Winter vacation has begun.
For students, it’s an exciting time, but personally, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning.
Because it’s going to get busier than when I was attending the academy.
The first start was with Heaven Len.
Since I felt it was a waste of time to move to the city of Nirva where his mansion was located, I called a special person.
“Is this the Eios dormitory? You’ve got a nice place.”
He was the eccentric mercenary who helped me use Warp Magic to easily cross the Dragon’s Boundary.
I could cover the cost, so I just asked Bertia to gather him, and typical of a mercenary, he came right away for a hefty fee.
The dormitory was mostly empty as most students had left, and the eccentric mercenary glanced around before grimacing at me.
“It’s been a while.”
“I thought I’d never work with you again.”
Well, I could understand his reaction. From his perspective, a client who was supposed to take him home had just trespassed into another country.
“But the money was too good to turn down.”
Are all mages this chatty?
While grumbling, the eccentric mercenary kept nodding his head.
“Are all these people leaving?”
He looked around at us—me, Rin, Ares, and Hayun.
The important part was that it didn’t end here, as two more people joined: Sen and Sister Diana.
Sen, finding no place to go even with the vacation starting, insisted on tagging along, while Sister Diana barged in, commenting on where we were going during a vacation.
Actually, May Plov also shouted that she wanted to join, but the dean simply dragged her back to her family.
Eve and Tana heard about this but felt they’d just be a burden since they couldn’t defend themselves and regrettably declined to join.
“Well, it is nice to have so many beauties.”
“Quit rolling your eyes and get ready.”
I scolded the eccentric for dragging things out, then turned to Bertia and Elise standing behind her.
“I hope your journey goes smoothly.”
“I wish I could go with you. What a shame.”
Bertia bowed politely, looking like a maid seeing her mistress off.
Elise looked disappointed too. Being a princess, she had to return to the royal palace, especially since I heard it was quite chaotic lately.
“Hey, let’s go already.”
“Don’t use casual speech with a client.”
Despite complaining, the eccentric simply adjusted his glasses and crossed his arms. He knew there weren’t many warp mages with skills like his among mercenaries.
Because there were a lot of people, the drawn magic circle was a bit larger. Last time, we just had to touch it to leave.
“Ugh, I’m a bit nervous.”
“Me too. It’s my first time.”
“Hiring a mage like this must cost a fortune, huh? Dude, where’s all this money been coming from?”
Since Ares and Rin seemed to be country bumpkins, the warp was a bit uncomfortable for them, and the sister was curious about the source of the funds I had been throwing around.
“Hmm.”
Sen, possibly worried, tightly gripped the hair tie on her wrist with her other hand. I had given it to her as a gift, and she cherished it greatly.
“……”
Hayun had a tense expression too, which was understandable. She was heading back to the family that had cut ties with her.
“Don’t be too nervous.”
When I softly said that, Hayun replied with a slight smile to thank me, and soon our vision changed.
“Alright, we’ve arrived!”
With the eccentric’s welcoming voice, we reached Nirva. I had heard it was smaller than Elgrid, but it was still considered sizable.
At least it was bigger than Bairn, where I had gone for the competition.
“……Is this right?”
However, upon arriving, Nirva was far from the bustling metropolis I had imagined.
The city itself had a murky gray hue. It looked as if the light had refracted and erased its colors, giving it an incredibly dark appearance.
Without realizing it, I frowned and glared at the eccentric, who was also sweating profusely, examining the surroundings.
“Uh? Uh? Yes, this is right!”
“Are you sure about that?”
I had naturally thought we were in the wrong place, and the eccentric wore a perplexed expression, offering a half-hearted explanation.
“This is indeed Nirva! I pinpointed the coordinates and moved! But it didn’t look like this last time!”
In short, he was saying he couldn’t have made a mistake.
Even so, the landscape of the city was unbelievable, but Hayun backed the eccentric up.
“Nirva… looks about right. The buildings and the city appearance are the same as I remember. Although it wasn’t this desolate.”
“What?”
“I’ve been here once before, and the distances match up.”
With Sen chiming in after Hayun, I had to admit it now. This place, which looked like a ghost town, was indeed Nirva.
If that’s the case, then this vibrant Nirva had become like this for some unknown reason.
Thinking it over, I heard Rin’s voice slowly pointing toward the end of the road.
“There’s something over there.”
“That’s the place where the Len family mansion is located.”
Hayun responded to Rin’s statement. Following their indication, I saw a huge mansion standing at the end of the wide road.
“First, it seems we should head there.”
To be cautious, I started walking ahead, but Sister Diana stepped up beside me.
“Traditionally, the older sibling goes first.”
“……Just stay close, just in case.”
So, with Sister Diana and me leading, we walked through the streets. The surroundings felt as if dust had clouded my vision, making it hard to breathe properly.
I thought maybe someone would come by as we moved, but it was completely empty, lacking any signs of life other than us.
“What is the kingdom doing while the city has changed like this?”
Unable to hold back the frustration, Ares shouted. Yet, his voice echoed emptily through the desolate city.
“Uh, can I go back now?”
The eccentric raised his hand, blatantly showing he didn’t want to be there.
Even I, who had entered the Dragon’s Boundary, felt that his unusual sense of anxiety indicated that this was not a typical incident.
“That end is the Len family mansion.”
The grand mansion was also tinged with a gray hue. Seeing it like this reminded me of an infectious plague that had spread throughout the city.
Sister Diana let out a sigh upon seeing it.
“It’s a lot bigger than I expected.”
Indeed, its size could put typical big mansions to shame. It occupied the end of the city’s main road, clearly showcasing the Len family’s influence here.
Looking at us, Hayun replied with a somewhat uncomfortable tone that it wasn’t that impressive.
“It was just a family with lots of money. They’ve never actually achieved any real merit in war, so they’re mocked as honorless pigs among the nobles.”
“Money is the most important thing, though.”
Hayun shot a glare at the eccentric, who was chattering behind us. He immediately covered his mouth with both hands, promising not to offend the clients.
At that moment, Rin stepped between me and Sister Diana, reaching out toward the mansion door.
“I think there’s something here.”
Just like Rin said, I felt an instinct that the cause of this incident would be within the Len family mansion.
“Knocking won’t guarantee it opens.”
I drew my sword and slashed open the door. As I crossed the threshold, an overwhelming mustiness flooded in through my mouth and nose.
The mansion was large, so the entrance and the impression it left on visitors—the garden—was also spacious. It was meticulously maintained but still looked lifeless under the gray tint.
“……Oh?”
Being the one at the front, I was the first to take in the scene, and I couldn’t help but gasp.
In the center of the garden, an ornate fountain shaped like a clock involved a marble statue. There, a man, the only one who hadn’t lost his color, hung with a sword stabbed in his chest.
“Heaven… Len?”
“Uncle?”
He was Hayun’s uncle, a devoted follower of the Priestess of Time. I had subconsciously thought he was the one responsible for transforming the city like this.
Yet, his eyes, barely open, moved slowly to us. Even while bleeding, he managed to utter a single word.
“Uh, you’re here to…”
After he said that, Heaven Len slowly lowered his head as if he had been dead but had returned to life just to speak to us one last time.
Seeing his lifeless form felt unreal, but then the mansion door opened, and a couple walked out. They were unfamiliar faces, but they somehow seemed familiar to me at first glance.
With bright smiles, they approached us, evoking a strange sense of rejection.
Yet, it was as if someone was enchanted, as one of us stepped forward.
“Mom? Dad?”
Hayun, unable to hold back her tears, reached out and called out.
