Chapter 40
Chapter 40
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Shadow of the God: Creighton Lukebart (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
In Creighton Lukebart's life, nightmares were like an inseparable shadow.
His brother collapsed on the ground.
Shouts and yells that rang in his ears.
And the priest holding a blade to his own throat.
—"All black mages must be eradicated."
The chilling memory of that dream was, to Creighton, akin to the original sin he had to bear.
Thus, he had resolved to accept the punishment imposed upon himself.
He had decided to endure the eternal dream.
Until the day a small miracle visited him and upended his life entirely.
"Mr. Creighton. You're drinking again today, I see."
At a small table in the Fantasy Repository Celestia.
Creighton's gaze, as he sipped his whiskey there, turned toward the one who had called his name.
Reflected in Creighton's eyes was the figure of a girl wearing a witch's hat.
Long hair cascading down to her waist.
Faint dark circles under her eyes, as if her fatigue hadn't fully lifted.
Even her gaze carried a hint of uncertainty.
Lua Polaris, the mage from the Blue Tower.
The mage who was Creighton's junior greeted him.
"So it was you, Miss Lua."
"Hello."
Creighton chose to look at the mage who had called him rather than dwell on the nightmares that no longer plagued him.
Swoosh.
In Lua's hand, facing Creighton, was a towering dessert stack.
As far as he knew, the mage before him always came to the restaurant to pick one up.
Desserts and black tea.
A fitting choice for a girl of an age that loved sweets.
"You never miss grabbing that dessert. Must really like it, huh."
Creighton tossed the light question her way and took another sip of his whiskey.
As the heavy oak scent filled his nostrils.
Lua began to speak with a somewhat dazed expression.
"W-Well... buying something like this outside costs a fortune."
"Well, yeah, can't be helped. Hard for a mage like you to live like the nobles, indulging in luxuries."
"So I just... decided to be content eating it here in the library."
A poor mage.
And expensive, extravagant desserts.
The end of an ill-matched crush was compromise.
She had apparently settled for soothing her sweet tooth in the library, at least.
Nod.
Creighton, listening to her, swirled the glass in his hand slightly in agreement.
"In that sense, you're one lucky girl. Meeting Johan and getting to dream sweet dreams."
As he spoke, Creighton's gaze swept over the library's scenery.
The Fantasy Repository Celestia overflowed with all manner of magical knowledge and delicacies from land and sea.
A paradise any mage would dream of.
Gaining entry to such a place could be called tremendous fortune.
The fact held true for both Lua and Creighton.
That was why Creighton Lukebart loved this stately library so dearly.
"Not just me, it seems. The senior right in front of me downs quite a bit of booze too."
"Ah, of course... I love this place too. Doesn't it show?"
Swish, swosh.
Creighton lightly swirled his glass before downing the whiskey it held.
Booze free of hangovers or cost was paradise itself to him.
Sometimes, he even wanted to hole up here all day.
Without ever waking from the dream, completely.
Wishing to spend the day entirely in dreams.
"Even without that, just not having nightmares anymore makes it plenty appealing."
"Nightmares? You have them often?"
Lua fixed him with a gaze full of curiosity at his words.
"Yeah. Vicious ones."
"Even a skilled battle mage like you goes through that, huh."
"Well, I don't run into them anymore these days."
Creighton said as much and took another sip from his glass.
The Iron Wall of the Northern Front.
That was what the northerners called him, laced with respect.
However, Creighton didn't think even his true nature was that unyielding.
He merely wished the magic he wielded to be even more so.
"Never had any nightmares yourself, Miss Lua?"
Creighton turned the question on the girl before him.
Lua pondered for a moment before replying.
"I only had the nightmare of not escaping apprentice mage status until I was past forty... nothing else really comes to mind."
"That's a truly horrific dream."
"R-Right...?"
Creighton let out a refined chuckle and drained the glass in his hand completely.
Urp.
After a light belch, he set the ice-filled glass down on the table.
"Heading off to study?"
Creighton's eyes fixed on Lua.
"I have plans to have tea with Miss Feria."
"You two are right at that age for it."
Creighton overlaid the mage before him with memories of his family, gauging her height.
Would she have grown to this much if she'd lived?
No, perhaps a bit shorter.
Setting his glass down, Creighton rose with a faint smile.
"Then I suppose I should do some studying today."
With a slightly tipsy face, he picked up the staff leaning against the table beside him.
Was his reaction unexpected?
Hmm.
Lua gazed at him with eyes steeped in thought before asking.
"Off to train?"
"Meeting all sorts here lately gives me the occasional spark."
"All sorts..."
"Heirs from noble houses, rising stars from the towers, scholars from the Magic Research Society... everyone's grinding away, aren't they?"
"Well... the doctor especially... puts in a lot of effort..."
"Since Johan gave me this chance, the Iron Wall of the Northern Front can't afford to lag behind alone."
Swoosh.
From Creighton's grip on his staff, a grimoire inscribed with the library's magic formulas swayed.
With a flushed face from the drink, he looked at Lua and said.
"If you've got any troubles, feel free to speak up. Miss Feria or I will help you out."
"Yes. I'll let you know if I need anything."
"And try to steer clear of the Church folks or black mages if you can. Can't trust those bastards."
"Yup."
Church and black mages.
Lua nodded quietly at the names.
Leaving her behind, Creighton exited the restaurant in Celestia.
He was missing the training ground's earth dragon after so long.
Crack, pop.
Creighton, staff in hand, stretched his body.
Looked like he'd have to go a proper round with the earth dragon today.
* * * * * *
One morning when the northern sun was melting the ice.
Creighton knocked on the door of his superior's office, looking a bit weary.
Thud, thud.
His hand had barely tapped the door when a familiar voice rang out from beyond.
"Come in."
It was the summons of Creighton’s direct superior and the lead mage of the Magic Corps, Kevin Rayent.
Following his superior's order, Creighton opened the door before him and entered.
Creak.
As Creighton opened the door and stepped into the office, he saw Kevin, who had been smoking a cigar.
The man with graying hair, clad in ornate robes, pipe in mouth.
The mage who had once stormed battlefields alongside Creighton flipped through papers with a complicated expression.
"Heard you returned recently. Did you enjoy your leave, Chief Mage Creighton?"
Kevin glanced at Creighton standing before him as he spoke.
From his superior's demeanor, Creighton took relief that Celestia's alcohol left no hangovers.
By the nature of mages, the Magic Corps wasn't bound by the standard Imperial Army's regulations or structure.
However, that didn't mean discipline in the Magic Corps was lax.
Especially not with Kevin before him now, who showed no favoritism even to chief mages.
"Of course. I had a good rest."
"Glad to hear it."
"......"
"As you know, I've been swamped cleaning up the border commotion."
Creighton's eyes watched Kevin complain while fiddling with the papers in his hand.
From Kevin's mouth flowed a familiar tale.
The border commotion.
Creighton's mind flashed to the conversation he'd had with the doctor in Celestia.
'Something went wrong bringing Johan down to the earthly plane, was it.'
The master of the Fantasy Repository Celestia, Johan.
The fallout from the failed experiment to summon him to the surface had stirred up a storm in the Church.
An experimental subject infused with Johan's power.
That was the chaos advancing toward the Holy City.
Though it seemed somewhat intentional on the doctor's part.
"I've heard the rumors."
Even so, Creighton received the news with a measure of relief.
Because he himself despised the Church intensely.
"Makes it easier to bring up, then."
"Seems the lead mage has a task for me."
"Right. Got a favor to ask the Iron Wall of the Northern Front."
Swoosh.
Kevin's hand, glaring at the paper, paused.
He then pointed to the document in his hand and got to the point.
A request directed at Creighton.
Creighton's gaze, gauging its contents, turned to Kevin's face.
"His Majesty is quite distraught over the border incident."
"......"
"He wants the Magic Corps to form a separate investigation team."
An imperial order.
And an investigation team for the border commotion.
Creighton eyed the papers in Kevin's hand with a serious gaze as he heard those words.
One possibility crossed Creighton's mind.
And as if lending it credence, Kevin continued.
"Conveniently, I'm heading to the capital soon. Isn't it about time you took my seat?"
"No way..."
"The higher-ups want a veteran on this. So I'd like you to lead the investigation team."
An unexpected proposal.
Creighton stared at Kevin Rayent with a stiffened face upon hearing it.
The lead mage, Kevin Rayent, met his gaze with utmost seriousness.
"I guarantee it. Once this is over, you'll take this position."
Creighton Lukebart, member of the Secret Society.
That was the moment he received orders to investigate Begerton Antares's experiment.