Togawa lay on the edge of the Misaki region.
From Misaki City, it took nearly an hour by car to reach it; this was a countryside far removed from the bustle of the city.
This time, Touko brought Ryouma along to the Aozaki main house in Togawa.
Touko's parents were not magi.
They lived simple, ordinary lives, and their knowledge of magecraft was limited only to knowing it was the family business.
That such an unremarkable couple had given birth to Touko, a genius among magi, was already a miracle in itself.
It was hard to imagine that people so normal could be the parents of a future Magician.
Perhaps because they were ordinary, they treated Ryouma completely as one of their own children, warm and welcoming.
Before long, less than an hour later, Ryouma arrived at the Aozaki residence.
Carrying his luggage, he stepped through the doors.
"Mhm~ that should be about right… Ryouma, starting today, you'll officially be living here. Take a look—if anything's missing, I'll make sure you get it."
Touko had already prepared his room for him.
He could move in the moment he arrived—having such a thoughtful girlfriend was happiness itself.
Ryouma knew Touko was showing consideration for him, who had just lost his father.
Even so, it still made him happy.
"Touko, it's really good to have you."
Looking at her lovely face, Ryouma couldn't help but say it aloud.
Touko immediately turned bashful.
No matter how many praised her as a genius of magecraft, at this moment she was just a girl in love.
In that instant, Ryouma's thoughts drifted back to the past.
Their first meeting had been one afternoon long ago.
Ryouma still remembered it vividly.
His father had discovered the special gift within him and brought him to the cave where his grandfather resided.
Even now, Ryouma recalled his grandfather's words.
"Unexpected… your affinity with the Fifth Imaginary Element, 'Void,' is the strongest. It is one of the fundamental elements of the stars…
Though a rare gift, it is also one most difficult to shape. Without a great upheaval, your future will hold no value in this talent."
The words of the Fifth Magician carried no emotion.
As if the matter was trivial, hardly worth remarking on.
Afterward, his grandfather allowed Ryouma to train under him, just as Aozaki Yuuki once had, as a practitioner of magecraft.
It was then Ryouma first saw Touko, diligently undergoing her own training.
They had met in the Magician's workshop—
A young girl, brilliant yet uncertain, and a boy, yet to step onto the path of magecraft but unwilling to abandon the future.
She was a prodigy.
He was considered talentless.
"Ryouma, why are you studying magecraft?"
"For what? Touko, that's a tough question… but if I have to be serious, it's because I want too much.
Magecraft is limitless—it's the embodiment of human wisdom.
This world holds so many wonderful things, and I want to reach for them all. That's why magecraft is necessary."
Ryouma's eyes shone as he spoke.
With two lifetimes of memory, he was more mature than his peers.
"Wow… how nice. If only I could find an answer like that. I don't even know where to start looking."
Touko gazed at him with envy.
Since birth, she had been told her goal was to inherit Magic. She had never questioned it, nor sought the meaning behind it.
Over time, doubt and confusion had inevitably taken root in her heart.
Looking at Ryouma, who spoke of chasing his own dream, she couldn't help but feel drawn to him.
Because when he spoke of dreams, he was dazzling.
And when she watched him, her restless heart found peace.
"Aren't you searching right now, Touko? Learning magecraft is itself the process of seeking an answer. Most magi walk this path for that very reason."
"Mm… but can I really find mine?"
"Even the act of searching holds value. Touko, I believe in you—you'll definitely find your answer."
Ryouma spoke with certainty.
But to Touko, it wasn't enough.
"Hmph, your words give me no guarantee at all. It doesn't inspire any confidence."
"Guarantee, huh… then let's make this one.
If you can't find it, I'll stand by you as your strongest support, and I'll keep walking with you until you do."
Ryouma patted his chest, making a promise.
He knew of Aozaki Touko's future.
That the prodigy, admired by all, would at eighteen have her right to inherit the Fifth Magic stripped away, replaced by her younger sister, Aoko.
Perhaps because he, too, was considered half-baked, he couldn't simply stand by and watch Touko's fate.
Aozaki Touko—she worked so hard.
Even when weighed down by the expectations of her family, she voiced no complaint. Even when doubt arose in her heart, she never thought of stopping.
She had done nothing wrong, had done everything a Magician-to-be should. And yet her entire life would be denied with one dismissive statement.
His grandfather's reason: she simply wasn't suitable.
If even such effort wasn't enough to be recognized, then wasn't it too cruel?
As someone who had watched her struggle, Ryouma wanted to affirm her.
Such beauty deserved acknowledgment. At the very least, it shouldn't be rewarded with such a tragic end.
"Then it's a promise! You'll stay with me until I find my answer, Ryouma—no take-backs!"
The young Touko laughed joyfully.
From then on, she no longer let herself be consumed by doubt. Her gaze always looked firmly ahead.
Her beauty never dimmed.
And etched deep within her memory was that shining boy.
Just as the smile she wore, when she shed her confusion, was forever engraved in his.
It was their secret, their promise.
Even now, Ryouma could recall it clearly.
It was enough to stir his heart.
Today, Aozaki Touko shone brighter than ever, while he, lacking talent, remained stalled.
"Heh… colorless Void. Worthless Void."
Ryouma muttered in self-mockery.
Touko had left the room, and only now, alone, could he release his emotions.
In her eyes, he was the shining morning star.
Because of that, Ryouma never wanted to let her down. He had always trained hard for that very reason.
But his grandfather's words had not been wrong.
His Void attribute made it difficult to practice the other four elements of magecraft. Even gathering a simple fireball required many times the effort of others. His compatibility was abysmal.
And "Void" was the hardest attribute of all to master.
Few people even knew how to approach it.
Being deemed "worthless" was no exaggeration. Pure, absolute Void was exactly as the name implied.
Truthfully, there was no need for Ryouma to cling to the path of magecraft.
His own father hadn't possessed outstanding magical talent either. For a magus, it was usually enough just to understand magecraft in general.
Magus families didn't need to dissect magecraft like true magi—they mainly used it as a tool.
Besides, with the massive business success Ryouma had already achieved, he could have easily lived as a wealthy landlord, never lifting another finger.
Most people would have chosen that life long ago.
But Ryouma couldn't.
"Give up? Impossible. I finally gained a second life, and I've even touched magecraft."
He clenched his fists, unwilling.
In his previous life, he had died with unfulfilled desires. Now, he found himself in this bitter quagmire again.
It was as if the confusion Touko once carried had come to him instead.
On his shoulders lay the responsibility of guiding the Aozaki family's future, and on top of that, the looming crises of the Type-Moon world—so many disasters capable of destroying everything.
He could not guarantee that threats like the incineration of human order would not one day occur.
And so he wanted to be prepared. To gain the power to shape the future before such crises arrived.
"Thinking too much won't help. I can't give up magecraft, and I must secure the Aozaki family's future.
For now, all I can do is keep moving forward—and make sure I don't fall behind Touko."
Ryouma took a deep breath.
Perhaps he couldn't yet find an answer that would satisfy him, but he had resolved to keep advancing, even in confusion.
Just as he once told Touko.
He mustn't forget that.
[End of Chapter]
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