Chapter 5

Mages did not carry weapons.

It was a matter of pride—a symbol of their confidence in magic itself.

But Kade had never cared about such things.

To him, the method didn’t matter as long as it destroyed whatever stood against him.

People said the former Magic Tower Lord had recognized Kade’s talent and brought him into the tower as a child, raising him there from a young age.

Apparently, however, he had failed to teach him any social skills.

Kade was always alone in the Magic Tower, and he seemed perfectly content with that.

When he suddenly argued with the former Tower Lord and left the Magic Tower one day, no one was particularly surprised.

What surprised them was that he came back after the former Tower Lord died.

“I thought he’d finally returned as a normal person…”

“Not to the government officials.”

“At least he smiles now. You can actually have conversations with him. I thought maybe he’d gone somewhere and learned how to socialize.”

“Setting people’s hair on fire while smiling isn’t exactly what I’d call socialization. Though I am grateful someone like that is on our side.”

The mages couldn’t help worrying that the nature Kade had suppressed all this time was beginning to resurface.

“Do you think he’s really going to kill that official? He looked genuinely angry this time.”

“Why don’t you go upstairs and stop him?”

“M-Me? No thanks. You go. You’ve gone on missions with the Tower Lord before.”

At those words, Ben swallowed hard.

The memory of a sharp dagger brushing against his throat resurfaced.

“I… can’t do it…”

“Then we’re just going to let a government official die in the Magic Tower?”

The mages knew perfectly well that the officials assigned to the tower were simply employees carrying out orders from above.

The former Tower Lord had always taught them:

A mage is a guardian and seeker of magic, not a butcher.

Yet now their Tower Lord seemed ready to commit meaningless violence against an innocent official.

As they muttered that someone really ought to intervene, the perfect person arrived.

“I’m baaack. Huh? Why does everyone look like that?”

“Lana!”

It was Lana, the youngest mage in the Magic Tower at only fourteen years old.

The others hurriedly pushed her toward the stairs.

“Lana! The Tower Lord is about to murder a government official!”

Lana was ten years younger than Kade.

She was still an innocent child, and even someone as cold as Kade couldn’t bring himself to be overly harsh with her.

Having started her education late, she had only recently begun learning to read and had just returned from school.

Looking completely confused, she climbed the stairs.

“No matter what, the Tower Lord has never actually killed an official before, has he?”

“He dragged one into his office!”

“That lunatic! He’s finally done it!”

Startled, Lana sprinted toward the office and began pounding on the door.

“Magic Tower Looord! I heard you finally dragged a government official inside!”

They had to stop him before it was too late.

Lana wasn’t even an adult yet. If the Magic Tower collapsed because of a scandal, she’d have nowhere to go.

“How many times do I have to tell you? You can’t kill government officials! They’re just pitiful salary workers!”

She knocked furiously and shouted.

The door opened much sooner than she expected.

Standing beside the Tower Lord was a government official who looked far too healthy to be someone on the verge of death.

The woman had jet-black hair and dark green eyes.

The white official uniform suited her perfectly.

“Hello! I’m Lana. You look perfectly fine.”

“I’m Vivian Soling. And yes, I’m perfectly fine.”

Vivian gave a graceful little bow.

Lana’s face brightened.

Vivian’s sharp yet intelligent appearance and lively eyes made a strong impression.

“I’m glad you’re alive.”

“Lana. Stop making a fuss and escort our guest out.”

Lana tilted her head.

“Does that mean you want me to set her hair on fire instead?”

Vivian stared at Kade in disbelief.

“I’m sorry, this is our first meeting, but are you insane? You’re making a child do that too?”

Kade let out a weary sigh.

“I’m tired of doing that now. Just show her out.”

The moment Vivian stepped out of the office, he slammed the door shut.

Lana guided Vivian down the stairs while Vivian glared at the firmly closed door.

“He’s a little prickly, isn’t he?”

Vivian cleared her throat awkwardly.

“I didn’t know there were mages this young.”

“The Tower Lord entered the Magic Tower when he was even younger than me. I heard he wasn’t even ten yet.”

“…Really?”

“This is actually the first time I’ve escorted an official who wasn’t crying. Usually they run out on their own.”

Vivian absentmindedly touched her hair.

“That’s fortunate. Did you come to rescue me?”

“Oh, rescue is too dramatic. I came to stop the Tower Lord. When I got back from school, everyone was panicking and saying he was about to kill an official.”

“…A bunch of grown adults pushed a schoolgirl into the office?”

Are they out of their minds?

Muttering inwardly, Vivian stepped into the lobby.

The anxious mages visibly relaxed when they saw her unharmed.

“S-She’s alive.”

“She doesn’t seem injured at all.”

“Maybe he tortured her mentally?”

“Then why is she looking at us like we’re garbage?”

Vivian walked past the mages while giving them exactly that look.

Outside the Magic Tower, the sun was already beginning to set.

Lana pointed toward a waiting carriage.

“That’s yours. It doesn’t go all the way to the Imperial Palace, so you’ll have to transfer halfway.”

“I’m not returning to the palace, so that’s fine.”

Lana’s eyes widened.

“You’re staying in Melgot?”

“I absolutely need the Tower Lord’s seal.”

“Those tr—”

“That’s right. Those garbage documents.”

“Ah.”

“Don’t worry. I only need his approval on the least garbage one.”

Lana thought Vivian was quite different from the officials she had met before.

Maybe that was why she found herself saying something she’d never said to an official.

“I’ll probably see you again soon.”

“Of course. Good luck at school.”

Lana watched the carriage disappear into the distance.

Then she looked up toward the highest floor of the Magic Tower.

It was too far away to see clearly, but she thought she saw a curtain move.

I don’t think he ever intended to kill her in the first place.

Not when he ordered the best carriage available for her.

* * *

Heavy currents pressed against my entire body.

No matter how desperately I reached and struggled, the distant surface of the water only grew farther away.

I had sunk deep into darkness.

As the darkness rolled around me like waves and stirred up my memories, I became nothing more than a part of the sea.

“You’re going to look for crystal whales again? When will you be back this time?”

“Don’t make that face, Vivian. This time I might discover something truly extraordinary.”

“What good is that? Have you even spoken to Mother? It’s only been a short time since Aunt’s funeral…”

“Oh dear, is it already this late? We’ll talk when I return.”

“You said that last time too! Wait! Father!”

The last image I had of my father was, as always, his back growing more distant.

The farther away he became without once looking back at me, the clearer that image grew.

Then another person’s back overlapped with his.

“I’m sorry, Vivi. Thank you for everything. Take care.”

I was sick of watching people leave.

I wanted to shut my eyes and stop looking.

But my eyes were already closed.

When Father’s back disappeared.

When Mother’s coffin was carried away.

When Kay walked away from me.

I wanted to close my eyes every time.

Yet I was afraid.

Afraid that if I blinked, they would vanish like sand slipping through my fingers.

In the end, Kay left too.

If someone has already turned away, they’ll leave eventually. So why do I always…

Just as I exhaled the last breath I had been holding—

Bwoooong—

A vibration echoed through the sea and wrapped around my entire body.

Through my blurred vision, a massive fin swept past.

The instant I saw it, I knew what it was.

Something circled through the water and stopped in front of me, filling my vision.

A gigantic crystal whale.

Of all things…

The creature beside me when I die has to be a crystal whale?

I’d rather die alone. Go away.

Gathering the last of my strength, I weakly waved a hand toward it.

Then, unexpectedly, my hand touched the whale’s enormous snout.

Flaaash!

Brilliant white light exploded from the point of contact.

“…!”

My heart began pounding as though it would burst.

An unknown power from the crystal whale resonated with my soul.

I had never felt anything like it before.

A vast force beyond my control poured into me, and countless emotions surged through my body all at once.

[We never left.]

[We have always been here.]

A voice like a deep vibration echoed inside my mind.

Then my vision suddenly filled with light.

Just before I lost consciousness, I felt my body being lifted onto the crystal whale’s back.

* * *

I jolted awake with a gasp.

The sound of a ship’s horn echoed in the distance.

I was lying in the inn the government office had arranged for long-term guests.

…It was a dream.