Chapter 412: Bipolun
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 412: Bipolun
The Empire is great.
The Empire is eternal.
Offer all glory to His Majesty the Emperor, the master of all creation.
“...I, too, shall gladly offer my life.”
“Sir Dermier.”
Fwip!
The flap of the dark tent was suddenly thrown open, and a man in a crisp uniform entered.
“Sigh... Were you reciting that stuffy old oath again? You sound like some old noble on the verge of retirement.”
At those words, the face of the man kneeling reverently before the Emperor's portrait twisted into a vicious scowl.
“Get out.”
“I don't like you either. But we must separate our public and private duties, mustn't we? Just receive the report.”
“...Tch.”
At the man's sharp reaction, Birellion, the commander of the Eustaff Empire's Magic Special Task Force, swallowed a heavy sigh.
'Sigh... His Majesty can be so thoughtless. To think he'd pair me with a man like this...'
The Magic Special Task Force.
As the Empire's strongest group of mages, Birellion, who had risen to the rank of commander at a young age, had been appointed as a staff officer for the dispatch mission to the Duchy of Orsia ahead of the war with Peledeia.
Alongside a man named 'Dermier von Edramond'.
He was the vice-commander of the Dragonia Knights—hailed as the Empire's strongest military force alongside the Magic Special Task Force—and a powerhouse who had reached the level of a high-rank Aura Master.
A 6th Circle Mage and a high-rank Aura Master. On top of that, three special forces units composed of the most elite members.
It was enough military power to capture the capital of the Nivia Kingdom.
The reason they were in the Duchy of Orsia, and in a rebel army camp of all places, was remarkably simple.
“We will arrive in the Bipolun territory in five days. Also, the nobles of the surrounding territories have sent letters of surrender. Though they are only low-ranking nobles...”
“Five days? Are you joking?”
“This is the best we can do for now. If we increase our marching speed any further, the soldiers will collapse from exhaustion before we even reach Bipolun.”
Dermier's sharp gaze pierced through Birellion.
“Every night, execute the thirty soldiers who fall to the rear.”
“...Are you serious?”
Birellion's eyes wavered.
To execute soldiers for such a nonsensical reason?
Even if it was another country's army, it was an order that defied all common sense.
“If we do that, not only will the soldiers' morale plummet, but we will also suffer unnecessary losses.”
“Do I need to concern myself with such things?”
In that instant, a murderous glint flashed in his eyes.
Under the pressure crushing his entire body, Birellion broke out in a cold sweat and cursed Dermier inwardly.
'...Right, a soldier just has to follow orders.'
That night, hell unfolded for the soldiers who had been forcibly conscripted by the rebel army.
*
Two days later, we finally managed to escape the canyon.
“Wow... The sunlight is so warm...”
“It really is...”
Iris and Amelia gazed up at the cloudless blue sky with happy smiles.
It was no wonder they reacted that way; down in the canyon, it had been difficult to even tell day from night, let alone feel the sunlight.
I looked down into the canyon below.
I was so sick of that place.
There were the monstrous birds that dropped massive boulders on us day and night, trying to hunt us, and the magical beasts that attacked in all sorts of bizarre ways.
[Owned Coins: 7,200]
Thanks to them, I'd managed to farm a decent amount of coins, but it was by no means a pleasant experience.
Tiring-
[Remaining Match Time: 52 days, 22 hours, 17 minutes, 29 seconds]
About a week had passed since I arrived in this world.
Of course, the time limit on the dating app wasn't a major concern.
Unlike before, I had plenty of time, and I'd been returning to Earth frequently anyway.
What mattered now was the time in this world.
“If we head down from here, there seems to be a pretty big city nearby. Should we stay there for the night?”
“I agree.”
“I'd like that, too.”
I took the carriage out of my inventory.
But there was no horse.
Since living creatures can't be put into the inventory, I had to leave it behind on the other side.
Of course, I hadn't left the horse behind without a plan.
I picked up a nearby log and fitted it into the harness.
“This should do it, right?”
Woooong-
A purple magic circle bloomed beneath the carriage.
[Illusion Object]
[Perception Inhibition]
Following Iris's advice, I combined the two spells. The shape of the log slowly distorted until it transformed into a rather plausible-looking horse.
“It's hard.”
Naturally, it wasn't a living horse, just a simple illusion.
There were some awkward parts if you looked closely, but since the horse was just for show, this was more than enough.
“Shall we get going?”
I sat in the driver's seat and took the reins.
But since I was using the auto-drive function, it didn't have the same hands-on feel as last time. I was a little disappointed.
“Hyun-woo.”
Iris, sitting next to me, spoke up.
I'd seen her playing rock-paper-scissors with Amelia before we left, and it seemed Iris had won.
“What is it?”
“Could you show me the magic circle for the Illusion Object you just used?”
“The magic circle?”
“Yes.”
It was a bit of a random request, but not a difficult one.
Woong-
I manifested the magic circle above my palm.
For reference, if it hasn't gone through the calculation process, the magic won't activate even if you infuse it with mana.
“Hmm...”
Iris examined the magic circle meticulously, as if inspecting it.
I felt like a student having my homework checked by a teacher, and I tensed up without realizing it.
The slightly heavy atmosphere lasted only a moment.
Clap, clap.
Iris clapped her hands lightly and smiled.
“A perfect score.”
“Phew...”
“The circuitry of the spell formula is flawless, not to mention the overall structure. The countermeasures against reverse-engineering are especially perfect.”
Only after hearing Iris's praise did I finally relax.
“Your mana capacity has also increased significantly... At this rate, I'd believe you if you said you were a 6th Circle Mage. Besides, you mentioned you became able to handle other elements upon reaching the 5th Circle, right?”
“Not as well as fire and lightning, though.”
I nodded.
Selection and focus. That was why I didn't use other elemental magic often.
Light and dark were usable, but even their power was significantly weaker compared to fire and lightning.
Even though they consumed the same amount of mana.
“Hehe, I'm sure it's just because you're not used to them yet.”
“I hope so..." How should I put it? It felt like I wasn't improving even with practice. I wasn't confident I could ever handle the other elements as skillfully as fire and lightning.
Iris comforted me before asking a question.
“Hyun-woo, what do you think is the difference between the 5th and 6th Circles?”
“The difference between the 5th and 6th Circles...?”
I fell into thought at Iris's words, but no clear answer came to mind.
Instead, I decided to first mull over the difference between the 4th and 5th Circles.
Dozens of things came to mind immediately.
'Still, if I had to pick just one, it would be the presence of an Astral.'
Astral.
To be precise, it belongs to the mental realm, or to use a more literary expression, it means a small celestial body within one's inner self.
Iris had said that to skillfully wield magic of the 5th Circle or higher, one needed 'authority' to access the laws of the world.
For a martial artist, that authority is their mindscape; for a mage, it's their Astral.
In short, it meant that to use stronger magic, one had to construct an Astral within their inner self.
“The Astral?”
“That's correct.”
Iris gently patted my head as if giving me a prize.
Because of our height difference, her chest swayed back and forth right in front of my eyes.
Thanks to that, my mind was filled with worldly desires.
“Your Astral has only barely taken form. It's like a house with only the frame built.”
“You mean it lacks substance?”
“Something like that.”
Iris took a small notebook from her bosom, along with the ballpoint pen I had given her.
“The Astral is a small universe within oneself. So, what exists in the actual universe?”
“...Planets? Satellites?”
I suddenly remembered a space documentary I'd once seen on NewTube.
The solar system was made up of a star, the Sun, planets like Earth, dwarf planets like Pluto, as well as satellites, asteroids, and comets.
Hearing my explanation, Iris looked slightly surprised, then began jotting it down in her notebook with interest.
“Wow... To think humanity has advanced into space. Your world is truly amazing, Hyun-woo. It makes me want to visit it someday.”
“...You didn't know?”
“I didn't even know that the sun in the sky was such a massive star.”
Iris chuckled softly and leaned against me.
“To the mages of my world, the universe is an 'incomprehensible' mystery. Because of that, one person's Astral might take the form of a cube, while another's might be a giant fishbowl. They fill it entirely with their imagination, like painting on a blank white canvas. The completed picture then becomes their own magic, allowing them to exert a greater influence on the world.”
Her explanation sent me back into my thoughts.
In short, my Astral was currently in a state like a protogalaxy, before stars and galaxies are born.
A blank space that had barely taken form, with nothing filling it.
In fact, I too had sometimes felt that my Astral was empty.
“Hyun-woo.”
“Huh?”
Iris called my name, taking my hand. Her emerald eyes sparkled strangely.
“You've been staying up all night lately, haven't you? For several days now.”
“...How did you know?”
There was a certainty in Iris's eyes.
Just as she said, I hadn't slept properly for the past few days.
Even if I spent time with Iris and Amelia until dawn, I would usually greet the morning with my eyes wide open.
It wasn't that I couldn't sleep.
I had simply been absorbed in meditation all night, searching for a clue to reach the 6th Circle.
Not that I'd found any real leads, though.
“You don't have to be so impatient. You're progressing faster than anyone else.”
Chu-
As if to comfort me, Iris gave me a light kiss on the cheek.
“Selection and focus, that's what you said, right? Of course, that's not wrong. Mages are fundamentally versatile, but that doesn't make them omnipotent. Ultimately, you need to focus according to your talents and field. But you built your world based on the harmony of all things, didn't you? If so, the universe within your Astral needs to change accordingly. For example, you could try creating stars or planets corresponding to each element: fire, water, earth, wind, and light and dark.”
“...How do I create them?”
“Hmm... That's not easy to explain. In my case, new stars naturally emerged as my connection with the spirits deepened. But you're not a spirit user...”
After that, our conversation continued back and forth.
To get straight to the point, Iris's advice was certainly helpful.
But there was a limit to the help she, a spirit user, could give me.
In the end, there was only one answer.
I had no choice but to ponder it myself, go through trial and error, and find the key to my growth on my own.
In a way, I was back to square one, but that didn't mean I hadn't gained anything.
Valentina Sasha Danilova.
Her face suddenly came to mind.
Unlike Iris, who was a spirit user, she wielded the element of ice. Perhaps she could help me.
I was already looking forward to the day I would visit the White Magic Tower.
I drove the carriage with a smile on my face. Though, of course, it was on auto-drive.
In any case, it wasn't long before the walls of Silvaron, a city in the Bipolun territory, came into view in the distance.
For some reason, I had a feeling that something good was about to happen.