Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: The Time Mage Prodigy
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48
4
“You two are meeting for the first time, right? This is Dray Hoyman, the once-in-a-century prodigy with an aptitude for time magic. And this is Theo Agrit, my disciple and the once-in-a-millennium prodigy with an aptitude for dimensional magic.”
At Bailey’s introduction, Dray nodded awkwardly.
They had just met a few minutes ago, so he was probably pretending it was their first encounter.
Time magic, huh...
His was once a century, meaning once every hundred years.
Dimensional magic was once a millennium, so was it a higher caliber?
Nah, no way.
Even a trash game wouldn’t skimp that badly on its settings.
“Sorry about earlier.”
“…Huh?”
“Yawning during the presentation was incredibly rude. I apologize.”
Putting aside the trivial stuff, I bowed my head politely.
Come to think of it, there wasn’t anything wrong with what Dray had said.
If I messed up, it was right to apologize promptly.
“Ahem. No, it’s fine. Just be more careful next time. I’ll let it slide this once... but others might not be so forgiving.”
“Yes, I’ll be careful.”
Dray looked subtly pleased, despite trying to play it cool.
He was desperately hiding it, but it was obvious.
Leon was always like that, and so were Ethan and Lewis...
This world had a weird abundance of pure-hearted people.
Even Dray here, despite being a stranger, seemed like an open book.
Maybe that’s why.
He was actually pretty interesting.
“Did something happen between you two?”
“No, nothing at all.”
Dray waved his hands hurriedly.
Bailey shrugged, positioned us side by side amiably, and said lightly,
“I’m going to go greet some folks from the 5th Magic Tower, so you two chat. It’s a rare meeting of once-in-a-lifetime geniuses.”
I’m not a genius, though...
Before I could make any excuses, Bailey vanished on her own.
Suddenly left alone together... yeah, it was awkward.
“…….”
“…….”
I sipped some champagne.
The crisp carbonation bursting in the champagne tasted oddly sweet.
“…Dimensional magic aptitude, huh? Impressive.”
“Same to you. Time magic? That seems even more amazing.”
“Time magic is nothing compared to dimensional magic.”
Dray was being oddly deferential.
It was a clear shift from earlier.
No need to think about the reason—my instincts kicked in first.
“By the way...”
“I’ll say it upfront: I don’t know how to use dimensional magic.”
I beat him to the punch.
The reason he was acting so meek was probably because he wanted to ask me for a favor.
Once I agreed, it’d just become a hassle.
“You don’t know how? What do you...?”
“We’re about the same age, so let’s speak casually. I only found out about my dimensional aptitude less than a week ago. Before that, I couldn’t even cast basic elemental magic. So, I can’t use proper spells even if I want to.”
I laid out my situation plainly.
Dray blinked in disbelief, unable to accept it.
Soon, he clutched his head in what was unmistakably despair.
“I-It can’t be...! How can the dimensional magic aptitude holder...!!”
“So ask someone else. I’m just a talking potato.”
“No. It has to be dimensional magic... It has to be you!”
It was a passionate pitch.
Desperate, too.
When someone clutches their head in despair like that, it’s hard to just walk away.
Sigh. This is why I wanted to lounge in the dorm on weekends.
I rubbed my dry face and downed the champagne.
“What’s the issue?”
“…You’ll listen?”
“I’ll hear you out, at least.”
I could decide after hearing the details.
Better to have some info than none.
As I decided quickly, Dray straightened his expression and cleared his throat.
“…How much of my presentation did you hear?”
“Even if I heard it, think I’d understand?”
“Then... I’ll summarize simply. My theory uses an element different from the standard four elements. It’s not light, darkness, or lightning either. It’s smaller, more precise, more primal. If I had to name it, primordial elements.”
“Hmm... And?”
“There are various types of primordial elements. Fuse six specific ones, and you get one new primordial element plus two of the inputs. During fusion, mass is lost, and by mass-energy equivalence, that lost mass generates energy. That’s the core idea: generate energy this way.”
Hm...?
Wait, this sounds familiar...
“To make this fusion actually work, you need immense heat and pressure. Pressure especially is hard with normal methods, but theoretically, dimensional magic could handle it perfectly. Plus, you could isolate the massive energy released during fusion for safety.”
It was overlapping more and more with what I knew.
As my doubt turned to certainty, there was something I needed to confirm.
“…You said you drew inspiration from the sun.”
“Right. I used time magic and auxiliary spells to observe the sun. Over hundreds of hours, I analyzed how it produces light. Light is energy, after all.”
The sun’s energy generation method.
Apply immense heat and pressure to four primordial elements to fuse them into new ones, generating energy from the lost mass.
The process releases massive energy around it, so isolation is essential.
The whole sequence was something any modern person familiar with the topic would recognize.
Not anything else—it was the principle of hydrogen-based... commonly called artificial sun or nuclear fusion power, which was always in the news.
I’d only planned to listen once...
No, better that I heard it now.
Nuclear fusion was a key theory later used by the Precursors to revive their god.
They planned to use massive fusion energy alongside the energy-storage runes on the Void Dagger that Luena stole to resurrect their deity.
The theory the Precursors borrowed was credited to some nameless mage.
That’s why Dray Hoyman’s name hadn’t rung a bell.
...Could Dray Hoyman be that nameless mage?
It was suspicious, but not certain.
“…You created this theory to solve the energy supply issue, right? Is that sincere?”
“Completely sincere. Solve the energy problem, and everyone can live better lives. Magic exists for the world. I follow the mage’s prime directive.”
Dray’s expression as he spoke showed no lie.
It was so earnest there was no room for doubt.
So, maybe he wasn’t the nameless mage.
Or perhaps the Precursors just stole his theory.
If not, Dray Hoyman might defect in the future.
I hadn’t expected to encounter the nameless mage’s theory like this.
My head started throbbing.
I shouldn’t have come to this conference...
5
On the plate was a thick, round tenderloin steak.
Peppercorn sauce boasting whole black pepper grains, topped with a whole sprig of rosemary.
Garnish: roasted cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, and crispy wedge potatoes.
Ethan would love this.
I cut into the steak with such idle thoughts.
The tenderloin sliced effortlessly without much knife work, looking mouthwateringly delicious.
But this wasn’t the time to savor it.
The gazes of the chatting mages around us kept bothering me. Haha ho ho.
The restaurant Bailey mentioned was impressive, for sure.
But it wasn’t just Bailey—other mages were there too.
Fail to uphold decorum properly, and rumors would spread... It was like sitting on pins and needles.
At least Dray next to me was a comfortable presence.
He didn’t have much appetite either, eating mechanically.
Looks like Dray Hoyman found old mages uncomfortable too.
“The 2nd Magic Tower is researching new magic circles to enhance golem combat capabilities, I hear.”
“There’s a lot of new development news lately. Last I heard, the 4th Magic Tower teamed up with the Royal Magic Tower to build a new large-scale defense ritual. They even incorporated runes with great care.”
“Heavens, it’s lamentable that some mages still cling to outdated research like runes.”
“Acquiring ancient knowledge is important too, so no need to lament so much. Oh, speaking of which, doesn’t Esterro Academy research runes as well?”
Subtly sniping at each other— was this a restaurant or an arena?
Bailey lightly nodded as she savored her steak enjoyably in this icy-thin space where one misstep could send you slipping.
“They even have dedicated rune language lectures. The potential is endless, and it’s hard to call them outdated outright. Runes do have their strengths, after all.”
As if Bailey’s opinion didn’t matter much, the older mages quickly resumed their own conversation.
“Even so, chasing remnants of a fallen civilization won’t lead to progress.”
“Heh heh, chasing progress too blindly is dangerous too, isn’t it? Young mages these days preach innovation and bring in wild theories.”
“Bases are what matter. Bases. Praised as geniuses from childhood, they ignore fundamentals and make mistakes. Getting obsessed with doing something special because they’re geniuses—that’s the privilege of youthful vigor, isn’t it?”
“Theo Agrit should take note, given his special aptitude.”
Why turn the arrow on me?
I just flashed a business smile.
At the blatant attack, Dray’s shoulders slumped.
Grown adults acting petty toward a kid—what a disgrace.
Part of me wanted to just leave.
A glance showed Bailey looking quite displeased too.
Since I came with her... I’d endure for her sake now.
More than that, I worried about what came after if I stormed out.
Bailey wouldn’t crumble in this nasty space, so no big worry there.
But Dray had plenty of reason to worry.
No matter how I thought about it, he had to be the nameless mage.
Invite him to eat, then feed him this crap—harder to not defect.
I wanted to help prevent Dray’s defection if possible.
What results that might bring was unknown.
But at this point, fretting over variables or butterfly effects was more ridiculous.
It was a hassle, but...
Maybe help him now to avoid bigger hassles later.
6
Meanwhile, at the table next to theirs, a man elegantly sliced his steak.
Brown hair, matching brown eyes, and a brown suit—he was an utterly ordinary-looking person you could see anywhere.
Like a passerby you’d brush past on the street.
No one would remember he’d dined there.
‘With a new future right in front of them, yet blind to its value—the Magic Towers are still full of fools.’
Sipping his wine, he sidelong-glanced at the next table.
His brown eyes gazed plainly at the elitist Magic Tower mages, but the contempt beneath was thick and intense.
‘With fools like that leading the Magic Towers, no wonder the world’s a mess... Well, it makes my job easier.’
His gaze settled on Dray Hoyman.
Dray Hoyman, staring only at his plate with hunched shoulders, looked precarious as a candle in the wind.
Drawing people in was simple.
Just offer a tiny bit of help when they’re cornered.
It wouldn’t take long for Dray Hoyman, cornered in real time, to reach a life-or-death crisis.
Then his eyes shifted one seat over.
Seeing Theo Agrit silently cutting his steak, a glint finally entered his eyes for the first time.
‘Never thought I’d cross paths with him again here. Or maybe it was inevitable.’
His eyes saw the past.
The Corbus Family hideout, the collapsed altar ceiling, the massive skeleton completed with rune magic, and the high rune magic that completely erased his puppet.
He only had one puppet, but the sensation of his body dissolving lingered vividly.
Reliving that unforgettable sensation, he smiled faintly.
‘High runes, demon sword, even dimensional magic... For the plan, I need to pull him in somehow.’
There were many ways.
Plenty of time.
Just reel him in slowly and steadily.
His plate was now empty.
The black mage and puppeteer, Anirzer of the Dark Valley, left the restaurant as if he’d never been there to begin with.