Chapter 33: Mana Fatalism
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 33: Mana Fatalism
Valdrova’s daily routine was simple.
An enemy appears.
Tear them apart.
Roar.
Go home.
Her conduct leaned more toward that of a barbarian warrior than a refined Archduchess. She had always dedicated her strength to protecting her people, and she had never felt any particular aversion to the violence required.
However, despite her nature, there was one thing she had recently begun to hesitate over.
— Kruah! —
It was the roaring.
That roar, so perfectly suited for the exhilaration of battle and the declaration of victory, had recently started to feel... embarrassing.
— Ah... —
Her voice trailed off, thin as a rat's tail.
Valdrova let the feeling of liberation burn out incompletely and cleared her throat. Her eyes flickered toward the place that had made her this way—the summit of the Lonely Mountain.
Whenever Valdrova took to the battlefield, Ferda was always there, standing at the peak.
Is he... not here today either?
But the summit showed only flat, leveled ground. As had been the case lately, he had not come to look down upon her.
Valdrova used to find Ferda’s gaze burdensome. When he watched her, she would become inexplicably rushed and restless, making her feel as though she looked pathetic. There were even times she wished he wouldn't watch.
Maybe this is for the better.
Valdrova spread her wings and flew back to her lair.
The Lonely Mountain in the Far East. She had chosen this place as her home precisely because it was hidden from human eyes. As she entered the long cavern, Ruri greeted her.
"Welcome back, Master."
Valdrova passed her without a word. Seeing her fail to respond even to a light greeting, Ruri followed her through the iron gates.
"Did something happen?"
— It is nothing.
Valdrova coiled her body as if to say there was nothing to worry about.
"Please do not be like that; tell me. I wish to be of help."
— Hmm...
— Ferda... has he grown tired of me?
"...Pardon?" Ruri wore an expression of utter disbelief.
— He did not come today either.
Valdrova had thought it would be a relief if he didn't come. However, a sense of emptiness far greater than that relief had taken root instead. It was a day no different from any other, and yet, it felt as though something significant had vanished.
"It has only been twice. A mere week. Compared to the eons you have lived, Lady Valdrova, it is an insignificantly short time."
— Of course. I am aware.
A mere week, a mere twice... Why did that word, "mere," feel so heavy?
"Lord Ferda has been moving busily of late."
Ferda had indeed been occupied recently. He was cooperating with merchants and handling agendas submitted by local lords. Once he entered his office, he rarely emerged until the moon was high in the sky.
— But... did he not always come out before?
It was as Valdrova said. No matter how busy he was, Ferda would come outside the moment he heard Valdrova was fighting. And whenever their eyes met, he would always give her a smile.
— Surely... it must be because I never gave him a single glance. He must have lost his affection for me.
She let out a sigh, her head drooping in gloom.
Of course, Ruri did not think so. If he had grown to dislike her, he wouldn't be working himself to the bone like that.
Ferda moved to look after the things beneath Valdrova. The driving force behind his actions was undoubtedly his affection for her.
— Ruri.
"Yes, Master."
Valdrova spoke with difficulty.
— That... thing that young ladies do.
"Are you referring to a tea party?"
— Yes. That.
Ruri was quite surprised. Ever since the incident with the princes, Valdrova had avoided contact with humans.
— Could you... suggest a tea party to Ferda?
She was taking a massive step forward to face her fiancé.
* * *
Ferda had become a 3rd Circle mage, possessing three overlapping circles.
The 1st Circle is a point.
The 2nd Circle is a line connecting points.
The 3rd Circle consists of those who manipulate lines to weave them into planes.
Those planes were magic circles—the stage where one could begin using magic in earnest.
Since my Magic Library is broken...
The Magic Library was a mnemonic technique that filled a portion of the mind purely with magic and formulas. It was something that could only be established upon reaching the 5th Circle, and it had naturally vanished when Ferda regressed to the past.
But the magic is still within my body.
Magic resided in the realm of the subconscious. He decided to try drawing magic at random, as if rummaging through a collapsed library alone.
He concentrated his mana into his right arm. With circles layered three-fold, the movement of mana was swift and natural.
Drawing the magic circle.
This was the stage of being a true mage, yet simultaneously not one. It was the stage where one began practicing the drawing of magic circles in earnest.
The first step is visualization.
Ferda recalled a standardized magic circle from his memory. Normally, at this stage, one would look at a magic circle drawn in a grimoire and visualize it along with an incantation. The more one mastered it, the shorter this visualization process became.
However, Ferda approached this visualization differently. Without even knowing the purpose, he began to draw a magic circle by relying on his subconscious. Like casting a fishing rod into a lake, he waited and waited for a monster of the deep to finally succumb to the bait.
I feel it.
Then, he moved to the second step.
Standardization.
Ferda imagined a pen dancing upon his hand. Following the movement of that pen, a simple magic circle was generated in Ferda’s hand.
The third step: realization.
Now that the frame was made, it was time to inject mana in earnest. As the magic circle became complete, its color changed as it determined the property of the mana. The magic circle, which had held a faint blue hue, suddenly burst with light.
This magic is...
Before Ferda could even realize it, his body moved first. With only his index and middle fingers extended, he pointed at a spot on the wall.
And so, the final step.
Chanting.
"Elemental Bolt."
The moment Ferda recited the incantation, a sharp crackle of electricity rang out.
Zap—!
A bolt of lightning flew in a straight line. Along with Mana Shot, it was the Elemental Bolt, a basic offensive spell.
That was dangerous.
If he hadn't aimed properly, that deep gouge in the wall might have been filled with a piece of his own body.
Pulling things from the subconscious isn't always a good idea.
Even so, Ferda did not stop. The more a spell was embedded in his subconscious, the more familiar it was to his hands, which meant it was a spell he had favored. He emptied his mind and delved deeper to search for another.
I feel it.
Ferda surrendered his body to his senses once more and drew a magic circle. He moved through visualization, standardization, and finally, realization. Then, the magic circle that had been a faint blue was dyed pitch black.
The attribute was Darkness. In other words, pure Black Magic.
What spells of the Darkness attribute did he know? Before the answer could fall into place, Ferda’s hand moved again. This time, he brought the hand holding the magic circle toward a candle.
Only then did the name emerge.
"Shadow Hand."
At that moment, the shadow cast by the candlelight bubbled like lava. Ferda’s shadow swelled gradually, then separated from his arm as if shedding a skin. It was another hand made of magic.
I can certainly feel the side effects.
In the 3rd Tier, there is a similar spell called Magic Hand. In the case of Magic Hand, which detaches and floats in the air, it was more like an overlay—closer to a glove. This was because after connecting it to the right hand, it would mimic the movements of that hand.
However, in the case of Shadow Hand, it wasn't an overlay; it was a creation. An entirely new hand was born.
There is no price, but there is a heavy condition.
Black magic, which is high-performance relative to mana consumption, requires two things: the 'Price,' where one's mind is contaminated the more the magic is used, and the 'Condition,' which requires intense mental focus.
The sense of alienation felt as a new hand is created is the condition. One experiences confusion over whether this is their own hand or a phantom one. If one cannot accept it, they fail to satisfy the 'Condition' for using Shadow Hand. A mage who fails the condition suffers from terrible phantom pains.
For Ferda, such risks were meaningless. He had mastered the conditions for Shadow Hand long ago.
Still, it doesn't quite feel like my own arm yet.
Ferda looked down at the black hand. He tested it with delicate, sophisticated movements, tracing waves with its fingers. It was as natural as his original hand.
Ferda turned his gaze toward a shelf. Normally, it was a distance that would require him to stand up and walk ten paces. Ferda reached out toward it.
An arm can be extended.
Following Ferda’s imagination, which shattered common sense, the shadow hand stretched far beyond its limits. It extended the distance of ten paces, picked up a book from the shelf, and returned.
A 3rd Tier spell, but one that is burdensome for a 3rd Circle mage to use.
Because it can move so minutely, it requires a vast amount of imagination and mental strength. That was the essence of Black Magic. It was high-performance, but it demanded a high level of skill to match. If one did not reach that level, these were spells that would easily drive one mad.
It will become more stable once I reach the 4th Circle.
Ferda muttered to himself as he thought. "The next stage..."
Ferda’s mind became complicated. It was a time when he needed ambition, but currently, he lacked his usual stimulation.
What is needed to completely stabilize her is a 4th Circle's worth of mana.
It was the amount of mana required to fully suppress Valdrova’s blood energy. For that reason alone, he wanted to ascend by any means necessary. But now, something was blocked. Reaching the 3rd Circle so effortlessly was one reason, but the biggest factor was the search for his aptitude that he had recently undertaken.
Mana Fatalism...
Ferda had learned many things under a master who was greedy for money, and among them was Mana Fatalism. It was a theory that resonated more with those who possessed a Red Circle than a Blue Circle.
The gist of it was that even if a version of oneself from a different timeline awakened with different goals and events, their inherent attribute remained immutable—a story derived from fatalism.
It was a useless point of debate.
It was as meaningless as proving a utopia. There was a reason it was called the "relationship-ending spell." However, because Ferda was someone who had actually turned back time, he could not dare to ignore it.
I no longer harbor hostility toward the family or hatred toward the world.
Because Ferda had vowed to live only for her, he thought his attribute might be different. But what he was given was Darkness and Electricity. Exactly the same magic Ferda had used in the past.
How did I feel when I first learned I had these attributes?
How else? He was delighted.
There are two attributes that a Blue Circle cannot properly handle: Light and Darkness. Light manifests through a righteous heart in clerics. Darkness manifests based on negative emotions, like Ferda’s.
Having an aptitude for the Darkness attribute has the disadvantage of being unable to use Light magic or spells that heal others. However, it had the advantage that, unlike other Red Circle possessors, other elemental magics were not significantly weakened. Thus, Ferda had handled all elements except Light no less skillfully than an Elemental Master.
But now...
It wasn't good. Now that his story was intertwined with Valdrova, things were different. This blessing that had allowed Ferda to thrive in the past now felt like a curse.
Valdrova is suffering because of the Aspect of Darkness, and I possess the Darkness attribute.
It had already been proven that he could influence her by injecting mana. But what if what Ferda was doing wasn't simple stabilization, but rather watering another seed of darkness within her?
If what he gave eventually led to her ruin, could it truly be said he was doing it for her sake?
If the mana that killed her then is the same mana that will kill her again...
If mana does not change, and fate does not change either...
Is it right for someone like me to be by her side?
Even for Ferda, who was once an Archmage and had commanded the heavens and earth, this was uncharted territory. When faced with the unknown, Ferda had always challenged it. But now, it only left him in deep contemplation.
A mage’s inquiry leads directly to magic. Ferda’s deep contemplation drew out another spell from his subconscious. Following his intuition, he standardized the magic once more. Only after the magic circle was standardized did he finally notice.
What kind of magic is this?
It wasn't simply something he had forgotten; it was a form he had truly never seen before. It was filled with incredibly complex formulas and densely packed runes. In terms of complexity alone, it was at a level comparable to 6th Tier spells.
However, if it were 6th Tier, it would have broken during standardization, and it wouldn't look like this. Above all, he would have remembered it. It was definitely a spell he had pulled from his own subconscious.
He had pulled Shadow Hand and Elemental Bolt from his subconscious as well, and he had recognized their names eventually. But this spell, even as it floated above his palm, did not bring a name to mind.
As if it never had a name to begin with.
He didn't know what it was. Using the manifested Shadow Hand, Ferda pulled a sheet of magic copy parchment from the cabinet. He placed it directly over the magic circle he was maintaining and copied the shape and patterns.
He examined the magic circle. He tried to understand it, but it was something he could not analyze even with his knowledge.
Knock, knock—
Someone knocked. "It is Ruri."
Ferda rolled up the copy parchment and set it aside. "Enter."
The young maid entered the room. Her face was expressionless, as usual.
"You look like you have many worries."
"I ended up like this after thinking about various things."
He glossed over the magic circle and his thoughts. He didn't think it was a problem Ruri needed to know.
"What do you think about a tea party?" While he was eating lunch, Ruri posed that question.
"A tea party? With whom?"
"Who else is there besides my Master?" Ruri was being more blunt than usual. "I am asking because Master 'personally' requested that I arrange it. If you wish, we can have it this afternoon."
"A tea party with my fiancée..."
Ferda could imagine it in his head. The sight of her in a dress, elegantly sipping tea. Valdrova joining in such a bright atmosphere.
I definitely want to go.
"Proceed with it no matter what." That is how Ferda would have normally answered.
"It's a good idea, but the timing doesn't seem quite right."
"...Pardon?" Ruri asked back as if she had misheard.
Ferda answered once more. "I'm saying there's no need to rush. I need some time to think for a while, so let's postpone it."
"..."
Ferda spoke calmly, as he always did. Ruri stared intently at Ferda before opening her mouth.
"Are you playing hard to get with my Master?"
"Hard to get?"
"The struggle between lovers to seize the initiative. Are you using a trick to make Lady Valdrova fall head over heels for you...?"
"It's nothing like that." When it came to romance, it wasn't easy for him to have such high-level ideas.
"Then is something wrong?"
"Not particularly."
"Seeing someone who usually sings about wanting to meet her act like this makes me wonder if you're about to die."
"It's not that, so do not worry."
"I will not back down until you answer."
As much as Ferda was acting out of character, Ruri was being persistent. She looked ready to follow him even to the latrine. He considered ignoring her anyway, but—
"Have you grown tired of my Master?"
He couldn't dare to do that. The moment he heard those words, Ferda felt as if his heart had dropped.
"Why would you say such a thing?"
"Master said so. That recently, you haven't been watching her fight. She said since you haven't shown your face at all, it must be because you've grown tired of her."
Tired of her? How could that be possible? Ferda’s only thought was that he wanted to see her. It was just that watching her wasn't the same as before.
"If you haven't grown tired of her, I would like you to give an appropriate answer."
Ruri’s loyal eyes shone with a silver light. Ferda finally spoke the words that had been swirling in his mouth.
"...I've just had many worries lately."
"Even a blind man would know that. What kind of worries?"
"My mana is imbued with darkness. I was troubled, wondering if that darkness might be causing her harm."
"Is that so?" Ruri took off her glove and extended her hand. "Then try it."
"On you?"
Ruri nodded. "I am also a spawn who has inherited dragon blood. It may be a drop in the bucket, but I can determine if something is harmful to Master, so try it."
Ferda decided not to hesitate any longer and test it by taking her hand. A child’s small hand. But that hand was not entirely soft. Ferda injected his mana into that hand.
"How is it?"
Ruri, who was feeling it deeply, tilted her head. "...I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be feeling. Isn't it just mana flowing in?"
"Do you not feel anything in particular?"
"I don't."
The amount of mana Ferda had released was equivalent to one Mana Shot. In Valdrova’s case, she had already reacted to even this amount.
"I'll flow a bit more."
This time, it was five times that amount. This was enough to touch the mana circuits and cause someone to feel something. Ruri’s expression also underwent a subtle change.
"How about now?"
"I do feel something, as you said, but there is no sensation of it being harmful. It is just mana." Ruri furrowed her brows and looked up at Ferda as if he were being ridiculous. "Did you really make my Master worry and get scared just because you were concerned she might collapse from this little bit?"
"...Yes."
"You turn people into dogs and snap their fingers, yet you're such a coward when it comes to Master."
The Aspect of Power that no one could stop, the Red Dragon, Valdrova. She was such a being, yet in front of Ferda, she was merely a woman as fragile as a single flower. The concern that he might harm that woman was a burden too heavy for Ferda to bear.
"As her future husband, shouldn't you be easing her worries instead of creating them because of such trivial concerns?"
"Yes, you are right."
"Whew..."
Ferda nodded, and Ruri let out a long sigh. Ferda could clearly feel how much trouble she had gone through being caught between the two of them.
"So, what will you do?"
What else?
"I shall accept that invitation. I cannot ignore a request personally made by my fiancée."
He had no choice but to face it.
"Understood."
Having received the answer, Ruri gave a polite bow and left the dining room. While she was gone, Ferda glanced at the parchment he had set aside.
Trying to figure it out now will only lead to more worry.
He could ask Mori to find the type of magic circle. He could ask Echidna, who was well-versed in runes, for an interpretation. But he had a premonition that he had to realize the nature of this magic circle on his own.
Therefore, Ferda folded the parchment neatly and tucked it between the pages of a book. If he naturally forgot about it and it happened to pop out while he was taking out a book, he would think about it then.
With that thought, he decided to put it out of his mind.
* * *
Honestly, he's a man who makes things difficult for himself in the most useless ways.
Ruri grumbled to herself as she walked down the long hallway. He had the nerve to reject the invitation, and for such a trivial reason.
He's usually so bold, so why is he like that in front of Master?
He could be a psycho who got what he wanted by any means, but when it came to Valdrova, he was a total fool and a coward.
Thinking his mana would harm Lady Valdrova...
Ruri looked down at her right hand. She had said she didn't feel anything, but in reality, Ruri had felt a strange sensation. And that sensation still remained in the hand Ferda had held.
I don't know what this is, but...
It felt strange, but it was certainly a harmless sensation.
I can't mention it and make him scared, so...
Ruri put her glove back on and continued on her way. Even the loyal attendant had to spend days so busy she barely had a moment to blink.