[A Fictitious Return] - Body Double

Freeze!

And just like that, we're in the next train car, huh. Man, that shadow really pissed me off. Anyway, seems like you've gotten the hang of things.

？！

Oh, right. I've heard that my eyes are called "Noble Color of Coercion" in the modern magecraft world.

Oh, and before you ask, no, I didn't buy them at auction here. I was born with them.

Now, let's see if the door to the next car will open...

Nope. Figures.

Guess we'll just have to wait here until your real body finds another scrap of paper.

Time to sit and wait, I guess. Moments like this, I wish I was a poet or something, just to pass the time.

？！

...Nnn.

Oh, fine. I guess we did leave off in the middle of that.

As you so cleverly worked out, I knew Iskandar. I was one of his retainers.

Well, more accurately, I was his body double.

Hehehe, hard to imagine? It was only in the magecraft sense.

Hahaha, of course it was. I meant only in the magecraft sense though.

？！

You know how, in some countries, straw dolls are used to curse people? Think like that, but in reverse.

You see, my job was to take on any curses which might be directed at my king.

That's why I don't have a name of my own.

I'm nameless, in a very literal sense. That's why I could act as a substitute for my king.

When I absolutely had to go by a name, I'd borrow my brother's, Hephaistíon.

He was the king's most trusted advisor.

My use of his name is probably why, when I was last summoned, I manifested as an Extra class like Faker, of all things.

Everything I havefrom my name to my Noble Phantasm and all of my skillsis borrowed. A faker's exactly what I am.

I still remember the sun beating down on the desert and the forests that stood in our way.

I did battle with countless armies and forged countless alliances. Our gods showered our enemies with curses and our allies with blessings.

We traveled far and wide to reach Okeanosthe endless sea.

？！

I doubt you'd know anything about it.

Still...you're not wrong. It wasn't a bad time.

That's what made me so angry later on.

Do you know what Iskandar said in his last will and testament?

He said that, after his death, rule of his empire should fall to the strongest.

That's right. Even after our most skilled warriors survived all those campaigns, they went right back to war.

They threw away their lives fighting each other to the death. Mind you, this was after both my brother and I had died.

Whatever he intended, that's how the survivors interpreted it. Mind you, this was after both my brother and I had died.

They forgot all about our gods' blessings and slaughtered each other. Plenty of civilians got caught in the cross fire.

？！

They took all the glory my king had won and ruined it.

The endless sea, the world-spanning empire...all washed away in a sea of blood. I've heard today they call those battles the Wars of the Diadochi.

...I can never forgive them for ruining my king's legacy.

That's why I can't bring myself to see him, either. Do you know what his Noble Phantasm is?

He summons the great Ionioi Hetairoithe vast army of soldiers he led when he was alive...

...including the same generals who betrayed him after his death.

？！

I've been summoned as part of the Ionioi Hetairoi before, too. And every time, I've refused to answer the call.

I just can't stand the thought of fighting alongside those traitors, even if it means defying my king's orders.

That's one of the reasons I still feel loyalty for my last Master. We were both betrayed by people we trusted.

We fought El-Melloi II, Reines, and a priest from the Holy Church right here on the Rail Zeppelin.

My Master and I even snuck into the Spiritual Tomb of Albion beneath London. Now THAT was a good time.

And if that wasn't enough, El-Melloi II and Gray even used the Rail Zeppelin to pursue us.

？！

You mean you've not of it? It's buried ridiculously deep below the Mage's Association in London. I'm talking thousands...maybe tens of thousands of meters below the surface.

That's where you'll find the Spiritual Tomb of Albion...the tomb of the last pure-blooded dragon. No one can enter.

I mean, even if the Rail Zeppelin can cross into other worlds, who would've ever thought to use it to try and get into Albion's tomb?

Which is just another reason that Lord and his "I can't do anything by myself" attitude piss me the hell off.

Well, at least I got him back when I demolished part of the college town that housed the Modern Magecraft Department classroom he was in charge of.

Gotta admit, those really were extraordinary places, even by Age of Gods standards. I bet my king would be crazy jealous if he heard about that.

Doctor Heartless really did his damndest.

...Hmph. Well, I'm no poet or teller of tales, so sorry if I bored you with all that.

？！

Eh, you don't mean that. Still nice of you to say.

So, I'll tell you what. To thank you, I'll do everything I can to help get you back to your body.

Just promise me one thing.

？！

I want you to remember what I told you about my Master. I wish I could have led him to victory.

？！

？！

...Well, that's a relief.

As long as someone living today still remembers him, then I'll have kept my word.