Nocturne of the Sleepless Black Magician

She spent a sleepless night and greeted the morning.

Bathed in cheerful sunlight, the scenery that floated before her eyes had a different impression from what she had seen last night. It was a ruined town. Moreover, the residential area was vast, with width and depth beyond imagination.

At a somewhat distant location, there was a mass of accumulated rubble like a small hill. Even gigantic buildings had been reduced to fragments. There was no doubt that a terrifyingly great force had been at work.

"They said the casualties were dozens of people..."

How many people had lived here... Once again, Safi was at a loss for words.

"It's not like it became rubble in an instant."

The young husband began speaking with somewhat hollow eyes. It was a long yet short story of the season when the battle occurred. First, small-scale clashes had broken out in the town's outskirts.

"I thought it had become a serious situation, but I believed it would settle down quickly."

The skirmishes continued for about three days, then subsided. Though some residents evacuated, optimism was dominant and most remained. The dark clouds began to spread after the army was stationed in the town.

"That army was on your side, right? People who would protect you?"

"We rejoiced that we were safe now that soldiers had come. We even laughed at those who had fled first."

First, the mansion the army had requisitioned for barracks was attacked. The enemy snuck in cleverly and attacked all at once, with no time for reinforcements to arrive. No harm came to civilians—the town's residents—but that night, panic broke out.

"What do you mean?"

"We realized the enemy was different from what everyone had thought. They accurately targeted only soldiers and crushed them. It's strange to say they were smart, but we realized the enemy wasn't wild beasts but intelligent beings."

If they were intelligent and communication was possible, there would be paths to seek resolution through mediation. Safi couldn't grasp the young husband's point. While picking up rubble, he frowned. It was the kind of atmosphere for recounting unpleasant memories.

"People were afraid they might be kidnapped and enslaved. It was also conceivable that the whole town would be occupied. With a pack of beasts, they'd rampage and be done, but it wouldn't end with just that. It's troublesome."

While the young husband was talking, his wife brought water. She said she had to go quite far to draw water. There were several women working hard on reconstruction. Their roles were domestic matters like cooking and laundry, and Safi, who was poor at housework, had thought it was light labor, but the reality was different. It was work requiring tremendous effort.

"Safi-chan is helping too. Thank you."

She was a cheerful woman. It was the same last night. Safi felt saved by the young couple's brightness. However, did she have the right to respond to smiles with smiles? Safi was just standing around blankly, playing the role of listener. She hadn't done anything deserving of thanks.

"Oh my, I might have completely forgotten."

Safi stuck out her tongue and deeply reflected. Around her, men were using poles as levers to lift rubble. They had desperate expressions. That merchant too, having just survived a life-threatening situation yesterday, was devoting himself to physical labor without healing his fatigue.

To start with, Safi gathered and lifted the remains of a nearby house. The men stared in amazement at the mass floating in the air.

"What kind of technique is that?"

The man carrying a pole shouted, and the ladies applauded.

"What should I do with this?" Safi asked.

The laborers began discussing what to do. Rubble removal was more troublesome than imagined—dumping it far away was best, but transportation required time and effort. On the other hand, digging a nearby hole to bury it was also heavy labor, and they'd be troubled by disposing of the excavated earth and sand.

"For now, please put it over there."

The conclusion was casual considering the long discussion time. Safi moved the mass of rubble as told and lowered it to the designated spot.

"Magicians have various abilities. I thought it was just breathing fire or producing lightning, but there are various things—it's mysterious. It's like magic."

"Well, it is magic."

Safi levitated another pile of rubble and processed it the same way. Work that would probably take several days with human power was finished in an instant. To the wide-eyed residents, the merchant added explanations with a knowing look. It was an account about the black sphere, told as if it were his own achievement. Though slightly embellished, it wasn't wrong overall.

"Hey, Safi-chan, that pitch-black sphere—it doesn't just float things, but can also erase them, right?"

The young husband asked with an expression as if he'd had a flash of inspiration. She answered yes. And Safi also had a flash of inspiration. There was no need to dig holes and worry about disposing of earth and sand. She could create a big hole with her specialty magic. It was like releasing a sphere to gouge the ground deeply.

The laborers resumed discussion about this wonderful method. Safi proposed opening a large hole in a slightly distant place, but the elder who was like a foreman called a halt. He argued it was a problem directly connected to the town's redevelopment plan and shouldn't be decided impulsively. This time it was a serious discussion.

"Safi-chan, well done. I'm surprised that someone so small is so strong."

She was surrounded by the women, including the young wife. They served elaborate dishes including fruit and simmered small fish, making Safi feel grateful. Sharing food that wasn't abundant with a traveler was never easy. While expressing gratitude, she slowly brought the main dish to her mouth and chewed thoughtfully.

At times like this, Safi didn't know what kind of conversation would be appropriate. In the midst of such tragic scenery, were there suitable themes? At least, even among ladies only, she should avoid dirty jokes.

"What kind of people were the enemies who destroyed this town? They weren't soldiers from other lands, right?"

It was a topic related to war that she had been discussing with the young husband earlier. Though not appropriate for break-time chat, Safi was curious about the continuation. Talk of slaves and kidnapping was not something to ignore.

❁❁❁ From the Author 🪄 ❁❁❁

She's become something like a handywoman. She'll stay in this rubble town for a while, and I'll briefly describe some of what Safi can and cannot do.

I'd also like to smoothly introduce the protagonist's basic settings along the way.

(End of Chapter)