Epilogue:
There was a diurnal cycle in Albion as well.
To be precise, it was probably only the case on the first layer, where the Mining City was situated.
Though the only thing that marked the difference between day and night was the brightness of the glowing dome, the change had been carefully planned by the Arcane Dissection Division based on a paper about increasing work efficiency.
Currently, it was the middle of the “night”.
On a hill some distance from the city stood a figure.
“Is this place alright?” Faker said, laying down the man she was carrying.
Though to all appearances the gesture seemed brusque, she was gentle as she placed him onto a rock. Heartless breathed several short, pained breaths that sounded like his last and opened his eyes slightly.
“It’s beautiful.” He said, smiling.
The lights of the Mining City shone like the stars above would on the surface, but they seemed all the brighter because of the absence of stars in this “sky”.
“Kurou used to love this sight. But he also wished to see the real sky,” said Heartless. “…Ah, he was so happy when he first came to London. He never would have thought that the department head he met was actually himself.”
He laughed shakily, a strange expression on his face.
If this was fate, it was a little too ironic to bear.
As both Kurou and Heartless, it was only natural that he felt something special as he looked upon the city. Heartless’ past as a young man had long left him, while Kurou’s future as an adult had slipped from his fingers.
“You really have no reservations about drowning yourself in nostalgia,” said Faker, sitting down so she could gaze at the city from the same perspective as Heartless. “If you die, I shall disappear as well.”
“…Yes. Since the spell has been taken apart, I’m your only Master. If I, the keystone, die, you have no choice but to disappear.”
“You truly are a terrible Master,” Faker criticized with the same expression as before. “You summoned a Servant for something other than the Holy Grail War. You told me that you sought to grant your wish, but you backed down at the last moment to rescue me. I thought that at least you might seek your revenge, but instead you fled. What in the world have you to say for yourself?”
“Hahaha. I have nothing.”
Heartless nodded; there was no denying Faker’s words. It was clear that he was not going to live for long. Such was the result of using his heart as a portal after having exhausted his Od.
There was suddenly a light sound. Faker had flicked Heartless’ forehead with her forefinger.
“I did say that I do not hate a weak expression such as yours. I must see you when you drink,” Faker said, taking a small bottle of wine from Heartless, who looked a little surprised. “Let us drink as you promised me.”
“A promise is a promise.”
At Faker’s urging, Heartless took a single sip of his wine. Satisfied, Faker drank hers in large gulps.
“I am glad that I met you, even though all I gained in the end was this wine.”
A cool breeze caressed the hills, ruffling the warrior’s black hair as it passed by.
After some more wine, Faker suddenly spoke up.
“Did you keep your relationship with Kurou a secret because you did not trust me? If so, you played the part of a stranger poorly.”
“I was just trying to be honest. My memories as Kurou are vivid, but they feel like they happened in another life. Haha, I’m like a ghost motivated by my previous incarnation. How could I confide in anyone about something as silly as that?” Heartless confessed through pained breaths.
Though it had lost all its color, his face carried a trace of happiness.
“You look like you enjoy being with me. That must mean that I really am a ghost.”
“Yes. You are correct.” Faker said with a nod. Her eyes were fixed out into the night, as though she didn’t care about the pain her master suffered. “This place is one of the ends of the world, is it not? That means I have seen something with you that even my king did not. Though it was only for a moment, I dreamt that my king had become a Divine Spirit. I know I will lose those memories should I be summoned again, but…”
Faker turned. Heartless’ face was reflected in her heterochromatic eyes.
“Even if in the end we are both nameless ghosts forgotten by the world, my journey with you has been meaningful, Heartless.”
“…I’m glad you think so.”
Perhaps because he didn’t even have the energy to smile anymore, his reply seemed to fall to the ground.
“I don’t completely agree with you, though.” He denied, lowering his head. Continuing, Heartless spoke in the same even tone any normal teacher might have used, “What you said gives me meaning, even though you are about to disappear, and I am about to die. Actually, I’ve already died.”
“……”
Faker held her breath as if she had something she wanted to say.
But she didn’t speak again, because Heartless never did, either.
“Goodnight, Heartless, the man who forgot his dreams.” She said, closing his eyes with her pale fingers.
Faker took a final sip of wine and pressed her lips to Heartless’.
His throat quivered a little.
Then, everything melted into the fog of the night.
*
The uproar in the Clock Tower calmed down after a while, probably because all three factions decided to pretend that it never happened. Though I didn’t know what Touko had told the neutral Faction, all that mattered was that, by some miracle, they agreed.
The Aristocratic Faction also sent a few construction workers and mages to Slur Street, and in a matter of days had completely restored it to its former state as a demonstration of the faction’s power. Or, I suppose I should say that it was a demonstration of the difference in our power.
In any case, I was lying on the office’s table and complaining, as I had been doing ever since the Grand Roll ended.
I was exhausted, utterly exhausted.
“Hey, elder brother,” I called out, rubbing my shoulder, which was on the brink of falling apart. “I feel like I’m about to die, so would you mind handling the rest of the work for me?”
“I’m sure you will work until the moment you die, sister.”
What a heartless response. I, his little sister, had gone through so much in the meeting while he was galivanting through the maze. Did he have dry ice in his veins instead of blood?
After the Grand Roll, my brother reunited with his companions in the Ancient Heart and used the same portal as I had to return to the Mining City. Of course, there was a checkpoint on the route from Spirit Tomb Albion to the surface, but that was handled under the pretense that the Grand Roll never took place. Heartless’ talismans and bags had also been taken care of. My brother had only just returned after a week of checkups, possibly because they were afraid he would bring some kind of germ to the surface.
As usual, or even more so than usual, seeing the wrinkles on his forehead was a great source of respite.
“Whatever the case may be, it’s better than rotting in a place like that.” My brother said as he read from a large pile of documents.
Either way, I had no choice but to continue efficiently organizing documents that were as boring as my brother. This time, though, the problem was different.
After signing his name on a few papers, my brother turned to the person sitting on the sofa beside us.
“Right, Hishiri Adashino?”
“Well, what do I know? Some mages would much rather rot in Albion,” said the furisode-clad woman.
She had received a report from the Department of Law and was examining it closely.
Though I said that, her presence was little more than a formality. Because we had decided to destroy all the records of the Grand Roll, all of the numbers were made up. It was ridiculous that we had to double-check fake numbers, but we needed to make sure that they were convincing. Real numbers could scare people just because they were real. To make fake ones achieve the same effect, we needed to dress them up.
After a time, my brother spoke up.
“Are you satisfied now?”
“…I suppose I am no longer dissatisfied,” Hishiri said with a hint of hesitation.
Heartless’ body had yet to be found. I didn’t know where he teleported to, but it must have been somewhere inside Spirit Tomb Albion. Surely the factions that knew he planned on bringing back the magecraft of the Age of the Gods were scouring the labyrinth for anything he left behind. I wondered what they would find.
“What will you do if you find Kurou Adashino?” My brother asked.
“I’m not sure. Isn’t that strange?”
“No, it isn’t.”
Hishiri smiled at my mentor’s answer.
“It wasn’t until I became a student of the Department of Law that I realized that Heartless’ student might be my brother. There is only so much that one can entrust to a newcomer, but it just so happened that I was put in charge of the Department of Modern Magecraft.”
I see, I thought as I listened in on their conversation.
The fact that she was Norwich’s adopted daughter must have played a part in that decision as well. Norwich was connected to the Department of Modern Magecraft— it was named after him, after all. Though it wasn’t an official way of getting a position, personal connections were important in society.
“Exploring past incidents, I soon realized that Kurou might be Kurou Adashino. It was a natural conclusion to come to. I also noticed immediately that my brother and Heartless had disappeared at the same time. But why? I wanted to find out about him. I first considered that my brother and Heartless might have switched places.”
“It’s only natural to want to learn more about your sibling.”
It was a clichéd thing for an older brother to say, but it served its purpose here. At least, it didn’t make me have to force back a look of exasperation.
“Lord El-Melloi II,” Hishiri called out, “What would Kurou Adashino - or Heartless - have thought of me?”
“Well…”
My brother paused in the middle of a signature as he thought of what to say.
Trimmau spoke before he could.
“Miss, you have a visitor.”
The door to the office opened a few seconds later.
“Oh, you’re here as well.” Said the new arrival, smiling pleasantly at the sight of Hishiri.
My brother stood up immediately and bowed.
“I am glad you seem to be doing well, Ms. Inorai.”
“Hey, are you being sarcastic? This was an absolutely exhausting affair.”
Rubbing her neck, the old woman from the Department of Creation produced some papers.
“Here’s a boring report on the policy that we’ve decided on after discussing it with the Arcane Dissection Division. I was wondering if the Department of Modern Magecraft would be willing to cooperate with us.”
“So, you want to hire people to reassess Spirit Tomb Albion and request the Clock Tower to send more explorers?”
I see, so that was what they decided on.
After all, the Grand Roll where the subject was the redevelopment of Spirit Tomb Albion had never happened. But that didn’t mean their plan had been rejected. Even if they took a fall, they refused to take the fall for nothing. That was how the Democratic Faction operated. They didn’t give a damn about the Aristocratic Faction’s grace.
“Understood. I’ll inform my students.”
“Why, thank you. I look forward to their work.”
“Some students learn best in that kind of environment. It is not my place to stop them from going if they wish.” My brother answered. His next question came suddenly. “What does the Grand Roll mean to you?”
“Heartless is dead, isn’t he?” Inorai replied with a closed eye, finally confirming what had gone unsaid.
She rubbed her temples as she continued.
“In any case, I shall answer, even though you should have asked it earlier. I see it as a celebration. Life gets dull without a little excitement now and again, don’t you think?”
That was how she hunted down and helped people. In her eyes, everything was just a piece on a chessboard, to be moved around to make her position more advantageous. I doubted she would even hesitate to stake her own life in her chess game. Even machines had the most basic sense of self-preservation. What in the world could have made her live like this?
Though she had helped Heartless set a trap for my brother, she would have no trouble smiling and asking for our cooperation in the future.
“I’ve got to make an appearance at the
. I’ll be back soon.”
“Please send my regards to McDonell.”
“I’ll be sure to.”
Hishiri stood up immediately as Inorai turned to walk out.
“I should leave as well. Ms. Inorai, may I have a word?”
“Oh, an invitation from the Department of Law. How worrying. —I’m kidding, of course. How about we go to that modern Chinese restaurant around here? I recently met the chef there, you know, and I plan on making an investment in it.”
“I would be honored to.”
I wondered what would happen between the two of them from now on. Even though the Grand Roll had never happened, this game of schemes would continue. As long as the Clock Tower continued to exist, meaningless political battles would, too.
Our dance would not end because the stage shifted slightly.
Hishiri turned just as she was about to exit the room.
“Thank you, Lord El-Melloi II. I am sure we will meet again soon.”
With an exotic smile reminiscent of the Far East, the witch(TN: derogatory) from the Department of Law walked away.
*
“Ugh, we’ll never get rid of those two, will we?” I said with a look of utter disgust after the two of them had gone. “They both have this look in their eyes that means nothing good. Why do you insist on associating with the most troublesome people all the time?”
“Like you have any right to complain about it.”
I wasn’t completely unsympathetic toward my brother, who had nothing else to say in response. But that wouldn’t be enough to stop me from continuing to exploit him. I hoped he would understand that I was sorry for being a little too honest.
“‘I don’t know how to say goodbye. I can’t think of any words.’”
“Shut up, Trimmau.”
It was clever of her to quote Roman Holiday here. I wondered how advanced her AI was to allow her to find the right quote. Though I had given her an intellect based on my brother’s advice, its basis was the computing function of Kayneth’s Volumen Hydrargyrum, so I didn’t know how she would develop in the future.
There was one last thing that bothered me.
(…The Holy Grail War, huh?)
Everyone’s hands had been tied, so the Fifth Holy Grail War in the Far East had basically been left on its own. But what if there was another one? Without Heartless, there was no one to cover it up. The veil protecting the Holy Grail War had been lifted. Next time, the Clock Tower would set its sights on it. I wondered what disasters would result.
It was impossible for me to be optimistic in the face of Heroic Spirits, which no mage could handle. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was only the beginning.
“…Whatever, worrying won’t get me anywhere.”
I stood up and retrieved my favorite coat from the closet.
“Reines, we still have documents to sort through.”
“I need a break. I’ve got a pretty important mission. You should come with me.”
*
—I didn’t mind waiting.
Winter was my favorite season. Though the dorm corridors had central heating, I loved the cold breeze and warming up my fingers with my breath.
Or maybe I just liked the feeling of waiting for someone, because it made me feel hopeful. I loved the feeling of knowing that someone would surely come.
A little while ago, I saw a few specks of white outside the window.
It was snowing, something that probably didn’t happen in Spirit Tomb Albion.
For a while, I did nothing but watch snowflakes drift to the ground with my birdcage in my hands, as if doing so would change me from incomplete gray to pure white. I only snapped out of it when three people appeared in the hallway.
“Sir, Miss Reines.”
“Hey!” The girl with the mercury maid behind her said, waving cheerfully.
My mentor looked as glum as usual, but he brightened a little when he saw me.
“Oh, I didn’t know you were here, Gray.”
“Um…”
“It’s an important mission. Did you think we’d be able to handle it without her?” Reines said, coming to my rescue when I was at a loss for words. “Look, just follow me.”
Reines grabbed mine and my mentor’s hands. I wish I was brave enough to do something like that, but for now, I was just glad to feel the warmth of her fingers.
Two more people awaited us at the end of the hallway.
“Professor!”
It was Flat and Svin.
“Why are you two here?” My mentor said, frowning as if he was wondering what they were up to this time.
Flat twirled around. “Well, Professor, the answer will be revealed after a short message from our sponsors, so don’t guess, okay? Ready? 3, 2, 1, whoo—!”
Flat spun on his tiptoes like a ballet dancer, a flash banner unfurling as he spread his arms.
“Welcome back to rebuilt Slur Street!” Cried several students in unison.
They emerged from beneath their cloaking spell and crowded into the hallway, laughing. Behind them stood a group of clapping teachers, including Mr. Shardan.
“You lot…” My mentor said, covering his face with his hands.
“Surely this degree of relaxation is acceptable.” Said someone standing on the side. Her perfect golden curls were unmistakable.
“You too, Luvia?”
“I also invited Seigen and Flue, but they refused because they are not from the Clock Tower. They told me to send their congratulations to you. I also heard that Flue met Geraff again.”
“…I see.”
There was a trace of warmth in my mentor’s voice.
Though Flue hadn’t seen the old man since he escaped Albion, it seemed that he still cared about his teacher. I also breathed a sigh of relief at the knowledge that they had reunited.
“Speaking of which, I’ve given them rewards for their help in Albion. I’d hope my brother doesn’t think his dear little sister is cruel enough to use people without paying them.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. I know you prefer to pay your helpers well so you can take advantage of them for years to come.”
“Can’t you leave that part out?” Reines replied without denying it.
I finally felt like I was home.
Strange. Why did I feel like crying? There wasn’t anything to be sad about anymore. I knew I should be happy, but the feelings from our long, long journey had finally caught up with me.
I saw Svin’s nose twitch.
“The Professor and Gray-tan can come back later! We’ll be making preparations!”
“Huh? Aren’t we going to lead them on a tour, Le Chien-kun?”
“Yes, yes, we’ll do that later. Make sure to come back soon!” Svin called out, nudging Flat back down the hallway. All of the other students followed them. I saw Yvette mouth “just this once” as she pointed at me.
“Sir?”
“I’m a little tired of all this hustle. Let’s take a detour.” Said my mentor, who had remained behind with me.
*
Finally, the clouds parted, and a ray of sunlight appeared through the snow.
“I have a question,” I said as the sound of our footsteps echoed down the empty hallway. I hadn’t polished my mentor’s shoes in a while. Maybe it was time to buy more polish.
“Ask away, my fair lady.”
[1]
“I’ve finally realized that you haven’t given up on meeting your king, Sir.” I said, a little embarrassed.
“…Well- I- …So you found out.” My mentor said in a quiet voice.
Of course I found it out. What made him think that I wouldn’t have?
—“
I will spend my life trying to reach you.”
It almost didn’t sound like something my mentor would say, which meant that he had plenty of other thoughts that he kept to himself.
My mentor took out a cigar as if he gave up on trying to hide it.
“You don’t mind if I smoke, do you?”
“Of course not.”
I nodded. My mentor cut off the cigar’s tip, lit it with a match, and put it to his lips. The slight aroma of the smoke began to spread.
Ah, I missed this, too.
“
The Army of the King
Ionioi Hetairoi
can summon thousands of Heroic Spirits,” said my mentor as smoke swirled in the air, “It should be impossible to summon so many. Not every soldier under Iskandar should qualify as someone who carved their name into history.”
He rattled off facts like he did when he gave lectures on magecraft, but the way he stood wreathed in smoke reminded me of someone looking through photos of precious memories.
“That means it must be the other way around. Iskandar’s soldiers were not heroes before they joined him. They only became heroes because of the bonds they forged with him.”
So this was what my mentor had been secretly wondering.
“In that case, maybe I have some kind of hidden skill as one of his subordinates. Even if I don’t have the capacity to become a Heroic Spirit…”
He looked a little embarrassed, as if he was a child whose parents had found out about his scribbles. I found it unfair that he sometimes made that kind of face.
I didn’t manage to stop myself from smiling, but I blamed that on him.
“I don’t think it’s wrong to think that way,” I said, nodding and trying to force back the smile that was reflected in the window. I immediately pulled my hood down to hide the strand of golden hair that had appeared there.
“Gray…”
“My body is still changing.”
It was slowly morphing into that of King Arthur. Though the process had stabilized after we left Albion, I didn’t know when it would start again. Once it did, there was no guessing what else would change.
“…I’ll probably cause you more trouble in the future,” I admitted. “Is it still okay for me to stay with you, Sir?”
“As I said before, I’d be more troubled without you.” My mentor replied immediately, stepping forward again with his cigar in hand.
I was with my mentor. His forgiveness relieved me. I was so afraid of causing trouble for him, and for this place, but now I knew that not causing trouble would be selfish as well.
It was probably one of the few things I learned since I came to London.
“I don’t mean to give you any false hope,” my mentor continued after a pause, “Heartless’ magecraft contained much regarding your relationship with King Arthur. Combined with the secrets left behind by Kayneth, there should be a way to stop your condition from progressing further. It’s beyond my abilities, of course, but with Flat or Svin’s help… Either way, I’ll have to count on you to help me with the fieldwork.”
“…Of course!”
I nodded forcefully. And then—
“Ihihihihi! Since you’re causing trouble and being troubled by other people, you must have grown up!” Said a grating voice.
*
—There was one last thing. A secret that I hadn’t even told my mentor—
*
Right before the Divine Spirit disappeared during the battle in Albion, I thought I heard a loud, self-assured voice.
“
So you managed to beat my shadow, huh?”
I wasn’t sure if I had actually heard such a voice. Maybe I wanted to hear it so badly that I hallucinated it.
Iskandar shouldn’t have retained his memories of my mentor after being summoned this time. I recalled learning from my mentor that in magecraft, mages must make a sharp distinction between real spiritual entities and figments of the imagination because of the complexity of the unconscious mind.
—No. In hindsight, as a Divine Spirit, maybe he could see the world across time and space. That was why he remembered my mentor— or, perhaps it would be more accurate to say it was how he learned of my mentor’s memories of him.
Either way, I couldn’t talk to my mentor about something this important before I figured it out.
“
Well, I must reward my subjects for their work, but I cannot even guarantee my own existence now.”
“
I was a Divine Spirit for a moment, so take this tiny miracle as a reward. Your dreams are all so puny anyway.”
So was it real or not? I wondered as I held the miracle as if it would shatter.
The glowing scythe was disassembled into many small pieces and became a box once again. The box had talked nonstop for ten years now, guarding me in the place of my mother, who could not voice her love.
It should have stopped working to protect me, and yet—
“Gray…” My mentor’s voice came from behind me.
It was only natural that he was too shocked to say anything else. I could hardly believe it myself. I had already accepted that I could not reverse it, no matter what I did.
“…Add?”
“Mmhmm?”
The eyes on the boxes opened groggily.
“Oh, it’s you…I’m a bit sleepy…”
“Add!” I exclaimed, hugging the box tight. “Add! Add…!”
“W-what are you doing, stupid Gray? Wait, no, don’t, don’t—!”
My friend’s voice echoed throughout the Ancient Heart, ending this case with my greatest blessing.
—END—
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[1] Editor's note: Waver didn’t get bullied enough in high school. How you gonna be 30 years old and still be saying this shit? If I were Gray I would've snapped him in half.
Originally Posted by ProtoformX
I made updated PDF/EPUB versions of volumes 6 and 7...
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