Chapter 45

Ix followed the instructions on the note he’d received when he shook Nova’s hand. He entered the Chapel alone. Service had just let out. There had been large crowds of clergy and theologians there a little while ago, but now no one was left. They were all outside, gazing at the stars. Though nothing was lit inside the building, the moonlight streaming in from the windows was nearly dazzling in its brightness. Thin wisps of smoke rose from the candlesticks in that bluish-white glow. Ix leaned forward, as if he were chasing the smoke. And he saw them. The carvings on the walls. The paintings on the ceiling. The stained glass. Every single one was the product of a craftsperson. Someone who’d devoted their entire life to a single skill. A mark left behind by the lives of people who’d lived hundreds of years ago, whose names had fallen into obscurity. Ix trembled, overwhelmed with emotion. They had sought it. They had reached out their hands, even though they knew they would never make it. They had tried to get there, if but for the briefest of moments. To the place where their sole ideal dwelled. They’d looked up. At the stars. And among those twinkling lights… Was God. That was proof of a craftsman. It was how every one of them was built. Ix looked even farther up. His tears would stream out if he didn’t. If all that was true… Then someone who no longer sought the ultimate wand… Who’d given up looking at the stars… Him. He wasn’t a craftsman. “Good evening.” Yuui called out behind him as he stared up at the ceiling. “Don’t turn around, please,” she said as she stood, her back to his. “This conversation should not be happening.” “…Long time no see.” “Yes, indeed.” She laughed a little, finding it funny that he would say that when they couldn’t look at each other. “May I guess what you are thinking?” Ix nodded, which Yuui felt through her back. “Is it about wands?” she asked. “…Yeah.” “I heard earlier. It sounds like you will become a craftsman. Congratulations.” “…I’m no craftsman.” He shook his head. “What do you mean?” Yuui was surprised; there wasn’t even a hint of joy in his voice. “I’m just not a craftsman. I thought of that wand, so I—” “Wait,” she said, cutting him off. “Before you get so down on yourself, would you mind telling me what this is about? From the beginning?” “…Okay.” And so Ix explained the wand he’d thought up to her. You could increase its power using a mana reaction. You’d have to limit its maximum output, but in exchange, you wouldn’t need specialized skills to produce it. It would be easier to get the materials for it. You could make them in large quantities, sell them cheaply, and put one in everyone’s hands. That was the wand he’d conceptualized. It was the polar opposite of the ultimate wand—a catalyst without value. After hearing what he had to say, Yuui remained silent for a while, staring at the floor. A number of different thoughts ran through her mind. Eventually, she asked, “Where do you think God is?” “God? In the sky, I guess.” “Yes, that is true with the Marayist god. But let me tell you something interesting. They say the blood of a deity runs through my veins. In Lukuttan mythology, there’s a tale where a god walks among humans.” Her tone turned gentle as she continued. “That deity came from the earth.” “From the earth…?” She nodded. “The Marayists are not the only ones to speak of a god’s teachings. There is a god like the stars, in a place we can never reach. But on the other hand, there is also a god who came from the ground, who interacts with people. So, Ix,” she said, smiling, knowing that he couldn’t see her, “that is yours alone… Your god, your wand, something that no other craftsman could reach because it came from your perspective alone. Don’t you think so?” She waited for a few seconds, listening for his wordless response through their backs, then said, “Yes, things have gotten difficult all of a sudden. But please remember this. There is a place that would welcome you with open arms. If you ever need to, come to Lukutta.” “To your country…?” “This is far in the future, of course. You’ve only just become a craftsman. You’ll need money and people to make the wand you just told me about. But if you ever feel you want to, please come.” Yuui was nauseated by her own dishonesty. That future she mentioned was absolutely going to pass. She knew it would. When the New Order seized power, when they made wandmakers clergy, Ix would feel like his freedom was being taken from him. He would butt heads with the various rules of Marayism, and he would likely be stripped of his title. But he wouldn’t give up making wands. Yuui knew that much for certain. When that happened, surely… He would remember what she’d told him. Magic wands. The craft and knowledge of those powerful weapons would come to Lukutta. Yuui was standing on the sidelines despite knowing all this would happen. Even though she knew Mellay’s plan to make craftsmen clergy. In the town closest to God. In its chapel. Stood two nonbelievers. They deceived people; they betrayed God. The same thoughts were on their minds. Yes…it had been only a few months since then. That summer day, and the moment they’d met on that narrow, windswept mountain path. They’d both had such simple, pure thoughts then. Where had they gone? The ideals of magic wands that he’d believed in so unquestioningly. The innocent goodness that she’d championed above her own interests. Both were long gone… Eventually, one of the nonbelievers disappeared into the darkness. The other stood there motionless for a while before he suddenly raised his head and looked toward the entrance. He opened the door, then turned back to look once more. He didn’t find any of the sadness or dust he’d seen on that day. He stepped outside and saw his friend among the people looking up at the stars. Nearby was a small girl. The two noticed him and smiled. They waved. Ix went to raise his hand in response but suddenly stopped to brush his shoulder. There was nothing cold there. The snow had stopped falling long ago.