An outcast dropout, surviving on the frontier and rising to become an S-ranked counter-magician.

The two of them brought me to a small house. It was outside the center of the city, more like a large wall that surrounded this warded city.

''Then we'll stay here.''

Good luck, Yulia-kun. I'll see you again when I see you?

What the hell...?

And I was the only one left behind. What, what am I supposed to do now?　I brought him in without any particular explanation and left him there. What on earth am I supposed to do..... As I was thinking that, I hear a thumping sound from inside and the door opens with a clatter.

Ahh........well, well, sorry to keep you waiting. Come on, Yulia-kun. I'd like you to come in.

Well I'm sorry to trouble you.

I walked in as I was told and found the place to be so simple that it was hard to believe people were living there. There was only a chair and a desk. And a bed in the corner. Nothing else. I didn't feel like there was a person living there.

Here's your tea. Here's your tea...

Thank you.

Who is the man who wore these glasses?　He's in the mid-170s, about the same height as me. His hair is long black hair pulled into one bun and braided into a braid.

And he has a very kind face and a smile, and you can tell a certain amount about his personality just from his voice and behavior. But it's just my subjective opinion that he is very gentle... or so I thought.

''Sorry, I'm sorry you had to come on such short notice,''

'No, so I was told that Mr. Silas was here.

I'm Silas. Nice to meet you, Julia.

Uh ... are you Silas?

Yeah. Surprised?

'Well... no disrespect, but I was imagining someone more forceful.

'Haha, I get told that a lot. I've been told a lot by other special-grade antimagicians to get cracking.

'Uh ... are you sure you're number one in the pecking order, Silas?

It's an ostentatious position, but it is one thing. It's nice to meet you, Julia.

Yes.....

He asks me to shake his hand across the table and we shake hands with a gusto. It's a very thin, thin hand. It's very hard to believe it's from a special class anti-magician. But there's no reason for this man to lie. A person's strength cannot be measured by simply looking at them. I am very well aware of that. But I didn't think he was the strongest person in this human race....... So much so that my impression of him was that he was just a gentle man........

'Thin hands, right?'

Yeah, I guess so.

'Julia-kun is sturdy. And he's got a lot of depth. I'm not a master at surviving the twilight for two years.

Do you believe me?

Normally, stories like this one about being in twilight for two years are a pipe dream. Or it's just a fantasy. But this man looks me square in the eye and says so.

''Sorry, but I looked you up. Two years ago, I was a student in the Third Warded City. Your grades were at the bottom of the list. No skills worth mentioning. Your written skills are so-so, but your fighting skills are devastating. I'd say it's hopeless. In the party, he was mainly a healer. That will grow to the level of a special grade anti-magician in two years. There's no way that's possible. But I can believe it when I tell you that I lived two years in the twilight. And I'm just like you.......

Saying that, Silas-san exposes her right arm.

''Twilight Syndrome 《Twilight Syndrome》, level 5........''

''Yes, most of the special class antimagicians are affected by a disease called Twilight Syndrome. Some of them are not affected at all, but I'm just like you.

Well......... So, what did you want me to do here?

I'd like you to be the thirteenth extraordinaire anti-magician.

Me?

Yes, you. You're that good. You know that, don't you?　As far as my own abilities are concerned.

...it's

And I know. I've gotten stronger, sure. But again, it's only my fighting skills. My mind has not grown stronger. I'm just a man. I'm just a child who survived the twilight by accident.

You don't like it?

I don't think I have the qualifications...

'Hmm. But we can't let a person as powerful as you play with them. So, my suggestion is, do you want to accompany me on this expedition to the First Knot City as my bodyguard?　However, if you are a student, you need to remain in the student selection process to participate. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what to expect when you're in the marketplace. There's a lot of things to do from a physical standpoint.

An expedition...?

''Actually, the royal family is currently on a tour of each city. This seventh ward city is the last one, but we need a few more guards to return to the first ward city. We're currently in the process of vetting the best people from each city. Besides, it's very valuable to go to another ward city beyond the twilight to train the rest of us. If I'm going to live as a high-ranking anti-magician in the future, there will be even more travel between cities. Now, what do we do?

....

Originally, I had the goal of becoming a great antagonist. But that was a distant goal, so I could keep dreaming about it. It felt good. Dreaming is a great thing. I can work hard for my dreams. I can move forward. You can stand up to any hardship. But I'm not. I just wanted to escape from reality by dreaming.

Yes, I was running away.

What am I missing?

But even so, even if I was lost, I still wanted to........go on. Humanity hasn't advanced anything since we were defeated in the Human and Demonic War. We haven't retreated, nor have we moved forward. It's still the same old situation. If there is something I can do to help in this situation I will try.

It's too late to do anything after you're ready. While advancing, while hesitating, while confused, while suffering, I........

The following has grown up enough. Now is the time to fight back. It is time to reclaim the land and the light of this world. We need your help.

Well I understand. Yes, sir. I'll take care of the guards.

Student selection starts the day after tomorrow, I believe. I'm not going to be able to just walk in and say, 'Hey, I'm going to be the examiner. By the way, I will be the examiner. I won't give you any special treatment, but I'm sure you'll be able to stay.

I'll do my best to live up to your expectations.

I look forward to seeing you again.

Me and Silas-san ended the conversation there and went back to the dormitory.

''A.......special class anti-magician, huh?

I didn't feel like I had come this far. I just lived my life as a gumshoe, and when I came back, I was suddenly asked to become a special grade anti-magician. The confusion is greater than the joy. No, there is no joy. The only thing I have is a lack of confidence.

Am I qualified to protect humanity with this kind of self-doubt?　

Do you have the personality to be called the last hope of mankind?

The more I think about it, the more I feel like a tiny person. I'm just a child who was abandoned by my friends and spent two years in the twilight. That's the only way I could evaluate myself now.

''Youriar-kun!''

Uh... so, Sofia?　What's going on here?

What kind of place is this? This is a girl's dormitory.

'Oh that's true too. Sorry, I'll be in my room in a minute. I wouldn't want a guy wandering around.

Dad....

What?

Wasn't he great, Dad?

No way....

Yeah. I've been talking to my father about you for a bit.

'Mr. Gil is Sofia's father....

'But I'm not at home much, though. There's a lot of travel between cities, and a lot of fighting in the twilight. I'm just back home now though. And I told her about Yulia-kun. Tehe........

Not "teh" or "teh" or "teh" or "teh".

So you're going to be a grade-level demon?

I've been recruited. But I'm not sure.

'Lost?　With all that power, what are you lost?

"...Sophia?

'You have the power, you know?　And why wouldn't you wield it for the good of humanity?　You have the power to kill all those people, the demons, right?

''You can't kill them all and besides, some of the demons are good people.

No!

What's going on, Sofia?

Apparently, she's been acting strangely since a while ago. Why does she want to make me a special class antimagician? Is there some special reason?

''I'm sorry I'm going to go now.''

'Yeah...'

All that remained there was the silence of the night.