As unhinged as Kimberly was, the students had invented many
activities befitting that madness.
Labyrinth trail running was one of these. As the name implied,
runners competed to see who could dive into the labyrinth and get
back fastest. Reserved for experienced upperclassmen explorers, it
had enough of a following that there were official rankings for the
run times. It was a perilous discipline, testing knowledge of the
labyrinth's construction, capacity for maintaining velocity, and ability
to handle any traps or monsters encountered on the way.
"Kya-ha-ha-ha-ha!"
"Tch…!"
"Hng—!"
To pursue the mad old man, Oliver and Nanao faced a remarkably
similar ordeal. The labyrinth required caution—at times, a detailed
survey before each and every step. Yet, they were forced to bulldoze
through it all, handling threats with estimation and improvisation.
Any mistake could result in loss of limbs.
"Clypeus!"
Oliver's spell created a temporary covering on the titles ahead,
preventing the pressure-trigger trap from activating as they passed.
A year's experience was only just enough for him to handle it in time.
But despite all the time saved, they were gaining no ground on
Enrico—even though he had Pete under one arm.
"Aieeee!"
"Kya-ha-ha-ha! There's more where that came from! Extruditor!"
If one party could stop a trap activating, the opposite was also true.
The old man's spell hit a vast swath of floor, and an array of spikes
76 | P a g e
shot upward. Oliver frowned. Too far to jump, and neither of them
had brooms.
"We can do this, right, Nanao?"
"Verily!"
A moment later—with no break in stride—they moved to the walls
on their respective sides, running on surfaces nigh perpendicular to
the floor.
"Oh, you've mastered Wall Walk? At your age?" Enrico cried,
glancing back. "Most impressive! But I'm not done yet! How's this?
Kya-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"
This time, his spell hit the ceiling. As he passed, it cracked open, and
something massive fell into the passage—a sphere, so big it filled a
good 80 percent of the space—rolling right toward them. The same
ball golem that had wreaked havoc on their class.
"Nanao, melt the floor!" Oliver barked.
There might be no room to run, but they'd already learned how to
handle this thing: Turn the floor up ahead into a quagmire. With
their combined magic output, they could pull that off in time.
But it was not to be. Heedless of Oliver's plan, the Azian girl had shot
forward toward the ball golem.
"Nanao?!"
"Duck, Oliver!"
He did as he was told, watching as Nanao caught the ball golem with
both arms. As she did, she dropped her center of gravity and slid
under the golem, then used that leverage to hurl it backward. The
golem's bulk sailed over Oliver's head.
Trapped under Enrico's arm, Pete gaped back at the spectacle.
"She…threw it?!"
77 | P a g e
"Kya-ha-ha-ha-ha! Your friend is something else! Never seen anyone
handle it that way!"
Enrico's laughter echoed down the corridor. Oliver and Nanao
resumed their pursuit, his jaw hanging open, her rolling her
shoulders.
"Hibiya-style yielding art: Sack Toss. That golem lacked the weight to
flatten me— Ow!"
Oliver had smacked her upside the head. "That was nuts!" he yelled.
"There had to be a better way!"
Nanao just grinned at him. "Certainly! But I'm positively bursting at
the seams!"
As they ran, Enrico's spell rearranged the blocks of the floor and
walls, forming a new golem that blocked the breadth of the passage.
Faced with these new impediments, Nanao did not slow down—
indeed, she sped up. Not even reaching for her blade, she struck the
golem with her shoulder, knocking aside the blocks mid-assembly,
and speeding right on by. Oliver scrambled to keep up, astonished.
"You tackled a golem to pieces?!" Enrico howled. "Kya-ha-ha-ha-ha!
You're blowing my mind! How do you have such powerful mana
circulation at your age?!"
"…Ngh…!"
Oliver flinched, hands clenching up. Like the mad old man said, that
maneuver was only feasible because of Nanao's unique physicality.
Same with the ball golem toss. And there was no need for such feats
of strength—Oliver could easily think of smarter, less risky methods
to handle those situations, and Nanao was well aware of that.
Yet, she had chosen to go for broke. The reason—well, given her own
words just now and the gleam in her eyes, she was clearly just that
worked up. Nanao had spent a year studying at Kimberly, and her
78 | P a g e
own magic was aching for an outlet. For a chance to show off what
she could do.
"Excellent! Let's kick it up a notch! Do try not to die, children!"
Enrico raised his white wand high, chanting. There was a beat—then
a powerful vibration struck them from below. The floor, walls, and
ceiling—every rock around was moving, shifting. The path itself was
changing and expanding.
"Mm? The passage is writhing?" Nanao said, eyes wide.
It was like being inside the belly of a snake. As they both scrambled
to avoid getting caught up in the chaos, Oliver gritted his teeth,
realizing what this was.
"A cave golem! The whole corridor…!"
In just over a minute, the transformation was complete. Before them
lay a massive tube of a corridor, some twenty yards in diameter—
less a hall than a tunnel.
The wall and ceiling were no longer distinguishable—and there was
movement all around. Like fresh sprouts at the advent of spring, the
landscape itself was deploying countless golems in traps, everywhere
the eyes could see.
"…Ah—!"
Meanwhile, as most students headed toward the Fellowship for
supper, four first-years were still in a lounge. One of their number—
Teresa Carste—jumped, as if she'd just woken up.
"T-Teresa?" Rita Appleton said. They were seated side by side.
"What's up?"
"…Nothing," Teresa replied, rubbing her eyes. "I may have briefly
passed out. From boredom."
79 | P a g e
Dean Travers spun around, white wand in hand. He'd been staring
down a tank of mud.
"Oh?! Well, sorry we're not providing you enough entertainment!"
"D-Dean, relax," Peter Cornish said, trying to keep the peace. "I don't
think she meant—"
"No, I did." Teresa was having none of that, though. "This is
objectively extremely dull. Why are we even here?"
Dean looked ready to burst a blood vessel, and Peter had to
physically hold him back.
"Now, now, Teresa, don't be like that," he said. "Both of us are really
struggling with spellology. Just hold out a bit longer till we get it."
"I already told you how. What are you even stuck on? This is
elementary hardening magic. You have soft mud, and you make it
hard! That's all there is to it."
"Rrgh…!"
Dean reeled backward, groaning. He was the one who couldn't pull
this spell off, which meant he was in no place to retort. Feeling sorry
for him, Rita clapped her hands, as if trying to clear the air.
"Let's take a deep breath. Teresa's right; we need to figure out
what's got you stuck. Dean, how are you picturing it?"
"Uh…like, all this goopy stuff goes bwaaam and then ka-chunk…"
"That means nothing," said Teresa. "Try using your big boy words."
"I'm not stupid!"
"Uh, Dean's more the intuitive type…"
Teresa wasn't actively trying to start things, but Dean always got
riled up anyway, and this kept them from getting anywhere. But just
80 | P a g e
as Rita and Peter were looking thoroughly defeated, someone else
joined them.
"Ha-ha, love the energy. What's going on?"
They all turned and found a pair of second-years they'd met at the
entrance ceremony party.
"Mr. Greenwood, Ms. Aalto… H-hello!"
"Hee-hee, hello. We saw you struggling and came on over. Spell
practice?"
Katie glanced at the wand in Dean's hand, then at the tank of mud.
"N-nah," he said, looking shifty—not wanting to admit he had a
problem. "It's nothing…"
"It's not nothing, Dean. Uh, we're struggling with hardening spells,"
Peter said, well aware that Katie and Guy had already worked it out.
He explained the issue at hand.
"Mm-hmm. I getcha," said Guy. "Dean."
"Y-yeah?"
"Lighten up, man! I promise we ain't exactly star students, either."
He clapped Dean on the shoulder. Guy had a real knack for closing
the gap like that. Forcing people to relax.
"But what you just said did give me one idea: I think you're gettin'
this mixed up with freezing magic."
"…I am?"
"It's how you're picturing it. The way you put things, it sounds more
like you're trying to freeze the mud. I did the same thing, so…"
Dean blinked a few times, then looked at the tank. "Is
that…wrong…?" he muttered.
81 | P a g e
"Totally wrong. Freezing mud just gives you hard mud. But with
hardening magic, you've gotta make rocks. So you need to be
picturing getting the water out. Put that in your head and give it
another shot."
Guy gave Dean a slap on the back. With that advice in mind, the
younger boy turned back to the tank. He spent a minute solidifying
his mental image, then waved his wand, chanting the spell. The mud
in the tank rose up, leaving a pool of water around it.
"Hey, you got it!" Guy said, grinning. "That was much better. See?
You got skills."
"I-it's still wrong!"
"Not at all. You did just what I said and got the water out."
Guy pointed at the tank, but Dean looked confused.
"You made dry earth from wet mud," Katie explained. "Next, you'll
need to figure out how to make that more like stone. In other words,
you split the concept into steps. Any time you're first studying a new
kind of magic, this kind of breakdown can really help."
"A friend of ours said, 'If you just take it one step at a time, you can
learn any spell in your textbook.' And that's really helped us keep up
with the rest of the class."
They looked proud—and the younger kids took that as a sign of their
faith in this friend.
Seeing Dean with his arms folded, thinking, Guy put his arm around
the boy's shoulder.
"Tell you what—hang with us for another fifteen minutes. Peter, you
too. And anyone else who's getting variable results. More advice
from that friend: The key to magic is knowing the result. If your
concept is hazy, it'll come back to haunt you."
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He glanced at Rita and Teresa. There was a brief silence, then Rita
raised her hand.
"…Um…may I join in…?"
"Mm? Rita, really? You were having no trouble in class…"
"I—I totally was! It was awful! Cruddy rocks that made me wanna
cry!"
"Urgh…"
The harsher Rita was on herself, the more it hurt Dean—who hadn't
even managed that much. Guy grinned and started walking them
through it.
As Katie watched from a step back, the last first-year came over to
her.
"Looks like Guy's got it covered… Are you all right, though, Ms.
Carste?"
"…I was never stuck," Teresa said, a tad grumpy.
Katie's smile didn't waver for a second. "Oh, aren't you
accomplished! Good girl!"
Her friendliness made Teresa uncomfortable, but she'd come over to
ask a question.
"…How did you know?"
"Mm?"
"…What they were stuck on. I couldn't begin to work it out."
This had been bothering her. She hadn't been trying to wind Dean up
earlier. She just…couldn't figure out what else to say.
Katie folded her arms, thinking about that one.
"Lots of reasons, but…I guess the biggest thing is to listen carefully.
Look right at them, consider their position and how they're feeling."
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"…Even if you aren't interested in them?"
"You aren't?" Katie asked, blinking.
Teresa simply nodded. Katie winced a little. Too honest.
"I wouldn't be in a rush to dismiss him," Katie said gently. "You've
only just met. And you don't really know any of them yet, right?"
"..."
"I think it's fun being around different people and learning to
understand one another."
Katie shot her a grin. Teresa found this hard to believe, but…Katie
clearly wasn't lying or spouting platitudes. Confused, Teresa looked
away…and saw Dean practicing. He'd taken Guy's advice to heart and
tried for the umpteenth time—and Rita and Peter both burst into
applause.
"Wow, you did it!"
"Awesome! Dean, you got it!"
"Hell yeahhhhhhhh!" He threw his hands up, roaring, then picked up
the tank with both hands and lugged it over to Teresa. There was a
small rock spike at the center of it, and he thrust it out in front of
her. "See, Teresa! I did it!"
"…Uh, congratulations?"
"Mr. Greenwood showed me the trick! Next time, I'll get there first!"
"Ah. Good for you."
Her heart was clearly not in it. She had no idea why he was telling
her all this. Frustrated by her disinterest, Dean was about to say
something else, but Peter and Rita each grabbed an arm, dragging
him away.
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Katie watched this, laughing, then leaned in and whispered, "Looks
like he's interested in you."
"…He's loud, obnoxious, and cringey." Teresa sighed.
She meant every word, but…at the same time, she thought, Oh—I
couldn't figure out why he was always on my case, but…that would
explain it.
To no one's surprise, Oliver and Nanao's pursuit of Enrico Forghieri
had been a very long haul.
"…Hah…hah…hah…!"
"Haaah…!"
Golems scuttling across the ground like spiders, bounding on
powerful legs like grasshoppers, or whizzing through the air on six
high-speed wings. One new type after another, like an exhibition of
miniature golems. Oliver and Nanao had been fending off these
attacks while chasing the old man for a solid twenty minutes, with no
end in sight.
"Not even a chance to catch our flagging breaths!"
"You still good to go, Nanao?"
"Naturally! My limbs are still attached."
Her tone was bright and reassuring, but Oliver was not inclined to
underestimate the toll this was taking. Running out of stamina,
sapping their reserve of mana, a momentary lapse of focus—and
they'd be dead. And all three were diminishing by the second. How
much longer could they last?
Oliver was running the math in the back of his mind. Then right in
front of him, without warning—the cave golem's wall burst inward.
"–––––?!"
85 | P a g e
The shards of wall were followed by hellacious fire. Oliver and Nanao
drew up short just outside the burn radius. A few seconds later, the
fire died down, and a man appeared, crushing carbonized blocks
beneath his boots. Recognizing his height and grim countenance,
Oliver gasped.
"Mm? Oh, you two! Thought I heard a ruckus through this wall!"
Alvin Godfrey, Kimberly sixth-year, student body president, and more
commonly known as Purgatory. He caught sight of Oliver and Nanao,
then quickly took in the rest of their surroundings.
"This is Instructor Enrico's cave golem—what's going on?"
"He's got Pete, and we're in pursuit! No time for details…!"
"That's enough for me. Teacher pursuit? I've done my fair share of
the same."
Without further word, Godfrey peered ahead, down the tunnel. He
saw Enrico's figure getting farther away and a whole gaggle of
golems pouring out of the walls, surrounding the three of them.
Could they break free? Not at all sure, Oliver raised his athame.
"Still, you're second-years, and this is clearly excessive. Allow me."
Godfrey stepped ahead of Oliver's aim, pointing his own athame
dead ahead. Every golem in that direction flinched.
"Ignis."
And all of them were vaporized by the ensuing inferno.
Flames belched forth, swallowing up golems, scorching traps, surging
through the cave itself like a dam bursting. Despite their lead, Enrico
and Pete were not quite out of range, and a gust of hot wind blasted
their faces. Pete screamed.
"Aughhhhh?!"
86 | P a g e
"Kya-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! That cannon must be Mr. Godfrey! A
surprise guest!"
Flames hot on his heels, the mad old man cackled as if this just gave
him a thrill. Watching him go, Godfrey said, "I'll burn you two a clear
path. Run!"
He took his own advice, and they quickly gave chase. The president's
broad shoulders were a comfort, but Oliver was kicking himself.
"Sorry, sir," he said. "We turn down your invite, and now—"
"Ha-ha, cut the guilty act! I'm the student body president! It's my job
to be there for everyone who needs me."
Godfrey just laughed; he was clearly a man of his word. Oliver felt
another pang of guilt but at the same time wondered: How does he
manage to stay so put together in this madhouse?
Unaware of Oliver's thoughts, Godfrey was fully focused on the
golems ahead. Three multi-legged wrigglers, each the size of a warg,
and a big troll-sized golem with two massive arms. The distance and
angle prevented him from blasting away, so Oliver assumed he and
Nanao would be handling the three smaller foes. But he was soon
proven wrong—Godfrey dove directly into the center of the golems.
"Word of advice—don't fight like I do."
And with that, he kicked a small golem. Its leg broke like a twig, the
tip of the claw stabbing into the main body. The force of the blow
sent the golem crashing into a second small golem, then slammed
both into the wall. Oliver couldn't stop himself from letting out a
small gasp. They were small, but easily a hundred and fifty pounds
each—yet Purgatory was treating them like pebbles.
Godfrey was already spinning, stomping the remaining small golem.
By this time, the troll-sized golem had its long forelimbs on the
ground, charging in on all fours. "Up the leg count" was a tried-and-
87 | P a g e
true principle of large golems, a reliable way to alleviate the inherent
sluggishness of their bulk. And this thing weighed enough to crush a
man.
"Haaaaaaaaah!"
He dove in between the forelimbs, driving his heel into the exposed
torso. There was a sound of metal bending, and the golem was in the
air, unable to act. Its size and weight were its greatest weapons, and
its design lacked contingencies for fighting while airborne.
"Impetus!"
Before it could land again, Godfrey fired a spell after it, finishing it
off. The first kick alone had cracked the frame, and now a hurricaneforce wind blasted it to pieces. Watching the fragments rain down,
Oliver's brow twitched. How would he even begin to copy this?
"Don't stop! After him!"
Godfrey was running already. Oliver and Nanao came back to their
senses and matched his stride. But up ahead, the next change was
already in progress. As Enrico passed through, chunks of the tunnel
slammed down—hefty metal bulkheads, blocking all progress.
"Kya-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! They're fireproof! Three firewalls! They ought
to give even you some trouble, Mr. Godfrey!"
The old man's voice echoed from beyond the metal. Oliver gulped.
The doors were closing faster than they could run. And while they
were breaking through the walls, Pete would be hauled out of reach.
"Sorry, but you'd need five of those, Instructor Enrico."
But the young mage with him soon proved Oliver's fears baseless.
Godfrey raised his athame like he was up against easily breakable
plywood.
"Calidi Ignis!"
88 | P a g e
Like a lance of concentrated fire, his spell cut through all three doors.
Melting metal, glowing red, holes punched at the base of the cave's
firewalls, big enough for several people to pass. As the trio ran
toward them, Oliver could no longer conceal his shock. These doors
had clearly been designed specifically to resist fire. But the mage
named Alvin Godfrey had punched through them with one double
incantation—all three walls at once!
Not long after the firewalls, the rounded cave walls gave way to an
ordinary square passage, and there Godfrey turned on his heel.
"We've reached the end of the cave golem," he said. "You can
handle the rest. I wish you luck."
Oliver nodded once, then added, "I'll make it up to you."
The student body president raised a hand in response and was off
back up the cave. No sooner was he through the doors than there
was a boom, and the area shook. Once more, he'd likely punched his
way through the golem walls.
As they resumed their chase, Nanao said, "Oliver, the way he
fights…"
"It's something else. No point even comparing ourselves to him right
now."
He shuddered. It was hardly his first time seeing someone who
totally outclassed him. But Salvadori and Rivermoore were first and
foremost uncanny. Godfrey wasn't; the spells and techniques he
used were all easily understood. They were just extraordinarily
strong. So simple and overwhelming, there was nothing you could do
against them.
"Can't face him if we lose them now. Let's move!"
"Aye!"
89 | P a g e
They made haste, Oliver doing his best to push aside the thoughts
Godfrey's flames had seared into his mind. Best just to be glad he's
on our side. For now.
As they proceeded down the passage, their surroundings shifted
from ancient-looking stones to seamless walls and ceilings with a
sinister elasticity to them. Oliver surmised that these must be some
sort of magical alloy, but what qualities it might possess were a
mystery to him. Perhaps Pete's knowledge in this field already
surpassed his own.
"…What's that sound…?"
An unsettling noise, perhaps a vibration, echoed up from the corridor
depths. Low, but powerful, like the steady beat of a massive drum.
Unable to fathom what it might be, Oliver grew tense.
"You've made it! Mr. Godfrey may have provided an assist, but
nonetheless—well done!"
And as they emerged from the end of the strange passage into a
cavernous space, Enrico stood waiting for them, clapping. Pete was
facedown on the ground next to him. The crystal lamps provided
little light, and the corners of the room were shrouded in darkness.
Resisting the urge to run to their friend's side, Oliver and Nanao
approached the mad old man, careful of their surroundings.
"As promised, I shall allow you to join us. Have some candy and
observe!"
He pulled two lollipops out of his pocket and tossed them over. Both
took them largely out of obligation and slipped them inside their
robes. As Oliver got closer, he could hear Pete hurling.
"Blarghhhhh!"
"Pete…!"
90 | P a g e
One eye firmly on the mad old man, Oliver moved to his friend,
rubbing his back. His condition was no surprise. Enrico had been
whisking him along at speeds even faster than Oliver and Nanao
could manage, over some very rough terrain. Arguably, their pursuit
had made it worse, but he'd just have to make up for that later.
"This is no time for a relaxing vomit, Mr. Reston! If you pursue the
path of sorcery, now is a time for drinking in everything your eyes
can see."
Enrico flashed his pearly whites. As he did, multiple crystal lamps lit
up, illuminating the space behind him. And what lay within it was so
big Oliver immediately braced for combat.
"Observe! It is not yet complete, but this will be my masterpiece: the
Dea Ex Machina!"
Countless tubes sprouting from the wall held in place a silent giant.
Bigger than a giant. Before even estimating any measurements, from
where they stood it was impossible to see the totality of it. Oliver
eyeballed it as at least fifty feet across and easily a hundred and fifty
feet tall. Clearly impossible to categorize by the three standard
golem sizes. He could tell it was humanoid in shape, and incomplete,
lacking anything from the waist down. That meant the completed
version would be at least twice as tall.
The torso was slimmer than the shoulders would suggest, yet there
was a swelling at the breast, making it clear this was feminine in
form. The facial features could be described as even and slightly
infantile; the eyes looked ready to open. From the shoulders down, it
was sheathed in resplendent dress-like armor, and—though it
boggled the mind—the distinctive luster suggested the surface was
entirely coated in adamant. The arms secured against the walls on
each side were long and graceful, detailed even to the slender
91 | P a g e
fingertips. Yet, those beautifully crafted hands could easily crush a
man to death. Like an innocent child tearing the legs off an insect.
"…A giant humanoid golem…?" Oliver asked, staring up at it.
Enrico turned toward him. "You have questions? Ask away, Mr. Horn.
You have earned the right to do so." He encouraged his pupil to
speak.
This man's assignments were punishing, but he delighted in his
students' initiative—for better or for worse, he was a teacher.
Picking his words carefully, Oliver took advantage of that.
"…'The first dream of all, the first to be discarded.' In magical
architecture, I've heard that's giant humanoid golems."
"Indeed it is."
"No matter how you construct them, they're impractical. First, how
are you obtaining the incredible reserves of mana needed to move
that bulk? Second, even if you do, what use is something so
inefficient?"
"Precisely," Enrico said, thoroughly satisfied with the questions. He
turned to face the golem behind him. "There are multiple problems
here, and they're all woven together. Let me go through them one at
a time. Mr. Reston, as a prerequisite—why is it golems have not
replaced trolls or goblins in the field of manual labor?"
Realizing that question was for him, Pete forced his limp frame
upright. Oliver almost reached out to help but thought better of it.
His friend's eyes had plenty of light in them.
"…Versatility, ease of management, autonomy, and cost of creation.
They have plenty of issues compared to demi-humans, but the single
greatest one has to be—they aren't fuel-efficient," Pete answered.
"A golem runs on five times the mana a troll of the same mass
requires. And since they aren't alive, golems cannot generate their
92 | P a g e
own mana. The upshot is that even accounting for problems specific
to the living—food, waste, and dwellings—running golems is simply
far more expensive than hiring demis."
"Right you are! A single kobold is a work of art created by nature,
both in flesh and spirit. No mechanical reproduction of mana
systems can hope to match the operational efficiency of even the
lowest magical creature."
Oliver nodded. The magical industrial revolution had changed many
things, but from a cost performance perspective, golems remained
an inferior form of labor. Or rather—like Enrico said, living creatures
were just that good. No mage had yet managed to construct a
machine that even came close.
"And that is but half the reason the maximum realized golem size has
remained constant. The supply of magic particles has thinned
compared to days of yore, leaving even behemoths unable to live
outside of very specific regions. If even the living face such
restrictions, a golem of that size would struggle to wiggle a finger. In
other words, oversized golems cannot even manage to be of any
practical use until their mana efficiency matches that of a
behemoth."
His rundown of seemingly insurmountable problems complete, the
old man turned toward his students.
"So I found a new approach. Do you know the etymology of golem,
Mr. Reston?"
Another pop quiz. The questions were all for Pete—clearly, the old
man expected a lot from him. The bespectacled boy appreciated that
fact and mobilized his wealth of knowledge in response.
"'A vessel for the soul made by god.' I've heard it originally applied to
all living things, including humans… And following that practice,
mages began constructing golems of their own."
93 | P a g e
Enrico's grin grew noticeably more sinister.
"Precisely. According to the original meaning, golems and living
things are one and the same! In that sense, our own bodies are but
living golems. Ones carrying the freight we call a soul." He then
asked: "…Do you see where I'm going yet? After all—you three took
my liquid golem apart."
At that, an idea entered Oliver's mind, unbidden. That strange sound
echoing in his ears since they entered the approach passage. Like the
rhythmic beating of a very large drum. But in light of what he'd just
heard, it was more likely—
"…You mean…it's alive?"
He leaned back, peering at the face high above. Certain now he was
hearing the golem's heartbeat.
A few seconds later, Pete caught up, the color draining from his
visage.
Enrico flung out his arms in delight.
"A living golem!" he cried. "The concept itself has existed in
theoretical terms, but there were several technical barriers
preventing the development. Thus, it falls to me to complete the first
of them!
"As you say, this is a golem made from the flesh of living things! The
exterior may be coated in magical metals, but the interior is all flesh
and blood! Harvested from many different creatures, cultivated,
grown, and connected!
"Naturally, this is not the accomplishment of magical architecture
alone. I was forced to cross-pollinate with magical biology and any
number of other disciplines, obtaining the assistance of top-class
researchers in each of those fields. Delightfully, I work at Kimberly,
the one place in the world where that can be easily done."
94 | P a g e
Oliver was well aware the faculty here were all at the top of their
fields, and their research was backed by top-of-the-line facilities and
very generous budgets. But more than that—research done at
Kimberly was largely free from outside interference.
In Oliver's mind, that was more terrifying than delightful, but it did
mean a wide range of valuable information was concentrated here.
"…Clearly, a result that will go down in history," Oliver said, aiming
for the minimal level of enthusiasm. "But if the goal is to make giant
golems practical, then you're still only at square one. You've
attempted to solve the need for massive mana generation by
creating a massive living creature—and this method alone has clear
limits. Even if you manage to create a magic medium with a capacity
far greater than any that currently exist, the moment you surpass a
certain size, the whole thing breaks down. If it was a first-rate mage's
flesh, maybe, but just being alive will hardly be enough to overcome
that limit. If the solution were that simple, it would've long since
been solved." He paused. "And if that wasn't bad enough, these days
behemoths can only function in singularly mana-rich environments.
Even if you've matched their mana efficiency, the same limitation
applies to this living golem. And if it can only operate under those
limited conditions, it hardly qualifies as practical."
Rather than try to flatter the man, Oliver chose to list the obvious
defects. He was sure that would please Enrico more than anything—
and indeed, the mad old man was nodding happily.
"Absolutely. Thus, I required one more unorthodox step."
Here, his gaze turned to the silent girl by Oliver's side.
"Ms. Hibiya! What are the standard mana mediums used to propel
golems?"
"I know not."
95 | P a g e
Nanao's blunt answer fell like cut bamboo, and the mad old man's
shoulders slumped.
"…I am aware this field has little hold on your attention, but it is part
of the standard mage education. Do try to remember, Ms. Hibiya."
"Mm, very well."
Nanao put on her best listening face. Recovering, Enrico turned to
Pete, who answered for her.
"Jade, opal, and amethyst. Each imbued with mana."
"Thank you, Mr. Reston. Those are the three typically used. And
none of those can function as the heart of a giant golem. Amethyst is
the most expensive and can store the most mana, but even it has
insufficient capacity. If I attempted to make a power source with it,
the fuel tank would be several times larger than the golem itself."
Enrico continued with: "So what I needed was a new tank. A
veritable revolution in energy storage efficiency. Everyone with me
so far?"
He raised his white wand high.
"Just as Mr. Horn suggested, simply preparing a bionic vessel solves
nothing. It must be combined with something else. Patentibus."
The spell set the walls around them into motion. Cracks appeared at
regular intervals, sets of double doors sliding open. Behind these:
cages. Iron bars containing eyes aglow with terror. All humanlike
creatures, primarily kobolds and goblins.
"…D-demis…?" Pete gasped. "So many of them—"
The three students couldn't take their eyes off the sight. Soon the
rustling of clothes and sounds of breathing gave way to screams.
"Help!"
"Please, let us out of here!"
96 | P a g e
They swung toward the voices and realized—it wasn't all demis.
There were a few humans here, too. Treated just like the demis, clad
in rags, desperately clinging to the bars and pleading for help.
"–––––"
Nanao shifted her weight forward, ready to run toward them—but
before she could, a powerful shock coursed through her.
"Gah—!"
"Nanao?!"
She was down, smoke pouring from her mouth. Oliver ran to her,
furiously trying to process all this. Enrico had chanted no spell, and
Nanao had been well outside the range of spatial magic. No signs of
any golems or familiars, either. But she'd been hit hard enough to
knock her down. And he had no idea how.
"Oh, deary me, Ms. Hibiya. I only permitted you to observe. I won't
allow one iota of interference with my laboratory. Worse…" Enrico's
tone grew reproachful. "…The instant you saw this, you moved to
save them, did you not?"
Cradling Nanao's body, Oliver gulped at the intensity in the
instructor's voice.
"That was hardly prudent. Unbefitting of a mage. The pursuit of
sorcery lies outside the bounds of morality. I cannot abide the
frivolous inclusion of such secular concerns. And you are not even a
civil rights activist, are you? Do not disrupt a man's research on mere
impulse."
But with the scolding complete, the smile returned to his lips.
"I knew a mage once! A real treasure. Not bound by sorcery, knew
nothing of ethics. A witch who proclaimed that her feelings alone
mattered, and she allowed nothing to sway them."
97 | P a g e
Oliver's heart nearly leaped out of his chest. That description could
be only one person. This old man, too, saw his mother in Nanao. Just
as he did.
"You remind me of her. Not physically—rather the nature of your
soul," Enrico said. "And for that reason alone—just this once—I will
spare you further penalty."
Nanao was out like a light and heard none of this—but Enrico had
already turned his attention back to his machine goddess.
"There may be a few humans mixed into the kindling I've prepared,
but no need to concern yourselves! They are all criminals. Let's get
back on track, shall we?" Enrico pivoted. "What is a superior fuel? To
ordinary folk, it might be dry wood, carefully fired charcoal, or
perhaps clean oil. But nothing from that approach would power a
giant golem. The energy to volume ratio is far too limited.
Conversely—what about us mages? It varies by the individual, but
our energy per volume is far better than any conventional fuel. Just
look at Mr. Godfrey's output! In the upper echelons of sorcery,
energy is not remotely constrained by physical volume."
That, Oliver understood. Like the mad old man said, Godfrey and
mages of his ilk had incredible mana output. And the source of that
was all too clear.
"So where is this vast energy stored? In the etheric body. Every living
creature is composed of three components—the flesh, the etheric
body, and the soul. Your mana reserves are in the ether. An
immaterial accumulation of potential magic. Since it is intangible, it is
not bound by your physical volume at all! By comparison, the reserve
stored in the womb is but a trifle—however, reserves in the flesh are
more readily and easily available. Making conscious use of the mana
in your ether requires a high level of both talent and training. This is
why Godfrey and I appear to have so much more mana capacity that
any of you.
98 | P a g e
"Yet, at the same time, etheric body maintenance is heavily
dependent on the physical flesh. Ghosts become such hollow beings
because they have lost the framework of their bodies. It's like being
flung naked into a blizzard. If they do not find shelter somewhere,
they cannot continue to exist."
Though not as demanding as the soul, handling etheric bodies on
their own was a tall order. This was why the magic world's research
on the subject had remained stagnant for so long. What Enrico had
said so far was all common knowledge, but as he neared the meat of
his speech, he grew visibly more excited.
"Once again, all magical creatures—not just mages—have a vast
reserve of mana stored in their etheric bodies. I trust my explanation
has allowed you to grasp that concept."
Oliver said nothing, but Pete nodded. Enrico shot him a pleased grin.
"Excellent," he said. "Then let's make use of them."
He snapped his fingers. And with that—the cages became a grisly
sight. Every wall opened, and massive gears appeared, grinding
through the prisoners within. Oliver's eyes went wide, and all the
blood drained from Pete's face.
"First, let us rid ourselves of these fleshly obstacles. We only have
need of the etheric bodies," said Enrico. "The key here is to provide
as much fear and pain as possible before they die. We'll be using
them to fuel a giant golem, so ideally, we want their ether infused
with resentment. We want them lingering, not passing on the
moment you turn your back."
He seemed quite proud of all this. Meanwhile, the prisoners were
being ground alive, and not one of the resulting bodies was
recognizable. Soon, they were entirely replaced with hazy things,
possessed of no clear outline. Realizing these were ghosts, Pete
shivered.
99 | P a g e
"Etheric bodies with no flesh are fragile things. No matter how great
the energy within, they have paltry few means to convert that to
tangible phenomena. That is why resentful spirits congregate. Doing
so makes them larger, stronger—with this many, they're easily
visible to the naked eye," he continued. "Once they have gathered a
sufficient number, they'll next seek out a body. That which they have
lost. The warmth of flesh and blood, that which they yearn for
beyond all measure."
The ghosts were pouring between the bars of the cage out into the
space where they stood. Oliver raised his athame, on guard, but the
ghosts' attention was all on the living golem. They flocked toward
the Dea Ex Machina, as if that was where they had always belonged.
"Fortunately, the perfect body is available! The extra-large golem I
prepared for them. They have no choice! They're sucked right in."
Once all the ghosts were inside the golem, the half-finished bulk
began to vibrate. Realizing what must be happening, Oliver
shuddered.
"Kya-ha-ha!" Enrico cackled. "They're in conflict! Large though the
vessel may be, there are too many souls! Strife is unavoidable."
The spirits battled for dominion over their container, but the struggle
peaked in seconds, and the golem's shaking soon subsided. Enrico
nodded, pleased.
"No need for concern, naturally. They are creatures of resentment.
With that emotion infusing their very beings, they naturally converge
and merge, swirling together into one massive malediction! You've
studied these in curse class, yes? A maelstrom is this, grown out of
control!" he explained. "That said, we can't see the movement of the
soul. There is next to no way to directly observe souls! Such a pity.
Research on them lags far behind work on the flesh or the ether."
100 | P a g e
The old man shrugged. Before him, the golem had gone still once
more.
"Thanks to a shared resentment, all etheric bodies have fused.
Preparations are complete. Injecting mana."
At his word, massive tubes extended from the walls, connecting to
the Dea Ex Machina's frame. Vast quantities of mana poured in,
received and stored by the fused etheric bodies of the dead
prisoners.
"What do you think, children? This is my masterpiece."
As he spoke, the living golem's arms moved—a clear, conscious
action. Most of it was bound in place, but the arms had broken free
and reaching out. Their grudge against him not forgotten—the arms
were clearly trying to grab the mad old man.
"As you can see—it moves. I'll admit, the core mana efficiency is no
higher than a behemoth's. The key difference here is how the mana
is used—specifically, I can take the reserves meant for prolonging life
and burn them on short-term acts. This is merely a tool made from
flesh. It need only move when I will it and otherwise slumbers in a
state just functional enough to maintain itself. Rather like
hibernating. In that state, the energy loss is far smaller than the
behemoth could ever achieve. Organs like the digestive system and
the brain go through energy like crazy, but my creation never had
either!"
He was clearly thrilled to show it off. A living golem, fueled by the
energy of a curse, a prime example of how the worst kinds of
inventions are the simplest. Faced with this desecration of the
sanctity of life, Oliver couldn't keep his voice from shaking.
"…What…?"
"Mm?"
101 | P a g e
"…What is it even for?! Countless lives destroyed to make a giant toy
move, but to what end?!"
He was unable to hide his disgust. And that made Enrico's voice turn
utterly lifeless.
"You know how many lives are lost each year in the war against
Gnostics?" he asked.
They'd never heard his tone this still.
"Many. So very many. Precious talents, the loss of which is truly a
waste. What they could have accomplished if they had simply
managed to survive…"
His eyes were elsewhere, reminding Oliver—this man, too, had
served on the front lines of the Gnostic hunt.
"The greatest losses occur when the heretics' prayers bear fruit and
call tír gods down upon our world. When that happens, we have no
choice but to deem all sacrifice a necessity, throwing mages on the
problem like yesterday's bathwater. During my time in action, I saw
three such incidents. And the helplessness and grief will never leave
me."
He broke off, turning back toward the three students. He had never
looked so grim.
"Lives must never be wasted. You agree with that, I'm sure."
These words, from the lips of a man who'd just ground innumerable
people to death. The irony was unbearable. Yet, it allowed Oliver a
fleeting glimpse of his intent. Of what had led the mage named
Enrico Forghieri to this nightmarish invention.
"…So you use the lives of demis and criminals first…?" Oliver asked,
seeking confirmation.
In the old man's madness, this slaughter had not been a waste. He
would likely speak with pride, insisting that he had made effective
102 | P a g e
use of the resource of finite lives. Feeling no trace of guilt—like a
proper mage.
"Judging lives of lower value expendable is, of course, entirely
correct. But in this case, you're not quite there yet," Enrico said. "The
lives I wish to make use of—are those of the Gnostics themselves."
A grin of the utmost malevolence spread across his face. Oliver felt a
chill run down his spine.
"Each time we process a Gnostic incident, we arrest countless
believers. The demis and humans imprisoned here were but a few of
those. To prevent further calamity and stop the spread of their faith,
it is customary to quickly incinerate them—but in that, can they truly
be said to have paid for their crimes?" Enrico answered his own
question. "Hardly. That end is not remotely befitting the atrocities
they have inflicted upon the world. We should and can make better
use of them. Force them to fight their own gods!"
He spoke of weapons of war, fueled by the lives of those who caused
it. This was the core concept of the machine goddess. Never
doubting the revolutionary nature of his work, Enrico's voice rose
higher and higher.
"To that end, I created this golem! What could be more
magnificent?! With this in play, even the life of a lowly kobold
becomes a valuable fuel source, serving the battle against the tír!
The lives of Gnostics used to foil their eldritch gods! It's perfect! The
ultimate in green energyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!"
His cry echoed through the chamber. All the while, the Dea Ex
Machina struggled to reach him. Commanded by the curse within,
the machine goddess was desperate to crush the old man who stood
before it.
"Oh, that's quite enough. I just wanted to prove you could move.
Nutrientibus."
103 | P a g e
A single spell drained it of all mana, and the giant went still. Silence
filled the hall. Oliver and Pete had nothing left to say. Enrico spun
toward them.
"Well, Mr. Reston? Did that prove stimulating?"
"…Uh… Ah…"
"Moved beyond speech! Kya-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"
Faced with sights beyond mortal ken, humans cannot find words.
Pete hailed from an ordinary home, and this observation had been
his most extreme experience yet. Oliver quietly put his arms around
the boy, trying to settle him down. And the old man took that as a
sign.
"Very well! Let's call that enough for today. Take the two of them
back to your dorms, Mr. Horn. The golem will not bother you on your
way home. And Ms. Hibiya will likely wake soon."
"..."
He had no intention of lingering longer. He took Pete's hand, hefted
Nanao under one arm, and left the workshop behind. The old man's
voice rang against his back as he departed.
"Your overprotectiveness means nothing! Mr. Reston has already
seen it all. The rest is his fight—whether that leads to acceptance or
rejection."
Oliver clenched his teeth. He turned to Pete at his side. What he saw
were eyes glistening with tears, unable to process the reality of what
he'd seen.
"…Let's go, Pete," he managed. The least he could do.
Shaken emotions would settle in time. Human hearts were made
that way. But once it did, how would Pete Reston have changed?
That fear preyed on Oliver's mind