Eight beams of light bursting from the magic circle become pillars supporting the summer sky.
The Northern Crown Constellation, Hercules Constellation, Right Angle Constellation, Southern Triangle Constellation, Scorpius Constellation, Dragon Constellation, Serpent Master Constellation, Paradise Bird Constellation.
With just two quadruple castings, light filled all the constellations.
Watching this, Cecilia was left speechless.
“Beautiful…”
The barrier of Stella, with the conditions for release met, is cracking, and the boundary layer gradually fades.
The glowing light vanishes along with the barrier.
Only a dull white dot emitting light and a vast black canvas remain.
“You know, when you look at the night sky, it makes me think that you don’t need to long for things that are too far away. There are so many bright stars in the universe, and in the end, half of the day is just the sun, right?”
A smile appeared at Na-me’s lips.
She picked up the fallen wand, shaking off the sand.
“How… how did you do that?”
“Huh?”
“Quadruple casting. How did you…”
“Then how do you do triple casting?”
Cecilia couldn’t reply.
She could just do it herself.
A mysterious emotion welled up inside her.
She felt the feelings of those who had admired a unique talent like hers.
“Cecilia, when you were young, didn’t this seem really cool? But honestly, it’s nothing, right? No matter how bright a star is, if it’s far from Earth, it’s just one of the common stars in the night sky.”
“Like the Behemoth of the Argo Constellation?”
“I don’t really know what that is, but it must be a really bright star?”
“Yeah, it’s a supergiant that is five million times brighter than the sun.”
“Just like that. There aren’t as many people who can afford to appreciate the stars in the night sky as you might think. Most people just live seeing the sun. So Cecilia, I hope you’ll be a warm sun to someone as you live your life from now on. Your talent is already shining brightly, right?”
“Yeah…”
Cecilia responded in a small voice.
Na-me stood on her toes and gently patted her head.
Watching her, Cecilia thought she didn’t really act her age.
“I can duel you anytime once you join our clan.”
“Hey Na-me, I’m sorry for promising without thinking, but I’m already affiliated with the Aspen Foundation, so clan activities might be…”
“It’s fine. I was kind of expecting that.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Then what about just adding your name?”
“Huh? Is that okay?”
“Clans and foundations operate under different laws anyway. It shouldn’t matter. And as I said before, the clan I want to create is one that brings hope to many people. So if you come up with a great project idea while studying hard in the United States, just let us know anytime. We always consider the opinions of our clan members seriously.”
Cecilia beamed with a bright smile.
Dueling with Na-me sounded like a fun group.
There was no reason not to accept.
“Yes! Please add my name! I’ll go home and think about it hard!”
“Huh? You promised just now, no backing out.”
“If you don’t believe me, I can record it, hehe. And just wait, I’ll successfully pull off quadruple casting someday!”
Cecilia boldly declared her ambitions and accepted Na-me’s offer.
*
Businesses grow on capital.
By the same logic, clans can only grow with talented members backing them.
The main customers investing in clans are the government and businesses.
To make a good impression on them, increasing the name value of the organization is vital.
The Korean clans recruiting students who participated in the Academy Competition and Katsuhata Sect’s disciples dominating various competitions in Japan are all to enhance their honor.
Thus, Cecilia’s recruitment was an unexpected windfall for me.
I had a different goal in mind.
For a long time, I had worked hard to cultivate Katsuhata Emika.
After the finals, I would claim her name along with the victory.
Would Katsuhata Sect allow double membership?
That could be handled by threatening with ‘Adela’ and ‘Demon King’s Horn’ copyright.
Through this competition, I was able to assess the utility of the two unique magics, and I was convinced that Japan still hadn’t found a substitute for unique magic.
Once they taste the sweet victory, they’re unlikely to want to give that place up.
“Let me in too.”
“Huh? Huh?”
While I was planning the future activities of the clan, Ban So-wool suddenly poked her face in.
“I’m writing the clan registration form right now.”
“I know.”
“Why though? With your skills, you could join Onnuri or Raon Clan.”
I asked, puzzled.
Ban So-wool had an appealing choice guaranteed by the Aspen Foundation, and if she stayed in Korea, she could choose from the four major clans.
“Demon King’s Horn. You can develop it more, right?”
“Demon King’s Horn?”
“I’ve used the five-circle original version before. I only saw a brief blue line in the previously pitch-black view.”
“Oh, no way.”
“Even though I can’t see ahead, I’ve resolved to live without fear. That determination hasn’t changed. But… I still want to see again, if possible.”
Our eyes are sensitive enough to detect a single photon, but we lack the ability to visibly see the flow of mana.
However, an advanced version of the Demon King’s Horn can visualize mana information in real-time.
That she had seen even a blue line despite her optic nerve being fully damaged wasn’t just a crazy claim.
Ultimately, our brains perceive visual information.
Ban So-wool gently grabbed my arm.
Even if there’s a Virtual Reality Capsule, the troubles of reality wouldn’t disappear entirely.
A part of my heart felt heavy.
“With just a little modification, seeing it shouldn’t be impossible.”
Upon hearing that, her face lit up.
“But I don’t know how long it’ll take to downgrade from five circles.”
The massive problem of commercialization remained.
“No matter how long it takes, I don’t care. And you always find the answers, Na-me.”
She showed me a near-confident trust.
Though she spoke in a calm and serene tone, each word carried heavy emotion.
Caught in a mood I couldn’t dismiss as a joke, I doodled on her palm with my finger.
“…!”
“I’m just asking, but it wouldn’t be too difficult to bring along Shin Yeon-ho, would it?”
Lately, news about Shin Yeon-ho had abruptly ceased.
I hadn’t heard they had broken up.
Wasn’t he already a priority nominee for the Raon Clan, so maybe that’s too hard?
“Yeon-ho is in the military now.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that.”
He was fulfilling his sacred national defense duty.
I should write him a letter later to apologize.
*
“Yay! Na-me-yaaaaa!”
A girl in a straw hat, black sunglasses, and a sky blue Hawaiian t-shirt came rushing over in a single leap.
She slipped her arm under mine and effortlessly lifted me into the sky.
The world spun around the yellow-haired girl.
“Don’t you miss Unni?”
“Cheon Saetbyeol, put me down while you’re at it.”
“Hehe, what are you talking back to me! You should say Saetbyeol Unni~!”
“Sigh.”
Adela stuck her tongue out, making a grimace.
She seemed to want to be treated as an older sister in front of others.
“So Na-me really has an older sister.”
Ban So-wool, wearing slippers, popped her head out to greet me.
“Hello! I’m Na-me Unni! Call me Cheon Saetbyeol!”
“Oh, yes, I’m Ban So-wool.”
“Where’s your dad?”
“He’s parking right now. Oh, here he comes!”
From a distance, Professor Cheon was walking along the hazy road.
In this hot weather, wearing a striped shirt, navy slacks, and brown shoes, it seemed he didn’t feel the heat at all.
I was worried he might be angry as soon as we met, but fortunately, Ban So-wool’s parents came out at just the right time, averting crisis.
One shouldn’t spit at a smiling face.
I momentarily reverted to my usual voice tone and energetically waved my hand.
“It’s been a while, Dad!”
Professor Cheon relaxed his frown, beaming as he waved back.
“Have you been well without causing trouble to the homeowners?”
“They were really sad when I said I was leaving. You should talk to them.”
Ban Il-gwon, the Consul General, came out almost in bare feet.
He seemed older than Professor Cheon, but he treated him with great respect.
“Na-me, hurry up and get your things and come out.”
“Okay! Cheon Saetbyeol, come on. Help carry stuff.”
“Oh, Professor! How about a cup of cold coffee before you go?”
“It’s fine. I’m grateful just for having had to take care of the child until now.”
“No, no! Na-me is so capable! My wife says she likes Na-me more than So-wool!”
While Ban So-wool’s parents were distracted, I casually approached Adela and whispered.
“Cheon Saetbyeol, Dad isn’t really angry, right?”
“Um, not particularly? He didn’t show any signs of that.”
Talking on video calls every day paid off.
“What about the hotel?”
“I booked one toward Tokyo. You’re going to stay until the finals anyway. Wow, your execution power is amazing! I was really surprised when you suddenly said you’d go to Japan!”
“Thanks to you, aren’t you also enjoying your Japan trip?”
“Heck yeah!”
Of course, Adela and I clicked well.
We exchanged a quick fist bump before lifting our bags again.
We exchanged a regretful farewell with Ban So-wool’s family.
Woof woof-!
The Golden Retriever next door, whom I had a frisbee friendship with, dashed to the fence, as if it knew I was leaving.
My ten days in Fukuoka passed in the blink of an eye.
I loaded my luggage into the trunk and was about to get into the passenger seat as usual when suddenly Adela blocked my way.
“No, no! Our hard-working older sister has to sit in the best seat.”
“You’re trying to sit in the passenger seat? Well, good for you.”
“Hehe.”
Leaving behind Adela with her meaningful smile, I opened the rental car’s back door.
And sitting in the passenger seat back was a very familiar and alluring item that made me frown.
“What is this…?”
“Ta-da! In Japan, a car seat is mandatory! Ha ha ha!”
“Na-me, we’re about to leave, so hurry up and get in. We skipped lunch, and we’re both starving.”
“I feel like I’m going to die of hunger…! It’s a baby seat, what’s so weird about it? Hehe!”
