Chapter 43
Chapter 43
The illness called Transcendence Disease, or Archmage Syndrome, may have vague symptoms, but its end is straightforward.
What Ariel is experiencing now are its early signs.
There are countless forms of magic in this world.
Even if one spends three full years at the Cradle studying nothing but magic, it would be impossible to learn, let alone understand, all of it.
But magic itself is nothing more than the systemization of someone’s innate ability into formulas.
And those capable of such feats are praised as Archmages.
Then who created all those countless spells?
Were there truly that many Archmages throughout history?
No. If that were the case, the title would not carry such weight.
“Archmage Syndrome. As the name suggests, it’s quite a straightforward illness. Those who contract it become Archmages.”
“But the ending isn’t good, I suppose? If it were just becoming an Archmage, it wouldn’t be called a disease.”
“Right. Ah, can you hold that for a moment? Tilt it slightly…”
After having Yuna hold the beaker, I carefully dripped another prepared solution into it using a dropper.
“Be careful not to spill it.”
“Oh?”
Boom!
The liquid in the flask reacted violently, releasing a burst of steam.
Hmm, not enough to explode. I can add a little more.
I took the flask back from Yuna and observed the reaction.
“Where was I? Right, why it’s considered a disease. It’s simple. Those who get it create magic… and then die.”
The status of an Archmage is high.
But more precisely, it is living Archmages who are valued.
True Archmages are those who have fully digested that overwhelming talent.
Either they overcame the disease through sheer will, or steadily climbed their way to becoming one.
Either way, they are monsters.
I’ve never seen the former myself… but if Mephistopheles was to be believed, Faust must have been one.
Whether that was due to Mephistopheles’ help or his own strength, I don’t know.
“You can think of Ariel’s body right now as the liquid in this flask.”
“Huh?”
“And the disease she has is the solution I just added. A small amount is fine, but if there’s too much… it explodes.”
“Eek! Then is Lady Ariel going to explode?”
“Well, that’s just a metaphor. In Ariel’s case, she’ll burn. Her body will sublimate within beautiful blue flames, like starlight.”
“Sublimate… so that’s why it’s called Transcendence Disease?”
Consumed by flames, leaving not even ash behind, dissolving into the world itself.
It appears as though one has transcended the mortal realm and reached the domain of the divine.
That is why it is called Transcendence Disease.
“There are, theoretically, two ways to cure it.”
“Ohhh, Yohan. Saying it like that makes you sound smart.”
I could only give a bitter smile at Yuna’s praise.
If I were truly smart, I wouldn’t have taken such a long, roundabout path.
I was simply forcing my way forward through a nonexistent road with brute persistence.
“First, you create an inhibitor. Let’s keep using this flask as an example.”
“I don’t get complicated stuff.”
“They say seeing is believing. Here.”
“Eek!”
I gently placed the flask into Yuna’s palm.
“Oh?”
She seemed startled by the warmth but quickly grinned, apparently liking it.
“I told you earlier, right? It’s a good thing it didn’t explode. If the reaction is too fast, that can happen.”
“So if you add that inhibitor thing, the reaction slows down?”
“Exactly.”
This is the first method to fix Ariel.
And also my destination.
Suppress the weight of her talent, allowing her to slowly and safely become an Archmage.
That way, not only would she become a great figure, but the shadow of death hanging over her would disappear.
“Then what’s the second method?”
“That one’s simpler.”
I placed another flask into Yuna’s hand.
This one hadn’t reacted yet, so it was still cool.
“Prevent the reaction from happening at all.”
“And that means?”
“Erase Ariel’s potential to become an Archmage. If you remove the talent, she won’t be crushed by it.”
“Huh…”
To be precise, it means stopping her growth entirely.
Not suppression or control, but complete elimination.
It’s easier to remove it altogether than to leave something halfway.
In fact, this method is already complete.
But—
“Yohan, Lady Ariel would never accept that, even if it meant her death.”
“…Yeah.”
I glanced briefly at the hat Ariel had left behind.
Leaving that meant she was already facing death.
And in that state, she would be too consumed by the sense of achievement to see anything else.
Even in her right mind, it would be hard to persuade her.
Would she accept having her potential erased?
Of course not.
“So a half-measure won’t work.”
Ariel had already resolved herself to die in order to create magic.
I have no way to persuade someone that blindly driven.
That’s why I must succeed with the first method.
Early morning.
“You’ve been here since this early… no, wait. Did you not go back at all yesterday?”
“It’s been a while, Teacher Georg.”
“Yeah, it has… wait, no. Are you okay?”
“Of course not. Do I look okay to you? I haven’t even checked a mirror, but I already know the answer.”
“You’ve got great self-awareness. If you go to university, you’ll go far. No, you might even make it to graduate school. What do you think? Want to pursue alchemy?”
“Taking advantage of someone when they’re mentally exhausted… as expected of you, Teacher Georg. Truly trash.”
“Got it. I’ll ask again tomorrow.”
That sent a chill down my spine.
I should always keep my guard up.
“Wow, you really laid everything out. How much budget did you burn through?”
“No idea. At some point, the numbers got too big and I stopped counting.”
“You’re insane.”
Georg chuckled as he sat across from me.
Then, without hesitation, he began assisting with my experiment.
For all his flaws, he’s a good person.
Sometimes his humanity gets eaten away by fatigue… but let’s call that character.
Without needing any explanation, he naturally understood what to do and helped seamlessly.
“Damn… how did you make this? What even is this?”
“I obtained it by chance. Recreating it would be difficult.”
As expected of a teacher at the Cradle.
He immediately recognized the substance combining the heart of a phoenix and the blood of a frost giant.
Even though such a material had never existed in history, he grasped it just from its properties.
Clicking his tongue, Georg looked around.
“Hmm… this should work if we do it like this.”
He reached a conclusion almost instantly.
A formula that took me a full week to complete, he understood at a glance.
So this is the difference in talent.
I knew it, but still… it feels like hitting a wall.
“That won’t work. It could stop her growth entirely.”
“Growth? She’s already right on the verge of becoming an Archmage. Even if you studied your whole life, you wouldn’t reach that level.”
“Why are you comparing her to me? That’s obvious without saying.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“…She wouldn’t want that.”
“Fair. This disease distorts one’s sense of reality regarding their own condition.”
After that, Georg began mixing the prepared ingredients, creating sample solutions.
Even the slightest miscalculation could cause an explosion, yet he adjusted everything by instinct.
And he calls me reckless?
“Ah, here it is. I knew you’d already made it.”
After rummaging through the shelf, he pulled out a prototype.
The very drug that halts growth entirely.
“I told you that won’t work.”
“Why not? It’s complete. It can cure Transcendence Disease. That means the goal is achieved. Whether to use it or not is up to the patient, isn’t it?”
“….”
“I get wanting a perfect solution. Especially given what happened to your younger sibling.”
“That has nothing to do with Chris.”
“Then I understand even less. Shouldn’t saving her come first?”
“If she doesn’t want to live, it’s not a medicine that can save her.”
“Right. But that’s not a problem with the medicine. It’s a problem with the person. When you gave your sibling that drug, didn’t you already expect side effects?”
This is different from back then.
Chris had no other way to survive.
And he didn’t refuse.
But Ariel is different.
She will refuse.
She has already chosen to burn her life away for magic.
Would she give that up?
“Nothing in this world is perfect. The philosopher’s stone is a fantasy.”
“And that’s coming from an alchemist?”
“Precisely because I’m an alchemist.”
Thud.
Georg placed the drug in front of me.
A pale pink liquid shimmered quietly inside the flask.
“You don’t have time, right? Then go persuade her.”
“….”
“What? You think I wouldn’t notice? You wouldn’t go this far without a reason.”
“…Tch.”
“What’s with that reaction? Anyway, instead of clinging to uncertain possibilities, go with the method that works.”
“I’m not confident I can persuade her.”
“Then use the same passion you had when making that drug. Or what, are you scared? Afraid you’ll ruin her life?”
“….”
“Ruining a life is better than letting it end. We’re not doctors, but when saving someone, do you really think about consequences first? Regret comes after.”
“You sure talk big.”
“I am a teacher, after all.”
I picked up the drug.
A flawed product.
But the only cure for Transcendence Disease that exists.
Ariel will reject this.
She definitely will.
But—
“Teacher.”
“Yeah?”
“I’ll step out for a bit. Please watch the experiment.”
He’s right.
At this point, persuading her is far better than endlessly chasing uncertainty.
“Wait, me? I have morning class—hey! Yohan?! Hey!!”
Ariel could no longer walk on her own.
The disconnect between body and soul.
A soul trying to transcend beyond the body.
Yet she paid it no mind and continued her research.
Lobelia had visited her several times.
But unfortunately, she could not notice Ariel’s condition.
Naturally so.
Ariel had locked her door and never came out.
And when she spoke, there was no despair or resignation—only excitement and joy.
To Lobelia, who didn’t even know about the disease, it seemed like Ariel was simply pushing through a barrier.
“Just a little more…”
Sheets of paper filled with formulas floated around her.
She lay on the floor, writing directly upon it.
She had run out of paper.
Like an inventor struck with inspiration, she wrote endlessly, day and night.
Anyone could see she was not in a normal state.
But who would know?
This was her space.
And she had deceived everyone.
“Almost…!”
Even if someone suspected something, it wouldn’t matter.
As long as she didn’t open the door, no one would know what was happening inside.
Here, alone, she would become an Archmage.
At least, that was how it was supposed to be.
Bang!
That person didn’t even knock.
“Seriously.”
The boy who kicked the door open clicked his tongue at the sight of her.
Ariel stared in shock.
“Sir Yohan…?”
“Lady Ariel, clean your room a bit. What kind of living condition is this? What would people say if they saw this?”
She thought he wouldn’t come.
He was the kind of person who drew clear lines between himself and others.
So she never imagined he would cross the line she had drawn.
“Why… are you here? I clearly said I don’t need the medicine. This is trespassing.”
“Ah, yeah, that’s true. But about this hat… it really doesn’t suit me.”
Yet Yohan always moved in ways she couldn’t predict.
The man who avoided others now crossed boundaries without hesitation.
“That’s why I came to complain. I trust you won’t ask someone who came to complain to mind their manners.”
He spoke nonsense as he nitpicked.
Excuses that barely qualified as excuses.
“Well, if anything, I’ll compensate for the door. Let’s see… ah, this is all I have right now.”
He pulled something out.
“The cure for Transcendence Disease.”