Miracle Summoner

"Whoosh—Whoosh—"

Amid the sound of flapping wings, under the uncovered sun of the desert where the sandstorm had dissipated, a dragon was flying toward a corner of the desert. Its speed wasn't particularly fast, yet it couldn't be considered slow either.

Around the dragon, a flock of swallows was gathering from all directions, seemingly guiding the dragon forward.

Rozen and Mash knelt halfway on the dragon's back, gazing toward the distant desert.

At a certain moment, Mash suddenly noticed something and quickly called out.

"Senpai! There's a group of Sphinxes ahead!"

Mash shouted.

In truth, Rozen had already seen them.

Ahead in the desert, near a hill, several Sphinxes were leisurely pacing back and forth, as if strolling around.

Their movements appeared as if they were guarding something.

"We've arrived," Rozen affirmed. "Behind the Sphinxes, past that sand dune, lies a ruin. The Mountain People are all within it."

This was what Rozen had observed through his Spirit Vision and his Beast Vassals.

Just as Rozen had described, the Sphinxes refused to approach the location but loitered around the area. It seemed as if they were unable to enter and simultaneously unwilling to let others pass.

Thus, as the dragon approached from afar and arrived before the hill, the Sphinxes' eyes flashed. They all turned their gazes toward the intruder, hostility gleaming in their eyes.

However, the next second, this hostility abruptly vanished. The Sphinxes ignored the dragon completely and resumed their casual pacing.

This sight did not escape Rozen's or Mash's notice.

"As expected, the Sphinxes are no longer attacking us," Mash remarked.

Along the journey, Rozen and the others had encountered Sphinxes multiple times.

Despite being mythical beasts that stood at the pinnacle of Phantasmal Species—each one a being that would drive modern magus mad with desire—these creatures were as abundant here as wild animals in a forest, appearing frequently.

They patrolled the desert's every corner, seemingly protecting it.

Anyone entering the desert would typically be discovered and mercilessly killed by the Sphinxes.

When Rozen and Mash first entered the desert, they were similarly attacked. It wasn't until later that the Sphinxes ceased their hostility.

Undoubtedly, this was because someone controlling the Sphinxes had issued a new command.

Now, the same phenomenon repeated. The Sphinxes turned a blind eye to Rozen and the others, allowing the dragon to soar through the air and land before the ruins.

The dragon descended from the sky, landing at the entrance of the ruins with a gust of sand and wind.

Rozen and Mash dismounted, turning their eyes toward the ancient structure before them.

The ruin wasn't exactly dilapidated but exuded an air of great antiquity, its history clearly long-standing.

However, signs of scorching and burning were visible all over the ruins, as though it had been destroyed in some calamity. It felt less like a relic buried in history and more like an ancient structure built in modern times, later ravaged by disaster.

Upon closer inspection, a stone monument stood beside the entrance to the ruins.

On it was an inscription:

Atlas.

"Wh-What...!?"

Seeing this name, Mash was utterly shocked.

"It's actually Atlas...!?"

Even Rozen's eyes widened in astonishment.

This name was one that every magus knew without exception.

If communication with Chaldea could still be maintained, Roman and the others would undoubtedly be equally astounded to see this.

Atlas referred to one of the departments of the Mage's Association.

The Mage's Association was an organization transcending nationality and magical schools, a self-defense alliance for practitioners of magecraft. Its purpose was to manage, conceal, and develop magecraft, as well as to protect itself from threats (such as the Church, other magical factions, or punitive entities targeting taboo breakers). The Association wielded power, maintained research institutions, and enforced laws to curb magical crimes.

The Mage's Association was divided into three major branches:

1. Clock Tower

The de facto headquarters of the modern Mage's Association, located in the British Museum in London. Established around the second century AD, it had a history spanning approximately 2,000 years. As the most advanced research institution among the three departments, it developed extensively and dominated the Western European sphere. About 90% of magus in Western Europe chose to join the Clock Tower due to its cutting-edge theories.

In fact, whenever Chaldea mentioned the Association, they were referring to the Clock Tower. In the Fourth Singularity—London—Rozen had even entered the destroyed Clock Tower and obtained valuable knowledge from the collection amassed over two millennia.

2. Wandering Sea

A massive mountain wandering the North Atlantic, also known as the Mobile Coffin. Unlike the Clock Tower, which sought further advancements in magecraft, the Wandering Sea remained a relic of the Age of Gods, focusing on body modification and research into divine magecraft. By now, it was mostly detached from modern society.

3. Atlas

Located in the Atlas Mountains of Egypt, also known as the Titan's Pit, this branch of the Association specialized in Alchemy. Unlike the material transformation focus of the Clock Tower's modern alchemy, Atlas concentrated on event transformation. Known for its strict secrecy, Atlas had minimal interaction with the outside world, with even light unable to escape its confines.

Due to their differing ideologies, the three branches rarely interacted and maintained significant gaps in understanding.

Now, Rozen and Mash had encountered Atlas.

The two exchanged a glance.

Upon reflection, it wasn't entirely surprising to find Atlas here. After all, Atlas was situated in Egypt's Atlas Mountains. And this region was the Sun King's domain.

Could this mean that Atlas's presence here was no coincidence?

Both Rozen and Mash fell silent.