Maydare Volume 5 Chapter 2 - The Most Blessed Man in the World

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On that day――

The large-scale teleportation circle of the Hermedes Heavenly Empire launched a powerful assault on Lune Ruschia Magic School.

From the teleportation circle, countless ogres of the Heavenly Empire descended and invaded this school island.

The enemy’s ward had been set up around Lune Ruschia, and the students were holed up in the underground labyrinth, unable to escape outside or rely on the help of the palace.

Professor Ulysses had magically destroyed the large-scale magic circle, but the Hermedes magicians were in the process of restoring it.

I, Makia O’Drielle, was on my way to the lighthouse in the center of the school island.

With me were the knight Thor and Bishop Eska.

More than three hours had passed since Hermedes’ teleportation circle was deployed over Lune Ruschia Magic School.

There was no inexhaustible flow of demons descending from the teleportation circle during repair.

However, there were already many ogres that have landed on the school island using the first circle.

We were heading toward Professor Ulysses at the lighthouse in the center of the island under the leadership of Bishop Eska, taking the path that led to the least amount of enemies as possible. If we went to Professor Ulysses, we might be able to find a way out of this situation.

However, on the way there…

“The sky is so red.”

Even though it was still midday, the sky was suddenly repainted in a sunset color.

Thor, who saw it, exclaimed in surprise.

“No way, a Twilight Zone…?”

“Ah, that’s right,” Bishop Eska said, and then clicked his tongue while looking up at it sideways.

“That’s one of the secret arts representative of the Twilight clan. They set a range and intentionally create a time of dusk. Because dusk increases the effectiveness of magic by about thirty percent. That’s how they intend to increase the effectiveness and redeploy the teleportation magic circle in a short period of time.”

“No way…”

Indeed, it was said that magic was more successful and most effective in the evening.

I didn’t know that there was a spell that intentionally created the phenomenon of evening.

But that magic is a magic that is fitting of the Twilight clan name, Bishop Eska said matter-of-factly.

“But don’t panic. That spell isn’t a bad thing for us at all. It’s also a double-edged sword that can increase the effectiveness of our magic by thirty percent if we were within the Twilight Zone. Even so, there’s a need to quickly redeploy the circle…that’s what it means.”

“Is the enemy panicking too?”

“Well, that’s probably how it is. We’d better hurry up and head to the lighthouse.”

Bishop Eska turned off the coast and onto a forest path.

As we followed along, our faces scrunched up at the strange smells that filled the woods.

“What an awful stench of death.”

“I can smell some kind of drug as well…”

Thor and I couldn’t stand it and covered our noses and mouths.

“Don’t smell it. This area was sprayed with the ogre-killing poison. It ain’t good for the human body either.”

But Bishop Eska was the only one who didn’t cover his nose and stabbed the ground forcefully with the end of his staff.

Then, a wind blew in a circle around us and blew away the drifting poison and the smell of death with wind magic. Of course, he did this all silently.

Suddenly, the color of Bishop Eska’s eyes changed.

“Take this.”

“Uwah!”

He pressed the staff against me and pulled out a small gun from his pocket.

He ran his sharp gaze around the area and leapt forward, keeping his stance low.

“!?”

Before I could comprehend what was happening, several shots rang out.

The bishop took aim at the ogres hiding in front of him, right beside him, and in the trees of the forest, one after the other as he ran.

I could hear the short screams of the ogres in their last moments as many times as I heard gunshots. I didn’t realize that we were surrounded by that many ogres.

“Guoooooo!!”

I noticed an ogre jumping down from the top of a tree while letting out a harsh scream. 

“Bishop! Look out!”

Bishop Eska was targeted from above, but he just grinned, showing his jagged teeth. 

Right after that, he twisted his body to avoid the ogre’s claws, turned his legs and caught the ogre by its neck, then slammed it violently to the ground.

“Eh…”

The ground was caving in with the ogre in the center. That was how strong that impact was. 

It was just the roundhouse kick of a human. 

It was hard to believe that such a thing could finish off an ogre with a muscular body, but upon closer inspection, the bishop had wrapped his legs in refined flames that seemed to be the condensation of heat.

That was the【Fire】magic he taught me before.

Ogres were weak against fire and heat magic, so he wrapped his legs in it.

In that instant of the giving and taking of life.

“Aah, it’s so damn hard to do kicks in these clothes.”

Bishop Eska calmly straightened his vestments.

“Small fry, don’t think you can compete with me, the strongest.”

Bishop Eska actually was very strong, but what he said was incredibly petty.

Both Thor and I were stunned.

“Hey, don’t space out, you two. It’s all gonna be like this from now on!”

Bishop Eska snatched his staff from my hands and pressed the gun he was using into my hands instead.

“Huh?”

“No ‘Huh?’! What a dull woman. Use it to kill the ogres yourself. If you hesitate for a even a second, you’ll die. It’s kill or be killed. Okay, on your right!”

Reacting quickly to Bishop Eska’s command, I pointed the muzzle of the gun at the ogre that was attacking me from the right and pulled the trigger.

The moment I pulled the trigger, my mind became calm and there was no hesitation.

Afterwards, I was surprised at myself.

“Milady, since when were you able to do such a move?”

“Huh?”

Oh. I was drilled so hard by Bishop Eska that I was able to use a gun naturally…

There had been several occasions where I used what he taught me.

After all, what he taught me was what I needed to survive in the future.

Bishop Eska, however, was grinning as he pulled out a new weapon from his pocket.

“Good, Makia O’Drielle. You’re the type who’s strong when it counts. You’ll get stronger as you get more experience in combat. But the battlefield isn’t so soft that you can get through it with one shot. First, you need to train your body to be like mine!”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

“No, she can’t! Milady is the daughter of a noble family! She can’t turn into a muscular fighting maniac like you! And Milady, don’t answer him so honestly!”

I got scolded by Thor, but it was fine. He didn’t have to worry so much.

No matter how hard I worked, I wouldn’t be able to become like Bishop Eska. 

No matter how many ogres I killed, I was sure of it.

We continued to run down the narrow forest path.

Bishop Eska was leading the way, I was in the middle, and Thor was in the back watching our surroundings.

Most of the ogres were defeated by Bishop Eska, but the further we went, the more ogres we encountered.

There were groups that chased us vigorously from behind, and at one point Thor used ice magic to create an iceberg behind us to slow them down.

However, there was a moment when there was no sign of the ogres, and we stopped, feeling that something was off.

“Hah, so you finally showed yourselves. The Twilight magicians…”

At some point, we became surrounded by black-robed magicians.

They wore their hoods deep over their heads and wore iron masks that covered their mouths. 

I could tell from their appearances that they were Twilight magicians.

They created spatial footholds that were difficult to see in the air, and since they were standing on them, it looked like they were floating.

Looked down coldly from above, I felt terribly nervous.

Everyone in Garnet Team 9 had suffered at the hands of the Twilight magicians.

In particular, Lapis and Nero were badly injured, and Thor and I were thrown into the cold sea by their magic. It was only a little while ago, but the memory of it made my heart beat faster.

These guys were dangerous.

They thought nothing of hurting people and used their magic with such quick movements that I couldn’t keep up with them at all.

But the Twilight magicians only watched us from a distance and made no move to approach us.

“...Holy Ash is here.”

“Tch. That degenerate bishop?”

“Stop, don’t go up against him alone. He’s a Lord-class magician.”*

The Twilight magicians were muttering amongst themselves.

Apparently, they knew Bishop Eska and were intensely wary of him.

Lord-class…what was that?

I tilted my head at the unfamiliar words, but Bishop Eska tipped his chin back and laughed uproariously at the Twilight magicians who didn’t seem to be getting any closer.

“Kuhahahahahaha! That’s right! You’re no match for me!”

Bishop Eska pointed his index finger straight at the enemy.

“You know you can’t defeat me! Because I’m one of the great magicians, and you Twilight black flies only have the blood of a great magician in your veins!”

“...!”

The Twilight magicians showed anger at being called “black flies.”

But Bishop Eska just bent himself backward and laughed uproariously.

He couldn’t and wouldn’t stop riling them up.

I’m starting to feel like we were the bad guys here…

“Hey, black flies! I’ll give you guys props for becoming slaves of the Heavenly Empire and desperately building that big magic circle, okay? Your average magician wouldn’t have been able to make something like that. Well, that doesn’t mean you’re in the same league as me, though!”

“You, you bastard…!”

Here, the tone of the bishop’s voice dropped, and he narrowed his eyes sarcastically.

“But, the spatial magic of the〈Black Demon King〉is too much for you guys. You can’t handle it. Your worn-out bodies says it all. You seem to be hiding them with robes and masks.”

“Shut up, Holy Ash!”

“We accept losing our bodies to continue to succeed ‘Black’s’ magic!”

The Twilight magicians, unable to bear it, started shouting.

Both Thor and I braced ourselves when we saw that a few of them were in combat stance.

“Hoho. You wanna play with me? Then I’ll kill, kill, kill all of you who are running headlong down the wrong path! I’ll put you all out of your misery! Salvation is my duty…aah, Mea Dea.”

Before I knew it, Bishop Eska was carrying two rifles.

The moment I thought, “Oh no,” he shot them wildly and without mercy.

Only the sound of gunfire and Bishop Eska’s loud laughter rang out, and both Thor and I ducked down in a panic.

If we were hit by a stray bullet, we wouldn’t stand a chance against it. Furthermore, we knew we couldn’t avoid the gunfire just by ducking down, so Thor and I put up a magic wall above our heads.

The enemy also put up magic walls to protect themselves, but it didn’t help them at all.

Surprisingly, Bishop Eska’s bullets easily broke through their magic walls. 

They were like balloons with needles stuck in them.

“Tch.”

“Gyah!”

“Run! Don’t try to fight him!”

Even the Twilight magicians, who had been burning with the desire to fight the bishop until just a while ago, were beaten to the punch and couldn’t make a move.

The enemy had no choice but to flee like rabbits being chased by a hunter.

“Ora ora ora ora! You’ll die if you get hit! Kuhahahaha! Just die!”

It was absurd, it was completely absurd, but he really was strong.

I knew that the bishop wasn’t an ordinary person, but why was there such a difference between them.

The Twilight magicians, who we were no match for.

Even so, I felt like they couldn’t win against Bishop Eska.

Even though it looked like he was just blasting his rifles away.

“Give up on retrieving the Black Box! We’ll get wiped out!”

“B-But…”

“Just run! We’ll never be able to defeat him!”

The voice of an older man, who seemed to be the leader, was frantic.

He ordered the Twilight magicians present to retreat several times. The younger ones were the ones who seemed to be trying to put up a fight.

But I understood only one thing. The Twilight magicians’ goal was this Black Box…

While stooping down, Thor and I confirmed the enemy’s goal with each other.

“Thor, the Black Box is the magic you used, right?”

“...Yes. The Black Box is a grimoire that contains all the spells of the〈Black Demon King〉. I think the enemy has realized that I have it now because I invoked it once before.”

If I remembered correctly, the Black Box was originally in Lapis’s possession. The Twilight magicians had been trying to get her to reveal its location.

Speaking of them, they all retreated, quickly dodging bullets, and seemed to have fled the scene.

“...Ha. They’re good at running away fast. As expected of black flies.”

Both Thor and I looked up as the sound of the gunfire ceased and we heard Bishop Eska muttering that.

Only trees full of holes remained, and the smell of gunpowder filled the air.

“Sir, are your rifles made with alchemy or something? They aren’t ordinary rifles, are they? They can easily break through magic walls, after all.”

I asked while brushing the dirt off of my uniform’s skirt.

“Hah, these aren’t ordinary rifles or made from alchemy. All my weapons are spirits.”

“...Spirits?”

The bishop, looking proud, showed me the rifles he had just used.

“It’s multiplicative summoning. I summon spirits in the forms of all kinds of weapons.”

Multiplicative summoning――

It was an extremely difficult method of summoning spirits that wasn’t even touched upon in first-year Spirit Magic Studies.

I have only heard of the name, and I’ve never seen it up close.

“Magic is a profound and deep thing. Even if the method is different, the result can be the same. Using alchemy to create weapons or summoning spirits as weapons is a good example of this. And, well, transferring a powerful weapon to your hand with transference magic also gets you the same result. The question is which magic is better suited to you and which magic can you use to get results more easily.”

This was where Bishop Eska’s preaching, or rather, magic lecture, began.

“Alchemy doesn’t really suit me. Same goes for transference magic. Therefore, spirit magic became my main thing. In particular, multiplicative summoning is a magic that requires contracts with multiple spirits. It’s a way to mix spirits with other spirits. The more spirits that are contracted, the greater the possibility and the more effective the multiplicative summoning. Hence, only a few people can use it.”

“In short, Your Eminence, you are contracted with a considerable number of spirits? You were able to summon that many weapons, after all.”

In response to Thor’s sharp question, Bishop Eska smirked.

“Well, that’s how it is. I’ve got a hundred spirits contracted with me. They rarely show themselves, but they’re all first-class and elegant spirits that were raised in the Holy Land.”

“A, a hundred…”

The number was astounding, but Thor and I glanced at each other sideways.

Yeah. I knew what Thor wanted to say.

Was it okay to use every little bit of the first-class and elegant spirits that were raised in the Holy Land as guns, bazookas, hand grenades, and rifles? That’s what he wanted to say, right?

To begin with, I had never seen Bishop Eska with a spirit. One time, he had a demon, Will-o’-th-Wisp, with him, though.

He fundamentally didn’t use incantations, and this was the first time that I learned that he was using “spirit magic.” I had thought that he was bringing his weapons from somewhere by transference magic.

But perhaps that was precisely his strength.

It was all over before I could understand what he was doing.

I guess the reason why Professor Ulysses appointed Bishop Eska as my mentor was because he wanted me to watch and learn from him. I, too, must learn to be as fast as him…

It happened when I was thinking about that.

Bishop Eska’s gaze became sharper and was directed at a certain spot.

His expression was intensely grim.

“Tch. The big one’s here…”

It came right after his sarcastic remark.

I noticed something peering at us from behind a tree filled with holes.

“...Ah…”

A blue clown wearing a jester hat and mask.

Secretly, but surely, I stopped breathing.

I took an instinctive step back in horror and shock, feeling like my heart was about to stop.

It was a far cry from my fear of the Twilight magicians.

Thor, standing next to me, seemed to sense that I was terribly on edge.

He too had a grim look on his face and glared at the blue clown, his hand on the sword at his hip.

We had met this blue clown before.

“The Blue…Jester…”

That’s right.

This clown was historically known as the〈Blue Jester〉, and he was the representation of Maydare’s calamity.

And, about six months ago, he threw the Kingdom of Ruschia into disorder by taking over the body of Eugene Batiste, one of the Guardians, and impersonating him.

“Oh, oh, it’s been a long time, Makia O’Drielle. And, Thor Bigreitz. And and and, the great ash-covered bishop!”

The blue clown nimbly stepped out from behind the tree and made an exaggerated bow with his arms stretched out wide.

Then, wearing his mask that didn’t change its expression, he tilted his head.

“Sir Bishop~, you look a lot more unpleasant than when we last met, don’t you?”

“Hah. It’s all thanks to you!”

The bishop also exaggeratedly laughed in scorn.

“I missed you too, Blue Jester. I wanted to see you so much that I have sickening dreams about blue clowns every night. It’s been about three hundred years, huh.”

Three hundred years…?

I thought I heard him wrong, but I was sure I didn’t.

Next to me, Thor also whispered the same question I had aloud.

But that couldn’t be possible. What was going on?

I didn’t understand it at all, but the standoff between the〈Blue Jester〉and Bishop Eska was so tense that only a line of cold sweat ran down my cheek.

Thor was also ready to draw his sword and cut him down if there was an opening.

“You two, don’t move an inch!”

Bishop Eska shouted. 

Because of that, neither Thor nor I could move at all.

What kind of magic was this? I felt a weight increasing on my body.

“Protecting the children who haven’t awakened yet? What a disadvantageous role to play, hmm?”

“Shut up. I’m the one who wants to kill you with my own hands, that’s all.”

The Blue Jester put his palm to his mouth and laughed affectedly.

“Fufufu. Fufufu. You’re a terrible nuisance. Everything about you is inferior to the other Lord-classes, and yet everything goes in your favor because of what only you have.”

“You’ve got it all wrong. It pisses me off, all the stuff that I can’t do as I wish…”

Although the coarse language was typical of Bishop Eska, his expression and tone were frighteningly calm, like he wasn’t Bishop Eska at all…

“The blessing of the Holy Land? The favor of Vabilophos? No man could be more loved by the Great Tree and the world than you, Sir Bishop. Is it because your ‘luck value’ is so high that I can’t just take over your body and kill you?”

The Blue Jester thrust his expressionless mask forward and laughed mockingly.

“No one can kill you. Is it because you’re a man who cannot die except committing suicide?”

“...”

I also couldn’t understand those words.

Because, if I were to take them literally, that would be too…

“Hmph. I don’t wanna hear that from a stubborn guy with dumb luck like you.”

Bishop Eska reacted coldly.

He didn’t seem his usual wildly emotional self.

Perhaps because Bishop Eska wasn’t taking the bait, but the Blue Jester then suddenly turned to me and asked a question. “Fufufu. Do you think so as well, Makia O’Drielle?”

Even through the mask, the Blue Jester’s gaze pierced through me. 

My shoulders jumped up in surprise, and I opened my mouth vaguely, confused as to how to respond, but…

“Don’t talk to him, Makia!”

Bishop Eska shouted, and I reflexively closed my mouth.

The Blue Jester, seemingly bored, kicked a pebble at his feet. 

“Well, that’s alright. After all, the second round has already begun, you know? You all have to show me something amusing, you know? Party time isn’t over, right?”

And then, just like before, the Blue Jester became wrapped in ivy growing from his feet.

The bishop didn’t hesitate to raise his gun and shoot the Jester, but the ivy replled all the bullets.

The ivy completely covered the Jester, then shriveled and quickly decayed.

But I still felt like I could hear his creepy laughter coming from somewhere.

His odd appearance, tone of voice, and magic was as creepy as ever.

Only the mask fell to the ground and was left behind. Bishop Eska shot at it and destroyed it into pieces.

It was as if he was venting his anger into that mask because he couldn’t catch him. I can’t believe that even he couldn’t bring the Blue Jester down…

After a while, the gunfire stopped, and Bishop let out a long sigh with his back to us.

“You guys know that he took over Eugene Batiste’s body, right?”

“...Yes.”

“Then, remember this. The Blue Jester will be able to take over your body when you have a ‘dialogue of words’ with him.”

“A dialogue…of words?”

Bishop Eska put his gun away in his pocket and turned only his gaze toward us.

“It’s ‘answering specifically’ to a specific question. That is tinged with an incantation, and becomes the puppet spell. But that guy’s a glib Jester, always asking questions with an annoying tone. I still don’t know which one is that specific question. All the more because I’m the only person who he can’t take over. Since a long, long time ago…three hundred years ago.”

Once again, three hundred years ago.

He spoke as if this had happened many times before.

Bishop Eska was a degenerate bishop who swore on a regular basis, but he never vented his hatred toward others in this way.

Despite being a holy man, there was a being that he definitely wanted to kill.

His eyes looked as though he had been prepared for that kind of thing for a long time now.

“Bishop Eska,” Thor asked. “What do you mean by ‘three hundred years ago’? You look reasonably young, but have you actually lived for three hundred years?”

“Hah, of course not.”

Bishop Eska turned towards us.

He stared at Thor with a meaningful look, then turned his gaze to me.

“But it’s also true that I existed three hundred years ago. I’m one of the Lord-class magicians named in Maydare’s history…I reincarnated and was born into this era again.”

“...Lord…class?”

I was pretty sure one of the Twilight magicians uttered those words earlier.

“Are you saying that you’re the reincarnation of a great magician who existed three hundred years ago?”

That question flew out of my mouth before I even had time to be shocked.

“Makia O’Drielle, you'd be the last person to not believe me. You have memories of your past life as well, don’t you?”

“That’s…”

That was certainly true.

How could I not believe in “reincarnation”?

I did indeed have memories of a life lived as a normal high school girl in another world. This could be corroborated by the presence of Airi.

“Are you by any chance the reincarnation of the〈Archbishop of Holy Ash〉?”

Thor was awfully calm and brought up the name of the great magician of the time, the equivalent of Bishop Eska, before me.

Thor’s eyes looked as though he wanted to skip over a few questions and get to the answer as soon as possible, without having to go through roundabout explanations.

Bishop Eska stared at Thor silently for a moment, then snorted.

“Ah, you got it. Perceptive kids are annoying.”

“...It’s the color of your hair. I’ve heard that particularly exceptional magicians were given a nickname after the color of their hair.”

“Oh, I see. That’s right.”

Bishop Eska held up his hair between his fingers. He did have grey hair.

I blinked, then recalled what I knew about that great magician.

“The Archbishop…of Holy Ash…”

He was the great man who founded Vabelism’s headquarters, the Vabel State, three hundred years ago.

With its control over the Holy Land and the support of its followers around the world, the Vabel State, although a small nation, remained a powerful one. It was said that the voice of the archbishop and priestess couldn’t be ignored by any king or dignitary.

In a sense, it was Vabelism that ruled this world called Maydare.

And it was the〈Archbishop of Holy Ash〉who propagated Vabelism to such an extent and established a state.

However, the〈Archbishop of Holy Ash〉of three hundred years ago was a person of considerable character, the embodiment of self-sacrifice, and a perfect saint, according to the history textbooks.

The current Bishop Eska was…um…

“Listen up. It’s said that the world of Maydare is a world where great magicians have influenced the eras with their magic. In reality, however, it’s just that only ‘ten’ so-called Lord-class magicians are randomly reincarnated every few hundred years.”

“Huh? Ten people?”

“Randomly…?”

What did he mean?

Throughout history, there had been many people who have been called great magicians.

The number of people who stood out among them and were given a color nickname was indeed limited, but…

“The Vabel State also manages this truth and the information of the ten great magicians. After all, everything began in the Holy Land.”

“...”

Thor and I were speechless for a while.

We were confused about how to process this information.

“Why are you telling us this now? Isn’t the fact that the Vabel State is controlling the truth of this world quite top secret?”

Thor had an even more mysterious look on his face. He wasn’t doubting it, but he seemed to be having a hard time believing it, or perhaps he didn’t understand the purpose in telling us this.

“Why…? Kuhahahahaha!”

But Bishop Eska just slapped his knee and laughed out loud.

“Because you guys are the same as us.”

While we still haven’t fully digested his story―

Things took a sudden turn without waiting for us to catch up.

From somewhere, I heard a strange rumbling sound.

No, rather than a rumbling of the earth, it was a beast’s cry that it compelled me to shiver.

“W-What was that?”

“No way, ogres again?”

We looked around restlessly.

Bishop Eska suddenly looked up at the sky.

Thor also looked up with astonished eyes.

I followed their gaze.

“Huh…?”

The Heavenly Empire’s large teleportation circle had finally been repaired.

Moreover, from the center of the large teleportation magic circle, the face of “something” that I had never seen before was poking out.

“W-What…is that?”

My voice was shaking.

“It’s a dragon…”

Thor also murmured in disbelief.

I couldn’t believe my eyes, but Thor was able to immediately determine what it was because he had a dragon spirit. But it was much larger than his dragon spirit, with a much more bestial and feral nature.

We had yet to see it in full.

But just from its only visible parts, we could see its rugged, rocky, and reddish brown skin, yellow eyes, needle-thin pupils, and sharp fangs.

Was it in pain or suffering?

Was it angry or excited?

It was rampaging on the border of the teleportation circle, roaring lowly.

“Seriously? Where did they get a dragon from? That ain’t a spirit, that’s a real dragon.”

Even Bishop Eska couldn’t hide his surprise.

But Thor said, “That’s impossible.”

“It’s said that real dragons went extinct a long time ago!”

“That’s right. But no matter how you look at that thing, it’s a real dragon. Dragon are extraordinary among demons, the highest of them all. They are life forms from the age of myths. There are myths that talk about a whole city burning to the ground from the flames that erupted out of their enormous bodies.”

“...So, basically, the Heavenly Empire even subjugated a dragon?”

My voice was trembling slightly. It was from incredulity.

“I guess that’s how it is. Now we know why that Blue Jester was so disgustingly laidback…”

Party time isn’t over, right?

I remembered the gleeful, eerie voice of the Blue Jester saying that.

Bishop Eska rushed in front of us, his long bishop’s robes fluttering wildly.

“This isn’t looking good. If a real dragon is summoned, the whole capital, let alone Lune Ruschia, will be in flames in an instant. I don’t even know if it can be prevented with even my and that guy’s power. …Let’s head for the lighthouse immediately.”

“...Yes.”

We couldn’t do anything except nod and do what the bishop said.

My anxiety only increased with each unforeseen situation that came one after another.

We finally reached the lighthouse in the middle of the school island.

Professor Ulysses was there with several spirits.

He was watching over the great teleportation circle in the bright red sunset sky and the dragon peeking its face out from it.

It might be that he was trying to find the right moment to destroy the magic circle again. The dragon was sticking its head out and sometimes growling, making it difficult to make a move.

Without any countermeasures, once it breathes fire, the heat would easily roast the school island.

If that happened, it would become hell. Every student would sink into a sea of heat and fire.

“Oi, black-hearted shitty prince. We’re in trouble now! There’s a dragon!”

“Yes, I know, because I’ve been watching it since it suddenly popped its head out.”

“What do you mean, ‘pop’! It ain’t the same as those spirits you love so much!”

“I know that. But isn’t it amazing? Isn’t it cool? This is the first time I’m seeing a dragon that isn’t a spirit.”

“What are you so happy for…!”

Even when Bishop Eska grabbed Professor Ulysses’s collar and ranted at him, Professor Ulysses showed no concern at all.

He was still calm and collected at a time like this.

The professor glanced at me and Thor, who had been brought along, and lightly brushed off Bishop Eska’s hand that was clutching his collar.

“So, how much did you tell them?”

“I told them that I was the reincarnation of the great〈Archbishop of Holy Ash〉.”

Bishop Eska said bluntly, pointing his thumb at himself.

“You’re so impatient.”

“And you’re too full of yourself! It’s better to explain things in an easy-to-undestand way by stating the conclusion first, without hiding it.”

“For you, that’s a kind thing to say. As expected of the virtuous Archbishop of Holy Ash.”

“That’s right. There’s no one as merciful as me. And there’s no one as black-hearted and nasty as you.”

As expected, Professor Ulysses and Bishop Eska couldn’t get along.

However, there was one thing that bothered me during their conversation.

“Um, Professor Ulysses, did you know that Bishop Eska is the reincarnation of the〈Archbishop of Holy Ash〉?”

I timidly asked, and before Professor Ulysses could answer anything, Bishop Eska said, “Hah?” and then his eyes and mouth twisted into a smile.

He then pointed his thumb at Professor Ulysses.

“What are you talking about? This guy’s the reincarnation of the〈White Sage〉.”

“...”

“Don’t make such a stupid look. It’s easy to tell from his shockingly white appearance.”

“...”

“Well, his inside is always black, though.”

I didn’t care about Bishop Eska’s full-effort joke.

Thor and I were speechless for a while.

“Eh…eeeeeeeeeehhhh?”

At the end of our astonishment that was a beat too late, we responded in a very obvious way.

It was true that Professor Ulysses was always said to be the second coming of the〈White Sage〉, and he was renowned as the most powerful spirit magician in the country.

Just as Bishop Eska said, his appearance was refreshingly white.

However, when I imagined what kind of a magician the〈White Sage〉might be, for some reason, I kept imagining as an old man with white hair.

The young and beautiful Professor Ulysses, who had been helping me all this time.

Furthermore, I couldn’t have ever imagined that the second prince of this country was the reincarnation of the legendary〈White Sage〉.

“So, so does that mean you have the memories from your time as the〈White Sage〉from five hundred years ago?

“Of course. I remember everything when I was five.”

The professor said with a smiling and nonchalant face.

It was hard to believe this all of a sudden…but it also did make sense.

The reason for why Professor Ulysses possessed such extraordinary power.

――The White Sage.

――The Archbishop of Holy Ash.

Here we had the reincarnations of the great magicians of the history books.

“But how is a dragon a threat with two such great magicians in one place? Why did you bring me and Miss Makia here?”

Thor’s calm question was reasonable.

Why were Thor and I brought here?

“I told you already. You guys are also involved in this.”

“What do you mean by ‘involved’?”

Bishop Eska said the same words as before.

“You guys are the same as us, the reincarnations of great magicians who are famous in history.”

“...Come again?”

No, wait a minute. We were the reincarnations of great magicians?

No no no no no.

I knew. Thor and I were supposed to be ordinary high school students living on Earth in our past lives.

“I apologize for confusing the two of you.”

Professor Ulysses apologized to me and Thor and said in a teacherly tone, “Let us review, then.”

“The world of Maydare is a place where the souls of ‘Ten Magicians,’ called the Lord-class magicians, are repeatedly reincarnated.”

It was as though he was rubbing the truth into our faces.

“I am the reincarnation of the〈White Sage〉. Bishop Eska is the reincarnation of the〈Archbishop of Holy Ash〉. And…you two are also the reincarnations of great magicians who are famous in history.”

The professor’s citrus-yellow eyes were tinged with a dull light.

He was smiling, but rather than his gentle smile that granted relief, it felt like a different smile that was filled with the dignity of a great magician.

“We are the reincarnations of great magicians? On what basis are you saying that, Your Highness?”

“I do have evidence, Mr. Thor. The most effective way to identify the reincarnation of a great magician…that is, a Lord-class magician, is the ‘first incantation’ that’s required when using magic.”

“The first incantation?”

That was the incantation to open the magical gate within one’s body, incorporating one’s name.

In my case, it was “myr vis makia,” which I appended before giving the spell’s instructions.

“There is only one first incantation for each person, and once you set it, you’ll never use anything else for the rest of your life. Although you can perform magic without chanting, your first incantation is something you’re always aware of in your mind.”

That was rudimentary knowledge for anyone who used magic.

Because you only had one and it never changed, the first incantation was sometimes used to identify the magician.

“But the two of you should have another ‘first incantation’ that you’ve used before.”

“...”

He was right.

I had another first incantation for casting spells.

“Miss Makia has the first incantation of the〈Scarlet Witch〉, Maki rie luci a.”

Professor Ulysses slowly chanted.

“And Mr. Thor has the first incantation of the〈Black Demon King〉, Torc mel me gis.”

This was just like when he was teaching a new spell to students at the lectern.

“Whether or not you can use the first incantation of your previous life. That is how we determine the reincarnations of the great magicians.”

Professor Ulysses, with his back to the twilight sky, held his index finger to his mouth and told us this.

Something very important for us and this world.

“To put it simply, you two are the reincarnations of the〈Scarlet Witch〉and〈Black Demon King〉.”

I widened my eyes slowly.

Combined with the truth that was once again told to me, it gave me goosebumps. I hugged my body.

The〈Scarlet Witch〉and〈Black Demon King〉who lived five hundred years ago.

Thor and I were their reincarnations?

“Um, which one of us is which…?”

“Can’t you tell from the first incantations, Makia O’Drielle? You’re the〈Scarlet Witch〉, and Thor Bigreitz is the〈Black Demon King〉.”

Well, he was probably right. They say that the color of your hair proved it, and although it was obvious at a glance, I thought I’d check just in case…

Bishop Eska was looking at me like he had seen an uncommonly dense dullard.

Thor, on the other hand, spoke in a low voice full of skeptism, as though he didn’t believe it quite so easily.

“I see. Was that why you taught me the magic of the〈Black Demon King〉? You two were deceiving me and testing me, weren’t you?”

“It’s called ‘checking,’ you little brat.”

Bishop Eska slapped Thor’s head with a light sound.

“Ow,” Thor said with a straight face.

“I don’t blame you for being wary, Mr. Thor. We had both of you in our sights and have been watching you.”

Professor Ulysses knitted his brows together apologetically, but didn’t try to hide the truth.

“Unlike me and Bishop Eska, you two haven’t regained the memories of the time when you were great magicians, so it still doesn’t feel real to you yet. But, as soon as all of this is over, I will tell you all of the details.”

Professor Ulysses told us this in a sincere voice.

“Now, I would like to ask your help in protecting Lune Ruschia Magic School. This school island was created in the past by the〈White Sage〉with cooperation from the〈Black Demon King〉and the〈Scarlet Witch〉. There is a great power sealed in this school, and in order to break the seal, we desperately need your power.”

“Seal…?”

“The great spirit, Pan Faunus.”

“The headmaster!?”

I was taken aback and involuntarily shouted shrilly.

“Yes. The Headmaster Pan you know, Miss Makia, isn’t in his full form. Through the mirror, we only see a very small part of a very reduced form of him. The main body of Pan Faunus is stored in the fourth labyrinth.”

I suddenly recalled something.

The headmaster’s office, reached after collecting the autographs of the spirits for the final practical test for Spirit Magic Studies.

The figure of Headmaster Pan there was so huge that it was impossible to see him in full.

“Three keywords are needed to completely break his seal. The three keywords are the ‘first incantations’ of the〈Black Demon King〉, 〈Scarlet Witch〉, and 〈White Sage〉.”

Professor Ulysses raised his gaze and looked at the great teleportation circle of the Heavenly Empire again.

He was silently glaring at the fearsome dragon appearing from it.

“If that dragon descends from the circle, even with our power, we wouldn’t be able to protect everything. Lune Ruschia Magic School will burn to the ground, and even the royal capital will be engulfed in a sea of flames. A real dragon is a magical life form with such a destructive power…after all, it’s a being that has lived since the age of myths and is tantamount to a god.”

I still didn’t understand everything.

However, I had a feeling that if I hesitated here now, there would be no coming back from this. That was the worry I had.

There were many people who were important to me in magic school, and Nero, Frey, and Lapis were out there somewhere with injuries.

I learned that I couldn’t protect anything when I was helpless.

I had wished before for the power to protect people and the means to do so.

“Okay, Professor. I’ll do it.”

I clenched my fists, looked up, and answered in a firm tone.

“Milady…but how much burden would that place on you? Basically, you’re going to be using the 〈Scarlet Witch’s〉magic!”

“Thor, I’ll be okay. I believe in Professor Ulysses.”

I understood Thor’s worry.

However, even if Professor Ulysses was the reincarnation of the〈White Sage〉, I would still respect and adore him.

That was also the trust he had built up within me over the past year.

And that was enough.

Professor Ulysses looked a little surprised, but then his eyes crinkled into a smile, like he was about to cry.

That rare expression on his face surprised me.

“Thank you very much, Miss Makia.”

The professor bowed his head. Thor looked at him, let out a loud sigh, and brushed his bangs up.

“If His Highness and Milady say so, then there really isn’t any reason for me not to help as well.”

“Thor, I’m sorry. I know that you’re still not convinced.”

“No, I wanted power, so I asked to be taught the〈Black Demon King’s〉magic. Whatever the intentions of His Highness and the bishop, it was mutual on all sides. Besides…”

Thor smiled wryly.

“I don’t want you to get any more reckless in the future, Milady. I’ll accompany you wherever you go.”

Even now, he still tried to be an obedient knight.

“Hey, this ain’t the time to relax. That thing will come out soon.”

Bishop Eska glared up at the sky.

In the bright red sunset sky, looking like something from the end of the world, the light of the magic circle was weakening and strengthening like a fetal movement.

A huge dragon was about to be birthed from its center.

If it came out, the Heavenly Empire would resume its full-scale offense.

There was no more time. Everyone felt that way.

“Bishop Eska, may I ask you to take charge of the defense of the capital and the school island?”

“Hah?”

“It may be possible with the power of the Holy Land. You’re more reliable than I am when it comes to defending.”

“Tch. You keep pushing all the troublesome stuff on me! You can’t protect everything from a dragon, you know. Well…nothing’s impossible for me, though.”

Bishop Eska seemed to be somewhat motivated.

With a sidelong glance at the bishop, Professor Ulysses turned to me and Thor once again.

“We don’t have much time. Are you both ready? Chant the incantations as I have taught you. Leave everything else to me.”

“Yes, sir.”

We stood on either side of Professor Ulysses, calmed our minds, and chanted the incantations as we had been taught.

“Torc mel me gis――Open.”

“Maki rie luci ah――Open.”

“Yuri yuno rei sys――Open.”

What was the significance of using the first incantations of great magicians?

While being secretly aware of that…

Professor Ulysses hit the ground twice with his staff and chanted again with a stern voice.

“Open. The magician beyond the door.”

Open.

Awaken.

The magicians beyond the door.

---

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