Chapter 3: Thinking Under the Starry Sky

Beneath a starlit sky that seemed on the verge of falling.

As I dashed through the unending trail of the《Corridor of Stars》stretching into eternity—I found myself thinking of a certain person.

It was about the days since I first became aware of this world.

…………

…Ever since I awoke, I’ve heard a ‘voice.’

—I must fulfill my mission—

Somehow, I just knew it.

Even if I lost all memories from before I awoke, my soul remembered.

Before I lost my memories… there was surely something I had to do.

It must have been something truly important… more vital than my own life.

It was supposed to be a crucial mission I had to accomplish with my entire being.

But, comically enough, no matter how much time passed, I couldn’t recall that mission at all.

And then.

As I suffered over this, an even crueler truth was eventually thrust upon me.

—Immortalist.

A peculiar trait of mine, discovered by chance during a magical examination.

My body doesn’t age. Though I carry out the functions of a living being, time has stopped for me—I existed in such a contradictory state.

The cause is a mystery. The principle, unknown. Naturally, I had no clue myself.

It was as if someone was implicitly telling me, ‘You’re not allowed to die until you remember your mission and fulfill it.’

Now, then.

The Immortalist—one of the ultimate destinations for mages who pursue the truth of the world.

Even for non-mages, it’s a miraculous dream that everyone yearns for at least once—

But it seems that dreams and reality are often quite different.

Perhaps out of disgust and fear toward something clearly different from themselves, or maybe out of envy and jealousy toward something clearly superior… the moment it was revealed that I was an Immortalist, everyone began to find me eerie, shun me, and keep their distance.

Even the person who once whispered eternal love to me and vowed a future together… called me a monster, saying, “You’re not human,” and left me.

And the hateful glares and persecution from the masses were directed at me, who remained forever youthful.

Gradually, my heart grew irritated, worn down, and frayed.

Even so, there were a few—very few—who stayed by my side despite all this.

But they were human. I was not.

They couldn’t defy the fate of all living things…

And so, with the flow of time, they aged… weakened… and then…

…………

…Decades after I awoke, holding flowers to offer at their graves, I stood before their tombstones… unchanged from the moment I first awoke in this world.

—Indeed, I hadn’t aged at all.

“…Damn it.”

Crack.

That was the moment something inside me… broke.

The day after arriving at the ruins.

Just in case, Glenn left a few students like Cecil and Lynn as a standby and communication team at the campsite within the protective barrier, and then promptly set foot inside the ruins.

With Glenn at the lead, they entered the ruins through an arched temple entrance, and soon the sunlight no longer reached them, transforming their vision into a dark world dominated by shadows.

In fact, these ruins were constructed in a mysterious architectural style, carved out of a single massive rock, with no mechanisms to let in sunlight from the outside.

Thus, relying on the magical light of Black Magic [Torch Light] ignited at Glenn’s fingertips, they cautiously advanced step by step through the ruins’ passages.

And there were those who welcomed Glenn and his group rather roughly—

“Tch, this wasn’t in the briefing! Wasn’t this supposed to be a safe ruin—!?”

“Just shoot! Look, they’re coming!”

“Ugh, it’s been nothing but this kind of thing this time!”

From the depths of the passage, something glided through the air toward Glenn and his group.

Figures that seemed like materialized shadows… small winged fairies… will-o’-wisps… various grotesque forms attacked Glenn and his party.

“Tch…! Uh, what was it again!? Right, 《I am the archer・the primal force・—》…”

“W-Wait, it’s still, 《Magic Bullet—》…”

Caught off guard by the sudden assault, Kash and Wendy fumbled their spell chants…

“《Eins》! 《Zwei》! 《Drei》—!”

Sistine rapidly chanted Black Magic [Magic Bullet] in quick succession.

From her left fingertips, concentrated bolts of magical light shot out one after another, piercing through the approaching grotesques.

The pierced grotesques burst with a pop, scattering mana mist and vanishing into the void.

“Here goes—《Eins》!”

“R-Right, 《I am the archer・the primal force・gather at my fingertips》!”

Encouraged by her, the other students also fired [Magic Bullets], meeting the grotesques head-on…

And the grotesques that Sistine and the others missed—

“Hmph—!”

Re=L, who had been lying in wait, swung her enchanted greatsword, cutting them down.

Eventually… it seemed they had cleared the area.

Not a single grotesque remained; they had all dissipated, and silence returned to the surroundings.

“Phew… D-Did we… win…?”

As if to praise the students, who had been tense and rigid…

“Haha, well done, well done! Not bad, you guys!”

At the rear of the group, leaning against the wall and observing, Celica clapped her hands cheerfully.

“Geez… Making the students handle it as much as possible? You’re pushing it, you know…”

Glenn, who had been watching the students’ battle with bated breath, let out a relieved sigh.

“You’re too overprotective, Glenn.”

In contrast to Glenn, Celica was completely at ease.

“My proud disciple’s proud students wouldn’t lose to opponents of this level, would they? Besides, even half-baked mages should be able to handle this much.”

“Yeah, but still…”

“What? I’m here, aren’t I? If anyone’s about to get hurt, I’ll step in right away. You can train for combat at the academy, but real battle experience is hard to come by, right? This is a good opportunity against small fry.”

“Well… that’s true, I guess… but still…”

Glenn glanced toward the direction the grotesques had come from.

“Geez… who’d have thought crazed spirits would be spawning inside the ruins…”

Crazed spirits—fairies or spirits altered and driven mad by the influence of ley lines, embodiments of rampant nature.

When fairies or spirits go mad, they become dangerous beings that attack anything in sight.

“It’s not that surprising. Places like this tend to spawn them. Major ancient ruins are often built along ley line confluences… so we’ll probably be stuck clearing out crazed spirits in the ruins for a while.”

“Tch, what’s with this ‘Exploration Danger Level F’ nonsense!? How long have these ruins been neglected!?”

“Yeah, well. After this exploration, the rating will probably go up a notch, no doubt.”

Then, Celica shot Glenn a mischievous grin.

“…You’re lucky I’m here, huh? Without me, you’d have turned tail and run.”

“Tch… shut up already…”

Conceptual beings like fairies or spirits, materialized through mana, aren’t affected by physical offensive spells like fire, ice, or lightning. To defeat them, direct magical interference is needed.

Hence, non-elemental offensive spells like Black Magic [Magic Bullet], which attack by focusing and projecting one’s mana, are used—spells of the type called ‘qi’ in the East.

In truth, Glenn was particularly bad at these non-elemental spells. While men typically excel at mana manipulation and women at mana capacity, Glenn was born with a poor sense of mana manipulation for a man.

Non-elemental spells especially require precise mana manipulation, meaning in a place like this, teeming with crazed spirits, Glenn wasn’t a very effective combatant.

He could enchant his fists with Black Magic [Weapon Enchant] and fight hand-to-hand to defeat crazed spirits, but in terms of efficiency, Sistine, who could activate [Magic Bullet] with a single phrase and fire rapidly from a distance, was far more useful.

The reason they could safely let the students handle the fighting was largely because Celica was there as a backup.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m a failure, I get it. Please take care of the students, oh great master.”

“Heh…”

Celica chuckled at Glenn, who turned away, sulking.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines of this master-disciple banter…

“Man… you’ve really stepped up your game, Sistine…”

“Huh? You think so?”

Kash said to Sistine with a tone of admiration.

“Yeah. I mean… even with enemies suddenly attacking, you’re totally unfazed, super calm… aren’t you scared?”

“Uh… well, yeah… I’m scared, of course… haha, ha…”

(Compared to Jatice, though…) she added quietly in her mind.

“Come to think of it… when we ran into that pack of Shadow Wolves the other day… you seemed awfully calm, didn’t you…?”

“Huh? Was I? Honestly I was really scared too!”

She answered Wendy’s observation flusteredly.

“And, Sistie, that rapid-fire chanting was amazing! When did you learn that?”

“Uh, w-well… when was it again…? Haha, ha…”

For some reason, Rumia’s innocent question made her feel oddly guilty, and she broke out in a cold sweat.

“Tch…! Don’t think you’ve won yet…!”

“Hmph…”

Wendy and Gibul glared at Sistine with frustration.

Until recently, the gap in their abilities hadn’t been that wide, so it must have been galling to realize Sistine had suddenly pulled so far ahead.

“Then we’ve gotta step up too… whoa!?”

As they talked, the presence of more crazed spirits approached from the depths of the passage.

“Another big group’s coming!? And there’s a ton of them this time!? This could be bad!?”

“Let’s see who can take down more, Sistine! This time, I won’t lose!”

The students got fired up, eager to fight, but…

“Hold on a sec.”

At that moment, Celica casually stepped in front of them.

“You guys take a break. You’ve been fighting nonstop, and overdoing it could lead to mana depletion. …Leave this to me.”

“B-But, Professor… there’s a huge swarm of them…”

Sistine looked ahead with a hint of unease.

Indeed, the numbers were significant.

Perhaps drawn by the earlier commotion, the area’s crazed spirits were converging en masse.

“It might be too much for one person… We should all fight together…”

“Nah, I’ll show you how it’s done. In a situation like this…”

With that, Celica snapped her fingers.

Boom!

In the next instant, dozens of [Magic Bullets] materialized around her.

““““Wha—!?””””

“Go.”

Pointing down the passage, the countless magic bullets shot forward, trailing light—

Filling the straight corridor ahead like a meteor shower—

Annihilating the approaching swarm of crazed spirits.

““““………………””””

The students could only stand there, dumbfounded by the split-second event.

“…So, yeah… that’s how you do it. Got it?”

“That’s not helpful at all…”

“She’s just on a whole other level…”

Kash and Sistine muttered, eyes wide.

They’d known Celica was extraordinary, but seeing her wield magic like this reaffirmed it in a staggering way.

Fighting off the occasional crazed spirits that appeared, Glenn and the group pressed deeper into the ruins.

“Sensei, take a left at the T-junction ahead. The first ritual chamber, our initial investigation target, should be just beyond.”

“Got it.”

Rumia navigated, checking a completed map of the ruins compiled from previous explorers’ surveys.

The map showed that the ‘Taum Astronomical Temple’ was vast.

This ancient religious facility housed ritual chambers, worship halls, observatories, mausoleums, and a grand planetarium—all arranged three-dimensionally within the hemispherical temple, connected by a complex web of passages and stairs, like a maze.

Moreover, all of it was carved from a single massive rock.

Even a single unremarkable passage they walked showed no shoddy craftsmanship. When lit, the ceilings, floors, and walls were smoothly polished.

These ceilings, floors, and walls were densely covered with carved murals and inscriptions… Just how much time had the ancients spent building this temple? The thought alone was dizzying.

“But, Sensei… doesn’t something feel off?”

Rumia, walking just behind Glenn, tilted her head.

“This temple looked big from the outside, sure… but isn’t it too big inside? Can all this really fit within the temple…?”

She said this while peering at the map in her hands.

Walking through the ruins themselves must have made it more real for her.

“Hehe, Rumia. Actually, this place—”

Sistine, catching Rumia’s question, was about to launch into a smug explanation when—

“The space here is warped.”

Celica, walking beside Glenn, answered first.

“Look at these patterns carved into the walls, floors, and ceilings. They’re fairly common in ancient ruins within the empire…”

Celica traced the patterns with her hand.

“They seem to be some kind of ancient spatial manipulation magic.”

“…Seem? That’s kind of vague…”

“It’s vague because modern magic can’t fully analyze the spellcraft of ancient magic. All we know is that these patterns are some form of magic.”

“Um… even you can’t analyze them, Professor Arfonia?”

“Yeah, ancient magic is one thing even I can’t crack.”

Celica shrugged with a wry smile.

Sistine, whose thunder had been stolen, glared at Celica with a hmph.

“Anyway, these patterns warp the space inside the ruins, creating a larger area than you’d expect from the outside… I don’t get the magical logic, but that’s the reality.”

“I don’t really understand, but…”

Re=L interjected quietly.

“Just break a hole in the wall. Make a shortcut, problem solved.”

Muttering something dangerous, she hefted her greatsword onto her shoulder, but…

“Haha, that’s a great idea… or it would be, but it’s impossible.”

“Hm? Why?”

To Re=L, who tilted her head in surprise, Celica explained kindly.

“Some ancient ruins and artifacts have an etheric coating, and this ‘Taum Astronomical Temple’ is one of them. Such ruins and artifacts are completely fixed in existence, immune to physical or magical alteration or destruction. Even your ridiculous strength or my [Extinction Ray] can’t damage this place. That’s why I had you forge your sword outside beforehand.”

“I see… I don’t really get it, but… that’s a shame.”

Etheric coating—a baffling ancient magical technique that modern mages can’t comprehend, one of the mysteries of ancient magic.

“That’s why these ruins have survived nearly intact for thousands of years.”

Then, Celica suddenly ruffled her hair in frustration and muttered.

“Tch… if it weren’t for this stuff, that underground labyrinth would’ve…”

No one caught her faint murmur.

“That’s incredible technology… Who were the ancients, really? Were they actually human like us…?”

“Yeah, yeah! There are all sorts of theories about the ancients’ true identity! For example—”

“Hey, don’t let your guard down, you guys! We’re here to investigate the ruins, remember?”

Glenn cut off Sistine, who was about to launch into another enthusiastic lecture, her eyes sparkling.

Amid such lighthearted banter…

Glenn and the group navigated passages, turned corners…

Occasionally fending off crazed spirits they encountered…

Until they finally reached their destination.

“…So, that’s the first ritual chamber, huh.”

At the end of the passage was an arched entrance leading to a large hall.

Glenn checked the percussion revolver tucked into the belt at his back and turned to the students. The bullets it was loaded with were enchanted with mana, making them effective even against crazed spirits.

“Probably nothing’s there, but… I’ll go in first to make sure it’s safe. You guys wait here for a bit.”

“Heh, putting yourself on the line for your students… Pretty cool, Glenn.”

Celica teased with a grin.

“Gotta do at least this much, or I’d really be the most useless one here…”

“You sure you’ll be okay alone? If you’re scared, I can come with you.”

“Shut it! Don’t treat me like a kid!”

“Um, Sensei… please be careful…”

Nodding firmly to reassure the slightly worried Rumia, Glenn steps forward.

As Glenn passes through the arched entrance, what appears before him is… a vast chamber with a domed, towering ceiling. The floor, walls, and ceiling are, as expected, polished to a smooth sheen, making it easy to forget that this space was carved out of rock.

The walls, floor, and ceiling are etched with peculiar patterns resembling the horoscopes of astrology, interspersed with designs and stone statues likely representing the zodiac, ecliptic, sun, moon, planets, and stars. It’s as if this entire space symbolically manifests the cosmos itself.

At the center of the room stands a strange altar, intricately constructed from rectangular stone blocks.

At its apex sits what appears to be a divine statue, the sacred object of worship.

The statue depicts twin angels facing and entwining each other, its name—

“…The Heavenly Twins, huh?”

There exists a belief known as Star Faith, or Star Worship, a form of ancient religion.

According to Glenn’s prior research, ancient civilizations… ancient people deified the sky as something grand, holding it in awe and reverence, making it an object of faith and worship.

This cultural context of ancient customs is evident even to an amateur’s eye, as the ritual site clearly mimics a three-dimensional star chart.

And “The Heavenly Twins” is the highest deity in this ancient Star Faith… the symbol of the sky itself.

“Still… why were they so terrified of the sky? I can’t quite wrap my head around what those ancient folks were thinking…”

Even as he cracks a lighthearted quip, Glenn finds himself overwhelmed by the mysterious sanctity of the ritual site.

Suddenly, Glenn—senses something amiss.

A shiver runs up his spine, like the touch of an icy blade.

All sounds fade into the distance, and his vision narrows with a heart-gripping tension.

“What—!?”

When Glenn first stepped into this ritual site… there was definitely no one here.

There shouldn’t have been anyone—not even a trace of presence—

Yet, at the base of the twin angel statue, somehow—she was there. A girl, sitting neatly with her legs together on the edge of the altar, as if waiting for someone.

Her hair as white as burnt-out ash, eyes a dark, stagnant red-coral hue. She wears an almost translucent garment.

Sprouting from her back is… something resembling twisted, malformed wings. These chaotic, ominous wings—a grotesque fusion of eyeballs and bizarre deep-sea creatures—are profoundly unsettling, repulsive, and blasphemous, their very sight revolting.

The girl’s face, eerily human and terrifyingly beautiful, only amplifies the nauseating contrast with those monstrous wings, evoking an intense physiological disgust and rejection.

Merely looking at her erodes the mind, chipping away at sanity… such is this otherworldly girl.

Illuminated faintly by the magical light Glenn conjures at his fingertip, she emerges from the darkness—

“…It’s been a while, Glenn.”

The otherworldly girl shifts her sickly, bulging eyes to acknowledge Glenn and speaks.

She undoubtedly spoke.

Her voice, like the chirping of a sinister bird, seems to resonate directly in the mind, tearing into it…

No—can it even be called a “sound” transmitted through the vibration of air?

The sensation is as if a writhing worm slithers into the ear—

“…No, in this case, perhaps I should say… nice to meet you?”

Her lips curve into a smile, like a streak of vermilion drawn through the darkness.

This is no ordinary being. Clearly, unmistakably abnormal. An anomaly that stirs primal human fear.

Dangerous. Dangerous, dangerous, dangerous, dangerous dangerous DANGEROUS DANGEROUS DANGEROUS—!

Facing this otherworldly girl, Glenn’s heart screams in alarm, racing to its limit—

“Tch—!?”

Driven by scorching impatience, Glenn leaps back explosively.

Landing, he draws his gun with a blur of motion, aiming the barrel at the girl—

“…!?”

—She’s gone.

She was there.

She was undeniably standing there, just moments ago.

Yet, somehow—the girl has vanished.

It feels like waking up sweat-soaked from the worst nightmare in the dim dawn, a truly wretched sensation.

“Haa… haa… No way…”

For a while, Glenn stands there, stunned, breathing heavily…

“Hey, Glenn! What’s up? Something happen?”

Eventually, Celica strolls in, her demeanor carefree.

“C-Celica…”

“…Hm? What’s wrong? You look a bit pale.”

“N-No… it’s just…”

Not wanting to alarm the students, Glenn whispers the situation to her.

And then.

“…A mysterious girl, huh?”

Celica furrows her brow, giving Glenn a look of exasperation.

“Are you exhausted or just pent-up? That heavy breathing… is that what’s going on?”

“Wha—!? N-No, that’s not—!?”

“Tch, tch… If you go attacking the female students in a fit of youthful impulse, that’d be a problem. Guess I’ve got no choice—how about I keep you company tonight, hmm?”

“Don’t say such horrifying things, even as a joke—!”

As Celica theatrically strikes a flirtatious pose, Glenn’s eyes widen, and he roars back.

Celica teasing Glenn like this is nothing new, but now’s not the time for that.

“Ugh, no! That’s not it… I swear I saw a girl with my own eyes—”

“Look, I haven’t said anything, but just to be safe and keep your precious little students out of danger, I’ve been maintaining a detection barrier at all times. Even now.”

“…Huh? For real? So that means…?”

“Yup. There was definitely no one in this room. No spirits, no ghosts—not even a rat or a bug. There’s no way anyone was here.”

Celica boasts proudly, and it’s hard to believe she’s lying.

Glenn knows just how exceptional Celica’s magic is.

Which means…

(…An illusion? A hallucination… auditory hallucination…? Was it… really…?)

Now that she’s said it, the scene from earlier feels as fleeting as a dream or mirage. His memories and emotions grow hazier by the second.

(…A hallucination… a hallucination, huh…? Yeah… maybe that’s it. There’s no way something that horrifying could exist in this world… and besides…)

“Sensei, did something happen!?”

“An enemy?”

Sistine, Rumia, and Re=L rush to Glenn’s side—the usual trio.

Glenn suddenly stares intently at Rumia’s face.

“…Sensei? What’s wrong? Is there something on my face?”

Rumia tilts her head in confusion, puzzled by his gaze.

“…Nah, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

It was a hallucination… Seeing Rumia’s face, Glenn is certain of it.

Because…

“…Alright, you lot!”

Forcing himself to shift gears, Glenn claps his hands loudly, calling over the students nervously waiting at the entrance.

“Let’s start investigating this room! Re=L, guard the entrance. Rumia and White Cat, sketch the floor patterns. Wendy, I’m counting on you to decipher the inscriptions. The rest of you, search for hidden passages or any unusual mana reactions. Let’s make this quick and efficient, got it?”

If Celica’s detection didn’t pick anything up, it has to be a hallucination or daydream.

(…Guess I’m just worn out from all the nonstop work, huh…)

If he’s like this on the first day, the road ahead is going to be rough.

“What a pain…”

Unseen by others, Glenn lets out a deep sigh.

……

Beneath a starlit sky that seemed on the verge of falling.

As I dashed through the unending trail of the《Corridor of Stars》stretching into eternity—I found myself thinking of a certain person.

It’s about the days of depravity and self-abandonment I spent in endless solitude.

…

I don’t need anyone. I’m fine on my own.

After all, I’m stronger than anyone else.

Branded as inhuman, rejected by all, and outlived by the few who understood me, that was the pathetic ideology I fell into.

From then on, I threw myself into a world of conflict for years, charging down a reckless path.

Lacking the courage to end my life, without the strength or resolve to live alone forever, I kept pretending to be strong in the burning loneliness, insisting I was fine, that I was enough on my own…

Staking my life in battles, proving it through victories…

And seeking something to end me, I kept fighting, fighting, fighting.

Back then, I was already at my mental breaking point.

The Immortalist. Never aging… a life with no visible end.

The “inner voice” that constantly torments my heart, and a mysterious sense of duty.

And the unbearable loneliness raging in my empty heart.

They drove me relentlessly to the battlefield.

Only when I was bleeding in battle could I, for a fleeting moment, forget everything—

But.

Looking back now… even in those hellish, endless days, there were people who reached out to me… who tried to connect with me.

For example, that guy, hailed as the greatest swordsman in imperial history…

Yet I pushed away every hand extended to me, running forward in my absurd farce.

I kept indulging in the role of a tragic victim.

The one who truly made me lonely was none other than myself.

Blind to such a simple truth, unwilling to see it.

I fought, fought, kept fighting—

Honing my magic for that purpose, gaining ever greater power—

And fighting, fighting, fighting, fighting, fighting—

And then…

At some point.

I—met Glenn.

…Three days have passed since the ruin investigation began.

The investigation itself has proceeded smoothly without incident.

In the morning, as the sun rises, they dive into the ruins to explore and investigate. Occasionally dispatching the mad spirits that appear, they meticulously examine designated survey points, aiming for the deepest parts.

As the sun sets, they return to the campsite set up in front of the ruins…

“So—turns out it was the work of invaders from outer space!”

“What did you say!?”

“Kash-san… wh-what does that mean…!?”

“Today, when I saw the murals in the Seventh Mausoleum, it hit me! Those bizarre monster designs… the ancients must’ve been controlled by extraterrestrial invaders! The true nature of their super-advanced magical technology is—”

Under the starry sky, gathered around a roaring campfire—the only thing shielding their small corner from the dark veil of night—a lively conversation unfolds.

In the chilly night air, the tingling warmth on their cheeks feels stronger. The flickering flames cast playful, exaggerated shadows as the students passionately discuss.

It seems Sistine’s fervent talk about ancient civilizations during the investigation has won everyone over.

Each night they gather, the students unanimously share their own theories and debates about ancient civilizations, feeling a bit like amateur magical archaeologists.

“Um… everyone… dinner’s ready…?”

“Oh—! Lynn-chan, we’ve been waiting! My stomach’s growling!”

As always, Lynn, the best cook in the group, begins serving tonight’s meal, and the students around the campfire grow excited.

Meanwhile, ignoring the students buzzing over dinner…

Glenn and Rumia compile the investigation results by the campfire’s light.

“Sensei, we’ve got Wendy deciphering the murals and inscriptions in the ruins, right? Any hints about… you know, space-time teleportation magic?”

“Nothing so far…”

Glenn pauses flipping through the stack of results  and answer Rumia with a sigh.

“Anyway, if this temple serves some magical ritual function, there has to be a central control point… an undiscovered ‘inner chamber’ somewhere in the temple. Even the previous team suspected as much…”

He shrugs, smirking wryly.

“…But honestly, I doubt we’ll find anything. Space-time teleportation magic… sure, it’s a dreamy idea, but c’mon, really…?”

“Hey! What’s with that half-hearted attitude, Sensei!?”

Just then, Sistine approaches Glenn.

She seems to be helping with dinner, carrying a tray with four plates of stew. In the cold night air, faint steam rises from the plates.

Sistine, looking slightly miffed, hands plates to Rumia and Re=L beside her.

“Oh! Stew, huh!?”

The stew is made from carefully simmered dried vegetables and preserved meat, with wild herbs and mushrooms foraged nearby, giving it a rich, appetizing aroma.

“Thanks! It gets chilly around here at night, so hot stew is a real treat!”

But as Glenn reaches for a plate, Sistine quickly pulls it away.

“Get more motivated, Sensei, motivated! If you don’t take this seriously, even if there is something out there, you’ll miss it!”

“Okay, okay! I get it, just gimme the food, please!”

“And listen! Even if we find nothing, you still have to properly report what you investigated and the results! There’s no excuse for slacking! Honestly, Sensei, you always lack passion and seriousness when it comes to work—”

“Ughhh—! Forget that, just gimme the FOOOD—!”

As usual, the two start bickering loudly.

Slurp slurp… slurp slurp… slurp slurp… mm, delicious…

“Uh…? H-Hey, Re=L? Those are for Sistie and Sensei! You can’t eat—oh no… they’re already gone…”

Unnoticed, Re=L has swiped Glenn and Sistine’s plates and, apparently starving, polished them off in no time.

Watching the lively group…

“Heh…”

Celica, sitting elegantly on a rock a short distance away, flips through The Magician of Melgalius with a fond smile. Her gaze is warm, like a mother watching her beloved children or guarding a precious treasure.

Soon, voices rise one after another around the campfire.

“Hey, Professor! Listen to me and Gibul’s theory! What do you think? My idea’s way more plausible, right!?”

“What’re you talking about!? No matter how you look at it, my theory makes more sense!”

“GYAAAAH—!? My FOOD—!”

“No way!? M-My dinner too—!?”

“You two weren’t eating, so I thought you didn’t want it.”

“Fufu, why don’t you join us, Professor Arfonia?”

“Yes, please, we’d love to hear your thoughts!”

To the noisy group…

“…Tch, what a loud bunch… oh well, no helping it.”

Celica closes her book with a wry smile, standing and walking toward the campfire.

…Her steps are somehow light.

The monotonous yet warm days of the ruin investigation continue peacefully…

…And on the fifth night of the investigation, in the dead of night.

In the bone-chilling cold, Glenn reaches the spot Celica told him about.

Hidden behind a rocky outcrop, a short walk north from the campsite, it’s—there.

“Hoh…? Not a bad vibe at all…”

Before Glenn stretches a natural hot spring, surrounded by rocks.

The faint, sulfurous smell tickles the nose. The water, slightly cloudy from minerals, steams profusely, veiling the area in white mist.

Even from here, the subtle warmth gently tingles his cheeks, chilled by the night air.

This hot spring was discovered by Celica just the other day.

According to her, this area lies on an old volcanic ley line, and she figured there’d be a spring somewhere. Sure enough, she found it.

The water was a bit too hot for bathing, but Celica, being Celica, carved [Ice Runes] into the surrounding rocks to adjust the temperature perfectly.

This feat earned her the adoration and worship of the female students, who’d been making do with wiping down with wet towels.

“Man, she’s always so thoughtful in times like this… though maybe she just wanted a soak herself.”

Even Glenn, oblivious as he can be, felt bad for the teenage girls enduring days of camping, so Celica’s consideration is a huge help.

Busy with compiling results and documents each night, Glenn hadn’t had a chance to use the spring until now. But with work finally easing up and his own sweat starting to bother him, he’s come to soak tonight.

“Still… surrounded by all these cute girls, and I’m bathing alone? Kinda dull. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was some sparkle, y’know? Heh heh heh…”

Cracking such playful jokes, Glenn strips behind the rocks.

…By the way, the other day…

“I’ll peek! I’ll aim for paradise! Even if it burns my life away—!”

Kash, passionately declaring this, sparked an epic magical battle around the hot spring between him and the stunning girls in their natural state. After a fierce struggle, Kash suffered a bitter defeat… but that’s another story.

“Alright, then…”

Hiding his clothes behind the rocks, Glenn finally slips into the hot spring.

“Guh… ahh… this hits the spot…”

In an instant, soothing warmth envelops Glenn’s body.

The sensation in my chilled, numbed fingertips and toes gradually returned, accompanied by a dull, tingling pain.

The improved blood circulation felt as if it loosened the stiffness in my shoulders and hips.

The fatigue accumulated from days of ruin exploration seemed to melt and flow away from my entire body.

“Phew~ Paradise, paradise…♪”

Looking up, the night sky, framed by rugged rocky mountains, was brimming with countless stars.

The moon, shyly hiding among the drifting clouds, added a touch of refined charm.

If only I had some brandy, this would truly be the perfect situation.

“~♪ ~~ ♪”

For a while, Glenn gazed at the starry sky, humming a tune and enjoying his soak.

…Then, eventually.

“Man… gotta say, those kids really gave it their all, didn’t they…?”

Suddenly, while staring at the sky, Glenn mumbled to no one in particular.

It was a bit late to realize, but… looking back, he’d dragged his students to this remote place for such a ridiculously trivial reason.

Even if it was just an F-class ruin, already thoroughly explored, the investigation itself was far more demanding than Glenn had anticipated. He felt guilty for roping the students into it so casually.

Yet, the students who came along worked hard without a single complaint. The fact that the investigation was progressing so smoothly, ahead of schedule, was undoubtedly thanks to them.

(…I gotta think things through a bit more… seriously…)

As the heat of the hot spring slightly clouded his consciousness, Glenn vaguely pondered such thoughts…

“…Hm?”

Suddenly, he sensed a presence among the rocky shadows surrounding the hot spring.

“…W-Who’s there!?”

Glenn instinctively shouted a challenge.

“Oh? That voice…?”

The presence approached the hot spring where Glenn was soaking, without a hint of hesitation.

Parting the rising steam, the figure that emerged was…

“—Gah!?”

“What’s that? Glenn… you’re here too?”

It was Celica.

Standing at the edge of the hot spring, Celica was—completely bare.

The towel draped over her arm and the thick steam rising around her barely concealed her glossy, translucent white skin…

Her distinctly feminine, curvaceous figure, with its perfectly balanced, statuesque proportions and alluring body line… there was no hiding its breathtaking beauty.

At the sudden appearance of this goddess-like figure, Glenn’s throat involuntarily gulped.

Against his will, his heart began to pound uncontrollably.

“…How’s the water, Glenn? Pretty nice, right?”

“Y-Y-You idiot!? Check if someone’s already in here before you strip!?”

Glenn hurriedly waded to the center of the hot spring, turning his back to Celica to escape her presence.

“Come on, go over there already! Or, heck, should I just get out!? Look, this doesn’t count, okay!? Don’t start blasting me with offensive spells!”

Flustered by the sudden situation, Glenn was unusually panicked…

“…Hm? What’s with the panic… it’s fine as is, isn’t it? I don’t mind.”

For some reason… Celica let out a soft chuckle, then crouched down, dipping her elegantly sculpted legs into the water… and slowly lowered her body into the hot spring…

“Wha—?”

Sensing her approach, Glenn froze in stunned disbelief.

And then.

“Hehe…”

To his shock, Celica flashed a mischievous, devilish smile and glided toward him…

“Here we go…”

“You—!?”

She leaned her back against Glenn’s, who was still facing away.

The touch of skin against skin. The sensation of exquisite silk transmitted through Glenn’s back.

“Ahh… so comfy, so comfy…”

Celica fully entrusted her weight to Glenn, completely relaxed.

Glenn, on the other hand, was anything but.

“W-What the heck are you—!?”

“I said it’s fine, didn’t I? With the kind of relationship we have…”

Despite Glenn’s flustered reaction, Celica maintained her usual carefree, nonchalant demeanor.

“Besides, we used to bathe together like this all the time, didn’t we? We’re way past being shy about seeing each other naked, right?”

“When are you talking about!? That was when I was a tiny kid—!”

“…Come on, just once in a while…”

“…?”

Celica’s teasing words, as always, carried a hint of something different today, and Glenn fell silent, catching the faint shift in her tone.

“…Like back then… soaking together like this… it’s not so bad…”

Her dreamy whisper tickled Glenn’s ears.

“……”

True, if Celica didn’t care, it seemed foolish for him to make a fuss about it.

Glenn’s composure began to return.

Maybe, just for now, reminiscing about the old days like this wasn’t such a bad thing… he started to feel that way.

“…Jeez… you’re something else…”

“Hehe…”

Glenn grumbled with mock irritation, while Celica smiled gently.

The two of them began to enjoy the hot spring, back-to-back.

The warmth of the water was surpassed by the heat they felt through each other’s backs. Their breaths. Their heartbeats.

No words were needed. A gentle, serene time flowed slowly between them…

…How much time had passed like that?

Suddenly.

“By the way… you’ve grown, haven’t you, Glenn…?”

Celica murmured softly.

“Huh?”

“Being like this… your back feels so broad… you used to be so small back then…”

“How long do you think it’s been since you picked me up…?”

The slight flush on Glenn’s face wasn’t entirely due to the heat of the water.

“What, like ten years and change? Of course I’d grow up—maybe a bit too much.”

“Yeah… it’s been that long, huh… time flies…”

The conversation was starting to feel awkward for Glenn.

(Jeez… now that I think about it, we’ve got a weird relationship, don’t we…?)

Ten years ago, after a certain incident left Glenn an orphan, Celica had whimsically taken him in.

That was how they met.

Since then, the two had been together ever since.

To Glenn, Celica was like a mother, a sister, a friend…

Even now, she remained an indescribable presence in his life.

If he had to sum up their relationship in one word… it would surely be…

……

“By the way… are your wounds okay?”

Feeling oddly embarrassed, Glenn forcibly changed the topic.

“Hm?”

“I mean… you went overboard in that underground labyrinth again, didn’t you? I caught a glimpse earlier—there are still some scars on your arms and legs from that time…”

“…Pervert.”

“Pfft!?”

His attempt to shift the conversation had clearly backfired.

“Wow, in just that split second, you thoroughly scanned my entire body, huh? Geez, I’m starting to feel unsafe living under the same roof as you! What if you attack me? You’d better take responsibility if that happens, got it?”

“Quit messing with me, you jerk!?”

For a while, Celica chuckled, stifling her laughter.

“…Well, I’m fine. I’ve passed the healing limit, and with continued treatment from healer spells, the scars will eventually fade completely. Don’t worry.”

“I-I’m not worried or anything… jeez… if you weren’t so obsessed with that lousy ruin, you wouldn’t have to deal with this mess…”

Glenn let out an exasperated sigh.

“Hey… come to think of it, you’ve been fixated on that underground labyrinth for a while now, haven’t you?”

The underground labyrinth. A mysterious ancient ruin located beneath the Alzano Imperial Magic Academy.

Exploration danger level: S++. It held the highest danger rating among the many ruins in the empire.

In truth, the first to ninth underground floors weren’t particularly hazardous. They were even used for magical exploration classes at the academy.

However, from the tenth floor onward, the danger level skyrocketed.

Currently, Celica was the only person in the entire empire permitted to explore beyond the tenth floor… that’s how perilous the area was.

“Why don’t you pick safer jobs? With your skills and talent, you could easily open a research lab, gather some students, and study whatever trivial thing you want. That’d be more than enough, right?”

“…Yeah. You’re right.”

“But you keep challenging that damn labyrinth. You’ve come back half-dead more than once or twice… even your last expedition was pretty close.”

“……”

Celica fell silent at Glenn’s unusually serious words.

“Celica… I think… that labyrinth is bad news.”

Glenn spoke earnestly, as if pleading with her.

“It’s not about your strength or anything like that. That place is fundamentally somewhere humans shouldn’t set foot in… so…”

Given their personalities, Glenn and Celica rarely had chances to talk openly like this.

This was a good opportunity… Glenn thought.

“Let’s call it quits, okay? This obsession with the underground labyrinth.”

So, Glenn said what he’d always wanted to say, what he felt he needed to say.

“I get it—your pride as a seventh-rank mage, or maybe you feel you can’t back down now, all that stuff… but isn’t your life more important…?”

But.

“If, by some chance… something happened to you… I’d…”

“……”

Celica remained silent.

It was a wordless declaration: I won’t back down.

“…Can I at least… know why…?”

Feeling a twinge of disappointment, Glenn shifted his question.

But even that…

“……”

“…Silent treatment, huh?”

“…Sorry.”

Celica muttered faintly, sounding genuinely apologetic.

Before he knew it, the confident woman he was used to was gone.

“I’m really… sorry, Glenn…”

All that remained was a fragile woman, filled with regret.

“Hey, Glenn… you know… before I picked you up… I was a really awful woman.”

“…Celica?”

“You know I’ve lost all memories from before four hundred years ago, right?”

“Yeah… and that you’re an Immortalist, for reasons even you don’t understand…”

“Before I met you… I couldn’t handle the endless life, the anxiety of having no memories, the loneliness… I was always angry at something… I couldn’t stop myself from destroying things… there were people who reached out to me, looking back, but I pushed them all away, wallowing in my own misery… haha, pretty pathetic, huh?”

“……”

“But… picking you up saved me. You think I saved you when you were all alone, but… it’s the other way around. You saved me…”

Why was she bringing this up now?

Glenn had no idea, but… for now, he could only listen.

“And yet… even though you’ve given me so much… more than enough…”

Gradually, Glenn could feel Celica trembling through their touching backs.

“Even though I pushed you to become a mage because I was thrilled to see you recognized, without thinking, and ended up throwing you into hell…! I wouldn’t blame you for hating me…! But… even so… I… I… to you—!”

…And that was it.

Celica’s lips, trembling as she clutched her shoulders, didn’t continue.

For a while.

A heavy silence dominated the space between them…

Then.

“…I don’t really get what’s eating at you… or what you want from me…”

Glenn chose his words carefully, then spoke as brightly as he could.

“Hahaha, you don’t need to feel guilty about me! Sure, I’ve been through some stuff, but don’t sweat it! That’s what our bond’s about, right?”

From the bottom of his heart.

With all the sincerity he could muster.

“…After all, we’re… family, aren’t we?”

Yes.

To Glenn, Celica was like a mother, a sister, a friend… an indescribable presence, but if he had to sum up their relationship in one word…

It would surely be…

…But.

“…Family. …Family, huh…”

In contrast, Celica responded in a flat, emotionless voice.

“Glenn, do you really… see me as family…?”

“…Huh?”

Caught off guard by Celica’s unexpected response, Glenn was left speechless.

The awkward silence between them grew heavier.

Then.

“…Sorry. I must’ve gotten a bit lightheaded… forget what I said.”

Celica pulled away from Glenn’s back and stood up.

“Celica…?”

“Tomorrow’s finally the deepest part of the temple… the Grand Planetarium, right?”

Celica’s tone was back to its usual self.

“This ruin investigation of yours will probably wrap up tomorrow… let’s do our best, okay?”

“…Y-Yeah…”

Leaving those words behind… Celica stepped out of the hot spring and left.

Left alone, Glenn mulled over the meaning of Celica’s words with a hazy mind.

But he couldn’t grasp her heart at all.

“What’s up with her…? The academy’s underground labyrinth… this ruin expedition… and me… what do those mean to her…?”

He didn’t understand. The more he thought, the less he understood.

Could there really be something connecting those three?

Glenn’s thoughts spiraled into a dead end.

“Argh, enough! What the heck is she thinking—!?”

As Glenn scratched his head in frustration…

That’s when it happened.

From the shadows of the rocks, the presence of multiple people approached.

“…Huh?”

As Glenn froze at the sudden development…

“Sistie, hurry, hurry~!”

“Jeez… don’t rush me~!”

Through a gap in the rocks, Glenn caught a glimpse of Rumia’s upper body… mostly covered by a towel, but unmistakably… bare.

“The ruin investigation ends tomorrow… which means today’s the last day we can enjoy this hot spring! Gotta make the most of it!”

It wasn’t just Rumia and Sistine.

“This hot spring really has perfect water… I could soak here forever. It’s great for beauty, too.”

“Yes, we owe Professor for finding this hot spring…”

Wendy and Teresa’s voices echoed from beyond the rocks.

Which means, as a natural consequence… Re=L and Lynn are here too, aren’t they?

The presence of the female students arriving for a midnight bath draws closer and closer…

(Daaaaah!? Weren’t those girls already done bathing and asleep in their tents!? A second bath!? Is that even allowed!?)

As Glenn hurriedly dives into the water to hide—

“Yup, there’s just something about an open-air bath, isn’t there? The atmosphere is amazing!”

The girls emerging from behind the rocks, baring their naked forms around the hot spring, appear almost simultaneously.

(Crap!? I reflexively hid without thinking!?)

Glenn wants to clutch his head at the terrible move he just made on instinct.

(What am I doing!? I should’ve just shouted and let them know I was here! Now it looks like I was hiding to peep!)

While he’s fretting, the girls, flaunting their youthful, glossy, and taut skin without reservation, gather one by one at the hot spring, dipping their supple bodies into the water…

“Mmm… This hot spring is just the best, isn’t it…?”

“Yeah… It’s so warm…”

“Nn… Feels nice…”

Sistine stretches languidly in the water, Rumia soaks up to her shoulders, and Re=L, narrowing her eyes and splashing her feet, enjoys the hot spring in her own way.

“Lynn, you really are quite the beauty once you take off those glasses, aren’t you?”

“Ehh…? R-Really…? Me, of all people…?”

“Hehe, I think you could stand to have a bit more confidence in yourself, Lynn.”

Wendy, Lynn, and Teresa are all enjoying their bath in their own ways.

Glenn was now completely surrounded by six beautiful girls.

At first glance, it might seem like an enviable paradise, but in truth, Glenn’s situation is nothing short of a vortex of hell.

(Guaaaah!? How long are these girls planning to stay!? Can I even hold my breath until they leave!?)

No way he can. He’ll die, plain and simple.

(Damn it! If I could just use underwater chanting for [Water Breathing]… No, that won’t work! If I tried chanting now, they’d notice! That spell makes a ton of bubbles…!)

Oblivious to Glenn’s agony, the girls chat casually.

“By the way… are we really safe? What if Kash-san tries to peep again…?”

“Oh, don’t worry, Wendy. I tied Kash up and left him hanging.”

“That’s reassuring. It would’ve been even better if you’d roasted him while you were at it♪”

“Haha!”

(T-Terrifying!? Are these girls demons or what!?)

“Ugh… Rumia… You’re still growing, aren’t you…?”

“R-Really? If we’re talking chests, Professor Arfonia or Teresa have way more…”

“True, Professor Arfonia’s proportions are absolutely perfect… Her figure’s like a classical sculpture, so artistic… Hehe, I’m jealous…”

“Teresa… You’ve got such a luxurious…! From my perspective, they’re both the same!”

“Ohohoho! As expected, you’re still as flat as ever, Sistine! This is my complete victory—!”

“Urghhh…!?”

“Oh, wait…? Now that I think about it, Lynn… You’re so petite, but you’ve got some unexpected…!? Could it be… you’re bigger than me…? No way, are you the type who looks smaller in clothes…!?”

“Hehe, Lynn-san’s about the same as Rumia-san… maybe?”

“W-Wah… D-Don’t stare so much…!”

“Rumia. Why’s everyone’s chest so round? Mine’s flat.”

“Uh, w-well, that’s…”

“Sistine’s pretty flat too, though.”

“Mrrghhh—!?”

Gurgle gurgle gurgle…

(Hmm, interesting… Got it…)

Submerged in the water, Glenn mentally organizes the information he just gathered.

(So… the combat strength of our relic expedition team members… lines up like this!)

Celica >= Teresa > Rumia = Lynn > Wendy > Sistine > Re=L

(Heh, nailed it… Wait, no!? This isn’t the time to be escaping reality!? I’m seriously running out of air here!? It’s hot! My head’s getting fuzzy!? Am I gonna die!?)

And then…

Amid the dreamlike scene of naked beautiful girls frolicking with giggles and playful chatter…

Glenn endures… and endures… steadfastly holding on…

But eventually, Glenn’s breath… finally… reaches its limit…

And at last…

“DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?”

Splash!

Suddenly, with a tremendous geyser of water, Glenn bursts forth right in the middle of the girls.

“Huff… huff… phew~… The air tastes so damn good…”

The sheer shock of this ‘bolt from the blue’ leaves the naked girls frozen, eyes wide as dots.

Glenn casts a fleeting glance at them…

And cross-references it with the combat prowess of Celica, seared into his memory earlier.

The result—

“…Bingo.”

The face of a man who’d accomplished something grand… it was dazzling, downright refreshing, they say.

“…What’s that?”

Twitch, twitch.

As time seems to restart around her, Sistine’s veins bulge at her temple…

Her left hand, aimed at Glenn, begins to gather an overwhelming surge of mana…

…Somewhere in the rocky mountains, the pitiful scream of a pitiful man echoes far and wide.