"Yes, I'm at the Modern Magecraft dormitory. I just woke up. What is it? Do we have a mission?"
"Yes, a mission," Hishiri Adashino's voice was cold, carrying an undercurrent of suppressed irritation. "A student from General Fundamentals, Seiji Asagami, stole a precious piece of magical material. He was spotted at Charing Cross two hours ago but has since vanished. The Department of Policies has been ordered to conduct a massive, city-wide search. Everyone is participating. Since the target is considered extremely dangerous and your own strength is... lacking... I've assigned you a partner. Meet him at the E5 Bakery on Slur Street."
"Got it. Is there a code? How do I confirm he's my teammate?"
"All is One, One is All."
"Huh?"
"That's the code."
"Oh, right. Got it."
Wayland quickly got dressed and left the dormitory.
The E5 Bakery was an unassuming brick-and-mortar shop tucked away in a corner of the eastern district of Slur Street. Its bread was rustic, oversized, and delicious; Wayland dropped by occasionally when he wanted a hearty meal.
Despite being early morning, the shop was already half-full.
As Wayland peered through the glass to look for his contact, he felt a sudden slap on his back.
"Hey there, kid."
Wayland jumped, spinning around to see a man with thick, expressive features.
He had dense, black eyebrows and large, wide eyes that gave him a look of simple-minded honesty.
"Coming out to do this kind of work at such a young age, huh?"
"?"
Wayland stared at the young man, who seemed to be lost in his own reflections. "And you are...?"
The man flicked his blond bangs. "I'm your teammate."
"All is One?"
"One is All."
The man slapped Wayland's shoulder again, a wide grin spreading across his face. "So, you're a fan of Fullmetal Alchemist too?"
'Fullmetal Alchemist?'
'Wait, did that anime come out in 2003?'
Wayland had seen a few episodes back in his past life, but he hadn't finished it, and it had been so long that he barely remembered the details.
"My name is Louis Gordon. And you?"
"Wayland."
"Come on, breakfast is on me." Louis tossed an arm around Wayland's shoulder and led him into the bakery.
"Aren't we supposed to be on a mission?" Wayland asked, genuinely confused. "Don't you... aren't you afraid of that woman?"
"Terrified!" Louis said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "But even she can't stop a man from eating his breakfast!"
Wayland found himself utterly defeated by that logic.
"So, do you know anything about this Seiji Asagami?" Louis asked between mouthfuls of bread.
"Judging by the name, is he a compatriot of Hishiri Adashino?"
"Yeah, he's Japanese. It was discovered this morning that he stole something and vanished from the research building. According to the Bureau's analysis, his plan is likely to flee back to Japan. Policies has already reinforced the airports, ports, and train stations, but he's clever; he hasn't shown his face yet. To catch him as quickly as possible, they've deployed the execution squads--us--to search all of London."
Louis set down his bread, wiped his hands with a napkin, and pulled a photograph from his coat, sliding it toward Wayland. "This is him. Remember this face. If you see him, run."
Wayland took the photo. It showed a delicate-looking teenager who appeared to be roughly the same age as himself.
"Why should I run?"
"Don't let his appearance fool you. He's a genius from General Fundamentals. He's already reached the rank of Cause."
"Cause? That's not... that's not too bad, is it?"
Wayland thought of Flat and Svin. Those two were the true monsters--especially Svin, who, if memory served, was slated for promotion to Pride this year.
While Wayland was still at the seventh rank, Frame, others were already at the second or third rank, just steps away from Crown.
"If it were just his rank, he wouldn't be called a genius."
Louis glanced around cautiously and lowered his voice. "Have you heard of the Four Exorcist Families?"
Wayland shook his head.
He actually knew quite a bit about them--for instance, that Shiki Ryogi's family was one of the four--but he couldn't exactly explain how he knew that.
"In Japan, there are four legendary families of demon hunters: Asagami, Fujō, Ryōgi, and Nanaya. They're quite famous at the Clock Tower, though in recent years, every family except for the Ryōgi has fallen into decline. From what I've heard, the Nanaya were wiped out, there are only one or two Fujō left, and the Asagami... well, they chose to treat demonic beasts as guardian deities. Through generations of interbreeding, their bloodline has thinned and warped, turning them into hybrids."
"You're saying Seiji Asagami is a member of those families... and he possesses the power of a demonic beast?"
"Exactly. A Cause-rank magus isn't the problem. The problem is his bloodline. If his demon-blood loses control, he could cause a localized disaster."
'A Cause-rank isn't the problem? You clearly haven't met certain 'Grand' Masters...'
Wayland frowned. "If he's that dangerous, why did they let him into the Clock Tower in the first place?"
"Arrogance," Louis sighed. "Most magi are incredibly proud, possessed of a mindset that's barely changed since the medieval aristocracy. When they see something like a demonic beast, their first instinct isn't to destroy it, but to study it. In their eyes, 'beasts' aren't dangerous; they're just specimens."
Wayland nodded. Lord Kayneth had indeed been that kind of person. It seemed that, apart from the families in Fuyuki, most mages at the Clock Tower shared that same sense of superiority.
"Hishiri mentioned that Seiji stole a precious piece of magical material. You didn't mention what it was."
Louis suddenly shut his mouth. After a long silence, he gave a bitter smile. "Friend, you're trying to lead me down a very dangerous path."
"?"
"I'm not telling you because that material involves a different, high-security organization. According to Clock Tower rules, ordinary magi aren't authorized to know about it--and that includes external agents for Policies like yourself."
"...You know, leaving a story half-told like that is pure torture." Wayland felt as if code were clawing at the inside of his skull; he couldn't suppress his curiosity.
Louis thought for a moment. "Actually, I suppose it wouldn't hurt. You were personally invited by Hishiri, after all. To be honest, you're the first person to receive that honor in years. Before I left, she specifically ordered me to ensure your safety."
Wayland froze.
'Wait.'
'That sounds incredibly suspicious.'
'Would that woman actually care about my safety?'
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]