Theodore continued running through the night forest.
The only light he had was the fire he had created in his hand.
Rescued by a mysterious woman who called herself Cat, he escaped from the fortress and ventured into the forest.
The feeling in his chest was frustration.
If he had understood Obsidian’s plans, Marcus would not have been taken hostage.
In fact, if he had the power to defeat all his enemies in an instant, he would not have been captured or put his friends in danger. Theodore thought his own limitations had caused these outcomes.
At the same time, he continued to ponder the identity of his enemies.
What was the Wisdom of Chaos? Why were they pursuing him? Who was the man called Obsidian?
The questions kept growing.
“Is that what I hear… Are those horses?”
He extinguished the fire and hid among the trees.
Shortly after, some men who seemed to be horseback riders galloped ahead.
“Wait, everyone stop!”
The man at the front said, ordering them to halt.
The nearly fifty riders slowed down and stopped immediately.
Theodore gripped the handle of the silver sword, holding his breath.
“Whoever is there, show yourself.”
“…”
The riders grew uneasy.
They reached for the swords at their waists.
However, the red-haired man at the front ordered them not to draw their swords.
“My name is Leon Agnis. I am the seventh seat of the Twelve Knights of the Order of the Sword. If you do not want to be the subject of unnecessary suspicions, show yourself.”
“Yes! I will come out right now!”
Theodore emerged shakily from behind the trees and raised his hands in surrender.
Leon rode his horse towards him.
“You look like a student from the academy. Why are you here?”
“I don’t really understand it myself. I was suddenly attacked in the park. When I woke up, I was in a cell. Thanks to the help of a certain person, I was able to escape from the fortress, but then I got lost in the forest not knowing where to go.”
“The fortress?”
The knights grew uneasy.
Theodore wondered why they were there and why they were concerned about his presence.
Even he, lacking experience, recognized Leon Agnis as a renowned figure.
Appointed as the seventh seat of the ‘Twelve Knights of the Order of the Sword,’ the most powerful force in the kingdom at the young age of eighteen, he became the commander of the First Order of Magic Knights of the central army of the Kingdom of Leticia.
He was also the brother of the next heiress of the Agnis family, Adelina Agnis.
“We need to hear more details, but we are in a hurry. What is your name?”
“I am Theodore. Theodore Williams. I am a first-year student at Winstan Magic Academy.”
“Williams? The Williams who lives on the mountain? Did you live with your father on the mountain?”
Leon jumped off the horse and ran towards him.
Then, he firmly grabbed him by the arms.
“It’s true, you have the same face.”
“Eh? I don’t understand…”
“Haha, yes, yes, we meet again in a place like this! Life is sometimes stranger than fiction! Someone, take him back to the academy, and treat him with great respect.”
“Yes!”
Two knights grabbed Theodore’s arms and dragged him away, leaving him puzzled about what was happening.
Thud!
Suddenly, the ground shook violently.
“What’s happening?!”
“An earthquake?”
A shocking sound resonated strongly from the other side of the forest, where a rainbow-colored light appeared.
The light illuminated the night and dyed the surroundings as if it were daytime.
Everyone was dazzled, including Theodore, Leon, and the knights.
Even the evil creatures inhabiting the forest.
“What a beautiful light,” murmured Theodore.
Shortly after, a violent shockwave hit them.
“Aaaah!”
“This is a wave of magical and vital energy! Could it be the ultimate skill of sword art, ‘Brake Arts’?”
Several knights were thrown into the air, and Theodore, despite resisting, felt the surface of his face trembling.
The violent wave passed like a gale, leaving the formation of knights in a desolate state.
Theodore, still unable to move, broke out in a cold sweat in his place.
The sky returned to its usual night sky, and Leon remained motionless and tense.
“If that is the ultimate sword art, ‘Brake Arts,’ it surpasses even the Sacred Sword Art. Is it possible? A sword that surpasses even the SS-ranked Sacred Sword?”
“Lord Leon, there are many wounded.”
“Those who can move, provide medical assistance. As soon as you are ready, head towards the fortress.”
“Can I go too? I am concerned.”
“…I will assign you an escort, but you must protect yourself.”
“Yes, thank you.”
***
Fortunately, there were no fatalities.
The injured only suffered arm fractures.
“What is this?”
“The forest…”
What the two saw at the fortress was unimaginable.
The trees that would have existed in the deeply excavated land had completely disappeared, leaving a straight trail that extended as far as the eye could see.
Long ago, a wizard split the land. Over time, his name disappeared, and only legends remained.
People, not knowing his name, called him with fear…
“…The most powerful magician.”
“There was no problem in describing him that way. We do not know who he is.”
The sun began to rise on the horizon.
Dawn was approaching.
Leon shook his cape and headed towards the fortress.
“Agnis-sama, can I ask you a question?”
“Call me Leon. And yes, what do you want to know?”
“Who are the Wisdom of Chaos? Why am I their target? What happened here tonight and why were you coming here? Please, explain to me.”
“Unfortunately, I cannot tell you.”
“Why? I am a victim. My friend also got involved.”
Faced with Theodore’s calm but intense frustration, Leon sighed.
“All I can say is that they are the enemy.”
“Enemies? What enemies?”
“If you want to know, become stronger. Information will not be given to someone who falls so easily.”
“Ugh!”
As if a knife had been thrust into his heart, Theodore turned pale.
A solidly built knight easily lifted him and took him to his horse, unmoving and completely rigid.
As he watched Theodore being taken back to the academy, Leon let out a faint laugh.
“I am expecting great things from you, young one.”
He also ordered a knight to clear the debris and report any details, no matter how insignificant.
***
I finished my class as usual, putting away my pen and textbook.
As I turned to look at Theodore, I noticed he was sitting by the window, with dark circles under his eyes, staring blankly into space.
According to what I was told, he returned to the academy dormitory at dawn.
It must have been difficult to come out of the deep forest.
However, his misfortune did not end there. He was caught by the dormitory director, his teacher, and the student council president, who scolded him for several hours until he ended up crying in shame.
His bad luck continued. When he arrived at school, Marcus was waiting for him and, in a fit of rage, grabbed Theodore by the neck and pushed him.
It seems he didn’t appreciate Theodore intervening to save his life. Such are friendships, aren’t they?
However, for Theodore, that was the final blow.
Despite several hours passing since then, he was still in a state of shock.
“Oh.”
Huh? He suddenly moved.
It seems he reacted to something outside, by the window.
“No, it’s not her. I thought the hair color was similar.”
He sighed deeply.
Hair color? What is he talking about?
“Will-kun!”
“Hm?”
Upon hearing my name, I turned towards the voice.
It was Celsia.
His demeanor seemed distant, and his expression a bit gloomy.
“Can you accompany me for a while?”
“I guess I don’t have a problem with that.”
“Thank you. Then come to the training field.”
“Okay.”
Training field…?
Why there again?
With doubts, I got up from my seat.
“I am going to assess your true ability. So, be prepared.”
Celsia and I prepared with our weapons.
How did we end up here?
