Ch.594Side Episode – Camilla’s Bizarre Adventure

# Dark Night

A bright moon rises over the snowy field draped with clouds.

The fading moonlight and the cool glow blend harmoniously together.

Light flowing from the northern magic stone mines, infused with cold magical energy, paints the night sky like the Milky Way, with a grandeur that rivals the Northern European aurora.

Yet the multitude of stars only glimmer in the background like misty flowers,

While the solitary full moon alone watches over the vast wilderness.

“……”

Camilla raised her head and took in the night sky.

## Side Episode – Camilla’s Bizarre Adventure

There are never days without stars.

The human heart is the same.

Everyone begins with their own stars inside them.

Just as a star once born continues to shine, one’s initial resolve also steadily sparkles as long as it doesn’t lose its light.

However, even stars born from high-density clouds of dark matter and gas eventually face their moment of death.

Because life and death are one and the same.

Just as all living beings face death from the moment of birth, even stars that shine for what seems like eternity will someday meet their end.

-Crunch, crunch…

As the bitter winter cold penetrated to the bone,

Camilla walked up and down the quiet, sleeping mountain path.

Like those burdened with anguish, her steps were unbearably heavy.

Her heavy footsteps weren’t merely due to witnessing a strange scene.

Of course, she couldn’t deny that the grotesquely transformed people were among the reasons for her distress.

“What are you doing out here looking so melancholy?”

With a soft crunch, the sound of snow breaking beneath footsteps suddenly shattered the silence.

The Grand Duke appeared beside her.

Whether she had used teleportation magic, blue magical energy gently dispersed over her shoulder. It was a manifestation of magic without any warning or sound.

“Ah, Professor…”

“Are you taking a walk? Disappearing without a word.”

“Something like that.”

Camilla gave a brief answer and lowered her head for a moment.

“While I admire your thoughtfulness in taking a walk for your health, the northern forest is more dangerous than a child might think. The night air is cold. Let’s go back.”

How she knew to find her here was a mystery. The archmage gently admonished her disciple.

But despite her mentor’s concerned words, Camilla showed no intention of turning back.

On the quietly sleeping snowy mountain, two sets of footprints, one large and one small, stretched out in a long line.

The archmage, unbothered by the white breath in the cold air, and the young mage taking slow, steady steps.

The two walked along the path in silence for a while.

It was clearly different from her usual demeanor. This was the judgment of a mentor who had observed her disciple closely.

The usually chatty mouth was now firmly closed, the corners of her eyes that were typically upturned now drooped,

She seemed captivated by something, whether silence or contemplation.

The clearly changed attitude of her disciple brought undeniable worry.

That’s why the mentor spoke first.

“Do you have something troubling you?”

The question, blurted out without any sign of tension, was simple. In a way, it felt so clear that it seemed to pierce right to the heart.

“It’s not really a worry…”

“You’re telling a pointless lie.”

Alexandra Petrova chuckled and continued.

“If you want to deceive someone, deceive a dragon. Don’t try to deceive your mentor.”

It was a seemingly playful rebuke.

Camilla, who had been slowly moving her feet, suddenly looked up at the night sky.

“Professor.”

“Yes, you called?”

“When you first used magic, what did you think?”

On the path through the quiet forest, Alexandra Petrova looked ahead with a mysterious expression.

“I think I felt joy at the reward after all the hardship, and also sadness remembering all the struggles. It was complicated.”

“Let me change the question. After manifesting your first magic, how did you decide to use it?”

“……”

Grand Duke Alexandra Petrova gently clasped her hands behind her back.

“Well…”

Despite her disciple’s question, the Grand Duke was reluctant to speak.

Silence continued.

With only the sound of footsteps on snow continuing, her silence was broken after a considerable time had passed.

“I don’t know if I’ve told you this, but magic wasn’t something I sought to acquire. I was born with it, so I couldn’t shake it off.”

The Grand Duke said.

“I never wished for magic, not even for a moment.”

There was no need to ask why she said such a thing.

Likewise, there was no reason to continue questioning.

When the Grand Duke opened her mouth again with a seemingly complex voice, Camilla finally understood why.

“How could I wish for the magic that killed my mother?”

“……”

“When a child with vast magical power is in the womb, the mother’s life becomes increasingly endangered with each passing day. Even with medicine, magic, and theology, it’s an extremely dangerous phenomenon. Even now with highly advanced medical science, let alone 100 years ago.”

If there was a descriptor that symbolized Alexandra Petrova, it would undoubtedly be “archmage.”

But 100 years ago, the descriptor that symbolized her wasn’t “archmage.”

The princess who devoured her mother.

That was the expression that once symbolized the archmage who had been a princess. A kind of scarlet letter, one might say.

Alexandra Petrova walked along the mountain path with a seemingly composed expression.

“My mother couldn’t withstand the child’s magical power and passed away, and the child born that way suffered from illness, unable to control her magic. Unable to leave her bed, constantly suffering. For a full 13 years.”

They called it an inexplicable illness.

The Emperor exhausted all the imperial treasures for his daughter, but there was no improvement.

The clergy who had saved the sick from the brink of death could only plead for mercy from the celestial deity but offered no help, and renowned physicians all shook their heads at the incomprehensible symptoms.

Day by day, she was dying,

Until a wandering witch came to the imperial palace.

“Then, a mage came after hearing the rumors. She said that what the child was suffering from wasn’t illness, but simply an inability to harness magical power. She guaranteed that if the child could properly understand and handle it, everything would naturally be resolved.”

“……”

“That person became my mentor.”

The princess left the imperial palace with the wandering witch’s hand in hers. To the northern part of the empire, where fierce winds raged.

And as time passed and passed.

The princess who had devoured her mother returned to the palace as a mage, and later grew into an archmage after waging war against the church.

Archmage Alexandra Petrova answered as she silently climbed the mountain path.

It was the answer to the question her disciple had first asked.

“So I was happy. Finally free from the clutches of death. And that’s why I was sad. Only now able to handle magic.”

“……”

“Magic was like a shadow I couldn’t shake off. It was also a duty. To the imperial family I was born into, to the freedom my mentor wished for, to the north where I belonged. It always was, and still is.”

“……”

“Does that answer your question?”

In the solemn atmosphere, Camilla slowly nodded.

“…Yes.”

*

A moment of silence fell.

Alexandra Petrova finally unclasped her hands from behind her back and put them in her pockets.

“Now it’s your turn.”

“……”

“Why did you ask such a question?”

The answer didn’t come easily.

The disciple remained silent at her mentor’s question.

Seeing that she had much to think about, the mentor didn’t rebuke her disciple and waited patiently.

“…I was just happy.”

Camilla, who had been silently looking at the sky, said.

“But reality turned out to be very different from what I thought.”

“In what way?”

“I thought everything would be solved if I had power.”

“Was there something specific you wanted to solve?”

“Many things.”

Hmm.

The chilly night air blew in. Camilla groaned softly as she pulled her open coat tighter.

“A while back, I went to a place called Iraq for volunteer work. With my sister.”

She still vividly remembers.

Screams from the market amid rising dust clouds.

The deafening sirens of ambulances. Patients being rushed to hospitals by taxis and motorcycles.

ISIL, having lost the capital Raqqa and its spiritual leader, was scattered into cell organizations but remained as fierce as ever.

Seniors who had graduated early and entered the “company” regarded them as mere remnants,

But the scenes witnessed in Mosul were too shocking to be the work of mere remnants.

She recalls that unforgettable moment she saw then.

“There, I saw a child carrying a corpse on a cart. He said it was his father. That terrorists had hidden in the ruins and shot at them. He asked me to save his father…”

“……”

“I found there was nothing I could do.”

She felt powerless. The first intense emotion she ever experienced in her life wore the face of profound helplessness.

Today is the same.

“I thought something would change if I had power. But… seeing today, it doesn’t seem like anything has changed.”

Over 300 initial victims.

Countless people who died before they arrived.

Potential victims who might still be increasing due to the reanimated corpses, and the suspects in the detention center whose fate—whether alive or dead—remains unknown.

She knows the results are already irreversible, but still. If only she had come here a little earlier.

Perhaps she could have done something.

Such thoughts kept circling in her mind.

“……”

“……”

The two walked through the snow without much conversation, making soft crunching sounds.

Alexandra Petrova exhaled a small breath and looked at Camilla, who couldn’t take her eyes off the night sky.

“It’s not your fault.”

“Still, doesn’t great power come with great responsibility?”

“Death is an inevitable order that no one can escape. Life is finite, and even a child’s talents have clear limits.”

“……”

It wasn’t particularly helpful advice.

Despite the clear intention of consideration, it was difficult to shake off the strange uneasiness.

Camilla smiled with a mysterious expression.

And in that, Alexandra Petrova recognized her disciple’s heart.

“You’re trying to shoulder everything alone.”

No answer came. Only silence continued.

Nevertheless, the archmage steadfastly continued speaking.

“That’s a foolish thought. Born as humans, both you and I have limitations. Abandon the attitude of taking on overwhelming responsibilities beyond your capacity. That’s not courage, but recklessness.”

“If I have the power to save others but don’t act and give up easily… isn’t that… a problem?”

“When you try to save everyone and end up losing everyone, will you still be as stubborn as you are now?”

Her steps came to a halt.

Alexandra Petrova stood in place and turned toward Camilla.

“What brought you to the north today wasn’t to prevent even a single casualty. It was to save tens of thousands of lives that might otherwise perish.”

“……”

“Choices are difficult for everyone.”

But child.

“Remember that even after making a choice, the outcome can still change.”

With a soft step, Alexandra Petrova approached Camilla and fixed her collar.

White breath dispersed faintly, and two pairs of blue eyes intertwined in silence.

The disciple looked up at her mentor, at her eyes, with round eyes.

And the mentor placed her hand on her disciple’s shoulder.

“Don’t try to solve everything alone.”

“……”

“You are never alone.”

*

There was a commotion when two guests went missing without a word, but it soon quieted down.

The two mages, who had been nowhere to be seen, reappeared at the detention center through teleportation.

“Your Highness! Your Highness!”

Just as she was patting Camilla’s back, who was complaining of nausea and panting, someone came running from afar.

It was the Public Security Bureau Chief they had met earlier.

“The traitors, the traitors…!”

He pointed accusingly toward the detention center as if he had witnessed a demon.

It was an unexpected outburst.

Momentarily startled by the sudden shouting, the Grand Duke, realizing he had just received the news, gestured to calm him down.

“I know. I’ve already seen them turn into monsters.”

“Ah, I see…”

It was obvious, but the fact that the suspected rebels had transformed into living plant pots was kept strictly confidential. Anyone outside the detention center wouldn’t have known.

The Public Security Bureau Chief, sensing the situation, began scratching his bare scalp.

“Well, the thing is, I have something urgent to show you…”

He caught his breath and fumbled to take something out and present it.

Alexandra Petrova received it, and Camilla peeked over her shoulder to see it together.

“What’s this? Looks like evidence.”

“It’s the interrogation records from when the traitors were still normal, intelligence gathered before their arrest… and facts established by investigating the rebels who are still alive.”

Still alive?

Both their eyes widened instantly.

“There were survivors?”

“Yes. Specifically, a few informants from underground organizations, and personnel who were arrested elsewhere and were being prepared for transfer here… But, but, it was discovered that one of them is a high-ranking official, so I rushed to report!”

It was news that some of the suspected rebels were still alive.

The Grand Duke nodded with a look of relief.

“Fortunate amid misfortune. Tell them not to bring those people to the Third Detention Center. We’ll have to investigate the cause, but judging from the circumstances, it seems those below were brought here and met with misfortune.”

“Yes, yes. For now, they’re detained in the local police station’s holding cells.”

“Hurry. We don’t know what calamity might befall those still alive. I’ve called someone trustworthy here, so take special care until they arrive.”

“I will!”

“I’ll take this.”

As she waved the documents, the Public Security Bureau Chief nodded, saying she could do as she pleased.

Meanwhile, Camilla peeked out and examined the evidence in the archmage’s hand. Alexandra Petrova stroked Camilla’s head and tilted the paper slightly for her to see better.

“The paper is thicker than I expected? Must be extensive evidence.”

“I suppose so.”

She spread a barrier to prevent snow from landing on the paper. Despite being a simple spell, the large barrier covered not only the two of them but the surrounding area as well.

Safe from snow and wind, the two carefully examined the evidence.

The mentor and disciple, standing close together, sharing a single piece of paper, looked quite affectionate.

“…Hmm.”

As she read through the document, Alexandra Petrova’s brow slightly furrowed.

An unsatisfied groan accompanied it.

“There’s a lot of evidence, but… it’s not enough. I can’t determine who committed such a heinous act, who’s behind it.”

“The suspect identified as the mastermind is a smuggler, but there’s no name or age? Just sketches.”

“Judging by the inconsistent appearance, they must have used some trick. Perhaps an identity-concealing magic.”

This won’t do.

Though much evidence had been gathered, none of it had substance. The identity of the suspicious cargo, the smuggler who allegedly transported it, and even the purpose remained unclear.

The only consistent evidence was that “it came from a distant foreign land.”

The only proof was that both the smuggler and the cargo were of foreign origin.

Camilla spoke with a thoughtful look.

“…Surely, the corpse spider legion that attacked the rift before also came from across the sea?”

“That’s right. They’re creatures that originally inhabit the Moritani continent. Mainly the southwest, I believe?”

“……”

Alexandra Petrova turned her head. Without either initiating, two pairs of blue eyes met in mid-air.

“We should start investigating from there.”

They seemed to have found a lead.

The Moritani continent.

Now that they had a direction, they just needed to go.

The problem was…

“How do you plan to investigate?”

The Moritani continent boasts a landmass much larger than the African continent.

That’s just considering the mainland, and the scattered archipelagos around it cover an area comparable to a decent-sized country.

To this perfectly reasonable and logical question, Alexandra Petrova opened her mouth without much thought. It was an extremely clear answer.

“We’ll have to search one by one.”

“Huh…?”

At the suggestion of such labor-intensive work, Camilla began to look aghast, like Native Americans facing conquistadors.

Or perhaps like Spanish people witnessing the traditional culture of the Aztec Empire where hearts were warmed up.

Anyway.

“No! You just told me to refrain from actions beyond my capacity!”

“How is this beyond my capacity? What do you take me for?”

“Still, you can’t!”

As Camilla jumped up from her seat and strongly objected, saying that was absolutely not acceptable, Alexandra Petrova had no choice.

“Ugh…”

What to do?

The imperial government would also do its best to investigate this incident, but it was obvious even to a seven-year-old child that the mastermind was a meticulous individual.

No matter how quickly the Magic Department moves, they can’t rule out the possibility that the other party has already erased their traces and fled.

They might have already escaped.

As a groan of anguish escaped the Grand Duke’s lips,

Her disciple, who had been watching her from the side, suddenly began to whisper in a low voice.

“Um… Professor?”

“Speak.”

“If you need information as quickly as possible, I have a good idea…”

Covering her mouth and whispering into the archmage’s ear, Camilla murmured in a meaningful voice.

“I know someone trustworthy.”

*

“So that’s why you came here.”

A monotone voice. Alexandra Petrova nodded once.

“That’s right.”

With a table between them, two people sat in the room. One was, of course, Alexandra Petrova herself.

The other was a civil servant guarding a terminal across from her.

“Hmm…”

Frederick leaned on the armrest and gently rocked his chair from side to side. With his right index finger, he rubbed just below his lip, while his other hand tapped on the desk.

He had heard the gist of it.

The explanation was already over, and the two mages’ account was so detailed that he had a general understanding of the situation.

However.

Just one thing.

There was still one part he couldn’t understand even at this moment.

“Well, I understand everything you’ve said, but…”

Frederick pointed to the glass window behind him.

“Why did you break through the glass window instead of using the perfectly fine front door? And the glass window of another country’s embassy at that.”

“……”

“……”

“Would you care to explain?”

“……”

“Please…”

A sorrowful voice echoes in front of the shattered glass window where sand and wind freely enter.