"Okay, I just want to make sure I'm following this correctly," Celia said, rubbing her temples as she tried to process everything Magnus had told her.
"So, you went on the assignment like you said, ran into some illusion monster, defeated it, headed to a village, and while you were there, you met a priest who warned you about glitches. And not just that—he also told you that your assignment was leading you right toward a glitched entity?" She sat on the couch in Magnus's dorm room, leaning slightly forward as she spoke. Magnus sat across from her on the other side of the table, his expression calm despite the chaos he'd just recounted.
"Well, he wasn't a priest. He was a Buddhist monk," Magnus corrected, taking a sip of the tea Celia had made for him. The warmth was soothing, but after the first taste, he reached for a small honey pot, drizzled a little extra into his cup, and took another sip. A satisfied hum escaped him as he sank into the couch. Despite how much his body had changed, how inhuman he seemed to others now, at least he could still taste and enjoy something as simple as tea.
"Right..." Celia trailed off before continuing.
"So then, after rescuing an entire village from a giant monster invasion, you and Seraline basically became their saviors, and then you went to deal with the glitched snake—which turned into a skeleton at some point because it's immortal? If I'm being honest, I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around how this Null State Glitch works."
Magnus shrugged. "Don't stress over it right now. I plan on writing down the details soon so you and Eveline can study it properly. I want more documentation than just my memory and the Command Console in case something happens in the future."
Celia let out a short sigh before nodding.
"If you say so. Anyway, so in the end, you couldn't beat the Nullfang, so you had no choice but to use the magma chamber it used to live in to enhance your body so you could fight it properly. And somehow, while doing all that, you secretly tamed it... but told everyone else it was dead?"
"Yeah. I skimmed over a few details here and there, but you've got the gist of it." Magnus hesitated, guilt creeping in at the half-truth he was telling her. But in the end, he convinced himself it was for her own good.
She already worries about me modifying my body and pushing myself to the limit. If she knew I willingly bathed in magma to temper myself, she'd probably freak out. At least if I frame it as something I had to do to survive, it'll be easier for her to accept.
He knew Celia's concern came from a place of care, and if bending the truth a little helped her digest it, then so be it. Plus, if he was being honest, had he not upgraded his body before fighting the Nullfang, he would have either died or been forced to run—there was no middle ground.
She leaned back against the couch, shaking her head in disbelief.
"I honestly can't believe all this happened in less than a month. It's like something out of the adventure stories I used to read when I wanted to imagine myself as the main character." As always, there was a glimmer in her eyes, that familiar longing in her voice—the part of her that craved action, mystery, and adventure. Seeing that side of her still intact, even after everything she'd experienced, Magnus couldn't help but smile.
"Well, maybe next time, you won't have to imagine it," he said.
"I still have a few more assignments to take care of, so... maybe I could bring you along? As long as it's not too dangerous, of course." Celia's face lit up as she sat up straighter.
"Really!?" Her voice came out louder than she intended, but she didn't seem to care.
"Of course. It's been a while since we hung out. Think of it like a field trip."
"Oh... but what should I wear? Wait—I'll need to pack a whole bag of clothes, won't I? But I have work too... I wonder if this would count as part of my duties as your maid? Would I get paid for it? That would be amazing, getting paid to go on an adventure—wait, hold on, I'm getting distracted." Celia shook her head, refocusing as she stood up. She walked around the table and plopped down next to him, her gaze scrutinizing.
Reaching out, she ran her fingers through Magnus's hair, feeling the odd texture. It still felt like hair—soft and flexible—but it also seemed... set. Before, Magnus's hair could be combed into different styles, but now, no matter how she tried to shift it, it slowly settled back into its usual messy shape.
"This is still so weird," she muttered.
"You look the same, but different."
Magnus turned to her with a grin.
"What, you don't like how I look now?"
"I didn't say that," she huffed.
"It's just... never mind. It's personal. I won't bother you with it." She forced a small smile, brushing aside whatever thought had just crossed her mind.
"Well, looks aren't the only thing that's changed," Magnus remarked as he reached for the teapot. Unlike the tea in his cup, which had cooled slightly, the liquid in the pot was still piping hot, steam steadily rising from its spout. Holding his hand over the table, he paused for a moment before pouring the scalding tea directly onto his open palm.
"What are you-" Celia instinctively reached out to grab his hand, but stopped when she realized he wasn't reacting at all. The tea, still steaming, pooled in his hand, yet there wasn't even a flicker of pain on his face.
"I told you, my body can withstand magma now. This might as well be rainwater to me." He set the teapot back down and gestured for Celia to take a closer look at the tea cupped in his palm. She squinted, confused at first—until she noticed something odd about the way the liquid behaved against his skin.
"What... is that?" she asked, curiosity replacing her initial concern.
"I noticed it while I was out in the rain. Because of how I edited my skin, it has hydrophobic properties now. Basically, it repels water—kind of like a duck's feathers." As the tea shifted around in his hand, Celia watched closely. It didn't leave a single trace or residue, instead holding its shape like a bubble. With a slight tilt of his wrist, Magnus let it roll off his palm and cleanly into his teacup.
"Whoa... so, wait. You can't take showers anymore?" She asked.
Magnus shook his head.
"Not really, but I don't think I need to. Your body gets dirty because of things like sweat and dirt sticking to your skin. But the way I am now, that doesn't happen. Sure, my clothes can still get messy, and if I jumped into a pool of mud, some grime might stick in tight spots. But honestly? I could probably just soak in boiling water for a couple of minutes and come out completely clean."
Celia frowned slightly, crossing her arms as she muttered, "Damn... I'm kinda jealous."
Magnus smirked.
"Oh, and that means you can't bug me about not drying my hair anymore. No more dealing with wet hair ever again," he bragged, running a hand through it.
"You're so petty, I swear." She rolled her eyes.
"Well, congratulations on no longer needing to shower, bathe, or breathe. Let me know when you don't need to eat anymore."
"Actually, I'm already working on that," Magnus admitted.
"Oh, and figuring out how to get rid of thirst too. I just need to spend more time analyzing how my body processes food and converts it into energy."
"Of course you are..." At the rate he was going, Celia wouldn't be surprised if he eventually told her he'd figured out the secret to immortality. The way he kept stripping away human necessities, it almost felt inevitable.
"By the way, I've been meaning to ask—what the hell is that?" Celia pointed at the floating mana construct hovering behind Magnus. He had altered its glow to be too bright for anyone to see inside, concealing the vampires struggling to break free within. To most, it probably just looked like a floating ball of light following him around.
"You know, you're the first person to actually ask about it," Magnus mused.
"Even the guys at the gate and the other students didn't pay much attention. I guess they're just used to seeing magic." With a snap of his fingers, the construct dimmed, revealing its true contents. Celia's eyes widened as she saw the condensed, swirling forms of the trapped vampires. Their incorporeal bodies thrashed violently against the mana construct, desperately trying to break free.
"Holy... what the hell is that? Is it a monster?" Celia asked, a mix of apprehension and curiosity in her voice as she stared at whatever was moving inside the sphere.
"Eh, I guess you could call them monsters since they don't use magic. But to be more specific, they're vampires—just like that woman you saw when you were kidnapped. They were waiting outside Arlcliff City to ambush me." Celia's eyes widened at that, her gaze flickering between Magnus and the so-called vampires. Absentmindedly, she reached up and brushed her cheek. The wound from when that woman had cut her with her nails was long gone, but the memory still lingered.
"So... you think she's trying to get revenge?" Worry crept into her voice.
"Probably. They definitely wanted me dead. From what I gathered, her name is Lady Austra, but it sounded like she was taking orders from someone even higher up." As he spoke, his thoughts drifted back to his recent conversation with Eveline.
The whole reason she hadn't reported the existence of vampires to the rest of Takerth Academy was that she suspected there was a mastermind behind it all. She didn't want to alert them that the Academy was aware. Instead, she planned to let Magnus handle things for now, to draw the serpent out of its hiding place before making a move. And now, with confirmation that these vampires served some kind of lord, Magnus knew she had been right.
"I see... so what are you planning to do? Just go back to lessons and wait for them to come after you again?" Celia asked.
"Not exactly. I have a few things to take care of first—mainly visiting the Major General to deliver some news and a letter." Magnus paused, something clicking in his mind.
"Oh, that reminds me—how have things been going with you and Eveline?" He remembered the two of them being excited about forming an averaging chart for the Knockout Brick's teacup predictions. By tracking lingering emotions left behind in the visions, they could start determining whether the predictions leaned toward positive or negative outcomes. Over time, with enough recorded results and predictions actually coming true, they'd be able to refine their understanding of how far into the future the predictions typically reached and how closely their assumptions on what the visions showed matched reality.
Instead of vague glimpses of the future that faded from memory soon after, they'd be able to quantify and use them as actual predictive tools.
Celia's expression shifted instantly, her voice rising slightly with enthusiasm at the mention of it.
"It's been going really well! Eveline's managed to create over a hundred artificial intelligence puppets. Combined, they've already seen thousands of future predictions and documented them all. I'm not exactly sure how she did it, but she compiled all their results into this magical archive book. All you have to do is touch it, and you can browse through all the different predictions the puppets have recorded."
Magnus raised an eyebrow, impressed.
"Thousands already? That's faster than I expected."
"Right? And just from what's been recorded so far, I'm already seeing some patterns. We still need a few thousand more results to be sure, but the averages are starting to take shape." He hadn't realized how much progress they'd made while he was away. Although this was Celia's project, he couldn't deny how useful it would be. If he could start predicting—even vaguely—what the teacups' visions were trying to tell him, it would be an invaluable tool.
If trouble was on the horizon, he wouldn't mind having a little warning or a guess ahead of time.
"Actually, how about I show you?" Celia offered, already grabbing his arm.
"Eveline's busy right now, but I can still take you to the archive book. Come on, you have to see this."
But Magnus shook his head.
"I would, but I really need to see the Major General first, then Luden right after. Oh, and I need to visit your brother for something too."
Celia's excitement faded a bit, her lips forming a small pout.
"Right... I get the Major General, and even Luden—though I still don't really trust him. But why my brother?"
Magnus raised an eyebrow.
"Why do you think? He's a blacksmith, so obviously, I need him to make something for me. I was supposed to have him do it before I left Arlcliff City, but things got... complicated. Anyway, don't worry, you don't have to come along. I know you two don't exactly get along." Celia gave a small nod, letting go of his arm before leaning back into the couch. Meanwhile, Magnus stood up, stretching slightly.
"Well, time to start working through that bucket list. Thanks for the tea, Celia. I'll be back before midnight... probably." She shot him a skeptical look as he headed for the door.
"Are you sure about that? What about the academy's curfew?"
"Hmm? Oh, well, technically, I'm still on an assignment," he said with a casual shrug.
"So not only do I not have to attend classes, but I don't have to follow the curfew either. Oh, and while I'm gone, I'm leaving that here." He gestured toward the floating mana construct holding the vampires.
"Huh? Wait, what?" Celia sat up straighter, clearly not thrilled about being left alone with imprisoned vampires.
"Relax, they can't get out. But I don't want to make too many assumptions. If Eveline gets back before I do, just hand it over to her and tell her what I told you—that these are the vampires' true forms, and if we can get them to talk, we might be able to figure out who's behind all of this. I'm sure she'll know how to keep them under control."
Celia glanced at the trapped vampires again, still a little uneasy, but eventually nodded.
"Alright... if you say so." Seeing her hesitation, Magnus offered a reassuring grin.
"Don't worry, it won't take too long—especially now that I can fly." Celia watched as Magnus stepped out, the door clicking shut behind him. Silence settled over the room, and for a moment, she just sat there, staring at the floating mana construct. Then, her mind replayed what he'd just said.
Her head then snapped toward the door.
"Wait, you can fly!?" Her voice rang out, but by then, Magnus was already making his way down the stairs to the first floor of the dorm building. By the time he reached the academy gate, the guards eyed him in mild surprise—he had just gotten back, after all.
"You heading out already, kid? Did you even get a chance to talk to Celia?" One of the guards asked.
Magnus nodded.
"Oh yeah, we had tea and everything. I just have a few things to take care of before I can really relax." As he spoke, he took another step forward—and then lifted off the ground.
The guards' eyes widened in shock.
"Wa- what the hell!?"
"Magnus, you can fly!?"
Seeing their reactions, Magnus glanced down at the ground he was no longer standing on, then shrugged.
"Oh yeah, I guess this is new. Let's just say I picked it up while I was away. Beats the hell out of walking or riding a horse, I'll tell you that." And just like that, he soared into the sky, heading toward the garrison to meet with the Major General. He wasn't flying at Mach speed—there was no need. Arlcliff City had always been large, but with the ability to fly, getting around was effortless. Besides, he didn't want to cause a commotion by breaking the sound barrier. One of the few laws mages had to follow was not disrupting public order while using magic. Other than that, they were free to cast as they pleased.
Watching him disappear into the distance, one of the guards, still speechless, muttered, "Every day, I'm reminded why I wish I'd been born a mage."
"Well," the guard next to him said with a sigh, "it's always nice to dream."
=====================================•=====================================
"You haven't been home in over two weeks! I swear, if Pezar hadn't dropped by to tell me you were still alive, I'd think you'd died in your office half the time," a woman's voice rang through the Major General's office, carrying equal parts frustration and genuine concern.
"I know, I know, honey, and I'm sorry," Arbarth sighed, rubbing his forehead.
"But things have been chaotic lately. I can't afford to leave things unmanned." The woman standing next to him leaned against his desk, arms folded. Her dark silver hair cascaded down her back, a striking contrast to the firm expression on her face. She didn't carry the air of a noblewoman, but the fine cut of her dress made it clear she was better off than most people in the Lower City.
Seeing the exhaustion in Arbarth's face, she let out a soft sigh and unfolded her arms, stepping closer.
"I'm not upset that you're focusing on your work," she said.
"I just wish you'd tell me what's going on. You know how much I hate being left in the dark. If you'd let me, I could talk to my father and ask him to-" Arbarth shook his head, cutting her off gently as he reached for her hand. His grip was firm, but his thumb traced slow, soothing circles over her palm. He looked up at her, his voice quieter now.
"Don't, Shilve. If we go to your father for help, it'll look like I'm admitting to the City Council that I can't handle this position. I can't give them that kind of ammunition." She held his gaze, concern flickering in her eyes as he continued.
"It's just been... difficult. We're dealing with a criminal syndicate that somehow has access to magic. The deeper we dig, the more we realize how far its roots have spread through the city—without us noticing. The steward is a fool, but he has more sway in the City Council than I do, and he's dead set on having me removed. And now, somehow, he's even convinced that witch from Takerth Academy to take his side." Arbarth exhaled sharply.
"And that's not even the worst of it. Something has been causing trouble at our eastern border, and I still haven't gotten word from any of the men I sent to investigate." Just saying it all out loud made his shoulders feel heavier. He closed his eyes briefly, still holding Shilve's hand as he leaned back in his chair. It felt like he was surrounded on all sides, every spear tip pressing just close enough to keep him trapped, forcing him to navigate the chaos without slipping up.
"That bad, hmm..." Shilve murmured, watching him with softened eyes.
She let the silence linger for a moment before finally speaking.
"Fine. You don't have to come home, since this is clearly something you need to deal with. But-"
She squeezed his hand lightly, "I at least want you to take care of yourself. So I'm coming by tomorrow with your lunch."
Arbarth opened his eyes, meeting her gaze. A small, tired smile crept onto his face. Still holding her hand, he raised it to his lips and kissed it gently.
"What did I do to deserve such a loving wife?"
Shilve rolled her eyes, though her smile remained.
"You underestimate how charming you can be when you want to be... also, you were persistent." Her smirk turned teasing.
"I'm still surprised my father agreed to it at all."
"Well, to be fair-" Arbarth began, only to be interrupted by a sharp knock on the door.
His expression darkened as he turned toward it.
"I told you not to disturb me while my wife was here."
A hesitant voice answered from the other side.
"Forgive me, sir! But you instructed me to alert you immediately if there was any news regarding the Eastern Border incidents. Magnus Wright is waiting outside—he says he's returned after making contact with Captain Mia Reiheim."