Chapter 5: The Reincarnated Princess Still Yearns for Magic

The Kingdom of Palettia had existed hand in hand with spirits throughout its history. It was said that the realm came into being after the First King entered into a covenant with a great spirit that was revered like a god. That event became a guiding banner for others to befriend spirits as the kingdom’s foundation got underway. Even today, this great feat remained the subject of praise and celebration.

It was for that reason that, in the Kingdom of Palettia, spirit stones, gifts from the spirits themselves, were treated with great appreciation and respect. Since antiquity, they had been treasured as tools to help in people’s daily lives and presented as offerings at festivals.

To collect such spirit stones, particularly specimens of the highest possible quality, one must venture deep into the wilds—where monsters also live.

Monsters, though closely resembling animals, posed a significant threat to humans. Where the two categories differed was that the former were vicious, magic-wielding creatures, frequently attacking animals, other monsters, and even humans.

Anyone who wanted to collect spirit stones would have to fight for them. Where there were monsters, there were spirit stones—or perhaps where there were spirit stones, there were monsters.

In any event, if one sought to collect spirit stones, they would be required to venture into monster territory, where a battle against such creatures would be all but inevitable. For that reason, the kingdom often dispatched knights to go forth on the hunt and retrieve spirit stones.

However, in times of high demand, additional manpower would be required. On such occasions, all the knights in the kingdom weren’t enough to collect sufficient spirit stones to meet those needs.

So adventurers, those who lived for freedom and memorable tales, played an active role in the realm’s economy. In the Kingdom of Palettia, adventuring was a nationally licensed profession, supported by the power of the state. Their task—to do anything and everything required of them.

For example, they might be called upon as escorts to protect a caravan of merchants traveling from town to town. Or they might be asked to solve small, trivial issues that a large organization such as the Royal Guard wouldn’t get involved in. As a profession, adventuring was closely connected to the people’s lives.

The goal of such adventurers was to acquire fame and fortune by defeating these beasts. While the kingdom might lead the way in subduing monsters, large organizations like the Royal Guard were not always quick to action. On such occasions, a fast-moving adventurer might take the initiative.

It wasn’t uncommon that information from these adventurers affected the actions of the king. Theirs was a life-threatening profession, but the rewards could be great. Bounties could be considerable, and in some cases, triumphant adventurers might be rewarded with a noble title of their own.

And so adventurers would accept requests to take down monsters in pursuit of honor.

…But not everyone could achieve glory. The world could be brutal at times. Right now, one group of adventurers was about to learn that firsthand.

“Dammit! Dammit! I didn’t hear anything about that! Argh! Dammit all!”

A middle-aged man dressed as a typical adventurer was crying out in frustration.

He was a veteran of the profession. He had never achieved any particularly spectacular successes throughout his career, but it was rare for anyone to still be active at his age. In the eyes of his peers, he was sober and solid.

He had just stepped into a large forest renowned both as one of the kingdom’s premier spirit stone sites and as a den for monsters—the Black Forest. The area was in the midst of reclamation and pioneering efforts and, as such, was a popular place for new adventurers to learn the basics of the trade.

The Black Forest took its name from the darkness in the shadows of its towering trees. Rumor had it that the farther one ventured into its depths, the more that sunlight began to seem like a distant memory. No one knew its full extent.

Beyond the forest lay an untouched mountain range, though none had been mad enough to delve that deep. Most adventurers explored only the familiar fringes. That was why it was a popular place for new adventurers to gain experience.

As for our veteran adventurer, he had just begun training a group of newcomers. He was the leader of the band, their educator and supervisor.

His task was to take budding adventurers into the Black Forest to teach them the rules of the profession. It should have been a simple job. At least that was what he had thought—and what his young trainees had assumed, too. But now they were dashing through the dense foliage as fast as their feet could carry them.

Yes, they were being pursued. Their faces were wrought with fear and despair as they pushed farther in.

“L-Leader! Wh-what should we do about that?!” cried a shaken novice adventurer, too scared to stop running.

“There’s nothing we can do! Let’s just get out of this forest and report back to the guild and the knights!” the veteran adventurer yelled back at the top of the lungs, trying to hide the tremor in his own voice.

“But surely not even the knights will be able to handle it?!”

The new adventurer was too terrified to even call the thing by name. There was no disguising the dread in his voice.

“With enough fighters, they’ll be able to do something at least!”

“But—”

“They can’t afford to let that thing run wild! Forget about remote villages, it could destroy a whole city!” the veteran adventurer bellowed to his young apprentice. But not even he was without fear. Still, his courage, tempered by long years of experience, and his sense of duty to these novices overcame his dread. He had given his orders and instructed everyone to escape. But that was all he could do.

Grinding his teeth in frustration, the veteran cried out the name of their dreaded pursuer—the name of the looming threat hanging over the Kingdom of Palettia.

“You’ve got to be kidding me! Not a godsdamned dragon!”

A few days had passed since I had completed the Arc-en-Ciel for Euphie. Now that I was back to my usual daily routine, I was busying myself with a little exercise.

After allowing my body to relax in the courtyard of the detached palace, I pulled out a Mana Blade and began practicing my swordsmanship, evaluating my movements, and trying to make my mental image of the ideal forms a reality.

One by one, I carefully attempted each of the techniques I had practiced so many times. I had an unfortunate habit of neglecting this training when I got caught up in my research, which was why I tried to make it part of my daily routine. Indeed, I had put it off over the past few days due to my preoccupation with Euphie’s Arc-en-Ciel, so I would have to be careful.

While I was practicing, Euphie suddenly appeared in the courtyard. When I spotted the Arc-en-Ciel strapped to her waist, my chest filled with pride.

“Good morning, Lady Anis.”

“Ah, Euphie. Morning.”

“Are you practicing combat moves?”

“I make this part of my schedule when I’m not busy with my research. I would go mad if I just sat at my desk all day.”

“I see. I think it’s wonderful.” Euphie nodded in agreement, before suddenly tilting her head to one side. “…I don’t mean to sound rude, but those are somewhat irregular fighting moves, aren’t they?”

“Ah, you mean my swordplay?” I asked.

Euphie nodded again.

“I suppose they are. I learned the basics from the Royal Guard, but that was all. I’m mostly self-taught.”

“I was wondering whether you had learned from someone else, too, other than the Royal Guard, maybe…?” Euphie asked, her head still tilted quizzically to one side.

At that moment, Ilia stepped up behind me, carrying a towel and a drink in either hand. As she reached me, she began to wipe down my face. “Her Highness learned the basic forms from the Royal Guard,” she said, “but the rest is the result of real-life battle experience.”

“Real-life experience…? Ah, you mean while supervising the highway construction project?” Euphie seemed to find that explanation satisfactory.

Ilia, however, shrugged, letting out a sigh. “It’s more than just that, though…,” she murmured.

Euphie stared back uncertainly. She opened her mouth for a moment as though to ask Ilia what exactly she meant there, but she was interrupted by the unexpected appearance of a carrier pigeon.

I recognized the pigeon, and I was surprised to see it. The next thing I knew, it flew right up to me, perching on my arm. There was a letter tied to its leg.

“Oh dear, what timing. Just what could this be, I wonder?”

“…Who sent it, Lady Anis?”

“Hold on. Let me read what it says. They only send these in emergencies.”

“Emergencies…?” Euphie echoed with a frown.

I wanted to say something in response, but I had to check the contents of the letter first. The message was a concise one, but it was sufficient to convey what exactly had happened.

“…Bah! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!”

“…Lady Anis?”

Reading the message…I couldn’t help but grin. A chortle escaped me, prompting Euphie to glance back at me anxiously. But I couldn’t afford to worry about her now.

“Ah, this is definitely an emergency! Ilia! I need to get ready to leave immediately!”

“Lady Anis?! Wh-where are you going?!” Euphie demanded, holding me back before I could take off at a run.

I almost lost my balance, what with her grabbing onto my arm like that.

She flashed me an apologetic look, but her expression quickly turned stern. “What on earth is happening? What kind of emergency are we talking about?”

“The carrier pigeon is from the Adventurers Guild, Lady Euphyllia,” Ilia answered for me.

“The Adventurers Guild?! Hold on! Why is Lady Anis getting calls for assistance from the Adventurers Guild?!” Euphie demanded in a loud, disconcerted voice.

“Because I’m a registered adventurer, that’s why. A high-ranking one at that.”

Euphie blinked mutely, so I pulled out my identification tag that I normally kept hidden under my clothes. The tag was decorated with an ornately engraved name—not my real one, of course—in an elaborate design.

All adventurers had a rank that indicated their abilities and status. The guild managed all requests and commissions and delegated them to members depending on their rank.

One’s rank as an adventurer was represented by the same metals used in the currency of the Kingdom of Palettia—copper, silver, and gold. New adventurers started out with a copper ranking and matching name tag, before moving up to silver, while successful and high-ranking individuals were promoted all the way to gold.

Euphie stared at me in disbelief when I pulled out the golden tag of a high-ranking adventurer. I could understand her confusion. She must have been wondering why a princess was in possession of such a thing.

“Why are you an adventurer, Your Highness?! And a high-ranking one?!”

“Well, you see… It began when I started advising on the construction site. I needed monster materials. So I registered as an adventurer to raise the funds myself. And I must have been pretty good at it because I kept rising through the ranks, and before I knew it, I reached gold level. My father must have been at his wit’s end when I showed him the letter of recognition, too.”

“Of course! I can only imagine what he must have been thinking!” Euphie cried in a voice so loud I almost wanted to block my ears.

Euphie’s reaction just now was so similar to my father’s when he had found out. Ah, it was almost nostalgic.

“I’m sorry. I get why you’re upset, Euphie. But this isn’t the time or place to discuss it.”

The request came straight from the Adventurers Guild, delivered by carrier pigeon at that. The same letter had probably been sent to other high-ranking adventurers, as well—to all high-ranking adventurers. Which was to say that the contents were extremely urgent.

“The situation must be serious. My father will probably receive a report on it before long.”

“But what on earth has happened?”

“There’s a stampede coming. It sounds like a big one, too; it will be a huge commotion.”

“A stampede?!” Euphie cried out in alarm.

There wasn’t a person alive in the Kingdom of Palettia who didn’t recognize the significance of that word.

Stampedes happened when hordes of monsters would attack en masse for one reason or another. Knights and adventurers typically tried to prevent such events from occurring by routinely thinning out their numbers, but that was never 100 percent successful.

“There are two main causes of stampedes. The first is simply having too many monsters in one place. Monsters are always fighting for territory, with weaker ones pushed closer to villages and towns in search of new abodes. The other cause is when a larger monster appears, driving smaller monsters into a panic.”

Monsters were, after all, essentially animals. There were only so many places for them to inhabit, which meant they inevitably competed with one another for territory. However, when people got caught up in that scramble, the only option available was to eliminate the problem at its source.

When a stampede took place, the first task on the agenda was to halt the monsters’ advance. If it was simply a mass outbreak, that would be a relatively simple matter, but it was a different situation entirely if a larger monster was behind it.

In such cases, it was necessary not only to deal with the stampede but the instigator, too. And that could be a major undertaking.

“This larger one… Do you mean a magicite monster?” Euphie asked.

“Exactly.”

The most powerful of all monsters were said to have magic crystals, pieces of magicite, embedded inside their bodies. Monsters came in all different species and types, and magicite monsters were mutated forms of such creatures.

The problem with these beasties was that they could wield unique forms of magic. There were broad trends depending on the type of monster in question, but every now and then a particular creature would appear capable of highly unique magic. That was why they were so dangerous. And the longer such creatures lived, the more powerful the piece of magicite inside them would grow.

That being the case, magicite monsters were often given individual names to ensure that new adventurers didn’t make the mistake of confusing them with others. Given the danger involved, it was generally high-ranking adventurers who were called upon to deal with them.

“That’s it in a nutshell. So I had better get going.”

“Please wait! Argh! Where do I begin?! Why are you going?!” Euphie demanded.

I tried to turn away from her, but she held me back by the scruff of my neck. I exhaled deeply before glancing back at her.

Euphie’s face was awash in confusion and frustration. “You can’t even use magic, can you?! Even if you are a high-ranking adventurer, it’s too dangerous! I can’t let you run off somewhere where you could get hurt, Lady Anis!”

“I mean, I’m not the only high-ranking adventurer who can’t use magic…”

Baron Cyan, the father of Allie’s sweetheart, was another such case. The baron was a former adventurer who had been awarded his title in honor of his exploits. I thought I had recognized the name Cyan when I crashed the party at the academy, and that was why.

Of course, some adventurers were capable of wielding magic. Oftentimes, a second son who had little prospect of inheriting his family name would join the guild’s ranks, as would descendants of fallen noblemen or the illegitimate children of others. Such individuals often became high-ranking adventurers, as the ability to wield magic could give them a considerable advantage.

But magic wasn’t the only thing that mattered. In my case, I had my magical tools, and I had learned a great many insights from my research, all of which I put to use in my career.

“I understand how you feel, Euphie. And I know you’re worried about me. But I still have to go.”

“Why?! And you, Ilia! Why aren’t you trying to stop her?!” Euphie cried out. I’m sure she felt very misunderstood.

Perhaps she had given up on trying to talk me out of this as she appealed to Ilia.

But Ilia only sighed and shook her head. She knew it was no use. “Unfortunately, she isn’t the kind of person who listens to reason. You’ve realized that by now, I hope?”

“I can’t accept that!”

“It is a fact that Her Highness is a high-ranking adventurer, and she has experience defeating magicite monsters. She has been doing this too long to stop her now, Lady Euphyllia.”

“…! Why doesn’t His Majesty stop her?!”

“He just ignores all this! It’s true! My father gave up ages ago!”

“Argh! I don’t know what to do with you!” Euphie cried out to the heavens.

No, there was a good reason why I couldn’t back down here. It didn’t matter if she didn’t approve; I had to stop this stampede.

“Euphie. I want the magicite.”

“…Why that?”

“First, there’s no mistaking that the cause of this stampede is a magicite monster. So if I let this opportunity go, I’ll lose the opportunity to get my hands on it. So no matter what anyone says, I’m going. I have to.”

“…I know it’s a great honor to take a piece of magicite, but honor isn’t your goal here, is it?” Euphie asked sternly.

That was true. Those who defeated these dangerous foes and retrieved their crystals were lauded in the kingdom. But that wasn’t what I was after.

“What I need is the magicite itself. That’s why I became an adventurer and worked my way up to this rank.”

“But what’s driving you to do all this…?”

“…I don’t have time to go into the details here. I’m going, all right? This is important to me,” I said, staring straight into Euphie’s tearful eyes.

I wouldn’t give this up. No matter how much she protested, I had no intention of stopping now.

After a brief moment, Euphie let out a deep sigh and looked away. “…There’s nothing I can say to stop you?”

I responded with a forceful nod and a hard stare until her resistance broke. She exhaled weakly. “…I understand. But at least take me with you. I’ve accompanied the Royal Guard before, and I do have experience fighting monsters. So please, take me with you.”

“Huh?! B-but Duke Grantz left you in my care! How would I explain myself if anything happened to you…?!”

“The same could be said for you. But if you can go without a problem, why not me?”

I groaned. I couldn’t argue with that. If I wasn’t willing to let her put herself in danger, how could I justify doing so myself, especially as I was the one with the higher social position? Any objection to this arrangement could be thrown back as a reason why I shouldn’t go. In other words, I couldn’t possibly refuse her.

“I’ll accompany you as your assistant. So I have the right to know what your real goal is, too, don’t I?”

“…Hmph. Well, if you feel that strongly about it.”

Now it was my turn to sigh and give up. We couldn’t keep going like this; we needed to compromise. And time was of the essence, so my only choice now was to let her tag along.

“But we don’t have time to explain everything here. Can we do it on the way? We’ll take my Witch’s Broom to the source of the trouble.”

“…We’re going to have to ride that again…? No, I understand. I’m ready.” Euphie hesitated for a moment when I mentioned the Witch’s Broom, but she soon steeled herself and nodded.

It was such a strange cycle of emotions that I had to chuckle.

“In that case, let us strike while the iron is hot! This is going to be a big job!”

“By the way, Lady Anis, did the message say what kind of monster we’re dealing with?”

“Of course. That’s why the Adventurers Guild was in such a hurry to send out these carrier pigeons. It’s a big one this time.”

In my past life, the creature would have belonged only to the realm of fantasy. We were dealing with an incredibly powerful foe recognized and feared the world over. Defeating one was the dream of many adventurers and would win them instant fame.

“We’re going to slay a dragon.”

I might have been in a completely different world, but dragon slaying was still the ultimate honor. And so as Euphie gasped, I only grinned fearlessly.

I received the news just as I was coming to the end of the seemingly never-ending pile of official documents on my desk.

The door to my royal office was thrown open with such force that it almost broke clean from its hinges. A pale knight rushed inside to deliver an urgent report.

“A dragon?!” I bellowed, unable to remain calm. “Impossible! Are you saying it flew down from the mountains?! Am I misunderstanding something?!”

“Apologies, Your Majesty! The news just came in from the Adventurers Guild! It’s an emergency! They’re waiting on your instructions!”

“Ngh…! If it isn’t one problem, it’s another! Call an emergency meeting in the name of the king! Convene at once!”

Though this report had just given me another headache, it was my job as king to come to a decision. And so I relayed my orders to the knight, watched as he dashed from my office, and rubbed my hand against my gut.

“Argh…! Algard’s mess has already given me one migraine—and now a dragon, too?!”

A dragon—that word meant danger. They were the pinnacle of everyone’s worst fears. Not only were they prodigiously tenacious, their absolute worst trait was that they were capable of flight.

There were very few direct accounts of dragon sightings. For that reason, when they did appear, the danger posed was enough to send shivers running down anyone’s spine and make one’s hair stand on end. It was no exaggeration to say that the coming of a dragon was an incomparable calamity.

In the entire history of the Kingdom of Palettia, there was neither record nor legend of any dragon attacks. But everyone knew the stories of other kingdoms that had been utterly destroyed by them. That was the magnitude of the situation.

“Calm down. Calm down, dammit…! B-but what are we supposed to do…?!”

This was a dragon we were dealing with. It could not only raze our country, but it could fly, too. A defensive line would accomplish nothing if the monster could just pass right overhead.

We might be able to weather it if the dragon let us be, like a dissipating storm, but the stampede posed another problem. After all, monsters existed to hunt and devour their kin.

All of which was to say the dragon would likely see the stampeding monsters as potential prey. And if we killed what it regarded as its own quarry, we would only further enrage it.

“Father. It’s Algard. May I come inside?”

“Algard?! I thought you were supposed to be confined to your quarters… Fine, come in! What is it?!”

The voice calling from the other side of the door was a surprise, but I allowed Algard to enter. As he stepped inside, I could read nothing from his face, as though he was consciously suppressing his emotions.

Ever since his announcement the other day, that he was breaking off his engagement with Euphyllia, he had been placed under effective house arrest, and I had tried several times to question him about his motives. But my son had become unfathomable to me. That was perhaps partly my fault for neglecting him to focus on matters of state, but even so, I simply couldn’t understand him anymore.

I could say the same for his fool of a sister, too…

I saw her smiling in my mind’s eye, nothing like her brother. Anisphia was incomprehensible in the sense that I could never anticipate what she might do next, but Algard was simply an enigma.

It was my son who broke the silence: “Excuse me, Father. I heard that a dragon has appeared.”

“…And how exactly did you manage that while confined to your quarters? What do you want from me?” I asked with a sigh.

What Algard said next came as shock. “Please allow me to participate in the fight, Father.”

“…What are you talking about?” I frowned at the sudden request.

His expression unwavering, Algard continued. “To put it simply, I seek honor and prestige.”

“Honor? Are you telling me you’re planning to slay it all by yourself?!”

“Yes. And I would desire a reward if I was to succeed. I’m prepared to risk my life to that end.”

Slaying a dragon would indeed bring incredible prestige. So that was it—he desired honor. That clue was enough to tell me what he was up to.

Yet I felt only sorrow and frustration that Algard simply wouldn’t comprehend the things that truly mattered. I could imagine precisely what it was that he wanted.

“…Algard. Do you really despise Euphyllia that much? Are you willing to go this far for that baron’s daughter? I can’t understand you. Couldn’t you keep the other girl as a mistress or a concubine, perhaps? I may not have a mistress, but no law forbids it. Why are you so stubbornly opposed to Euphyllia?”

What Algard wanted was to break off his engagement—and to do so, he had condemned her in front of a public audience.

The charges, however, seemed to be utterly fabricated. For a time, I had suspected that Algard must have been blindly in love. But I saw nothing in his actions to convince me of that. His heart was not burning with passion but frozen beyond belief.

“There isn’t time for me to elaborate on my feelings, Father. I’m not asking you to promise me anything in return,” Algard said quietly and calmly. “But I cannot sit here idle—receiving from others and giving nothing, only following the path laid out for me. Is that the kind of ruler this country needs?”

“…What are you trying to say, Algard?”

“If only she had a penchant for magic. If only she had been born a man. Did you think I wouldn’t learn what you’ve been saying behind my back?”

My gaze fell to the desk. Algard’s accusation hurt to hear. My mind was rapidly going through possible interpretations of what he meant. When had he and Anisphia fallen out so decisively?

They had been so good as children, all but inseparable. There had been a time when Anisphia would take Algard out with her, causing all manner of problems for their own amusement. But when she embarked on her pursuit of magicology, everything started to go wrong.

Anisphia might not have had a talent for magic, but she was blessed with an innovative mind and the strength to realize her ideas through action. And that directly connected to Algard’s current predicament. Those around him had begun to scorn him for his utter lack of any brilliant talent of his own. And before I could think of a solution to these dilemmas, the two of them had fallen out completely.

And so they went their separate ways, their relationship irreparably broken. Anisphia renounced her right to the throne and settled into her current position as Princess Peculiar, a fool unworthy of her royal name. At least, that was what I suspected had been her intention.

She had done it for her brother’s sake, so he could succeed me to the throne. As such, I had endeavored to raise Algard to be an orthodox ruler in her stead. I had always considered it my duty to protect and preserve the country for future generations.

Yet Algard had always been somewhat lacking compared to Anisphia, and so I had approached Grantz to ask that Euphyllia become his future consort and ensure that the kingdom had a stable future. My hope had been to create a peaceful kingdom, to keep the realm unified without encouraging the rise of factions and strife.

For better or worse, Anisphia’s activities had meanwhile brought her considerable attention. A great many people despised her for her heretical notion of magicology, but there were a certain number who recognized its value as well.

And so the whispers had begun—that Anisphia possessed something her brother lacked. With that, people began to compare the two.

Regardless, Algard would be the next king. When I ascended to the throne, the kingdom had been in turmoil. Just reflecting on that time filled me with regret. I didn’t want my son to suffer the same way.

I had tried to give him everything I could, but there was no telling how he had received it all. Looking back, it was almost shameful. Even now, I couldn’t see what I should have done.

But I was still king. I could not turn back, not even before an obstacle of this magnitude.

“Algard. It is true that the prestige of slaying a dragon would guarantee your position. As for what you want… Well, the kingdom requires all the strength it can muster at this present time. I’ll ask you again: Are you ready to risk your life?”

“Yes. I’m ready for anything.”

“Very well. Then I shall arrange it. I shall permit you to attend the emergency meeting. After that—”

In the midst of my conversation with Algard, another knock sounded from the door. I couldn’t hide my annoyance at this third interruption. This was an emergency! What could be the matter now?!

“What is it this time?!” I shouted at whoever was waiting outside.

“Y-Your Majesty! Urgent news! It’s about Princess Anisphia!”

My heart sank at the knight’s trembling report. I could see in my mind’s eye my fool daughter showing off one of her inventions with a broad grin. And that invention was…

“Witnesses report seeing her riding that magical device of hers, with Lady Euphyllia in tow!”

Right, she had gotten herself registered as a high-ranking adventurer at the guild. And if memory served, information of this sort was distributed to all high-ranking adventurers in the event of an emergency.

A shiver ran down my spine as I put the pieces together. I didn’t want to think it possible. But I couldn’t shake the suspicion gnawing at my insides.

“Where did she fly off to?! Out with it!”

“I-in the direction of the Black Forest!”

“…That damned girl! Aaaaarrrrrggggghhhhh!” I roared.

My headache was worse than it had ever been now.

“Achoo! Yep, the wind up here can be pretty chilly, huh? Are you all right, Euphie? You aren’t cold?”

“…How can you be so calm, Lady Anis?”

I was used to the wind buffeting me midflight, but Euphie wasn’t. Her arms wrapped around my waist were holding on tightly. She had pulled herself close to me, desperate not to fall.

It was strange, feeling her body heat. And not only the heat but her heartbeat, too. Our frigid surroundings made me only all the more aware of her presence. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts before I started feeling too weird and self-conscious.

My Witch’s Broom could move faster than a horse at full gallop. As Euphie wasn’t used to flying yet, we were keeping just a short distance above the ground, just enough to easily pass over any oncoming obstacles.

“Lady Anis, I need to check something,” Euphie called as she held on to me from behind.

That sensation was somewhat ticklish, but I had to answer her question. Keeping my eyes fixed ahead of me, I asked: “What is it?”

“It’s about how you’re trying to collect magicite. That’s why you became an adventurer, isn’t it?”

My research wasn’t approved by the government, so I had to earn enough money to support myself. It wasn’t as if I received no funding whatsoever, though—I did receive some remuneration for providing magical tools and the like.

However, the kingdom’s treasury was supposed to be used for the benefit of the people. Magical tools might help the public, but my study of magicology was personal. As such, I was unable to conduct my research on a large scale.

“But if you’re asking the main reason why I need magicite, that’s because it’s an essential material for my research.”

“You’re using magicite in your research? How exactly…?”

“I didn’t tell you much because I doubted you would believe me if I did. But all right. To start with, what exactly do you think magicite is?” I responded with a question of my own.

Euphie paused for a moment before answering. “It’s…the core part of magicite monsters… Right?”

“That’s what most people think. It’s often said that the reason magicite monsters are so strong is because the magicite gives them their own unique abilities. But how do these crystals come to be? Where do they originate from? That’s why I started researching them, to get to the bottom of that question.”

“And you realized something? Is that why you want them?”

“Yes. I discovered that magicite crystals are essentially a variety of spirit stones that have transformed after being inside a monster.”

“What…?! Are you saying they’re a type of spirit stone?!” Euphie cried right next to my ear, startling me.

Well, that was an expected reaction. I kept flying without allowing myself to get distracted.

“That’s right. Magicite crystals are formed when spirits enter a monster’s body and are transformed into a special kind of spirit stone. That’s why those monsters can wield magic.”

“…That’s unbelievable…”

“Which is what I said, right? That you wouldn’t believe me?”

Spirit stones were considered sacred in this country. Who would be willing to accept that the magicite crystals found in such dangerous monsters could be spirit stones, too, even if they weren’t exactly the same? People would dismiss the very notion as utterly absurd. That was why I had revealed the results of this research to only a select few individuals.

“Just as you can channel your magical energy through a spirit stone to activate an elemental effect, a magicite crystal’s powers are activated the same way. But magicite and monsters are deeply intertwined. You can’t just pass energy through it and expect it to work.”

“Then how did you work out how to activate them?” Euphie asked.

That was the crux of the issue. So far, I had explained the general properties of magicite, and it was natural to assume from all this that they couldn’t be put to practical use. After all, it wasn’t as though many people had tried real-world applications.

“For a magicite crystal to exert an effect, you need to have a medium through which those effects can be conveyed. So I figured out that I could just use myself.”

“How…?”

The arms suddenly tightened around my waist, and I gasped a little.

The next moment, Euphie leaned closer still. “Is that even possible…? Is it even safe?”

“I’ve already done some preliminary tests! It’s fine, really! Perfectly safe! I did all that quite a while ago, back when I first devised the technology and started working as an adventurer!”

“…How could you take such a risk? I feel sorry for His Majesty. He must have been worried sick…” Euphie sighed with frustration.

I smiled weakly. I knew full well that I had caused my father a lot of undue stress.

“But this is the only way I’ll be able to use magic.”

“…Lady Anis?” Euphie murmured uneasily.

I wasn’t finished. “Basically, a magicite crystal’s latent power is the source of a monster’s unique magic. It isn’t activated by directing one’s wishes or prayers to any spirits. For these monsters, magic is an intrinsic property of their very existence. And that’s why I want some. I can’t use magic by calling on spirits, so a magicite crystal is really my only option.”

More than anything, that would serve as proof of who and what I was. I couldn’t possibly forget my own origin.

No, no matter how much trouble it caused, I couldn’t just let it go. That idea had been born when I first recalled my past life, grown through my yearning for magic and intensified when I learned I was completely incapable of casting spells.

“…So that’s why you want the dragon’s magicite crystal?”

“Yes. I mean, it belongs to a dragon!”

My voice was brimming with excitement. Euphie didn’t seem quite so eager, but I couldn’t conceal my enthusiasm. I mean, the very word dragon was enough to light a fire in me!

“Dragons aren’t just monsters; they’re the apex of all living creatures! Of course I want that magicite crystal! The thought of wielding that power with my technology makes it hard to sit still!”

“But what would you want next?” Euphie asked.

The arms wrapped around my waist seemed to be holding on now with a different intensity. The strength was the same, but it felt like she was trying to hold me rather than censure me.

“Your magicology is wonderful. And your tools will greatly improve people’s lives. But just the thought of augmenting your skills with a magicite crystal is terrifying. It would be like absorbing the powers of a monster into yourself.”

“…Yes. You aren’t wrong. I can’t deny that.”

“…And yet you still want it? What for?”

Becoming a monster would be beyond taboo. What on earth could I hope to achieve through such extreme means? But I already had an answer to that question, a wish that I kept close to my heart.

“Because if I can’t use magic the normal way, this is the only choice available to me. I need to make my wish come true.”

“And what is your wish?”

“I want to be a mage. I want to make people happy. I don’t care if my magic is different from everyone else’s. I want the power to stand up to threats, to create tools to improve everyone’s lives and make them smile. That’s the kind of mage I want to be. I can’t just give up on it because I don’t have regular magic.”

That was it. Ever since I realized who I was, I had been unable to free myself of that yearning for magic. Sometimes it felt like a curse, but I couldn’t betray this feeling taking root inside me. After all, it was in my nature.

“I want to know what lies ahead and what I can do. Maybe someone else will follow the same path after me one day. I want to help clear the way for them.” That was why. My words were full of all the strength of my prayers and wishes as I continued, “So please, don’t try to stop me. Not until I’ve done something so wrong that I don’t know how to take it all back. If that happens, I’m sure you’ll be able to help, Euphie. You’re a genius, right? And I don’t want to become an enemy of my own country, either, you know?”

“…Are you planning on becoming an enemy of the kingdom?”

“I don’t want to, but I don’t expect everyone to accept what I’m trying to do, either. You know, it’s not like I haven’t thought about leaving the realm behind completely.”

Magicology was an unorthodox science in the Kingdom of Palettia. In a country that treated spirits as revered friends, many people would not appreciate my efforts to unravel their mysteries and use spirit stones in the construction of magical devices.

I had painful memories. Time and again, I had thought about throwing it all away. This country was too smothering to live in. The more I tried to be myself, the more suffocating it felt. But the reason I had stayed really was quite simple.

“I still love this country full of magic, and my parents accepted me even though I lack magic myself. Then there are all the people I’ve met during my time as an adventurer. And above all, I love the culture. Magic has always been a part of our history.”

I didn’t care who disliked me, not even if it was the nobles who could freely use the magic I so longed for. Nothing would erase this feeling. I loved these people.

They could call me a heretic or a madwoman, but I was still a princess of this land. It was only thanks to my royal status that my magicology research had proceeded as far as it had. And so I wanted to contribute back to the country to show my thanks.

“Dragons can fly; that alone makes them a major threat to the people. Not many people in the kingdom are capable of standing up to them. Those individuals are our nation’s treasures—but if they go to fight, they could be lost forever. That why I’m going. I can fly, too, and I can face a dragon. My main reason might be a selfish one, but I’m also doing this because it’s my responsibility as a member of the royal family.”

“…Lady Anis…”

“And besides, the point of magic is to make people smile! I’ve been saving my own special magic just for a time like this!”

With that, I walked Euphie through my entire thought process. Come to think of it, I had never divulged so much even to Ilia or my father. Why was Euphie the first person I had decided to confide in fully?

Was this just a coincidence, or was there a reason I hadn’t yet realized…? But I suppose either way was fine.

Euphie’s integrity compelled me to confide in her. I needed to do this because of who I was, and I wanted her to understand that.

When I was finished, Euphie leaned her body against mine. We were already pressed up against each other, but this action brought us even closer together. Her arms tightened around my body.

“I always took my magic for granted. I never stopped to think what magic was really for. So to me, you’re truly incredible…”

I held my breath for a moment at Euphie’s declaration. She was so sincere that I wanted to glance over my shoulder at her.

“I also want to see further ahead, down this road you’ve chosen to follow.”

“Euphie…”

“I’m sure I’ll be able to find what I’m missing if I join you on this path. I really do. So just…don’t do anything foolish, please. Your wish is a precious thing. But I’m scared it could end up whisking you off to somewhere far away. I’m afraid of losing you.”

The warmth of Euphie’s arms, and of her heartfelt words, struck all the way down into my core… Ah, right. Perhaps that answered my previous question—it was because of who she was.

I still couldn’t articulate this feeling properly. But I was coming close to an answer. I wanted to find it in her, just as she was trying to find her own way forward in me. She was a genius, closer than anyone else to what I had considered the ideal mage. She was perfect, both by embodying what I had always aspired to be and being a young lady, too.

Yet the more I got to know her, the more I realized she was also remarkably clumsy. She needed looking after, too.

Maybe it was because I liked her that I wanted to show her the path I was traveling. It had to be her, because she was already where I wished I could be. And she wanted to see my journey, too. Her words, more than anything else, gave me the strength I needed to keep going.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to die and let it all come to an end here. Euphie! Let’s see where this road takes us together! This dragon is just the beginning!”

“…That sounds like it will be another headache, but all right. It is so like you. I wonder what it is, this feeling? It’s telling me not to stop you. So I won’t. I’ll accompany you, and I’ll stay by your side, as your assistant.” Euphie’s voice was tinged with laughter.

She sounded so cheerful that I wanted to look over my shoulder. Just listening to her made me irresistibly happy. It was like a tickle building inside me until I let out a giggle, too.

This might sound strange, seeing as we were about to go slay a dragon, but this exchange had provided me with an important sense of resolution. I hoped Euphie felt the same way.

“Let’s go, Euphie! We need to increase our speed, so can you do anything with some wind magic?”

“Finally, a task for your assistant… Just don’t do anything rash, all right?”

That was easy enough to say, but as ecstatic as I was, I very well could end up overdoing it here. So I thought as I tried to hold in the joy that came rising up from the bottom of my heart.

The adventurers who had first located the dragon successfully reported the creature’s appearance to the guild—which immediately set off a high alert, sending out a flurry of emergency missives.

As the stampede grew closer, tension was building between the knights dispatched to defend the area around the Black Forest and the adventurers gathering in its vicinity. This was to be expected. A stampede alone would have been a crisis, but there was a dragon to contend with as well.

“Hurry up! Evacuate the villagers! Get into formation before the stampede gets here!”

“Hey, watch it! Keep outta the way!”

“Take as much medicine as you can carry! Without it, your life could be forfeit!”

Shouts rang through the air as people rushed to prepare for the coming battle. In the midst of the mayhem, there were some with nowhere else to go, who could do little but shrug their shoulders.

They were the novice adventurers who had just returned from the Black Forest with the terrible news.

“Wh-what should we do now…?”

“What can we do…? It’s a stampede. There’s a dragon, dammit.”

“All we can do is stay here and fight. That’s it, really,” said the veteran adventurer evenly. “If we turn tail and run, the stampede will catch up to us from behind, and we’ll be finished anyway. We’ve got a better chance of pulling through this if we join forces with the knights stationed here.”

The novices, however, stared back at him in disbelief.

“B-but, Leader! This is a stampede we’re talking about! And a dragon! What can we do against that?!”

“I understand how you feel. So I don’t mind if you join the evacuees. There shouldn’t be a problem if you tell everyone you’re escorting them.”

“…But you aren’t going?”

“I know full well that this is a time to fall back,” the veteran adventurer responded with a bitter smile, flexing his shoulders in an exaggerated shrug. “We’re dealing with a hell of an opponent. But if running is gonna mean dying anyway, I might as well cut loose and live a little. I’m an adventurer with very few spectacular achievements to my name, but maybe I can go out with a bang. I was planning to retire after training you lot.”

One of the novice adventurers stepped forward, his expression one of confusion and anger. “I thought you said the secret to being a good adventurer was to live a long life! That we shouldn’t throw everything away in pursuit of fame or glory! That so long as you don’t die, you can keep pulling yourself up to fight again! You taught us that, Leader!”

“Yeah, I did. But if we all fall back, we’ll be branded as cowards. No matter how hopeless the battle. But if I alone stay, this story will have an inspiring ending,” the veteran responded, clapping the outspoken novice on the shoulder and flashing him a grin. He was taking the philosophical view, and the novice appeared to understand this perspective now.

The novice pursed his lips and held back tears.

“And when you do eventually avenge my death, the frustration you’re feeling right now will be what drove you to do it. Not a bad story, eh?”

His followers’ breath hitched. The fist of the one who had stepped forward a moment ago was shaking—perhaps in regret, perhaps in dread.

Eventually, one of his companions began to sob. “But if we stay here, people will think us fools who didn’t know when to retreat! And if we flee, we’ll be considered cowards! Either way, this doesn’t end well for us!”

“That’s what it means to be an adventurer. That’s how you live to a ripe old age. If you die, there are no more chances. But so long as you have a chance, you can still put your life on the line. That’s why I taught you to value your lives.”

“…You’re usually yelling all the time, Leader… But not now…”

“Because I want you to see me at my best, here at the end. Adventurers are a vain lot, you see.”

There was a fire in the novice adventurer’s eyes, but he only bit his lip in chagrin.

Eventually, a guttural roar reached them from somewhere in the distance. The ground trembled as it approached, feeding the group’s anxiety. They were filled with such dread that they wanted to pack up and flee then and there.

“This is no time to quiver in fear! If you want to call yourselves adventurers, think—and act!”

“…Tch! So you’re back to yelling, after all! Dammit!” cried another novice from the front of the group, tearful and clearly wanting to flee.

The veteran chuckled to himself. If not for this situation, he wouldn’t have been so quick to rush to a decision, either.

Just as he was about to speak again, another noise cut him off. This one was nearby and had nothing to do with the stampede.

“We’re here! Ah…! We made it!”

That voice, completely out of place in this situation, reached the entire group of adventurers. And it had come from directly above. When the veteran looked up, he laid eyes on two young girls descending from the sky.

“…You’ve got to be kidding me…,” he muttered in astonishment, his surprise tinged with a hint of amusement.

Everyone was staring up at the two girls, both straddling some kind of enchanted broom. He recognized the first one, standing so proudly, at once.

Even the knights busy with their preparations stilled at the sight. The first of the two girls had platinum hair, which meant she had royal blood. Everyone knew exactly who she was.

The veteran adventurer, though at first stunned, began to bellow with deep, resonant laughter: “Bah! Ha-ha-ha! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Ah, I should have known that you could reach us from the city in time! Are you insane?! Hey, everyone! See this fool come to join us?! The greatest of all fools!”

The novice adventurers didn’t know what to make of the rapid shift from despair to joy in their leader.

But the veteran paid them no heed as he continued, “Whenever a rare monster appears, you can be sure she’ll come riding down on the wind! Our warrior Princess Peculiar, armed with her peculiar devices! Look at that hair of hers; this is our glorious nation’s esteemed troublemaker! The Marauder Princess!”

“What?! Since when are people calling me a marauder?! How many times do I need to say it? If you want to give me a nickname, at least go with mad!” protested the young lady, objecting to the alias people had given her.

She was of royal heritage yet unable to use magic, a troublemaker notorious for her unorthodox personality and behavior—but also treated by the people with respect and affection. She was Her Royal Highness Princess Anisphia Wynn Palettia—and she was exactly what they needed to overcome the oncoming calamity.

At the end of our flight from the royal palace, what did I find but someone using that disgraceful moniker! What exactly had I done to be called a marauder?! I might have forgiven them if they had gone with mad, or if they had called me the creator of magical tools or something similar, but since when had I become a rampaging pillager?!

“Princess Anisphia?! And Lady Euphyllia Magenta, too… What are you both doing here?!” called one of the knights—the group’s leader, I guessed from the ornate nature of his suit of armor.

There was a whole spectrum of emotions on his face. As an adventurer, I had joined the knights responsible for protecting the Black Forest before, but I could understand why they would be perplexed by my sudden appearance.

“I’m here because I received an urgent summons for high-ranking adventurers. Oh, this is Euphie by the way, my new assistant.”

“I know you’re a high-ranking adventurer, but you’re a member of our royal family! And this isn’t just any stampede!”

“Wouldn’t this still be highly irregular even if it was an ordinary stampede…?” Euphie murmured behind me.

I chose to ignore that remark. I mean, this stampede was an opportunity to collect an abundance of rare monster materials. With that in mind, I cleared my throat and continued, “You’re wasting your time, you know? So what’s the situation?”

“…Argh! We’re grateful, of course, but your presence is cause for concern, Your Highness! Our knights, along with the adventurers already here, are presently working on establishing a defensive line… That said—”

“Oh, I know. This isn’t a regular stampede, and there’s a dragon coming up behind it, too. Even if we can hold the stampede back, once the dragon breaks through, everything will descend into chaos.”

“…Yes. That would be devastating. At worst, we could be wiped out completely,” the commander responded nervously.

I nodded in agreement. The situation didn’t look good.

“However, if we do nothing, there’s a high probability we’ll be overrun by the horde of monsters. The damage then will be considerable. And the dragon could just fly right over us and attack a nearby town or village or, at worst, the royal capital itself. So we have to stop it here. Am I right?”

If this were a regular stampede, a defensive line would probably suffice to intercept the oncoming monsters. The problem here was the dragon.

On top of that, monsters had a tendency to prey on other monsters. There were various theories as to why. Did they seek to absorb their prey’s innate power, or were they simply territorial? Either way, such battles often proved fierce. And since magicite monsters were particularly strong, they tended to act alone rather than in groups—and often regarded the monsters around them as food.

That was why magicite monsters were often the precipitating factor behind a stampede. This time, however, since the dragon was capable of flight, it could simply soar over any attempts to engage it. On the other hand, if it was to charge into the throng of monsters, the battlefield would become hellish.

But now I was here. The only person in this whole kingdom with the power of flight.

“Let me ask you something first. Are you serious? Are you even thinking clearly?” the commander asked.

“I’ve got a lot of questions, too, but rest assured, I’m serious. And I’m perfectly sane. When the dragon comes out, I’ll deal with it,” I responded.

The commander inhaled sharply, staring back at me. For a brief moment, his brow furrowed as he made some noise deep in his throat.

I had to smile back at him. I was grateful to see he was concerned about my safety, but this was no time to worry about that.

“I’ll make this easier for you. As the princess of the Kingdom of Palettia, I hereby order you to hold back the stampede while I deal with the dragon. Ah, I’ll be participating in the attack, too, so take that into consideration when it’s time to divvy up the spoils, please!”

“…You’re incorrigible,” Euphie murmured. “If I could use that magical tool, I would go out myself.”

“I can’t let someone fight in midair without prior experience,” I responded.

“It’s just as ridiculous to let a royal princess fight a dragon,” the commander mumbled.

Euphie nodded in agreement, but I ignored them both. In any event, I had given official orders as the princess, so the knights would have to obey me. Probably.

“Anyway, we don’t have much time. I’m going to scout ahead and attack if I have the opportunity, so be ready to support me by the time I get back. When that happens, I’ll leave the rest of the stampede to you.”

“If that’s an order, then I’ve no choice but to obey. I doubt I would be able to stop you. But I’m guessing you haven’t told His Majesty about this, have you?”

“…I—I asked Ilia to let him know,” I demurred.

Both Euphie and the commander stared back at me, their gazes piercing.

“But we can hardly let a royal princess ride out in the vanguard… We’re dealing with a dragon here. We can’t afford to waste our strength…”

“You’re just trying to steal my share of the rewards, aren’t you?!”

“Ah… I understand…” The commander nodded, his expression unreadable.

Stampedes like this didn’t exactly happen every day! Well, it would be a serious problem if they did, so that was probably a good thing. That said, this was a rare opportunity to collect all kinds of potentially valuable materials! After all, adventuring wasn’t my main line of work.

“All right, then. Will Lady Euphyllia be accompanying you…?” the commander asked.

“That’s my intention,” Euphie answered.

“…Do you need an escort?” he asked, turning back to me.

“Only if you have someone who won’t get in our way?”

“Ha-ha-ha, I was kidding… Very well. So the answer is no,” the commander murmured with a resigned sigh.

I wasn’t a high-ranking adventurer for nothing. In fact, I was among the kingdom’s finest, if I could say so myself.

As an aside, even if I was fighting a noble who could use magic, I was confident I could win a duel. In fact, most such nobles tended to keep to the rearguard in battles, wielding magic from a distance. Some of them had learned the sword as a matter of etiquette, but unless they hoped to become a knight in their own right, they would be no match for me up close.

In a sense, I was a natural enemy of mages. An inadvertent side effect of my Mana Blade meant it could cut through any magical technique hurled my way. It might not be so strong against physical attacks, but it really was effective against magic. That thought brought to mind a fond memory, of a contest a long time ago against a magic-wielding high-ranking adventurer. He’d had some choice words after our encounter.

“Rather, I’ll be Euphie’s escort. Euphie, if we can move to a safe distance away from everyone else, you’ll be able to annihilate the monsters with some large-scale magic, right?”

“…I’ll do my best. At least, I promise not to dishonor my family name.”

“All right, then. In that case, no escort is the better option. Euphie and I will lure the monsters. And Euphie will destroy them with her magic.”

“Yes.”

“Then, once the dragon arrives, we’ll fall back and change places. How about you support me from a distance when that happens, Euphie?”

“…Are you going to fight it alone?”

“It’ll be an aerial battle. You can still offer magical support, though, right?”

Euphie frowned at this suggestion.

This world still had no concept of aerial warfare. No doubt, she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she accidentally hit me from afar. In that case, maybe it would be a better use of her talents to annihilate the stampede?

“Once the stampede is dealt with, the dragon might back off. It’s all about efficiency. Do you see what I mean, Euphie?”

“…Even if I do, I don’t want to go along with it.”

“I know, I know. And I don’t want to make you worry. So believe me when I say it will be fine,” I said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“…I trust you, Lady Anis.”

Euphie took my hands in her own and placed her forehead against mine, as though in prayer. We remained that way for a short moment, until I could make out the sound of the stampede approaching from afar.

“Shall we go, Lady Anis?”

“Yes. I can’t wait to see your abilities!”

I still didn’t know the full extent of Euphie’s powers, so to be honest, I was looking forward to seeing her let loose.

“Stay safe, you two. I wish you good fortune,” the commander said, his face unreadable as he gave us both a formal salute.

“You too, Commander. It would be difficult to come back to the Black Forest without you here! Let’s have tea again sometime!”

With that response, Euphie and I took off.

Between the Black Forest and the defensive line that the knights and adventurers were forming was a wide plain, divided by a road leading into the woods. At that moment, the horde was spilling out from among the trees. It wouldn’t be long before the roiling mass lunged forward in attack.

“There’s so many of them… I would be jumping for joy if this were a normal stampede!”

“What kind of princess enjoys a stampede…?” Euphie sighed.

“A peculiar princess, that’s who. Now, then…” I reached into my pocket for a small portable bottle filled with round pills.

Euphie frowned when she saw it. “…What is that, Lady Anis?”

“Another product of my research. Unlike my magical tools, I doubt I can make this one public. It’s a medicine made from a mix of powdered spirit stones—I call it ether.”

Basically, it was like a different sort of medicine that I remembered from my past life. It had taken an awful lot of trial and error to perfect it.

That said, the technology was dangerous, and it would be irresponsible to distribute it freely throughout the wider world.

“A medicine made from spirit stones?!”

“Yeah. There’s a bunch of other things in it, too. It took me a few years to perfect it, because overdosing can have pretty negative side effects.”

“…We’re going to need to talk more about this later.” Euphie’s glare was as sharp as a monster’s.

I brushed that aside, shrugging as I threw one of the pills into my mouth.

“Ah, right. It does have a small side effect, but don’t worry.”

“Are you sure this won’t hurt you?!”

“I’m fine, really. It’s just a little stimulating, like removing the shackles of your reason. That’s all.”

“That doesn’t sound good at all!”

Despite Euphie’s protest, I crushed the pill with my back teeth. The taste was disgusting, frankly, but I forced myself to swallow it down.

It didn’t take long for the ether to start having an effect. For a moment, it felt like the whole world was spinning around me—and the next thing I knew, I was experiencing utter euphoria.

“…Heh! Heh-heh-heh! Ha-ha-ha-ha!”

Ah, this was going to be fun! It was time to go hunting. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to this—I mean, I had never hunted a monster as large as this one before. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. My lips twisted in excitement; my whole body felt as though it were on fire.

The effects of the ether spread though my body. It was the same principle as the magic that knights used to strengthen their bodies before a fight. However, this carefully prepared concoction went beyond the effects of ordinary magic, enabling me to move like a monster myself.

“Lady Anis…” Euphie was clearly worried about me.

I waved my hand to reassure her. “It’s fine! Really, it is! Anyway, it’s time to go hunt them down! Give me a signal if you’re gonna use magic! Here goes!”

I charged ahead, readying my Mana Blade in my hands—just as the monsters at the forefront of the stampede appeared before me.

“Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! They’re here! Let’s do this…! Take thiiiiis!”

I braced my legs and then rushed forward, pouring my magical energy into my Mana Blade. The horde of monsters rose up to meet me.

Some of them resembled wolves; others, monkeys; and others, what could only be described as large, walking flowers. These would have been fables in my past life, but here they were pouring out in a seething mass of different species.

They snarled as they readied to meet my attack—but it was too late.

“One!”

I began by slicing off the head of the wolf monster that jumped out at me. Next, I used the Mana Blade to stab a monkey-like creature that tried to lash out at me from behind.

“Two!”

With the follow-through, I carved a circle within the horde of monsters, using my Mana Blade to rend a flower-shaped creature from root to head. This was a slaughter, and I was quickly drenched in blood.

“Three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten!”

With my perceptions enhanced by the magical ether, the world moved as though in slow motion. There was nothing to stop me from striking out at the approaching monsters’ throats, splitting their bodies in two, or sometimes breaking their necks with a good kick.

My voice resounded with raw delight as I carved through the unending horde. I couldn’t stop laughing. The materials retrieved from these carcasses would serve me well in my research.

“Gray wolves, killer apes, mandrakes! And a cockatrice! This is awesome! I love the Black Forest!”

My mood had reached ecstatic heights. I couldn’t retreat from this stampede now!

But it wasn’t long before another monster—a large bipedal hairy troll—ruined everything. It was making its way toward me, swinging in its hands a club that looked like it was made from a carved tree. And it was trampling the monsters I had already slain underfoot.

“…Hey.”

My euphoric high was ruined. I glared at the troll, my hushed voice seething with rage. What did that thing think it was doing?

“You’re spoiling my materials!”

This troll was in the way, and I needed to clear the obstruction immediately. The second it got near, I would annihilate it in one fell swoop.

I poured my magical energy into my Mana Blade, transforming it and boosting its intensity until it was longer than I stood tall. Then I spun around, holding my weapon out like the sail of a windmill.

My attack sliced the troll, and the club in its hands, clean in half—along with a swarm of other monsters that tried to follow in its wake.

“Drop dead!”

Anyone who thought they could stomp all over my research materials had signed their own death warrant. Before I knew it, my immediate surroundings were littered with corpses. Still, this was just a fraction of the total stampede. Meanwhile, the remaining monsters had begun to fall back, clearly too fearful to approach.

“Argh! If you keep huddling up like that, you’re going to ruin my materials!” I cried out in indignation, taking a step toward the wary monsters.

At that moment—

“Lady Anis! Please step back!”

Euphie’s voice cooled my fevered emotions.

That was her signal. I leaped backward as fast as I could. Glancing around, I saw her land nimbly on the ground nearby.

There was no mistaking the intensity of her magical power. It was as though the whole world was shaking. Light—perhaps a spirit—was dancing around her, drawing a magical circle through the air in anticipation of whatever magic she was about to cast.

“Here create your fiery cage around our battlefield, leave our foes as naught but ash and ember…,” Euphie intoned, her majestic voice resounding with the dignity and grace of a ruler.

Hold on, a magical incantation?! She normally didn’t need to say anything when she used magic, so what would happen when she boosted whatever mental image she was visualizing with even more power?!

“…Explosion.”

With that, the magic took shape—a fiery cage, just as she had said. The scorching heat raged through the massed monsters in a wide half circle, the wind alone hot enough to scorch their flesh. As she held the Arc-en-Ciel and surveyed the flaming destruction, her expression was chillingly expressionless.

I—I was completely enthralled. My heart seemed to have skipped a beat. I was aware that this could perhaps be an effect of the ether I had taken. But even if I were entirely lucid, I would probably have fallen in love with her anyway.

Euphie was so expertly manipulating the magic I had always yearned for. She had stolen my heart. It was beautiful to witness.

“…Tch! Euphie! You’re going to end up burning all the materials, too! You’re reducing them all to ash!”

I had allowed myself to get distracted by Euphie’s radiance, but the second I came back to my senses, I started shouting. Perhaps that was when the effects of the magical ether were beginning to wear off.

“Huh?” Euphie’s eyes opened wide in surprise, and then she sighed. “…You’re one to talk…”

“Come on!”

“…We’re going to need to have a long discussion about that drug of yours later!”

Why was she so upset? I stared out regretfully at the scorched plain. Ah, but that magic she had just used truly had been incredible. To be honest, it made me wonder about everything I had seen up till now. She was the real thing, a true genius. She had been chosen to reach the realm I had always strived for.

I adored her, and I was lost staring at her for a little while, when a sudden sound dragged me back to reality. It was a distant roar.

“…Lady Anis?” Euphie prompted.

“I know. Let’s fall back!” I said with a nod.

We made our way back to the defensive line. Just as a group of knights and adventurers came out to relieve us, it appeared in the sky above.

It was huge, much more massive than any single person, and awe-inspiringly majestic. Even from a distance, there could be no doubting what it was. The dragon had finally appeared.

Dragons were often described as enormous lizards, but that was a ridiculous analogy. They were more like the kinds of hulking behemoths that had appeared in monster films in my past life.

Its shape suggested it was capable of standing upright, while its body was graced with a pair of magnificent wings. Its hands were armed with razor-sharp claws, and its fangs were equally vicious. But most of all, the red scales covering its entire body, and the supple horns atop its head, were overwhelmingly beautiful. It was like a living, moving work of art.

“That’s the dragon…?!”

Maybe it had been drawn to Euphie’s massive spell, or else perhaps it was angry that we had slaughtered its monster prey? Or was it simply territorial? There was no way to tell.

But there was one thing I understood—it was so captivating I couldn’t get it out of my head. My heart was pounding with excitement.

“Incredible! It’s amazing! They really do exist! The world is so full of wonderful things!”

I had seen a lot of monsters during my life. Of course, some of those had been magicite monsters, and there had been numerous breathtaking specimens among them. But none could compare to the grandeur of what I was laying eyes on now.

My whole body was trembling, as though my blood were literally bubbling with exhilaration. And now I would issue my challenge to this peerless lord of the sky.

“Lady Anis…”

Euphie’s worried voice pulled me back to my senses.

I flashed her a fearless grin. “I’m fine! But do you see that, Euphie? Did you ever suspect that there could be something so magnificent? Ah, it’s like a dream! Dragons are amazing! I wonder what I would be able to accomplish if I could work with that magicite crystal?!”

I wanted to know it all. Everything that there was to know about dragons. Every last grain of information. I wanted to devour that knowledge, to feed on it. To reach further than anyone had before.

“Princess Anisphia!”

“Commander!”

“…I thought you might need this, so here you go.”

The band of knights and adventurers were moving to intercept the stampede, but the leader had approached to hand me my Witch’s Broom.

I took it and flashed him a grin. “Thanks. I’ll take to the skies, then, as planned. Can you look after Euphie?”

“Of course. Once again, good luck.” The knight commander still seemed conflicted, despite his well-wishes.

I nodded to Euphie and climbed astride my Witch’s Broom, gripping the handle tightly with one hand. In my other, I held firm to my Mana Blade. With this, I was ready to go.

“I’ll be back soon, Euphie!”

I couldn’t hold back any longer. I poured my magical energy into my Witch’s Broom and climbed into the sky like an arrow released from a bow. As I soared toward my target, the dragon continued gliding calmly through the sky unopposed.

It was flying effortlessly, only turning its gaze to me now. It seemed to regard me as an insect buzzing over its shoulder, and I was filled with laughter.

“Hi there! Nice to meet you! Take this!” I called excitedly.

With that, I lashed out with my Mana Blade, still longer than I was tall, trying to take it down in one clean sweep.

But of course, my blade was blocked by the dragon’s tough scales. No, that wasn’t entirely correct. It wasn’t blocked so much as it was caught.

“Tch! What…is this?!”

I toned down my magical energy to reduce the output of my Mana Blade. Unfortunately, that action also diminished the weapon’s use as a blade, and with the blade no longer caught on the dragon’s scales, I was being swung around by the remaining centrifugal force.

By the time I managed to regain my balance, I realized the dragon was staring at me.

The next moment, it spun its huge body around in a midair cartwheel as its tail came speeding toward me.

“Tch!”

I poured more magical energy into my Witch’s Broom to accelerate out of harm’s way, dropping downward to evade the oncoming blow. This time, the dragon came lunging toward me, its jaw open wide. Its mouth was large enough to swallow a person whole and lined with rows of ominous fangs.

“You think you can eat me?!”

To evade the reach of those fangs, I had to turn my whole body sideways and shoot out of the way at full speed. The sound of the monster’s teeth clashing together was awfully close. If I had been a second slower, it might have been too late.

A shiver coursed down my spine, my lips twitching in a dark grin. Trying to force down the sense of dread building inside me, I made myself shout, “Excellent!”

I spun around in midair to face the dragon, reactivated my Mana Blade, and lashed out head-on.

However this creature had caught my blade last time, it was proving a considerable nuisance. I wasn’t even able to deliver a single scratch.

“Take this, then!”

If I wasn’t using enough power, I would just have to apply more. I poured yet more magical energy into the weapon, the light emanating from it intensifying in response. Then, all of a sudden, it slipped, as though the resistance keeping it at bay had instantly disappeared.

“…Huh?”

The blade had almost slipped out of my hand, and I was forced to readjust my grip. Glancing back at the dragon, I laid eyes on a wide gash tearing through its flesh, with blood seeping out. What had just happened? Had I broken through its hide?

“Gwaaaaauuuuuggggghhhhh!”

The dragon let loose with a roar that shook not only my eardrums but my entire body. Was it bellowing in pain or in rage? The only thing I could tell was that it was now turning on me with all the terrifying fury it could muster.

“So you’ve finally decided I’m a threat? Good! I’m right here!”

I was apprehensive about getting caught, but I couldn’t afford to let its attacks reach me!

Readying my Mana Blade once more, I turned back to the dragon. When I lashed out a second time, the creature reared back to avoid my strike.

“What—?!”

But before I could even finish my question, I was thrown back by a tremendous burst of wind. The dragon was using its wings to push me backward!

“Not…good…!”

I fought to steady myself on my Witch’s Broom as the wind buffeted me. My eyes opened wide in alarm as I turned partly around to ride the current of the airstream to a safe distance.

A faint glimmer shone inside the dragon’s mouth. It was similar to the light that had engulfed Euphie before she had employed her magical technique earlier. My mind—my whole body—was shouting in alarm. Run!

“A-a-aaaaauuuuuggggghhhhh!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, pouring all my magical energy into my Witch’s Broom.

For a second, the dragon seemed to swallow the light pooling in its mouth—and then there was a flash. At least, that was what it looked like to me. The burst was accompanied by a shock wave strong enough to scatter the clouds.

What had just happened? I had no idea, but one thing was clear.

“I’m falling…!”

Perhaps that shock wave had impeded my sense of balance and my internal compass, but I had no idea where I was going. When finally I managed to regain control, it felt like something had been shaken out of my body—as though I had been doused in icy water.

Uh-oh… The ether has worn off…!

The effects of the ether only lasted for a limited amount of time. That was by design as a safety precaution, but right now, it could jeopardize everything. The clarity in my mind was gone, and I didn’t know what to do in the bewildering series of events, until I saw the ground rapidly approaching.

I’m going to die. No, I need to land or at least soften the impact. Maybe if I charge my Mana Blade and activate it. But do I have enough time?!

I raced to gather my scattered thoughts to try to minimize the damage.

Fortunately, there was no one in the path of my crash landing. I was some distance from the main battlefield. At least I wouldn’t have to worry about causing any unintended damage…

“Lady Anis!” someone shouted desperately, interrupting that thought.

At that moment, I blacked out as some force seemed to catch me in its arms.

“Lady Euphyllia, please step back! That area attack you used a minute ago won’t help us in an all-out melee! If you know any healing magic, we could use some assistance on that front!”

“…I understand. I’ll be right there.”

After Lady Anis took off toward the dragon, the knight commander asked me to assist with the defense. He was right, of course—the magical attack I had used just before could be very effective, but it would be a double-edged sword in this kind of close-quarters battle.

That being the case, I had been entrusted to support the defensive line from the rear with healing magic. Only a small number of people had the necessary skills for healing, so I could understand why I was needed there.

Strictly speaking, it would have made more sense to send me to escort injured fighters to safety. The reason I hadn’t been asked to do that was likely because I was the daughter of a duke, and the knights were concerned about my safety.

The stampede seemed to have limited momentum, probably because we had successfully thinned out its numbers earlier, and so casualties were thankfully low. As such, I could afford to turn my attention to the sky.

My eyes almost popped out of my skull when I watched Lady Anis charge headfirst toward the dragon. Her first strike appeared to fail, as she quickly moved to a defensive stance.

With the dragon’s counterattack, it became clear that this struggle would endanger Lady Anis’s life. Then her Mana Blade began to glow brighter than I had ever seen before as she lashed out again.

The dragon’s scales looked to somehow resist her magic-imbued sword. They let out a powerful glow, a shroud of light that enveloped the creature’s entire body.

Is that…a magical barrier?

If so, it was the same underlying process used to create a Mana Blade or a Mana Shield. That being said, Lady Anis hadn’t had much success creating a full-body suit of armor.

I clenched my fists at the thought that this was possible for dragons, the ultimate monsters. The only way to get through those defenses would be an immensely powerful blow—or else to fight until the creature depleted its magical energy.

But can Lady Anis do that alone…?

It was true she couldn’t use magic, but her abilities were above and beyond most everyone else’s, as she had demonstrated when she had crushed the stampede earlier. But that knowledge wasn’t enough to ease my fears.

And then the moment came. The dragon finally recognized Lady Anis as a threat and began to unleash a powerful burst of wind with its wings.

I had honestly found it hard to believe such a huge creature could remain airborne on those wings, but now I understood. It all made sense if it was using magic to keep itself aloft.

As Lady Anis struggled to stay upright in the storm, the dragon moved in for the kill.

Even I could sense it readying a further magical attack—a wave of energy daunting enough to send a shiver through my whole body. There was no way Lady Anis would be able to survive it. The dragon had her fixed directly within its sights.

“No!” I cried, and at the same moment, a torrent of light burst out toward her.

That light was a wave of pure magical energy—destruction in its rawest form.

The blow was so strong that the air itself shuddered. It was as though the sky were crumbling. While Lady Anis managed to avoid the blow, I watched as she tumbled toward the ground. Luckily, it looked like she wouldn’t collide with anyone, but the impact alone could kill her.

She’s going to die.

I charged forward in a panic. Even I knew I wouldn’t be able to catch up to her from this distance, but still I plowed ahead. My thoughts were captivated by the sight before me.

Watching Lady Anis fall toward the earth, all I could hear was the pounding of my own heart.

My whole sense of being was concentrated on that moment, when something changed inside me, and a strange sensation washed over my mind. To use an analogy, it was like all these disparate fragments had come together to form a complete shape. Though I was unable to fully grasp the nature of this feeling, I surrendered myself to it.

Faster, faster than my feet can carry me, to where she’s falling—

“Just like she did!”

Kicking myself up from the ground, I began to float up into the air and flew in a straight line, rapidly closing the distance. My heart was beating so hard that I felt like it was going to burst, when I forced myself to dive down and slide below Lady Anis.

“Lady Anis!”

Her body, still under the effects of the physical strengthening technique she had used, landed straight into my arms. I couldn’t fully bear the force of the impact, however, and I collapsed onto the ground alongside her.

“Ugh, gah… Cough, cough!”

“Lady Anis! Are you all right?!”

“Euphie…? Huh? Did you…catch me…?” Dazed from the shock of the fall, Lady Anis was pressing her hands against her head.

But she soon let out a deep exhale, caught her breath, focused her eyes, and stared back toward the sky. Then she reached into her pocket and pulled out the bottle filled with her ether drugs.

I immediately reached out to grab her hand.

Lady Anis stared back in bewilderment. “Euphie?”

“Are you still going to fight? Alone? You almost died just then!”

My heart had never been so torn open before. I was at the mercy of my impulses, shouting between gasps for air.

“Those drugs have side effects, don’t they? But you can’t fight without using them! That’s all you have! So why do you insist on fighting that monster without using magic?!”

It was the duty of the kingdom’s nobility to fight monsters and protect the country.

Having been raised as a noble myself, that belief had been instilled in my very bones. But Lady Anis was different. She couldn’t use magic, and so even though she was the daughter of the king himself, she had been alienated and made an outcast.

I couldn’t understand what force compelled her to fight a dragon that even nobles would hesitate to approach. Why did she fight when she had no duty or obligation to do so?

“Why do you—?”

“It’s simple, really.”

Why? Tell me, why?

How can you still smile?

“Why do you—?”

My senses, dazed from the crash, suddenly cleared. Then Euphie asked me why. The answer came to me immediately—so unshakable that I couldn’t help but laugh.

“It’s simple, really. Because to me, that’s what a magic user does.”

I knew how powerful dragons were. Now that the effects of my ether had worn off, I could honestly say I was so terrified that my body wouldn’t stop trembling. Even I wondered whether I hadn’t lost my mind.

Nonetheless, I wouldn’t run away. My heart was screaming out at me not to turn tail and flee.

I wanted to be able to wield magic, to pursue my research, to learn more about it, and to develop more magical devices. I couldn’t deny that part of myself. It was the driving force that propelled me forward. But even deeper than that was a heartfelt wish.

A wish that I had held on to dearly since the day I had started becoming the person I was now.

“No one can be happy with that thing around. I can’t ignore it. And that’s why I have to fight it. That’s what it means to wield magic to me. In my mind, mages exist to bring smiles to peoples. That’s why I’m here. If I ran away now, I wouldn’t have the right to call myself a mage.”

I knew I was being stubborn, but I refused to give up on my ideals. If I surrendered them now, they would be lost forever.

“Because even I have enough magic to fight a dragon!”

Even if I lacked what most people regarded as magic, I was still proud of the magic I called my own.

This wasn’t about duty. It wasn’t about obligation. I hadn’t been dispatched here to carry out a mission. I simply had a wish, a pledge that I had sworn to myself. I would fight for what I wanted to be. Not to serve others, not to risk myself for someone else in the pursuit of glory—because there was something I wanted to see. That was all.

“Smile, Euphie. I’ll be fine. I’ll do better next time. And didn’t you say you wanted to help fulfill my dream? Making wishes come true is what mages do.”

I would always pursue magic. I would always try to make people smile. I had never given up on my dream. That was why I had to go. So I shared those thoughts with Euphie before letting go of her hand and preparing to take off once more.

Euphie tightened her grip around me. “I don’t understand.”

“Euphie.”

“But if that’s what’s keeping me here with you, I want to help protect your dream. So please, let me go with you. I don’t want you to die.”

There was a certain desperation in Euphie’s plea. I couldn’t look away from her tears. I could see she was in pain, but still she stared firmly ahead. Her words struck a chord in my heart.

“If you don’t go, you won’t be you anymore! So please, at least take me with you. I won’t get in your way. I want to understand your magic. I’m starting to get a feel for flying. I can help you. I can protect you with my magic. I can support you. So please, please… Don’t go alone…!”

She took my hands in her own as she pleaded. I could feel the depth of her feelings, her warmth seeping into me, calming my trembling body and allaying my distracted thoughts.

“Don’t go alone?”

I wasn’t alone. Euphie was the closest thing to the kind of mage I had always admired, and she would be there for me. She had promised to help make my unfinished dream a reality.

She might have been angry, frustrated, even resigned to my recklessness—and she had still forgiven me.

“All right, I won’t. Not alone.”

“Lady Anis…”

“But I have to stop it. That’s why I have to go. And it would be pretty grueling by myself. So, Euphie—will you come with me?”

I didn’t know what the end goal was, and no one had ever said such a thing to me. I wasn’t sure I’d ever hear it again, and I doubted I would ever be able to repay her for it.

But if Euphie was fine with me as I was, I would do this with her. I would take her with me. So please…say yes.

“Yes… Yes.” She nodded, breaking out into the most beautiful smile I had ever seen. “If that’s what you want, I’ll stick with you forever.”

“…You’re exaggerating.”

I stood up without help and reached out to take her hand again. “Let’s go do something worthy of that confidence. Let’s hunt a dragon!”

“Yes!” Euphie answered in a clear voice as she took my hand and rose to her feet.

I took out the bottle of ether. I was afraid of the side effects from taking too many in rapid succession, but now wasn’t the time to be overly cautious.

Summoning my resolve, I ground two tablets between my teeth and swallowed them down. The effects were immediately uplifting, my whole body buzzing with vitality. But I couldn’t afford to let go of the reins of my awareness. Taking a deep breath, I stepped up onto my Witch’s Broom and glanced across at Euphie. “Get on!”

Euphie nodded, getting onto the broom behind me, before wrapping her arms around my waist and holding on tightly.

Now that we were ready, I took off into the sky once again.

The dragon was still soaring, as though it had been waiting for me to return. I couldn’t read its expression, but the way it was baring its teeth almost looked like an uncanny smile.

“Awfully full of yourself…!”

The ether I had taken had replaced my fear with a surge of fighting spirit. I activated my Mana Blade and charged toward the dragon. My foe, having apparently learned from our last encounter, turned to avoid the blow.

“Lady Anis! The dragon has probably covered its entire body in a magical barrier!”

“Huh? Its entire body? That would mean…”

“It’s the same principle as the Mana Blades, theoretically speaking. That’s how it blocked your earlier attack. But if you can break through, your strikes should be very effective!”

“So that’s what that resistance was last time!”

The dragon knew to be cautious of my Mana Blade. It had made the connection that my weapon could pierce its magical defenses. After all, this sword was made of magic, too!

“Be careful of its wings! It must be using some unique kind of magic to keep itself airborne! The wings are what makes that possible!”

“Like the gust of wind just before! Got it! In that case, let’s aim for—”

““The wings!”” Euphie and I said simultaneously.

I would have to get closer to it—while avoiding its tail—to perfect my aim and then glide straight into my target.

“Euphie! We need to get closer, but I’m guessing the only way to do that will be to catch it by surprise and then rush in! When I give the signal, can you boost our speed?”

“Yes! Leave it to me!”

“Our lives are in your hands!”

“I entrusted mine to you some time ago!”

Adjusting my grip on the Witch’s Broom, I turned my attention back to flying. I would have to try to disable the creature’s wings—or at least one of them. I continued to glide through the air, searching for an opening.

The dragon was monitoring us, too, unwilling to turn its back on us. Every time we tried to go around it, it would turn to face us from the front.

“Wind Cutter!”

At that moment, Euphie unleashed a magical attack toward the creature, but the blade of air from the wind spirit wasn’t powerful enough to break through the dragon’s barrier. It only shattered into a mist of light.

However, it had succeeded in distracting our foe for a brief moment.

“Now!” I cried out at the top of my lungs.

With that signal, Euphie boosted our speed. The momentum was enough to drag my body backward and send blood rushing to my head. Just as my consciousness began to dim slightly, we shot past the dragon’s head. As we quickly circled behind its back, I let go of my Witch’s Broom.

For a brief moment, before the dragon could turn around to face us, I concentrated my magical energy into my Mana Blade and clasped it with both hands. Then, after raising it overhead, I brought it down.

“This time, it’s your turn to fall!”

There was a flash of light. It was no exaggeration to say I had poured all my strength into that strike, and my blade wedged itself into the root of the dragon’s wing. There was far more resistance than before. Was the dragon concentrating its magical energy into protecting its body?! Or was its barrier naturally stronger around vulnerable areas?!

“I…won’t…!”

Cut, cut, cut! I prayed as I poured my magical energy into my Mana Blade—and at that moment, the resistance gave way. My weapon carved effortlessly through, rending the dragon’s wing clean from its body.

“Gwaaaaauuuuuggggghhhhh?!”

That shrill roar echoed through the air, and the dragon writhed as it began to plummet toward the ground. Before I could crash into the earth, too, I grabbed ahold of my Witch’s Broom with one hand and lowered us to safety. Just as my feet touched the ground, my vision began to flicker as the effects of the ether began to wear off.

“Lady Anis!”

“…I’ll be fine.”

Euphie caught my unsteady body in a hug. Luckily, she had been holding me during the attack so I wouldn’t fall from the Witch’s Broom. There was no way I would have been able to carry out that strike using only one hand.

Now that we were on the ground, I let go of the Witch’s Broom. I felt like falling to my knees, but I forced myself to focus on the area where the dragon had crashed. It would have been a major hassle if it had landed in the forest, but thankfully it had slammed into the center of the plain.

“If it can’t fly anymore, it’ll have to fight on the ground…!”

The dragon rose up from the cloud of dust swirling around it, glaring across at us with hatred and loathing in its eyes.

I swallowed hard. It was gathering more light into its gaping maw, readying its breath attack.

“Lady Anis! Run!” Euphie screamed.

I nodded quickly, turning my gaze—but I couldn’t move.

“No.”

“Huh?”

“Behind us… The battlefield!”

To our rear, the knights and adventurers were still holding the stampede back. While they had some distance, they were clearly within range of the dragon’s breath. Even if we managed to evade the attack, they would still be wiped out.

A dragon didn’t care whether it killed humans or monsters. To such a huge creature, lesser beings were merely prey, and it would have little compunction about reducing them all to dust. So we couldn’t fall back.

What should we do?

I repeated those words over and over inside my head, desperately trying to find an answer.

And then that answer came to me so directly that I was startled. I returned the Mana Blade that I had been using to its sheath and retrieved the other one.

“Euphie. Defend them with everything you’ve got. Don’t let its breath attack reach the battlefield. Do whatever it takes.”

“What are you going to do, Lady Anis?!”

“I’m gonna cut right through that thing.”

That breath attack was magic, too, not physical. Which meant I could probably bisect it with my Mana Blade. The problem was that doing so would require a higher energy output than I had ever used before.

“That’s… That’s crazy!” Euphie cried out in alarm.

“There’s no other way.”

“If we hurry out of its path, though…”

“If it releases that breath attack, I’ll regret this moment for the rest of my life.”

I couldn’t fall back. I couldn’t look Euphie’s way. The dragon could attack at any second.

“Mana Blade, Limit Release.”

The limiter normally constrained the Mana Blade’s maximum power output, but not anymore. In theory, I could now pour as much magical energy into the weapon as I wanted.

That said, since the Mana Blade was just a tool, there was a limit to how much it could safely channel. The limiter was there to make sure it didn’t overload and self-destruct.

But I wouldn’t be able to tear through the dragon’s breath attack with the limiter in place. Would I exhaust my magical energy before the attack reached me? Would the Mana Blade self-destruct without the limiter to keep it operating within safe parameters? This was a risky bet, to be sure.

“But it’s now or never.”

I wasn’t blessed with magical talent. My every effort had been a gamble with short odds. Those were the only options available to me. No matter how many times I failed, no matter how many times I lost that gamble, I would keep going.

“If these are my only options, I’ll pick the one I won’t regret later!”

I must have looked like the hero in a gallant tale, fighting a dragon with nothing more than a sword. So I whispered to myself, trying to calm my nerves, even smile. After all, any second now, the dragon’s breath could reach me and erase me forever.

“I don’t much care to be a princess or a dragon-slaying hero. But there’s one thing I won’t ever give up. My dream to wield magic and call myself a mage! So I’ll transform the impossible into reality!”

I won’t apologize, Euphie.

“I understand. Please, when you’re ready.”

All right.

“Show me. I’ll protect you. I’ll cover your back.”

I know.

“I’m watching!”

Thanks, Euphie.

A searing burst of light coursed toward me. The dragon’s breath attack flooded my vision with pure white—and I fought back, bringing my Mana Blade down from overhead.

“Aaaaaa-aaaaaauuuuuggggghhhhh!”

It was like trying to hold back a raging flood with a simple blade. I could see how insane this was. Anyone could.

And yet—this blade was no average sword. It was a magical sword.

It was a weapon that could only be forged in this world, something that transcended the logic and reason with which I was familiar. I’d recognized it. I’d pursued it. The infinite possibilities that had flooded my vision from the moment of my awakening.

With magic, not even flight was impossible.

If people had worked out how to fly in a world without magic, how much further could we go in this one?

“The impossible can be made possible!”

If I didn’t have enough magical energy, I would simply have to pour in more. After all, what exactly was magical energy? It stemmed from the soul. I could squeeze more out if needed! I could pour my whole soul into this if necessary!

It felt like something inside me was being stripped off. But I continued to hope, to pray with all my heart that the coursing light wouldn’t sweep me away. Cut through it. Cut. Cut. Cut. That was all that mattered.

That white light filled my vision for what seemed like an eternity—until all of a sudden, I could see the sky.

The world, my surroundings, began to find their usual colors and shapes again.

Staring across at the dragon standing in front of me, I laid eyes on a straight gash across its torso. Blood began pouring out of it, staining the earth.

Without a sound, the dragon collapsed weakly to its knees. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I let out a deep breath.

“Hah, hah…”

My throat was burning. My whole body ached. I felt as if my whole existence had been spent. But still, I had to make sure it was all over, and I forced myself to approach the fallen dragon.

I couldn’t tell how far I walked. I could only measure the distance between the dragon and me by the number of steps I took across the blood-soaked earth. The monster was lying on the ground, still breathing. Its eyes locked onto me. For some reason, they didn’t strike me as hostile.

“Well done, traveler from afar.”

A voice echoed inside my head. I stared back at the dragon.

“…Was that you?”

Could dragons speak? Were they intelligent? And what did it mean by traveler from afar?

This was so sudden that I couldn’t make sense of any of it. I said nothing else.

“Indeed. You’re a strange one, traveler. If I am to be defeated by you, it must have been preordained. This is most mysterious, but it’s a delight to meet one like you.”

“…You can talk…? I don’t know what to say… I’m sorry?” I said quietly. I hadn’t expected the dragon to address me.

The lids of the dragon’s eyes fell, as though it was about to fall asleep. “Yes, a truly quaint traveler. Why are you apologizing?”

“…I didn’t think we could communicate. And I tried to kill you without even giving you a chance.”

“That applies to both of us. I choose words now only because I am on the verge of death. You should take pride in it, like the fragments of other lives sustaining you from within.”

“…You know about that?”

The dragon was probably referring to the ether drug I had made from powdered magicite. Just how intelligent was this creature if it could understand so much?

“There are few travelers as strange as you…”

“What do you mean, traveler? Are you talking about me?”

“Some rare humans are capable of opening new paths through their inner souls. They are a rare breed who occasionally appear in the world to avenge the indiscretions of those like me.”

Whatever it was, it sounded incredible. Ah, I could feel the effects of the ether wearing off. My excitement was waning, and the suspicion that I had just done something terrible gnawed at my mind.

The dragon’s eyelids began to droop—slowly, ever so slowly. The creature was breathing its last.

“…There’s so much more I want to ask you.”

“There is no need. Not between the likes of us.”

I was sincere, but the dragon refused.

“I know not what you seek, but I can see what lies ahead. You will devour me as you have so many before.”

The dragon’s fading eyes seemed to soften with mirth. After the way it had spoken to me, that was the only explanation for the expression.

“You will reach it one day. And if you devour me, I will be with you. I offer you a prophecy. You, too, will become a dragon.”

I couldn’t say anything. My lips trembled. I felt like I should say something, but no words came to mind.

“You are indeed a rare traveler. What perverse fate… Perhaps it was necessary that you and I should do battle—and that you should fell me thus. You are the victor; you may do as you will. Use my remains as you please.”

“…Don’t you hate me?”

“…Gwa-ha-ha-ha! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Hate you? Is that what you want? How amusing! O traveler, devourer of souls! I shall lay my spell upon you—my blessing, and my curse! Not only will you make use of my remains—you shall bear my mark forevermore!”

The words resounding in my mind were imbued with power. It was as though a foreign substance—words or perhaps knowledge—was imprinting itself on my spine, being etched into me in a way I couldn’t describe.

At the same time, it felt somehow like a prayer. Why did I feel as though I had been entrusted with something? I wanted to understand more, but there was no time.

“…I am Anisphia Wynn Palettia. I am the one who has slain you, who will devour you.”

Just before the dragon passed, I told it my name.

I didn’t know how meaningful this was, but I couldn’t let this creature die without saying something.

The dragon’s eyes seemed to flicker slightly. “…Palettia? I see! Gwa-ha-ha-ha! So you are of blood beloved by spirits? How ironic that a traveler should hail from such ranks! Ah, Anisphia. You who have defeated me. Accept my mark!”

The dragon closed its eyes, calmly accepting this outcome, as its words “…For both our sakes…” reached me like a distant echo. Once it was gone, I slowly shut my eyes, too.

I offered the great being a silent prayer, vowing to myself to remember the life of this beast. As I did so, I began to feel light-headed, my strength drained from me, and I swayed on my feet.

Just as I began to topple backward, someone caught me in their arms.

“Lady Anis!”

It was Euphie. With her supporting me, I turned around to face her.

“Are you feeling all right?” she asked, her tearful, worried eyes searching me. “You were walking around in a daze, muttering to yourself.”

“…Huh? You didn’t hear it?”

She really didn’t seem to know what I was talking about. So the dragon had spoken only to me. I wished we could have conversed longer. The creature seemed to know so much about things I barely understood. And a lot of what it had said was kind of bothering me…

“…Right! What about the stampede?!”

This was no time to bask in victory. What had happened with the stampede that the dragon had caused? It was one thing to defeat the dragon itself, but we couldn’t afford to forget about the other monsters, either.

“The monsters started retreating into the forest the minute the dragon fell… See?” Euphie said with a faint smile, motioning over her shoulder.

If I strained my ears, I could make out what sounded like distant battle cries—although the effort made me feel like collapsing all over again.

“…I see. So everyone behind me is all right. Thank goodness…”

“…You truly were reckless, you know?”

“For once, I can’t deny it…”

“…I’m just glad you’re unharmed,” Euphie said, wrapping her arms tightly around me. Her whole body was trembling.

It would be difficult to do that attack again, and I would prefer not to. And I regretted what I had done. But if I were to find myself in the same situation all over again, I would probably still have fought.

Still, if it would leave Euphie this upset, I might want to try something different next time. I would have to increase the amount of options available to me—and to do that, I needed more tools, more knowledge, more skills at my disposal.

“…I’ve got a long way to go.”

I leaned back into Euphie’s arms, feeling my consciousness fading. But there was still something I had to do. I placed a hand on Euphie’s shoulder and stood up by myself.

“Lady Anis?”

“…I’ve been entrusted with something. Something I need to do.”

I walked up to the motionless dragon and picked up my Mana Blade. Feeling around with my hands, I searched for a gap in its scales and cut through the flesh.

“…Here it is.”

The dragon’s magicite crystal was buried deep in its chest. It was like a beautiful jewel, more than enough to serve as a badge of honor. I carefully removed it from its corpse.

“…Look how big it is. What should I do with it?”

I smiled a little at the sight of the oversize magicite crystal.

At that moment, I heard the sound of horses approaching from the distance. The knights were coming our way. Maybe I could ask them to carry me back…?

With that thought, I breathed out a sigh and relaxed. My whole body had been aching for some time, and I was still a bit stunned. When the knights arrived, I would have to ask them to handle everything here…

“…Lady Anis, please take it easy.”

“…Sorry, Euphie. I guess I’m a little tired…”

Euphie caught me in a warm hug. Her embrace was soothing, a welcome remedy for my exhausted, overworked body.

Before long, I was drifting into unconsciousness. There was still so much to do—but this time, I was utterly exhausted. It was getting harder and harder to even move my fingers. I just needed to rest a bit. Just a little. Then I could get up.

“…You did well, Lady Anis. Truly.”

Before my consciousness faded completely, I thought I heard Euphie’s gentle, comforting voice.