Despite the chaos of taking down an entire noble household and killing a Mystic, the rest of the summer was quite peaceful. A good amount of time was spent lounging or playing, though Prota received occasional lessons from Sofya when the headmaster was free. This was rare, however, because she was busy trying to figure out what to do with a missing professor.

The only concern was that John had yet to hear from Destiny. This was both good news and bad news. Good news because it meant that John wouldn't have to put in any more work, but bad in the sense that Destiny was probably struggling.

In John's mind, the good outweighed the bad.

In fact, the only thing John could really complain about was his meetings with Leora and Lupin. They hadn't been speaking lightly at the Wynton house, and they fully expected John to provide some adequate explanations. However, the tone of these meetings was completely different from what John had expected.

They treated him respectfully. A little too respectfully.

From John's point of view, Lupin and Leora were still "teachers." John had little respect for authority, but he was still vaguely aware of social standards and hierarchy. He treated others as he wished, but having those two treat him in this fashion… it felt a little strange.

Of course, it wasn't illogical. Killing a Mystic was likely part of the newfound respect, and confirming his relationship with Jinae was probably also helpful.

Just because John could reason things out didn't make it feel any better.

He just wished things would go back to normal. After all, there was no way he could tell them that their world was a [Story] and that they were mere [Characters]. No, the more advanced and wise a mind was, the more likely it was to snap under the pressure of such news. Beings such as Mystics might actually understand the sheer impact of what John knew, and they wouldn't have the fortitude to deal with it.

So all he could do was stall.

"A hint," Leora finally said near the end of summer vacation. "A hint is all I ask for."

"I don't- you guys don't give up, do you?" John groaned, holding his head in his hands. "Look, if this whole truth business was as cool as you think it is, I'd just tell you. But it's not cool. It sucks ass. It's best if you just… well, just keep looking without me."

"...you truly are a mystery," Lupin said, shaking his head. "Despite all of our sessions, we have managed to pry nothing out of you. Not a single bit of information that could potentially aid us in our search. If this were not the case, we would not bother you so. But as it stands…"

"Yeah, yeah," John said with a grimace. "I'm your closest lead in thousands of years or whatever, right?"

"That is correct," Leora nodded.

John cast his eyes downward. On one hand, he didn't want to reveal what he knew. That much was obvious. On the other hand, though, he was beginning to feel a little sympathetic toward their cause. He knew, to a degree, what it was like to hunt for something for millennia with no hint of success. Besides, they had saved him, and more importantly, they'd saved Prota. They deserved at least some reward.

Eventually, he sighed.

"Fine."

The two Mystics sat up a little straighter in their seats. They didn't appear too eager; their pride would not allow them to do so. However, anybody looking in on them would find the scene ridiculous; two gods dancing to the tune of a mortal human child.

But the members of Quaesitor Veriatis could not have cared less. If this meant they were a mere step closer, they'd willingly listen to this child, who, in their eyes, had been nothing but a manaless boy until a few months ago.

"I'll tell you about myself, ok? And then I'll tell you what I told another Mystic."

"You've spoken to-" Leora started, but John put his hand up.

"Sorry. Can't tell you who it was. It's a friend of sorts," John explained. "I'm just letting you know this because it's something another Mystic was able to handle, alright?"

Lupin and Leora looked at each other, then nodded.

"Please, begin."

Thus began John's tale. He didn't quite explain his time as a real person, but he told brief stories of his travels, describing how he'd been through hundreds, if not thousands or millions of dimensions. Of course, explaining [Resets] was also out of the question, but that didn't change the fact that John had to be at least hundreds of years old.

When questioned about his appearance, however, he just shrugged.

"What, do you want me to look like a decrepit old fart?" he said, and there was nothing the Mystics could say.

"Still, other worlds… other dimensions," Leora muttered, her eyes shining with interest.

John was right. These were incredibly intelligent, curious people. To think they would handle the news of other worlds so easily…

All the more reason he couldn't tell them the truth.

John continued, telling them about how he was missing his memories and how he'd travelled here in search of them. They questioned him about how he could find his memories, since he spoke of them as if they were physical objects rather than concepts, but he would explain no further. He told them of his days at the bar, how he'd eradicated the cult and how he'd met Jinae.

He skipped over how he and Prota had met and omitted the details about the Demon King. Too much messiness there, and it wasn't something he felt like dealing with. He simply explained that he'd adopted Prota out of pity.

He almost told them about how Jinae had taught Prota, but then decided against that. Too many questions would arise, especially if the Mystics ever contacted Jinae herself. He briefly explained about the Town of Beginnings, Doctor, and how the world was going against the path it was meant to take.

"So that is why you are such good friends with the Windwalker boy," Lupin mused, nodding. "And it explains why you are so understanding of his capabilities. And your knowledge of another world, is this how you figured out our mana reinforcement technique? Is this how you are capable of handling mana despite having none?"

"Yeah," John nodded. "In my old world, we don't have magic- well, ok, technically, we don't have magic. Look, I'm giving you a rundown of my life, not a detailed biography including a lesson on how the multiverse of all fiction works."

"The- what?"

"Don't worry about it. The point is, there's a lot of different kinds of worlds out there, and naturally, a lot of experience can be gained. I just applied what I knew and did my best."

Leora's eyes widened. "Then, is that how your sister is capable of so much?"

John raised an eye. "What do you mean by that?"

"Her skills are beyond what I've taught," Leora explained. "Applying mana reinforcement to one's nervous system for the purpose of casting is something I seldom teach. It is a technique typically far too advanced for casters to learn. Yet, despite this, she is capable of such a skill despite the fact that I have never mentioned it. I presume it was you who taught her this?"

"Ah, yeah," John shrugged. "I did teach her to do that. Well, not really. I put her on the right path. She figured out how to do it on her own after that. She's not- um. She's not like me. She's, uh… adopted, I guess? So don't go bothering her about this."

Leora slowly nodded, her eyes wide. "You do understand that your sister is something of a genius, yes? I have never seen someone so comfortable with mana. It is almost as if she is blessed by the world itself."

At that, John let out a short, sharp laugh. "Blessed by the world? Don't get it twisted. That couldn't be further from the truth."

This was a strange thing to say, but he didn't elaborate any further.

He finished by explaining how they were at Scholaris to become more powerful in order to journey through an increasingly difficult adventure.

"So, yeah. I really am just here to support Prota," John said, eyeing Lupin.

The wolf nodded slowly. "...I see."

All of this took no more than a couple of hours. John was a good storyteller, and the Mystics remained thoroughly entertained, even while knowing that they were hunting for clues.

Still, at the end of the story, the Mystics were none the wiser. They did not understand the purpose of John's tale. They did not see what it had to do with the truth of their world.

That had been John's intention. He simply wanted them to feel like they'd gained something in order for them to leave him alone.

Well, there was still one more thing to say.

"Look," he sighed. "This last bit is going to feel like a cop-out. So just ready yourselves."

"What do you mean by this?" Lupin frowned.

"I mean, this is going to sound incredibly weak. Unfortunately, you'll just have to deal with it, because it's all I'm willing to tell you. This isn't pleasant for me to say either, so I'd rather avoid saying as much as I can."

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

A small shiver ran down the spines of the Mystics, Lupin especially. John was a boy who spoke his mind. If he was uncomfortable saying something, it must've been really unpleasant.

"All right. This is it."

The Mystics sat up straight, listening carefully. Not a word would be missed.

"This world is run by mana, right? If matter is the building block of the universe, then mana is the power that charges it. But then… what put mana here? What made Celeste? She's not an omnipotent being. She's simply someone who has a near limitless amount of mana at her disposal. She has restrictions."

Leora nodded. "Yes, we know this. These are the questions that set our organization on its path in the first place. I hate to sound disrespectful, but you are saying the same things we have been asking for over a millennium."

John nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Just wanted to get that out of the way. Needed to establish a baseline, you know?"

He was stalling for time. Unfortunately, he couldn't avoid answering the question forever.

"Look. I, as a student, shouldn't be capable of contesting with the students of this school. No matter how experienced one is, there is a limit to what the human body is capable of. No matter how skilled I am, eventually, I will be incapable of damaging students with mana reinforcement, right? Despite that, I was able to keep up. Despite everything you know about me, I was able to be the stronger fighter. All without mana."

"Yes," Lupin nodded. "But you did so, and I did not question it. Are you telling me-"

"What if there's something other than mana?" John said quietly. "Something more powerful. Something that is neither the building blocks nor the energy that makes up this world, but… something that exists outside the laws of this world. Something that exists no matter what."

John watched as the Mystics exchanged looks. Well, it made sense that such a thing was somewhat unbelievable. The only reason they were entertaining this was because of the assumption that John knew the "truth" of this world.

Well, there was one more push he could give them. After that… well, if they figured it out on their own, that was on them.

John sighed. "Put it this way. The body is made of flesh and powered by mana, correct?"

"That is what is theorized, yes," Leora agreed.

"And do you know of souls?"

"...yes," Lupin said reluctantly.

"Then this is all I'll say. If matter is the flesh, and mana is, well, mana…"

He leaned in, and the room was so quiet you could've heard a pin drop.

"Then there is one last thing. The equivalent of the 'spirit.' But not spirit as in, like, ghosts or consciousness. There's something else."

He wasn't lying. A [Story], whether in text, image, animation, or anything, was mere fiction. Concepts. Ideas. The physical would never truly exist. So what John wielded, [Deus Ex Machina] energy, the energy of a [Writer], was conceptual energy. The literal concept that held the world together.

"Who… how do you know this?" Leora said, her voice barely a whisper. "Who told you this?"

"Who?" John said, standing up with his usual grin.

There was no trace of the boy who'd been so deadly serious just a few seconds ago. The John the Mystics were used to was back once more, and it seemed he'd be here to stay. He began to leave, but then stopped as he was halfway out the door. The words he'd uttered to Kit two years ago came back to mind once more.

"Shouldn't it be obvious? The 'real' god of this world."

With that, he left the room.

~~~

Prota, meanwhile, was busy showing Sofya the new spell she'd learned. It still took a good minute or so to cast, but she was able to replicate it. It was, of course, a mere combination of two spells she already knew, but it was still impressive that she was able to find new spells without needing to learn them.

"Hm… and what do you call this?" Sofya said, staring at the mound of ice buried within the target dummy, now torn to shreds.

"Um…" Prota's eyes shifted around nervously. "Don't know."

"I see," Sofya nodded. "Well, it is a combination of your Blossom of Ice and Frozen Bullet, correct? And this new spell… May I suggest Frozen Cannon?"

Prota thought about it. She never really cared about the naming scheme of her spells, so whatever was suggested was what she would take. Eventually, she nodded in agreement, and the new spell was in her arsenal.

"Then, there are no new spells of this sort I need to teach you," Sofya said with a smile.

Prota's eyes widened in worry.

"Do not be alarmed," the dragon laughed. "I will teach you spells. It is just that you do not need to learn higher circle spells on your own, now."

Prota tilted her head. What did Sofya mean?

"Your new spell sits somewhere around the sixth circle. The spells you've shown me all have their own strength; there is no need for you to learn pre-made spells when you are far more comfortable with ones you have made on your own. You are unique in this aspect. I have never seen someone make their way up by creating their own magic the way you have," Sofya smiled.

A warm feeling began to spread in Prota's chest. It wasn't often she received compliments. She didn't need them, but it was a little strange to hear such praise so honestly. John did praise her once in a while, but it was in that roundabout way of his, where he never really said what he actually meant.

"Regardless, you will grow on your own," Sofya nodded. "It is interesting that you are unable to copy one's magic to its full potential, but perhaps this method of growth is even more powerful than what we dragons use. Continue to fight strong opponents and stand with strong allies, and you will reach the ninth circle in no time at all."

She walked over to the dummy, tracing the ice with her fingers. It was still bitterly cold, the edges of the spikes sharp as a razor.

"You continue to work on the Tenth Seda, correct?" Sofya called out.

Prota nodded.

"Right, that is how you learned your Rain of Arrows spell… Good. Keep practising the compounding of mana. Now, it is time for the next step."

Sofya extended her hand. Prota was hesitant to take it, but she was probably holding it out for a good reason. Slowly, she reached out, and as soon as their fingertips touched, they were teleported to another deserted island.

"I won't blow this one up, don't worry," Sofya smiled, seeing Prota's worried expression. "I just needed some privacy for what I am about to show you."

She opened her hand, a small particle of light hovering just above her palm. Flicking her finger, a beam shot out, piercing through a tree and causing it to fall over. Prota nodded. That was a spell Sofya had shown her before, a light-based equivalent to a spell like fireball or icicle. Of course, the power wasn't usually so strong, but the concentration of mana and finesse of the spell caused it to have more destructive power than usual.

Prota knew all of this. What was the point of showing her that? Sofya smiled, putting a finger to her lips.

"Now, watch."

The dragon closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. Prota shivered as the mana in the air began to move, concentrating not inside of Sofya, but around her. It began to gather, taking shape as Sofya's lips began to move.

"Palace of Light."

There was a brilliant flash of light, and when Prota's vision recovered, they were inside of a giant castle-like room. She stared around in wonder. The mana here was so pure, concentrated so heavily in the light element that it almost felt like the air itself was light.

It was beautiful.

"This is a mana domain," Sofya explained, also looking around. "This, in itself, does not do much. It is a little bright, but standing in this place will not hurt you, as you can see. I suppose it might heal if this were a healer's domain, but that isn't the purpose of a mana domain."

Prota turned to her mentor, tilting her head. If this wasn't meant for offence or defence, then what was the point?

"I will now use the same amount of mana as one of my light beams. Are you ready?"

Prota nodded. She wasn't ready for what would come next, though.

Half a dozen particles began to float in the air, and the concentration of mana in each was a bit more potent than usual. Was this really the same amount of mana used as before?

"I see you understand," Sofya laughed. "This is the purpose of a mana domain. While it costs a good chunk of mana to use, the manipulation of elements is far easier inside. Of course, the quality of the domain affects the performance of your spells, but even a rough domain will give a substantial boost to your abilities."

She let out a sigh, the palace dissolving around them. Soon, they were back on the beach as if nothing had happened. There was no trace of the domain that had been established.

"Do you understand? The abilities that take you time to cast. Your Frozen Bullet, your Frozen Cannon, even your Rain of Arrows, they will take far less time in a domain."

Prota's eyes shone. She wasn't quite sure how this would affect her fighting style, but a boost such as this could only be helpful.

"This is something we do not teach students," Sofya said quietly. "Leora might teach her proteges, but otherwise, this is typically a technique reserved for Mystics. Students rarely have the mana control to establish a domain. One wrong move, and you could be out of commission."

The dragon turned to her pupil, her expression serious.

"But you have proven time and time again that you possess the talent to use a technique made for the gods. I hope my belief is well-founded."

Prota nodded. A new power…

She would use this well.

~~~

"Welcome back!" John grinned as Destiny walked through the portal.

"Did you know?" Destiny said, his smile fading as their eyes met.

John raised his eyes in surprise. "Know what?"

"Don't play with me."

John shook his head. "No, I'm deadass. What are you talking about?"

"The cultists, man! They kept attacking us at the cabin! How did they even find us?!" Destiny exclaimed, tearing at his hair.

John just smiled.

"Hey, I warned you something would happen," he grinned, patting the half-elf on the back. "So, what went down?"

"You don't want to know. Danjo ended up building automatic turret systems. He broke his promise of doing no harm. Do you know how stressed that guy ended up being?"

"Ooh, did Briar give him some strange alloy to work on it?"

"Yeah, she- wait a minute, you don't care about the turret part?" Destiny frowned.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Did she get the alloy back? Oh, let me guess. Aurora enchanted the turrets with some impressive magic circles, and Arthur was able to make some kind of potion that kept them healthy so they could keep inventing, right?"

Destiny just shook his head. "You're kinda insufferable, you know that?"

"What's new?"

Destiny hung his head, having given up trying to deal with John. When his head came back up, there was a wide grin on his face.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I kinda missed this. It would've been nice to have you around, John. The number of times they caught us off guard…"

John raised an eye. "By any chance, did they attack you while you guys were swimming at the beach?"

"...were you secretly there or something?" Destiny frowned. "What's wrong with you?"

"No, no. That was just a guess."

"Say that again," Destiny said.

"...that was just a guess?"

Destiny stared at John for a good five seconds before burying his face in his hands.

"I can't believe you're telling the truth."

"You used your lie detector on me?! For something like that?!"

Destiny just laughed as they began walking toward the dorms, telling John all about their adventures. It was interesting, but nothing of particular note. Cultists had attacked them during their stay, ones who had been interested in kidnapping the princess for political leverage. It was good that they weren't after Destiny, because that would imply they knew he was the hero.

This also saved John from having to tell Destiny about Hikari, because if there had been an information leak, it would've come from the cat Mystic. Technically speaking, John could've feigned ignorance about this, but if it came up, it would be better to let Destiny stay informed.

But Destiny didn't need to know, and that was fine, too.

"How's Kit, by the way?" John said casually. "Haven't heard from her in… a year now, I guess."

"She's doing well. A little upset she can't come with me," Destiny shrugged. "But she'd get caught immediately if she came to a place like Scholaris."

"Why can't she come here again?"

"...not for me to say. Don't worry, it's nothing serious. Just, well… let's just call it family issues, I guess," Destiny said.

"Mm… got it."

"She said she misses you, by the way."

John's eyes shot up as he pointed to himself. "Me? Are you sure? Not Prota?"

"Mm… no, it was you," Destiny nodded slowly, a frown appearing on his face. "Although, yeah, now that I think about it, it's a little strange."

"Did… did something happen with her specifically?" John said, rubbing his chin. "Like, anything to do with her past?"

"Now that you mention it, yeah… Well, come see her next summer break. Or, well, maybe even the winter break. Talk to her yourself if you're so curious."

John nodded slowly, but something about this felt unusual. He shook his head. If Kit weren't here, it wouldn't affect him. Push things off until absolutely necessary. That was how things worked for him, right?

"By the way, we got an announcement. The Magic Circle professor went missing. Do you know what's up with that?" Destiny asked.

John flinched. He immediately felt blood rush to his brain, trying to make up for the sudden rush of thoughts flooding his mind. This was bad. He hadn't expected Destiny to bring something like Hikari up so casually.

"...John, what happened?" Destiny said, frowning.

Great, the hero had learned to become more perceptive around John. Wonderful.

"John."

"There was a bit of an incident," John said casually, trying to dismiss the conversation. "Come on, we gotta get home before-"

"John. A Mystic went missing. I can't just let something like this go. Other things, maybe. But not this."

John closed his eyes and sighed. What a start to the new school year.

It seemed things wouldn't be getting any easier.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.