The Northern continent… Most people in the North didn’t know it, but it was common knowledge among other kingdoms that the North was a dreary, isolated continent.
It had already been hundreds of years since the two powers, Andras and Meltor, were at war. This was a completely foreign environment to the Central continent, where many kingdoms coexisted, or to the ambiguous south. The citizens’ sense of patriotism, as well as distance from other countries, had to be strong.
However, it wouldn’t be a problem if the North was just closed off. The problem was that one of the northern powers was the most magically advanced kingdom on the continent, Meltor. They were the leading magical civilization of the age. The Central kingdoms were sensitive to advanced culture and money, so they couldn’t ignore Meltor. However, it was also difficult to join hands with the Andras Empire.
“This time, the situation will change,” Meltor’s current king, Kurt III, spoke as his eyes roved across the crowd in front of him.
Tower Masters and senior magicians looked up at him, alongside twelve officials of the court, led by the minister of domestic affairs. There were also influential members of Manavil present. The titans of Meltor had all gathered in Meltor’s palace.
There was only one reason why this gathering occurred every year.
“This year’s Magic Contest will start today at noon.”
New theories and technologies that were developed over the past year would be revealed. It was like a paradise for magicians. When the Annual Magic Contest was hosted, Manavil’s checkpoints would loosen, and residents of other kingdoms would flock to them. It increased the size and revenue of the event, but it also presented an opportunity for spies to sneak in.
“Red Tower Master Veronica.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Veronica responded.
The red robe with a golden crest, the symbol of a tower master, fluttered as her magic power coursed through it.
“As always, the Red Tower is in charge of the capital’s security. Thoroughly manage and punish any disturbances that occur in the city.”
“As Your Majesty commands.”
Kurt nodded. “White Tower Master Orta.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” The White Tower Master, Orta, stepped forward in his white robes and white mask.
“What happened to the reconstruction of the previous surveillance network?”
“We consumed five times more manpower and materials, and managed to expand the sphere of influence to all of Manavil. The consumption of mana stones is high, but there shouldn’t be any problems until after the Annual Magic Contest ends.”
“Good. Don’t neglect to be my eyes and ears.”
Andras’ Shadow Knights had long tried to penetrate Manavil’s surveillance system, but they had failed every time. According to one rumor, the number of secret agents who died at Orta’s hands had already exceeded three digits. This year, the song of the unlucky spies would continue.
“Blue Tower Master, what is the weather like today?”
“It will continue to be clear, Your Majesty. The clouds will thicken in three days, but there is no chance of rain.”
“Are there any complaints about the water supply or anything else?”
“Either way, there is no problem.”
The replies to the king were quick and concise, since it was well known that Kurt III placed more focus on efficiency rather than formalities. Kurt never talked to one person for too long. He didn’t speak longer than one minute, and the shortest time was ten seconds. That was all he needed to confirm the instructions.
Therefore, Theo’s turn was quick to arrive.
“Quattro’s captain.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Theo stepped forward and raised a hand to the chest of the unfamiliar uniform.
This was Quattro’s first mission since the formation of the magic division, so William’s and Sylvia’s eyes betrayed their nervousness. Only Para seemed to be utterly disinterested if someone watched her closely.
“I will place a slightly heavy burden on you and Quattro.”
“Please tell me.”
After hearing that it would be a heavy burden, Sylvia and William tensed. Theo could feel their nervousness as he waited for the king’s instructions.
“Quattro, please listen to me.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” The remaining three people stepped forward and replied. 𝙚𝙙𝙣𝒐𝙫𝙚𝙡.𝙤𝙧𝒈
“You are to meet Elvenheim’s delegation, who will arrive at noon today, and bring them to the palace. They are VIP guests of Meltor, so ensure that there are few disruptions when guiding them.”
Welcoming the Elvenheim delegation!
Two people were confused at the unexpected command, one person didn’t care, and another person was convinced by it. Understandably, the convinced person was Theo. If he went to Elvenheim, he could meet directly with the senior elves and high elves, so he was the right person for this mission.
This was why Theo spoke without any hesitation.
“On behalf of Quattro, we will do as Your Majesty commands!”
***
The four members of the magic division, Quattro, left the audience hall after receiving the order from Kurt. It was already almost noon, and they needed to prepare before meeting Elvenheim’s delegation.
“It was at the north gate?”
“Yes,” Sylvia answered instantly.
As they walked toward the north gate, William didn’t seem to like the muted atmosphere and approached Theo.
“Excuse me, Captain,” William said.
“Yes?”
“Have you and the princess been to Elvenheim once before?”
“Yes, we stayed for around two weeks.”
A few days after arriving, Theo had gotten embroiled in a battle against a legendary grimoire. Just thinking about the awful burning pain from that battle was enough to make Theo shudder. While Theo was engrossed in his bad memories, William didn’t stop talking.
In retrospect, the next White Tower Master would’ve been a good candidate for the Elvenheim mission. However, he wasn’t present.
Indeed, William complained as he scratched his head, “Ah, I’m so envious! I wanted to go, but I was already on a mission. At that time, I really tried to get there on time, but it was already solved.”
“Was there some reason why you wanted to go?”
“… Captain probably doesn’t know since you are popular, but all men dream of seeing elves once! Stupid normies!”
“N-Normies?” Was it a new magic term? Theo was confused by the word which didn’t make sense, when his robe was suddenly pulled. “Sylvia?”
“Don’t worry too much. That guy is a little weird,” Sylvia told Theo.
William would’ve been hurt if he heard her, but he was too busy imagining a beautiful elf. Theo and Sylvia silently turned away from William, who was laughing heavily, and Para, who was silent, and started talking.
“Theo, who do you think will come?”
“Let’s see…” Theo thought for a moment before offering a plausible answer. “It is pretty important, so I think a guardian will come.”
“Oh, the one who keeps calling Theo, ‘Benefactor’?”
“Or maybe Ellaim might come. It might be someone we don’t know, but it would be easier to send someone familiar. Maybe Sir Edwin will come?”
William suddenly interrupted the conversation. “Guardian? What is that?”
“It is an expression referring to an elven warrior. The two we saw were both master level elementalists.”
“Oh, that is awesome! Is there any chance a high elf will come?”
Theo frowned in response. It wasn’t because he felt uncomfortable, but because it was an unexpected possibility, albeit not impossible. However, the possibility wasn’t high, so Theo didn’t hesitate to shake his head.
“They can come, but it’s almost unheard of. High elves are the pillars of Elvenheim. They wouldn’t appear just to announce an alliance.”
“Is that so? I was looking forward to it…” William sighed moodily but accepted Theo’s words.
The four magicians took around thirty minutes to reach the north gate as they chatted. Manavil’s north gate wasn’t a heavily trafficked area, so there would only be a few guards. However, common sense seemed to be thrown out of the window as there was a massive influx of guards.
“Stop! Please stop and identify yourselves.”
As the four people approached, a man dressed in armor stopped them politely. The strap hanging from the shoulder indicated he was the leader of the northern guards.
“I’m Theodore Miller, the captain of the magic division, Quattro.”
“Ah! It is an honor to meet our country’s hero!” The chief of the guards saluted him happily.
Theo’s reputation had grown well beyond his imagination. Bemused, Theo returned the guard captain’s salute. “Did you receive the command?”
“Yes! I was ordered to follow the directions of Quattro and help you with your mission.”
“Then I’ll ask for your cooperation, Captain.”
“Of course! Whatever you say!”
Thanks to the enthusiastic guard captain and his subordinates, Theo was able to make quick work of the arrangements. The roadside stalls were put away, and the people were politely asked to clear the streets. It was impossible for the measures they were putting up to escape the public’s eyes, but then it was Quattro’s turn to act.
Para, who hadn’t spoken a word the whole time, commanded, “Build.”
She took out a staff from somewhere and slammed it on the ground.
Kukukukukung…!
The air vibrated as the ground leaped upward to become a grayish white wall, creating a border around the northern gate. It wasn’t simply a wall of soil. The earth had been transmuted into the desired shape and strength. It was alchemy at a much higher level, and the magicians in the crowd were astounded.
“A-Amazing.”
“Umm.”
“Ohh…! That’s great, Yellow Tower kid! You are still a little young, but no wonder you’re the Tower Master candidate!”
For the alchemist’s grimoire, Paragranum, this level of alchemy was basic. Para ignored William’s loud voice. She might be cooperating with Theo, but she had no interest in the Annual Magic Contest or Elvenheim.
However, at that moment…
“Hey, why are you ignoring me… Eh? What?” William was grumbling at Paragranum’s blatant disregard when he suddenly noticed something.
“Got it.” He turned to Theo. “Captain, they are almost here.”
Theo looked over. “Oh, did the White Tower contact you?”
“Yes. The transmission is shaped like an arrow, but you won’t be able to hear it if you don’t know how to listen. I’ll tell you how later, so let’s talk about the message first.” William spoke like he didn’t know himself. “Is there no need to open the gates?”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“I don’t know. Is there another entrance besides the gate?”
“That’s impossible. Besides, tha-” Theo shook his head, but quickly felt a sense of discomfort.
A few days ago, something about the walls had changed. Theo didn’t know what had changed, but his senses warned him that something had. He looked around at the wall and gate, and soon realized the discrepancy.
The sky barrier… is down?
Walls were nothing more than stepping stones for sword masters who could jump tens of meters in a single leap, or magicians who could fly. Thus, the walls of the large cities in Meltor, including Manavil, were equipped with anti-infiltration spells. However, these spells had been disabled. No, strangely enough, it was only the spells near the north gate that had been disabled.
“Perhaps…” Theo looked up.
He realized that something was approaching in the gray sky, as the sun broke through the clouds. It didn’t take long for the other Quattro members to take their cue from their captain and look upward. Theo couldn’t make out the details even with Hawkeye, but the homunculus’ eyes quickly identified what was approaching.
“Eh, a lotus?” As Para mumbled, the object expanded.
Rather, it was getting closer. It flickered in the air, crossing a few kilometers with every jump. The crowd could only stare like fools. Like Paragranum had said, it was a lotus. But it was larger than a house, and it was flying through the sky.
“I-I-It is descending?”
“Yes, it is descending.”
Theo responded to the stuttering William as he waited for the large lotus flower to land. Despite its size, the lotus landed soundlessly and without impact. There was pin drop silence. No one could speak. Everyone, including Quattro, watched silently as the large petals slowly unfolded.
Finally, the lotus bloomed to reveal an elf. He scanned the crowd and cried out when he found Theo in front, “It has been a long time, Benefactor!”
It was as Theo had half-expected. He smiled and greeted Edwin, “Yes, it is nice to see you, Sir Edwin.”
It had been a shocking entrance, but he calmed down after seeing a familiar face.
“Um, I’ve heard a lot of stories, Theo.” Ellaim, the guardian of the Great Forest who had struggled against the 2nd stage Laevateinn, appeared behind Edwin.
“… Sir Ellaim?” Theo greeted Ellaim with a stunned expression.
Two guardians? It was a sign that Elvenheim considered the alliance important, but this was still too much. Theo looked at them and said, “Uhh, I didn’t know that two guardians would come.”
However, the two guardians looked at each other before Edwin shrugged and replied, “I’m sorry, but the two of us are just escorts.”
“Huh?” For a moment, Theo’s mind blanked.
There was only one person who would need to be escorted by two guardians: the managers of the world tree and Arv’s descendants, the high elves. They, who could summon the elemental rulers in the Great Forest and were the blessings of life that could breathe spring into dead land and produce fruits from withered crops.
“… My greeting is late.” A graceful voice rang out from among the petals, and everyone’s attention was caught.
Just like quenching a dry throat with cool water, the refreshing voice moistened their ears. The high elf walked out from within the petals.
She had light green hair, like the freshest of vegetation. Her unfocused eyes gave her a mysterious atmosphere, while her white outfit revealed her simple yet feminine curves. Her slender arms were bared, and her chest and waist had acquired soft curves that hadn’t been there before.
“How have you been?” Her gentle smile was like warm sunshine.
Theo could barely speak her name, “… Ellenoa?”
“Yes, Theo,” Ellenoa, who had become a full-fledged woman, smiled beautifully as she happily spoke his name.