Chapter 5: Secret Meeting
The night Celia and the others returned to the mansion, Celia brought Sora to her bedroom. Dinner was over, they had finished bathing, and everyone had returned to their rooms for the night.
“You can use that bed.”
“Okay.” Sora nodded and sat down on the bed. Celia sat on her own bed, facing her.
“How was it? Do you think you can get along with everyone?” she asked.
“Sora has no intention of making friends,” Sora answered bluntly.
“You say that, but you wolfed down that dinner so hungrily. You also seemed happy to hear everyone explain the dishes.”
“Th-The dishes are innocent. And that’s not true at all! They were so annoying!” Sora denied in a shrill voice.
“You can be more honest to yourself, you know?”
“M-More importantly, the nuisances are finally out of the way. There were still other things Sora needed to talk about,” Sora said, changing the topic.
“That’s right...” Celia agreed with a listless sigh.
“What’s wrong? Why the long face?”
“It’s just that everyone’s forgotten about Rio... After spending the day with everyone, I realized that all over again. I’m the only one who remembers him, everyone else has forgotten—and that makes me feel really alienated...”
All the memories they had made together were gone, as if she had gone through a different past to everyone else.
“But...” Celia continued, looking at Sora.
Sora tilted her head in suspicion. “What?”
“Rio, Aishia, and you... You’re all far lonelier than I am. You’re the ones who have been forgotten by everyone, who have had your relationships severed, who have to stay separated from them...” Celia mumbled miserably.
“Sora only needs her connection with the Dragon King... As long as she has the Dragon King, Sora isn’t lonely at all.”
Whether she was bluffing or speaking her true feelings aside, Sora looked down as she spoke. There was something about the sight of her like that which felt forlorn to Celia.
“What did you do until you met Rio? The Dragon King passed away in the Divine War over a thousand years ago, right?” she asked, searching Sora’s expression.
“Sora just waited for the time to pass.”
“Wait... Were you by yourself the whole time?”
“So what if Sora was? Even without the Dragon King around, the rules of god still applied to Sora. It was only natural.”
“Wasn’t it really lonely by yourself?”
“Sora said no already. Not as long as she has the Dragon King.”
“Sora...” Celia was the one who put on a lonesome face.
“Don’t make that face. Are you pitying Sora?” Sora pouted irritably.
“I’m not, that’s not it. It’s just...”
A thousand years. For a thousand years, Sora was bound to the rules of god by herself.
Perhaps it was because of the rules of god that Sora never bothered to interact with others. They would forget her anyway. That’s why she gave up from the beginning, believing there was no point in making friends. Perhaps she had to tell herself she didn’t want to make friends in the first place as a form of defense to protect her heart.
Such thoughts flashed through Celia’s head. Of course, it was possible that Sora truly didn’t believe she needed any friends. But if not...
She didn’t bother making friends, because no one would remember her.
“Just what?”
“I just want to get to know you better. So will you be my friend? I mean—we’re already friends, aren’t we?” Celia said cheerfully. She wanted to be friends with Sora.
“Huh?” Sora let out a noise of crazed disbelief.
“Because we’re both deeply connected to Rio, right? And they say a friend of a friend is a friend.”
“What kind of dumb reasoning is that...?”
“There’s no logic to friendship. All we need to become friends is the desire to be friends.”
“You want to be friends with Sora?” Sora asked skeptically, staring at her in wonder.
“That’s right. In fact, I consider us friends already. Didn’t I just say that?” Celia nodded without any hesitation.
“What a pushy person...”
“That’s right. I’m being pushy. I think of you as a friend because I want to. And I’m telling this to you of my own accord. That’s all there is to it.”
“...” Sora was speechless.
Her selfishness is vividly similar to Lina’s.
Why was it?
We’re already friends, aren’t we?
Now that she thought about it, she was once told something similar by someone.
“What about you, Sora? Do you consider me a friend already?” Celia asked, peering into Sora’s face.
Sora looked away in a huff, dismissing Celia coldly. “Do what you want. Sora will also do what she wants, and Sora doesn’t consider you a friend.”
Although she’d had her friendship rejected, Celia smiled gently. “How stubborn... But fine. You can stay that way for now.”
“Hmph. Weirdo. Stop acting all buddy-buddy with Sora,” Sora snapped dismissively. She then glanced at Celia, watching for her reaction to being treated coldly.
“Oh, but there’s one thing I’d like to say to you...”
“What?”
“I’m not a weirdo, I’m Celia. My name is Celia. Got it?” Celia warned, puffing her cheeks up at Sora.
“The only person Sora respects is the Dragon King.”
“Regardless of respect, calling people by their names when you address them is plain politeness. Depending on who you’re talking to, you could get into big trouble if you don’t speak politely. Make sure you address people like Princess Charlotte and Princess Lilianna with their titles.”
Fortunately, no such problems occurred today, and Charlotte and Lilianna were both accepting enough to overlook such things anyway, but acting impolitely outside the mansion would most likely be an invitation for trouble.
“This sounds like a lecture.”
“That’s right, I used to be a teacher. I was Rio’s teacher too, you know?”
Sora’s eyes widened in surprise. “The Dragon King’s teacher? Some weirdo like you?”
“It’s Celia.”
“...You were the Dragon King’s teacher, Celia?” Sora said reluctantly.
“That’s right. I taught him for five years, back when he was as young as you,” Celia replied proudly.
“Hmph. Sora isn’t young. Don’t treat Sora like a child,” Sora said, pursing her lips in a sulking pout.
“Right, you’re a lot older than I am...”
Although you sure don’t look like it, Celia thought as she stared closely at Sora. As someone who was constantly mistaken for a preteen girl, Celia could finally understand the feelings of those who made the wrong assumptions.
“Stop looking at Sora like she’s a child already. And if you’re going to compare how long we’ve known the Dragon King, then Sora’s been with him for a thousand years. Our history is different from a nobody like you. Got it?” Sora boasted, refusing to lose to Celia.
Celia narrowed her eyes. “You called me a ‘nobody’...”
“A-Anyways! Stop treating Sora like a child. The only person allowed to do that is the Dragon King.” Sora dodged the question, her voice squeaking awkwardly.
“Fine. But in exchange, you have to refer to important people by their name and title. If you’re not a child, you can do that much, right?”
“Guh... That’s a different matter from this.”
“Even so, you don’t want to cause trouble for Rio either, right? How do you think Rio would feel if he heard you caused problems?” Celia warned Sora by bringing up Rio’s name. It seemed to have an immediate effect.
“Hmph... Fine.” Sora nodded obediently, albeit reluctantly.
“Good. Now let’s move on to the main matter at hand,” Celia said, changing the topic. “What is this broken mask for?” She picked up the mask she had left on the shelf beside her bed.
“That is a special magic artifact that helps evade the rules of god by bearing their effects.”
“Huh...? But Rio and Aishia are still forgotten by everyone.”
The transcendent ones were forgotten by the world every time they used their power. From that point onward, they became existences that had very little presence or memorability. That was all Celia knew of the rules right now, so she wondered why the evasion of the rules wasn’t working.
“That’s not the rule being evaded here. This item bears the penalty for when a transcendent one intervenes with the world,” Sora said, correcting Celia’s mistake.
“So there were more rules. What are the details of that one?”
“Transcendent ones possess the power to change the world, so they’re not allowed to get thoughtlessly involved in the matters of the world. That’s why the rules of god forbid the transcendent ones from using their power on behalf of specific individuals or groups. If they break that rule...”
“If they break it...” Celia gulped nervously.
“The transcendent one will forget everything about the people they tried to help.”
“Huh...?”
“The transcendent ones have power rivaling god, so god deemed it unfair for them to support the interests of individuals. That’s why this rule exists.” Sora stifled her emotions, flatly explaining the rules with a sullen look.
“If Rio and Aishia fought for our sakes...both of them would forget about us? Instead of us forgetting about them?”
“That’s what Sora’s saying,” Sora confirmed bluntly.
“N-No! That’s— That can’t happen! No, absolutely not!” Celia yelled in a panic, the blood draining from her face.
“Reality doesn’t care about your opinion.”
“Is that why this mask is broken, then...?”
“In today’s battle, the Dragon King took a huge risk to save all of you. That’s why this mask was worn down and cracked. That’s what it means.”
“That can’t be...” Celia fell speechless at the knowledge that Rio had risked his memories to save them.
“As long as this mask is used, the Dragon King can fight for someone without losing his memory. But there are only five masks in existence, including this one. If he has to keep saving all of you like he did today, they’ll be used up in an instant. Once that happens, he’ll have to fight at the sacrifice of his memories,” Sora said with a strict expression.
“Though the Dragon King would probably do that for all of you,” she added sadly.
“You’ve only just met Rio, but you understand him well.” Celia gave Sora an impressed look.
“Like Sora said already, Sora’s been with the Dragon King for a thousand years. Even reincarnated, the Dragon King is the Dragon King. Of course Sora knows him,” Sora snapped as though she had just been insulted.
“I’m sorry for looking down on you, Sora. I get it now.” Honestly speaking, she was amazed. But at the same time, she didn’t want to lose. She prided herself as the person who cared about Rio more than anyone else. That’s why, as fellow companions who would be around each other for a long time from here on, she apologized to Sora.
“As long as you understand.” Sora nodded approvingly.
“We’ll have to do something about this, then. The best option would be for Rio and Aishia to avoid fighting forever, but...”
“That would be too easy. And you’re all too weak for that.”
“I can’t deny that... We’ve been protected by Rio and Aishia this entire time. But...”
When Celia regained her memories today, she also learned several new magic spells. If she used them, she could potentially produce a power beyond anything she had been capable of until now. Celia stared down at her hands in thought.
However, she purposefully chose not to argue with Sora. Insisting that she had gotten stronger would only sound like a bluff at this moment. She would prove her strength through her actions, not her words. That’s what Celia thought.
“You need to do better. You might be weak, but Sora has some hope for your brain,” Sora said, emphasizing the “some.” But it was clear she was just too embarrassed to praise Celia honestly. That’s why...
“Oh my, is that so?” Celia replied happily.
“It pains Sora to admit this, but the Seven Wise Gods and their disciples were true geniuses. You resemble Lina’s homunculus disciple, and you seem to have inherited certain characteristics of it when your memories returned, so Sora has hope. You might be the key to slipping past the rules of god... You, and Ayase Miharu.”
“Come to think of it, you knew Miharu’s name already, didn’t you? How come?”
Celia recalled what had happened when Sora first visited the mansion today. She had looked around at the residents and asked for Ayase Miharu.
“Right, Sora still hasn’t explained that. Ayase Miharu is the reincarnation of the Seven Wise God, Lina,” Sora said, revealing the rather shocking truth without hesitation.
“Huh?” Celia was unable to comprehend her words and reacted as though she had misheard her.
“There should also be some kind of connection between you and Ayase Miharu. Do you have any ideas?”
“Huh? W-Wait a minute. Ayase Miharu as in Miharu? Miharu is the reincarnation of a Wise God?” Unable to believe her ears, Celia repeated herself just to be sure.
“That’s what Sora’s saying. So, any ideas?”
“I-I don’t know... But are you sure?”
Although she had finally understood the part about Miharu being the reincarnation of the Seven Wise God Lina, Celia still doubted whether it was the truth.
“Aishia was the one who said it. She was created by Lina for the sake of the Dragon King, and Ayase Miharu is the reincarnation of Lina. As long as she’s not lying, then it’s the truth. Why are you so skeptical?”
“Because Miharu’s just a normal girl, you know? Imagining her as one of the Six Wise Gods, the gods worshipped in the Strahl region, is just...”
“Oh right, those arrogant guys dubbed themselves the Six Wise Gods when they took over the Strahl region. But Lina is the seventh Wise God that was exiled, so she wasn’t worshipped by anyone. In the first place, the Wise Gods aren’t even gods. They’re fake gods that were given the role of fulfilling the real god’s duties,” Sora said, denouncing the Seven Wise Gods.
“Umm... Doesn’t that kind of make them gods? If they were given the role of god by the real god...” Celia said, tilting her head. Either way, they were supernatural existences that mankind viewed as gods.
“Well, you can think of them however you please. Sora considers the Dragon King her god, after all.” Sora puffed up with pride.
“Right... Rio’s past past life as the Dragon King was on par with the Seven Wise Gods, you mean?”
“You’ve got a dopey look on your face, are you sure you understand? The Dragon King is a very, very high and mighty person.”
Sora spread her arms to express the extent of Rio’s magnificence. The sight of her doing that was so cute, it conveyed just how much she loved Rio.
“You only care about Rio.” Celia giggled.
“It sounds like you don’t understand at all.” Sora sighed tiredly.
“They’re just such unreachable existences, it doesn’t feel realistic. Hearing that Rio’s past past life was the Dragon King, and Miharu’s past life was a Seven Wise God, I mean.”
Besides, to Celia, Rio was Rio. Even if he was a godlike being in the life before his past life, that didn’t change who he was now to her.
“Well, you’re right about the Dragon King being an unreachable existence. Just know that Ayase Miharu is the reincarnation of that nasty goddess Lina, and you might be the reincarnation of her disciple. Those are the least of the facts you should keep in mind.”
“It sounds like my past life is mostly conjecture... But okay. It doesn’t change what I have to do.”
“Sora is glad to see you’re motivated, but what are you planning on doing?”
“I’m going to start with an analysis of this mask. I’ll search for a way of reproducing it. At the same time, I’m going to investigate the spell formulas embedded in my body and check that there isn’t anything strange about them. That may provide a clue to why I regained memories of the transcendent ones when I’m neither a transcendent one nor one of their disciples.” Celia stared at the mask in her hand.
“Do you think you can do it...?”
“I won’t know until I try, but I learned some useful spells when I regained my memories, so I’d say it isn’t impossible... Maybe.” She had yet to test the spells herself, so she couldn’t say anything for sure yet.
“Th-Then try to analyze the mask right now!” Sora urged excitedly. “...Hmm?”
Sora seemed to sense something, as she turned towards the window. As soon as she did, a knock could be heard from the other side.
“Who is that?” Celia whispered.
The fact they had knocked was possibly to show they had no hostility. But she still had to be cautious of someone visiting their window at a late hour like this.
“Hey, you get far away from the window.” Sora ordered Celia to back away, then approached the window alone to protect her. She flung the curtain open to reveal—
“Aishia!” Celia beamed happily.
“Hmph. It’s just you.”
Sora snorted coldly, but she opened the window for Aishia to come in.
“Long time no see, Celia. Short time no see, Sora?” Aishia greeted them with a wave, tilting her head to the side. She wore a mask on her face.
“Where’s the Dragon King?” Sora leaned out of the window, looking around at the sky.
“Haruto told me what happened, so I came to see Celia. Haruto’s in the stone house. We couldn’t come to the castle together, so I came alone.”
“Tch.” She must have wanted to see Rio. Sora clicked her tongue in disappointment, turning away from the window.
“There, there, Sora. Come inside, Aishia. I’ve missed you.”
Celia could understand Sora’s feelings—she wanted to see Rio too. But she had also wanted to see Aishia. She soothed Sora while smiling and inviting Aishia inside. However...
“Haruto wants to see the two of you as well. Shall we all go to him?” Aishia suggested lightly, as though inviting them on a walk.
“Huh? Can we?”
Celia was happy just to see Aishia again, but she’d be even happier seeing Rio. She couldn’t hide her true feelings from appearing on her face at the opportunity of doing so.
“Yup, as long as no one in the mansion finds out.”
Rio had seen Aishia off by telling her to enjoy herself at the mansion, but he hadn’t said she couldn’t bring both of them back. That’s why she thought of bringing the two back to see him.
“Th-Then...”
Celia wasn’t able to suppress her desire to see Rio. She was about to cheerfully say, “Let’s go,” when—
“What are you two doing? If you’re not coming, Sora will go first. Bye.”
Sora was already on the balcony, ready to depart. Nothing would stop her from going, and she urged Celia and Aishia to hurry along too.
“W-Wait a minute, I have to turn off the lights in the room first...”
Celia rushed to prepare for their late-night departure from the mansion.
◇ ◇ ◇
With Celia in Aishia’s arms, Aishia and Sora flew through the sky and over to the outskirts of the capital where the stone house was hidden in the forest. They made their way inside the house and the three of them lined up in the entryway.
“...And that’s why I brought them with me,” Aishia said, concluding her explanation.
“Aha ha...” Rio laughed flatly in confusion. He hadn’t expected Aishia to bring Celia and Sora back with her.
“Sorry... I ended up coming here,” Celia apologized shyly.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about. I’m happy to see you again too.”
With so many experienced fighters like Gouki living in the mansion, Rio had decided against sneaking in with Aishia in order to avoid being noticed. But if she was going to do this, perhaps he should have just gone with her in the first place.
But it was important they reduce the risk of being noticed as much as they could, even if it took extra effort. Now that Rio was a transcendent one, he had to avoid being noticed as much as possible—it was undoubtedly safer for Aishia to go check on Celia alone, as she could always flee in her spirit form. And by bringing Celia back to the stone house, there was no need to lower their voices. That was what Rio decided to believe, anyway.
“It’ll probably be best to return quickly, but we might as well talk a bit now that you’re here. Let’s head to the living room first,” Rio said, inviting them inside.
Celia nodded happily. “Okay!” she said, walking forward. Aishia started forward as well, and Rio was about to follow them when he noticed Sora fidgeting behind him.
“Shall we go too, Sora?” he called out to her.
“Yes! Right away!” Sora replied immediately, walking to the left of Rio.
There wasn’t much distance from the entryway to the living room, but Rio decided to start a conversation with her anyway. “How’s life at the mansion? Do you think you can handle it?” he asked.
“Yes! Sora will fulfill the duty she was given by the Dragon King!” she replied proudly.
“I see. It’s really reassuring to have you with Celia. Thank you.”
“Sora’s only doing what needs to be done. Heh. He heh.” She giggled, beaming happily at the praise.
“Sora’s been a big help by teaching me things,” Celia added.
“Celia shows some promise too,” Sora replied, failing to hide how pleased she was.
“Hmph. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”
“Aha ha, I’m glad to see you’re getting along. Now let’s sit down.”
Like that, the four of them entered the living room. At Rio’s prompting, the group made their way over to the sofa.
“Come now, Dragon King. You should sit over here!”
Sora rushed ahead and secured a seat to offer to Rio.
“Thanks. I guess I’ll sit there, then.” Rio accepted the seat with an amused smile, feeling like he was going along with the whims of a child. Celia made note of his position and immediately moved to take the seat across from him.
I can see Rio’s face clearly from here.
She smiled happily to herself. Meanwhile, Aishia naturally moved to sit beside Rio, but...
“Wait! Hold it right there, Aishia!” Sora shouted in shock. “What do you think you’re doing, naturally taking the spot beside the Dragon King?! The Dragon King’s side is reserved for his one and only disciple, Sora! Know your place!” she ranted, rebuking Aishia for her actions.
“I’m Haruto’s one and only contract spirit.”
“D-Don’t copy Sora! You wanna go at it? Sora will fight you! Let’s take this outside!” Sora bristled and took on a fighting stance, unwilling to give up the spot beside Rio. Her sense of rivalry seemed to have been triggered.
“W-Wait, there’s no need to fight. This sofa is big enough for three people, so you can each sit on one side of me.” Thankfully, Rio had sat down on a three-seater sofa. Sora was child-sized and Aishia was slender, so there was even enough room for Celia to squeeze in if she wanted. Rio quickly calmed the situation down and sat in the middle of the sofa, making space for Aishia and Sora on each side.
“...” Celia watched the three of them sit down in silence.
Aishia and Sora were both clinging tightly to Rio’s arms. The two of them certainly had enough power to claim those spots—both Aishia and Sora were among the strongest people in the world. But that didn’t mean Celia had accepted defeat. She had no intention of losing to them.
Should I have tried to sit beside him as well? No, we’re here to talk tonight. This spot is fine for now. I want Rio to look at me as well.
Since Rio had shifted to the side to make space for Aishia and Sora, Celia shifted so she was directly opposite to him.
“I see you’ve picked up another awfully unique individual,” she said to Rio, smiling as though she were completely unbothered.
“So it seems. Things have gotten a lot more lively thanks to her.” Rio glanced at the two at his sides with subtle shyness.
“I see.”
“How were things on your end? Is everyone doing well?”
“Yup... Everyone’s great.”
Everyone lived as though it was natural not to have Rio around. Rio didn’t exist in their memories. Unable to bear how sad she felt about that, Celia looked down and nodded.
“That’s good, then,” Rio said, happy about everyone’s state of peace from the bottom of his heart.
“It’s just... While we were at Rodania, Aki and her brother came to the mansion. Did you tell him about that already?” Celia asked, glancing at Aishia.
“Yes, I’ve heard from Aishia. It doesn’t seem like a problem at present, right? Especially for Miharu and Aki. I heard the two of them made up.”
“Yeah, Miharu and Aki are completely back to normal. Actually, I think Aki’s grown a little more mature now—maybe it’s because she felt guilty towards Miharu, but it seems she’s learned how to maintain an appropriate distance now. She’s not as clingy as she used to be, and she seems much calmer than before. The only problem I can see is in her older brother.”
“Did Takahisa do something?” Rio asked fearfully.
“He hasn’t done anything, but...because he’s forgotten about you, he’s forgotten the things that happened in the past...” Celia said hesitantly. “I think he’s in love with Miharu. No—I’m sure of it.”
She accurately guessed the reason why Takahisa was a potential problem.
“Really? I mean, I suppose that makes sense.”
Takahisa had been so obsessed with Miharu, he had treated Rio like an enemy just for being beside her. Rio knew that Takahisa was in love with her, and he couldn’t imagine those feelings would just disappear for no reason.
“Yes, I can tell by just watching him. But Miharu has no feelings for Takahisa. I know that for sure.”
Celia stared at Rio as though to point out who exactly it was that Miharu loved.
“...” Rio didn’t respond. He either had no self-awareness, or didn’t believe it could be his forgotten self.
“That’s why I believe he could continue to be a potential problem like this,” Celia continued with a weary sigh. “He does seem to have strongly reflected on his actions, so we have no choice but to wait and see for now...”
“I’m sorry my erasure from everyone’s memory has caused you so much stress.”
“It’s not your fault. Let’s work out a way to get everyone to remember you two soon.”
“Yes.”
Although they hadn’t found a way to do that yet, neither Rio nor Aishia were pessimistic about it. They exchanged looks with each other and nodded firmly.
“Sora told me about that mask and Miharu’s past life already.”
“Right.”
“Thank you for saving us at the risk of losing your memories,” Celia said with a saddened expression.
“There’s no need to thank me for that.” Although his memories had been in danger, Rio shook his head gently.
“But—I don’t want you to lose your precious memories of everyone.” Celia expressed her feelings directly to Rio.
“I might be one of the people you’ll forget, right? You won’t forget other transcendent ones and their disciples, but I’m neither of those. I’ve finally remembered you, so please don’t forget me...” Celia protested, staring straight into Rio’s eyes.
“I know. I’m scared of forgetting everyone too.” Rio nodded with a sad smile.
“That’s why you two need to avoid fighting as much as possible from now on. So that that doesn’t happen.”
“I’ll do my best...”
“We’re the ones who have to do our best. Sora said that if we continue relying on you for everything, you’ll use up all your masks in no time at all. I’d like to analyze the mask you gave me to see if it can be replicated. You don’t mind if I keep holding onto it, right?” Celia asked, placing the broken mask down on the table before her. She had brought it with her when leaving the mansion to ask him about it.
“Of course. Its effect continues until it completely breaks apart, so you should be able to analyze it like this, but let me know if you want one in perfect condition.”
“I’ll use this cracked one for now. I was planning on analyzing the mask tomorrow, but since I’m here... How about I take a look at it now?”
“Can you do that?”
“Yes. I’ve never used the spell before, but I think it should work.”
“Then please do.”
“Got it. Okay... Magicae Explicare.” Celia took a breath, then held her hand over the mask, reciting the spell. A complicated spell formula appeared at her fingertips, before proceeding to wrap around the mask.
Image-wise, it was a rather plain spectacle. Celia had her hand held out to cast the spell, and the spell was wrapped around the mask.
“Is it really working like that?”
“Yeah. This is amazing... The information is just forcing its way into my head. But it doesn’t mean I can understand it perfectly. I’ll have to focus quite hard...” Celia’s expression was utterly serious.
“That’s probably the spell Lina’s disciple used! Sora’s seen it before! This might actually be promising!” Sora said with a sparkle in her eyes. However...
“From the looks of things, the more complicated the formula, the longer the analysis will take. And the one in this mask is extremely complex...”
Celia had only just begun the analysis, yet there was already a sheen of sweat across her forehead.
“Sorry... I don’t think I can analyze it like this.”
Unable to endure the flood of information in her head, Celia canceled the analysis spell.
“Are you okay?” Rio stood up and made his way over to her.
“Yup, I’ll be fine. Whew...”
With a big sigh, Celia gestured for Rio to sit back down on the sofa.
“You don’t have to strain yourself analyzing the mask. It’s okay if it can’t be replicated.” Rio tried to take the mask on the table out of concern for Celia.
“Wait. It’s okay.” Celia immediately reached out and placed her hand over Rio’s.
“But...”
“It’s fine. I can just analyze it a little at a time. It may take some time though...”
“I don’t mind if it takes time, but...”
It was an ancient magic artifact created by the Wise Gods in order to escape the rules of the true god. Being able to analyze it at all was amazing enough. What Rio was worried about was the burden on Celia.
“It’s fine, really. Let me do this.” Celia stared at Rio with determination in her eyes. When Rio’s grip loosened, she quickly snatched up the mask.
“Make sure you don’t overdo it, no matter what.”
“Yup, just leave it to me.”
“Thank you.” Rio bowed his head deeply.
“That aside, why didn’t you cast the magic silently?” Sora suddenly asked.
“Huh? Because magic is cast by reciting the spell, no?” Celia tilted her head curiously.
That was common sense to her. As magic involved the incorporation of spell formulas inside the body, the spellcaster was at constant risk of misfiring the spells inside them. The action of reciting the spell name was a safeguard against that.
“That’s a safety measure for ordinary folk, no? Someone who can analyze a Wise God’s artifact, who’s gained the characteristics of a Wise God’s disciples, should easily be able to cast magic without reciting the spell,” Sora said, showing how highly she regarded Celia’s capability.
“But...how do I do that?”
“Huh? Just do what Sora does.” Sora suddenly brought her index finger up to her face, too lazy to explain with words. Then...
“Hmph...” she hummed in thought. A simple spell formula appeared at her fingertip, and a tiny flame appeared with a cute “poof” sound.
“W-Wow! That’s amazing!” Celia cried in wonder. Rio was also blinking in surprise.
“That’s truly, truly amazing, Sora!” Celia clapped her hands.
“Th-There’s no need to praise Sora so much. Tch,” Sora grumbled happily.
“How are you doing that, Sora? And how come you use magic instead of spirit arts?”
“Sora uses spirit arts, so she can’t use magic. The trick to this is simple: Sora imagined this spell formula in her head and made it appear. That’s all. The key is to put the instructions for the phenomenon you want to occur in the spell formula.”
“Oh, I see. So you draw the spell formula with spirit arts, then let the magic activate?” As one would expect of a genius sorcerer, Celia was quick to understand what Sora meant.
“Something like that!”
“But doesn’t that mean I can’t do it? I’m a sorcerer, so I can’t use spirit arts with the spells in my body.”
Sorcerers used their own body as a magic artifact to store spell formulas. In a way, this could be considered a form of artificial body modification. By entrusting the spell formula with the instructions necessary to create a phenomenon, the sorcery could be activated simply by reciting the spell name.
However, the price for that was the inability to use spirit arts, which allowed the spellcaster to alter the phenomenon however they imagined. Or least, it should have been...
“But there are two spirit arts that a sorcerer can use: the depiction and manipulation of a spell formula.”
“Hmm. The depiction and manipulation...”
The things Sora was saying were new not only to Celia, but to Rio and Aishia as well. They listened with their eyes widened in interest.
“It’s different from making letters and words appear as light, you know? When activating magic and sorcery, the spell formula that appears as light is referred to as the depiction of a spell formula. Overwriting that depicted formula is referred to as manipulation.”
“Wow.” Celia listened to Sora’s explanation intently, her intellectual curiosity piqued.
“But if you asked Lina, she’d probably say it isn’t technically spirit arts.”
“Because it isn’t technically spirit arts, sorcerers can use it as well. Is that what you mean? I can understand the logic, but why isn’t it considered spirit arts?” Celia tilted her head in thought, recalling the light that appeared when activating sorcery and magic.
Spell formulas took the shape of geometric patterns of letters and symbols. The way casters used their magic essence to make light depict a spell formula was no different from how casters used spirit arts to make a phenomenon occur as they imagined.
“She said something about how a spell formula is the equation to seek a solution for the phenomenon, and not the phenomenon itself. It was pretty complicated...”
Sora looked back on her memories of that time, repeating Lina’s words hesitantly. Frankly speaking, this explanation was somewhat lacking when it came to Celia’s question, but—
“Hmm...” Celia seemed to understand what she meant and hummed in interest.
“It’s also activated differently from regular spirit arts. Regular spirit arts can be activated by releasing a vague idea along with your magic essence and letting the mana interpret the intended phenomenon, but the depiction of a spell formula cannot be vague. You have to memorize the entire spell formula and store its shape clearly in your brain in order to depict it.”
“Huh? Isn’t that really difficult? It sounds like it’d be easier for people who can use spirit arts to directly create the phenomenon... And faster for sorcerers to just recite the spell they want to use...” Celia said, pointing out the fatal flaw to the depiction of spell formulas. The higher the grade of sorcery, the more complex the spell formulas were. The spell formula for creating a simple flame would be much less intricate than those of attack magic.
If the spell formula had to be accurately memorized, then there was barely any practical use to it—that’s what Celia thought.
“Exactly. It’s stupidly troublesome. What Sora created before could be made in an instant with spirit arts. No one normally bothers with such a pointless thing.”
Sora readily agreed with the disadvantage Celia pointed out.
“Th-Then what’s the use of it...?” Celia asked, somewhat disappointed.
“It’s a different case when it comes to the Wise Gods and their disciples. They’re mind monsters capable of simultaneous processing and thought acceleration. Higher-grade magic spells are easier to cast with recitation, but regular magic is faster to cast silently. That’s why if you’re really Lina’s disciple... You might have obtained that characteristic as well,” Sora said, staring at Celia.
“I see...”
“I’ve tried writing words with spirit arts before. I did it to test whether I could draw a spell formula as though I were painting a picture, but it seems to require a different approach.” Having listened to everything until now, Rio offered his own past experience for comparison.
“As expected of the Dragon King! While simple spell formulas can be drawn with the finger as you just described, the depiction Sora spoke of is indeed different. The spell formula instantly appears out of nowhere, so it’s different from drawing with a brush.”
“If there’s a magic or sorcery we know the spell formula of, maybe we could try it now?” Celia suggested nervously.
“You could!” Sora agreed.
Thus, they began making an attempt at depicting their spell formulas.
“This is pretty hard...” Rio held the index finger of his right hand before his face and glared into empty space. He was imagining a spell formula appearing at his fingertip, but nothing was happening.
Beside him, Aishia was similarly glaring into space. “It feels like something’s about to activate.”
“Right. It’d be easier if I were just making letters appear...”
He attempted to make letters appear and received an instant response. There was definitely something different from activating regular spirit arts.
“Hmm... It does feel different from when I attempt regular spirit arts. This one feels like something even I could do.”
As stated earlier, sorcerers like Celia were unable to use spirit arts. Rio had taught her the technique required for using spirit arts before, so she had the knowledge of how to use them, but the spell formulas inside her body prevented their activation. The instructions to create a phenomenon couldn’t be conveyed to mana, the natural energy of the world.
“He he he. It took Sora a bit of time to learn this as well! But just a bit!” Sora seemed pleased to be given an opportunity to teach Rio something.
“Since I can feel some kind of reaction, I shouldn’t be too far off the mark for the process of depiction. All that’s left is...” Celia had entered her academic mode and was busy muttering away to herself.
“Well, you’ll get the hang of it eventually. What’s most important is to accurately recall the shape of the spell formula, as Sora said earlier...”
Having enjoyed everyone’s reactions to the fullest, Sora felt it was about time she gave some more advice. She opened her mouth with that in mind, when—
“Oh, I did it.” Celia succeeded in making a spell formula appear silently. The spell she was testing was magic for a small source of light which floated lightly in the air.
“And that’s why they call you a genius.”
“That’s amazing, Celia.”
Rio complimented Celia with a look of wonder while Aishia complimented her honestly.
“Wha?! That’s impossible! Even Sora couldn’t do it without more hints!” Sora yelped in shock.
“Is there a trick to it besides memorizing the entire spell formula?”
“Hmm... Memorizing the shape of the formula is important, but it feels very inefficient if you don’t understand the meaning of the shape. Perhaps a deeper understanding of magic or sorcery is better? I tried to remember the feeling of casting the actual magic to create this light source and it just worked.”
“I see...”
“It may be harder for us to understand the feeling of using magic, since we can only use spirit arts.”
Rio and Aishia listened to Celia’s explanation. Her theoretical way of thinking and genius mind had probably helped her grasp what she had to do quickly.
“S-Sora was just about to teach you that, Dragon King! The trick to understanding the spell formula goes like this... Umm...” Sora hurriedly tried to take the credit for teaching them.
“You know how spirit arts casters can understand and imitate the sorcery in a magic artifact by touching the artifact and reading the flow of magic essence? Perhaps you could use that feeling as a reference,” Celia added in explanation.
“S-Sora was going to say that later! Read the room! Just because you learned to do it a little quickly doesn’t give you the right to be cocky about it!” Sora lashed out with tears in her eyes.
“S-Sorry. I just thought this was easier to understand as a sorcerer than a spirit arts caster. It was fun to think about.” Celia soothed Sora with a confused look.
“There there, Sora. Aishia and I still don’t know how to do it, so can you teach us?”
Placated by Rio’s words, Sora nodded happily. “O-Of course!”
“I’ll try drawing out a few sorcery spells with simple formulas on paper.” With a sigh of relief, Celia stood up to fetch a pen and paper.
Drawing a spell formula on paper with regular ink wouldn’t activate the sorcery as long as no magic essence was supplied as fuel. It was the perfect way to practice getting a feel for things.
And so, Rio and Aishia sent their essence into the formula Celia drew to confirm how it should feel. Rio used to use this method to increase the spirit arts he could use when he was in the Royal Academy, so he was quick on the uptake. Aishia had exceptional talent when it came to spirit arts, so she didn’t struggle either.
“Thank you very much. Now that I can do it, I see what Sora meant earlier. It’s far easier to just activate spirit arts. Having to use a different method of activation makes it hard to pull off quickly, and memorizing each spell formula one by one would be inefficient for Aishia and me. What are your thoughts, Celia?” Rio reached the conclusion that he probably wouldn’t use this again in the future, so he turned to Celia for her opinion.
“It’s pretty easy for me to use; I like it. I’ll have to try it out a bit more, but I think it’d be faster for me to use silent casting up to intermediate-grade magic or so. It’d be nice to instantly cast magic without reciting the spell name like with spirit arts.” As a sorcerer, she felt a certain admiration towards spirit arts. Celia smiled happily at the new power she had gained.
“Lina was able to cast difficult spells silently, so you should do your best too, Celia,” Sora said, encouraging her with a hint of embarrassment.
Celia’s eyes widened. “Oh my, thank you. And thank you for saying my name,” she thanked her cheerfully.
“S-Sora just felt like it. The Dragon King will be troubled if you don’t.”
Sora turned away, showing Celia her round cheek.
“I’ll have to work extra hard then. He he.” With an elegant smile, Celia clenched her fists, looking motivated.
“Sora will stay in the mansion for a few more days like this. Please continue teaching Celia during that time, Sora.”
“Of course!” Sora replied energetically.
“Have you decided what to do after those few days?” Celia asked.
“Yes. There might be something else that can be done about the rules of god besides the mask. I’m thinking of going on a journey to find more hints about Lina. It might take a few weeks.”
“I see. I’ll have to analyze what I can in that time.” Celia was sad and uneasy to be separated from Rio in such a situation, but she had just decided not to rely on Rio and Aishia so much.
“Once Sora leaves the mansion, Aishia will stay back instead.”
Rio had wondered whom to bring between Aishia and Sora, but there was a high chance of encountering traces of other transcendent ones and their disciples on the journey. Sora was the only one who knew them from when they were around, so he decided it would be best to have her accompany him this time.
“Really? It’ll be lonely without her around, but it’ll be nice to stay with you again, Aishia.”
“Yup. I won’t be lonely if I can talk to you too.”
Celia and Aishia both spoke, then exchanged a look.
“That means Sora gets to be with the Dragon King again!”
“Yeah. I’ll be counting on you, Sora.”
“Of course!” Sora replied, happy enough to start dancing on the spot.
For the next hour, the four of them enjoyed their time together. The day had started with Rodania being attacked at the crack of dawn, so Celia had to be exhausted by now. Because she couldn’t stay for too long, the time to say goodbye arrived in a flash.
“Take care. Please bring her back safely, Sora.”
Rio and Aishia stood at the entrance of the house, seeing Celia and Sora off.
“Of course! Let’s go, Celia.”
Sora attempted to pick Celia up, but before she could, Celia walked up to Rio and called out to him with a look of determination.
“Hey, about the rules of god—I’ll definitely do something about them.”
“Everyone will regain their memories so that you and Aishia can live with us without any grief. Sora can join us, and we can all live together again,” she said, putting her currently impossible wish into words.
“Yes... Definitely.”
“I probably won’t be able to see you off on the day you depart, so I’m going to do it now. Have a safe trip, Rio,” Celia said, hugging Rio tightly.
“Hmph...” Sora took a step forward to separate her from Rio, but she seemed to change her mind after seeing Celia cling to him.
“Tch... Whatever.” She stopped where she was standing. Aishia approached Sora instead.
“How admirable of you, Sora.” She gently patted her head.
“Sh-Shut up. Don’t treat Sora like a child.”
A pleased look briefly flashed across Sora’s face before she quickly brushed away Aishia’s hand with a blush. She then turned to glare at Celia’s back, puffing up her cheeks.
“Hey, Celia! How long are you going to cling to the Dragon King for?! We’re leaving!”
Whether it was to hide her embarrassment or because she had run out of patience, Sora tried to pull Celia off Rio.
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