Records of Eduard Aurelia

❖ Historio Electrum

Classification: Black

Class Number: 0004

Date: 1880/07/01

Location: Reconquista, Karkinos-Ignitia. Prison tower in the margrave’s estate.

☆

The stone room was divided in two by sturdy iron bars. In such a dingy space, it was hard to tell night from day. The floor was gritty and the air was dry.

At the moment, two people occupied this room. On one side of the bars, Louie Ode-Ignitia sat in a simple chair. On the other side, a scribe bearing the crest of the Ignitian royal family observed him with pen and paper in hand.

A heavy, metal door swung open, heralding three new entrants: Eduard Aurelia, Elric Actorius, and Claus Hafan. Louie glanced at them from the corner of his eye. Soon, the scribe stood and left the room to give them space.

Eduard grabbed the chair the scribe had been using, placing it right in front of Louie before taking a seat. Elric and Claus remained standing a little farther back, right and left of Eduard respectively. Elric blotted his brow with a handkerchief while Claus restlessly used his sleeve to rub off the sweat dripping down his jaw.

Strangely, neither Eduard nor Louie were sweating in the slightest; they both maintained perfect composure.

“Hmm, so it’s your turn today, Eduard Aurelia. You’re wasting your time. My testimony will remain the same, no matter how many times you repeat your questions.”

“I’m sorry that I have to betray your expectations, but today, I’m not here to interrogate you on your crimes.”

“Oh?” Louie’s face turned grim.

Claus knit his brow, scowling at Eduard. “Oi, Eduard—”

“It’s nothing to worry about, Claus. Just do as we discussed. All that’s changed is the topic of our interrogation.” Eduard handed him an amber pellet about the size of a bean.

Swallowing his half-finished words, Claus began his incantation. His spell cards spread to cover the entirety of the room, giving off a faint glow reminiscent of moonlight. His protective circle was complete, successfully linked to the Historio Electrum—a stone used to keep records.

He stacked a few more spells, such as Glámr-Sight, on top of this. These would add new layers to the information observed and recorded.

Elric similarly readied a long staff and spell cards. Once he was prepared to cast at any time, he and Eduard exchanged a look.

“You’re putting on quite a show today. What are you going to do to me?”

“We’re just going to have a bit of a chat. You don’t have to be so tense. Right, how are you adjusting to your new life?”

“Oh, you’re here to laugh at me? You must be just as bored as I am.” Louie glared at him, rocking back in his simple chair. “How am I supposed to adjust to this? It’s the worst. The ventilation’s terrible, it’s all dusty, and it’s way too hot. The meals are god-awful, and the bed is hard as a rock. Who do you think I am? Why haven’t you guys been tried and hanged for treason yet?”

“Unfortunately, your kingdom extends no further than those iron bars. I’d advise against dragging your delusions beyond them.”

Louie clicked his tongue. “Delusions? You’re the one who needs to look at reality, Eduard.”

“Hmm. There appears to be a discrepancy between your reality and mine. Would you mind explaining what you make of reality?”

“Very well. Open your ears, and use your head. The same goes for you sycophants behind him. I’ll explain it so even a complete fool could understand who it is you should be following.” Louie leaned forward, chair and all. In hushed tones, he continued, “Let’s get one thing straight. I am the legitimate heir to Ignitia.”

Eduard shrugged. “I’ve grown quite tired of that assertion.”

“You simply can’t comprehend it; that’s why I wind up repeating it again and again. I feel a bit sorry for you. Today, my accursed brother isn’t here, and you drove Henri’s scribe away. I’ll make a special exception and tack on some vital tidbits that will help you make the right judgment.”

“I see. Let’s hope not all of your stories are so boring.”

“You won’t just be amazed; you’ll be begging for forgiveness. What I’m about to tell you is a story of the dark side of Ignitia.” Louie paused for a moment, shaping his lips into a smile before going on. “You see, Eduard, I hold you in slightly higher esteem than I do the other fools. You may not be as good as me, but you’re skilled at what you do. Once you hear what I’m about to say, I know you’ll side with me.”

Eduard silently urged him on.

“I have unshakable evidence to back my claim that King Henri is a usurper. Given my current situation, I can’t say it in front of fools dancing in the palms of those in power. Naturally, not a word of this is to leave this room.”

“Very well. I swear to God. My lips are sealed.”

“A man who doesn’t have even an iota of faith shouldn’t swear to God so lightly. Swear to what’s dearest to you.”

Eduard was silent for the next ten-odd seconds. Then he lifted a hand and took his oath. “I swear on the life of my beloved sister, Erika Aurelia.”

“Alright. Go on, you two,” Louie said, motioning to Claus and Elric.

“Oi, you seriously want us to do that?”

Eduard nodded. “Please. Play along, would you?”

They both raised their hands as well, Claus reluctantly, Elric reservedly.

“Then I’ll also... No, I swear it on my sister’s life. Is that good enough for you?”

“I can just swear to God like a normal person, right? Mum’s the word.”

“Alright. I’ll talk. Be grateful,” Louie said pompously, leaning even farther forward. “Do you remember how a generation ago, the crown prince mysteriously died on his sickbed? Going in proper order, my father was the next in line, and he should have inherited the throne. However, he refused, and it fell to Henri, who was third. Don’t you find that strange?”

Eduard didn’t answer, and Louie carried on regardless.

“Now, here’s the first piece of truth. It wasn’t just the crown prince who mysteriously died. His twin sister was found dead at exactly the same time. Publicly, it’s stated that the princess died a week earlier, but that’s an obvious cover-up. The prince wasn’t present at her funeral, and they said it was because of his illness. During the prince’s funeral, no one was allowed to see in the coffin.”

“You hadn’t even been born yet.”

“My information comes from a trustworthy source. Ask anyone who was there, and they’ll say the same.” Louie paused for a moment to let it all sink in. “Here is the second truth. Just before the princess’ death was announced, a certain count was called to Ynys Negesydd. That count was appointed the instructor to a newly founded unit of land dragons, and he was granted a mansion that had previously belonged to the royal family. The strange thing is, his mansion was ready the day he arrived, but the documents officially appointing him to the post took a few days to go through. What’s more, his wife, the countess, had only just given birth to a son, yet she made the journey with her husband.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying the true objective of the emergency decree was the countess. Don’t you see?” Louie glared at Eduard, who maintained his passive, innocent face. “Don’t play dumb. You should have noticed by now.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“The princess gave birth on the verge of death. Or perhaps the child was cut from her corpse. The countess was called to secretly serve the role of a wet nurse.”

“What—” blurted Claus.

In a flash, Eduard turned to him with an index finger over his lips. Covering his mouth with the palm of his hand, Claus retreated a step.

“By the laws of Ignitia, the descendants of the eldest child take precedence. Let’s say I begrudgingly concede the validity of my father’s abdication. If the princess’ child reaches adulthood, then Henri must return the throne to him.”

“That would be the case, as long as the child hasn’t renounced his claim.”

“I thought you would say that, Eduard.” Louie theatrically stood. His tone patronizing, he went on. “Now, here’s the final piece. Before I was born, my father had tried and failed to have a child for many years. That was why he gave up on the throne. Yes, he gave up, and thus I am officially counted as third in line. But that isn’t true; don’t you get it yet? My father could never have a child. I am none other than the son of the late princess. I am the true king!” Louie stridently declared.

After a long moment of silence, Eduard opened his mouth. “Is that all there is to your claim?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m still waiting for you to finish. If you have nothing else to say, then take a seat already. Your throne is right behind you.”

“You insolent fool!” Despite the burning rage reddening his face, he did in fact take a seat.

“Incidentally, Louie, how old are you?”

“That’s pretty sudden. What does that have to do with anything?”

“I want to hear a clear answer from your mouth. Please, humor me.”

“I am fourteen. I will be fifteen come October.”

“How many years has it been since King Henri was enthroned?”

“Nineteen—no, about twenty, I believe.”

“Now, about the mysterious deaths of the prince and princess—by your own investigation, how many years ago did the incident take place?”

“Err, twenty years ago? W-Wait, hold on. Eduard, there’s something wrong.” Louie turned a ghastly shade of pale.

With a shrug, Eduard waited for him to recover. The following two minutes of the recording picked up nothing more than the sound of Louie hyperventilating.

“That’s strange. Why is that? A-Aren’t I supposed to be the secret son of the princess?”

“I honestly didn’t know where you were going with any of this. You were proudly speaking about a matter that had absolutely nothing to do with your legitimacy.”

“What...?”

“As for the secret son of the late princess—I know who it is. So long as he doesn’t come forward, I plan to take that information to the grave. Considering his personality, I doubt he’s going to assert his position and authority anytime soon.”

For just a brief instant, Eduard glanced at Elric, who nodded ever so slightly.

“Yes, I’m sure he wouldn’t come forth even if someone demanded it.”

Louie lifted his face. His brow was soaked with sweat.

“Now then, have you collected yourself? Be at ease, Louie. There is no doubt in my mind that you carry the blood of Ignitian royalty.”

“That’s right. I am a legitimate prince of Ignitia. I can ride a dragon better than anyone. My dragon is stronger than any other. I’m different from that cheating bastard, August.”

“You’re the cheat here, you bloody traitor.” His patience reaching its breaking point, Claus couldn’t help but let an insult spill from his lips.

“Claus?” Eduard calmly inquired.

“It’s nothing. You’re imagining it. Incantations can occasionally sound similar to insults. It may or may not be a well-documented phenomenon.” Claus shrugged, averted his eyes, and shuffled his spell cards.

“Moving on. I find it hard to believe that His Highness’ abilities are fake. At the time, I wielded every form of perception magic at my disposal, but I didn’t detect anything.”

Frustrated, Louie only growled in response.

“For argument’s sake, let’s assume he did cheat through some unknown method that could fool all known forms of detection. And, impossible as it is, let’s say he bid farewell to his inheritance due to his lack of riding ability. Even then, his brother Jules is next in line.”

“Jules is three years old. He is too young to bear the responsibilities of kingship.”

“Henri is healthy and young. Jules might be a splendid young man by the time the crown changes hands.”

“No...” Louie’s breathing grew unsteady once more. He toppled out of his chair, falling to his knees.

“You look like you’re in pain. Should I call a healer?”

“Leave me. You just... want to... poison me,” he wheezed.

“I don’t care about you, but Charles will be sad if you die. No, to be perfectly honest, I don’t really care about Charles either. But if you look at it the other way, your continued existence is of little consequence to me. Live on if you really want to.”

“Blaergh... Haah, haah...”

When Louie’s eyes were on the ground, Eduard turned and sent a hand sign to Claus. After he’d checked the values his magic returned on Louie’s condition, Claus shook his head.

Eduard’s expression clouded over for just a moment. However, by the time he turned back to Louie, he had already finished reforming his calm, smiling mask.

“I... Only I have this country’s best interests in mind. Can that war-crazed Henri bring peace to Ignitia? That religious fanatic, Charles, is even worse. He’s convinced that the people of the kingdom are God’s chosen. Yet he’s always finding fault with me, and he doesn’t recognize a single thing I do. Every time he opens his mouth, by his second sentence, he’s on about how unholy Gigantia must be razed in sacred flames.”

“That sounds like him. I agree with you there; he’s a self-absorbed nutcase. However, his harshness toward you is probably a form of love.”

“What nonsense. What do you know about my foolish brother?”

“Back when we first enrolled in the academy, Charles was our prefect.”

Louie piped down before he grew hysteric. In a calm tone, Elric carried on where Eduard left off. “Eduard was especially close to Charles. Oh, that takes me back. Unholy Gigantia, eh? He’s still on about that?”

“You should go see him sometime, Elric. If you wait around the chapel, you’ll see him three times a day.”

“Ahaha, I’ll have to pass.” While Elric’s expression mostly remained the same, his brow furrowed in a way that made him seem terribly troubled.

Louie’s eyes shifted between the two of them.

“You’re misunderstanding the man called Charles Ode-Ignitia. Ever since he received a report of your arrest, he’s been going to the chapel every day to pray for your rehabilitation. He abstained from meat and alcohol for the remainder of the festivities and is barely sleeping every night. He’s an awkward man, you know. Though that might not be the sort of love you were looking for.”

Still on his knees, Louie stared off into space. His intense waves of emotion had ebbed, leaving behind a deep and solemn sense of regret.

“Yes. Why... Why did I...? Eduard, please tell me—how are my dragons? Camellia and Sylvatica, how are they right now? Are they still alive?”

“They’re alive. They can’t fly, walk, or crawl, but they’re alive.”

“It’s my fault... It’s all my fault! I need to apologize to Camellia and Sylvatica! I’ve done something I can never take back...”

“That will be difficult, considering they are in Ichthyes. At the moment, you are neither permitted to travel nor to receive visitors.”

“I see... Sounds about right. Why... Why did it come to this? My father chose those dragons for me. They’re far more valuable than my life, and yet...” Tears poured from Louie’s eyes. His quiet sobs gradually grew into wails of lament. “Father told me I was to be a skilled knight who could support the king. My stepbrother said I would one day become an essential governor of these lands. Why was I so convinced I had to be king? Since when have I desired to usurp the throne? I left these southern lands, abandoned my duty... I did something so abominable as drive cursed nails into my dear dragons! Impossible... Inconceivable! Why? Someone tell me why!”

He pounded his fists onto the stone floor again and again. It only took a few times for the skin to tear and for blood to splatter over his hands, but he did not stop.

“Louie, can you hear me now?”

“Now what? What more could you want?”

For the first time that day, Louie looked Eduard straight in the eyes. Eduard sternly looked back at him through all his tears.

“I knew a man, once upon a time. We were in the same year, and we didn’t get along. I hated him, and he shared the sentiment. Were you to ask me if I truly knew anything about him at all, I would have little to offer.”

Louie just listened without interrupting. With a gloomy face, Elric looked down at the floor.

“But there was one thing I was certain of.”

“What?”

“He was not the sort of man who would lay a hand on his own family. He was the last person who would ever slaughter his entire household. There was even a small child among them.”

“Slaughter...? Are you talking about what happened in Lucanlandt last year?”

Eduard nodded. “Where did he go? Is he alive or dead? I don’t know. But Louie, you are here, and you’re still alive.”

“Eduard, I...”

“Honestly, I despise you. I still hold a grudge against you for what you did to Erika. However, I don’t see you as such an unjust human being. There is someone who’s taken advantage of your ambition and patriotism. Someone who’s manipulating you. I want you to tell me who planted the idea in your head. You still have time. If it’s not too late, you can still return to our side.”

Eduard got down on one knee. From across the bars, he matched Louie’s gaze and held out his hand.

Louie’s hand shook as he hesitantly reached out. “Eduard... I’m begging you... Please... save me...” Just before their fingers brushed one another, Louie’s hand dropped. He then rose to his feet in an uncanny fashion, as though he were being pulled up by some unseen string. “As if.”

He cracked a smile, dark and hollow like a knothole in a tree. In the face of this sudden change, the other three reached for their weapons.

“Eduard Aurelia, you’re hardly one to speak about delusions. Save me. What, you wanted a tearjerker where we all end up on the floor, crying together? Get with the times. These days, you won’t even find that in a third-rate street performance.”

Louie spread his arms out on either side of his head, his body shimmying from side to side like a court jester. His face was still fixed in the same inhuman smile.

“Oi, Eduard. This is—”

“Picking up any signs?”

“None. No reaction from Glámr-Sight, Analyze Dweomer, or any other detection spells. No magic exists in this room, save for what we’ve constructed ourselves.”

Claus threw out a few extra spell cards. A number of detection spells were deployed, allowing the record to pick up even finer details. However, nothing seemed to show that Louie was being manipulated in any way.

“Hahaha. Of course not! Did you think I was some pitiful puppet on a string? Someone, please. What a naïve bunch you are. Why would I do any of this, if not of my own will?”

“Whose will would that be? You sound at odds with yourself.”

“Hrm? Whatever are you talking about? I’m someone talking perfectly normally right now. Help.”

“Elric, it might be pointless, but erect a protective circle.”

“Got it!”

Elric chanted a spell, deploying spell cards around Louie. However, the moment Claus saw what he was doing, he reeled him back in.

“Wrong! That spell’s no good! Reinforce the detection magic, Actorius!”

“Err, right away!”

Elric abandoned the spell he was constructing and took over the chant for the perception magic. This shifted the practitioner of the spell to him, which made the accuracy slightly lower from that point onward. The protective circle Claus deployed instead was quite different from Elric’s, all the way down to the finer details.

Louie watched the three of them scramble with a broad grin.

“Tch! Is he really not being controlled?!”

“You used a specialized spell for psychological attacks. Keep it up, Claus! If it can block any further meddling, it’s served its purpose.”

“As expected of a son of Hafan. You’re such a good kid. Even when you knew better than anyone here that I wasn’t being controlled. Help. You’re the purest and most exploitable one here. Without your scary guardian, you’d be the first one to crumble. Save me. I’ll take my time tormenting you bit by bit. Just like I did with August.”

“Bastard!”

The magic fueling Claus’ circle momentarily surged in concert with his anger. Surplus mana flooded out of his spell cards, dispersing in bursts of light. He concentrated on controlling his emotions, finally stabilizing the spell.

“Legitimacy is something that establishes itself after the fact. Guillaume didn’t become the Conquering King because he was beloved by God. It’s because he was a conqueror that legend says he must have been beloved by God. I’m no different. Someone, please. After I become king of Ignitia, I’ll make up some legend that fits the bill. No matter what filthy means I use to usurp the throne, all that matters is that I win.”

“Even if it means selling out your nation to Gigantia?”

“Precisely. Help me. And what difference does it make? Ignitia’s already made ties with so many enemies. Save me, pl— Those Lucanlandt barbarians, you xenophobic Hafans. And Aurelia, a nation of lunatics.”

Claus trembled as he noticed something. From a certain point onward, his record of Louie’s emotional state—the traces of his fear and anguish—were extinguished completely.

“How dare you throw a wrench into my plans, Eduard. Someday, you’ll learn just how much of a mistake it was to go against me.” Louie lifted up his right hand and pointed it at Eduard. “Now, let me make a prediction, Eduard Aurelia—in six years, your dear younger sister, Erika, shall die a more repugnant death than anyone else. And when that happens, you’ll be just like me.”

After Louie gave them a conspicuously broken smile, the strength drained from his body, and he toppled to the floor. An analysis showed he had completely lost consciousness.

“Elric, get Charles and a healer! Claus, I don’t care what you do, just start casting some strong dispels!” Eduard screamed.

The other two reacted in an instant. By the time Elric reached the door, Eduard had destroyed the iron bars with his Disintegrate wand. Claus cast Break Enchantment, but Louie seemed unchanged.

The perception readings vanished as Elric left the room and the Ignitian scribe entered in his place.

Eduard pulled medical devices and medicines from his leather bag. He gave a brief explanation to the scribe as he examined Louie.

The record came to an abrupt end as the Historio Electrum was wrapped into Claus’ casting of Arcane Disjunction.

☆

❖ Historio Electrum

Classification: Gray

Class Number: 0006

Date: 1880/07/01

Location: Reconquista, Karkinos-Ignitia. Margrave’s estate.

☆

Claus Hafan was sitting at a table in a simple hut. Soon, Eduard Aurelia entered and locked the door behind him.

Eduard took a seat directly across from Claus.

“What now, Eduard? What good will my testimony do you?”

“Just in case. I don’t suspect you of anything.”

“Oh, I wonder about that. Not that I care either way. Honestly, I have no idea what just happened.” Claus shook his head. There was a deep crease in his brow.

“I know this is quite a harsh incident to be involved in at the age of ten, but...”

“I don’t need your concern. I calmed down a bit while you were talking to Actorius. That aside, it creeps me out when you of all people act reserved.”

“That’s quite a shock. Getting down to business, how did Louie appear to you?”

“Exactly the same as what’s in the record. I don’t know anything beyond that.”

“I want your frank opinion. Tell me exactly what you felt at the time. Perhaps you noticed something I overlooked. Even if that isn’t the case, it’s always worthwhile to organize what we already know.”

Eduard placed the piece of amber, encased in magic letters and faintly glowing like a live coal, on the table. Claus stared at it for a while, going back over the information recorded within.

“I still don’t see any traces of magic or mind control.”

“Anything else?”

“Whoever made Louie like that has quite the personality.”

“What’s your basis for saying that?”

Claus presented Eduard the readings recorded on the amber.

“We got a number of emotional readings far stronger than what you would find in a normal person. He pretty much started out at neutral levels, so the spikes are clear.”

“What emotions would that be?”

“Love, longing, loneliness, regret, and sorrow. It closely resembles the pattern seen right after losing a loved one. Considering what Louie did, it just doesn’t seem to fit.”

“That’s enough to break someone.”

Claus thought hard about Eduard’s words. Once Eduard finished going over the readings, he passed the amber back to Claus.

“When did Louie lose his parents?” Claus muttered, rolling it between his fingers.

“Four years ago. Both at the same time. It was an unfortunate accident. I’m sure neither Charles nor Louie was prepared to deal with it.”

“I see.”

The two of them fell silent.

After some time, Claus reluctantly spoke up. “But still, it’s been four years. These readings...”

“You think they’re unnatural?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never lost a relative before. I can only discern a state of mind from emotional readings because I was taught how. I don’t know anything about raw emotion; that’s out of my field.” Claus looked at his palm. “No, I almost lost someone dear to me before. She was just barely saved. If I’d lost her, I—” Claus paused, then looked back up at Eduard. “Didn’t Louie say something about that?”

“His prediction, eh?”

“You think Erika will be alright?”

“If Louie really had precognition, we wouldn’t have been able to catch him.”

“That’s true, but...”

Claus’ face filled with distress, but Eduard simply shrugged.

“If you want me to be honest with you, I can’t say I’m handling it well,” he said. “When I heard him say that, it felt like all the blood in my body froze over.”

“Even you can feel like that?”

“Hahaha, what sort of man do you take me for?” Eduard watched Claus stew in silence with a dark look on his face. “My heart is on the weaker side. That’s why I’m able to imagine how Louie was corrupted. What would be most painful if I was in Louie’s shoes? How would I go about breaking my own heart?”

“Wait. The way you put it makes it sound like someone explicitly set up Louie’s environment to break him.”

“Yes, it’s almost like it was set up. It happened just as Charles, who Louie couldn’t stand, graduated and returned from the academy. Immediately after, his parents died, and Charles inherited his father’s peerage. That was around the same time August’s dragon was supposed to hatch, too. If there are a few other factors that happened around that time designed to cause him anxiety...”

The smile faded from Eduard’s face. His eyes turned serious. Claus took this challenging look head-on.

“Are you the kind who laughs when everything comes together?” Eduard asked.

“I’m not laughing. Not at all. Not when there’s someone out there murdering people to bring about others’ downfalls... I nearly lost my sister to similar circumstances.”

“That’s right. Anyone could have been in Louie’s position. The gears bend ever so slightly, and fate rolls in a completely different direction.”

With that, their conversation came to an end. Eduard said no more on the subject, and Claus pondered away in silence. Eventually, he recalled the amber in his hand and set it on the table.

Upon retrieving it, Eduard fiddled with it until the playback stopped and the letters within it shifted to indicate that it had been sealed. He tucked it away, then took two keys from his pocket and placed them in front of Claus.

“I trust you, so I’m putting these in your care.”

“What are they for?”

“I’ve been gathering the light of stars in a particular place. Once there’s no light left to cling to in this world, perhaps those stars will be the last glimmer of hope.”

“Where is that?”

“You’ll know someday.”

“And when will that be?”

“Perhaps when I die and can’t protect Erika anymore.”

Claus kicked his seat, standing abruptly. Eduard had an unfathomable smile on his face.

“Eduard, you... You...!”

“We’re preparing for the off-chance. I’m not going to entrust my precious sister to anyone else that easily.” Eduard quietly stood and turned his back to Claus. “Now then, that’s all the time we have to chat. I need to discuss with Charles what we’ll do if Louie never wakes up.”

“Wait just one second.”

The severity of Claus’ voice caused Eduard to look back. The boy had taken a sealed letter from the inner pocket of his robe.

“Don’t tell anyone I gave this to you. I’m not supposed to show it to anyone outside of Hafan.”

“What’s in it?”

“The moment Louie fainted, I copied down the one spell I managed to see through. It didn’t look like it was the spell that put him in a coma. Still, I managed to analyze a large portion of the multilayered magic he was using to disguise it. Have a look at the practitioner’s name.”

Eduard opened the folded vellum, then immediately slammed it shut. “Cain Grendel... the last king of Casquetia, huh?”

“Don’t speak that name in front of anyone from Lucanlandt or Hafan. I can’t guarantee you’ll survive.”

“Do you think he’s the real one?”

“Who knows? Whether he’s real or fake, we’ll track him down, kill him, and bury him. That will be the end of it.”

“Why did you show that to me?”

“It’s not about you. I just don’t want to see Erika sad. It’s for my sake, really.”

Eduard carefully tucked the envelope into his overcoat. “Thank you. I’ll put this information to good use.”

“Be careful, Eduard. All the mad-king impersonators who’ve appeared over the years were competent in their own right.”

“You look out for yourself too, Claus. That cursed necklace that nearly lured you and your sister to your deaths... Its practitioner was also named Cain.”

Claus’ eyes grew wide and fierce, glaring daggers at empty space. As the emotions he had finally managed to shake off were dragged right back to him, his surging mana scattered in blue sparks all around him.

“You have my thanks, Eduard. That’s just what I wanted to hear.”

Claus’ face contorted in rage directed at this unseen foe, and Eduard gave him an ice-cold smile in return. After turning on his heels, Eduard left the room. This time, the Historio Electrum recording was shut off the proper way.

☆

A single midsize ship drifted through the twilight. It had set sail from a port on the western edge of Karkinos’ northwestern peninsula. The ship was bound for an island, really no more than an isolated rock, about halfway between Karkinos and an archipelago southwest of it.

Two young men stood on deck: Elric and Eduard.

“Alright, that should get us back on track. We’ll be about half a day late, but we should reach it just fine.”

After Eduard barked a few orders to the sailors, the ship moved like a living thing, gently swinging its bow around to face the opposite direction.

Such smooth operation was proof that, like a brain sending a pulse through the nervous system, Eduard’s orders had coursed through every nook and cranny of the body.

“A wonderful performance, Eduard.”

“No, it’s because you noticed the flock of sea serpents so quickly. I’m surprised you could detect submerged monsters without using magic.”

“The seabirds were moving unnaturally. Now, as for why that might be...”

Elric proceeded to explain the inherent traits of the birds and the unnatural paths of the schools of fish. Eduard couldn’t understand around seventy percent of such a technical explanation, but he still acted like it was a joy to listen to.

Once Elric was finished, he properly gave his thanks. “I’m glad I dragged you along. If we’d gotten any closer, we might not have survived.”

These past few years, the number of shipwrecks from sea serpent attacks around Karkinos’ coast had increased drastically. Without Elric’s quick wit, they really might have been dragged under, ship and all.

“Haha, that’s about all I’m good for, so I’m glad you found it useful.”

“Honestly, I didn’t want to impose this upon you, but...”

Initially, Claus was supposed to have accompanied them on the boat, but due to urgent business pertaining to the grave-desecration incident, he’d had to temporarily return to Hafan. Eduard had been forced instead to turn to Elric, who had been set to promptly return to the academy.

“Oh, is that why you’ve been troubling the Hafan heir so much lately?”

“Precisely. Though it’s also because Claus is so well trained, I can hardly picture him as a young boy.”

“He’s also indebted to you, so it works out in your favor. Oh, I’ve got it. Are you secretly tempering him because he’s a candidate to marry that little sister of yours?”

“I’m not nearly that kind. If I had to say, I’m bullying him because he’s too close to my little sister.” Contrary to his words, Eduard had a gentle look in his eyes.

Elric smiled wryly at his friend’s openly malicious words, which were likely an attempt to hide his embarrassment. While Eduard seemed generally uninhibited, he was as overprotective as a mother whenever his sister was concerned.

“Come to think of it, Eduard, what are we investigating this time?”

“There’s an altar on a small island with a meager population of fifty. It’s apparently an important point on a ley line.”

“Hmm, a ley line? All the way out there?”

Eduard nodded, but that just gave way to a new question. If it was an important point on a strong ley line, then even if it was remote, someone should have used its mana to build a transfer gate by now.

“This is a request from Lindis, right? They didn’t give you permission to use the gate?”

“No, there’s no gate there. Maybe they didn’t want to disturb the old altar, but they never installed one.”

Eduard took a roll of parchment from his bag and handed it to Elric. These documents were sealed with a stamp indicating that they were from the church. A few portions were redacted with black ink, but the message was clear enough.

“A sorcery system to supply angels with mana... Hmm, who would’ve thought angels really existed?”

“Even if we do find the facilities, the existence of angels themselves is still unconfirmed. At the very least, I think some form of phantasmic beast once made use of those services.”

“The mechanics are still not fully understood. If that’s the case, I can see why they didn’t want to hazard tapping into that energy for a transfer gate.”

Various portions of a sorcery system built by an ancient civilization were still beyond the understanding of modern magic and alchemy. The information and techniques had been scattered or lost. Some degraded with time, and others had been destroyed by magic beasts.

Seeing that Elric seemed to understand the mission, Eduard moved on to explaining their target. “It’s a particularly major altar among the ones that exist all over Karkinos, and there’s a theory it might be able to influence all the others. Apparently, they found quite a few that are similar to it.”

“Really... Doesn’t that make it quite a vulnerable place to exploit?”

“We thought so, at least. That’s why a joint effort between the church and the academy was dispatched before us. The team was supposed to investigate, if possible, destroy any vulnerabilities, and rebuild it to be more structurally sound. You’ll find their results on page eight.”

Elric flipped through the papers. What he came upon was a record of a tragic incident, a serious curse that had infected every single member of the investigation team. He inadvertently clasped a hand over his mouth at such a grim report.

“Do you think it’s an ancient trap?”

“That’s not confirmed, but I presume it’s been maliciously altered in the last two to three hundred years. Its vulnerability being another of those modifications,” Eduard said with a certain level of conviction.

Only a traitor, a madman, or an atheist could have done such a thing. Elric hadn’t a clue which it was, but they were all troublesome in their own way.

“I see, this is definitely a job made for Eduard Aurelia.” He nodded.

With his golems, the alchemist Eduard Aurelia could safely investigate without having to worry about curses. He was well versed in excavating ancient ruins, and he had a perfect track record of fulfilling royal decrees. As far as Elric knew, Eduard was the perfect man for the job.

“The request I have of you is on the last page. I’d appreciate it if you could check it before we arrive.”

“Hmm, I see. Then I’ll—whoa!”

The moment Elric corrected his crooked glasses and looked at the memo, the ship suddenly lurched to one side. Losing his balance, Elric was about to fall, but Eduard quickly held him up.

“I’m really sorry. How many times does that make?”

“You can’t help it. Last year’s wound still stings, right?”

Eduard released the man and stared out at the sea. The sun was sinking beyond the horizon.

“Incidentally, how did Louie look to you?”

“Hmn... Ahh, him? I felt a little sorry for him. Oh, and for Charles as well,” Elric answered a little uneasily.

Eduard hesitated a bit before explaining himself. “I was thinking that some aspects of Louie’s condition reminded me of him. I want to know: did he have a muddy consciousness like Louie? Were there any traces that he was being controlled?”

Elric’s eyes widened as he stared at Eduard. The usual smile had completely faded from Eduard’s face.

“I see. So that’s why you invited me.”

“I heard that you remained conscious the longest, so you should know best.”

“Claude was as lucid as could be.”

It was finally Eduard’s turn to be surprised. He pressed further, as if he had been presented with something which defied belief. “Even after what he did?”

“Yes, he was incredibly rational. I can guarantee he wasn’t acting in a daze. But why did he try to kill us, only to stop just short of the final blow? What did he do after the three of us lost consciousness? Why couldn’t I have stopped him back then? They’re all questions I still don’t have an answer for, Eduard,” Elric said plainly, looking him right in the eye.

His tone was gentle as usual, but it was clear there were many conflicting emotions racing around his expression. Regret and despair, anger and hatred. Those emotions were probably meant for the man called Claude, but it felt to Eduard as if he were the one they were directed toward, and for a moment he was lost for words.

“Thank you, Elric,” he finally replied after a conspicuously strong, salty breeze blew him out of his stupor. “I was worried Louie would go mad and cause a similar incident. I just had to ask.”

“It’s alright, Eduard. It’s not going to happen again. If it does, well, you’ll be there to prevent it next time,” Elric said matter-of-factly. He had regained his smile.

“You make it sound so easy.”

“What else am I supposed to say? I believe you can do it.”

“That said, if you’ll let me speak my honest mind, there’re so many problems going on these days, I can’t get around to all of them.”

Eduard sighed as he thought of all the matters he’d been involved with as of late. It was like he was under the influence of a deep-rooted curse—a curse that made all his investigations ultimately reach an impasse.

“My, it’s not like you to act so weak.”

“I might just be imagining it, but I can’t help but feel it’s all part of a much bigger chain of events. Perhaps this is a prelude to an incident even worse than what happened in the north.”

How much better would it be if it was all just my imagination? Eduard added to himself. An heir to the throne who had gone insane under the influence of the Mad King, and a necklace cursed by the Mad King as well. Neither of them had been dangerous enough to bring the world to ruin, but both cases were simply brimming with malicious intent.

Not to mention the resemblance it all had to an incident that surrounded Eduard’s mother. As he became prisoner to these thoughts, he smiled through his troubles.

“Eduard, are you...?”

“Just as you noticed the sea serpents from the movements of the birds, I’m sure I must continue to carefully scrutinize even the smallest of incidents.”

When he looked in the distance, at the encroaching night sky, Eduard could faintly make out a flock of seabirds flying to faraway lands. The world around him grew darker and darker, as if to warn him that something sinister lay ahead.