Satou ran toward his home, clutching the candy in his hand. It had been given to him by Minami, or as he liked to call her, Big Sister Minami. It was a huge lollipop, wrapped in pink plastic dotted with white spots.
As he ran along the road, his foot struck a small rock. The road was not made of concrete. Enbei Town was divided into two parts, one rural and one semi urban. The semi urban side had paved roads, while the rural half remained unchanged.
The people living there preferred it that way. They valued their rural life deeply and would protest fiercely if the government tried to alter it, not just the roads, but anything that might threaten their way of living.
Fortunately, the rural area was not entirely cut off from modern life. There were street lights and internet access, mainly for business needs and the education of the younger generation. Homes also had electricity and other necessities, such as television.
"My candy," Satou cried as he fell.
The candy was no longer in his hand. It had flown away when he hit the ground.
He reached out toward it, lying just a short distance away, but he could not move any closer. A sharp pain shot through his leg where the skin had been scraped badly from the fall. He clutched the injured spot, and a painful, tearful expression spread across his face.
Creak.
"No!"
He screamed in horror as he saw someone step onto his lollipop, crushing it completely.
---
"Huh?"
Christopher spoke softly as he felt something beneath his boot. He lifted his foot and saw a large lollipop, now shattered and smeared inside its plastic wrapper.
Seriously… this good for nothing town. First, half of it is filled with cowherds who lack any vision of true modernization, and now this. It even ruined my five thousand dollar leather shoes.
His gaze shifted to the child on the ground, a bruise visible on his left leg. The boy was not looking at him, not truly, but at the destroyed candy lying near his hand.
Christopher glanced at the child and shrugged. "Not my fault, kid. It is yours. Let's go, Yuri."
Yuri, standing beside him, gave a small nod. Together, they walked past the boy, leaving him staring silently at the broken candy.
"I sincerely hope I do not have to fight in the rural section," Christopher said with a serious expression. "This place is hardly worthy of staining my clothes with its dirt and water, garments made from the finest French designers."
The very thought displeased him. He even found it revolting that the people here breathed the same air as he did. To him, it was an offense on a spiritual level.
Christopher despised the poor and the rural folk. In his eyes, they were no better than animals, creatures that needed a leash to be taught even the most basic manners, especially when someone of his stature walked past them.
"Master, do you plan to form an alliance with the other wielders?" Yuri asked. "Since you openly announced your wieldership to the entire magic world, I am certain some of them would be eager to join you, even without you extending an invitation yourself."
"Hehehehe…"
A laugh escaped him. It was unpleasant, warped, the kind of laugh that sounded as though it belonged to a madman.
"Master…?" Yuri looked at him with confusion, still unsettled by the sudden outburst.
Christopher quickly composed himself. "Nothing," he said lightly. "I was merely surprised that you could joke so well. I did not know you possessed such an affinity for humor."
Yuri remained confused. She could not understand how anything she had said could be taken as a joke.
"Well…" Christopher glanced at her, then decided to elaborate, if only to ease her thoughts. "The truth is, my dear foolish and disposable maid, I intend to become the great villain of this entire war."
His lips curled into a distorted smile.
"Let the other wielders form alliances or fight alone. I would actually prefer them to come at me together, all at once. It would make it far more satisfying to demonstrate my undeniable superiority."
There was a crazed gleam in his eyes as he imagined it. Six opponents charging at him, only to be cut down in a single swing of his sacred sword, their existence erased in an instant.
"After all," he continued calmly, "no matter how many hyenas gather, they will never be equal to a lion."
---
Oxen Hill, Aragai Mountain, northeast of Enbei.
"Look at him. Standing there so boldly with his maid, filled with arrogance," Elina muttered in her Ryal form as she observed Christopher and his maid through a pair of binoculars. They stood in the middle of a rural road, speaking to one another, Christopher wearing that unmistakable, unsettling look of madness on his face.
But what in the world are they doing there? she wondered. They are not here for a simple stroll through town.
Within the magic world, it was common knowledge that Christopher Enfield was a calculating and dangerous man. He layered schemes upon schemes, like a spider weaving an ever expanding web, all to achieve whatever goal he set his mind upon.
Christopher Enfield, Elina thought darkly, what kind of nefarious plot are you brewing inside that twisted mind of yours?
She knew she had to keep watching him. He was the greatest threat in the war, the largest thorn in her path.
What troubled her most was the uncertainty surrounding his weapon. He had only declared himself the wielder of a sacred sword, never specifying which one.
And that uncertainty made him all the more dangerous.
Just then, Christopher turned in her direction.
Their eyes met.
He raised a hand slightly, almost as if greeting her.
Damn it!?
He had noticed her watching him. But how?
Her eyes widened as she saw him lift a single finger and point directly at her.
He is joking… right? He cannot be serious about using magic out in the open.
The use of magic in public was strictly forbidden by the Association. All mage families were bound by this law, for revealing the existence of magic to the public would be catastrophic.
No mage in their right mind would ever cast spells so openly, unless under extreme circumstances. Even then, such incidents were followed by memory wipes or, in darker cases, the elimination of witnesses. But no one would dare use magic as openly as Christopher appeared ready to do.
Any mage who violated this rule would be hunted down by the Association, regardless of family or background.
Then again, this was Christopher Enfield.
He was the embodiment of madness fueled by arrogance, and one of the most dangerous mages alive. Elina knew the organization would not dare lay a hand on him.
"What was that?"
To her surprise, Christopher lowered his finger. He gave her a faint smile, said something to his maid, and then walked away.
Why did he not do anything?
Elina lowered her binoculars, her thoughts racing. There was no reason for him to hesitate. If anyone could use magic openly without consequence, it was him.
None of it made sense.
Unless…
---
"Master, why did you not attack the foolish mage who dared to spy on us?" Yuri asked as they continued walking.
"Where would the fun be in that?" Christopher replied casually. "I want them to spy on me and report everything we do to their masters, or to whomever they serve. Even better if they are a wielder themselves."
"But why?"
"Why not?" Christopher said with a faint grin. "Let them watch us as much as they like. It will change nothing. There is no information they could gather that would make a difference."
Yuri frowned slightly. "You mean you already have a plan?"
"No," Christopher answered simply. "I am going in without one."
"No plan?"
"Yes. I want to experience uncertainty for once. Let events unfold naturally. We will do nothing, and that is an order."
He paused, then added, "That said, you have permission to eliminate any spy if they become too troublesome. Especially if they bring others with them."
"Understood."
"And make sure to set up defensive measures around the bathroom and my bedroom, and yours as well," he continued calmly. "I do not want anyone peeping at me while I bathe or sleep, and certainly not at you either. I believe you share that sentiment."
Yuri gave a quiet nod as they continued walking, while Christopher smiled faintly, already amused by the chaos he intended to invite.
This war is going to be so much fun, he thought. I only wish I had experienced it sooner. Still, my name will be written in the history books, even if it already was.