Maydare Volume 6 Chapter 11 - Reminiscence (6) ~The Three Magicians' Promise~
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!
This nursery rhyme about the Three Great Magicians continued to be passed down to future generations.
When did children start singing this song—?
〇
“You want to build a fortress on a small island like this? Is the Great Sage finally going to indulge in his desire for power and become a king?”
“No, Makirié. I simply want to build a school where everyone can learn magic freely!”
“A magic school, huh~”
“Hmph. I can’t stand the heat of the southern countries. I’m leaving. Griminde looks like it’s suffering as well.”
The Black Demon King Torc was ready to return home, even though he was invited all the way here.
Yunocis was desperately trying to stop him.
Despite complaining about it all the way, Torc and I ended up going along with Yunocis’ “dream.”
So, we started roaming around this island.
This island at the southern end of the Kingdom of Ruschia was a reservoir of magical power seeping up from the veins of the earth, and it was said that ordinary people would feel dizzy just by entering here. That was why it was uninhabited and undeveloped.
In this world, there were several such “reservoirs of magical power.”
Needless to say, the “Holy Land” in the west, which was also the home base of the White Sage, was the greatest reservoir of magical power in Maydare, and I believed that the “Salt Forest” where I live was also such a land.
Torc also said that he chose the location for his “country of demons” after researching reservoirs of magical power.
“I actually wanted to build the school right in the middle of that great lake in the centre of the world. That place is a land swirling with a huge amount of magical power, second only to the Holy Land. However, unlike the Holy Land, it is an unknown reservoir…somehow, the magical power of magicians tends to be disturbed in that place. It wasn’t suitable for founding a magic school.”
Yunocis was smiling bitterly as he talked about this while surveying the island.
“Oh…the Great Lake of Stars, huh.”
“It’s always foggy over there. It’s a creepy place.”
Torc and I grumbled, remembering our various experiences there.
“I tried to fly over it with my broom and almost crashed.”
“Isn’t that because you were pushing it too far? You always push your speed to the limit. It makes me nervous.”
“That’s because it just doesn’t feel good unless I fly at top speed!”
Yes. In the center of this world, there was a giant lake.
That lake, known as the Great Lake of Stars, was always covered in fog, making it impossible to see the entire thing.
Furthermore, it was famous since ancient times for being a place where strange things happened.
That was why no one would think of crossing that lake. Most of the people who went to that lake ended up going missing.
Even for magicians like us who had extraordinary magical power, if we tried to enter that lake, our magical power would be disrupted, our hearts would begin pounding erratically, and we would feel an unpleasant feeling.
Don’t go here.
I don’t know who said that, but I felt like someone was saying that to me.
It was impossible to build a magic school in a place where magical power and hearts were disturbed like that.
So, the White Sage took note of Ruschia’s mild climate and rich vegetation, and seemed to be planning to establish the school on this small island, which was a reservoir of magical power.
“With the power of the three of us, we should be able to build a school as splendid as any castle or cathedral in the world!”
Yunocis’s eyes were serious. He was usually a crafty old man who I could never tell what he was thinking, but right now he had the sparkling eyes of a young boy.
“You two don’t know the true value of your own power. You should know that other than destroying things, you can also create something great.”
“He sure is self-important.”
“He really is self-important, isn’t he?”
“I’m not being self-important, it’s the wisdom of old age. I’m the oldest among us, after all.”
Torc and I exchanged a rare sidelong glance, and we shared similar thoughts.
Isn’t this guy the most problematic of us all?
The fact that he looked nice on the outside was also annoying. Something like that…
“But even if you call it a magic school, what are you going to do with just a box? Even if you gather students, if you can’t get teachers to teach magic here, it wouldn’t be an educational institution. And did the Kingdom of Ruschia even grant you their permission in the first place?”
Torc gave his very honest opinion.
However, it seemed that Yunocis was also making preparations for those things…
“The Holy Land was negotiating with the Kingdom of Ruschia regarding the management of the magic school. The King of Ruschia seems to be seeking a close relationship with the Holy Land, and is very cooperative. As for magic teachers, there is me, my spirits, and my disciples.”
And then, Yunocis made an unexpected proposal while raising his eyebrows meaningfully.
“Actually, I would like you both to become teachers at the school.”
“Huh? Teachers??”
Both Torc and I were obviously bewildered.
We were feared and called the Black Demon King and Scarlet Witch, you know.
Lately, there had even been some strange songs created about us.
We had become synonymous with fear, threatening children who didn’t obey.
There was no way people like us could become teachers…
But Yunocis was very serious.
“Our lifespans are very long. But, I believe that the days we will spend in this magic school, nurturing and seeing off the next generation, will give meaning to these long lifespans.”
“...”
A meaning to this long lifespan…?
It was true that I felt like I lived through a long period of time without any meaning at all.
That was why even though I had these amazing magical powers, I still felt lonely and found my days monotonous.
However, Torc crossed his arms and shook his head, rejecting Yunocis’s proposal.
“I can’t do it. I’m busy defending my country. The situation is getting tense these days.”
I heard that the shadow of war always hung over the countries in the north.
They were repeatedly invaded and invading each other for their rich lands.
The country of demons founded by Torc was one of those small nations in the north, but recently skirmishes had been occurring frequently with the surrounding small nations. That was why he was strengthening their defenses.
“I’ve heard that the situation in many countries, especially those in the north, have been unstable lately. There are sparks of war everywhere. However, isn’t it your spatial magic that’s protecting your nation from irrational acts of aggression? It is a precious magic that should be passed on to the next generation in order to neutralize conflicts.”
“Hmph. Is that how you’re going to talk me into this? You’re always like this,” Torc sounded sarcastic, but he didn’t seem displeased. “Well…if you don’t mind waiting twenty, thirty years from now, I’ll think about it. When things calm down and my son Skroot grows up, an old man like me would be a pain in the ass, so I plan on abdicating then. It does seem like we live for a very long time, so maybe it’s fine to have another purpose.”
“Yes, you should spend your second life in old age at the magic school. I look forward to working with you.”
Yunocis reminded Torc, then turned to me with his usual smile.
“So, what about you, Makirié? You’re free, aren’t you?”
“Huh? Are you trying to pick a fight?”
This sly, black-hearted old man. Who did he think I was?
Well, he was right, though. I was free…
“Every nation needs a famous witch like you, Makirié. I think you would be surprisingly caring and considerate towards your students.”
“What do you mean, ‘surprisingly’?”
Hmm, but a teacher at a magic school, huh…I tried imagining that scenario.
Spending my days together with Torc and Yunocis, nurturing students with a bright future in the ideal castle that we built.
I thought that might be wonderful, fun, and less lonely…
Just like that, we built our sand castle while following the ideals of the White Sage, Yunocis Baromet.
We explained the characteristics of our magic to each other, analyzed what we could do, formulated concepts, made construction plans, and gradually built things up, little by little.
For example, Torc, the <Black Demon King>.
Using his unique spatial magic, he designed buildings and streets that fit the shape of the island and directed the construction. He had experience building castles and towns in the country of demons, and he put that know-how to good use.
For example, me, Makirié, the <Scarlet Witch>.
I helped with construction using my specialty <Thread Magic>, and also supplied the salt stones.
This was because, according to Torc, the salt stones I created while crying in the country of demons made great materials for spatial magic and as ordinary stones, and were useful in many ways. So, we decided to use them to build the school, and since it would be a hassle to go all the way to the Salt Forest to get them, it was decided that I would cry when needed. When I felt the sadness of unrequited love, and my beloved dwarf hamster spirits, I cried and cried, then used petrification magic to mass produce salt stones…
For example, Yunocis, the <White Sage>.
He order his 151 contracted spirits to collect the necessary materials, level the ground, and assist in construction.
He also enjoyed placing magical contrivances in various areas.
For example, in the case of the surrounding sea, he put a sea spirit there to protect the island, placed an archive spirit in the library to prevent the books from deteriorating, released a fox spirit as a gardener…
It was said that Pan Faunus, the strongest of his spirits, would be the school’s greatest defense.
In this way, magic was cast on the small southern island, and a school that looked like a peculiar fortress was built.
That would be the later Lune Ruschia School of Magic—
Five years must have passed since then.
The miniature garden of dreams was completed. Something that neither the Black Demon King, White Sage, nor the Scarlet Witch would have been able to complete on their own.
It was like a sand castle filled with “everything” magic that magicians had cultivated.
“Incredible. We built this…”
When the so-called “school island” was completed, I didn’t know why, but I was so moved that I cried.
I thought that I would never forget this experience for the rest of my life. It was the moment I realized that my magic, which had always been feared, could create something.
Torc and Yunocis must have felt the same way.
“It’s more like an impregnable fortress rather than a magic school,” Torc said.
“A fortress is perfect. That is how we built it,” Yunocis said thoughtfully. “The existence called magician can change from good to bad, depending on the will of whoever is in power at the time. So, when the time comes, it would be good if there is a place where students of magic can protect themselves from unreasonable malice.”
“You say that, but will there ever be a time when all the spells set up in this school will be useful?”
“Fufu. It’s better that they never do. But…you never know what will happen in the future.”
“...”
You never know what will happen in the future, huh.
For some reason, Yunocis’s words stayed with me.
“Well, this has been fulfilling. I didn’t think I’d end up getting one of my eyes gouged out, though.”
“With our healing ability, even if we lost an eye, it’ll grow back in no time. By the way, you were already wearing an eyepatch over one of your eyes to begin with.”
“The eye with the eyepatch was the price I paid to create the country of demons. I did a little something reckless with my spatial magic. Well, that’s what they call the rashness of youth. …Healing magic won’t work on it.”
“Huh. I see. Your magic has poor fuel efficiency. I feel sorry for you.”
That’s right. We each provided an eyeball for a mechanism set up in the school.
Yunocis used his magic to take out our eyes and immediately applied healing magic to regenerate it, so it wasn’t even painful or itchy, but…thinking about it now, the fact that Yunocis decided to do this, and the fact that Torc and I easily agreed to it, showed that we weren’t normal at all.
However, it was true that parts of our bodies were imbued with strong magical power and produced even more powerful magic.
That’s what I say, because I’m good at using that kind of magic.
“Both of you, thank you so much for helping me realize my dream.”
“Hmph. Now I’ve repaid my debt to you.”
“Yes, I know.”
After that exchange, Yunocis and Torc shook hands.
For some reason, they looked incredibly refreshed and chatted about other things.
Then, Yunocis turned to me.
“Thank you as well, Makirié. You have given so many things to this school.”
Yunocis wrapped his hands around mine and squeeze it tightly.
At that point, our hands were scratched and rough from playing in the sand for so long, and we were somewhat proud of that.
“Yunocis, I’ve also repaid my debt to you with this. …But, this really is the end, isn’t it?”
I was very happy about the completion of the magic school. It was very fun.
I was proud that the three of us were able to create this together by working together and having the same goal. I almost wished this time could last forever.
When I thought that, I suddenly felt very lonely, and tears poured from my eyes.
“Are you feeling lonely, Makirié?”
“Ahahahahahaha…! Of course not. It’s a relief that I’m finally freed from hard labor. I’m just mass-producing salt stones for the last time!”
“...Makirié. You really are a contrary person. You’re crying while laughing loudly. Can’t you be a little more honest with yourself?”
“Shut up, you sneaky old man,” I snapped at a fed-up Yunocis.
The truth was, I was sad about being separated from these two and being alone again.
I always feared that this moment would come.
I wish I could just be honest and tell them why I was crying…
“Don’t worry. Once everything is ready, I’ll summon you to this school. That’s a promise.”
The White Sage Yunocis put his hand on my shoulder and promised me that in a voice like he was reasoning with a child.
“No matter what happens, we will gather at this school again. That’s how we set it up. There is a door that will not open unless the three of us are together.”
“...”
“The magician on the other side of the door. That is our…promise.”
White Sage Yunocis.
Black Demon King Torc.
And, Scarlet Witch Makirié.
Through magic, we had developed a trust in each other that couldn’t be expressed in words, and I believed that we had poured all of that into this magic school.
I believed in the White Sage’s words and decided to wait for the day when I could gather here again with Torc and Yunocis.
If I waited, these happy days would come again.
I made it the purpose of my long life.
However, this promise was never fulfilled during our lifetime.
While we were engrossed in creating this miniature garden on the small southern island, time was progressing moment by moment, and the world’s situation was going from bad to worse.
One day, a demon brutally devoured the crown prince and princess of the Hermedes Heavenly Empire, the great northern power.
Not only that, it was said that hordes of demons went on a rampage in many nations at the same time, devouring and killing humans in many villages.
The one who ordered this was the Black Demon King—
He denied it, but it was decided that everything was the work of the country of demons, and the humans began to unite, seeing that country as a common evil.
Then, one day, several children from the country of demons were beaten to death by humans, as if in revenge.
It was said that the Black Demon King proceeded with caution in the beginning to avoid triggering a war, and appealed for the innocence of his country. However, this incident led him to launch a full-scale war with the neighboring countries.
The country of demons was made into a villain, as if someone had set all of it up.
There was nothing to stop it, and the monsters and humans hated each other to the point of no return.
The White Sage might have been able to stop this war between the two sides.
However, around this time, he was unable to leave the western lands.
Recently, an unknown disease was spreading in the west, and it claimed the lives of many people.
The White Sage was doing everything in his power to help those who were sick. However, rumors were spreading that this disease was also a scheme of the country of demons ruled by the Black Demon King. The White Sage denied this, and seemed to be in a difficult position because of it.
It was as though everything was arranged beforehand.
No one could stop the flow of the era.
These rumors about the <Black Demon King> and <White Sage> were collected by my two dwarf hamster spirits. Both of them had extremely excellent intelligence-gathering skills.
Wanting to help those two, I travelled to the country of demons and the Holy Land.
However, neither of them allowed me to enter.
In hindsight, I think that the two of them were trying not to involve me because there were movements behind the scenes to make the Three Great Magicians enemies of the world.
But, in the end—
I was just a stranger in their lives.
so all of them died and the spirits maintain their school
ReplyDelete