674 -665- [ Fimbulvetr's Winter ]
Tonight, the Walpurgis Royal Academy of Machinart was destined to become extremely lively.
Members of the Disciplinary Committee were wandering around holding the remnants of automatons.
Guards rushed in from all directions and entered the forest.
Students who sensed the commotion or heard the news also arrived at the nearest spot to the forest, intending to investigate.
On a moonless night, the forest, which should have been pitch dark, was brilliantly lit up by illuminating lamps and oil lanterns, dispelling the previous darkness.
The entire academy became as bustling as it could be.
However, before the commotion started, someone had already arrived at the scene to watch the whole process.
On the roof of the Central Lecture Hall, a figure stood against the wind, with a cloak-like coat swaying in the breeze.
He had six female automata by his side and a silver iron mask on his face. He gazed at Rozen, who was calmly conversing with Yaya in the forest, while surrounded by guards, his eyes flashing slightly.
This person was Magnus.
Judging from his composed posture, it seemed that the genius who was said to be the greatest since the school's establishment had been here for quite some time, observing the entire process of Rozen and Felix's battle.
And precisely because he had watched it all, Magnus remained silent.
Not long after:
"It seems you're quite concerned about this new transfer student, Magnus."
With the sound of this voice, a beautiful, cold professor in a white coat appeared on the roof and walked toward this side.
The battle squad around Magnus immediately reacted, subconsciously assuming a defensive stance.
However, Magnus just turned around and prepared to leave.
"Are you leaving already?" Kimberly, the cold professor, said in an unhurried manner.
Magnus didn't stop or show any attachment as he left. The girls around him remained vigilant of Kimberly and followed their master as they carefully left the scene.
"What an impolite person," Kimberly commented without turning around. She pushed up her glasses and redirected her gaze.
"Besides magic, maybe you should teach the academy's top students some lessons in good behavior,"
"Headmaster," she added.
At this remark, another man who had arrived on the roof at an unspecified time laughed. He was none other than Edward Rutherford, the headmaster of the Walpurgis Royal Academy of Machinart, renowned as the strongest magus of the 19th century.
"Geniuses are often solitary. You should understand that, Professor Kimberly," the headmaster said kindly, though the power emanating from him sent shivers down Kimberly's spine. However, on the surface, she maintained a relaxed demeanor.
"This transfer student is quite extraordinary, causing the first rank to take a keen interest. Even the headmaster is secretly keeping an eye on him. It's probably the first time in history, isn't it?" Kimberly casually remarked.
This made the headmaster ponder for a moment before he suddenly asked, "Do you know about Ragnarok?"
Hearing the headmaster's words, Kimberly first seemed puzzled but then squinted her eyes.
Ragnarok-
It was a famous apocalyptic event in Norse mythology, a catastrophic winter that enveloped the world. It led to wars and malicious intent, resulting in a world without warmth, where humans fought for survival in the piercing cold.
The world was dominated by war and malice, and people no longer showed tolerance or mutual aid. Instead, they harmed each other in ruthless competition, causing the entire world to become exceedingly unstable.
Sin spread like a plague, all spells, seals, and curses lost their effect.
As a result, malevolent creatures and gods were unleashed, causing the gods themselves to enter an era of war, leading to the death of many deities and numerous natural disasters.
In the end, the entire world sank into the abyss, with both gods and humans perishing in a brutal competition in an apocalyptic event known as Ragnarok.
"That's quite similar, don't you think, Professor Kimberly?" the headmaster said with a chuckle. Kimberly had no answer, only a faint chill creeping up her spine.
Indeed, it was remarkably similar, not only in nature but also in its significance. Just consider the official name of the Night Party for a moment.
The official name of the Night Party was "The Walpurgis Night."
It coincided eerily with the Norse mythology of Ragnarok.
//// Y'all might be confused, cuz in Chinese Norse Ragnarok is called [ 諸神"黃昏" ], and the official name of the night party is [ 華爾普吉斯的"黃昏" ]. They both have the word "黃昏". So the above is saying they are similar in this way. ////
The headmaster seemed to engage in a conversation with Kimberly but also sounded like he was talking to himself.
"As a harbinger of Ragnarok, people call those three long harsh winters 'Fimbulvetr's Winter.' It signifies the beginning of Ragnarok and the eve of the apocalypse."
Now, the Walpurgis Night in Walpurgis Royal Academy was about to begin.
"On the eve of this crucial moment, this transfer student capable of overturning the outcome of this competition has arrived and caused two significant disturbances. Even I am curious about how far he can go."
The headmaster of the Walpurgis Royal Academy of Machinart said this with a smile.
"By the way, his registration code hasn't been decided yet, has it?"
As if struck by a brilliant idea, the headmaster spoke again.
"In that case, let Rozen Arneet's registration code be 'Fimbulvetr's Winter.'"
[ Fimbulvetr's Winter. ]
The harbinger of the end, the precursor to competition.
Rozen's arrival symbolized precisely that.
"I will wait to see the final outcome."
Leaving these words behind, the headmaster turned and left.
Kimberly watched him leave and took a deep breath.
"The harbinger of Ragnarok, the world's end, Fimbulvetr's Winter?"
Kimberly mumbled.
"However, after the end of the gods, while the old world perished, a new world was born."
The surviving deities found an unexplored sky at the extreme southern end of the already destroyed universe. They beheld a vast sea and discovered new land emerging from the sea. Together with two humans who had survived by hiding in the forest, they jointly created a new world, allowing life to flourish.
"After the twilight comes the night, and after the night, comes the dawn. This Night Party is unprecedented, and if it does birth a 'god,' as that person has foreseen, what kind of new world will the 'humans' and 'gods' of this world create?"
Kimberly's gaze turned to Rozen, who was still in the forest conversing with Yaya.
"As a harbinger of this Night Feast, you better show me something good."
"Akabane Nuragami."
