Is this... hell?
What's going on?
What is that?
A black... spire?!
What you desire is here.
It's right here!
If you want it, come get it!
CLEVATESS
HIDEN, CAPITAL CITY HIDERAT
Now, is there anything the three of you want?
Land, a title... Anything I can do. Just ask.
Anything, huh?
Then I...
I would like to be the king's magic teacher.
Thus Nelluru became Luna's official wet nurse.
And just as he'd requested, Klen became Luna's personal magic teacher.
Farewell, Queen Regent, Alicia.
And I was sent to a tri-nation conference to deal
with the blame for Boelate's invasion of Hiden.
I went as an escort for Queen Regent T'ala.
All bridges over the Dunn River, which divided Eslinn and Boelate,
had been destroyed over the course of their four-century war.
All except the "Bridge of the Ancients," which spans
a deep chasm halfway down the river.
BRIDGE OF THE ANCIENTS
Both camps faced off against each other there.
KING OF ESLINN YURIEL ESLIEL
REIGNING SWORD SAINT OWEN KOATH
EMPEROR OF BOELATE BEIS WERZ
I see.
You've both brought your strongest as escorts.
Then I must do the same.
You've at least heard the name, I presume.
The leader of the bandits known as the Ravens.
The man known as the Hero Slayer.
Jazhak.
JAZHAK THE HERO SLAYER
Nice sword, Sword Saint!
That's Stream Splitter, isn't it?
I see.
You're the female hero who destroyed the Ravens.
I'm getting turned on!
Silence, escort.
Only the representatives of the nations are permitted to speak here.
Let us begin the tri-nation conference to determine
who's responsible for this war, and what reparations they must pay.
With Drel dead, Boelate is no longer a threat.
Eslinn needs merely ally with Hiden and our victory is assured.
However, we are here today because we think there is still room for diplomacy.
Diplomacy how, specifically?
I'm talking about Drel.
He was doing his own magical research.
We know that his methods were atrocious,
and he used both human and dark beast infants for his experiments.
He used infants for experiments? How awful.
So that's where the infants Vroko sold ended up?
Luna could've easily ended up there as well.
But Drel was under the control of Vordin's dark ichor the whole time.
Why would Vordin make him research magic?
Magic makes humanity stronger.
That should make us a threat to the dark beasts.
So why?
Does it have anything to do with how he went after the Royal Forge?
What is Vordin after?
So what do you want, specifically?
Tell me.
The location where Drel conducted his magical research,
as well as everything he learned.
And what do I get?
We will not attack you for the next two years.
Wait, King Yuriel!
Hiden was badly damaged by this war!
We only agreed to give you priority for our magical swords
because we thought they'd be punished for this!
But you're giving them two years?
The legend of heroes... The Bridge of the Ancients...
There are many things in Edthea of whose origins we are ignorant.
And most of magic remains a mystery as well.
Drel must have found a way to solve these mysteries.
Which means we can't let Boelate have them all to themselves.
No matter what the cost.
I see.
You think you can drive a hard bargain.
Jazhak.
You sure?
Your Majesty?
Why would I wait two years when I can just kill you both now?
Shall we end this all here?
See who's really the strongest?
I just had a great idea!
You can both attack me at once!
That'll be ten thousand times more interesting!
Wait, Owen.
We knew this would happen.
Negotiations are only beginning.
What do you want, Beis Werz?
Little brat...
- I let Drel do as he pleased. - No fun.
I don't know specifically what he was doing.
The location is the problem, you see.
The location?
I don't mind opening the door,
but since I don't know what rear entrance he used to get inside,
you'll have to go in through the front, where only certain people are allowed.
And only if you're willing to promise not to eliminate its current occupants...
Then you may do as you please.
What you're saying is that we must pretend
to be one of these "certain people" and enter,
and if we can find Drel's secret room,
we're free to take what we like.
When the two years you've given us have passed, I'm closing the gate.
Publicly, we'll say I'm "sharing Boelate's magical knowledge," I suppose.
So you agree to a two-year ceasefire.
Very well.
If we can use that time to reveal Drel's misdeeds...
So? Where is this place?
It's the oldest institution in Edthea,
which has recently established a school for magical studies...
Solsein.
SOLSEIN, THE DIVINE ACADEMY
Good morning.
Good morning!
Everybody's looking at me!
Are you sure I don't look weird?
Fool.
Hey! Klen!
Klen!
I woke up and I was tiny!
What is this?! What is this?!
What did you do to my body?
Your body was too big.
So I carved it down. With dark ichor.
You carved it down. With dark ichor?
I spent time on it and figured out how to do it,
so next time it will only take an instant.
- Rejoice. - I'm not happy!
I'm not your toy.
If we're infiltrating this place, a disguise should be enough.
I could be, you know... a teacher.
You?
What could you teach?
Swordsmanship?
How to be a hero?
Ridiculous.
You need to understand that you're worthless for anything but combat.
Well, you don't know how to be a magic teacher, either!
Traditionally, Luna won't start studying until age three.
So I just need to learn in the two years I can attend Solsein.
Wait. The two of us don't look like we're from Hiden at all.
Is that okay?
Good point.
Forget it! Forget I said anything!
Hey, why don't you have to change anything?
I copied this form from a child I met in Hiden.
I'm sure it's fine.
What's wrong?
I sense someone approaching from behind us.
Their aura is... provocative.
Who?
I thought I could get up earlier, but...
Is it him?
Stop tensing up all the time.
Don't move until I give the order.
Hello! I'm Edison Rukereft!
I'm from Slada, to the east!
N-Nice to meet you!
An excellent introduction.
The beginning is the most important part of any endeavor.
You need that energy!
I've come from Orgg, the kingdom in the Great Forests of the West!
My name is Sarasa Lew Eila Lafolka!
Nice to meet you all, everyone!
- What's she doing? - Why's she introducing herself here?
I've heard Slada is harsher than Hiden when it comes to magic.
I'm amazed you got to come here.
I guess there's a story there?
Out of the way, you country bumpkins.
This path is being traveled by Tygel Blouyer, noble scion of Eslinn...
And Leon Blouyer as well.
Get on your knees and make way.
Are you two twins?
What if we are, bumpkin?
You're not going to wear your hats?
No way. They look lame.
I'm disappointed.
This was supposed to be one of Boelate's best schools.
The royal university at Esleburg is far better than this.
I'm sure their magic is nothing special, too.
If it's just a bunch of children playing pretend magic,
then there was no reason for us to come here.
What's his problem?
Did he come to pick a fight?
Is this who you were talking about?
They're certainly provocative...
Wait, you.
What?
You ran into me deliberately.
Right?
I didn't even notice you.
You're barely worth noticing.
It's dangerous for you to stand in the middle of the road.
Oh, fun.
You want to fight us. Is that what you're saying?
Give us your name, first.
I'm Ray Forester.
What do you mean "us"?
You want to fight me together, when I'm alone?
Is that how Eslinn fights?
Well, I think it's good. You know you're too weak.
Don't be stupid!
We mean as many of you can join in as you want.
We really are in the way here.
Let's go somewhere else.
He's going to fight us alone? Really?
He'll regret it.
Ray is so stubborn sometimes.
Morning! Morning!
- Good morning. - The new teachers, right?
They're so cool!
- Good morning. - Good morning.
Why is this happening?
Naie Chiffonlits!
Well done in the last war.
You were the only one of the wizards serving
directly under Drel who made it back unharmed.
He's gonna be mad. He'll be mad. I know he'll be mad!
He found out I took the hero to Hiderat!
He'll kill me!
I called you here for a reason.
I want to discuss Drel's secret room.
Secret room?
He established a school of magic at Solsein
and invited promising students to join the army.
You and that insect-user Meynard Swann should have both gone in at least once.
During the crystal transplant operation.
Unfortunately, Meynard is in Eslinn's hands.
You're all we have left.
Tell me all you know about the secret room.
If you do, I'm willing to forget your actions.
That room is...
it was less like a room, and more like a space in a big building.
It was dark, and had lots of little rooms,
and you could hear moans and strange sounds from each of them.
I was taken to the depths.
Deeper and deeper...
I can't remember how it all looked.
My memories...
At some point I couldn't even tell if I was walking or if my eyes were open.
I remember there was something in my mouth, and it hurt.
The next thing I knew, I was floating in a hole.
A hole?
A big hole with a spiral staircase around it.
I passed out then.
That's all I remember.
Where I entered from, how I got there... I can't remember.
I see.
The hole is new to me, but the rest matches what I've heard before.
I had some hopes, but enough.
You may go.
Okay...
Oh.
What is it?
Well... This may not have anything to do with it,
but something suddenly came to mind.
What did?
An image of myself standing in front of a mirror.
I'm in a uniform, so I must've been a student.
But I don't think there was a mirror like that at Solsein...
Oh? A mirror?
Naie Chiffonlits.
Y-Yes?
I'm giving you a mission!
I can't believe the mission was to be a teacher!
- I hate school! I don't fit in. - Morning! Morning!
- I want to go home... - Morning.
MILEA RENAULT ALLOZAR WERZ
Are you worried, Princess Milea?
No, Chairwoman.
This is an order from my father, no, Emperor Beis.
Opening the doors to our school of magic
to other countries shouldn't be a bad thing.
But...
You're afraid this house of learning may become a place of conflict.
Yes.
Solsein's magic training is harsh.
Some students never recover.
I don't want to make things even worse for you all.
The development of magic will help this country—no, mankind—in the future.
SOLSEIN, THE DIVINE ACADEMY DEAN CARDINAL ELRO ROMAIN
Leave it to me.
I will protect Solsein.
Thank you, Dean Romain.
This has gotten out of hand...
He has a calm look on his face,
but on the inside, he's a very different person.
He's like a volcano.
He's got magma burning inside him.
None of the ones who came to kill me, including you, were like that.
This is interesting.
I'm surprised you think that highly of him.
Hurry up. I need to end this before training starts.
Or it will cause problems for everyone.
You'll regret this.
Herbal Magic. That's two generations out of date in Boelate.
Shut up!
Wind!
This sandstorm is what we wanted to create.
Now what?
A special blend of ash, silver, and arcanacite!
Mirror Storm!
There's more of them!
Wow!
Just so you know, this whirlwind will follow you wherever you go.
There's no escaping this spell!
El.
My Crest is "Acceleration."
It accelerates all properties of my target.
And then I add a spell to it!
Seeler!
A spell that concentrates the water in the atmosphere and creates rain.
But we're not getting wet.
It's only pouring over there.
That broke your spell.
But do you know what happens to rainclouds
when they're generated by a strong updraft?
You can't mean...
What's that?
This is what we use. Crest Incantation Magic.
Herbal Magic is too much work.
And this is superior to Crystal Magic,
which is powerful, but unsafe and hard to use.
Of course, some people can't use it. And you need to store up mana.
But it's the closest thing to the lost ancient magic,
the magic of Toah.
- Run! - He's really gonna do it!
He's crazy!
Ray, really?
Run away!
He's crazy!
You can't get stronger at magic if you're sane.
Risel!
Enough!
We made it in time...
A teacher?
Can you stand?
- Shut up! - Leave us!
Huh? Aren't those two...?
The school rules prohibit the use of magic outside of class.
You three are coming to the teachers' office with me.
- Okay. - Fine! We'll go!
Other students should head to their classrooms immediately!
Training starts soon.
Okay!
That was quite the spectacle.
Let's go, too.
Okay...
EPISODE 1: SOLSEIN, THE DIVINE ACADEMY