Chapter 85 - Shadow (8)

Georgia wondered if the boy named Damian knew about the person who painted this picture.

To Georgia, paintings were spiritual yet private and personal domains. If there were paintings one wanted to show off, there were also paintings one wanted to keep hidden from others.

She could sense without asking that this painting wasn't made to show off to everyone. It contained a deeply personal attachment. Therefore, Georgia had no reason to go directly to him and tell him about these paintings.

She couldn't know if they were old lovers, or if it was a girl's one-sided love. Though a desire to dig into the story behind this painting rose in Georgia's heart, she thought it better to keep it buried inside.

Someday he would visit this storage room, and then he would naturally find out.

***

The first Art Club was at three in the afternoon. Though there was an Art Club room, classes rarely took place there. Because Georgia disliked rigid structures, classes were usually held in the Alchemy Department's greenhouse or outdoors. She advised me to always check announcements since the class location changed daily.

After completing my Art Club registration and going outside, a silver Stitch flew quickly to me as if it had been waiting.

It carried a note for me.

It was a message from Ella telling me to come to the Forbidden Forest through the labyrinth.

The Forbidden Forest was where my Masters Class entrance ceremony should have been held. Perhaps she wanted to show me something.

I moved without delay.

Librarians were waiting for me in front of the Guardian Tree. They led me toward the Forbidden Forest.

Unusually, the fog in the labyrinth had lifted. The librarians said this state would continue until the situation was restored.

After advancing for a while and entering the Forbidden Forest, going deeper, a large clearing appeared.

There was an altar made of long logs stacked in a square. I had seen this kind of altar before at the orphanage. When holding funerals.

Bodies in pure white clothes lay neatly arranged on top. I could immediately sense who those lying there were. They were the librarians who had met death at the hands of the Dark Mage.

About fifty people including Ella were gathered there. Some wore masks, while others held them in their hands.

It was the first time I had seen so many people gathered in the labyrinth.

I silently approached Professor Ella's side. I knew what this place was for, so I didn't ask any unnecessary questions.

Someone recited prayers before the altar. When the prayers ended, people placed flowers one by one on the altar.

Soon after, two men circled the altar pouring oil.

And after solemnly making the sign of the cross, they finally lit the fire. The flames rose on the oil-soaked logs and gradually spread, beginning to burn the bodies.

Only the crackling sound filled the silence.

There were no wails or sniffles commonly heard at funerals.

Only solemnity and restrained sorrow surrounded people's gestures.

As if it were something they had long expected and prepared to face.

That composed and calm appearance felt somewhat strange to me.

Ella watched the gray smoke rising to the sky before speaking.

"Masters Class students take their first steps here with their entrance ceremony. I regret that your entrance ceremony... had to be like this."

Sincere regret permeated Ella's words.

"It's alright."

I wasn't the only one who fought risking my life. All I could do was accept the situation.

"And... what's more regrettable is that nothing has ended despite the sacrifice of so many people, including you. We don't have much time... to grieve."

"..."

Ella continued speaking while weakly watching the blazing flames, "While you were lying unconscious, the Magic Academy was flooded with letters requesting support. The attack wasn't just on Eternia. Ghouls randomly attacked sanctuaries across the continent. Some places were successfully defended, but others were destroyed beyond recovery. Even if I tell you what this incident is connected to, you probably won't fully understand yet. All I can tell you right now is... this is just the beginning."

What exactly was happening? Could Silveryn's departure to the Holy City be related to this too?

"Is there more than one Dark Mage?"

"Circumstances suggest that's likely. However, you're still the only one who has directly confirmed and testified about seeing the Dark Mage in this incident."

This could be interpreted to mean that everyone except me who had seen the Dark Mage was dead.

In fact, I had been in a horrific state little different from death. Surviving like this was close to a miracle.

"Did the Dark Mage let me live?"

Ella's eyes deepened. After long consideration, she spoke, "We can't be certain of anything. Whether you defeated the Dark Mage, or whether they could have killed you for certain but withdrew. Perhaps they plan to use you as a sacrifice as you heard."

Why? She knew about me as if she had been watching for a long time...

Did she want something from me?

It was an unsolvable question.

Putting aside the strange unpleasant feeling, I turned my gaze to the blazing altar.

After the funeral, Ella took me to the Philaion Magic Research Institute located in the labyrinth.

Ella said that was where they were caring for Luna.

While moving to the institute, I learned more about the Guardian Tree's current state and what Luna had experienced.

"Does Luna know about the labyrinth too?"

"Since she came in contact with the Dark Mage, we need to manage her. That child has an incredibly sensitive perception. She vaguely sensed even the existence of the Masters Class, and could see through everyone's true appearance even when wearing masks. Even if she can't enter the Masters Class, once the situation improves, Luna will learn about our work."

"...Then, she must know about me too."

I had met Luna while wearing a mask.

"Right. Luna knows about you too. She told us everything. She said she figured out your identity when she saw all the spirits and thought entities disappearing."

"..."

"And she said something meaningful too. You know how children with magical talent can see the future, right?"

"Yes, my teacher mentioned it before."

Silveryn had once mentioned it regarding my prophetic dreams. She said children with magical talent could see the future, but that ability gradually disappeared as they acquired human language and knowledge.

"Yes, then this will be easier to explain. Because Luna had little interaction with humans, that ability lasted longer than other children. Though that ability has almost atrophied now, it seems to remain faintly in the form of intuition."

"..."

"And that 'intuition' seems to tell her there's something about you, Damian. Even the otherworldly spirit trying to dominate Luna and the Guardian Tree... is extremely afraid of you. Says you might be able to change something."

What expectations were they placing on me? Even so, there was nothing I could do right now. I couldn't even sense its existence. What could I do against something I couldn't see or touch?

"...Do you have any guesses why, Professor?"

"Perhaps... it might be related to your sword. There are very few swords in the world that can cut Wraiths. Even surrounding them with sword aura, it's impossible to catch Wraiths. They aren't beings bound to our world. They're neither dead nor alive. If it's possible to cut Wraiths... your sword might be able to kill beings from other dimensions too."

"Perhaps... are there no stories about my sword in past records? About a sword that kills spirits and thought entities..."

Ella firmly shook her head.

"Not a single one. At least not yet. Perhaps it's in the elves' archives where human interaction is cut off, or undiscovered in the 'Land of Death' in the North. All we can do for now is explore the Land of Death."

"What kind of place is... the Land of Death?"

Both the elves' archives and the northern Land of Death were unfamiliar to me.

One thing was clear—it would be impossible to find my sword's original purpose through ordinary means.

"There's no need to rush to figure it out. Now that you're in the Masters Class, you'll naturally learn about it. The very existence of this labyrinth was created for that place."

Ella checked her pocket watch and said, "First... let's go check on Luna's condition."

***

Ella led me to where Luna was sleeping.

Or more accurately, where she was sealed.

The “Black Spirit” that had cursed Luna and the Guardian Tree was still dominating Luna.

It was similar to a reversed control structure between spirit summoner and spirit. They exercised control over Luna and used her mana as an energy source to curse the Guardian Tree. The Black Spirit's true master was certainly the Dark Mage.

Eternia had only stopped the curse's progression by depleting Luna's mana and sealing her strength, but nothing had been fundamentally resolved.

Though Luna's physical condition had improved and she had regained consciousness, because she had to remain in a “magic depletion” state that caused extreme fatigue, she could only maintain consciousness for about an hour each day.

When I visited, she was in a deep sleep.

In the institute's basement, a prison-like place surrounded by layers of translucent barriers and white iron bars. Only a single bed sat lonely in the middle.

Luna's arms and legs were bound by chains glowing bright blue as she lay there.

Though she had done nothing wrong, she was restrained like a criminal.

My heart sank heavily as if weighted down with lead.

"How long does she have to stay like this?"

"Even if research progresses quickly, she'll have to spend this semester doing nothing."

I had heard the upcoming joint class would be extremely advantageous for spirit summoners. It might have been Luna's chance to shine.

She would lose the opportunity to display her talent and gain attention.

"Did Luna... have any special activity she particularly wanted to do?"

Ella answered as if my question was somewhat strange, "Her butler said... though she avoided contact with people, she really loved watching plays. Why?"

"Just curious."

"When she regains consciousness, she always repeatedly reads, 'The Canary and the Jester' script. Why, thinking of bringing her some books?"

"...No."

I had no intention of becoming friends with Luna. I knew well that due to some kind of wound she carried, it would be difficult for her to become close to me.

I just had something I wanted to confirm, and asked thinking it might be a hint.