Sigma, who was raised as a member of the Magus with all his heart, was unable to answer questions from a girl named Tawa who was assigned to the same training facility and was born in the same period.
I have the idea of answering something, but I can't answer anything.
Even if Sigma wanted to seriously consider other ways of living, he wouldn't understand anything else.
All I have in my mind are events I have personally experienced, and I lack the minimum knowledge and experience to imagine a world I have never seen.
Regarding Sigma's difficulty in answering, Tawa continued.
"I made an agreement with the teachers. If I become number one on this training field, I will find a parent for me. The great people in this country will recognize me as their daughter!"
"great person?"
"It is said that he is the manager who prepares the meals for us. Since he is the one who cooks, he must be a great man second only to the Lord of the Kingdom!"
"This... um, or something like this?"
Both Tava and Sigma at that time were just a group of kids who didn't even know what "managers" existed.
Not yet ten years old.
Every day I was training to forcibly connect magic circuits, learning how to use simple magic uniforms, how to use weapons such as guns and knives, or how to survive in harsh environments.
In addition to being forced to experience "methods of killing creatures" from time to time, children are also thoroughly instilled with knowledge and experience as magicians.
The person holding the whip has a gentle tone, but the training is quite strict.
Many children, including Sigma, have become like machines along the way, but occasionally there will be people like Tava whose eyes shine.
"When my parents are here, I can sleep peacefully. There will be people who will sing me lullabies, cook delicious meals, and take me to the celebration of the Lord of the Kingdom!"
"Lullaby?"
"When I hear this, I can sleep peacefully. My parents will protect me when I sleep!"
"I'm so envious."
Sigma was finally able to speak in response to the feelings in his heart.
For teenagers, sleeping is the only entertainment, and even tasting food does not bring any excitement.
For him, the moment of falling into a dream, the feeling of falling like being embraced by a long night, is the hope of survival and the point of interest.
"Sigma is really always sleeping. Even the way he opens the magic circuit is unique to Sigma."
"Is that so?"
When the magic power passes through the magic circuit, most magicians will think about the image when switching on and off. Most of the children in the training ground reluctantly turn on the image according to the instilled image. Only Sigma meditates and switches at the moment of sleep.
"..."
Sigma couldn't answer.
It’s not that I don’t know if this is correct, but I think it’s pointless to confirm again.
However, Tawa is obviously one year younger than him and talks like an adult.
She will definitely become the best student on this training ground and realize her dream.
Sigma didn't know why, but he was a little envious that she could hear the lullaby.
However, even if you have that slightly wavering feeling, you will soon forget it.
Soon after, Tawa disappeared.
It is said that due to a big mistake during training, the only magic circuit was damaged.
I wonder what will happen to the trainees who have disappeared.
The only thing she cares about is whether she can sleep peacefully after leaving here.
New "tawa" were immediately added, as if nothing had happened - the training of living next to death began again.
For Sigma, it's really just a memory.
Tawa's face and name sank into the depths of accumulated memories.
Just like the memory of a dream begins to fade away after waking up.
Now in the lanes of Snowfield.
Far above the city, while the servants were fighting the mysterious demon——
Sigma, who was still unclear about the current situation, suddenly recalled the distant past.
While thinking about mercenaries who don’t look like children, I rethink past memories...
The status of the manager of the grain factory is far less than that of the king, and adopting him should have been a temporary measure for the "teachers".
Even so, he still recalled this girl named Tawa, perhaps because she was slightly similar to Miu Qiu Chun.
"I want to destroy the Holy Grail War (system)."
Sigma was thinking about the surroundings of the alley while recalling the declaration he made with determination to the "shadows" who were watchers at the Tsunaki Chun residence a few minutes ago.
--No……
——The one who looks similar to Tsubaki should be the new "Tawa"...
That memory has become blurry.
Even so, that past event is still of great significance to the current Sigma, so it will reappear in his mind.
——With or without parents, nothing changes, Tava.
——We are born as magicians, no matter what we do, the ending will not change...
——Ah, yes. I admit it.
——My purpose in destroying the Holy Grail War was not to save the girl named Tsubaki.
——This is just a means.
——Because the elf in red gave me the thought of "Tsubaki, just leave it to me"?
——This is also a secondary reason.
——As long as she rescues Miu Qiuchun, can she be freed from her fate...
——Even if you can't change the fate that has been sleeping, can you change anything in this world...
——The most important thing is, can I accept it myself?
——I don’t think I can change everything in the world. I don’t have that qualification.
Can Xiaoqiu Chun rewrite my subjective world? I want to know.
——Ah, I just want to confirm. This is my willfulness.
——This is the Holy Grail War that I started.
Sigma was thinking about this problem, and the sound from the wireless intercom through bone conduction rang in his ears.
"——This is 'livestock', which means 'scarcity'"
"..."
"——This is 'livestock', calling 'scarce'. Can you get it?"
In an alleyway where even the dusk sunlight couldn't penetrate, Sigma heard his boss's voice coming from the intercom.
Faldius Diorland.
Although he is only a temporary boss, he is actually one of the behind-the-scenes operators of the Holy Grail War. Not to mention his ability as a magician, his use of armed forces as his arms and legs makes him a troublesome man.
However, Sigma did not respond to the radio.
Because the wireless intercom has been modified, there is no need to worry about being eavesdropped.
And since it only has a powerless long-distance communication function, Sigma believes that it will be impossible to control the situation here as long as it is left alone.
To get here from the Minqiu Mansion, we used the information from the 'Shadows' and chose a road that could not be monitored by surveillance cameras to reach this alley.
However, he received a wireless contact at this time, which made him quite concerned.
——Have you realized that you have escaped the quarantined world?
——No, speaking of which, does Faldis know that I am also involved?
In any case, the first thing to consider is whether you can answer this radio.
Destroying the rituals of the Holy Grail War might please Francesca, who loves the unexpected.
However, this will lead to a situation of decisive hostility with Faldis.
There is another way now, which is to pretend to be submissive and return to the Faldis camp, but if it is revealed that I made the Minqiu couple powerless, a trap may be set.
He was just a mage by birth, and he didn't have the magic seal to recover from fatal injuries.
Compared with Faldis, the gap in strength is laughable.
Although Sigma has never laughed from the bottom of his heart, he is still naturally aware of this.
To be more precise, if someone other than yourself heard such a thing, they would just laugh it off.
But the path has been decided.
It's not anyone's order. If I insist on saying it, it's the "job" entrusted to me.
There was no point in living in the first place, and he was always doing missions that cost his life.
The so-called meaningless battle is this kind of fight.
--but.
Suddenly, I thought of the Miu Qiu Chun who sacrificed himself to stop the cavalry from going on a rampage, and the unknown assassin who showed a truly angry expression in the face of such a thing.
——This time, I chose to blindly follow Wumu.
——I don’t want to leave any regrets in the battle.
Now, Sigma has eliminated the anxiety in his heart.
Dive into your own world calmly and deeply as never before, procrastinating for time to find the best solution.
——Fardius.
——Whether you should respond to the other party to test their movements.
Just as Sigma was thinking this way, a voice with emotional fluctuations came from the radio.
"...'Shortage', can you hear me? Sigma, please answer quickly!"
──?
The code name for this combat operation is no longer used, but the usual title is directly shouted on the radio.
Sigma was surprised by the non-Faldisian anxious tone.
At this time, the 'shadow' appeared behind him, a man wearing the captain's old clothes, smiling happily.
"Whether or not you answer the radio is up to you, but at least I have to give you a hint..."
"..." Sigma remained silent and motioned for the other party to continue speaking.
"You can just keep pretending to be dead to Faldius, if everything goes well..." Shadow continued, but still did not finish the sentence.
"What's going on?" Sigma frowned slightly.
While making sure the radio's answer button was not pressed, he asked Shadow about his intentions.
In response to the inquiry, the captain was replaced by another shadow that looked like a young knight and said.
"The situation has changed. From now on, don't be careless."
At the same time, perhaps because there was no response for a long time, this voice sounded on the radio: "...freeze this communication line. From now on, stop the support there. Above."
"!"
With a brief murmur, the sound was interrupted, and the Sigma radio fell into complete silence.
——Did Faldius confirm his betrayal?
Sigma thought so.
The young knight shrugged and denied, "No...he must have judged that you were also killed by that monster. Otherwise, there is no need to specifically tell you to stop supporting you like a record."
"So he knew that I was involved in the dream world and judged that I was killed by Cerberus?" Sigma asked.
This time, a young man holding a snake staff appeared at the entrance of the alley. He looked up at the sky and replied: "No...it's not that kind of thing. It's something that even the 'Watcher' can hardly perceive, so I don't know how to express it."
For shadows, this state is also very rare. They seem to be temporarily hesitant and silent.
After a while, Shadow nodded as if he finally understood, and spoke slowly as if he was pondering the words.
"He... no, that thing is probably the claw marks left on the world by the ancient magicians when they were struggling. At the same time, he was just born on this planet that will break apart at some point... and became a new primate."
"Wait a minute. First of all, what does 'that thing' refer to?" Sigma frowned slightly.
At this time, the boy holding the snake staff disappeared, and a woman wearing a pilot suit appeared in the building above the alley, sitting on the handrail of the fire staircase.
"Master, you are so lucky. If you were on the street, maybe you would also be involved."
"street?"
Probably facing the city center of Crystal Hill.
Just because it was not far from here, a chill ran down Sigma's spine.
They, the 'Shadows', specially reported many of the crisis events that would directly lead to death if they made just one wrong step. Although Sigma has not yet figured out what kind of heroic spirit the 'Watcher' is, he has a clear understanding of the Shadows.
Be confident in the accuracy of the information provided.
Despite this, the information relayed next still makes people doubt their own ears.
"Your colleagues, three teams consisting of a total of thirty-eight people, were annihilated in less than a minute...by Flat Escardos."
"...Is it the power of that heroic spirit...?"
"No, the heroic spirits didn't take action in this matter, although they seemed to want to do something."
"..."
This was an answer that made Sigma unbelievable for a moment.
Although they were colleagues who had no communication with him and were only assigned to work together, their strength was unquestionable. Regardless of their individual combat effectiveness, under the command of Faldis, they were far more dexterous than Sigma.
galloping on the battlefield.
If he was defeated by a heroic spirit, that would be understandable.
With this kind of ability that is beyond common sense, if the assassin and the 'Mr. Black Pitch' that Chun called him could do such a thing, he would not doubt it.
However, it is said that it was not the Heroic Spirit but the young master Frater Eskaldes who did it... How can anyone believe this?
——Flat?
Hearing this name, Sigma reconfirmed the information of the young man who also participated in the melee in front of the church.
There is an unusual ghost card in El-Melloi's classroom, known as "The Forbidden Son of Tianhui".
Although not as good as the "Red Devil" and "The Most Graceful Hyena on Earth", Sigma believes that he is also one of the characters that needs attention.
Many well-known magicians have worshiped under Lord El-Melloi II, and there are also countless magicians like Sigma who are frightened by them.