“Yes, you are correct…,” said Seyoh, creasing his brows. “Though I won’t accept that it is a claim without proof. The logic stands, and there is no proof to refute it, so we should accept it as true for the time being.” “Does that mean you accept that is indeed the ultimate wand?” asked another man in the crowd. “Aren’t you the young man who stood up out of nowhere to ask what Mr. Rolphie meant when he said it was the ultimate wand?” “That was because of my own lack of experience. It is absolutely the ultimate wand,” acknowledged Ix, and the man who had asked snorted. “It is. The question of how Rednoff crafted it in that time period remains, but I’m going to set that aside for now. The problem is that all of the attendees at the time, meaning everyone here now, failed to point out something crucial.” “And what is that?” asked Mellay with a tilt of her head. “The legend doesn’t end there. Rednoff disappeared after finishing the ultimate wand beneath the Chapel. But he didn’t just walk away. He vanished from a locked underground chamber. Not one person attempted to explain that mystery in the debate the other night. Why didn’t anyone question it?” “Because discussing it wouldn’t accomplish anything,” countered Mellay immediately. “Legends are exaggerated and change over time. In all likelihood, someone changed ‘disappeared’ to ‘disappeared from a locked underground chamber’ somewhere down the line. It is not possible for someone to disappear from a room when they had no avenues of escape. Or are you trying to say that you can explain this?” “Yes, I can.” “That is an interesting claim.” She clasped her hands together on her lap. “And what is it?” “Rednoff was a ghost.” A few seconds after he said that, cascades of condescending laughter erupted from various places in the hall. Ix’s expression didn’t change as he let the cackles roll off him. It wasn’t a problem right now. He waited for the laughter to subside before speaking again. “Rednoff was a ghost. That is the only explanation that fits the legend. If you want to refute that claim, then provide me with proof or another possible explanation that is just as believable. That’s how these meetings work, right? Saying ‘it isn’t possible’ won’t cut it.” “You have to verify the existence of ghosts first,” asserted a different member. “What is a ghost? What logic allows them to exist? Answer that first.” “Dragons.” As Ix spoke that single word, the other person’s expression turned icy. It wasn’t just that man, either. Every person in the chamber froze. “There is a legend about a dragon in this town. A married couple asked for a doll of theirs to be brought to life. To a dragon. It granted their wish perfectly. Once the doll expired, it become a specter that haunted the town. I imagine some of you here have heard it,” continued Ix. “That’s a ghost story,” said Mellay sharply. “Dragons are creatures of legend. There are questions as to whether they ever actually existed. What sort of evidence is that?” “Dragons existed,” asserted Ix very clearly. “Dragons existed, and they absolutely granted people’s wishes. I expect you to act like that’s true unless you have proof to the contrary.” “……” Seyoh glared at Ix in silence. “Fine. What is it, then, that you are claiming based on that legend?” “That the doll in the tale is Rednoff. He was given life by a dragon. He was a doll that turned into a ghost,” said Ix without taking a breath. “That interpretation explains everything.” He stopped speaking and looked around the room. After checking that no one was going to offer a counterargument, he continued. “Rednoff invented man-made wands from out of nowhere.” Ix walked slowly around the room. The flames of the candles near him wavered as he passed. “But many questions remain about how he was able to make the first wands. He didn’t develop them by synthesizing knowledge from the age of natural wands. And yet, the story goes that a single man came up with the idea for man-made wands, refined his creation to the point it was actually useable, and then even managed to craft the ultimate wand. How could he have managed that? ‘Rednoff was a genius.’ That explanation is simple, but it isn’t very convincing. But if he was a creation of a dragon, it would all add up.” Ix held his hands out in front of him. “Giving life to a wooden doll. Doing that is quite similar to how we produce man-made wands by cutting a branch from a tree and endowing it with a pseudo-life. Rednoff himself was the world’s first magic wand.” “That’s not proof,” came the calm voice of a man. Ix looked and saw it belonged to the same man who’d sat across from him on the night of the dinner. “It’s just as convincing to say that Rednoff was an incomparable genius, and there’s as much proof for that as your claim, too. It can stand as an alternative explanation to what you just proposed.” “But it can’t explain how he disappeared from the underground room,” retorted Ix immediately. “My explanation can cover that as well.” “…Impossible.” “It’s simple. After being locked in that room under the Chapel, Rednoff died. In that very chamber. He lost his life. A human leaves behind a corpse, but that didn’t happen with him.” Ix stopped to take a breath. “Rednoff’s consciousness became a ghost, and he left a magic wand behind.” Maybe that was enough to get Ix’s point across. The participants should have all realized by now. If the ultimate wand was actually Rednoff’s body, then it rendered the debate at the dinner entirely pointless, or at least cast serious doubt on it. Ix remained monotone as he finished. “The first wandmaker was a magic wand created by a dragon.” He shot a glance at Yuui. “That is the only explanation that perfectly fits the legend’s mysteries.” At the dinner party, the attendees had made Rednoff out to be a devout believer. They’d argued he was a craftsman who locked himself in that chamber out of his dedication to God and continued to make wands. He was spurred by faith to craft the ultimate catalyst. Hence you could argue that all wandmakers who sought that same wand were faithful members of the Church… That was the explanation they had come up with. By that logic, the ultimate wand was nothing short of a gift created by God. But…what if that was wrong? What if Rednoff had been a doll, and the catalyst in the underground room was his corpse? That would mean a dragon had created the ultimate wand. “I came here to expose your sins. Every person who agreed with Mellay at that dinner was treating God and dragons as one and the same. Therefore, you are the sinners who misrepresented God.” Having said that, Ix closed his eyes. It was his only gambit. If they denied that they’d misrepresented God, if they defended themselves and said it wasn’t true, then Ix could borrow their defense to insist that Yuui hadn’t committed a crime, either. If they accepted their sin and said they would accept the punishment, then Ix would borrow that logic as well, though he wouldn’t believe it. He would have Yuui accept her sin and the punishment. But no matter how severe a sin misrepresenting God was, they wouldn’t agree to the death penalty, since they would have to face the same fate. That way, he could at least save her life. This was the only way of protecting her. Of course, his gambit wasn’t a guaranteed success. The participants could simply ignore everything Ix had said. They weren’t required to take stock in the words of a layperson. He was hoping to rely on Coaku’s name to get him that far, but it wasn’t certain to work. Ix opened his eyes again and saw Mellay right in the center of his field of vision. She was smiling unconcernedly. Then she gave him an entirely different response than he had expected. “You are completely right, Ix,” she said, as if to agree wholeheartedly. “Huh?” The reply slipped from his mouth. “I am amazed you were able to glimpse such a profound truth from only the slightest of legends. I am even more convinced of the value of young people who bring new insights with each generation.” Ix couldn’t understand what she was trying to say. The rest of the meeting participants were exchanging puzzled glances; they were as clueless as he was. Only Seyoh concurred with Mellay. “Absolutely,” he said with a strong nod. “Perhaps concealing that underground room was a mistake. I can’t believe you discerned this much with just a glance.” “What are you saying…?” asked Ix. “This is such a wonderful opportunity that I must say something. Everyone, this is a common misunderstanding even among the clergy,” added Mellay slowly. “It is true that there is a legend here in Estosha about a dragon. In that tale, the dragon grants a doll life. However, past Church members have avoided speaking on this story, as it carries great risk. Do you understand why?” Everyone in the room gave a vague nod. “Yes, God created the world and the life in it. The Old Order teaches us that this is proof of God’s existence. Which is why you could use a legend about an all-powerful, life-granting dragon to deny God. But that is only if you overlook a crucial part of the story. Seyoh, do you know what that is?” He smiled when his name was called and said, “The dragon granted the doll life, but not a soul. Is that correct?” “Yes, precisely.” Mellay clapped her hands. But they gave no sound, however, as only the thick fur on her palms touched. “Why did the dragon only give life? Is it because the people in the tale asked for nothing more? No, that’s not it. Souls are inseparable from life. That is why every one of God’s creations possesses both life and a soul and why none has ever become a specter. I imagine you understand what that means. Even you, Gustavus,” she said as she looked to the other side of the room. “I’m not sure why you’d mention my name there…,” Gustavus said. “I assume you are essentially saying that the dragon lacked the ability to make a soul.” “Yes, that is exactly what I mean.” She nodded. “As you can tell from that, dragons and God are not the same. Dragons can create life, but only God can create souls. Dragons are mighty, but God is almighty. Which means…” She turned back to Ix and said, “Dragons cannot create dragons. God can create dragons.” So that was a valid interpretation? He’d worked so hard to bring his theory together, but they’d neither refuted nor accepted it. They approached it from a whole different plane and slowly consumed it. “Everyone,” said Mellay, “we should thank young Ix. He has shown us a hole in our interpretation and led our debate to even greater completion. It wasn’t Rednoff who created the ultimate wand—it was a dragon. And of course, it was God who birthed those creatures. And why did the ultimate wand born of a dragon choose the Chapel as its final resting place? When you think on the reason for that, I’m sure you will come to realize that the ultimate wand was indeed a blessing from God.” She spread her arms wide as the attendees hurled fervent praise at Ix. Ix accepted cries of “Incredible!”, “You’ve taught us much!”, and “This is what a true believer looks like!” as the Marayists swallowed his goals, his plans, his everything, whole. He stumbled backward on unsteady feet, almost shoved by their cries. Seyoh raised a hand, and someone quickly brought a chair over for him. They wouldn’t let him leave. He was trapped within Marayism. He sat there, dazed. His voice wouldn’t come out at all. There was nothing else he could do. He’d come here with the intention of saving her, but… Ix naturally looked for Yuui by the wall, but all he saw was the wallpaper. He panicked, trying to figure out where she had gone. Had she guessed that Ix wouldn’t be able to save her and made a last-ditch attempt to escape? But that would be the worst possible choice. Maybe she’d managed to contact Nova somehow… Just then, he heard a voice from above. “Thank you.” “Huh?” The petite girl was standing directly in front of him, looking down. He couldn’t see her face because it was in shadow, but he could tell she was clapping her hands. The others quickly noticed her. The applause stopped, and commotion grew. No one understood why she would be coming forward at this moment. “Everyone…,” announced Yuui as she turned around. Ix could see only her back now. “Please forgive me, but I simply could not hold back my emotions. I was seized by the urge to tell something to you all, so I leaped forward… Seyoh, may I please be granted permission to speak?” She looked at him, and surprisingly, he nodded immediately. “Yes, go on,” he told her. “Thank you.” She nodded once. “As you all know, people treated me as a descendent of a god in my homeland. However, that description has always felt odd to me. I never felt as if I had the blood of a deity running through my veins.” Her voice was filled with emotion as she spoke. “However, now, just now, I have become convinced of something as I listened to what this man had to say.” She stepped forward and gestured toward Ix. “The gods of my homeland, Lukutta, are similar to the ‘dragons’ of which he speaks. They are mighty, but not almighty; they cannot create their own. To be honest, I do not know if I have the blood of a deity in me, but I do know one thing: The gods of Lukutta are also creations of the true God who you all believe in.” There was a gasp from the crowd. Everyone turned their eyes, filled with anticipation, upon the girl who was about to be converted to their religion. “I plan to return to my homeland after spending the winter here in Estosha. And upon my return, I hope to spread word of God to my people. I want as many of my kinsmen as possible to know the wonders of Marayism. However…I am only a child. I still know too little about this faith and, until just recently, I misrepresented myself as a descendent of God. I understand that you are unable to trust someone like me. I am sure that your concerns are greater than I can know. But my passion also burns far more brightly than you can imagine. Like the first light that Saint Anma saw…or the lava pool into which Saint Irobai fell.” She moved to the center of the room as she implored the crowd. “Which is why, please… I beg of you.” She bowed her head low. “Please grant me permission to spread the word of God throughout my homeland.” It was her only remaining road to salvation. But no one in the crowd would have suspected that from her performance. That, or they knew this and chose to ignore it. Either way, the result was the same. A woman who was a symbol in her homeland had become their missionary. After a drawn-out silence, the hall erupted in thunderous applause. Mellay stood and spread her arms in an attempt to draw Yuui into a hug. The ovation didn’t end; Yuui bowed over and over to the crowd. She had been dragged to an enemy country, had her freedom and future stolen from her. And now, they had even claimed her spirit. Yet Ix saw a smile on her face. That smile never turned toward him. 6 Yuui glanced out the window and saw a dim glow. She imagined there must have been bonfires in the streets below. The normally quiet streets were now filled with people walking about. She could hear their voices. Heaven’s Worship had begun. There was a bustle in the building as the meeting had only just finished, but everyone was likely to go to the Chapel soon. Yuui was relieved because it seemed like no one had seen her head back to her room. She heard the door to the room open and turned her head to look. “Thank you for your work, Nova,” said Yuui when she saw who was there. She bowed her head. “My stay here has gotten difficult.” That was the kind of thing that Nova would always say “yes” back to, but she didn’t say anything. She simply stood in the doorway, staring at Yuui. “What’s wrong?” Yuui asked. Instead of responding, Nova walked up to Yuui. In the darkness of the room, she drew so close that she nearly ran into her. Yuui saw herself reflected in Nova’s emotionless eyes. “There’s something, I don’t get,” said Nova quietly. “What is that? I will explain it to you if I understand it…” “It’s about the dinner, from the other night. The group decided that Seyoh orchestrated, both the threat letter and the attack on you. He even admitted as much.” “He claimed it was to draw attention to me, but, well, that is quite an annoying story,” said Yuui with a shrug. “But it, is strange.” “Why do you say that?” Nova blinked for a moment. “Because, I saw the threat letter,” she continued in a flat tone. “It was an envelope that was slightly damp and mushy. The writing was running a bit, but you could still read it. If it was an act, he wouldn’t need to do something like that. He could just tell others, that a threat letter had been delivered.” “It is somewhat perplexing…,” conceded Yuui, placing a finger on her cheek. “Seyoh is very thorough, however, so perhaps that was intentional. He wouldn’t know who might say they wanted to look at the real letter, after all.” “Wouldn’t doing that mean he wanted to stop, the meetings? Doesn’t that motive contradict why he attacked you?” “I thought Rolphie explained that.” “He didn’t,” said Nova immediately. “All he did was use process of elimination, to claim that Seyoh was the only person who could have done both. He didn’t focus on the consistency of motive, at all.” “Then perhaps we should allow for some contradiction. If there is only one possibility, we must accept it even if it is somewhat far-fetched…” “No.” Nova shook her head and stared at Yuui. “There are two, possibilities. It could be that the person who sent the letter, and the person who attacked you, are different parties.” “What leads you to believe there is another possibility?” “Because I am aware of someone who knows what time the servants open the front door every day, and who could have placed a letter there immediately beforehand.” “…And who would that be?” Nova didn’t reply. She walked over to the window and looked down. From that small window, you had a clear view of the building’s entrance. They weren’t so high up that you couldn’t open the window and drop an envelope at the doorstep if you aimed well. Nova turned back to Yuui. “Will you tell me, why?” “Why?” Yuui tilted her head. “You managed to get out of it, this time. Seyoh decided it was better to cover for you, than to keep others from ever knowing the culprit. But it wouldn’t have gone like this, if they’d realized you actually sent the letter. You would have been tried, as a real criminal. Why would you do something so self-destructive?” Yuui moved closer to the window. She stood beside Nova and looked down. There were so many people milling about it made you wonder where they normally were. “Hey, Nova,” said Yuui. “Why do you think I was invited to these meetings in the first place?” “To discredit the Lukuttan faith. To make clear their attitude toward the countries they’ve conquered, by declaring you a sinner and executing you.” “That is very unlikely.” Yuui smiled and shook her head. “If that was their goal, they could have exposed who I was my very first day at the meetings. They would have no reason to go to the trouble of forcing me to participate. I think Seyoh had only one goal in mind from the start.” “And what was that?” “To convert me and make me a missionary in Lukutta.” Nova stared at Yuui in silence. “The potential of converting other nations is a pressing issue in Estosha because it borders other nations. They want someone on their side who is from Lukutta, especially if they are in a position of religious power. They want it so badly, they’ll do anything. The impact on the Lukuttan people will be huge when they learn I’ve converted to Marayism. Obviously, my conversion doesn’t need to be true in my heart. But they forced my hand into declaring my intention to convert. Now that I have said that, I have no choice but to proselytize when I return to Lukutta since the kingdom could execute me whenever they wanted. They are monitoring me, after all.” Yuui’s words came smoothly. “That is why Seyoh made me participate in those meetings, made me learn about Marayism, and made me gain the trust of the debate attendees. That was the only thing Seyoh wanted to accomplish in these winter meetings. Just as Mellay put everything into making wandmakers members of the Clergy.” “Were…,” started Nova, who had been listening in silence, “were you aware of this? And still did as he wanted…?” “I had no choice. This was the only possible outcome from the moment I came to Estosha. He’d prepared everything so thoroughly. If I tried to run, I would only be restrained even more tightly.” “But, why…?” “There is no way I can resist them outright. But if I go along with their plans for me, the ropes binding me will loosen. In that situation, I can move at least a finger, and perhaps I can guide things just a little.” “Guide?” asked Nova, blinking a few times. “Seyoh must have immediately clued into the fact I had sent the threat letter. He probably suspected I was trying to stop the meetings after I realized what he was up to. But he couldn’t pin the blame on me because it would put more crimes on my head. And then I would no longer be just Yuui Laika, the morally upright girl descended from a god. He could have chosen to ignore the threat letter…but someone with a mind like his would actually choose to use it to his advantage.” Yuui paused to take a breath. “He pretended to attack me and made an even greater issue out of the threats. Even if Rolphie hadn’t accused him, Seyoh would have implicated himself. Either that or he would have prepared another ‘culprit’ to take the fall. Regardless, his plan subsumed mine. Since he showed me his ability, I would have no choice but to go along with his plan even if I knew what it was…” Yuui held up her palms. “But what about it? What would the other participants in the meeting think?” “…What, do you mean?” asked Nova. “Wouldn’t they think it was strange? ‘Why would Seyoh test us?’ ‘Why did he lie in the beginning about the letter and the attack?’ They might start to feel suspicious toward him.” Yuui brought a hand to her chest. “And they might start to feel just a little bit sorry for me, because he used me. They would go easy on me. Actually, both Mellay and Gustavus spoke to me after the meeting. Those are the two I visited under the pretext of discussing that threat letter. They both promised me. They said they wanted to give me near-complete freedom in regards to the spread of Marayism in Lukutta.” Nova opened her mouth but then closed it again. She stopped blinking and stared at Yuui. “The meetings went exactly as Seyoh planned. But at the same time, his compatriots lost a tiny bit of trust in him, and I gained some from them. And what will come of that, you ask?” Yuui held up a finger. “When the New Order seizes power, they will hold off on taking over Lukutta. So long as I am there, they will decide it will be fine to leave it alone. I will act in a way that makes them think that. And that will buy Lukutta time. Time. That can change everything.” Nova took a step back as she listened to Yuui’s smooth explanation. “I…,” she started to say. “Aren’t you afraid, that I’ll tell the higher-ups about what you just said?” “It would make no difference if you did,” said Yuui with a smile. “But as your friend, I would warn you that I think it’s unlikely you will be able to get them to take it seriously. I am merely a pawn to those above. They don’t believe I have the power to change anything. Look at what happened this time—I played exactly into Seyoh’s hand. I doubt they are interested in the thoughts of a puppet…”
Chapter 43
22 min read