London is the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as well as the headquarters of the Mage Association—Clock Tower. More importantly, beneath the Clock Tower lies the Spiritual Tomb Albion.
Sprawling beneath the Clock Tower is an enormous underground labyrinth.
This labyrinth is a shared asset of the magus affiliated with the Clock Tower and remains an ongoing site of exploration.
Upon stepping into this land deeply connected to himself, Alaric noticed the remains of an ancient dragon—or rather, a spiritual tomb formed from its corpse.
Legend has it that at the end of the Age of Gods, a massive dragon, approximately 2 km in length, perished underground, its scattered remains dispersed in various locations.
To utilize its corpse as a magical energy resource, the Clock Tower was built atop it.
However, whether due to the dragon's influence or the nature of the land itself, the deeper they excavated, the more anomalies they encountered. Over time, the labyrinth turned into a mine, the mine into a town, and as the abyss expanded, the town became ruins.
With the mindset of a rural mystic coming to the city, Alaric, upon successfully arriving in London, used the pounds he had saved up to find a lodging that did not require identification.
His next priority was to locate the Clock Tower and become a part of it.
Despite adherence to the First Principle of the Three Great Principles—Mysteries must remain hidden.—
This principle establishes that magi (whether affiliated with the Association or not) will face punishment from the Association if they reveal secrets to ordinary people.
However, the Clock Tower has not entirely concealed itself from the world. If Alaric searched for it, he would surely find it.
Even if bounded fields were placed to repel intruders, they would be meaningless to him—
Moreover, Alaric already knew the exact location of the Clock Tower. During his journey, he had seen—
The Birth of the Common Era and the End of the Age of Gods
At the dawn of the Common Era, the Age of Gods had completely ended.
However, one of King Solomon's disciples, with the belief that "Mysteries should be passed down as a field of study," established an academy.
Over time, many supporters and disciples emerged across different regions, leading to the construction of numerous magical cities.
Yet, due to conflicts with the Holy Church, these cities were shut down one after another, resulting in the consolidation of all functions into the Clock Tower in London.
By the 13th century, when one spoke of the Mage Association, they were referring to the Clock Tower—the origin and supreme institution of magecraft.
As a result, Alaric had seen many traces of the Clock Tower. Even if those memories remained buried deep in his subconscious, only surfacing when he actively sought them, they were enough to reveal the Clock Tower's location to him.
Shortly after, Alaric spent his remaining money to purchase a new set of clothes. Since arriving in Britain, he had refrained from using magecraft to create garments.
Magically generated clothing was easily identifiable by other magi. Besides, even among magi, few used magecraft for everyday purposes.
This was not only due to the high cost of using magecraft for mundane tasks but primarily to maintain the secrecy of magecraft.
Since Alaric came here to study, he had no reason to risk unnecessary trouble. It was wiser to wear normal clothes and blend in.
Magecraft is the Path of the Arcane—A Path Beyond Humanity
Magi who dedicate themselves entirely to magecraft have perspectives vastly different from ordinary people. Alaric, who considers himself a morally upright individual, was unsure whether he would be able to integrate into their society.
During his days in London, even though it was only 1990, a time when technology was still underdeveloped, Alaric enjoyed every second of his stay.
He lived each day as if it were his last.
By now, Alaric had confirmed that the Holy Lance could not atone for his past mistakes. The reckless departure he had made caused instability within himself.
Although he had obtained answers regarding Independent Manifestation from Demon God King Goetia, he had yet to fully achieve it. Until then, Alaric's self-affirmation would remain unstable.
That instability could occur at any moment, causing him to vanish from the present era.
"Could I be shifting worldlines, like using a D-Mail?"
As he finished preparing his gear, Alaric's thoughts began to wander—was he simply experiencing a shift in time, or was he migrating across worldlines?
"No... it should be parallel worlds instead—"
After bidding farewell to the landlady, Alaric left the inn, contemplating the possibility of parallel worlds.
In the Nasuverse, parallel worlds are not infinite possibilities but rather a finite set of stable developments.
After all, the resources required to operate parallel worlds are supplied by a single star.
However, for humans, traveling between parallel worlds is within the realm of True Magic. Currently, only Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, the wielder of the Second Magic, has access to this domain.
Among the Five True Magics, concepts that neither magecraft nor science can achieve, those who wield them are known as Magicians.
Zelretch, the Wizard Marshal, is the wielder of the Second Magic: Kaleidoscope—the proof and application of Parallel Worlds.
He proved that the world has multiple possible developments, and thanks to this, the lifespan of the world was extended.
Because, even if our history fails and self-destructs, another version of us might have succeeded, this very concept brought hope to a planet that had begun to lose its dreams.
The concept of time travel is also encompassed within the Second Magic, allowing for record alterations and phenomenon rewriting, effectively operating parallel worlds.
As the Wizard Marshal, Zelretch possesses the ability to exist simultaneously across multiple parallel worlds while maintaining his own identity.
His title Kaleidoscope comes from the fact that he can observe countless parallel worlds.
If Alaric had undergone a similar type of transfer, then it must have been the effect of the Second Magic.
Although the position of a Magician is unique to one individual, their effects are not necessarily restricted to later generations.
Whether it be a magic sword capable of achieving multi-dimensional refraction, something only possible through the Second Magic, or Demon God King Goetia's Ars Almadel Salomonis, which resembles the Fifth Magician's magic—
Even Zelretch himself had crafted numerous Mystic Codes related to the Second Magic, distributing them to his disciples. Whether as an academic subject or as Mystic Codes, they served as paths to reaching the Second Magic's effects.
If that were the case—
"Are you watching?"
Alaric suddenly lifted his head, scanning his surroundings with a suspicious gaze, as if trying to lock eyes with the Wizard Marshal outside the world.
Zelretch is one of a kind—beyond moving freely across parallel worlds with his gem-based magic, he also observes countless parallel worlds alone.
An anomaly like Alaric's entry would highly likely have drawn his attention.
For a moment, Alaric scrutinized his surroundings suspiciously, but when he noticed the puzzled gazes of passersby, he quickly regained his composure and hurried away.
Following the memories he barely recalled, he headed towards the outskirts of London.
Alaric was unconcerned about whether he could be officially registered as a magi. The Clock Tower's magi were generally divided into two types.
Aside from magi whose families had accumulated achievements over generations, possessing complete Magic Crests and inherited magical knowledge, there also existed the Twelve Lords —the ruling families of the Clock Tower.
Those who were granted the rank of "Lord" by the Clock Tower include the twelve distinguished families, among them the three great noble houses and the Dean.
Having controlled the Clock Tower for nearly a thousand years, they each oversee one of the thirteen departments of the institution.
In the past, they provided the land and funding necessary for the construction of the Clock Tower, and even now, they continue to finance its operations. It can be said that they are the rulers who manage and conceal the modern world of magical mysteries.
Beyond these noble-class magus families, there exist first-generation magi akin to commoners, or those whose lineage spans only a few generations. Their magical accumulation is too shallow, preventing the formation of Magic Crests, making them unworthy of being called magus families.
Currently, the Clock Tower is divided into three major factions.
The first is Aristocraticism;
This faction believes that only those who are chosen should research and refine magecraft according to established traditions.
Its members are led by Barthomeloi and include El-Melloi, Yggdmillennia, Animusphere, Gaius Phil, and Archisorte, among others.
The second is Democraticism;
This faction advocates for opening the doors of magecraft to the talented, granting them corresponding status, and balancing the study of magecraft with society itself.
Its members are centered around Trambellio and include the other great noble house, Balouvetta, as well as Edelfelt, among others.
The third is Neutralism, represented by Meluastea;
Unlike the other two factions, this group does not have a unified ideology. Instead, several families have gathered together out of a shared desire to prioritize research over ideological disputes. Internal conflicts are not uncommon. In general, they are collectively referred to by the name of their most influential house, Meluastea.
And what Alaric aspires to become is a magus under Democraticism—at the very least, this path would open the doors to his studies.
With that thought in mind, after a short while, Alaric left central London, following the familiar route and the flow of Ether in the atmosphere.
As the number of pedestrians around him dwindled, Alaric noticed the vast presence of a repelling bounded field not far ahead.
Within that field, a building resembling the Palace of Westminster came into Alaric's view.
Seeing this, Alaric knew he had arrived at the right place.
Within just a few meters, he would officially enter the domain of the Clock Tower.
Having prepared himself well in advance, Alaric stepped into the bounded field. The repelling effect, which would normally cause ordinary pedestrians to subconsciously avoid the area, was neutralized by Alaric's strong magic resistance.
At this point, only Grand Magecraft or large-scale ritual spells could significantly affect him, though such attacks would be of little consequence.
A mere repelling bounded field, set up to deter commoners, was not enough to stop Alaric's footsteps.
"Excuse me, but… what are you doing?"
Just as Alaric was about to charge into the Clock Tower...
A confused voice called out from the side.
A young boy in a green wool sweater looked at Alaric with a puzzled expression. Though surprised by Alaric's appearance and hair color, the boy quickly discerned his identity from his attire. Out of good intentions, he decided to stop Alaric and ask.
"Are you a magus?"
Alaric, who had already noticed the boy earlier, smiled.
From the moment he entered the outskirts and first sensed the repelling bounded field, Alaric had seen this boy walking just like him.
Judging from the faint magic response, he was indeed a magus, though not a particularly strong one.
However, Alaric had been too preoccupied with calculating his plan to join the Clock Tower, so he hadn't paid much attention to the unknown young magus.
Now that the boy had spoken, Alaric naturally responded.
"Yeah, but I'm just a new student reporting in this year."
The short-haired boy smiled. "Are you a magus too?"
He didn't seem surprised at all that Alaric had immediately recognized him as a magus.
After all, someone who could ignore the Clock Tower's repelling bounded field and directly identify a magus was not an ordinary human. That meant Alaric had some connection to the Mystic World and understood the concept of magecraft.
Even though he was young, the boy was sharp and quick-witted. In just a few seconds of interaction, he had already deduced part of Alaric's background.
'Hmm?'
Though they had only exchanged three or four sentences, Alaric felt that this boy's thought process was a bit too active.
Even without mind-reading abilities, Alaric could see the glimmer in the boy's eyes—proof of his keen intellect.
"Rather than a magus, I'm closer to a Spellcaster—someone who fights using magecraft."
Alaric thought for a moment. If using Projection Magecraft for combat counted, then he could indeed be considered a Spellcaster.
"But times are changing, and I still want to become a magus. Today, I came to see if I could join the Clock Tower."
Confident in himself, Alaric gave a thumbs up and grinned.
"Since you're a new student, can you tell me how to join the Clock Tower? Oh, and… does it work if I'm undocumented?"
Alaric believed his plan was flawless—his talent alone would surely earn him a place in the Clock Tower.
But there was one small problem.
Alaric was completely undocumented.
Not only did he lack any record of entry, but there was also no trace of his existence in this world.
His earliest trackable record was from just a few days ago when he first arrived in the British Isles.
This was a major flaw that Alaric had no way of fixing.
Not only did he have no connections to forge proper documents, but he also couldn't afford the expenses.
Despite switching jobs multiple times, Alaric remained completely broke—wherever he went, he traveled light.
The only valuable possession he had was the second-hand outfit he bought with his last few pounds. Besides that, he owned nothing.
Even more concerning was whether the Clock Tower could distinguish real from fake documents—something Alaric couldn't figure out. Instead of overthinking, he'd rather just ask them directly.
If he couldn't get in, he'd simply find a weaker Magus family and learn from them instead.
Both paths were viable, and Alaric was impressed by the simple yet effective nature of his plan.
The boy, unaware of Alaric's bold and reckless thoughts, was momentarily stunned.
He never expected someone to be in this situation in this day and age. After a brief hesitation, he answered:
"Usually, you'd need a recommendation from your magus family… or be invited by the Clock Tower based on your magic potential. But being undocumented—"
The boy, only fifteen years old, had just entered the Clock Tower to prove himself and his family's abilities. But this was beyond his expertise.
Being undocumented wasn't hard to grasp—it simply meant having no legal identity.
But to become a magus—
"You'll have to ask someone at the Clock Tower. I don't know."
Realizing he couldn't provide an answer, the boy shook his head. "Sorry, I can't help with that."
Alaric, unfazed, smiled. "Not at all! But could you at least tell me where I can find someone who handles this? You can tell my situation is a bit… complicated."
The boy didn't refuse and instead led Alaric toward the Academy District.
As they walked, Alaric observed his surroundings. There were many other magi like the boy, some with much stronger magic reactions.
But to Alaric, their strength didn't matter much.
Using Aura Concealment and suppressing his Dragon's Blood, Alaric ensured that the ominous aura—even Ritsuka Fujimaru might find sinister—remained hidden. Otherwise, he might be hunted as a heretic before even entering the Clock Tower.
"By the way, I never got your name."
Still observing his surroundings, Alaric looked at the boy's back and suddenly asked:
"I'm Alaric. How should I address you?"
After conversing for a while and even entrusting the young man to guide him to the department in the Clock Tower responsible for magus registration, Alaric suddenly realized that he still didn't know the young man's name.
This was quite unusual. Normally, Alaric would learn the other person's name at the very beginning.
Faced with Alaric's question, the young man walking ahead paused slightly but quickly resumed his pace and said, "Mr. Alaric, you're a foreigner, right?"
"That's right."
Alaric didn't hide it and smiled.
Without turning his head, the young man continued, "Mr. Alaric, if you are a magus, do you use the Thought Key Imprint system?"
"Nope! I use the same magecraft foundation as you all—based on the system created by the Magecraft King, Solomon."
"That said, I'm still just a clueless rookie magi. After all, magecraft is difficult!"
Alaric put away his smile and asked, "Or is there a problem?"
"No problem. I was just curious, that's all."
The young man shook his head, then added, "Oh, by the way, my name is—"
"Waver Velvet."
The young man—no, Waver Velvet—introduced himself as such.