Chapter 596

There is no need to move hastily. The opposing force is an unknown group that can attack the temple of the inquisitor with a leader and commit a massacre. It is uncertain whether they are a group of wizards, followers of the god of magic, or a third force. The important thing is that they are not the kind of people who leave the trackers alone, and there is a high possibility that they will target not only the warrior but also the princess of the Schwartz royal family. Therefore, it is not good to provoke them by moving hastily. Ellen plans to wait in the Royal Class dormitory while waiting to hear any clues from Anna de Gerna. They also need to carefully consider how to approach the internal problems of the Holy Order. Ludwig is in the B-Class dormitory, while Ellen, Louise, and Heinrich are in the A-Class dormitory. Heinrich is not a psychic, so he is resting in his room after walking around all day. Louise is sitting on the sofa in the lobby, trying to organize her thoughts, and Ellen, who has just finished showering, is walking down the hallway with a towel around her neck. Ellen's cat is missing, but she believes it will come back soon. Ellen Artoleus, the next great warrior, is becoming more prominent. She doesn't seem to be a cat person, but rather thinks of her cat as a friend who occasionally visits her. She hopes her cat is not outside in the cold and snow, but rather wandering around the Royal Class dormitory. Ellen continued to dry her hair as Louise thought back to yesterday when Ellen was petting her cat. Louise couldn't help but chuckle at how different Ellen seemed today. Despite appearing carefree, Ellen was quick to offer help when Ludwig asked for it. She was wise, quick-thinking, and always willing to help others. Although she didn't look like a typical warrior, her hidden qualities made her just as much of a hero. Louise initially found Ellen to be a stranger, but after seeing her human side, she couldn't help but like her. Ellen had entered the temple as a commoner, but she was now the owner of two sacred relics and a hero in her own right. If it weren't for the Gate incident, Ellen would have lived a normal life as a commoner. But now, everyone saw her only as a hero. Despite this, Louise had seen the human side of Ellen and wondered what her life would have been like if she hadn't become a hero. Therefore, Louise became curious about what kind of life Ellen wanted and what her aspirations were. Even though she knows that talking about it now is meaningless. Ellen stares blankly out the window in response to Louise's question. If all of this had never happened, she would have been attending the temple. Even though she is still at the temple now, if the Gate incident had never occurred, the temple would have been bustling with numerous students. Even if they weren't particularly close, over time they would have become friendly enough to exchange simple conversations. This is still the case now, but they wouldn't have had to build a sad friendship that could only be called camaraderie. And there wouldn't have been those who died in twisted and tangled relationships. There wouldn't have been anyone who couldn't be here. If that were the case, Ellen looks out the window. She wouldn't have to consider her cursed eyes as cursed. Assuming that nothing had changed, if it snowed like this. No, a piece of memory from that day naturally comes to mind. The mischievous smile of Reinhardt, who stuffed a snowball into Hareth's mouth. The day they sat on the winter terrace and ate beef stew while quietly watching the snow fall. It wasn't a particularly special day. Even then, she thought that she would remember this time later. She thought that she would think that all the days she spent so ordinarily were special, that they were all special. So Ellen vaguely guessed. It's enough like this. I don't want anything more. A friend. And someone she loves. She thought it was enough just to be together like this. In the end, it's just a story. She didn't even know. The days she thought wouldn't come back, just became days that couldn't come back. It wasn't the way she thought, but in the end, it became such a story. And she was the one who broke everything. If she could go back to that time. If she could make everything not happen and just live like that. What would she be doing now? "...Making a snowman, maybe." "A snowman...?" "Yes." Ellen says quietly like that. In the accumulating snow, like before. Watching the snow falling and eating or drinking something. Or making a snowman. She would have been doing just that. It's not particularly great or grand. Those ordinary days. Those special days. She would have been living them. * * * The next day, Anna de Gerena did not return. Christina and Louis Ancton, who were devoted to research, did not return either. It's possible that the research being conducted at the Magic University had nothing to do with them, so the story may not have been conveyed. If so, they had no choice but to wait in the dormitory. Above all, it's a time to be careful. Yesterday, I unintentionally stimulated those who didn't need to be stimulated while wandering around here and there. Moving hastily in a situation where we don't know who the enemy is was enough for just one day. So they waited at the temple for two days, and Anna de Gerena still hadn't returned. They were all gathered in the B-class dormitory waiting for her. They couldn't find the black magician in the temple, and they spent meaningless time waiting for Anna, who they didn't know when would return. They sat in the lobby for a long time, and Louise saw a strange student named Detto a few times. Louise hesitated for a while before finally speaking up. Although she hadn't observed him for long, Detto Moriann definitely left a strong impression. Everyone inevitably felt uneasy and ominous around him. "He may have caused a lot of misunderstandings, but he's a good friend," said Rudolf, and Ellen nodded in agreement. Louise couldn't help but be visibly surprised by his words. "No, I don't mean he's a bad person..." Heinrich was still hesitant because of Detto Moriann's eerie atmosphere. Detto Moriann didn't pay attention to Louise, a stranger in the dormitory, and only did what he had to do. He didn't care about anyone who greeted him or who was around him. Louise knew a little about Heinrich's classmate, but seeing him in person was different. "He has a talent for sorcery, right?" "Yes." Detto Moriann had a talent for sorcery. "What exactly is sorcery?" asked Louise, and even Heinrich and Rudolf had an ambiguous expression. "Well... I don't really know," said Heinrich. Even Rudolf, who had lived with him for a long time, couldn't grasp what sorcery was. It was like magic, but not magic. "We don't know how it manifests, but it's definitely a means of wielding power. I've seen it a few times," said Ellen. Ellen had witnessed Detto Moriann's ritual to awaken the cursed sword Tiamat with Reinhard. She also saw Detto Moriann, Berthus, and Savioline Tana praying for peace. And the amulet hanging around Ellen's neck was also carved by Detto Moriann. Ellen didn't know if the amulet was really protecting her, but Detto Moriann said it was a marker to protect her soul. That's why he did it. It's unclear whether it really exerts power or not, but he hopes it will. Is that the essence of sorcery? Louise didn't doubt Ellen's words that she had seen sorcery manifesting. "Interesting. If sorcery manifests power, is it a way of manipulating mana or a way of manipulating divine power?" A more fundamental question. Is sorcery magic or faith? All three of them had a confused expression. "I don't know much, but I heard that sorcery is the most primitive form of magic," said Heinrich. That was the extent of Heinrich's knowledge, and it was a story that most ordinary people didn't even know. It was only because there was Detto Moriann, a classmate with the unique talent of sorcery, that he knew anything. Before the establishment of magic in the world, sorcerers were the first magicians. Therefore, sorcery is a primitive form of magic. Ellen knows this, but she has never really thought about it. It seems quite eerie to think about it that way. When Detto Moriann performed a ritual for Tiamat and when she saw him wishing for peace, the word "wish" itself seemed strange. "But when you actually use it, it's more like a prayer...," Heinrich said. Louise asked if sorcery is a way of manipulating mana or divine power, but no one knows for sure. Sorcery has no set formula or theory, so it is not a technique like magic. The power of sorcery is very strange. "Where did Detto go? He used to frequent that room often," asked Rudbeck. Ellen nodded her head in response. It was a creepy and eerie space - the basement of the club building. Ellen knew that Detto Moriann performed rituals there every day.