Maydare Volume 4 Prologue

 Volume 4 is here and I'm just one volume away from catching up! This volume is shorter than the previous ones because the "Magician Beyond the Door" arc was originally supposed to be only two volumes but the author decided to split it into three volumes because it's too long. Get ready for some crazy stuff happening!

Also the manga recently got an official English translation but I'll just stick to using my own romanizations for consistency's sake

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My name is Thor.

Five years ago, at the black market in Kartedt–that day, that time, that place.

I met Milady, was picked up and rescued from my status as a slave, and given the name Thor.

And so, I threw away who I was until that point.

It wasn’t just my name. It was also my past where my parents sold me, and my hideous, filthy, self, who spent my years in slavery doing anything just to stay alive.

This was my chance. I would seduce the naive noble lady just a little bit, cozy up to the O’Drielle family, and rise from the bottom.

I was poison. This face, body, and voice were all sweet black poison filled with lies.

I was the furthest thing from a good person, and there was a twisted black thing in the pit of my stomach.

I had always been quick to learn things, and if I just put in a bit of effort, I could do anything.

Whether it was magic or swordsmanship.

Even how to carry myself as someone connected to the aristocracy.

That was why I absorbed everything I learned at the O’Drielle house only for myself and hammered it into my mind.

But Miss Makia O’Drielle, the person who bought me, was a far more stronger poison than me.

And that was how she neutralized the poison within me and made it disappear.

She always dragged me around, calling me Thor, Thor, by the name she gave me. 

She continued to preach to me about my own potential. From the beginning, she acknowledged my existence and my talent for magic without question.

I also called her “Milady.” At first, I was calling her that to tease her, but she said she didn’t mind me calling her that.

Magic was what connected us.

We learned magic, competed against each other, and worked hard with each other.

Though in her case, her future as a witch was guaranteed without her needing to work that hard, she was still always a hard worker, trying her best.

She was daring but sensitive, compassionate, and a crybaby…

Seeing Milady like that, little by little, the ambition and twisted poison within me melted away.

Why did Milady work so hard?

Why did she work so hard on me?

Why did Milady keep me by her side?

I guess that was how much she needed and cared about me…

In the peaceful days we spent together in Deliafield, I always wondered those questions.

Because I was originally just a slave.

Was it because of my looks, or was it because of my strange eye color?

There were as many people as there were stars in the sky who only liked my face and had me serve them by their side, but there was only one person in this world who saw my talent for magic and led me to the world of the sun.

She was the descendant of the worst witch in the world, but she was more pure, straightforward, and single-minded than anybody.

So I, without even realizing it, had all my poison drawn out of me and wished I could stay by her side forever.

I wanted to be always needed by her.

Even if Milady got married to the second son of some noble family, or fell in love with a boy she met at magic school, or ended up with someone who wasn’t me.

“Can’t it be you, Thor, not some second son?”

But Milady wanted me. She said she wanted me to be her family.

I would never forget the shock and excitement I felt at that moment.

It seemed that Master O’Drielle also intended to adopt me as Miss Makia’s future husband.

I panicked. I refused as fast as I could.

The reason was simple. Someone like me couldn’t corrode the O’Drielle family.

In particular, someone like me becoming MIlady’s bridegroom was absurd. I had no such qualification for that.

I knew my poison. I remembered my uncleanness.

More than anything, Milady wasn’t really in love with me, even though she was attached to me. She was a sheltered young lady who didn’t know anyone of the opposite sex in her generation except for me.

If I had any ambition to rise to the top, as I had in the beginning, I would have gratefully accepted it with a grin.

But the O’Drielle family had already become an important place to me.

To me, Milady was the most important person in the world.

If I ever accepted the position of the O’Drielles’ son-in-law, it would only be when I felt that I had cleansed my own filthiness and fully met the qualifications. And only when Milady, having discovered the vastness of the world, still chose me.

Otherwise, even if they wanted it, I couldn’t ever forgive myself.

The man who stood next to Milady, the future baroness, shouldn’t be a mere upstart slave.

Because that would be a situation that would further cause the decline of the infamous O’Drielle family.

I must not wish for things that were above my station.

I must not wish for them. …Such as wanting Milady.

And then, there was that night the stars fell.

The emblem on my chest appeared.

As I writhed in agony and Milady’s voice faded away, I was struck by a strange sense of bondage, as though…my heart was being chained.

The Savior’s descend. And then the selection of the Guardians.

Who could have included such a burdensome mechanism into our world?

I didn’t care about fate or destiny, to be frank. I didn’t need those things.

Nevertheless, the legend of Maydare’s Savior was real, and I was chosen as a Guardian of the Savior who came from another world.

At first, I rejected this role.

It would have been a great honor to undertake it, but I fundamentally didn’t think I could leave the O’Drielle family and pledge my allegiance to a stranger from another world. But…

“If you reject this role, the O’Drielle family might receive punishment from the royal court. This is that kind of issue.”

Duke Bigreitz whispered that into my ear.

That sly old man knew that if he told me this, I wouldn’t be able to turn it down.

——I couldn’t escape from my fate.

That was why on that day, at that moment, I made up my mind.

“Master, When I become a Guardian and achieve success, will you welcome me back into the O’Drielle family?”

Will you give me another chance to be by Milady’s side?

I asked that of Master O’Drielle.

It was painful for me to leave her.

But no matter how much time it took, I would return to Deliafield as a person worthy of being the son-in-law to the O’Drielle family.

“...Of course, Thor. You are a member of the O’Drielle family. Deliafield is where you belong. With me and Makia. We will always be waiting for you.”

Even now, Master O’Drielle’s words were still engraved in my heart.

Even though he was a nobleman, he didn’t discriminate against a slave like me but genuinely recognized my efforts and abilities. Perhaps, he truly cherished me like I was his own child.

That was why I obediently accepted the role of Guardian.

When I finished my role and returned, maybe there would already be another man next to Milady. Or rather, that possibility was extremely high.

When I thought of that, I felt a sense of loss and despair I had never felt before, and the poison leaked out of me again, threatening to fill a vessel to the point of overflowing, but I gritted my teeth and continued to endure it.

I had to produce results as a Guardian.

I believed that this would be the best way to repay the O’Drielle family.

Even after joining the royal knights, I sometimes looked up at the sky in the direction of Deliafield and wondered.

What is Milady doing right now…

Even after I started serving Lady Airi, I thought only about Milady because I couldn’t see her.

Lady Airi was the complete opposite of Milady.

She was a special girl who came from another world.

She had a friendly personality, brilliant powers, and even her outlandish words and actions seemed mysterious to those around her.

She was exactly the kind of ideal Savior that everyone had been hoping for.

But, I felt that there was something a little different about Lady Airi.

Although she shined brightly on the surface, she was somewhat fragile on the inside, like delicate glasswork. 

Yes…I felt that she had a dark shadow, somewhat similar to mine.

She was suddenly summoned from another world and given the heavy burden of being the Savior, but she was aware of her own duties and worked hard, and I admired her for that.

I felt that I had to protect her. Even though I felt no fervent loyalty beyond the feeling of doing my job.

It wasn’t that Lady Airi herself did anything wrong. But, I…

I couldn’t forget my feelings and loyalty to Lady Makia no matter what.

I had many “masters,” but she was the only one I couldn’t forget.

I continued to wear the mask of Guardian, dreaming that one day I would return to the O’Drielle family with distinguished achievements.

“Oh, you used to serve the Baron of Deliafield’s daughter? So even a cool guy like you swore your loyalty to a princess.”

“...Rather than a princess, she’s an audacious witch.”

“Ahahaha! It’s pretty funny how your princess is a witch.”

I’ve talked a little about Milady with Sir Lionel, the deputy commander of the royal guard, because we often worked together, both as Guardians and as boss and subordinate.

“Actually, I had a childhood friend who I promised to marry. When I was chosen as a Guardian, she said she would wait for me forever, but her parents were against it. That was a given. They didn’t know when my role was going to finish. Apparently, she’s going to marry another man for their sake. I just heard about it from a friend back home…”

Sir Lionel, who was always stout-hearted and never showed weakness, looked sad with his shoulders slumped when he talked about this.

The Guardian was for the sake of the Savior, both body and heart.

However, it was difficult for those who had been scarred by having the bonds they cultivated up to that point severed to truly feel for a Savior who suddenly appeared. They might be able to compartmentalize themselves for the role, but that was all they could do.

I’ve always felt that the people at the palace, and even Lady Airi herself, seemed to have misunderstood this.

And then, two years after I left the O’Drielle family.

Milady and I reunited sooner than I expected.

On the night of the summer ball, the mature Milady appeared before me.

There was no way I could mistake that fiery red hair.

But then she ran from the hall as though to get away from me.

I also ran after her, desperately chasing after her. I picked up the shoe she dropped midway and caught her in the rose garden. I was frantic, not wanting her to get away.

“You know, Thor. I came here to see you.”

She said she worked hard in order to see me. Her large sea-blue eyes were glimmering with tears.

She was still a crybaby.

But, aah… She had grown into such a beautiful and lovely young lady.

My chest tightened, and in that instant, the dark thing I had been hiding within me showed itself.

A dark thing called desire.

I was happier than I expected about Milady coming all this way for me.

At the same time, my Guardian mask began to peel off.

Until now, I had been doing everything flawlessly, but now that I was in the presence of Milady, even pretending to be someone I wasn't became a struggle. As if the feelings I had been holding back for the past two years were about to burst, those uncontrollable feelings began to spill out.

Meanwhile, Milady had definitely become independent from me.

While I was gone, she had grown into a strong and indomitable woman.

I would never forget that night at the ball. Milady used the incredible magic of her ancestor, the 〈Scarlet Witch〉, to protect me, Lady Airi, and everyone else at the ball.

The Milady at that time was someone I didn’t know.

I wondered what happened to her while I wasn’t by her side.

Indeed, Milady was building a new world in the environment of magic school, gaining other connections such as friends and rivals.

Occasionally, I would take my spirit Griminde and fly in the skies over Lune Ruschia, and the Milady I found was always with her team members, smiling and happy.

While I was relieved to see her like that, I also felt just a little bit frustrated.

At this rate, one day…

Milady would no longer need me.

Even without me, Milady was managing.

She had friends and rivals, and in the environment of magic school, she was spending time with someone else, someone not me, and she was working hard. In fact, it might be precisely because there was no one like me there that she was able to develop her abilities at the same speed as her peers.

I knew that Milady still treasured me.

But it seemed as if I was the only one who wanted to regain the place and relationship we once had.

I thought that if I worked hard as a Guardian, I would one day be able to stand next to Milady again, just like back then. I thought I would be able to have her call me Thor again, like she did every day…

But, I think Milady had already gone a long way ahead and didn’t want that anymore.

She had achieved her goal of meeting me and was already moving forward.

What did I know about Milady in the first place?

At that time, in Diemo Cathedral, she told Lady Airi.

About her “previous life.”

And then, as if on cue, that man appeared before her.

——General Kanon Pachelbel.

The blond man who killed Mialdy in her past life. The fear of that man had made her frightened so much.

What was that man?

He had red eyes that had an unfathomable glint in them, as though he had seen many deaths.

What was Milady’s previous life anyways? If that man killed her in another world, then why was he now a general under the Queen of Frezier’s command?

Why did he appear before her again?

Did she have a “secret” even she didn’t know?

The descendant of the Scarlet Witch–a reincarnator from another world–the crybaby Lady Makia…

Which element was tormenting her?

Or were all those things intertwined by some invisible thread?

Behind the world’s preoccupation with the Savior girl, Lady Airi.

I felt that something was quietly and solemnly beginning to move.

For example, just as that Blue Jester wanted to bring Milady to the side of the Heavenly Empire, there must be something more important to her than being a Guardian.

No matter who she was, the most special thing to me was and always would be Milady.

If she was harmed, no matter if they were an enemy magician or an important figure in an allied nation, I would never forgive them.

In order to protect Milady, I must learn about the strange premonitions around her.

So I consulted with Prince Ulysses, who was said to be the strongest magician in the Kingdom of Ruschia.

“I see. So you want to obtain more power? Then make sure you master the ‘secret arts’ you are learning now. You should have the aptitude for spatial magic.”

I was ordered by Prince Ulysses to learn a certain type of magic.

For some reason, he believed that I had an aptitude for “spatial magic.”

Apparently, there was a family called the Twilight clan that made their livelihood with spatial magic, and I apparently had characteristics that resembled that clan.

Black hair, violet eyes, high magical power…

I wondered if Prince Ulysses thought I had the Twilight clan’s blood running through my veins. I heard that the Twilight clan were the descendants of the〈Black Demon King〉, one of the three great magicians, but…

It was strange. I was certain that I was low-born, born into the slums of the Frezier Empire.

It was impossible for me to be related to such a noble family of magic.

However, Instructor Lapis Twilight, the teacher who had been teaching me spatial magic, had similar features to me and a somewhat nostalgic air, so much that it wasn’t hard to believe that Prince Ulysses would think so.

Twilight’s “secret art” was a fusion of spatial magic and alchemy.

It was a deathly hard magic, but I believed that it would surely become a power to protect Milady one day, and I was working hard and enduring Instructor Lapis’s spartan instruction.

Instructor Lapis was Milady’s roommate at Lune Ruschia Magic School.

She was a person of few words, but she sometimes talked about Milady. She seemed to have built up a good friendship with her and had a gentle expression on her face when she talked about her, but when it came to spatial magic training, she instantly became extremely strict. I had collapsed in a heap during training several times.

And I didn’t know why, but whenever I collapsed from using this secret art, I always had this same dream.

A dream of a castle in the snowy mountains.

A dragon on the tip of the castle’s spire.

Was that Griminde…?

No, it looked a lot like Griminde, but it was a far bigger, wild dragon.

On the other side of the castle——

A man wearing a black cloak was standing on a snow-covered hill.

The dragon took off and landed in front of the man in the black cloak, and then bowed its head.

Who was that man?

The man looked at me and told me something.

But, yes. I always woke up from the dream here.

His line was always, “Return. This is no place for you.”

＊

While I was forbidden from having any contact with Lady Airi, I was desperately trying to master the secret arts.

During that time, Milady resolved the quarrel between the two brothers, Prince Gilbert and Prince Frey, but Lady Airi still holed herself up in her room.

Milady’s reveal seemed to have given her a big shock, and if things remained as they were, she might no longer be able to fulfill her role as Savior.

I probably couldn’t save Lady Airi.

As I thought in the case of Lord Eugene Batiste, in the end, loyalty was something that had to be cultivated, not something that came out of nowhere by some starry destiny.

If Lady Airi couldn’t face this world and Milady, she would probably never find someone who truly cared for her…

Then, the day of the first snowfall.

Lady Airi disappeared from the royal palace.

Assuming the possibility of someone kidnapping the Savior, I went to get Milady at the magic school atelier so we could look for Lady Airi together, but…she was surprisingly easily found.

A hawk spirit that belonged to one of Milady’s team members had come to inform us of Lady Airi’s whereabouts.

It seemed that she had been in the glass bottle atelier that Milady usually spent time in, and we returned there on Griminde.

Lady Airi was sleeping soundly on the sofa in the warm atelier.

“Airi, are you okay!?”

“Lady Airi, Lady Airi!”

Milady and I tried to wake her up by shaking her, but she wouldn’t wake up.

“Sorry, Makia. This girl ate all the rice you hid away.”

According to Nero Pachelbel, a male student who was in the atelier, Lady Airi had eaten a lot of rice and then fell asleep here on her own.

I was worried, but it seemed that she really was just deeply asleep.

“Milady, I’m going to take Lady Airi back to the palace.”

“Okay. Please, Thor.”

I left the glass bottle atelier with Lady Airi in my arms.

When I went down to the beach and got onto Griminde, who was waiting for me there…

“Thor…”

Lady Airi whispered my name.

“Lady Airi, you’re awake.”

“...Mm.”

For someone who just woke up, her eyes looked somewhat focused.

She might have already woken up earlier.

“Hey, Thor…you don’t remember anything, do you?”

“Huh…?”

What was she talking about?

Unable to understand what she meant, I couldn’t answer her.

“Hey, Thor, do you love Makia?”

Lady Airi asked me another question. She was staring at me intently.

I didn’t understand why she was asking me that. However…

“Yes. Milady is the most important person in the world to me. I think…I am in love with her, despite my social position.”

I answered without lying.

This might be the first time I put my feelings into words.

But, I should have told Lady Airi this much earlier.

“...I see. You better tell Makia that as soon as possible. Before I meddle like I did that time.”

Lady Airi was neither angry, nor dismayed, nor saddened, but matter-of-factly said something enigmatic.

And then, she fixed her gaze across the distant other side of the sea, a strong gleam in her eyes.

I felt that the air surrounding Lady Airi had changed a little.

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