Non-Administrated World #97, Star Rail Universe…
Over the past few days, Meldiana Sanctuary has kept its peaceful atmosphere despite the frantic and busy lives of Noah and the others.
That peace showed them the lives they wanted to protect.
It also reminded them how fragile that peace truly was.
From the balcony of Peverell Manor, Noah watched the sanctuary below. People moved constantly through the streets. What had once been a quiet, sparse settlement now looked no less busy than a small city.
More and more people had been evacuated over the past few days. Some came voluntarily after hearing the warnings. Others had been rescued from attacks.
Yes, attacks.
Voldemort had truly lost his patience. He had begun sending Death Eaters together with magical creatures such as werewolves, vampires, and other dark creatures.
The attacks had become more frequent with each passing day.
There was one incident where Caelus had to fight a group of werewolves who had been hunting children, biting them to force them into their pack.
Yes, Caelus defeated them.
Yes, he rescued the children.
But most of those children could never return to their normal lives. They had already been bitten and infected. In the eyes of the magical world, that meant those children had effectively become werewolves, shunned and labeled as dangerous before anyone even tried to help them.
From what Noah and the others learned from the Potters and Greengrasses, the fear came from how easily lycanthropy could spread and how difficult it was for most werewolves to control themselves after transforming. That was the main reason the magical world labeled them dangerous and dark.
"Even children who were bitten through no fault of their own are treated the same?" Noah asked.
"Yes," Charlus answered with a heavy heart.
Noah fell silent after that. The silence became almost frightening.
Fortunately, the Peverell inheritance came into play.
Together with the TSAB team, Noah and the others used the old records, medical notes, and magical research stored within the inheritance to create both a vaccine and a method that allowed those already infected to control the wolf within them.
"Finally…" Noah almost cried in happiness. "All those long and tiring days spent sorting through the Peverell inheritance actually came in handy."
So when James learned about the werewolf cure that Noah and the others had created, he quickly sent a letter from Hogwarts, asking if his friend could receive the treatment as well.
Of course, Noah agreed.
Under the supervision of Shamal and Hayate, Remus Lupin, James' friend and one of the boys they had seen in Diagon Alley during the crew's first encounter with the Death Eaters, underwent the treatment.
Remus was a tired boy who had spent years fearing the pain of his transformations and the exhaustion that followed. He had never truly believed he could recover enough to experience a normal life.
But now, he could control his werewolf self.
Now, he no longer had to live every full moon afraid that he might endanger the people around him.
"See?" Hayate said, with sharp sarcasm. "If no one works on an actual solution and everyone simply labels what they can't control as dark or dangerous, then nothing will ever be saved."
The Potters, Greengrasses, and the other magical families felt ashamed after hearing that.
After all, they understood just how lazy and useless their governing body had become. The latest proof was the Ministry itself. Even after the last Wizengamot session, it continued its pointless charade of meetings, talking about the attacks while trying to pin blame on the Potters and Greengrasses.
The Dark Houses loved that, of course.
It gave them and their Master more chances to infiltrate the Ministry and spread fear.
Even Noah did not include the Ministry in their plans. He directly told Charlus and Damien that there was no need to waste time there.
"As much as I would like to skip those sessions," Charlus explained, "attending them gives us a better view of the Dark Houses' movements."
"And it gives those who want to reach us a chance to come to us," Damien added.
"It also sends a message to our enemies," Fleamont said. "We are here, and we are not afraid of you."
Since the three of them insisted on continuing, Noah let them be.
But not without adding a few extra protections first.
Portkeys. Anti-mind magic charms. Emergency defensive items. Anything that could keep them alive if the political swamp suddenly grew teeth.
Noah let out a sigh as his mind went over everything that had happened over the past few days. He leaned against the balcony railing, letting the wind brush past him.
"The evacuations are going well, and the political front is…" Noah stopped, then shook his head. "No. There's no need to think about the Ministry. They have already proven how useless they are."
His expression tightened.
"The real problem is finding Dormammu."
He crossed his arms and frowned. Even with Sirin's authority as the Herrscher of Void, and with Chaldea assisting her, they still had not been able to pinpoint Dormammu's exact hiding place in the Dimensional Gap.
They had narrowed down the search area by following the direction of the planet's leaking life force and the pressure points along the barrier.
But Dormammu had proven himself to be the most annoying kind of enemy.
The kind who knew how to hide.
"Tsk! That guy really is good at hiding!" Sirin had complained in frustration.
Remembering Sirin's complaint, Noah could not help but let out a small smile. In his mind, Sirin pouting while glaring at Dormammu's projected image had been far too adorable, so he had asked Void Archives to send him a copy of that moment for safekeeping.
Yes.
Safekeeping.
He absolutely did not add it to the album of his wives' adorable actions, saved across five different accounts and storage systems.
Absolutely not.
Feeling a little lighter, Noah looked down at the busy sanctuary below.
Meldiana could no longer be called a village. It had become closer to a small town. Volunteers moved from home to home, checking on one another. Others distributed supplies to families who had only recently been rescued and evacuated.
Over five hundred families were now living in Meldiana, far beyond the former population of three hundred.
And that did not even include the people staying in Eirwen Sanctuary, Caer Glas, Rhydwyn Sanctuary, and Llynfawr Sanctuary.
"Although that population boom came from families leaving their homes because of Voldemort's threat," Noah murmured.
His smile turned sad at the realization.
"You know," an old yet powerful voice came from the doorway, lightly amused, "when a young man stands alone on a balcony while looking at a town full of people he helped save, it usually means he is either thinking too much or blaming himself too much."
Noah glanced over his shoulder and saw Charlus Potter stepping onto the balcony with a cane in hand, a grin on his face, and his robe moving lightly in the wind. The old Potter looked tired, but not weak.
Tired in the way only an old lion could be after spending days roaring at fools who mistook noise for strength.
Noah gave him a small smile.
"Taking a break, Lord Charlus?"
"At my age, a break is not a luxury. It is maintenance." Charlus came to stand beside him, then looked down at Meldiana. "Besides, I saw you standing here from the corridor."
Noah blinked. "You were checking on me?"
Charlus' mouth twitched. "You make that sound suspicious."
"I learned from the goblins."
"Then I should be worried."
For a moment, the two simply stood there, looking at the sanctuary below.
The sun had begun to sink behind the distant hills, turning the rooftops gold. Meldiana's streets were still busy, but softer now, as if the whole sanctuary was preparing to rest after another long day. Volunteers moved from house to house with baskets of bread and folded blankets. A few TSAB patrol lights drifted near the ward pillars, careful and alert.
Even with the day about to close, laughter and lively voices could still be heard from the streets. The sound was hopeful. Promising, even, despite the bleak future waiting beyond the wards.
That was why Noah's chest tightened when he heard it.
Worry slipped into his expression before he could hide it.
Charlus noticed the change immediately. He might not be on the same level as Sirin or Hayate when it came to reading the smallest changes in Noah, but the old man had seen enough battlefields, council rooms, and grieving families to notice what mattered.
"You look at every lamp down there as a responsibility," Charlus said.
"Isn't it?" Noah's fingers curled against the stone railing.
"Yes." Charlus leaned lightly on his cane. "But not only that."
Noah turned toward him.
"A lamp is also proof that someone is still here to light it."
Noah fell silent as the wind moved between them.
"You are counting the families who lost their homes. That is good. A leader should never forget the cost. But if all you see are losses, then you will miss what is standing right in front of you." Charlus looked down at the sanctuary, his eyes gentler than his voice.
Noah followed his gaze.
Near a cottage doorway, a mother tucked a blanket around her child. An old wizard sat with a group of younger evacuees, showing them how to peel apples with a charm. A child who had arrived with empty eyes two days ago was now chasing another child around the well.
"They are alive," Charlus said. "Frightened, yes. Displaced, yes. Hurt, yes. But alive."
"Some are alive because we reached them. Others…" Noah could not finish.
"Others are not," Charlus finished for him.
Noah looked down.
Charlus did not soften the truth, but that was exactly why Noah could listen.
"You are thinking about those you could not reach," Charlus continued. "Those we could not save in time. Those lives we lost because our enemy did not play fair."
"Aren't I supposed to?" Noah's hand tightened against the balcony rail.
"Yes."
That answer made Noah look at him.
Charlus met his eyes.
"Yes," he repeated. "You are supposed to remember them. You are supposed to feel the weight. If you ever stop feeling it, then you are not fit to become a leader."
Noah swallowed.
"However, I also want to remind you that there is a difference between remembering the dead and letting the dead chain your hands while the living still need you."
Noah did not answer.
Below them, the sanctuary bells chimed softly, signaling the night.
Charlus' eyes returned to the town.
"When I was younger, I thought strength meant standing before danger and making everyone believe I was not afraid." He let out a dry chuckle. "Foolish pride. Very Potter of me, I admit."
Despite himself, Noah smiled faintly.
"Then I became a father. Then a grandfather. Then a man responsible for more people than my own blood." Charlus' expression softened. "That was when I learned the truth. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is about giving fear a proper job."
Noah looked at him with wide eyes.
"Look there. Those volunteers are afraid. The families are afraid. The patrols are afraid. Even your friends from beyond this world are afraid, though some of them hide it better than others."
Noah thought of Himeko's thoughtful expression. Hayate holding his hand. Sirin glaring at reports as if she could tear Dormammu out of hiding through sheer annoyance. March returning with soot on her face. Caelus carrying bitten children who could no longer go back to their old lives.
"But because you gave them work, their fear did not rot into panic. It became a movement. A meal is cooked. A ward repaired. A route guarded. A child treated. A letter was sent. A family moved before their home burned."
"…The task gives the fear somewhere to go," Noah murmured.
"Exactly." Charlus looked pleased. "Fear left alone becomes poison. Fear given purpose becomes courage."
Noah bit his lip, afraid tears would fall if he did nothing.
"And that is what you did here, Noah." Charlus turned his head slightly.
"I… only gave instructions on what we could do."
"No." Charlus' tone became firm. "You gave frightened people a direction."
Noah could not talk back after that.
But the old lion did not let him hide from the words.
"You did not save those werewolf children from what happened to them. No one can undo the bite. But because you refused to accept this world's lazy cruelty, they now have a future no one here thought possible."
"Remus cried after the treatment." Noah let out a helpless smile.
"Yes. I know." Charlus' expression softened.
"He tried to hide it."
"He may be a teenager, but he is still a child. Of course, he tried."
Noah leaned a little more against the railing.
"He said he never thought the full moon could stop feeling like a death sentence."
Charlus closed his eyes for a moment.
When he opened them again, his eyes had grown older in a different way.
"That boy's life changed because you did not look at a cursed person and see a monster."
Noah's throat tightened.
Charlus continued, "And that is the difference between people who rule and people who protect. Rulers often ask what is convenient to control. Protectors ask what pain has been ignored for too long."
Noah turned to him fully.
"The Ministry calls werewolves dangerous and stops there. You asked if the children could be helped. That question matters more than half the speeches ever spoken in the Wizengamot."
Noah gave a small, helpless laugh.
"That is a low bar."
"Sadly, yes." Charlus' mouth twitched. "But a true one."
Noah looked down at Meldiana.
"It still doesn't feel like what we are doing is enough."
"It never will."
Noah looked at him.
"That is another thing you must learn. A good leader rarely feels they have done enough. If they do, they are either lying, foolish, or selling something." Charlus smiled faintly.
Noah blinked, then laughed softly.
Charlus' smile grew. "There. Good. You still know how to laugh. Important quality. Keeps the soul from turning into Ministry parchment."
Noah shook his head. "That sounds horrible."
"It is. I have seen it happen to several department heads."
This time, Noah's laugh came a little easier.
Charlus let the sound fade before speaking again.
"You are young, Noah. Far younger than the weight on your shoulders. But I have seen old men crushed under less than what you carry. Do you know why you have not?"
"…Because I have people beside me?" Noah answered after a moment, his voice quiet with hesitation.
Charlus nodded. "And because you still let them matter to you."
"That sounds… simple." Noah's gaze softened.
"The best truths usually do. People ignore them because they expect wisdom to arrive wearing heavier robes."
Noah smiled faintly.
Charlus' expression became more serious.
"Listen to me carefully, lad."
Noah straightened slightly.
"Do not become the kind of man who mistakes carrying everyone for loving everyone."
The words landed hard on Noah.
"If you carry everything alone, the people beside you will not feel protected. They will feel useless. And when you finally break, they will blame themselves for not seeing the cracks sooner."
"…It sounds like that was a lesson someone painfully learned from experience." Noah could not help but smile bitterly.
Charlus' smile grew smaller. "It was."
He did not explain further.
He did not need to.
Noah understood enough.
Charlus breathed in the night air and continued.
"Your friends, your family, your allies, they do not stand beside you because you are invincible. They stand beside you because you gave them a reason to believe their own hands still matter."
Noah thought of March's determined nod.
Caelus's grin hides fear.
Sirin's pride.
Hayate's gentle strenght.
The young Aces offering to protect the evacuation lines.
The goblins grinning like knives over legal documents.
The Potters and Greengrasses walking into political swamps by choice.
"They all chose this," Noah said softly.
"Yes." Charlus looked at him. "So respect that choice."
The words struck deeper than comfort would have.
'Respect that choice and not protect them from it, huh?' Noah closed his eyes. 'Don't shoulder everything until no one else can touch the burden. Let them stand beside me, and respect their choice to do so.'
He opened his eyes again.
The guilt was still there, but it had changed shape. It no longer pressed against his throat like a hand. Instead, it became another source of resolve.
Still heavy, yes. But with the people around him, it became something possible to carry.
Charlus watched him and gave a satisfied hum.
"Thank you, Charlus," Noah said.
Not Lord Charlus.
Just Charlus.
The old man noticed, and his smile became warmer.
"You are welcome, Noah."
The two stood side by side under the setting sun, watching the people they had protected continue their lives.
—---------
Uminari City...
Suzuka Tsukimura was running to school in a hurry.
Today, she had woken up late after another night of sealing tears across Uminari City. Each attempt had drained her more than the last, and this morning, her body had finally demanded payment.
'The tears have become more and more frequent lately,' Suzuka thought grimly. 'I don't know who that being is, but I won't let it break our peaceful life. No matter what.'
Maybe because she was deep in thought, she did not notice the young boy around her age stepping out from the corner.
She bumped into him before either of them could stop.
"Kyaa…!"
"Huh?!"
Suzuka closed her eyes and braced herself to fall.
Instead, a warm, strong arm wrapped around her waist.
"Hey! Are you alright?"
It was a boy's voice.
Suzuka slowly opened her eyes and saw the person she had bumped into. He had caught her before she could hit the ground.
The boy had black hair, slightly messy from the morning wind, and sharp blue eyes that somehow looked gentle despite the surprise in them. His clothes were neat, though the way one sleeve had been tugged loose made it clear he had probably been dragged through a long morning already.
Suzuka blinked, forgetting she was late.
A warm arm was still around her waist. The boy's face was close. Way too close and for some strange reason, her chest made a small, dangerous jump.
"Are you hurt?" he asked again, his voice filled with concern.
"N-no! I mean, yes! I mean, I'm fine!" Suzuka's face turned red.
The boy blinked, then let out a small, amused snort. Only then did Suzuka realize she was still leaning against him. Her mind stopped before it rebooted in full panic a second later.
"I-I-I'm sorry!"
She quickly stepped away, smoothing her skirt with both hands even though it did not need smoothing. Her cheeks felt so hot that she wondered if Sapphire could detect emotional overheating.
"No, I should apologize too. I wasn't looking properly." The boy smiled apologetically.
"Th-that's not… I was also running without paying attention."
"I guess we both share the blame, then."
He said it so naturally that Suzuka stopped again. There was no teasing in his voice. No annoyance either. Just a simple kindness that made it difficult for her to respond properly.
Her fingers tightened around the strap of her schoolbag.
'What is this feeling?'
Her heart was still beating too quickly.
'No, no, Suzuka. Calm down. You already have someone you are supposed to meet one day.'
Her face warmed even more.
'My destined partner…'
Then she looked at the boy again, and the strange pull in her chest grew stronger.
The boy tilted his head slightly. "Are you sure you're alright? Your face is red."
"I-I'm fine!" Suzuka answered too quickly. "It's just… um… I was running! That's all!"
"I see." He smiled again.
Suzuka immediately looked away.
'Why does he have to smile like that?'
Sapphire, hidden within her bag, remained silent. Suspiciously silent. So silent that Suzuka could practically feel her Kaleidostick observing the situation with dignified suspicion.
The boy glanced toward the road behind her.
"You're heading to school?"
"Ah…" Suzuka's eyes widened, and panic rose again. "Oh no, I'm going to be late!"
"Then you should hurry."
"Yes!" She gave a small, embarrassed laugh. "I really should."
That said, neither of them moved.
The morning street around them continued as usual. Students hurried past. A shopkeeper lifted the shutters of his store. Somewhere nearby, a bicycle bell rang.
Yet Suzuka felt as if the world had briefly slowed down around this single corner.
"Then… be careful on the way." The boy scratched his cheek.
Suzuka's heart jumped again. "Y-yes. You too."
She bowed quickly, then she turned and ran. After three steps, she stopped and looked back. The boy was still standing there, watching her with confused concern.
Suzuka's face became red again.
"I-I'm Suzuka!" she called before she could stop herself. "Suzuka Tsukimura!"
The boy blinked, then smiled.
"Noah Schweinorg."
Suzuka's eyes widened for a second.
'Noah.'
The name struck something inside her, but before she could understand why, the school bell rang in the distance.
Suzuka flinched.
"I-I have to go! Sorry!"
Then she ran again, faster this time. Her long hair trailed behind her as she disappeared down the street, one hand pressed lightly over her chest.
Noah watched her leave, still holding the strap of his bag.
For a few seconds, he simply stood there.
Then he let out a small, surprised laugh.
"Such a lively girl."
"Observation: she was also highly flustered."
Noah almost jumped and turned his head sharply.
Standing beside him, as if she had always been there, was Trimmau.
The mercury maid's expression was perfectly neutral. Her silver hair and maid uniform did not move despite the morning breeze, and her presence was so silent that Noah had not noticed her at all.
"Trimmau…" Noah placed one hand over his chest. "Please don't appear beside people without warning."
"Apologies. I was instructed to find you as quickly as possible."
"By Reines?"
"Yes. My mistress requested that I locate you and bring you back to the residence immediately."
Noah blinked, then a wry smile appeared on his lips. "Could she not wait any longer for breakfast, so she sent you to pick me up?"
"That as well," Trimmau said, her eyes unreadable. "Along with another piece of news."
Noah's smile faded slightly. "What happened?"
"Miss Olga Marie's observation models have detected a large-scale interference along the dimensional walls."
Noah's eyes widened. "How large?"
"Large enough that her preliminary calculations suggest a possible invasion event."
Noah's fingers tightened around the strap of the groceries he carried.
"Local?"
"No." Trimmau's answer was instant. "Global."
The peaceful morning he had just experienced suddenly felt painfully fragile.
Noah looked toward the direction Suzuka had run, then toward the city around him.
Students were heading to school. Shops were opening. People were walking without knowing that the wall of the world had begun to tremble.
Determination filled his expression.
"Let's go."
"As you wish."
Trimmau bowed and turned, guiding Noah toward the girls' residence.
Around the world, unseen by ordinary eyes, the dimensional walls began to crack.
====== Chapter 216 END ======