Chapter 58
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Guidance
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Before Merin showed up, I had been completely absorbed in my training.
Once upon a time, magic was classified into just four attributes.
Fire, water, earth, wind.
All other attributes were dismissed as insignificant.
The reason mages had fixated solely on those four was due to their inherent properties.
Humans are born with unique traits, and the way those traits intertwine with attributes branches out in dozens of ways.
Typically, a person's trait manifests alongside attribute magic, but since each individual's trait differs, it essentially meant carving out one's own unique path.
They were too busy mastering just the path they were given.
The ancient mages were true pioneers, blazing trails with their innate talents.
Even when I had that minor clash with the lion-headed man from Lina's group, the spell I used—Gravity, a fifth-circle wind attribute magic—looked like simple gravitational suppression on the surface.
But when he managed to stand back up, his body was covered in lacerations.
That was the result of my forged keen edge trait manifesting alongside it.
Every mage strives to layer their traits with attributes, yet even encompassing such spells falls short.
But as time passed and knowledge accumulated, the era arrived where judging the superiority of attributes alone became meaningless.
What mattered was the circle.
Based on the given attribute, how powerful a spell could one craft? That was everything.
This mindset grew so dominant that traits were gradually pushed aside.
They came to be seen as mere divine gifts, unrelated to circles.
And right now, I was deep in thought about those very traits.
Why ponder this when I'd gathered spellbooks for every attribute and circle, you ask?
Because deep contemplation isn't all that necessary for training in phenomenal magic.
Reflection and insight into magic?
...It's necessary. Absolutely necessary.
I had a computation artifact.
Just pour in mana, and it optimizes the ritual formula on its own. Deep pondering was a luxury.
And repetition is divine.
Dozens, hundreds of repetitions. Even the dimmest mind would eventually comprehend the formula through memorization.
Thus, I had plenty of mental bandwidth left, and naturally, my thoughts turned to traits.
More precisely, their applications.
The trait one is born with. The way it naturally fuses with attribute magic.
Most mages are content simply integrating their innate trait into attributes.
But if traits are applied on a deeper level, magic could branch out far beyond the current varieties.
To some, it might seem like regressing to outdated thinking, but this was precisely the path to the 'principles' outlined in creation theory.
In simple terms, it's not enough to handle various attributes—you must understand traits to approach the origin.
Is this... even something humans can reach?
If my trait weren't trait transmutation, and if I didn't have the computation artifact, I'd never even dream of it.
A mere human, not a long-lived species, can't master every attribute and trait in one lifetime.
At this point, I started feeling a bit uneasy.
If I fully grasp the stages of principles... what awaits at the end?
It felt like stepping into uncharted territory I'd never experienced or even imagined.
Not yet... it's too soon.
Such thoughts were premature with the massive wall of the seventh circle still ahead.
Even my computation artifact only handled up to sixth-circle magic, so the seventh would require pure, unassisted training on my part.
I couldn't even gauge how much time that would take.
And then Merin showed up out of nowhere.
I never expected my ties with Joart to sever easily, but I didn't think we'd cross paths again so soon—let alone with Merin, someone I had no special connection to, coming alone.
She brazenly scanned the training hall. Before I knew it, I'd stepped aside and let her in.
Who argues with a Transcendent?
At first, I'd tried blocking the door to keep her out.
The training hall was littered with traces of magic practice—chaotic remnants of various attributes and traits mixed together.
Anyone would find it suspicious.
Merin was an uninvited guest.
But Merin wasn't the type bound by trivialities like invitations.
She's a mighty Transcendent, after all.
No one could block the door and send a Transcendent packing.
From dealing with Joart a few times, I'd learned that when handling Transcendents on her side, pretext mattered.
True enough, the moment she entered, her face turned deadly serious, and she silently examined everything without a word.
After wandering around like that for a while, she finally spoke in an excited tone.
"You've reached the sixth circle, haven't you?"
As a Transcendent mage, she could tell from the traces alone.
That was exactly why I didn't want to let her in.
"Wow... but you've practiced a ton, huh? Didn't you say you wrecked a secret treasure-grade artifact?"
Yeah, that's why I hated this.
"The fruit of bone-grinding effort."
"You're hiding something, aren't you?"
Right now, I had two degraded versions of that secret treasure-grade artifact.
One for my personal use, the other for Cedric.
Honestly... even if the mass-produced computation artifact I used got out, it wouldn't be a crime.
Still, some people it's fine to tell, others I'd rather keep in the dark.
For instance, I could tell Oz and folks like her straight up.
But if a Transcendent found out, it might drag me into unnecessary trouble, and Professor Palrez would flip if he knew, so I kept quiet.
"How's work been lately?"
"...What's with the sudden concern?"
"No, we're not exactly close, and you show up out of the blue without stating your business... a normal guy like me gets anxious just standing here."
"Is that your anxious face?"
Merin gaped in disbelief, then shrugged.
"I just came to see you."
"...?"
I instinctively stepped back.
Oh, gotta manage my expression too.
Fortunately, her eyes locked onto my reaction.
"What does that mean?"
"Huh?"
"Why step back?"
"Ah...... I've been training too hard, so my body's off. Just a dizzy spell."
Merin furrowed her brow.
"Keep pulling these cheeky stunts? I could just crush you if you annoy me, but you're too insignificant for that... tsch, whatever."
She took a step closer.
"I've been swamped lately. Yet I made time to see you because Joart asked me a favor."
Joart's favor? Probably something like keep an eye on him.
But what caught my attention more was what came before.
That she'd been incredibly busy lately.
The first thing that popped into my head was the elf situation.
The event where they'd shed their passive stance and started directly engaging Transcendents.
Anonymous (2) hadn't said much yet, but they probably figured it wasn't something to ask help for—they'd handle it themselves.
...But would Merin spill if I asked out of curiosity?
"What's the matter?"
"Why are you so interested in Transcendent affairs? You're still just a sixth-circle nobody."
Yeah, no intention of telling me. I miss Joart's straightforward answers now. First time realizing it...
"You must think you've hit the sixth circle already. The once-in-a-century genius who begged me to teach him... you're starting to remind me of him."
Once-in-a-century genius?
In my age group at sixth circle, the only well-known one is Oz.
Though Oz is about to hit seventh soon.
"Anyway, you probably think you're close to the Transcendent threshold now. But even after grueling training to become one, you'll face another massive wall right after. If I teach you a little... you might even surpass it faster."
"...Is that it?"
"Huh? What."
"The favor from Joart. Teaching me?"
"Me, teach you?"
She looked utterly incredulous.
"You think receiving my guidance is easy?"
"Then what favor? Spy on me or something?"
"Not spying."
She pondered for a moment, choosing her words.
"...Just to take a good look at you."
"... "
She's the one pulling sly moves unbecoming her age.
Just say it straight...
From her hesitant attitude last time about teaching me, it seemed Joart really did ask.
I didn't particularly want it anyway.
Of course, guidance would be nice. Not right now, but at seventh circle, when I can't rely on the computation artifact anymore.
But I had too many irons in the fire. Plenty left to do under other identities besides this one—things I couldn't do as myself, so plenty of guilty loose ends.
I wasn't in a position to take a master-apprentice relationship and study steadily.
"As you can see, I'm doing fine, so wouldn't it be better for Senior to focus on her own duties?"
"Hmm..."
She didn't seem inclined to listen.
With a dissatisfied look, she scanned the training hall more before speaking.
"But what the hell are you even trying to do? Magic attributes... all completely different? Did you use an artifact?"
"Yes. Just experimenting with this and that."
"When you don't have enough time focusing on one, aren't you wasting it pointlessly?"
...Pointlessly? Wasting?
I felt a surge to retort, but spilling info recklessly to a Transcendent was unwise. Gotta be careful.
"No, shouldn't you be going now?"
"Why keep trying to shoo me? As a senior, I can point you in the right direction. It'd help you too."
"Just admit you want to teach me once."
"Are you insane?"
Argh, this finicky auntie.
My words were getting rougher too.
"I can handle my own affairs, so no need to learn from you, Senior."
"Hah... such arrogance from a mere sixth-circle."
"And you say other attribute magic is pointless? Then I have even less need to learn from a waterflow specialist like you. Mine's mainly frost."
"Sophistry. They're distinctly different. If I taught you, it'd be about circles themselves, not limited to attributes."
"Wow, already got a curriculum planned. But if it's circle guidance, I decline even more."
"Why! Why?!"
"I believe there's no shortcut to raising circles. Do you need guidance for repetition and mastery?"
In truth, there was a shortcut.
I'd jumped from fourth to sixth with barely any training.
But no intention of admitting that, and it wasn't the point now.
"How do you plan to raise circles with such brute-force thinking? You'll hit a wall at seventh. Raising circles is like this."
Mana gathered instantly in her palm.
True to form, it quickly turned to water.
At first, a droplet on her palm, but it soon swelled to the size of a small jar, then engulfed most of the training hall like a lake.
She was probably demonstrating how spells grow stronger with higher circles.
"There, does it seem like it just got bigger? Tell me what you felt watching."
"... "
...Huh.
Instead of answering, I fell into thought for a moment.
I'd noticed something in that simple change, of course, but a fundamental question arose about the situation itself.
What's this got to do with teaching?