「First, let me explain the barrier that surrounds that place.」
We had moved to a different location.
Though we could have stayed in the corner of District Zero, it was decided that a formal report deserved a more appropriate setting.
The room we chose was a reception room located at the far end of the castle—typically used for meetings with foreign dignitaries. Despite being a space for diplomatic purposes, the interior was unadorned. While the furniture, such as the sofa and table, gave off an air of sophistication, the lack of decorations and muted colors made the austerity feel deliberate.
I couldn’t help but think that this simplicity might be a reflection of the national character. Perhaps it stemmed from the unique history of this country—a nation that had developed while harboring a ticking time bomb in the form of the Demon King. Living side by side with potential destruction at any moment, they must have come to see ornamentation as unnecessary. Even after the people began to forget the Demon King’s existence and embrace peace, the frugal spirit seemed to have persisted.
Anyway.
I sat down on the sofa opposite the elders. Tea was served. …Brought in by Yuzuriha-san.
「Don’t you have staff for this sort of thing?」
「We can’t let outsiders overhear, can we? Does your surface world involve servants even in situations like this?」
He gave me a look that seemed to say, ‘What are you even talking about?’
In my world, maids and butlers are expected to keep secrets as part of their duties, or so I thought. Then again, I’ve never actually been to a castle before, so I don’t really know the customs here. Maybe I should ask Noah about it sometime.
「Kwuuun…」
「Shh, hang in there. Come here.」
「Bark!」
Translation (probably): No milk? Oh… no milk, huh.
Chocola always seemed to get milk or treats in settings like this before. Stroking his slightly disappointed head, I turned back to the group of elders.
「Now then, about the barrier. That you were able to grasp its nature so quickly is truly remarkable.」
Prompted by Yuzuriha-san, who had set the tea in front of everyone and taken her seat again, I resumed my explanation.
「Let me explain. First, it is indeed a magic of causal delay. However, it’s been constructed with exceptional strength. I believe it wasn’t created by Alice… no, by that progenitor. It’s likely the work of other progenitors—multiple ones, in fact, working together to build the spell.」
「…How can you know that? You only touched it, didn’t you?」
「I read the memories left in the magic.」
「You’re saying that’s possible…?」
I responded to Moata-san’s doubtful gaze.
By touching the barrier and performing an Appraisal, I managed to glean fragments of the caster’s residual memories left within the magic. The scenes I saw revealed that those who activated the spell were different individuals. Alice-san, if anything, seemed to have played the role of stalling the Demon King.
「The magic is embedded directly into the space itself. Most likely, its center is the Demon King, where the density is highest, thinning as it radiates outward. In other words, the degree of causal delay decreases the farther you go from the center. This might have been one of the factors behind the Great Outbreak twenty years ago.」
For example, if the time flow at the center of the barrier moves at one-tenth of a second over a thousand years, then the outermost edge might move at one second over the same period. The numbers are just a rough estimate, though.
「So, is the magic itself still intact?」
「Unfortunately, no. There are visible flaws in the spell structure.」
It was hard to deliver such news to Miyako-san, whose voice sounded almost pleading, but it was the truth.
「It’s likely due to the wear and tear of time. And to share some bad news… your assessment that “the effective range is shrinking” isn’t entirely accurate. The reality is that “it’s beginning to break.”」
「…!」
It was a fact that filled me with anxiety as well, but withholding it wasn’t an option.
「Of course, the fact that it lasted two thousand years is incredible. However, if left unchecked, the barrier is unlikely to gradually shrink and disappear. Instead, it’s far more probable that the entire structure will suddenly collapse. Not today or tomorrow, but it’s a possibility nonetheless.」
What intrigued me, however, was the method that had kept the magic operational for two millennia.
The key was an attribute of “indestructible” added directly to the spell’s structure. Coincidentally, it was the same approach I used when installing the observation device in the Void Forest.
When launching my familiar into the sky, I had first considered what would happen after my death. No matter how much magic power I imbued into the core made from Fairy Droplet, if my death caused the magic I had activated to vanish, it would all be meaningless. Adding “indestructible” to the spell was a measure to prevent that.
Though the theory was sound, I couldn’t help but feel a lingering doubt—would my familiar truly remain in the sky after my death, never falling? Having a real-world example here was—though perhaps an inappropriate way to express it—incredibly reassuring.
At the same time, this revealed something crucial: even though the barrier was called a Grand Magic, it wasn’t some forbidden art. It didn’t seem to be on the level of rewriting the fabric of the world itself, like the kind of magic Four Seasons-san and the others had used.
「That’s a bit of a relief.」
Only the Hatano family could hear that voice. Four Seasons-san and Color-san stood side by side, positioned beyond the elders’ sofa.
「True Grand Magic comes with a heavy cost. Just like how we lost our human forms, fell into the hidden world, and how our comrades became elves… it’s fortunate that they didn’t stray any further from this world.」
I nodded silently at Four Seasons-san’s words. Their thoughtful gesture—appearing in a spot where their presence wouldn’t seem unnatural—almost made me smile. Not that they’re spirits haunting me or anything…
Hearing my bad news, the elders had uniformly darkened expressions.
「The barrier on the verge of collapse… is it possible for you to repair it?」
「It would be extremely difficult. It’s like a piece of fabric riddled with small holes. If we’re to do anything, it would have to be reinforcement rather than patching each individual tear—more like overlaying new fabric atop it. But…」
Yes, but.
「There’s not just bad news. I also have good news. It won’t resolve the situation entirely, but it will allow us to take a significant step forward.」
I recalled the sensation from a few minutes ago when I touched the barrier. The analysis of the spell structure and the immense magical power contained within it, coupled with a comparison to my own abilities, gave me certainty.
I could do this.
After taking a sip of tea to wet my throat, exchanging a glance with Karen and mother, and stroking Chocola for reassurance, I steeled myself and declared:
「The fact that she wasn’t the one who cast the barrier works in our favor. We’ll rescue the progenitor. Without disturbing the barrier, we’ll first bring her—back to us, into this time, two thousand years later.」
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