Chapter 21
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Flexible Misconception (3)
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Pattern Forgery had become available once I reached the 5th Hierarchy.
Or rather, maybe I'd reached the 5th Hierarchy precisely because I could use Pattern Forgery.
Either way, it wasn't something that had happened all that long ago.
I still had no real clue what this "hierarchy" business was all about.
A professor diligently lecturing at the Academy would probably take offense to that, but reaching the 5th Hierarchy only solidified the thought in my mind.
Back in my childhood, when my knowledge of magic was superficial at best.
That was around the time when I'd get all excited seeing mana burst from a knight's sword.
I figured if I could just grasp the complex structure of magic, I'd understand its essence.
I thought piercing through that complexity was all about intuition and creativity.
I must have learned something similar at the Academy.
But the more knowledge I accumulated—enough to say I actually knew a thing or two about magic—the hazier its essence seemed.
Magic... more precisely, what was the true nature of advancing through the hierarchies?
From what I'd felt so far, it seemed like the magic I envisioned could become its essence.
An intangible concept with no fixed answer.
That's why, at some point, I'd stopped paying much attention to hierarchies altogether.
I organized my drifting thoughts and lightly channeled mana through my index finger.
Mana gradually took shape above it.
The wriggling lines connected one by one, soon forming a rhombus at the center with straight lines extending from each vertex.
My Unique Mana Pattern. Mana with the properties of chill and transmutation.
And my trait could even "transmute" that Unique Mana Pattern itself.
Maybe one way to ascend hierarchies was through the evolution of one's traits.
Until now, I'd been... pouring everything into fully exploiting the trait I had. Crafting artifacts, and beyond that, creating a cell phone that didn't exist in this world.
It was research that demanded pushing my trait to its absolute limits.
Anyway, the pattern had changed.
It looked like someone had taken bites out of a perfect circle... irregular, enough to make you frown just looking at it.
I had no idea what properties it held right now. The mana patterns of those tainted by evil deviated from established classifications, and I hadn't seen Philip Deran's magic firsthand anyway.
But it was definitely different from Vinsen's, so it wasn't heat or diffusion.
Forgery merely mimicked the outward appearance; it couldn't steal the actual properties of the pattern.
If it could do that, maybe it'd boost my hierarchy...
But for now, it didn't matter that it couldn't.
I injected the fully altered mana pattern into the recognition device.
Click.
The door slid open smoothly.
I didn't barge right in.
I'd scanned and analyzed the surrounding mana, and there were no traps this time either.
Guess he hadn't wanted to risk an explosive trap deep inside his home.
People usually set those when they had something really important.
Well, if he couldn't make a device to precisely identify intruders, maybe he figured traps weren't worth it.
Stepping inside, I was met with a disorganized mess.
At least it was clear this was a Transcendent's personal lab.
Especially since he was a mage Transcendent.
Piles of parchment scattered haphazardly across the desk. Magical experiment tools and assorted items stacked roughly in the corner.
'First off, there's a ton of stuff here.'
Looked like my hands wouldn't be idle.
I slowly examined the scattered items one by one.
Research materials first. Mostly related to his specialty, Fortress Magic.
Trap spells. Building blueprints. Even notebooks scribbled with his personal thoughts like diary entries.
The diary entries roughly detailed his personal struggles in building a faction while tainted by evil.
This could be useful intel too.
Next, the pile of junk in the corner caught my eye.
Nothing particularly useful-looking.
'If these were cherished artifacts, he wouldn't have left them like this.'
Or maybe he'd used them all up fighting Anonymous (1), or taken them with him.
In that case, those artifacts were probably with Anonymous (1) right now.
I turned my gaze back to the documents on the desk and started rummaging again.
And there, I found a thick stack of research notes that clearly showed recent handling.
'Oh...'
It was similar to what I'd been thinking just moments ago.
About how a device to precisely identify intruders would allow for more refined traps.
The funny part? Philip Deran had been trying to create exactly that, combining it with the Unique Mana Pattern recognition I'd invented.
Looks like he'd stolen my tech and tried to adapt it.
It wasn't fully complete yet, but there were traces of his deliberations everywhere.
Definitely similar to my style.
In the way it relied on auxiliary means rather than direct attack magic.
...Even though he was dead now.
I offered a silent thanks to my fellow predecessor mage.
Thanks. I'll take this.
I pocketed the research notes.
Of course, I planned to take everything I found here.
Couldn't just hand it over to anyone.
The moment anyone learned I'd opened this room, they'd realize Pattern Forgery was possible.
A technology just starting to spread by word of mouth would go up in smoke overnight, and I'd end up a criminal on the run.
No one saw me anyway. So I'd just take it all.
There was quite a bit of useful stuff.
As I said, he researched magic in a similar vein to me.
He formed them as trap spells drawn into magic circles rather than artifacts, but implanting them into artifacts would do the trick.
I'd been feeling the need for attack magic lately anyway.
I'd once ignored it entirely. People really only change when the situation hits them square in the face.
I hadn't had a proper meal since heading here, but somehow my stomach felt full now.
'I'll carry on your legacy and make good use of it.'
Muttering to myself inwardly, I meticulously gathered everything in the lab, stuffed it into my subspace, and slipped out of the secret room.
Creeping out through the ordinary wall, no one paid me any mind—thankfully.
If anything, the atmosphere was bustling.
I grabbed Raistel, who happened to be hurrying past.
A few knights dragged a bound Vinsen along behind him.
"What happened?"
"Ah, where've you been? We were looking for you."
"I was just... scouting around a bit."
Raistel's bright expression told me intuitively it wasn't anything to worry about.
He hadn't smiled once during this expedition. Even Parovian had cracked jokes now and then to ease the soldiers' tension, but Raistel hadn't cracked a single grin until the end.
Yet here he was, beaming.
"We found Vinsen's private space. The research materials you wanted! I think we can recover them."
"Ah, I see."
"The room's locked to a pattern recognition system, so we were taking Vinsen to open it. Even a 7th Hierarchy mage found your tech irresistible, it seems."
"We'll have to wake Vinsen and make him inject his mana, then."
"The commander's handling it personally. Oh, and there's more good news."
"What is it?"
"I'll explain on the way."
I followed behind Raistel, and he got right to it without delay.
"About the artifact we suspected Vinsen had."
That... calculation artifact, you mean?
Raistel nodded.
"Found it on his person."
"Good thing the military didn't come away empty-handed."
"Not that. The commander says he's giving that artifact to you, Ivan. Well, technically, he's submitting it for approval up top."
"To me?"
"Exactly. You made the biggest contribution this time. Sure, if a battle had broken out here, it might've been different, but luckily, that didn't happen."
He wasn't wrong.
If we'd clashed head-on with the Transcendent, claiming credit would've been tough. But with everything wrapped up beforehand, I'd had the biggest impact on the tracking.
Still, was it okay to just hand it over like that?
I'd already swiped stuff from the Transcendent's lab, and the research materials were my goal anyway, but...
"Word is that artifact's Secret Treasure grade."
Hmm... if they're offering, no reason to turn it down.
Artifacts come in various grades.
The lowest and most common—relative to other artifacts—is the standard grade.
They're said to require great luck to create, but how they're made matters too.
Usually, they're objects weakly infused with magic or used only for combat support, yet they carry the artifact name, so their cost-performance is notoriously poor.
Lots of scammers exploit that, giving them a bad rep.
Above that is Magecraft grade.
That's where they start being practical in real combat.
Beyond Mastercraft comes Secret Treasure grade.
Items with immense magic, only found in ancient ruins.
The mass-produced artifacts Professor Palrez and I aimed to popularize were Standard and Magecraft grade.
Making poorly cost-effective artifacts actually usable.
Anyway, no reason to refuse a Secret Treasure. And at that level, I could even reference it when crafting my own artifacts.
"Feeling burdened? Your face looks a bit sour."
I lifted the corner of my mouth.
I'd just been slow to react while sorting my thoughts.
"Do I look that noble to you? If you're giving it, of course I'll take it."
Once things wrapped up and we were exiting the mountains, I had a chat with Parovian too.
"Can't explain it as anything but good luck."
"...Yeah."
Truth be told, resolving it through a deal felt more like a freebie, but whatever.
"The confidence you've shown all this time probably didn't predict this outcome... Quite the peculiar turn."
He paused, gaze drifting afar as if lost in thought, then refocused on me.
"Learned a thing or two myself. Maybe that mindset is what drew this result."
"...Sounds like something a priest would say. Doesn't suit you, Commander."
"Maybe it's my retirement age creeping up. But this isn't the first time I've joined a mission steeling myself for death. Results aren't usually this special."
I got the sense Parovian was overanalyzing a stroke of luck.
"Who knows. Surviving such dangerous spots—that's the real impressive part, isn't it?"
"Haha... You've got a knack for cheering up an old man. But one thing's certain."
"..."
"Some might say one action is worth a thousand deliberations..."
He tapped his temple with a finger, wordless.
"But we're mages, aren't we? A single thought in our heads can cut sharper than a thousand swords."
He smiled at me.
"Seeing you reminded me of that again."
It wasn't until we'd nearly exited the mountains that Oz crossed my mind.
Parovian had probably been concerned about her too, so he might've sent word via messenger bird already.
If she knew the full story... would she avoid me?
Learning it ended this easily, she'd probably be embarrassed about all her crying and fussing.
...Guess I won't see her face anymore.
But my prediction of distance flew nicely out the window.
Oz was waiting for us in the nearest city to the mountains.
"Guhk."
I thought some passing carriage had hit me.
I'd stepped aside to give her space for a joyful reunion with her grandfather, but she came barreling straight at me and threw her arms around me.
"I'm so glad... really."
Her soft whisper in my ear melted the tension from my shoulders before I knew it.
The shock washed away quickly, replaced by... a warm softness.
And belatedly, a sweet, sugary scent tickling my nose.
Huh...
Suddenly, I recalled that comprehensive healing therapy set I'd gifted some noble girl long ago.
Maybe artifacts weren't all that useful after all.
Compared to human healing therapy, that is.
This was the first time a woman's embrace here, excluding my sister.
Well, Mom must've hugged me as a kid, but the memory's fuzzy.
Thinking about it, even counting my past life...
Hmm. There was a time I wondered if becoming a mage was fate.
Anyway.
'This feels really nice.'
Or maybe it was Oz in particular.
Instinct briefly hijacked my brain, but reason reclaimed its spot late.
But how long were we supposed to stay like this?
Thinking about it, this gentle side from the fierce Oz felt awkward.
I liked it, sure, but...