《Gekka no Utahime to Magi no Ou》 Volume 1 - Prologue PROLOGUE ¨C The Last Hexe She introduced herself as ?The Last Hexe?1 to me. She was clad in black clothes like those worn at a funeral and had dull grey hair that looked as though it were covered by ashes. Within her eyes dwelled mystery, and she certainly looked the part of a ''witch''. However, she was a surprisingly sociable and friendly person. "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Lyle Waldstein." Upon my grasping of her outstretched hand, the ?Hexe? was all smiles, and my anxiety all but vanished. And to Erl¡ªof course, the ?Hexe? had a real name and also a pet name¡ª "Are you really a witch?" I asked. Erl did not live in a dwelling deep in the forest but rather in a mansion out in the open, widely exposed to the sun. The people that worked there had never seen any fiels2 or automata3 like those from the fairy-tales of the past. At that time, I did not know the reason why ?The Last Hexe? was known as a rare prodigal scientist . To the childishly innocent me, Erl had said, "Well, well, what should I say? The ''answer'' is not something that is given, but earned, don''t you know?" while smiling in delight. 1 Hexe means ''witch'', in German. To be exact the author used ''Hex'' (not in furigana, it''s written right at the end of the book), but I took the liberty of correcting it. 2 Faeries, basically. 3 Moving puppets, similar kinds of existences. 2 Carrying a lamp, I entered the basement, and promptly shouted for joy. There was the ''witch''s room'', the existence of which I had both been skeptical of and was eagerly anticipating, where glass specimen containers and old books were piled up. And, on top of the table was, that which was considered to be the origin of magic, the mysterious magical stone¡ª[Amber]. Taking one of the amber stones, I raised it over my head... but, nothing happened. No flames, not even a faint light, was given off. Avoiding detection, I stayed inside the hidden room. Parchment scrolls, handwritten ancient documents, Erl''s research notes, I read everything Volume 1 - CH 1 Chapter 1 - Disciple of the Last Hexe 1 A computer refer to ''one who computes'', before computers were invented. A human calculator, if you will 2 A contractor is... let''s say you run a business. You require the services of, say an electrician, but you don''t have one employed. Hence, you engage the services of a electrician. He will then become a ''contractor''. A sub-contractor is someone the contracted electrician (for example) contracts with, for support. All these are legal definitions, just for the record. 15 "You haven''t laid your hands on something that fine? Has your little stump rotted away?" "...... I''ve said this many times before. Don''t you think you ought to stop saying that sort of thing?" "I got it. Nobles have a reputation for liking dirty jokes, y''know. My ancestor five generations ago once had a wise saying that went ''Men of nobility will die if they are forbidden from touching elsewhere on a woman''s body except 3 Erbe Der Last Hexe is part-German, part-English. ''Erbe'' is an inheritance/legacy, so it could be interpreted the Inheritance/Legacy of the Last Hexe (witch), as it might end up as a wordplay in the end and have double meaning (Last means something else in German). 17 "Leave me alone¡ªand Maria too. Eventually, she''ll be married to a wealthy noble financier. It would not do to mar her in any way." "Is that noblewoman really so precious to you? Being ''ladylike'' is already an old-fashioned conservative way of thinking. Rather, she''s the type you should go stab with your sword head-on, y''know." "......" Lyle sipped his soup in silence, as he had already known that a long time ago. "Come to think of it... do you know who Vilhelm Zest is?" "That senior from the fifth year? Last year, at the age of eighteen, he succeeded the military Zest family as a Margrave4 , an extraordinary man¡ª rumours of whom have spread so fast that even I''ve heard of them. That Zest?" "A really different kind of noble compared to me. Even in the academy, he''s always surrounded by and bringing along younger nobles from prominent families. A Margrave like that, for the sake of inviting Miss Maria to the ball at the end of the holiday, had even made advances on her... how do you think that turned out?" Looking at the smiling, seemingly happy Hazel, Lyle had a rather unpleasant premonition. "She slapped that dandy right across the cheek, and told him, ''Did that quite wake you up?''. It was an act of brilliance. There were more students who were in admiration than in surprise." "That happened, huh....." Lyle resisted the dizziness that afflicted his head. Though I already knew how her uncontrollable, reckless, and without-a-carefor-what-others-may-think personality was like...... 4 Margrave is a medieval title for a nobleman who had military responsibilities for a border province of a kingdom. In this case, the kingdom is Ilsestein. The setting is influenced by Germany, I guess, there are quite a few German words here and there. 18 "... Even absurdity should have a limit." "You''re the only person who can get along well with that noblewoman. So, hurry up and make something happen already. In the first place, how are you able to hold yourself back with such a perfect pair of breasts before you? Be honest. Are there any guys who dislike breasts? None.Ain''t that right, my brother?" While cackling, Hazel moved both his hands in an extremely obscene manner. "...... Hazel. If you''re going to be that persistent about it, I have something that I want to say." "Eh? What''s that?" "I won''t lend you my notes at all, nor will I show you the way to the exam." "Ngh! Th-That would be troubling! If I don''t have your notes, I''ll end up dropping out of class! And to make matters worse, if I can''t sell the transcriptions of your notes, I''ll starve to death in an instant!" "Why is this guy putting food before his exams... wait, what was it that you said?" "Heheh, pardon me, Lord Lyle. Bestow upon this pitiable lamb your scriptures and promises." "Very well." Looking down at Hazel who was prostrating himself on the ground, Lyle felt a little better. 19 Part 3 After setting up a fire in the stove and taking a hot shower, Lyle changed into his outdoor clothes. But to be exact, it was only the usual clothes, a shirt, vest, slacks and an overcoat on top. Though the standard black overcoat specified by the academy was unfashionable and thus unpopular, Lyle saw it as a mage''s robes and hence it was his favourite, comparatively. "¡ªHm. I forgot something." Lyle was just about to depart from the cramped dorm room (Hazel''s only saving grace was that he was a neat freak) when he checked and did not feel the usual sensation in his pocket. Hurriedly, he picked up the pocket watch left on top of the desk. On the exterior cover that was adorned with delicate silverwork, a polished amber was giving off a dull shine. It was the watch that Erllua, Lyle''s teacher, had given him just before her disappearance. Inserting amber which was indispensable for magi, into the cover of the watch that was made with cutting-edge mechanisms, was truly like something ?The Last Hexe? would do. "One could even say that this is the .... Oops, gotta go, gotta go." When he opened the lid to check the time, he realised that a significant amount of time had passed. Stuffing the pocket watch deep into his pocket, Lyle flew out of the dormitory. The dormitory was located at the northern end of the vast academy. Lyle rushed towards the western side of said vast academy''s interior. A single horse carriage was stopped before the sturdy and old-fashioned main gate made from iron. The young girl folded her arms in an imposing stance and pouted as Lyle arrived panting and out of breath. "¡ªYou''re late!" 20 Though she was making a racket over Lyle first thing in the morning, still, she did dress up rather seriously today. An elegant pale pink dress. Tapping on the ground were precisely measured, custom-made boots. On her head was a wide-brimmed sun hat. No matter how one looked at her, she was exactly the image of a high-class noblewoman. I would have no complaints if she were dressed like that all the time, sighed Lyle. "Weren''t you the one who suddenly called me out? Doing that and saying that I''m late is rather unreasonable." "Why do you say that, seeing as you''ve known me for so long? Haven''t I always been that way since the past?" "...... Now that you mention it, I guess I should have known." Shaking his head exasperatedly, his gaze met with the girl sitting at the coachman''s position on the carriage who was stretching her neck out. She had large green eyes and light brown skin that gave one the impression of a Southerner. Over her light blond hair, she wore a pure white headdress, which was the symbol of maids. "Good morning, Milla." "Good morning to you, Master Lyle." The maid serving under Maria, MillaGauche, returned with a smile reminiscent of a sunflower. Lyle knew her from when he was a child. One could say that she was Lyle''s comrade in arms in being abused by Maria. "Looook here, what are you waiting for, get on quickly." Maria pushed Lyle towards the carriage. Once they had boarded the passenger''s compartment, Milla started to move the horse carriage with a crack of her whip. The liveliness of the atmosphere grew as one travelled from the outskirts towards the central area. Upon arriving at the street where government 21 boards were located, they were caught up in an absurd disturbance. Food stalls that were giving off sweet aromas were everywhere, and so were the resounding sounds from ringing glasses of malt beer. Much less a horse carriage, even the trams were not able to move, it seemed. "We can''t proceed any further, eh." "It looks like there''s still a fair distance to go... ah, I remembered. I''ve got something here that''ll be good to kill some time with." Saying that, Maria took out a single envelope from the bag beside her. "It''s a report from the research institute that I''m financing... they seem to be having a hard time with it. Could I get your opinion on this?" "... Did you bring me all the way here into this crowded town centre for that?" "I wonder? Leaving that aside, won''t you do this for me, p-r-e-t-t-y-p-l-e-a-se??" There was never an instance when he had refused Maria''s ''please''. Lyle promptly gave in, took the envelope, and retrieved the contents inside. "...... This is...... a communication device that uses radio waves? With that, it is also possible to transmit sound......" "If implemented practically, it would probably be referred to as a [telephone]. We''re in no hurry, so take your time." While buying mead that was mixed with soda from the carriage window, Maria had said that carefreely, but Lyle was already concentrating on the documents. "A film to receive sound... Using pig''s intestines, that''s pretty classic... What if there''s electrical resistance in that thin film... How about a carbon or metal film? But that would mean direct contact... come to think of it, a little while ago I did some calculations on the piezoelectric effect using crystals for the professor who taught electricity. If I apply those principles, a no-contact 22 approach could be possible, but... it''s overly delicate, so putting it to practical use would be......" Lyle was unconsciously moving his finger along the documents, holding out a fountain pen and taking careful aim. Then, he promptly thrust it hard at the documents. Unifying the accumulated knowledge and repeating the counter-arguments, his thoughts formed an idea according to the notations and equations running through his head. Lyle moved his writing brush, with the likeness of a baby who had just learned to write. "...... It can be done." Struck with an idea, he finished writing out the layout of his design as much as he could. Filled with a sense of accomplishment, he raised his head, and saw that Maria was playing around with her hair in boredom. The scenery outside the horse carriage had changed from the city central to that of the outskirts. Upon taking out his pocket watch to check the time, "¡ªIt''s already been an hour?" "Honestly, your concentration is superb." Although Maria was smiling bitterly as though she was amazed, but that quickly changed to shock when she read his memo on the documents. "...... This ought to have been only one hour. I doubt there was any need to purposely take you through the town centre. In such a short time you''ve raised three different methods one after the other and even pointed out our problems... We''ll be able to start producing a prototype right away." "I didn''t do that much. The part on the microphone that changes sound to electrical signals was already made clear. What I did was something like building a little house over a solid foundation." "That must have been a really splendid little house then. If you like, I could make you the chief-in-charge of that little house right away?" 23 "That''s absurd!" Lyle shook his head hurriedly. "The evaluation is based off accumulated results. Doing that for scrawls like this is beyond what I deserve." "That''s simply modesty, or rather, how should I put it....... I''d like you to rely on me a little more." Maria shrugged her shoulders, with an expression that seemed to say, ''I understand, but...'' Shortly after, the horse carriage arrived at their destination. At the western outskirts of the royal capital, there had once been a shipbuilding factory directly under military control. Although it had been a considerably large-scale facility, a sudden fire had destroyed everything three years ago. The reconstruction of the factory was integrated as the expansion of the second shipbuilding factory that was under construction at that time. There were no practical plans that stood out for the remaining burnt area to be used for, and thus it ended up as a so-called multi-purpose plaza that had no distinct function. That multi-purpose plaza at the western outskirts of the royal capital was, as of now, filled with many multi-coloured tents with people going in and out. The popularity of the place had surged to an extent that would not lose to 1 This master here refers to the head of the household. 25 "Welcome. It''ll be seven coppers for three tries." "Isn''t that a little pricey?" "Please take a look at our prizes. There are perfumes famous in the neighbouring country of Galea, quality hair ornaments produced in the industrial city of Imata. They may be expensive, but there is a good reason for that." "I see. Well then¡ªLyle", as she was saying that, Maria passed over the toy rifle over to Lyle. "I want that earring." "You can get it yourself, can''t you? Isn''t marksmanship your forte?" "Lyle, I''m doing it for your benefit, y''know? It''s a girl''s responsibility to leave the spotlight to the guy." "So it''s that kind of reason......" He could not understand it, but nevertheless, it was not like he did not have an interest in such an unusual game. Paying the copper coins and loading a cork bullet, Lyle prepared the toy rifle. Aiming at the centre of the wooden tokens that represented the prizes, he pulled the trigger. With a ''bon'', the cork bullet was fired, but it went wide off its mark. "Aah! Do it steadily, Lyle!" Maria hit the back of his body, giving him a pep talk. Does she really like that ornament so much? Aiming carefully, he fired the second round. Because he got a little more used to it after the earlier try, the shot would not be as off as the first time. Though he thought that it would hit, the bullet went in a totally wrong direction. "This is......" 26 Because the parabola was totally different from earlier, Lyle noticed the trick of the cork bullets. In order to make the shooter unable to grasp how to aim, the centre of gravity had been purposely altered. "Go on, don''t you have just one more shot left?" At the words of the shopkeeper who was wearing a peaceful expression, Lyle loaded his last round while feeling astonished. (...... No other choice.) Although I''m rather reluctant to do so, let me try a little something here as well. While preparing the toy gun, Lyle extended his hand to the watch in his pocket, touching the amber that was inserted onto the cover with his fingertip. "¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª That which exists at the end of light, the end of darkness. That which denotes the origin of wind, the origin of fire.Of forgotten dusk, of heretic gold.That which is the cradle of time. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª" Lyle whispered in a soft voice that blended into the clamour of the surroundings. Exciting the magical power that was imprisoned within the amber, was the incantation known as . Before long, at the fingertip touching the amber on the cover of the pocket watch in the pocket, a tiny warmth that could not be said to be heat was born. It was the sensation of excited magical power. The hidden amber resonating with his mind, Lyle started constructing the ''magic''. (The acceleration due to gravity is fixed at 9.806m/s^2¡ªthe mass of the bullet, the speed of the wind¡ªgrasped. Hypothesising ''magic''¡ª) Magecraft was a study of how one could, using magical power, interfere with reality with ''magic'' that distorted the laws of said reality. For that reason, it 27 was necessary for one to have a deep understanding of the underlying principles of the cosmos. Without that, one would not understand what was being distorted. That is to say, turning the user''s knowledge into ''power''. Although magic could distort even the laws of reality for the desired results, it was not omnipotent. A practitioner would fail if they hypothesised excessively unreasonable ''magic'', and receive the entire backlash of the distortion. However, what was being manipulated this time was the trajectory of the cork bullet, which was a rather meagre thing. In accordance to ''magic'', Lyle formed a mental image of the trajectory. That image bearing a sense of reality, his belief reached its peak¡ª ¡ª *Pon*. The fired cork bullet was corrected, following the trajectory of Lyle''s mental image, and hit dead centre of its mark. With a *batan*, the mark easily fell over. "B-bull''s eye....", said the shopkeeper while ringing the bell, flabbergasted. (...... That wasn''t very mature of me.) Lyle contemplated a little. ''Magic must be kept secret. By no means should you expose it to the public eye. They are but illusions made into fabrication.'' ¡ªthat was an unspoken rule of all magi, carried on since the Dark Ages, when the [Magus Hunters] of the Church had been powerful. Though he did not fear being exposed, it might have been somewhat rash of him to use it at target practice stand in the festival. However, when he saw how pleased Maria was as she took the earrings, Lyle felt much better about it. "Does it look good on me?" 28 It was a high-grade item, but Maria already had as many of them as she wanted. Although he felt it was a little inferior compared to her current attire, he thought that the bead earrings which matched her emerald green eyes looked good within her copper hair. "Yep. It looks really good on you." "Is that so? Then let''s go! ¡ªWait, I forgot something." With a clap, Maria took into her hands the toy rifle that was used for target practice. "Where was this made?" "Huh? Oh, it''s just a little something that was made by a small factory indebted to my family." "I see. ¡ªMilla, this toy is pretty well made. Dispatch an envoy right away to the factory that made this and obtain an exclusive contract." "Understood." The shopkeeper stared in wonder at the exchange between Maria and Milla. Lyle too, was in admiration of the promptness of that decision. Though the Highlines were just one household among others that were blessed with business ability by nature, Maria was one who stood out from the rest even amongst that. Both her grandfather and father had complained that, ''it''s a waste to have that in a woman''. ¡ªThen again, whether it was in a man or a woman, that had nothing to do with Maria. Within Lyle''s field of vision, Maria had turned her head back abruptly. "Hm? What is it? Did you fall for me?" "As if. I''m always seeing you around, so much that I get tired of it. I was looking at the earrings." 29 "Oh? Well, let''s just leave it at that." Smiling as though she had played a prank and twirling around, Maria returned the toy gun, seemingly in high spirits. 30 Part 4 Wandering about in the day, Lyle and the others continued their sightseeing as they bought foodstuffs like smoked meat and spit-roasted potato. And then, what had caught their eyes was a performance stage that involved knives and swords. That in itself was sure to attract an audience. A man had his entire body up to his neck entirely covered in an oblong box, and his partner was stabbing sword after sword into it. "Whoa, doesn''t that pierce straight into the centre!" "Aren''t they doing that right in front of an audience? It should be safe." The master and servant pair Maria and Milla, and the surrounding spectators raised their voices in surprise upon seeing the swords piercing into the box. "Thrusting the sword in is part of their show, isn''t it?" "Is that so?" "I think that that guy is a contortionist. They''d be able to perform that kind of stunt, right? When the audience sees the swords being stabbed inside, surely that would play a trick on their minds, wouldn''t it?" Lyle explained in a serious tone. The spectators who heard that slowly started to spread the information, and the audience gradually grew bored with the performance. "P-Please wait a second, everyone! Since you''ve said that much, then we cannot remain silent any longer. Let us present our grand finale¡ª" Upon saying that, the magician pushed in a wagon that a big box was placed on. "Now, we''ll split the body of the man inside the box into two¡ª" 31 "Ah, for that, a man will already be present in the box from the start with his legs sticking out. They use a slanted mirror inside so the audience sees that it''s empty." The men on the stage hardened their business smiles. The completely spoiled audience left the stage, one by one. "L-Look at what you have done, you brat!" The men got off the stage in a rage¡ªwhile brandishing swords in their hands. "Not good! Let''s run away!" Maria and Milla immediately broke into a run, and Lyle followed suit in a hurry. Shoving their way through the tides of people through the curving path, the sound of angry voices slowly receded. His hands on his knees, Lyle tried to catch his breath. "Oh dear...... Come to think of it, it''s been a while since I''ve been chased around with Maria¡ª ?" Looking around, he saw neither shape nor shadow of either his copper-haired childhood friend and her maid. It looked like he had been separated from them while running away. "I''m beat......" Just as he was thinking of heading back to the horse carriage, he heard the same angry voices of the men from earlier. Lyle then dived at the closest tent nearby in a panic. Hiding himself behind the curtains, the passing angry men disappeared into the distance. "¡ªAre you a customer?" Turning around, he saw that a man who looked like the cashier, was looking at Lyle suspiciously after he had suddenly entered the tent. 32 "...... How much will this be?" He would feel embarrassed if he had just left like that. Paying the admission fee, Lyle went further into the tent. Inside the tent, twenty or so spectators were sitting on benches. For some reason, they were practically all males. With the addition of Lyle, it seemed like the numbers were filled up. Before long, the tent was closed up. A candlestick illuminated the stage, and with that, a man who seemed like the host appeared on the stage and bowed his head. "A good day to you, ladies and gentlemen. Who we have on stage now is our beautiful, one-of-a-kind songstress, who will be gracing us with her heavenly voice! The moment of a transient illusion, please enjoy it!" Aah, no wonder. Lyle now understood the reason why there was an unusual number of male customers. It looked like it was because they were drawn by the ''beautiful songstress''. As he was lightly regretting his choice due to the fact that it had not been his original intention to participate, the illumination in the tent was extinguished. When the light was relit, the illumination revealed a massive birdcage in the middle of the stage. What was imprisoned inside the birdcage was no bird, but a lonesome small girl. ''Hoo...'', went the audience, leaking out a sigh. It had not been a lie. The girl inside the birdcage was truly, extremely lovely and beautiful. Her pale silver hair was softly undulating as it reached down to her waist, captivating the eyes of the audience. Because of the repeatedly overlapping thin black cloth, the wings of a bird could be seen at the hem of the dress in which her slender body was clad. 33 From the openings of the dress were limbs so fine that they seemed like they would break, so white they seemed like snow dissolving from the heat of a candle''s flame. It might have been because of that, that the choker and lock around her slim neck further emphasised the impression of her being imprisoned. As though it was a play depicting an imprisoned nightingale. The girl lifted her head. Volume 1 - CH 2 Chapter 2 - The Moonflower Princess 1 Nebulablut. A nebula is an interstellar cloud of dust, hydrogen, helium and other ionised gases (wikipedia). Blut is German for blood. You''ll understand the significance of this name later on. 61 who resided east of Ilsestein, and one of the ''Nebulablut''...... Would you kindly tell me your name?" "¡ªIt''s Lyle. Lyle Waldstein." While introducing himself, Lyle realised that his guess had been spot on. Vampire, Nachzehrer2 , Methuselah3¡ªVarious names had been given to these beings with diverse and powerful abilities, as prominent proof of their might. The nobles who reigned during the night, they who were known as the ?Nosferatu?, were especially well-known even among the other Phantasms, and were also one of the most feared existences. And she¡ªLunaria, seemed like she belonged to one of the considerably high ranked households among the ?Nosferatu?. To the ?Nosferatu?, the ''Community Name'' bore a special meaning. She who bore the Community Name as her Family Name, which was proof enough of the strength of her lineage, was, so to speak, something like a princess. ¡ªAnd so, why was someone like that alone by herself? Furthermore, also content with having that kind of social status? Though the questions he had were many, Lyle could not ask them, for this was neither the place nor time to do so. Suddenly, Lunaria went down on her knees, and pressed her head against the floor. Her pale silver hair spread out on the floor, revealing her white slender nape seductively. "...... Though I am but a novice, I will serve you as far as this body allows. Please use me as you please, Master Lyle." "Wa¡ª?" Almost like she were a servant¡ª No, those were obviously the speech and conduct of a slave, thought Lyle as his mind went into a panic. 2 Nachzehrers are German vampires. The kanji used for Nachzehrer are ''Hunters of the Night''. 3 Methuselah, according to the Hebrew Bible, was the oldest person to have lived. The kanji used in this case are, ''One who lives long''. 62 "R-Raise your head! Why are you¡ª?" "You ask me this, but......." Lifting her head, Lunaria turned her glass-like eyes towards him. "......... Master Lyle, are you not my new owner?" "Owner, you say......" "Master Lyle, you provided me with magical power. Was that not for the sake of keeping me as a ''Servant''?" "........" Lyle''s thoughts were thrown into such a disarray that he became speechless. The ?Nosferatu? were proud and powerful Phantasms. They were the ones to use humans as ''Servants'', the fact that the opposite could happen would never have crossed their minds. "And so, what would you have me do? The provisioning of a catalyst? Taking care of daily necessities? Or should I service you through the night?" "...... A¡ª , u¡ª ..... mgh............." Although Lyle was trying to say something, he could not find the appropriate words. It was partially due to astonishment, but mainly it was because of the accumulated fatigue that he could not think very well. In the end, all he could manage was, "...... Then, could you sing me a lullaby?" "A lullaby?" Lunaria tilted her head expressionlessly. Her blank look was indeed cute, but her movement was almost like she were a puppet that had its strings cut. "....... To be honest, today was really tiring. That''s why I want to go to sleep while feeling good by listening to a gentle and peaceful lullaby." 63 "....... Is that the first order you have for me?" "It''s not an order. I''m just asking a favour of you. You don''t have to do it if you don''t want to." Lyle cleared the books from a corner of the room, creating a space large enough for one to lie on. Using his overcoat as a replacement for the blanket, and a dictionary for the Galean language as a pillow, he laid down on the floor. "There''s a blanket on the other side of the sofa, go ahead and use it." With emotionless eyes, Lunaria looked down at Lyle who was lying on the floor. "¡ªOooooooh¡ª¡ª" She started her song. A gentle voice spread through out the room, like a fog. Listening to her gentle singing voice, Lyle''s tired consciousness slowly faded away. ¡ªStill, her voice seemed somewhat sorrowful..... Vaguely, he saw the figure of a girl who was lost within the deep fog. "....... Good night, Lunaria......" Calling out to the girl within the fog, Lyle fell asleep to the sound of the lullaby. 64 Part 4 ¡ªWhat kind of person is this human... ? Looking at the sleeping youth''s face, Lunaria absent-mindedly thought. Only just a few hours ago she had almost used up all of her magical power, and even the shoddy magic at the performance had caused her great difficulty. She had thought that her time was up. She was not afraid. To begin with, her survival had been a mistake. When that young noble had made his moves on her, she had come to an understanding that it was her end. Why did this youth endanger himself to save her, then? Surely, he must have had some sort of motive... Lunaria shook her head. Whatever it was was inconsequential. Taking out the blanket from the other side of the sofa, she threw off her dress and wrapped herself in it. ¡ªWhat is this smell? The blanket had a smell that was different from its material. Though it was a little different from a smell from overuse, there was no problem with the blanket. Whether it was a old rag or whatnot, there was no need for her to be mindful about such details. Just like any other night since she had come to the world of humans, Lunaria closed her eyes without thinking anything further. 65 Part 5 The room was engulfed in a bittersweet smell. The young man on the leather-covered sofa looked up at the ceiling grudgingly and exposed his trained upper body to the air. The combination of both strength and beauty in that body, could be a sample of the golden ratio for humans. Next to the young man, was sprawled a half-naked woman wrapped in bed sheets. Her sweat-covered form was shining glossily in the candlelight. The young man looked at the body of the woman which stripped away a man''s judgement, "...... Hah." And leaked out a sigh. And as though the sigh was a trigger, the door of the room was knocked upon. "...... Enter." While touching the long sword that was leaning against the back of the sofa, the young man gave his permission. "¡ªI apologise for troubling you at this time, Lord Vilhelm." The first of the youths who entered after opening the door, the one with the unnaturally cut forelocks, bowed his head. He was GerimSchwatten, the one who had chased Lyle and Lunaria at the performing arts festival. "Ah, it''s you guys. Excuse me for not being able to bring the situation to a close favourably earlier. So, are you all enjoying the night?" This place was a clubhouse with a complete membership system located in the ''pleasure quarters'' of the royal capital¡ªin other words, a high class brothel for nobles. 66 "¡ªIt is thanks to Lord Vilhelm that we are able to enjoy ourselves tonight..... But the matter from earlier has been irking us. We cannot simply let it go like that. It is necessary for us to retaliate." "And what are you implying?" "Lyle Waldstein." At Gerim''s words, the rest of the noble youths nodded their heads. "For a commoner like him that has enrolled into the school as a scholarship student who only knows how to suck up to the teachers to have brushed us off like that, we have damaged Lord Vilhelm''s reputation." "Though that did not really affect my reputation, hm?" "Then, what about Maria Highline?" "Ah, Miss Maria...... indeed, her slap was rather severe." Stroking his cheek, Vilhelm smiled seemingly happily. "Though I do want to teach that nouveau riche lass a lesson or two, but it can''t be helped that she''s the only daughter of the Highline Foundation''s leader.... but if it''s her favourite lad......" 1 This should be something called ''perceptual adaptation''. Basically, what that bit is trying to say is that the field of vision that is adaptable to changes in vision is less than the normal field of vision. For more information, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perceptual_adaptation 95 Slowly, the surrounding youths shortened the distance between. If they came all at once, it would not go well. That was correct. What little he had learnt from those fights could only help him overcome a foe with surprise. Which was why¡ª "GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" He had jabbed his index finger into a point on the back of the pinned down youth''s neck. It was a piercing scream that threw the surrounding foes into panic. ".........In the human body, there are places known as the ''nerve plexus'' where the various nerves intersect." He said in a monotone, as though giving a lecture, and then Lyle twisted his index finger further. "ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" "This is a little something called ''acupuncture'' from the East. The point I am pressing on is one of the vital points of that." The sound of grinding. And screams of deathly agony filled the back street. "With this, let us continue with our negotiation. Release her, and I will cease to torment him. If you refuse, I''ll make you all taste the same pain he did." All of them were stupefied at Lyle''s sudden change in behaviour. It was as though a switch had been flipped in him. ¡ªIs he really Lyle Waldstein? The atmosphere of the kind, softhearted honours student had vanished, and it was almost like they were but roadside pebbles¡ªno, as if he were only 96 looking at ''numbers'' written on a paper. The simple tranquillity of accumulated calculations and impartiality without emotion. Gerim and the others were assailed by realistic delusions as they were being stared down by Lyle. And the person in question, Lyle, was also very conscious of his own self. The thought processes of the conspirators were easy to predict. They would not have let that pass so easily, by just simply thinking that ''we are the victims''. They, who had the advantage, were not able to bear the shame, their shallow and superficial thoughts, their baseness¡ªit was easier than calculus. Calmly analysing their inner thoughts, Lyle then grew disgusted with himself. Reading their hearts as though he were reading numerical formulae, he hated himself for it. It was like he were scorning the souls of humans. ¡ªThinking that, his finger that had been pressed onto the pressure point slackened. That was how fearsome the power of intelligence was. "So, what will you do? Don''t you think he would appreciate it if you would make up your minds before he goes mad?" He repeated himself once more, his words and tone dangerous yet indifferent. If he seemed composed like that, these guys might just do as he said. And most of all, in this kind of place¡ª "D-Damnable bastard.....!" Casting aside the metal rod he held in his hands, Gerim produced a metal mass from his purse¡ªa small revolver that was giving off a black lustre. ¡ªJust as I suspected, he''s got a last resort. 97 Lyle sighed dejectedly at Gerim who was pointing his muzzle at him while shivering, his mind a mess. 98 Part 13 If she had wanted to run away, she could have done so at any time. If it were before she had regained her magical power, that would not have been so certain. But the her of now, with plenty of that, it would be like taking candy from a baby. However, she did not have any will to defend or resist. In that manner, Lunaria had been brought there. And the ones who had done so, were the young nobles who had chased her around at the performing arts festival before. "If you''re obedient, we won''t do anything bad to you. And wouldn''t you prefer to be loved by us, rather than being kept by that boring brat?" Lunaria neither confirmed nor denied it. She did not care. Even if her clothes were torn off and she were pushed down onto the ground, she would not have cared. And so, when that youth had turned up, foolishly and naively, He is unable to understand that it is a fruitless effort, truly, what a softhearted person.... Lunaria felt sympathy for him from the bottom of her heart. If he were to experience pain, perhaps he would finally be able to realise that¡ªand immediately after she had thought that, Lyle had knocked down one of them, and requested for an exchange of hostages. His way of doing it was merciless, to the extent that she felt admiration. And each time they heard the scream of their comrade as though on the brink of insanity, the surrounding young nobles were visibly disturbed. "Y-You little bastard.....!" 99 The youth who was in control, the one named Gerim, had taken something out of his purse. And what he had taken out, the mass of metal that gave off a black lustre, captivated Lunaria. "You little........ Don''t screw around with me!" Even when Gerim had pointed the muzzle at him, Lyle did not look fearful, but rather faced Gerim head on with a look of pity. "You sure about that? With blunt weapons, this could still be covered up as a brawl..... But if you bring that out, it would be in the category of an incident. For example, intimidation or attempted murder. Am I really worth the trouble?" "Shut up! Stop talking as though you''re the one in control!" Gerim replied, his spittle flying, to Lyle who seemed to be warning him. "Oi, that''s not a good idea....", said his surrounding comrades, and then Gerim lowered the gun. "........You bastard, always..... with that arrogant face, strutting around like you own the place...... looking down on us!" "That''s just what you think..... if you think you''re being looked down upon, it''s not because you guys are nobles. Isn''t that simply because of the fact that you guys have become sluggards due to your already existing wealth?" "What! W-W-W-Why you......." With deep fury, the muzzle began to shake violently. "Admit it. You''re someone that simply cannot accomplish anything on your own." "Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-You b-b-bastaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaard!" The finger that was trembling with anger, readily pulled the trigger. The gunshot resounded, and Lyle was blown backwards. 100 The youths who had watched on as Lyle demonstrated what pain was, and the youth who had been pinned down by, all of them lost the colour in their faces at this sudden act of violence. "......W-What have you.....?" "Oi, that''s bad, that''s seriously bad!" "Shut up! There''s no other way now that we''ve come this far! First, we need a place to hide the body¡ª" In the midst of the chaos, Lunaria stared at the fallen Lyle. Clogging up her nose was the smell of iron and oil. "A........ Ah............." ¡ªThe muzzles that were lined up in a row¡ªthe flashes of gunfire that ripped through the darkness¡ªthe spurting of crimson blood in succession¡ªthe bodies of fallen brethren¡ªthe nightmare-like memory washing over her mind, overlapped with the scene before her eyes. "A-Ah........... Aaaah............." "Hm? What is it.....?" The young noble that was restraining Lunaria commented. The suddenly trembling Lunaria seemed almost as though she were going insane. Breaking out in perspiration, shaking, and those trembling pupils. Those were the typical symptoms of a panic attack. "A-Aah............ AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAHHHHHHHHH!!" Together with Lunaria''s frightening scream, the [Fog] manifested explosively. "Wha!" 101 "Uaaaargh!" The youth that was restraining Lunaria was blown off by the sheer pressure of the [Fog]. The [Fog] that was capable of physical force, was swirling around the distressed Lunaria in a vortex. And the vortex of [Fog] seemed to resemble a snake rearing its head as it rushed towards Gerim, who had the revolver in his hand. "WHOAAAA!" Even forgetting to pull the trigger, Gerim threw aside the gun reflexively and it was smashed by the indistinct jaws of the vague snake of [Fog]. A spontaneously discharged bullet ricocheted off the ground and walls. The youths were overcome with surprise from the sound of the gunfire and the gun being turned into scrap metal, and they cowered in fear. At the centre of the squirming white [Fog], the girl stood swaying, as though she were a revenant. Her silver hair rustling even with the lack of wind, her eyes flashing with the colour of dusk. "M-Mo.........Monster¡ª !" As the scene that went beyond human comprehension unfolded before their eyes, the sons of nobles fled at full speed. And Lunaria''s glowing Eyes of Amber, turned towards the moving people by reflex. The [Fog] that had smashed the revolver into bits became countless snakes, and went after the fleeing youths. "¡ªWait!" The voice, together with the travelling intangible shockwaves, literally dispersed the snakes of [Fog]. "¡ªYou can''t kill them, Lunaria." 102 While grasping tightly the pocket watch giving off the light of magical excitation, Lyle cut off Lunaria''s path. 103 Part 14 "¨DThis doesn''t look good." The bullet fired from the gun had went off in a completely different direction due to excessive trembling and Lyle had not suffered a single wound. He had planned to escape once there was an opportunity to do so, but seeing the abruptly rampaging Lunaria, he could not play dead any longer. Lunaria''s eyes, framed by her pale silver hair, were blazingly glowing with the colour of dusk. Clad in the squirming, seemingly sentient [Fog], it was a fitting image for a ?Nosferatu?. "¨D¨D¨D¨Da.......... aaAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!" Here it comes! Just as he jumped back, the [Fog] shaved off a bit of the ground Lyle had been standing on. As he wondered how much power that must have carried, the bit of the ground that the [Fog] had shaved off seemed to be being compressed in its ''maw''. "If I get caught by that, even my bones will be ground to dust.....!" Lyle who had been calm even at gunpoint, had a stiffened expression. The [Fog] that was being spewed out from Lunaria''s body was, in truth, the manifestation of magical power with the appearance of a fog, Lyle guessed. The evidence that supported that theory was that it had been dispersed when he had thrown a pure lump of magical power at it earlier. Magical power was an energy that distorted reality. The Phantasms, who had magical power stored within their bodies, could be said to be the embodiment of ''magic'' itself. They simply could not be compared with the mages who constructed their ''magic'' from reality''s laws of physics. 104 105 "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Lyle managed to consistently evade the attacking [Fog] with a paper-thin margin by running and tumbling. In the blink of an eye, the raw materials that had been piled up in the open space had been smashed up. "I somehow managed to dodge, but........!" Lunaria seemed to have lost her sanity. Those Eyes of Amber that were giving off the light of magical excitation seemed blurred, as though clouded by the fog. It looked like she had entered a panic attack due to an intense psychological shock. It was easy to read the actions of one that had lost the ability to think raXonally and merely acted on insXnct. That was why, he could dodge¨Dbut his opponent was the [Fog]. The indeterminate form that could alter its shape glided along the ground, and stretched upwards in the air like a branch, surrounding Lyle. "¡ª¡ªThat which exists at the end of light, the end of darkness. That which denotes the origin of wind, the origin of fire.¡ª¡ª" Chanting the and drawing out the magical power from the amber, Lyle constructed the ''magic'' that distorted the rules of reality. Muscle strength alteration¡ª ! It raised the output of his muscle fibres, a ''reinforcement'' that boosted the user''s motion capabilities by several times. Jumping around like a grasshopper, Lyle dived into the shadow of the stone blocks. Catching his breath there, he held out the lid of the pocket watch as a replacement for a mirror while under cover. The Lunaria that he could see reflected off the lid was prowling about swaying unsteadily, having lost sight of Lyle who had suddenly increased his speed. 106 I''ll wait it out until she regains her sanity....... though I may be hoping for a little too much here. It would cause great havoc if the her of now were to go out onto the main street. He had to subdue her right here promptly, in this place. Grabbing a handy, near-by rock, Lyle begun on a new form of magecraft. Soil composition¡ªtemperature¡ªhumidity¡ªreverberation¡ªgrasped. Begin construction of ''magic''¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Lyle threw the rock from behind cover. A different direction from where Lunaria was¡ªhowever, all the pebbles that were on the ground, resounded with the sound of the falling rock. *Paaaaaan*¡ª It sounded rather similar to the gunshot earlier. With a start, Lunaria''s body trembled, and sent the [Fog] in the direction of the sound. The [Fog] rushed onwards, to destroy the source of the imaginary gunshot. Lyle then threw another rock from behind cover, again. This time round, he threw it towards Lunaria. Although she had lost her sense of self and was only reacting in self-defense, Lunaria pulverised the rock that had been thrown at her with the [Fog], ¡ª*Sploosh* The sudden mud that sprung forth threw Lunaria, who had turned around, off balance. With the abrupt change in circumstances, the [Fog]¡ªwas halted, a conditional reflex. The alteration of sound had utilised the fineness of the air and manipulatedthe level of humidity. With just that trivial bit of magic, Lyle had stopped the [Fog]. He then ran up to Lunaria¡ªand dealt with her with the appropriate action for someone who had lost her sense of self. 107 "¡ªSorry!" *Paan!* The body of Lunaria, who had her cheeks struck, staggered, and Lyle caught her in his arms tightly. "..... Mas... ter... Lyle.....?" Lunaria whispered in blank amazement. The glow of her Eyes of Amber was extinguished, and the [Fog] vanished. "Are you alright?" "Ah, yes......" Though she had replied with that, her head immediately jolted, and she seemed completely exhausted. It looked like all of the accumulated weariness and fatigue from the sudden magecraft that she had used, and the shock that she had suffered to her heart, had assailed her all at once. While breaking out in cold sweat, Lyle frantically supported the fainted Lunaria. His brows wrinkled in order to bear the weight of the petite girl. ".....Ugh, the strain...." His torn muscle fibres were burning hot, and tingling pain erupted all over his body. That was the backlash of the magic. Although body altering magic could be said to be relatively easy to perform, the ''aftershock'' of it was indeed intense. Bearing Lunaria on his back and grimacing due to the terrible state of his muscles, Lyle retraced his steps to the main street to find a horse carriage. 108 Part 15 "Hah.... hah............... W-What the hell was that?" The fog had come at them with hostility¡ªand the young nobles had ran as fast as they could away from it, their faces deathly pale as though they had seen an apparition from the fairy-tales. Abruptly, the youth at the end pitched forward, falling to the ground. Startled, the remaining four of them spun around, and a pair of women''s boots came into view. "......Well well, you guys have been up to no good, haven''t you?" The figure of the culprit showed herself along with the voice. Her copper hair was brilliant even in the gloomy back street, and so were her jade-green eyes. "Ma-Maria Highline....." "You understand, don''t you? About what you guys have done?" What was burning within those jade-green eyes was unmistakably rage. And then Maria snarled, much like a lioness would. "You know what they all say¡ªAn eye for an eye!" No sooner than she had said that, Maria brandished the long cloth package that she was carrying on her bag and stepped forward. "Geh!" Maria''s attack was merciless. Swinging around the weaponised cloth package like a baton, she delivered strong blows to the youths'' guts and vitals. Some of them tried to put up a fight, but, "This woman¡ªArgh!" 109 As the incoming cloth package was blocked with a fist, something else had sunk right into the abdomen. And to the winded youth''s nose, Maria delivered a terrific headbutt. It was crude and without elegance, but that way of fighting was effective and got them right where it hurt. At any rate, she seemed like she had learnt some form of close combat technique. Before they could even do anything, Maria had wiped the floor with four of the youths, whose adulthood were limited to their bodies only. "W-Why did w-we all get......" The remaining Gerim leaked out a trembling voice. Maria glared with unabated anger at Gerim, who was clearly thinking ''why is she looking at me with those eyes?''. ".........Do you have any idea why I''ve left you out?" Maria unwrapped the cloth package in her hands. The cloth gently falling to the ground, she revealed a rifle made of cutting-edge technology, and the scent of wood could be detected. Taking a bullet from her pocket, Maria loaded it with experienced movements. With the sound of the bolt falling into place, she aimed the rifle directly at Gerim. "Wa¡ª? Wh-Wh¡ª?" "Don''t think badly of me for this. A lesson needs to be taught to the prey who return from the battlefield." The muzzle that did not move even when she spoke, the legs that had naturally been placed in position, and the two hands that held the rifle as though it were an extension of herself. These clearly showed that she was no amateur, far better than words could. "I could overlook your passes at Lyle¡ªbut you actually attacked him." 110 "Wa-Wait, I can explain¡ª" "Silence, lowlife!" The gunshot rang far louder than that of the revolver, and the bullet of the rifle flew as Maria had aimed, right through Gerim''s right arm, and smashed a wooden box that was lying on the ground. ".......Eh?" Because of the sensation of scorching heat in his right arm, he was a little late in noticing. Pressing on his wound, Gerim rolled about on the ground, screaming, "GYAAAAAAAAAAAAH! My arm! MY AAAAAAAAAAAAARM!" "Shut up! It''s just a flesh wound, you know!" Close to where Gerim was writhing about, she slammed the gunstock onto the ground. Looking down at the abruptly silenced Gerim, Maria continued, an annoyed expression on her face. "If it were up to me, I''d have shot all four limbs of yours. Lyle wouldn''t like that, so I guess you should thank him." Saying that, she brushed her copper hair upwards, and finally it seemed that she had calmed down. "¡ªMilady." Milla who had been waiting for Maria to clean things up, called out. Her expression was one of heartfelt relief, and, "I was so anxious." "At which part? These aren''t people whom I would need your help for." "No, I was worried whether you might cross the line." "I won''t kill them, not these guys." 111 Maria poked the fainted youths with the heel of her boot. "What a waste of bullet and coin...... hm?" Lifting her head, she stared at the darkness of the alleyway with eyes of suspicion. "Someone was there, eh." Milla was looking in the same direction as her master. "........Oh well, one could only imagine who it was." As Maria brushed her hair upwards, the sound of the heel of her boots stomping onto the ground could be heard. "Now¡ªLet''s clean these guys up. And we also have to persuade that person to keep quiet, huh." Though she had beat the living lights out of them due to anger, she also could not leave the eye-witness to that scene alone. In these times where magic was assumed to be a product of fairy-tales, no one could explain the scene that had happened earlier without it being taken for a joke. But even so, she needed to convince them that it was necessary not to leak it out. ".........If possible, I don''t want to make Lyle feel that way anymore." Gripping the handle of the rifle tightly, Maria stiffened her expression with determination. 112 Part 16 Please escape, someone had told her that. And following those instructions, the girl had ran. The Bloodline of the Fog¡ªtheir hometown was obfuscated by a barrier of fog, much like their namesake. However, at the present, whirling flames and flying bullets were blowing away the white fog, while black smoke and the stench of blood swept over it like a storm. The castle was crumbling, the forests were burning, and all of it seemed like an illusion. The flames were right behind her. The girl ran away once more. But, it was futile. The flames chased her wherever she went. Disappear¡ªthe flames seemed to whisper.Melt. Collapse. It was like a dream, or a mirage.That is your fate. You will all disappear. That is your fate. Accept it. Accept it....... The flames caught up, grasping the girl''s feet. Acceptitacceptit. The whispers of the flames chillingly permeated into her, and she screamed out loud. 113 Part 17 "¡ªYou''re awake." As Lunaria opened her eyes, she saw that Lyle Waldstein''s worried face was looking down at her. Lunaria who had been lying on the sofa, shifted aside the blanket that covered her as she got up. The light from the flickering oil lamp led her to assume that the sun had already gone down. It looked like quite a fair amount of time had passed since she lost consciousness. "......I must apologise, Master Lyle." Rising up, Lunaria bowed her head. Her tone did not give off any feel that she was actually sorry. It was merely her normal, robotic reply. Lifting her head, Lunaria saw that Lyle was looking at her with a troubled face. In his hand was held a handkerchief. Inclining her head as a gesture before asking a question, she found that drops of liquid had fallen onto the back of her hand. Shaking her head to clear her blurring vision, more drops had fallen. "........" Trembling, she reached out towards her eyes with her fingers. The area around her cheeks was dripping wet. "Are you alright?" Lyle moved the handkerchief closer in order to wipe her tears. "Tch!" 114 In reflex, Lunaria knocked Lyle''s hand away. The handkerchief he had held fell towards the ground. ".........Kgh! Don''t look at me!" Reflexively, she emitted the [Fog]. Pushed away by the force of the [Fog], Lyle fell on his butt. "Don''t look........ don''t look at me!" Lunaria shouted, using both arms to hide her face. She did not need to shed any tears. There was no reason for her to, either. So why was¡ªWhy was she crying? The [Fog], as though reflecting Lunaria''s inner thoughts, rampaged. Sending the piles of books and documents dancing about in midair, and causing the tables and shelves to rattle unstoppably. "Calm down!" Lyle crawled with his head pressed onto the ground, while the space above his head was chaos. When the [Fog] had finally settled down, the laboratory looked as though a tornado had passed through it. Pushing scattered books out of his way and standing up, Lyle noticed that Lunaria was cowering on top of the sofa covering her face. ".....Although I do think that looking at a girl''s crying face is inexcusable," Lyle said, while pushing up his glasses that had slipped out of place. "Is it really that embarrassing? Anyone who''s in your shoes would be crying, right?" 115 "........I am not crying." While still hiding her face, Lunaria tried to reply in her usual monotone. However, her voice clearly showed that she was trying to suppress her weeping. "You''re crying, aren''t you?" "I am not." "No, aren''t you crying?" "I am not. In no way am I crying." "No no, you''re totally crying!" "I am not crying! If I say I''m not, I''m not!" She finally snapped. Lunaria who had accidentally raised her head by reflex, glared stiffly at Lyle. "...What do you want?" "Even if you ask me what....." "If you are planning to rape me then just get it over and done with! If you want to make me into your familiar, then just impose the ''restriction'' or ''curse'' onto me! What are you waiting for, just do it already!" "Don''t be unreasonable......" Lyle wrinkled his brows as though having a headache, and then faced Lunaria after straightening his posture. "......I don''t plan on restricting or using you. Nor do I want to make you pay me back." "Then, why have you saved me?" 116 "Do you need a reason to help someone in need?" Lyle tilted his head. He seemed to truly feel that way from the bottom of his heart, and it was not a facade. "......I was never in need of any help. Not when I was at the performing troupe, nor when I was abducted." At Lyle''s answer, Lunaria was filled with a sense of despair and sympathy. There was no need for her to require saving, nor was there a reason for her to cry. After all, she was as good as a corpse. She did not have the right to be saved, and there was no worth in doing so. ¡ªThis young man does not understand anything at all. Lunaria felt something squirming inside her heart. "......Did you think that I would be grateful for that?" She needed to make this misunderstanding youth understand. On his carefree self that did not doubt the goodwill of others, she had to teach despair and wrath. And so she would deny her accidental tears to this youth. Lunaria changed her emotionless face into one that was cold, and filled with ill will. ".....If you had saved me out of goodwill, then it was a total waste of effort. I hate people like you. I loathe you. Under the pretense of helping others, you¡ªare but a mere hypocrite." "I know that." 117 Lyle nodded his head in agreement. "It was my self-satisfaction that led me to save you, so that I would feel better about myself. In the first place, doing things ''for the sake of others'', or ''acts of mercy'', those are but hypocrisies. Because they are hypocrisies, there''s no reason to do so." Though it seemed that he was prone to speaking about his own faults, it did not sound like it was self-mockery. He had stated it so obviously almost like it were one plus one equals two. Lunaria could not find the words to continue. And with a serene expression, Lyle looked around the laboratory, "......I can''t sleep in the room with the place like this, so I''ll go back to the dorm tonight. You can continue using the sofa. If you don''t want to stay here, you''re free to leave anytime you want..... but if you don''t have a place to go, why not stay here a while longer? At the very least, it''ll make my mood better. ¡ªGood night, Lunaria." Saying that, he left the laboratory in silence. Lunaria was at a loss, as if she had been deserted. ".........What.......? Just what is wrong with that man!?" Lunaria shouted, giving in to her emotions. Noticing that anger and frustration had overcome her, Lunaria cast her eyes downward feeling utterly defeated. "......I''m not crying. There''s no need for me to. So, I''m not..... I......" An existence that ought to disappear. A corpse that continued to move, by some mistake¨Dthat was Lunaria D. Nebulablut. She had no reason to cry, nor any need to. She should have been that sort of existence. 118 "........If I say I''m not saying, then I''m not......" It was a whisper, and a barefaced lie. Till the very end, that youth had not acknowledged that Lunaria was not crying. He had dodged Lunaria''s words smoothly, said his part and left. "........How vexing......." Lunaria thought he was being unfair. It had been totally one-sided...... She bit her lip, thinking that he was a hateful man. "........" Lunaria picked up the handkerchief that had fallen near the sofa. And from the moist sensation that she felt from it, she realised that she had been constantly crying. ".....This is the first time that I''ve let someone see me cry....." Whispering, Lunaria covered herself up with the blanket in order to be hidden. As she thought, the blanket had a certain smell to it......... and then she suddenly realised the true identity of that smell. "The smell of ink....?" A smell that was oddly suited to both this room, and its owner. It seemed like she had to stay at that hateful youth''s side a little longer, and thus Lunaria begun to sort out the feelings that had her heart in a mess. Volume 1 - CH 3 Chapter 3 ¨C The Maiden of Copper With that, she would be able to enjoy herself despite her inability to dance, which Lyle was thankful for. The melody of a moonlit night begun once more. And so, Lyle closed his eyes and enjoyed it. 162 Part 7 Maria ascended to the second storey of the hall. Looking down from the atrium, the masquerade ball of fantastic outfits Lyle returned Milla''s bright side with only a look of amazement. On the other hand, Vilhelm who had been interfered with, had a face contorted with displeasure. "......A mere servant dares to oppose me, a Margrave?" "I answer to only my mistress, Lady Maria." "I see. Very well¡ªyou had best fulfill your duty to the very end, then!" 186 Vilhelm broke into a run, magic sword in hand. Milla responded in the same way, going head-on at him. "Milla! If that sword even scratches you¡ª" At the same time as Lyle''s warning, was swung downwards. Evading the pale crimson blade by a paper-thin margin, Milla was suddenly at Vilhelm''s back, with ghostly movements. "What?" The astonished Vilhelm hastily guarded the back of his neck with the magic sword. *Garin*! The clash of metal scattered sparks about. "How regrettable. You have fast reflexes." Before anyone had realised it, Milla was holding a whip-like weapon in her hands. But where there were supposed to be thick leather and cord, there were only steel blades thinner than razors. "What a strange-looking weapon.... which reminds me. I had heard that the previous leader of the Highline Foundation had a bodyguard with certain remarkable skills." The smile had returned to Vilhelm''s face, and his mouth opened as though reciting a poem. "And that assassin bodyguard... could you have been the rumoured, ''Assassin Slayer''?" "What a distasteful thing to do, Sir Margrave. Trying to expose a woman''s secrets, that is." 187 While still maintaining her smile, Milla swung the whip of razor-sharp, thin blades. It was like a whip, but far more lethal. The steel ''whip-sword'' lashed out at Vilhelm, drawing a spiral arc in the air. Vilhelm intercepted the attack with a horizontal slash from . However, the trajectory of the whip-sword changed right before the clash between weapons, and it went directly downwards. Bouncing off the stone floor, the tip of the razor blades headed straight for Vilhelm''s jaw. Vilhelm had barely managed to evade that attack. "Haha! No doubt that this is equal to even the likes of demonic and faerie blades! Indeed, the assassin is well-matched with her blade!" Vilhelm replied, while returning with attacks of his own. The whip-sword was ill-suited for receiving blows. Though a scratch or two would not make it unusable¡ªit still ought to have been a one-sided fight. However, Milla was able to dodge every single attack that came her way. "Well dodged!" "You give me too much credit." Dodging backwards, Milla lashed out with her whip-sword. The flexible whipsword wrapped itself around . The sounds of the magic sword and the whip-sword grinding against each other could be heard. "¡ªImpressive." "Nowadays, this is a basic requirement of being a maid. There is no need for such praise." 188 "Heh, I wish I had a maid as skilled as you are. I could make you obey me with this magic sword, but...... Well, the door is always open. It is regrettable, but there are things I must attend to... !" Suddenly, there were sounds of footsteps on the stone floor. From the shadow of the stone pillars on the other side of the viewing platform, emerged the figures of numerous puppets. Although they had many opportunities to join the fray, it seemed like they had been waiting up till now, just in case. "Well then, what will you do, my lady maid? At this rate, Lyle is going to be in danger, isn''t he?" Vilhelm then blew a sharp whistle. The youths who had been made into puppets lunged at Lyle. Though he had taken a defensive stance, without amber, he could not use any magic. "Master Lyle!" Letting go of her whip-sword, Milla leapt aside. With the hilts of the knives concealed in her sleeves, she struck and neutralised them. "Sorry about that, Milla." "Don''t¡ªIn all honesty, I would not have had a chance of winning, had the fight been dragged on. And so I aimed for a tie... but everything was a little too late." Milla''s face darkened as she surveyed the viewing platform, her body drenched with sweat. "...It looks like he escaped using the rope I had come up here with. I am very sorry." "......No, I was also at fault." 189 The pocket watch was also gone. It was most likely taken away by Vilhelm, who had called it a ''key''. In its place, a piece of paper was left. "......Damn it." Crushing the piece of paper in his hand, Lyle cursed. "...Milla. Let''s leave this place for now. How is Lunaria doing?" "She is still breathing. I will carry her." Lyle nodded, and turned his gaze westward, past the centre of the royal capital, where a massive fire illuminated the white castle of Ilsestein¡ª towards the outskirts. ''The multi-purpose plaza in the western outskirts of the royal capital The first military shipyard The third factory site'' That was what had been written on the piece of paper which was left behind. Volume 1 - CH 4 Chapter 4 ¨C Legacy of the Last Hexe 1 Ymir is the ancestor of all jotun, the frost giants, in Norse Mythology. The kanji being used is ''King of Giants''. 202 The Difference Engine that Lyle had come up with¡ªa calculator that powered a steam engine. Although it was something that calculated the certainty of possible outcomes through predetermined behaviours, the calculations it was capable of were comparatively simple in nature, and hence it was faster to do the calculations on paper. Due to that, it was treated like a toy. However, the calculator was merely the simple first stage. If a semiautomatic machine was implemented, then there would be a next stage. That would surely be¡ª "Yes, it is no calculator, but a mechanical brain that processes orders¡ªthe [Ingenious Engine]." A mechanical system that governs its own functions based on an order¡ªLyle had thought of the theory behind it, but he did not think that the current level of technology could have completed it. That was what laid before his eyes. "The hull of , was a prototype for the implementation of the concept of a ''flying warship''. As it was a complete failure, it had been abandoned. After the shipyard above ground was burned down, it was just left as it is now. Erllua Azoth was the one who had her eye on this failed project. She had once collaborated with the military before, and thus, it is likely she was able to learn of this vessel''s existence. What she truly wanted was probably, a device strong enough to power the Ingenious Engine, which needed a complex and huge power source. However, can you understand what kind of ''power'' can be born from the union of a war machine and the Ingenious Engine?" "......" It went without saying that Lyle understood. If the flying warship was outfitted with the Ingenious Engine, then most of the problems that the airship faced regarding weight capacity would be eliminated. If a ''program'' was installed into the Ingenious Engine beforehand, 203 then the machine would be able to operate on its own afterwards. The soldiers manning the cannons, the personnel adjusting the outputs¡ªthe problem of the ''heavy human baggage'' weighing down the flying warship would be resolved in one fell swoop. "If that could be mass-produced, it would likely become a ground-breaking form of weaponry. If properly maintained, they would be machines that would not get their orders wrong, nor grow tired. No doubt, they would be the ideal weapon." Vilhelm said while looking satisfied, as if he were looking at an interesting toy. Should that ''ideal weapon'' ever be released, the deaths that it would bring would easily number in the hundreds, no, thousands¡ªhe understood that fact, and admired its power. "When I first came across this, I had been excited to no end¡ªbut this Ingenious Engine did not function. I did not have the ''key'' to start up this machine." Vilhelm indicated the opening in the upper region of the keyboard. It was about the size of a person''s palm, and was round in shape¡ªit would be just right for something like a pocket watch to fit into. "The conversion key for the machine to interprete the order that had been entered through calculation¡ªthat was what I have been searching for." Saying that, Vilhelm took out the pocket watch he had taken from Lyle¡ªthe pocket watch Lyle had been given by Erllua. Removing the outer cover and the watch glass, he took out the ''interior'' of the pocket watch. It was a black, lenticular object. The part connected to the needle of the watch was protruding out, like a key. The lines that ran around the surface were flickering with light in systematic intervals. "It is likely that this would activate . And for what comes after, you are necessary." Turning towards Lyle, Vilhelm extended his arm, overflowing with vigour. 204 "In the absence of ?The Last Hexe?, you are the most knowledgeable person after her¡ªno, you would know the Ingenious Engine even better than the ?Witch?. Your power is necessary. Lyle Waldstein, come with me. Together with the , we will let the entire world know of your talent." "......" Lyle looked intently at the outstretched hand, and the Ingenious Engine 1 ''Fechten'' is German for ''fencing'', so yep, it''s bayonet fencing. 219 Holding the rifle like a spear, Maria smiled fearlessly. As guns had become a practical and increasingly commonplace weapon, there were those who had adopted the new weapon as a form of martial art, amongst the knights who had lived by the sword. [Bayonet Fechten] was born along the way, polished and continued, as the newest form of close quarters combat. While checking the condition of his sword, Vilhelm scowled at Maria, who had loaded a round. "......The maid had some skill, and so does the mistress, it seems. Do let me enjoy myself a little longer!" With a smile like that of a beast which had found its prey, Vilhelm charged at Maria. Her dress billowing, Maria took the blow from the magic blade, a desperate expression on her face. "Lyle! Do it quick!" "I don''t know what you''re up to, but¡ª !" Vilhelm, who had caught Maria''s bullet with the flat of his blade, widened his eyes. The scenery outside the window¡ªthe light from the stars was slowly moving. The progress was being taken over. "You can''t be¡ª" "The rotor''s torque was stronger than I expected it to be... three tries, it took..." "You actually took control of the ship without the conversion key!" Maria took advantage of his surprise, stabbing out with the bayonet, and Vilhelm dodged it by a paper-thin margin. 220 "Ridiculous! A back-up is but a back-up! Not to mention, with just a terminal and some numbers¡ªHow!?" "It''s just as you said, Margrave Zest. Master was the one who created the Ingenious Engine¡ªBut I was the one who came up with the theory and fundamental layout." Without taking his eyes off the terminal, Lyle replied Vilhelm''s question. "It might be the Ingenious Engine, but it''s based on calculations. Even if you use a keyboard that makes it easy to input text, the commands are interpreted through a numerical algorithm. If you understand how that protocol works, even if you key in commands in numerals..." "Absurd! Even if that were possible¡ªWhen did you crack the algorithm of the program!" "The basis for the calculations is a binary number system involving just 1s and 0s. And then, those pipe cylinders that started rotating when you input the program¡ªonce I saw the nature of the computation process from that, I understood it at once." The speed at which Lyle''s fingers moved increased, by two, even three times more. The pipe organ''s¡ªthe Ingenious Engine''s calculation wheels creaked noisily as they rotated. After commands were entered into the algorithm which executed the program, the doors which sealed the passageway leading to the control deck opened. "Go! Lyle!" "Got it!" At Maria''s urging, Lyle started to run. However, seeing the figure of the fallen Lunaria, his feet stopped for a moment. "¡ªLunaria!" 221 He had heard the conversation she had with Vilhelm earlier. It explained the recklessness and desperation in her attitude. The girl, whose name had been called out and was looking over at him, her expression had returned to the same empty emotionless one she had in their first meeting. "......Whether you have any worth or not, I don''t really know! Nor is it something I can decide!" However, he had to refute Lunaria''s heart, which had been held captive by her guilt. "There is just one thing I have to tell you! If you do nothing, then it would mean that you accept Lord Zest''s insults! Are you fine with that, deciding just that like, the worth of your own bloodline!?" Saying just that, Lyle turned around. He did not think that Lunaria''s heart would be cleared with just that. However, he wanted to lighten Lunaria''s guilt, if only a little, just like how Maria had done for him. (¡ªDoing that would probably make her keep on fighting... it''s hypocrisy.) As though trying to shake off his self-mockery, Lyle picked up his speed and hurried towards the engine core of . 222 Part 6 "There he goes......" Lyle''s footsteps could be heard as he departed the area, and Maria took up a stance with her rifle. "......" In contrast, Vilhelm was staring blankly at the exit of the deck that Lyle had unlocked. Though he was so full of openings that it seemed like it would all be over if she just aimed and shot him, Maria controlled that temptation, feeling a strange air from him on her bare shoulders and nape. "......Hu... huhu...Ahahahahaha!" Vilhelm broke out into uproarious laughter. "Ha, haha, heheh......he input the calculations directly? I searched for the conversion key because that had been too complicated¡ªand looking at the rotations of the wheels? He cracked the program from looking at all those numbers rotating at that kind of speed? How good must your memory and mental calculation be to do that? My worries as to whether he was a true prodigy were all for naught! He''s a monster. With his vast amount of knowledge and his exceptional ability to do mental calculations, he''s a monster of intellect! Magnificent! I must have him on my side, no matter what." Maria felt the chills run down her spine. There was nothing resembling malice in Vilhelm''s voice. It felt like that of a positive, eloquent, pleasant young man. However, the meaning behind those words, revealed nothing but a disregard for the other party''s will, and only a desire to enforce his own. Vilhelm returned to the base of the Ingenious Engine and tapped the keyboard. With a clanging sound, the metal cover was disconnected. 223 "I''ve opened up the voice pipe in the warship. Anything that happens in this control deck will be heard throughout the entire ship." No one knew that such a thing existed, until he had said it. "Lyle! I don''t know how you''re going to destroy the engine core without any explosives, but... get back here at once!" The Margrave called out to Lyle, who was running in the warship. "I hope you will think this through quickly! I do not wish to make the ladies scream¡ªif was to absorb their blood, it will all come to the same ending anyway!" Vilhelm approached quietly, as though he was a shadow. The magic sword was drawing closer, aimed towards Maria. Spinning about using the rifle like a spear, Maria grit her teeth and defended herself against the fierce assault from the magic blade. If she suffered so much as a graze, she would be controlled. It was necessary for her to push her concentration to the utmost limit. "Damn!" "Bayonet Fechten is a highly offensive combat style which lacks in defence. You won''t make any progress if you''re only defending, will you?" He was explaining it to Lyle, and at the same time, provoking Maria directly. The bayonet was used similar to a spear, but it relied heavily on defeating the enemy in a single strike. It was unavoidable that there would be an opening for a counterattack. And that was what Vilhelm had been going for. "Don''t worry. I will not treat you coldly. I did say that I will grant you your wish, after all." "I have no idea what you''re going on about!" "I''m just saying, if you won''t be obedient, then I''ll make you be." 224 Instead of defending with the sword, he went on the attack with words. "I''ll even let you bed Lyle. It''d be rather simple to remove all sense of shame from you." "Wha¡ª" "I''ll engrave the ways of pleasuring a man right onto your heart. Don''t you think that would make Lyle feel so good that he''d float right up to heaven?" "You disgusting beast!" Maria found herself enraged, at those words which had trampled all over her feelings for Lyle. Rage disrupted concentration. Maria, who was concentrating on the magic sword, widened her eyes when she saw that Vilhelm had let go of the hilt. In that instant, a sharp elbow drove into her body, and her body formed the shape of a ''c''. He nimbly grabbed hold of the magic sword in mid-air, and swung it down on Maria, who was enduring the pain. "Oh no¡ª !" However, the blade of the magic sword passed through the air before her eyes, a distance away. Vilhelm also seemed to be a distance away. Not quite understanding what had happened, Maria realised that she had been carried away, the [Fog] entwined around her body, and then she was placed down next to Lunaria, who was unsteadily rising to her feet. "......A hateful man he is." Lunaria sighingly said. "......Yes, I am but a powerless, worthless and insignificant lass. I have not the intention of changing that fact... I understand that, yet you...... !" Maria blinked with surprise, and looked down at Lunaria''s pale silver hair. 225 The one she seemed to be angry at was not Vilhelm, but Lyle, it seemed. Her irritated face seemed to have several kinds of colourful languages written on it, but the shadow of pessimism seemed to have been chased away. "All of it... I understood..... yet you...... !" "¡ªLyle is just that kind of guy." Lunaria looked up at her, and Maria smiled wryly in response, as though she were both proud and amazed. "For example, he''d even save someone who''s trying to commit suicide before him, right? But, he won''t tell that person to cherish their life. He''d probably just go, ''I dislike seeing this sort of thing happen''. And so, he would stop them from suicide. No matter how many times, he would save them... and he would continue to do so until they give up on trying to do so." "......I think I kind of understand." Lunaria looked sullen as she quietened down, but she nodded as though of the same opinion. She felt that Maria was a surprisingly easy girl to understand, and she could feel a sense of familiarity from her. Their hearts were being thrown into disarray by the same young man, and it was similar to the feeling of ''camaraderie''. "You saved me earlier. I''ll have to thank you once this is all over. What would you like?" "......Then, would you please tell me your ''secret''?" Maria raised her eyebrows, but quickly nodded after remembering their exchange back in Lyle''s laboratory. "Yeah, that''s fine by me. Well then, let''s get started, shall we, Lunaria?" "Let us do so, Maria." 226 The copper and pale silver hair, as though being repelled from each other, abruptly jumped aside. Immediately after, the faint crimson-coloured magic sword came slashing down. "¡ªYou think by joining forces you''d stand a chance?" Vilhelm went after Maria, who was on his right. Maria fired a shot, to suppress him. Naturally, Vilhelm evaded that shot. In the same motion, he thrust his sword right at Maria, "Ugh¡ª" The high-density [Fog] had guarded Maria from the magic blade. Lunaria then took the place of Maria who had retreated, after being protected by the [Fog]. And once again, Vilhelm attacked Lunaria, who had come at him riding upon the [Fog], with both his magic and verbal sword. "You''re still at it? What are you still fighting for? You, who had left your brethren behind, and failed to die¡ª" "It is just as you say. I will fail to die." Lunaria looked back at Vilhelm resolutely, wielding the [Fog]. "What will come of your anger? You, the powerless you, who could do naught but flee from even your own cowardice, what will come of fighting now?" "Nothing will come of it. My feelings still have not changed, that I am worthless, and that this world would be better off without me. I am but a coward who ran away..... However, those of the Fog¡ªI cannot forgive any insults you make to their name!" "......Tch." Vilhelm murmured, realising that he would not seize the advantage this time. 227 Lunaria''s nihilistic ways were a result of her inability to save her brethren. She could not forgive her own powerlessness, and that was why she had thought herself a ''corpse that ought to disappear'', ''someone who found no worth in living, a person who failed to die''. Her sense of powerlessness was now reversed, due to her love for her family. "......Then, the only thing left is to cut you down." Vilhelm spun about, the momentum adding into the heavy blow he unleashed. The [Fog], which had increased magical density, gave in to Vilhelm''s slash. Lunaria took up a defensive stance with her broken sword. "What can you possibly do with that broken blade!" However, the magic blade that sought to split apart that delicate neck, was clearly repelled away. Vilhelm''s eyes widened. "That''s..." A vortex of the phantasmal [Fog] was swirling around the tip of Lunaria''s hand. The [Fog] coiled around the broken sword, as though taking the place of the sword''s blade, forming a white, semi-transparent blade like that of frosted glass. "¡ªThis is the 1 ." With a swaying dance, Lunaria threw out a horizontal slash with the blade of [Fog]. The magic blade parried. The convergence rate of the [Fog]''s density was stretched to its utmost limits, and it was nothing like what had been seen so far. And so, Vilhelm put in even more strength into his blows. 1 The kanji meaning of Nebula Sparda is ''The Sword of Fog'' 228 The was severed in the middle, but the blade of [Fog] reformed immediately, slicing at Vilhelm. "What!?" He dodged, but the blade of [Fog] grazed his well-featured face, wounding his cheek. Lunaria concentrated all of the [Fog] that her body was emitting into the . No matter how many times it was destroyed, it would reform itself¡ªit was, so to speak, a sword which cannot be blocked. And like its namesake, it slipped through defences and attacked, like fog. However, there was a price to pay for overexertion of this power. The consumption rate of power was in a different league from when Lunaria was clad in [Fog], and each time the was broken and reformed itself, her face grew paler. "Why you¡ª !" It threw away all thoughts of defence, and risked the user''s life¡ªVilhelm, who had thought that, promptly jumped back. Sparks erupted from the ground near his feet, from the impact of a projectile. "Don''t forget that I''m here as well!" Maria called out, loading a round into the rifle. Lunaria, who had resistance against , was the vanguard and defence, and Maria, who was skilled with the gun, offered suppressive fire and offence. It was an unexpected, yet natural combination. "......Still, these are merely parlour tricks, little ladies." 1 Frei Kugel; Frei = ''free'', Kugel = ''bullet'', you can put two and two together. The kanji, on the other hand, means ''magic bullet''. 249 250 The amber bullet that was fired cut through the air in a natural parabola. It passed by Vilhelm''s side, and straight behind him¡ªright into the Ingenious Engine. Upon hitting its target, the deftly crafted amber bullet compressed the miniature Amber Reactor inside it. The amber which was in a stable state, converted all of the energy contained within it into heat. And along with the heat came the sudden expansion of air, creating a shockwave. The whirling destruction melted the cylinders, smashed the keyboard, and sent countless numbers of gears flying. The pipe organ-like Ingenious Engine, was reduced to scrap in a single moment. "O, ooh..." Releasing Maria and Lunaria, Vilhelm turned around and faced the destroyed Ingenious Engine. With unsteady steps, he walked towards the smoking wreckage. "O-oh... Why did, why did it come to this......" Vilhelm was devastated by the ''answer'', which was expressed with far more impact than eloquent words. The first thing that he had wished for and gotten¡ªwas in no way what Lyle had, that was what the destroyed Ingenious Engine seemed to say. It was Vilhelm Zest''s first experience of ''despair''. His advantage of holding Maria''s and Lunaria''s lives in his hands¡ªwas all but gone. "......Can you stand, Maria, Lunaria?" Lyle called out to the two of them, and they firmly got up, with their own two feet. "Yeah, ''tis but a scratch." 251 Said Maria, smiling. As though to make him feel at ease, Lunaria nodded with that expressionless face of hers. Lyle felt relieved. "¡ªLyle." A certain familiar voice resounded, and Lyle looked up, taken by surprise. "¡ªMost likely, you''re the one who''s going to be listening to this." The nostalgic voice of his master¡ªthe voice of Erllua Azoth resounded forth. 252 Part 10 "Lyle, what''s..." Though Maria was acquainted with Erllua, her voice still sounded perplexed, after hearing the voice that had suddenly rang out. Lyle was also overcome with surprise, and guessed at the identity of the voice. It was likely that a gramophone¡ªor some sort of device which could record sound had been set up. Through the voice pipes in the warship, the nostalgic voice of his master called out to Lyle. "¡ªMy voice has been set to broadcast upon the destruction of the Ingenious Engine. Someone who would think of destroying such an invention and actually carry it out, would probably be a person like you." Isn''t that so, asked the Erllua who drifted through his mind, with an innocent smile. "You must have been worried. About destroying the Ingenious Engine, the fruit of your labour. Still, that''s fine. This thing would probably bring more harm to the world than good." If that''s the case, why did you create it? As he longed to ask that question, "If that''s the case, why did I create it, is what you''re most likely thinking. Well, it''s sort of like a job to me. If there''s something interesting, I''d want to try and make it real. Without that, I wouldn''t be myself. It''s in the nature of a scientist, after all." Even her self-deprecating sigh had been precisely reproduced. Erllua''s voice continued, "......And as I remained pondering, I created many a different thing, but not once had I thought of whether it was for good or for bad, or whether people would like it or not. How many people would die then, because of what I had invented? I can honestly say that I had not a single clue. Well, most people 253 wouldn''t have. Still¡ªthat puts us on the level of beasts. In the end, we would merely be slaves to our desires." "......" "I thought that you would feel the same... but it seems I was wrong. Somehow, you''re still the same old softhearted person as always." From her voice, it seemed as though she were smiling wryly, saying, ''What a hopeless guy''. Lyle too, made a wry smile. "¡ªLyle. Is your wish still, ''I want to live to give kindness to others''? Because that is a thorny path you seek to tread, wanting to be a beast with reason, in a world of humans, filled with imperfection. That''s why Lyle, you have to be prepared to be hurt, at times." "......" "I won''t tell you not to think too much about it. You''re way smarter than other people, when all''s said and done. That''s why, think, and think further about it, with all your might. Continue to be lost in your thoughts. ¡ªThat''s your forte after all, right?" Her voice was laughing cheerily. "......It may be fun to just go along with the talent you have been blessed with, but the road that seems to be the most fun, is one that cannot be backtracked out of. Well¡ªgive it your best shot." It was quite the irresponsible farewell; all that remained was noise like that of blowing wind. "......She still loves messing around with her disciple as much as always, eh," said Maria. She believed that Lyle would be the first one to stop , if it was ever activated. That her disciple would stop the person who would use it for his own, for her. She left it to him, and because she truly believed her disciple would be the one to do so, she had left that voice recording. 254 "......If I''m the softhearted person, then you are the troublemaker, Master." "Would the disciple not take after the master, in that case?" Lunaria, who was holding , which she had picked up from the ground, had said that while standing next to Lyle. "...A troublemaker, am I......?" "The fact that you don''t realise it is proof enough." Maria added, with a smile. As though to ridicule him, Lunaria narrowed her eyes. Lyle fell into silence at their reactions, discouraged. "¡ªAh, before I forget, this tape will be destroyed automatically, along with the flying warship." The trio froze in place, at the sound of the voice that they had thought was in their mind. "And before you get caught up in the ensuing destruction, evacuate as quickly as possible. That''s about all I need to say, I''m out." "Wait a¡ª" As if to block out any complaints, the sound was abruptly cut off. "......Well, it does save me some trouble." "What''re you being all calm for!" Maria shouted. At the large hole on the other side of the control deck, they saw that the black water surface was steadily drawing closer. They were losing altitude. "I-I cannot swim...!" 255 Lunaria''s face stiffened in horror. "W-We have to escape¡ª !" "Ah, yeah. We have to hurry...!" Lyle looked towards the wreckage of the Ingenious Engine. "Gr... Kgh..... Damn, for it to end like this..... damn it!" The young man who inherited the title of Margrave, was holding his sides with laughter. "Indeed! My plans had gone thus awry¡ªit''s the first time I''ve ever suffered a defeat like this! Ha... haha...... Hahahahahahahahaha!" The blood from the gunshot wound on his left shoulder and his severed right wrist, had stained the deck in a bloody red. As though to wring out even more of his own blood, Vilhelm continued to laugh. "......Your bleeding will stop soon. Let''s escape this place together." "Haha! Kind, aren''t you..... irritatingly so." Vilhelm got up unsteadily on his feet, but he stepped backwards¡ªtowards the hole in the deck. "Kindness and pride are two sides of the same coin... have you noticed that? If you do not seek compensation for your kindness, then what is it, but pride?" "......" "That kindness can only ever be poison to someone the likes of me. If I accept your kindness, then it would mean my acknowledgement of the fact that I am but a drop in the ocean...... And that, I cannot do. Because that is surely......" "Sto¡ª" Lyle was about to dash forward, but he was stopped by Maria and Lunaria. 256 Looking content, Vilhelm arrived at the gigantic hole. "I give you my thanks, dear ladies... Lyle Waldstein. This is my ending point." Vilhelm said, seemingly satisfied. "However, you will not end here! More and more people will gather around you, from now! You are the true ! Just regret the fact that you never became mine, someday!" Laughing boisterously, Vilhelm Zest jumped off the deck. Swallowed by the darkness, was his quickly disappearing figure. "......Lyle?" "Master Lyle...?" "......Don''t worry. It''ll be alright, Maria, Lunaria." Tapping the hands of the girls who were restraining him, Lyle smiled, in order to put them at ease. "...Let''s go." Nudging the two of them, Lyle turned his back once and for all, to the destroyed Ingenious Engine. Volume 1 - Epilogue Epilogue ¨C The Youth and the Maiden