The Strongest Gun Magus: I Cast Bullet!-Chapter 40: The Truth of Four-Moon Realm

The door to Bartholomew’s office opened with a bang, and his granddaughter burst in. His assistant was peeking from behind her with a fearful expression, then she just closed the door behind her.

"Grandpa! Why are you doing this to me again?!"

Bartholomew would’ve been happy to see Marien after the days she spent avoiding him, if she wasn’t angry again.

’That insolent girl...’ he thought fondly. He just couldn’t be angry with her, no matter what. And this week, he was in an especially sentimental mood because of the approaching Four-Moon Gate opening.

"Mari..." Bartholomew shook his head, setting aside his documents. "What sort of behavior is this? You know I want nothing but to make you happy, but you must actually tell me what troubles you."

Marien huffed, but walked up to Bartholomew’s desk.

"Don’t pretend that you don’t know what I’m talking about, grandpa. You are locking my refinement by preventing me from meeting any real dangers. First, you somehow made it so I couldn’t find a single monster during the entire Autumn Beast Hunt—"

"I did not," Bartholomew lied.

Although he himself was surprised at how unlucky Marien was in that regard. He expected her to find at least a Direfox or something weak like that...

"—and now you prevent me from entering the Four-Moon Realm by giving this right to... To someone else!"

Bartholomew’s good mood disappeared in an instant. He sat straighter and looked at Marien sternly.

"This place is too dangerous for you, Marien. And as long as there’s a single breath in my lungs, you will NEVER enter it!"

Marien blinked rapidly. She expected her grandfather to get stern with her, but the seriousness in his voice shocked her to the core.

"What? But why? Is this only a place for Albedo-rank magi? Well, in ten years I will surely reach this stage, and then!—"

"Never!"

Marien fell silent for a second. Then...

"You will have to really tie me up and lock me in a cellar, then. I will go to the Four-Moon Realm no matter what you say! Reynard will let me pass in his stead. He owes me!"

Bartholomew looked down at Marien even more sternly than before.

"Leave things as they are, Marien. Soon, your honor and heart will be avenged. Don’t chase after fake glory!"

Marien scowled right back and puffed her cheeks.

"What are you even talking about, grandfather?"

Bartholomew closed his eyes for a moment. His expression softened again as he looked down at his granddaughter.

Just like her parents... and just as stubborn.

"If I have to tie you up, I will. But I hope you will be more reasonable... The truth is, Four-Moon Realm is the place that killed Julia and Rudolf. Your parents."

Marien staggered back with a gasp of shock.

"They died in a magical realm? But... You always told me it was the work of a monster! This is what you told me! A roaming Thought Devourer!"

"No... I’m sorry for hiding the truth, but it was for the best. As the Magister of Blue Bismuth School, I have responsibility not merely for all of its students, but for its entire existence. Even for the well-being of Valkenburg, to some extent. And for their sake, I hid the truth, the same way it was hidden by my own father, and his father before that."

Marien leaned forward and planted her hands on Bartholomew’s desk.

"You... You keep trying to control me... With these lies, too! Tell me the truth. All of it!"

"I will. But you must swear to me that you won’t discuss it with anyone!"

"Yes, I swear. But... They were MY parents! I have the right to know."

The words made the old Magister wince with shame and guilt.

"You do, Mari. Then listen. This tale began somewhere around the founding of our school. The Magister of the time discovered a magical realm that opened nearby—in the center of the Growlgrove. Of course, there were students eager to explore it, since magical realms usually contain legacies of ancient Loremasters... But the gates to the realm disappeared again, and none of these students ever returned."

"They reappeared ten years later, but nobody stepped outside. This time, the Magister himself went alone. The gates disappeared after his entrance..."

"...And reappeared ten years later? Did the Magister return?" Marien asked.

"No. His successor then forbade anyone from entering the Four-Moon Realm. Nobody was eager to, either way. However... When a week has passed without anyone entering the realm, a spell befell the Growlgrove. It sent its beasts into madness, and they attacked nearby villages and Valkenburg. Magi from the Blue Bismuth School went to deal with them and discovered that the Four-Moon Gate was the source of this madness."

"Even then, the Magister of the time refused to let anyone enter. He ordered to keep the beasts away and just wait. Burn the entire Growlgrove down if necessary. But another week later, the gate had opened on its own. Then, strange creatures walked out of them..."

Bartholomew paused, stroking his beard and staring into the distance.

"The chronicles describe them as ’warriors of moonlight and gold’. They weren’t human, that’s for certain. The Moongold Warriors attacked in waves, bringing much greater devastation than the beasts before them. Only during the day did they retreat into their realm, but still, they roamed far enough to threaten the entire Blue Bismuth School."

"But it still stands. So the Magister found a way to stop this?"

"No. He wanted to move the school, even if this meant fighting other magi for territory and resources. It was one of his students who came up with a solution. He desperately went to the Four-Moon Gate and entered it. And then... It disappeared, taking with it the madness spell and the Moongold Warriors. At least... For another ten years."

Heavy silence fell into the room. Marien stared at her grandfather with wide eyes.

"So you are telling me that this place... This place... It just wants human sacrifices!"