Twilight
Freed's transformation into a Demonic Human by the Seven Evils had occurred three days ago.
Outwardly, it was reported exactly as it happened: "A student died after transforming due to the Seven Evils."
It seemed like a major incident, yet surprisingly little talk had spread.
Is this kind of thing common?
At the academy, it was possible to encounter someone more talented than oneself, and feeling jealousy toward that person was only natural.
How many similar cases have there been before?
Since not even a whisper had surfaced, I couldn't help but think this way.
What had changed...
Freed's death hadn't brought about any significant shifts.
That said, there had been a few minor changes.
Shane entered Class S.
With one spot open in Class S, Shane had been moved up.
In a way, it was only natural.
It had felt odd for the girl called the strongest first-year to remain stuck in Class A.
Fortunately, Shane didn't seem displeased about it.
If anything, she seemed rather pleased.
Nothing else has really changed?
Beyond that, everything was the same as usual.
The same classes, the same sparring, the same training.
That was simply how this world worked.
I was no exception.
Whoosh.
As always, I absorbed the flames approaching me while circulating my energy.
"Haa..."
After organizing my thoughts and finishing my training, I stood up.
Time to go.
The Path of Fire.
Just as I was about to set off down the path that grew hotter the farther one walked, a sound reached me.
Knock, knock.
Someone was knocking on the door to my personal training room.
Who could it be?
I didn't have any visitors scheduled. The people who might come to my room were probably training right now as well.
Well, it could just be someone unexpected.
Still, it didn't feel right to ignore them, so I opened the door.
Creak.
Standing there was a head of black hair I hadn't seen in a while.
Her appearance, complete with glasses, gave off an intellectual impression.
"Who are you?"
At the very least, she didn't seem to be an academy student, so I asked.
"Good day. I am Siren, Secretary to Principal Elena."
"...And why has someone like you come here?"
In response to my question, Siren smiled faintly and reached into her robes.
"I came to deliver this."
What she produced was a single sheet of paper resembling a ticket.
"...What is this?"
"An invitation that grants access to the principal's office."
"The principal's office?"
"Yes. The principal has summoned you, Adel. Tearing it will activate it immediately."
With that, she turned and left the training room as if her task were complete.
Click.
"...What was that about?"
It was bewildering.
From the fact that the principal's secretary had spoken to me with honorifics, to suddenly handing over an invitation and leaving—it was all incomprehensible.
"...Should I go?"
I'd find out once I got there.
The Path of Fire could wait, so there was no reason to hesitate.
Rip.
I tore the invitation.
A lavender scent filled the air, and my vision was dyed in twilight.
Instead of the Path of Fire, I was transported straight to the principal's office.
***
The lavender scent was strong.
The faint heat had vanished, replaced by a comfortable temperature.
That alone told me I was no longer in my personal training room.
Was that... spatial movement?
She had said tearing the invitation would take me there, and I'd wondered what she meant. It seemed the invitation had transported me to an entirely different space.
I opened my eyes.
"..."
"..."
Then I saw a pair of purple eyes gazing at me.
Elena Cricid.
The principal of Heiden Academy, the woman who had summoned me, had apparently been working until just moments ago—stacks of documents towered in front of her.
"You're here?"
She spoke as if she had known all along that I would come today.
"Yes. Why did you call for me?"
"Hmm... Just a moment."
Elena glanced around briefly, then snapped her fingers.
Hum.
Purple mana radiated from her body.
The surrounding space began to shift.
It felt as though something was warping, or perhaps being forcibly torn away.
When the change ended, the office had vanished. In its place was a pure white space containing only a table, two chairs, and—courtesy of the moment—coffee.
"Shall we sit?"
At her gesture, which made the invitation seem entirely natural, I nodded and took a seat.
How fascinating.
I knew Elena was called a master of illusion magic, illusion itself given form.
But witnessing that magic in action was an entirely different matter.
Before the atmosphere could grow stiff, Elena spoke first.
"Do you know why I called you?"
I didn't.
Siren had only delivered the invitation and left, and I had come without giving it much thought.
If I had to guess...
"A reward?"
"You're half right."
Which meant there was more she wanted to say.
"How much do you know about this world?"
Was this about knowledge?
If so, I could answer in a single phrase.
"Nothing."
I'd been dragged here before I could learn anything.
I didn't voice the rest, but Elena seemed to understand anyway.
That can't be the real reason.
It had to be a misunderstanding.
Who could possibly know I'd been possessed?
"Is there something you'd like to know?"
"Tell me about the Cricid family."
Her eyes blinked rapidly.
"My family?"
"Yes."
She hadn't expected that question.
There was only one reason I'd asked.
She'll know more than Tina.
She would likely give similar answers to most topics.
But when it came to her own family, she would certainly know far more.
"Well, if you want to know, I'll tell you."
She waved her hand.
Unlike before, the world slowly began to darken, as though black ink had been spilled across it.
The revealed scene was the polar opposite of the white space—an expanse of pure black.
A single gesture had transformed the surroundings.
"What I just showed you is what someone who has reached Transcendence with illusion magic can do."
"...Transcendence?"
When I spoke as if I knew nothing, Elena looked slightly taken aback.
"You didn't know?"
"No."
"...You really did come from the mountains."
Elena muttered quietly enough that I couldn't hear.
"To put it simply, age doesn't matter much when it comes to Transcendence. You just need to accumulate the proper level, and since living longer naturally leads to more accumulation, age appears important."
I needed to remember that.
Those words would likely help me more than I'd thought.
"Anyway, when it comes to illusion magic, no one can match the Cricid family."
She waved her hand again, and the black space shifted into a twilight I had never seen even in dreams.
Elena's lavender hair and eyes shone beautifully against the twilight.
"Most things that happen at the academy are achieved through illusion magic."
"The entrance exam and the personal training rooms too?"
"Yes, those are prime examples."
I learned that illusion magic at the Transcendent level could even interfere with the environment.
"Also, the grounds of Heiden Academy belong to the Cricid family. Our mansion is inside as well."
Which meant the Cricid family had founded Heiden Academy.
"The reason is that the Cricid family maintains neutrality. Honestly, I don't have that many desires myself. Using illusion magic takes care of everything, so daily life is convenient too."
Elena shrugged as she spoke.
"Is that enough?"
"Yes."
It had been helpful enough.
The brief explanation about Transcendence especially so.
The rest might not prove particularly useful, but at least I now had some common knowledge.
Just as I thought that, Elena spoke.
"Then I'll give you your reward."
She reached into her robes and pulled out a wooden box.
"It's an elixir. A reward for slaying one of the Seven Evils, so take it."
"...Thank you."
I accepted it while hoping something good was inside.
Suddenly, she pointed with her finger.
Where there had been nothing a moment ago, a clock now sat.
The time on the clock was...
[9:55]
Five minutes before the dormitory curfew.
"Shouldn't you be heading back now?"
"Yes, it's time for me to go."
With the principal's authority, being a little late probably wouldn't matter, but as someone still ranked 500th, I had no desire to test that.
With that thought, I moved to leave.
"...Where are you going?"
This place had no exit.
At my words, Elena smiled softly and said,
"I'll be looking forward to the next time we meet."
The moment she finished speaking, the lavender scent returned, and my vision was once again dyed in twilight.
***
"How fascinating."
Alone in the twilight after sending Adel away, Elena murmured to herself.
He really did feel like someone who came from the mountains.
On the first day, he hadn't recognized me. Today, he hadn't even known I was a Transcendent. And then he'd asked me to tell him about my own family.
Lately, I'd been having all sorts of curious experiences.
I wonder how Tina and Siris are doing.
Born into a noble house and having worked as a hero, Elena had met Christina and Siris quite often.
She had only grown close to them two years ago, around the time she became a Transcendent.
How adorable they had been, approaching her with questions.
"Heh."
Even now, the memory made her smile.
If I weren't the principal, I would have seen them more often.
The position of principal at Heiden Academy would likely have gone to someone else if she weren't a Transcendent.
In truth, she had been forced into the role.
At first, she had disliked it, but after Christina and Siris enrolled and she encountered unexpected faces, she had come to feel it wasn't so bad.
I'm curious.
She hadn't mentioned it to Adel, but most of the instructors had high expectations for him.
Even those who had initially opposed the idea were nearly gone now.
Without realizing it, she wore a faint smile.
Elena gazed at the twilight she had created.
At its edge, the sun was setting and moonlight was rising, casting a dusky glow.
"..."
She stared at the scene for a long while before slowly closing her eyes.