Yūto Kido had been told, several times, by his adoptive parents, that Chaldea sat at the edge of the world — a fortress of steel and magecraft built to watch over humanity's fate.
Created by a renowned man of modern times, and joined by the most brilliant individuals that can carry the flames of innovation and light the path ahead of the future.
So much that when he read the brochure given to him before he reached the destination, he could recite the vision and mission of the Organization by one breadth.
He knew the mission. He knew the stakes. But three months wasn't enough time to understand any of it, of anything about the new world he found himself in.
And yet, here he was. Master Candidate No. 48. The last in the list.
The number carried a strange weight, one he didn't know how to name.
Maybe it was fate. Maybe it was misfortune. Maybe it was just a reminder that he was the leftover piece Chaldea decided to take in out of necessity.
Either way, he kept his head low as he stepped off the transport platform and into the spotless white hallway. His stomach churned from equal parts nervousness and the high-altitude shift. His hands stayed tucked into his pockets, shoulders slightly hunched — an instinctive attempt to make himself smaller.
Easier to ignore.
Three months of training had barely scratched the surface of magecraft, a term he never expected to be included on his lexicon and meager memory capacity.
His only "talent," if it could be called that, was that "unnatural sensitivity to emotion" — more a passive curse than a skill. He could pick up people's states of mind in impressions, waves, tinges of feeling.
Not useful.
Not impressive.
And not something he had learned to control, not yet.
Just get to the meeting room, he told himself. You can hide by the door. No one will notice you.
He turned the corner—
—and something small and fluffy launched itself straight into his leg.
"A-Ahgh— W-what—?"
"Fou!"
A creature. A tiny, white… fox? Cat? Rabbit? Whatever it was, it stared up at him with beady black eyes and an expression that could only be described as chirping innocence. Its fluffy tail wiggled like it was excited to see him.
Yūto froze.
The creature froze.
For a full five minutes, the two stared at each other in mutual, silent confusion.
Oddly enough, his anxiety — the twisting pressure in his chest — loosened just a bit, as if the mere presence of this fluffy… thing somehow absorbed it. He didn't bend down to pet it; he simply wasn't bold enough for that.
But he did allow himself a small breath of calm he didn't know he needed.
Then—
"Fou! Fou, please come back—ah!"
A hurried girl with lavender hair came skidding to a stop before him, looking embarrassed, panicked as she scooped up the protesting creature named "Fou" that was just next to him.
[Mash Kyrielight], Yūto noticed the nametag on her attire, and assumed that it was her name. She collected herself and bowed quickly.
"I—I'm so sorry! Fou tends to run off whenever he sees someone new. Truly, I apologize if he delayed you."
"No, it's… it's no problem," Yūto said stiffly, voice dry from nerves.
Mash blinked, relieved, and then straightened with a small smile.
"Um—are you also heading to the staff meeting? The briefing room is this way." She pointed down another pristine corridor. "Actually, my name is Mash Kyrielight, you can call me Mash. And if you don't mind… I can walk with you, senpai."
Yūto hesitated for a beat before giving a very quiet, "Yes. That would help."
Ignoring her "unique" way to refer him, he thought that it`s a quirky habit of hers.
Mash visibly brightened.
As they walked, she gave explanations the moment he asked — detailed, informative, and spoken in a gentle, earnest tone. Yūto knew most of the basic mission outline already, but asking again made his arrival feel less surreal, and her explanations helped steady his thoughts.
Just a few months ago, he was nothing but a guy with rough day, and bad memories visiting him every night.
He truly wanted to end it all, because his life just became worse, he was tired of being shamed, of being ridiculed, but he doesn`t want to fight back, because he fears that it`ll enlarge the flames more.
But then, his accidental discovery about a "Workshop" when he was planning to end it all, became his way to enter the world where normal people can`t normally enter.
The Moonlit World, or simply, Supernatural Side of Human World, the Mysteries.
Yūto can`t even fully understand what happened on that accidental encounter, just after that, his surname was not "Kido" anymore, but "Norwich".
Yes, he was adopted by the magus, a term he had just learned after, who owned the place he unluckily intruded.
By the textbook explanation provided by his adoptive "guardian", Norwich are a magus family that offers solace and adopts many individuals they deemed that have "potential" primary examples are the famous and notorious Doctor Heartless, and Hishiri Adashino.
Both are his eldest adopted siblings, by root and seniority, whom he did not meet, due to rushed timetable forced to him and his unwillingness to contact or learn more about his other "siblings".
He`s not that stupid to think that a family will help you immediately once you`ve become one of them, he knew that it was often a farce or a fluke, depending on how good a sibling are.
Norwich family, often dubbed as the "Daddy Long Legs" of Clock Tower, are now his new family.
The notion seemed unreal, he doesn`t even know if his capability to "feel emotion" makes sense or are valuable to the family, but they have done multiple things to help him...
But, his former family, his parents, Yūto still misses them.
However, he knows that he should focus first on what`s in front of him, accidental or not, and finish it before he should think about going back.
Back on the current situation, Yūto asked Mash about the upper echelon of the organization, because he himself barely knew anything about the organization itself.
He was sent here by his adoptive family as a representative, and while that thought pressures him too much, he wanted to try to be as formal and attentive as possible.
As thanks for their help to him, who felt that the world doesn`t need him anymore.
Yūto listened carefully as Mash introduced the important staff one by one as if reciting a manual she had carefully memorized:
Dr. Romani Archaman, head of the medical department, Mash described him as a goofy but kind person.
Cereza—Cerejeira Elron, the Record Keeper, she governs the library and the Record Room.
Elgin Weiss, head of engineering, strict and hot-headed against unpolished structures and lack of maintenance.
Granny Maria, head chef, a heartwarming and kind old lady who cooks very well.
Lev Lainur, head of Human Resources, he is a friend of the current Director and a Colleague of the Former Director.
Salvatore Marvelo, head of the modern technology division, Mash barely knew about him, she described him as the missing person in every meeting.
And finally, Director Olga Marie Animusphere, the director of Chaldea.
Mash described her as someone who isn't a bad person, but she's... "downright evil" for her unsavory ways, and she wouldn't hesitate to fire a staff or someone she doesn't like.
Mash had a habit of explaining with full clarity, even when shorter answers would have sufficed. Yūto didn't mind. Her voice helped distract him from the tension in his stomach.
Then Mash stopped mid-sentence.
"Oh—there he is! That's Mr. Lev Lainur, the head of HR Department."
A tall, red-haired man in a pristine white coat as undershirt and dark green suit with matching pants, red tie, and green top hat, approached them with a smooth, light smile. Mash greeted him with almost bubbly politeness.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Lev!"
"Ah, Mash, hello," he said warmly, then turned his eyes toward Yūto. "And who might this be? A new arrival, I see?"
Mash gasped softly, hands rising to her mouth. "I—oh no! I forgot to ask your name!"
Yūto stiffened.
Her eyes, sincere and apologetic, met his. For a moment, he forgot how to speak.
He forced his voice out. "Norwich… Yūto Norwich. I'm the… 48th master candidate."
Lev's smile didn't change, it intensified.
"Oh? From those people called as the "gratuitous family" of Magus Society? And you`re quite young... Quite fortunate and talented perhaps?", Lev said as he looked at Yūto with interest.
Yūto felt it. A wave — or rather, a blaze — of emotion hit him so hard it was difficult to breathe.
The warmth behind Lev's smile wasn't warmth at all. It was heat. Scorching, suffocating heat.
It was burning him. Alive.
Yūto's lungs tightened as if filled with smoke.
The back of his throat burned, he wanted to scratch it, badly but how?
His skin prickled with phantom agony — flames licking bone, it felt as if trying to move a muscle would make him crumble, head to toe, into ashes.
His vision flashed — fire, blackened wood, collapsing beams—Stop. Stop. STOP.
STOP!!!
He blinked rapidly, struggling to keep his face neutral, his legs felt weak, his breathing became unnatural, but he forced himself to calm down.
Mash didn't seem to notice anything wrong other than his breathing and sudden weakness, so she offered to help him stand. Lev's smile, however, sharpened at the edges.
Just a little.
Just enough that Yūto felt — not saw — something unnatural hidden beneath it.
It terrified Yūto, down to his bone.
Who was this man?
Why did he feel like standing too close would set him ablaze?
Yūto clenched his jaw and looked away, pretending nothing was wrong.
Lev continued his pleasant smile.
"Well then, Yūto, from the Norwich`s. Welcome to Chaldea, I hope you`ll have a pleasurable stay."
Those words, so polite and harmless, felt like a match being struck.
Yūto forced himself not to flinch.