Vol 3 Chapter 11 – Boyhood: Early Summer at Twelve

When I looked up at the ever-intensifying sun, I sensed that summer was slowly drawing near.

By now, everyone at the manor is probably taking a break after the busy season—stretching out their wings—while the self-defense group has begun calling for training sessions.

I only hope that everyone is safe and sound. Here I am, on the main road leading to the imperial capital—which is drawing near—gazing at the clear blue sky and praying for everyone’s well-being.

Even the journey to the Imperial Capital Bearlin, which was said to take three months, has been extended by rain delays and unexpected prolonged stays (I really wish they wouldn’t suddenly hold used-book fairs)—yet it is finally reaching its climax.

If it weren’t for that huge, sleeping beast blocking the road to the imperial capital, I’d probably have arrived in about three days.

It had been a grueling stretch of just over three months. Honestly, so much happened that it wasn’t even funny anymore.

There were all sorts of incidents: like when I received a book of battle magic and got so carried away with joy that I singed my bangs; or when Ms. Agrippina, on a whim, went off to the tavern and got tangled up in a brawl to protect a thug; or the morning I woke up to find my hair tied up in tiny braids—almost like dreadlocks—and I wasted the whole day trying to untangle it… Truly, so much happened.

And then, the most astonishing event was…

“onii-chan, onii-chan!”

“What’s wrong, Eliza? I told you not to leave the driver’s seat because it’s dangerous, didn’t I?”

Could it be that Eliza has awakened to magic?

This carriage is cruising at a pretty good speed, and if you fell, the danger would be about the same as having a motorcycle accident. No—considering the risk of being trampled by horseshoes or wheels—it might even be worse.

Yet under these circumstances, any ordinary seven-year-old would find it nearly impossible to open the door and clamber up to the driver’s seat.

Unless she could leap through space… or fly.

But my little sister had gotten to the point where she could do both.

“I was told it’s okay to get all loopy!”

Drifting weightlessly, before I knew what she was thinking, Eliza’s lower half burst through the side of the carriage and clung to my neck—it had been left behind inside.

This is a trait of half-fairies—their physical form remains in an indeterminate state.

My beloved little sister awakened to magic just last month—or rather, recalled her true nature as a half-fairy. One morning, as fairies started flitting around me (or maybe even competing to get close to her), I woke up to find her floating while still asleep in bed.

I was totally freaked out—seriously. I nearly dashed off to the chapel to call an exorcist or something! It was like a scene straight out of a classic film.

Ever since then, she’s been like this: floating around aimlessly, touching whatever catches her eye, and walking right through objects. If a kid like Eliza were to grow up properly worldwide, spies everywhere would be out of a job from the competition.

According to Ms. Agrippina, Eliza is still in a drowsy state—only half-awakened—and her education as a mage hasn’t truly begun yet. This is an inherent trait of the half-fairy race, just as we humans walk on two legs or fish swim in water.

In other words, this is only the beginning. In fact, judging by her adorably imperfect pronunciation, Eliza has yet to master the court language. Since her basic education isn’t complete, she hasn’t started any specialized magical training either. For now, to curb her magical outbursts, I let her float around safely while I accompany her during “meditation” to build her concentration.

Eliza seems motivated and is making progress, but her improvement is slow—perhaps because her tongue is short. Now that I think about it, I struggled in the beginning too… I learned the commoner’s version of the court language from Margit, but ended up with unnecessary add-ons that brought me great shame… well, let’s not dwell on that; it wouldn’t be good for my mental health anyway.

Even if you compare me—who can crank up my proficiency with the push of a button—I must be grateful to Ms. Agrippina for patiently teaching her. A mentor who nurtures one’s enthusiasm and sticks with you is indeed rare.

But still, what on earth changed in her heart to make her so caring all of a sudden? There was always the possibility that she might get dragged into all sorts of troublesome situations—and besides, when we first met, she was so “that way.”

Ah, now that I recall, there were also those troublesome incidents brought on by awakening to magic. I was nearly picked up by human traffickers for being so rare, and in a fit of rage I almost became a murderer—if Master hadn’t patched me up, I might have killed seven people—and then fairies gathered together, shouting “They’re our own kind—our pals!” and nearly whisked me away for a “playdate.” It was utter chaos.

Now, I’ve strictly ordered her always to stay by my side or Master’s, and made her promise not to go off with strangers or kids who invite her to play without permission first. Things have calmed down a bit, but who knows what other troublesome incidents might pop up in the future.

It occurred to me that the magical academy in the imperial capital must be, quite literally, a place with a strong magical essence.

And even in the countryside—where magic isn’t so prominent—Eliza still got quite entangled in things.

Then, if I get closer to that Mecca…?

Even as a cold sweat broke out from unpleasant thoughts, I found solace by looking at my little sister, who adoringly tilted her head and asked, “What’s wrong, onii-chan?”

【Tips】While the imperial capital’s population is only about 60,000—a size comparable to a small regional town in Japan—it ranks as one of the largest cities in the Triple Empire. The inhabitants are mostly nobles and government officials, yet among them, mages and those connected to magic make up roughly ten percent, which is by no means a small number.

On a small hill overlooking the vast city from afar, I trembled with overwhelming emotion.

Imperial Capital Bearlin.

How elegant and beautiful is the imperial castle that towers at its center! I may not know the finer points of its style, but the main enclosure—with its alabaster walls and countless spires—exudes an overwhelming presence.

It isn’t an oppressive aura. There is a palpable feeling that something magnificent, pure, and simply great exists there, captivating all who gaze upon it.

Its majestic figure, seemingly floating on water that brilliantly reflects the blue sky, makes you momentarily think it might be soaring through the air. Just by looking, you cannot help but acknowledge that its master is a supreme being.

Around the main enclosure, on intermediary mounds built on all sides, several small fortresses—each resembling a minor castle—stand, steadfastly guarding the road to the imperial castle. Each of these outlying fortresses is painted in a way that harmonizes with the others, their unified presence as beautiful as a work of art.

Then, the city—with the imperial castle as its landmark and 16 grand avenues radiating outward—forms a perfect circle that is utterly captivating. As the streets, both large and small, stretch out like a spider’s web, the chic red of uniformly fired bricks hints at the precision of its urban planning.

The smoke rising from chimneys in every direction probably indicates the prosperity of its people. The sight of people and carriages bustling through the streets is reminiscent of a vast, dark carpet.

It was pure fantasy. Truly, a grand fantasy metropolis stood there.

“Whoa… this is incredible!”

I’ve stopped by towns during my journeys before. However, even the largest of them only had populations of around five to ten thousand. Having never visited a metropolis on the scale of a provincial capital, my expectations had been rather low—so the impact was overwhelming.

I felt I could understand the awe experienced by those who saw a big city for the first time during the Showa era.

A burning desire to get there as soon as possible—to walk those streets—began to well up inside me. Initially, the trip to the imperial capital was for Eliza, but now I found that I could enjoy it for myself as well.

That’s right—it’s the thrill of excitement like this that made me long to be an adventurer.

“You’re really flaunting your highborn status…”

Even as a disapproving thought came from Master, I was momentarily lost in awe. After all, there’s no mistaking that I am high-born.

If time permitted, I’d love to sketch something to capture this overwhelming emotion. I used to watch with detached eyes as people snapped photos on their smartphones, but now I’m infuriated that I don’t have that shiny gadget in my hands.

I wish I could show it to everyone at the manor…

“Wow… it’s huge.”

“It’s huge, Eliza! You’re living there from today, you know?”

“Really?! That huge castle?!”

Eliza, with her hair still wrapped around her neck like a scarf, happily flapped her feet. “Hey, hey—your knees are bumping into your back! That’ll hurt!”

“No, but a real castle is…”

“The magical academy is at the southern outpost.”

“Huh?! Ma…?”

That “Ma…?” made me tilt my head in puzzlement as I observed the southern outpost. Unlike the white main enclosure, the fortress here—painted entirely in black—exuded a mysterious air of intimidation. Now that I think about it, while the corridors to the other outposts teemed with people, this one was strangely quiet—perhaps because few people had business there!

Amazing… I wonder if I can actually get in there.

“The southern outpost, known as “Crow Gate Cléaéstoa,” is the main building of the magical academy. With the main building and its east and west wings, along with an enormous underground library and research facility, it truly serves as the magical center of the Triple Empire.”

“Woooo…”

I was practically on cloud nine—the barrage of fantastical terms had my excitement soaring. Having been exposed only to harsh realities until now, I was utterly overwhelmed with wonder. I simply must see everything there is to see—after all, there are probably dozens of famous spots and museums, right?

“Well, the core of education lies elsewhere, but this truly is the functional center. Since it’s a castle built for show in the city of vanity, it’s as fitting as can be.”

“The city of vanity…?”

“I’ll explain if we have time. Now, get back—I’ve already sent word that we’d arrive today, so any delay would be troublesome.”

Reluctantly, I had no choice but to obey the instructions, even as my heart yearned to linger over these intriguing words and gaze upon this fantastical city a little longer.

Besides, with Eliza so eager to set off, I wanted to quickly take my seat on the driver’s platform so I wouldn’t get hit from behind. I told her to stop because it was painful.

The carriage rumbled down the hill and entered the southern road. Our destination was the gate on the south-southeast—one of the 16 grand avenue gates.

This gate serves as the priority entrance for those associated with the magical academy, and unlike the main gates—which are closed at night—it is always accessible; however, without a special pass, you cannot get through. It appears that, aside from the main gates, dedicated entrances are reserved exclusively for insiders.

Also, near the southeastern city wall, there’s a dedicated “magic district” comprising personal workshops for mages, residences for auditing students, as well as small lecture halls and private academies.

Since magic can sometimes be dangerous, personal laboratories for experiments and research are isolated from the city’s core.

…Well, that’s fine. I understand. There are countless spells with such volatile power that you can only imagine how many people might die if one were to go off. It’s just a matter of chance. Even in the magical tome I received, there were more than enough incantations—so many you could count them on both hands—where someone deadpan asked, “Is it really okay to use this?”

A south-southeast gate called “Crow Gate Cléaéstoa,” which branches off from the main road, was lined with guards clad in sumptuous plate armor. Unlike in a backwater town where formations might be disorganized, here their impeccable alignment exuded the unmistakable pride of seasoned professional soldiers.

But what caught the eye even more was the large three-headed dog on duty right beside them. Though its size was that of a normal large dog, deploying such a clearly formidable magical creature gave off an overwhelming aura.

“Don’t get all jumpy—you’ll draw suspicion. This isn’t just any “Three-Headed Dry-Heads Hunting Dog, Yakutfont.” It’s a magical creature created by the academy; it’s fiercely loyal, highly competent, and, unless ordered otherwise, as harmless as a puppy.”

That academy sure knows how to make things! As if they’d keep puppies like you!

Nervously, I approached. Despite his intimidating appearance, the guard courteously said to me—a mere child—“May I see your pass?” When I handed over the pass I’d been given earlier, a magical verification seemed to trigger, and his half of the pass began to glow blue.

On closer inspection, the blue light was accompanied by strings of characters, and from afar I could see Ms. Agrippina’s name and title. It appeared they were also using it to log the city’s comings and goings.

“Certainly. Now, enjoy the imperial capital.”

“Thank you very much.”

I briefly worried about whether I should tip them, but judging by the moment the carriage set off, it clearly wasn’t necessary. In fact, much like the Japanese police, they might not even accept such things.

“Now, behold the resplendent imperial capital. Although self-proclaimed, it doesn’t get any more impressive than this.”

“Whoa…!”

Beyond the gate, everything was equally splendid.

The red brick buildings stretching to the left and right were arranged in neat rows, not a single one looking shabby or dilapidated, and every signboard boasted an elegant design that was a delight to the eyes.

The passersby—some resembling scholars and others clad in dignified robes, likely connected to the magical arts—hinted that people of various races mingled here, making it a sight one could watch endlessly.

And above all, what caught the eye was the street stretching straight from the gate, leading to a black fortress that stood majestically at its far end.

That was the magical academy. Though magnificent, it carried an air of solemnity, and its quietly imposing presence truly justified its title as the castle where mages congregate. In fact, it’s fortunate that Eliza is under its protection; otherwise, one might easily mistake it for a demon king’s castle or something of that sort.

Thinking of going there now, I realized that the excitement I thought had peaked on the hill had, in fact, skyrocketed beyond all limits…

【Tips】The magical academy often creates magical creatures through spells that are incredibly useful—but they are clearly distinct from naturally occurring magical beasts. Their most notable characteristic is that these magical creatures cannot reproduce unless their master intervenes.