Epilogue: Thus Spoke Loran Ertoria

The people of the magical capital Melgalius gaze up at the sky.

They murmur in awe, their eyes fixed heavenward.

“W-what happened…?”

“Did we win…?”

The dreamlike battle that unfolded in the illusory sky castle floating above.

A long, long battle that raged through the night, far in the distant heavens.

As if entranced by a dream, the people continue to stare at the sky.

A red-haired girl—Eva Ignite—gazes silently upward as well.

The time is dawn.

The endless night has come to an end, and the new day peeks over the horizon, gently lifting the veil of twilight.

With a rumble that shakes the earth, the《Tower of Lament》slowly sinks deep into the ground.

The clear morning sun illuminates the collapsing《Tower of Lament》, making it sparkle brilliantly.

This scene, this trembling of the earth, is both the trumpet call heralding the end of an era and the resounding cry of a new age.

And then—

With tears in her eyes, Eve speaks to her parents beside her.

“Hey, Dad… Mom… when I grow up, I want to be like them…”

———

A wind is blowing.

In Melgalius’s Sky Castle, now bereft of its master.

The wind howls fiercely, whipping through the air.

As the dawn’s light dispels the darkness, a cold yet somehow pleasant breeze—

“…”

At the heart of this wind, Celica stands silently.

She faces away from Glenn and the others, standing quietly.

Her figure, tinged with exhaustion and a hint of loneliness, catches their eyes.

“…Celica…”

A sudden, overwhelming sense of dread grips Glenn, and he mutters softly.

“…Hey… what’s wrong…? The battle’s over, right…? Say something.”

“…”

“Come on, it’s all done now, isn’t it? Let’s go home. Together.”

“…”

“They’re waiting for us. Everyone’s waiting. Waiting for you to come back.”

“…”

“Come on… say something.”

“…”

Glenn takes a step toward Celica… and then he realizes.

“…You… no way…?”

“…”

He had sensed it might come to this.

[OVER CHRONO ACCEL] and [Soul Song Sacrifice].

She had wielded such immense magic, far beyond human limits, to fight the Demon King.

The possibility was more than plausible—it was almost inevitable.

Realizing this, Glenn raises his voice.

“No way… that’s not true…! Celica…! Tell me it’s not true…!”

“…”

“Celicaaaaaaa—!”

Unable to hold back any longer,

Glenn starts to rush toward Celica—but at that moment,

“Kch… khehe…!”

Suddenly, Celica, still looking down, begins to shake with laughter.

“Ahahaha! How’s that, Demon King?! Got too full of yourself, huh? Serves you right, you idiot! Idiot! Gyahahaha—!”

Celica bursts into raucous laughter.

“C-Celica…?”

Glenn, stunned, stares at her.

“Hm? What’s up, Glenn? What’s with that face, like you’re about to cry?”

Celica peers at him with a mischievous, devilish grin, teasing him.

“Oh, wait, don’t tell me… you thought I was about to disappear or something?! Pfft, hahaha!”

“H-hey…! You…!”

“Geez, you’re still such a mama’s boy, huh? There, there, were you worried about your mama?”

“Don’t mess with meeeee—!”

In an instant, Glenn and Celica start grappling with each other.

Watching the two of them, as familiar as ever,

“Thank goodness…”

Sistine lets out a sigh of relief.

“…Celica. It seems you’re safe for now.” Nameless speaks to the playfully bickering pair.

Nameless’s body has completely vanished by now… her form reduced to the translucent spiritual state Glenn and the others know well from their future world.

“Yeah, I made it somehow. Thanks to Glenn.”

Celica responds with a playful tone.

“It was close, though… I managed to pull through before my soul burned out completely. But I pushed it to the absolute limit of survival, so… I can’t go any further.”

Celica stretches with a long, “Nnnn~!”

“My magical abilities are almost entirely gone. I’m done as a mage.”

“Celica…”

Glenn’s expression twists with sorrow.

The loss of her magical abilities. The death of Celica as a mage.

After performing such miracles, it was only natural.

But the loss of the world’s strongest Septende mage, the person he’s always admired and aspired to be, fills Glenn with an unshakable sense of loneliness.

“…Don’t make that face. I don’t have a single regret.”

Celica gently ruffles Glenn’s hair.

“I protected it, didn’t I? Your future.”

“Celica…”

“And… hey. How was I?”

“…?”

“Remember that promise we made back in the snowy mountains? That I’d become a cool, Mage of Justice, no matter how late?”

“…!”

“So, how was I? Was I cool?”

For a moment, Glenn is at a loss for words… then he shouts with a tearful smile.

“Yeah! You were annoyingly cool! You’re my… my proud, amazing master!”

At Glenn’s words,

Celica smiles, serene and joyful.

———

And so, in the world of a distant past, once called the Super Magic Civilization, the fairy tale of《The Magician of Melgalius》quietly draws to a close.

What will become of this era, this world, from now on?

That is no longer for Glenn and the others to decide.

Leaving behind the people buzzing with excitement for the dawn of a new era, Glenn and his companions quietly set off for home, taking Celica with them.

“Glenn.”

“What’s up, Celica?”

“That red magic crystal… you still have it, right? The one you gave me way back.”

“…Huh? Oh, this? Here, hold onto it tight.”

“Whoops… thanks.”

“Geez, don’t ever let go of it again, okay?”

“Yeah, I know… I know…”

———

And so,

Glenn and the others arrive at the deepest part of the Taum Celestial Temple—the great planetarium chamber.

After brief farewells with their ally from this era, Le Silva,

Le Silva activates the spacetime transfer function of the planetarium device.

“All set. You two ready?”

“Haah~ Finally, we can go back to our own time… I’m exhausted…”

“Indeed! But… everything turned out well, didn’t it?”

Glenn yawns, while Sistine beams with joy.

It was a tough journey, but now, those hardships are just a funny story.

“…”

Celica gazes at the two of them fondly.

“Alright, let’s head back. Le Silva… start it up.”

“…Got it.”

At Celica’s signal, Le Silva nods solemnly and begins operating the planetarium device.

The device hums to life, filling the area with immense magical energy.

Magic arrays forming the《Gate》to transcend time begin to construct themselves beneath their feet.

It’s all over now… all that’s left is to return to their future world.

As Glenn lets out a sigh of relief…

“See ya, Glenn. …Take care.”

“Huh?”

As Glenn freezes at Celica’s unexpected words, with a light tap, Celica leaps away from the spot.

In that instant, the《Gate》to transcend time opens—encompassing only Glenn and Sistine within its range.

They can no longer step out of the《Gate》.

The spacetime transfer function is already in countdown mode.

“Wha—!?”

“P-Professor Arfonia!? What are you…!?”

“…This is where we part ways.” Celica says quietly.

“The causality of past and future has to be properly woven, you know. Did you know? This planetarium device… it’ll break after one more spacetime transfer.

But in the future world, this device was still functional, right? That means someone has to repair it after you leave. Let’s see… one more time… no, since you came here, two more times. It needs to be fixed enough to withstand two more transfers.”

“So you’re saying you’re staying behind!?”

“Exactly. There’s no one else left who can repair this thing. Plus, I’ve got a mountain of other things to take care of.”

At Glenn’s shout, Celica shrugs.

“And the moment I defeated the Demon King, my contract with La’tirika ended. I’m no longer an《Immortalist》…This is goodbye, Glenn.”

“Wait! You’ll come back, right!? After you fix it and take care of everything, you’ll come back to our time, right!?”

“Haha, no way.”

Celica shakes her head weakly.

“The truth is, this junky device’s spacetime transfer puts a heavy burden on the soul. For someone with a healthy soul like you, it’s fine, but mine’s already in tatters. I could die any moment now. …There’s no way I could withstand another transfer…”

“—!? Then…!”

Glenn, glancing at Nameless, who has been looking down with a pained expression, shouts.

“Make a new contract with Nameless! She’s all translucent and ghostly now, but she can probably still do it, right!? If you become an《Immortalist》again—”

“Haven’t you figured it out yet, Glenn? Why you, of all people, were able to use my [OVER CHRONO ACCEL], even if imperfectly.”

“…Huh?”

“Causality has to be properly connected, all of it, perfectly. …La’tirika.”

“…Are you sure… Sora?”

Nameless asks, her voice tinged with sorrow.

“Do it.”

“…”

Sensing the unshakable resolve in Celica’s voice,

Nameless silently approaches the frozen Glenn.

Reaching through the《Gate》to touch him, she murmurs.

“—Connection established. Contract target: Glenn Radars. I, La’tirika, one half of《The Celestial Taum》, hereby designate you as my master from this moment onward. This contract is valid for all instances of the target across the same dimensional tree. …Please, take care of me, my Master…”

“W-what…?”

“At the same time… I’ve reached my operational limit. …For a while, I’ll enter a forced dormant state, merging with the world’s ley lines to recover my abilities. 5,853 years from now… we’ll meet again…”

With those words,

Nameless, looking drowsy, slowly closes her eyes.

Her presence grows fainter and fainter… until she completely vanishes.

“Hey… what just…?”

“That’s right. At this moment, your contract with La’tirika was formed.”

Celica tells the trembling Glenn.

“In a place cut off from this world’s causality—the outer universe—La’tirika, a god there, forms contracts that don’t care about the order of cause and effect. Her contract is valid for the very existence of Glenn Radars across this world’s timeline.

That’s why you, coming from the future, could use La’tirika’s powers. Though, you’ll only be able to fully wield them from this point onward.”

“W-what…”

Glenn recalls how, in the future, Nameless occasionally called him “Master.”

“It’s a bit irresponsible, and I feel bad about it… but the rest is up to you.”

Celica gives a wry smile.

“The future world is in chaos right now, isn’t it? But it’ll be fine. I believe you can weave the future beyond that. So… do your best.”

“Don’t screw with me…! Don’t screw with me, Celica…!”

Acting on impulse, Glenn draws his magic gun《Penetrator》and presses its barrel against the planetarium device.

“S-Sensei…!?”

“W-what are you thinking!?”

Sistine and Le Silva freeze at Glenn’s reckless action.

A heavy tension hangs over the scene.

But—

“…I see. With your original magic, you could destroy it.”

Celica merely smiles.

“But at the same time… if you break it, it’ll be impossible to repair.”

“…”

“If you destroy it now, you can stay in this era. The causality won’t be woven, so who knows what’ll happen to the future… but for now, you could stay with me… in a closed-off, miniature world, perhaps…”

“…”

“The future or me… quite the choice, huh. …What’ll it be, Glenn?”

“…!”

Glenn, trembling as he holds the gun, is watched closely by Sistine and Le Silva, who hold their breath.

“Honestly… I want you to pull that trigger. I want you to stay in this era. I don’t care if it’s a miniature world… as long as I can be with you.”

“…”

“…But… you won’t do it, will you? Because… you’re my proud… my greatest disciple.”

“…”

With tears slightly welling up in the corners of her eyes, Celica says such things.

“…Celi…ca…!”

Glenn… slowly… lowers the muzzle of his gun.

Tears stream down his face as his shoulders slump powerlessly—

“…Good boy.”

Celica gives a soft chuckle and a smile.

The magical energy of the《Gate》continues to intensify. The spacetime transfer spell begins to activate slowly—the moment of parting draws near.

“…It’s almost time, huh?”

Celica looks up at the operating planetarium device and says.

“See ya! All things considered, living with you was fun, Glenn!”

And with a smile as bright as the sun, she continues.

“Meeting you was truly wonderful! I was happy because I met you! Live well! Save the world in your own way, find a good wife, and be happy, Glenn—”

But at that moment—

“Mom!”

“—!?”

At Glenn’s cry, Celica’s eyes widen.

That name… it was one she hadn’t been called since she took in the young Glenn as a mother, not even once until now.

“I… I don’t want this, Mom! I don’t care if they call me a mama’s boy! I want to stay with you forever! Why, why did it have to turn out like this!? Damn it… Damn it all—! Uwaaaaah—!”

In that instant,

Tears begin to stream down Celica’s face as well.

“You idiot… I was planning to part with a smile… that’s what I thought…! You stupid disciple… stupid son…!”

The trembling mother and son, both shedding tears.

“Why is it… even though we’re so close like this…”

Across the《Gate》, Celica and Glenn press their hands together.

“…Why does it feel so far away…?”

“…!”

And then—the moment of farewell arrives.

The power of the《Gate》activates—and the spacetime transfer for Glenn and the others begins.

“…It’s time, huh. I’ll miss you… It’s tough…”

Celica’s head droops limply.

But—

“I… won’t give up…”

At Glenn’s murmur, Celica snaps her head up.

“It doesn’t matter how many years it takes… decades… centuries… millennia…! I’ll come back for you… I swear…!”

Though Glenn sheds tears as he speaks, his eyes burn with unwavering resolve.

Seeing Glenn like this, Celica blinks in surprise.

And then, she gives a bright smile.

“Yeah… I’ll be waiting.”

“…Celica…!”

“Then, this isn’t goodbye.”

“Yeah…”

They both know it’s an impossible promise.

But even so, they can’t help but make it.

And so…

““See you later.””

With those words,

Glenn’s vision blazes pure white.

Everything turns white—white—

And then—

——

The author of the fairy tale ‘The Magician of Melgalius’, Loran Ertoria, wrote thus at the end of the book.

“This story is one that has already ended, with a predetermined conclusion.”

“To put it plainly, this story has no salvation.”

“In the end, the magician could not save the princess. Having fulfilled his mission but lost his loved ones and friends, he vanished completely from the stage of history in despair, meeting a lonely death, as described in various excavated texts.”

“For a great hero who accomplished such monumental feats, he was far too unrewarded—that was the ‘Mage of Justice’ who defeated the Demon King.”

“That’s why, at the very least within this story, I bent my pride as a magical archaeologist and twisted this ending.”

“The Mage of Justice defeated the Demon King, saved the princess, and lived happily with everyone… This is a false happy ending.”

“In reality, it was merely an unrewarded tragedy.”

“But.”

“If you, the reader, reject such a tragic ending—here, I shall reveal one certain truth.”

“That is—”

——

Holy Calendar Year 1854—Nova’s Moon, Day 1.

A world one day after Glenn and the others were sent to the past.

—Opening his eyes,

Glenn finds himself in the deepest chamber of the Taum Celestial Temple, the Great Planetarium Room.

Behind Glenn stands the planetarium device.

It no longer functions.

All its abilities have ceased, never to activate again.

(…She’s gone… Celica’s not in this era anymore… We’ve returned…)

Beside him is Sistine, her expression somehow solemn.

And before them…

Standing there, unchanged from the past, is Le Silva.

And a girl with otherworldly wings on her back.

Her face and attire resemble Nameless, yet something about her aura feels different.

For some reason, she has a physical form.

Above all, that blonde hair and gentle gaze…

“…Sensei… You’re safe…”

“You… Rumia?”

Unable to understand why Rumia looks like Nameless, Glenn can only stand in shock.

“A lot happened after that. A lot.”

Looking closer, a tiny, fairy-like Nameless is perched on Rumia’s shoulder.

“Right now, Rumia and I are sharing a body, with both our minds coexisting… Somehow, we managed to protect Rumia’s existence itself. Though—”

“…The most dangerous part of Rumia was taken by that Demon King,”

Le Silva adds with a sigh.

“I made such grand claims, and yet this is the result… How pathetic…”

“N-No, if it weren’t for Nameless-san and Le Silva-san, I would’ve been overtaken by that other me and become a puppet serving the Demon King… I’m only myself right now because of you two. Even though… I’m no longer human…”

“Hearing you say that puts me at ease…”

Le Silva sighs again.

“What happened to Rumia and her current state—we’ll explain later. More importantly, Glenn, you all…”

Nameless, perched on Rumia’s shoulder, glances at Glenn and the others.

“…A lot happened, didn’t it? A lot…”

“Yeah, you could say that… A lot of questions were answered. I understand now why you couldn’t say certain things—not because you didn’t want to, but because you couldn’t.”

Knowing too much about the future might have altered this outcome.

That’s why Nameless could only ever speak in vague terms.

“And… the truth behind that daydream, reliving Celica’s past…”

Yes.

From the beginning, Glenn and Nameless shared a “bond.”

Through that “contract” and its spiritual pathways, Glenn saw Nameless’s memories.

The memories of Nameless, who had lived alongside Celica for so long…

“Sensei… Sistine… What about… Professor Arfonia…?”

At Rumia’s hesitant question,

“…”

Sistine shakes her head weakly.

Rumia lowers her eyes in sorrow.

“Glenn. You inherited my contract with Celica, La’tirika《The Angel of Time》.”

“…”

“Until now, it was something like a provisional contract based on world facts, but now that you’ve formally gone through the process, you can wield my power—La’tirika’s power—as true magic.”

“And… Celica left this for you.”

Suddenly, Le Silva plunges her hand into her chest.

No blood flows. It seems to be a form of spiritual surgery.

After rummaging inside her body, she pulls something out and shows it to Glenn.

“That’s…”

It’s a familiar red magic crystal.

“Celica recorded all her magical knowledge in this crystal, simplified so even you could use it. You could call it…《The World Stone》… perhaps.”

“…”

As Glenn silently accepts it, Nameless speaks.

“My power and《The World Stone》. Of course, a third-rate mage like you can’t wield Celica’s full power… but even so, as a ‘time-manipulating mage,’ you can consider yourself the strongest in the world, albeit in a limited sense. What you do with that power is up to you.”

“…”

“Still… honestly, the odds are stacked against you… You just returned, so you might not know, but the current state of Fejite… of the world…”

Nameless, Rumia, and Le Silva lower their eyes anxiously.

Glenn raises his head and declares boldly before them all.

“It’s fine.”

His words, his expression, aren’t reckless bravado. They’re filled with unshakable will and conviction, radiating a light that inspires hope in those who see it.

“That Demon King bastard has been running rampant all this time, but it’s about time we all put an end to this ridiculous farce, don’t you think? Yeah—that’s right.”

Glenn grins as he declares,

“Let’s put an end to this stupid chaos!”

“…!”

At Glenn’s words,

“Yes! Of course, Sensei!”

“Let’s finish this together!”

Sistine and Rumia respond with enthusiasm.

Nameless, on Rumia’s shoulder, and Le Silva exchange glances and share a wry smile.

“Alright, let’s get moving—!”

Glenn raises his fist, clutching《The World Stone》, and rapidly chants a spell.

Magical energy surges through the area, and the《Gate》opens before Glenn and the others.

“A shortcut straight to Fejite! Threw it together on the spot!”

“Eh!? Sensei, you can do that now!? That’s incredible!”

“It’s 100% borrowed power, though! But to end this nonsense, I’ll make the most of it!”

With that, Glenn dashes forward and passes through the gate.

Sistine and the others nod to each other and follow after him.

“…Celica.”

Inside the gate’s passage—running across the bridge of light spanning an infinite cosmos—Glenn reflects.

(…Finally… I’m starting to see it. What I wanted to become, and what I need to do. Thanks to you, I’m finally starting to understand. 

Thank you for patiently looking after a rotten guy like me all this time.

And please, watch over me! The distance between us now is an impossibly vast 5853 years … but even so, you and I are together! We… came back together!)

Of course, it’s sad. There’s no way it wouldn’t be.

A sense of loss, as if his soul has been torn away, grips Glenn’s heart.

If he let his guard down, he might scream and collapse in tears.

But… crying out now would be too soon.

Doing something so pathetic would make him unworthy of calling himself that person’s disciple.

So—

Glenn tightly grips《The World Stone》.

With the warm memories and feelings held in his heart,

Glenn now makes a triumphant return to Fejite—…

——

——

A land forever sealed in snow and ice, where blizzards rage year-round.

In the remote, frigid mountains later known as Snowria,

Within a small temple hidden deep inside a cave,

Celica and Le Silva stand together.

“…It took quite a while to get here.”

“Sora…”

“I’ve lost my magic, you know. You’ve had to do a lot in place of my magic…”

“I don’t mind…”

Le Silva stands atop a massive, square-pyramid-shaped altar.

“I’ve done everything I could for the future Glenn.”

“Yeah… I’ve safely kept your red magic crystal.”

Le Silva touches her chest.

“Now… Le Silva. All that’s left is to seal you here.”

“…”

Celica takes out a “white key” from her pocket, and Le Silva nods solemnly.

“Sorry about this.《The Gate of Wisdom》leading to Melgalius’s Sky Castle must be closed. That place is too dangerous for humans to meddle with now.”

“…You’re right.”

“As《Silver Dragon General》, you are the key to that gate. When you manifest as《Silver Dragon General》, the gate’s seal will be complete. In other words—we need to return you to being《Silver Dragon General》.”

“Yeah, I understand. I was remade by the Demon King to be such a being.

But that key is a mass of the Demon King’s vile and evil will. If it’s used on me, I’ll lose my sense of self… I’ll probably rampage blindly, driven by instinct within a haze of fragmented memories. That’s why… you’re going to seal me, right? With various conditions in place.”

“Yeah. In the distant future… we’ll come here. I should apologize in advance, but it’ll probably be pretty rough… Anyway, your seal will be undone, and you’ll awaken. When that happens… please, help Glenn.

Also, I’ll likely have lost most of my memories due to the shock of forced spacetime travel… so, as planned, I’m counting on you, okay?”

“Yeah, leave it to me. I’ve got the key to your memories too.”

At Celica’s words, Le Silva smiles brightly.

“…This is goodbye, huh?”

“Yeah.”

Le Silva kneels, clasping her hands as if in prayer.

Celica holds the key before her.

Then, Le Silva murmurs softly,

“Hey, Sora.”

“What?”

“…Your life… was it really… okay like this?”

“…”

“If you’d been more pragmatic… lived more cunningly… you could’ve been happy in so many ways… but you…”

“Nah.” Celica responds with a gentle smile.

“It’s been a winding road, but I have no regrets about the path I’ve walked or the choices I’ve made. I lived freely, doing what I wanted, and I’m completely satisfied. My life was undoubtedly filled with irreplaceable happiness—more than someone like me deserves.”

“…I see… If that’s the case… I’m glad.”

Le Silva smiles too, a faint tear glistening in the corner of her eye.

Celica inserted the key into Le Silva’s chest. The “key” sank deeply into Le Silva’s body, as if being absorbed.

Le Silva, pierced by the “key,” began to transform.

As silvery-white scales sprouted on their arms with a crackling sound, and their body started to swell, Le Silva’s expression twisted in pain.

But—

“…It’s alright.”

Celica spoke reassuringly, pulling a papyrus scroll from her pocket, unfurling it, and softly chanting the spell inscribed upon it.

As the magic within the scroll was released, Le Silva’s transformation halted, their form returning to normal… and their small body was slowly enveloped by eternal ice crystals…

“…So, this is truly goodbye…”

“Yeah.”

Le Silva smiled wistfully.

“You know, I really liked you. No matter your purpose… I loved how you poured your heart into it, Sora.”

“…”

“…I’ll protect them. Your precious people, and the future they’ll walk toward… I’ll protect them with everything I have. So, rest easy, Sora…”

“Yeah… I’m counting on you. Thank you, my friend.”

“!”

At Celica’s words, Le Silva’s eyes widened in surprise.

And then, they smiled brightly—

—Eventually.

Within the massive eternal ice crystal, Le Silva slept peacefully.

As Celica turned to leave, she murmured to no one in particular.

“…My story ends here.

From now on, it’s your story, Glenn. You and the others will weave the tale from this point forward.

It doesn’t need to be perfect, with neatly tied-up plotlines or dramatic, tear-jerking conclusions.

Just… a happy ending. One where everyone can smile.

I know it’s no easy task… but if it’s you, I believe you can do it.

So…”

Celica slowly, walked toward the depths of the cave. Step by step.

A satisfied smile gracing her face—

————

——

The great “Magician” who defeated the Demon King and saved the world.

The “Magician” who took many lives, saved many others, bore countless burdens, and achieved great deeds.

After that, no one ever saw her again…