The Visit (3)
A neutral-aligned Named.
Neither good nor evil. The sort that prized their own will—or the will of their faction—above all else.
And when they moved according to a faction’s will, that neutrality split into two broad camps.
The kind that shrugged and said, Even if the world ends, we’ll be fine—and simply stood aside.
And the kind that said, The world’s end is just another natural current—and stood aside all the same.
Aegis and Osera belonged to exactly those two camps.
Neutral, but leaning a little toward the light. They would help a player now and then—but only that much. Never enough to be called true allies.
And yet…
“Evan Alcarte belongs in our Alchemy Tower. He’s an alchemist, isn’t he? The youngest one, no less!”
“That hardly means we need to force an affiliation. The Spacetime Magic Tower is prepared to embrace any talent.”
“Embrace, my ass! You’ll just stick him inside and let him rot!”
“Not rot—protect. Do you have any idea how many people would envy a talent born only after so many long years, and try to destroy it?”
Why are they fighting over me?
Evan’s expression soured of its own accord.
Fine. Fighting was one thing.
But—
I never even said I was joining anywhere.
Their entire premise assumed Evan would belong to some faction.
He had no such intention.
One affiliation was more than enough: the ducal house. Solid support. Room and board covered. As long as he could manage the physical discomfort, it was a perfectly decent place to be.
The Alchemy Tower? The Spacetime Magic Tower?
He could do without either. Connections alone would suffice.
He wasn’t the protagonist. Why micromanage every single thing? Why make life harder than it needed to be?
Better to set things up so they ran themselves.
But regardless of Evan’s will, the two of them kept beating the drum and clashing the cymbals.
“An alchemist belongs in the Alchemy Tower! Don’t you know you should go where you can actually live out your profession?”
“Do you truly believe the Alchemy Tower is a place that cultivates an alchemist’s potential? Those people have lived so long they’ve calcified their brains… they might well hinder a precious person’s growth.”
“You. Would you say that in front of the other Elders?”
“Of course. I am fair to everyone.”
Osera’s head turned briefly toward Evan, then back again.
“With the exception of a precious person, that is.”
“Oh, is that sooo?”
In short: the Alchemy Tower was a den of old fossils.
True enough—but being the one doing the criticizing and hearing someone else do it were two very different feelings.
The corner of Aegis’s mouth twitched.
“If you’re so superior, is that why you drove out the Priestess of the Night Sky?”
This time Aegis’s smile froze solid.
A clean hit to the mark.
The Priestess of the Night Sky came from the Spacetime Magic Tower?
A priestess who read the stars, cast fortunes, and discerned fate. She wandered the entire continent; no one ever knew when, where, or how she would appear.
There was only one certainty: her purpose.
The priestess was a force for good.
Not a mere helper—an actual force for good. She loved humanity, read destinies, and guided people toward better paths.
Somewhere out there, people called the Priestess of the Night Sky a “witch” instead and tried to kill her—idiots, the lot of them.
Tsk, tsk. The priestess is one of the few true saints left.
Gentle by nature. Never betrayed anyone. Always offered kindness. And her design was gorgeous.
Evan’s favorite character.
She didn’t appear often, but every entrance hit hard. He’d always liked her for that.
Unexpected, though. That a representative good-aligned character had come out of a neutral faction like the Spacetime Magic Tower.
Seriously, why didn’t the game ever drop important lore like this?
Even in the game, almost nothing about the priestess was ever revealed. Her appearances followed the same pattern nearly every time.
Someone in danger.
Or someone desperately seeking their fate.
The Priestess of the Night Sky, who had wandered her whole life, would find them, read the stars, see their destiny, help them—and in the end, sacrifice herself and die.
Her final words were one of the most unforgettable scenes in the game.
A Noble Sacrifice.
Just imagining it almost brought tears to his eyes.
If I get close to them this time, maybe they’ll put me in touch with the priestess?
Evan was seriously considering it when Osera, her mouth set hard, shot back.
“…We did not cast her out. She left of her own accord.”
“Same difference. Why would she leave on her own? Because you people were so disgusting she couldn’t stand it. Why would you leave a precious talent like this in a place like that?”
Aegis smiled, certain she had seized the upper hand.
“At least we don’t have people quitting.”
“You mean you don’t let them quit, don’t you?”
“Come on, dumping someone just because their level dropped is too much, don’t you think? Your first comrades are your comrades forever. You take care of them to the end.”
Nice words. In practice, they sucked people dry down to the marrow. Only when they were about to be forgotten did they quietly discard them—after cleaning up every loose end so no one would talk afterward.
That was why Evan disliked the Alchemy Tower.
No warmth. None at all.
“Alright, Evan!”
Convinced of her victory, Aegis spun toward him and threw her arms wide.
“Which of us do you like better? I think we’ve done enough PR!”
“Precious one.”
Osera folded her hands respectfully and bowed slightly.
Hmm. She did resemble the priestess a little.
“Please, make a wise choice.”
She said it while fixing her gaze on Evan. He couldn’t see her eyes, but the fierce passion was unmistakable.
The passion of someone determined to reel him in no matter what!
I’m going insane.
First, change the subject. They needed an actual conversation.
“…If I may ask—exactly what benefits would I gain by joining either of your towers?”
“I will give you a Spacetime Herb.”
“I’ll give you a research treatise from a forgotten grand alchemist.”
“…In that case, a Dimensional Herb, and I will also transmit one space magic spell.”
“Then I’ll throw in enchantment magic lessons too.”
“…”
“…”
Their eyes met again.
Fire ignited between them.
An auction!
The winner would claim Evan!
“A Spacetime Herb and two space magic spells.”
“The treatise, enchantment magic, and potion synthesis.”
“I will also teach one time magic spell.”
“On top of that, a private research laboratory.”
“Is any of that actually useful? A Regression Herb. It has the effect of returning you one second into the past…”
As expected of Evan!
Lapis munched on a cucumber, staring at him with sparkling eyes.
The two women. They were raising the stakes with increasingly absurd offers, but both were heavyweights in their own right—representatives of their respective factions.
Their original motives had seemed a little impure. Not enough for Las, the Sin of Wrath, to sense, but something about them had felt off.
None of that remained now.
This was genuine. They had seen Evan’s talent and were raising the bid in earnest.
Heh heh. Yes. This is it.
With Frey gone, the peaceful days had started to grow dull. She never would have imagined she’d get to enjoy a show like this.
Evan must have predicted all of this, right?
The way he’d suddenly started building an orphanage after Frey appeared. The way he’d accepted that flimsy excuse about wanting independence.
Of course Frey’s independence had all been part of the plan.
Which meant this bidding war was also inside Evan’s grand design.
“…Hah. Impressive.”
Aegis pushed sweat-soaked hair back from her face.
“The Spacetime Magic Tower really does have money, huh?”
“Currency changes in value as time flows, but the fact that it remains necessary is immutable.”
“…Hah. Fine.”
Aegis’s eyes lit with genuine seriousness. She turned slightly toward Evan and drew a single sheet of paper from her coat.
Grants the bearer an opportunity to witness the Philosopher’s Stone in person.
“If you come, I’ll give you a chance to see the Philosopher’s Stone yourself.”
“!”
The Philosopher’s Stone!
The corner of Osera’s mouth trembled. She was no alchemist, but she knew full well what value that name carried.
The core—the very nucleus—that sustained the Alchemy Tower. The ultimate crystallization of all alchemy. Rumor said it granted every wish.
Th-that’s cheating!
To bring out the Philosopher’s Stone itself!
However—
…Eh, not really?
To Evan, the offer barely registered.
It’s not omnipotent anyway.
Before possessing this body, Evan had already walked the alchemist route and seen the end of alchemy.
The Homunculus. The Elixir. The Philosopher’s Stone.
The completion of the Three Essences.
The Philosopher’s Stone was useful, certainly—but in the end, it was a creation made by human hands. Unlike the Emerald Tablet, it could not generate knowledge that did not already exist.
If I had to choose… the Spacetime Magic Tower is better.
The reason: the space magic and Spacetime Herb they had offered actually appealed to him.
His ring still held no stored magic at all. Having one spell engraved wouldn’t be so bad, would it?
But accepting the offer is another matter.
Affiliation aside, the rewards were far too extravagant. At that level, weren’t they ripping out the foundation pillars of their own tower?
Even if I take it, I’ll get a stomachache.
It would feel good in the short term. In exchange, he’d draw enormous attention—as the guy who yanked out a Magic Tower’s pillars!
Now was the time for a generous man to take one step back.
It absolutely was not because he feared retaliation.
“…For now, let’s end the two of you’s auction there. I have no intention of joining any faction at present.”
“What? Why?!”
“For what reason?”
At their questions, Evan’s mind spun.
A decent excuse…
Ah. He had one.
“Because I am not yet an adult.”
Evan spoke with a blank face.
“I am still under my parents’ protection. I do not wish to leave the ducal house.”
“…”
“…Uh, yeah. That’s… fair enough.”
He already seemed like an adult, though.
They’d heard he hadn’t held a coming-of-age ceremony, but his speech and emotional control already put most adults to shame.
Still, he said so himself. The two of them forced themselves to accept it.
Evan held the upper hand here. There was no need for the ones in the weaker position to ruffle his feathers.
“That said, there are a few things I do want.”
Relieved they had accepted his reasoning, Evan continued.
“Of course, I will pay a fair price. Using this as a starting point, we can exchange letters going forward and maintain a good relationship. How does that sound?”
“I’m in. You’re welcome anytime.”
Aegis answered at once, her face brightening.
Getting rejected for the Alchemy Tower had been a shock, sure. But if they kept in touch, his heart would change eventually!
I will get him to join. No matter what.
Aegis made a firm resolution.
“I am also agreeable.”
Osera consented as well.
Evan sighed in relief inwardly.
Whew. I’m saved.
This much should be fine, right? Fewer recruitment pitches going forward. We’re friends, after all.
“What I want is a Dimensional Herb, one space magic spell, and…”
Should he say it?
His mouth went dry for a moment.
This was the chance. Possibly the last chance to learn, even once, the location of someone who appeared so irregularly.
…Alright.
Say it.
Evan. You can do this!
“The Priestess of the Night Sky—where is she?”
“…!”
At the name of the Priestess of the Night Sky, Osera reacted sharply.
“…Why do you ask after her?”
“There is something I wish to know about fate.”
That should be fine, right?
It wouldn’t look like he had some strange ulterior motive, would it?
What Evan wanted was a connection. Being able to exchange letters when he wished would be enough.
Something he wanted right this moment?
Nothing. He had no intention of asking her to read the future or cast his fortune.
Evan was the type of small-minded man who would only grow self-conscious if he saw such things.
He denied it himself, of course.
And apparently you have to pay some kind of price to see the future anyway.
Why bother? Things would work out on their own.
“Would that be difficult?”
“…”
Osera fell silent for a moment. Through the bandages covering her eyes, she regarded Evan steadily.
Her thoughts had been tangled, but now they were clear.
Emotions and talent that cannot be observed. And an interest in fate…
Osera had spent her entire life studying spacetime. In aptitude alone, she was the greatest of her generation—greater even than the priestess who had left.
And yet she could see nothing?
That made no sense unless Evan was a stranger from an entirely different dimension.
It was one of two things. His talent was either pitifully meager… or overwhelmingly vast.
The latter, surely.
If he had no talent, the golem she had “observed” within that shadow could not be explained.
The youngest alchemist, Evan Alcarte.
The rumors about him had not been exaggerated in the slightest. If anything, they had been understated.
And then there was this deep interest in fate—
…It would seem, Asella.
The corner of Osera’s mouth curved into a gentle arc.
You appear to have been mistaken about him.
She recalled the proposal Asella had made not long ago.