22

Darius did not really take in what Rubelmel said about the black snakes running across her skin being spell formulas.

“Spell chanting is not everything. I have never heard of anyone but myself drawing them on the skin, but drawing spell formulas as letters or patterns is not particularly unusual.”

No one but Rubelmel would ever think of drawing them on the skin. After all, by making her own body into a single spell formula, the only magic she could use in her entire life was what had been inscribed as spell formulas.

A mage who could use only a single kind of magic was fatally limited. Who would willingly have something like that drawn onto their body?

“These black lines of mine—they are spell scars, and they were carved into me by a certain person.”

“And this certain person would be?”

“Yes. The leader of us, the Next-Era Luminaries.”

I see, Darius thought.

He understood that Rubelmel’s loyalty toward that “person” was absolute. Otherwise, who would permit the engraving of a spell formula that limited the magic one could use to a single type?

On top of that, as Rubelmel herself had said, it was quite an eccentric kind of magic. Even so, it was magic powerful enough to easily defeat Seidel, Kirishiya’s attendant, which meant that this “person” possessed that level of magical knowledge.

“I see. No wonder the royal family is troubled by you people.”

“However, we too are troubled. After all, the Eternal Witch stands with the royal family.”

The possessor of power second only to Ains Silvetas, the Silver Snow Sorcerer, the Demon God. The Eternal Witch, praised as the greatest sorcerer of the present age.

Until just earlier, Darius had not known the witch’s true identity, but during the battle in the archive he learned that Lizelotte herself was the Eternal Witch.

So the simple balance of power between the Next-Era Luminaries and the royal family was being maintained in equilibrium.

On one side was the absolute witch of the modern age, and on the other the Next-Era Luminaries, to which belonged many mages rich in variety and each possessing one or two difficult quirks in addition to real ability.

“Quality versus quantity, huh.”

“Well, even that situation has changed greatly now.”

Rubelmel sank back into the water and poured hot water over her chilled shoulders again.

“What do you mean? That I’ve joined your side?”

“That as well, of course, but also the Brandy family. They may not have him fully under control, but Ains-sama is on Brandy’s side. That will greatly change the situation.”

“It’s true he taught me magic too. But is he really that significant? To me, he seems like the sort who would lose even to the witch. In fact, my magic worked on him.”

“I have not heard it from the man himself, so I have no certainty. And so long as it is unconfirmed, I should refrain from speaking carelessly.”

Rubelmel fell silent.

Her intuition was telling her that Ains himself might be the Silver Snow Sorcerer. But the age in which he had lived was two thousand years ago. Impossible. And besides, the idea that he could suddenly appear now without leaving a single trace in all that time—as though his time had stopped and only now begun moving again.

Though not for as long as two thousand years, even the Eternal Witch had survived for a length of time that ordinary humans could never imagine. That was what made Rubelmel aware of the possibility concerning Ains.

“So what are we doing after this? Going to your base?”

Darius changed the subject for Rubelmel, who had fallen silent.

“That is what I would like to do, but there is still something we must do first. So let us head south.”

“I knew we were leaving Kirk, but south…”

“Yes, there is a port city in the south. Distribution is directly tied to people’s lives. The collapse of distribution is the collapse of daily life. In other words, it leads to dissatisfaction toward the royal family and drives them toward a halt in political function.”

“…You people really are villains.”

“Hehe. Now then, Darius-sama. I am sorry to ask this just after you have washed off your sweat and refreshed yourself, but are you prepared to be blown by the sea breeze?”

Darius let out a sigh and asked Rubelmel,

“There is a good bathhouse in the port city too, of course, right?”

“Even if we end up bathing together?”

“…Do as you like.”

“Well then, Ains-dono, I look forward to it.”

“Yes. This much is nothing. I caused you trouble, after all.”

Standing opposite each other were Ains and Seidel.

Because of the damage caused by Rubelmel and Darius, the Sorcery Academy was closed. They had borrowed one of its training grounds so that Seidel and Ains could spar.

“How far am I allowed to go?”

Ains spoke casually, while Seidel wore a solemn expression.

“I would like to say with everything I have… but forgive me. I would ask that Ains-dono refrain from using sorcery.”

As Seidel bowed his head lightly, Ains gestured for him to raise it.

“Ains-dono, I place myself in your hands.”

“Yes. I have no problem with that, so Seidel-san, whenever you are ready.”

Ains stood there in a completely natural posture, without the slightest tension in him.

His clouded right eye and blue left eye showed no sign of fighting spirit.

At that time, in the archive, Seidel had seen Ains’s fighting spirit as a sorcerer. And yet, even merely facing him like this now, Seidel felt tremendous pressure from Ains.

“…A spar in pure magic, with sorcery restricted. Even so, I do not feel I can win at all…”

Seidel let out a single sigh, said, “Here I come,” and dashed forward.

He held out a hand and manifested a fire spear. Then he changed direction to the side, moving around toward Ains’s right while continuing to manifest more fire spears.

Naturally, he manifested them without chanting.

“As expected, the quality is better than Laika’s, Seidel-san.”

Fire spears floated in the air, surrounding Ains from the front to the right. Looking at them, Ains extended his left hand forward.

“Volley!!”

The moment Seidel fired the fire spears at Ains in a volley, he also cast body enhancement magic on himself and leaped into Ains’s guard.

Seidel intended to physically strike Ains with a body strengthened by magic while Ains was occupied dealing with the fire spears.

“‘Release.’”

Ains murmured as he lowered his finger.

That alone caused the fire spears aimed at Ains to melt away and vanish in midair.

Before Seidel could close in, Ains had already finished dealing with them.

“What!? You do not even deem my magic worth intercepting!”

Seidel immediately switched his thinking.

If he kept charging in like this, he would without question be no match for Ains.

Because Seidel had already confirmed Ains’s skill in close combat during the exchange with Talidge.

Against Ains, who could fight evenly with a swordsman of Sword King class, it would be difficult to score a point in close combat without magical interference, even if Seidel was using body enhancement.