I flew through the silver sea with Fless. I had tried using the swimming spell Koko, but the water pressure was so strong it drenched my body, while the water itself threatened to drain me of my magic instantly upon exposure. I used a magic barrier to block the water and flew instead.
“The environment outside isn’t very nice,” I commented.
“The Sacred Silverwater Sea perpetually absorbs magic. This water is called silverwater, and life can only exist in the bubbles that block it out,” Loncruz explained.
The average person wouldn’t be able to survive in the silverwater, much less fly about with their own body.
“So every bubble in the Sacred Silverwater Sea is a miniature world?”
“That is correct. The miniature worlds are sometimes called silverfoam.”
I turned back to see a large silver bubble in the distance, shrinking as I moved away from it. It was the miniature world I had just left.
“Who do I have to talk to about joining the alliance?”
“If you tell the gatekeeper, they’ll guide you through the provisional entry process. I don’t know the exact details, unfortunately, or if you’ll have to submit to a separate investigation. I’ve never heard of an ephemeral world joining the alliance before...”
“There’s a first time for everything.”
There was no chief god or ruler in Militia’s world, but our origins were different, so that couldn’t be helped. Hopefully the alliance was understanding enough to accept a failed-chief-god-turned-water-wheel.
“Lord Anos...”
Loncruz’s voice was distant. The magic being emitted from his source was becoming more peaceful.
“Is it time?” I asked.
“So it seems. I’m sorry I wasn’t more helpful. Do you have any last questions?”
“How should I act as the Two-Law Usurper?”
“Are you sure?” Loncruz asked with emphasis. He had probably been expecting me to ask a more worthwhile question with the limited time he had left.
“I can find someone else to ask the rest, but you’re the only one who really knows the Two-Law Usurper,” I replied.
“In that case, you must show your strength,” Loncruz said. “The strength of the Two-Law Usurper. Not everyone in Pablohetra is necessarily evil, but the academic structure is hardly a fair system. In Pablohetra, you will face injustice and oppression.”
His words were laced with a quiet but clear anger.
“I am aware that I am about to make an unreasonable request of you. But if it’s within your reach, please become the wind of freedom that suppresses the evils of Pablohetra.”
“What about the woodlands? Based on what Baltzarond said, that area was the Two-Law Usurper’s territory, right?”
“The Enigmatic Woodlands are of no particular value. It’s just a place in this sea where they can’t do as they wish. As long as they’re aware of that...” Loncruz’s voice trailed off further.
“If possible, I’ll regenerate it and formally protect it as the Two-Law Usurper’s territory.”
“You have my utmost gratitude. But there’s no need to push yourself. Pablohetra is far too big. The rest can wait until I wake up...”
His hoarse voice, by this point, was barely audible.
“Have a good sleep.”
“One last thing... Radoplica has connected our sources. Our memories may blend...”
Loncruz’s voice cut off there. He had gone into his dormant state. Hopefully he would wake up with a stronger resistance to my body.
“Now,” I said, facing our world and flying at full speed. My vision was unclear, but I had memorized the route when we had first left Militia’s world. I retraced my steps until a silver bubble came into view.
I could feel Militia’s magic coming from it, and followed the path of the silverlight forwards as it flowed out from her world into the silver sea. It was this silverlight that was causing Militia’s magic to leak out into the sea, and it was this silverlight that made it possible to both exit and enter a miniature world in the first place. The assumption could be made that the silverlight of Militia’s world hadn’t worked until the world had reincarnated; that was why Costoria and Baltzarond had only detected mom and the Sword of Three Races after the world had been remade. The timing of their arrival now made a lot more sense.
“Leion.”
Thanks to the silverlight already being visible, it was much easier to enter the world than it had been to exit it. I used my dusk-stained right hand to grab the light and force the wind inwards just as before, allowing me to descend into Militia’s world.
The Dark Firmament came into view, turning my surroundings dark and gloomy. From there, I immediately cast Gatom for the depths of Delsgade. My vision turned white.
“All right! One more!”
“I’m finally getting the hang of this!”
It was already nighttime, yet I could hear students shouting and yelling. Things are rather noisy here.
“Bwa ha ha! You’re more fired up than normal, stoker and fireman. Don’t let it affect your performance in class tomorrow, or it’ll defeat the point of learning,” Eldmed said in the engine room of the Demon King Express. It seemed there were some students who had stayed back after class to practice coal-throwing.
“But Mr. Eldmed, we’re directly providing the magic power that the engine of the Demon King Express needs to operate. Everything starts with us,” one student replied.
“Sure, we might not really get into trouble since we have Mr. Shin and Lay around, but whenever an enemy shows, they’re usually the first to leave,” the other added.
“So if we don’t do our best, the Demon King Express will become sky scrap. We have to train while we can—we have to train like our lives depend on it—or we really will perish!”
“Besides, knowing the Demon King of Tyranny, it may seem like we have all the time in the world to train right now, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he shows up and asks us to depart in three days or something.”
The two picked up their shovels and resumed throwing coal into the fire. They had learned to minimize any magic loss and had become more efficient in their movements. There was no sign of the terrible posture they had when they had started learning.