The carriage swayed rhythmically.
Ray and Lydia were silent, neither of them speaking a word. They were simply being swept along by the journey. In the quiet, Ray’s mind raced.
Who was that girl? He couldn’t shake the sense of déjà vu—the feeling that he had been to that place once before.
Ray finally opened his mouth.
"Master. About what happened..."
"We’ll talk after we return. For now, just rest."
"...Understood."
He felt unsettled. Lydia, too, seemed to be lost in deep thought. They were supposed to have returned with more intelligence, yet they had been able to accomplish almost nothing. Was she feeling frustrated at being forced to flee the Empire? Or was her mind on something else entirely?
They returned safely to the Kingdom. Upon arrival, Lydia ordered Ray to head home while she handled the debriefing alone.
Ray trudged along the path, but he didn't feel like going straight to his house. He headed to a nearby park instead, hoping to clear his head.
"Phew..."
He let out a long breath.
They had pushed through the journey from the Empire without a single real break, driven by a mutual, unspoken desire to be back on Kingdom soil as quickly as possible.
Ray sank onto a bench. Glancing up at the sky, he saw that twilight had arrived. He stared blankly at the fading glow of the sunset.
"Oh? If it isn't..."
"Eh?"
A girl was jogging briskly through the park. She had glossy red hair that fell to her shoulders, though her bangs were cut strikingly short. Dressed in a pure white dress, she leaned in to peer intently at Ray’s face.
"You would be the one Lydia calls her disciple, wouldn't you?"
"You know my master?"
The girl appeared younger than him, but her tone and presence were so commanding that he reflexively responded with formal respect.
"Mm-hmm. Of course I know her. Lydia and I have been acquaintances for a very long time, you see."
"A long time...? Forgive me, but exactly how old are you—?"
Ray blurted it out. He knew it was taboo to ask a woman’s age, but he couldn't help himself.
"Y-You're over fifty!!?"
"Indeed I am! I might look young, but I've lived a good while! Gahaha!"
Looking closer, he saw that the girl was clutching a large sake bottle in her right hand. She took a long, hearty swig, let out a satisfied "Pwah," and introduced herself.
"I am Françoise Claire. The Sorcerer of Dual Wings. A pleasure to meet you, Ray."
"The pleasure is mine, Claire-san."
"No, no. Fran is fine."
"Um... then, would Fran-san be alright?"
"Indeed. And you're Ray, correct?"
"Yes."
Ray answered hesitantly. Fran flashed him a bright, vivacious smile.
"So, why the long face? What are you doing here all alone?"
"Well..."
He wasn't sure how to respond. The person standing before him was the Sorcerer of Dual Wings, one of the Seven Grand Sorcerers. Being face-to-face with an equal of Lydia's was overwhelming.
He knew her name, of course. She was the eldest of the Seven Grand Sorcerers and a legendary figure. Despite her youthful appearance, every word she spoke carried the weight of her vast experience as a sorcerer.
Moreover, the things Ray was currently agonizing over involved the classified operations of Astral. He wondered if he should speak of them, then decided against it.
"I hear you're serving as a soldier for the Kingdom."
"You... you knew that?"
He couldn't mask his shock. The existence of the Special Selection Unit, Astral, was a state secret. Even within the Kingdom Army, only a handful of people knew of the organization.
But then again, Ray realized, it wasn't so strange for one of the Seven Grand Sorcerers to know.
"Lydia is a member. Abby and Carol are there too, right? Of course I know about it."
"I see... It's a bit of a unique environment, but I've grown quite fond of it."
"...Tell me, how do you perceive your own skill as a sorcerer?"
"Eh?"
Her eyes had turned serious. He struggled to find an answer.
My skill as a sorcerer...?
He certainly had talent. He was self-aware enough to know that his abilities allowed him to excel as a soldier even at his age. He couldn't even see the ceiling of his own potential yet.
He was growing—and at the same time, he had been looking away. He was afraid to see just how far that growth would take him.
Lydia Ainsworth was the greatest genius in history; that was an objective fact.
But lately, Ray had begun to see the limits of Lydia's potential. The talent he once thought he could never hope to reach now seemed like something he could simply step over.
His master would always be his master. He was supposed to follow her, never catch up, and certainly never surpass her. That belief had brought him peace. He had been content to stay in her shadow. It was comfortable.
But the strange phenomena of late—the feeling of wrongness, the bizarre déjà vu in the Empire—had left him feeling like a complete anomaly.
That was the source of his constant worry. As if seeing right through him, Fran pressed further.
"...I think my skill is still far below my master's."
He lied.
Ray already had Lydia within his reach. He probably wouldn't even need another year. Soon, Ray would become a sorcerer who surpassed Lydia. That was the reality.
It was the reality he wanted to ignore.
"That is a lie," Fran said simply.
She spoke with the easy confidence of someone who saw the world as it truly was. She stepped off the bench and stood directly in front of Ray.
"You already have a greater capacity for Prima Materia than Lydia, don't you?"
"H-How do you...?"
The secret he had tried so hard to keep was laid bare. He had hidden it from everyone in the unit. Even Lydia hadn't realized the truth yet, and yet Fran had seen it in an instant.
"Well, that’s my particular ability. I can't go giving away all my secrets."
"I... I see."
"So, you're troubled. You're afraid of your own talent."
"Afraid... Yes, I suppose I am. To be honest, I keep wondering who I really am... and where this terrifying talent comes from. I can't stop thinking about it."
It was a fear he had never voiced—something he couldn't share with anyone in Astral, not even Lydia.
Who was he? What was the source of this power that grew more immense by the day? Magic came so easily to him that he barely had to try. He had already reached mastery of the Ice Sword.
He had stepped into the realm Lydia had spent a lifetime reaching as if it were nothing.
At first, he had been delighted by his talent. He lived for Lydia's praise. But now, there was only dread. He was terrified of the person he was becoming.
"...Talent, hm? Every great sorcerer hits that wall eventually."
"They do?"
"Indeed. Especially those of us who become the Seven Grand Sorcerers; none of us are normal. There will always be a time when you lose your way while facing that power. But in the end, you have to face it yourself. Humans are solitary creatures, after all. Sorcerers are no different."
"...Facing it alone, then."
"Well, treat it as the rambling of an old woman. Meeting you here today was a lucky chance, but truth be told, I'd heard Lydia was quite worried about you. I couldn't help but say something."
"Master was?"
He looked up sharply. This was news to him.
"Lydia cares for you deeply. So, go ahead and worry all you like. I'm sure she’s just waiting—waiting for the moment you find the answer yourself."
"I see..."
With a broad wave of her hand, Fran left the park. Ray remained there alone for a long time before finally heading home.
He clenched his fist. He didn't know what lay ahead of him.
But just as Ray began to truly face his own nature, the Far East Campaign finally began in earnest.