The accommodations in the hunter's cabin were far from ideal.
Even after cleansing the place with pest-repelling Magecraft, the worn-out futons still didn't offer any real comfort. In the end, Shiomi wrapped himself in a blanket and leaned against the headboard, while Aesc, also wrapped in a blanket, slept curled up in his arms.
Aesc had initially brushed it off as nothing worth worrying about, but once Shiomi suggested the arrangement, she went along with it without resistance.
After managing to get through the night, the two greeted their second morning in Blackmore Village.
...
The skies were clear and bright, a stark contrast to the gloom of the previous day. Bathed in midsummer sunlight, the hillside village didn't look nearly as desolate.
After breakfast, Shiomi and Aesc took a stroll through the village.
Gray had informed them of the village rules—approaching the cemetery alone was prohibited. But since they were going together, the restriction didn't apply.
They left from the hunter's cabin, walking along a small path on the edge of the village until they reached the cemetery, which lay further north than the church at the village's edge.
"Just as I thought..." Shiomi muttered, enhancing his vision with Mana as he looked over the cemetery.
"What do you see?" Aesc asked.
"You don't see it?" Shiomi let out a tired sigh and slumped his shoulders.
While he didn't possess Mystic Eyes, he had learned a great deal in the Land of Shadows, and seeing spirits was just one of many minor skills he'd picked up.
And Aesc, being a Servant, stood at the pinnacle of spiritual existence—within that realm, she should be able to perceive spirits even without any special techniques. Just one look should have been enough to notice the spirits drifting through the graveyard.
"I really can't see anything." Aesc, still holding Shiomi's hand, slipped her other hand from beneath her cloak and gracefully adjusted the front of it.
Most of her face remained hidden in shadow, and it was true that the hood might be slightly blocking her view.
"Well..." Shiomi pinched the bridge of his nose, mildly annoyed with himself. "The spirits here... how should I put it? They feel both dense and thin at the same time. The mana in this area is thick, and it's natural for lingering thoughts to remain in the cemetery. But each spirit's outline is so faint that it's nearly impossible to distinguish them from the mana flowing around."
He glanced around the cemetery and shook his head.
"It's a shame I'm not a Necromancer. I could've translated their sorrow into words. But what really stands out is the direction they're all pointing."
The whole cemetery felt like one massive undead entity. Was it connected somehow to Artoria Pendragon?
As that thought crossed his mind, Shiomi suddenly noticed a few nearly imperceptible strands of mana drifting through the haze formed by spirits and magic.
"That must be it," Aesc said with a quiet chuckle. "Someone's interfering with the spirits from the outside. And because the villagers don't know a thing about Magecraft, there's no attempt to hide it."
She slowly raised her hand and pointed toward the southeast side of the village, where an old windmill cottage stood atop a small hill.
No words were needed—they both understood immediately. Leaving the cemetery behind, they made their way toward the windmill hill.
As they neared, Shiomi released Aesc's hand and stepped ahead, motioning for her to slow her pace.
The structure looked weathered and abandoned, and despite the wind whipping around the hilltop, the windmill's blades didn't move an inch. But Shiomi could tell—someone had been using it. Even without visible signs of activity, nothing escaped his notice.
"Please, come in on your own. I should have greeted you at the door, but the sunlight today is unusually strong—rather troublesome for someone with my constitution."
A composed, dignified voice drifted from within the windmill house. Along with the magically compressed sound, a subtle fluctuation of magical energy reached their ears.
"What do you think? Could be a trap, right?" Aesc joked cheerfully, showing no sign of caution.
Shiomi reached out and grasped the door handle. "Well, since they've extended the invitation, we might as well take a look."
Though he was someone who usually advocated for a peaceful life, Shiomi never backed down from danger. Aesc often teased that he had an adventurer's soul, just too stubborn to admit it.
Remembering that now, Shiomi couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he opened the door.
Inside was neat and orderly. The space was lined with screens that looked like they were carved from crystal, though there wasn't a keyboard or mouse in sight.
While most Magus from the Clock Tower held disdain for modern science, Shiomi was one of the few exceptions—he didn't mind it at all, and was quite well-versed in the field.
That said, there was a particular faction within the Mage's Association that did extensively use modern, tech-like Mystic Codes. Often mocked as moles who buried themselves underground to do research, they were nonetheless a force to be reckoned with.
"What an unexpected setting... For the Lord of the Department of Creation and one of the few Servants who exist independently outside the Holy Grail War to visit my workshop—how curious."
Golden hair cut through the dimness of the room as a man stepped into view.
Though the floor creaked unpleasantly with every step, his movements were silent—catlike.
He wore a long cloak and kept his eyes closed. He looked around Shiomi's age, but in truth, he was likely far older.
"Well, this is awkward. I don't recall having such close ties with Lord Valualeta," Shiomi said, resting one hand on his hip.
Aesc, who had shut the door behind them, removed her hood and revealed her face.
"Oh my... what a surprise. The famed Witch of Britannia herself." The man gave a courteous bow to Morgan. "It is truly an honor to receive the both of you here."
His manners were impeccable—he came across like a refined nobleman. But Shiomi knew better than to be fooled by appearances.
The Mage's Association was divided into three main branches.
The first was the Clock Tower, the most well-known and populous, often synonymous with the Association itself. This reputation was also due to the obscurity surrounding the other two.
The second was the Wandering Sea, which upheld the ancient Magecraft of the Age of Gods.
The third was the group to which the man before them belonged—Atlas, a faction that studied ancient alchemy, distinct from Western Magecraft and often branded heretical.
"Aren't you going to introduce your acquaintance?" Aesc asked Shiomi.
Shiomi gave a helpless smile. "I'm not influential enough to be personally familiar with Mr. Zepia Eltnam Atlasia, one of the three Directors of the Mage's Association."
The man before them—Zepia Eltnam Atlasia—was the current head of the Atlas Institute, one of the Mage's Association's three great branches.