Burning Away The Absurdity

“Th-this is…”

“Where… are we…?”

Count Hagenberg and Marguerite stared wide-eyed at the landscape that had suddenly unfolded before them.

“This is definitely the southwestern edge of Hagenberg territory.”

Jonah told the bewildered pair.

One of the ancient magics, teleportation—【Tedito】—allows instantaneous travel to any location by specifying coordinates from the current position or by placing a marker at the destination beforehand.

Jonah had studied the map of Hagenberg territory the previous night; by comparing it with the map etched into his mind, he could pinpoint the exact coordinates and simply declare them to reach the destination.

“S-so… Jonah, you’re a mage?”

“Wait. There is no magic that can teleport across a distance that would take four days by carriage. That would have to be the legendary ancient magic…!?”

When Count Hagenberg looked at Jonah with sudden realization, the boy gave a gentle smile and quietly nodded.

Though the Count found it hard to believe on the spot, he had no choice but to accept that Jonah was a wielder of ancient magic.

After all, he had personally experienced that miracle.

“Phew… We truly were fortunate. Thanks to that, we made it here in time.”

“Wh…!?”

“I-it can’t be…”

At the direction Jonah pointed after exhaling, Count Hagenberg stood aghast, while Marguerite collapsed to her knees in despair.

Despite it being early morning, the entire southwestern horizon had turned pitch black and was slowly advancing toward them like a raincloud.

Needless to say—

—that was the swarm of locusts.

The tiny demons that would devour every plant on the ground.

“That’s… impossible…”

Even if they were called locusts, they were still just grasshoppers—just insects.

Marguerite had thought there might be some way to deal with them.

Yet the scene before her was more than enough to make her realize how shallow her thinking had been and how utterly powerless she was.

And yet—

“Ahaha!”

Staring at the blackened sky with his onyx eyes, Jonah unmistakably laughed.

As if the massive locust swarm before him was nothing at all.

‘It’ll be fine. If it’s my ancient magic, surely…’

Contrary to his expression and demeanor, Jonah was desperately reassuring himself inside.

He had completely read and understood the book of ancient magic.

Yet aside from controlling his own body and teleportation, he had never actually used any of the spells before.

Even so… even so, he kindled courage within his small body and faced the locusts.

To protect the precious people he had met for the first time.

—To teach the absurdity that mocked those desperately trying to live an even greater absurdity in return.

“O origin of wind drifting at the ends of the sky. Manifest before me, become a raging spiral vortex, and engulf all the tiny demons.”

Jonah pointed the index finger of his right hand toward the sky, drawing something at blinding speed as he chanted, and a massive glowing magic circle appeared in the heavens.

“【Typhonia】”

With the magic circle as its center, an enormous vortex of wind formed, roaring as it raged high in the sky.

It was as though a storm that would destroy everything had appeared.

The massive vortex expanded further and finally reached the edge of the blackened sky.

At that instant—

“The locust swarm… is being sucked into the vortex…”

Count Hagenberg muttered in a daze as he watched.

The black that had covered everything was helplessly and pitifully drawn in, dyeing the vortex black.

On the opposite side of the blackened sky, it tried to stretch eastward as if to escape, but it could not resist and was helplessly pulled into the vortex.

“O origin of fire lurking in the deep darkness. Manifest before me, release thy radiance, burn all the tiny demons to cinders, and dance.”

This time he pointed the index finger of his left hand toward the massive vortex and drew a magic circle at the same blinding speed.

“【Flamme】”

What appeared was a tiny, tiny flame.

The moment it touched the enormous vortex, it swelled into a massive blaze that spread to the locusts, burning them from the edges inward.

For the tiny demons, the searing flames were hellfire that led them to death.

Yet to the people of Hagenberg who had been under threat, it was a blessed light that brought smiles and peace.

“So beautiful…”

Marguerite was entranced by the vortex of flame that dyed the blackened sky over Hagenberg territory entirely red.

…No—what was reflected in Marguerite’s ruby eyes was neither black nor red. It was only the figure of a single boy who continued wielding ancient magic with his small body for the sake of her smile.

To her, that figure appeared more precious and more fragile than anything else.

Even now, the black sky continued without break, wave after wave being burned away by the fiery vortex.

Yet… that too was finally coming to an end.

“Hm…!”

“I can see the blue sky!”

The black sky broke, and blue sky began to peek through from the far southwestern horizon.

And then—

“Haa… haa… w-we did it…!”

After confirming that the very last locust had been incinerated, Jonah collapsed spread-eagled into the grass, streaming bead-like sweat.

Before his onyx eyes, brimming with a full-faced smile, stretched an endlessly clear blue sky.