"This can't be the real thing."
Arthur, who had come out to the training ground early in the morning and was recalling what Uden had told him the previous day, remained calm despite suddenly finding himself in a wasteland.
There were several pieces of evidence suggesting that this place wasn't real, but the one Arthur trusted the most was that Lucy was silent.
Something monumental had happened that caused everyone at the academy to be abducted to a strange place, and yet the one who had caught the attention of the Sun God, Lucy, was silent?
That couldn't be. If this were truly happening, Lucy would have started causing trouble days ago.
She may seem tough on the outside, but she's actually quite sensitive. Lucy Allen would never sacrifice others for her own plans. If someone were to get hurt, she'd throw herself into danger instead.
Hmm. It's good that I figured out it's fake, but how do I get out of here?
The best way to wake up from a dream, I think, is to die, but this case is probably an exception.
They wouldn’t create an illusion where students could escape by dying.
Ah, right. Should I try what I learned from Erginus last time?
I watched the great magician correct Joy's spell during that lesson, so it should be possible, I think.
Just as Arthur was about to start casting a spell, the sound of footsteps reached his ears from far away.
Reacting instinctively, Arthur drew his sword and, while summoning several magic circles, turned his head toward the sound.
"Ugh. This is terrible."
And when he saw the face of the person standing there, Arthur let out a bitter laugh and lowered his sword.
"Arthur. How have you been?"
It was his mother.
The woman who had died when Arthur was so young that he couldn’t even comprehend the world. Yet, her face remained so vivid that he could recognize it instantly.
"You're all dressed up today."
"Huh?"
"The mother I meet in my dreams always wears a pained expression."
That day was an ordinary day, without any issues.
The sky was neither clear nor overcast. The atmosphere of the palace was the same as usual. Arthur's mother, as always, praised him with a bright smile.
Excited by his mother's praise, Arthur eagerly shared the things he had studied alone that day, and his mother, with genuine admiration, stroked his head.
Then, at some point.
The moment his mother brought the teacup to her lips, the teacup fell and the sound of it shattering interrupted young Arthur’s voice.
His mother, clutching her neck, made a chicken-like noise as she gasped for air.
By the time the palace doctor arrived, it was already too late.
Even a doctor respected in foreign lands couldn’t revive the dead.
The investigation into the third queen's death progressed swiftly.
By a stroke of luck, a maid, jealous of Arthur's mother becoming queen, confessed to her crime, and with her neck severed, the case was closed.
Of course, no one believed the maid was the real culprit.
Not even the young Arthur at the time.
"The one who appeared in my dream always had that dying expression, blaming me. 'If you hadn’t stood out, if you had been dumb, if you had been a talentless fool.'"
Arthur knew. He knew his mother wouldn’t have said such things.
The words his mother spoke in the dream were just the things Arthur had been thinking, spoken in her voice.
But what would change by knowing that? Arthur could console himself by saying his mother didn’t blame him, but it only made him feel more miserable.
"I hope you still feel the same now. It’s more comforting that way."
"Arthur?"
"Or would you rather take my head off? I think it would be interesting to test death in that way."
"..."
"Do as you like. I’ve already died in most ways in other dreams, so I’m used to it..."
Suddenly, the scenery around him turned black, and Arthur, startled, realized it was just the darkness of his eyelids.
How did I break out of the illusion? I haven’t even tried anything yet?
With this question in mind, Arthur opened his eyes and met Lucy’s gaze, who was looking down at him in a condescending manner, and he understood what had happened.
"Did you wake me up?"
"Yeah. I couldn’t just leave the pitiful prince, who’s a useless half-wit, sleeping soundly. It was too pathetic."
"...Did I say something stupid?"
"You sure did. You kept asking to be cursed, asking to be killed. So, the pitiful prince has those kinds of preferences, huh? No wonder you liked it when I insulted you."
"When did I ever like that?! Don’t make things up!"
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"Then what was it? If you're so confident, tell me, Sadistic Prince."
With Lucy narrowing her eyes, Arthur couldn’t help but murmur to himself.
How could he talk about what he did in the dream, in front of the person who had cried herself to sleep on his mother’s memorial day just recently?
Damn it. Her narrowing eyes are really pissing me off. Does she even know that I’m trying to show concern?
"Heh. Well, if the Sadistic Prince insists it wasn’t true, I’ll believe you."
"Ha. Fine. But can you at least tell me what’s going on right now?"
"Sadistic Prince. Are you already senile? Have you forgotten the cute things I said just recently?"
"Just say that the Void Followers caused all this mess."
Arthur clicked his tongue in annoyance as he looked at Lucy’s playful expression, rising from his seat.
"The barrier’s been taken over?"
"Yes. It’s so obvious, yet you have to state the obvious. You really are brilliant. Absolutely brilliant."
"...What about the others?"
"They’re all too busy to be lazy, unlike the prince. They’ve been up and moving for a while now. You, poor prince, are the only one slacking off."
Is she seriously mocking me this much? Lucy Allen, that damn girl, is really toying with me.
Arthur opened his eyes slightly, but Lucy just let out a playful laugh.
Tch. I’ve already endured so much, and there’s even more to come. I can’t even say anything about it.
"You’re awake, prince?"
As Arthur was calming his frustrations, Freya appeared.
"When did you wake up?"
"Just now."
"How?"
"I woke up."
"So... Ha. Never mind. Don’t say anything. It’ll just give me a headache."
I can already guess. She’ll probably start babbling about how she woke up from the illusion and all that nonsense.
After learning from the Sword Saint yesterday, it wouldn’t be strange if she had already applied what she learned.
"You two, useless fools. Do you have time to talk nonsense? You don’t know what to do, don’t know anything, and now you’ve lost all motivation. Why are you even alive?"
"What do you plan to do? Are you joining the others? Or are you going to call for help from outside?"
"Looking for help from others again, huh? It seems the pitiful prince is full of defeatist thoughts. It suits you."
"...So what should I do then?"
Arthur shouted in frustration, and Lucy grinned at him with a mischievous smile.
"You don’t seem to be thinking clearly. Just shut up and follow me. Even the useless, lazy, and pathetic prince can do something."
"...Me?"
"Yes. After all, you're still a prince, aren't you?"
Luca, leading the Apostle of the Void and his followers, opened the door to the top floor of the Soul Academy’s main building.
Inside the room, an intricate mix of magic circles, so complicated that it was hard to tell how many were fused together, surrounded by a group of followers.
As Luca observed those eroding the magic circles with the Void’s power, his gaze slowly turned toward the magic circle, which was gradually darkening.
"There's still quite a bit left."
"There's nothing we can do. The magic circle that protects the academy is far too complicated."
"I understand. I remember when I first saw this magic circle, my head went blank."
Two years had passed since Luca became a professor at Soul Academy. Back then, he had followed another professor into this very room.
The first time he came face to face with the barrier’s magic circle, Luca’s initial thought was one of awe toward the great wizard, Erginus.
The talents of the hero who had saved the world were overwhelming and beautiful in a way Luca had never imagined.
In the face of the legacy left by the hero from centuries ago, Luca realized that the light Uden emitted was not absolute, and a sense of relief washed over him. He began to hope that one day, he would find someone capable of surpassing that light.
"It’s truly incredible magic. This single magic circle is what founded Soul Academy as an institution."
The magic circle left by the great wizard Erginus wasn’t merely for the protection of Soul Academy.
It also guided those who entered to help them unlock their talents. It sped up the recovery of weary bodies. Among many other secondary effects, it had countless benefits.
Among these, the most noticeable was the immense magical power the magic circle provided.
Not only could it create a dungeon with over a hundred floors, but it also sustained it for months, enabling hundreds of people to explore the same dungeon simultaneously. This magic circle truly was a miracle in itself.
"I doubt the hero ever imagined that this would one day be dedicated to the Void’s evil god."
As Luca smiled, looking at the magic circle slowly darkening, he added to himself:
"Ah, Allen young lady. I hope you’ll joyfully accept the gift I present."
"I don't think you'll refuse."
"You, loved by the Sun God, could never abandon the fight against the evil god, could you?"