The return was swift. This was because Dersia's door-opening magic was connected to the library. I had known, but to arrive in the capital in mere seconds from a castle far more distant than the place that had taken two days to reach by carriage... a dangerous thought crossed my mind.
"If the Red Lotus could use this kind of teleportation magic, we'd be in real trouble."
"Do you think beings that cannot even handle elemental spells could reach a level where they can cut and paste dimensions? But well, they did something similar with that mass."
"Did you kill it for sure?"
"You can't kill something like that. Instead, I left a bluff."
"A bluff...?"
"Yes. But they'll have no choice but to fall for a bluff made by a 9-Star mage. They know nothing about magic, after all."
We sent Elysia and Aletus back to their mansion. Of course, it wasn't so easy. When we arrived at the mansion and went inside, the maid who greeted us asked with a puzzled look.
"Ah, Lady Dersia. And Teacher Jern. What is it? The master and the young lady have left on a trip."
"Uh... well, we brought them back—" "Yes? What do you mean by that..."
Having a rough idea of what was about to happen, I awkwardly entered the mansion and opened the workshop door. The maid, who followed me into the workshop with bewildered eyes, screamed louder than someone who had witnessed a murder.
"Kyaa— Kyaaaaaaaaaah!!"
"What is all this? Wait! Master! Young lady!"
"Kuaargh, a doctor! Call a doctor!"
The other household staff who rushed over at the sound of the scream had similar reactions. ... It seemed news of the Azelin invasion hadn't reached them yet. Then again, we had arrived far too quickly.
As I was stealthily backing away, the head butler, who was half out of his mind, asked.
"W-what in the world happened?!"
"Well..."
I gave him a summarized account of what had happened, and even though I hid the fact of what Elysia might have endured, his knees buckled and he collapsed.
"... Thank you. Truly, you have bestowed an unrepayable grace upon our family..."
"It wasn't me, it was Lady Dersia... wait, Master, where are you going?"
"We just need to let them know we weren't the ones who attacked. They'll come looking for me on their own once the report on Azelin's situation comes in, so I'll explain everything then."
In the way Dersia spoke, I sensed a hint of urgency, something unusual for her. I suppose it couldn't be helped. I offered the head butler one last piece of advice before leaving.
"Um, Miss Elysia might have gone a little crazy and might say strange things, but you must not believe her."
"Pardon? What do you mean by that?"
"... I'm busy, so I'll be going now."
I passed through the door Dersia had opened and entered the library. ? No, there were books, but it wasn't the library. It was a bizarre room where paper covered paper, with books and pens strewn about carelessly on top.
However, it felt less like a mess and more like the room's owner had organized it according to some law known only to them. This was probably Dersia's private space. I surveyed my surroundings and took a careful step forward.
"This is my room. You are the first human other than Ciel I have allowed inside."
Dersia, who had naturally sat on a plain bed that looked like it belonged, beckoned with her finger. It was a gesture telling me to come closer. Feeling an indescribable anxiety, I took a step back.
"Imperial law—" "Shut up and come here. I will treat you."
"Yes, ma'am."
Couldn't she have treated me in the library? As I approached hesitantly, Dersia grabbed the nape of my neck, lifted me up, and laid me down on the bed. She looked at my injuries and muttered something.
"Ugh."
It wasn't painful... more like my energy was being completely drained. Once the treatment began, the exhaustion in my whole body vanished, and I didn't even have the energy to be tense. It was a rather strange feeling.
"What is this?"
"It is Healing magic... though it's merely a spell that guides all of the body's functions toward natural healing to maximize the recovery speed."
"Back when you were beating me like a dog in the library, didn't you use the kind of magic that healed me in a flash?"
"That was a matter of saving your uninjured state and then, when you were hurt, recalling it and separating the parts that had progressed from those that hadn't. It can't be called healing."
"... What did you say?"
"Jern. I, too, have a question for you."
Dersia, who had been stroking my wound, suddenly met my gaze.
"I will tell you this beforehand so you won't be anxious. Whatever answer you give to the question I'm about to ask, the way I treat you will not change."
"There will be no difference in our contract, and I will still help you survive, so I hope you will speak honestly."
Her attempt to reassure me was so overdone that it made me more anxious. But at the same time, she seemed to be about to say something quite serious, so I wiped the smile from my face and answered earnestly.
"Yes, I understand."
Though saying it while lying on a bed didn't make for a very dignified picture. Dersia asked in a voice completely devoid of any inflection.
"What is your connection to the Red Lotus?"
"Hmm."
I thought about it. For quite a long time. I knew why Dersia was asking such a question, so it was less about formulating an answer to satisfy her and more like I was also trying to find the answer to that question myself.
Thankfully, Dersia waited quietly while I remained silent for a full five minutes.
"I know this isn't the answer you're looking for, but— I don't know either. I can, however, offer an explanation."
"Please do."
"This question arose from seeing those corpses, didn't it?"
"Yes."
Dersia nodded in reply.
"The Red Lotus rose up after I met you. Of course, it is clear that their current objective is to increase their numbers. But what lies above that? Why now?"
"You think I am their objective."
"I think it's something similar. It is certain that they are trying to create beings similar to you. Perhaps."
"They could be looking for me."
I shrugged and answered.
"The truth is... I have no memories from before I was five, though that's just an estimate."
"... Hmm."
"When I came to my senses, I was in front of an orphanage. So I grew up as an orphan. So, it's a possibility. That I was tortured by the Red Lotus before I lost my memories... or maybe I'm a secret weapon they unleashed on the Empire."
"Or perhaps the story about losing your memory is a lie."
"Do we really have to point out that possibility right now?"
"Hmph..."
Dersia, who had been glaring at me for a moment, let out a small laugh.
"If you were their underling, the Red Lotus would certainly have a hard time."
"I'll take that as a compliment. Do you have any more questions?"
It couldn't end like this. Dersia would surely grill me with more questions— or so I thought, but surprisingly, she concluded the matter coolly as if my answer was sufficient.
"Well, if I had to be precise, the question came from pure curiosity. Nothing is certain yet, so I cannot make a hasty judgment."
"Still, isn't there a high probability that it's connected to my short, amnesiac life?"
"Even if it's high, what can be done? Did you not say you lost your memory? It's of no use."
"... That's true."
"Well then, I will ask about the battle after I return, so please rest well."
"Where are you going?"
"It will become very troublesome if I don't report what happened in Azelin. If you need anything, here, ring this bell and a maid will come..."
Dersia suddenly stopped talking, contemplated something, then took the bell away with a sour expression.
"No, I will be back soon, so just bear with it."
"Yes, ma'am."
As Dersia opened the door and left, I lay down comfortably on the bed. I had imagined it would reek of cigarette smoke, but there was no such smell at all. In fact, it was nearly odorless.
I was already tired and about to sleep anyway, but I reached a hand out into the air.
"Hmm..."
I examined my hand closely. An ordinary hand, a child's hand. Although, through the torturous exercise that accompanied my body-reinforcement techniques, I had developed muscles that shouldn't exist at this age.
But that couldn't be helped. Other than that, there was really nothing unusual about it. '... Did it happen to him?'
The thought suddenly occurred to me. Did the owner of this body really endure torture worthy of being cast into the Deep Sea? If that were true...
I was truly curious as to who did it.
Surprisingly, I was unable to leave Dersia's room for three whole months after that. The moment she heard how I had defeated Wihwa, she locked the door. In the meantime, a recovered Elysia tried to find me somehow, but Dersia didn't even permit us to speak.
So Elysia tried to break down the door, and after that, I was never able to confirm Elysia's visits again. Starting from the point two months later when my leg had fully healed, I asked to be let out every week. But Dersia, who looked at me as if I were a terminally ill patient, always gave the same answer.
"Jern, you are currently in a very, very, very, very dangerous state."
"Isn't that something I've known from the beginning?"
"It's more than that. I'm more puzzled as to how you even survived..."
Dersia, her dark circles much darker than usual, narrowed her brow and examined my condition from all angles. It was a daily routine that had been repeated without fail for three months.
"How is the burden today?"
"I don't feel like it's gotten any worse than before. Of course, I know the Deep Fusion state is really dangerous, but it's already over, and staying inside isn't going to change anything, is it? I'm really going to die in here."
"It seems you haven't properly recognized it yet. You were on the verge of becoming a part of the Deep Sea."
"... Ah."
When I answered in a slightly surprised tone, Dersia tilted her head.
"What is it?"
"I thought so too. That I was on the verge of becoming a phenomenon."
"If you felt it yourself, this will be quicker. If you had handled it even slightly wrong, you would have melted into the world, that is, the Deep Sea, and ceased to be human."
"What would have happened then?"
"Transcending the boundary. You would have disappeared from this world. You would have ended up living within the world you created."
So that's what would have happened. I just instinctively hated the idea.
"You shouldn't be able to escape the moment you step in, so how did you do it with will alone...?"
Watching Dersia start to ponder, something came to mind and I spoke.
"Come to think of it, I think I received Miss Elysia's help in returning from the Deep Fusion state."
"What do you mean by that?"
"After I lost myself in the Deep Fusion state, when I came to my senses, Miss Elysia was doing something to me. Maybe she dispelled it with her ability to reject magic?"
"How can one stop the process of becoming a phenomenon with the ability to reject magic? They are completely differe..."
Dersia, who had been shaking her head as if in disbelief, stopped and suddenly began to consider something seriously.
"Hmm."
"So, when can I leave? I'm getting antsy being cooped up in this room."
No matter how much I liked being cooped up, being unable to leave for this long felt like I was really going to die. After a long period of thought, Dersia handed me a key.
"... Very well. If you feel like you're about to melt away while you're outside, immediately use this key to open a nearby door. It will connect to this room. It's single-use, but this should be sufficient."
"Huh? Can I really go?"
"There have been no problems for at least three months, so it's best to judge it as stable. If it were up to me, I'd want to observe for half a year, but I have things I need to do as well."
Dersia, looking truly busy, poked at the preserved head of Wihwa on her desk and scribbled magical formulas on a piece of paper.
"Classes will be suspended for a while. It seems I need to think about this and what you just told me."
"I understand. In that case, I will..."
"Yes, go and rest."
Freedom, for the first time in so long. I hurriedly left the mansion before Dersia could change her mind.
"Hoo..."
My breath came out as a white puff. I had seen it through the glass inside the mansion, but it was now deep winter. I walked through the capital, stepping on the crunching snow.
I had wandered around here and there for a while, but my home was still the orphanage. I hadn't been able to visit for quite some time, so I should go and say hello. And Elysia... seeing her kick the door, she seems to be healthy, but I haven't been able to exchange a word with her for three months.
Should I go see her after I meet the Director?
"Oh, right."
It's been a while, so I should bring a gift. I stopped by a nearby bakery, confidently opened the door, and asked the bewildered shop owner.
"Are any of the pastries here reserved?"
"Huh? No, there's nothing like that, sonny."
"Then I will purchase all of them. Please wrap them up."
"Haha, this kid, what a jo..."
I placed the key to my workshop in the Black Magic Tower right on the counter in front of the laughing baker. The baker's expression changed.
"... Ah! You must be a mage's disciple! Are you on an errand?"
Hmm.
It's my workshop key, though. Perhaps because it was an expensive bakery, he was used to mages. It seemed I wouldn't get to see the "Uwaah, my apologies for not recognizing a great mage!" reaction I was hoping for.
Not that I really wanted it. I shrugged and replied.
"Yes. They said they're for the people at the tower."
"Where is your servant?"
"I'll carry it myself. Don't worry, I may be young, but I'm still something of a mage."
I lifted the key with my currents. At that, the baker's eyes widened like saucers.
"W-wait, t-t-tele, telekinesis, at that age...?!"
"Ah."
This isn't telekinesis. But I guess that's what it looks like to most people. Unable to explain, I just stood there quietly as the frightened baker hurriedly began to pack the pastries.
"Oh my! I failed to recognize someone who will become a Great Mage! Which family are you from?"
"I can't say for personal reasons."
"I see. I asked something unnecessary! My apologies, if you could just wait a moment, I'll wrap these up very prettily for you!"
"... No, I'll help too."
Since I'm the one taking them anyway, the faster, the better. I sighed and used my currents to take the pastries from the shop one by one and place them in bags. At this point, the baker seemed to be beyond shocked and into the realm of disbelief.
"No, what is this..."
"... Wow, there are a lot of knights passing by over there. Is something going on?"
Unable to bear it any longer, I quickly changed the subject.
"... Ah, ahh. They say the world is in turmoil these days, so they often have such processions."
"I heard that several cities have recently been attacked by some terrorist organization, the Red Lotus or something—" "Hmm, I see."
"I don't think those fiends can do anything in the capital, but well, there are people whose families are in other regions."
It seemed that while I was locked away for three months, the name Red Lotus had slowly spread even to the capital. If even ordinary citizens knew about them, it was safe to say the Red Lotus had achieved their initial objective. What did they want next?
As I watched the knights march down the main street in neat rows and columns with a somber expression, the baker, looking much more relaxed, began to explain.
"Still, I'm not worried. Seeing the recent Golden Seed Tournament, the future looks very bright."
"The Golden Seed Tournament?"
"Yes. It's a competition where the knight apprentices compete to see who is the most superior, and what do you know, some dark horse overwhelmingly defeated all the top contenders to win."
"Oh, so something like that happened. That's amazing."
An apprentice... a certain blonde came to mind.
"Indeed! It was truly an incredible event. It's not that the other top contenders lacked skill, but he was so overwhelming that it's certain he's aiming to become a Divine Punishment Knight."
The baker seemed to be a very passionate fan of this Golden Seed Tournament, as he started explaining animatedly, spitting as he spoke as if a floodgate had opened.
"I mean, he couldn't have been more than fifteen, but his skill was truly unbelievable. To be honest, I didn't like him much when I first saw him. His background was unclear, and he talked a lot of trash."
An unsettling image formed in my mind. Could it be?
"Trash talk, you say—" "Well, you see, after defeating an opponent, he'd say things like, 'Child, you are nothing to me,' or 'Kneel before this Dark Night's Black Thunder Punishment Knight. Mortal.'"
"Dark what?"
"Dark Night's Black Thunder Punishment Knight. It's the name the apprentice calls himself."
Woah..... Wow......... Definitely not.
Feeling much more at ease, I picked up some nearby coffee and drank it.
"That's a very unique name."
"Isn't it? After watching for a while, I grew to really like his cool demeanor at such a young age, and his gaze, as if he's mastered everything!"
This baker didn't seem normal either. I offered a prayer for that nameless apprentice. Because he had the misfortune of winning, everyone in the world would know that he had called himself by that name even after he grew up.
If it were me, I wouldn't have the confidence to go on living. As I was sipping my coffee, the baker suddenly came out from behind the counter with an excited expression.
"... Oh! Master mage, look over there! That is the apprentice's banner."
I looked at the shop's glass window to see what poor soul this was.
Black hair.
Long black hair that reached the waist.
And— "—Pfft!"
"M-master mage?"
I spat out my coffee. I rushed to the window and seared the unbelievable sight into my eyes. Yes, riding on a horse, with dyed black hair, and an expression so haughty it was downright smug, but— "...
L-Linmel?"
"Yes. That's Apprentice Linmel. Do you know her?"
It was unmistakably Linmel. Even the armor she was wearing was strange. The shoulder guards were carved with the faces of a dragon and a demon, and the hilt of her sword was decorated with jewels and inscriptions.
It was the kind of armor that didn't seem like it would be of any help in battle.
"She calls herself that, the Dark-Something-Knight?"
"Yes? Yes."
After watching the scene in a daze, I gathered the pastries and left the shop.
"Put the bill on the Black Magic Tower's account."
"Ah, yes. Have a good day!"
The baker seemed to be in a good mood, having sold all his pastries, but I was not. 'Isn't she a bit too precocious...?' —It seemed I had to stop Linmel's slightly early puberty.