Chapter 307
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 307
Chapter Title: Future
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The meeting wrapped up without any major hitches.
Since it was only the first day and not even a base camp had been set up yet, the discussion focused more on immediate plans than grand topics.
However, toward the end, the agenda for the next meeting was announced in advance: the formation of the scouting party.
"The real battle will be at the next meeting, huh."
"It looks like it'll be fierce."
The emperor's edict hadn't specified what exactly they were supposed to defend the checkpoint against.
But the other mages already had a rough idea that the Celestial Church was involved.
The mages agreed that they needed to confirm the presence of Celestial Church forces first and foremost.
"It seems they've already pegged us for the scouting party."
"Yes, just as expected."
Endo, having consumed the evil spirit bead, was surely tasked with destroying the checkpoint.
So he would try to push his enemies outward while staying behind at the checkpoint himself by any means necessary.
"The problem is we have no way to refuse the proposal from our side."
Normally, the various mage towers looked down on the Ranes Mage Tower, dismissing them as lowly mercenaries who reported to them.
But conversely, no one was better suited for fieldwork and scouting than the Ranes Mage Tower.
If Ranes refused here, public opinion within his own tower would sour dramatically—it was obvious.
That said, as Jun had pointed out earlier, both Jun and Ranes had foreseen this development.
"Will we proceed with the original plan?"
"We have no choice. Sorry to burden you with this again."
"I'm used to it. We came here precisely to prevent something like this."
Their plan was simple.
Leverage the White Whale Mercenary Corps' demonstrated prowess to secure command of the scouting party, then use checkpoint defense as an excuse for Ranes to remain there alone.
As an 8th-circle archmage, Ranes could handle emergencies solo, making the plan feasible.
"Understood, then. See you tomorrow."
"Yes. Oh, and..."
"Yes."
"It seems our kids have gone over to your side. Take good care of them."
"...?"
Jun understood what he meant just as he arrived at the temporary tent.
"Ah, hello!"
"
Hello!"
Chubby cheeks puffed out full, hands crammed with snacks.
The leader who greeted him first had nothing in her mouth, but she couldn't hide the cookie crumbs at the corners of her lips.
"So, you're here because you're curious about my magic."
"Yes! Um, did we overstep?"
It went without saying, but asking a mage you barely knew to teach you their magic was a huge faux pas.
Just as a swordsman's techniques were treated like family secrets, a mage's spells were much the same.
However, the kids seemed aware of the connection between the Ranes Mage Tower and the White Whale Mercenary Corps.
'He means these kids could be the future of the mage world.'
Suddenly, Jun recalled Ranes steeling himself over these children just a few days ago.
They were innocently carefree now, but each one was a gem Ranes had nurtured with utmost care.
'They seem to have a decent grasp of magic theory already.'
Far from just talk, he'd acquired various skillbooks and taught them to the kids.
Their eyes gleamed with a sharpness unbelievable for their age.
'They even cast spells on the way here.'
They'd only assisted senior mages from their tower, but their hand movements were so practiced, as if they'd done nothing else their whole lives.
That explained their curiosity. They must have figured Jun would explain it in a way they'd understand.
"What are you curious about?"
Was it because he'd reached level 7? Or had they seen Jun's murderous spells?
The leader flinched at his voice alone but spoke clearly.
"The Enchant Book intrigues me most."
"You mean this."
With that, Jun pulled an Enchant Book from his dimensional bracelet and handed it to her.
"Take a look."
"Is that really okay?"
"Nothing amazing to see anyway."
She opened the book with permission, and the kids crowded around to peer at its contents.
The pages were filled solely with spell formulas containing magic patterns.
Yet the children dove in without a trace of their earlier tension.
"Is this an auxiliary formula?"
"It links organically to the next page."
"Fewer formulas for activation than I thought..."
"No, look. This page connects to the next one. Probably the same across chapters."
"W-Wait, the whole book is for just one spell activation...?"
"Idiot. Think of the scale we saw. One book do all that?"
"Oh my god..."
The kids stared at the book in utter shock, then looked up at Jun like he was a monster.
'Feels like showing high school math to elementary kids and flexing.'
That was Jun's assessment, but these children had college-level insight into magic.
It was only natural.
They were talents handpicked by Hegar over years, raised by Ranes without sparing education or resources.
He'd poured elixirs, skillbooks for knowledge acquisition, and more into them over months—wealth most couldn't touch in a lifetime.
"But couldn't we use it like this? I mean..."
"Not with standard magic stone capacity..."
"Speaking of, how do you supply mana for this spell?"
"Look closely. Mana's infused in the text..."
"Huh? It is!"
"But it feels different from enchantment magic..."
"What's the difference?"
As Jun quietly watched, the kids focused harder on the book, gripping it tightly as if it might vanish.
Aiden approached from behind with a smile.
"It's like seeing myself as a kid. Mine was adventure books, not magic tomes."
"Kids have endless curiosity, especially for what fascinates them."
How long did their chatter last?
The leader finally snapped out of it and bowed deeply to Jun.
"Sorry!"
"For what?"
"W-We ignored you and just talked among ourselves..."
"It's fine. It was refreshing to watch."
"Huh...?"
Seeing children debate magic with pure joy and awe struck Jun in a uniquely nostalgic way.
It overlapped his own past: 'Jun' clutching a magic book, and 'Lee Jung-jun' tinkering with machine toys in science class.
Their innocent wonder brushed a faint scent of nostalgia across his senses.
Mages.
To those ignorant of magic, mages conjured something from nothing, annihilating armies with a single spell—terrifying beings.
Thus, they were revered with awe.
But mages weren't that.
They rejected mystery, serving only truth.
Yet the world, blind to magic, feared the unknown.
And these children Jun saw were the future to shatter that prejudice.
'I get a bit of what Ranes means now.'
Sure, it was possible now only because of Ranes' lavish support.
But in the world Ranes dreamed of, restrictions on knowledge would vanish—like the Earth 'Lee Jung-jun' knew—and growth would flourish.
These kids had that potential.
"Kids these days are scary smart..."
The next day.
Aiden sighed, recalling last night, looking deflated.
The kids had swarmed Jun with questions and debated among themselves.
Some adventurous ones grilled Aiden too, but sadly, their wavelengths didn't match.
Aiden's tales—grand adventures to him—were just chit-chat to them, lacking real theory.
He'd started enthusiastically spinning yarns, only realizing from their awkward smiles and slumping in defeat.
"A few were hooked on your stories, though."
"Thinking back, that's even more embarrassing... Felt like I hogged two kids with my ramblings."
"Whatever. If they enjoyed it, good enough."
"Sigh... At least you guys had it better."
Eleanor sighed beside him.
She'd returned to the tent at dusk, demonstrated holy magic to sate their curiosity, and got bombarded with questions until she was drained.
"It was fun, right?"
"Until I started on magic theory they couldn't grasp..."
Eleanor was broadening her magic knowledge, but gaps remained.
Inevitable, really.
Her knowledge was Jun's filtered essence, while the kids had mastered even established lore.
Chatting with them exposed her shortcomings, she said bashfully.
"Anyway, we might move right after today's meeting. Get ready, everyone."
The mages' meeting began at dawn.
True to yesterday, the scouting party agenda was tabled immediately.
"First, Tower Master Ranes. What say you?"
Endo went straight for Ranes, who nodded without hesitation.
"I agree to including the Ranes Mage Tower in the scouting party."
"The phrasing suggests more to say?"
"Indeed. As discussed yesterday, it included even me."
"Correct. We even offered to cede command to your scouting party."
"But it's odd. His Majesty's order was explicitly to defend the checkpoint."
"True, but the checkpoint's overstaffed. Losing some won't hurt defense."
"Hard to agree. Imperial reports state the Celestial Church operates from inside, not out."
"Implying a traitor among us?"
"You're twisting my words. No—regardless of excess force, we must be ready for any contingency. Does Elder Endo have countermeasures?"
"But you're handing full command to the White Whale Mercenary Corps? Others won't accept."
"Acceptance is irrelevant. His Majesty's command is absolute. To reiterate: unprecedented checkpoint erosion is occurring."
It felt like dueling with words as blades.
Endo argued from the mages' perspective; Ranes from the imperial.
And Jun gleaned something interesting.
'Not all towers follow Elder Endo.'
Even beyond Conventional Sorcerers.
Non-Conventional ones feared Endo's status and stayed mute, but some Conventional factions avoided extra blame.
'Even among nobles, some factions are militant, others not.'
They feigned neutrality while siding with Ranes.
Of course, counting them fully as allies would backfire—they'd turn sharp if threatened.
As the meeting sharpened into Ranes vs. Endo debate,
"Multiple anomalies detected! Suspected erosion phenomena confirmed!"
A mage's shout from outside plunged the noisy debate into icy silence.
The moment they'd awaited—the crisis demanding checkpoint defense—had arrived.