Chapter 14
The Boy and the Fallen Throne (1)
“You’ll have to wait about two days.”
The clerk at the Mercenary Bureau answered indifferently.
“If you can’t produce his corpse or his head, we’ll have to send someone to verify his death ourselves.”
“That’s awfully strict. Do you really think the mage would’ve let us take all these magical tools if he were still alive?”
Allen gestured emphatically toward the belongings they had taken from Jerpet, but the clerk remained unmoved.
“That’s precisely why—because he’s a mage.”
“They’re known for preparing all kinds of unimaginable tricks. We have to consider the possibility that he deceived you and escaped. Those items? Mages are still human. If his life was in danger, why would he care about leaving them behind?”
“...Good grief.”
The clerk studied Allen briefly. Perhaps realizing that he had been too inflexible, he continued in a slightly softer voice.
“Believe me, I’d love to make things easier for you, but the Metal Magic Tower was extremely insistent about this.”
At the mention of the Magic Tower, Allen smacked his lips bitterly. If that was the client’s position, there was nothing he could do.
Just then, someone joined their conversation.
“Then may I take those books?”
The clerk turned toward the unexpected speaker.
“Black hair and dark-green eyes. That’s a rare combination. I haven’t seen you before. Who are you? A newcomer?”
“My name is Kaspar Hauser. I’m looking for a mercenary company on Mr. Taylor of Redrum’s recommendation.”
The clerk’s gaze changed subtly.
“Taylor of Redrum? Of course I know him. You must be quite capable for someone so young. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure is mine.”
The clerk examined the books Kaspar had indicated and looked intrigued.
“So you’re a mage?”
“Yes. Since the Mercenary Bureau will be inspecting the site personally anyway, I thought those books might no longer be particularly important.”
“And? You want us to give you the evidence?”
“Yes, if possible—”
[Don’t put it that way. Ask to borrow them for a while.]
“...?”
At the sudden voice, Kaspar looked around in confusion.
Everyone nearby followed his gaze, wondering what he was looking at, then gave him questioning looks.
[Over here.]
A girl appeared before Kaspar.
She was a dazzling young girl whose silver hair harmonized beautifully with her sapphire eyes.
She possessed an otherworldly beauty and the distinct presence of a higher being.
Although she appeared younger than before, she was unmistakably the Bride of the Black Rose.
The girl pressed a finger to her lips, signaling him to remain silent.
[Don’t say anything. If you start muttering to thin air, the clerk will become suspicious.]
Kaspar closed his mouth just as he was about to address her as the Fallen Throne.
Only I can see her.
But why had she appeared?
“Ah...”
He recalled what the Fallen Throne had told him in the basement.
—At times, it will serve as your adviser. At others, your helper.
Was she helping him now as an adviser?
“Why did you suddenly stop?”
The clerk looked at him with a hint of suspicion.
Kaspar shifted his gaze away from the Fallen Throne and back to the clerk.
“My apologies. I wasn’t thinking clearly. These are evidence, after all. I shouldn’t simply ask you to hand them over.”
“Of course not.”
And I shouldn’t have asked so submissively either.
The clerk nodded.
“Then may I borrow them?”
“Borrow them?”
“Yes. I’d like to study them for two days. I promise I’ll return them.”
His voice was courteous.
The clerk tilted his head and carefully examined the titles Kaspar had indicated.
Magic Theory, Mana Refinement and Utilization, Understanding Magical Metals...
He had read them correctly. Anyone could see that they were little more than introductory textbooks.
The only remotely unusual one was the final book, Understanding Magical Metals.
Why would he go out of his way to borrow these?
The clerk was briefly suspicious, but he doubted a mage of Jerpet’s caliber would have left any significant clues in such basic books.
Indeed, a closer inspection revealed that the contents were completely unmarked, as if Jerpet had never even touched them.
After considering it for a moment, the clerk handed the books to Kaspar.
“This ordinarily wouldn’t be allowed, but I’ll make an exception and lend them to you. If the Metal Magic Tower asks for them, you must return them immediately. Understood?”
“Yes.”
Kaspar bowed and accepted the books.
“Thank you.”
The clerk silently watched him.
Young mages had always been rare.
Young and polite mages were rarer still.
Upon returning to the inn, Kaspar shut himself in his room and began devouring Jerpet’s books.
I’ll start with Magic Theory.
Magic Theory explained how magic existed and flowed throughout nature, as well as the mechanisms and principles by which mages drew upon mana.
To some, it would have been such tedious foundational material that it would put them to sleep.
To Kaspar, however, it was an entirely new world.
Until now, his magic had consisted of little more than creating patterns and pouring mana into them.
As he read, entirely new knowledge—and a profound reinterpretation of what he already knew—flooded Kaspar’s mind.
His brain worked furiously, fitting each piece together.
His fragmented impressions mingled with the book’s teachings. From that fusion, new realizations began to emerge.
Whenever one of his vague questions was answered, a newly born realization surged into the resulting gap and took its place.
Within this unending cycle, Kaspar experienced a limitless sense of exhilaration.
Endlessly.
And so—
Knock, knock, knock.
Kaspar only returned to his senses when someone knocked on his door.
“Come in.”
An attendant entered carrying a tray of food.
“The dinner you requested.”
“Dinner?”
Before entering his room, Kaspar had asked them to bring him a meal when the time came.
He had wanted to maximize the time he could spend reading.
But they were already bringing it? Perhaps people here ate dinner rather early.
Confused, he looked out the window and discovered that it was already dark.
So it really is evening.
“Are you sure you’re all right, sir?”
After setting the tray down on the table, the attendant carefully studied Kaspar’s expression.
“Why do you ask?”
“You’ve made your room so cold. Are you truly all right?”
“Ah, yes. I’m fine.”
“...If anything happens, please tell me immediately.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Kaspar tipped the attendant and sent him away before sitting back down.
I thought I had only been reading for a little while, but an entire day has already passed.
Yet he did not feel disappointed or empty.
Instead, a profound sense of fulfillment enveloped his exhilarated mind.
A smile naturally appeared on his face.
The densely written book of magic was more entertaining to him than any illustrated adventure story or religious text.
And someone was watching that smile.
[That is a fine expression.]
It was the Fallen Throne.
The Fallen Throne, now in the form of a young girl, sat on the bed beside him and watched him.
Strictly speaking, she was closer to a spiritual manifestation of the Fallen Throne.
“...How long have you been watching me?”
[I told you that I would be your companion. Asking when I began watching is meaningless. But if you insist on an answer, I have been with you continuously since Jerpet’s basement.]
The girl hopped down from the bed, approached Kaspar, and examined the books.
[These are rudimentary texts. But once you have finished reading them, you will be able to wield magic with greater finesse.]
“Will I?”
[Yes. To use an analogy, you’re currently like an ignorant brute who relies solely on raw strength in battle. Once you master these books, you’ll learn how to distribute your overflowing power efficiently—and how to wield it with even greater destructive force.]
“It’s unfortunate that I only have two days.”
That was the period he had given the clerk.
The girl, however, seemed unconcerned.
[There is no need to worry. The clerk will never ask you to return them.]
“Why not?”
[They are extremely basic books, and Jerpet never touched them. They have no value as evidence. The Magic Tower will not specifically request them either.]
“That’s welcome news. But if so, couldn’t I have simply asked him to give them to me from the beginning?”
The girl shook her head.
[Then he would have refused.]
“...Why?”
[Think about it. The clerk had just rigidly postponed the payment of your reward. That was understandable, since he was following the rules. But what would happen if he then casually handed over pieces of evidence simply because he personally felt like it?]
“...Allen and Ellasen would be displeased.”
[Exactly. He would effectively be changing the standards at his own discretion. If they accused him of treating people unequally, it would place him in a difficult position. Of course, Allen and Ellasen are your companions, so they would be unlikely to complain. Even so, the clerk would not want to create any unnecessary grounds for dispute.]
“That’s why you told me to borrow them.”
[Correct. As long as an item is not crucial evidence, the rules concerning loans are not particularly strict. As I said, basic magical texts like these have no relevance whatsoever to this request.]
“I understand. Thank you for your advice.”
Then, Kaspar suddenly felt something strange.
How does she know so much?
The girl before him was the Fallen Throne—the Bride of the Black Rose.
She was a powerful higher being whose strength Jerpet had sought to borrow in order to take revenge on the Metal Magic Tower.
Yet the more Kaspar spoke with her, the less she seemed like a higher being gazing down upon the mortal realm and the more she resembled someone who had been born and raised in Wintersteel and knew the city inside and out.
The girl smirked.
[You should have wondered about that when I revealed that I knew Jerpet’s true plan. Though I understand that you were in no state to consider it at the time.]
“...You can read minds.”
That answered his question.
The Fallen Throne could read minds. Just as she had perceived his doubts, she had also read the clerk’s thoughts.
[If you find it unpleasant, I apologize.]
“No, it’s all right.”
Kaspar was accustomed to the teachings of Radiance.
Radiance was said to perceive all the good and evil hidden within the human heart and purify any evil that had seeped into it.
In the end, that was no different from laying bare a person’s innermost thoughts.
In other words, the very concept of a higher being reading minds was not unfamiliar to him.
Of course, knowing that the being before me actually possesses such power is another matter.
[From now on, I will refrain from reading your mind. Consider it a gesture of respect toward my contractor.]
Just as Kaspar was about to thank her—
Growl.
His brain, which had been working furiously all day, demanded nourishment.
“Uh... Hmm.”
Caught off guard, Kaspar found himself at a loss for words.
The girl giggled, apparently amused by his reaction.
[Efficient study also requires adequate nutrition. I will not disturb you, so eat to your heart’s content.]
Her form began to fade.
[In the meantime, I shall look around the area.]
“Where are you going?”
[Something interesting seems about to happen.]
Leaving behind that cryptic answer, the girl disappeared. The presence that had filled the room vanished with her.
Something interesting?
Puzzled, Kaspar sat before the meal the attendant had brought him.
The menu consisted of honey-glazed brown bread, grilled trout with crisp skin, and a root-vegetable salad.
The meal thoroughly satisfied both the eyes and the nose.
“Ah... Mr. Allen?”
Once Kaspar sat before it, everything else suddenly seemed irrelevant.
Soon, only the sounds of Kaspar eating filled the room.
***
When Allen visited Kaspar’s lodgings, he was equally horrified.
“Whoa... What happened to you? You look like a complete vagrant.”
“What?”
Kaspar had nearly finished Mana Refinement and Utilization and was about to turn past the introductory chapter of Understanding Magical Metals when someone knocked on his door.
Is it already time to eat?
It felt as though he had not even digested his previous meal yet.
From now on, I should ask them to bring food only in the morning and evening.
But when he opened the door, he was startled by a completely unexpected face.
Seeing Kaspar’s bewildered reaction, Ellasen, who stood beside Allen, produced a hand mirror with an impressed expression.
“Ah...”
The sight reflected in the mirror was appalling.
His greasy hair stuck out in every conceivable direction. His eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep, and the dark circles beneath them were as black as ink.
He could have lain down in the middle of the refugee settlement without looking remotely out of place.
[See? I told you to wash this morning.]
Scratching his head, Kaspar asked,
“By the way, what brings you here?”
The moment he scratched his head, Allen and Ellasen recoiled in horror. Then they looked at him in confusion.
“What brings us here? Aren’t you coming to collect your money?”
“Money?”
“...The payment for the request. Don’t tell me you forgot.”
Ah. Right. There was that too.
Kaspar had been so immersed in his books that he had completely forgotten.
“I can’t believe it has already been two days... Time certainly passes quickly.”
Kaspar spoke with an embarrassed expression.
“...Kaspar?”
“Yes?”
“It’s been five days.”
“What?”
After finishing a cold shower, Kaspar emerged from the bathroom.
Allen and Ellasen were seated inside the room, staring at him as though he were some kind of monster.
“What is it?”
“Kaspar.”
“Yes?”
“Aren’t you cold?”
“...Ah.”
Now that he looked, they were both shivering.
“I’m fairly resistant to cold.”
“I don’t think that’s the issue! No, never mind. It isn’t important anyway.”
Giving up on understanding him, Allen held out a pouch.
“First, this is your success bonus for the Jerpet job.”
“Thank you for bringing it to me.”
Hmm?
“Oh, that? Don’t worry. We’ve already discussed it.”
“Discussed what?”
The pouch contained thirteen silver coins.
Kaspar narrowed his eyes and counted them again.
“I believe there’s been a mistake. Wasn’t the success bonus ten silver coins?”
Wrapped in the blanket Ellasen had given him, Allen smiled gently as though he had expected Kaspar to say that.
This time, Ellasen took over the explanation.
“Mm-hmm. Everyone agreed that you contributed the most to resolving this request, so we adjusted the way the reward was divided.”
“You changed the shares?”
“It isn’t much, but the three of us each gave up one silver coin. That includes Zrek, even though he isn’t here.”
Her tone was light, as though it were nothing important.
Yet Kaspar had the feeling that such adjustments were not particularly common.
“Consider it our way of showing our appreciation, Kaspar.”
[Accept it, Kaspar.]
The Fallen Throne, who could read minds, glanced across Allen and Ellasen before speaking.
[It does not appear to be common, but it seems to be an established custom. By adjusting the shares and showing their “appreciation” in this fashion, they are asking you to view the prospect of working with them again favorably. And...]
And?
[The subject those two have brought with them is rather interesting. It seems they will not raise it until you accept their gesture.]
The girl’s eyes sparkled as she watched Allen and Ellasen.
Sure enough, the moment Kaspar accepted the payment, Ellasen spoke.
“Kaspar, do you have any plans for the immediate future?”
“Hmm... I’m not sure. Reading and practicing magic, perhaps. Why do you ask?”
Allen and Ellasen exchanged glances.
“So you don’t have anything in particular planned?”
“No... I suppose not.”
Allen and Ellasen exchanged another look.
Why are they acting like that?
“Kaspar?”
“Yes?”
“What do you think about small mercenary companies?”
“...?”
“I mean, a group with fewer than ten members and only a select few—”
“Oh, for goodness’ sake! This is taking forever. Move aside.”
Apparently frustrated by Ellasen’s roundabout explanation, Allen interrupted.
“Kaspar, we’ve decided to form a mercenary company.”
“A mercenary company?”
The announcement came without warning.
Beside him, the Fallen Throne continued giggling in amusement.
“Well, congratulations. How many members do you have?”
Ellasen pushed Allen aside and answered.
“Mm, it hasn’t been finalized yet, but—”
Allen forced his way back into the conversation through gritted teeth.
“Four.”
Four?
A mercenary company of four people?
“...Allen!”
“Just wait, Ellasen. Do you think we can hide it forever? Kaspar.”
“...Yes?”
“I’ll get straight to the point. Would you like to become our company’s dedicated mage?”
Struggling to remain lucid amid the dizzying flow of the conversation, Kaspar answered,
“I appreciate the offer, but I intend to wait for the large-scale recontracting period two weeks from now—which should be in roughly another week.”
“I know. I was waiting for it too. But the situation has changed.”
Allen straightened in his seat, his expression abruptly turning serious.
As the atmosphere suddenly grew heavy, Kaspar realized something.
What Allen was about to reveal must be the “rather interesting subject” the Fallen Throne had mentioned.
“Kaspar, as of yesterday, the Wintersteel Mercenary Bureau issued a large-scale mobilization order.”
Allen’s voice was grave.
“A large-scale mobilization order?”
“Yeah. Unless they have a valid reason not to, every mercenary company stationed in the city has been ordered to assemble at the gate guarding the Eternal Forest.”
“The Eternal Forest...”
Kaspar recalled the contents of a book he had read inside the carriage before arriving here.
Each gate along the Northern Wall monitored several different regions.
The Eternal Forest was one of the eastern territories watched over by the northern gates.
It was an unknown and treacherous region where bizarre entities known as the Lords of the Forest roamed alongside their minions.
“Then something must have happened in the forest.”
“That’s right. Every soldier stationed at the gate monitoring the forest has vanished.”