Time did not always flow at an even pace in the Lands Between, especially in Liurnia, a land shrouded in lake water and mist.
For Horace Loux, several years slipped by unnoticed amid his busy days.
The Eastern Tableland was no longer a barren wilderness.
Lakeside Town-that was what the academy sorcerers called this burgeoning town, with a hint of condescending scrutiny and a certain surprise they could not help but acknowledge.
Buildings of stone and timber stood in an orderly scatter along the edge of the tableland, combining the rugged practicality of the barbarian tribes with Caria's intricate carvings and the academy's glintstone lighting technology.
The walls were not high, but they were sturdy enough. Magical devices for long-range surveillance had been installed on towers at key positions, all built little by little by Horace, using craftsmen and technology he had "extorted" from the academy alongside the spellcasting talent gradually emerging among the Inquisitor Knights.
At the center of town stood a three-story stone keep, serving as both Horace's residence and the administrative center.
There was a terrace on the top floor, where, in fine weather, one could see the lake's glittering ripples and the distant silhouettes of Raya Lucaria's iconic, magnificent buildings.
Over these past few years, Horace had never truly relaxed for a moment.
He personally selected young people from the tribe with an aptitude for sorcery and sent them to the academy.
Ostensibly, this was an "exchange for further study," but in truth, it was to train the magical core of the future Order of the Great Rune Knights.
Horace himself also visited the academy regularly.
In Master Lusat's study, piled with glintstone fragments and strange instruments, Horace truly understood the weight of the term "Primeval Current" for the first time.
Lusat was a man of few words, with a weariness and insight that always lingered deep in his eyes, born of witnessing vast destruction.
"Sorcery is imitation," Lusat suddenly said, gazing at the night sky through the study's skylight, his voice dry and rough.
"Imitating the paths of stars, imitating the process of their birth and death. But some things... cannot be imitated, only witnessed, or endured."
"What do you mean, Master?"
Lusat did not answer directly. He merely drew an ancient scroll made of some strange leather from a disordered pile of books.
"Ruinous Stars," he said quietly, his fingers brushing the scroll's surface.
"One of the manifestations of the 'Primeval Current' I witnessed. The instant countless star clusters collapsed in the cold void, the 'phenomenon' in which energy, matter, and even 'existence' itself were torn apart, annihilated, and returned to nothingness."
He pushed the scroll toward Horace.
"I have never taught it to anyone. Azur's comet stems from the primeval current of motion and impact; there are still paths to follow. But this... holds only pure ending." Lusat's gaze settled on Horace's face, carrying an expectation Horace could not fully understand.
Horace recalled the game's lore: Lusat, one of the "primeval sorcerers," came from the town of Sellia and was also a descendant of the Eternal City.
Long ago, the humans who lived in the Mountaintops of the Giants were passionate about observing the stars, and called themselves the Astrologers.
One day, the Astrologers witnessed a mighty "Founding Rain of Stars" descending from the sky.
The stars fell to the ground with the rain and became glintstone. The Astrologers discovered the tremendous energy within the glintstone, and this discovery sparked a wave of enthusiasm for learning sorcery throughout the Lands Between.
When the stars fell, Master Lusat and Master Azur observed the phenomenon at the same time.
Unlike Azur, the Primeval Current Lusat observed was the instant countless star clusters were destroyed-and in that moment, everything of his collapsed as well.
What had Lusat observed?
Horace took the scroll. The leather felt cold, and the starlit symbols upon it pulsed faintly as though alive.
He did not ask why he had been chosen, but simply bowed solemnly.
Lusat nodded slightly and said no more.
Aside from studying sorcery, Horace devoted even more effort to the seemingly absurd yet necessarily cautious task of "guiding" the Formless Mother.
This Outer God's craving for wounds and blood was almost instinctive, but Horace discovered that Her "thoughts," or rather Her "inclinations," were not entirely beyond influence.
Just as water would change direction along a channel, this deity's attention could also be subtly redirected through sustained "rituals" and "sacrifices."
Whenever large-scale healing was carried out through the battlefield healers, Horace would establish a connection with the Formless Mother as the officiant.
He was no longer content merely to have the shamans draw vitality from prisoners to heal wounds.
He began designing more complex "ritual procedures":
First, the Inquisitor Knights would inflict precise, nonfatal wounds. Then the healers would channel the Formless Mother's power to provide "healing stimulation" the moment the wounds formed, making them undergo a cycle of "rupture-repair-slight reopening-repair again" within an extremely short time.
The pain and quantity of blood produced in the process far exceeded those of a single injury.
The Formless Mother's response to this was... exceptionally "pleased."
Horace could clearly sense that gaze cast upon him across distant time and space.
Through their connection, he began conveying simple "ideas" to this deity, like murmurs to an uncomprehending child:
"For wounds to endure, for blood to keep flowing... life must last."
"Healing is for the next, fresher rupture..."
Mingled with the immense torrent of pain and exchanged vitality produced by the rituals, these thoughts seeped silently into the Formless Mother's perception.
Horace was unsure how long this would take, or even whether it truly worked.
But he could sense that when he took the initiative to perform these "healing bloodletting" rituals, the Grace bestowed by the Formless Mother was "gentler," and the maddening whispers that stirred bloodlust were much fainter.
And when he tried to ask for power, this Outer God also became... a little more "generous."
Over those years, another significant change occurred in Rellana.
At first, her stated reason for remaining in Lakeside Town sounded perfectly high-minded: "To supervise our ally, ensure his conduct adheres to our agreement, and continue instructing Horace Loux in swordsmanship and practical sorcery."
Everyone knew this was merely an excuse.
Caria was happy to see it happen, as it allowed them both to keep a close watch on this increasingly powerful ally and maintain outward relations.
The academy, meanwhile, regarded this as evidence that Caria was tightening its control over Horace, and privately grew wary.
Only Horace and Rellana themselves knew that things were not so simple.
During the first few months, Rellana tried to find trouble with Horace almost every day.
From sparring with swords to magical duels, and even meddling in the town's management.
She was like a hedgehog with its quills constantly raised, trying to use aggression to conceal an awkwardness and concern that even she was unwilling to examine closely.
Yet time was the best means of wearing things down.
Horace gradually mastered the "techniques" of getting along with her—changing the subject at the right moment when she was about to bristle, gently countering her with irrefutable facts when she stubbornly clung to her views, and pretending not to notice when certain clumsy gestures of concern left her ill at ease.
More importantly, over several years, Horace transformed Lakeside Town from a camp into a prosperous town brimming with life.
His fairness toward his tribespeople, his tact with envoys from Caria and the academy, his mild manner toward ordinary townsfolk, and even the respect and proper arrangements he offered the rescued shamans... Rellana saw it all.
She could not deny that this irritating fellow was indeed a capable leader, even an excellent one.
His system of "Great Runes" worked well within the order. Those young knights not only grew steadily stronger, but were also strictly disciplined and maintained just the right degree of respect toward her, their "guest instructor."
Through day after day of uneventful companionship and occasional fierce clashes, her "desire for revenge" changed in character without her noticing.
The quills remained, but they were no longer always raised.
She grew accustomed to strolling through town, to instructing the young knights in swordsmanship on the training grounds, and to leaning against a wall with her arms folded while Horace dealt with envoys from various parties, watching with a critical gaze that was no longer purely hostile.
She even... occasionally removed her helmet, letting her long black hair flutter in the lakeside breeze as she sat on the edge of the keep's terrace, gazing blankly at the water.
At such times, the lines of her profile softened, carrying a trace of the quiet composure of a woman her age.
Of course, such moments were exceedingly brief. Whenever Horace appeared, or she realized she was "staring into space," she would immediately set her face again, returning to that proud, sharp, meticulous Twin Moon Knight.
Horace quietly took in all these changes.
He no longer deliberately provoked her with his words, though he still occasionally could not resist teasing her, watching her force an air of calm while the tips of her ears reddened.
Their sword sparring increasingly resembled a genuine exchange, and their magical duels came to involve more discussion.
A "tacit understanding," built on their victories and defeats against each other and their joint management of this land, quietly began to grow.
Yet by unspoken agreement, neither ever touched upon certain subjects.
Rennala's relationship with the two masters should have been quite good.
Rennala herself could use Comet, Shattering Crystal, an unnamed crystal sorcery, Star Shower, and Comet Azur.
Comet was the highest-tier sorcery of the Karolos Conspectus. If Rennala had been on poor terms with the primeval school, would they have taught her their highest-tier Comet?
Not to mention that a portrait of the Full Moon hung prominently behind the desk in Azur's office, showing that Azur greatly admired Rennala. Perhaps the two were as close as teacher and student.
Rennala's relationship with the Olivinus Conspectus was likewise not poor. The Olivinus Conspectus's highest-tier sorcery, Star Shower, had only six projectiles, while Rennala's had nine-an advanced version of Star Shower.
Before you continue