Hmm....


　I took a breath and straightened my spine. I was stationed in the highest command center of the first base, which is located on level 1 of the twilight danger zone. Various commanders gather here, exchanging information with their platoons and even sending out commands from us.


　And the whole situation can be seen from the images projected on the walls in this room. Projection magic is a type of light magic, but it has only recently passed the experimental stage and reached the practical stage. I've been involved in the development of this magic for a long time, and I'm relieved to finally be able to put it to use.


　I've been working on it for a long time now, and I'm relieved that it's finally working. The range of the projections I've been able to capture is limited to the danger zone level 1-3, but in the future it may be possible to capture the entire world. In principle, the magic I perceived is magically transferred to this place. I am constantly updating the information in real time, which is a burden on me in its own way, but I can't be so weak.



　This is a safe place, and we are not fighting for our lives like front-line antimagicians. The feeling is that I have the guts and determination to dedicate this life. But still........there was no doubt that this place was safe.


''Rihanne-sama, we have information from the first platoon.
"Read it out loud,
No change in the elven village. However, Lieutenant Colonel Julia Curtis, who is hiding out, says she feels like she's being watched.
Okay, okay. Thank you.


　I take that information and write the information down in the notes I have. This strategy, I can't afford to fail. That's why I try to compile all information into a memo for now. You can decide later if it's useful or not. For now, for now, I wanted the information.


　A different twilight now, and the presence of sub-humans. What were the elves thinking? I was strangely understanding of things when I attended that meeting. No ... it was too good. There was no discomfort in swallowing all of our suggestions, but there was almost no pretense of thinking.

　--The fact that he would answer in no time means that maybe he expected this to happen?


....


　I stare at the paper. I tap my pen with a thump and try to think, but I can't come up with anything. I could talk to the Grand Marshal, the Supreme Commander, but I need to gather a few more thoughts on my own.


　I look up to take a short break. It was then that I saw Belle's image on the projected monitor. Each antimagician's unique domain 《Personal Field》 had already been analyzed by me and transcribed onto the monitor. Probably, as long as you don't go to a fairly dense part of the twilight, strictly speaking, level 5, your position can be captured.


''........Belle, you're doing well too.


　For the record, I would not have gotten to this point without Belle. It's because of her support that I was able to awaken as a saint, and this is how I'm able to command in the Operations Command Center. I'm a little sad to say goodbye to her, who has been with me all this time, but such personal feelings should be suppressed for now.


　Then I remember. I remember how I met her and how many things Belle gave me.



　◇


'Liane. You are capable of being a saint.
What do you mean, "seijin"?
A saint is an amazing person. A saint is a person who is the key to saving the human race.
Hmm.


　I've been told such stories since I was a child. The birth of a saint since the Human-Magic War. To be exact, a royal family was born that might be able to reach sainthood. I've been raised to take care of that. But that doesn't mean I was spoiled. I was given everything I wanted. But I didn't want anything. What is it that I want? That is the eternal question that I will never know.


　And I, on the other hand, began my education when I was two years old. I can already speak and think. I was always told that I was a quintessential Liane, but I wondered why I was being praised for doing something so obvious.


　Then, at the age of three, he mastered reading and writing, and from then on, he began to read a variety of literature. How did this world come to be dominated by twilight and what trajectory led to the warded city we have today? It was pure intellectual curiosity. My educator was already gone. There was no more to be taught, because there was no more to be taught.


　I later learned that I was growing up at an extraordinary rate. Some royalty thought I was weird, while others called me a monster. The turning point in my life was when I was five years old.



　Yes. That's when I met Bertina Wright.



"I ... need ... to fight in the twilight ... to spend the same ... time ... with you ... I don't have the time ... to spend the same ... time with you.
...you're going to tell me in no uncertain terms.
The other day, my esteemed superior officer died. And in order to avenge him I must go on my way.



　She knew that her superior officer of over ten years was dead. In front of her. She had already gotten that information. Furthermore, the look on her face when she walked into this room. I don't want to take care of me. I can't wait to go to the twilight and fight. I could see that in her hand. I don't need any special abilities. It was easy to understand such things by looking at the opponent's expression.


　Then I told him that I had seen the future where Belle would die. This was true; until I was about ten years old, I had the ability to see the future. Even in the midst of it, I could clearly see Belle dying in the twilight.


　She was selected because of this background, and also because I needed a personal guard. She was a young genius who had reached the rank of special grade antimagician at the age of only 24. The strongest swordsman in humanity, as they say. Originally it was her superior's title, but now that he's dead, it's been passed on to Belle.


　To be clear, I didn't need a separate guard, but well, I don't know what's in store for me either. It would be better if I was there. But I'm sure she doesn't think well of me. She'll probably change to someone else soon anyway. That's what I was thinking.




Are you okay?
It's the usual... thing.


　Just as I was walking down a corridor in the royal castle, I suddenly feel a sudden, sudden pain in my heart. It's as if my heart is being squeezed directly. Honestly, I'd rather die than continue to suffer this kind of pain for a long time. This was unbearable enough for me to think that.


　But it's not something I can't stand. These attacks have come and gone many times already. The doctor said the cause is unknown, but that it's probably because my body hasn't yet settled on the ability to sleep. As the years go by, it will heal. That hope was the only thing that kept me going.


　From then on, I went out into social circles and even studied. Surely, I could become a military man in the future. You have to make sure you put some knowledge into it. I spent my days much the same way with Belle. And I was getting to know Belle a little bit better, too. She told me that she was impressed to see me working so hard.


　It was as if I had made her feel good about herself by appealing to her, and I couldn't help but feel indescribable. This is a natural thing that someone has to do.


　I really want to make friends my own age and hang out with them. Knowing that there were kids like that out in the city made me jealous. But that's no good. I have a role to fulfill as a saint and as royalty....


'Hey Belle,'
Why do I have to...
What does Belle want to do when she's released from twilight?
'.........yes. I want to ... climb a mountain.
Why?
Because I want to see the blue sky the closest you can get to it.
Yeah. That's a very good thing.
Yes.....


　Seeing Belle smiling at me, I was reminded again of what I needed to accomplish.