Chapter 4: Her Obsession, An Anomaly

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 I spent with Glenn, whom I whimsically took in when I was all alone.

…………

…Exhausted and worn out from the ceaseless, repetitive battles, at a certain point.

On a whim, I picked up young Glenn, who had become an orphan due to a certain incident.

There wasn’t any grand reason.

I’ll say it again—it was truly just a whim.

Through that incident, which led to my meeting with Glenn, I acknowledged the weakness I had believed to be strength, and I stopped being stubborn.

And so, I chose… to cherish this moment and walk alongside someone.

What came to me was… a warmth, tranquility, and kindness that made all my past anguish and loneliness feel like a lie—

“Hey, hey, Celica! What kind of experiment are we doing today?”

“Let’s see… Alright, how about some alchemy? Shall we make a red magic crystal together?”

“Whoa! That sounds so cool!”

The days spent with Glenn rapidly revived my dying heart.

Such blissful times were a first for me since I awoke in this world.

People cannot live alone… It’s obvious, something everyone knows.

It took me nearly four hundred years to finally learn that simple truth.

But… it was around this time.

That I began to suffer from a certain ‘illness’—

“Oh…? So this vast room is the grand planetarium chamber that the ‘Taum Astronomical Temple’ boasts of…”

On the sixth day of the ruin investigation, likely the final day, the group had finally reached the deepest part—the grand planetarium chamber.

At the center of the impeccably polished hemispherical chamber sat a mysterious, massive magical device, beside which stood a black stone monolith resembling a tablet.

The magical device, at first glance, resembled a giant balance scale. Its stout main body was a chaotic tangle of exposed gears and enigmatic mechanical components. At the top, an arm tilted diagonally, with massive crystalline structures, cut into truncated icosahedrons, attached to both ends.

This magical device was a planetarium apparatus, a type of magical artifact created by ancient magic, capable of projecting a starry sky within this hemispherical chamber using light magic.

Beyond that, it was shrouded in mystery.

After all, this planetarium apparatus, like many magical artifacts, was thoroughly coated with an etheric membrane, making it impossible to disassemble for study or even transport.

What was the purpose of this device? Why was it created?

It remained an enigmatic magical apparatus, its true nature still unknown.

“I’ve never seen it myself, but… they say the planetarium here is incredible, right, Glenn?”

“Uh, yeah… is that so…?”

Celica was her usual self. The melancholy she showed last night at the hot spring seemed like a lie. Glenn made an effort to avoid mentioning it, trying to forget it (or rather, he desperately wanted to forget the events of last night).

It was at that moment.

“Um… Sensei? Since we’ve come all the way to the ‘Taum Astronomical Temple,’ why don’t we take a look at the starry sky with this planetarium apparatus?”

As soon as they stepped into the grand planetarium chamber, Sistine suggested.

“Huh? The starry sky? Sounds like a hassle…”

For a moment, Glenn tensed, recalling last night’s events, but Sistine paid no mind to his reaction, earnestly pleading.

“Please, Sensei. I’ve always wanted to see the planetarium here.”

“Hmm… what to do…?”

“Oh, come on, it’s fine, isn’t it? It’s one of the few famous attractions here.”

It was Celica who came to Sistine’s aid.

“Still… I’d rather start planning the thesis based on our investigation results so far than mess around with some useless planetarium apparatus…”

“Tch, I’ll help you with that later. Come on.”

“Well, if you insist…”

Reluctantly, Glenn followed the operational procedures and formats outlined in the thesis, running his fingers across the monolith’s surface to input magical commands.

“Let’s see… it was like this, right…? Ugh, ancient language grammar is such a pain…”

The magic of the ancients—ancient magic.

Modern people couldn’t analyze or understand its fundamental principles. No matter what magical investigations were conducted, modern magic couldn’t decipher the spell formulas of ancient magic.

However, even if the principles were unknown, its functions and operation methods had been clarified through modern magic.

“…Alright, that should do it…”

As the group watched with bated breath, Glenn tapped a glowing sentence that appeared on the monolith’s surface.

The planetarium apparatus began to hum with a low operational sound—

Suddenly, the room was enveloped in an abyssal darkness, as if painted over—

In the next instant, the world—changed.

“…!?”

Nebulae, meteors, and planets manifested above the group with overwhelming realism and intensity.

A star-filled sky that seized trembling souls. A beautiful, fantastical cosmic expanse.

The sight, like vast grains of silver sand scattered across the darkness, left everyone speechless.

It was impossible to believe they were still inside a room.

A projection of the starry sky through light magic? …No.

In that moment, the group truly existed within a vast microcosm—

“Man… the ancients built this Super Magical Civilization, yet sometimes they did these totally pointless things on such a grand scale… Why…?”

Even Glenn’s usual snark, as he gazed dumbfounded at the starry sky, was subdued.

“Who knows? A difference in culture or consciousness… some kind of religious ritual performance, or maybe just entertainment… those are the common theories, at least…”

Responding thus, Celica took over operating the monolith as Glenn stood entranced.

The apparatus ceased functioning, and the grand planetarium chamber swiftly returned to its original state.

“Alright, let’s start the investigation, everyone. Don’t worry, you can see the planetarium as much as you want later.”

Urging a reluctant Glenn and the students, Celica took the lead, and the investigation began.

As always, they started the monotonous tasks of copying floor patterns and inscriptions, deciphering them, or searching for hidden rooms or traces of magical energy.

But knowing this monotonous work would end today gave the students, scattered across the vast room, a bit more energy in their movements.

(…Well, we probably won’t find anything in this room either…)

Glenn, chuckling wryly, was feeling along the floor patterns… when it happened.

“Professor Arfonia!”

Sistine rushed over to Celica.

“Hm? What’s up, Sistine? Need something from me?”

“I… have a request.”

With a determined expression, Sistine pleaded.

“Please… could you investigate that planetarium apparatus one more time?”

—

—Sistine recalls.

The words of her late grandfather, Redolf Fibel—

“My dear Sistine… listen well… There’s something in the ‘Taum Astronomical Temple’… in that planetarium apparatus… something that leads to Melgalius’s Sky Castle…”

“B-But… what’s the basis for that, Grandpa!?”

“I don’t know…”

Her bedridden grandfather shook his head weakly, but…

“But my intuition, honed from years of dedication to magical archaeology and chasing Melgalius’s Sky Castle, tells me so…”

His confident, unwavering eyes seemed to hold a conviction rooted in his soul.

“…It’s frustrating… If this old, sickly body weren’t holding me back… I’d head to the ‘Taum Astronomical Temple’ right now and uncover the secrets of that planetarium apparatus…”

“Grandpa…”

—

—Sistine recalls.

‘Considerations on the Space-time Teleportation Magic of the Taum Astronomical Temple.’

It was the final thesis her grandfather wrote before his death—his last work.

Its academic value was universally acknowledged, but… it lacked one crucial piece.

Yes, Sistine, her grandfather, and anyone who read the thesis likely felt the same.

It was missing one decisive element.

And because of that—

“Please, Professor Arfonia! I beg you—”

With a desperate expression, Sistine bowed her head to Celica.

“H-Hey, White Cat… this is really just a planetarium apparatus, you know?”

Glenn was flustered by Sistine’s intense demeanor.

“It’s not just us—countless renowned mages have come here, thoroughly investigated it, and concluded it’s nothing more than a planetarium apparatus…”

“No… alright. Let’s do it.”

Brushing aside Glenn’s reluctance, Celica, for some reason, seemed eager and stepped up to the planetarium apparatus.

“Oh, you’re on board? Well, if you say so, I’ll leave it to you. Maybe you’ll find something, after all!”

At Glenn’s words, tinged with a hint of expectation, Celica nodded and chanted Black Magic [Function Analyze]—a spell for analyzing magical functions—and placed her hand on the monolith.

Sistine watched Celica’s magical investigation with bated breath.

(If… something is found here… all of Grandpa’s prior research will be reevaluated… as the work of a great mage with unparalleled foresight…!)

Sistine’s grandfather, Redolf Fibel, was undoubtedly a brilliant and genius mage. He existed in a realm Sistine could never reach, no matter how hard she tried.

Yet, despite his exceptional abilities, Redolf’s reputation in the magical academic community in his later years wasn’t particularly high. The lack of a decisive discovery was a significant factor.

Sistine… couldn’t stand it.

She couldn’t bear the fact that her grandfather was being undervalued.

(If it’s Professor Arfonia… the continent’s greatest Seventh Rank… maybe…)

Could she find a function beyond that of a planetarium apparatus?

For instance… a spell related to Space-time Teleportation, as her grandfather had foreseen.

Or something connected to Melgalius’s Sky Castle, which her grandfather was certain of?

Holding such faint hopes, Sistine gazed at Celica’s back as she performed the analysis spell, her thoughts almost a prayer…

…………

…After about an hour passed, with Glenn stifling a yawn…

“…No good.”

Suddenly, Celica exhaled, dispelled the spell, and turned to Sistine with an apologetic look.

“I investigated every inch of this apparatus as thoroughly as I could, but… I couldn’t find anything beyond its function as a planetarium.”

“I… see…”

“…Yeah. Sorry about that…”

Sistine’s shoulders slumped, and for some reason, Celica’s expression darkened slightly as she sighed.

“Tch, even you couldn’t do it, huh? I was kinda hoping you might pull it off.”

“Oh, by the way, can I have the data from your magical analysis?”

“Sure, it’s recorded in this gem. You can extract and review it later.”

“Thanks, that’s a big help.”

As Glenn caught the magic crystal tossed to him, Sistine’s heart sank heavily.

(…No way… even Professor Arfonia couldn’t do it… that means…)

There was no one in this world who could uncover any secrets from this planetarium apparatus.

No… perhaps there was never anything to find in the first place.

It meant that her grandfather was wrong.

She wanted to insist that there had to be something, that her grandfather’s words couldn’t be mistaken, that she’d grow up and solve this mystery herself someday… but…

Even Celica Arfonia, a Seventh Rank, had failed.

That fact alone was more than enough to slightly plunge Sistine into despair.

“And…”

At that moment, Sistine felt frustrated.

Frustrated by the fact that she was inferior to Celica in every way.

Having to rely on Celica’s power to prove her grandfather’s correctness was one thing…

But above all, reflecting on Glenn’s behavior up to that point…

Glenn had operated the planetarium apparatus at Celica’s suggestion. The moment Celica offered to investigate it, he grew expectant. And he immediately accepted Celica’s conclusion without question.

In other words… during this ruin investigation, Glenn trusted Celica far more than he trusted Sistine.

This wasn’t limited to this one instance.

“Hm? Hey, Celica, take a look at these floor patterns. What do you think?”

“Hmm… They’re similar to ones I saw at the ‘Nujado Ruins’ in Cantare a few years back… which means that interpretation should apply…”

Since the ruin investigation began, Glenn had been sticking to Celica for everything.

Whether it was discussing the ruins, insights into ancient civilizations, consulting on ancient magical technology, or planning future exploration strategies, Glenn constantly relied on Celica.

Celica, for her part, responded as if it were only natural.

Sistine was dissatisfied… she was sulking.

(I’m supposed to be the expert in magical archaeology here…)

“It can’t be helped, Sistie.”

Perhaps sensing Sistine’s feelings, Rumia spoke consolingly.

“The experience gap between you and the professor is just too big… They say the professor has single-handedly explored and conquered Class A and S danger-level ruins. And for some reason, she’s incredibly knowledgeable about magical archaeology… almost like a specialist.”

That was the thing. Celica never flaunted it herself, but… once you talked to her, it was obvious.

Celica’s understanding of ancient civilizations far surpassed Sistine’s—by a wide margin. Despite never having published a single paper on magical archaeology.

When debating magical archaeology with Celica, Sistine was overwhelmed by Celica’s unfamiliar knowledge and the depth of her insights. Having prided herself in this field, the shock Sistine felt then was immeasurable.

“Plus, the professor is Sensei’s mentor and practically his mother. It’s only natural that when she’s around, Sensei would rely on her more than you, Sistie…”

“But… ughhh…”

Sistine glanced at Celica, who was gracefully standing by Glenn’s side as he crouched to examine floor patterns.

That spot was supposed to be mine…

She understood it logically, but she couldn’t help feeling frustrated. Why she felt this way, she wasn’t sure, but she was frustrated. And envious.

“It’s… kinda depressing…”

As Sistine muttered those words, it happened.

“…!?”

A revelation flashed through her mind like a bolt of lightning.

True, she was inferior to Celica in every way.

But… there might be a clever strategy to get one up on Celica.

“…Sistie?”

As Rumia tilted her head, Sistine suddenly began cautiously scanning their surroundings.

Confirming that everyone was engrossed in their own tasks and paying no attention to them…

Sistine whispered softly to Rumia.

(Hey, Rumia. I have a little favor to ask…)

“Man, there’s really nothing here, is there…?”

Glenn grumbled, flipping through a notebook summarizing their investigation results.

“Well, even so… we’ve pretty much done all we can.”

Celica said, peering at the notebook in Glenn’s hands.

“With this much investigation, even the academy folks will have to admit ‘there’s really nothing in these ruins.’ You should thank the students, you know?”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it.”

As Glenn responded to Celica with mild annoyance…

“…Yeah, nothing here, huh… Figures… I knew it…”

Celica murmured something solemnly.

Her profile carried a hint of determination… tinged with deep melancholy.

“…Celica? What’s been up with you lately…?”

Growing oddly concerned, Glenn was about to press her… when it happened.

“Wha—?”

It was utterly sudden.

Kin, kin, kin—

A magical resonance sound abruptly echoed through the area… and for an instant, a blue light traced the floor patterns.

“What—!?”

Glenn hurriedly turned around.

The planetarium apparatus was operating—

(What… is that movement…!?)

In a strange manner unlike anything described in the thesis or seen during their earlier operation—

As Glenn and the students stood stunned, the apparatus’s arm projected the starry sky into the room again—the stars gradually accelerated, spinning faster—until they all whirled chaotically overhead, streaking into countless concentric silver lines—

Eventually, the planetarium apparatus slowly came to a stop—the starry sky faded—

“Wha—!?”

In the northern part of the grand planetarium chamber, a ‘door’ projected in three-dimensional blue light appeared.

It was unmistakably a warp gate, connecting distant spaces.

The depths beyond the ‘door’ that appeared in that void were filled with an abyssal darkness, and where exactly that ‘door’ led to was utterly unknown.

“Ugh… No way… Really…?”

By the side of the control monolith for the planetarium device, Sistine and Rumia stood dumbfounded.

From the situation, it was clear… some kind of operation they performed on the planetarium device had caused this mysterious ‘door’ to appear.

For a while, Glenn, along with the students scattered around the room, stared at the enigmatic ‘door’ in stunned silence…

“Woooaaahhh!? That’s freaking awesome!!”

Triggered by Kash’s cheer, the students rushed toward Sistine all at once.

“How’d you do it!? Hey, c’mon! How’d you pull that off!?”

“Hey, isn’t this, like, a huge discovery!? A function like this is totally unheard of!”

“Kiiiii—! To think Sistine’s stealing the spotlight again!?”

“I see… So, by following a specific set of operations, a hidden function activates, huh? So, Sistine, what exactly did you do?”

Kash, Cecil, Wendy, and Gibul were making a huge fuss, but…

(…No way…)

Glenn was frozen, trembling with dread.

The students seemed to think Sistine had accidentally stumbled upon a hidden function in the device by messing with it… but that wasn’t it. This wasn’t that kind of situation.

Even Celica, a seventh-rank mage, had investigated with magic and concluded that ‘the planetarium has no other functions.’ There was no way Sistine, a mere second-rank, could outsmart Celica.

A function to open a mysterious ‘door’ like that simply shouldn’t exist.

Glenn pressed the gem he’d received from Celica to his forehead and chanted a spell.

The analytical data of the planetarium device, recorded in the gem, flashed through his mind like a meteor shower.

Glenn skimmed through it quickly—

(—As I thought… Impossible! There’s no room in that device for such a hidden function! It’s beyond its pseudo-capacity! The only possibility…)

Removing the gem from his forehead, Glenn turned to Celica.

“Hey… Celica… What do you think? Could it be…?”

But then.

“…Celica…?”

What in the world was happening?

Celica was clutching her head, breathing heavily, and kneeling on one knee.

“No… way… How could…?”

Her face was deathly pale, beads of cold sweat forming on her skin. She looked visibly ill.

She glared at the glowing door with bloodshot eyes.

“…The… Star… Corridor…? Yes… the 《Corridor of Stars》…!?”

Celica’s state was anything but normal. She was muttering incomprehensible things under her breath.

“Hey… What’s wrong? Corri… what?”

“…No way… Now, of all times…? But I… definitely…!”

Mumbling such nonsensical things like delirious ramblings, Celica stood up.

“…Yes, that’s right… I…”

Staggering, swaying.

Like a moth drawn to a flame, Celica began walking toward the ‘door’…

And then.

Suddenly, as if kicked from behind, Celica bolted forward.

Aiming for the mysterious ‘door’ that had opened in the void—

“Professor Arfonia!?”

“Celica!?”

Before the stunned group, Celica abruptly dove into the ‘door,’ vanishing to the other side.

“No way—!? Celica!? What the hell are you doing!?”

This was completely unexpected. To think Celica, a seasoned veteran of relic exploration, would do something so utterly amateurish—it was hard to believe even witnessing it firsthand.

“Hey, Celica! We don’t know what lies beyond that door yet! No matter how you look at it, that’s way too reckless! Don’t go, come ba—!”

Glenn hurriedly tried to chase after her, but—

Was it a time limit? Or was it designed to close once someone passed through?

A strange magical resonance echoed through the area—

“What—!?”

Before Glenn’s eyes—having swallowed Celica whole—

The ‘door’ vanished.

“…Damn it! Celica!? CELICAAAAA!?”

Glenn lunged at the spot where the ‘door’ had been, pounding the floor with his fists and shouting.

Speechless.

No one could utter a single word…

…Celica had vanished beyond the mysterious ‘door.’

In this emergency, Glenn first gathered the students and returned to the campsite.

He ushered the anxious students into their tents and brought Rumia and Sistine into his own to hear their side of the story.

Naturally, Re=L followed like a chick trailing its mother, but since it was likely a conversation she needed to hear, Glenn saw no issue with it.

“…Sensei?”

“Just in case it’s necessary…”

Glenn placed magic crystals at the four corners of the tent, erecting a soundproof barrier.

This ensured their conversation wouldn’t leak outside, no matter what.

“Now, tell me… What did you two do to that planetarium device?”

“Y-Yes…”

And so.

Summarizing Sistine and Rumia’s explanation…

“…I knew it.”

Glenn sighed and muttered.

Dissatisfied with Celica’s investigation results, Sistine had secretly used Rumia’s ability to assist her, analyzing the planetarium device with Black Magic [Function Analyze].

Rumia’s ability was the ‘Sympathetic Amplifier’—temporarily super-amplifying the magic of anyone she touched, enhancing their magic as a result. With Rumia’s ability boosting her magic, Sistine had hoped to find something—anything—Celica might have overlooked, even if just a little.

But that was a massive miscalculation.

With Rumia’s ability, Sistine could suddenly see all the incomprehensible spell formulas running behind the device—formulas that had been completely invisible before.

In her shock, Sistine accidentally touched the control monolith.

And then—a function that hadn’t existed before activated by chance—and that ‘door’ appeared.

That was the gist of it.

“Sensei, what do you mean, ‘I knew it’…?”

“Rumia. Your ‘Sympathetic Amplifier’ ability… I’ve always thought there was something off about it.”

Given the gravity of the situation, Glenn couldn’t help but lower his voice as he confessed.

Come to think of it, during the incident at the field study expedition.

Rumia had been captured by a rogue mage and incorporated into the ‘Project: Revive Life’ ritual, forcibly used as one of its spell components.

But as mentioned, the ‘Sympathetic Amplifier’ ability should only temporarily amplify the magic of someone she touches, strengthening their magic as a result—nothing more.

So, no matter how much Rumia’s ability was exploited, it shouldn’t have been theoretically possible to make ‘Project: Revive Life’—a fundamentally impossible feat—succeed.

Yet, at that time, ‘Project: Revive Life’ did succeed. It actually worked.

This incident was—most likely—the same.

The spell formulas Sistine saw were probably ancient magic formulas, undecipherable by modern magic. But Rumia’s ability made it possible.

There was something in Rumia’s ability that turned the impossible into possible.

And that was—likely—the aim of the Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom.

But that wasn’t important right now. It was something to think about later.

The immediate issue was Celica, who, for some reason, had lost herself, as if possessed, and jumped into the ‘door’—and then vanished.

“I’m sorry…! I’m so sorry, Sensei…! If I hadn’t done something so reckless, this wouldn’t have…”

“No, Sistie, it’s not your fault… I’m the one who used my power so carelessly…”

“Idiots. It’s not your fault.”

Facing the two girls, teary-eyed and exhausted, Glenn let out a sigh.

“Sure, I wish you’d consulted me before using Rumia’s power… You guys, just because we’re in the middle of nowhere with only allies around, you got a bit careless, huh?”

“I’m sorry… I was… in a rush…”

“Well… We were already here to uncover mysteries like that left in these ruins. You two discovering that isn’t a bad thing in itself. The one at fault is—!”

Bam! Frustrated, Glenn slammed his fist onto the table inside the tent.

The intensity made Rumia and Sistine flinch, their shoulders trembling.

“…That senile old hag! What the hell was she thinking!? Running off on her own like that…!”

“…Glenn. …What about Celica?”

Re=L, expressionless as always, muttered softly.

“Of course, I’m going to bring her back.”

Without hesitation, Glenn declared.

“I’ve got a bad feeling… Something was off about Celica. I don’t know why, but she wasn’t herself… There’s no way I can just leave her like that…!”

Always poised like a refined lady, with a teasing demeanor and unshakable confidence—that was supposed to be Celica.

Glenn had never seen her so shaken and desperate.

And that wasn’t all.

Thinking back, her sudden insistence on joining them in this remote place, the melancholic expression she showed him last night… Celica had been off from the start.

“White Cat, Rumia, listen up. I’m counting on you to open and close that ‘door.’ And Re=L, while I’m gone, you protect the remaining students… Got it?”

As Glenn spoke, he pulled out bullets and gunpowder from his gear, addressing the three.

“I’m heading to the other side of that ‘door’ now. Tomorrow morning, open it once. Then again in the early afternoon, and one last time at night. If Celica and I don’t come back… leave us and return to Fejite.”

Feeling the tense, breathless atmosphere from Rumia and Sistine behind him.

Glenn checked the condition of his revolver and tucked it into his belt at the back.

“Luckily, the others think you two accidentally stumbled upon the method to open the ‘door.’ Make sure Rumia’s ability doesn’t get exposed, and play along with their misunderstanding… Got it?”

Just as Glenn was about to step out of the tent…

“Sensei, I’m going too.”

Rumia suddenly spoke up.

“I learned in your class. Ancient ruins often have teleporters or warp gates to move between floors… but it’s almost never a one-way trip, right? Of course, it wouldn’t be. These ruins were used by ancient people. A one-way ‘door’ that doesn’t let you return would be inconvenient for them.”

Rumia’s eyes shone with the resolute determination of someone who had made up their mind.

“So, there has to be a device on the other side to open that ‘door.’ With my ‘power’… I can use that device to open the ‘door’ from the other side and get us back here. That way, we can ensure both you and the professor return safely… Right?”

“Well, that’s… true, but…”

“I know it’s dangerous! But… I’m prepared! So please, let me help save Professor Arfonia! I’m begging you!”

“But, still—!”

As Glenn opened his mouth to refuse—

“S-Sensei… I’m going too…”

Sistine, who had been silent and looking down as if hesitating, lifted her face. Her shoulders trembled with nervousness, but she spoke firmly.

“This is my fault to begin with… And you, Sensei, always do reckless things, so you need someone to watch your back… Plus, I may not match Grandpa, but I’ve studied magical archaeology diligently… My knowledge might be useful beyond the door… So…!”

Then.

“I’m going too. I want to save Celica.”

As if it were the most obvious thing, Re=L added.

“You guys…”

Glancing at Rumia and the others, Glenn agonized.

Re=L aside, taking Rumia and Sistine was indeed dangerous.

Even in low-grade ruins, uncharted areas could hold unpredictable dangers.

Maybe they’d find Celica quickly and return without issue.

But the opposite—where the other side of the door was a deadly abyss they couldn’t escape—was just as likely. History was littered with such examples.

Was it right to bring Rumia and the others to such a dangerous place?

“…Damn it.”

He couldn’t decide. He didn’t know what to do.

For a while, Glenn weighed the risks and rewards…

“No, it’s too dangerous. You all stay here. Just handle the ‘door’ opening.”

That was his conclusion.

“Sensei!?”

“Who’s going to manage and protect the remaining students if I’m gone? I can’t take you with me. So…”

Cutting off the conversation, Glenn turned his back on Rumia and the others.

As he stepped out of the tent to get some fresh air—

“What—!?”

Kash, Wendy, and the other students, who were supposed to be in their tents, were gathered outside, their expressions heavy with unspoken words.

(Did they hear our conversation!? …No, it’s fine… I set up a soundproof barrier in the tent… There’s no problem…)

Suppressing his shock at the unexpected situation, Glenn steadied himself.

“…Hey, Sensei… What’s the plan for Professor Arfonia?”

After a heavy silence, Kash asked.

“…Celica? Don’t worry, I’m going to bring her back now, so relax.”

“Alone?”

“Hah… Obviously. A cakewalk mission like this? I’m more than enough.”

Just then, Sistine and Rumia rushed out of the tent in a panic.

“S-Sensei!? You’re still saying—!”

“That’s right, we—!”

“Quiet, you kids!”

Glenn’s sharp shout silenced Sistine and the others, but…

“Hmm…?”

Kash glanced at Rumia, Sistine, and Re=L behind Glenn.

Noticing their expressive faces, he looked back and forth between them and Glenn…

“I get it… Hey, Sensei…”

Suddenly, Kash took a short run-up and leaped toward Glenn—

“YOU IDIOOOOOT!!”

“GYAAAAAHH!?”

He delivered a ferocious flying kick to Glenn.

Blown away, Glenn tumbled, crashing into the tent behind him and knocking it over.

“Man… I knew it. You’re probably thinking of protecting Rumia and us by going off alone or some crap… But now’s not the time for that kind of stubbornness, is it!?”

Pointing sharply at the sprawled-out Glenn, Kash continued.

“I hate to say it, but while you’re strong, you’re a third-rate mage! You need help! Right!?”

“Well, that’s…”

Kash’s point was so spot-on that Glenn couldn’t argue.

Alone, Glenn would struggle against even a single crazed spirit.

Challenging an uncharted area solo was the height of recklessness—potentially a death sentence.

“Sure, we might slow you down… But Rumia’s pro-level healing spells, Sistine’s magic and knowledge, and Re=L’s sword… They’ll definitely help you, right?”

“…Kash, you…”

“Sensei! If Rumia and the others are resolved to go with you, take them! That’ll make it more likely you can save the professor! We’ll be fine!”

“You’ve trained us, after all. We’re used to real combat now. As long as we stay in the safe campsite, we can handle any dangerous magical beasts that show up.”

“The professor is someone important to you, isn’t she? Getting hung up on appearances isn’t like you.”

Kash, Gibul, and Wendy spoke one after another.

“Sensei… Going alone… That’s too reckless…”

“No matter how strong you are, you can’t save the professor like that…”

“Hehe, I believe you’ll bring everyone back safely, including the professor.”

Lynn, Cecil, Teresa… they all seemed to share the same feeling.

“You guys…? But… why do you care so much about Celica?”

To Glenn’s dumbfounded, almost foolish question—

“’Cause she’s our comrade!”

“…Oh.”

Kash’s simple, straightforward shout finally made it click for Glenn.

Just as these students had once accepted someone like him.

They had accepted Celica too.

“You guys…”

For a moment, Glenn felt his chest warm, gazing at the students staring back at him…

“…Alright. I’ll take Rumia and the others. But I promise—I’ll bring them back safely. And, of course, Celica too.”

And then—steeling himself, Glenn turned around and spoke.

“Please… lend me your strength, Rumia, Sistine, Re=L. Celica has been with me since I was a kid, the only family I’ve ever had… so…”

To Glenn’s words, which bordered on a desperate plea,

the three girls nodded back with unwavering resolve.