A Meeting in the Silence

The white walls surrounded Starlight University at the center of the town. From the outskirts, one could see only the white towers rising within—the university had more white towers than any other kind of building. Because of this, ordinary mages also called it White Tower University.

During Month of Trekking in Rose Month, Starlight University students went abroad for their trials, so there was hardly anyone at the university at this time. In truth, Starlight's student body wasn't large to begin with; each year had only around five hundred students. Even ordinary people with the faintest trace of magical talent were accepted.

However, a few people still remained at the university to take care of its day-to-day operations.

Today belonged to Shirey.

"I've finished tending to the Shu Zhu Flowers in the flower beds. Next, I'll clean the lecture halls." Shirey had curly brown hair and a lifeless expression. She walked along the road paved with white stones, heading forward. A golden creature floated beside her. It had a pair of wings, though its shape was hard to make out; it seemed to be some kind of magical creation.

When she finished speaking, the golden creature flapped its wings and quickly vanished into the sky.

Shirey let out a soft breath. Before her stretched a vast plaza, at least three hundred mu in radius. In its center stood a statue depicting several faceless figures. Some held staffs, while others gripped twin swords. They all wore mage's robes.

Shirey's gaze reached the "Gray Walls" at the far end of the plaza. In truth, they were a gigantic gate, entirely without ornamentation and radiating an ancient, desolate majesty. It seemed to prove to the world that it was not a gate at all, but a sleeping giant—or perhaps a god of war. The gate had been made from solid blocks of stone, and only a mage could believe it had been built in one piece.

It was also jokingly said to have been built from the vanished mountain named in Divine Language. It was so enormous that if it toppled, it would crush the nearest lecture hall—and even the walls were shorter than it.

Beneath this gate, a person was no more than a grain of sand.

It was called Giant's Gate.

It was the gate of Starlight.

When would Giant's Gate open? Even Shirey didn't know. In the wall beside the stone blocks that made up Giant's Gate, two additional doors had been built. The first was made of silver and could accommodate a hundred people passing through; the second was made of bronze and could accommodate two. The former only opened around the beginning of the school year and before or after trials, while the latter was used most often.

Shirey had never seen Giant's Gate open.

"A message from the headmaster." Shirey crossed the empty plaza alone and came to the gate. Looking straight ahead, she spoke in a flat voice.

It was like a spell. As soon as she finished speaking, the second door slowly opened.

The bronze door opened slowly, without a sound.

Shirey fell silent for a moment, then slowly walked toward the bronze doorway, until she saw the person standing outside.

It was a girl with a small frame and a pale face, yet she wore an oversized mage's robe. The hood covered nearly all of her face, revealing only a few strands of platinum-blond hair. At first glance, her features seemed ordinary, and her eyes were the most common shade of brown.

"Fatenai Frayton?" Shirey asked.

"Hello," Fatenai answered softly.

"Fatenai, I'll take you where you need to go," Shirey told her.

"Thank you very much." The girl seemed cold in appearance, expression, and tone, yet her manners were unexpectedly polite. Shirey nodded and turned to lead the way.

As Fatenai stepped through the bronze door, it closed again without a sound.

Neither said a word as they went along: one led, the other followed. Even when they passed the statue, Fatenai merely glanced at it and asked no questions.

They continued across the plaza until they reached a building with a sharply pointed design.

"Enrollment is technically in Month of Elements. At the headmaster's recommendation, since you're not qualified for any of the jobs in Leizelt, you'll help Professor Lyteta with her project from Month of Trekking until Month of Elements. The academy will provide room and board, but no wages." Shirey turned to face her from the steps and stated the arrangements flatly.

"Okay, thank you," Fatenai replied just as calmly.

Leizelt was the name of the town outside Starlight University. Fatenai couldn't determine its exact location; she only knew that countless ordinary mages lived there, and that Starlight University stood right at its center.

Helise and Hubert were both still on trial, and had to continue working on their projects, even though they had gone their separate ways. Forresten and Ed Ansendil were both elusive, as though bringing her here had been the greatest kindness they could offer.

So she had followed the arrangements and come here alone.

There was nothing to complain about.

Every white tower at Starlight University had an owner, a powerful mage. The one at the very center undoubtedly belonged to Forresten, now recognized as the most powerful ordinary mage.

However, the mage Fatenai was supposed to assist did not live in a white tower.

Fatenai walked down the lecture hall corridor. The facilities were somewhat old, but the building was large enough to rival any noble residence she had seen. The ceiling was covered in an endlessly repeating pattern of intricate designs, stretching from one end of the corridor to the other. With these old-fashioned, elegant yet simple decorations repeating without end, she might have gotten lost without the map Shirey had given her.

But this was only one lecture hall. Shirey had given her a map of the building, not of the entire university.

"Sixth floor, at the end of the hall, by the star chart... Alfie's Corner. The end." Fatenai walked along the empty corridor and climbed the spiral staircase. The long climb gave her a strange, dizzy feeling. The lecture hall was tall, but it had only six floors because each one was so high, making the climb feel unusually long.

Mages had their own fixed system of directions, with Alfie's Corner in the far east—a forsaken corner in the eyes of mages.

Fatenai reached the top floor and clearly saw the clock at the end of the corridor. She quietly made her way to the room in the east. Her feet touched the floor without making a sound.

Bang!

Fatenai froze. The sudden explosion sent dust raining from the ceiling. Wasn't this a professor of potion studies?

"What a bother..." A sigh came from the end of the corridor. A woman stepped out of the room. After saying this, she noticed Fatenai and turned to look at her.

Fatenai saw her then, too. The woman had red hair, and her fine white shirt brought Fatenai's memories rushing back to the days when she had been a noble.

"Oh, you must be the young girl who's here to help." The woman put her hands on her hips and tilted her head as she looked at Fatenai. "I'm Lyteta Uzilde."

Fatenai's heart jolted.