the magician who rose from failure

by Great blue

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9. chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

Part 3: The Eve of Battle

The mercenary took Arcus to the northern outskirts of the capital, where

the Holy Tower waited. Its alabaster, cylindrical bulk extended far into the

sky, and while it was dotted with windows here and there, the surface was

otherwise completely smooth. Its architecture seemed far too modern for the

time.

Both its outlandish design and the other buildings around it really made it

seem like it was floating in the air. Yet there was more to this place than just

that. What amazed most people about it was that, just as the name suggested,

the Tower extended so far into the heavens that its top could not be seen from

the ground. Arcus was reminded of the man's world's high-rises and radio

towers.

The Tower was an impossible feat of architecture for the people of Lainur.

It was a relic, said to have been built during the time The Magician's Elegy

was written, well before the kingdom's founding. In the interim, it was

repaired and reconstructed into a prison. It was also widely accepted that any

criminal thrown in here had no hope of escape. The guards were handpicked

from the kingdom's brightest and placed on every floor.

You couldn't slip past the guards from the inside, and the walls on the

outside were too smooth to climb down. Jumping was out of the question.

None of that stopped Arcus complaining.

"You can't put me in here! I haven't even been questioned!"

When he came to, he found himself being dragged to the prison by a

group of guards. From what he could tell, the mercenaries handed him over

soon after he lost consciousness. Usually it would be difficult to consign

someone to the Tower on such short notice, but it seemed the marquess had

"friends" among the guards. Arcus cried out as soon as he woke up and

realized what was going on.

"We're just doing our job," replied one of the guards, with the tone of a

man who had said the same thing countless times before.

Arcus knew it was a standard response, and so he pressed on. "Don't you guys think it's kinda weird that I've been sent here, and I'm only a kid?"

"What we think or don't think is irrelevant. We just imprison who we're

told to imprison."

"That makes you just like puppets! Puppets!" Arcus cried.

There was no response.

"Hey! Are you guys deaf?!"

Again, no response.

"Come on! Say something! What the hell is up with this place?!" He

yelled at the stubborn guards.

Still, they ignored him.

Since they were being relatively gentle with him, Arcus had hoped his

position as a child would test their conscience; clearly he needed to change

tack. If the marquess told them to jump, they would likely scramble to ask

how high.

"This world is run entirely by money."

Gaston's words echoed in Arcus's head. Here, too, the power of money

and social position was clear to see. But he didn't have time to worry about

society's many inequalities right now. He failed to protect Lecia. Gaston had

already promised to "get rid" of her; he had no more time to lose in making

his escape.

With this many guards, that might prove to be difficult. He was

surrounded on all sides, with one man on each arm to boot, and every guard

was clad in some of the sturdiest armor he'd ever seen. If only there was

some space between them and him, he might have been able to break through

using magic.

There was one thing that worked in his favor.

Even though I'm a Raytheft, they haven't gagged me...

It was common for dangerous magicians to be gagged so that they

couldn't chant their spells, but for some reason Arcus's mouth was left free.

He wasn't sure whether they were confident in their defenses or they

underestimated his abilities. Perhaps they simply didn't know who he was or

where he came from.

Arcus took in as much of his surroundings as he could, determined to do

whatever he could. The walls around them were sturdy, but they weren't

made of the stone that builders favored these days. It brought two images to

Arcus's mind: the first was of hospital wards, and the second was of the laboratories you saw in science-fiction films. In any case, the walls were of a

single color, without a bump or chip to be seen.

Each room they passed was sectioned off with a large pane of transparent

glass. Though it looked fragile at first glance, that was precisely what made

Arcus think it was built in the time The Magician's Elegy was written. He

was certain the glass was sturdier than anything in common use nowadays.

Arcus and his guard climbed higher and higher before finally reaching

their destination floor. From the number of steps and landings, Arcus would

guess they were between twenty and thirty floors up. Here, there were many

more cells than he'd seen previously.

These cells looked to be adapted from rooms extant from the Tower's

original construction, and their inhabitants sat behind standard metal bars.

Eventually, they arrived at a cell at the deepest part of the floor.

"This one's yours."

Arcus found himself being pushed forward. He examined it closely. Just

like the other rooms he'd seen, the wall was white and impossibly smooth,

and the room was set behind a series of metal bars. Inside was a bunk bed and

a bucket whose purpose was clear.

Someone else was already there.

"I'm sharing?"

"What? You shouldn't be." One of the guards frowned suspiciously into

the cell. Glimpsing inside, he let out a sigh. "For pity's sake. Why are you

still in there, Guari?"

"'Cause I ain't got nowhere to go, have I?" came the response.

"Well you can't stay here, either. Did you see the sign outside saying this

was an inn? Because I didn't."

"What? But the room service is fantastic! And it's so clean and all..." The

prisoner chuckled to himself.

"Well, you're not getting fed anymore, even if you do stick around."

"Shockin'! Won't be tellin' my friends about this place, that's for sure!

Anyway, whaddya lads want?"

"We've brought the new prisoner who's taking this cell."

"Ooh, about time we got some company up 'ere."

"Yes, and we need the cell. So get out, find yourself a job, and go live an

honest life. You must be qualified for something." The guard rapped his

truncheon on the floor with another exasperated sigh. He then turned his attention to Arcus. "Well, this is your cell. In you go."

As soon as the entrance was opened, he pushed Arcus inside.

The man inside spoke up the moment he lay eyes on him. "Huh? Why's 'e

so puny for?"

The prisoner frowned at Arcus in confusion. Arcus was a little indignant

at the emphasis on the word "puny." That thought quickly left his mind when

he realized that he recognized his new cellmate.

"Hey! You're..."

"No way! It's you!"

It was the kidnapper that went after him and Sue all that time ago.

His gaunt face looked just as sinister as ever, not helped by his slanted,

beady eyes. He was lanky, and his hair was ungroomed and uncut. It was

longer than the last time Arcus saw him, but he was sure this was the same

man.

The guard peered through the bars. "You two know each other?"

"Yeah, this kid's one of them who got me in here in the first place."

"Oh?" But it was clear the guard wasn't too interested, since he turned

and left without another word.

The moment he was gone, Arcus took a step backward. He didn't want to

be near this creep. He felt his entire body tensing up instinctively as he

watched the man.

The kidnapper didn't move. He just lay on the bed with his arms folded

behind his head, a towel on his face, and his legs crossed, as though Arcus's

presence made no difference to him whatsoever. Arcus waited, but he didn't

even twitch. Instead, after a while, he waved a dismissive hand through the

air.

"I ain't gonna do nothin', okay? Ya don't need to worry."

"You sure? I did get you put in here, after all."

"Yeah! Thanks, by the way. Free room and board for a full two years!

Lovely!"

"Y-You mean... you're not mad?" Arcus would expect the kidnapper to

bear a grudge against him, but he wasn't feeling any anger from him at all.

"What? Ya think I'm gonna try and get my revenge?"

"You mean you're not?"

"Nah. I mean, it was kinda outta line what I did to ya, right? We'll call it a

blunder, yeah? 'Sides, I don't really like bullyin' kids." The man removed the

towel from his face as Arcus continued to stare at him suspiciously. "C'mon,

quit glarin'. Still don't believe me?"

"I... I dunno."

"I guess I get it. I am a crim, after all. Though, you'll be stayin' with me

whether ya like it or not. So let's try and be nice and friendly, yeah?"

"Didn't the guard say you had to get outta here?" Arcus asked.

"I ain't got nowhere to go, just like I said to him. And 'least I get fed

here."

"Is food really such an issue for you?"

"'Course. Food's expensive, y'know.

"I thought they made you work when you get a long sentence?"

"Yeah, but I'm only in here for two years, so they ain't makin' me.

Though they woulda been harder on me if they knew just what kinda kids

you guys were."

"But your sentence is over! Why don't you just leave?" Arcus asked

incredulously.

"'Cause no one's gonna make me."

"How come?"

"Probably 'cause it's too much effort. They've got bigger fish to fry than

me."

So they were short-staffed. Arcus still couldn't understand the kidnapper's

line of reasoning. At this rate, he'd never be out of here. Perhaps he felt this

was the only place he could survive.

"I dunno though. I think you could get a job wherever you wanted," Arcus

said.

"What makes ya say that?"

"You're a magician, aren't you? A pretty good one, too."

"Huh? Why'dya think so?"

"The girl who was with me, Sue... You blocked her attack so well. In fact,

you were able to stand up against every one of her attacks. You couldn't have

done that without a decent amount of study and practice."

"Nah, that girl was just weak."

"You're kidding... right?" Arcus frowned at him, but the man broke into

an unexpected sneer.

"You're a weird kid. Though I guess she was pretty good at magic for her

age."

"So why are you still here if you're a decent magician?" Arcus pressed.

"'Cause I ain't good enough to make no money."

"Money..." There was that word again.

"Yeah. Cash. You're a kid, so ya probably don't understand, but ya need

cash to get anywhere in life. If ya got it, great; if you ain't, you're stuffed. Ya

can even become a noble if you're rich enough, y'know?"

While that was true, Arcus didn't see why that meant he had to give up on

everything. Now that he thought about it, the kidnapper went on about money

an awful lot the first time they met, too. Perhaps there was something specific

he needed it for.

"So, what did they chuck ya in here for then? Ya don't look like ya could

commit a crime or nothin'."

"What makes you say that? What if I killed a man or two?" Arcus said.

"Quit it. Your face is too soft for that kinda stuff. Ya really should think

about gettin' that changed if ya can, 'cause the cutie-pie look don't suit ya."

"D-Don't call me a cutie-pie!"

"Ooh, hit a nerve, did I?" The man screeched in laughter.

Arcus scowled and looked away, redirecting his thoughts to his current

predicament.

"If this is really a prison for magicians, how come security is so lax?" he

asked.

"Just 'cause you can use magic don't mean you can get outta here so easy.

The walls can take a real pounding, and the guards have some real good kit

on 'em. Escape ain't a walk in the park," the kidnapper said. "By the way, the

worst crims get their teeth and tongues pulled out, and the even worse ones

than that get sent to go get tore up deep in the Stone Valley."

"Whoa..."

It sounded cruel, but removing a magician's tongue and teeth was the

quickest way to rob them of their power. The Stone Valley was a terrible

place, too. Working in its furthest depths with the rudimentary tools and

methods available to the people of this world could strike you blind and

scorch a body inside and out.

"Anyway, if someone's caught tryin' anythin' funny, the guards'll just

rush 'em. So I wouldn't worry too much about none of it."

Even though, relatively speaking, the pair were in one of the lower parts

of the Tower, it was still high up. The hallways were narrow and winding,

and because of the Tower's structure, even the best magician couldn't make it

out by themselves.

"Listen, I really wanna get outta here," Arcus said.

"Nah, 'snot possible. Did ya even hear what I said?" The kidnapper

flopped back down onto the bed before turning away from Arcus and curling

up into a ball. He definitely wasn't planning on going anywhere.

Not that Arcus was expecting his help. They were practically strangers,

after all. In any case, if Arcus wanted to make his escape, he'd have to get

past the first hurdle: the iron bars in front of him. Not only were they solid,

but they were engraved with seals designed to defend against magic.

"These are some pretty interesting seals," Arcus murmured as he studied

them.

"Yeah, and ya ain't gonna be breakin' them bars any time soon," said the

kidnapper wearily.

He was certainly stubborn about how impossible this all was. But then,

Arcus was stubborn about making his escape. Having finished his inspection

of the seal, Arcus straightened up.

"Ya ain't gonna—"

"Razor Aquarius."

"Huh?"

The metal bars clattered to the floor, causing the kidnapper to sit up

straight on the bed in shock.

"What the hell did ya do?!"

"Uh, well, I'm a magician. So I used magic."

"I'm not stupid... I know that much!"

"So now I can leave," Arcus informed him.

"No, ya can't! The guards'll have ya!"

"I'll just have to fight them off, then."

"Listen, kid, why're ya in such a hurry anyhow? Why don't ya wait, and

someone might come and save ya."

If Arcus were any other noble child, his parents would likely cause a stink

and get him out. It was a fair assumption to make, as long as he hadn't

committed any real crimes. Parents aside, Noah and Craib probably wouldn't

hesitate to bust him out if they knew. It was only a matter of time.

But time was the one thing Arcus didn't have.

"My sister's in danger."

"Whaddya say?"

"If I don't get outta here soon, I dunno what'll happen to her. So I have to

go rescue her."

This was the marquess he was dealing with. With the way he acted and

spoke before, Arcus was almost certain Lecia was facing a death sentence.

Even with Plan B as a back up, he didn't want to risk putting all his faith in it.

He could worry about how dangerous his actions were afterward. Nothing

mattered except saving Lecia's life.

"What's goin' on with ya exactly?"

"My sister came into evidence of a certain high-ranking noble's corruption, and now he's holding her in his estate."

"And 'cause ya tried to save her, ya messed up and got chucked in here?"

"Yeah." Arcus nodded. He had messed up and landed himself in a much

bigger predicament than he expected for it.

The kidnapper suddenly let out a cold, dry scoff. "Nobles though, am I

right? It's all about the money, all the time."

Arcus shot him a puzzled look.

"But forget about tryin' to face him head on, okay?"

"What, so I'm supposed to let my sister die?"

The kidnapper didn't reply. Arcus still couldn't figure him out, but he had

bigger things to worry about. He peered into the hallway, scanning left and

right. There was nobody in sight. He listened closely, but there was only

silence.

Just then, he sensed somebody behind him.

He looked over his shoulder.

It was the kidnapper.

"I'll give ya a hand, okay?"

"Huh?" Whatever Arcus had been expecting, it wasn't that.

If the kidnapper noticed his confusion, he didn't say anything. "I'll want a

reward though, of course. Cold, hard cash, if ya please."

"U-Um, b-but..."

"What'sa matter?"

"I... I just don't get why you suddenly wanna help me."

"Quit gawkin' at me. This ain't a zoo. I just thought I could make a quick

buck. So whaddya think? If ya pay me for it, I'll help ya out."

"All right," Arcus replied. "If you help me, I'll pay you the best I can."

"I never forget who owes me, okay?"

"Got it."

Arcus mind still hadn't caught up with the current situation. Why had this

man changed his mind all of a sudden? In any case, he wasn't about to look a

gift horse in the mouth.

"Thanks, um..." Arcus suddenly realized he never caught the man's name.

"Name's Cazzy. Cazzy Guari."

"Right, Cazzy. I'm Arcus Raytheft."

"Raytheft... Don't tell me you're from that famous soldierin' lot? Blech."

Apparently Cazzy wasn't a fan. Arcus was starting to wonder whether he could really trust this man...

Money. Money was everything.

I was sure that was the case, even now.

After all, without money, you couldn't live.

No matter where I was or how far I went, money troubles always hovered

above my head like a dark cloud.

Without money, you couldn't live.

I never had enough money to live, and when I did, it always ended up

running out.

There's never been a moment in my life where I haven't been strapped for

cash.

I came from a family of farmers who lived in a poor village.

There were seven of us all together. We'd get up with the sunrise, look

after the animals, and spend the day working on the farm. Day in and day out.

My parents didn't make very much, and it was all they could do just to

feed the family. There was never a second course.

The one thing that set us apart from other families was that we had

volumes of the Ancient Chronicles, a set of books which no magician should

be without.

Apart from that, we were just a family of commoners; one of hundreds

within the kingdom. Our parents would tell us time and time again:

"Money's value comes from the hard work you put in to earn it. Money

that's earned by deceptive means is worthless."

"Never steal. Never trick people. The money you make that way will

damage your value as a human being."

"You only need as much money as it takes to survive. The moment you

start to save, you'll just want more and more of it."

But I disagreed with those ideas from an early age.

I knew making money dishonestly was bad.

I knew money was worth more when it was hard-earned.

What I didn't understand was why you shouldn't make more than you

need.

Living on the bare minimum would keep you right where you were.

If your life solely depended on working every waking moment, you'd

never have enough time.

All that money we made would go to feeding the family and the livestock,

leaving very little left, if anything.

The moment we earned a fraction less, we starved. That happened often,

and it was miserable.

And yet my parents never stopped smiling, even through the hard times. I

often wondered why that was.

Was it really a source of joy for us to suffer and to have less than we

needed?

Was clinging stubbornly to our impoverished lifestyle like this really the

right choice?

The rich didn't need to worry about making enough every single day. The

rich could eat whatever luxurious meals they wanted. So why weren't we

allowed to aim for that, too?

Even though I asked my parents all of these questions, their replies were

always the same.

"Human greed is a monstrous thing. The more you have, the more you

want."

"When you have more money than you need, it means that someone else

has suffered for your gains."

"One man's coin is not equal to another's. Human suffering is what plugs

the gap between those values."

My parents must have learned these values from somewhere to be able to

come up with such deep statements.

Apparently, before they became farmers, they were merchants. Merchants

whose work made many people suffer.

To atone, they vowed never to make more than they needed ever again.

As for me, I didn't understand why that meant they had to put themselves

through such hardship.

My older siblings always had to pick up the slack in the field.

My younger siblings were always left starving.

I hated it.

And so I dusted off those Chronicles and aimed to become a magician.

If I reached my goal, my parents wouldn't have to return to their hated

merchant life.

As well as being paid for my work, I could help others.

Once I learned how to cast spells, I really started to enjoy magic.

I used it for my family and for people in the village, and they were all

incredibly grateful for my help.

I never asked for money in return, so I didn't go against my parents'

wishes, even though I needed to spend money to be able to use magic in the

first place.

"You mustn't make any money with your new skills."

"Using your powers to serve others selflessly will give you the best life a

person can lead."

To me, there was a limit on just how selfless someone should be. Just like

before, I disagreed with their values, and my indignation grew by the day.

Were those ideas really strong enough that making people happy could

keep you satisfied?

Was being a good person enough of a reason to keep you motivated?

Was steering clear of money enough to keep you pure and righteous?

Their ideals weren't enough for me. Maybe that was why I devoted so

much of myself to studying magic. Throwing myself into that world of

learning and new discoveries, I could forget about my empty belly, my

suffering, and my parents' twisted worldview.

It was around that time that my talents were recognized by an official

from the capital, and I was invited to attend the Royal Institute of Magic.

My family were happy to see me off, and so I went to study as hard as I

could, so I could hone my skills as a magician and make things easier for

them.

I worked and worked, barely leaving any time for sleeping. I gained more

and more experience with magic, and both my practical and theory grades

were good.

I was often scorned by jealous nobles for my background, but I never let it

get to me. Their prejudices were nothing compared to the hardships I faced

back home. Their cold insults were nothing compared to the chilling

midwinter winds that froze the farmland. Their shallow hatred was nothing

compared to the empty void of my stomach after a bad harvest.

I used to worry about whether I would be alive by the end of the week.

Nothing they said or did could ever compare to that.

I was completely unaware of the fact that my parents borrowed the money

to send me to the capital.

It wasn't a lot of money. Impoverished as they were, even they would be, able to pay it back with a few years of hard work. As a magician, I would be

able to pay it back in a matter of months.

If only the lender hadn't been corrupt.

The lender was a noble, and our village fell within the land he governed.

The interest rates he imposed on his debtors were extortionate. He collected

the interest on top of the usual taxes, and that amount grew year after year.

Meanwhile, due to the lifestyle they pursued, my parents were buried deeper

and deeper under that mountain of interest.

Eventually, they failed to make their payment. My youngest sister was

taken as compensation.

My family always stuck to their values, and they put up with so much

because of it. But this was something they couldn't accept. They protested

against the injustice of it all.

That was a mistake.

My entire family was found guilty of treason and put to death. All of them

apart from me, who still studied in the capital. It wasn't until days after I

graduated that I learned what happened.

Once I found out, it was all over for me. There was nothing I could do. I

had been completely powerless to stop any of it.

If only my family were rich.

If only my parents had let go of their past and saved their money

carefully.

If only I had asked for payment, even if just a little bit, when I started

using magic.

If only we had money, this tragedy would never have happened.

Because of my parents' misguided hubris, they never had a penny left

over.

If only, if only, if only. Again and again, those now-impossible

possibilities raced through my mind.

It was then that I finally turned my back on my parents' teachings and set

my sights on money.

I heard it all. "Greedy," "miserly," "money-grubbing." Those words were

directed at me so often that they lost any semblance of meaning.

Those people were wrong. So I flashed my wealth in front of them, using

my money however I wanted to teach them a lesson. It was a total thrill, but

an unsatisfying one.

Even though I had money now, it wouldn't bring my family back. It

wouldn't bring my sister back.

Money was everything. I knew that now.

There was no deep meaning behind my decision to help out the noble kid

who crossed my path that day.

I hated the noble class that had killed my family. I didn't care what

happened to those monsters' kids, and so I didn't hesitate when the

opportunity came to leverage their lives for coin.

I hated everything about nobility, even now. So there must have been

something that pushed me to help this kid out.

It must have been those words.

"I have to go rescue her."

I could hear it in his voice. The desire to save his family. To save his

sister. The desire to do what I never could.

That was when the tiny wick of conscience that still lay in my heart began

to spark. It told me to help him. To do what I could for him.

I made excuses for what I was about to do: just because I sympathized

with him at that moment didn't mean I was about to grow attached, and this

wasn't me trying to make up for what I put him through, either. I already did

my time. My actions were already paid for, and anyway, I had it up to here

with kidnapping and ransom as a career path. I wasn't sure why I wanted to

help him or why I cared so much. Maybe it was just a temporary lapse in

judgment.

All I knew was what was right in front of me: this noble kid, Arcus

Raytheft, was trying to break out.

His fluffy silver hair shook frantically, and his crimson eyes blinked

incessantly as he darted around. The way he moved and the color of those

eyes reminded me of a baby rabbit.

It was strange. Though he was dressed just like any other noble boy, he

carried himself more like a commoner. If nothing else, he definitely didn't

speak like an aristo. Speaking to him was like speaking to any kid from my

village, and the conversation flowed smoothly.

"Hold it," I said.

"What's the matter?"

"We'll be wantin' to take this." I picked up the cloth (nominally a "blanket") from my bed.

Arcus frowned at me. "What would I need that for?"

"Lotsa things." That would do for now. "So, whaddya know 'bout how

this place is built?"

"Nothing at all." Arcus smiled sheepishly up at me.

I could only sigh and wonder if he ever thought further than the next step

ahead. Though I guess since he only got here, he wouldn't know anything

about the place yet.

"Well, like ya woulda seen on the way up, there's guardrooms at every

third floor, and there's always five to seven guards in them at a time. They've

all got weapons done up one way and down the other with seals, or they're

really strong magicians. Ya couldn't beat 'em one on one, let alone five of

'em."

"Hm..."

"Also, if ya try and go for 'em head-on, there'll be like fifty more of 'em

coming in from all sides in no time." Though it was just an estimate, it was

probably pretty accurate.

Arcus's frown deepened. "Dammit. I don't have enough aether to deal

with that!"

"How many spells could ya cast?"

"Around ten mid-range ones... I wouldn't wanna cast any more than that,

since I'll need enough to break through into that noble's mansion."

"That's nothin', you're right. Actually, that's worse than nothin'. I

thought ya were from a military family or somethin'? Aren't ya meant to

have aether comin' out your arse?"

Arcus hesitated. "I don't have much aether. They cut me loose."

He stared at the floor. Apparently, I hit a nerve. Now he was muttering

about that "damned fop" and "crushing the Raytheft house." It was kind of

scary.

"Guess that's your second weakness, after that girly face."

"Sorry..."

"Nah. Havin' weaknesses just makes ya more likable." I picked Arcus up

by the scruff of the neck so I could look him in the eye. He scowled and

pouted at me like a mischievous kitten, his limbs outstretched.

"I don't wanna be liked by a kidnapper with an evil-looking face like

yours!"

"'Sbetter than lookin' like a softie, though, ain't it?" If he was going to be

blunt with me, I was going to be blunt with him. "We could probably get

about half of 'em with our magic combined, if we're lucky."

"Maybe I should start a fire, and we'll escape in the panic?"

"So it's arson now, is it? Would never have expected nothin' like that

from some blue-blood sprog."

Arcus chuckled bashfully.

It wasn't actually a bad idea, if not for the surroundings we had to work

with.

"'Snot a bad trick, but it ain't gonna work. Look at the walls here."

"They're too strong, right?" Arcus knocked on one of them with his fist.

"Exactly. This whole building, 'part from the more modern bits, was built

in the days when the Elder Tongue was common speech. They don't break,

and I'd reckon they don't burn." I looked at Arcus's face, hoping he had

something clever to say. I wouldn't have been surprised if he could set them

on fire, but he shook his head.

Despite the hurdles in front of us, Arcus's determination was still as

strong as ever. "Let's just go as far as we can for now."

"Huh? And then what? If we move without thinkin', we'll just be in more

of a fix later! They'll chuck us somewhere leagues worse than this hole!"

"I have an idea or two, but I wanna get out of here so that I can see how

this place is built."

"Makes sense, I guess."

His actions were reckless, but I was starting to see there was some sort of

basic plan behind them. I figure all magicians have a trick or two kept back-

pocket for just such and such a situation, which they only reveal at the very

last minute. I knew this kid was no exception, especially if he was planning

to storm a noble house...

Suddenly, a question came to mind.

"By the way, what's your stance on keeping the guards alive... or not?"

"Well, this place is pretty well-sealed. If I need to, I could always conjure

up some toxic aerosols."

"Toxic what-what?"

"It's like poison that spreads through the air, and if you breathe it in, you

faint. You've heard of people getting sick and fainting at volcanoes or mines,

right? It's kinda like that."

I had heard things like that. Some of those people even ended up dying.

"'Spretty terrifyin' that ya know how to do that..."

"I won't actually do it, though. It'd be way too savage, and I don't wanna

cause a massacre or anything..."

"There's a good lad."

"As long as I have other options, that is," Arcus added.

I understood. He was willing to place the life of his sister above the lives

of strangers. I guess that's the kind of stock they raise in a warmongering

family like his.

The garish Sol Glasses lighting the corridor like the midday sun bleached

the walls white. As we bore down on the stairs, the other cells' occupants

called out to us.

"Let us out, too!"

"Take us with you!"

"You ain't gettin' out."

"When the guards notice, you're done for!"

We ignored them, but the next moment we heard footsteps approaching. It

wasn't any of those prisoners, of course. It was a guard on patrol.

"Looks like we got our first customer!"

"The first of many to come," Arcus said with a sigh.

We quickly hid ourselves behind a corner. Holding my breath, I waited

until the guard was just within reach...

"Capable Cloth of Algol. Envelop the rabbits and does; bundle them, tie

them, and silence them at once."

Artglyphs surrounded the cloth, which immediately wrapped itself tightly

around the guard's upper half.

This was Algol's Suffocating Cloth.

The guard's voice was muffled by the material, rendering his words

almost inaudible. No matter how much he struggled, the magical cloth clung

to him relentlessly until, after a short while, he lost consciousness.

"That's an... interesting spell," Arcus commented.

"Says the kid who fights with trash. Although, since I saw that spell of

yours, I started experimentin' with the same kinda stuff myself."

"Sounded like you've been boning up on The Spiritual Age. 'Algol's

Week of Farming: Tuesday's Harvest.'"

"That's the one."

Arcus pinned my spell down chapter and verse. The amount of knowledge

that baby-faced head of his held was really something else. Even a graduate

of the Institute or a member of the Guild couldn't pick it apart so easily.

Arcus's knowledge must have been at the level of a state magician already—

albeit one who was only just starting out.

"If you can make spells like that, how come you decided to become a

kidnapper?" asked Arcus.

"This and that, y'know. 'Sides, that was my first gig kidnapping."

"Oh, yeah. I think you mentioned that at the time."

"Did I?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I guess ya got a better memory than me, kid."

"I do have a good memory. I could recite exactly what was said that night,

if you want."

"Huh. Must be a helluva life to be able to remember stuff like that." Part

of me was sick of Arcus being such a genius, to be honest. It probably came

across in my tone.

It wasn't just his breadth of knowledge, but how quickly he picked stuff

up. He was creative and had a powerful memory to boot. If only he had as

much aether as the rest of his family, he'd probably be praised as some kind

of god. I still wonder why that was the only part of him that fell short.

"Is someone there?!" A second guard called out from the depths of the

hallway.

My mind began to whirr into motion as I started to work out how we'd

deal with this one.

"Help! One of the guards collapsed!" Arcus suddenly cried out.

"What?!" Footsteps echoed as the guard approached.

He rushed toward us until he was close enough to see the fallen guard and

Arcus kneeling there pretending to help him. The new guard faltered. It was

obvious that he was struggling to decide whether he should prioritize helping

his colleague or securing the escaped prisoner. Was this kid even a prisoner?

The questions running through his head were plain to see.

Seeing my chance, I prepared another Algol's Suffocating Cloth. This

guard met the same fate as the first and tumbled on top of him.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Another guard appeared,

brandishing his truncheon at us.

He was fast. His armor must have been carved with seals to enhance his

physical abilities. I ripped away my cloth from the fallen bodies as soon as I

could, but I wasn't going to make it.

"Leave it to me." Arcus fell to his knees and pointed his finger at the

guard before muttering a spell.

With his focus on me, the guard reacted too slowly, not realizing that

Arcus was also a threat.

"Black Bullet. Keep the pale horse galloping through the skies in the blink

of Death's eye."

The next moment, a loud bang exploded through the air. Before I knew

what was happening, the third guard collapsed. He rolled onto the floor and,

as I watched, began to huddle up and writhe in agony.

A pool of blood spread out between his body and the Tower's snow-white

floor. A chill raced through me. How had he done this? I didn't know. That

was what scared me the most.

The spell damaged the guard and the guard alone, meaning it was fully

offensive in nature. At the same time, I saw nothing. One minute the guard

was standing, and the next he was down.

"Sorry about that. A healing spell should patch you right up, though,"

Arcus told the whimpering guard.

He used a handkerchief to gag the guard before tying his hands behind his

back. He then turned back to me. Right. I couldn't afford to stand here in

shock.

We ran down the hallway, and I glanced over my shoulder. The guard was

still writhing in pain. There was a small, round wound on his leg, but that did

nothing to help me figure out what Arcus did.

I'd seen all sorts of magic in my life. Whether from the students or

lecturers at the Institute or larger spells performed by magicians whose names

were known across the kingdom. All sorts. Nothing like that.

I thought and thought, but I couldn't come up with a way to recreate it.

Whatever Arcus based it on, it must have been from a different country

entirely. The phrases he used, too: "Death's eye," "pale horse"... I'd never

heard those before.

"What the heck was that spell?" I asked as we raced to the next landing.

"I made it. Though the phrasing could probably use a bit of work." Arcus

sighed.

"Ya say that like it's nothin'!"

Magicians didn't tend to show off their original spells if they didn't need

to. They were usually saved only for dire situations, to prevent others from

copying them. If someone were to try and copy the spell Arcus just cast...

Actually, maybe that wasn't a concern. The spell itself was invisible. Even

imagining what happened was an impossible task, making it impossible to

mimic, too. After all, picturing a spell's effects was just as important as

choosing the right words if you wanted your spell to be successful.

Whatever Arcus cast, it was incredible. Just like the girl I went after that

day, he was impressive in his own right. It blew my mind that there was a

human alive who could cast something like that as if it was nothing.

We made it down ten floors or so, fighting off guards as we went. At that

point, Arcus had burnt through half of his aether, and so we stopped to take a

break. We didn't have much time to panic about our next move, but we

couldn't keep up this level of effort the whole way, either.

The prisoners inside the cells shouted when they saw us. There were those

asking for our help and others trying to slow us down, but in both cases, it

wouldn't be long before the guards below heard them and made their way

here to see what was going on.

We took care of every single guard on our way to stop them calling for

reinforcements, but we didn't know when that might change.

We crept forward to scope out where we were heading.

All of a sudden, we heard prisoners' voices. Attempted break-outs were

rare, so it was no wonder they were causing a fuss. But then, all at once, the

voices cut short.

It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. So quiet, you'd think there was

nobody left in the building at all. Arcus frowned, clearly as confused as I

was.

"What are you two doing?"

A woman's voice called out behind us.

Arcus and Cazzy were in the middle of their escape from the Holy Tower.

Arcus was peering around a corner to see what was ahead when he heard a

voice from behind. They were too far from the occupied cells for it to be a

prisoner. Not only that, but it was a young, innocent, female voice—not

something he expected to hear in a place like this.

Arcus turned around, still not sure what he was expecting. There, he saw a

young girl sitting in something resembling a wheelchair. She had long, light

blue hair and blue eyes to match. From her appearance, Arcus guessed she

was around five or six years older than him.

That wasn't the part of her appearance that struck him the most. Her

hands, arms, and legs were tightly bound by white leather straps. It made her

look like a mummy. Odder still, she was the only one around. How did she

get here if there was nobody to push her?

As if she was reading Arcus's mind, the girl smirked smugly. He felt

Cazzy move into a defensive stance beside him.

"Who're ya?"

"Me? I'm a prisoner, just like you. Unlike you, you sneaky fox, I'm under

much stricter security."

"A prisoner?" Cazzy repeated, incredulous.

It made sense. She was wearing the inmate uniform under her bonds, and

apart from anything else, it wouldn't make sense for a guard to be tied up like

this. Although if she was under tight security as she said, Arcus couldn't

fathom how she made it here.

"Don't worry. I'm not here to drop you in it," she said, noticing Cazzy

bracing himself.

"Maybe not, but still..." he replied.

"So? Mind answering my question? What are you two doing?"

"Escaping," Arcus answered.

"Escaping?" The girl frowned, taking her time to digest the word. Her

eyes narrowed, as if she was thinking through each letter individually.

The next moment, the wheels on her chair started to move by themselves.

Either they were under some sort of spell, or they had seals on them. The

wheelchair didn't stop until she was practically nose-to-nose with Arcus,

after which she stared at his face curiously.

"You aren't a prisoner, are you?"

"No, I'm not. I'm—"

"Oh, look at you trying to lower your voice! You know it doesn't really

suit your face, right?"

"...As I was saying..."

"Oh, I didn't mean to offend!" The girl giggled. "I just thought you were a

girl, that's all, little bunny!"

"'Bunny'...?"

Did he really look like a bunny? Maybe it was the silver hair and red eyes.

The girl made no move to question their identities, as if it didn't interest

her at all to know who they were. Even though Arcus was desperate to know

who she was, somehow he found himself unable to ask. The way she didn't

look at them head-on and her creepy smile made her seem so ominous

somehow. Yet she was charming in a way Arcus couldn't put his finger on.

The way she seemed to look down on him sent a shiver crawling up his spine,

as if she was moments away from pouncing and devouring him.

"So what's a little bunny wabbit like you doing trying to escape in the

first place?"

"I was taken here unfairly. I just wanna leave, that's all."

The girl studied him closely as he spoke. "Those are some fancy clothes

you're wearing. Might you be a noble bunny? If so, it's awfully strange you

were taken here. Unless... you got yourself involved in somebody's business?

Somebody very powerful?"

"Y-Yeah..."

"I knew it. Oh my, what a fix! A nice boy like you in a dump like this."

She shook her head and sighed, clearly disapproving of the marquess's

actions, to say the least. "Why don't you just wait here, little bunny? If you're

a noble, surely somebody will come and fetch you sooner or later."

"It'll take too long. I have to get out as soon as I can."

The girl looked at Cazzy questioningly.

"Yup. I'm helpin' him and all."

"But you are a prisoner yourself," she pointed out.

"Nah. I already did my time ages ago, see."

"Oh. In that case, you must be the freeloader everybody's talking about."

"You mean you're famous?" Arcus asked.

"Quiet, kid!"

The girl closed her eyes and nodded, apparently satisfied with their

explanation.

"Oy! What are you lot doing down here?!" An angry shout suddenly

echoed from the end of the hallway.

Arcus looked up to see a guard wielding a truncheon. He was so caught up

in the girl's conversation that he hadn't noticed him.

"Dammit," Cazzy spat.

"We'll move according to the plan," Arcus said, referring to what he and

Cazzy put together just moments earlier.

"This is the Holy Tower! Don't think you can es...cape?!" The guard, who

had been running just moments earlier, slowed to a halt. His face drained of

its color, and he began to tremble, as if someone had walked over his grave.

"N-No! Wh... What are you doing here?!" The guard let out a wavering

choke.

His erratic gaze led to a spot behind Arcus and Cazzy: the spot where the

girl in the wheelchair sat.

"I wonder," she purred. "Am I here because I have to be? Because I want

to be? Because I'd like to be? Because I'm forced to be? What do you think?"

The wheels of her wheelchair began to clatter to life again.

"St-Stay back! Stop! Stop, Rotterbell!" The guard held up his truncheon

to fend her off, but his arm was shaking.

She didn't stop, of course. The guard inched slowly back.

"Foolish man. Do you really think you can stop me? Foolishly foolish

fool... The whole lot of you are nothing but fools!"

"P-Pipe down!" the guard screamed.

The girl opened her mouth, her voice resounding as clearly as a bell.

"The mirage remains distant, yet the oasis comes ever closer. Merciless,

oppressive, wicked. Grant me thy refreshing kiss. Thank you, my dear."

"N-N—!" Unable to finish, the soldier let out a gurgling groan before

falling to the floor.

Arcus rushed over to check the damage. The guard was no longer fully

conscious. Instead, his eyes were flung open with his pupils dilated, and he

kept gasping over and over, fighting to fill his lungs. Cazzy narrowed his

eyes at the girl.

"What the hell did ya do?"

"It's a simple spell. If you missed it, perhaps you'd like me to give

another demonstration? The mirage—"

"N-Nah, you're all right..." Cazzy cut her off quickly.

As he struggled to comprehend what happened, Arcus continued to check

over the fallen guard. If they left him, there was a chance he would die. The

best way to work out what happened was to analyze the spell's phrasing.

Arcus spoke his thoughts aloud. "Is he... dehydrated?"

"Huh?" Cazzy said.

"I think that's it. I think that spell was designed to remove the water

content in his body."

The mirage remains distant. An illusion which wouldn't come closer no

matter how much you chased it.

Yet the oasis comes ever closer. An invitation for water to come to the

magician.

Grant me thy refreshing kiss. A request for a "kiss"—something important

to the target.

Every clause in the spell created an image of a dry desert, leading Arcus

to believe that it was designed to desiccate its target. As he voiced his

thoughts out loud, the girl smiled.

"I have no idea what you mean by 'dehydration,' but you seem to have the

right idea. Humans are fragile creatures. As soon as you take away what they

need to function, they collapse. Oh, what a wretched man. I should just chop

up his corpse right now..." All at once, the sweet smile on her face turned

sinister.

"Kinda creepy, but okay..." Cazzy muttered.

"This doesn't look fatal, though," Arcus remarked.

The girl might have used a weaker version of the spell, but either way it

looked like the guard would be fine. Arcus still didn't want to leave him in

this state, though, so he gave him some water to drink before setting the

guard's head down once more.

"Little bunny."

Arcus turned around when he heard himself being called, only to see the

girl's face inches away from his. At some point, the bonds had come away

from her arms, allowing her to move them freely. She brought her hands up

to Arcus's face and cupped his cheeks in them. Her slender fingers felt soft

on his skin, and she was even more beautiful from up close.

"I like smart little bunny wabbits. Do you think you could quench my

thirst?"

Arcus jumped backward, shocked by the sweet breaths that tickled his

face. The girl's pale pink lips twisted into a playful smile.

"Oh my. Have you come to dislike me?"

"Wh... Who are you?"

"I'm a prisoner. I may be in a little more of a bind than most, but I can

still move freely."

It was then that Arcus remembered what he was supposed to be doing.

"I'm sorry, but we've really gotta go," he explained.

"Yes, you do. I apologize for keeping you." Her tone suddenly darkened.

"Listen to me, little bunny. It isn't easy to get out of here. There are a lot of

guards down below, you know."

"I know. But I—"

"...Have to leave. I understand. You've captured my interest, and so I

shall lend you a hand."

"What?"

"Perhaps I shall go and pay a visit to the foolish guards over there. That's

bound to cause a stir."

"Are you sure?" Arcus asked. "I mean, won't you get in trouble?"

"No, I shall be treated exactly as I have always been. The only person able

to punish me in the entire kingdom is His Majesty himself."

She knew the King? With each passing moment, Arcus's curiosity about

her grew and grew.

"In return," she continued, "you shall tell me how to get out of here. Is

that clear?" Without waiting for an answer, she left them, the clattering of her

wheelchair echoing through the hallway.

"She was... weird," Cazzy finally said.

"At least she's on our side," Arcus replied. "Hey... she never told us her

name."

"I wouldn't go after her and ask if I was ya. 'Sprobably best not to get too

involved," said Cazzy, sticking his tongue out.

He was right. Anyone who saw her would instinctively want to stay away.

Arcus was curious about her all the same. Who was she, and where did that

dangerous allure of hers come from?

After watching her leave, Cazzy and Arcus set off once more. As though

already prepared for their presence, the next guard didn't show himself

immediately, which was smart. Arcus paused, trying to think about the best

course of action.

"Is that you, Master Arcus?"

The hidden guard knew his name?

Arcus quickly stopped Cazzy, who was preparing to attack. "Noah?"

"At your service."

Noah rounded the corner. He pulled off his engraved helmet and gave his hair a quick shake to put it back into place. Here he was: the indigo beauty

himself.

"Ya know him?" Cazzy asked.

"He's my servant."

Noah smiled. "I am glad to see you are safe."

"Thanks. My plan was kinda messed up, though."

"I have been in contact with Craib, and I believe he should already be

doing his thing, though I doubt that is much consolation."

"Yeah... What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I saw you being taken away, and so I followed after the mercenaries

before waiting for my chance to inveigle myself."

"Damn. It can't be easy getting into this place," Arcus said.

"Indeed it wasn't. However, I caught a lucky break when the number of

guards suddenly dwindled."

"Huh? That's weird, though. Guards don't just suddenly up and leave or

nothin'!" Cazzy said.

Noah frowned at Cazzy. "Who is this gentleman, Master Arcus?"

"Uh... he's helping me escape."

"He appears to be a prisoner himself."

"Sure am! Or I guess, I was. 'Sbeen more than two years since I did my

time, though." Cazzy stuck his tongue out teasingly. Noah's frown deepened.

"Are you sure it is wise to trust him?"

"I dunno right now. I just know that it's better to have help."

"Name's Cazzy," Cazzy introduced himself.

"I am Noah. I work under Master Arcus as his servant." Though Noah's

tone was friendly enough, he still had his guard up.

"If you're so worried, you can keep an eye on him."

"Ah, yes. Just another thing to add to my long list of duties."

"Huh? Didn't my uncle say I could trust you with my life? That includes

looking out for shady guys, right?"

"Craib says a lot of things which I'd rather he didn't."

"You look like you had a hard time getting here," Arcus said.

"I did. In fact, I should like to request a raise for this whole rigmarole."

"What? I thought you enjoyed this kinda thing?" Though Arcus pointed a

teasing finger at him, Noah managed to keep a straight face, as always.

Meanwhile, Cazzy was still concerned with Noah's earlier remark about the guards.

"It don't make no sense..."

"It appears that whoever is in charge here sent around half of them away,"

Noah explained.

Talk about a stroke of luck.

Cazzy still seemed suspicious.

"I get why you're here, and I get the girl before was just crazy, but... ya

sure ya ain't got some sort of deal with a devil, kid?"

"If I do, I don't remember making it."

At that moment, they heard noises coming from the direction the girl in

the wheelchair went.

"What's all this ruckus?" Noah asked with a frown.

"Must be the girl from before. I guess she really does wanna help us," said

Cazzy.

Noah shot Arcus another puzzled glance.

"There was this girl who showed up just before you got here," he

explained. "Some girl in a wheelchair. She said she'd help us out by causing

a diversion."

"Was she a prisoner, too?" Noah asked slowly.

"I think so, yeah... Oh, actually, that guard who's lyin' there called her

"Rotterbell" or somethin'," Cazzy said.

"R-Rotterbell? Could you mean the Alicia Rotterbell? Dry Spell

Rotterbell?" Noah stiffened.

"You know her?" Arcus asked.

"She was appointed as a state magician last year. However, she caused a

lot of... problems, and was deemed too dangerous to be allowed to roam

freely."

"Huh? Looked to me like she could walk around freely just fine," Cazzy

remarked.

"I'm sure there's some kinda reason behind it," said Arcus. "Still, I can't

believe she's a state magician."

"Look, that's interestin' and all, but we really gotta get goin'. The

guards'll be here soon."

Arcus could already hear their faint approaching footsteps. It sounded like

a lot of them were coming, too. Immediately, the three of them slid into a

nearby room to hide.

"It doesn't look as though getting out will be an easy affair, either," Noah

murmured.

"D'you think we could break through them?" Arcus asked.

"It would be a possibility, but no doubt a time-consuming one."

"Right. In that case... Are there any windows around here, Cazzy?"

"Should be at the end of the hallway... but if you wanna try climbin'

down, I gotta tell ya it ain't a good idea."

"No, that wasn't what I was thinking. I'm not looking to die here."

"So, what are you planning?" Noah asked.

Arcus allowed a dramatic pause before giving his answer. "We're going

to fly."

As he expected, both Noah and Cazzy gawked at him.

Cazzy was the first to raise a loud objection.

"I think I misheard ya. Did ya say... 'fly'?"

"You heard me fine. We'll get to a nearby window and jump down. Using

magic, of course."

If pushing through the guards and leaving the Tower from the inside

wasn't an option, they would have to use the outside. Arcus never expected

he would need to use this trick, but he was certainly glad he looked into it

now.

Neither Noah nor Cazzy looked too pleased by the idea. Cazzy was

frowning as deep as anything, and Noah's face was slightly stiffer than usual.

Was my idea really that crazy?

Now that Arcus thought about it, he'd never come across anything in his

studies about using magic to fly. Flying was supposed to be one of

humanity's greatest dreams, and yet in this world, man seemed to have made

no attempt at such a feat, despite having access to magic. Surely Arcus

couldn't have been the first person to come up with such an idea?

Cazzy broke the uncomfortable silence with a sigh. "Listen, kid. Ya know

that magicians've been lookin' into this whole flyin' thing, and they ain't

ever found a way to do it, right?"

"What? Really?"

"Master Arcus, if I may. At this point in time, it has been acknowledged

that using magic to fly is impossible. Though I have heard of many attempts

to create such a spell, they have all ended in failure"

"Huh? Doesn't that just mean their spells were badly made?"

"The spells weren't the issue, kid. Even quotin' direct from the

Chronicles, they never came up with nothin' good."

"In terms of picturing the spells, they used all sorts of flying creatures and

their movements as reference. However, none of it worked, and it was

eventually decided that the divine spirits must not want us to fly. With the

exception of a certain emperor, of course..." Noah added, although he didn't

elaborate, since it was irrelevant.

"That doesn't make any sense," Arcus protested.

"'Course it makes sense! 'Cause everyone knows it!" Cazzy retorted.

"What about psychokinesis, then? How does that work? That spell sends

stuff flying through the sky, too."

"Nah, that's just like throwin' somethin', except with magic."

"Huh? Is that what everyone thinks? What about you, Noah?"

"Yes."

"What?!"

Arcus couldn't believe it. When he used psychokinesis, he always pictured

it as some sort of psychic power, but now everyone was telling him they were

imagining using their hands to move the object?

Now that he thought back, he always seemed to be able to move objects

with a lot more freedom than the other people he witnessed using the spell.

Perhaps it wasn't so much what you imagined that affected the spell, but

more the way in which you imagined it. Arcus's visions reflected the

fundamental rules he learned in the man's world.

Universal gravitation. The world's gravitational pull. Inertia. It was on

these principles that Arcus created and pictured his spells. Did that make his

individual approach completely different to everyone else's?

"What do you two think it is that makes stuff fall to the ground?"

That was the most important thing to establish here. Was the law of

gravity as universally known here as it was in the man's world?

It was Noah who answered. "Ascension and descent is not something you

learn about until your fifth year at the Institute."

"Ascension and descent?" Arcus echoed.

"Mmhmm."

Arcus's curiosity was piqued.

"It means the attributes which objects make use of to go up and down,"

Cazzy added.

"Attributes?"

"He is correct," Noah said. "Objects move up and down because they are

attracted to other objects with the same base attribute.

"We humans are attracted to the ground's attribute, see. That's why we

fall toward the ground.

"Consider the following spell, if you will.

"O grand presence, release the chains and pins that hold me down to

Mother Earth. Withdraw your heavenly protection over the ground. Take

away the holy resting place of Aeolia's birds, no longer required. Blue of the

endless heavens, black of the confined earth we call home, grant me the

viridian feathers of birds as they make toward the sun."

Artglyphs sprung up around Noah's feet as he brought his incantation to

an end.

"Release the chains and pins that hold me down" was simple enough. In

other words, break the barriers which held him to the ground.

After a pause, Noah's body started to lift from the floor, but it only lasted

a brief moment. He fell back down in an instant. In all honesty, he could have

jumped to achieve the same result. He was in the air for the same amount of

time after all.

"That spell was so... long," Arcus said.

"The spell is long because of how powerful it is," Noah explained.

"I'm surprised ya got it out without stutterin' or nothin'. I woulda bit my

tongue halfway through." Cazzy gave an exaggerated demonstration.

"Noah was top of his class at the Institute!" Arcus said.

"Ah, makes sense. I went to the Institute, too."

"Oh, really? Now that I think of it, I haven't yet asked your name..."

In any case, Noah's spell was a failure. It sounded like it negated the

attributes of the ground to cause him to float. Now that Arcus thought of it,

that man had read something similar in his own world.

"That's it! Aristotle!" Arcus suddenly exclaimed.

"Ari-what now?" Cazzy asked.

It was just like the ideas of the four elements put forward by the ancient

philosopher Aristotle. According to him, these elements were what

influenced objects to both rise and fall. Objects wanted to return to where

they came from. For example, stones fell because they wanted to return to the ground, while fire rose as it wanted to return to the sky. It was these elements

which dictated the rising and falling of objects.

Acceleration was covered by the theory: the closer these objects were to

their origin, the happier they were, which caused them to fall or rise even

faster. Of course, to a civilization where the theory of gravity and universal

gravitation was common knowledge, this talk of elements would sound like

utter nonsense. If the ideas Noah's spell was based on were similar, then it

was no wonder it failed. Arcus couldn't take it for granted that the laws of

physics here and in the man's world were the exact same, but if they were, he

might be on to something.

"I think you've got it all wrong. Humans fall because of a force called

gaia," Arcus explained.

"Gaia?" Noah said.

"Right. It's a force which pulls us toward the ground we're standing on.

It's not that our bodies 'belong' to the planet. Instead, space-time deforms

around the planet's mass, and we fall into..." Arcus trailed off when he saw

how Noah and Cazzy were staring at him like they couldn't begin to fathom

what he was talking about.

It was no wonder. Explaining gravity required a vast foundation of

science that was only elementary in the man's world, and he was probably

using a lot of language they hadn't heard before, either. Yet, if they didn't

understand what he was getting at, they wouldn't have a clear enough picture

to create a flying spell. At least the word "gaia" existing in the Elder Tongue

was a good start, as it was close enough to the definition of gravity from the

man's world.

How am I gonna tackle this?

Arcus's eyes fell on the cloth in Cazzy's hand.

"Cazzy, could you spread that out for me?" he asked.

"Huh? This?"

"Yep. You hold the other end, Noah. Then hold it out and keep it taut."

Arcus swept his gaze around the room again. "When an object has mass, it

curves the space around it. You'll be able to see that distortion if I put an

object on the cloth. Watch."

Arcus found something to place on the cloth.

"Imagine that's the ground we're standing on, and the dent in the cloth

underneath it is the warped space. The object is just like the planet we're on, except the planet is huge, and therefore so is the dent. Us humans are being

pulled into that dent, or that curved space."

"R-Right..." Cazzy didn't sound too sure.

Arcus knew that this explanation would be far too basic, but if he went

into any more detail, he'd have to start talking about celestial objects, planets,

and space. He didn't have the time for that right now.

"Basically, it's not that our bodies are moving toward something

unconsciously; instead, it's that the ground is pulling us toward it by creating

this huge dent."

Noah, being who he was, instantly had a response prepared. "But Master

Arcus, none of this is entirely clear. Are you quite sure your thinking is

correct?"

"I don't know for sure..."

"What? Now you're tellin' us ya don't even know what you're on about?"

"No one fully understands how gravity works. That's why there are so

many theories framed around the question. There's Aristotle's theory, which

Noah already explained, Galileo's laws of dynamics, Newton's law of

universal gravitation, Buridan's theory of impetus, Einstein's general theory

of relativity... There are even some theories that gravity doesn't exist at all."

There was no end to theories formed in search of the truth. It was likely a

destination that would never be reached.

"What I'm sure of," Arcus continued, "is that the rules this world regards

as correct are wrong. You're trying to make spells that negate these

'attributes' you speak of, but those spells are based on misguided

foundations, which is why no one's been able to use magic to fly."

"Yeah, but..." Cazzy began.

"Also, it's not like we'll be making a spell from scratch. I've actually

already got one," Arcus said.

"You're kiddin'..."

"Are you quite serious?"

"Of course. Watch this.

"O, creatures great and small who move and crawl along the ground:

revolt against the pull of Hades, and disentangle yourselves from the snares

of space. Rebel against gravity, and push back against it. Find your wings,

and become as one that soars above the skies."

Arcus's body began to float up with the artglyphs swirling sparsely around him.

"What do you think? I can't really move, but I'm not falling, at least.

Doesn't that mean that my explanation is closer to the truth than yours?"

Noah and Cazzy stared at him, their mouths agape. Arcus turned onto his

front and started to move his arms and legs as though he were swimming.

Still, he remained floating in the air. He still felt a little weight in his body,

though, so he was sure there was still something missing in his

understanding.

"By golly, ya really are flyin'! And... And for more than three seconds,

too!"

Unlike Noah's spell, Arcus's showed no sign of letting him fall at all. Just

then, he heard a quiet chuckle.

"You never fail to impress me, Master Arcus, no matter how much time

passes."

"I just wish I could move how I wanted. I guess I'll just have to fix it up.

Not only the spell, but my understanding of the theory behind it..."

Noah continued to smile, poking at Arcus's body curiously with his eyes

sparkling.

"Remember what I was saying about gaia?" Arcus said. "The idea that the

ground pulls us toward it, not that we're heading toward the ground. If you

keep that rule in mind, you should be able to fly, too."

"W-Wait a sec! Fine, I get it, you're flyin', right? B-But I don't think I'm

ready to try it out for myself yet!"

He never used the spell before. Therefore, he didn't know how much

aether he needed to pull it off. To work it out, he would need a good amount

of practice with that particular spell. Arcus, of course, had a solution.

"Have you got one with you, Noah?"

"Yes. Right here."

"Nice one!" Arcus wondered how he ever managed without Noah before.

His servant pulled an aethometer from his breast pocket. Cazzy instantly

frowned at it.

"Whazzat?"

"That's a device which measures aether."

"A what now?" Unsurprisingly, Cazzy didn't pick up on its meaning

immediately. But once he did, his expression changed instantly. "W-Wait,

no... you've gone too far this time! This time ya gotta be pullin' my leg!"

"I'm not, I promise. Watch this. Release a little aether and... the stuff

inside it expands!"

Cazzy watched, his eyes wide, as the Sorcerer's Silver inside the

graduated wooden frame expanded.

"When did they come up with these?" he asked.

"This is Master Arcus's invention."

"What, this kid? No way! I gotta be dreamin'..." Cazzy trailed off,

apparently at a loss for words.

Meanwhile, Arcus took a paper and pen from Noah and began to break

down his spell.

"All together, this spell requires 427 mana. Each word needs 30 or 25.

From 'Revolt' until 'space,' we need 170, and "rebel against gravity" worked

best at about 62 mana. That part was kinda tricky to work out. From there..."

Arcus continued, noting down the mana requirements for each clause of

the spell. Noah himself had been working with the aethometer for over two

years now, and had become very good at judging how much mana a spell

required.

"Allow me to start," Noah said before reciting Arcus's spell himself.

Sure enough, just like Arcus's, Noah's body began to float.

"O-Oh... Oh my." Noah frowned, as though he couldn't quite comprehend

that the spell worked. "I must say this really would be much more enjoyable

if one could move around freely."

"I could probably make that happen, but the spell would end up twice as

long as the one you cast earlier. Plus, it'd be difficult to control the

movements themselves.

"Not to mention that the aether required for such a spell would make it far

too impractical to see any use. Instead of adding more words or phrases, the

existing ones would need to be stronger. But that's way too complicated to

sort out right now," said Arcus.

"I shall look forward to seeing what you can come up with." Noah smiled.

"You mean 'we.' I'll need you to help me out, y'know."

"But of course."

Arcus made his way toward the window. At this height, the wind was

incredibly strong, and there was no doubt that it would make things more

difficult. He positioned himself by holding onto the windowsill, still not quite

comfortable with the floating sensation. He felt like one of the astronauts he'd seen on television in the man's world. They often held onto parts of the

space station's interior to keep themselves steady in the zero gravity.

Cazzy, meanwhile, was looking out of the window and down toward the

ground with a gulp.

Arcus wasn't exactly steady on his feet, either. Suppose his spell stopped

working halfway through, just like Noah's spell from before. The moment

that happened, there was no saving him.

The possibility clung to his mind like a frightened animal.

The wind howled beneath them. Saying they would simply fly down was

easy enough. Actually doing it was a different matter.

"Aargh! All right, here goes then!"

Without wasting another breath, Cazzy recited the spell from the

notebook. Again and again he recited it, until he finally committed it to

memory. Then, he used the aethometer to measure how much aether he

needed to cast it. It didn't take him long to work it out at all, and then, he was

ready for the real thing.

"O, creatures great and small who move and crawl along the ground.

Revolt against the pull of Hades, and disentangle yourselves from the snares

of space. Rebel against gravity, and push back against it. Find your wings,

and become as one that soars above the skies...—C'mon, lemme fly!"

One Small Step.

Artglyphs rose up around Cazzy, creating a warm, gentle breeze that

swirled around him. The next moment, his body lifted into the air too.

"I-I'm really flyin'!" he gasped, unable to believe his eyes.

"See?" Arcus said.

"Yeah, but, d'ya really think it's safe? What if it runs out halfway down

the Tower?"

"We'll be fine." Arcus took Cazzy, who was still panicking, by the arm,

leading him out through the window.

The three of them floated there for a while to get used to the new

sensation.

"To get back to the ground, all you need to say is 'down,' and you'll start

falling gently," explained Arcus. "You'll speed up the more times you say it,

so you'll wanna take it easy. Just say it whenever I do for now."

And so they began the terrifying descent, suspended in the air without

even a parachute.

The night was deepening. Stars twinkled brightly in the sky, occasionally

blocked out by the passing purple clouds. The Sol Glasses on the ground

shone brightly, as though greeting the sky above. Their light bounced off the

glass panes of buildings, creating their own blanket of stars.

There was a reason this capital was known as the City of Starlight by the

neighboring kingdoms, and it was all thanks to the city's glass factories and

advanced seal technology. Not only was it a beautiful sight to behold, but it

meant the citizens were able to work late into the night under the

illumination, accelerating progress even further.

Needless to say, the capital's largest prison, the Holy Tower, also made

use of Sol Glasses. They were good for spotting both intruders and would-be

escapees in the darkness. There was one particular person who was able to

spot those attempted escapes faster than anybody else.

"Oh, thank goodness they made it out!" Arcus's friend Sue let out a sigh

of relief as she watched the Tower from one corner of its courtyard.

Arcus and his servant ran across the grounds. There wasn't a guard in

sight, meaning their escape was unnoticed.

"Are you sure about this?" a woman standing next to Sue asked.

She was a sprightly woman in her mid-twenties. Her long, rose-colored

hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her purple eyes were half-hidden behind

small, silver-rimmed and square-framed glasses. Her fur-trimmed cloak gave

away her noble status, although more conspicuous was the highly decorative

sword that lay on her hip.

She had a pretty face, and her lips seemed permanently sealed in a tight

line, as though they wouldn't allow a superfluous word to pass them. She

gave off an air of frigidity.

This was Lisa Lauzei. She was the gifted Chief Officer of the Surveillance

Office.

"Yes. Thank you for your help, too. Everything went as well as I hoped,"

Sue said.

"Still, I wasn't expecting a request in the middle of the night to loosen

security here."

"It was the only way to let Arcus escape without attracting too much

attention."

"Exactly. With the number of friends that man has in the Tower, even my hands are tied."

It was common for nobles to plant their own people in high places to keep

themselves safe. For some, it allowed their crimes to receive a lighter

sentence. For others, it made any jail time more pleasant. When nobles used

their powers in such a way, it was all too easy for them to slip through even

the Ministry of Justice's toughest nets.

If the country's processes were more tightly regulated, this sort of thing

wouldn't happen as much, but that would involve tightening up the nobles'

current powers, which they wouldn't take lying down. History already told of

what would happen then. Nobles would flee the country, searching for

somewhere they could take power again. Meanwhile, the masses would take

over the kingdom, and it would crumble from the inside, much like the

former kingdom of Dariostate. That was one of the difficulties of feudalism.

"I still can't believe he got sent to the Tower! I wonder who's behind

this," Sue said.

Lisa stayed silent.

Sue realized she wasn't getting a straight answer unless she asked a direct

question. "Do you know anything about this, Lisa?"

"No."

Sue wasn't sure she believed her.

She came to Lisa requesting her help after she heard her friend was

captured. Not just captured, but imprisoned in the Holy Tower. There were

measures in place to prevent its clientele from running amok. Their teeth or

tongues were pulled out, and in some cases, their jaws were broken. As soon

as she heard the news, Sue panicked. Deciding that finding out the reason

behind Arcus's capture could wait, she asked Lisa to either set him free or

allow his escape.

Now that he had, she returned to the question of what he was doing there

in the first place. The Arcus that Sue knew was anything but a hardened

criminal. Quite apart from his upstanding behavior, having a noble child

imprisoned in the Tower at a moment's notice was unheard of.

It was clear to her that he got involved in something he shouldn't have—

something run by somebody powerful enough to throw him in the Tower in

the blink of an eye without being questioned. An opponent that powerful

meant that Sue had no choice but to turn to a high-ranking noble for help.

As Chief Officer, there was no way Lisa was clueless. It was her department's job to look out for this sort of thing, after all.

"Is the Surveillance Office doing anything about this?" Sue asked.

It was all too strange. If this was a result of a conflict between two houses,

it was the office's job to intervene or at least investigate. Yet this time, they

had done nothing, despite the fact that they were usually champing at the bit

for even a whiff of conflict or corruption.

The only conclusion was that their inaction was because of somebody or

something exerting their influence over them. Sue was certain something was

lurking in the shadows. It was almost like she could hear it creeping up on

her now. All of this couldn't have come at a worse time.

The Surveillance Office wasn't acting, but Lisa failed to answer Sue's

question. Did she herself not know the answer? Did no one tell her, or was

she just keeping quiet? Did she really believe Sue would drop it if she didn't

answer?

She was wrong. Sue needed an answer, no matter what.

"Officer Lisa Lauzei. I'm only going to ask you once more. If you know

something, tell me. Don't think you can deceive me." Sue, full name Susia

Algucia, sighed.

At her change in tone, Lisa instantly stiffened. "Don't be absurd!"

"Your silence only means you're keeping something from me. I know the

Surveillance Office must know something about this."

"But there's no evidence to suggest—"

"At the very least, they must have a small fraction of information. How

else would I have been told that Arcus was captured?"

"Mm..." Lisa's answer was noncommittal.

It seemed she was still unaware of what a non-answer meant here. How

dare she stay silent on a matter that concerned Susia's dearest Arcus? Any

delay in answering wasn't something Susia was likely to forget soon.

Susia slowly drew the sword that lay at her waist. She allowed her aether

to boil up inside her, rushing to every last inch of her body. There was no

way Lisa wouldn't feel it. The silver blade glinted in the moonlight, flicking

its rays fiercely from its surface. The next moment, it was positioned against

Lisa's neck. As it dug into the skin of her collarbone, a shock of fear shot

through the older woman. It didn't escape Susia's notice.

"Lisa Lauzei. You are to look into the office's failing in this case very

carefully. If you fail to carry out this investigation to the utmost, then you know what is to happen to your head, don't you?"

"Y-Yes! Yes, ma'am!"

"If you understand, I expect results." Susia reined in her overflowing

aether.

At the same time, Lisa collapsed to the ground on all fours. She was

gasping like she had just run a marathon.

With a sigh, Susia became Sue once more.

She smiled sweetly. "I can't wait to see what you come up with."

"M-Ma'am!" Lisa cried out, her face damp with sweat.

It seemed Sue scared her more than she thought, though at the same time,

she couldn't say she was too surprised. She waited for Lisa to regain her

composure.

"I do wonder just how they managed to make it down the Tower," Lisa

remarked. "It hasn't been long since his attendant made it in, and it should

have taken even longer than that to climb all the way down."

"Maybe they climbed down from the outside," Sue suggested.

"That... doesn't sound all that realistic."

"Yeah. I wonder if Arcus came up with some cool new spell or

something. I'll have to ask him about it!"

Though, if she did, she'd have to reveal that she knew about what

happened tonight. How should she approach it? Sue's mind was already

bursting with excitement. What spell had he used? Which phrases, and which

words? If there was one thing she knew about Arcus, it was that his creativity

knew no bounds.

Just then, Lisa beckoned to her. "This way, ma'am."

Sue followed her, stealing one last glance at Arcus over her shoulder.

Though she was glad he was safe, there was one thing that didn't fail to

capture her attention.

"Isn't that... the kidnapper? Why is he with Arcus?"

As well as his servant, Noah Ingvayne, Arcus was running with the man

who tried to kidnap them. They seemed to be getting on well enough, from

what she could tell, so maybe there was nothing to worry about, but...

Sue wasn't sure she had ever seen such a strange combination of people.

Having successfully escaped The Holy Tower, Arcus and his two

companions raced through the night. They were already closing in on Gaston's estate now. It was visible in the distance, the tall building towering

up behind a row of hedges. The light of Sol Glasses spilled out through the

windows, while similar lamps illuminated the courtyard. It was so bright that

Arcus had to squint no matter where he looked. It seemed a bit much, even in

the name of security, but there was no doubt that it made sneaking into the

estate much more difficult.

Noah, Cazzy, and Arcus peered over the stone wall and into the dazzling

garden densely populated with statues.

"Ugh." Cazzy's distaste for the marquess's aesthetic sense was clear. "So

this tacky sparklin' place belongs to a noble, yeah?"

"Yeah. The Marquess Cau Gaston," said Arcus.

"Huh..." Cazzy fell silent, mulling over the name.

Arcus couldn't blame him. They weren't dealing with just any aristocrat

here. This man was in charge of all the kingdom's financial affairs. In the

first place, Cazzy had only promised Arcus that he would help him escape the

Tower and nothing more.

"It's okay, Cazzy. Thanks for all your help. If you come to the Raytheft

house later, I'll be able to reward you... Cazzy?"

Cazzy had stopped responding. He looked down at Arcus, his expression

calm and composed. It was a far cry from his usual cocky grin. What on earth

could he be thinking?

"Whaddya guys plannin' on doin' here?"

"Huh? Like I said, I'm gonna beat up the marquess and save my sister."

"He looks like a pretty big cheese. Have ya thought about what ya gonna

do after?"

"I don't have to. I'm just a kid, after all. I don't need to worry about

consequences."

"Ya say you're just a kid, but ya sure don't act like one sometimes..."

"You're telling me," Noah pitched in. "I do fear for how he shall be in ten

years time, if this is how he is now."

"Quit it. We gotta save Lecia, and we gotta do it now!"

"Do not forget, Master Arcus, we have the option of waiting for Craib."

"But he can't do anything right away! It'll take too long."

"Indeed. If he was already able to act, he would have been in contact by

now."

"If you knew that, why did you ask?"

"I needed to make sure you were fully aware of our situation. That is also

part of my role," Noah replied calmly.

There was a good chance that Arcus's desperation would cause him to

forget the basic facts of what they were dealing with, so he did find Noah's

reminders helpful. His servant really did manage to think of everything.

"Hey, Arcus. Mind if I join ya guys for this bit?" Cazzy asked suddenly.

"What?"

"It'll be easier if you've got more people on your side, right?"

"Sure, but... you do know who we're taking on, don't you?"

"Yeah, but you're a noble, too. That comes with its advantages."

"You're getting ahead of yourself. I'm not even that high ranking, plus

I'm not really technically nobility anymore..."

"Sure." Apparently unconcerned, Cazzy climbed up over the stone wall

and jumped down into one corner of the garden.

He was clearly raring to go. Arcus had no idea what led to this sudden

burst of eagerness, but he wasn't about to complain. Climbing up over the

wall himself, he joined Cazzy in the garden.

"Careful, Master Arcus. There are mercenaries everywhere," Noah

warned.

"Yeah, the security here is pretty tight. As far as they know, I'm still in

the Tower, but there are still guys walking around everywhere."

"They must be on the lookout for surveillance officers. Though their

documents were stolen once, I doubt the marquess is ready to let it happen

again," Noah said, before climbing the wall himself. "Let us hide over there

for the time being."

"I'm glad the marquess has this strange statue obsession," Arcus

commented as the group hid themselves behind a collection of statues and

hedges.

There were plenty of hiding places in the garden. The problem was the

number of mercenaries walking around.

"What shall we do?" Noah asked.

"There are so many guards that we'll probably get caught right away

anyway. Let's just face them head-on. That or maybe we should create a

diversion. Instead of taking them on one by one, I'd feel better if there were

less of them to start with."

"Hey, kid. Y'know stealth's a thing, right?"

"Yeah, I know, and I've got spells for that. I'm just worried that if we

sneak past them instead of taking them out, they'll only cause us trouble later.

And then what? We've used up all our aether on sneaking through, and we

won't be able to fight."

"Takin' them out? There's only three of us!"

"That's enough. There are about twenty of them, right? If we combine our

spells, we should be able to take them all out at once."

While they ran the risk of alerting the marquess to their presence this way,

he was going to find out soon enough anyway. They also had the option of

wiping out the guards before allowing themselves to be captured. At least

then the mercenaries wouldn't be a problem. Arcus already had a plan should

that happen. Something that could easily turn the tide in their favor.

"Cazzy, would you happen to have any spells capable of dealing with a

great number of opponents at once?" Noah asked.

"Sure I do. What about you?"

"This is not my first time on the battlefield. As long as I can rely on my

allies to back me up, I can fight."

"I'll be good, too," Arcus said. "Thanks to you, I've still got most of my

aether left. I could cast around four Flamlarune or ten Black Ammo."

"Black what?" Cazzy said.

"Y'know, the spell I was shooting at the guards' legs in the Tower."

"Oh! That spooky spell..."

"Noah, do you know where Lecia is?" Arcus asked.

"According to my investigation before arriving at the Tower, she is highly

likely to be in the guest room on the second floor."

"Got it." Arcus nodded before standing up. "I'll go in and cause a fuss.

Once the mercenaries gather, I want you two to come at them from the sides."

Arcus jumped forward into the center of the garden, making sure he was

in full view.

"The kid's got guts," Cazzy remarked as he and Noah watched from

behind. "To think he can just jump out there without a second thought at his

age."

"I quite agree. In fact—"

Noah was interrupted by the clamoring of guards.

"Can we really rely on you, Cazzy?" he asked quickly.

"Sure, ya can trust me. Just think of me as another servant, yeah? He's gonna pay me, after all, so there's no way I'm betrayin' him!"

"Very well. In that case, let us serve our master to the utmost."

Arcus was already causing enough of a distraction to have mercenaries

gathering around him from every angle.

"Hey, Moneybags! Cow Gaston! Moo! Moo! Get back to the farmyard,

you old crook! Haha! Moo!"

Noah and Cazzy watched in total silence, both of them not quite sure what

to say. It was a rather... immature way to attract attention. Not that it was

ineffective, of course.

"Uh... Let's go," Cazzy finally said.

"Very well. I shall take the lead." Noah stood up, reciting the spell he

prepared to down the mercenaries.

"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."

Noah recited his spell with perfect fluency. A cold wind picked up around

him, carrying flecks of ice. They would be invisible were it not for the

sparkling blue reflection of the Sol Glasses around them. They spread out

over a section of the marquess's garden before falling to the ground. The

earth underneath the gathered mercenaries froze, forming a solid sheet of ice.

This was the full effect of Noah's Freezing Gale, and it could not have

come at a better time. The mercenaries who were charging toward Arcus

slipped on the ice beneath their feet and tumbled forward. Meanwhile, Noah

sent down a flurry of snow and ice down on them.

"The maiden's tears are cool and pure: blue sapphires which trap the

freezing hail. O swordsman, take those tears and scoop out their chilling

sadness; raise your sword to protect the maiden."

Artglyphs floated from Noah's palm and formed icicles, which finally

froze into a glacial sword. It was as beautiful as crystal, a chilling mist

bleeding from its surface.

It was the frozen sword of Jacqueline, better known as the Weeping

Maiden.

She was a young noble described in the sixth Ancient Chronicle, Demons

and Society's Collapse. Noah's spell was taken from a particular passage

describing her fall from grace. The purpose of the spell was, of course, to

create and maintain the existence of a weapon. Noah took up a fencing stance.

Arcus watched, wondering what was about to happen. Noah sprung

forward without warning. Arcus's brain barely registered his first lunge at the

nearest mercenary before Noah was bowing gracefully to the remaining

members of the stumbling mob.

"I'm afraid I am unable to permit anybody to get in the way of my

master."

Despite the polite tone to his words, what happened next was anything

but. Noah's sword was not just for stabbing; with each thrust, it sent a sharp

shard of ice flying from its tip. The light of the Sol Glasses bounced off those

shards, blinding anybody who dared look at them directly. Not only that, but

the shard damaged even those surrounding its main target. The attack was

imprecise, and relied heavily on the fact that there were so many of them, but

even that made it impossible for the mercenaries to retaliate immediately.

Noah thrust his sword forward. It pierced its target, and the shard ripped

through the target's allies. As if that wasn't enough, he sent even more of

those shards flying. The surrounding hedges froze over as statues crumbled

from the attack. Though they'd weathered many a winter, the unnatural cold

the Elder Tongue could call up was more than they could bear.

"Don't get cocky now, slush-for-brains!"

One of the mercenaries had freed himself from his icy restraints and

launched himself at Noah. Noah dodged him with an elegant sidestep, slicing

at the mercenary's neck as he passed.

The closest group of mercenaries were caught in the resulting spray. Their

ankles gripped tightly by the frozen ground, they had no way of dodging.

Noah pulled his sword back, the friction creating a horrible screech.

"Whoa..." Arcus was left speechless.

It was clear now just why Noah was top of his class at the Institute. His

sword skills were just as impressive as the spells he conjured.

Noah strolled onward through the icy garden. None of the mercenaries on

the back lines wanted to touch him. Even the archers were left powerless,

their limbs frozen by Noah's magic.

"Quick! Someone use a fire spell! Attack them and melt the ice on the

ground at the same time!" one of the mercenaries commanded.

So there were magicians among them, too. Arcus immediately tracked

them down. They'd formed up in a line, beginning to incant their spells.

"So you're both crazy, huh?! You guys are insane! Totally insane, I

swear!"

The magicians' spells were interrupted by Cazzy, who was walking across

the ice like he was out on an evening stroll. The magicians started over,

rephrasing them around his presence.

"He who bears fire cannot bear a heart. Corner and chase the debtor and

burn the house down to the ground. That life too shall be your payment."

"Oh, uh...

"Scale the lawyer and Scale the scholar. May your eloquent speech

quench the flames and become as my shield."

The first spell came from The Magician's Elegy. Specifically, a story of

an infamous loan shark who sent out pyromancers to collect what was owed

him.

Cazzy's spell was made specifically to defend against theirs. The

"firebearers" in the story finally found themselves in a courtroom and tried

by a lawyer named "Scale," who exposed their sins to the world. Using that

lawyer's name here was the best defense against their spell.

It seemed the mercenaries were unaware of the full story, as they

continued to chant the exact same spell. They likely thought that if they

continued pressing forward, they would eventually break down Cazzy's

shield, but their efforts were futile.

As he knew from experience, Cazzy's defensive spells were among the

best Arcus had ever seen. Just why somebody as talented as him would resort

to kidnapping remained a mystery.

"Ya like the whole 'fire-bearin' thing, don'tcha? Makes things nice and

easy for me!" Cazzy cackled, confident enough to goad the guards.

The mercenaries scowled at him, clearly displeased by his scorn. But it

would take more than scowls to take him down now.

"Okay!

"O, ruler of chains, may you leave these evildoers gasping for air and

freeze them with your glare. Evildoers, be bound! Evildoers, be held! May the

twin phantoms tie the chains of Hades to your feet and drag you down into

eternal slumber.

"Cerberus's Curse."

By its words, it was clear that the spell was meant to restrict its target. It

was the addition of "eternal slumber" that turned it into an offensive spell rather than a neutral binding spell. The phrase was a euphemism for death,

after all. The first part of the spell, too, sounded familiar. It was the spell

Cazzy tried to use when Sue ramped up the ante in the alleyway.

Artglyphs began to circle Cazzy's feet before turning into ethereal chains.

The chains flew through the air before surrounding the mercenaries like a

birdcage and tangling around them, rendering their swords and leather armor

powerless.

The chains wrapped around their arms, legs, torsos, and necks. Some hung

upside down, some by their throats, and some bent backward. They were

criminals, hung and crucified for their misdeeds. Flies caught in a spider's

web who could only wait for their hunter's return.

Once all the mercenaries were tied up, Cazzy said just one more word.

"Punish."

At that moment, the chains tightened around their prey. The mercenaries

were powerless and soon were left as nothing but rag dolls held aloft by the

chains.

It was an offensive spell, all right. A curse. Arcus couldn't remember

seeing any of those words or phrases before, meaning Cazzy must have come

up with it himself. It went off without a hitch, too; a spell like that would be a

force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

"Mercenaries ain't so tough, I guess..." Cazzy shrugged.

"What an incredible display," Noah breathed.

"Yeah, so try and leave more for me next time, okay?"

"Wow, Cazzy! You're more amazing than I thought!" Arcus said.

"Oh, so I can impress a ten-year-old too, huh? Big whoop."

Arcus was almost ready to make an indignant comeback when they were

faced with reinforcements. This looked like the final group; there was no sign

of any more approaching. In all likelihood, the three of them had taken out

everyone who was guarding the front, as well as those who were patrolling

the inside. The final few were probably only late because they were stationed

further away. That or they weren't sure whether they should leave their post

or not.

Noah and Cazzy prepared themselves to fight.

"Sorry guys, but there's something I wanna try," Arcus called out to the

mercenaries in front of them.

Noah shot his master a puzzled glance. "What are you thinking, Master

Arcus?"

"The guest room is on the front-facing side of the mansion, right?"

"Indeed it is."

"Good."

"Have ya even got enough aether, kid?" Cazzy asked.

"Don't worry. What I'm planning shouldn't take much," Arcus replied

quickly before turning his attention back to the area around them.

Arcus checked the estate's windows, but there was no sign of the

marquess, nor of the mercenaries' leader. Neither of them would witness

Arcus using his magic right now, so there was no need for him to hold back.

This was for his sister, who cried for him that day.

His sister, who worked so hard to meet her parents' expectations.

Arcus had no mercy for those who would harm that sister of his.

"Archers, nock your arrows!"

As the mercenaries prepared their bows, Noah and Cazzy put themselves

on guard once more. The corner of Arcus's lip curled sadistically. Everything

was right where it needed to be. Without hesitation, he recited his spell.

"Miller of the river, miller of wheat. You lack skill, you lack talent. You

are lazy, you cannot manage. Your flour rides on the air, useless as dust."

There was a clamor of confused voices.

"What was that spell?"

"It can't have been offensive!"

"The kid's just bluffing! Focus on the other two next to him!"

The outcome of his spell still not clear, the mercenaries decided that

Arcus was not worth worrying about. They instead focused their attacks on

Noah and Cazzy. Arcus and the effects of his spell were now invisible to

them.

Exposure Dust.

The artglyphs from Arcus's incantation flew up to surround the

mercenaries. There was a crackling sound as they exploded, covering the area

in a fine, white dust. The dust clung to their bodies like flour from a sack.

The mercenaries began to splutter.

"A-A smokescreen?! That's low!"

"Quick! Magicians, use wind magic! Get rid of this stuff!"

The archers were in no position to shoot their arrows now. Meanwhile, the

wind spells achieved nothing but whipping up the white dust around them,

sending it scattering even further than before. It seemed the mercenaries had

no idea they were just tightening the nooses around their own necks.

"Master Arcus. A smokescreen is indeed an excellent tool... when used at

the right time."

"That dust ain't gonna kill 'em, y'know!" Cazzy added.

"What? You guys think I'm done?"

They were right. Alone, his spell was useless.

All he did was cover the enemy in combustible powder.

The wind magic helped to spread the powder. Though they weren't in a

sealed space, it was still enough for Arcus to carry on with his plan. From his

breast pocket, he pulled out a small piece of steel engraved with seals. He

then threw it toward the dust-covered mercenaries.

"Get down, you two! And cover your ears!" he warned his companions.

They flung themselves down on the lawn, despite not understanding the

situation. The moment the steel hit the ground, it began to spark, igniting the

white powder around it. The dust in the air caught alight, the flames

spreading rapidly across each particle. Finally, when the energy was too

much for the space to bear, an incredible reaction between gas and flame

triggered.

The ground rumbled beneath them while the air exploded into flame

above them. The thunderous boom was so loud that it drowned out the

screams of the mercenaries engulfed in it.

Arcus waited until it was safe to get up. When he did, all he could see in

front of him was utter carnage. The once-vibrant green lawn was scorched to

a blackened crisp. The glass from every window that looked out onto the

garden had been shattered into a million pieces. The mercenaries caught up in

the blast were in a horrifying state. Some were torn apart by the explosion.

Some suffocated from the flames. Some were left limbless. Though others

were still gasping for air, their injuries were so heavy that they wouldn't be

able to move any time soon.

Most of them were dead. Though a few survivors likely remained out of

sight, dealing with them would only be a matter of time.

Noah swept his gaze over the garden, his mouth agape. "Wh-What on

earth was that, Master Arcus?"

"I just set the dust alight, and it exploded."

"The dust... exploded?"

It seemed Noah didn't understand, meaning the physics behind what

Arcus just did weren't known in this world. At the very least, it wasn't easily

accessible information here, due to the lack of television or internet.

Cazzy's expression was stiff as he eyed Arcus. "How the hell d'ya know

about this? Ain't ya s'posed to be just some noble kid?"

So Cazzy knew?

"I have my ways."

Cazzy snorted. "I bet ya do."

"Have you seen this sort of thing before, Cazzy?" Noah asked.

"It's somethin' that happens at flour mills, though it's rare. The flour flies

into the air and gets set alight, and then the whole place goes flyin'!"

"It's a dust explosion," Arcus explained. "Combustible flour, sawdust, or

aluminum powder gets in the air and mixes with the gas. If it catches fire, it

creates a powerful reaction like the one we just saw."

"What? Ya even know how it works?"

"It's good at catching your opponent off-guard. Plus, it hardly uses any

magic at all! The only problem is, you're relying on a totally natural process,

so if something doesn't line up properly, you're toast."

"Ya givin' me the creeps, kid." Cazzy shuddered. "Ya were just like this

with the whole flyin' shtick, too."

"I worry for your future sometimes," Noah added. "In fact, make that 'all

the time.'"

"Whatever." Arcus was starting to get used to them talking about him like

this.

"Master Arcus. Please go on ahead. We shall take care of things here."

"Got it."

"Wait up, pretty boy. Ya sure it's okay to let him go alone?"

"You continue to doubt him, even after what you just witnessed?"

"Uh... Good point." Cazzy grinned sheepishly before preparing himself to

take on the remaining guard.

"I'll see you guys later, then," Arcus said, helping himself to a dead

mercenary's sword.

It was fairly short, usable even by a child like him—most likely a back-up

weapon. Arcus turned, heading for the back entrance. Whatever happened, he

was determined to save Lecia.

It didn't take long after Arcus began his attack for Charlotte Cremelia to

notice the ruckus that was going on outside the guest room window.

"What on earth is going on out there?"

It had been a few hours since the marquess promised their deaths. Both

she and Lecia had been waiting anxiously this whole time, wondering when

he would come back. She could only imagine that the reason he hadn't killed

them yet was because he was keeping a close eye on the Raytheft and Cremelia houses. If they already knew the marquess had them here and they

died, it would be near impossible for him to escape suspicion. He could have

all the money and the highest government position in the world, but if a

military family dared to bare their fangs at him, he was done for.

It was highly likely that he wanted to make sure they had no idea of their

daughters' whereabouts before he acted. For the time being, Charlotte and

Lecia were safe. At best, they probably had until the following night.

It was then that the estate suddenly went into an uproar. At first, there

were shouts and thundering footfall in the corridors. Once things were quiet

again for a while, there were more noises outside. These noises were

different. There were screams and the sounds of large objects breaking.

Finally, there was a huge rumbling boom, loud enough to set Charlotte's ears

ringing.

Charlotte wouldn't expect to hear such violent sounds here, given the

mansion's position in the capital. Guards patrolled the area around these

noble estates frequently, and every mansion had a private guard on top of

that. Causing trouble in a place like this was a fool's errand.

She would have loved to discuss what might be happening with someone,

but Lecia, the only other person in the room, was gagged. It also sounded like

whatever was happening was happening on the other side of the estate, so

looking out of the window would offer no clues, either. It was frustrating, to

say the least.

Just then, the guest room door opened, revealing the ape-like mercenary

leader behind it.

He strolled into the room. "Ladies, it looks like we're under attack."

"What?" Charlotte exchanged a glance with Lecia.

This estate was heavily guarded, particularly the outside. Who would be

foolish enough to launch an attack under such conditions? Could it have been

launched by one of the girls' fathers?

"From what I heard, this little lady's kid brother's brought some friends

with him. He's pretty brave for a lad with no talent!"

"Arcus is here?"

Didn't the marquess say he sent Arcus to the Holy Tower? If he was here,

then how on earth did he manage to escape? Not only that, but why did he

come here, instead of heading straight home?

The door opened again, interrupting Charlotte's train of thought. This time, it was the estate's master, Cau Gaston, who appeared. He was wrapped

in a bathrobe, the steam from his soak still coming off his large body. Gaston

turned to the mercenary.

"Give me an update. What is going on?"

"Everything's going swimmingly, Milord! My men have it all under

control!"

"I heard we have an intruder on our hands. Who are they? Are we dealing

with the Surveillance Office? The Cremelias? The Raythefts? Who?"

"Uh, it's that kid, Milord. The one Your Lordship sent to the Tower!"

"Nonsense! The Raytheft boy?"

"That's what my men are saying, and they wouldn't dare lie to me!"

Gaston grumbled. "Somebody must have slipped up and let him get away!

But I was sure to give my note to one of my own men... It doesn't make

sense!"

Charlotte couldn't believe it herself. From what she heard, escape from

the Tower was utterly impossible.

"Still, this does leave us in a bit of a tight spot," Gaston continued.

"No need to worry, Milord! We'll sort that kid out!"

"That's not my concern. If he escaped from the Tower, there's a good

chance his father's heard about what's going on now."

It was a reasonable assumption and, if Arcus had told his father, there was

a good chance Joshua would have passed the news onto Purce, too.

The mercenary didn't seem concerned. "Nah, he wouldn't know."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because the kid only brought two more men with him, Milord."

"What?"

"I'm sure of it, Milord. If he told his dad, we should have way more

intruders on our hands."

"Yes... Joshua would have brought as many men as he could!"

There would be no expense spared in the rescue of his daughter. At the

very least, the viscount would have sent more than just three people,

especially considering one of them was his ten-year-old son. It was also

unlikely that Arcus told his father before coming straight back here. If his

father knew, then surely Arcus would have waited for him to gather some

men together. But he hadn't, and there was a simple explanation for it.

"He's worried I'm going to kill his sister straight away," Gaston said.

"Yeah, I think so too, Milord."

Just then, there was the sound of hurried footsteps in the corridor. They

got louder and louder, until suddenly a servant flung open the door without

even bothering to knock.

"My Lord!" he gasped. "My Lord!"

"What is it?"

"A-A thief... I mean, a child has broken into the estate!"

"You mean the Raytheft boy? Is he alone?"

"Yes, My Lord!"

"In that case, capture him as soon as possible! He's a child, not a rabid

criminal!"

"We are trying our best, My Lord, but... it's proving difficult!"

"'Difficult'?" Gaston roared. "'Difficult' to put a stop to a small boy?!"

The servant shrunk back in fear.

The head mercenary lowered his voice, addressing the servant. "What

about the other two outside? How are my men doing?"

"S-Sir, it seems that your men have been... Well, they've been wiped

out..."

"Wiped out?! You must be joking!"

"I am not, sir! I saw it myself, outside the window! All of them were...

dead." The servant's voice cracked on the last syllable, and he was getting

paler and paler by the minute.

The news made even the marquess and the mercenary exchange a fearful

glance. The mercenary knew just how many men he had at Gaston's estate

and how well spread-out they were.

"B-But there are only three attackers in total! And one of them's a

minor!" the mercenary protested.

"It seems the guard has been completely wiped out by magic. The back

garden looks completely frozen, but also like it's been burnt to cinders at the

same time..."

"So they know their magic tricks, huh?" the mercenary spat in frustration.

Gaston slammed his fist down on the table in front of him. "I knew there

was something funny about that child!"

"It must be the two he has with him, Milord! Even a low-level martial

family like the Raythefts has gotta have some decent magicians. Still, it's

weird they let the kid go ahead by himself like that..."

Gaston pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers. "How many

times must I tell you not to underestimate him? I am certain he is only

pretending to be weak, like a wolf in sheep's clothing!"

"A wolf, Milord? I guess it's time to go hunting, then."

There were more footsteps and shouts from the corridor. There was the

clanging of metal, as though there was a swordfight going on, but it wasn't

long until the sounds died down again. The guest room door flung open once

again.

Their fourth visitor that evening was much smaller than the previous

three. With silver hair and crimson eyes, he looked just like Lecia, but in

male clothing. There was no doubt in Charlotte's mind that this was Arcus

Raytheft.

Dressed in typical noble fashion, he held a sword in his right hand. His

ruby eyes scanned the room until they found his sister.

"Lecia! Are you hurt?!"

Lecia shook her head vigorously. The relieved smile on Arcus's face

lasted only a second before he turned to glare at the marquess. There was a

harsh fierceness to his eyes, unlike any Charlotte had ever seen from boys her

own age.

"How on earth did you get out of the Tower, boy?" Gaston growled.

"No way would I tell you!" Arcus pointed his blade at Gaston. "I'm

taking my sister back!"

"How dare you speak to me like that?!"

The mercenary stepped in front of Gaston, sensing a fight brewing. "Don't

think you're tough just 'cause you talked some grown-ups into coming here

with you! They're not here to help you out now, are they?"

"I can fight for myself."

"Guess it'll take killing you for you to learn that you can't!" The

mercenary unsheathed the sword on his back.

"Restrain him!" cried Gaston.

"No need, Milord. He can't fight back anyhow."

Arcus moved the sword away from Gaston's neck and gripped it with

both hands. The stance he took wasn't the usual one he would use for

fencing. He used a rarer position because of the shorter length of his sword.

The mercenary let out an impressed hum, not expecting Arcus to know of

this stance.

"So you do know how to fight. You were just pretending before, huh?"

"Of course. If my uncle ever saw how I tried to fight back then, he'd bite

my head off."

"Is that right? Well then, I won't hold back either!"

The next moment, the mercenary thrust his sword straight at Arcus,

having closed the gap between them in an instant. It took him by surprise, but

he still had the wherewithal to fend off the attack with his own sword.

"I'm not done yet!" the mercenary laughed.

His large stature made his slashes all the wider and more powerful. It

would be difficult enough for an adult to defend themselves against such

overwhelming force, let alone a child. Yet Arcus did just that, blocking each

strike from above with the side of his sword.

"Whoa..." Charlotte couldn't help but breathe a sigh of astonishment as

she watched.

Apparently tired of staying in one place, Arcus started to circle the room.

Not worried about damaging the furniture, he scrambled over it and used it as

cover from his opponent's blows. He jumped around and kept a perfect

balance, avoiding each of the mercenary's strikes as he did so. He never once

showed signs of wobbling, even when he was forced to crouch or stand on

one leg. Charlotte could only think that his training regime must have been

incredibly thorough.

The mercenary wasn't able to move as freely as before, now that Arcus

had led him to the more furnished side of the room. It wasn't enough to

compensate for their difference in size, though. Longer arms meant longer

reach, and higher strength meant stronger strikes. No matter how well Arcus

was able to dodge, the mercenary's sheer size never once allowed him an

opening. His frustration was starting to show on his face.

"Come on! Get it together, kid!" the mercenary taunted.

"D-Dammit!"

"You can't win by running away, y'know!"

Noticing Arcus's irritation, the mercenary kicked at him. Though Arcus

was able to block his sword just in time, he lost his balance and was sent

rolling over the floor. He was back on his feet in an instant, wielding his own

sword once more. Meanwhile, the mercenary showed no signs of slowing his

onslaught.

"You sure have a lot of confidence for a kid! But I can still send you flying just like that!"

Arcus scowled at him.

"Look, little kids like you should just go curl up in the corner while the

real men like us fight! You're nothing but a talentless hack!"

Again, Arcus was hit. And again, he got back to his feet instantly.

As Charlotte watched, a doubt began to form in her mind.

How can he keep standing up against such a powerful opponent?

How could he keep picking up his sword, again and again?

When she and Lecia were captured, Charlotte gave up the moment she

realized her opponents outclassed her. It was because her gift allowed her to

see her own defeat, making her believe that was the only outcome. As long as

her opponents were bigger, stronger, and more skilled than her, there was no

way to win.

Yet here was Arcus, standing up again and again despite facing such an

opponent. He must have been in pain. But still, he stood up.

Arcus's parries were getting slower and slower. The mercenary swung

down his sword again, and though Arcus blocked it just in time, his body was

sent flying and eventually slammed against the wall.

He was gasping for breath now. His body was so bruised that it pained

Charlotte even to look. She couldn't hold back anymore.

"Stop!"

Please, just give up! No one will blame you!

Arcus looked her way with a puzzled expression.

"You should know you cannot defeat him! So just give up!"

"Uh, thanks for the concern, but there's no way I can quit now." Arcus

smiled at her.

Why on earth was he being so stubborn? He didn't even deny that his

opponent was too strong for him. Charlotte couldn't understand.

"I'm not giving up. I don't care what they call me. Talentless, useless...

Whatever. I gotta keep fighting!"

It was just then that Charlotte remembered her father's words.

"Even if you can see your opponent's moves, that does not make them a

certainty. Even if you can see your own defeat, that is not a reason to give in.

Things can still change."

"Remember this."

The mercenary burst into laughter.

"You gotta be joking! I've never met a kid as stuck-up as you! Come on,

just accept it! There's no way you can win! Even the little lady thinks so!"

"I can't give up," Arcus repeated. "Not yet."

"I guess you're looking at an early grave, then." Sword in hand, the

mercenary took a step closer to Arcus.

"Do make him put up a good fight, won't you?" Gaston said, his lip

curling viciously.

"You got it, Milord."

Just then, Charlotte saw something—a flicker, an intimation—which

made her gasp. Something that made her stop yelling at Arcus to give up.

"Fighting you head on was never gonna work. I knew that from the start."

"Well then, why don't you—"

"That's why I've been waiting just for this moment to play my last card."

Arcus pointed a finger at the mercenary.

When Charlotte looked closer, however, she saw that it wasn't just one

finger. He had his thumb raised, too.

"Huh? What are you doing?"

"This is something that's gonna mess you up. Big time."

"Huh?"

"Thanks for knocking me all the way to this end of the room." Arcus

smirked before starting to mutter something under his breath.

"Do whatever you want! I already know you only have enough aether to

fill a thimble!"

"Shut up! I'm gonna blow your brains out!"

Bang!

The mercenary had no time to defend against Arcus's spell. Even though

Charlotte saw just moments before what Arcus was about to do, she still

couldn't wrap her head around what happened.

Putting his index finger to his lips, Arcus blew away the wisp of smoke

that rose from it.

"I'm glad this spell came in handy. I'll have to thank Sue later."

Arcus rose to his feet. The mercenary lay on the floor, unmoving.

Arcus looked down at the head mercenary on the floor in front of him. He

reminded him of the gorillas he saw in the man's world. He lay there lifeless,

the blood draining from his head. He can't have seen this coming. Arcus was

at a complete disadvantage, and the mercenary had the upper hand throughout the entire fight.

If Arcus tried to cast a spell earlier, his opponent might have taken that

opportunity to close the distance between them. He didn't want to reveal his

true magic ability to any of the servants in the corridor, and until he knew

who was here in the guest room, he couldn't judge whether it was worth

using his trump card or not. It was only because of his restraint up to this

point and the false image he'd put up that he could catch such a physically

superior opponent off-guard.

In other words, there was no guarantee he would be able to use it at all. If

the distance between him and the mercenary never widened, then he would

have to create that distance, and the opportunity to strike, himself. He knew it

was just a matter of time before the mercenary let his guard down when he

realized how "weak" Arcus was. If Arcus cast his spell too early, he would

lose the element of surprise and his chance of winning.

It was only when Arcus hit the wall that the opportunity to use his Black

Ammo came. By the time the mercenary heard the incantation and put

together that he'd been hoodwinked, it was already too late.

Arcus's aim was perfect, and he was too far away now for the mercenary

to attack straight away. If only he bothered to check on his men in the garden,

he may have realized what he was dealing with sooner. If only he listened to

Gaston's warnings.

When Arcus said he was going to "blow his brains out," he meant it. The

floor was strewn with pulverized gray matter.

He probably thought that the strongest spells were the most visually

impressive, too.

The thought crossed Arcus's mind as he looked down at the corpse. It was

a common assumption. The strongest spells often had a large area of impact

and longer incantations; Arcus's Black Ammo was an exception.

Arcus turned to look at his sister. Next to her sat the girl who cried out to

stop him. Both of them stared at him in shock. It must have been the first

time they'd seen magic used this way.

The marquess's own look of shock quickly twisted into a scowl. "Was

that magic?"

"My family's known for its magical ability. What do you think?"

"Well then, why did you act like such a simpleton before?"

"To make him underestimate me. I should've fought back sooner, but it's pretty tough when you're just a kid, y'know."

Really, it was Arcus who misjudged the situation at first. He thought that

his magical abilities would get him out of anything, and that misconception

led him to the Tower.

"What if he restrained you like I ordered him to? Then you would be in a

fix!"

"No, that would've made things easier. First he'd need to go through the

whole process of disarming me. It would have left me plenty of time to plug

him."

"We would have killed the girls the moment you tried anything funny."

"No you wouldn't. Hostages are useless once they're dead, and your

mercenary would be wasting time trying to kill them without paying attention

to me. At that moment, you'd both be dead. Guess it doesn't matter now

anyway."

For once, Gaston looked surprised, as though he only just grasped Arcus's

reasoning. This might have been the first time taking hostages hadn't turned

the tide in his favor, assuming he'd taken them before.

"Anyway, it's over. So stand down."

"You really think it's over?" Gaston smiled. "You don't know who you're

dealing with, do you?"

"Look, there's no point taking me as a hostage. I can speak faster than you

can move. Plus..."

Thanks to his daily training, Arcus was faster than him, too. Leaping

forward so that Lecia and the other girl were behind him, Arcus faced the

marquess with his arms outstretched. Gaston fell into a fighting stance, ready

to attack—not that he was in a position to, coming fresh out of the bath.

Arcus had a clear advantage, both physical and magical. He only had enough

aether left to cast Black Ammo one more time, but that was all he needed.

Just then, Noah and Cazzy burst through the door. They must have

finished dealing with the rest of the guards in the garden.

"O-Oh. Guess ya don't need us after all!"

"If only we had come here sooner."

"You have back-up?"

If he didn't realize it before, Gaston must have known he was in trouble

now. He ground his teeth for a while before eventually letting out a sigh.

He raised both his hands in surrender. "Alright. I admit defeat."

Arcus narrowed his eyes. For someone at gunpoint and soaking in his own

failure, he seemed unnaturally calm. There was nothing noble about his

surrender, either; Arcus got the impression he didn't actually feel defeated.

Did he think they would just leave him be now?

"How about a deal, Arcus Raytheft?"

"A deal? You think you're in a position to say that kinda thing?"

"Yes. I am willing to end things here. I will ignore the fact that you

stormed my estate and killed so many of my men; I will even return the girls

to you. But in return, you must give me the evidence."

"Why should I take that deal? I can just take them back myself, and I've

got nothing more to gain anyway."

"Oh, I think you do."

"Like what?"

"I can offer you my assistance. A boy in your position must have

fiduciary concerns. I think that's rather reasonable, don't you?"

Arcus's parents gave him no financial support at all. It was very likely

that money was going to be an issue in his future. Gaston probably guessed

this and saw it as a way to sweeten the deal. The only people who knew about

what happened tonight were right here in this room. As long as everyone kept

quiet, the marquess would never pay for kidnapping Lecia and the other girl.

"Don't be stupid. I'm not gonna agree to that."

"And here I thought you were smart. I must have been mistaken."

"You are mistaken, especially if you think money's the answer to every

problem."

"That's how the adult world works, in case you were not aware."

"Don't think you can look down on me just 'cause I'm a kid. I'm not as

obsessed with growing up as you might think."

"That doesn't matter. Children like you are easy to lead around by their

base impulses."

"So? If that's the worst of it, then I don't mind being a kid. Helpless,

impulsive Arcus Raytheft. That's me."

Gaston snorted. "I see what you're thinking. Nobility should take pride in

being upstanding rulers of society, is that it? It matters not when it comes to

money. Money doesn't care about what you do to get it. When you have it,

that's that."

"Maybe so, but the way I see it, your money is tainted."

"Tainted?"

"That's right. And I don't want anything to do with it."

Just then, Cazzy interjected. "Listen, Arcus. He's kinda right. Doesn't

matter how ya get your money, it's still got the same value, and ya can still

use it for all the same things. Don't ya think so?"

Arcus looked up at him, puzzled. What was he trying to say?

"What's gotten into you?"

"Just felt like sayin' it, is all."

Was that really it? As Arcus recalled, Cazzy cared a lot about money. In

any case, he had a point. There wasn't any practical need for its owner to

worry where it came from.

"I get it, but once you use tainted money, your heart is tainted too," said

Arcus.

"Huh? Whaddya mean?"

"The moment you use dirty money is the moment you stop worrying what

you do with it. You stop caring about those who earn their money fairly, as

you earn yours dishonestly, which just puts them at a disadvantage. The more

you use that dirty money, the more honest people suffer, right?"

It was a never-ending cycle. Using your ill-gotten gains and getting away

with it would just reinforce the idea that it was okay, whether you stole it or

committed fraud. You'd realize that it was easy—that with virtually no effort,

you could wring a fortune from the world. The more you cheated, the easier it

became, and eventually your guilty conscience would be worn away. The

people who lost out from your misdeeds would be of no concern to you

anymore.

That was what that man's mother said as they watched a news report on a

new scam going around where fraudsters would phone up elderly people and

squeeze them for cash by posing as their children. Having scammed their

victims, the fraudsters stopped caring how it affected them. They never paid

those elderly people a second thought, too obsessed with their newfound

money.

If their hearts weren't "tainted," Arcus didn't know what they were.

He studied Cazzy carefully.

"Those're some pretty big ideas for a little kid."

"You think I'm wrong?"

"Nah. What ya said made sense."

Arcus waited, but Cazzy made no further comment. Arcus still couldn't

work out why he felt the need to say anything in the first place.

When Gaston next spoke, he addressed Cazzy. "You there."

"Huh? What?"

"You're a magician too, are you not? I'll pay you enough money to live

the rest of your life in luxury if you get rid of these two for me. What do you

think?"

He must have realized from Cazzy's words that he saw money as morally

neutral. Cazzy was only here because Arcus paid him, and he didn't see what

would logically stop him from accepting Gaston's offer. In his gut, though,

he just knew Cazzy would refuse.

Cazzy sighed before walking up to the marquess. "Say, Mr. Marquess,

d'ya maybe remember hangin' a certain farming family ten odd years ago? It

was in your territory, after all."

"A single peasant family? How should I remember something like that?"

"Ya took their youngest daughter in when they couldn't pay your

interest."

"Now that you mention it, I do recall something similar. I did hear that

family had a funny way of looking at money. That there was good money and

bad money, or something along those lines."

"What happened to their little girl?"

"That family defied me. I did what I wanted with her for a while before

making up some sentence to have her hanged."

Cazzy took in his words. "Izzat right?"

The next moment, Cazzy closed the distance between them, and his fist

made a comfortable place for itself in his face. Even as large as he was,

Gaston went flying. Cazzy shook his hand out.

Gaston glared at him. "H-How dare you!"

"I ain't takin' that deal. I was never gonna, anyway." Cazzy opened his

mouth to recite an incantation.

"W-Wait, Cazzy!" Arcus cried.

"Don't try and stop me! Ya don't know what this bastard did!"

"I don't, but you can't kill him!"

"Why not?!"

"Look, just calm down and listen to me!"

Maybe it was because of the grudge Cazzy seemed to hold against Gaston that he offered to join the attack on the mansion so readily. Arcus hated the

marquess too, but it wouldn't be a good idea to exact revenge now. It seemed

that both their younger sisters suffered under Gaston. Even Arcus wanted

some way to take out his anger.

"Master Arcus?"

"Don't kill him. But you can beat him up if you want."

"Huh?"

"We're the only ones here. Just make sure it looks like self-defense."

Arcus's lip curled cruelly.

Cazzy gaped at him for only a second before his own grin spread across

his face.

Gaston began to protest desperately. "Do you really think you can get

away with that?!"

"You'll hang anyway, right? There's all this evidence of corruption

against you, and you kidnapped a noble's daughter to try and cover it up. If it

looks like you're gonna get away with your crimes, the Raytheft house and

its allies will cause a stink, and the King will be forced to punish you to avoid

infighting," Arcus explained casually.

Gaston wouldn't be able to use his position or connections to escape

Joshua's wrath against his daughter's would-be murderer. Joshua had his own

connections among various military nobles and would surely use them to start

an attack against the marquess. With no fighting experience, Gaston wouldn't

even last a second, and his reputation meant no one would want to ally

themselves with him, either. In fact, anyone eyeing his position for

themselves would be more likely to ignore the entire conflict.

The marquess's fate was sealed the moment his offer was rejected.

"Noah. If anyone asks, we didn't see anything, okay?"

"How soft you are, Master Arcus. Very well. I shall take no notice of

anything that happens."

"I'm surprised you didn't even say anything to stop me earlier," said

Arcus.

"Oh?" Noah smiled knowingly.

"You two are fine with this too, right?" Arcus asked his sister and the girl

next to her.

They nodded.

"It's payback time." Cazzy let out his usual, squeaky laugh and began to approach Gaston.

Gaston tried to run away, as anyone would.

"Dammit!"

"What? Thought ya could get away?" Cazzy caught up easily and

launched another punch.

He was stronger than he looked. Gaston, despite his build, didn't seem to

know how to defend himself. He was sent sprawling to the floor. Walking up

to him, Cazzy cracked his knuckles. Gaston shrieked like a strangled chicken.

"I'll have to return this favor at some point..." Cazzy muttered quietly.

"Did you say something?" Arcus asked.

"Nah. Nothin'."

With that, Cazzy got to work administering the marquess's punishment.

While Cazzy was doing that, Arcus untied the girls. The moment Lecia

was freed, she leapt at Arcus.

"Brother!"

"Lecia! I'm so glad you're okay!"

His beloved sister finally in his arms again, Arcus was filled to the brim

with relief. Holding her close, he could feel her trembling. Her face had been

bone dry, but she must have been holding back tears the whole time. She

sobbed into his chest. There was no need to put on a brave face anymore.

Arcus stroked her head gently.

"I'm sorry." Lecia sobbed. "This is all because I took that bag."

"It's not your fault. It's the fault of all the adults who do this kinda bad

stuff."

"But I—"

"It's not your fault," Arcus whispered, continuing to hold and comfort her

until she calmed down.

Arcus blamed Gaston, of course, but he also blamed the officer who got

Lecia involved. Technically, she could have handled things better, but she

was just a child, after all. The officer should have known this sort of thing

might happen.

Arcus was curious about the girl with her. That girl was watching them

with a gentle gaze, likely suspecting it would be insensitive to interrupt.

Soon, Lecia's sobs quieted.

"Feel better?"

"Yes."

Though Lecia still seemed emotional, she wiped away the last of her tears

on her sleeve and looked up at Arcus determinedly. As the heiress to the

Raytheft name, she would have been taught that she couldn't cry forever. The

next second, doubt flashed in her eyes.

"Brother... Do you think I was wrong in doing what I did?" she asked

fearfully.

"You mean taking the evidence?"

"Yes. I believed that helping those who seek justice is the right thing to do

as a noble. Yet my actions led to all of this. Now I am doubting whether I

was even in the right to begin with." Lecia's eyes pleaded Arcus for an

answer.

Maybe she thought she would have been better off refusing the official.

"Just because things didn't work out doesn't mean your actions were

wrong, and just because something's the right thing to do doesn't mean it's

sure to succeed."

"But doesn't that mean—"

"You're too worried about results. You didn't think any of this would

happen, right? No one can see the future. I don't think it's very noble to let

fear hold you back from doing the right thing, just 'cause it might go wrong,

do you?"

It might not have been very fair for Arcus to throw in the word "noble"

when he knew that was what Lecia cared most about. He just wanted her to

know that letting fear hold her back in anything would only lead to misery.

He thought back to a particular experience in that man's life.

That man had a friend, and that friend was a horribly anxious person. He

was a clever man, and yet the fear of failure held him back. He refused

opportunities left and right and eventually gave up one of the greatest

opportunities of all. Despite his potential, he threw it all away, and by the end

of his life, had very little to show for his smarts.

He was left full of regret.

"If only I had said yes," he said again and again, as he and the man spoke

over drinks. "If only I had gone for it."

That friend taught Arcus a valuable lesson. Holding yourself back like

that and limiting your potential would only lead to regret. He didn't want the

same thing to happen to Lecia. If that was how she ended up as head of the Raytheft house, the masses would see her as feeble.

"Don't worry about failure, Lecia. Just listen to your heart."

"But what if something like this were to happen again?"

"I'll be around to save you then, too. I'm your brother, yeah?"

"Okay..." Though her eyes were starting to fill with tears again, Lecia

didn't let them overflow and nodded firmly. "I shan't stray from my values."

"Good girl."

Arcus turned his attention to the other girl. She had long, golden-brown

hair and shiny, amber eyes. Good-looking and refined rather than cute, she

was the perfect picture of an upper-class girl. Her eyes were somehow mature

yet doll-like at the same time, hidden beneath a set of long eyelashes. Two

cheek-length locks framed her face. From her white outfit came the soft scent

of springtime flowers, and there was not a crease or wrinkle to be seen. It was

only now that Arcus properly acknowledged her and realized how mature she

seemed. He could tell that her education must have been very strict indeed,

and in all likelihood, she came from a higher-ranking family than he and

Lecia did.

"Who's this, Lecia?" asked Arcus.

"This is Charlotte, of the Cremelia house."

The count's daughter?

The daughter of the family that the Raythefts answered to. Arcus heard

that Lecia and Charlotte got on well and would often go out together. She

was unlucky to get caught up in all of this. Or perhaps it was calculated, and

Gaston thought having Charlotte here as well would put more pressure on

Lecia to give in to him.

It was only then that Arcus remembered his manners. Letting go of Lecia,

he took to one knee and bowed.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Charlotte. My name is Arcus Raytheft.

We can only apologize for getting you involved in all of this."

"Oh, please do not apologize! It was all thanks to your bravery that we

were saved. Thank you ever so much for coming to rescue us."

"It is an honor, My Lady."

Charlotte tucked her hair behind her ear and looked at him, her eyes soft

with admiration. "If I may be so forward..."

"Y-Yes?"

"I am one of those who thought you to be talentless. As somebody who believes herself to be somewhat gifted, whenever I heard those rumors, I

thought badly of you."

Arcus wondered if these rumors she spoke of were passed on to her by her

parents.

"I was surely mistaken. When I realized that mercenary was far too strong

for me, I was very quick to give up. You, however, stood against him until

the very end."

"Oh, that was nothing..." Arcus mumbled.

Even Arcus had to admit he was outmatched when it came to sword

fighting alone. If Noah was there to help, he might have had a chance at

victory, but on his own, it was impossible. It was only because of his surprise

attack that he won.

"My family oversees the kingdom's fencing style. One day, I am sure

many will look to me as a representative of the art. For far too long I focused

only on the virtues of 'talent' without paying heed to anything else. As a

result, I ended up unable to protect your sister or myself."

"My Lady—"

"It matters not how strong the opponent. You have shown me that honor

only comes from fighting until the bitter end." Charlotte put her hand to her

heart. "I shan't forget that moment in a hurry. The moment you said you

would not give up. I apologize for trying to convince you otherwise."

She was very honest to be speaking her mind unprompted. After her

apology, she stepped forward and took Arcus by the hand.

"May I address you just as 'Arcus'?"

"Huh? Oh, of course, My Lady."

"Thank you, Arcus. I am very much looking forward to being your

fiancée once again."

"What?!"

"Ch-Charlotte?!" Lecia cried, astonished.

"F-Fiancée?" Arcus echoed, wondering if he heard her correctly.

"Were you not aware? Our fathers arranged our engagement the moment

you were born. However, the viscount asked to cancel the arrangement

somewhat recently."

"I-I think I remember something like that..."

The agreement hadn't been spoken of since the day Arcus's aether was.

tested, of course. After that, he quickly assumed it was already canceled and forgot about it.

"I agreed to call it off then," Charlotte said, looking away from him

bashfully. "However, I would like to reconsider, if I may."

"I-I see..." Arcus didn't know what else he could say.

People were arranging and rearranging his plans for marriage left and

right, which never gave him the chance to think about it for himself. Cazzy

whaling on the marquess in the corner didn't make the space conducive to

introspection, either.

Eventually, the marquess's punishment came to an end. Gaston was tied

up, and after a while, there was a sudden commotion from outside,

announcing the arrival of the aid Noah called for.

After receiving a request for help, it seemed from the noise that Craib put

together some men and rushed to the scene as soon as he could. In other

words, it had taken him this long to come to Arcus's rescue without alerting

Gaston to his actions.

There, in the marquess's gaudy garden, stood not only the Raythefts'

troops but Craib's and the Cremelias' too, as well as some troops from other

allied houses. The head of the Raytheft house, Joshua Raytheft, was also

waiting as the group left the estate. Next to him was his wife, Celine. They

watched Arcus with a cool glare, surrounded by troops from their branch

families and houses below them. Joshua spotted Lecia as she and Arcus

approached.

"Lecia! You are unharmed!"

"Father!"

A flash of relief appeared on Joshua's face shortly before he turned to

glare at Arcus. "You really messed up this time, boy!"

His face was red, and his eyes and words were burning with a fiery rage.

"You shouldn't be blaming me. There's an unconscious marquess over

there who I think you'd wanna talk to," Arcus replied in a cool voice,

pointing back at Gaston, who had been dragged out of the mansion by Cazzy.

The marquess's breathing was labored, and his entire body was swollen

from Cazzy's assault. Joshua picked up on Gaston's critical state

immediately.

"Wh-What on earth have you done to His Lordship?!"

"You're worried about him? You know what he did, right?"

Joshua was here because Craib told him what happened, and Arcus expected him to ask for more details before anything else. Yet here he was,

more worried about the fate of his fellow noble. While understanding it was

partly due to his position as head of a noble household, Arcus still found it

abhorrent.

"You must have done something to him!" Joshua snarled.

"I'm not the villain here!"

"Then why is His Lordship in such a state?! If you hadn't gotten involved

—"

"Ugh. Your head's full of nonsense as usual! I'm done listening to you."

"Why, you!"

Just then, Arcus felt the full force of Joshua's anger. It was an

overwhelming, burning pressure that stemmed from his rage, and it felt like

he was being pressed down from above by an invisible force.

It was a power that came from his abundant aether. If Arcus wasn't

careful, that power had the strength to knock him unconscious. He couldn't

let that happen. This was the power he was going to crush one day. He was

already on the path that led to this man's defeat. If he let himself be

overwhelmed now, he might never find the strength to recover.

His age and lack of aether had nothing to do with it. Relying on those

excuses now meant accepting defeat. Joshua would always be older than him,

and Joshua would always have a superior level of aether.

Arcus planted his legs firmly on the ground and kept the fire in his heart

burning. He stared his former father right in the face, knowing that this was

an opponent a hundred times stronger than the marquess or his mercenary.

Joshua couldn't stand it. Arcus could already sense that his fist was about

to fly loose.

"That's enough, Joshua."

"C-Count Cremelia..."

The older gentleman standing next to Charlotte noticed Joshua's

trembling fists and called out to him. His dark hair was shot through with

white and gray, and his face well-defined and deep-set. Though his frame

was slender, it was clear even under his white jacket that his muscles were

well-exercised. Medals lined his chest, glaring brightly at anybody who laid

eyes on them. He looked quite a bit older than Joshua. Stronger, too.

Even though he was on the brink of old age, and without him showing any

outward display of strength, Arcus could already tell he was superior to Joshua in every single way.

Since Charlotte was with him, Arcus guessed he was her father:

commander of the eastern martial houses and a military leader, Purce

Cremelia.

The count had a stern frown on his face as he spoke to Joshua again. "I am

not impressed by a father who strikes his own child without even giving him

a chance to explain."

"If I may be so bold, My Lord, this is a private matter. It is our

prerogative to teach our children the difference between right and wrong."

"Are you perhaps suggesting that the Cremelia house is not involved in

this situation?"

"My Lord, I would never—"

"Our daughter was also kidnapped. Deciding how to handle the culprit

should be a joint decision, don't you think?"

Joshua had no reply.

Even if the count pulled his excuse out of thin air, Arcus was grateful for

the intervention. Purce turned to him.

"You are Arcus Raytheft, are you not?"

"Yes, My Lord. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Arcus took to

his knee and bowed in the same way he had for Charlotte.

The count's gaze remained stern, but his voice was gentle. "You may

rise."

"Yes, My Lord."

"Although I am still unaware of the particulars, it would seem I owe you a

great deal for my daughter's safety."

"Not at all, My Lord. It was due to our carelessness that Your Lordship's

daughter was involved in the first place."

Charlotte immediately stepped forward. "Father, none of this is Arcus's

fault. The marquess was the one who kidnapped us. Arcus came gallantly to

our aid."

"Father, this kidnapping is my fault," Lecia said to Joshua. "Please do not

blame Arcus for this. Allow me to take responsibility."

"L-Lecia..." The uncertainty was plain to see on Joshua's face.

"As you can see, Joshua, that seems to be the truth of the matter. It would

be nonsense to blame your son when Marquess Gaston was at fault."

"As you wish, My Lord," Joshua said, stepping back from Arcus.

As Arcus expected, he did not look happy about it. Just like Joshua, it

seemed the count already knew more or less what happened. As Arcus was

wondering where the source of their information was right now, he was

suddenly buffeted by a hot wind, which was followed by a scorching

sensation on his skin. Nothing nearby was burning, so where had it come

from?

Arcus turned. There stood the majestic Craib Abend, the air around him

rippling with a furnace's heat. His military jacket was slung around his

shoulders, and he had enough glittering medals on his chest to compete with

the count. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing arms covered in scars and

burns. In his mouth was a large cigar emitting thick, purplish smoke.

There were magicians and shouts of conflict all over the grounds. Craib

strolled across the battlefield casually, as if he enjoyed the marquess's tacky

garden. The waves of power rolling from him were even more impressive and

overwhelming than Joshua's or even Purce's.

Joshua and his troops turned their attention toward him. A single glare

from Craib sent them all gulping and, if Arcus's eyes didn't deceive him,

trembling. It was either rage or the thrill of war that was causing the air

around his uncle to crackle with tension. The soldier then began to make his

way toward Arcus in silence.

"'Sup, brat. This is quite the mess you've made for us, huh?"

"Ow!"

Craib's fist came crashing down on Arcus's head, leaving him reeling.

"Think you could wait for me to get my crap together before you start

stormin' noble houses next time?" Craib sighed and shook his head, but even

he should know that Arcus couldn't afford to wait.

"Y-You heard what happened, right?" Arcus asked.

"Yeah, and that's why I'm so mad! You even went and got yourself

locked up in the Tower."

Just when Craib was on the verge of giving Arcus a lecture, Charlotte

approached them.

"Hello, Crucible," she greeted.

"Ah, Lady Charlotte. So glad to see you're safe."

"The marquess tried to kill us, and I am sure he would have succeeded

had Arcus not come when he did. I believe he was right to move as quickly as

he did so."

"I understand that, Milady, but even then, I think he deserves a

walloping."

"Is that so? Well, do not let me stand in the way of your good judgment."

Charlotte returned to her father, who Craib addressed next.

"Sorry to put Your Lordship through all this trouble."

"I cannot allow you to apologize to me, Crucible. We have already

established who is at fault here."

"Milord."

Arcus was somewhat surprised to see that even his uncle could behave

himself when dealing with nobility. Once their brief exchange was over,

Purce turned his gaze to Arcus.

"I hear the young Arcus is your pupil."

"Yes, Milord. He never fails to surprise me and keeps every day

interesting."

"I daresay he would. However, I fear you may be teaching him more than

is appropriate for his age. To break out of the Holy Tower, and then to launch

an attack on the marquess with only a small group of men in the span of

hours... I can barely believe it."

"Actually, Milord, I'm holding back on him."

"What?! You call that holding back?!" Arcus cut in, memories of being

forced to run around for hours flashing before his eyes.

"Yeah, 'course. What? You want somethin' more challengin'?"

Arcus only just managed to hold back the frightened squeak that rose in

his throat. The very idea that Craib's intense training program wasn't the

worst he was capable of made him shudder.

The count chuckled at the look on Arcus's face.

Meanwhile, Joshua was keeping a sharp eye on Craib. "Brother."

"Joshua, we're investigatin' the estate. I don't think there's any doubt that

the marquess is gonna be charged, though."

"Do you not think it would reflect poorly on our house to make such a

fuss over this?"

"C'mon, quit being a sissy. If you don't want that to happen, then you

gotta sort it out yourself."

Joshua gave a quick tut before looking away. Just then, Arcus

remembered something he was meaning to ask. Unfortunately for him, that

question was for the marquess, who was currently unconscious. Arcus began to kick him awake. It was a very satisfying feeling.

"Gah?!"

"Get up."

Gaston opened his eyes and, for a split second, seemed confused. The

moment he realized where he was, he glared at Arcus.

"How dare you kick me?" Gaston spat.

But then he was speechless. He must have felt the intense presence of the

three men standing around him—of Purce and Craib, and even Joshua, who

seemed to be over his anxiety.

Though they were all aware of Gaston's status, they were willing to put

their mandated respect for him aside for the sake of the kidnapped girls. Their

expressions overflowed with paternal rage.

There was the general and his aide-de-camp, as well as one of the most

powerful soldiers in the kingdom. All three of these men were telegraphing

their hatred toward the marquess. Even an ordinary person would struggle to

hold their nerve in this situation, and, of course, the marquess could do no

better.

His face ran pale, and he let out a strangled cry. Cold sweat beaded on his

forehead.

"We have much to discuss with Your Lordship, but I believe the royal

family is owed an explanation first and foremost," Purce said in a cool voice.

"D-Do not think you can get away with treating me like this just because

of your social standing!"

"If Your Lordship wishes to fight, then I have no problem with that. I, of

course, have the entire military power of the eastern side of the kingdom at

my disposal. I do hope Your Lordship is ready."

Gaston could do nothing but let out an awkward groan. Taken at face

value, the east's military power made up a quarter of the entire kingdom's

forces. In practice, he would need other nobles' consent to send them all into

battle, and it was unlikely that they would all be battle-ready, but it was a

powerful threat nonetheless.

"I have a question," Arcus said to Gaston.

"And you think I'll answer it?"

"Doesn't matter if you do or not. Have your men captured the official who

stole those documents from you?"

"Oh? Yes, they have."

"Where is he?"

Gaston stayed silent. Apparently, he didn't know himself.

"Have you even seen the guy yourself?"

"No."

"So you acted entirely on second-hand information?"

Again, the marquess was silent.

"I thought so."

Suddenly, Gaston was suspicious. "What are you getting at, boy?"

"Who knows?"

"Are you done with him, Arcus?" asked Craib.

"Yeah. I'm done."

"Returning to the previous subject," Purce cut in, "I believe we should

keep the children out of this from now on. We adults should be the ones to

bring everything to a close."

"Milord."

"My thoughts exactly, My Lord." Joshua and Craib added their assent.

With one last glare at Arcus, Joshua pulled Lecia away from him and took

her to her mother. Celine wasted no time in embracing her daughter, the

emotion at having her back safe and sound plain on her face.

A jolt ripped through Arcus's chest. He thought he was over all of this,

but there was that pain again. How ironic that it should be the display of his

former parents' humanity that hurt most of all. For a while, Arcus stood there

unmoving.

"So they all hate ya? 'Cept your sister?" Cazzy suddenly asked.

"Yeah. They hate my guts."

"Even though ya just saved her? I'd throw a fit."

"I'm not happy about it, either."

Sensing it was best to drop it, Cazzy made no further comment. Arcus

quickly slapped his own cheeks—this was no time to be moping around.

"Anyway, there's more important stuff to worry about."

"Yeah? Whazzat?"

"There's somewhere I wanna go after this. Wanna come with us, Cazzy?"

"Huh? After what?" Cazzy blinked.

"What? You mean you're not done here?" Craib asked, overhearing them.

"Not yet," Arcus replied, noticing Noah's well-timed return.

He reappeared from the depths of the night, just like the ninjas of the man's world.

"Master Arcus."

"Hey. What did you get?"

"As you suspected, the culprit is keeping an eye on the scene."

"And you're sure it's the right guy?"

"He matches Miss Lecia's description exactly."

"Is he from the Surveillance Office after all?"

"It would appear so."

Cazzy turned his puzzled gaze to Noah. "Oh, yeah. Thinkin' of it, ya did

disappear the moment we came outside."

"Indeed, under orders from Master Arcus."

Craib put a knowing hand to his chin. "So that's why you asked the

marquess about the officer. I think I get what you're up to now..."

"Wanna come with us too?" Arcus offered.

"Nah, I gotta go back to investigate the marquess's place. Gotta find

whatever we can before anything 'goes missing.' Go get what you guys can,

yeah?"

"Good luck," Arcus said.

"Listen, Arcus, I know kids are supposed to cause trouble, but you think

you could maybe tone things down a bit from now on?"

Arcus gave only a sheepish grin in response. Craib sighed.

"C'mon, at least lie to me and say you will. If you don't learn how to lie,

your future's gonna be a tough one."

"H-Huh?"

What values was Craib trying to teach him exactly? Arcus shook his head;

that didn't matter right now.

"Where is he then, Noah?"

"If you would follow me..." Noah began to lead the way.

Finally, they were going to meet the mastermind behind the entire plot.

Countess Lisa Lauzei, Chief Officer of the Surveillance Office, rode hell-

for-leather on a horse so black that it was almost invisible in the night,

bearing down on the Gaston estate. It was all so she could carry out the order

Sue gave her.

"If you fail to carry out this investigation to the utmost, then you know

what is to happen to your head, don't you?"

The threat spurred Lisa forward. Sue was gentle and kindhearted and

usually would not have made such a violent suggestion. Or if she had, she

wouldn't mean it seriously.

But this time it was different. There was real rage in that cool voice of

hers as she spoke. Lisa had very little doubt that, if she failed here, Sue would

rip her head off with her own two hands.

She wasted no time in launching an investigation to uncover what went on

behind the scenes in this entire case. She knew Gaston had men within the

Surveillance Office. With the disturbance centered on the estate's grounds,

the perpetrator had to be nearby. Though the risk of capture by either the

Raythefts or the Cremelias was high, that was exactly why they needed to

keep a close eye on things. They must have been observing from a safe

distance.

Lisa thought she knew where that might be. Dismounting, she searched

the area. She found him in a dark street in the noble district: a man in a cloak

among the damp smells of the alleyway.

He looked unremarkable—interchangeable with any other man in the

street, but for the dark circles under his eyes and the vague air of gloom he

gave off. If he fell into a crowd, it would be impossible to pick him out.

He stood atop a wall, watching the ruckus at the estate unfold through his

glasses.

"Rosworth," called Lisa.

"My, if it isn't Lady Lauzei. Or should I be calling you Chief Officer

Lauzei at the moment? Either way, what might bring Your Ladyship here?"

Rosworth jumped down from the wall and gave her a warm smile.

That smile unsettled Lisa. You would be hard-pressed to think it anything

other than sincere, but to her its curve seemed unnatural.

"I remembered that you were involved in the marquess's case."

"Indeed. I was the one who infiltrated His Lordship's estate."

"Then explain yourself, Rosworth."

Rosworth frowned, as though he didn't understand her words. "Well, it is

quite the stirring tale. The marquess abducted a young noble girl, and her

brother conducted a marvelous rescue. Will that do for an explanation?"

"No. I want you to explain your involvement in this fiasco to me."

Rosworth stayed silent.

"Answer me!" Lisa barked.

At her shout, his shoulders began to shake. Was he scared? Angry?

It was neither of those things. His shoulders were shaking with the effort

to contain his laughter. No longer able to bear it, that laughter escaped.

"Rosworth!"

"It's really quite simple, My Lady!" he said between chuckles. "In order

to investigate the marquess, I impersonated one of his servants. However, His

Lordship is rather crafty. The evidence I could find was circumstantial at

best. Therefore, I decided to use that evidence to trap him. To push him into

kidnapping a pair of noble children, a crime from which he could not escape.

"He won't be able to talk his way out of capture or investigation now.

Once he is caught, we can investigate him at our leisure. A genius plan, is it

not?"

Of all the possibilities, Lisa would never have guessed that this was what

Rosworth was thinking. Fundamentally, the plan made sense. Legally

speaking, however, it was dicey at best. If the public heard about Rosworth's

actions, then not only would he suffer for them, but so would the entire

office.

Just then, a look of disappointment came over Rosworth's face, as though

his plan hadn't gone so well after all.

"I just never imagined the marquess would be attacked before I could

gather the other officers."

"You're talking about the Raytheft boy?"

"Yes. I never thought he would escape from the Tower, much less

succeed in an attack launched with only three members. And yet people say

he has no talent."

"A spurious rumor of the viscount's. While it is true he does not possess

the same reserves of aether as his ancestors, his talents as a magician are

comparable to graduates of the Institute—or so I have heard."

That was what Sue told her, anyway. As someone who studied magic

alongside Arcus, she should know. Apart from anything else, Sue herself was

a powerful mage who received the finest magical education in the kingdom.

Even if her fondness for him was affecting her judgment, from her words,

Arcus could not possibly be talentless.

"Either way, it's a nuisance to lose so much hard-earned credit to him.

Ah, but do not worry, Your Ladyship. No evidence remains that I ever snuck

into the estate at all." A malevolent grin spread across Rosworth's face.

"Didn't I do a good job?"

"A good job at resorting to desperate measures because you couldn't find

any useful evidence, yes."

Rosworth's face fell. Lisa's pitiless violet eyes met his.

"You're the one who got the Raytheft girl involved too, aren't you?"

"Yes, My Lady."

"Why her?"

"Simply because the Raythefts live in close proximity to the Gaston

house, and they both hold territory in the east. Lately, the marquess has

hosted many of the martial families at his private revels. I feared his aim was

to eventually join forces with them. The royal family do not look kindly on

nobles whose reach exceeds their grasp, and I don't think they would have

ignored this, either."

Rosworth's account held water with Lisa; she had heard many of the same

rumors. Even if these houses continued to swear loyalty to the King after

joining forces, it would do little to dispel the King's fears of sedition. He

preferred to run the country on his own terms, and any interference would be

purely detrimental in his eyes. At the moment, the royal family held the

nobles of the kingdom in an iron grip. Powerful as they were, any hint of

nobles forming alliances and taking liberties beyond their station was

frowned upon.

"That is why I did what I did. No one would ever suspect that a young girl

from one of the marquess's favored families would hold evidence that could

expose his corruption. If the marquess ever found out about it, the trust

between the two houses would shatter. Even if I couldn't come up with a

crime to pin on him, at the very least I could drive a wedge between them."

Rosworth's explanation just raised more questions.

"Why did you not inform any officials of the kidnapping the moment it

happened? Your aim was to bring down the marquess. Just reporting the

kidnapping would have been enough to do that."

"Indeed, but imagine if he killed them? Even the marquess would have a

hard time escaping punishment, and even if he did, war would be

unavoidable. Powerful though he may be, his opponents would be the

Raythefts, one of the three viscount families under the Cremelia house, leader

of the eastern houses. The Cremelias would no doubt join the fighting, too,

crushing the Gaston house underfoot while all of the eastern houses in the .conflict suffered."

He was right again. Killing the children of a noble house was one crime

Gaston would definitely be punished for; if not by the state, then by the girls'

fathers. They would use every tool at their disposal to destroy the marquess.

By now, Lisa was realizing that Rosworth's plan went much further than

she thought. He even wanted to cause a conflict that would divide the entire

kingdom. Counts and marquesses held two of the highest-ranking positions

among the gentry; any conflict between them would inevitably lead to chaos

on a large scale, dragging in houses that weren't originally involved.

Even if the crown intervened to stop the fighting before it began, the

grudges would run deep. Either way, the kingdom's fighting power would be

damaged.

"Much as I appreciate your loyalty to the King, how can you justify

putting the life of a ten-year-old child at risk?"

"How can we be so naive to speak of justice in a situation like this? Surely

it is only right to do whatever is needed to attain one's goal, even if that

involves sacrificing a child?"

"And even after that, you want me to believe that your actions were

carried out with the kingdom's best interests at heart?"

"Of course, My Lady."

"Nonsense. The only thing you were thinking of was your career."

Rosworth grinned, not denying anything.

"How dare you..." Lisa growled.

Rosworth risked the well-being of the kingdom and its citizens for his

own gain without thinking anything of it. How did that make him any

different from the corrupt marquess? Their actions harmed the kingdom, its

people, and those who worked hard every day for its benefit. The kingdom

would not tolerate such self-centeredness, and yet Rosworth continued as

though he were proud of his behavior.

"Lady Lauzei, this is just how things are these days. Such schemes as

mine are what lead to an individual's success. Pardon me, but Your Ladyship

will never make it very far clinging to such naive ideals."

"Why you...!"

Who did he think he was, giving her "advice" like that? Rosworth's self-

satisfied smile never faltered, and Lisa was starting to reach the end of her

tether.

A voice sounded from the direction of the full, glittering moon:

"Thanks. I guess I should stop being so naive too, then."

"Huh?!" Rosworth gawked, his undignified voice echoing through the

alley, turning this way and that until he found the source.

"This is my last shot. You should be grateful I'm using it on you."

The next moment, a dry crack split the air. Rosworth slumped and fell to

the ground as though every last drop of energy had suddenly been sapped

from his body. His eyes frozen open, blood ran from his head, spilling out

into a sticky puddle.

Lisa looked up at the rooftops. There, against the backdrop of the full

moon, stood three figures.

"Are you Arcus Raytheft?" she asked.

"Oh, you've heard of me? Ah—that guy called you 'Lady,' didn't he?"

The silver-haired boy looked down at her, kneeling on one knee with his arm

leaning on the other.

There was no doubt in her mind that this was the boy who launched the

attack on Gaston.

"That is the countess, Lady Lisa Lauzei," the elegant indigo-haired man

next to Arcus explained. "Her Ladyship is the Chief Officer of the

Surveillance Office."

Lisa knew this young man, too. He was Noah Ingvayne, a magician of

vanishingly rare talent. Despite the unstable footing of the rooftop, he was

keeping an excellent posture as he stood in wait next to his master. The

intelligent glint behind his monocle was surveying her quietly.

"Huh? So you're the Chief Officer now, Lisa? Man, I haven't seen ya

since graduation!" the third man cackled.

"Cazzy!"

He looked to be in his mid-twenties. His eyes had a sharp slant to them.

His dark hair was longer than it was then, like he hadn't bothered to get it cut,

but there was no way she could forget that peculiar laugh.

Cazzy Guari. He was the first commoner to graduate from the Institute at

the top of his class, and he was in the grade above Lisa. Now that she thought

about it, she had seen him escaping the Holy Tower with Arcus. He was

grinning down at her, sitting on the roof like it was an overstuffed sofa.

"You know each other, Cazzy?" Arcus asked.

"Both went to the Institute, didn't we? Though Lisa ain't a magician herself"