Maydare Volume 5 Chapter 4 - The Magicians Beyond the Door

 This chapter felt like it took forever... but the good news is we're halfway through the novel! I forgot how fast this volume is lol

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It was chilly and dark beyond the door.

However, just as the doors opened, the magic stones set up here and there lit up, allowing us to see all the way into the back of the space.

With the sound of clattering footsteps, we proceeded inside.

It was a spacious temple with a solemn air.

There was a staircase in the center. Someone was standing in front of it.

It was a young man with blond hair, dressed in a military uniform from another country. I immediately knew who it was.

The man turned around as we got closer.

His sharp, garnet eyes still put a chill in my heart.

That eye color inevitably reminded me of my own death.

“I didn’t expect you to be here before us, General Kanon Pachelbel.”

Kanon Pachelbel――

He was the Frezier Empire’s general, and for me, he was the man who killed me in my previous life.

Professor Ulysses also seemed somewhat surprised that he was here.

“Why are you here…?”

I instinctively braced myself. 

After all, I just heard that only the school’s founders can enter the fifth labyrinth.

“Miss Makia. With Pan Faunus’s seal removed, the door to the fifth labyrinth is unlocked at the same time. Basically, the ones who can unlock the door are the three great magicians who are the founders of the school. Once unlocked, anyone can enter with a basic spell. Just as earlier.”

Professor Ulysses gave me a concise answer to my question.

“That’s exactly right, Makia O’Drielle. I got here before you, and I was just waiting for you.”

General Kanon spoke in his low, monotone voice.

“This is just an example, but what if we had been defeated by the Heavenly Empire and didn’t come here? What would you have done?”

“If that happened, I’d just take out what’s here and hide it. It’s something that should never be snatched away by the Heavenly Empire.”

“Ah, is that so? You’re as cautious as ever.”

Professor Ulysses and General Kanon were talking about something I didn’t understand.

On the other hand, Thor was glaring at General Kanon.

I was sure it was because my face was incredibly stiff.

Why was General Kanon here?

Professor Ulysses accepted it as a matter of course, but for us, the necessity of him being here was completely incomprehensible.

Would we know soon? What it is that slept here?

Professor Ulysses moved forward towards the central staircase. Thor and I followed.

General Kanon let us go ahead of him and joined us at the very end.

There were a series of flat steps, and at the end of the steps, there were three faintly flowing pillars.

What were those?

“Here we are. This is the deepest part of the school island. You could say this is the heart of Lune Ruschia.”

“Heart…?”

“Both of you, take a good look. The treasure that sleeps in the deepest part of the school island.”

There were things that looked like a cylindrical glass capsule inserted into the pillars, and our eyes were drawn to what the capsules were so carefully guarding.

“Ah…!”

My heart was beating wildly.

The objects protected within the capsules.

They were round, shining like jewels. From right to left, they were purple, yellow, and blue.

“These are eyes…”

Three eyes.

Professor Ulysses taught me this before.

This school island, where Lune Ruschia Magic School was built, was…created by the great magicians, each giving what they could offer.

Among those things were their own “eyes.”

These are the eyes of the Black Demon King, White Sage, and Scarlet Witch–the eyes of the three great magicians.

The vivid violet-colored eye belonged to the Black Demon King.

The calm citrus-yellow eye belonged to the White Sage.

And the sparkling sea-blue eye belonged to the Scarlet Witch.

Their colors were very similar to the eye colors of the three of us here.

No, they weren’t just similar, they were completely identical. I got the same impression from them.

My heart was pounding.

Those eyes appealed to me.

They were saying, We are you.

The beasts of the snow kingdom

Their limbs broken and bound

Enslaved by the Black Demon King

The spirits of the lake

Tricked into a pot and boiled

Until they pledged allegiance to the White Sage

The beautiful maidens

Burned at the stake until they are ash

The Scarlet Witch’s jealousy was as crimson as hellfire

Ah, how terrifying

The magicians beyond the door!

Professor Ulysses calmly chanted the lyrics of the nursery rhyme about the three great magicians that everyone knew.

Then, he asked us as we stood there, unable to look away from those eyes.

“Do you still not believe it even after seeing this? Can you still not believe that we were once the three great magicians.”

Thor and I were both reeling from the unabating thumping of our hearts and the impulse that was coming upon us. We repeatedly answered our own questions and were bewildered by the ceaseless sense of uneasiness.

“Your Highness, are these really the eyes of the three great magicians?”

“Of course they are, Mr. Thor. The violet eye on the far right is the eye of the famous〈Black Demon King〉. And you are his reincarnation. That was why you were able to use his first incantation and his catalog of secret arts, the ‘Black Box.’ What do you feel when you see that eye? You never thought it was someone else’s eye, did you?”

“...”

Thor was about to say something, but swallowed his words.

He didn’t want to believe it, but he had to. He couldn’t deny it.

That was the look on his face.

I saw him clench his fists quietly.

“And the sea-colored eye on the far light is the eye of the〈Scarlet Witch〉. Miss Makia, you know that it’s the same as your own eyes.”

“...Yes. It’s like looking into a mirror.”

I nodded honestly.

That was because I thought it was just like my own eyes, which I often stared into when I looked at my own face, put on makeup, or played with my hair in front of the dresser mirror.

I didn’t deny my first impression that it was the “same” as my own.

Professor Ulysses also nodded.

“Accept it. Once you accept it, you will regain the memories of your previous lives and awaken to your new powers. And you, Mr. Thor, will regain the right eye that you have lost.”

“Is…is that true!?”

It wasn’t Thor, but me who got excited.

In order to protect me, Thor lost his right eye.

It was the price of the Black Demon King’s magic, so I thought it was something that could never be undone.

Professor Ulysses’s eyes narrowed, and he nodded.

“The eye of the〈Black Demon King〉should adapt to Mr. Thor’s body. Would you like to regain your right eye, Thor?”

“That’s…”

Thor seemed to be hesitating over his answer.

“There is still time to think about it,” Seeing Thor like that, Professor Ulysses smiled gently.

“Miss Makia, you don’t look very surprised.”

The professor looked at me next.

“...No, I am surprised. But,” I put my hand on my chest and squeezed it tightly. “As Bishop Eska told me, I can’t deny that there is such a thing as previous lives. I remember one of them.”

“That’s right. You have a very rare reincarnation. After the〈Scarlet Witch〉, you were reincarnated once in another world. I don’t know why your soul went through another world in the first place… I’m sure the general standing there knows, though.”

Professor Ulysses looked over me and Thor to the other man.

The blond man who was silently watching our conversation.

“Hurry up, White Sage. This is no time for idle chatter.”

General Kanon Pachelbel was as detached as ever, unmoved by Professor Ulysses’ words.

But, that’s right.

The man who killed me in my previous life was here.

Maybe I would learn the truth behind the death of my previous life here.

I quietly hugged my body, which was on the verge of trembling.

“Now then, you two. If you are ready to accept your previous life, please stand in front of the eyes with me.”

“...Eh?”

“You haven’t yet ‘returned’ as the great magicians. Return means recalling your memories of your previous life and how to use your power. Like me and Bishop Eska. And, it also means you get the right to know the laws and secrets of the world…such as, why do the great magicians reincarnate over and over again?”

Laws and secrets of the world…

Professor Ulysses lowered his gaze slightly.

“But if you don’t have the resolve, then don’t do it. You might lose many things from knowing. Even your own personality might be swallowed up by your previous life. Above all, you might just have a painful experience.”

Thor and I looked at each other.

Things we could gain and lose by returning…

Did I have the resolve to learn everything, even at the risk of losing my precious now?

Past lives. Reincarnation. The reason I was able to use the Scarlet Witch’s magic.

The truth about the things that surrounded us…

To my surprise, it was Thor who stepped forward before me.

“I will accept it. I want power. Even if it belongs to the〈Black Demon King〉.”

Thor declared and stood next to Professor Ulysses.

He seemed to have a good reason for doing so.

“Power, huh? You have been pursuing it for a long time. But that is also good. Certainly, in the future, whether or not you have the power of a great magician or not will greatly affect the outcome of the war.”

“I just want to protect Milady.”

“That is fine as well.”

Listening to Thor and Professor Ulysses’s conversation, I made up my mind as well.

“If Thor is willing to accept this power, then there’s no reason for me to not accept it as well.”

I had been very shaken earlier and thought I couldn’t approach the eyes any more than this. And yet, when I resolved myself, I took a step and then another step forward. And then I, too, stood next to Professor Ulysses.

“Milady, you don’t have to force yourself to accept it.”

Thor looked at me from Professor Ulysses’s other side and said.

“I’m not forcing myself. I want to know. I want to know why I’m here.”

I had countless questions and mysteries, but this was what concerned me the most.

Why was I now in this world called Maydare?

Why did we have to die then?

What was the story I must know――

“Mr. Thor, Miss Makia, I can see your resolve. Now then, both of you. I would like you to look right into the eyes recite your other first incantation in your hearts. And recall the name of your previous life, hidden in the first incantation.”

Professor Ulysses instructed us.

I closed my eyes once and took a deep breath.

I rooted my feet to the ground to support my shivering body, slowly raised my eyelids, and looked into the eye from up close.

That eye that contained the vivid color of the sea.

What a strange feeling. The eye that was the same as my own was right in front of me.

I chanted the incantation in my heart.

Maki rie luci ah――

This was the first incantation of the〈Scarlet Witch〉, who was called the worst witch in the world.

What was your real name hidden in this incantation?

I saw a white spark in the depth of the eye.

And then, I felt as if my consciousness was being sucked into the depth of the eye in front of me.

〇 

A sunset sky that went on forever.

The surface of the water, which continued on forever, reflecting that sunset sky.

I was standing in the center of that world that had nothing else.

The reflection in the water wasn’t Makia in her school uniform, but a witch in an old-fashioned red robe dress.

The witch’s hair was as red as the sunset, like burning flames.

Sea blue eyes sparkled from between the strands of her long, wavy hair.

Her expression was the same as that of the girl named Makia, but a little more mature, smiling somewhat fearlessly.

I didn’t even realize I was smiling.

However, the witch, who was reflected on the water's surface, placed her index finger on her red lips with the corners raised and moved her mouth slightly.

――Makirié.

I heard the click of a memory unlocking.

I remembered. A long time ago, my name was Makirié. Once I thought that was my name, I knew without a doubt that I was the reincarnation of the〈Scarlet Witch〉. I accepted that the reflection in the water was mine.

Tears overflowed from my eyes quietly.

They created ripples on the water.

My tears flowed and couldn’t stop.

Where were these heartrending feelings coming from?

But I knew these feelings.

This was what you felt when someone you loved was going far away.

The witch reflected in the water was also crying as she smiled fearlessly. Her expression and emotions were the exact opposite.

But because of the ripples from my tears, she was slowly disappearing from sight.

“W-Wait…!”

I crouched down, put my hands on the water surface, and looked for the witch who should be beyond it.

Then, my body was swallowed by the water, and I was looking at a scene from some time ago in the sunset-colored water.

“Makirié. You really are a contrary person, crying while laughing so loudly. Why don’t you be a little more honest?”

On the beach of a solitary island.

Was that the White Sage who was giving me unwanted advice with an exasperated look on his face?

“Lady Witch! People misunderstand you to be an evil witch because you keep saying things like that! The girls that you saved from the slavers are being burned at the stake and eaten in the streets!”

In a hut in the Salt Forest.

Who was this child with the same red hair as me, but with short hair and a lively tone of voice?

“Are you…the Scarlet Witch, Makirié?”

In the middle of a battlefield.

A young boy with blond hair was gripping my robe.

His eyes weren’t that of a child, but of a much more mature adult.

“Go back. This is no place for you.”

In a snowfield of the northern country.

A black-haired demon king with an eyepatch, who said something not so kind and was attended by a spirit dragon.

Ah, I see. He looked a lot like Thor…

Dazzling fragments of memory.

They tickled my soul like bubbles and quickly disappeared.

I was filled with nostalgic memories and wanted to explore these memories more and more, but I was also afraid to recall more. The fear made my sight go dark.

What was hidden within my heart was a single, unrequited love.

Ah, that’s right.

The Scarlet Witch.

Theme of two past lives ago.

I was a witch whose outward appearance was the exact opposite of my inner feelings.

This worked against me, and I was hated by many people and called a wicked witch. I couldn’t even tell the person I was in love with how I felt.

That was why I wished for it.

I wished that if there was a next life, I wanted to be a straightforward girl who could convey her feelings properly.

I already knew that a “goodbye” would come without me being able to tell that person how I felt.

〇 

“Did you remember who you were?”

Professor Ulysses’s question brought me back to reality.

I wiped my tears roughly on the sleeve of my uniform’s robe.

“...Not all…of my memories came back, but I think…my soul has accepted the fact that I was the〈Scarlet Witch〉.”

I spoke slowly, but I was calmer than I expected.

It was as if I extracted a few scenes from a movie that depicted someone else’s life, connected them together, and watched them from the outside.

I felt this way when I remembered my previous life, when I was “Oda Kazuha,” on the night of that meteor shower. Rather, all the memories were faraway and dim, perhaps because my time as Oda Kazuha was in between us.

And yet, tears were falling down my face.

Why was I filled with this heartrending sadness, so painful that it felt like my heart was being gouged out?

Were these the emotions of the〈Scarlet Witch〉? 

“Thor…Thor, are you…”

I lifted my head and searched for Thor.

Like me, he must have recalled some memories.

Did he accept the fact that he was the〈Black Demon King〉in his past life?

“...”

Thor was right by my side.

However, his head was hanging down, with his hand on his face. He didn’t speak.

From between his fingers, tears flowed endlessly from his eyes.

I’ve never seen Thor cry so much before.

“...Thor? What’s wrong?”

I was terribly worried.

Thor’s tears shook me, far more than my acceptance of my previous life.

Thor didn’t even remember his previous past life as Tooru Saitou, and was unable to visualize the concept of a past life.

Did his memories get mixed up?

If he didn’t know how to accept them…

“What does this mean…?”

“Eh?”

“What is the meaning of this, Kanon Pachelbel!”

But Thor unexpectedly called out that name.

From between his fingers covering his face, he glared at General Kanon, who was standing behind us.

“How is it that you existed five hundred years ago? I…the Black Demon King was killed by you!”

My face also stiffened at Thor’s words.

What did this mean? Was Thor saying that he recalled his death as the〈Black Demon King〉and that he saw General Kanon there? I never saw my own death.

But that wasn’t what’s important.

There was only one person in history who had killed the Black Demon King. The famous〈Hero of Fraxinus〉.

No way…

The Hero of Fraxinus was…

“It’s exactly as you say. It was me who killed the〈Black Demon King〉five hundred years ago.”

Without concealing anything, Kanon Pachelbel admitted to it in his monotone voice.

His reply was flat as he looked at Thor coldly with his garnet eyes.

“I killed not only the〈Black Demon King〉, but also the〈White Sage〉 there. And it was the〈Scarlet Witch〉who blew herself up along with me. History is right.”

“...”

“But you weren’t the only ones I killed. It was I who drove the〈Wisteria Princess〉and〈Archbishop of Holy Ash〉to their deaths three hundred years ago.”

“What…”

I, I didn’t understand.

However, it was this man who killed Oda Kazuha and Saitou Tooru on Earth.

I recalled the words this man once said.

“No matter how many times you’re reborn, I’ll kill you without fail.”

I felt like the meaning behind those words were being revealed gradually. 

I felt like it was right there without knowing only the definite answer.

That’s right.

I was killed by this man in my previous life and the one before that.

General Kanon continued in the same emotionless tone of voice to Thor and I, who were pressed into silence.

“You already know. Throughout history, I’ve used all kinds of positions to find, kill, and collect the souls of people who are equivalent to Lord-class magicians. This life is no exception. You will be killed by me in the end.”

“...What are you talking about? What the hell’s with you! So you appear several times in history and kill great magicians? Are you saying you’re immortal!? Why do we have to be killed by you? Even Milady…”

Thor, who was usually calm, now lacked his coolness and glared at General Kanon with a look of deep hatred as he questioned him.

I couldn’t blame him.

Right now, I saw the moment when my previous self was killed by him.

“Calm down, calm down, all of you. Especially you, Thor Bigreitz.”

There was a loud clapping sound, and a sweet fragrance grazed my nostrils.

We turned our eyes to where the sweet scent was inviting us.

At the bottom of the stairs–in the direction of the entrance, two more figures were there.

Long wavy wisteria-colored hair. That was the queen of the Frezier Empire, Queen Shatoma.

And the other person was the familiar Bishop Eska.

“We will explain everything. I have been waiting for this door to open for a long time.”

Queen Shatoma told us this as fluttering purple butterflies waited on her.

Thor and I were becoming more and more disturbed by the unexpected appearance of these people.

“Your Majesty. Why are you…”

“No matter what, I am also a reincarnated person. I am the great magician, the 〈Wisteria Princess〉, who lived three hundred years ago.”

The sudden truth the queen told us made me cover my mouth with my hands.

The Wisteria Princess――

That was the name of a saint and a renowned great magician who existed three hundred years ago. Even today, her name was widely known, and she was ranked number one every year in the ranking of favorite great magicians.

And I remembered that this queen of Frezier once referred to herself as the〈Wisteria Princess〉. 

I thought she was just a big fan or something, but the fact that she was here, at this point…

“Are you also the reincarnation of a great magician?”

“Correct. It is as you say, Makia O’Drielle.”

Queen Shatoma and Bishop Eska came up to the same high ground as us.

The queen then exchanged a slight glance with her own retainer, General Kanon.

“Kanon, are you going yet?”

“Yeah. It’s only a matter of time before the enemy finds this place. The door’s open, after all.”

“Then go. Leave the rest to me.”

“...Okay.”

General Kanon passed between us and stood in front of the pillars with the capsules containing the eyes.

Then, he raised his hand in front of the three eyes.

“...”

He didn’t chant any incantations or anything, but I felt a strange flow of magic.

General Kanon was using magic.

Immediately after that, the capsules embedded in the pillars opened and the water inside them was drained.

General Kanon reached for the eyes that settled at the bottom of the capsules and checked each one.

I was watching him from behind. The eyes’ surroundings were crystallized, like they were real gems.

The general put the eye in his breast pocket. He did the same for the other two.

“Oi, don’t drop them.”

Did he hear Bishop Eska’s warning or didn’t he?

“I’ll be waiting in the Holy Land.”

General Kanon said those few words, grabbed the brim of his military cap, and walked away.

Who were those words directed at?

Or were they directed to everyone here?

He didn’t even look at me or Thor.

“...!”

There were actually many more things I wanted to ask that man.

Was it the same for Thor, or could he not tolerate General Kanon’s refusal to tell us anything?

He gritted his teeth, drew his sword, and tried to chase after General Kanon, who was leaving.

“Wait, Mr. Thor. Please let him go.”

It was Professor Ulysses who pulled on Thor’s arm and stopped him.

“But, Your Highness! I still have questions I need to ask him!”

“I understand. But your questions will be answered by the two here. It was the same for me as well.”

The two people Professor Ulysses was referring to were Queen Shatoma and Bishop Eska.

Queen Shatoma let out a chuckle and narrowed her eyes bewitchingly.

There was authority in her gaze, and Thor had no choice but to obey.

“Good boy, Thor Bigreitz. But when the moment arrives, it is difficult to know where to begin. First of all, if you have any questions you would like to ask me, you may ask me frankly. Anything will do. I shall use that as a springboard for discussion.”

Queen Shatoma, with a sideways glance at General Kanon as he left the scene, took out a lace fan from her breast pocket and held it to her mouth.

I had so many questions, but now that I could finally ask them, I didn’t know where to start. That was how complicated the situation was…

I plucked up my nerve to ask this question. 

“If I may, Your Majesty,” I picked up my robe and bowed lightly. “I know it’s very rude to ask this, but…aren’t you or Bishop Eska afraid of or hate General Kanon?”

“Hmm?”

“General Kanon told us earlier. He said that the〈Wisteria Princess〉and 〈Archbishop of Holy Ash〉were also sent to their deaths by him…right?”

“Hmm??”

Queen Shatoma and Bishop Eska tilted their heads in the same direction as each other.

And then they blinked.

Huh? What’s with that reaction? Those blank faces.

Did I ask a strange question?

“Fuu. Ahahahahaha!”

Moreover, they burst into laughter and held their stomachs like they couldn’t bear it.

It was as if I had asked a weird question.

“That man. Did he tell you that? Though we were sent to our deaths, unlike you all from five hundred years ago, we from three hundred years ago died in a slightly different manner. In my case, I was executed by guillotine in public. It is a famous tale.”

Queen Shatoma as she made a decapitating gesture.

“I shot myself in the head with my own gun,” Bishop Eska said. He made a gesture of shooting himself in the head.

“Eh…? Eh??”

I was confused.

Because Queen Shatoma and Bishop Eska calmly talked about the deaths of their past lives.

Both were tragic and shocking ways to die to be told so easily.

“On the contrary, we actually feel rather apologetic towards Kanon.”

“Eh…?”

“But, we feel that way because we know his situation. If you didn’t know it, then he’s just a great magician killer. It’s natural for you to hate him.”

The queen and the bishop said.

They had both been laughing hysterically earlier, but now they looked deadly serious.

“Then, I’ll put that question in a different way. What is that man’s…General Kanon’s situation? Why is he killing great magicians, even appearing in every era?”

Thor seemed to have calmed down a bit, but his expression was hard and his tone was low.

“A good question. If I had to answer the question of who that man was, then the most famous of his identities would be the〈Hero of Fraxinus〉who killed you. Or perhaps a great magician in the same league as us, the〈Gold King〉of one thousand years ago.”

“The Gold King…?”

I was shocked. That name was something that you would know if you took a good amount of history classes at Lune Ruschia Magic School.

The Gold King――

About a thousand years ago, in the Dawning of Magic Era, he was a great magician who ruled over a country as its king and went down in history. He went to war with the famed tyrant, the〈Silver King〉, and won. At the end of it all, it was said that the〈Gold King〉erased all the magic created by the Silver King from history.

That great magician from so long ago was General Kanon…?

But certainly, great magicians beared aliases that came from the color of their hair, and General Kanon had golden hair.

I’ve always been aware of that man as a man with blond hair.

“He has hunted down and killed〈Lord-class magicians〉in all ages and under various guises. Generally, the Holy Land calls him the ‘Collector.’ It might be quicker to ask the bishop, who is familiar with the workings of the Holy Land, about this.”

Queen Shatoma looked at Bishop Eska next to her. He answered in an easygoing manner.

“Well, the Holy Land is kinda in cahoots with that guy.”

The Holy Land in cahoots…? With General Kanon?

“Then, what General Kanon is doing…killing great magicians is necessary for this world?”

“Oh, you’re pretty quick, Makia O’Drielle.”

Bishop Eska laughed sarcastically. Because he thought I was a terribly dull woman.

But I didn’t understand. Why was killing great magicians necessary for the world?

“Then, why does that man have the role of ‘great magician killer’?”

Thor’s question was sharp. 

I, too, had a feeling that this would lead me to everything I wanted to know.

“Because that’s his mission.”

“Why such a mission? Who ordered him to do it?”

“Who? If it had to be someone, then…”

Queen Shatoma laughed sardonically. But her eyes shook with sorrow.

“It’s all of us here. The us from the very beginning imposed this ‘mission’ on him.”

What――?

Queen Shatoma looked around at those present and then raised her gaze.

She was looking at the mural that surrounded this space.

It was a mural depicting the creation myth of Maydare.

The mural with the ten gods standing next to each other. I usually saw it in chapels and churches.

“Everything began back in the Age of Myths.”

Queen Shatoma slowly raised one arm, pointed at the mural, and told us.

The truth we wanted to know.

The story we had to know.

“Look closely. There are ten great magicians in all. The significance of that number lies in that mural.”

The God of Creation - Para Acromeia

The God of Space-Time - Para Chrondor

The Goddess of War - Para Magiriva

The Goddess of Harvest - Para Demetris

The God of Spirits - Para Yutis

The Goddess of Fate - Para Pusima

The God of Law and Order - Para Tritania

The God of Victory - Para Grandia

The God of Calamity - Para Eris

The God of Death and Memory - Para Hadefis

I also looked up at the mural. I looked at it hard to find the truth.

And then, I realized it right away.

The number of gods standing side by side. The significance of the number ten.

No way.

Were the great magicians…?

“Yep. If you guys are smart, then you’ve just guessed it.”

Though Bishop Eska’s face was cast down, he bared his teeth into a grin.

“The people depicted in that picture are the true identities of the〈Lord-class magicians〉who repeatedly reincarnate. The first ten. Our beginning is the gods who created this world called Maydare.”

The primordial magicians.

I remembered that the ten creation gods were called by that other name.

“That’s impossible. There’s no way I can believe a story like that.”

A line of swear ran down Thor’s cheek, and he shook his head several times.

“...”

I was at a loss for words. I felt the exact same way as Thor.

Just being told that I was the reincarnation of the Scarlet Witch was a lot for me.

Who could believe that if we traced back our repeated reincarnations, we would be led all the way to the gods of this world?

That was much too far away…

“Well, that’s to be expected. You don’t have to believe this story. It doesn’t feel real even to us. The only thing we really feel is our previous life.”

“Bishop…”

“We just have information about our own roots. I knew you guys would be confused, but if we don’t talk about the Age of Myths, we won’t be able to explain who that bastard Kanon actually is.”

“What…?”

What did he mean?

Professor Ulysses spoke, as though to connect to Bishop Eska’s story.

“That’s right. Let’s have a little lesson in mythology, shall we, Miss Makia?”

Professor Ulysses, who was suddenly in teaching mode, picked on me like he always did in class.

I reflexively answered, “Yes, sir!”

“Can you answer the question, ‘How did the Age of Myths end?’ As an honor student, I’m sure you remembered what you learned in history class.”

“Eh, ah…”

We had just been confronted with a shocking fact and hadn’t come to terms with it yet…

“Y-Yes. The Age of Myths ended with the final war of the gods, called the ‘Giganto Magiriva.’”

Despite my confusion, I answered calmly.

“Yes, the Giganto Magiriva. The gods, who destroyed the world they had created with a foolish war, regretted their actions and rebuilt the world. And to prevent such a mistake from happening again, they bound the world with all sorts of ‘laws.’”

“Laws…?”

One, to have our souls reincarnated randomly every few hundred years.

Two, to grant a soul collector the power to kill us.

Three, the Collector is granted the right to summon a〈Savior〉from another world.

“Well, there’s a lot more to it than that, but that’s about all the information you need for now.”

It was Bishop Eska who told us about the laws.

Did this mean it was General Kanon who summoned Airi to Maydare as the Savior?

That day in May, the three of us were attacked by a blond man on the roof of our school…

That was all an affair determined by Maydare’s laws.

“The great magicians are those who were once gods, randomly reincarnating every few hundred years to advance the needle of history. Although they are no longer gods, they are called ‘Lord-class magicians’ because of their exceptional magic power. Without those guys, the world of Maydare wouldn’t develop again. However, the reincarnation of the gods, if left unchecked, will continue to live forever, feeding on their vast magic power, and will eventually try to dominate the world… If that happens, then they are just a tumor.”

Bishop Eska looked up at the mural with an uncharacteristic expression.

“I guess the gods must have thought, If that happens, the same thing would repeat again. The Giganto Magiriva will be triggered again, and the end of the world will come.”

“...”

“Therefore, a being was needed to watch over, record, and kill the reincarnations of the gods when the time was right. The hardest task was assigned to the god at the far end of the mural of the gods.”

Bishop Eska pointed at him with his staff.

Nine out of the ten gods were facing sideways.

However, only the god at the very end was facing straight ahead.

“Makia O’Drielle, I told you before about the significance of the god who is the only one facing the front.”

“Yes, sir. He is…his name is Para Hadefis. He is the god of death and memory.”

As I talked, I came to a startling realization.

No way, could General Kanon be…

“That’s right. When you go all the way back to the Age of Myths, this man, Kanon, is the equivalent of Para Hadefis, the god of death and memory. He is the one who kills the reincarnated gods and continues to maintain the order of this world. The reason why he was given this role is because he is the only one who has been able to retain a vast amount of memories from the Age of Myths, and he was given the power to kill us great magicians by us in the past.”

This was too grandiose for me to really grasp.

But I felt an impact, like my chest had been hit.

If he really did keep all his memories from such a long time ago from the Age of Myths to the present, it seemed too unrealistic and cruel.

“Why have you kept quiet about such an important matter until now?”

“You say that, but do you truly believe this tale, Thor Bigreitz?”

Thor kept quiet.

Even though he asked her that himself, he couldn’t say anything to Queen Shatoma.

“It’s the kind of story you can’t accept unless you’re aware of your ‘past life.’ Having or not having the memory of being killed by that man makes a huge difference.”

She might have a point.

I had Oda Kazuha’s memories, so I knew that General Kanon was the man who killed me in my past life, but that wasn’t the case for Thor.

But Thor now clearly remembered that the〈Black Demon King〉was killed by that golden-haired man.

Becaise when you’re a party involved in it, you could finally believe it.

“...Haa. That’ll be all. I’ve got a lot of other things I want to tell you, but I don’t want your heads to explode and lose your minds.”

“...”

Bishop Eska looked at me and Thor and judged that this was as far as the truth could be told for now.

I think there were still many things I wanted to ask.

But I definitely needed more time to sort them all out.

However, there was one thing that had always bothered me.

“...Um, may I ask one last thing?”

I raised my head, and then looked at Queen Shatoma, Bishop Eska, and Professor Ulysses in turn. I asked my question.

“In the end, what do you want from us? The fact that you’re talking about it now, what is it that you’re requesting from us?”

I felt like they were quietly watching over us as we “returned” as great magicians from the beginning. Little by little, quietly guiding us.

But what was the goal of the adults behind it all?

“Fufu. I’ll be blunt. I wish to borrow your hidden powers as great magicians.”

The queen clasped her hands behind her back and announced brazenly.

“The cooperation of 〈Lord-class magicians〉is indispensable in the struggle for supremacy with the Heavenly Empire that will take place in the future. It has already been foretold that the ten 〈Lord-class magicians〉will all be present during this age. And how will the limited number of ten be scattered around the world? Every nation wishes to know that.”

“...So, to sum it up, how many of the ten you can get on your side will determine the outcome of the war?”

“Precisely, Thor Bigreitz.”

Queen Shatoma pointed her folding fan at Thor.

“The Heavenly Empire would have found a number of 〈Lord-class magicians〉and added them to their side. We too will have as many great magicians on our side as possible, and we will use their magic in our tactics…”

But she broke off in the middle of her sentence and shook her head.

“Your Majesty?”

“No. No, that isn’t true. That is only the ostensible request of me, who serves as the Empire’s ruler. I have another goal.”

The queen’s words and expressions seemed to read, if she doesn’t tell us these things, she won’t be able to gain our trust.

“I simply wish to free him…free Kanon. From his never-ending role of having to kill us.”

Then, Queen Shatoma looked up at the mural of the Age of Myths, displayed up high.

“It’s a terrible story. Even the memories of just one past life is so heart-wrenching, nostalgic, tragic, painful…”

“...”

“To remember all of them and still have to kill.”

As if blaming our former selves, she was glaring at the gods lined up in the mural.

But it was different for only the solitary god, who was at the very end and looking in a different direction than everyone else.

She was gazing at him sadly, lovingly.

“Do you mean that at the end of this world war, that man…Kanon Pachelbel will be liberated?”

I quietly asked.

“I do not know. But, I wish to find out.”

The queen furrowed her brow and smiled. Her amber eyes were slightly moist.

How?

How could Queen Shatoma feel so much for the man who once sent her to her death?

I didn’t understand.

All I remembered was that man’s cold, garnet eyes just before I was killed.

To this day, that man still terrified me.

“I know it’s hard to immediately accept something told to you so suddenly. If you recalled being killed by Kanon, then it is natural that you bear feelings of hatred, fear, and other such complicated feelings towards him. I’m not ordering you to be convinced right now. But…like the stars aligning, this is the only generation where all ten have appeared together.”

Queen Shatoma put the fan in her pocket.

She walked towards us and got on one knee.

“Eh…”

And then, the queen of a country put her hand on her chest and bowed her head.

As she did so, Bishop Eska did the same, kneeling beside her and hanging his head. We were stunned speechless by that sight.

“Please lend us your strength. One of the three great magicians, the great Black Demon King. And, the world’s worst witch…the Scarlet Witch.”

They were in a far higher position than us.

They could have just ordered us to obey them, but they never did so. 

Just like that, I felt I was caught up in a tremendous swell of destiny from which I couldn’t escape.

And these people in front of me were hoping to resist the swell, even as they let themselves be swept away by it.

---

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