[Side Story] While chasing butterflies (7),
I found a large magical engineering supply in the yard in front of the cabin.
Zelan says that, looking at the internal structure, it is most likely that this magical engineering product is an ‘observation device’ created by Glokt.
Standing around him, Zelan, Wilhelm, Ed, and Lucy remained silent.
“First of all, in theory, there is little chance of something going wrong. “There are very few cases where things go wrong just by observing other worlds.”
Ed Rosstaylor spoke to Lucy with a serious expression.
Lucy knows how to manipulate Aspect magic, but she cannot draw Aspect Magic right now.
That’s why I’m using Ed Rosstaylor’s astrological magic for now.
As long as you can draw out the usable star magic from anywhere, Lucy is one step ahead in the use of magic itself.
There is no one in this world born with a better sense of magic than Lucy.
“Because magic is a concept based on interaction. “As long as there is no way to influence the other world, nothing can go wrong.”
Zelan also agreed with Ed.
However, the problem is the amount of aspect magic that goes into it.
“If you feel like too much magic power is being sucked in while working, stop immediately. “I don’t want to make things happen at the expense of you guys.”
Zelan spoke in a serious voice.
Ed and Lucy nodded and stood straight in front of the large magic equipment.
A device the size of half a person, filled with mechanisms and springs.
With his hand placed on a structure that appeared to be a magic joint plate, Ed drew out the dark red aspect magic power.
“That… that is Aspect magic…”
Wilhelm opened his eyes wide and was surprised, perhaps because it was his first time seeing Aspect magic in person.
It is certainly rare for the average person to have the opportunity to see aspect magic in person.
The aspect magic drawn from Ed’s body enveloped the surrounding area. Ed, who had been continuously researching and training since the Battle of Bellbroke, had already reached a level where he could comfortably handle most mid-level magic.
As Ed closed his eyes and concentrated his power once more, the magic power of the Aspects spread throughout the area was concentrated on one point.
And Lucy, who was holding onto his sleeve, raised her other hand and took over the magic power of the Aspect.
As Lucy, who is holding Ed’s magical energy tightly, focuses her mind on the joint plate, the enormous amount of magical energy is drawn into the internal circuit.
Lucy, who immediately figured out the complex internal structure, easily creates the flow of the desired form with the magic engineering equipment.
Just like that… the crystal ball in the center of the observation device begins to glow little by little.
―Kung Hooong….
―Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh…
Things that might have happened.
Worlds of all kinds of possibilities stretching into hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands.
A magical engineering product that allows you to observe a desired point while floating in the endless sea of possibilities.
The ‘World Observation Machine’ created by the rare genius Glokt Elderbane.
Soon… dark red magical power blooms explosively. The observation device activates, covering the entire area in darkness.
“Keuuuuuuu!”
“This… this…!”
It is impossible to observe the entire world. It only extends to the world where the aftereffects of magical power reach.
Among those worlds… will there be a world that Zelan wants?
It goes without saying, but if you can’t observe it, you can’t reach it. And both Ed and Lucy vaguely realized that.
There is a high possibility that there is no world that Zelan wants.
A world where Zelan did not massacre the demi-humans.
Even if it exists, that turning point is too far in the past.
I’m not as proficient in aspect magic as Sylvania, and my magical power is infinitely low… There’s no way I can observe the world beyond that junction.
Nevertheless, in order not to leave any regrets behind Zelan’s last wish…
So, the two accepted Zelan’s request.
Lucy and Ed, holding hands tightly in the darkness, opened their eyes.
And… a landscape that only Sylvania and Glokt could observe unfolds in all time zones around the world.
A feeling of floating in a dark space.
However, what unfolded before my eyes… were the flows of numerous worlds… connected like lines.
The overall outline is not visible.
The only person who can gauge all flows is Great Sage Sylvania.
It can be like a procession of branches spreading out in a huge way, or like a large river forming dozens of sub-streams.
What is certain is that we are only seeing a small part of an incredibly large landscape.
There are many observable worlds. Even if you spend your whole life, you won’t be able to observe everything.
But even that is only a small part.
The possibilities of the world are differentiated at the crossroads of countless choices and are spreading out forever.
Suddenly, I see the distant future stretching out into the distance.
The ‘cliff point’… is invisible…
The point where all possibilities are cut off and disappear… Is it not visible from here yet… Or has it succeeded in jumping over that cliff… I’m not
sure. I can’t, but…
[Let’s go back and say that there was no world that Zelan wanted. ]
At that moment, Lucy’s whisper reached Ed’s ears.
Not a single world has yet been observed. But Lucy spoke so clearly.
[That… I think it would be best for the old wizard.]
Ed now seemed to know why Lucy readily accepted Zelan’s request.
What is lost is lost.
What has been lost must be left as lost and something new must be embraced. The reason for living is also the same.
Lucy knows that fact painfully well.
I remember an old professor who was buried in the pain of loss and threw away his entire life.
If the world Zelan wants can even be observed… Zelan will throw away all of his life to go there.
Before even considering whether it was possible or impossible… Zelan would definitely do it.
Like a stray cat with nowhere to go wandering after a butterfly, it will live forever as if it were floating, chasing an elusive goal.
So Lucy… was planning to close all possibilities.
So that Zelan can struggle to find a new reason to live in this world.
From the beginning, Lucy… didn’t even have the intention to observe other worlds.
[ …. ]
It was very difficult for Ed to object to Lucy’s choice.
Things like Zelan’s research results can be obtained if you negotiate well. After all, she’s going to be in the lawless area of Cohelton.
So… the most important thing is to find a new reason for her as she loses her reason for living and is slowly sinking.
Ed nodded.
[I… agree with your opinion…]
Ed quietly agreed to Lucy’s words while feeling as if he was floating in the air.
[Let’s finish this. ]
…It was the moment of saying that.
―Whaaaaaaaa!
It happened in an instant.
The world cannot interfere with the world. That is the providence of the world.
This is because magic is based on interaction.
However, a strange magical power emanates from one of the numerous branches.
We cannot even observe what kind of world of possibilities it is. The bluish magic power that emanated from there… soon took the form of a huge hand and extended its hand towards Lucy and Ed.
It happened in almost 1-2 seconds.
Ed immediately wrapped his arms around Lucy. At the same time, all the magic power of the Aspect is quickly consumed.
However, the speed of the grip that holds the two people is faster.
I don’t even know what’s going on or what’s going on.
However, Lucy instantly stands up and uses a small shock spell to push Ed away.
-grasp!
I don’t know what’s going on, but Ed will figure it out no matter what happens to him.
Because of that trust, Lucy tried to receive the unknown magic power with her whole body.
Ed, who was thrown out in an instant, gritted his teeth. Then, he took something out of his pocket and threw it at Lucy. It was truly amazing agility.
The moment she caught the object Ed had thrown, Lucy was caught in a grip made of enormous magical power.
[You must have that! You must have it! Lucy! ]
Ed’s voice shouting urgently reaches Lucy’s ears. Lucy’s consciousness flew away with the feeling of being pulled by something.
―Whaaaaaaaa!
―Quaaaaaaaaa!
When Ed opened his eyes, all he could see was a messy yard.
It seemed to be due to the shock created while the observation device was operating. In the corner of the yard, Zelan and Wilhelm, caught up in the aftermath, could be seen taking care of themselves.
Ed stood up from the center and looked around. And then… he quietly frowned.
Lucy Mayril… wasn’t here…
“This… this…”
Zelan’s voice trembled with wide-open eyes.
Ed quickly shook his head and spoke in a serious voice.
“…Please prepare to use magic engineering supplies again. “I need to get Lucy out quickly before it’s too late.”
* * *
―Drop, drip.
The sound of water drops falling.
Lucy Mayril opened her eyes at the sound. The chill of the cold brick ran down my back.
Lucy put on her witch’s hat and shook her head. To come to my senses.
There doesn’t seem to be any injuries on the body. Lucy slowly got up and looked around.
This is the inside of a half-destroyed building.
However… the structure of the building was strangely familiar. It’s a building that feels like you’ve been there many times.
“….”
Lucy, who was examining the situation with half-open eyes, soon realized the seriousness of the situation.
It was said that it was theoretically impossible to jump between disconnected worlds. This is because interaction is fundamental to magical power.
However, an ominous feeling crept up Lucy’s back.
And… let’s take another look at the scenery inside the building… The ominous premonition turns out to be correct.
This is Sylvania Academy’s core facility… the ‘Trix Building’.
But it is completely destroyed.
It even feels as if it has been abandoned for several years, smashed to pieces. Weeds were growing near the broken marble floor, and the old picture frames were rusting.
In the history of Sylvania, the Trix Pavilion has only been destroyed to this extent.
This is when ‘Holy Spear Dragon Velbroke’ descended on the waters off Aken Island.
Now, all the wounds from back then have been repaired, and all of Sylvania Academy’s buildings must have been functioning properly… but
in Lucy’s eyes, it seemed as if this building had remained in ruins for several years.
Numerous worlds where countless possibilities branch out.
What kind of place have you reached now?
In a situation full of only unknowns… I was organizing my confused thoughts…
“Lucy… Mayril…!”
A voice that she had not heard in a long time pierced Lucy’s ears.
A girl with her back to the moonlight outside beyond the half-destroyed exterior wall.
It’s not a girl I know very well. But I haven’t forgotten it.
She is… a girl who once fought against Lucy with all her might and was defeated.
Head of the Pension Department at Sylvania Academy. It was Elvira Anniston.
“Yes… why are you here…!”
“….”
Lucy turned her head and looked at Elvira with half-open, blank eyes.
Lucy remembers Elvira. However, her appearance was a bit different from the Elvira that Lucy knew.
The long hair is neatly cut below the shoulders. And I feel a little more mature than before.
The outfit… This is not the Sylvania school uniform I always wear. He was wearing a tight-fitting maroon leather jacket and pants, and had all kinds of survival bags and pouches wrapped around his body.
She looks like a female jungle warrior who has lived a life of survival in the wild.
As I was gathering my thoughts, embarrassed by that unnatural appearance… Elvira spoke first.
“Woo… don’t move…! Huh… don’t think nonsense…!”
Elvira’s reaction was strange. It was a reaction as if I had seen a ghost.
“You… you…! Obviously… definitely three years ago…”
Lucy completely turned around and looked at Elvira.
Even though Lucy had no intention of fighting, Elvira trembled and clutched her staff tightly.
“You… you…”
The end of Elvira’s voice trembles.
There were many things Lucy wanted to ask, but she thought she should ask the most urgent questions first.
Open those little lips and let out a voice.
“Ed Rosstaylor.”
The name of the person whom a girl named Lucy Mayril used as her reason for living.
The girl spit out the name quietly.
“Where’s Ed Rosstaylor?”
Where is Ed in this world?
The most important thing is to find him and explain the whole story.
But Elvira’s voice was still shaking.
“Lucy… you… you…”
Elvira was just trembling endlessly.
Lucy got frustrated and looked elsewhere. This is the view of Aken Island behind Elvira.
At that moment, Lucy’s eyebrows, whose expression rarely changed, narrowed significantly.
―Percussion.
Just like that, he wrapped his feet in magic and ran out of the ruins.
Elvira was startled when Lucy suddenly narrowed the distance and hit her butt.
Lucy passed Elvira indifferently and came to the front of the Trix building.
The Trix Building is built on a hill that overlooks the entire Sylvania Academy.
From here, you can see the entire large academy at a glance.
Lucy, who checked the outside scenery like that… couldn’t help but believe her eyes.
――Sylvania Academy was completely destroyed. All that remains are ruins whose original form can barely be inferred.
And the central part of Aken Island… is split in two, as if a huge breath had swept over it.
Aken Island, which was originally one island, became an archipelago made up of two large islands.
The large Orn Mountain that occupies the northwestern part of Aken Island is completely half blown away.
Looking at the new vegetation forming on the blown away traces, it seems like it’s been quite a while since it’s been like this.
And… the traces of a huge magic circle covering the sky over Aken Island, no, the Aken Islands.
A huge magic circle made of ominous dark red magic appears to have completely trapped these islands.
Lucy had seen that magical energy before. It is now a very distant past, but
at that time, that magic circle was barely big enough to cover the teaching building of Sylvania Academy, but now it covers the entire Aken Islands.
That ominous magic circle… is the magic circle of the highest-ranking dark spirit, ‘Glaskan’.
“Elvira! If you don’t do it in moderation and return to your hideout quickly, the spirits will start to act! If you have everything you need…”
Then, a familiar voice is heard from above the ruins.
The sight of a man jumping between buildings is also familiar. Although he looks more mature than before, I clearly remember the sight of him running towards Lucy, covered in blood.
Clevius, the swordmaster of the Nortondale family.
The man came down to the clearing, checked Lucy’s appearance, opened his eyes wide, and pulled out his sword.
“Lu… Lucy Mayril! Yes… why are you here…! You… you must be…!”
Lucy did not have time to answer Clevius’ question.
Because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, I had to organize my thoughts first.
At that time, Elvira finally came to her feet and shouted at Clevius.
“Watch out, Clevius! “If you make too much noise, the spirits will wake up!”
“Ugh…! But against that guy…!”
Clevious quickly jumped and landed towards Elvira.
Then, with Elvira behind his back, he raised his sword and glared at Lucy.
Lucy quietly looked down at the scenery of Aken Island… then slowly turned her head and looked towards Clevius and Elvira.
Just that series of movements made Clevius and Elvira tremble in fear and had to grit their teeth and gather themselves.
In that situation… Lucy asks again.
“Ed Ross Taylor….”
Elvira narrowed her eyes.
“Where is Ed Rosstaylor…?”
“Please come to your senses, Lucy Mayril.”
And he declared with a strong voice. It felt like I was gritting my teeth.
“Ed Rosstaylor died three years ago while subduing Seongchangryong Bellbroke.”
I felt as if a bolt of lightning had penetrated my solar plexus.
At Elvira’s words, Lucy’s pupils begin to vibrate endlessly.
Although I had clearly heard these words with my own two ears… I could not help but doubt them several times.
