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　It was a helpless, dark, cold place. The fear of being trapped in total darkness, unable to even move, arises. I really feel that people are beings in search of light, unable to stay in the darkness for long periods of time.

　There is a sense of fear that sticks to the skin, that covers the entire body in its entirety. But it's not as horrible as I thought it would be there.
　It's like wandering through a maze without a single ray of light. However, wherever I wandered, there seemed to be a vague awareness of myself.

　The fuzzy consciousness is not comfortable, but it is not uncomfortable. I was like a doll that just wandered around. It's not as if I had any intention of doing this, my body moved as if it were flowing.
　Oh, it's so cold. It's so cold that it's freezing.

　But once you get used to it, you'll feel like it's natural. An uncertain sense tells me that the cold, dark place is where I am. In a place where you don't know anything, where you can't see anything, a body that moves regardless of your will somehow reassures you. The fact that my will doesn't work is, after all, no need to think.
　Then maybe that's....good.

　I guess you could call it the ultimate in disempowerment, the fluffy sensation spreading throughout my body and my ability to think fades away. That must be a very happy thing, that's all I know. I want to surrender, and I feel like I've been freed from all kinds of mundane fences.

　I couldn't resist like a daydream, and I didn't even have the energy to do so.

　I wouldn't be able to walk straight away.
　The body being forced to move in the pitch blackness must have reached the limit of exhaustion, because I couldn't help but sleep.
　Because it would be helplessly sleepy.

　His body was so numb that he felt as if it had turned to mush. Maybe it wasn't there to begin with. I wondered how to move my body, but I couldn't think anymore. What do you mean by "thinking"?

　However, I suppose even that is a trivial matter. Because I........I'm able to walk like this now.......I'm still walking.


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　The same day that Ars and the others went to Hydrangee at the request of the Association. In the outer world of Barmes, within the exclusive realm, the most important mission for the Association to operate normally in the future was about to begin.

　There were only a few times in the past when wizards had ever gathered in the outer world like this.
　The new base in the southwest of Alpha's outer world 【Wictor】 and 【Zentray】, which is said to be mankind's first fruit of battle.

　There was a place where an even greater amount of war potential had been gathered than those bases.
　An ore deposit discovered about 20km outside of Balmes.
　A recurrence of the calamity. It was near the place where the memorable [Abomination of Disobedience (Demi Azure)] was defeated. A few hundred meters away is a huge crater where Ars is said to have fought, and even now, the claws of the battle remain thick in the air.

　Right now, at the foot of it, magicians dressed in cloaks and battle uniforms with the designs of the association were gathering. In the first place, this place was an area that had been prepared for mining the rare mineral mithril, which could be obtained from ore deposits.
　Therefore, the demons in the vicinity had been wiped out and even a temporary base had been built. Of course, there is no strong wall to prevent demons from invading the area.

　The reason why they are using this as a temporary base is because they are planning to build a wall in Mithril eventually.
　If that happens, it will be hard for demons to detect it in the outside world, and the hardest wall will cover this base.

　The expectations were high in the sense that this was a safe zone where drilling work could be done continuously even if demons were present. However, right now it was just a low wall of unreliable stone and a pile of comforting sandbags. A wide trench has also been dug around the outer wall during construction, although the extent of the effect is not certain.

　Although it is a base, it will be a fortress by the time it is completed.
　Currently, it could be said that the defensive strength of this base, and its reliability, was guaranteed by the magicians who had gathered here.
　The military uniforms, as if they were not uniform, are noticeable. It was also possible to see the rough attire that only the strong are allowed to wear.

　And in this stronghold, there is also the figure of an academy student who has not been officially recognized as a mage. You can see the newness in their clean skin, unrelated to successive wars.
　They are wearing the uniforms of each academy, and over that they are wearing the reinforced robes woven with anti-magic fiber provided by the association.

　The time was early morning.
　Under the cold outside world, teams selected from each academy had gathered together. Their faces appear a little stiff and tight before their mission to explore the inside of the ore deposit.

　Of course, it's not just the outside world that is making this happen, but also the famous wizards that are gathered here that are overwhelmed. Forming a military-like formation, the students of the academy gathered in one place, huddled shoulder to shoulder.

　The team selected from Alpha's second wizarding academy had prepared their equipment and were standing around chatting with each other as if they had done what they had to do before the mission that was about to begin. Naturally, it wasn't as overt as standing around talking, but rather that kind of skill is something that Felinella Socarent, the leader of this squad, would have no problem with.

　And the one who exchanged words with her was another nobleman and sub-leader, Irmina Solsoryk. The two of them didn't even face each other, but exchanged words so skillfully that it was impossible to judge from a sidelong glance that they were talking to each other. This was because, being in the outside world, the atmosphere was a bit tense.
　It was better to refrain from acting in any way childish of students.

　With an exquisite tone of voice, Illumina's voice was emitted to Felinella from behind. The expression is not changed at all, only the sound is accurately conveyed.

''Even so, it's counterintuitive that each country is so cooperative, it makes me feel suspicious.

　A sense of foreboding about the crisis of humanity, a force that we don't usually see, inexplicably crosses my mind. Of course, such things would be unfounded. The thought of being summoned by a teacher and having the chancellor, military personnel, or even a guardian in attendance would make you feel paranoid that you've made a terrible mistake.

　Among the members elected from each academy, those who are considered to be noblemen are very clever in their manners.
　That's something you can do when you're a child of the Sokalent family, the three major Alpha nobles.

　Felinella swims her gaze and instantly matches the names of the mages in her memory.

'It seems there are more than just a lot of double-digit mages. In addition to the rankings, there are also many people who are respected in the outside world. It's easy to see how important each country considers this mission. I'm sure they have an idea that the association is indispensable to the goal of winning it back.

　Ferinella replied in a small way, only coolly.