum. If an inexperienced magician bore witness to such a thing... Well, what do you think would happen?”
Behind that inquisitive manner of speech was not a provocative tone. When the mages looked closely, the man in black had eyes that were tainted in a deep crimson as if they were burning. This was Suimei Yakagi. It was as if he was gazing at an enemy he could never forgive. What shined beneath those eyes was a strong will and indignation.
“Samadhi kalpa devana gara.”
[Thou shalt listen to the eternal voice of the lotus.]
“Sh-Shit!”
“Oh wind! Thou art the power of eternity! Become a—”
Before that humming voice could continue, the mages caught on to his dangerously increasing strength and began to move. However, it was far too late.
“Samadhi kalpa nada.”
[Thou shalt listen to the eternal echo.]
The light that engulfed them was an enormous, brilliant scarlet magic circle that drew itself beneath their feet. The shapes, letters, and symbols all had a blood red luminescence. Perhaps due to this, the stone pavement appeared to sink into a black shadow. It was as if the gloomy area that they were standing on was being drowned away. The only thing that remained to be seen was the red light’s brilliant dazzle. The men could not move. Gripped by the bizarre atmosphere, right now, for a moment, even their thoughts were completely bound. Then...
“Vahana amana samskara buddhi karanda thrishna.”
[Thou shalt entrust your body to the sublimation of the laws passed down by the three realms, and surrender thyself to the sweet voice of thirst.]
All that was left was...
“Neigh of Kalavinka.”
As Suimei Yakagi spoke the keywords, the brilliant red light began to overflow and disorient all those who saw it. It was as if, in the middle of that light, they were no longer able to distinguish between up and down, heaven and earth. When she focused on the boundless light that filled her vision, Liliana felt like she saw the sparkling silhouette of something like an enormous flying bird for an instant in a dazzle, but it soared away along with the humming of its sweet voice.
“Ah...”
As the dazzling light on the other side of her eyelids began to fade, Liliana opened her eyes slowly. What came into her vision was the two mages, both fallen to the stone pavement after having almost all of their mana stolen from them. There was absolutely no sign of movement from them. In other words, as that flying bird ascended, it had taken their power with it.
“For an inexperienced magician, prematurely listening to that gospel is nothing but poison. When a low-ranked magician is exposed to that higher order ego, the selfishness of their weak ego will run wild and vanish. The power of mana, which is the embodiment of their desires, as well as the means of its use, including control of their spells... It’s all relinquished. That’s the power of Kalavinka’s sweet voice. It’s an anti-magician magicka meant to be used against people like you.”
As Suimei spoke, the two men glanced at him.
“Do not ever again hold on to the delusion that you are strong magicians. You stupid idiots.”
And then, after an exasperated grumble with a tinge of pity mixed in, he left the two mages as they were and walked forward. Tap, tap, tap... The slow, composed footsteps on the pavement were audible as he approached. And before long, he stopped right in front of Liliana’s eyes.
“...I was a little late, huh?”
His voice sounded both apologetic and relieved. Had he come for her? Even at the cost of pushing his own wounded body? That regretful figure excited the warmth she had lost in her heart. Liliana let out a long sigh. Unwittingly, it was flooded with emotions. Even now, this man hadn’t changed. Even after being wounded by the power of her darkness, even after she turned her back on him and ran away from his wishes, even as he looked at her monstrous face... He still came to save her. She was happy. She was extremely happy. Yet despite that, for some reason, she could only summon barbed words for him.
“Did you come... to capture me?”
“Nope,” he said with a shake of the head.
“You’ll... hand me over to the military police, right? You should want... to catch the culprit... behind the incidents.”
“I’m not gonna do that.”
“Then, did you come... to kill me?”
Suimei Yakagi once more shook his head. He had no intention of doing such a thing.
“Then just what did you... come here to do?”
“I came to pick you up.”
As she heard these words, Liliana once more let out a long sigh. It was just as she was anticipating. After all, this man had come to save her. Just as he did on that evening. However...
“Please don’t... come closer.”
The words that came out of her mouth were a rejection. If she took this man’s hand here, it would just result in a repeat of the same thing. Deep in her heart, she heard this whisper from herself. But even so, Suimei Yakagi drew closer.
“Don’t come closer...”
As if to shake off the happiness coiling around her, she shook her head. She was nearly at her wits’ end. She didn’t want him to come to her. That was a lie. She was scared of changing herself. If she accepted what she wanted most in the world, she felt like she would once more fall into great despair. More so than the happiness that was filling her heart now, she was far more scared of having that feeling betrayed. But even so, Suimei Yakagi spoke without changing at all.
“Liliana, you can certainly take the easy way out and live out a quiet, small life here. That may be something you think you want. However—”
Suimei Yakagi stopped before Liliana, who shrank back like she was sinking into the floor. When she looked up, he was smiling down on her... It was no dream. The gentle voice he spoke to her with was nothing like the call of a god of death calling one on their deathbed.
“Liliana, that which you desire can’t be found anywhere in this kind of place, so...”
Yes, that’s why she must...
“So let’s go home. The place that you belong, the place you can always return to... Nobody will ever steal that from you again.”
Before he could put all of her happy dreams into words, she reached out and grabbed the hand that was held out to her.
Rain was now falling with a gentle, constant pitter-patter. As if calling the rain, the stone pavement that knew nothing of the sky absorbed the drops one by one. His clear heart would never be able to maintain itself this way. As if pierced by the raindrops, his heart was soaked through by an indescribable loneliness.
He always wondered why this world was made to be so relentless against the weak.
To save someone who could not be saved, he would move immediately. Yet the world tried over and over to deny him. Just why was it like that? Those who drowned in tears only ever had their sorrow. Those who drowned in anger with no way to let it out only ever fell into despair.
However, that irrationality may just be the principle of the world. And what he was doing was for the purpose of facing that principle head-on and challenging it. Whatever order there might be to the world, he wielded magicka to try and change it. He rebelled against it. It was a rebellion against divine providence; he understood it was not something that could be forgiven. He knew that all too well after the fate that had befallen his father.
Suimei had lost his family, but that couldn’t possibly be compared to what this girl has suffered, ostracized by everyone. His feelings of wanting to save her were nothing more than the arrogance of one who was blessed.
Even so, even if it was only a little, even just a tiny bit, he wanted to clear away that sadness of hers, that painful loneliness. The young girl who was crying in his arms was now letting out all of the tears she’d never been able to shed before. The scream of sorrow she had been unable to voice before, she now turned towards the heavens. For what reason did this still helpless-looking girl have to be forced to bear such unhappiness? Without even knowing the common pleasure of a smile, she’d been forced to suffer. All she had to build herself off of was a tall pile of curses.
But even so, he believed she had kindness left in her heart. That she was still human. He still didn’t know what kind of violence had been pushed on this girl. However...
“...Cry. When you want to cry, it’s fine to just cry with all your heart. After that’s over, eat delicious food to your heart’s content and go to sleep. If you do that, you can forget all of those unpleasant things.”
Saying this, he gently stroked the head of the girl who was tightly clinging to him while crying to the heavens. He did so with affection, so that even if it was just for this moment, she could be at peace... It was entirely possible that he had come extremely late. If he had been faster, if he had come sooner—perhaps before even being summoned to this world—the result may have been different. But that was out of his hands. However, even so...
“I’ll still make it in time. My magicka exists for this reason, after all...”
Still embracing the warmth enveloping her, Liliana woke up. She’d dozed off in that warmth and, upon regaining her consciousness, relished it in something of a daze. She then straightened herself up. It seemed that she had been put to sleep in a bed somewhere. While hugging the pleasant, fluffy, pure white bed cover, she looked around the room. A rather cheap-looking fluffed-up chestnut carpet covered the floor, and sitting on top of it was plain wooden furniture without a hint of embellishment or gaudiness. She recalled seeing them before, but because her head was still in a daze, she could not properly identify where. And while still lost in the languid haze of her fading slumber, she asked nobody in particular...
“Where is this...?”
“So you’re awake now?”
A young but dignified voice entered the room from the hall. It must have been from someone working nearby. A small girl with red hair turned up in the doorway. Liliana also recognized that face, but she couldn’t match a name to it.
“You are...?”
“Oh? Are you still half asleep? I introduced myself before you went to sleep, didn’t I?”
“Ah...”
Liliana remembered everything after she heard those words from the little girl who had both hands on her waist, Lefille Grakis. Liliana had been brought to this house by Suimei Yakagi, who intended to shelter her. When they arrived, Liliana was reintroduced to this young girl she’d met at the checkpoint. She also met another girl she’d encountered briefly during one of their night battles, a mage from the Kingdom of Astel named Felmenia Stingray. And then, after having her first proper meal in a long time, she was allocated a bed, where she promptly fell asleep.
Recalling all this, she checked her right eye. Just like when she wore her usual eyepatch, her right field of vision was obscured, so nothing was out of the ordinary, but it seemed she’d been given a substitute eye patch.
An unknown shiver ran through her entire body. As she recalled what had happened when she was chased, and then how drastically different her current situation was, she shivered in fear. The inexpressible emotion that was overflowing in her shook her body with no signs of stopping. What if everything here, everything that had led her here, was all just a sweet dream? That fear was beckoning her. As if to deny it, she strongly hugged the bed covers against her body. And as she did, Lefille put her hand on her shoulder. Liliana raised her face, and was met with a gentle expression.
“Liliana.”
“...What is it?”
“I’m going to go and call Suimei-kun, so just sit tight right here for a bit longer.”
Lefille Grakis patted her shoulder tenderly. Had she seen through her? Did she know Liliana was seized with fear? Lefille put on a smile as if to try and dispel that fear, and then left the room.
A short while after Lefille exited, she returned with Suimei and Felmenia in tow. They each took a seat in the room with her. Liliana peeked at Suimei’s face as he sat in the chair closest to her. As if verifying something, he looked at her with a discerning gaze. Before long, that stiff expression became relaxed.
“It seems you’ve calmed down, huh?”
“Yes, thanks to you.”
Liliana expressed her gratitude and bowed her head. Suimei then pulled a cup out of thin air.
“Would you like something to drink?”
“No, I’m alright.”
“I see.”
As she said that, he erased the cup. Suimei’s expression then turned quite serious.
“Now then, I’ll be cutting right to the chase, but there’s something I’d like to ask you.”
“About the incidents, right?”
There was no need to even ask. It was already something she knew would come. She knew, but the gaze she pointed at him stiffened along with her entire body. She was wondering if she would be driven away for talking about it. That anxiety unsettled her. Suimei, having guessed what was going on in Liliana’s head, made a gentle smile as if to calm her heart.
“No, I won’t drive you away. Rather, if I think about what’s happened so far, I don’t think you’ll really say anything that’s outside the realm of what I already know.”
“...Yes.”
“Well then, tell me about it.”
“I...”
Liliana calmed down after hearing his reassurance, but she was still concerned about the other two girls. Suimei was one thing, but what would they think? However, Lefille had an extremely serious air about her, her eyes closed and arms crossed. And Felmenia was giving Liliana a friendly smile. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. So steeling her resolve, she began to explain.
“I’ve spoken of it before... but Rogue Zandyke of the army’s intelligence division is my adoptive father. He was born a commoner, and reached his current position with his skills in magic and swordsmanship. However, because of that... he was called an upstart and was shunned and harassed by the nobles.”
“I see. Those born of high status trying to bully those of lower status is a common story, huh?”
“What petty people,” Lefille added on.
“So those mages were related to that?”
“Yes. They were... one of the forms of harassment. That malice never ceased, and as expected, it ended up affecting the colonel’s duties and actions. I was unable to bear it. I was impatient, and at that time, that person came into contact with me.”
“Do you not want to save your father?”
“That other black robe?”
“Yes. Just as I said before... while I was worried about the colonel, their words were like a revelation. I understood that I would be breaking the law, but I did not hesitate at all and accepted... The rest is just as everyone knows. During the night, I used dark magic to put the nobles who were obstructing the colonel to sleep.”
“So those are the details behind the incidents, huh?” Suimei said with a nod.
“Even though I wanted to be helpful to the colonel, now that I think about it, I think it was extremely shallow.”
As Liliana made everything clear, after all this time, she became despondent upon facing the gravity of what she had done. This case was not just a violation of the laws of the Empire. No matter how underhanded her opponents were, she had acted improperly. Suimei was sitting still silently with his arms folded. On the other hand, Felmenia received a handkerchief from Lefille and was wiping away her tears.
“...Well, it could also be said that it couldn’t be helped,” Suimei finally said.
“What?”
“The things that you’ve done until now and the fact that they were things that you shouldn’t have been doing... You properly understand—no, you believe that, don’t you?”
As Suimei fired off this obscure question, thinking back on her explanation, Liliana agreed. He then began tapping his index finger against his forehead.
“Liliana, when you were causing the incidents, and when you weren’t, you had doubts about your own actions, correct?”
“Not that much, but... the first time, somewhat.”
“At the time, and it would only be sometimes, but that tall shadow... Didn’t you hear that guy’s voice offering you a suggestion?”
“Their voice? Now that I think about it...”
“As I thought, you seem to have some kind of clue about it, huh?”
Liliana took Suimei’s words to heart and tried remembering. Certainly, when she first caused the incidents and also when she was running away, she could recall that person’s words in her head. However, that should have been Liliana herself rebuking her halfhearted self in her mind. It wasn’t something she really heard. As she looked up at Suimei upon reaching that conclusion, Suimei guessed what she was thinking and shook his head.
“It’s magic. At some point, without you realizing it, that shadow hypnotized you.”
“...Magic?”
“That’s right.”
“N-No, that’s...!”
“Not in your memories, huh? That just goes to show how skilled that guy is with magic. In reality, you heard that voice and were strongly driven to continue the attacks, right?”
Liliana was unable to say anything back. After having the truth pointed out to her, inside her head, she gradually began to understand. To think she’d been used in such a way without even being aware of it was completely unthinkable to her. Realizing she was at a loss for words, Suimei spoke up again.
“That’s why you don’t need to worry about it. Sure, you did some things you shouldn’t have, but that responsibility doesn’t fall squarely on you. You were being taken advantage of.”
“I understand that, but that magic...”
“I dispelled it while you were asleep. It’s not a problem anymore.”
Telling her it was alright, Suimei shrugged his shoulders. As Liliana bowed her head down in gratitude, he once more continued speaking.
“Did you not return to Colonel Rogue’s place?”
“No. I did not know at all... where I should have gone... Besides, the colonel... abandoned me.”
“Abandoned you?”
“I met him while fleeing... and he said... that I could not avoid taking responsibility...”
Liliana could not put the rest of it into words. A gloomy atmosphere began to spread through the room. Having hostility pointed at her by Rogue was painful. Suimei and the others seemed to grasp what she really meant, and all their expressions darkened.
“Did you tell him about it?”
“No. Regardless of the reason... I acted in violation of the law. I judged... that the colonel would not spare me any time... to hear me out.”
After that, Felmenia finally spoke up.
“Even though it is adoptive, is he not your father?”
“The colonel... is a very upright person. I don’t believe he would forgive me... for staining my hands with evil deeds.”
He was just that kind of man. He would not forgive anything sinful. That’s why Liliana became a target that he would destroy. That’s all there was to it. It was just, at that time, Rogue’s hand as he thrust his sword forward had faltered...
“I do not resent him... The colonel has always... protected me all this time, after all.”
It was her own fault for lending her ear to the schemes of the tall shadow. There was no way she could hate Rogue. A hush fell over the room for a while there, and Suimei was the one to break the silence.
“I have one more thing that I’d like to ask about the tall shadow. Do you know their name or any of their defining characteristics?”
“No, I don’t have any specific clues... None at all. They always wore that black robe... with the hood up. On top of that, using some kind of magic... their identity became hard to grasp. I have practically no information regarding that person.”
Hearing this, Suimei closed his eyes. He must have been carefully scrutinizing her words. It was not clear to Liliana just what kind of thoughts were swirling around in that mind of his. Watching this, fear once more gripped her heart.
“Um, from now on, what...”
What should I do?
As expected, she thought that she would be forced to leave. And as she began to ask about her fate, Suimei answered her with a calm expression.
“Hmm? It’s fine. Just stay here.”
“Is that... fine? I committed a sin, you know?”
“I said before it isn’t really your fault, didn’t I? If you ask me, those dumbass nobles got what they deserved. There’s also the fact that black robe hypnotized you. Right now, being fully conscious of your own sins is more than enough punishment.”
As he recklessly stated this with a single eye closed, Suimei crossed his legs.
“Well, there is a condition for you staying here though.”
“What... should I do?”
“I called it a condition, but it’s about your dark magic. I want you to stop using it... Or rather than that, I’d like you to learn the proper way of using it.”
Liliana’s expression stiffened at hearing Suimei’s completely unexpected condition.
“...Why?”
“Did you think I was going to throw out a more amazing condition?”
“No. And just... what do you mean by amazing...?”
Suimei looked exasperated as Liliana looked down. She then threw one more of her unresolved doubts before him.
“‘The proper way to use it’... You said the same thing before... but just what is dark magic? You were talking like you understood it.”
“I am also interested in that,” said Felmenia.
She too wanted to learn about it. She leaned forward and looked at Suimei with a sparkle in her eyes.
“So Suimei-kun is going to start talking about difficult to understand things again, huh...?”
On the other hand, magic seemed to be one of Lefille’s weak points, and she looked slightly distressed at the prospect of this conversation.
Suimei had said that he would be explaining dark magic, but he suddenly remembered that he had something he must ask Liliana.
“Sorry, there’s something I forgot to ask. Can I go ahead and get that out of the way?”
“What is it?”
“When you use magic, those words you sometimes append to the end of the chant... Did you learn them from the tall shadow?”
When Suimei asked that, Felmenia clapped her hands together as she remembered.
“The savage names, right?”
“Do you know of them?”
“We learned a bit about them from an acquaintance.”
When Felmenia cleared that up, Liliana proceeded to explain.
“Yes. I heard that it was magic to amplify the power of darkness and was told to proactively use it when I use magic from now on... I wasn’t fully convinced at first... but when I did as they told and added it to the end of the chant, the dark magic became stronger.”
“And so you used it. Hmm...”
While Suimei was deep in contemplation, he started speaking in a murmur.
“Nomina, barbara...”
“Is something... the matter?”
“Right now, what did you hear?”
Liliana cocked her head to the side at the strange question. Surely she was puzzled as to what meaning that question had at all. Urging her to answer with his gaze, Liliana answered with a puzzled expression still plastered on her face.
“I heard... savage names?”
“...That’s what it sounded like to you?”
“That’s right.”
“You too, Menia?”
“Yes, you said savage names.”
“I see.”
Hearing their answers, Suimei closed his eyes like he came to an understanding.
“What was the meaning... of that question?”
“Don’t worry about it. It isn’t something all that important... Well then, shall we move on to the explanation of dark magic?”
As he said this, Suimei switched tracks and dove right into explaining.
“Now then, I said before that the origin of the power behind dark magic was resentment and hatred, remember?”
“Yes. Though at the time... it wasn’t something... I would suddenly believe.”
“But there’s no mistaking it. I can tell from the loss to my astral body as well as the alterations to your skin and eye.”
After Suimei explained this like a preface of things to come, he hung his head for a short while like he was thinking of something. Perhaps he was putting together his explanation. But before long, he began talking.
“Well, we’ll be going off track a little, but I think we’ll start by talking about my analysis of this world’s magic. I believe the magic of this world is, in short, something that can be used because of the concept known as the Elements, which surrounds the world itself.”
“Surrounds... the world?”
“Yeah, try imagining the shape of this world, be it a sphere, a curved saddle, or even a flat plane. It doesn’t really matter... A wide concept known as the Elements exists outside of it and envelops the world. Within it are the smaller concepts of fire, water, and the other named Elements. The mages of this world send mana there, and receive an attribute and a part of the spell from the Elements. It’s that kind of system—they receive a formula... Well, I don’t think the people who use it are conscious of that though.”
“Certainly, over here it is normal. They teach you that magic is something that is used by communicating with the Elements. There is no detailed explanation like that.”
“Seems so, huh?”
Suimei nodded at Felmenia’s interjection. If they had gone into such details, they should have been able to establish just what dark magic was as common knowledge.
“The pluses and minuses aren’t something that really need to be explored in detail at this point, but a portion of the spell becomes unknown, and the user becomes unable to grasp the technique itself. These are the two negatives. However, in general, it is a largely convenient formula. So next, dark magic draws out the deep resentment mixed in within that wide concept as power.”
Liliana knit her brow at this crazy conversation.
“Please... wait. Why is that kind of thing... mixed in within the Elements?”
“I’m also having trouble understanding this. Suimei-kun just said that magic is something used by communicating with the Elements. So how does that kind of thing end up being related to magic?”
“With regards to that, it was the intent of the people who created this magic system in the first place. I’ll start by answering Liliana’s question.”
The two girls nodded.
“In short, that thing known as hatred... As long as there are humans, it will exist. It’s something that never disappears. No matter who it is, they cannot completely cast aside hatred and jealousy. Obviously, as the number of humans increase, so too do those feelings. Just like that, it simply multiplies without end, and eventually, it will completely fill up the shell known as the world.”
“Just what happens when that occurs?”
“What happens, huh...? In my world, it has already happened. As science and medical technology remarkably advanced, the number of people increased far too quickly. That pent-up resentment that could not be held on to accumulated all over the world. It all turned into occurrences of nothing but ridiculous phenomena. To put it simply, when that kind of thing accumulates, the world will become strange.”
Suimei looked at the girls and punctuated his statement by adding, “That’s how it is.”
The girls waited patiently for the rest of his explanation, still trying to decipher his words.
“Removing the abnormalities in one’s body is something anybody wants to do. That applies even to the larger concept known as a world. That’s why the world is always ejecting it outwards. I figure that what gets ejected ends up stopping in the place where the things known as the Elements reside, and begins to accumulate.”
“However, Suimei-dono, I believe that in that case, would it not be a similar power to the Elements?”
“But magic exists even without the Elements. As long as one follows the proper process, they can create the technique that is the origin of its power.”
“Ah...”
“When the very first person created the notion of magic in this world, just how did they have knowledge about the Elements? We’ll exclude that from the explanation from here. That unknown person first carefully split the wide concept known as the Elements one by one into smaller concepts like fire, water, and wind. If it was something like that, I believe that the limited power that could possibly be hailed is the reason why there are not many complex processes to using magic here. And then, while in the middle of splitting the concept up into categories, they found the thing that they called the power of darkness. That was hatred and resentment. When it manifested as power, it was black and repulsive. That kind of thing is often associated with the darkness of the night. Surely that person also thought the same and connected the two. I don’t know whether or not they were seized by the charm of such a strong power, but there’s no real doubt that they touched upon it.”
“...So what you’re saying, Suimei-kun, is that because the first person to give birth to magic here mistook the power of hatred and resentment as the Elements, dark magic was created?”
“That’s about it.”
“That is the true form... of the power I’ve been using?”
Liliana spoke with downcast eyes, but Suimei replied with an affirmative nod. Her eyes then seemed to waver.
“Then, that ominous being... What was it?”
She was gripping the covers on the bed tightly with a frightened face as she recalled the strange creature they’d seen that night.
“The sinful figure, right? It was something mysticology refers to as a sinister being. It’s a coagulation of refined malice. At the time that it reaches the density of an astrosus, the concept called the faceless in the astral plane is then projected into the world as the sinful figure, and it manifests like that.”
On that evening, when Liliana’s dark magic went berserk, her pent-up resentment had become quite pronounced. So much so that it manifested. At that time, when Liliana was no longer able to move, it was because of the sinful figure. Commonly referred to as spirits of the deceased, these wicked spirits take one of three forms. The most common, well known case was the possession of the target. The second was half-possession, like when Suimei used the sacred guardian angel when striking Rajas with abracadabra. And the third was the kind that tormented Liliana on that evening, the state known as obsession that brought the mystical being into the physical world. When exposed to the effects of an evil existence in the physical world, the spirit will weaken. Suimei explained up to this point, but...
“...Somehow, suddenly, it’s become quite difficult to understand.”
“...When Suimei-dono starts passionately explaining something, he starts using many difficult words, after all.”
“...When he first starts, he explains everything simply with easy to understand comparisons though. Once he gets like this, it’s hopeless.”
Suimei was so absorbed in his explanation that he didn’t even hear the three of them whispering to each other. And before long, he’d finished his entire mini-lesson from start to end.
“That’s how it is.”
“Somehow or other, I understand.”
Suimei nodded like he was satisfied, and after a short pause, looked over at Liliana. It was an earnest gaze without a single hint of joking around. In response to that, Liliana straightened out her posture and faced him.
“If I teach you the foundations of magicka, you’ll be able to learn techniques to not get taken by the darkness. If you learn that, the portions of your body and heart that are suffering from the darkness will also get better. How about it?”
As she heard his question, Liliana unconsciously opened her mouth. She was likely about to ask, “Why would you go so far for me?” But then she gave up, recalling that Suimei said he was a busybody.
“Understood. I’ll be... in your care.”
Liliana once more took Suimei’s outstretched hand into her own. And that was how Suimei’s party gained another new companion.
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