Chapter 321: Enlightenment
Chapter 321: Enlightenment
The moment my lower half stood ramrod straight, the surrounding mana surged frantically, being absorbed into my body.
And then, I felt the presence of others nearby.
No matter how deeply they had been sleeping, this was an event significant enough for the other women—all talented mages in their own right—to notice and wake up.
However, though they were awake, they didn't make it obvious. They were likely being considerate, knowing I was in the middle of a deep state of focus.
With a grateful heart, I concentrated on gathering and refining the enlightenment that had suddenly dawned upon me.
What comes without warning can leave just as abruptly. Therefore, I had to fully seize it while it was still within my grasp.
I don't know how long I remained immersed in that state. At some point, a satisfied sigh escaped my lips without me even realizing it.
"Whew..."
With this, things had finally settled down.
My mana had become far more refined. My perception had expanded beyond my own body, stretching out into the surroundings. At this very moment, I had taken my first step into the realm of a High Magician.
Was the world always this vivid when viewed from my perspective?
And the first thing that vividness encountered... was Iris, who was staring intently at me from right in front of my face.
Iris, who had been covering her mouth with her hands, began to laugh hysterically the moment she confirmed I had finished processing my enlightenment.
"Ahahaha! Master got an e-erection while reaching enlightenment... pfft! And during post-nut clarity, of all times... hee-hee-hee!"
"Master, please don't laugh so much. Regardless, I've reached the rank of High Magician... I've reached... pfft!"
"B-but, we held it in so well until now, didn't we? We didn't want to interfere with your enlightenment. Surely it's okay to laugh this much... pfft! It should be fine."
"...No, even for me, this is a bit much, don't you think? And Elisha, if you're going to laugh along with her, then don't even bother trying to help!"
As I grumbled at the two of them, who were now doubled over in laughter, Helena tilted her head and asked Iona a question.
"I am ignorant of magic, so I must ask, Professor. Did the Brother truly achieve enlightenment? He doesn't look much different on the outside..."
"Yes, it's certain. It was a long time ago, but I remember clearly when I reached the rank of High Magician. Normally, one's mana capacity increases exponentially as if following their strengthened will... but Student Yandel already had so much mana that it doesn't seem to show much. ...Oh, and just in case you're wondering, I didn't get an erection when I became a High Magician!"
Even as she said that, Iona's eyes were fixed on a certain area that was still quite firm... I kept my mouth shut, though, fearing that if I spoke up, Iona would join in on the teasing.
I let out a long sigh and turned my head. Fay was waiting there with an expression that said she understood everything.
"I-it's okay, Junior... You're one of those, right? The type who gets excited while doing research. There are quite a few of them among Alchemists. People who pitch a tent while looking at formulas, or those who get... wet while making potions with expensive ingredients..."
"...That is absolutely not the case."
At least, I hoped not.
Scratching the back of my head, I did a quick check of my physical condition. As expected, thanks to absorbing the surrounding mana while ascending to High Magician, I was in near-perfect shape.
Perhaps my lower half had just gained strength naturally as my exhausted body recovered?
Yes, that had to be it...
Still, not everyone was snickering at my crotch. There was one person—Carla—who congratulated me on my achievement with pure sincerity.
"That's amazing, Master!"
"Huh?"
"It hasn't been that long since you started learning magic, and you're already a High Magician! I bet even dragons don't grow at this speed!"
"Come on. I was only able to do it because of the dungeons and Fafnir's arrangements."
"Even so! I heard that being a High Magician means you've reorganized everything you've learned so far and started walking your own path! That's not something anyone else can help you with, right?"
Carla's ruby eyes sparkled as she sent me a look that screamed, 'Master is so cool! So cool!'
Staring blankly at her, a sudden surge of emotion made me grab both of her hands tightly.
"Carla."
"Yes? What is it, Master?"
"Truly, I only have you..."
"???"
Carla tilted her head as if wondering what I meant by that, but she soon answered with a beaming smile as if she had realized something.
"I only have you too, Master!"
Right... this was enough...
*
After some commotion, once we had put some clothes on and the laughter had died down, Iris slunk over to me.
"Master. This enlightenment you've gained... what kind of magic is your magic now?"
Perhaps because she was a High Magician who had already walked a similar path, Iris cut straight to the core of the matter.
I felt it as I reached the realm of a High Magician. This is a stage one can only reach by establishing their own standards.
That's why Iris was asking about the nature of my enlightenment. Everyone's standards would be different.
"Elisha or Lady Lindelheit would know well enough about this, but you've only just entered the world of magic, regardless of your actual skill level. I kept my mouth shut because I didn't want to instill any unnecessary prejudices... but it should be fine now."
"Yeah. I'm already a High Magician."
"Then will you tell me? Your magic...!"
"Before that, just a moment."
When I gave a light wave of my hand, Iris came scurrying over, even as she tilted her head in confusion.
She blinked for a moment, wondering what the gesture meant, but then she seemed to guess something and offered her head with an expression that said she had no choice.
"Sigh... so that's how it is."
"???"
"You want to pat the head of this deeply considerate lady, don't you? I know everything! Of course, I'm not at an age where I should be getting headpats! But if Master wants it, I, as your slave, have no right to refuse!"
"......"
"Now! Hurry up and pat me! And once you're satisfied, tell me!"
Iris was absolutely certain that I was going to dote on her. However...
"Did you think I'd just let it slide after you laughed like that?"
Clonk!
I gave Iris a light flick on the forehead. It was literally a light hit, so it shouldn't have hurt much.
"...Eh?"
But Iris clutched her head with eyes full of shock, as if her world had just collapsed.
"M-Master hit me..."
"...Did it actually hurt?"
That shouldn't be possible. I had controlled my strength perfectly.
But Iris, with tears welling in her eyes, shouted each word with deliberate emphasis.
"Master! Hit! Me!"
Her voice was full of grievance, as if it wasn't her head that hurt, but her heart.
Only then did I lift Iris up, set her on my lap, and start rubbing her head vigorously. I focused especially on the spot where I had flicked her.
"It's because you were laughing so much, Iris..."
"Master... hic! Hit! Me!"
"Hey, why are you crying again? I'm sorry. I won't hit you anymore. Okay? So stop crying now."
"......"
Did my desperate consolation work? Only then did she stop shouting and silently accept the headpats.
Then, Iris slowly raised her head. She looked up at me, rubbing the back of her head against my chest.
However, Iris's expression, which I thought would be tearful, was a bit different from what I expected.
The corners of her eyes were trembling. Her lips were pressed tightly together. Even her nose was twitching.
It was a classic expression of someone holding something back... but the problem was that she wasn't holding back tears, but laughter.
"Hehe. Master is weak to tears... I shall remember that."
"Hey!"
In a fit of pique, I grabbed Iris's cheeks and started pulling them.
Stretch, stretch.
Perhaps because she had skin like a baby's, her cheeks stretched quite a bit. Of course, that didn't mean it didn't hurt.
"Ow-w-w! This actually hurts! Save me, Master!"
"You asked for it, Iris! Is it this mouth? This cheeky mouth? Huh? This one!"
"I was wrong! I won't play pranks anymore, so please forgive me!"
"I don't want to! I don't want to, I don't want to!"
"Stop being so childish!"
"Who was the one being childish first!"
A fight between a full-grown man and an elf over 500 years old? Truly, a magnificent sight...
Though neither I nor Iris had the "magnificent" chests to match the sentiment.
Only after pulling Iris's cheeks for a long time to re-instill the master-servant relationship did I let her go.
Iris pouted, stroking her reddened cheeks.
Looking strangely like a goldfish, she huffed and asked again.
"So? What was your enlightenment? To tell you mine first, it was Origin Regression."
"Origin?"
"If elements are the basic units that make up the world, then wouldn't combining all elements return them to the state before the world was divided? Realizing the primordial mass by merging all elements into one. That is my magic, and the reason why I am so obsessed with element combination."
"Whoa..."
So such a concept was possible.
Iris gave a bitter smile and waved her hand at my admiration.
"It's not for some grand reason. It's just that for an elf who has lost her spirits, elemental magic is indispensable to regain her past power. But as you know, Master, elemental magic is divided into too many types."
"So you wished for an Origin that could change into any element?"
"Exactly."
Elven society had developed alongside spirits over thousands of years.
Not only their social infrastructure but also their inherited techniques, martial arts, and magic were deeply imbued with Spirit Summoning.
But what would happen if the spirits were suddenly expelled?
Not only would the social system collapse, but over time, they would only regress instead of developing.
To throw away everything they had built and start over from the beginning... an elf's lifespan was far too long for that.
Those who remember past glory cannot easily let go of even simple remnants.
Iris was the one who stepped forward, but... well, in the end, Iris was also of the generation that remembered the past glory, and when she became impatient, she leaned on the spirits again.
Perhaps she had also given up after realizing she couldn't reach the realm of an Archmage despite hundreds of years of research and training.
However, Iris's original goal must have been to give her kin a power that could replace spirits—a more fundamental power that could be used anywhere.
I could almost see the image of a young, immature, but pure Iris as she was just becoming a High Magician, and a bitter smile naturally formed on my lips.
"Hmm? Master? Why are you suddenly stroking my head?"
"Just because. Anyway, you said you were curious about my enlightenment?"
"That's right! I cannot walk another person's path, but there is surely something to be learned by seeing a different path. It will definitely be helpful to both me and you!"
I gave a grin to Iris, who was as excited as a child, and pointed my finger toward the air.
"Watch closely."
It consumes quite a bit of mana, but there's no clearer way than this.
I wished for it vividly with a strong will. And then, I put all of that into language and spoke.
"『Burn.』"
There was no magic circle, no incantation. The mana simply transformed into flames instantly.
Iris's jaw dropped, but I wasn't finished.
"『Freeze.』"
The flames froze exactly in their burning shape.
"『Blow.』"
The ice evaporated directly into a gust of wind, teasing Iris's hair.
I smirked at Iris, who was now staring with wide eyes, stammering incoherently.
"Ah... this is what they call Spirit Language."
Well, it's not as grand as it sounds.