The battle was over.
Usually, traces of a battle remain after it ends. But this ti, they didn’t.
"Hero! I’m sure I saw the mine get destroyed…"
The mines where the colossal monster and the duke erged, along with the city’s buildings and streets, had all been wrecked in the fight. But now, everything was perfectly intact. It looked as though the battle that had just taken place was nothing but a dream.
Aswell could only answer the Marquis of Lacre’s question with this:
"…I don’t know either. It’s thanks to my companion."
Over in an open field, the mage was resting in Aria’s arms, basking in the holy light she emanated. The mysterious magic she unleashed had turned everything back to the way it was before the battle.
However, one thing hadn’t changed—rcadia.
"Be careful. She’s definitely dead, but as a high-ranking demon, even her corpse could have a negative effect."
"…I understand."
The marquis and the guards stepped back cautiously at his warning.
"We’ll take care of disposing of these remains."
"…Apologies for the burden, but please do."
Finished with the marquis, Aswell returned to his comrades.
"Hero."
"How’s Louis?"
"She’s not waking up… No matter how much holy power I infuse into her…"
The mage lay in Aria’s arms, breathing softly in sleep. If she had fainted from an injury, Aria’s holy power should have roused her.
But despite all attempts to wake her, she showed no signs of stirring. It was unclear whether they should feel relieved that she wasn’t hurt or worried that she wasn’t waking up.
‘Last ti, she fainted due to mana depletion…’
This ti, however, it was different. Niabella and Lafiré could still sense mana flowing within her.
"…"
Could this be connected to "that"? Could it have sothing to do with the presence he sensed from beyond that pure white space as her unique magic manifested?
[If, while the magic is active, you see a white void, please don’t look at it.]
She clearly knew what that was. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have given such a specific warning.
Which ant she knew this might happen yet chose to use that magic anyway—for the sake of the city and for all of them, willingly sending herself into a deep sleep.
"What if… What if she doesn’t wake up?"
Niabella’s voice trembled with tears. She was closer to Louie than anyone else, often relying on her for support, so she seed more affected than the others.
"…She’ll be fine. Sothing like this happened before when you weren’t with us, and she woke up soon after."
Serelin patted Niabella on the shoulder, recounting the events at Alpares. But Niabella’s reaction was different.
"But… I don’t see her fla."
"…Fla?"
"The fla of her will to wake up. I… I don’t feel her heart at all."
Any curiosity about how Niabella could sense that quickly faded. If what she was saying was true, it ant sothing far more serious.
"Are you saying… Louis doesn’t… doesn’t want to wake up?"
"I’m not sure if it’s her choice, or if there’s so other reason."
Everyone’s expressions grew grave.
"…At least, it shouldn’t be because of rcadia."
"Yes, if that were the case, she would’ve responded to my holy power!"
It was becoming clearer. Her inability to regain consciousness was a side effect of the magic.
‘So how do we fix it?’
There was no one in the hero party with more magical knowledge than her. Though Niabella was a skilled witch, she didn’t compare to Louis.
Then, one na ca to mind.
He was a mystery. They didn’t know if he was human, another race, or sothing entirely different. They knew nothing about him, save for one fact.
"…We need to take Louis to her master."
Her master.
The one who had helped her attain her imnse magical skill and knowledge.
If anyone had the answer, it would be him.
"But how…?"
The problem was that no one knew where her master was.
"Aswell, you should report this to the imperial family. If we can get their support, we might…"
At that mont, he appeared, as if summoned by their very need.
"Haa…"
…
Everyone stopped moving: the city workers restoring order, those keeping watch for any further combat, the Marquis of Lacre and his servants.
And the hero party.
Not a single person remained unaffected.
An aura of domination.
Sothing was approaching.
Rumble…
Earlier, the sky had cleared from the storm brought by rcadia’s onslaught. But now, dark clouds once again began to cover it.
"Haa… Haa…"
Niabella panted, her skin slick with cold sweat. Aswell gripped his holy sword with trembling hands, but the shadows cast by the storm dimd even the sword’s light.
Crash!!
"Ahh!"
A bolt of lightning struck with such force that it shook part of the mine. At the sa ti, sothing descended in the middle of the hero party.
It was a man.
Draped in a thick white coat, he looked down at her unconscious form with a solemn expression. Small bolts of lightning crackled around him, his re presence weighing down on every mber of the hero party.
"So, in the end, she used it."
And his eyes were a piercing vertical slit.
With a trembling voice, Serelin managed to speak.
"S-Stormblast Duke…"
Stormblast.
As soon as he heard that na, Aswell felt as though he’d been struck by lightning. Now he understood where the man had co from and why the storm had gathered.
The eternal guardian of the northern empire. The Duke of the Stormblast family.
The true identity of that family was none other than that of dragons. In that case, the man before them was the Stormblast Duke himself—Kunder Stormblast.
"So you’re the hero."
Golden eyes fixed on Aswell. Aswell returned the holy sword to its sheath and replied.
"…Yes, that’s correct."
"The Blood Iron Duke rcadia and her monster, Behirajaga… You’ve killed a demon duke."
His voice was devoid of emotion, yet it sounded like praise for the hero party’s achievent. But no one could smile or express gratitude.
"Your party’s current strength shouldn’t have been enough to face her… so that’s how it is."
Once more, the duke’s gaze fell downward. His shadow lood over her, his presence blocking out the light above her white hair.
Without a word, he reached past Aria and lifted her in his arms. Seeing her, looking so small and helpless in his hold, Aswell couldn’t help but step forward.
"Do you… do you know Louis? If so, she’s in a dire state right now…!"
"Hero."
A quiet voice.
And then, as abruptly as he had arrived, he spoke a single phrase.
"Louis is no longer a mber of your hero party."
Crash!!
Another bolt of lightning struck the mine above them, and the duke vanished before their eyes.
"…Louis?"
In the stunned silence, only Aswell’s hollow voice echoed.
Mmm.
I heard the faint sound of the Master Key hum beside . I gently stroked it, hoping to calm it.
It seed to help; the sound stopped.
The pure white space.
I sat there, alone.
I knew why I was here. I’d chosen this path, and I knew it would lead here.
Shhhhh…
In the distance, I heard the sound of waves. But this was no ordinary ocean.
It was an ocean of blue letters instead of water. The letters collided with each other, creating the sound of waves as they lapped at the shore of a vast paper beach.
Beside it, a river flowed. A river composed of long sentences, streaming continuously.
Beyond that, past the horizon, lay a vast cliff.
Rumble…
The cliff was like a towering bookshelf of countless books, shifting as it crumbled, split, and then rose again.
This pure white space was filled with knowledge.
Each small letter in the sea, each sentence in the river, each book on the cliff—all were pieces of the world’s information.
This realm existed because of my unique magic.
Infinity Atelier.
As its na suggests, it’s a spell that transforms an entire area into my personal "workshop." In doing so, that space becos "materials" I can use to realize my deepest desires.
For such a task, a vast foundation of knowledge is essential.
But I wasn’t omniscient.
That’s why this world ca into being—a new world born, mysteriously, to fill my lack of knowledge.
And—
[--- -- ---]
That "child" was the sa.
Despite its chanical appearance, it brimd with pure curiosity and goodwill. Yet it held a force and presence that marked it as the ruler of this world.
A massive chanical eye, crafted from electricity, tal, and light, gazed at . Each ti my eyes t its, this world’s knowledge flooded into my mind indiscriminately.
The truth of the world—imparted equally to both those who sought it and those who would rather remain ignorant. If I were to stare at that eye for too long, my mind would eventually burn out from the overwhelming flood of knowledge.
But that was its only effect. It didn’t act with hostile intent, so as long as I avoided its gaze, I remained unhard.
“When will I be able to leave this place?”
The last ti I encountered this world and that “child,” it was small enough that I could escape with ease. But after casting my magic during the battle with rcadia, the space had grown to the size of a small city.
Escaping through normal ans was no longer an option.
The best way out was for soone outside to pull back—but for that, I would need the help of a mage of equal or greater skill than myself. Niabella… wasn’t there yet.
“Mmm… huh?”
At that mont, I felt my body begin to rise slowly.
Soone was starting to pull out from the outside.
‘Could it be Niabella?’
The chances were highest for her, considering she’d been nearby.
Whoosh!!
With a sound like a waterfall, I was abruptly lifted and drawn sowhere. Then, as I approached a light in the darkness ahead…
…
I opened my eyes.
Above was a familiar chandelier hanging from a pure white ceiling.
‘That’s definitely northern decor…’
My hero party and I should have been in the northwest. Maybe the marquis had redecorated his mansion in a similar style.
“Louis. You’re awake.”
All my thoughts stopped at the sound of that voice. I slowly turned toward the source and saw a familiar face.
A woman with soft light blue hair and a gentle smile.
“…Master.”
The one who had awakened was none other than my master.
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