Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Summer
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“Fun to watch.”
Even to Orca’s eyes, the Haiderga magic formula looked far too advanced to have been created by a 4th Tier mage.
“If you complete it as designed, it should hold up all the way to 6th Tier.”
The Haiderga magic formula wasn’t created solely by Elena’s own abilities.
A few months ago in spring, Elena had purchased Jangun’s Island Thunder Seven Style at the Ruseun auction house—a soul-chasing flash technique.
But Orca saw tremendous potential in this formula. Though it referenced various incantations from the Island Thunder Seven Style, it wasn’t mere imitation. Instead, it struck her as a masterful dish crafted from ordinary ingredients.
Jangun, the technique’s deceased creator, had been a 5th Tier lightning-affinity mage, and his signature Island Thunder Seven Style was perfectly suited to that level. In contrast, Elena’s Haiderga formula—even in its incomplete draft form—held enough promise to work even at 6th Tier.
“If you refine it better than planned, it might even approach 7th Tier.”
Elena’s face lit up at the glowing praise. She clenched her fist inside her robe’s sleeve but quickly composed her expression to avoid showing it outright.
“Ahem. Thank you for the evaluation.”
“If you’re happy, just say so. Scream a little.”
“Do I still look like a kid to you?”
“Twenty isn’t that old.”
Orca snorted and covered the Haiderga formula. Elena’s wide desk held stacks of other papers besides it—submissions from 4th Tier mages for this quarter.
“How about the other mages?”
“Mostly average, with a few sparks among them. Some trash, too.”
Only 4th Tier mages were required to submit quarterly results, since they were the most common rank among mages. To reach 5th Tier demanded talent that clearly surpassed the ordinary—or effort fierce enough to devour any lack of it.
A magic tower had no place for mediocre mages. If talent was absent, one’s diligence had to be brutally superior.
“The most entertaining one, like yours... was Reisi’s, as expected.”
“Even Senior Reisi submitted results?”
As a 5th Tier mage, Reisi was exempt from quarterly reports. But she was diligent enough to serve as a role model for others, rarely skipping a submission if she had achievements.
“She must’ve been inspired by that Full Moon Dance martial art we saw a few months back. She submitted something ambiguous—hard to call it qi technique or magic. In the end, it all involves handling mana, but it was an intriguing result.”
Magic evaluated this way never leaked outside. Approved formulas underwent refinement to become a mage’s signature spell or, with consent, a magic tower standard.
This was how the Derusia Magic Tower’s spells had evolved.
“Ariest was trash.”
Among the three disciple candidates, the weakest was Ariest Benharman. The second daughter of the once-illustrious Benharman mage family, she had entered the Derusia Magic Tower to advance her fading house’s spells and claim the tower lord position.
Becoming tower lord and inheriting Derusia would bar her from heading Benharman. To Ariest, that was no issue. For a mage, standing at the pinnacle of a magic tower outshone inheriting a glory-faded old name.
Ariest had once possessed talent so brilliant none could deny her genius status. She’d reached 4th Tier at just twenty-one—but the wellspring of talent, once inexhaustible, had dried up.
Two years since attaining 4th Tier. Wandering wasn’t a problem. No genius ascended to 5th Tier in merely two years. From that point, it wasn’t just mana talent required. Even the possessor Reisi had hit 4th Tier at twenty and taken six more years for 5th Tier—the wall was that steep.
“She submitted a rip-off of Benharman family magic again.”
That was why Orca called Ariest trash. While Elena referenced Island Thunder Seven Style to forge something new, Ariest merely tweaked her family’s spells before submitting.
“Third time. I might have to seriously disqualify her from disciple candidacy.”
“Well... she’ll do better next time.”
Elena paid little mind to Ariest. She hadn’t before, and now she knew full well. Ariest was no longer a rival. Though she called her “senior,” Elena had long viewed Ariest as beneath her.
In the end, her only competition for Heavenly Thunder Orca’s discipleship was Reisi Yuzha. To become tower lord, she had to surpass Reisi.
‘That’s what she thinks.’
Orca thought, eyeing Elena’s calm face. Once, she’d at least tried to stifle a smile at Ariest’s downfall.
“You’ve lost that cute charm.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Reisi herself wanted the discipleship but had no interest in tower lordship. And deep down, Orca had pegged Elena for both disciple and successor.
Of course, such talk was premature. Orca wanted this raw gem she’d polish into a radiant jewel.
“You said you’re heading to Logos?”
“Yes.”
“Closer than I expected.”
“Not that close, is it? You could get there in a flash, but we can’t cast spells like that.”
Even by carriage, it was a fortnight’s journey.
“After Logos, you’ll have to part with that Yuri boy.”
Orca flashed a mischievous smile.
“I figured you’d pick somewhere months away, since you’d hate and regret losing your childhood friend.”
“What do you even take me for?”
“A heroine who loves her childhood friend so much she can’t bear to part.”
“It’s not like that!”
Elena’s face, so cool when discussing Ariest, now burned red. Her shoulders trembled as she backed away awkwardly.
“Too much? How long are you going to keep deluding yourself?”
“Everyone else thinks that about you, so is it really a delusion?”
“It is!”
Elena snapped back, then rubbed her burning cheeks with her hand.
“Uh, ahem. I did look at other places, but Logos seemed best.”
“Well, Logos is pretty suitable.”
Logos held a rift of chaos. The god called an evil deity wasn’t so named just for summoning possessors from other worlds.
The rift brimmed with the evil god’s power.
Monsters proliferated abnormally around such rifts. Reproduction, pregnancy, birth, growth—all natural processes skipped. Monsters spawned directly from the god’s power.
These rifts predated possessors, and multiple regions beyond Logos had them. Left unchecked, they unleashed monster hordes. A key adventurer guild duty was managing them to prevent that.
Rifts birthed monsters daily, but strict oversight yielded benefits. Monster corpses provided versatile materials, some even edible. Generously viewed, rifts were inexhaustible resource troves.
“Logos’s rift has festered for decades.”
Orca smiled, dredging up old memories.
“The monster types are well-documented. A 4th Tier faces no mortal threat. Good choice.”
Alone, mage Elena might struggle, but Ha-ryeong the assassin bodyguard was at her side. If needed, hire adventurers in Logos for a party.
“Your next quarter’s report can substitute with a guild commission, then.”
“Probably.”
“At your level, no real threats, but combat is combat. Using the unfinished Haiderga formula in real fights will teach you plenty.”
“Yes.”
“What Tier is that Yuri boy at now?”
“2nd Tier, he said.”
“Average.”
So not a possessor after all? Orca had tentatively concluded as much months ago, but Elena’s words solidified it.
Ascending from 1st to 2nd Tier took years for most, but Yuri had consumed an Azure Heaven Pill.
He’d forcibly opened his dantian via elixir and heart method.
Unperfect guidance left qi lingering in meridians, slowly flowing to the dantian daily with practice.
He’d mastered the peak art Cloudy Heaven Flow Fist and received direct instruction from Kwon Rang, a 6th Tier martial artist.
Given that, 2nd Tier in months was the bare minimum.
“He’s apparently skilled with martial arts beyond his Tier.”
“Full Moon Dance vouched for his talent.”
Full Moon Dance, who’d endorsed him, had left Lutran months ago. Orca knew not what the Ascard Family had requested of her.
Perhaps nothing, but Full Moon Dance was gone. That unpredictable woman was likely somewhere wearing a straw hat, wandering.
“Planning a farewell party when he returns?”
“We’re not parting forever. What farewell?”
“Reunited after ten years, now parting—could be another ten till next time.”
“No way.”
Elena shot Orca a glare, who smirked playfully.
“Just a short separation. We’ll exchange letters steadily... and meet periodically. We promised. If busy, I can visit.”
That settled it. Elena thought as she left Orca’s room.
Months had passed since Yuri announced his departure.
Spring yielded to ripe summer. In that time, Elena sorted her feelings. She hadn’t thought to keep him in the mansion forever, but if he wished it—if he needed it—she could understand.
Cool autumn would follow this heat. By then, Yuri would be gone. Back to the familiar, ordinary life.
Waking without greeting someone, not sitting at a prepared table, not eating together, not saying “I’m off,” not wondering what they’re doing now, not saying “I’m back,” not eating together, not chatting idly, not bidding goodnight.
That life. Alone in an empty mansion. Elena had always lived that way, never finding it burdensome.
“...”
But now, recalling that past life felt distant, her emotions then utterly forgotten. Everything seemed alien.
She’d lived with Yuri over half a year now.
‘Why didn’t we meet sooner?’
Ten years wasted. Had they met earlier, the “old” life wouldn’t have felt normal.
—She recalled the Oldor orphanage days.
Elena’s memories of “Yuri” began at age six.
People change.
Just as six-year-old Elena differed from her twenty-year-old self, so did Yuri’s versions.
Elena liked the current Yuri.
Thus, their half-year together felt too short.
*
“You’re early.”
In the mansion garden.
Yuri wiped sweat-soaked hair with a towel. He’d just finished training. He scrubbed his face roughly, then draped it over his shoulder.
“...”
Elena stared at his face a moment. For some reason, tears threatened.
‘Overthinking it.’
Not a lifetime parting or death. Nose stinging pointlessly, she tilted her head back.
“What are you doing?”
“R-Rain... seems to be falling.”
“Rain?”
Yuri looked up, puzzled. The sky was clear.
“Miss, did a bird crap on you?”
“...”
“I’m your bodyguard assassin, but I can’t block bird droppings from a clear sky.”
“What if it’s a disguised attack pretending to be bird crap? Poison or something.”
“You’re full of shit...”
Ha-ryeong muttered unwittingly at Yuri’s retort, then clamped her mouth shut.
“What was that?”
“Nothing.”
As they bickered, Elena blinked rapidly. She’d nearly teared up, but no tears fell.
“Heading out.”
“Suddenly?”
“Didn’t I say we leave for Logos in two days?”
She composed her face, straightened her dampened hair.
“I’ve got stuff from my last commission, but you need new gear, Yuri.”
“What... do I need?”
“Clothes?”
“Got some.”
The ones Elena bought.
“Not casual or loungewear. Standard adventurer kit—leather armor, robes, that sort.”
“Don’t have that.”
“Backpack?”
“I...”
“Not from Oldor! One with expansion magic.”
“Nope.”
“Weapon?”
“I’m a martial artist.”
“Martial artists don’t carry daggers? Hunt barehanded, butcher barehanded, cook barehanded?”
“Probably not...”
“Then we buy some?”
“Yeah...”
“Gotta go out?”
“I’ll wash up.”
Only then did Elena beam and nod.
“Were you about to cry?”
After Yuri headed inside, Ha-ryeong pounced.
“Cry? Who?”
“You, Miss.”
“Me? Why?”
“Stubbornly attempting lies you suck at is one of your many flaws.”
“No flaws, only merits?”
“Universally acknowledged magic talent. 4th Tier mage at twenty. Disciple candidate for Derusia Magic Tower Lord. Mansion in Lutran’s elite district. Generous savings and monthly ample stipend. Beauty stealing hearts from Namgung Clan’s fourth young master to many Lutran youths.”
Merits poured out as if rehearsed. Elena’s jaw dropped, never expecting so many listed sincerely.
Some merits needed nitpicking—like the mansion not being hers. But the rest were plain facts.
Boasting them herself was embarrassing; smugly accepting praise felt obnoxious. So Elena just blinked.
“With merits like these, why mope?”
“M-Mope?”
“Quit agonizing and confess boldly.”
“C-Confess? Ha-ryeong, what are you...!”
“Insisting on bad lies is a flaw, as I said. Another: regretting too late.”
Ha-ryeong clucked her tongue, wagging a finger.
“Keep lying, hesitating, content with ‘childhood friend’ status, and someone will steal Yuri.”
“St-Steal? What do you mean?”
“Surely you don’t actually not know? Yuri’s martial talent is real, so leaving Lutran, many will covet him. Even Heavenly Azure Sword Lord wanted to claim him for Namgung Clan.”
“That’s... but...”
Elena bit her lip, hesitating.
“After Logos... I’ll sort it out.”
“Sort?”
“Feelings... and stuff.”
“Good lord, you’ll muster courage post-Logos? If resolved, why not today?”
“No! I... I need time too.”
“Hm, fair point, Miss Elena. If you confess boldly and he rejects? Can’t skip Logos. I lack confidence protecting you in that awkward hell while driving the carriage.”
Elena flushed at Ha-ryeong’s logical retort. The scenario vivid.
If she confessed and Yuri refused? Could they go back to normal after?
“...”
Elena swallowed. Didn’t want to dwell now...
‘If worst comes, just set a next-meeting promise... that’s enough.’
Priority: complete the Logos trip safely.
Without issue.