CHAPTER 5
He reminded Arcus of the butlers from the man's world. He had a sharp
glare, which, combined with everything else, made him look incredibly
intelligent. They were the kind of looks that would make him extremely
popular with the ladies. His perfect features would give even the most
beautiful woman a run for her money.
Arcus lamented that there was no word in his own language or the Elder
Tongue equivalent to "Chad," as the man from the other world would use it,
nor for any of the munitions he fantasized about turning on his new attendant
in a fit of envy.
"This guy is your servant, Arcus." Craib turned to the man. "This weedy,
girly-looking kid is Arcus. Your master."
Arcus thought Craib could stand to be a bit more formal with his
introduction, among other things.
Arcus's new servant let out an exaggerated sigh.
"I never expected you to hand me over to somebody else, sir, especially
not a child. In fact, I find this all rather unreasonable."
"Huh? What, did I do somethin' wrong?" Craib asked.
"Not wrong, no. But something absurd."
Any other master would have thoroughly punished him for not only
speaking out of turn to their master but openly criticizing them, but Craib just
laughed it off.
"He can be a bit of a wise guy, but he should be able to help you out,"
Craib said to Arcus, giving the servant a hearty thump on the back.
Initially, the servant reciprocated with a hard stare, but he eventually
turned to Arcus with a resigned sigh. Putting a knee on the embroidered
carpet, he put his right hand to his heart and gave a bow.
"I would like to thank Craib for introducing me. My name is Noah
Ingvayne. I look forward to serving you, Master Arcus."
"I-It's a pleasure to meet you..." Arcus replied, still wrapping his head
around the situation.
Noah looked up at him.
"Forgive me, but please do not feel that you must address me formally. I
am your servant. Being overly formal with one's servant can be an excuse for
mockery from others."
"Um... You know I've been disinherited, don't you?"
"For now, yes. Although the question of what you intend to do from here on remains." Noah's serious gaze pierced through Arcus as it sought an
answer.
Arcus froze. What did he want to do? Now that he had a servant, he would
need to think carefully about how to use him appropriately. If he truly wanted
revenge on Joshua and Celine, maybe he should take the same route Craib
did and work his way back up the social ladder. It might benefit him to start
learning how to act as a noble now so that things would be easier in the
future. Arcus looked back into Noah's indigo eyes.
"Yes, s—I mean, all right. It's nice to meet you."
"The pleasure is all mine."
"You'll need him to teach you how to be a good noble," Craib pitched in.
Craib clearly expected Arcus to follow in his footsteps. Maybe he saw
something in Arcus that reminded him of himself.
"You talk too formally to him, too," Craib added, turning to Noah. "I
can't remember if you were like this with me, but I think you could stand to
loosen up a little, y'know."
"I was not, but only because your manner of speaking is far too informal,"
Noah replied. "Perhaps I would have had more time to prepare had you
informed me of these arrangements more than a few hours ago."
"I get it already! I'm sorry, okay?"
It wasn't long before the two started bickering. Noah seemed to have a
hard time keeping his thoughts to himself. At the same time, Craib seemed to
enjoy the banter. Arcus could tell how well they got on, but it also concerned
him.
"Noah, are you sure it's okay for you to leave my uncle?" he asked.
Surely servants had preferences in who they worked for. Arcus couldn't
imagine how Noah felt having to change masters all of a sudden.
"It is not a problem," Noah reassured him.
"Really?"
"Change can be exciting." There was a small twinkle in Noah's deep-blue
eyes.
"E-Exciting?" Arcus repeated.
"Indeed. I became Craib's servant because I knew it would not be boring.
You know him well, and so I believe you can understand why. When he
promised me an even more exciting term of service under yourself, I trusted
fully in his judgment. So far, I have not been disappointed."
"That's why you accepted, despite the short notice," Arcus said, blinking
at Craib.
He didn't miss the small chuckle that Noah barely managed to stifle.
Although he looked serious on the outside, it seemed he had a warm heart.
"You can be pretty entertainin', Arcus," Craib assured him.
"If you say so..." Arcus replied.
"I know so! You're way more fun to be around than me, 'cause you're so
unusual." Craib nodded enthusiastically, but Arcus couldn't share in his joy.
He wasn't sure if he was being mocked or not. Although he couldn't deny
he wasn't exactly normal...
"Anyway, you can trust Noah with your life! Make sure you rely on him,
yeah?" Craib continued.
"I will. Thank you," Arcus said.
"No need to thank me. You've helped me more than enough yourself."
Craib gave Arcus a pat on the head.
Craib didn't seem to know his own strength sometimes; it hurt more than
it should for a display of affection. Perhaps if his uncle stopped hitting his
head so hard, Arcus would be able to grow a few feet.
So it was that Noah Ingvayne became Arcus's servant.
Noah Ingvayne was a magician who specialized in ice magic and grew up
with a butler's education. According to Craib, he was a prodigy who
graduated at the top of his class from the Royal Institute of Magic. After he
did, he received a battery of employment requests, but in the end he refused
all of them so he could work for Craib. Arcus wondered whether that was
because working under Craib was particularly fulfilling, or if it was just
because he seemed "fun." Perhaps it was neither.
His fellow students at the institute nicknamed him the "Winter
Wunderkind," reflecting both his good looks, his cool intellect, and,
obviously, his affinity for all things gelid. It fit him perfectly. He was well-
versed in magic, the national style of rapier fencing, and aide-de-campship.
He was also an adept student of Imperial history and etiquette.
At first, Arcus was worried Joshua and Celine would have something to
say about him taking on a servant, but Craib spoke to them and sorted
everything out for him. In the end, they said nothing. It would be stranger if
they said anything at all; they still treated Arcus as though he didn't exist, and
it was Craib who was paying Noah's salary.
Noah helped Arcus out with his everyday chores. He also taught him the
ins and outs of noble conduct, as well as some basic education and self-
defense training. The first two he picked up incredibly quickly, thanks to his
superior memory. It was mostly a matter of putting them into practice. As for
self-defense, Noah taught him the basics, and the rest came from the man's
weight training from Arcus's dream. Granted, there was only so much
progress he could make with an eight-year-old's body. The man had also
practiced fencing, or at least a rough equivalent. However, with his small
body and lack of a suitably-sized partner, Arcus decided he wouldn't try and
recreate that for now.
In any case, it might arouse suspicion if he suddenly came out one day as
a proficient sword-fighter at his age, so he decided he ought to wait until he
had a little more experience in self-defense.
In terms of magic, Arcus was already at the stage where he was making
his own spells thanks to Craib's training, and so there wasn't really anything
that Noah could teach him. He did teach Arcus some new spells, but apart
from that, Arcus considered him more of a research partner than anything
else.
"Are you ready, Master Arcus?"
Today, Noah and Arcus were practicing magic in their usual hidden
corner of the garden.
"Could you start by using the spells you use most often?" Arcus
requested. "Any spells you're allowed to share with me, that is. As many as
you can."
"Of course..."
Noah agreed, though he seemed curious about what his master was up to.
Arcus could understand why. Usually Noah would explain the spells to him
before demonstrating. This time, though, it was important for him to see them
first.
Arcus approached Noah, taking out a notepad and aethometer. Noah's
curious gaze intensified, but as soon as Arcus gave him a nod, he began to
chant a spell.
"Shattered shards of ice in the shriveled garden under the chilling wind.
Freeze up from the very depths of glistening hell, and bring these soldiers
and chariot wheels to a halt."
With those words, a magic circle began to spin beneath Noah's feet, and a chilling wind picked up. Tiny white specks like diamonds rode it, sparkling
in the sun. Those specks fell to the ground, freezing the corner of the garden
in an instant.
"Wow!" Arcus breathed.
"This is my Freezing Gale. What do you think?"
"It's impressive. Did you make it yourself, Noah?"
"Indeed. I developed it from Icy Breeze, an ice spell which works to hold
back the progression of one's enemies."
"I see. I'll have to categorize it properly, then..."
Magicians often built their portfolio by improving on the framework of
extant spells. Arcus dropped his gaze to his notepad and the notes he
scribbled out while Noah was casting his magic.
("Shattered shards of ice" = 70 mana; "Chilling wind" = 50 mana;
"Depths of glistening hell" = 300 mana. "Soldiers," "chariot wheels,"
"halt" = 30, 10, 20 mana respectively) = 480 mana total.
As Arcus jotted some more notes, Noah peered over his shoulder.
"What are you doing there, Master Arcus?"
"I'm calculating the mana you used for your spell just now."
"Mana?" Noah said.
"That's right. It's the unit I measure aether in."
Noah blinked in confusion as Arcus held up the aethometer to show him.
It seemed Craib really hadn't said anything about this to his former servant.
Though his mind looked like it was going blank, when Arcus passed the
aethometer toward him, he took it instinctively. Then he stared at it until at
last he was ready to pass comment.
"I have never seen anything like this before. Just where on earth did you
get it?"
"I made it."
"You made it?"
"This is the final version, which my uncle helped me to complete. But
basically..." Arcus explained it to him, and Noah understood instantly.
"I see. I understand now why Craib passed me on to you." Noah let out a
frustrated sigh. "Though I should have liked for him to tell me about this sort
of thing earlier..."
Even though Craib said that it was up to Arcus whether he wanted to tell
Noah about the aethometer or not, his uncle probably never believed that he would keep it quiet. He knew exactly what he was doing.
"He probably wanted to keep it a surprise for you," said Arcus.
"I daresay so. I shall have to plot my revenge somehow," Noah replied
thoughtfully.
"Revenge?"
"Yes. I shall have to come up with some sort of surprise for him."
Arcus didn't understand why such a trivial thing necessitated "revenge,"
but there was still a lot he didn't understand about his servant.
"So this is why I'd like you to use every spell you can, so that I can
measure their mana cost."
"Of course I can. However, I should like to ask what exactly you are
planning to do with that information."
"It's part of my preparation for unveiling the aethometer to the world,"
Arcus explained. "I want to have some examples of words and phrases and
their mana cost first. I won't include anything that shouldn't be made public,
of course. Plus, having a record like this will help me in creating my own
spells later."
"I understand. Might it be possible for me to borrow one of those
aethometers?" Noah asked.
"Of course. But as I'm sure you know, there's one condition," Arcus
warned him.
"Don't worry. I shan't be telling anybody about it. Keeping matters
clandestine falls under my duty as your servant."
Arcus hadn't expected differently, but he wanted to be sure. He passed
Noah the three aethometers that he had been keeping just for him. Noah
studied them, his eyes widening in wonder again. Arcus did feel a slight
twinge of reluctance giving them away like this, but he imagined his uncle
would feel the same way in this situation.
"There is more than one kind?" Noah asked.
"I've made three different ones," Arcus explained, "for when you want to
measure more precisely or with larger amounts of aether. I'll probably make
other kinds if the need arises."
Unlike the thermometer, the aethometer wasn't "one size fits all." Aether
had a much wider range than temperature did.
Arcus looked back up at his servant, who seemed to have frozen with the
aethometers still in hand. If the thing itself came as a surprise to him, then to have three different kinds probably blew his mind. When he could finally
move again, Noah's lip curled.
"Craib was right. Working for you is exciting indeed." Noah chuckled.
Arcus took that as a good sign.
"So if you wouldn't mind using some more spells..."
"As you wish."
And so, Arcus spent the rest of the day measuring the mana of the phrases
and words in Noah's spells.
Noah was in high spirits from the moment he received the aethometers.
Though his professional composure remained unbroken, when he had nothing
to do, he would excitedly pull out a notebook and flit his sparkling eyes
between it and their readings.
He was a magician through and through. He kept remarking on how
revolutionary an invention it was, calling it "marvelous" and going on about
how he couldn't wait to use it to improve his spellcraft.
Arcus was pleased that Noah seemed to like serving him, despite the
sudden change in master. He often pestered him, asking whether Arcus had
any other entertaining toys up his sleeve, to which Arcus would reply that he
was a magician, not a clown.
Thanks to Noah, Arcus found that his everyday life went much more
smoothly than before. He didn't have to clean his own room anymore. He
didn't have to worry about his meals or his laundry. Noah even set out
Arcus's clothes for him. He worked hard, and that work was perfect. Every
day, the excited screams of the female servants as he passed by seemed to get
louder and louder.
He was practically perfect in every way, to the extent that Arcus
sometimes doubted his humanity.
On top of that, there was the matter of Arcus's sword training. At the
moment, the pair were together in Craib's garden, armed with wooden
swords and ready to spar.
Noah was teaching Arcus the Imperial style. It was very similar to the
western sword fighting that Arcus had seen in the man's world, where
thrusting attacks were prominent. The main stance was a side-facing one,
with your right hand holding your weapon out in front of you. You thrust out
at your opponent with the tip of your sword, using sharp movements and focusing on where they were centering their own attacks. What followed was
a series of thrusts from both sides.
Arcus grunted as they faced off against each other. His movements were
clumsy, yet Noah's were clean and crisp. The tip of his sword never ended up
where he aimed, either. It was like his weapon was cursed with some sort of
hyper-flexibility spell. Even when he went in for a desperate attempt to
sweep Noah, he couldn't hit, and when he twisted around and struck at a new
angle, Noah saw through him immediately. Sometimes he would wait for
Noah to approach him before launching a strike, but the gap between them
was open again before he knew it.
Arcus's battle cries were good and loud, but apart from that, there wasn't
much this eight-year-old could do against his adult opponent. It wasn't long
before Noah's sword found its way to the base of Arcus's throat, and it was
far from the first time that day. Noah had been going easier and easier on
Arcus each time, and yet he remained undefeated. Noah included, there was
something extraordinary about the physical strength people possessed in this
world, Arcus thought. While the general population was on par with the
common people in the man's world, here your genes and training could lead
you to be just as powerful as the heroes that the man could only read about in
stories.
Arcus could almost hear the man's voice now.
Now these are the kind of characters I expect to see in an isekai!
Arcus slumped to the floor, completely out of breath.
"Y-You're amazing, Noah," he breathed, unable to come up with anything
more eloquent in his current state.
"I cannot allow myself to lose to you," Noah mentioned. "Else Craib has
threatened me with 're-training.'"
"Is Craib good at fencing too?" Arcus asked.
"He is good at everything."
"Oh..."
Magic, fencing... not to mention he was a proficient soldier. Craib might
have been a little too overpowered.
Noah offered Arcus his hand, which he took gratefully.
"Pardon my rudeness, but if I may say something..." Noah began.
"Yes?"
"You seem to be overthinking your moves and working to implement those which may be too much for you. While your mind is overworking, your
body is struggling to keep up."
"O-Oh..."
"Your strategies are a little over-ambitious at times. I would suggest you
tone things down just a touch."
"Okay..."
"It is vital to master the basic skills if you wish to master the art. While
your form is in no way poor, I do think you ought to work more on your
fundamental movements."
Arcus nodded. Noah wasn't saying he was hopeless, which was
something. However...
What does he mean by "strategies"? I wasn't really trying anything too
over the top...
He wasn't surprised Noah had that impression, though. In his mind, he
was working through the man's movements during his own fencing training
and trying to recreate them with his much smaller body. He lacked the deep
knowledge to pull them off, though, so it was no wonder Noah thought them
peculiar.
Maybe I really do just need to grow a bit first.
While the man also started his sword-training from a young age, his
repertoire of movements increased as he grew taller. "Tall" being the
operative word; Arcus still had quite a long way to go...
After finishing his training with Noah, Arcus returned to the Raytheft
estate. In the corridor, he spotted Lecia. She was wearing her usual blue-
ribboned ponytail and comfortable-looking skirt. Despite the Raythefts'
reputation as a military family, Celine certainly liked to dress her daughter up
like a doll. Lecia's footsteps were graceful, causing her skirt to sway as she
walked.
"Good morning, Lecia," Arcus called out to her.
Lecia jumped slightly before responding.
"Brother! Good morning!" Her gaze swept the hall, and she peered around
the corners before letting out a sigh of relief. "...I'm sorry."
"It's okay; I understand. Is something the matter?"
"I'm just worried Mother and Father will catch me with you," Lecia
admitted.
"Ah."
Nothing new there, then. It sounded like they were doubling down on
their decision. Arcus and Lecia had only bumped into each other, but even
then he wouldn't put it past them to punish her for it.
"I suppose they're still badmouthing me?" he said.
"Yes. They're calling you a disgrace, and they say if I go near you, I shall
become as 'useless' as you are."
"I see."
Clearly, they saw him as some sort of parasite which fed on others'
superiority. It was like their disdain of him was growing by the day. It no
longer bothered Arcus, but he wished they wouldn't drag Lecia down into
their pettiness. He considered her relationship with him a real blessing,
although he was aware that it would keep getting more difficult for her from
now on. Her reaction upon seeing him told him that much.
"You do not have to be kind to me anymore," Arcus said. "Not when
we're out in the open like this, at least."
"But..."
"Understand?"
Lecia stared at the ground glumly. Eventually, she gave a nod. This was
necessary to protect her, Arcus told himself. There was nothing else they
could do for now but work on getting stronger, particularly in Arcus's case,
so that he could punish his parents for all they put him through.
There was no doubt in Arcus's mind that Joshua expected great things
from Lecia. Despite how he treated Arcus, he was still a clever man. He was
likely depending on Lecia to grow up as a talented magician that he could
show off to the world as the Raythefts' heiress. If he found out how hard
Arcus was working, he may well punish Lecia for it. She would be pressured
to outperform Arcus again and suffer the brunt of Joshua's anger if she failed.
In which case, the safest thing to do was to avoid a situation where Arcus's
and Lecia's talents could be directly compared.
Arcus made a mental note to keep his activities as discreet as possible.
The Magician's Guild. Originally, it was merely an office which kept
track of the magicians living in the kingdom. Now, it dealt with much more:
official magic identification, advertising magical services by its members,
and protections for magical activities.
Its black, four-story building was close to the palace, in a district dedicated to national offices.
After his meeting at the palace that morning, Guildmaster Godwald
Sylvester returned to his own castle: the Magician's Guild. In the carriage on
the way, he turned to his elderly secretary, Balgeuse.
"I have a meeting first thing this afternoon, right?"
"Yes, sir. With one Craib Abend and two others accompanying him. They
asked to meet where we could not be disturbed, and so I have reserved the
Dark Room."
"Oh? Do you think they're up to something?"
"Scheming in a secret, soundproofed room is hardly new territory for you,
sir."
"Hmph. Go on then. What's this meeting about?" Godwald asked after his
secretary's wisecrack.
There were three meeting rooms in the Guild. VIPs were seen in the
Golden Room, the Blue Room was where many people were expected, and
the Dark Room was for confidential affairs. It was a completely isolated,
windowless room. It was where state magicians came to report on their
research, and so it was used more often than one might think.
"Those two accompanying him... Are they servants?"
"Very likely," Balgeuse replied. "Do you think he's made some sort of
discovery?"
"He hasn't said anything to me."
Craib was an old friend of Godwald's. Back when Craib was still a
runaway brat, he often turned up wherever Godwald went, causing him all
sorts of trouble. After leaving his home and country, he even had the audacity
to ask to become a state magician on his return.
Godwald was in almost constant contact with him, and Craib often came
to him to discuss his research. Lately, however, he was so busy with military
matters that he didn't have time to launch any new research projects.
Yet here he was in the Dark Room. State magician Craib Abend, his
servant, Noah Ingvayne, and a young girl Godwald didn't recognize. She had
the same silver hair as Craib and large ruby eyes set high on her pale face. On
top she wore a white shirt and, despite being a young noble girl, was wearing
shorts rather than a skirt. She even had a short sword on her hip, the kind
usually reserved for self-defense.
The girl let out a small squeal when she saw Godwald's face. Godwald didn't mind; he was used to it. His expression was naturally stern, not to
mention covered in scars. Children often cowered from him or even burst into
tears.
This girl, however, suddenly righted herself and bowed in apology.
"I'm awfully sorry!" she cried.
"It's alright."
The girl bowed deeply again, as though she didn't believe him. "I-I am
truly, very sorry!"
She continued to apologize, as if Godwald intimidated her. He wondered
if his face was really that scary.
He looked over at Craib and his servant, but they were both grinning from
ear to ear. His servant, Noah Ingvayne, certainly suited him. Godwald heard
he was usually rather stoic but held a sense of humor underneath.
The girl still looked anxious. It wasn't until Craib reassured her it was all
right that she calmed down, gave a final bow, and sat down on the couch.
The Guild's flag spanning the wall behind him, Godwald sat down to face
his visitors. He began by addressing Craib, the initiator of this meeting.
"I've met Noah before, of course, but... who is this young girl?"
"He's my nephew," Craib corrected him. "I mean, you can tell by his
clothes he's a boy, right?"
"Your nephew?" Godwald said.
He looked again. The child had a rather feminine face, but sure enough,
his clothes were the usual kind for a noble boy. Godwald knew Craib himself
had no children, but he had heard the Raythefts' eldest son was disinherited.
"M-My name is Arcus Raytheft." The boy introduced himself. "It's a
pleasure to meet you."
"Nice to meet you. I am the Magician's Guildmaster appointed by His
Majesty, Godwald Sylvester."
Craib jumped in to give his own introduction for Godwald.
"Arcus, this creep is the most important magician in the entire kingdom.
Well, I mean, I guess the King is, actually... but this guy's a close second,
okay? Just remember it's the guy with the scary face."
"There's no need to paint me as some sort of monster, Abend," Godwald
warned him.
"Just breakin' the ice." Craib grinned. "Play along, will you?"
He was still ill-mannered, despite becoming a state magician and gaining a place in the peerage. Sure, he was technically correct about Godwald's face,
but he didn't have to say it.
"So, what is this—" Godwald began.
"E-Excuse me!"
A loud, high-pitched voice from the other side of the door interrupted
him. Godwald picked up on the nerves in it. The woman who entered was a
recent hire.
"What is it? You're interrupting," Godwald said, a little more harshly than
he intended.
The girl let out a small squeak before falling down in terror, sending the
papers in her hand scattering across the floor. It seemed she had come to
deliver these presumably urgent documents.
The woman curled up where she was like a frightened squirrel, tears
already in her eyes.
"P-Please!" she whimpered. "Sp-Spare my life!"
"You can count on it. Now what's the matter?" Godwald asked.
"I... I...!"
"Speak up!"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so, so, so sorry! Please! J-Just... I'll do
anything! But please just spare my life!"
She knelt on the floor, begging for forgiveness. The color drained from
Arcus's face. When he opened his mouth to speak, it was a moment before he
could find the words.
"Y-You're really going to kill her?" he asked. "Y-You're going to bury
her alive in concrete and throw her into the sea?!"
The woman let out another frightened squeak as Arcus described the
manner of her death.
"Of course I'm not going to kill her!" Godwald replied. "Please don't say
such things. They give people the wrong impression."
"F-Forgive me, sir!" Arcus gasped, sitting up straight in his chair.
Craib's exasperated sigh was audible to everyone in the room. "C'mon,
man. You need to realize that if you speak so harshly, people are gonna be
scared of you, what with your face."
"I... I can't help what's on my face," Godwald grumbled and then added,
"and I'm doing my best."
He turned to the woman.
"So? What's the matter?" Godwald repeated.
"U-Um, Mr. Balgeuse sent me with documents, and... and tea and sweets,
since there's a child present. Those are outside..."
Balgeuse was as thoughtful as ever.
"That's very kind of him," Godwald said.
"Um... excuse me, but I'm not very fond of sweets..." Arcus spoke up, a
guilty expression on his face.
"Oh? How unusual."
Usually, kids of his age loved sweets. Godwald could probably count
those he encountered who didn't on a single hand.
"He's a bit of a weird one," Craib chipped in.
"He is indeed," Noah agreed.
"I'm right here, you know..." Arcus smiled uncomfortably.
The woman placed the tea and snacks on the table before taking her leave.
The four of them had a brief respite before Craib brought up the matter at
hand.
"Now, about why we're here..."
"Yes. I was wondering about that," Godwald admitted.
"It'll probably be faster if I showed you."
Craib pulled out a glass tube encased in a wooden frame and set it on the
table. Godwald eyed it curiously. It was too narrow to be a test tube, and in
any case the tube was closed off, so you couldn't pour anything into it. There
were gradations etched into the wood, as if for measuring something. At the
bottom of the tube sat a viscous red liquid.
This was something worthy of the secrecy of the Dark Room. There was
no doubt it was big. Yet Godwald had no idea what it could be.
"What is it?" he asked outright.
"It's a device which accurately measures aether, called an aethometer."
"Sorry?"
The first thing Godwald felt was confusion, and initially he couldn't find
any meaning in Craib's words. Craib grinned at him, as though the
flummoxed look on his face was just what he hoped to see. Godwald quickly
regained his senses.
"So... you say this thing measures aether?"
He'd never heard of anybody attempting such a thing. He knew there were
magicians who attempted to make spells or seals which could measure aether, but they inevitably reached a point where it proved infeasible. Any research
on such a thing was long considered to be a dead end. But now...
"Th-This isn't some sort of joke, is it?" he asked quickly.
"Nope. It really works. See this red stuff down here? That's what reacts to
the aether," Craib said.
"You mean it moves?"
"It expands," clarified Craib. "It expands more the more aether it's
exposed to."
"And you made this?"
"I helped. But it was this fella who came up with it." Craib plonked his
hand down on Arcus's head next to him.
"Him?" Godwald gasped in astonishment. "He can't be more than ten
years old!"
"I know! Pretty cool, right! I couldn't believe it myself, either." Craib let
out his usual hearty laugh as Arcus showed a shy, wonky smile.
Godwald picked up the aethometer and tested it out by releasing a little
aether. Sure enough, the liquid started to expand and make its way up the
tube. The moment Godwald stopped, it began to contract before settling back
at the bottom.
"It's extremely sensitive, isn't it?" he remarked.
"Yup. That's what makes it super easy to use."
At first, Godwald hadn't believed it, but now that he'd seen it for himself,
he was convinced. This device really could measure aether as Craib claimed.
"How far away does it work from?" he asked.
"Not that far. Its range is probably just a little shorter than this room,"
Craib told him, as Arcus nodded in confirmation.
In that case, it probably wouldn't work to measure the power of an
opposing magician.
Despite that, however, it was nothing short of groundbreaking. Using it
would greatly increase a magician's understanding of their own magic. By
cutting the time spent learning how much aether was used per spell, the
standard of magic in Lainur would vastly improve, and magicians would be
put on an even playing field. It was impossible to put into words just how
much of an advantage this small object would bring, but there was one thing
Godwald could say.
"This will bring untold benefit to our country."
"Right?"
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Godwald asked. "You have every
right to keep it to yourselves, after all."
The aethometer would unlock one of magic's greatest mysteries. There
was precedent in Lainur that permitted a magician who created something
like this to hide its existence without punishment. With it, Arcus could
strengthen his own house, gain advantage over another, or even go on to
found a new one of his own.
"He's already decided," Craib spoke for him. "He said he wants to make it
public and reap the rewards from it."
"I see."
How odd, thought Godwald, for a child of his age to be so materially
concerned.
"Arcus Raytheft," he addressed the boy. "What exactly do you hope to
gain from announcing this creation of yours?"
"Money. And, if I may, I would like as much access to Lainur's texts on
aetheric studies as the state can afford to allow me."
He was a magician through and through. Money and knowledge, the
biggest twin desires of any magic-user. However, Godwald just couldn't
wrap his head around the boy's age.
"Craib... you know, kids at this age usually just think about sweets and
toys."
"Yeah. I told ya he's weird. Just one day, out of the blue, he asked me to
teach him magic. Now he's already makin' his own spells!"
"Really?" Godwald gasped.
He felt a chill run down his spine. Creating your own spells was often one
of the final tasks assigned to magicians studying at the Royal Institute before
they could graduate. It wasn't until after four long years of studying the Elder
Tongue's grammar and vocabulary and deepening their understanding and
power over their aether that they were finally knowledgeable enough to
create their own magic. Even then, there were students who fumbled it, and
less than ten percent were able to come up with anything impressive. Was
Craib really saying this young boy was at that level?
Godwald would expect such a thing of a gifted child of the royal family,
but never of a boy like this, even if he was trained personally by a state
magician.
"He must be an astounding young man if he created this on top of being
able to craft his own spells."
Magicians had been searching for a way to measure aether for years, and
now here was a young boy showing him the solution. If this was the level he
was at now, just what would he be capable of as an adult?
Godwald turned his attention back to Arcus, studying his feminine,
innocent features. He kept sipping his tea, as though nervous, and it was hard
to believe there was a gifted brain behind those anxious eyes. Godwald
looked at Craib.
"Have you reported this to His Majesty?"
"Nah, not yet. He'd just ask about all the boring stuff like 'production
goals' and 'contracts with third parties' and stuff. I don't even wanna think
about what he'd say if we told him we hadn't done any of that yet."
Godwald could see his point. His Majesty very much favored those with
actionable ends in mind. With no such plans, going to see him would
doubtlessly result in a scolding.
"You don't think he'll complain now that you didn't go to see him first?"
Godwald asked, voicing his remaining doubt.
"Pfft. Probably. Dude's got a staff up his butt, after all."
Godwald suddenly realized that Arcus looked more stiff than before.
"U-Uncle," he began, "are you sure it's okay to be talking like that about
the king?"
"Huh?" Craib blinked. "Oh. Right."
In Lainur, as in other kingdoms, the king's power and divinity was
absolute. Speaking so lightly about him as Craib was definitely treasonous.
That should have been common sense... but Craib, of course, was the kind of
person to defy common sense.
"We're friends, you know," Craib explained. "We used to sneak out and
run all over town."
Craib began to tell tales of how he and the current king forged a strong
friendship. Though he spoke proudly of their escapades, to Godwald it
sounded like they were nothing but a pair of nuisances. Arcus, meanwhile,
simply gaped at his uncle.
"Anyway. I guess we'll drop in on him quickly," Craib decided, bringing
his stories to an end.
"Sounds good. I'll make some arrangements so that he'll listen to you. How's that?"
"Thanks. We'll sort out all the researchy stuff. Once we've got an
announce date sorted, we'll rely on you to get all the formal preparations and
legal stuff done." Craib stood up.
"Aren't you taking this with you?" Godwald asked Arcus, motioning
toward the aethometer.
"You may keep it and use it, Guildmaster," he replied.
"It'll be a 'thanks-for-seeing-us' present." Craib grinned.
"Very funny." Though Godwald sighed, the excitement at getting to use
the device was plain on his face. Just before the group left the room, he called
out. "Abend."
"Yeah?"
"For Crown and Country Evermore."
"Right. For Crown and Country Evermore."
With that, Craib left the room with his companions.
Citizen's Plaza #3 was one of the plazas built in the early days of the
capital's construction. Unlike the central plaza, it wasn't near the middle of
the city. It was more like a park from the man's world, and these recreational
spaces were spread out through the capital.
Children ran around the center while housewives from the neighborhood
chatted with each other. Meanwhile, elderly folk with too much time on their
hands were bonding over a board game known as Battle Chess.
As usual, Arcus and Sue met up to study magic together. Having foregone
their café, today they sat together on stone stools. They already finished
studying and were now simply enjoying a light conversation. Before Arcus
knew it, he was relaying his life story to Sue.
He explained how he was born to the viscount and was now learning
magic under Craib. He didn't omit anything when it came to his
disinheritance, of course. Sue didn't look like she knew how to react to that.
Her dark-blue eyes narrowed and widened repeatedly, as though she wasn't
sure whether she ought to be surprised or appalled.
"So you had the heirship stolen from you..."
"Yes, and not in the most pleasant way, either."
All Arcus could do now, as he looked back on those people's treatment of
him, was sigh. In the man's world, they would surely have been arrested for child abuse. Nowadays, he tried his best to avoid them, but even if he ran into
them, they couldn't do much with Noah around. They simply ignored each
other's existence, though Arcus knew that didn't make everything okay. Sue
frowned dubiously.
"You said they disinherited you 'cause your aether was weak, right?
That's kinda weird..."
"I know. However, as far as they're concerned, my magical abilities
simply had to live up to the Raytheft name, as is tradition."
"You seem fine at magic to me, though," Sue remarked.
She was right. From a normal perspective, his magical abilities were fine.
There were even officials who were less powerful than him. Being able to use
magic at all was impressive in this world. After all, theory and learning spells
weren't enough if you couldn't control your aether or picture what you
wanted your spell to do.
"The Raytheft bloodline is a small one compared to other noble families,"
Arcus explained.
"That sounds like a pain. It's not your fault your ancestors just happened
to be good at magic."
"Yes... and now I have to work even harder because of it." Arcus sighed
again. He hadn't meant for his life story to devolve into a series of
complaints, but that was how it ended up.
"So why are you working so hard at magic?" Sue asked.
"Hm?"
"I mean, you're not the heir anymore, right? So who cares if you're good
at magic anymore?"
"Ah."
"If it was me, I'd hate magic forever! But you love it, right?"
Sue made perfect sense. Magic was the cause of all Arcus's troubles, so
he had every right to turn his back on it. In fact, it seemed like the most
logical response.
"I want to become a famous magician... so I can show them up." Though
he felt a little self-conscious about it, Arcus told her the truth.
Sue let out a small giggle. "What are you, a kid?"
"Um... yes." Arcus pouted a little, but Sue was still laughing.
"I'm sorry! You're just so mature in other ways; I find it kinda funny."
"Perhaps it's not such a good reason, after all..."
It had been Arcus's prime motivation all this time, even though he knew
that revenge was never as satisfying as it seemed. He wanted to gain power
so he could humiliate them. It was sort of twisted, now he thought about it.
Was that really the kind of person he wanted to be? Wouldn't that make him
just as bad as his former parents? As Arcus's mind raced, Sue's expression
suddenly hardened.
It was a solemn yet cool expression—the same one Arcus saw when they
were up against the kidnapper.
"It's a good reason," she assured him. "Much better than losing hope and
deciding to do nothing. Whatever your reason, you're moving forward.
You're facing your problems. I mean, you coulda just run away."
"Run away?" Arcus echoed.
"Yeah. You wouldn't have to rely on your uncle, and you could get away
from everyone you hate. But you didn't, right? Instead, you worked to get
stronger so you could stand up to those people. That's super impressive!"
She had a point. Arcus didn't have to rebel against Joshua and Celine. He
didn't have to work hard. He could have turned his back and taken the easy
way out. Instead, he chose the path of strength, working to break down what
everyone accepted as normal. While his reasons might be murky, the path
itself was one of courage and progress.
"Is it really?" he murmured.
"Yeah!" Sue broke back into her usual smile. "I think there's more stuff
you can do than just getting revenge on your parents, though!"
"Huh?"
"You gotta dream big!" she insisted.
What did she mean by dream?
"When you've had your revenge, what then? If you don't think about that,
then you'll be totally lost when you've achieved your goal!"
"I see..."
Finally, Arcus understood what she meant. In other words, once he
finished what he set out to do, he would burn out. She definitely had a point
there. You often heard of people losing all direction in life once they finished
what they set out to do. He remembered a particular friend of the man, who
spent almost all his waking hours studying just to get into a certain national
university. Once he was in, he deflated completely.
Who said the same couldn't happen to Arcus? His goal was borne out of resentment and frustration, which usually went hand in hand with that sort of
outcome. If he put his heart and soul into his goal, then he would have neither
left once he was done. What he needed in order to avoid that might just be
another objective.
"Another objective..." It had to be something big. Something bigger than
his current goal. "How about aiming to become a state magician?"
A state magician, just like his uncle. A hellishly difficult qualification that
only eleven people in the entire country passed. If that wasn't big, Arcus
didn't know what was. Sue seemed to disagree, though.
"Hm... I dunno if that would really be enough," she said.
"Are you being serious?" Arcus asked.
"Yeah. I think you could pass the exam right away."
"N-No, I couldn't!"
Where did she get that idea from? Didn't she know just how difficult it
was to become a state magician? Sue ignored his protests, as though she
didn't believe it up for debate.
"Life's more fun when you set huge goals for yourself. I'm talking about
something like becoming a general or one of the most highly-ranked nobles
in all the land! Whaddya think?"
"Don't be ridiculous..."
While a general might be an attainable position, a highly-ranked noble
was certainly not. The current gentry either inherited their position, were
granted it by the monarchy for a show of exceptional military might, or were
royalty from other countries. To become one in a single generation would call
for nothing short of a miraculous achievement or contribution to the state.
While Arcus found it a most impossible goal, Sue seemed to have made up
her mind.
"Yeah! It's perfect! Now that's a goal that'll blow everyone's mind! Go
big or go home!"
"I think I'll have more luck going home, thank you."
Arcus's words didn't seem to have their intended effect of dissuading her.
"Don't worry! I know how amazing you are based on my own life
experience!"
"Your life experience, which doesn't even amount to a year more than
mine?"
Arcus only recently learned that Sue was older than him, and ever since, she used her superior age against him now and then.
"Nearly a year is a long time," she said stubbornly.
Arcus found himself getting a little indignant.
"Anyway. That's the kinda lofty goal I think you should aim for!"
"Very well. I'll do my best."
"Yup! Don't worry, either, 'cause you'll have me to cheer you on!"
Her words sparked a small fire of confidence within him. This was a part
of her personality that he found very encouraging. Even though he had no
idea how to go about achieving this new goal of his, she made him feel like
he would figure it out eventually without having to try too hard.
"Now, if you wanna make it big, you gotta take every opportunity! Every
single one. Be greedy, okay?!"
"Those don't sound like the words of an eight-year-old."
"Um, hello?! I'm nearly nine, you know!"
"Sorry, ma'am. Anyway, what about you?"
"What about me?"
"Don't you have any plans for the future?"
"Of course."
"For example?"
"Well, I—" Suddenly Sue's expression hardened again. "I want to make
this country strong. Strong enough to overpower anyone who opposes it."
"What?"
"The Empire's always looking down on us. Not just the Empire, either.
The tribes who live in the Cross Mountains to the east and the country along
the southern coast... As soon as we overstep our boundaries, they threaten to
strike us down, undermining our power. They're trying to provoke a war,
rousing nobles and independent rulers to rise up from within our borders! So,
I..."
There was a strong determination in her voice. She wasn't just speaking
wistfully. This was something she was clearly passionate about. Arcus was
sure now. She must have been from a noble family; otherwise, she wouldn't
be speaking like this.
She was only eight years old, after all. There were tons of adults not half
as ambitious as this. Perhaps Sue really was more mature than Arcus gave her
credit for. Her patriotism seemed to burn stronger than any flame. She wasn't
satisfied with the status quo, and the only solution was to rise up and—"Just kidding!"
"You sound like you've been through a lot. You must think we're
severely oppressed by those other countries to talk about ours becoming
stronger."
"Been through a lot?" Sue echoed thoughtfully. "I don't... I don't think I
have..."
How odd. Arcus couldn't see where her earlier words had come from, if
not from experiencing hardship. She wanted to make the country stronger so
that it wouldn't be swallowed up by its neighbors. Suddenly, Arcus
remembered something.
"Oh, I have something for you." He pulled an aethometer out of his bag.
"What's this?" Sue asked.
"What do you think it is?" Arcus countered with a sly smile. If she really
was so much more experienced than him at almost nine years old, maybe she
could work it out.
Sue spent her time studying the device, turning it this way and that, and
inspecting every angle.
"This tube looks like the perfect size for sticking up your butt, if only it
could come out of this frame."
"I beg your pardon?!"
Just what went on in this little girl's head, and why did it have anything to
do with something so dangerous as sticking a glass tube up one's rear? Arcus
was at a loss.
"Huh? What is it, then?" asked Sue.
"It's a device to measure aether," Arcus explained. "An aethometer. Don't
tell me you're not impressed?"
Sue stared blankly at him. Then, she froze.
"It measures aether," Arcus prompted.
"Wh-Wh-Wh-Whaaat?! Arcus! Where did you get this?!"
"I made it."
"You made it?!"
Sue stared at the aethometer wide-eyed, as if it had sprouted wings or
something. Arcus was long used to that expression on people's faces by now.
He held his hand over the aethometer.
"Watch," he told her. "I'm releasing aether right now."
"Whoa! The red stuff inside is moving!"
"This is as much aether as it takes to use psychokinesis. 10 mana, to be
precise. Mana is the unit used to measure aether."
"That's so cool!"
Sue lit up brighter than a kid in a candy store. In this case, Arcus couldn't
blame her for her reaction. He was sure he would react in the same way. Just
then, there was a needy glint in her eye. It looked like she wanted to keep it.
She was starting to fidget now. Arcus had never seen her like this before.
"Sorry, but..."
"Come on! Please! Can I have it? Please, please, please!"
She didn't even let him finish his sentence before throwing a tantrum.
What was it that Arcus was thinking earlier about her being mature for her
age?
"I'm sorry," Arcus repeated, "but I can't give this to you."
"That's not fair! How come you're dangling it in my face, then?!"
"Because if I didn't tell you about it now, you'd complain when you
finally found out about it."
"Duh!"
"Ugh. Sometimes I just don't know what to do with you."
"Well, first, you should give that to me! C'mon! I should have it; I'm the
elder child!"
"I already told you I can't do that!"
"But why, though?!"
"Because I'm planning to unveil this to the public. I can't just go handing
them out before that."
"Oh, right..." Sue cleared her throat. "You'll need that to go well for your
huge ambitions, I guess."
At least she had settled down, despite her weird sense of logic. Or so
Arcus thought, but she still had an awfully tight grip on the aethometer. He
gave it an experimental pull, only to lift her hand up along with it. Arcus gave
her the hardest stare he could muster, which she responded to with a cheeky
grin.
"I need that back."
"Aww, but—"
"It's just until I make the announcement. Until then, you can use it when
I'm with you." Arcus offered her a compromise.
"Really?! Yippee! You're the best!"
The next moment, Sue barreled into Arcus's chest. She must really love
magic.
"So squishy!"
"Not again..."
Once again, she contented herself by poking at his cheeks.