Chapter 1
Part 2
Entering my master's private room, I shut the door behind me as I stared on in surprise.
Compared to his apartment, it was terrifyingly well ordered. I had been here any number of times before, as evidenced by the shoe rack and tools for polishing them. The tools themselves were new, bought with money I had made at my part time job cleaning the dormitory.
But...
There was definitely something off.
Compared to my memory from a few days earlier, the position of a few books and game devices seemed a little off, and the usual dust seemed strangely disturbed. It was common for my master to turn his apartment upside down looking for some document or other that he had lost track of, but for it to happen in here was quite rare.
On top of that, while each book on his bookshelf was put away neatly, it seemed almost as if someone had done so just to hide the fact they were searching through them...
(...nevermind)
Putting a stop to that line of thinking for now, I decided to try and soften the atmosphere.
"She's quite a strong character, isn't she?" I smiled a little, recalling Yvette.
Though in a different way than Flat, she certainly had a very overwhelming personality. Of course, the El-Melloi classroom had more than enough eccentric characters, but I couldn't help but feel like she was getting close to the top of that list.
My master just gave a light snort in response.
"Powerful indeed. The first time I met her, she introduced herself as a spy for Meluastea, just plain as day."
My breath caught.
I had heard there were a number of different factions within the Clock Tower. The Aristocratic Faction headed by Barthomelloi, and the Democratic Faction headed by Trambelio. Beyond those two was the Neutralist faction. Wasn't Meluastea the family that served as the faction's head?
"Uh, if she's a spy, then..."
"Yes. In short, she's there to keep us in check. There's nothing we have that particularly needs to be kept hidden from them, but there's meaning in them going through the motions. And even without her, it seems Meluastea is trying to establish a connection with Norwich.
"...I see."
I remembered what happened at Iselma.
The head of one of the three great families of the Clock Tower, the old lady Lord Valueleta, came to regard my master rather highly. At the same time, it appeared as if she was trying to find some way to pull the El-Melloi family out of its native Aristocratic faction, according to Reines.
If that was the case, it only made sense that Meluastea was trying to do the same.
"Not that they have any intention of trying to move us. For better or for worse, as opportunistic as Meluastea is, they don't have the guts to try a move like that. That's why they were so brazen about placing a spy here."
"...now that you mention it, we ran into a magus that called himself a spy at Iselma too, didn't we?"
"It's pretty common practice for one to just admit it themselves and try for a straightforward exchange of information, rather than try to play covert and risk having their cover blown later. Though in this case, diplomat is probably a better word than spy. Maybe announcing herself was all Yvette's idea, but I'm sure even Lord Meluastea wouldn't be especially bothered by being found out.
In any case, the Faculty of Mineralogy that she came from used to be managed by El-Melloi anyways. In the confusion following my predecessor's death, Meluastea swooped in and took control. No doubt at the time they expected us to be extinguished without trouble, but now that we've somehow managed to pull through the mess alive, they want to play friendly enough to avoid it devolving into an all out war."
"...is that how it is..." I nodded, pretending to understand.
Actually, I probably got less than half of it. The political games of the Clock Tower were just too complicated for my head. I knew that before the Faculty of Modern Magecraft, the El-Melloi faction had been in charge of something else, but...
...at this point, there was something I was more interested in.
As fast as I could, I finished the usual work like getting the schedule in order, before finally resolving myself to ask.
"...Master, did something happen?"
"What do you mean?" he replied, looking over some documents.
Though he gave off an unapproachable air, this time I forced myself to press the issue.
"It looks like you're worried about something."
I just said what I honestly thought.
When he was explaining about Atram's Primeval Battery earlier, I felt like he normally would have had a much more composed response. The way he seemed to snap like that...though it was just a little, it felt like a response that wouldn't come from the master I knew.
Though maybe that was just me being presumptuous.
"You've completely stopped giving lectures at the main building of the Clock Tower, and even your hours here are getting reduced. Is something wrong?"
There was no reply.
With virtually no sound reaching us from outside the room, the silence within was almost painful.
"...does it have something to do with the Fifth Holy Grail War?"
"No!"
I jumped in surprise at his sudden shout. However, I don't think that surprise registered on my face. I was more than prepared to keep my expression under control against something like plain surprise.
For a while, I felt a burning in my throat that made it hard to speak, but I dropped my head and did my best to push past it.
"...I'm sorry."
I had gone too far after all.
I knew I should have been more careful, but I just spoke the first thing that came to mind.
Thinking that for some reason, maybe there was something I could do to help.
"I'll be back at sundown." Turning around, I reached to open the door.
"...please wait," my master called out just before I could open the door.
"Master...?"
There was no response.
More than being told to stop, or his anger earlier, his silence now was the most intimidating.
My master was the same as always - the same as always, but somehow more gloomy.
Even if it was just because off the numerous incidents I had also been involved in, it looked like someone had been chipping away at the usual facade he wore in a way I had never seen before.
"I'm sorry. I'll tell you," my master said.
I somehow managed to resist the sudden urge to cover my ears. I knew that whatever was troubling him was going to be too heavy for me to handle, but even so, even if for no one else, I wanted to be a person he could rely on.
Before those scales measuring those two impulses could settle, he started to speak again.
"The most precious thing I have was stolen from me."
It felt like a sharp blade had been run through my heart.
Even though he hadn't explained the details at all, unwillingly my mind filled in the blanks. I could feel the part of me that wanted to cover my ears and run adopt a devilish smile.
"That, is..."
"A relic of a certain Heroic Spirit."
I didn't even have to ask what he meant.
One of the irreplaceable parts that made him who he was. During the Iselma incident, he had offered it up in a gamble to rescue his students Flat and Svin.
I felt like my legs were going to collapse out from under me.
But, thinking of how much more it must have hurt my master, I managed to stay standing.
"B-but...why...?"
Standing, my master turned to face the wall.
"Originally it was being held at the main headquarters of the Clock Tower in London, but after the incident at Iselma last month, it was moved here. While it's true that the Fifth Holy Grail War is getting closer, I was more interested in just being able to watch over it myself.'
Clearing away a number of books on one of his shelves, my master tapped his palm against the back of it and uttered a short incantation.
A click sounded.
The back of the shelf opened up, along with the wall behind it, to reveal a hidden safe.
Even being his personal disciple, it was a mechanism I was surprised to learn about.
"A hidden safe that came with Norwich. I wouldn't be able to rest easy if it was just my magecraft keeping it locked away, after all. ...at any rate, its strength is unreasonably high. Even if it was another Lord, it would require a considerable amount of work for them to open it."
With one more incantation, he used a key from his chest pocket to open the lock.
No doubt it was a twofold lock, using both mundane technology and magecraft in concert.
Inside the safe was a single envelope.
"...but, a few days ago, the relic was missing. In its place was this envelope."
Without saying any more, he held it out.
Taking it from his hand, it looked like some sort of invitation.
From a first glance, it looked to be a formal thank you of some sort.
On the thin, crystalline paper, a deep crimson wax seal was had been pressed. The image on the seal had an eye and wheel motif, reminding me of the angels my master once told me about. This time, however, it didn't seem to have any relation to angels. It was most likely a historical symbol in magecraft, one that just happened to look similar.
Looking up at my master to see if it was okay for me to look inside, he gave me a small nod.
For the most part, the contents were as I expected.
'You are invited to attend our banquet, so by all means please make arrangements to do so.' Written in a flowing, cursive script, a signature was placed at the end.
Representative of the Manager of the Mystic Eye Collecting Train.
"This, is..."
Seeing such an ominous name for the first time, I swallowed nervously as my master whispered.
"The Mystic Eye Collecting Train - Rail Zeppelin. As it's name implies, it's a train that runs through the forests of Europe, collecting any and all Mystic Eyes. Once a year, they put their collections on display and hold an auction for them."
"An auction?"
At the familiarity of that word, my brow furrowed.
"You mean...there are people out there interested enough in collecting Mystic Eyes, that they would go to such a thing?"
"Of course, there are those who are interested in them for purely academic reasons. But the Rail Zeppelin has a special meaning to it."
Slowly, my master lowered himself back into his seat.
He made no effort to hide the overwhelming fatigue radiating from him.
"What special meaning is that?"
"Transplanting," he said, putting a hand to his own eyes.
Even then, it took me a moment to understand.
After blinking a few times, it finally sunk in.
"...transplanting?!"
I blurted out.
"Yes, exactly like it sounds. Originally, Mystic Eyes are something developed and rooted within your own body, so even removing them is incredibly difficult. But the Rail Zeppelin is an exception to that. Ignoring all problems of physical rejection and the like, not just extracting them, they are capable of transplanting Mystic Eyes directly into a new host without risk of failure."
Stunned, I stood silent.
Just how out of this world was this place?
Of course, the idea of getting their hands on Mystic Eyes likely made most magi water at the mouth. Even as incomplete as her control of them was, I recalled just how envious my master had been of Reines' own. In short, just like Magic Circuits - weren't Mystic Eyes a talent one had to be born with?
My master took a deep breath.
Pulling a cigar out from the case in his coat, he cut the tip with the cigar cutter on his desk. Extraordinarily slowly, he struck a match, lit the tip, and raised it to his lips.
A heavy, thick smoke filled the air.
"...allow me to explain one thing," he whispered softly.
As if the scent of smoke had reclaimed his former self, his voice returned to its usual calm.
Maybe for my master, the cigar was something like a mask to him. Wrapping himself in that scent and smoke to hide his true self.
"Sight is the first magecraft in human history. Among the five senses, sight is the one that provides the most information. As such, many cultures across the world came to fear the Evil Eye, and many mysteries of the natural world were explained through eyes."
"Natural phenomena, you mean?"
"For example, the Sun and Moon," my master nodded, pointing at the ceiling. "Both are often described as the eyes of Heaven. The Eye of Horus from Egypt is a particularly famous example, but his right eye was the Sun and his left was the Moon, according to tradition. Because the eyes of Heaven were always looking on, people believed that if one committed sin, they would be punished for it. That's why the God of the Sun often has the role of upholding justice. As such, though the Sun is thought of as the source of numerous blessings, it also thought of as the bringer of many disasters, such as droughts.
Later, the Trinitarian doctrine of Christianity tied into the same idea - the eyes of the omnipotent God became connected to his providence over all things. Even the conspiracy theories of the Free Masons are all caught up in this same theory."
As my master's lecture ventured into the territory of the occult, he strangely seemed to relax. His tendency of giving lectures seemed to be a thing I was getting sucked into as a daily occurrence.
"From these natural phenomena, things like the eye of a hurricane are also common. Ah, you should know that the clouds surrounding the eye of a storm like that are called the Eyewall, right?"
"Ah...yes,"
I nodded.
"In short, the storm itself is considered a single eye. From there, the association of wind and storms with divinity creates a connection to the eye as well. Balor, the king of the Fomorians in Celtic Myth, and Odin from Norse Mythology are the archetypal examples there."
Both were of course famous enough that even I knew their names.
The King of the Evil Eye Balor, and the one-eyed God of Magic Odin. One, with a single eye whose gaze could annihilate entire armies. The other, who gave up one of his eyes in exchange for omniscient knowledge of all things.
"On top of that, the earth itself has eyes too," my master continued, pointing at the ground.
"The earth?"
"Think of the mouth of a volcano. The image of a bright red eye piercing through the darkness of night is strongly connected to the image of the evil eye. Though not as numerous as gods of the storm, there are cases where these symbols were granted to goddesses of the earth. A famous example of this would be the Gorgon - Medusa, from Greek mythology."
He blew a cloud of smoke.
The room filled with grey smoke reminiscent of a volcano's. Smelling the sulfur of volcanic gases and seeing the bright red glow of lava, was it any wonder ancient people came to fear them as magical eyes of the land?
Heaven, Storms, and the Earth.
Each one had its own magic eyes.
If that's the case, then there was no doubt that we were always being watched.
"In a manner of speaking, the black holes discovered by modern science could also be said to be eyes born of natural phenomena. Though there was no way the ancient storytellers could have known, there is a conceptual similarity between them and
, a manifestation of Shiva in Hindu mythology. The European Organization for Nuclear Research CERN also uses Nataraja, another aspect of Shiva, in one of their decorative statues. The dance of Nataraja is supposed to represent the behaviour of the elementary particles, but you can also look at it as one aspect of Shiva showing the movement of Magical Energy on a micro level, while black holes symbolize the magical eye aspect of Shiva on a macro level."
"I...see..."
Though I understood less than half of what was said, I could understand the importance of it.
An eye in the far off cosmos.
Far beyond what we could ever hope to reach, there existed someone watching us. Both magecraft and science sought to draw closer to that observer, even if only a little.
"...now, beyond that discussion, within the Clock Tower Mystic Eyes have their own system of ranking. There are even those who can create Mystic Eyes of lower quality. Of course it goes without saying, they fetch a high price for their work, and it's not like their success rate is a hundred percent."
Leaning back in his chair, my master continued.
"But for true Mystic Eyes - those that occur naturally, and especially those of Noble colours, there is no option to acquire a transplant except the Rail Zeppelin. Considering their scarcity and success rate, even Barthomelloi and Trambelio would hesitate to cross them. Ah, you should understand now after all that. Transplanting powerful Mystic Eyes into someone is like cutting off a piece of a storm, or a flow of magma, and sealing it within a person."
Though somewhat circuitous, we finally found our way back to the topic at hand.
But thanks to that, I now fully understood just how abnormal it was to talk about transplanting Mystic Eyes. Much more than just an impressive feat, it was a terrifying proposition, one that filled my body with an icy terror.
"Apparently, only one time in its history, that auction was thrown off course. Apparently, that Touko Aozaki and her familiar caused a bit of a ruckus. Since then, rather than confining itself to Scandinavia, it's been showing up repeatedly all over Europe."
I was taken aback by the sudden mention of that name.
The magus we met at the Twin Towers of Iselma - in a way, connected directly to the culprit - a Grand class magus whose behaviour could only be described as heretical.
"...well, if it was her, then..."
"True enough," my master echoed my feelings, a bitter expression on his face.
"On the other hand, that means the only one who was able to throw them off track was a Grand. How many magi of the Clock Tower have even seen one of these invitations in person? ...and why did one appear here, in place of that thing?"
I could hear the sound of teeth grinding.
A sound with an ominous strength, making me worry about the health of his teeth. And within his eyes, a fiercely burning flame. Where on earth had that kind of passion been hiding itself?
"It seems there's nothing to do but go. I don't seem to have any other options," he said, as if to steel his own resolve.
"Gray," he spoke curtly.
My master - Lord El-Melloi II, turned to me with his request.
"Would you accompany me to the Rail Zeppelin?"
Originally Posted by You
I'm probably more impressed that someone recognized it lol
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