Under the crumbling starry night.

…

Stretched out before me was a madder red sky burning as far as the eye can see, my skin itched from the parched air as I lay atop the scorched wasteland.

What worried me the most was that I had no recollection of the events past. Who am I, what I did, why am I here… Even now, I still remembered nothing.

And there was nothing to help me remember my ident.i.ty.

Memories were the chains that tether a person to the world they live in. Without memories, I would slow fade away from this world with the pa.s.sage of time.

“I am… Heavens (Celica)…” (1)

The memory that proved I was connected to this world, that I did not appear spontaneous from the aether.

You… I, must fulfill my mission.

From then on.

…Those were the events that transpired four centuries ago.

The day of the expedition has finally arrived.

“The breeze is quite nice…”

Sistine sat at the corner of the upper deck, gently held down her long hair blowing in the wind. Besides her sat Lumia, who nodded with a smile.

The carriage travelled down the Arugoo Highway, connecting Fejite to the imperial capital Orlando.

The smell of the soil and gra.s.s tickled their noses, punctuated by the calls of an eagle soaring above. At a next bend of the road, they saw a heard of sheep grazing on the gra.s.s.

“It’s nice to experience the outdoors once in a while.”

Wendy and Lynn, who also sat on the upper deck, remarked.

Riel seemingly was very absorbed with the sheep herd. Sitting next to Lumia, her sleepy eyes stared attentively at the herd below.

Lumia asked Sistine as she reflected on the itinerary.

Sistine replied with a smile. But, as if she remembered something unpleasant, her smile slowly vanished from her face.

…Cooped up on the lower deck. Those sitting above could only give a long sigh.

Down below, a life and death struggle took place.

“Oh? Hehehe… Sorry, teacher, I got a full house. I guess it’s my win?”

“Really?! To have hidden such a hand! Teresa is strong!”

“Looks like I am sweeping the pool again~”

“Heh… Everyone, aren’t you all glad that the bets are not with real money?”

“Darn it! How can this be…? Even I, who was known to be the legendary gambler of the Imperial Casinos, lost?!”

Gibul, who, at the beginning of the game, confidently remarked that ‘Card games are not purely luck, it is a game of calculation and probability.’ was also…

His face reflected his humiliation, with sweats pouring down his head.

“D-definitely worthy of being a merchant’s daughter… Ah, I would like ten chips as well.”

D-darn it! How is it that I lost?! Even after I pulled those tricks! Glenn howled in his heart.

M-my technique was perfect, so how could this be?!

Darn it! So far, I didn’t deal myself too strong a hand to avoid arousing suspicion, but as things stand, I can’t worry about that anymore! I will use my greatest technique to bury Teresa once and for all!

Glenn happened to be the dealer and, using all his tricks in the shuffle, controlled the cards each student received.

Glenn looked at his hand, and flashed a miscreant smile.

A secret (and cheap) technique taught to him by Bernard ‘the Hermit’ during his time in the Imperial Court Mage Corps.

The arrogant Glenn easily went all-in with his hand.

Teresa took a glance at her hand, and then discarded all her cards without an ounce of hesitation.

?!

A-after only a glance, to discard her entire hand?!

“Oh? A Royal Straight Flush.”

Teresa let out a small chuckle as she revealed her hand: Ten, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace of Spades. Faced with the strongest hand, Glenn threw the deck of cards into the air in a fit of tantrum, and began to scream in frustration.

◇　◇　◇

Sistine remarked and let out an angry sigh after hearing the noise from below.

“Umm, I am really sorry for all the ruckus my companions are causing…” Sistine turned and apologized to the carriage driver.

“…”

After seeing the coachman’s accommodating response, Sistine was able to regain her usual calm. At that moment.

The sides of the road were dotted by numerous stone steles, known to be remnants of the past. Not just stone steles, but also stone circles, castle ruins, and ancient tombs. Ever since the expedition has departed from Fejite, there were all over the land, in sizes large and small. Although the northern region was known for many small sites, the empire as a whole was not much different.

“Yes, I have heard of that as well.”

“That’s right! Let us talk about that advanced sorcerous civilization!”

“Just as Wendy and Lynn said, on the site that the empire was founded, or roughly the northeastern region of the North Selford Continent, there used to be a civilization highly advanced in sorcery. From the numerous ruins, paintings, and tablets that lie all over the empire, to the verbal history and songs of the nomadic tribes in the south, then to the numerous sorcerous relics unearthed in ruins, all point squarely to its existence! The civilization was estimated to have started from…”

“Ugh, here it comes: the archaeology otaku…”

Lumia sheepishly smiled and apologized to the somewhat annoyed Wendy.

“Oh, I have a question.” Wendy asked while showing a tinge of annoyance.

“I was always slightly baffled by this, but what exactly is an advanced sorcerous civilization? Why do we not just call it an advanced magic civilization? From purely a definition standpoint, if I remember correctly…”

“That’s right, Wendy. The dictionary’s definition is quite accurate.” Sistine proudly answered with her chest puffed. “What the ancients called magic, to our modern eyes, are no different from sorcery – an incredible power we cannot come to fathom. Their civilization was built upon spells in which our meager knowledge could not hope to understand, and for that reason, we refer to them as a sorcerous civilization.”

“Precisely! Which is why archaeothaumatologists refer to the magic that we, the modern people, learn as ‘Modern magic’, while refer the inexplicable magic used by the ancients as ‘ancient magic’.” With that said, Sistine gazed at the skies above Fejite and toward the mirage-like floating castle tucked away between the clouds. “It was postulated that the sky castle itself was among the many structures constructed by ‘ancient magic’.”

“I want to solve the mystery of the ancient civilization. Questions like ‘why did the ancients build a floating castle?’, ‘why did they hid it in the gap between dimensions?’, ‘what secrets lie within the castle?’, ‘what exactly is ancient magic?’, and ‘how did such an advanced civilization meet its demise?’, I hope to one day know the answers.”

“Then, good luck with that dream!”

“Thank you, Wendy. I should also mention…”

“…And so it was, the wise King Crowe the First was able to unify the neighboring land using the might of sorcery, and established the sorcerous kingdom of Melgalius, a dynasty that remained in power for four millennium.”

Suddenly noticing the unusual surroundings, Wendy interrupted Sistine’s discourse and asked.

“Ah…?” At Wendy’s reminder, Sistine also came to be perplexed by the change.

“Hey! Wait a minute, coachman! This is not the route we agreed upon!” Sistine hastily rushed to the front of the carriage and questioned the coachman.

“This is the wrong way! If we leave the highway and head into the forests…”

Steam powered transportation only existed in the north of the empire, within the Iteria Region. Elsewhere, geographical conditions or the lack of railroads precluded its possibility. As of such, much of the transportation between cities was carried out by carriages.

However, conversely speaking, if one would depart from the designated highways, the surroundings would quickly grow dangerous. Especially the deep forests, the natural caves, and the mountain ranges on the borderlands, places that lay untouched from human civilization, where many dangerous monsters live.

“Please head back! Quickly!” Sistine, who was worried about everyone’s safety, could not help but shout.

However, the coachman continued to ignore Sistine’s pleas, and silently led the carriage forward.

By now, to not elicit a single response from the coachman, something was clearly abnormal.

Sistine grew more and more impatient.

Plop plop plop…

“Huh? What?! Could it be…?!” Sistine frustratedly cried.

Neeeigh! The horse, startled by the sudden appearance, came to an abrupt halt, and began to whine loudly.

“S-Shadow Wolves?!”

Shadow wolves were known to have knife-like teeth and claws, with eyes that struck fear deep into the heart of their pray. Covered from head to toe in jet black fur, they were commonly sighted in forests, but it did not take away from the danger they impose.

“I have never known such dangerous monsters can appear around here… Coachman, what exactly is your intention for bringing us here…?!”

Yet, the coachman, without a single motion, remained silent and held tightly onto the reins to prevent the horse from running wild.

Sistine clenched her teeth in anger, but now was not the time to interrogate the coachman. They needed to first ensure everyone’s safety.

The ability of ‘Fear Detection’. The shadow wolf could intuitively know whether it’s target is in fear of it, and by extension, know whether the prey is an easy target.

“Ahh… M-monsters…. T-there are so many…”

Lynn and Wendy were shaking uncontrollably, the colors drained from their faces.

Sistine took deep breathes to try to calm her racing heart, biting down hard on her teeth to hide her fear.

Possibly smelling the fear that emanated from the girls, the wolf directly before them lowered its body and entered into an attack stance. The wolves seemingly recognized the group before them as easy prey, and have begun to search for the opportunity to pounce. No matter how many magic bolts are shot at them, the wolves would dodge them with their incredible agility, and go straight for the girls neck.

“I-I am good. But, speaking of which, what happened to Riel?”

At such a critical moment, the most reliable person was comfortably napping on Lumia’s lap.

“Haa… And I had to pick topics that were confusing for her…” Sistine could not help but let out a sigh.

“I doubt they will risk coming after us atop the carriage, but we will be stuck here if they finish off the horse. So at the very least, we need to defend the horse.” Sistine stared bitterly at the shadow wolf, “Coachman, while I still have many questions for your inexplicable actions, but the situation is becoming dangerous. It would be best if you come up to the upper deck so that we can protect you…”

Bam! The window of the carriage was swung open with a bang. Glenn, who has finally noticed something was amiss, peered out from the window.

With one foot on the windowsill, he leapt out of the carriage. “Hmph!”

Crack!

“…”

“Ahhh!! The pain, the pain!!”

The teacher was really useless in an emergency.

“Ah, right! Darn it!”

Growl!

“Ugh! Pierce, lance of light!” Sistine hastily chanted an offensive spell to intercept the approaching shadow wolf.

“T-Teacher?!” Sistine shouted frantically at what was about to unfold.

Suddenly, an unfamiliar chant sounded next to Sistine, soon followed by a terrible whirlwind.

The three wolves that were attacking Glenn were torn asunder.

Before anyone noticed, the coachman moved to protect Glenn.

Standing before the Glenn who was planning to pull out a pistol in defense, the coachman carried a sword at the ready. Likely, the coachman pulled the sword from under the large hooded robe.

T-that coachman was a swordsman? No, just earlier…

At a glance, the length of the sword gave a slight sense of unwieldiness, but at the same time, the sharpness of the blade was second to none, with a faint bluish glow emitting from the surface. The mirror-like smoothness showed no sign of wear, with a crossguard richly decorated with precious metal. As a weapon, it was lethal beyond compare, and as a work of art, it was captivating to all who see. The sword was the perfect mixture of practicality and beauty – the undeniable magnum opus of its swordsmith.

“How… To think you are here.” After seeing the sword, Glenn slowly stood up while shaking his head in annoyance.

The coachmen’s head slightly turned and glanced at Glenn. Although both eyes are obscured by the hood, one can see the corners of the mouth upturned, revealing a slight smile.

Kyaa! Kyuu!?

Kyaa!!

The attacks were incredibly fast, so much so that even the sound of the swing could barely be heard.

The shadow wolves that stood in a circle were cut down one after another in a counterclockwise fas.h.i.+on – a scene that could only be described as a one-sided slaughter. The coachman would seemingly vanish from one corner of the eye only to reappear at the other. Sistina could barely keep up with the coachman’s movements and occasional flash of reflected light from the sword. Even the monsters barely had enough time to comprehend the events that unfolded.

The spectacle was as if Death had descended upon the battlefield, striking down all who dared to stand against it with lightning precision. Yet, this time, Death took on the appearance of a lowly coachman.

After losing two-thirds of their number, the shadow wolves have finally realized how terrifying of an opponent they were facing. They took advantage their superior teamwork and surrounded the coachman, launching an attack from all sides. As their claws and teeth approached, the coachmen turned slightly, raised the sword, and… A flash of light.

Four streaks of silver flew through the air at the same time, and the four wolves that leapt were cut into pieces.

The coachman’s swordsmans.h.i.+p was strong, fast, and ferocious. The concise strikes that delivered the maximum damage were exemplary of the swordsmans.h.i.+p practiced by knights of the previous era. At the same time, the footwork and sword skills were frequently seen as simplistic, inflexible, and lacking in diversity in the modern era. However, the coachman was able to use those sword skills to their maximum potential, a clear reflection of the tens upon tens of thousands of hours that went into its polish, turning a simplistic move into a terrifying weapon. Before the raw power, all the skills of all the styles could be seen as naught but child’s play.

“Silly, that isn’t a sword skill. That is magic.” Glenn said while leaning on the carriage with his hands behind his head.

“Modified White Magic [Load•Experience]… A spell that taps into the acc.u.mulated memories of an object, and lend it to its user.” Glenn calmly explained as he watched the coachman clear out the monsters, “That sword was once the beloved partner of the strongest swordswoman in imperial history. That person is reading the memory that lay dormant within the sword, and as of such, temporarily borrowing the experience that belonged to the sword’s original owner.”

“At the current moment, that person cannot be defeated, at least not with the sword in hand. Unless, perhaps, the person was matched against the original owner of the sword.”

Certainly, white magic that lets a person tap into the experience of another does exist.

What Glenn said earlier was ‘Modified White Magic [Load•Experience]’. If my guess is correct, the three-phrase chant I have heard earlier was probably the activation of the spell.

“Umm… Who exactly is that coachman?!”

The coachman blew by the final shadow wolf like a bolt of lightning, and unhesitantly skewered the monster with the sword. Not sure if it was the final display of the monster’s strong will, or a mere coincidence, the claw of the last shadow wolf tore through the hood of the coachman before it collapsed in its own pool of blood.

“Ah…” Sistine could not help but gasp as her eyes opened wide at the sight.

“Oops, I have been found out. What a blunder, and here I hoped to keep you all guessing for a while longer.” The coachman muttered as she sheathed her longsword.

“P-Professor Arfonia?! W-why are you here?!”

The coachman – no coachwoman, Celica Arfonia turned to greet everyone with a smile.

“Sorry, I did not intentionally bring you all here to scare you. It is just that cutting through here will allow you to arrive at the Taum Observatory sooner, even I didn’t think there would be monsters nearby. Again, sorry everyone, I have brought unnecessary trouble to you all.” Celica got all the apologies out of the way, and then, “Just a head’s up, Glenn, I also want to go check the Observatory out, so let me tag along, alright?”

“But of course, I won’t get in your way. You are the leader of the team, so just think of me as one of the members.” Celica let out a mischievous smile, no one could understand her intentions. “Either way, I am a renowned seventh-ranked magician, so be sure to take advantage of my abilities~”

“Really, what is she really up to? What is she plotting?” Glenn mumbled as he took over for Celica as the carriage driver, “I bet she definitely has something nasty planned.”

“Hmph, fat chance!” Glenn irritatedly looked at Lumia, “That person is even more quirky than me, both in terms of selfishness and impulsiveness. If something doesn’t pique her interest, she probably won’t bother with it even if the world is to end.”

“Mm.” Glenn shuddered at the thought, “That person didn’t think twice to taking out the memento of her best friend, and her only wish is to tag along? D-definitely not! I bet she have some terrible secret she cannot share with us!”

And the problem doesn’t just end there…

Within the carriage, an awkward scene was unfolding.

Sistine let out a sigh.

W-why is someone as famous as Professor Arfonia with us?

S-so nervous.

However, beyond the confines of the academy, there were many rumors regarding Celica, both good and bad. Within their history books alone, Celica’s name was mentioned more than once, but all of the stories sounded more like fantasy than reality. According to one story, she was the hero who partic.i.p.ated in the Great Magic War two hundred years ago and wiped out the demon-wors.h.i.+pping cultists. In another story, she was a ma.s.s murderer that cleansed an entire city of life. On the other hand, she was treated as the imperial army’s strategic weapon, the ‘Ashen Witch’. While in another, she was told to be the reincarnation of an ancient Demon Lord. Countless of such rumors and stories circulated around Celica.

For such an awe-inspiring figure to be suddenly thrusted into their midst and now travelling with them, it was to no one’s surprise that the students would act so mindful of her. Kash and Gibul pretended to be calm in front of the girls, Wendy and the other girls were trying to sit as far away as possible, while Lynn was so frightened that she took to hiding behind Teresa. Unlike their encounter with the emotionless Riel, the powerful presence of Celica has drawn an impa.s.sible chasm between the students and her. Other than Lumia, Sistine, and Riel who had connections to Celica through Glenn, the other students were completely frozen by her presence.

Glenn surveyed the room nervously through the small window.

Celica, however, just continued to casually flip through her book, completely oblivious to the fearful stares around her.

Celica withdrew her vision from the book at hand, and looked to the front, her eyes met with those of Glenn.

Celica let out a small chuckle at Glenn’s antics, “Nothing much~ Just a bit of willful thinking, I guess.” And returned her focus to the book.

“Yes, just willful thinking.” Celica was clearly evasive in her answer, tinged with a hint of ‘refusal’.

“O-oh right! Professor, I have a question for you!”

“When you defeated the monsters earlier, why did you decide to use a sword? If I were in Professor’s shoes, I would believe it to be easier to take them out with magic.”

Uncertain of how much exaggeration was involved in the answer, the visibly shaken Sistine kept the conversation going.

“Hahaha~ Fibel, have you not heard the rumors about me?”

“If I remember correctly, the story went that Celica Arfonia single-handedly wiped out tens of thousands of imperial army. Compared to that time, the wolves this time were all small fries… Hehehe~”

“…Who knows~ What do you think?” Celica gave a vague response, followed by a mischievous laugh.

Sistine held her head and let out a deep sigh.

“Hehehe…” Celica revealed a devious smile as she looked around the students.

Like teacher like pupil. No matter what anyone says on the contrary, Celica was indeed very similar to Glenn.

While Sistine was searching deep in her mind for a countermeasure…

Riel, who was huddled at the corner of the carriage, rose from her slumber and rubbed her sleepy eyes. She has finally awoken, and took note of Celica’s presence.

Riel had always held an interest in Celica, a somewhat of a mystery to many. By the time Riel joined the Imperial Court Mage Corps, Celica had already left. As of such, the two never met each other face to face. However, after meeting her through Glenn, Riel became weirdly attached to Celica. When asked, Riel’s answer was always, “For some reason, Celica doesn’t feel like a stranger… Not sure why.”

Riel doesn’t seem to dislike the pat, and just meekly received the rub.

Riel’s interest has quickly s.h.i.+fted to the book in Celica’s hand.

The vivid colors that once ill.u.s.trated the printed page have long since become dull, while the letters that recounts the tales was blurred at places. Although just a fairy tale, the binding of the book looked ornate, and the large number of pages gave a weighty feel. Given the ample amount of ill.u.s.trations within, one can perfectly refer to it as a picture book.

“That is the climax of the prologue to the ‘Sorcerer of Melgalius’.” Sistine pa.s.sionately cut into the conversation. “The protagonist of the story, the ‘Sorcerer of Justice’, doesn’t appear until the second chapter. Prior to the second chapter, the story detailed how the Demon Lord gathered his lieutenants and built the Sky Castle. Of his lieutenants, Al Khan of the s.h.i.+mmering Blades was the key character of the prologue.”

“Huh? Ah, yes. For us Sky Castle otakus, the book is a very important source of reference.”

“This is not a simple fairy tale. Its author, Rolan Etruria, went to great lengths to collect the folk tales and songs from all over the empire, and using his own insight, compiled the greatest collection of ancient myths.” Celica let out a laugh and raised the book up, “This was Glenn’s favorite book from when he was a child. I originally thought about bringing a book along for the journey to kill some time, and after searching through the bookshelves, I saw this book, and feeling nostalgic, I…”

“Well, he did encounter some trauma in his life. It is not wrong to say that magic is a tool for killing, but that is not all magic is good for. He knows it in his hearts.” Celica wryly smiled with a shrug. “When he was young, he used to love magic. He would read this book and proudly declare ‘When I grow up, I want to also be a Sorcerer of Justice!’ Despite how he is now, there was a time when he was cute like that.”

Before, Glenn mentioned he always wanted to become a ‘Sorcerer of Justice’.

Sistine did not know why she was feeling envious toward Celica for her knowledge about the unfamiliar side of Glenn. Sistine was still too naïve, and did not recognize her jealousy.

The students were as nervous as always, but they all seemed to have an interest in Glenn’s childhood, and were secretly peeking at Celica. Celica kindly gazed at the students, and closed her book with a plop.

Celica began recounting the old days, although her story felt quite fragmented. Ten years ago, while still serving as a magician of the Imperial Court Mage Corps, Celica adopted the homeless Glenn purely on a whim, and have lived together with him since. To care for Glenn, Celica left the Mage Corps, and because she was unfamiliar with normal life, ended up frequently being cared by Glenn in reverse. The time when Celica decided to cook for Glenn and, when Glenn cried ‘It doesn’t taste good’ while on the verge of tears, would vow to improve her own cooking. The time when Celica believed a man should be strong, and taught Glenn martial arts and magic. While Glenn showed promise in martial arts, he would be troubled by his lack of talent in magic, and cause Celica much worry in return. There was also the time when Glenn would perform magic experiments, and the sparkle seen in his eye as he eagerly awaited the results.

Yet, the two would frequently bicker because of misunderstandings.

On a certain day, Glenn suddenly decided to give Celica a gift, calling it her birthday present. Because Celica did not know her own birthday, and never held a particular interest, Glenn unilaterally decided upon her birthday, reflective of his innocent self.

And yet, Celica carried the supposed piece of junk close to her like a treasure.

Celica shut her eyes and tightly clenching the stone.

“…Mm. Actually, let’s leave it at that.” Celica abruptly ended her thought at that point.

After that, Glenn used ‘Graduation’ as an excuse and left the Magic Academy, joining the Imperial Court Mage Corps.

Celica suddenly revealed a smile at the listening students, almost as if a ray of warm sunlight illuminating a field of golden what, a complete change from her usual cold demeanor. So much so that it was hard to believe the person sitting before them was the one who was the subject of all sorts of terrifying rumors – a legend with countless achievements. Celica’s action made the students forgetting to breathe momentarily, only blinking blankly at the sight.

And so Celica finished retelling the life of Glenn, and opened her book to read once again. As indicated by her actions, no words came out from her since. The gentle breeze blowing through the half-opened window lifted Celica’s beautiful hair.

“Ah? A-although I am not sure how it happened, the atmosphere has improved a lot!” Glenn, who was peeking through the driver’s window, commented.

It seemed all of this happened after Celica made that long talk. Sadly, with how loud the horse and the carriage are, I wasn’t able to clearly hear the details from the driver’s seat…

“I bet it is because everyone realized Professor Arfonia isn’t a scary person at all after hearing all she had to say.”

After hearing Lumia’s a.s.sessment, Glenn let out a grunt.

But the more Glenn said, the less the words flew, and soon it devolved into a tangled mess.

“Hehehe…” Glenn’s words elicited a slight chuckle from Lumia.

“N-no, it’s just that… I feel that teacher really treasures Professor Arfonia.”

Lumia’s sincere words made Glenn unable to retort.

“W-… w-what?!”

“W-what are you talking about? Don’t be absurd! She would never care about some pointless matter like this! And…” Glenn was like a little kid, tossing out excuses after excuses in denial of his feelings.

The carriage travelled west on the rolling gra.s.slands.

At the point when the sun was at the distant horizon, the travellers have finally seen silhouette of the ruins. As the sun slowly set, above them was a beautiful pomegranate-colored sky, and at a distance was the crimson peaks of the mountain range, with the s.h.i.+mmering lake at the foot of the mountains. Below their foot was a vast gra.s.sland dyed red by the setting sun.

“So that’s the ‘Taum Observatory’.” Sistine stared intently at the observatory, seemingly overcame with emotions.

“Hey, what are you all zoning out for?” Glenn clapped his hand, snapped the students out of their trance, and began to give orders.

“What are•You•Doing!!”

Sistine spontaneously casted the Modified Black Magic [Gale•Blow] and blew Glenn away.

“I’m sorry! It’s my fault! I’m really sorry! I won’t do it again…Uwaaa!! Please, not electri-… Gah!!”

“…”

“…’Taum Observatory’, if it’s here, then maybe…” Celica quietly muttered to herself.

At the same time, in a certain place.

In the darkness, a certain presence also muttered to itself.