Ice Sword.
It was one of the many spells Lydia had pioneered. It was a form of sorcery that took ice magic and sublimated it into the shape of a blade, refining it into a practical weapon for combat. Even before she had enlisted, she was well aware of her profound affinity for ice magic.
By focusing on that strength, she developed the Ice Sword. It was far more than a simple blade made of ice; it was a complex construct into which she had meticulously woven the twin essences of her power: Deceleration and Lock.
To distinguish it from common magic, she chose a specific, archaic designation for the spell. A peerless art—that was the Ice Sword Lydia sought to master.
"……Whew."
She swung the blade.
Before her lay the remains of countless monsters. The Special Selection Unit, Astral, had been deployed to suppress a monster Stampede, and in the heat of the fray, Lydia had unleashed her signature art.
«Prima Materia = Encoding = Material Code»
«Material Code = Decoding»
«Material Code = Processing = Deceleration = Lock»
«Embodiment = Material»
Those two essences were integrated into the very heart of the code. The Ice Swords manifested around her, summoned by her will. She gripped one in each hand, while others hovered behind her in the air, poised and ready.
She had long since surpassed the limits of an ordinary sorcerer. It was no exaggeration to say she operated on a different dimension entirely. Abby Garnet, who had been observing the battle from the sidelines, could only watch in stunned silence.
Abby and Carol were both exceptional sorcerers in their own right, already being spoken of as candidates for the Seven Grand Sorcerers. Yet even their brilliance seemed to dim when stood beside the once-in-a-century genius of Lydia Ainsworth.
"Lydia…… Is it finally complete?"
"Yeah. It’s a strange feeling. I feel like everything that was once hidden is now plain to see."
Looking closer, Abby noticed that Lydia’s golden eyes had shifted, taking on the hue of deep azure jewels.
"Your eyes…… what happened to them?"
Lydia whispered a reply, almost to herself.
"It seems a new ability has awakened. I can see the Prima Materia now. It looks like vibrant blue particles."
Abby was struck speechless.
While there had been sorcerers capable of sensing Prima Materia before, none were known to possess the literal sight to perceive it.
The Girl Loved by God.
Abby stared at Lydia, who bore that lofty epithet. This was no skill acquired through study; it was an innate gift. Her fundamental nature was simply built differently.
She truly possessed a talent blessed by the divine.
And yet, Abby knew all too well that such overwhelming power did not always guarantee a happy life.
"Abby, let’s head back. The mission is complete."
"A-Ah…… right."
The two left the battlefield behind and returned to the base in the Kingdom.
The following day, Lydia was summoned to the headquarters of the Magic Association. She had already received the official notice: a letter formally nominating her to join the ranks of the Seven Grand Sorcerers.
Knowing Lydia’s temperament, it wouldn't have been out of character for her to ignore it. But this time was different. She understood that her immense talent carried a proportional weight of responsibility.
Thus, she made her way to the Magic Association alone.
"……It’s been a while since I set foot in this place."
As a recognized genius, Lydia was frequently invited to Association parties. She usually declined them, finding them tedious—though she would occasionally make an appearance if she knew the catering was particularly extravagant.
As she prepared to enter the building, she ran right into a familiar face.
"Is that you, Lydia-san?"
"Marius…… what a coincidence."
The man standing before her had chestnut hair that reached down to his chest. Usually, he kept it tied back, but today he let it flow freely. Though his features possessed an androgynous beauty that could be mistaken for either gender, he was a man, a fact made clear by his six-foot frame and broad shoulders.
His name was Marius Bassett.
Better known by his title—
"And what is the Sorcerer of Phosphorus Glow doing here? Don't tell me you're bored."
"I came to meet you, actually. The President asked me to escort you. Since we've met here, I suppose my job is already done."
"……I would have made it here regardless of whether you came to get me or not."
"You say that, but weren't you the one who made a habit of ignoring every invitation?"
"Ugh…… gh. Well, yes."
Marius let out a faint smile as he watched Lydia’s face sour.
The two had a long history. Marius was about ten years older than Lydia and had served as her homeroom teacher at Arnold Magic Academy for four years. Their bond during those years had been deep.
For Lydia, Marius was one of the few people in the world she simply couldn't win an argument against.
"Now, listen. You are about to become one of the Seven Grand Sorcerers. You can't keep acting like a student, you know. I heard you’d settled down a bit in the military, but you're always—"
"Ugaaaaaah! Stop! Stop it right now! I didn't come all this way to listen to your lectures!"
Lydia threw a tantrum, stomping her feet in frustration while Marius continued to watch her with an amused smile.
"Haha. I’m joking. I just felt a bit nostalgic and wanted to tease you."
"……Sigh. You’ve been like this for as long as I’ve known you."
The Sorcerer of Phosphorus Glow.
As a member of the Seven Grand Sorcerers and an educator, Marius had seen it coming from the start. He knew Lydia Ainsworth would eventually become the youngest Seven Grand Sorcerer in history. He knew that one day, she would surpass even him.
Meeting her here wasn't entirely a coincidence. He had come to offer her a parting gift of words. To him, even though she had graduated, Lydia remained a precious student.
"Lydia-san."
His voice grew clear and resonant. Lydia felt the shift in the air as Marius’s tone turned serious.
"I am truly happy to see you selected as one of the Seven. However, what lies ahead is a cold, harsh reality. Someone of your intellect must already understand: to reach the pinnacle of sorcery is to court madness. This realm belongs to lunatics—myself included. Nevertheless, you have my blessing. May happiness find you on the path ahead."
Marius produced a single flower from thin air. He handed it to Lydia and gave her a slight bow.
"Marius, I appreciate the warning. I will reach the ultimate truth of sorcery. That is the only reason I was given this talent in the first place."
"Indeed. I'll be rooting for you. You are a sorcerer more noble than any other—a girl loved by God. Well then, until we meet again."
"Yeah. See you."
Marius waved and walked away. Lydia watched him go, her gaze lingering on his back.
She knew that she hadn't reached this height on her own. It wasn't just teachers like Marius; it was her time with Abby, Carol, and so many others. Through those connections, she had grown not just as a sorcerer, but as a person.
And that growth had led her to this moment.
Turning on her heel, Lydia clenched her fist and pressed it to her chest. Her eyes burned with a steady, unwavering resolve.
"Let’s go."
She stepped forward.
Lydia walked into her new life. What awaited her? Though she was prepared to live as a Seven Grand Sorcerer, she was still young—a teenager who had achieved the impossible.
Her will was her own. It wasn't a burden forced upon her, but a path she had chosen for herself.
Since her academy days, people had whispered about her. They envied her talent. They said they wished they could be like her—loved by God, effortlessly brilliant. She had heard it all a thousand times.
But it wasn't just admiration; there was jealousy, too. She had seen other sorcerers break under the pressure of her shadow. One could say they simply lacked the talent to keep up, but Lydia had spent her life at the very front of the pack, constantly moving. She often wondered: What is the purpose of my existence? Why was I born to stand at the top of the world at this age?
She didn't have an answer yet. But that was why she had to keep moving. She felt the weight of so many people's hopes and expectations resting on her shoulders.
Where would it lead her?
Would she find glory? Or would her talent become a curse that led her to ruin?
No one could see Lydia's ultimate fate.
And so, she became the youngest Seven Grand Sorcerer in history—and three years passed.