Chapter 33 - The Magic Geek is Targeted
I once read a book that spoke of the gates of hell. According to it, an inscription was carved upon them: Let all who pass through this gate abandon every hope.
If that is the case, then for me, hell must be this very Academy.
I murmured this to myself as I passed through the gates, following my master. The school where I had spent my youth, a place that should have been nostalgic, now towered over me with a grandeur that threatened to crush me. The walls surrounding it stretched high into the sky, as if to tell me, "You cannot escape from here."
There is little point in stating my name. My ruin is already close at hand. All I can hope for is that, along with the foolish act I am about to commit, my name will swiftly vanish from the minds of all who know me.
As you can guess from the fact that I am permitted to set foot here, I am a magic user. In my youth, I was fortunate enough to study under the great mage Elder Mordecai, a man whose name was known throughout the western lands. I graduated from the Academy and became a respectable magic user in my own right. I was not particularly gifted compared to my fellow disciples or my Academy classmates, but I continued my training. When I ascended to the Second Tier, I was overjoyed, thinking I could finally declare with pride, "I am a magic user."
Unfortunately, I was never able to reach the Third Tier, the mark of a first-rate magic user. I came close, but it remained beyond my grasp. I did not strike out on my own, instead remaining by my master's side as a sort of assistant and secretary, teaching the young in his stead and handling the various requests brought to him.
In time, I married and was blessed with a daughter. Before I knew it, I was well past thirty. The passion and ambition of my youth had become distant memories, and I foolishly believed that my peaceful, unchanging days would continue forever. Then one day, my master received an invitation from a great noble, and I was to accompany him to the noble's domain, never knowing it would become my final destination.
My master was welcomed as the private tutor for the nobleman's son, and even I, his assistant, was treated with the utmost respect. We were even given a house for my family to live in. I eagerly sent for my wife and child, and we began our new life together. It was around the new year that my master summoned me.
"I am thinking of paying a visit to the Academy, after so long," he said. "I would like you to accompany me."
The young lord my master had been tutoring had splendidly passed the Academy's entrance exam and begun his studies. After his duties as a teacher were finished, my master had been retained as an advisor, but it was true he had been languishing in boredom of late. Perhaps that was why he had thought of a trip to the Academy for a change of pace.
No, that wasn't it. Currently, we magic users feel that some momentous change is taking place in the world of magic. At its root is a vague sense of anxiety, a feeling that the world is moving on and leaving us behind.
But because it is a sensation difficult to put into words, unlike cold logic, it reaches deep into our hearts and magnifies our unease, making us ask, "Is it truly all right to continue like this?" And without a doubt, at the center of this change are the renowned Arcalai family and this place, the Academy.
The news that the previous head of the Arcalai family, Ester, had finally ascended to the Seventh Tier struck us with a force that the word "shock" could not even begin to describe. The Seventh Tier... The notion was so divorced from reality. It is a truly unprecedented domain, unheard of not only in this country but in the histories of all neighboring kingdoms. When my master first heard the news, he asked for confirmation over and over again until he simply stood there, stunned, frozen on the spot as if struck by a [Hold (Paralysis)] spell.
And I hear that Ester's grandson, who entered the Academy this year, is achieving unbelievable results. Though it has been little more than a month since he enrolled, they say he has already mastered ten spells. Looking back on my own time as a student, I failed to learn my tenth spell even by graduation. To reach that point in such a short time after enrolling is nothing short of extraordinary.
Furthermore, Ester's grandson is only seven years old. At an age where he can still be called a young child, he passed the Academy's entrance exam with the highest score in history and is mastering spells at the fastest pace ever recorded. The word "abnormal" is hardly sufficient to describe it.
Without a doubt, the Arcalai family has grasped some secret that touches upon the very depths of magic. Or rather, we must believe so, or our hearts will not be able to bear it. If only we could get closer to that secret, even a small clue would do. I understood this was why my master had decided to visit the Academy, and I smiled as I replied.
"I think that is a wonderful idea. I would be honored to accompany you."
After leaving my master, I returned to the house where my wife and daughter were waiting. I did not know how long the trip to the Academy would be. I thought of the trouble I would cause my wife by being away, and how I would have to promise my daughter a souvenir to keep her happy. Perhaps that is why, when I opened the door and stepped into my home, it took me a moment or two to notice something was wrong.
There was no "Welcome home" from my wife to greet me. My young daughter, who should have been eagerly waiting, did not run to my side. Instead, sitting at the table that was the symbol of our family's happy gatherings, was a suspicious figure whose face was hidden by a mask.
"Who are you!"
I shouted instinctively and thrust out my arm to form a spell's sigil. At that moment, men who had been hiding on either side of the doorway lunged at me, grabbing my arms and forcing me to the floor. Damn it! With my arms pinned, I could not form a sigil even if I could speak, rendering my spells useless. In this situation, even a magic user is no different from an ordinary person.
"Rest assured. I am not a suspicious person."
The man, who was nothing but suspicious, spoke in a young man's voice and rose from the table. His attire was plain: a dark indigo jacket and trousers. He wore a matching dark blue cloak, and a black mask with only thin eye slits covered his entire face. This was by no means the appearance of an upstanding individual.
Yet, as his words suggested, I could tell this person was of a station that should have been far removed from anything suspicious. His tone and the way he rose from his chair were of a sophistication that a commoner could never attain. For such a person to be dressed this way, forcing his way into my empty home and capturing me... my situation was more perilous than I had imagined.
"What have you done with my wife and daughter!"
"There is no need to worry. They are safe in another location. If you accept our request, we will return them to this house unharmed."
"And if I refuse, they won't be unharmed. What guarantee do I have of your words?"
"Even if you doubt us, you will never see your wife and daughter again if this continues. I think it would be wise to hear me out."
I clenched my jaw so hard I thought my teeth would break, desperately suppressing the urge to unleash a torrent of curses. Nothing could begin until I confirmed the safety of my wife and daughter.
"...What do you want me to do?"
"Within a day or two, you are to accompany your master to the Academy. There, I want you to eliminate a certain student."
"Are you insane!?"
"I am quite sane."
Contrary to the young man's words, I smelled the stench of madness in his short reply. It was the madness of conviction, the kind that declares something must be done even while fully understanding the consequences.
The Academy prizes its independence, autonomy, and political neutrality above all else. To cause a disturbance like an assassination within its walls would mean immediate execution for the perpetrator. The masterminds would be thoroughly investigated, and the retaliation would be unimaginably severe. Even the royal family would see the royal castle reduced to ashes if they committed such a folly. To tarnish the Academy's honor is to make an enemy of every magic user.
But this man, or those he served, intended to violate the inviolable Academy, fully aware of the danger. My heart was already filled with a feeling bordering on resignation, but I could not help but try to reason with him.
"If a plot like this comes to light, it won't end with just your life. The head of your house could be executed, your family crushed, and your name disgraced for generations to come. Must you resort to such a sordid assassination, even at such a cost?"
By this point, I had already guessed the man's identity. My master had told me about the trip to the Academy only a short while ago. The number of people who could have known was limited. And I finally understood why there were no signs of a break-in at this house. It was because they had prepared it for me.
The young man let out a self-deprecating chuckle from behind his mask, as if he had anticipated my words from the start.
"And yet, it must be done. Tell me, would you rather be bound, thrown into a great cauldron, and slowly boiled to death as firewood is gradually added, or would you rather be struck down in a duel, sword in hand? If you had to choose one, would you not pick the one where you have at least some means to resist?"
My terrible premonition was correct. This man had not undertaken this absurd conspiracy with some half-baked resolve. He intended to land a blow on his "enemy," no matter the sacrifice. For those of us caught up in it, it was an unbearable disaster.
"Let me stand. It's all right, I won't resist."
Sensing the change in my demeanor, the young man nodded to the men holding me down. They helped me up, supporting me on either side, and I looked the masked man straight in the eye as I answered.
"Let me see my wife and daughter. Once I have confirmed their safety with my own eyes, I will hear the details."
After that, I was blindfolded, put in a carriage, and reunited with my wife and daughter in a section of an unfamiliar mansion. I somehow managed to calm my wife, who could not hide her anxiety, and my daughter, who was crying that she wanted to go home. I convinced them that if they were patient for a little while, we could return to our old life.
They looked as though they could hardly believe me, but they understood they had no choice but to wait as I said. As my wife said, "Please come back safely," I managed to smile as I normally would. I think I did a rather good job of it.
Upon leaving the room where my family was being held, I was led to another room and once again faced the masked man. He sat across the table and offered me wine, but I was in no mood for it and ignored it, asking my question.
"I have no intention of getting friendly. I want you to tell me the details."
The man shrugged silently and, without touching his own wine, began to speak.
"Several of your fellow disciples will also be joining the trip to the Academy. We will arrange all transportation and lodging along the way, so you need not worry. With more people accompanying you, the Academy's burden will increase, and their surveillance of the guests will likely become lax. We want you to take advantage of that and accomplish your task."
"You make it sound so simple. So, who is it you want eliminated?"
"...The heir of the Arcalai Viscounty, Royal Magic Advisor, Saki Adoni Arcalai."
"You bastard!!"
I almost completely lost my senses, leaping from my chair and shouting. Causing a disturbance at the Academy was an unbelievably foolish act on its own, but to harm the heir of the Arcalai family of all people? It was as foolish as treading on a dragon's tail—no, it was an even more irredeemable act.
"If I do something like that, both I and all of you will be truly ruined. At worst, it could lead to war. My relatives, your cities, your people—all would perish in the flames. No one could stand against them. Not even my master..."
Ah, yes, my master. My mind had been so full of my family that I had forgotten, but at this rate, my master would also be implicated. He was old enough to retire at any time, yet his final years would be tarnished because of me...
"Indeed, that is not an outcome we desire either. We have taken measures to avoid it. The problem becomes magnified because it is a political conspiracy. All we need to do is make it something more personal, something with room for extenuating circumstances."
What else could it be but a political conspiracy? I thought, but did not say it aloud. Nothing would get through to this madman now. I simply nodded, urging him to continue.
"The viscount's heir got into a dispute with another house's messenger on his way to the Academy. This is a fact witnessed by many, including the gatekeepers of the Academy city. During the altercation, the messenger knight was subjected to the disgrace of being viciously berated, along with his master's house, and then forced to press his head to the ground in apology."
So something like that had happened. It seemed quite different from the image I had heard of Lord Arcalai's son...
"The knight could not report this to his master and, in his distress, chose to take his own life. Before doing so, he left a final letter to a magic user he had long been friends with, detailing the treatment and humiliation he had received. After reading it, you are driven by righteous indignation. To uncover the truth and clear your friend's name, you challenge the viscount's heir to a duel. That is the story."
I held my head in my hands and slumped onto the table. The story was full of holes. It was true that all private fights were forbidden at the Academy, so a duel would have to be held in a place where no one could interfere. Even if it was tantamount to an ambush, if the survivor insisted it was a duel, the truth would be uncertain. It was an extremely forced argument, though.
"And this knight who was my dear friend, what sort of person was he? If that part is vague, the story will fall apart the moment I am questioned afterward."
"He is not someone you don't know. It was Knight Baumann."
Lord Baumann!? I did know him. He was an attendant to the young lord my master had been teaching, and I had met and spoken with him several times on that account. I remember him as being quite talkative and a good-natured knight... but could it be!?
"You fiend, did you also... Lord Baumann..."
"You need not concern yourself. Besides, he had various other issues apart from the aforementioned dispute and was on the verge of being banished. Receiving a final cup of poison as an act of mercy from his master may have actually preserved his honor, don't you think?"
I trembled with rage, but I desperately swallowed the torrent of accusations that rose within me and forced myself to think. These people were the sort who would force a loyal vassal to fall on his sword just to advance their own vile conspiracy. If I refused, there was no telling what grim fate awaited me, my family, my master, and my fellow disciples.
"We have several other plans in place as well. We are all in this together, and we will spare no effort to minimize the damage as much as possible. You can rest assured that your family will not be held accountable. So, I have yet to hear your final answer. Will you accept our request?"
The eyes behind the man's mask stared at me with an unhinged light. In this together? Our interests align only until the assassination is carried out. Once that is done, they would easily cast aside my wife, my daughter, my master, and my peers.
And I would have to turn myself in honorably for having harmed the heir of the Arcalai Viscounty. If I did not, the claim that it was a duel would collapse, and many others would bear the blame. Then, I would be sentenced to death. In other words, the moment I carry this out, there will be nothing more I can do. I was completely trapped.
But... even so! Even so. As I closed my eyes, wracked with anguish, the faces of my wife and daughter appeared in my mind. If there was even the slightest chance that their lives could be saved...
I could never apologize enough to Saki for taking his life with such a worthless scheme. I could only imagine the grief of Lord Arcalai and Ester at losing their precious heir. I knew it was an unforgivable sin, but still, I had no other path than to save the lives of my wife and daughter.
"...I will do it."
I informed the guide to hell of my resolve to fall into hell of my own free will.
And so now, I am staying at the Academy's Guest Hall. Of course, only magic users are allowed inside the Academy (the only exception being candidates for the entrance exam), but graduates who visit again are required to stay in the Guest Hall, which is on the opposite side of the student dormitories. One reason is to not disturb the students' studies, and the other is to prevent us from moving about freely.
We magic users of the world are graduates of the Academy, and though we are comrades who uphold our vows even after graduating, there are still many secrets to be kept. If I were allowed, I too would wish to touch upon the magical knowledge known only to the highest-ranking magic users.
"Still, it has been a very long time, Elder Mordecai. Was the last time we met twenty years ago?"
"It has indeed been a long time, Ahab Azadh. When I heard you had left the army to take up a teaching position, I honestly couldn't believe my ears. To think that you, who was feared as the 'Ogre Commander,' would become a professor at the Academy."
Currently, I am in the reception room of the Guest Hall with my master and fellow disciples, receiving greetings from a representative of the Academy. The one receiving us is the Academy's chief professor, Ahab Azadh. He is a magic user of the Fourth Tier, on par with my master, and a renowned senior disciple of Ester from the Arcalai faction.
Until last year, Ahab Azadh served as the commander of the Magic Corps, said to be the strongest in the kingdom. He fought alongside Ester in the Unification War thirty years ago and is a veteran soldier who witnessed the legend of "The Witch" firsthand. Honestly, it would be hard to find someone for whom the image of wielding a teacher's pointer at the Academy is less suited.
"I am getting on in years myself. I accepted this post thinking of it as my final service, intending to bury my bones here at the Academy. In contrast, Elder Mordecai, you seem as robust as ever. I am quite envious."
"Not at all. I don't know when my time will come either. I thought this might be my last chance to visit the Academy, so I whipped my old bones into coming. By the way, is it still impossible to have an audience with the Arcalai prodigy?"
"About that, so many people have expressed a desire to meet and speak with Saki and Ruria that the Academy is at its wits' end. If we were to choose, it would cause friction, but if we allowed everyone to meet them, the Academy would be unable to function properly. It would also leave Saki and the others with no time for their studies, so I am very sorry, but we have been declining all requests."
"Is that so? A true shame. Still, the recent rise of the Arcalai family is truly remarkable. In addition to Ester's attainment of the Seventh Tier, her grandchildren are showing unbelievable talent. Her son, Lord Arcalai, has become a prominent figure at court. Surely all magic users now look upon them with envy, thinking, 'That is how I wish to be.'"
"And you, Elder Mordecai, have raised many fine disciples, including the distinguished individuals accompanying you. As one involved in education, I am always impressed and feel I must follow your example."
"Not at all."
"Not at all."
My fellow disciples watched the exchange between my master and the professor with slightly exasperated expressions, but I listened intently. I had no way of knowing what trivial piece of information might prove advantageous for what I was about to do. I already knew it would be impossible to meet the Arcalai heir directly, but there was no way I could make a move if I went to meet him with a large group anyway. I would just have to wait for an opportunity.
Fortunately, my master intended to stay at the Academy for several days. He would no doubt meet with many professors and gather as much information as possible. This was also convenient for me. People are wary when an unfamiliar person enters their field of vision, but they eventually stop paying attention to someone they have seen many times. Even if I were seen outside the Guest Hall, the risk of being immediately challenged would be reduced.
Dinner was a meal with both Professor Azadh and another, Professor Zamma. We exchanged various stories in the Guest Hall's dining room. Professor Zamma was a year my junior at the Academy, but his excellence and his personality—interested only in magic—were widely known even back then, so it was no surprise that he had become a professor.
"Me, teaching Saki-kun and Ruria-san? Senpai, I'd be too ashamed to say such a thing. Of course, when they're learning a new spell, I explain what kind of spell it is and how to cast it. But then when I say, 'Why don't you try it?' they can do it immediately. I don't think it would be a problem for them even if they only had the textbook."
Professor Zamma told me this while scratching his head, an old habit of his. I see. Ester's grandson and grandniece were geniuses just as the rumors said, or perhaps even more so. I heard that they have succeeded in casting almost every spell on their first try. This was beyond anything I had heard, and my admiration turned to simple astonishment.
At the same time, a powerful wave of guilt washed over me at the thought of closing the future of such brilliant students with my own hands. Was the act I was about to commit not only plucking a young life and plunging many into grief, but also stealing the very future of magic in this country? It was, of course, the lowest of human acts, but as a magic user, was I not becoming a traitor worse than an apostate, the most despicable of beings? I was consumed by such thoughts.
The conversation with the professors was stimulating, and both the food and wine were more luxurious than I was used to, but my heart was filled with bitterness.
After dinner, I aimlessly opened the door of the Guest Hall and stood in the entrance. Winter was still upon us, and spring was far away. The sun had already set, and the Academy grounds were shrouded in twilight. As I stood there, enduring the slight chill, the Academy gates opened and a figure emerged. After a moment's hesitation, the figure began walking toward me.
"Excuse me. Is something the matter? It is rather late to be outside."
The one who spoke was a young boy. He was quite small, but his speech was proper, so he might not have been as young as he looked. He was definitely a student, perhaps a new one who had just enrolled this year.
"No, I was just feeling nostalgic for the time I studied here. I was watching and lost track of time as the sun set."
"I see. Please be careful. If you are outside the buildings too late, the guards will question you. Well then, excuse me."
The boy said this, turned on his heel, and walked away toward the student dormitories. I watched his back until it disappeared into the night's darkness, then opened the door to the Guest Hall and returned to the room I had been given. I lay down on the bed and waited for a while.
What howls at the moon?
About half an hour after I had lain down, the voice of the boy I had met at the entrance to the Guest Hall echoed in my mind. I formed a sigil, chanted "[Sending]," and replied with the established code phrase.
The dragon that swims the ocean.
Currently investigating the target. I will contact you later.
A very simple reply echoed in my head once more. I sat up in bed and shook my head. This was one of the plans the masked man had mentioned. A collaborator on site. To have infiltrated a student in advance... should I praise the long reach of one of this country's most powerful nobles?
At the same time, the fact that I could not resist the masked man and those behind him on my own weighed heavily upon me. Should I lament my misfortune at being caught in a battle between giants? Or was there a side path somewhere in my life that could have avoided this end?
There was no point in thinking about it. The situation had already progressed to a point of no return. As long as the masked man's eyes were on this Academy, any suspicious move I made would mean the immediate end of my wife and daughter's lives. I stopped agonizing over it, closed my eyes, and threw myself back onto the bed.
The target will be moving alone between the Gold Dragon Hall and the Red Dragon Hall before dinner. No patrols in sight.
The urgent message from my collaborator came in the afternoon of my fourth day at the Academy. Until now, the target had always been with multiple people, with no time alone. This might be the only chance I would get while I was staying at the Academy with my master.
There wasn't much time until dinner. I casually walked out of the Guest Hall and made my way toward the student dormitories, taking a route that was less likely to be seen. It was nearly twenty years ago, but I too had lived in this place for three years. I knew it like the back of my hand.
When I was quite close to the student dormitories, I hid myself between a building and a grove of trees, quickly formed two sigils, and cast a spell.
"[Invisibility]."
This Second Tier spell renders the caster's form transparent, making it seem as if nothing is there. The spell breaks if I cast another spell or attack someone while invisible, but for a surprise attack, there is no better spell. I continued forward slowly, eventually reaching a place where I could see both student dormitories.
Twilight was approaching, and under a crimson-stained sky, the twin-like student dormitories stood with a space between them. I remembered my younger days spent in one of them, the Gold Dragon Hall, and tears almost welled up in my eyes. If the me from back then, who held nothing but hope for his future, were to see the me of twenty years later, about to commit an act that everyone would point their fingers at, what despair would he feel?
Then the door of the Gold Dragon Hall opened, and a single boy emerged. He wore a finely tailored robe, with golden hair and green eyes. On the chest of his robe was the crest of "a crossed staff and an owl." Without a doubt, this was the target, the heir of the Arcalai Viscounty, Saki Adoni Arcalai.
He had a very handsome face, but he was still so young that one might describe him as cute. He was seven years old, by my count? About the same age as my own daughter. Was I about to lay my hands on such an innocent child? The thought that my actions were worthy of a great sin only grew stronger.
I am truly sorry. But, my beloved wife and daughter, you may curse me as an irredeemable sinner, but please, live long lives...
I thrust out my arm and prepared to chant a spell. But I felt a sense of wrongness and lowered my hand. Strange... Why has the boy stopped in the middle of the path? No, more than that... isn't he facing this way? My [Invisibility] spell shouldn't have worn off! Why? Why?
Ignoring my confusion and the questions that filled my head, the boy was clearly walking toward me. He stopped about ten paces away, tilted his head, and asked a question.
"Um, why are you hiding in a place like this?"
Here is the thirty-first chapter. Sometimes I lose track of which chapter I'm posting and might get the number wrong, but please don't mind it.