The End of the Dwyer Empire
Imperial Year 804, the first day of January.
A new year had dawned.
And Bayul turned seventeen.
Under normal circumstances, he would have been in the thick of his winter break, but the attempted assassination of the Crown Prince had thrown the Academy into an unprecedented closure. And so, to make up for the lost class days, the entire student body found itself going through the strange experience of attending school during what should have been vacation.
The season of Bayul and Bail's birth was winter. That day was also the memorial date of their mother, Yvette.
Back home in Hamilton, before Bail's death, they had always honored her memory first, then held a modest birthday party for the twins.
But now it was the middle of the term, Bail was gone, and their father, Duke Randert, had marched off to war. For the first time in his life, Bayul observed his mother's memorial day alone.
Rita had prepared a birthday meal for him, yet she hadn't been able to bring herself to put candles on the cake. It was to mourn his mother — but also out of worry for his father.
According to the news, the two empires were on the verge of all-out war. As expected, the Dwyer Empire's resistance was fierce, and its offensives were formidable.
It was painfully clear how thoroughly they had prepared, and even Duke Randert found himself occasionally struggling through grueling, hard-fought battles.
Nevertheless, true to his promise to Bayul, he emerged victorious time and again, until at last he arrived at Methar, the enemy capital where Emperor Royan had entrenched himself.
No one could know how brutal and terrible the battle there would be, but Bayul believed with all his heart that his father would triumph on that final battlefield and return home.
Until then, his goal was to deepen his communion with the spirits even further.
Once the war ended, he would have to travel to the imperial capital and explain what had happened in Romandsi. In other words, he could no longer hide the fact that he was a Spirit User. That would bring a whole host of additional explanations with it — most people knew nothing about spirits, so he might well have to prove it one way or another.
It was said the capital's nobles never trusted anything they hadn't seen with their own eyes. Words alone would never convince them.
If he had to prove himself anyway, then he intended to show them exactly what spirits were. He would carve into their minds just how magnificent and mighty these beings were, so that no one would ever dare treat him lightly. That, and that alone, was the way to ease his father's burdens.
The secret training he undertook in the Forest of Corruption after class was going smoothly, and the power of Spinel, Innocent, and Shame — now Intermediate Spirits — was nothing short of staggering.
Their individual abilities were impressive enough, but the synergy when all three worked together was considerable. Of course, every time that happened, he had to console a teary-eyed Tempesta — though thanks to the "Tempesta's First Superior Spirit Theory" that Aidan had once spun to cheer him up(?), the problem was quickly resolved each time.
Now, if only his father came home, everything would be perfect. Until the day of his triumphant return with news of victory, Bayul intended to devote himself just as diligently to his duties as a student.
"What do you think's on the lunch menu today?"
"It's the first day of the new year — I hope they serve something special!"
"Probably donuts, if I had to guess. In Carrington we usually share them and wish for peace and good fortune in the coming year. Bayul, what do you eat back home?"
"We have a stew with pork and lentils. Northern winters are brutal, you know? So we start the year with something warm. Rita's probably already got a huge pot bubbling away at home — I bet if I went back this weekend it'd be waiting. Come along and try some if you're curious."
Though it was the middle of the term, there were no afternoon classes that day in honor of the new year. Because of it, the students streaming toward the dining hall after morning lessons wore anticipation on every face.
"Hey, Eli, do dragons have New Year's food too?"
Aidan's curiosity had suddenly been piqued.
"What about demons? I wonder if the Demon Realm has anything like that?"
"How should I know? If you're that curious, go ask the demon himself!"
"What's with the attitude? Is being curious a crime now? Can't a guy even ask a question?"
When Eli glared at him with scarlet eyes, Aidan lifted his chin and fired right back. Small compared to Eli, yes — but his glare was every bit as ferocious.
"I take it you're not curious what they eat in the Mermaid Kingdom, then?"
It was Quinn who stepped in as the peacemaker. In an instant, he redirected Aidan's attention to himself and defused the crackling tension.
"Oh, now THAT I'm curious about! Somehow I feel like you guys wouldn't be eating donuts or stew!"
"We eat a traditional cake with seaweed in it."
"…A cake with what in it?"
Everyone assumed they'd misheard. That the Mermaid Kingdom's New Year's dish was a cake was surprising enough, but seaweed as an ingredient was beyond imagining.
"It's insanely good. I'm sure you'll get the chance to try it someday."
Whether or not he noticed his friends' expressions contorting, Quinn shrugged with unmistakable pride.
"I… for some reason, I'm starting to dread what the other dishes must be like."
Different races could certainly have different food cultures, but stereotypes die hard. Shaking his head vigorously, Aidan hurried into the dining hall.
"Hey! You guys!"
The moment the group entered, someone spotted them and waved both arms frantically — Schubik. He claimed he'd been holding seats for them personally and practically begged them to hurry over.
"Am I imagining things, or are people looking at us a little differently than usual?"
As they loaded their trays and made their way to the seats Schubik had saved, a peculiar heat of attention rained down on them. It was almost exactly like when Bayul had first transferred in.
"What's going on?"
"Did we do something while we weren't looking?"
The furtive glances being cast their way were deeply suspicious. The only mercy was that none of them seemed hostile.
"Hey, what is this?"
Aidan set down his tray and asked Schubik outright. With the atmosphere like this, there was no way the resident information broker didn't know. For all anyone knew, Schubik had engineered the whole situation himself.
"Why didn't you tell us?"
Instead of answering, the boy demanded, eyes bulging.
"Tell you? Tell you what?"
"Everyone's whispering about the bizarre thing that happened in Romandsi! There was a massive earthquake, and then a tsunami came crashing in?!"
"…Oh. Right, that did happen, didn't it?"
"What do you mean, 'that did happen'?! You were ALL there!"
Schubik shot resentful glares at each of their faces in turn.
"How could you not tell me something like that? Duke Randert manifested that incredible power! Do you have any idea how shocked I was when I heard the news today?!"
"…Duke Randert?"
"Yeah! They say he suppressed the giant wave that was about to swallow the whole city in a single instant! Argh, I should've been there to see it! Do you even think of me as a friend? Huh?!"
"So… you're saying Duke Randert held back the tsunami and the earthquake… is that it?"
"Aidan, you actually witnessed it — what kind of question is that? Is it still too unbelievable from the shock?"
"No… what shocked me was that the rumor actually made it all the way here."
"How did it spread? Obviously through the wounded soldiers and the citizens of Romandsi. You're amazed by that?"
What Bayul had done had transformed into something Duke Randert had done. A moment's thought would have made it clear that even a duke couldn't pull off such a feat easily, but the event was so wondrous and uncanny that people had naturally connected it to him.
After all, Duke Randert already had a long record of astonishing the empire's citizens with his exploits.
But once the war ended, there would be reports and investigations. That was when Bayul's identity as a Spirit User would come to light before all the world — and what fresh betrayal would Schubik feel then? He could already picture it: the boy would scold and berate him for ages about how he'd been deceived.
The moment that thought landed, Bayul — and the other friends as well — found themselves unconsciously furrowing their brows as they took their seats.
"Enough with the nonsense — give us the details! What was it like in person? Were you scared out of your minds at first?"
"What? Scared?"
"They say the wave was big enough to swallow the city twice over? Honestly, wasn't it a miracle you survived?"
Schubik shuddered from head to toe as if his knees went weak at the mere thought, and pressed on.
"Especially you two — Bayul and Quinn had only just come back from the dead! If I'd been in your shoes, I'd have been shaking like a leaf. Knowing more just makes it scarier, after all."
"You think Bayul and Quinn are cowards like you? You're the one who keeps spouting nonsense!"
The ones who had actually held back that tsunami were Bayul and Quinn themselves. Without the two of them, the loss of life would have been beyond reckoning.
They could understand Schubik's innocent reaction, but at the same time it was almost pathetic — the boy sitting across from heroes and failing to recognize them.
"Oh, right — Bayul! I heard Duke Randert has finally reached enemy territory? So the war's about to end, then?"
True to his scatterbrained nature, Schubik's topic changed in an instant. Bayul had been bracing for him to dig deeper into the tsunami, but mercifully, the boy moved right along.
"I don't know the exact date, but it won't drag on much longer. He said he'd never allow anything like the Ten-Year War to happen again."
"Ooh! Does the Duke have some secret strategy up his sleeve or something?"
"Hmm… I wouldn't know about that."
His father had only said he intended to end it as swiftly as possible, without offering any further explanation. It was a matter his father would handle on his own, and Bayul didn't much concern himself with such things.
"Tch. Really, now?"
Schubik smacked his lips in unmistakable disappointment. But the boy was a man who never knew when to give up.
"When he gets back and tells you, you'll let me know first, promise? You're my friend, Bayul — you can do that much, right?"
"Sure, if I happen to find out."
"That's a promise? Come on, pinky!"
Schubik solemnly extended his little finger toward Bayul. Just as Bayul smiled and moved to hook his own finger, Aidan smacked the back of Schubik's hand.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"Schubik, you sweet, gullible fool. Want me to make you a guarantee?"
"A guarantee?"
"Yeah. Once Duke Randert comes home, you won't spare the war a single thought. So there's no need for any pinky-promise whatsoever."
"Where'd that crap come from all of a sudden? Everyone and their mother is dying to know about this war! And it all started right here, on the very ground we're standing on — Carrington Academy!"
Everything had begun with the attempt on the Crown Prince's life. That was precisely why the Academy students' interest in the current state of affairs was higher than it had ever been.
For Schubik, whose entire presence thrived on broadcasting fresh news, a deal(?) with Bayul — son of Duke Randert — mattered that much.
"Want to bet on it?"
"…A bet?"
"Yeah."
"Out of nowhere? Don't tell me — you want to bet that I won't care about the war at all later on?"
"Obviously. How about 10 koona? No wait, that's a bit small. Let's make it 50 koona."
"Are you insane? What are you going to do after losing 50 koona? I know exactly how tight your money situation is — could you even stay sane after losing that much?"
"That's never going to happen. Guys, honestly — do I look like I'm about to lose 50 koona?"
At Aidan's question, the other four friends shook their heads in perfect unison, as if on cue.
"Never."
"This is a con job, plain and simple."
"I really think you should sit this bet out."
"Schubik, think it over carefully."
Even Logan, quiet all this while, took Aidan's side — and Schubik hesitated, looking genuinely confused. Then, all at once, he roared.
"You're setting this up in advance to make a fool of me, aren't you? You think I'd fall for such a cheap trick? Forget 50 — I'll stake 100 koona!"
"Really? You'll bet 100 koona?"
Aidan froze mid-bite, his mouth hanging open, eyes gleaming.
"Did you forget I'm a rich family's son? Maybe not as rich as your house, but I've got way more money than you! But listen — you'd better bring your own 100 koona too, Aidan. If you try to weasel out later, you know what happens!"
"Of course! Absolutely, positively won't happen — rest assured!"
To Bayul, Aidan's expression at that moment said everything.
I've hooked a total sucker!
My wallet's going to have an easy semester.
Bayul, on the other hand, was already starting to feel sorry for him.
Once this war ended, the name on everyone's lips would not be his father's — it would be his own.
The Spirit User.
That long-forgotten fact would draw the curiosity — and the private ambitions — of the empire's citizens, and indeed of everyone on the continent. He had only just begun to be treated as an ordinary classmate among equals, and the bitter realization that those days were numbered made it a melancholy one.