A noble wizard approached Luciel.
"Are you okay, kid? Wait, I'll treat your wounds".
Luciel's fatal wounds from the orc and bandit leader's attack that destroyed his internal organs instantly healed completely as if they had never existed.
"What is this? Healing magic?"
The noble wizard who saw Luciel's confused face sneered a little in amazement.
"Wow, for a 15 year old kid, you know quite a lot about it huh"
"By the way, I saw your battle from start to finish. And you're also great at your age, you can keep up with a lot of orc herds, even by yourself. That's an amazing achievement"
With a slightly confused face, Luciel sneered a little in annoyance.
"AAaaa??? Huh? "If you had helped earlier, maybe Shiromiko wouldn't have gotten hurt like that. She could've been spared all that fear and pain… it might even leave a scar on her heart."
Answering Luciel's slightly irritated question, the noble wizard calmly replied
"No no, you're misunderstanding a little, kid"
"I really just happened to be passing by when I saw you about to be killed by the bandit leader".
Luciel asked again
"Then what do you mean by watching this match from start to finish?"
The noble wizard calmly replied again. "Ah that? Actually, after I defeated the bandit and orc friends, I used magic to see the chain of causality of the events that happened".
Luciel asked in surprise.
"Magic to see the chain of causality? What's that?"
"In short, it's magic that involves manipulating cause and effect to see the chain of events that happened in the past."
Luciel still looked confused, his brows furrowed deeply.
"But… then how did you cut down all the enemies in an instant? It was as if they were suddenly defeated, even though I didn't see you move."
The mage smiled faintly, as if he had expected that question.
"Ah, that? I erased a process in my sword slash through causal manipulation.
Luciel was taken aback. "You mean... you didn't actually attack them one by one?"
Aoi nodded slowly.
"That's right. In a high-level magic technique like causal manipulation, I don't need to swing my sword thousands of times. I just need to make it a fact that 'they were defeated.' The chain of causes that should have led to that result... I erased it completely."
He stared at the battlefield.
"To you, it looked like a super-fast slash. But in truth, it was the final result of the story that I had changed without having to write the middle chapters."
Luciel gaped. "That... wasn't ordinary magic..."
"It wasn't. This is the highest form of rewriting logic—rewriting the structure of the world based on will. Class A magic."
He then turned back to Luciel, his tone softening.
"And as you said earlier... a girl your age shouldn't have to go through that much trauma. So I changed the chain of causality in her memory. I didn't erase everything—I just blurred the details that caused the pain. In her memory, it would just be a confusing night... without the lingering pain."
"I won't take away all her memories. But at least I can make sure she doesn't carry a burden that no child should have to carry."
"By the way, speaking of which, at only fifteen years old, your knowledge is quite extensive and your thinking is quite mature too, huh. How did that happen?"
Luciel answered honestly,
"Actually, I'm 37 years old. I died from drowning and ended up reincarnating into this world."
The noble mage was surprised.
"What? You're from another world?! How?"
"Hmmh… no wonder you're a bit talented and have extensive knowledge."
A brief silence followed. The weight of the battle, the aftermath, and everything he had just heard began to settle in Luciel's chest like a growing pressure.
But then—his eyes widened.
"Shiromiko...!"
The realization hit him like lightning.
"Wait—Shiromiko! We left her behind!"
They rushed toward the area where the battle had taken place.
Shiromiko was lying unconscious under the shade of a shattered tree, her robes dusty and torn in places, her body bruised from the struggle. Thankfully, there were no life-threatening injuries.
Luciel knelt beside her, panic written across his face.
"Shiromiko... hey, can you hear me?"
The noble mage approached and raised his hand.
"Let me help. She's stable, just exhausted. I can ease her pain."
He cast a gentle healing spell. A soft light enveloped Shiromiko, and her breathing steadied.
Moments later, her eyes fluttered open.
"...Luciel?"
"I'm here," he said, relieved. "You're safe now."
After finishing, Luciel untied her. He continued to try to wake Shiromiko up.
On the other hand, Shiromiko who was slowly starting to regain consciousness began to mutter,
"What happened? Where did the thieves go?"
Luciel sneered in surprise as he said,
"Don't worry about it. It's over now… Let's just move on. Hurry back to the carriage, we should go."
Hearing Luciel's words, Shiromiko just kept quiet and believed it.
Luciel let out a sigh of relief. "Phew..."
"What are you doing there, Luciel? Hurry up and get on!" Shiromiko shouted from the top of the train.
"You go first. I'll catch up later. I still have a little business to attend to."
Luciel ran after the noble wizard who was about to leave.
"Hey, wait a minute! Can you tell me your name?"
The noble mage smiled and replied,
"Kurosaka Aoi."
A noble mage, and also a magic teacher at Elzila Academy."
"That power... you're not just any wizard, are you? Just who are you really?." Luciel asked.
I just a normal magician, .Even though now a noble mage. I also a magic teacher at Elzila Academy."
Luciel asked in surprise,
"Elzila Academy's magic teacher? Isn't that the magic academy in the capital?"
"That's right," he replied.
Luciel asked again,
"So, you'll be our magic teacher there?"
The mage chuckled as he asked back,
"Ahaha… so you're a new student at the academy, huh? What's your name, kid?"
"I'm Luciel. Hoshizura Luciel."
The mage prepared teleportation magic while leaving a statement,
"Alright, Luciel. See you at the academy."
"W—wait!"
But in an instant, the mage disappeared before him.
—
Luciel stood frozen in place, staring at the empty sky where Kurosaka Aoi had stood. The ripples of magic from the teleportation still vibrated in the air, like the echo of a meeting that ended too soon.
He took a deep breath, then turned around, his eyes now calmer. His steps returned to the carriage left in the middle of the forest, where Shiromiko Lurie had sat back inside, staring out blankly.
"You've finally come," the girl murmured without turning around.
Luciel climbed into the horse-drawn carriage that had been slightly repaired by their coachman. Although covered in wounds and charcoal, the carriage was still able to take them to the capital. He sat down beside Shiromiko, not answering immediately.
A few minutes of silence enveloped them, accompanied only by the sound of the carriage wheels crushing the ground and wet leaves.
Shiromiko glanced at him briefly. "Are you… okay?"
Luciel nodded slowly. "I'm fine. And you?"
The girl was silent for a moment. ""It's all a blur… but my body aches. Like I fought something I can't even recall."
Luciel lowered his head. His eyes stared at his own hands. "Maybe… forgetting is a mercy. Some things shouldn't have to be remembered."
"Luciel."
"Hm?"
"Thank you," she said softly. "I don't know why, but… I feel like you've done something for me."
Luciel turned his head. His smile was faint. "I just did what I was supposed to do."
The journey was silent again. The forest gave way to fields and hills. The gray clouds began to thin, and sunlight filtered through them, illuminating their faces with a gentle warmth.
A few birds flew overhead, and a gentle breeze carried the scent of wet, living earth.
Shiromiko hugged her knees, staring ahead. "I wonder… what the capital will be like."
Luciel also stared out at the expansive road. "Me too. But… I'm sure that whatever happens there, we'll get through it."
Shiromiko nodded. "Yes. Together."
The carriage continued on, treading the cobblestone path toward the capital's great gates. In the distance, tall towers began to appear, and the golden light of the royal crest shone out to greet them.
Unbeknownst to them, the first step towards a new destiny... had begun.
The wheels turned slowly on the muddy road, leaving behind the forest of shadows. Ahead lay towers, unknown fates, and the place where everything would begin again—Elzila Academy.
—