The Spider That Collects Gold Coins
A low, resonant gwooooooo echoed through the air. A pure white disk floated in the void, its center occupied by a black hole that devoured everything in its path. The perfectly circular gap punched into the sky was so bizarre it hardly seemed like something that could happen in reality.
Yet what astonished Beatrice wasn’t merely the influence of the sphere Kyle had conjured. In terms of raw power alone, her own manipulation spells as a mage could have produced a far greater effect. The spell Kyle had cast, though capable of sucking in all things, remained utterly motionless, and its size was almost pitifully small.
What truly held Beatrice’s attention was the process of the spell’s manifestation itself. It consumed an immeasurable quantity of mana; the scattered strands of power overlapped and wove together, twisting the very fabric of space. It reached out to the fundamental laws of the world—particularly those governing space—and fashioned a kind of cosmic trash bin that could swallow anything. This was the ultimate expression of manipulation magic: using mana strands pushed to their absolute limit to distort non-physical forms and create a focal point of distortion.
Staring at the distortion point formed by Kyle’s hand—something her eyes refused to accept even as they witnessed it—Beatrice swallowed a quiet groan.
Manipulating non-physical entities—especially space itself—to the point of distortion carried far heavier implications than she had imagined. If her spells could reach something once thought unreachable, then the next step would also be within grasp. It went beyond mere manipulation and entered the realm of outright alteration. In other words, it meant one could rewrite the laws of the world.
Kyle dispersed the spell he had just created, speaking as though he could see every wild fantasy running through her mind.
“How could you possibly know what I was thinking?”
“One look at your face and it was obvious you were imagining using manipulation spells to rewrite the laws themselves.”
“……”
“Rewriting the laws means reconstructing the world from its foundation. Even the Constellations seated among the stars and the gods drifting through the Outer Sea cannot do such a thing.”
Altering and reconstructing the laws of the world. In the end, it might not be so different from creating the world anew. Since even the Constellations embedded in the firmament and the Outer Gods swimming beyond it could not fully escape those laws, no being capable of such an act could possibly exist. If one did, it would no longer be something that could be called an “existence.”
When Beatrice nodded in understanding, having realized how absurd her own thoughts had become, Kyle continued.
“What I can do is manipulate laws that have been subdivided and largely forgotten. Anything beyond that would mean clashing with the laws head-on, and the cost simply doesn’t balance.”
As if to prove his point, his hand trembled faintly. He had maintained that hole for less than ten seconds, yet the backlash was already this severe. The mere visible recoil was this intense; Beatrice could not even begin to imagine the state of the mana circuits inside him that had directly touched the laws.
At the same time, however, she finally understood what Kyle was trying to teach her.
“Beyond simply manipulating human bodies or physical matter… you’re telling me to use mana strands to control the spells mages cast or the strikes swordsmen unleash. Is that it?”
“You catch on quickly.”
“But something like that can’t possibly—”
Beatrice began to protest the impossibility, then promptly shut her mouth. After all, she had already witnessed a manipulation spell far beyond what he was describing. Had she only heard the theory without seeing it with her own eyes, she might have doubted it. But once one had witnessed a higher concept that surpassed the given theory, claiming it was impossible was no longer an option. To do so would be to admit her own inadequacy.
“…It seems I have no choice but to succeed.”
For Beatrice, there was no greater humiliation than acknowledging her own limitations. If she had never begun, it might have been different. But this was a private lesson she had initiated. Declaring that her talent was insufficient to follow teachings she herself had requested was something the Spider That Collects Gold Coins could never accept.
Besides, if she mastered the theory Kyle had described, it would become an excellent weapon to prepare for the assassination that had been the original purpose of these lessons. Of course, ascending in rank would be ideal, but even Beatrice drew the line at expecting rank advancement from private tutoring. That would be utterly shameless.
“Let’s do it.”
She clenched her fist tightly before him. In that moment, the true objective of their one-month lessons was decided.
“You complained so much, yet you’re surprisingly good at this.”
“We’ve already started the lessons and I’ve taken the money. Naturally I have to teach properly.”
“Ooh.”
“It helps that I’ve seen a manipulation mage up close before.”
Seen a manipulation mage up close? Kyle’s casual remark made Beatrice’s hand—busy brushing dust from her clothes—freeze mid-motion.
There were countless branches of magic, but the manipulation school was exceptionally rare. The very concept of “manipulation” lacked the clarity of elemental magic, and even when it was used, the number of high-ranking mages in the field was noticeably lower than in other schools. As a result, the art was rarely passed down.
However, if a manipulation mage rose to the rank of superhuman, their name would inevitably spread far and wide. Beatrice’s own reputation as a superhuman of the manipulation school had been known across the continent for years. Therefore, if Kyle had encountered such a mage, it should have been someone she also recognized. Yet she had heard of no one who had reached the superhuman realm as a manipulation mage in the last several decades.
“What kind of person was that manipulation mage?”
Unable to contain her curiosity, Beatrice asked the question, only to receive a single dry reply.
“The second craziest person I’ve ever met.”
Clatter, clatter.
A lavish carriage adorned with ornate golden decorations raced along the paved road. Arleah de Raziel’s eyes sparkled as she gazed at the scenery beyond the window. The road was perfectly maintained for comfortable travel, flanked on both sides by towering trees planted like honor guards. Occasional guards stood watch, while landscapers sprayed water to nurture the beautiful natural surroundings. Ancient yet radiant buildings harmonized beautifully with the greenery. This was the imperial palace, situated at the very heart of the empire’s capital.
The fact that one needed a carriage simply to move between buildings inside the palace—not even within the city proper—had already bewildered Arleah. But that was nothing compared to what Major Carla said next.
“His Majesty has granted you an immediate audience.”
“Imme… diate? Right now?”
“Yes. You and I must proceed directly to the audience chamber. Please board quickly.”
After climbing into the carriage, Arleah spent the entire journey cursing the mentor who had thrust her into this situation. She had heard that gaining an audience with the emperor normally required anywhere from several weeks to several months—or even years. Yet the moment she arrived at the capital, she was to meet the ruler of the empire without delay. The situation was so urgent it made even a superhuman’s head spin. She almost wished she were back on the battlefield firing arrows instead.
“We have arrived.”
Just as she finished straightening her chaotic thoughts and had lost count of how many times she had cursed Kyle, the coachman brought the carriage to a stop. Arleah stepped down and, guided by both Carla and the chamberlain who oversaw the entire imperial household, made her way toward the audience chamber where the emperor awaited.
Unlike the glittering patterns visible on the exterior, the audience chamber where the emperor primarily resided was spacious but not particularly ornate—most likely because it was constructed almost entirely of wood. The faint aroma of timber blended with a subtle floral fragrance, gently easing the tension in Arleah’s heart.
That relief was short-lived. Carla’s warning tightened it once more.
“Once we enter, I strongly advise against mentioning Lord Kyle. If you must speak of him, keep it as brief as possible.”
Arleah nodded. The first piece of information she had verified after arriving in the empire’s southern region was the bounty notice for Kyle Amillan. The sheer size of the reward indicated a crime of monstrous proportion; the emperor himself could not possibly harbor any favorable feelings toward the man. She would have to tread with extreme caution.
“Then I shall open the door.”
Carla placed her hand on the wooden door and slowly pulled it open. Bright light spilled forth, revealing a woman seated upon the throne. She rested her chin on one hand atop a chair of vivid red cushions and backrest, gazing down at all who entered. Long hair as black as midnight cascaded down her back, and crimson eyes observed those who stepped into her domain. She appeared to be surveying the world while openly expressing boredom.
Yet what Arleah felt was far more than a simple impression.
Insane…
She was overwhelmed. The instant her eyes fell upon the emperor’s existence, Arleah felt as though her brain were burning alive. Beyond mere physical appearance, the sheer volume of information contained within that presence caused her mind to instinctively reject absorption. It struck like a hammer blow to the skull. The moment she recognized the emperor, the immense mana radiating from her body not only filled the audience chamber but began pressing against Arleah herself. The mana sensitivity and enhanced vision that had allowed her to reach the superhuman realm had instead become a deadly poison.
For the briefest instant, their eyes met, and Arleah felt her body being seized by some invisible force. As though she were being manipulated.
Yet the emperor paid no heed to Arleah’s reaction. She slowly opened her mouth.
I sense the manifestation of a spell.
……?
So you were there. First Star of the Empire.