Side Story 2: Something Other Than Zombies Suddenly Appeared at the Mage’s Headquarters
☆☆Alexandra’s Point of View☆☆
OUR school had a short break between finals and the end-of-year party. As such, I was going to spend time at the headquarters of the mage’s order, as I’d promised Severin. The building was located northeast of the castle. Janus and I rode to the usual carriage lot of the castle together. After saying our goodbyes, I boarded another carriage that had been provided by the mage’s order. My eyes widened when I saw the vehicle being pulled by giant frogs. Later, my jaw dropped when I saw the outside of the mage’s headquarters.
“Why does it look like a haunted house?” I asked Severin, who was riding with me.
“Our headquarters were built by the first grand mage,” he replied with a grin. “Perhaps this suited his tastes. Plenty of mages are eccentric, after all.”
A western-style mansion ripped straight from a horror game had appeared in the middle of the woods. I could imagine zombies flooding out the front door at any moment.
“Um… It’s not haunted, right?” I asked.
The mere thought of being chased by zombies made me want to cry. Ghosts were out of the question too. Any attacks would pass straight through them. As I considered this matter seriously, Severin laughed.
“Are you afraid of ghosts?” he asked. “That’s a surprise. Don’t worry—this place isn’t haunted.”
As we entered the mansion, I glared lightly at Severin, who was still laughing. A beautiful chandelier hung from the high ceiling of the grand foyer. Crimson carpet stretched from the entrance hall to the staircase. Candelabrum flames flickered here and there, casting eerie shadows. I had no words to describe this place other than “terrifying.”
“You’re sure no zombies are going to attack us?” I asked.
Severin chuckled. “Still not convinced, eh? Like I said, there’s no need to worry. This is the only area with this ambiance.”
As I recoiled in fear, Severin took my hand and led me through a door on the right. Beyond the door was a long and foreboding corridor that… Oh, wait. It was actually a bright and spacious dining hall. There were several small rooms in the back that appeared to be rest areas. When we returned to the grand foyer and opened the door on the left, we found several magic laboratories. On the second floor, Severin showed me offices, meeting rooms, and the grand mage’s private study.
“There’s even a practice area where you can test magic out back,” he said. “See? Nothing frightening here.”
We were currently in a room lined with magical instruments.
“Anyone would be scared after seeing the exterior of this building,” I insisted.
I found the crystal ball used to condemn Celette while looking around the instruments.
“This was truly difficult to create,” Severin said. “Capturing temporary images is easy enough, but recording them permanently is much more difficult. My father and several other mages spent many sleepless nights mulling over this problem.”
Severin had mentioned something similar when we confronted Celette. The mages must have struggled a great deal.
“Even so, their hard work saved everyone,” I said. “The mages accomplished something truly remarkable.”
“I suppose so,” Severin answered with a smile.
He proceeded to show me various other magical instruments. Afterwards, we headed to the dining hall to quench our thirst.
✦ ✦ ✦
🐈 🐈 🐈
WHILE sipping lemonade, we discussed the magic circles enclosed within magic instruments. During this conversation, Severin seemed to have a flash of insight.
“Is there some sort of magic instrument that you wish existed?” he asked. “Someone as clever as you might suggest something beyond our current imagination.”
His obsidian eyes twinkled as he observed me. He looked like a grade schooler brimming with curiosity.
“Magic instruments that I wished existed, huh?” I repeated.
I pondered Severin’s question while finding his demeanor quite charming. Was there anything I wanted? In my past life, all sorts of technology had been at my fingertips. Even so, I didn’t find the lack of technology here inconvenient. Perhaps I’d grown accustomed to this world.
“Oh,” I said.
Severin leaned forward eagerly from the other side of the table. “Did you think of something?”
“Wouldn’t it be nice to speak directly with a faraway person?”
Severin cocked his head. In this world, most houses contained one or more magic instruments that could transfer letters. However, this transfer was only possible where the instrument was located. Conversely, I wanted a device that allowed communication anytime and anywhere. Of course, smart phones were still a distant dream at this point. That said, I could make do with something like an old flip phone.
“Direct communication, huh?” Severin asked. “That does sound fascinating.”
He began considering the matter earnestly, showing genuine interest. Though he usually appeared androgynous, his serious expression exuded masculinity. As I observed him while sipping my lemonade, lively chatter echoed from the entrance of the dining hall. The new arrivals noticed us and approached our table.
“What’s going on, Severin?” one of them asked. “You on a date?”
“Jealous?” Severin responded with a chuckle.
Though he didn’t deny being on a date, I guess it didn’t matter. We both knew he was joking.
Meanwhile, I ignored their banter and stood up. “Hello, everyone. I’m Alexandra Vistriano.”
“Oh, you’re Duke Vistriano’s daughter?” someone asked.
Thus, everyone greeted me somewhat formally.
“I have a question for you old-timers,” Severin said. “Ally and I want to create a magic instrument that allows for direct communication over long distances. Do you lot have any suggestions?”
Everyone sat down at our table, immediately turning us into a lively gathering. All the men began speaking at once.
“Direct communication?”
“Over long distances?”
“Not through letters?”
“I’ve never thought about it.”
They seemed intrigued. As such, I decided to give a few examples of how we might use such a device.
“Don’t you think it would be wonderful if such a device existed?” I asked. “It wouldn’t need to be solely for emergencies either. We all have friends and family members who we rarely see because they live so far away. Plus, there are times when we suddenly want to see or hear the voices of our significant others. What if we had a magic device that allowed for direct communication on those occasions?”
The entire group resonated with my explanation.
“I know exactly what you mean!” one of the men cried. “My little girl has been learning to speak recently. I would love to hear her voice while I’m working.”
The table erupted in conversation as the men started discussing specifics.
“It would be nice if the device was small enough to carry around.”
“And while we’re at it, let’s think of ways to display the other person’s face.”
“Okay, but how should we construct the magic circles to turn this into a reality?”
After moving to sit down beside me, Severin looked at me with an excited expression. “It looks like they’re really going to make this.”
“I guess so,” I replied with a laugh. “I’m glad I suggested it.”
“You thought of this yourself, Lady Vistriano?” one of the mages asked.
“That’s right,” I responded.
At once, the other mages began enthusiastically hounding me for more suggestions.
“Let’s see,” I said. “I’d like something that rains hot water from above while bathing. The pressure should be stronger than rainfall, and ideally, you could adjust the device to produce a flow like a thin waterfall.”
“When would you use that?” Severin asked on behalf of the group.
“While rinsing your hair or washing away soap bubbles. Also, it would feel nice to have the waterfall hit the tense areas of your body, such as your neck and shoulders.”
After I finished explaining my idea in detail, the excitement reached an all-time high.
“That’s incredible!” one mage cried. “You’re a genius, Lady Vistriano!”
“You’re the Goddess of invention in human form!” another mage cheered.
The group began hounding me with even more questions.
What did he mean by “the Goddess of invention in human form?”
I tried to calm everyone down as this thought crossed my mind, but their excitement was irrepressible. Several of the mages leaned forward on the table, causing it to creak ominously. At that moment, something unexpected happened. The door swung open with a loud bang, which prompted everyone to look in its direction. A moment later, the entire group stiffened.
“Huh?” one mage asked.
“Why is he here?” another inquired.
Question marks popped up over everyone’s heads. Who could blame them? Crown Prince Embert was standing in front of us with a stern expression.
“Em?” I asked.
As I called his name, he marched over to me like a speedwalker. The mages retreated in response to his terrifying aura, their chairs rattling as they scattered. Only Severin and I were left at the table.
“Why are you here…?” I asked, the words slipping out of my mouth.
I hadn’t told Embert that I was visiting the mage’s headquarters today. He was preoccupied with our engagement and dealing with Celette, after all. In any case, he reached my side in the blink of an eye and squeezed my hand.
“I should be the one asking why you’re here,” he replied. “Why are you surrounded by men in a place like this?”