O' stars, witness our childhood's end

In a snowy forest, where hazy daylight shines through layers of dense clouds and animals hibernate from the cold, fast movements can be seen as light flashes through the white branches of the thick forest trees.

"Hyah~!" A tender voice cried out.

As if commanded by said voice, the earth shook as roots split the ground open. The trees themselves twisted their branches and grew in thickness as they coordinated with the roots to form a storm of sharp points, reminiscent of a spear. The gathered 'spears' formed a protective membrane on a slim figure with their one of their hands raised in the air, exuding a royal presence as if nature itself bends to their will.

With a sharp drop of a hand, the thick wooden spears thrusted forward in speed that should not have been possible by mere human hands, let alone one as small as their commander. Twisting for maximum piercing power, the 'spears' stabbed into snowy bushes as multiple howls of pain rang throughout the forest, dying the white forestland a sea of red.

Suddenly, multiple figures jumped out from the remaining bushes as they raced towards the small figure. With fur of pure white and fangs as sharp as knives, the now revealed wolves lunged themselves on the now defenseless prey.

"O' snow, gather." The figure muttered. "Form the edge of frost, and pierce all evil!"

Once the chant was finished, snow abruptly gathered around the caster as it peeled back to reveal multiple brilliant icy blades facing towards the pack of wolves. Without delay, the frosty ice picks launched themselves at a wolf each, causing the already lunging ones to die instantly as the blade cleanly sliced through their carcasses while the remaining wolves that suffered the same fate as they were trapped by tree roots.

However, one wolf managed to run past the hail of ice and dodged all roots by using one of its kin as a body shield, and dashed towards the figure. Before it even managed to utter a growl, its head was cleanly sliced off and with it, the wolf's body lifelessly spiralled out of control as it joined its brethren in death.

"Whew, looks like my ice spells are finally good enough for combat. Though I wish I didn't have to resort to using it on animals..." The figure, no, female child spoke dejectedly as her beautiful platinum blond hair spilled out from her fur hood, slipping down courtesy of her fast movements.

Mylene sighed as she looked at her handiwork, though she was not proud of it by any means. As she expertfully twirls the blood-coated ice spear in her hand, Mylene holds out her other hand before softly chanting, "O' flames, cleanse the impurity that stain the world." With it, a small flame gathered on her hand before she flicked it onto the ground, causing it to suddenly burst into blue flames as it grew in size.

Mylene did not look panicked or scared, however, as she patiently watched the flames grow more and more, until it consumed the whole area. As it started to grow outside of the battle site, Mylene gently blew out air as the fire suddenly vanquished itself, revealing a clean ground with no blood or bodies. With another flick of her hand, the uprooted trees twisted back into their spots as their branches grew back to normal.

Looking around to see if she missed anything, Mylene dismissed her spear as she gave a sigh and looked up at the snowing skies.

"Haaah~, Water, Wind, Earth, Fire, and Ether in the form of both Imaginary Elements... Even my specialised Nature Magic that is a step further from normal Earth element... And my spear-wielding skills... Not to mention, my ridiculous First Magic... All finally mastered!" She cheerfully yelled.

'Well, except the First Magic. There's no limit to what I can create so there's no point in mastering it. Besides, I can't even use it to form my own Lucius, hmph~!' Mylene pouted as she recalled the result of her wanting to meet her beloved right away. It only resulted in a chaotic mess of energy that she quickly threw into Imaginary Space before her family could discover what just happened. 'I guess Higher Gods like Lucius and me can't be replicated properly? Ah, I was depressed for a whole day after that, too...' Mylene exasperatedly recalled.

It's been an eventful thirteen years of being reincarnated for Mylene. Thankfully she wasn't conscious as an adult during the birthing process, and it was only when she was three that she remembered everything. Her family was a loving one, well, as loving as a Magus family can be anyways. Though her father and mother, Adrian and Olivia Forvedge respectively, were kind enough, they were still Magus so they tried to raise her to be ruthless, as all Magi should be.

She didn't mind, considering the stories she heard from Lucius and her own family was enough to deter her from ever feeling merciful if any pompous Magus decides to overstep their boundaries, but she will always be kind and gentle. Mylene is fundamentally not violent or someone capable of cruelty as she much prefers to be peaceful, meeting new people and learning new interesting stuff. Even if she knew her family was trying to make her ready for the ruthless world of Magus out of their own kindness, Mylene would always gently refute their lessons with the dignity of a Queen, causing them to finally give up after her tenth birthday.

Aside from her father and mother, she had two younger siblings that could be said to be twins considering how similar they looked. Mylene had inherited her mother's platinum blond hair while both Caules, the younger brother, and Fiore, the older sister, inherited their father's soft brown hair. Fiore was born three years after her, when she had remembered her real identity, and Caules came along just one year after. It seemed like her parents were eager to have kids, to spoil in her mother's case while her father wanted to have spare heirs just in case Mylene turned out to be a failure at Magecraft. She understands her father's reason as the Kingdom in her previous world was the same with the King needing multiple heirs, though she thankfully only gave birth to one son.

As she was thirteen years old now, Fiore is now ten while Caules is nine, and they were an adorable pair of siblings, the best Mylene could've asked for. Fiore was a cute girl who unfortunately was crippled thanks to her exceptional Magic Circuits while Caules was a somewhat timid but otherwise straightforward boy that didn't have talent in Magecraft. Both had their flaws and multiple times Mylene had to comfort and reassure them that they weren't useless and that she'll try to help them in any way possible.

She could've used her First Magic but she didn't really know what she should exactly do considering Denial of Nothingness just creates whatever she thinks in the form of crystalized Ether, and Mylene wasn't exactly the most knowledgeable about magecraft back then so she could've messed up Fiore's body or Caule's Magic Circuits even more. Though it doesn't matter as thanks to their constand bonding session, the trio of siblings were extremely close to one another. Besides, she already has the final draft for a plan to help her siblings when she brings them to meet with Lucius, she just needs to check some things over with him and her adorable younger siblings wouldn't have to worry about their flaws anymore.

Caules grew up to be a nice boy who loved his sisters the most but also grew to have an interest in Magecraft despite his lackluster talent. He spends most of his time at the library in a city near their mansion looking up everything about the mundane world but the rest of the time, he spends his time working on Magecraft with Mylene as they both share the same interest in it.

He seems to share the same interest as Lucius in regards to video games and Japanese cartoons called Anime. Mylene was busy with her own magecraft so she didn't really manage to explore stuff like this but through her own time with Caules, she learned more about the mundane world and their modern society. Caules had a flabbergasted face when she admitted she knew nothing about technology and the mundane life so he took it upon himself to be her teacher. Remembering it made Mylene smile at his fervor explanations and exasperated sighs whenever she asked a seemingly stupid question. Even those 'anime' were really cool! Maybe she and Lucius can watch them together while cuddling?

Fiore, on the other hand, wasn't as nearly invested into the whole Magus business but she never got pressured by her parents because Mylene was the heir, with even superior circuits to her, so she didn't need to worry about being a Magus if she doesn't want to. She was the most attached to Mylene and always followed Mylene in whatever she decided to do. As a side effect, Fiore inherited Mylene's love for heroes and fairy tales, while her personality greatly resembled her older sister as she was a kind and gentle girl.

Furthermore, even if she wasn't invested in being a Magus, Fiore managed to develop her own Mystic Code of sorts named the "Bronze-Link Manipulator" which was a gauntlet that allowed Fiore to change her wheelchair into a mobile weapon. Mylene was extremely proud for her and both sisters spent the whole day bonding with each other over Mystic Codes.

However, it seemed like even her beloved siblings were worried about their older sister as they subtly tried to persuade her to not be so peace-loving. As subtle as children can be anyways. She was thankful for their love and care but honestly, it's not like she would just lay over and let a magus do whatever they want!

Though she was always patient, she was rather irked that they think she wasn't capable of defending herself. Despite being found out as a genius at a young age, through being an Average One and developing her own special branch of nature magecraft, and instantly instated as the heir to the Forvedge family, her gentle disposition made it seem like she wasn't fit for being a Magus.

...Which she isn't, admittedly. Though she found joy in learning and perfecting Magecraft, if a Magus is considered as ruthless researchers willing to do anything for their own goals and curiosity, then she much prefers to not be associated with such monsters. Learning about this 'Nasuverse' as Lucius puts it was a wonderful experience, especially when she could learn all of these new spells, or magecraft as they are called here.

The spear was just a random choice from her part, though she quickly took a liking to it and even managed to become a master. From all her constant travels in an effort to master her magecraft, she developed her own style of spear play that relied on swift and elegant movements that hid the brutal force behind each strike, refined by countless battle experience with wildlife, thugs and stray magus. It was a perfect mix of offense and defense, as she found out during her many fights, allowing for full usage of the body's momentum to maximise damage while allowing enough breathing room for evasion or counters.

Not to mention how well it worked in conjunction with her diverse magecraft, allowing for a truly formidable fighting style that constantly forces the opponent to think quickly on their feet to survive, not even mentioning trying to even land a hit on her. Mylene was glad she picked up a close combat weapon as magus from her experience were extremely vulnerable if all their spells were easily evaded or countered through her own superior magecraft.

Why is she trying so hard to become the best at fighting despite liking peace? For Lucius, of course! She wasn't a naive girl who thinks life can be solved through words alone, and she knows that Lucius is going to be involved in the Grand Order. Considering Mylene was his lover, of course she would stand by him through his journey! Besides, she herself wanted to be on her own adventure, too, so this is just so that she won't be a liability and be able to proudly stand next to Lucius as his lover.

Speaking of Lucius, the moment she was aware of the fact that she had been reincarnated, she instantly tried to communicate with Lucius through the Astral Crest, a name thought up by both of them. Thankfully, he seemed to have been born at the same time as her in some kind of 'pompous, pretentious and annoying family', his words not hers. She was so glad that she would've instantly teleported to him, if not for Lucius stopping her. He reminded her of the upcoming danger and encouraged her to master her powers first before officially meeting at the Mage's Association. Apparently, she doesn't need to worry about the technicalities as he'll take care of it so all Mylene had to do was just enjoy herself for now.

And wasn't it unfair of him~!? She was the one who told him to relax yet he's the one doing most of the work! That's why she tried so hard for the past 10 years, just so she can surprise Lucius of her progress. Though they still talked through their connection, Lucius wasn't available often due to his busy work as an heir of a prominent Magus family while she was practically free all the time!

Mylene really missed him so she hadn't slacked off on her wife skills either, as she quickly learned from her mother on how to cook. She didn't need to learn anything else considering her education as Queen means she's learnt everything on how to be a good wife, it was just cooking that she was bad at, considering it was the servants who cooked.

In any case, once she nearly mastered all of her magecraft and spear skills, she tried to learn more about the world and its inhabitants through the use of her family's ancient library. What she learnt both scared and fascinated her, stories of Gaia and her Beasts, Alaya and her Guardians, the Phantasmal Beasts, history of Magecraft, the Magic that she possesses and many more. Though it scared Mylene as to how many dangerous things there are, there were equally as amazing things in the world.

Especially Heroic Spirits! They were the thing that interested her the most as she learned about all these legendary figures in this world's history. She had to look them up on a library's computer as her family abhorred technology like any Magus, and after she quickly learned how to operate, she was introduced to a wonderful world of the Internet.

...Even the naughty ones. She didn't think there was so much more to sexual intercourse! When she manages to find Lucius again, she'll ask if he wanted to try the 'paizuri' and the 'blowjob' since all the men looked like they were really enjoying it. It'll be a surprise present for him!

'Fufu~ I'll blow his mind with both of my upgraded magecraft and wife power, that's a promise!' Mylene cheered in her mind.

'Let's go home, I need to prepare my luggage to go to the Mage's Association as I am of age. I'll need to say goodbye to Caules and Fiore and then prepare myself to meet with Lucius. It's been such a long time, I am so excited~!" Mylene giggled.

Looking around one more time just to make sure she didn't miss anything, Mylene nodded and took a step.

In a snowy forest, where the hazy sunlight finally pierced through the morning clouds and shined through dense forest trees, a clearing can be seen.

A flicker of purple was all that could've been seen before it too disappeared, and the forest returned to its quiet, serene everyday life.

_______________________________________________________________________

Life was hell, I decided.

Was this what those so-called normies had to suffer from everyday? No wonder they were insufferable, then.

Magecraft, politics, academics, Magecraft, family history, swordsmanship, etiquette lessons, Magecraft, Magecraft, Magecraft, oh and don't forget about Magecraft!

You get the point.

I, Lucilius Noctis Astranovus, am tired, sleep-deprived and most importantly, Mylene-less.

When Mylene contacted me when we were both three, that was when I 'awakened'. Thank the stars, because I didn't really want to experience being a baby again because if those fanfics were the least bit true then I would rather not be disturbed for life. In any case, I reassured Mylene to not overreact and just to act her part so that we can meet again at the Mage's Association. Mylene wasn't satisfied but we've been in contact for the past ten years so it didn't really make a difference.

From what I've heard from her last, she nearly mastered all her powers and about how adorable Fiore and Caules is. I'd love to meet them actually, considering they grew up with proper guidance from Mylene and not having to worry about each other's lives as a Magus. Mylene gushes about them everytime we talk to the point of me being a little bit jealous.

I mean, she's my lover, right!? Why do they spend more time with them than me!?

Joking aside, I really am busy as I imagined I would be. Being born as the 'genius' heir of the Astranovus family, a Magus line that dates back to the Age of Gods, with the origin of Star was a big deal, considering the family's origin is supposedly 'the messengers of the stars'.

It wasn't a pretentious boast because the Astranovus family has their famous Astral Magecraft that basically moulded the cosmic Ether in the air into whatever they want. The head of the family, my 'father', was extremely proficient at it to the point of being able to fire thin and nearly invisible lasers that can pierce through everything or just outright blow everything up with a massive beam.

Furthermore, our branch of Magecraft means that the mana in the attack will disrupt the opponent's Od if it hits so we were revered as a family that had the authority equal to a Lord of the Clock Tower, both out of fear and awe from our Magecraft that was basically one step away from Magecraft from the Age of Gods. Even the 'Queen' of the Clock Tower, Barthomeloi Lorelei, can't easily oppose us as the Astranovus family is another technical 'Monarch' of the Clock Tower.

Our ancient origins mean that our ancestors helped establish the Clock Tower and are fundamental supporters so the other three Monarch families can't exactly do anything to us. We aren't a faction in the Clock Tower because the Astranovus is only interested in studying the stars and our own Magecraft, we were taught to look down on the petty power struggles. I guess it's pretty petty in retrospective but damn am I lucky my OC family actually holds this much power.

And considering I am the Astral God in human form, you'd be damn sure I was heralded as the pride of the Astranovus. With my origin of Star, technically True Ether, and my Perfect Observation, I was able to completely master all of the family's Magecraft and improved them. Since I also had a Magic Core, my bastard of a father treated me like some kind of chosen one so he was extremely strict in his education.

I am a lazy person at heart so you'd understand my resentment at being forced to learn non-stop. Thank God for Migeika because I would've had a mental breakdown each time a new area of study was forced onto me by 'Father'.

However, thanks to my childhood torture training I was able to act the part of a noble prince-like Magus. Our Astranovus family is special, after all, so we might as well have been a Royal Family of sorts. From how to walk properly to table manners, to how to speak like a pretentious noble, it was all ingrained into me thanks to Migeika. I am not gonna be exactly like that obviously, but even in my past life I had wanted to be more elegant and gentlemanly so I actually didn't mind the lessons.

It was still torturous, don't get me wrong. I am a laid back sort of person after all, but if this means I can be a better fit for Mylene's Queenly presence then I won't be lazy. She might not have minded me being who I am but I wanted the best for her so she wouldn't be slandered with something like 'why is a beautiful woman like her stuck with that sloppy-looking peasant?'. I mean, realistically, I don't care and neither would Mylene but I still want us to be something like a 'perfect couple'.

Mylene deserves it with how good of a person she is and how the light novels ignored her existence after her first appearance. I swore to make her happy and feel like a princess, so how could I do that if I wasn't prince-like? I got the appearance down so I might as well go all the way with the manners and behaviour.

Gradually, I changed my default aura and behaviour into a noble prince as I got more comfortable with acting elegant. I still am lazy and would prefer to act casually but I got used to being prince-like thanks to Migeika reducing the burdens of perfecting it so it just became second nature to me. I'll only show my 'real self' to people I trust like Mylene and probably most of Chaldea.

Anyways, aside from etiquette and the standard noble lessons, I was forced to go through our family's archives and LEARN EVERYTHING THERE. My 'father' never spent his time with his son nor did he really teach anything, only asking for progress regarding my learning. What kind of parenting is that!? That's why I didn't particularly care for my 'family'. Aside from making sure it's still prosperous in the future for me to inherit, I never really cared about keeping in contact with anyone in the family.

Thanks to Migeika, seriously what an OP power, I didn't have a problem with my Magecraft and even managed to surpass my father in power and control. I mean, I already had an instinctive knowledge on how to use it because of me being the Astral God but the research notes helped. Since our Magecraft was special and only one of our blood could use it, the family was super open with their research notes. Not for other Magus, of course, but for everyone in the family to learn.

I snapped out of my musing as I approached the doors to the family's archives and communal workshop and as I opened those doors, I was greeted with the grand sight of a literal world of books. Notes upon notes, with books spread open on every table and some even floating, it could be called magical. I wasn't someone who liked to study nor read but even I fell in love with it, not to mention how quiet it mostly is, making it a great place to slack off with nobody noticing.

Aside from the books, there were other members of the family busy with their own studies. They glanced up when they heard the doors opened and instantly stood up to bow their heads towards me. I internally sighed, while I kind of liked it at first, now it's just plain embarrassing being worshipped and revered like I was their personal God. I mean, sure I was kind of the ultimate pinnacle of their beliefs and Magecraft but I was still a normal human being, y'know?

With practiced ease, I shifted my face into a refined smile and said, "You may stand, thank you for your hard work."

Everyone stopped bowing as they went back to their work while gossiping about how perfect I was. I am used to it so I don't feel much but it used to boost my ego to the high heavens, I mean praising a former loser as perfect? Kind of exhilarating, but now I just lament how they can't even see me as who I really am.

They even tried to give me maids to 'serve' my needs. I usually dismissed them after a week because it was obvious they were brainwashed mundanes sent by the family head as a way to keep me in line so I just reversed its effect and sent them home without any memories. My 'father' never suspected anything because I sent him fake dolls created by Recordkeeper to give him false reports. And would you believe it, the bastard disintegrated the dolls every time he found out I just dismissed another maid. Hard to love someone who gives so little care about life, you see? Though that just gives me a reputation of being picky in the family because they thought I killed the maids after getting tired of them.

I miss Mylene, I can't even talk casually without it being seen as some kind of offense and I am not close enough to anyone to make small talk. All the members were taught to be like this since their youth so I can't even stop it if I wanted to.

As I went to my usual spot in the archives, hidden from view and free of people, I continued thinking about the rest of my childhood.

Aside from Magecraft, I took to the sword like the genius I wished to be. I mean, with Migeika, I pretty much mastered all other weapons but with the sword... I felt like the God that I was whenever I held a blade in my hand. When I held a sword, the only thing on my mind was a strange sense of freedom and unity. My senses become sharper, my concentration heightens to my limits and I can imagine every possible way to cut through something, no matter what.

I commissioned two swords from my family's connections to a forge that was contracted to them so they knew about the Moonlit World. It was two nameless blades forged from meteorites that can be used as a conductor to my Astral magecraft, so I can enchant them with Astral energy. They were sleek-looking double edged blades and were on the long side but weren't long enough to be impractical. The blades themselves were sharp enough to seem like they were cutting the air while the guard was in the shape of a star as the top and bottom points were integrated into the blade and handle while the horizontal points poke out to the sides. Overall, nothing to write home about but they were fantastic swords nonetheless.

That is, before they were hit with a dose of Recordkeeper magic. Now the swords subtly glow with an azure hue, and the already sharp blades seemed to cut space itself as its edges were dyed with azure Astral energy. The swords were still sleek but the blade part was bulked up a little to not seem like toothpicks so now they are more like thinner longswords.

I named them Polaris because that's the only famous star I can remember but I might change it in the future when I have a better name. Polaris was now a Noble Phantasm made possible from feeding them my Astral energy, which was a higher being's life force technically so it was elevated to the same status as those Divine-made Noble Phantasms. Furthermore, my Recordkeeper made it so that it counts as 'the divine weapons of an unknown god of the stars that transcended to parts unknown' so Gaia wouldn't make a fuss about it.

They are technically always active Noble Phantasms as I can just overload them with Astral energy to shoot them as beams or something like that. Though for the sake of being cool, I made the ultimate attack something like 'a slash that contains the full might of a supernova that can cut even reality'...I'll think of a name later. Though because of it, my swords can be considered as anti-reality depending on which attack I decide to unleash. In any case, now that I had the swords are Noble Phantasms, I had to hide them in the form of a normal sword for now lest I get unwanted attention from other Magus.

My family couldn't exactly teach my swordsmanship considering they were a Magus family so I was allowed to go on trips as long as I had bodyguards. Obviously, I could've escaped them anytime I want since they were just monitors for me rather than actual bodyguards, considering I am far stronger than them. I usually just ignored them as I went on a world trip in search of a hidden sword saint or something, but I usually just faced some fakes and wild animals.

Furthermore, I usually went on Dead Apostle hunts with the Enforcers as a means to build a reputation for me before going to the Mage's Association so that I won't have to bother with mingling.

Most of the Enforcers were rather boring to talk to but they were mostly chill when they saw that I wasn't like the normal pompous Magus. I even got along with some of them, and we ended up sparring a few times just to compare our skills. No magecraft, just pure physical strength and skills. Reinforcement is an obvious requirement but other than that, it was just a fun duel. Most of them had experience in the dozen so while I was superior in skills and overwhelming force, some of them managed to catch me off-guard with something crazy like rebounding their Black Keys using the environment.

Thanks to that however, I managed to use the experience as a way to fine tune my sword style. By the end, no one could touch me before I knocked their weapons away or knocked them unconscious. No grudges were held and we even promised to rematch sometimes. I am not a battle junkie but it did feel good to do some combat after being stuck in my family's mansion all childhood.

After my spars with the Enforcers and my exploits became known, I was given the title of the 'Astral Blade' in reference to my blade skills that seemed like a star when in motion. Or something like that, I think it's just because I am the heir of the Astral magecraft that wields a blade, rather than something nonsensical.

In any case, my sword style is simple, since it was essentially a dance. Not the flashy kind of katas that the Japanese practice but an elegant but swift sword dance that allows for flexibility to adapt to any situation. From one position to another, from one technique to another, all were interchangeable and can easily be adapted to fight any kind of opponent. Unpredictable counters, swift and extremely fast offensive, defending by diverting their attacks with minimum efforts, all were delivered with great power and concentration with all of my being, which means that there were no weak points unless my opponent broke my sword form somehow.

I was always a fan of those swordmasters in my previous life, what with their 'one strike' moves and beautiful sword plays so I tried my best to replicate them. With a combination of my heavenly sword talents and Migeika, I am practically unbeatable when it comes to swordplay among the living world. Servants might be able to compete and Beasts might be able to completely ignore it but it's still a valid offensive option nonetheless. Besides, I already developed my skills to the point of being able to cut 'anything', and I didn't even use Recordkeeper.

Speaking of Recordkeeper, the Fourth Magic I made was really overpowered. Like, I could write it so that the world would return to the Age of Gods or even delete my enemies' existence. It's a scary power but thankfully, it was regulated by Akasha so I didn't have to worry about accidentally using it. I am not like one of those weak-minded protagonists where I am scared at the slightest bit of power and I have a strong enough will to resist the temptation anyways. Probably why Akasha chose me as its administrator, actually.

As for getting into contact with the Animusphere family, it seemed like it was planned for me to be engaged with their daughter, Olga Marie Animusphere. I almost laughed in my father's face when I heard the news but my newly found discipline managed to stop it. Me? With THAT Olga? Yeah, no way. It'd probably be a love-hate friendship between me and her considering my true self. Besides, I might want a harem but I only want women that I actually like and love rather than any female in sight.

I intended to take Mylene as my official fiance anyways, so that's a big no from me. Luckily, it seemed like the Animusphere cancelled the engagement and went into seclusion for unknown reasons. I knew it was because Marisbury had won the Grail War and was building Chaldea so I didn't really worry. It sucks that I wasn't able to get close to any of them in my childhood but I might be able to convince Marisbury, when we meet in the Clock Tower, to allow me to join Chaldea.

With that thought finished, I gave a sigh as I looked out at the window next to me. Clouds float past as daylight shined warmly into the archives giving it a homely look, if not for the floating books at least.

I hopped off my seat as I went back to my room to prepare for my departure to the Clock Tower as a student. I was gonna finally meet Mylene for the first time since ten years so I was excited, talking over our bond isn't the same as being able to cuddle and do affectionate stuff. I need to prepare myself as well, surviving in the Clock Tower is hard if you show a moment of weakness so I need to build good first impressions that serves to deter other Magus from targeting me for no reason. I also need the reputation if I was going to defend Chaldea from the Clock Tower. Besides those reasons, I need to stake my claim on Mylene before any fool gets the stupid idea of forcing her to be their wife.

I'll join the Faculty of Astromancy considering my family's friendship with the Animusphere, after that I'll just have to try my best to get into contact with Marisbury. Considering the degrading authority and state of affairs caused by Marisbury's focus on Chaldea, it's likely that I'll take over his position as the Lord considering my 'genius' and family's authority.

Mylene will join Lord El-Melloi II's Faculty of Modern Magecraft Theory since I don't know much about other Faculties and Waver will be sure to take good care of Mylene. They might even get along, who knows?

I sighed again as I walked past a corridor filled with windows, stopping for a moment to allow the warm sunlight to grace my weary face. I slapped myself lightly to motivate myself as I moved on, casually ignoring the passing mountains passing by the rest of the window.

By the way, did I tell you about how we live in a floating castle?___________________________________________________________________

Stepping out of the cab, I thanked the driver before giving him a large tip and sent him on his way.

Honestly, travelling by plane might not be the most comfortable thing ever but I miss it all the same. Stretching my body, I breathed in the morning air of London as I took a look at the misty entrance of the infamous Clock Tower, the British Museum. Yup, looks just like a normal museum all right. Though I can easily see through the bounded fields with my divine eyes, it is rather impressive. Really impressive actually, there were thousands of bounded fields and magical contraptions littered throughout the structure, all the way down to underground.

I gave a big sigh as I tugged at my shirt. I've finally finished my 'official' outfit which serves as both my casual and battle gear, like all the other characters. I wore a predominantly white outfit, not too blinding but was white enough to signify me as some kind of important character. A slightly loose white dress shirt was underneath the entire ensemble, which had one button open with the collars neatly tucked down but slightly spread out so as to not hit my face whenever I move my head. It was also not tucked in my pants as I allowed the ends to stick out.

Above that shirt was a hooded coat, and was decorated with blue and gold linings. The hoodie was big enough to nearly cover both of my shoulders but not big enough to seem ridiculous. Inside the hoodie was the coat's collar which neatly lined up with the inner shirt's collar, the coat was also buttoned up to my upper chest but allowing the top to be unbuttoned, the same as the inner shirt. It was borderline casual but still formal enough to not be considered as untidy, my new appearance really made the whole thing work.

The sleeves of the coat were slightly wide, like a kimono, and had a split on the top so you can see the top of my arms, while my hands wore wrist-length white gloves decorated with my own insignia, which was just a minimalistic Astral Crest that I share with Mylene. They were both actually a pair of Mystic Codes that when inserted with my Od, transforms into armored gauntlets. Which was why I had a split on the sleeves to allow for the transformation without ripping apart my sleeves.

The coat extended down to just above my ankle and was floating a little in the morning wind. The front of my coat was not buttoned all the way down so you can see my dress shirt. I like loose clothes so I had to also wear a belt that went all around my waist which prevents the coat's tails from going everywhere when I fight.

The belt itself was also a Mystic Code, though I didn't hide its true appearance like my gloves. It would be taken as a weird belt at most by the mundane but it was actually waist armor that held my swords with their sheaths. It was invisible to the naked eye for now as a means of hiding using my best camouflaging Magecraft, so all Magus would think that the powerful aura exuded by the blades were coming from me instead.

I wore simple black dress pants that were designed to be both practical and comfortable. I also wore custom-made shoes that were made with the same principles as my pants in mind. Both the pants and shoes had the same blue and gold linings on them to go with the same aesthetics as my outfit.

On top of it all, I wore a white cape of the same design as my coat that was sewed into to the bottom of the hoodie with the front being held together by the Astranovus family's crest, a stylised star. The cape wrapped all around me and reached my upper thigh in terms of length, and there were two empty slots in between the hoodie and cape that were made with a scarf in mind, though I don't have one yet.

This outfit was made from scratch by the Astranovus family's cloth weavers who were Magus themselves so everything was super enchanted with runes and enhancing magecraft. It was practically an armor suit considering that it was further upgraded by yours truly so it is now practically a mobile fortress. From heating to cooling, it was designed with fighting in mind so it is adaptable to all types of weather. It also cleans and repairs itself automatically but I can quicken the process by feeding it my mana.

I only gave the designs and told them to make it both comfortable and suited for fighting but they really went all out. Even the designs they decorated it with made it seem like an actual Royal Regalia. I was told it even grew with me as I get older, like what? What kind of specialised magecraft is that!?

You might be thinking why is the outfit so loose and has both a cape and scarf? Well, why not? I can make it work, plus both the cape and scarf are removable so it wouldn't be a problem. It's a lot lighter than it looks as well so I won't have a problem with my mobility. It's cool in my opinion, okay!? Besides, all the other Magus in the Clock Towere were shown to wear impactical noble-like suits so at least mine is practical!

As I finished my internal monologue and fixed my appearance, I gave one last glance towards the hazy sun before walking inside the museum. The years I will spend here makes all the difference, so I'll have to say goodbye to my carefree childhood once I step in the Clock Tower. Until I stand inside Chaldea with Mylene by my side, I won't let myself rest and that's a promise.

I sighed for a final time before straightening up and walked inside the huge entrance of the Clock Tower.