“Volumen Hydrargyrum is the Mystic Code that used to belong to my teacher, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald.”

This name, which I would occasionally hear, surprised me.

I had heard that my mentor had something to do with his death in the Fourth Holy Grail War.

However, for now, I put aside those thoughts and watched my mentor raise one of his fingers. As he made a hand gesture as if he was playing an orchestral instrument, Trimmau closed her eyes and also raised her right hand.

“The reason why the Mystic Code, which he made when he was in his twenties, was regarded as one of the Supreme Mystic Codes of the El-Melloi family is not only because it can serve as an excellent weapon.”

As my mentor spoke, Trimmau’s right hand instantly evaporated.

I reflexively clamped my hand over my mouth because I was worried about getting poisoned. However, the mercury did not continue to spread in the air. Instead, it condensed again in the air, in the shape of a large quantity of numbers.

“What…”

“The Volumen Hydrargyrum can also function as the El-Melloi Faction’s leading computational machine. Though only a small portion of its power can be used under my control.”

I had no idea that Trimmau had these kinds of hidden capabilities. The numbers and symbols floating in the air changed, disorienting me.

I still could not understand the relationship between the numbers and symbols that my mentor had described. However, my mentor’s gaze was extremely serious, and every time the numbers changed, by looking at it, I could glimpse the emotions circling in his heart.

For instance, agitation.

Jealousy.

Longing.

Maybe even anger.

Or, perhaps an emotion that was a mixture of all of the above.

What I saw did not tell me who Heartless was, but instead, what my mentor thought of him.

“Ah, is that the case. This spell… is a continuation of that one. He wasn’t concerned with either one of the body, the mind, or the soul. Instead, he wanted to know how they can be preserved or deteriorate.”

As my mentor said that, he kept on looking between the evidence board and the numbers, and moving his fingers.

This time, the numbers began to turn into the patterns and pentagrams drawn on the notes. They then turned to patterns like the sun, the moon, stars, scales, fish, and mountain goats. I suppose that to a mage, those symbols were like a scientist’s equations.

At the same time, my mentor, who was surrounded by those symbols, looked like a melancholy philosopher.

Finally, the transformation stopped.

It looked as if the words on the mercury had reached some sort of conclusion.

In the space of a few seconds, my mentor froze.

“What’s wrong, Sir?”

“…I think I’ve found the answer. However…”

“…Sir?”

After a brief silence, he whirled around abruptly.

“Trimmau, how long is there until sunrise?”

“If ‘sunrise’ is defined as the sun completely rising above the horizon, there are approximately thirty-seven to forty-three minutes.”

“Then we need to get out of here immediately!” My mentor rapidly turned the floating mercury back into Trimmau’s right hand, and let his jacket flutter in the air behind him.

Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files: The Atlas Contract (Upper); Chapter 3, Part 3