Over the following weeks, I had the chance to meet a bunch of interesting people. We traveled northeast to the Eastern Foxfolk's capital city, where Sayuki's father arranged for me to live in the royal castle.

In the passing days, Sayuki and I soon became friends, and closer each time.

I also got along with her little brother, Hyoru. The kid was obsessed with those new gunpowder weapons I kept seeing around. He seemed happy that I listened to him, and I didn't precisely mind. I did always feel there was room for an upgrade to the bow and arrow...

As for me —the Envoy of Heaven, Tsukinaga and his wife understood that I was not sure how to use these powers of mine yet. Although I had a good impression of the old man, I was still surprised when they just tasked me with mastering them, and paid me with food, a home and the protection of the clan.

"Do you feel it, Magnus? The lightning coursing through you?"

Before me was a lovely short girl with a silly witch hat: a talented wizard the Head hired from a foreign land, and tasked with helping me get used to powers.

She was blonde, with big green eyes and freckles. For her stature, she had quite the figure — at least, as far as I could tell through the gaps in her tunic.

"Kind of... It's more like a shiver, I'd say. Something cold, and watery."

"Hmm," she made that sound, which I knew meant she was zoning out. "Let's try a new approach."

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The courtyard was rather windy today. Winter was knocking on the door, so perhaps Tsukinaga's plan of stocking up on food was the right call. Could the "dusk of mankind" refer to a great famine?

That being said, it's already strange that there's a legend that predicts *my* arrival. Could it be that the Stars have some sort of plan for me?

"I want you to visualize this word in your mind, and then state it, not with your words, but with your thoughts."

She finally snapped out of it, and with some eerily accurate directions to boot.

"Alright... What is the word?"

I did not like the face she made as she answered.

"Operator Mode."

I hesitated, but... I could not be bothered to think too much about it. That afternoon, Sayuki and I had a cherry blossom viewing date planned, and the monster inside me couldn't stop thinking about how this might be the day I finally let it out.

I calmed myself and whispered in my mind, "Operator Mode."

"Initiating." I jerked back, having heard a woman's voice in my ear. "W-Where? What?" I thought it was Sayuki playing a prank on me, but there was nobody around me, other than Kurisa, staring blankly at me.

"First-time activation detected. Enable advisor function?"

I thought I was going crazy, but Kurisa walked up to me, and put her hand on my cheek.

"Your eyes. They are full of those azure flames." she said, whispering, like an entranced spirit-speaker. "Are you hearing anything strange right now?"

I was completely weirded out at this point.

"I heard... something about an advisor."

"Say yes." Kurisa clutched my face close like she was gonna kiss her. "Say it."

"Yes...?"

There was a beeping noise in my ear, and I instinctively shook Kurisa off of me.

"I need you to explain what is happening."

She appeared hurt for a second, but then she started giggling, even laughing.

"You're the one!" she said.

"The Envoy of Heaven? I thought that was already clear..."

"I can't believe it, I can't believe it... It's real! It's real!"

Muttering to herself, she took off without answering me.