episode_0074

000

The classrooms of the Department of Magic are built more sturdily than those of other departments.

It is only natural that more attention is paid to safety, as it is a place that accommodates a considerable number of people.

But the biggest reason is, of course, to withstand the magic used during practice.

Click. Click.

A woman in a black robe, who appears to be a professor in charge of the Department of Magic, stands on the platform.

She quietly presses a button on an object like a watch in her hand.

Then, the numbers visible in the illusion floating above her head increase one by one.

69, 70, 71.

“Flare Spike!!”

The next moment, a girl’s voice shouts out as if screaming.

What appeared at the same time as the long incantation ended was a thorn of flame extending from a red fireball.

It immediately grabbed the body of a male student who was preparing another spell in front of the girl.

And shattered the spell barrier that had been deployed on his body.

Click.

Processed as a defeat for failing to maintain the spell barrier.

Once again, the professor’s watch button is pressed, and the surroundings are enveloped in silence.

The professor glances up and looks around.

The center of the classroom is in chaos.

The red-haired girl was still creating an overwhelming magical pressure, threatening her surroundings.

Around her, students from the same department were sprawled out, taking deep breaths.

“72 people… accurately. You incapacitated everyone within 5 minutes.”

The professor returns the watch she was holding to her pocket in a quiet tone as if she had no emotion.

And quietly claps and declares.

“In accordance with the tradition of the Department of Magic. We recognize Layla Flamewatch, who has successfully completed the `Succession Ritual`, as the top student of the Department of Magic from today onward.”

No applause came from anyone other than the professor.

Everyone had a resentful or desperate look on their faces.

Only the winner, Layla, trembled with the excitement of the battle that had not yet disappeared, and the sense of accomplishment that she had achieved.

And one more person.

“Layla!”

Beatrice, who was behind the protective barrier set up in the classroom as an observer.

Ran down the stairs of the classroom and hugged Layla as she was.

“B, Bea! Don’t jump in suddenly…! You’re heavy!”

Layla blushes and tries to shake off the girl clinging to her.

Beatrice and Layla became close friends on that day, the only ones who understood each other in the academy.

Bea, who had been somewhat isolated by those around her because she was from a fallen noble family and from the countryside.

As she became close to Layla, she became even more isolated in the Department of Magic.

But Beatrice didn’t care about such things at all.

Because she had a precious friend with her.

A year has already passed since the attack by the red-uniformed strangers.

Layla was prohibited from using `advance payment` by Bea, instead of her grandfather.

Under her thorough management and assistance, she spent her days studying and researching.

And thanks to that?

In just one year, she raised the tier of magic she could use by one level.

Today, she was able to produce results close to the culmination of that.

The succession ritual to be recognized as the `top student` of the Department of Magic.

She had successfully completed the final 72-person duel.

Before that, submitting papers on new magic.

Presenting the results of research on ancient artifacts.

Lectures given in front of the 12 Elders, etc…

Most of them were things that made her lips dry.

But today’s final test was exhilarating for her, as if relieving her stress.

Seeing her usually boastful classmates rolling on the floor from her magic.

A smile flowed out naturally.

In a fundamental sense, Layla Flamewatch had not changed compared to a year ago.

With Beatrice supporting her by her side.

The days like walking a tightrope had stopped.

But she still wanted to go higher.

And she was cold to anyone other than Bea, who understood her.

Naturally, Layla’s evaluation only went down in inverse proportion to her increasing skills.

Beatrice was also caught up in that evaluation, and there were times when bad rumors were heard.

From absurd rumors that the two were homosexual couples.

To rumors that Layla kept Beatrice by her side to use her as her maid.

But neither Layla nor Bea were the type to pay attention to such nonsense.

Someday, Layla had asked Bea.

Why are you so kind to someone like me, who has the worst personality?

“Um… I feel like if I leave Layla alone, she’ll keep going without stopping…?”

“Are you saying I have a great pioneering spirit?”

“No, in a dangerous way….”

In other words, Bea was keeping her potential for recklessness in mind.

Even if the meaning was the same, Bea’s expression was a slightly softer impression of the answer, but.

It didn’t take Layla a few seconds to hear her answer and conclude that she didn’t really care.

She knew very well that she lacked the ability to control herself due to a series of incidents.

She thought that if Bea was by her side to hold her back, she wouldn’t have to worry about that.

If you think of it as a relationship where you are unilaterally using and being used.

That wasn’t the case either.

The reason-

“Layla, what are we going to do today?”

“I have to pack my things in the dormitory, but I don’t have that much. I’m thinking of stopping by again today.”

At Layla’s words, Bea nods with a bright face.

The two leave the classroom without paying attention to the stinging eyes around them.

They walk lightly down the long hallway.

The place they headed to was near a department with a slightly bad reputation.

It was above a large empty lot with no buildings or people around.

The two looked around and confirmed once again that there was no one around.

And after confirming that there was no one, Bea took out a small skein of yarn from her bag.

An ancient artifact passed down in her family.

Its name is `Ariadne`.

Each strand of this yarn has the power to attract the surrounding magic and compose matter.

It is a pretty wonderful object that can create a huge labyrinth in the place the user wants.

Of course, it is impossible to reproduce with modern technology.

It is also impossible for one or two humans’ magic power to use artifacts.

Therefore, it borrows the power of the `Spirit Vein`, a stream of magic flowing underground.

When the minimum amount of magic power required to activate Ariadne is injected and pushed into the ground.

The threads that automatically find and move along the flow of magic.

Creates their secret base underground in the empty lot.

Soon, a hole like a dimensional door appeared on the ground.

The two threw themselves into it.

001

The inside of Ariadne always maintains a certain level of brightness even without magic lights.

In addition, even if it exists underground, there are no major problems with humidity or temperature.

It always satisfies and maintains the minimum conditions for human activity.

It had the form of walls and corridors that were infinitely close to a dungeon.

But while coming in and out of this place so far, I have never seen a monster.

Above all, such dangerous things could not have been passed down.

What do Layla and Beatrice do here?

“The structure has changed again today…. As expected, Ariadne seems to change slightly each time it is used.”

Bea grasped the entire structure of the labyrinth through the abilities that the user must possess.

Layla nods and grasps the texture of the walls and the material of the stones laid on the floor.

“It doesn’t seem like anything other than the structure has changed. I wonder if the dirt floor that briefly appeared before was a coincidence?”

It was an analysis and research of this large and complex ancient artifact.

Beatrice said that this ancient artifact was the key for her fallen family to rise again.

It seems that she received a strong request from her grandfather.

But in the main family’s library, and among the family’s elders.

No one knew exactly how this object was connected to the family’s revival.

That’s why Layla and Bea wanted to explore this labyrinth together.

She wanted to find out what this ancient artifact was hiding.

Ariadne’s investigation also began as soon as Layla and Bea opened their hearts to each other.

Almost a year has passed.

Of course, they didn’t come in and out of this place every day.

There were also times when they wasted ancient artifacts just to use them as study spaces where they wouldn’t be disturbed by anyone in their busy schedules.

But still, when I come inside here, I feel uneasy and restless.

With a throbbing sensation as if stepping into an unknown realm.

Layla’s mind becomes filled with curiosity about the research.

“The `magical pressure` that lightly presses down on this whole body is, after all, evidence that this labyrinth is releasing magic on its own.”

“It’s not strange to have magic power since it’s a kind of magic tool….”

At Layla’s words, Bea answers and walks in front of her.

Only Bea knows the internal structure.

If I get separated inside here, I might not be able to return to the surface without Bea’s help.

The two slowly walked forward, checking for any other changes.

However, there was a noticeable change only about once every 10 times.

Most of the time, it was just the same road and the same walls.

“Hey, Layla. About the data I found in the academy library….”

While walking through the unchanging labyrinth, Bea hesitated and opened her mouth.

Layla frowned slightly at those words and answered.

“It’s too biased a description. Are you still worried about it?”

Beatrice’s family’s ancestor.

The worst mistake her family made before it fell was.

Having a child with a demon.

And that blood still flows to the current descendants.

“Turning women from fallen families into demon worshippers is something that has happened many times in history.”

Layla says so and adds that she shouldn’t worry about it.

The story began about a week ago.

The fact that the two, who had barely received permission from the department’s professor to browse books related to Bea’s family in the library’s forbidden archive, was not a very happy discovery.

“Ugh… but, you know. Then, that means demon blood is flowing through me, too?”

“…Maybe. But there’s a good chance it’s not, you know?”

Layla is saying that, but the magical talent she possesses that is out of the ordinary.

If that is rooted in demon blood, it is an easily understandable part.

“H, but…. I don’t know when horns or wings will grow like a demon…!”

Bea has a worried look on her face, grabs her head, and turns around.

“Kuh-ack.”

Layla, who was right behind her, bumped her nose with her chest as she turned around.

“S, sorry! Layla! I thought you were further back!”

“Ugh, ugh…”

She might be worried about horns or wings growing on her head…?

I should be worried about a cow’s tail growing from her butt…

Since they were the same age, puberty was gradually occurring.

Especially Bea, who was a little chubby a year ago and about the same height as me.

In the past year, the cute fat has gradually gathered in her chest.

She has grown taller, and there is already a head difference.

It was difficult for Layla to understand, who eats the same meals.

“… Bea’s ancestor must have been a `cow demon`.”

“That’s too much!?”

Without even dreaming that she would meet a green-haired woman even more amazing than Bea in the future.

Layla looked down at her own body, which was not growing at all, and made a sullen expression.

002

In the end, there was nothing new learned from Ariadne today either.

We had to return to the dormitory before it got too late.

Before leaving the labyrinth, after checking to see if people were passing by.

They carefully succeeded in escaping through the place they came in.

Taking a deep breath, the cold night air passed through my chest.

A pleasant coolness swept over my body.

The inside of the labyrinth always felt warm.

I often unknowingly sweat a lot.

“We’ll be cutting it close to the dormitory curfew time.”

Bea nods at Layla’s words.

“U, uh. But that won’t be for much longer, right?”

Certainly, curfew times only apply to students living in the common dormitory.

Layla, who became the top student, will have a personal mansion provided by the school instead of the dormitory.

A spacious personal mansion with even a workshop attached.

There was no doubt that research would progress further.

However, if that happens, the number of times we go back together might decrease.

Bea seemed to feel a little lonely about that.

She tried her best not to show it on her face.

Of course, when it comes to hiding her feelings, it was a shame that she was so unskilled, but.

Layla looked at Bea’s face and closed her mouth for a moment.

“Hey, Bea. Then, would you like to come to the mansion, too?”

“Huh?”

Bea’s eyes widened at Layla’s suggestion.

“It’s common for top students to have assistants or something! And it seems like assistants are allowed to live together.”

No matter what anyone says, Bea is the only one who can be my assistant~

Adding the same words, Layla grabbed her hand.

“Really…. Is it okay?”

Then, Bea tilts her head as if to ask if it’s really okay.

“Of course! I like the meals Bea makes, and above all, we can continue to research together, right?”

“U, uh…! T, then I should pack my things, too…!”

Bea nods at Layla’s words.

The lonely look she had a moment ago had already disappeared.

The two hold hands and walk down the dark road.

Even if the road is dark with little light and twilight.

I thought I could endure it if we were together.

I had such shallow hopes.

003

“…You’re late, Bea.”

Layla, who moved all her luggage to the mansion first.

Today was Bea’s turn to come to the mansion after her.

She had spent all day yesterday unpacking Layla’s luggage in the mansion.

To repay her for helping with cleaning and cooking even a little.

I was waiting at the halfway point, thinking of surprising her, but.

No matter how long I waited, even when the expected time came.

I couldn’t see her.

“Did you oversleep…? Or did you take a different route…?”

Layla says so and first heads to her mansion.

But while walking, and even after arriving.

I couldn’t see Bea.

Knocking the ground in front of her with her feet.

Layla waits for her friend with her arms crossed.

I was thinking of lecturing her when I met her.

Gradually, my annoyance turns into worry.

In the end, unable to bear the anxiety, I take my feet again.

This time I headed to her dormitory.

When I asked the old woman who manages the dormitory, she told me that she had already greeted her early in the morning and left the dormitory.

For a moment, I feel dizzy.

There were not a few people who wanted to vent their anger or jealousy on Bea.

Her magic power is definitely great, but when it comes to combat skills alone, Layla’s is better.

Feeling impatient, Layla ran around the academy to find Beatrice.

I thought about breaking the school rules that prohibited flying magic for safety.

If I encounter a noisy teacher in the process, I will waste time with lectures.

The classrooms of the departments.

The back alleys where delinquents gather.

The free market.

I couldn’t see her anywhere.

And with the feeling of grabbing at a straw

The two ran to the empty lot that they always used to explore Ariadne.

The closer I got to the empty lot, the more my chest wouldn’t stop fluttering.

And when I got close to that place to some extent.

Along with a strange sensation passing through my body.

The surrounding scenery changes completely.

It’s like passing through a barrier like a border.

Traces of battle that are not visible from the outside were visible.

Scattered here and there were students in red uniforms.

Most of them could be seen to have been attacked by flame magic.

“Did Bea… do it?”

I can always recognize traces of the magic I developed.

And this was that kind of thing.

And Layla herself and Beatrice are the only ones who can use my magic.

When Layla hurriedly headed to her usual location.

There, she could see the magic passage that was still remaining at the entrance.

Bea is the only one who has Ariadne.

If I think that she hid here during the battle-

“…Bea! Please wait a little longer…!”

Saying that, the moment she passed through the entrance of the magic passage and went inside.

Layla sees an internal state of `Ariadne` that is completely different from before.

Walls and floors that writhed like flesh.

Blood splattered everywhere.

The low growl of a beast ringing around my ears.

“Wh, what… is this…!?”

Layla took small steps forward with trembling legs in the face of the unprecedented disgusting scenery and the cold that covered her entire body.

Even in this situation, her curiosity did not disappear.

Suddenly, I thought I stepped on something.

There was someone’s severed arm there.

“Ugh…!”

Forcibly suppressing the rising nausea.

Slowly, slowly.

Carefully, if I move forward.

Thanks to the strong smell of blood, I was able to move forward without getting lost.

Soon, she arrives at a large space that is also located in the usual labyrinth interior.

There-

A man’s body torn to pieces.

And Beatrice’s body sitting slumped on the ground.

Lastly-.

A humanoid monster with the head of a cow.

“Mino,taurus…?”

A giant monster with the power to put an entire country in crisis.

He was standing with an axe dripping with blood.

“B, Bea…!”

She somehow overcame the oppressive feeling that pressed down on her entire body and called her name.

But the next moment.

The monster with the head of a cow opened its mouth wide.

And bit off her friend’s head.

“…Huh?”

The next moment I thought a foolish voice flowed from my mouth.

Blood splattered everywhere.

Her body was lifted by the neck.

“B, Bea…?”

The next moment I reached out to the Minotaur with an unbelievable expression.

Was it because the user had a problem?

Ariadne forcibly released the maintenance and began to contract.

The living things inside are automatically expelled to the outside.

“N, no! Bea! Bea!!!”

Even if Layla runs forward like crazy, the distance is not narrowed at all.

The floor is moving in the opposite direction to the direction she is trying to go-

That is, towards the exit.

In the end, Layla, who was caught up in the flow and escaped from the closing world.

Before I knew it, I returned to my usual empty lot.

When I looked around, I could only see the scattered students in red uniforms.

She dug up the ground madly with her bare hands.

In case Ariadne was still underneath this.

Even if her nails broke and her fingers were cut by something.

She didn’t stop turning over the dirt.

But there was nothing there.

There was no trace of the friend who had been excited about the new life and laughing together until yesterday.

Nowhere.

“Wh, why…”

Layla grabbed her head.

Why did this happen to me?

What happened to Beatrice?

I couldn’t find out anything with my usual knowledge or wisdom.

“Ah, ah… aaaaaaaaaaa!!!”

Too unreasonable a situation.

The pain in my chest was like tearing it apart.

I took deep breaths as if I lacked oxygen, and a headache came.

That anger is directed at the red uniforms scattered around.

The flames rising into the air designate them one by one and rush in.

With the momentum to burn everything.

To turn everything to ashes.

But the next moment, there was someone who extinguished all those flames.

What appeared while waving her finger was.

The professor of the Department of Magic who always doesn’t know what she is thinking as usual.

Did she come after sensing a huge magic event?

She used space movement magic to quickly approach Layla.

She puts her hand on her head and uses sleep magic.

Layla, unable to control her body properly due to the sudden situation.

She fell asleep on the spot as if fainting.

004

When I woke up.

Layla was on her bed in her mansion.

Next to her was her only friend who always smiled.

Beatrice’s figure-

Was nowhere to be found.

Instead. Her professor in charge, whom she only sees during class, was sitting expressionlessly.

She was telling her this and that.

Those who attacked Bea and Layla were dissidents within the academy called `Executioners`.

It was that they were targeting the two people’s identities for some purpose.

That their identity is not known to the general faculty.

That it is connected to the 12 Elders and the unidentified people called the Black Scriptures.

That all of those are beings deeply connected to the darkness of the academy.

-Such stories didn’t matter at all.

“Where’s Bea?”

At Layla’s words, the professor did not make any changes in her expression.

She just shook her head.

“… …”

Layla closed her mouth for a moment.

Strangely, no tears came out.

She just clenched her fists tightly and got up.

“… …How much more research do I need to do to freely enter the forbidden archive?”

The professor said that the only ones with such authority were the 12 Elders.

“…Then I need to hurry. There’s no time. To find Beatrice….”

Her face had returned to what it was a year ago.

With no one to lean on.

Layla Flamewatch, who just gave everything to climb up.

Her true self.

But one more sentence had clearly been added to that purpose.

Information about Beatrice’s family still remains in the forbidden archive.

Through that, I might be able to find Beatrice.

For the sake of her grandfather and her only friend.

I will do anything.

Even if it hurts others so much.

That was.

Everything that created Layla before she fell.

All the values that dominated her.

And- Ariadne and Beatrice.

The Executioners and herself.

It was to curse all the intertwined destinies.

`──`

Only silent screams echoed in my heart.