Chapter 1 - Disciple of the Last Hexe
Lyle Waldstein woke up to the annoying chirping of birds.
covering his face, his eyes were a.s.sailed by the morning sun, which the
"Ugh......"
then rubbed his childlike face that was unlike that of a sixteen year old.
immediate surroundings, searching with half-awake eyes.
Upon expanding his search area, his outstretched hand came into contact
Wondering what exactly it was, he groped around with his hand, and that
"Nnnya...... aahn......"
But still, what is this object with such a remarkable elasticity coefficient?
opening and closing his palm,
The birds today sure are making some really weird sounds. They"re even
here or what—
6
At last, Lyle became fully awake, and he opened his eyes.
beautiful copper colour, adorning an even more beautiful face. A slender
sensuousness of her cherry lips were vividly engraved in his sight.
Lyle"s body stiffened in surprise.
"Hah, mm.... mm, Lyle ~"
Lyle looked as though he was about to scream—and he suppressed the urge
Discreetly removing his right hand in which the feeling of that soft something
extended his hand at the girl"s blissful looking sleeping face—
Having her nose pinched mercilessly, the girl flailed her limbs about, sending
blinked her jade green eyes, looking at Lyle"s face, and elegantly—while still
"Gfffmgghning, fuaafuu."
Releasing his fingers from pinching her nose, Lyle got up from the sofa.
eyebrows in a frown.
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while in the company of others."
The girl with hair the colour of copper—Maria, saying that, crossed her legs
Indeed, she was wearing black garter stockings and silk undergarments, but
"Stop being so shameless already!"
because the laboratory door wasn"t locked, I couldn"t help but think that it
Laughing out loud, Maria shrugged her shoulders, sending those abundantly
Before he realised it, his gaze had fallen there. Noticing that, Lyle corrected
".... Certainly, if I were to consider your personality, it might have been
"Aren"t I right?"
ought to be more modest..."
For a n.o.ble whose t.i.tle was bought, even if I conduct myself with modesty,
Maria"s eyes that were long slits flickered sharply, and she brushed her long
elegant.
8
Revolution>, there would be many of whom would want to buy the Viscount
[Capitalist n.o.bility]—the more abusive term for it would be [nouveau riche
However, Maria Highline was openly unconcerned with that sort of thing.
marriageable age. You ought to conduct yourself with firmness."
was sleeping right beside you when you awoke, you know? Would it kill you
"A fine woman, you say...."
comprehend that. Precisely because she was a fine woman, it could not be
at that, too.
you had torn off my clothes and pushed me into the river? Without even
finishing off with our first kiss?"
doesn"t count!"
time, it can"t be helped that you would be fl.u.s.tered about it."
"A hedge between keeps friendship green. Unlike a certain somebody, I"m a
"What, you"re making me out to be like some promiscuous woman who
"If you disagree, why don"t you prove it by putting some clothes on right
Upon Lyle"s rebuke, Maria started to put on her clothes while grumbling.
In order to block out his imagination that was running wild, Lyle got down on
"What are you doing?"
"Gla.s.ses? If that"s what you"re looking for, they"re right here."
When he looked back, Lyle"s words were caught in his throat.
bustier. Because of her underwear, which pushed up her b.r.e.a.s.t.s moderately,
caught between, of all things, those soft mounds of hers.
out for me?"
"Hmm? I"m a n.o.ble"s daughter, I can"t lift anything heavier than a quill pen."
"Look here, if you want me to put on my clothes faster, you have no choice
Maria bent forward, further emphasising her cleavage. With a mischievous
treated so coldly.
Lyle fixated his glance at her, returning Maria"s seemingly mischievous
".....Maria has always been an outrageous tomboy of a n.o.ble"s daughter,
"It is an honour to receive your praise."
of her heart.
Part 2
In order to cool down his burning hot body, Lyle took a deep breath and
He had managed to retrieve his gla.s.ses. Putting them on and stretching his
Vergenheim Academy, an inst.i.tution for liberal arts that occupied a vast area
comprehensive enriching curriculum, there was a saying that went, "there is
As he walked through the academy"s garden that was hazy with the morning
of the lawn. It looked like a bonfire was burning brightly in the day.
"Ah? Go-Good morning, Lyle."
wearing old work clothes, who looked as though he was from a painting.
"Are you heading back to the dorm? I was just thinking of having some food,
"Alright. But, what were you doing?"
While walking, Hazel stretched his shoulders.
to drive away the winter"s cold, a bonfire was kept burning for three days and
"Isn"t that supposed to be the student council"s job?"
13
everyone is busy playing and enjoying themselves, so they"re short-handed.
council is organising, it seems."
"Am I not a dest.i.tute n.o.ble who has to rely on a scholarship to attend
It was not just the Capitalist n.o.bility like Maria"s Highline family that had
increased, that was how the situation went. The time when n.o.bles could
Then again, unlike Maria, Hazel had pretty much nothing to do with [n.o.bility],
appearance. Thanks to various complicated circ.u.mstances, they
Returning to their dormitory whose only forte was its old-fashionedness, the
boarding students, but as one would expect, it was deserted during the
"Tch. It looks like everyone has already left a long time ago."
recently they had brought in a refrigerator—it operated through ammonia
ingredients that had been effectively stored.
"By the way, what are you planning to do during the holiday, Lyle?"
"I too am planning on spending it being a computer1
to earn
Dipping rye bread into the slightly watery soup, Lyle answered.
calculations twice as fast as private contractors."
experimental results was done through contracting with a private computer
human wave tactics by having novices glare at the calculation tables, small
To avoid having to rely on them, they had also researched on what was called
calculator for mechanism equations—but as of now, they had not announced
"Thanks to that, I thought I was going to be bored even when on break... but
"That copper-haired n.o.blewoman, eh."
"......What?"
"What do you mean by "how far have you gone", didn"t I say that Maria"s only
my childhood friend......"
1
calculator, if you will
A contractor is... let"s say you run a business. You require the services of, say an
electrician. He will then become a "contractor". A sub-contractor is someone the
definitions, just for the record.
15
rotted away?"
saying that sort of thing?"
five generations ago once had a wise saying that went "Men of n.o.bility will
for above her belly"."
meaningless phrase which sounds like a wise saying."
Highline, the only daughter of the Highline Group, which is the central figure
"Evidently, that would be the reason. An upstart youngster like me, would
"Aren"t you modest, Mr «Disciple of the Last Hexe»?"
Lyle frowned.
countries far west.
«Disciple of the Last Hexe» behind his back at Vergenheim Academy.
substantial? Aren"t you well-to-do financially?"
transferred to the Highline Group."
"After all, the leader of the previous generation—Maria"s grandfather, is my
master had. The only thing left for me was that lonesome mansion in the
"But, y"know, is the thing about the unpublished 3"That again...."
truly a "genuine witch". For the sake of concealing that fact, she had virtually
to her being given a second t.i.tle, that of being a «Witch».
there being unpublished knowledge and technology that had been concealed
That was called the , the urban legend that was being(Indeed, it would not be strange for that master of mine to have hidden
".... All I"m doing is simply relying on my master"s research and fortune. I"m
There was no credibility behind the rumours of the , was what LyleTo Lyle, the most important things left to him were the wisdom and
and it was all the inheritance he would need.
".... Rather than admire, I don"t really think that part of you is very sensible."
3
could be interpreted the Inheritance/Legacy of the Last Hexe (witch), as it might end up as
"Leave me alone—and Maria too. Eventually, she"ll be married to a wealthy
"Is that n.o.blewoman really so precious to you? Being "ladylike" is already an
go stab with your sword head-on, y"know."
Lyle sipped his soup in silence, as he had already known that a long time ago.
"That senior from the fifth year? Last year, at the age of eighteen, he
, an extraordinary man—
Zest?"
always surrounded by and bringing along younger n.o.bles from prominent
at the end of the holiday, had even made advances on her... how do you
Looking at the smiling, seemingly happy Hazel, Lyle had a rather unpleasant
"She slapped that dandy right across the cheek, and told him, "Did that quite
were in admiration than in surprise."
Lyle resisted the dizziness that afflicted his head.
personality was like......
4
province of a kingdom. In this case, the kingdom is Ilsestein. The setting is influenced by
"... Even absurdity should have a limit."
hurry up and make something happen already. In the first place, how are you
honest. Are there any guys who dislike b.r.e.a.s.t.s? None.Ain"t that right, my
While cackling, Hazel moved both his hands in an extremely obscene manner.
that I want to say."
"I won"t lend you my notes at all, nor will I show you the way to the exam."
dropping out of cla.s.s! And to make matters worse, if I can"t sell the
"Why is this guy putting food before his exams... wait, what was it that you
"Heheh, pardon me, Lord Lyle. Bestow upon this pitiable lamb your scriptures
"Very well."
little better.
19
After setting up a fire in the stove and taking a hot shower, Lyle changed into
vest, slacks and an overcoat on top.
unfashionable and thus unpopular, Lyle saw it as a mage"s robes and hence it
"—Hm. I forgot something."
saving grace was that he was a neat freak) when he checked and did not feel
left on top of the desk. On the exterior cover that was adorned with delicate
It was the watch that Erllua, Lyle"s teacher, had given him just before her
cover of the watch that was made with cutting-edge mechanisms, was truly
"One could even say that this is the .... Oops, gotta go,When he opened the lid to check the time, he realised that a significant
Stuffing the pocket watch deep into his pocket, Lyle flew out of the
The dormitory was located at the northern end of the vast academy. Lyle
A single horse carriage was stopped before the st.u.r.dy and old-fashioned
stance and pouted as Lyle arrived panting and out of breath.
Though she was making a racket over Lyle first thing in the morning, still, she
the ground were precisely measured, custom-made boots. On her head was a
the image of a high-cla.s.s n.o.blewoman.
Lyle.
that I"m late is rather unreasonable."
always been that way since the past?"
Shaking his head exasperatedly, his gaze met with the girl sitting at the
had large green eyes and light brown skin that gave one the impression of a
which was the symbol of maids.
"Good morning to you, Master Lyle."
reminiscent of a sunflower.
comrade in arms in being abused by Maria.
Maria pushed Lyle towards the carriage. Once they had boarded the
crack of her whip.
towards the central area. Upon arriving at the street where government
21
stalls that were giving off sweet aromas were everywhere, and so were the
Much less a horse carriage, even the trams were not able to move, it seemed.
"It looks like there"s still a fair distance to go... ah, I remembered. I"ve got
Saying that, Maria took out a single envelope from the bag beside her.
having a hard time with it. Could I get your opinion on this?"
that?"
"I wonder? Leaving that aside, won"t you do this for me, p-r-e-t-t-y-p-l-e-a-se♪?"
There was never an instance when he had refused Maria"s "please". Lyle
"...... This is...... a communication device that uses radio waves? With that, it
"If implemented practically, it would probably be referred to as a
While buying mead that was mixed with soda from the carriage window,
doc.u.ments.
there"s electrical resistance in that thin film... How about a carbon or metal
ago I did some calculations on the piezoelectric effect using crystals for the
approach could be possible, but... it"s overly delicate, so putting it to practical
Lyle was unconsciously moving his finger along the doc.u.ments, holding out a
doc.u.ments.
his thoughts formed an idea according to the notations and equations
baby who had just learned to write.
Struck with an idea, he finished writing out the layout of his design as much
Filled with a sense of accomplishment, he raised his head, and saw that Maria
carriage had changed from the city central to that of the outskirts.
"—It"s already been an hour?"
Although Maria was smiling bitterly as though she was amazed, but that
"...... This ought to have been only one hour. I doubt there was any need to
raised three different methods one after the other and even pointed out our
"I didn"t do that much. The part on the microphone that changes sound to
building a little house over a solid foundation."
make you the chief-in-charge of that little house right away?"
23
Lyle shook his head hurriedly.
this is beyond what I deserve."
on me a little more."
understand, but..."
At the western outskirts of the royal capital, there had once been a
considerably large-scale facility, a sudden fire had destroyed everything three
of the second shipbuilding factory that was under construction at that time.
be used for, and thus it ended up as a so-called multi-purpose plaza that had
That multi-purpose plaza at the western outskirts of the royal capital was, as
The popularity of the place had surged to an extent that would not lose to
It was a performing arts festival that a.s.sembled street performers, circuses,
performers had to go through before they could conduct operations in the
location.
their sightseeing.
tiger!"
24
that was lying sprawled at the roadside. The opposite of the timid Lyle, she
"Isn"t it cute? Hey, let"s raise one at home."
will approve because he hates
"Tch.Even though it"s so cute."
it was pleasant, it did not look as though it disliked it, and it opened its
Upon seeing those large knife-like fangs, Lyle abruptly fainted.
Milla gently stroked Lyle who was green in the face on his back. That
Lyle was rather pitiable, as a man.
"You"re welcome."
Before long, having had her fill of the exotic wild beast, Maria"s attention
"Hmm? Doesn"t that look pretty fun?"
example, but it seemed like what that stall used were toys with a spring
mechanism that had just been made practical recently. It was a rather
elaborate toy.
1
"Welcome. It"ll be seven coppers for three tries."
"Please take a look at our prizes. There are perfumes famous in the
industrial city of Imata. They may be expensive, but there is a good reason for
"I see. Well then—Lyle", as she was saying that, Maria pa.s.sed over the toy
"I want that earring."
"Lyle, I"m doing it for your benefit, y"know? It"s a girl"s responsibility to leave
"So it"s that kind of reason......"
an interest in such an unusual game.
Aiming at the centre of the wooden tokens that represented the prizes, he
its mark.
Maria hit the back of his body, giving him a pep talk. Does she really like that
got a little more used to it after the earlier try, the shot would not be as off as
wrong direction.
Because the parabola was totally different from earlier, Lyle noticed the trick
the centre of gravity had been purposely altered.
At the words of the shopkeeper who was wearing a peaceful expression, Lyle
(...... No other choice.)
well.
pocket, touching the amber that was inserted onto the cover with his
"———— That which exists at the end of light, the end of darkness. That
heretic gold.That which is the cradle of time. ————"
surroundings.
incantation known as .watch in the pocket, a tiny warmth that could not be said to be heat was
The hidden amber resonating with his mind, Lyle started constructing the
(The acceleration due to gravity is fixed at 9.806m/s^2—the ma.s.s of the
Magecraft was a study of how one could, using magical power, interfere with
was necessary for one to have a deep understanding of the underlying
being distorted.
Although magic could distort even the laws of reality for the desired results,
excessively unreasonable "magic", and receive the entire backlash of the
However, what was being manipulated this time was the trajectory of the
In accordance to "magic", Lyle formed a mental image of the trajectory. That
— *Pon*.
image, and hit dead centre of its mark.
"B-bull"s eye....", said the shopkeeper while ringing the bell, flabbergasted.
Lyle contemplated a little.
eye. They are but illusions made into fabrication." —that was an unspoken
the Church had been powerful.
him to use it at target practice stand in the festival.
felt much better about it.
It was a high-grade item, but Maria already had as many of them as she
attire, he thought that the bead earrings which matched her emerald green
"Yep. It looks really good on you."
With a clap, Maria took into her hands the toy rifle that was used for target
"Where was this made?"
indebted to my family."
the factory that made this and obtain an exclusive contract."
The shopkeeper stared in wonder at the exchange between Maria and Milla.
Though the Highlines were just one household among others that were
the rest even amongst that. Both her grandfather and father had complained
—Then again, whether it was in a man or a woman, that had nothing to do
Within Lyle"s field of vision, Maria had turned her head back abruptly.
"As if. I"m always seeing you around, so much that I get tired of it. I was
"Oh? Well, let"s just leave it at that."
returned the toy gun, seemingly in high spirits.
30
Wandering about in the day, Lyle and the others continued their sightseeing
And then, what had caught their eyes was a performance stage that involved
A man had his entire body up to his neck entirely covered in an oblong box,
"Whoa, doesn"t that pierce straight into the centre!"
The master and servant pair Maria and Milla, and the surrounding spectators
"Thrusting the sword in is part of their show, isn"t it?"
"I think that that guy is a contortionist. They"d be able to perform that kind of
that would play a trick on their minds, wouldn"t it?"
The spectators who heard that slowly started to spread the information, and
"P-Please wait a second, everyone! Since you"ve said that much, then we
Upon saying that, the magician pushed in a wagon that a big box was placed
"Now, we"ll split the body of the man inside the box into two—"
31
legs sticking out. They use a slanted mirror inside so the audience sees that
The men on the stage hardened their business smiles.
"L-Look at what you have done, you brat!"
"Not good! Let"s run away!"
hurry.
sound of angry voices slowly receded. His hands on his knees, Lyle tried to
"Oh dear...... Come to think of it, it"s been a while since I"ve been chased
Looking around, he saw neither shape nor shadow of either his copper-haired
them while running away.
Just as he was thinking of heading back to the horse carriage, he heard the
nearby in a panic. Hiding himself behind the curtains, the pa.s.sing angry men
"—Are you a customer?"
at Lyle suspiciously after he had suddenly entered the tent.
32
He would feel embarra.s.sed if he had just left like that. Paying the admission
Inside the tent, twenty or so spectators were sitting on benches. For some
like the numbers were filled up. Before long, the tent was closed up.
the host appeared on the stage and bowed his head.
beautiful, one-of-a-kind songstress, who will be gracing us with her heavenly
Aah, no wonder. Lyle now understood the reason why there was an unusual
the "beautiful songstress".
original intention to partic.i.p.ate, the illumination in the tent was
When the light was relit, the illumination revealed a ma.s.sive birdcage in the
but a lonesome small girl.
It had not been a lie. The girl inside the birdcage was truly, extremely lovely
Her pale silver hair was softly undulating as it reached down to her waist,
Because of the repeatedly overlapping thin black cloth, the wings of a bird
From the openings of the dress were limbs so fine that they seemed like they
candle"s flame. It might have been because of that, that the choker and lock
imprisoned. As though it was a play depicting an imprisoned nightingale.
She was probably around two or three years younger than Lyle. Her features
charming eyes that were obscured by her long eyelashes.
an impression of being man-made, inhuman.
While he was thinking that, the girl on the stage looked towards Lyle.
Lyle"s breath was taken away at the sight of the girl"s golden eyes that were
forward, expressionless.
the girl. Her black dress that opened up wide at the shoulders and back
emotionless face, in some respects that had a charm that invited perversion.
"....... Aah————————"
changed.
astonishment and wonder.
—What a......
on ends, Lyle thought.
Almost as though someone was plucking the strings of the midwinter night
pale moonlight—was her extremely clear voice.
He noticed that he had been deeply moved emotionally, after the girl"s song
rest of the audience who seemed as though they had their souls extracted
Without a change in her expression, the girl bowed.
"Had it not been a treat for the ears? However, our show has not quite
To the words of the man who was saying that it was a "secret not meant to
people focused upon him, Lyle smiled and waved his hand apologetically.
does not just have a beautiful face and a heavenly voice, but is also a user of
As the man finished his speech, the girl went out of the birdcage onto the
sky.
The audience raised their voices in surprise. The two candlesticks at both
flickering, they flew around in circles above the audience"s heads.
In the midst of the audience who were making a stir, Lyle was overcome with
It is no optical illusion, nor a trick using thread. Whilst that may be true.... I
Lyle was then struck with a sudden realisation, and thrust his hand into his
off a fleeting luminescence without .genuine magic!
phenomenon was happening to the girl. She was perspiring heavily at her
previous emotionless expression.
The girl moaned, and her body began to shake violently.
momentarily,
Cried the spectators who suffered burns from the flames of the falling
The inside of the tent turned into an uproar, and the performance was
Part 5
Outside the tent, a youth who had been burned raised his voice. Because of
a wealthy one at that.
"That was an unforeseen occurrence...... We"ll return your admission
"As if that can compensate for this! What are you going to do about my
The youth, holding up his burnt hair—though in all honesty, he did not have
"We, the family of Count Schwatten, have served the country of Ilsestein ever
you"ve gone too far!"
overbearing young man.
all of whom were well-dressed youths like him, and they surrounded the
"H-How should I apologise in order to......"
The group of young n.o.bles grinned broadly, having thought of something.
personally."
"In other words, we"ll take care of her. Surely you guys won"t want to keep
the issue further and let bygones be bygones."
with coercion. Lyle then slipped out from the crowd.
concealing his worry, he walked into the backstage. In a small room
The silver haired girl then opened her closed eyelids, and faced Lyle with a
"Is there something you require of me?"
"....... The men whom you dropped the candlesticks on earlier, it seems like
"Yes."
over."
Lyle frowned at the completely unchanging voice and expression of the girl.
"It was my mistake. I cannot be a burden to those who had taken me in."
made it seem like those were the affairs of strangers.
approach of others from the back.
39
hiding by the girl.
entered without calling out.
The young n.o.ble boldly approached the girl, and lifted her chin up casually.
indescribable elegance. By any chance, are you from a n.o.ble family that had
".........."
have no need to worry about either food or clothing."
The youth angrily manhandled her face. The girl was probably thinking
However, the girl only looked back at him intently in silence.
The girl"s slender body fell from the chair, her pale silver hair fluttering.
Readily throwing aside the image of a well-dressed n.o.ble, the youth leaned
feeling a sense of superiority at the sight of the girl"s agonised look.
face— !"
Smashing the chair downwards onto the youth"s back, Lyle winced, his hands
approaching Lyle, fell on top of the girl.
Taking the hand of the girl with a vague, unsure expression, Lyle rushed out
"H-Hold it right there! H-He got away— ! Give chase! Get him— !"
plaza.
young n.o.bles then came running, out of breath.
"Not here. They"re pretty fast."
While cursing loudly, the group of young n.o.bles then dashed off elsewhere.
"....... Why did you do something like that?"
emotionless expression, tilting her head to the side.
cannot stand by and do naught."
finding it hard to comprehend.
were gone, and then Lyle started running again.
showing on her porcelain-like face, and she asked Lyle for the second time.
41
"You noticed?"
magic, I clearly sensed the magical power of amber..... because I had been
"That"s not the only reason, is it? If you were in such a weakened state, it is
The slenderness of the girl"s arm that he gripped. It could not be explained
was already tottering, unsteady on her feet.
"There they are!"
had raised his voice angrily.
Hearing the bellows of rage chasing him from behind and finding no escape
"There!"
held on a stage. And onto that stage, Lyle jumped, carrying the girl.
"Let me borrow the casket."
stage. As the magician was confused, the party who were chasing Lyle had
"We"ve got him!"
The youths, with clenched fists, vigorously threw off the lid of the casket.
The youths were all looking at the interior of the casket, but they could see
"Oooh!"
disturbances were a part of the performance, the group of young n.o.bles
"What on earth...."
In the direction that one of the youths was pointing, were the figures of the
"D-d.a.m.n it!"
Although they shoved their way through the applauding audience, they were
smaller and smaller.
43
"...... Did we lose them?"
earlier. Lyle let out a sigh of relief.
Lyle looked to the side.
intently at Lyle.
this interval of time."
"I will be returning. I cannot be a burden to them."
Lyle said while looking into the girl"s eyes. The peculiar colour of those eyes
"You"re able to cast magic without the use of amber, and those [Eyes of
The girl"s expression wavered, even if only a little.
Different from human magi who had to draw out magical power from amber,
Phantasm was the general term for races like fiels, lycans and devils. Once,
However, as magic was a.s.sumed to be a thing of fairy-tales, they too, were
During the Dark Ages, when the church"s oppression had been at its peak, the
and the Phantasm, hating the conflict that had been brought about, secluded
tread.
now you"re in such a weakened state because you"re lacking in magical
you belong to, right away."
For the first time, a faint trace of emotion flickered across the girl"s pale face.
like it was self-derision.
From the crowds in the distance, once again he could hear the sounds of
"n.o.bles nowadays sure have a lot of free time on their hands. Let"s get away,
The girl"s face was growing increasingly paler and paler, her breathing was
Lyle hurriedly caught her swaying, slender body.
"Absolutely not."
Lyle replied, slightly irritated.
Saying that, he was just about to move, but from the path ahead, the sounds
the group of young n.o.bles.
they were sightseein