The year 2349 arrived.
Shuuki’s disciples had reached a level of maturity where they could construct automata entirely on their own.
"There. I have taught you all that I have to give," Shuuki said to his gathered students one day, his expression one of quiet satisfaction. "I believe it is time for me to begin my journey once more."
"Master!"
"Master, please!"
The twenty-five new disciples cried out in shock, desperate to convince him to stay. However, Shuuki’s resolve was unshakable.
"I need you all to understand. I wish to continue traveling the world to spread the knowledge of Craft Magic. The peak I strive to reach is still far in the distance."
"..."
In the end, four of the twenty-five students chose to follow Shuuki.
Chatone was not among them. As the Bailiff’s only daughter, she could not be permitted to leave the town.
On the day of their departure, the outskirts of town were packed with people wishing to express their gratitude for the magi-craft and Healing Shuuki had provided.
"Master, I shall miss you dearly."
Chatone was now nineteen. She had been little more than a girl when she first became his disciple, but over the last four years, she had blossomed into a fine woman.
"Continue to apply yourself even after I am gone. I have no doubt you will become a magnificent engineer."
"Yes... I’ll work my hardest."
Wiping her tear-streaked eyes with a finger, Chatone forced a smile as she saw Shuuki off.
"Be well, Magus. You are welcome here anytime," Bailiff Senteim said, his voice thick with the sorrow of parting.
"Thank you for everything, Magus!"
"Take care, Magus!"
The people of Yurugano continued to wave until the party of the Magus Shuuki Tsetse vanished from their sight.
Inside the carriage, Adriana was huddled under a blanket, her face pressed down so that no one would see her crying. Shuuki sat beside her.
"Ado, are you weeping?"
"No... I’m not crying," she insisted, her voice muffled but stubborn.
Shuuki found her show of strength endearing and gently stroked her back through the blanket. "I am sorry, Ado. It is my own selfishness that keeps us from settling in one place."
At those words, Adriana sat up abruptly and spoke to her father with a intensity that was almost a shout.
"No, Father, you’re not wrong! You have a goal—to perfect magi-craft—and you’re working as hard as you can to get there. I love that about you. So please, don’t ever apologize for it!"
Shuuki pulled his daughter into a warm embrace.
"Thank you, Ado."
"Mhm."
Adriana was growing up to be an earnest, honest young woman. Knowing this made Shuuki truly happy.
The party headed for the capital, Karnag, located five days away by carriage.
Shuuki had received an official invitation from King Galdrake Dragor Leonard, who had heard rumors of the Magus Shuuki Tsetse.
"A king, huh? I’m not really interested," Adriana remarked.
Shuuki could only offer a wry smile at his daughter's comment. For better or worse, she had grown into someone who very much marched to the beat of her own drum.
The Leonard Kingdom was exceptionally safe; no bandits crossed their path, and they encountered no magical beasts. As scheduled, the party arrived at the capital five days later.
"There are no city walls..."
Compared to the capitals of other nations Shuuki had seen, this one felt remarkably open. There was no perimeter wall surrounding the city. While the Royal Palace in the center was protected by high, sturdy fortifications, there was no wall separating the town from the countryside. This was partly due to the fact that the city was still expanding rapidly.
"Welcome, Magus Shuuki Tsetse. Welcome to your entire party."
When they were about a kilometer from the outskirts of Karnag, a squad of knights arrived to meet them.
"We were commanded by our King to wait for you here."
the captain dismounted and bowed respectfully to the party, and his subordinates followed suit. Escorted by the knights, the group finally made their entrance into Karnag.
"So, you are the Magus, Shuuki Tsetse?"
"I am, Your Majesty."
The following day, Shuuki was granted an audience with King Galdrake Dragor Leonard.
"I have heard that you travel our lands spreading the study of magi-craft, and that you teach the construction of Golems and the magi-dolls known as automata."
"That is correct."
"It is a truly noble endeavor. I shall provide whatever support I can, and so I ask that you take on disciples here in Karnag as well to lead them in this craft."
"It would be my distinct honor."
Following this exchange, Shuuki established his new base of operations in Karnag. With the King’s public support, his reputation grew overnight, and people soon began flocking to hear his lectures.
Some time later, as the number of students grew and Shuuki was beginning to draft a formal curriculum, a new topic reached his ears.
"...A teleportation magic circle?"
It was a term neither he nor his party had heard before. The information came from Lanos Seiko, one of his new disciples in the capital.
"Yes. It is said to have been passed down from an age so ancient that no one knows its origin."
"I see."
Shuuki recalled how his late wife Adriana’s family, the Tierra Clan, were said to be descendants of the "Visitors"—a people who allegedly possessed a remarkably high level of culture.
"Perhaps this teleportation magic circle is something the Visitors left behind."
"Master?" Lanos asked, casting a curious look at Shuuki, having overheard the mumble.
"Oh, it's nothing. I was just lost in thought. Tell me, where can I find this magic circle?"
Guided by Lanos, Shuuki, his three senior disciples, and Adriana arrived at an ancient church.
"It's through here."
After making an offering, they were permitted into the depths of the building. In the very back—beyond the chapel itself—they found it.
A magic circle was drawn across the entire ceiling, and another was engraved into the floor.
"This is... incredible," Shuuki whispered, his eyes shining. "But... this part here is flawed. At this rate, teleportation would be a very slow process."
Shuuki immediately began analyzing the magi-sequence. Adriana stood beside him, her brow furrowed in concentration.
"Hey, Father, is this like a tunnel that connects two distant places?"
"Hmm? Yes, that’s exactly right."
(I remember Ado once saying that the world—the universe—is like a bubble floating in a much larger space. If that’s the case, this magic circle likely creates a tunnel through a higher or lower space to connect two points without any loss of time.)
Even without the ability to use magic himself, Shuuki Tsetse was proving that his title of Magus was no exaggeration; he was undoubtedly the premier magi engineer of this world.
"I see! To make it work even with a low amount of mana, it repeatedly circulates the energy to build up power, doesn't it, Father!"
Beside him, his beloved daughter, Adriana Barbora Tsetse, was rapidly becoming a magi engineer who could stand as an equal to her father.