The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide

[Side Story] Chasing a Butterfly (6) When I

opened my eyes the next morning, Wilhelm had woken up early and was preparing breakfast.

Zelan was twitching in bed, as if he had overslept. If Wilhelm, who was diligent, did not take care of him in one way or another, that man seemed to be a very poor person.

Lucy and I got up with sleepy eyes, said hello to Wilhelm, and went to a nearby stream to wash our faces.

Lucy isn’t exactly the type that is diligent enough to wake up this early in the morning, but perhaps because she fell asleep in my arms, she woke up when I woke up.

So Lucy and I took in the early morning air and the coniferous forest scenery of the Rameln Mountains at a glance.

Lucy, bouncing around as she steps on the swaying leaves, seems to know the surrounding geography well even though it has been a long time since she visited.

“I walked around a lot when I was young. “When I practiced lightly using gravity magic and lightening magic around my body, I ended up reaching a place I had never seen before and got lost.”

“I guess it wasn’t scary.”

“huh. “Anyway, Grandpa Glokt’s magical power can be easily felt from afar, so if you follow his magical power, you can quickly return to the cabin.”

The story goes that from a young age, he sensed the magic power of Glokt from afar.

We’ve already talked about Lucy’s incredible magical talent, so there’s no point in emphasizing anything more now.

Lucy walked along the roadside to the stream with light, magical steps.

“I can now use my magical power quite freely. “You seem to have recovered quite a bit?”

“huh. I can use at least basic magic. “I think I’ll be able to use mid-level magic soon.”

At first, the recovery period lasted almost five to six years.

However, even though it is not even halfway through, it is already possible to try using mid-level magic.

As expected, Lucy always exceeds expectations when it comes to matters related to magical power.

I washed my face with Lucy in the cool early morning air.

And as we shook off the moisture and enjoyed the cool early morning air in the mountains… Lucy had just taken out a piece of beef jerky and was sitting on a rock, muttering.

I talked while warming up here and there.

“That wizard named Zelan. “What do you think?”

“Strange.”

Lucy answered without hesitation, perhaps because what she was thinking was clear.

And… it matched my thoughts.

I felt this through many conversations along the way to the Rameln Mountains.

Zelan the Mutilator always has a sly smile on his face and talks cheerfully… but on the inside he is endlessly chipped away. In some ways, it seems empty.

I don’t know if it’s okay to say this, but…

he was a person who wouldn’t be surprised if he died tomorrow.

* * *

After finishing a simple breakfast, I began to examine the belongings in Glokt’s underground laboratory in earnest.

Zelan is well versed in traditional magic itself, but his areas of expertise are magic engineering and material science. It would not be easy for an ordinary wizard to accurately analyze the artifacts created by Glokt, a rare genius, but Zelan would be able to figure out the design intent.

Just like that, Zelan loosened his fairly long hair and looked one by one at the memorabilia piled up in Glokt’s laboratory.

Lucy, I, and Wilhelm were next to him, looking at the artifacts and magic engineering supplies.

As I looked through each item, I found many quite novel items. It may be difficult to recognize if you are not versed in magical engineering supplies, but the items left behind by Glokt were not tied to the internal structure or flow of magical energy that had been previously studied.

The magic engineering supplies designed by geniuses have a completely different base structure. You have to examine each switch and each horsepower guide wire as if you were tearing it apart from the beginning.

It felt as if the magic engineering system I had learned so far was being completely denied.

“Obviously… this isn’t easy…”

Zelan also raised both hands and feet in an hour.

The underground laboratory was full of magic engineering supplies and relics taken out here and there. However, among these, there was not a single object whose structure could be completely determined.

“I think we’ll need some time to coordinate the operation.”

Once again, we were sitting at the dining table in the kitchen with serious expressions on our faces. This is because examining Glokt’s relics was not as easy as expected.

Zelan, who was sitting in the middle, spoke first while drinking the tea Wilhelm had provided.

“Although Glokt in his lifetime could not observe all future trends as clearly as the great sage Sylvania… they say he was able to observe future trends to some extent.”

This was a story I knew up to this point.

As a wizard who inherited Sylvania’s Aspect magic, Glokt was able to embody some of her abilities.

Of course, it was not possible to implement all of Sylvania’s achievements.

If Sylvania observed the entire ‘world of possibilities’ and identified the existence of a ‘cliff point’… Glockt was only able to examine a few of the many possibilities.

If Sylvania was able to foresee the future of any desired location as much as she wanted, it is said that Glokt could only vaguely feel the coming future or see only a brief glimpse of the future.

Even to that extent, a magician of the Aspect level would have reached an incredible level. Twisting the providence of the world and extending or shortening the lines of time at will is something that only the gods can do.

“So… if you look at the relics, you will definitely be able to find relics that allow you to observe other worlds. But… it would take several years to look through all those numerous relics one by one.”

The objects created by Glokt operate only according to the laws created by Glokt himself.

There are limits to the magic engineering theory that has already been preached in the world.

“And it’s not possible to spend years in the middle of these mountain ranges, which require a great adventure that takes more than ten days just to get there…” “

How about we pack up all the artifacts and take them to the laboratory in the lawless zone of Kohelton?”

“But that doesn’t change the fact that it will take at least a few years. “I don’t have the heart to wait that long.”

The expression on Wilhelm’s face as he looks at Zelan who makes such an assertion is not very good.

It looks like Zelan will come up with a radical solution.

And the prediction was not wrong.

Zelan looked at me and spoke.

“I promised that if you helped me, young man, I would personally process the artifacts you have. “Let’s add more money to it.”

“….”

“I will give you my magic engineering laboratory in the lawless area of Kohelton.”

The first to react to those words was Wilhelm.

The way he looks at Zelan with wide eyes and disbelief is impressive.

“Anyway, I was planning to move out of the lawless area of Cohelton once this incident was over… so I wouldn’t have to go through the trouble of moving again.”

“…What’s in the lab?”

“Everything I’ve been researching.”

Even Professor Kalide, who rarely acknowledged others, was implicitly respectful when talking about Zelan.

This is a laboratory that contains everything Zelan has been researching throughout his life.

“If we say that you, young man, are using it and not me, Princess Selaha, who is in charge of the land, will not particularly complain. In fact, I might like it more if I go back and forth to the Kohelton lawless zone often because of the lab. Kuhuhu.”

Zelan added a joke with a mischievous face.

“You can’t even convert it into monetary value. As Wilhelm knows well, there are a lot of items there that could change the history of magic engineering.”

“I won’t accept it.”

I spoke calmly, leaning on the table.

Zelan was speechless for a moment, perhaps because the answer was completely unexpected. Taking advantage of that opportunity, I added.

“Isn’t there a reason for handing something like that over? “If I give it to you and get it, I get an upset stomach.”

“I thought you would answer carefully. “Yes…”

Zelan answered with a soft smile.

“I want to inject astral magic into as many artifacts as I can find in the basement.”

It was such a radical measure that Wilhelm’s anxious expression was understandable.

“Are you saying you didn’t even check the proper uses?”

“okay. Among them, there will definitely be objects that allow us to observe other worlds of possibility. Because Glokt was serious about researching aspect magic.”

“Then, if there is a dangerous magic tool…”

“That’s why I put my life’s worth of research results up for stakes.”

There the conversation stops for a moment.

I held my breath for a moment and looked at Zelan’s expression.

Magic engineering supplies should not be examined carelessly without knowing their purpose.

This is because there are many dangerous items used for combat or ships.

Moreover, if it is a magic engineering product that uses star magic… I really don’t know what the results will be.

“…Why do you do that?”

I know it’s a meaningless question. Still, I can’t help but ask.

“Didn’t you say it yourself that it was like chasing an empty butterfly? After belatedly observing things like ‘possibility that might have existed’… what on earth should I do?…”

After saying that, I stopped talking.

Zelan’s actions somehow seem to have no regrets about his current life. In the end, he even said that he would hand over the results of his lifelong research…

It was like…

“…Tell me what you are thinking.”

“….”

“If you keep quiet until the end, I will freely tell you my guess.”

Zelan, the one who challenges taboos.

I don’t know how tightly the failures of the past are gripping her heart, but…

the reason why she wants to observe the future split into so many different directions is…

“――If there is a future you want… Aspect Magic Do you plan to study and use it to go there?”

A future with countless possibilities, branching into many directions.

Jumping from branch to branch.

Zelan’s ambition… was much grander than I thought.

“….”

“….”

In order to decide on a destination, you must first observe the destination.

The starting point of Zelan’s grand plan… is that observation. If this is a world that we will leave behind anyway, the laboratory and research results left here are meaningless.

So, what I am saying is that you will hand over to me all the research records that are worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

“…In fact, the magic engineering supplies expected to be ‘observation devices’ have already been identified.”

As the story progresses to this point, Zelan tells the story honestly.

“It’s not 100% certain. That’s just a guess. And I don’t know how it will affect other parts of the world.”

“…Can I move on to another world?”

“It’s impossible in theory. Magic is all about interaction. Even if you manifest magic power in this world, if there is no medium to receive that magic power in the other world, it is only one-way communication.”

“….”

“…Still, I want to try everything I can.”

Zelan speaks weakly in a subdued voice.

I feel a strange sense of helplessness, as if I could turn into powder and scatter at any moment.

“Can’t you join in on this old man’s last wish? “I’ll give you everything… I’ll give you everything… It’s meaningless to me anyway.”

The final secret wish of Zelan, who has been wandering the world for 140 years.

“Help me to go to a world where the demi-humans were not massacred…”

Zelan spoke with difficulty, squeezing his voice as if it were going to break.

And a moment of silence.

I am aware that this is a very dangerous request. There is no guarantee that Glockt’s artifact can be adjusted accurately.

It’s not like there’s no risk for me. Nevertheless, it feels strange to see the cheerful Zelan appear in such a low posture.

If you just want to help with research, it’s not difficult. And the compensation that comes in return is ridiculous.

The moment I think, “Isn’t there anything bad from my perspective?”

“okay.”

Lucy answered as if she could read my mind.

Lucy and I are the only people here who can handle Aspect magic.

“…I’ll help you.”

Lucy buried herself in my arms and answered in a firm voice for her own.