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“Abas’s morning is tranquil.

The light rain from last night moistens the earth, while the mist blooming in the city stretches toward the horizon.

I opened my eyes, just waking from a slumber, to find the warm spring sunlight tickling my skin as it squeezed through the gaps of skyscrapers that resembled mountain peaks with clouds tucked under their arms. I made my way down to the living room.

Despite being busy and not visiting often, the Nostrim Family townhouse established in the capital is as cozy as my hometown mansion. Having shaken off the fatigue from a good night’s sleep, I was determined to enjoy my morning in a refreshed body.

I carried a steaming cup of tea out to the yard.

The table and chairs in the backyard were adorned with dew and fallen leaves.

I had a feeling something was off when branches tapped against the window last night; it seemed a storm had raged at dawn. Setting down the cup, I brushed away the traces of nature with a newspaper.

“….”

As I sat on the now tidied up chair, sipping my tea, the view of the capital caught my attention.

Buildings reaching towards the clouds and a massive road cutting through the city. Small roads branched off from the main road like branches from a tree, connecting various parts of the downtown area.

And the sun, perched on the peaks of steel, crossed over the vast cosmos, bestowing life upon the sprouts sprouting in my garden.

“….”

After momentarily setting down my teacup, I reached out to caress a young sprout. It felt like it might snap if I applied too much pressure, so I gently grazed the leaves with the tip of my fingers.

The tiny sprout I encountered in the townhouse garden.

Though it was merely an unnamed weed blooming in the vast grassland,

“…Hmm.”

It looked rather decent.

Episode 15 – Life is Beautiful

After rolling around in the headquarters office for five months, I finally got a vacation. While those who don’t work get fired from their jobs, those who work hard are rewarded with rest.

However, upon actually entering my vacation, I found I had nothing to do.

I was all alone.

My companions were thousands of kilometers away in foreign lands, and I was left all by myself in Abas. I did have friends from military academy and academy days, but those who would turn 30 in a day or two had long since become respectable adults in society.

In other words, even if I tried to reach out now, there wouldn’t be anyone willing to come meet me.

In fact, I had cut ties ever since joining the information agency, so I didn’t even have anyone to call in the first place. If I had known this would happen, I might have gone to reunions more often. Regret washed over me too late.

But no matter how severed one’s human connections, there’s usually at least one person who would happily come if you reached out.

To be exact, there were two.

“Did you wake up?”

“Yeah, sister.”

As I returned inside, shaking the dirt off my shoes at the front door, Older Sister Adela greeted me.

“Where’s Brother?”

“Jerry just woke up a little while ago. He’ll be down soon, so get breakfast ready.”

“Uh-huh.”

I mumbled while nibbling on whole grain biscuits, nodding my head in response, my words barely escaping with the sound of crumbs falling.

The biscuits left over from yesterday were so dry that they resembled something that could crumble to dust before you even took a spoonful. It was like a perfectly lazy bum disregarding health while shoving snacks into his mouth.

“I’m thirsty.”

“There’s milk in the fridge.”

Milk? I muttered as I split the biscuit in half, scattering whole grain crumbs everywhere.

“What’s with the milk at my age? Am I a child?”

“Well then, is it normal for an adult to dive straight into snacks right after waking up? Just drink the milk. It suits you.”

I poured the milk I took from the fridge into a cup. Watching my sister shake her head at me while I stuck another snack into my mouth, she rolled her eyes.

With a look of disdain, Older Sister Adela shook her head as she prepared breakfast.

“Stop eating those snacks, you little brat!”

“Why are you two fighting from the morning? Raising your voices so early, what’s up with that?”

“Jerry!”

With a sudden interjection, Older Sister Adela raised her voice. Perhaps he had just washed up, but water droplets beaded on Older Brother Jerry’s hair.

The eldest son of the Nostrim Family entered the kitchen, softly smiling as he stepped in as the mediator between his squabbling siblings.

“Enough fighting, Adela. Freddy’s an adult too, you can’t just scold him just because you’re his sister! And you too, Freddy. What’s wrong with digging into snacks before breakfast? Adela has prepared a meal for you.”

“What nonsense… I’m the one eating breakfast!”

Screech! Older Sister Adela shrieked in exasperation, and Older Brother Jerry simply brushed aside her words with a friendly smile.

So this is how the morning greetings go for a Ministry of Finance official and a Ministry of Foreign Affairs diplomat. My heart fills with pride.

A diplomat shouting without a care in the world and a finance officer dismissing their sibling’s claims with a “Yeah, yeah, you’re right.” Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense official, watching this quarrel unfold, sighed as he dipped a biscuit into milk.

“Our country is just doing splendidly.”

“Our country? More like our household, huh?”

Potatoes, potatoes.

I pushed away Older Brother Jerry’s face with my hand. I felt awkward with him leaning close.

Having brushed him aside, I quenched my thirst with milk and replied.

“Thanks, Older Brother Jerry. Appreciate the uplifting news.”

Watching the scene with exasperation, Older Sister Adela shook her head.

“Now it’s two brothers gone wild. Are we filming a skit? What are grown men over thirty doing….”

“Sister, that’s not something you should be saying, that’s something for me to say—”

“Shut up and eat!”

*

After finishing breakfast and pouring the teapot filled with black tea, Older Brother Jerry and Older Sister Adela headed off to work.

It was a weekday, and since I was the only one on vacation, it was only natural.

Anyway, being left alone from early morning meant I had to do something. I couldn’t just lie in bed and take naps or watch the trending stand-up comedies (the goblin comedians doing social critiques were particularly popular) all day, as much as I’d like to. That could only last a day or two.

Moderate stimulation can soothe a weary soul and provide happiness, but excessive stimulation is harmful to the body.

Today was the last day of my vacation, and I couldn’t just spend it eating and sleeping. I needed to find joy in something else.

So I left the house.

There was nothing to do lounging around the house, and cooking up lunch myself seemed like a hassle. Having been accustomed to buying food every day, I noticed that I had unknowingly adopted this habit.

Walking out of the house, I wandered the streets aimlessly. I had no appointments and no places to go, so I moved wherever my feet took me.

The first thing I encountered was children playing in the park and an old man taking a walk with his dog. I watched them from a bench, taking in the park’s surroundings before heading to a nearby restaurant for lunch and then catching public transport.

Today’s mode of transport was the subway.

A beautiful means of transportation connecting all corners of the capital through lines and transfers, easily helping the common folk navigate the city.

Though I had stepped out of the house without much thought, boarding the subway wasn’t without purpose. If I were an old man in South Korea, I would indeed hop on the subway out of sheer boredom, but what I really needed was a bustling space rather than the scenery outside to relieve my monotony.

The clamor of the trains and the announcements ringing through the air. Leaning against the door, I quietly pulled out my mobile phone from my pocket.

As the familiar melody began to play, I whispered softly.

“…Hello?”

Through the surrounding noise, a bright voice came in clear as day. It was a welcome voice.

-‘It’s been a while!’

Only then did I confirm that the other person had indeed picked up the phone, and I couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

“What do you mean it’s been a while…?”

-‘Oh? Isn’t this our first call in a while?’

“We talked just the other day, Camila.”

Camila’s cheerful voice bubbled through the line, bringing a smile to my face as I took in my surroundings while readjusting my grip on the mobile phone.

“What’s the weather like over there?”

-‘It’s really clear.’

The weather was our sort of code we had agreed upon in advance. When the other asked ‘What’s the weather like there?’ and the answer was ‘Clear’, it was a sign we could chat for a decent amount of time. Conversely, if they responded ‘The sky’s cloudy’, it meant we’d have to end it short today.

The sound echoed.

Since they said the weather was clear, it seemed like there was no problem with having a long chat.

“I’m glad to hear that. So, how’s the magic practice going, Camila?”

“Of course! I’ve been practicing diligently every day. I passed the written exam smoothly, and I even had a practical test yesterday.”

Camila was currently training under the Duke.

Right after the coronation ceremony, the Duke, who was preparing to return to the homeland with the imperial delegation, sought her out. That day, Duke Alexandra Petrovna proposed to Camila that she live with him and receive his teachings.

He promised to provide not only the spellbooks but also all the practical materials needed, along with support for her daily life, including food and lodging. It seemed he was quite excited about having a disciple in his later years.

It was a proposal that wouldn’t hurt to turn down. No, there was no reason to refuse.

The teachings of an Archmage are not something that even the members of the Oracle, who move the Magic Tower, can obtain carelessly. It is a well-known theory in academia that the Oracle spent astronomical amounts over the past decades to gain the knowledge of the Archmage, but to little avail.

And now, the Archmage was directly passing on his knowledge and know-how while providing full support? This was a proposal that was worth signing without looking back.

Thus, Camila set off with the Duke. To the capital of the Kien Empire, Petrogard.

“Seems like you’ve adapted to imperial life.”

“I’ve been here for five months, so wouldn’t it be odd if I hadn’t?”

“Is that so? Now that you mention it, that makes sense.”

Even though I was parting ways with Camila, I didn’t feel sad. It was something I had anticipated. Above all, it was I who had encouraged her to go to the empire.

After all, Camila was a magician. No matter how much support I provided with my country’s backing, there were limits with a body that couldn’t wield magic and divinity.

The conversation I had with Francesca also served as a basis for encouraging her to go to the empire. The alchemist’s words that teaching a magician should ideally be done by another magician were impeccable, with no room for disagreement, and the advice that there was no better teacher than a Duke meant that she should seize the opportunity when it arose was the same.

For that reason, I suggested to Camila that she go to the empire with the Duke. At first, she hesitated, but she positively accepted it, honestly wanting to learn proper magic and realizing that such a great opportunity might not come again.

But parting from a colleague who had been with us every moment was not easy for any of us.

So, whenever we had the chance, we would call each other. I usually called when I had some free time, but sometimes Camila would be the one calling me first.

There wasn’t necessarily anything special that prompted the calls. It was hardly the first time she called just to chat before bed.

For the record, Lucia and Francesca also kept in touch regularly. Maybe because we talked often, even though they were in different regions, it didn’t feel like we were physically so far apart.

“So, what did you learn today? Did you learn anything fun?”

“I learned a lot! I learned how to read constellations in the sky with a crystal ball, and I also learned how to connect with spirits. I haven’t succeeded yet, but when I close my eyes and concentrate, it feels like meditating, which is quite fun.”

“What else?”

“Oh right! I figured out how to shape flames today.”

Camila continued on with a bright voice, sharing about the new spells she was learning from the spellbook, the know-how about magic power that the Duke had taught her, and so on.

She mentioned that she had eaten at some restaurant today and that it was delicious, and how the royal chef prepared a feast, mentioning she thought the table might collapse. Various stories came up.

I chuckled, listening to Camila’s chattering voice. She seemed to be doing well, which was nice to see.

“I haven’t properly shaped it yet, but if I get it right, I think I can transform it into objects or animals! There are many things I want to create, but for now, my goal is to make a snake with flames.”

“A snake?”

“Yeah, a snake. Wouldn’t it be fun to have a squirming snake in front of you while you play a flute?”

“What’s that…?”

Of course, she sometimes made such bizarre remarks, but in any case, Camila was well and safe.

She herself responded that she was eating well, sleeping well, and living comfortably, and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Abas in the Kien Empire reported similar news. Both pieces of news were comforting to hear.

After navigating through the city on the subway, I finished the call only after I reached the end of the line. I checked if anyone was following me, moving between carriages and transferring lines, but there were no visible handlers.

“……”

In the late afternoon, I squinted momentarily at the warm sunlight that I had come up to. The spring sun was less intense than summer but was not to be underestimated.

Should I buy some sunscreen when I go home? I should stock up since I’ll be going on a business trip to the Mauritania Continent.

Well, since I don’t need it right away, I guess I’ll just borrow my older sister Adela’s for now.

Thinking such thoughts, I entered an alley.

*

I walked through a strange back alley on the outskirts of the capital. The unfamiliar alley had the typical appearance of a crumbling slum.

Decorated buildings surrounded by yellowed outer walls stood, and rusted railings with peeling paint leaned together unsightly.

Even though it was afternoon, there were hardly any people passing through the alley. It seemed like someone was clearing out a house, with furniture and odds and ends occupying the space in front of the utility pole, and cigarette butts and thick saliva had dried in the indentation of the block.

In the gloomy alley that didn’t let sunlight in, it was hard to find any vitality.

The path of bleak concrete and rusty steel seemed to reject the entrance of outsiders.

Deep in that alley stood an old building.

It was a factory.

The factory was nearly an abandoned building, lacking even a proper sign. The structure didn’t have a company name either, with weeds growing wildly in the yard, making it seem like it had been discarded for years.

I wondered if the artists who transformed abandoned factories into living spaces in the old towns of America had once seen something like this. The place had only a gloomy aura lingering around, as if it had transported the decayed industrial zone of America here.

I casually glanced at the reflective mirror placed by the road to check the rear as I walked, having verified several times on the way over that there were no followers.

The reddish-brown iron bars had rust sticking to them when I touched them. I carefully unlocked the poorly secured padlock and stepped inside.

“……”

I stood in front of the door to the deserted factory in the open lot. The silent back alley seemed like it would become very noisy if I even knocked on the iron door.

So, instead of knocking on the old iron door, I pressed the spiderweb-covered bell once.

There was no sound. But I sensed a presence.

Just as I was about to divert my gaze from the surveillance camera positioned above the iron door,

Clack, the unpleasant sound of metal echoed as the door opened.

“……”

The man who appeared from inside didn’t say a word. He merely glanced at me, looked around, then nodded his head.

As I passed through the door he opened, I greeted him.

“Long time no see, Matt. Where on earth did you find this dump?”

“A guy I know was the factory owner, but the company went bankrupt, so I bought it for a reasonable price. Were there any followers?”

“If there were, would I be here?”

“Alright, come on in.”

 

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