Chapter 54

The Great Cathedral of Huzya.

This massive, solemn edifice is one of the representative symbols of this nation. It is located in the 9th District of Huzya, an area densely packed with government institutions.

Having heard it was a cathedral, I had imagined a larger version of a Western-style church, but that image was mistaken. If I had to describe the Great Cathedral in one word, “fortress” would suffice.

It covers an area equivalent to several Tokyo Domes in my world, enclosed by an artificial river. Inside that, a perimeter of tall coniferous trees and iron fences hides the interior from view. And at its heart, rising so high that even the trees cannot hide it, stands a towering structure—a citadel.

To enter the “castle,” one must cross a massive drawbridge over the artificial river. There is only one such bridge. In other words, there is essentially only one entrance.

The drawbridge, which is about fifty meters wide, was not raised; it remained lowered. I had heard from Dia that there was no custom of raising the bridge, so it didn’t seem like I would be forced to find a way across the river itself.

There was no need for concern there—but in exchange, the guard on the drawbridge was heavy. Dozens of knights were constantly on standby, guarding the passage. A massive gate stood at the end of the bridge, flanked by watchtowers on either side. I could also see small shacks nearby where the knights were stationed. The atmosphere made it clear that they were determined to let no suspicious person pass.

I pondered methods for crossing the river. Currently, knights were lined up every ten meters along the outer perimeter of the river, keeping watch. Tomorrow, the security personnel would likely increase even further. Therefore, freezing the river or climbing the fence wouldn’t be easy. Most importantly, if I invaded from anywhere other than the main gate, it would be difficult to navigate the paths inside.

The only route I knew was the one Dia told me: from the main gate to the Cathedral. If I used a different entrance, my predictions for time loss would become unreliable.

Should I “invade through the main gate” or “invade by crossing the river”?

It might be best to decide after comparing the thickness of the security on the day of the event. If the perimeter guards don’t change tomorrow, I’ll opt for crossing the river.

As I continued to simulate tomorrow’s infiltration, I picked up a unique presence with my ‘Dimension’ magic. I knew exactly who that abnormally high-temperature body belonged to.

“—Hey there. You’re working hard, aren’t you?”

The Guardian, Alti, called out to me from behind.

“Do you want something?”

“I know the circumstances. So, I came to check in.”

Alti spoke to me with eyes that seemed to see through everything. She might have heard about Lastiara from Dia or Maria. Or perhaps she used her rule-breaking abilities to eavesdrop. Regardless, it seemed she had something she wanted to ask me.

“Check in?”

“Why are you trying to save Lastiara? If you say it’s out of love, I’m prepared to lend a hand.”

As usual, she’s obsessed with romance. She seems desperate to connect everything to a love story. However, this time, she was somewhat on the mark. I thought for a moment and then shook my head.

“I’m not moving out of love or romance. It’s a much simpler reason.”

That feeling has already vanished. Inside my chest, there is no such beautiful thing left. I can’t use something that doesn’t exist as a reason. That would be disrespectful to Lastiara, and I wouldn’t be able to convince myself either. That’s why the reason I have now is very simple.

“And that is?”

“There are things I don’t like. I can’t stand being toyed with like this anymore. That’s why I’m going to cut through Lastiara’s shackles.”

Simply put—I’m irritated by being played by this “other world,” by “skills,” by “magic,” by “nations,” and by “cultures.” People must have free will. I cannot continue exploring the Labyrinth while that is being taken away. That is why I will resist the skill ‘???’ and why I will save Lastiara. And when everything is over, I’ll explore the Labyrinth together with Maria and Dia.

“Hmm… I don’t quite get it… but when you so clearly state it’s not love, it’s hard for someone like me, who lives for love, to help out.”

“You don’t have to do anything. If Alti’s existence is discovered, the position of those of us you’re siding with will be put in jeopardy. If you’re going to help, please do it inside the Labyrinth, not in the middle of town.”

“Hmph, I understand. I wouldn’t want to do anything that harms my favorite, Maria, either. I’ll just watch quietly this time.”

Alti was surprisingly reasonable. Then, maintaining her gentle expression, she added a few words.

“But I’d be in trouble if you died. If you think things are getting dangerous, start a fire. As long as there’s fire, I can at least provide some assistance. I’ll be on standby for you all tomorrow, so call on me anytime.”

With those final words, Alti turned on her heel.

“That helps.”

“Don’t mention it. We are collaborators, after all.”

Alti’s voice trembled as she spoke.

It wasn’t a tremble of sadness or any negative emotion, but one of joy. She was laughing—quietly, yet unmistakably.

“Hehehe… almost time. Just a little longer…”

With that eerie laugh, Alti vanished.

Her behavior was suspicious, but I couldn’t grasp the reason. She is a monster, after all; there are things only they can understand. Tiida’s laughter had been exactly the same.

I didn’t have the luxury of time to try and decipher it right now. Rather than dwelling on the unknown, I had to focus on Lastiara.

I shifted my mindset. Having finished my reconnaissance of the terrain, I moved on to my next tasks: shopping and research at the library.

The shopping was for tools and weapons I would likely need tomorrow. At the library, I intended to dig deeper into Huzya and the Holy Birth Festival. Regardless of the outcome, it was better to know as much as possible.

However, the library yielded no particularly notable information. Everything I found was stuff I already knew.

Frustrated, I switched to my secondary objective: researching magic.

Tomorrow, the probability of combat was high—specifically, combat against a large number of human opponents. I searched for magic that would be necessary for such a situation. Of course, just finding a spell in a book didn’t mean I would suddenly “learn” it, but I poured over the texts regardless. I read the details of the spells I had targeted so thoroughly that I practically memorized them.

Why go to such lengths?

To create magic.

Previously, Maria and Franleure told me that creating magic was impossible. At the time, I didn’t push back too hard in front of them, but the reality was that I had already devised several spells.

Even if they were just extensions or applications of existing ones, there were five:

Magic: Dimension - Gladiator
Magic: Dimension - Multiple
Magic: Ice Arrow
Magic: Ice Snow
Magic: Ice Flamberge

Maria said that creating magic only happened in fairy tales. But I’ve thought this for a long time now:

This place is exactly like being inside a fairy tale.

I understand that the people who can create magic are “a select few,” like the heroes in those stories. And that is exactly why I was certain I could do it too.

I finished my research and left the library. As I walked, I began conceptualizing a new spell.

“I’m surely one of those ‘select few’… Magic: Dimension, Magic: Freeze…”

I muttered quietly, blending the two activated spells. The image in my mind was already solid; that was why I had researched magic at the library in the first place.

Creating something from a zero-base image is difficult. However, using existing magic as a foundation makes the visualization much easier. This was already a proven method for me.

I carefully refined the magic. Ideally, I wanted to practice thoroughly inside the house, but I needed every second of practice I could get.

The path behind me began to freeze ever so slightly. It was a frost so faint you wouldn’t notice unless you were staring intently. Leaving tiny pillars of ice in my wake, I made my way back home.