Chapter 430: Proof of Existence (18)
Chapter 430: Proof of Existence (18)
Mages explore the hidden rules of the world.
According to myth, in the distant past, Arus was born alongside light, and thus darkness appeared, and his name was Omeros. From that moment, the primal order began to take shape.
Light and darkness share an inseparable bond. Thus, where there is a light source, a shadow inevitably follows; and as light conceals fire within it, darkness conceals water.
Therefore, in places overflowing with light and heat, water vanishes, and in dark, cold places, fire naturally fades away. These laws were bound together by incredibly precise correlations.
The only one who knew them all was the Heavenly God Arus.
The reason he symbolized reason and wisdom was simple: 'omniscience' was the only path to achieving 'omnipotence.'
However, wisdom was not the exclusive property of the Heavenly God.
When Omeros fashioned the bodies of all living things, Arus shared small fragments of his secret wisdom. Among them were beings who received a particularly large portion of the Heavenly God’s grace.
Those were the dragons, and they soon began to explore the truth for themselves. Thousands of years later, as the dragons began to disappear, humanity inherited those fragments of hidden truth.
That was the beginning of magic.
Given this background, the mages' thirst for knowledge possessed a terrifying quality. Every unexplained phenomenon was a subject for their research, and they frequently resorted to any means necessary to solve a mystery.
This was why the common folk both respected and feared mages.
They were intellectuals who seemed to know everything, but people also knew all too well that they could be monsters who would abandon their humanity for the sake of knowledge.
Yet, there are times when one must walk into the monster’s maw of their own accord.
Specifically, when a problem involved magic, there was no choice but to consult a mage. Senior Elsie looked at me with an absurd expression as I finished this long-winded speech, while the Princess, appearing via the crystal ball, looked visibly flustered.
"My Master... are you actually doubting me?"
"I—I agree! Sir Ian, I am a virtuous mage. Have you ever heard of a pet biting its owner? I pride myself on being the mage furthest removed from conspiracies!"
No, the very concept of a 'pet' is unfamiliar to begin with.
The words reached the tip of my tongue, but I felt the need to clear up the misunderstanding first.
"No, no. I’m not saying Senior Elsie or Her Highness are like that. I’m saying that someone out there might be."
For example, a mage who sought forbidden knowledge and joined hands with the Dark Cult.
It was such a realistic hypothesis that Senior Elsie’s expression stiffened slightly. It was common for even mages to distrust their own kind.
After a moment, a faint groan escaped Senior Elsie’s hesitant lips.
"Well, the possibility exists, but..."
"Then what did they receive in exchange?"
Unlike Senior Elsie, who was at least trying to protect the honor of mages, the Princess’s deduction was relentless. If anything, her light gray eyes were sparkling with interest.
"A new system of magic lost long ago? Forbidden knowledge that humans shouldn't touch? Ah, perhaps a compilation of the Dark Elemental Reactions that have only been rumored to exist..."
"Your Highness, that’s enough."
It was a cold, mechanical rebuke from Senior Elsie. The Princess snapped back to her senses and began to look anxious.
The way she kept glancing at me suggested she realized she had made a dangerous comment. I only wished she had been quicker on the uptake.
With a sigh, I tried to praise Senior Elsie.
"As expected, the only one I can trust is Senior Elsie..."
"Dark Elemental Reactions are nothing but a fantasy. We’ve researched them for thousands of years and never found a clear definition, haven't we? I’d sooner believe they received help with research on the conversion reactions between the light and electric elements."
Senior Elsie, however, betrayed my expectations without fail.
I realized then: there was no such thing as a trustworthy mage in this world.
Still, weren't we a team with a mission to save humanity against Delphirem? And yet, here was a member of that team haggling over the price of cooperating with the Dark Cult.
I felt lightheaded.
Regardless of my feelings, the two were immersed in their own logic.
"N-No, they're not! There’s no proof that Dark Elemental Reactions don't exist! If you deny the existence of the dark element, too many unexplained problems arise."
"If you look at them all together, it might seem that way, but if you break them down, they can be sufficiently explained within the realms of individual theories. To begin with, the very existence of the dark element is unclear. It’s far more reasonable to view darkness as simply the absence of the light element."
"Are you insulting the Delos School right now?!"
As time passed, the debate between the two mages grew more heated. To me, it felt like a pointless squabble, but Senior Elsie and the Princess seemed more sincere than ever.
The Princess was even raising her voice in excitement. Perhaps because she was so worked up, her pronunciation slipped a bit at the end.
Senior Elsie wore a thin smile. She seemed to want to feign composure, but she couldn't hide the slight twitch at the corner of her mouth.
"Insult? Could you stop using expressions that distort objective facts? Though, I suppose a stale gathering like the Delos School could never achieve a breakthrough in theory."
"You—! Have you said enough?! The Delos School is a mainstream school officially recognized by the Imperial Household...!"
"Stop, stop."
The atmosphere was getting too heated, so I had no choice but to intervene and stop the Princess. It had been a while since I'd seen her huffing and puffing with indignation like this.
It reminded me of the Princess when we first met.
Where had that clever, sinister-looking girl gone? I felt the need to return to the main point.
"Everyone, calm down. Let's talk about our situation first. Does a magic exist that can suppress a skilled knight in an instant? Also, the target must see a 'bright flash' before their eyes."
The new topic silenced the mages.
Resolving mysteries was practically a duty for seekers of truth. Soon, a new discussion began.
"If a knight was suppressed instantly, what was the distance?"
"No matter the distance, it’s hard to suppress a knight right in front of you. It would have to be an instantaneous spell that doesn't even require chanting."
"But there’s a limit to the power of instantaneous magic. Is it possible to suppress a skilled knight with a single shot?"
"It would be possible for a mage whose skills far exceed the knight's. Even if we set aside the possibility of 'magic' itself."
The conclusion came from my own mouth.
"In the end, the type of magic is what's important. What kind of magic would give the sensation of a 'bright flash' before one's eyes?"
"We won't know unless we experiment, right?"
It was a clear, yet fundamental answer.
Indeed, there was no way for the caster to know exactly what the target experienced. Specifically, the description of seeing a 'bright flash' wasn't a particularly unique detail.
That left only one answer.
"...I guess we'll have to experiment."
Silence fell at my reluctant voice. Conducting the experiment wasn't difficult, but the subject was the problem.
Not many people would want to experience seeing a 'bright flash' and then passing out. Naturally, I felt the same, and I couldn't bring myself to volunteer.
Senior Elsie seemed to understand my feelings well. With a gentle smile, a suggestion flowed from the girl's lips.
"Should I go grab a few orphans?"
"Is there something wrong with your personality?"
As I asked back in disbelief, the Princess offered a new suggestion.
"Then, perhaps Sir Irene...?"
At this point, I couldn't hold out any longer. I finally threw up my hands and gave in.
"Fine, fine. I'll do it."
Senior Elsie and the Princess tilted their heads, as if they couldn't understand why I was stepping forward.
It wasn't like persuasion would work on them anyway. I urged the hesitating Senior Elsie.
"Just adjust the power so I only pass out. That's your specialty, isn't it?"
To be precise, it was the technique she used to torment students back at the Academy. Senior Elsie didn't seem to want to deny that.
There was just one thing weighing on her mind.
"Even so, how could I do that to my Master..."
"I'm asking you to."
At my firm stance, Senior Elsie let out a groan. As she slightly averted her gaze, an electric charge began to gather at her index finger.
"...Don't resent me, okay?"
And so, a series of hardships began.
The first spell: Electric Shock.
Just as I felt a sensation like needles pricking through my veins, I was suddenly unconscious.
It was a shock that turned my vision pure white.
Next, the second spell: Flood of Light.
As the charge boiled up from the floor, my muscles contracted involuntarily. My memory went blank the moment I hit the ground.
It was a pain that turned my vision pure white.
And after that: blackout, blackout, blackout.
By the time I was starting to get used to the stinging pain, I couldn't help but shout.
"No, no matter what you hit me with, my vision turns white!"
"I guess that's a typical symptom accompanying electrocution?"
A faint groan escaped my lips. At this rate, the experiment was pointless. Senior Elsie was a lightning mage, and except for a few common spells, the very nature of her mana was electrical.
Naturally, no matter what magic she used, the results were bound to be similar.
Did I need to find a new mage? Just as I was sinking into despair...
"Sir Ian, on the contrary, couldn't Sir Irene or Miss Haster have been electrocuted as well?"
"Well, yes. But that leaves us with too few clues. There are far too many mages in the world who use lightning magic."
"I wonder."
The Princess tapped her lips with her index finger, lost in thought. A look of deep contemplation was evident on her face as she closed her eyes with a hum.
"We should think about this one more time. Actually, the Masked Phantom was spotted three times, but only two testimonies mentioned a 'bright flash.' Because that day, I wasn't detected."
"Does that change anything?"
"It does."
The Princess triumphantly raised her index finger. She seemed to have reached a conclusion first.
"Becoming a masked phantom is simple. Anyone can become one just by wearing a mask, right? If so, there's a possibility that the Masked Phantom seen in the North and the one seen at the Percus Mansion and the Holy Kingdom are separate individuals."
"But even if there are two..."
"There are many mages who handle electrical charges, but mages skilled enough to suppress a knight in an instant are rare. Such a person wouldn't just be conveniently hanging around. Therefore, the pool of candidates narrows down instantly."
The Princess's deduction was persuasive. Before I knew it, I was following her logic.
Yes, skilled mages are rare. Even if we set aside Celine, Sir Irene was a warrior who had reached the level of Expert. To suppress her, one had to possess at least an equivalent level of skill.
A mage capable of infiltrating the Percus Mansion and the orphanage, with superior skill, and who handles lightning magic.
Cold sweat began to bead on my back.
I realized what the Princess was about to say.
I hurriedly tried to stop her.
"Your Highness, let's discuss the rest later in private..."
"Sir Reynold Lainella."
But before I could even finish my sentence, the Princess gave a bright smile and a smug look.
I ended up covering my face with both hands.
"No matter how I think about it, it can only be him. We should tail him before he notices..."
"Hey."
A desolate, cold voice. It was not the tone one used when addressing the blood of the Emperor.
It was obvious where that resonance was coming from. While the Princess froze with a flustered expression, I slowly turned my gaze away.
It was Senior Elsie.
Her blue eyes, resembling blue sapphires, held the chill of the polar regions. Her utterly expressionless face testified to the fact that her anger had reached its limit.
It was over. I could only shake my head.
"What kind of bullshit is that?"
In the end, the Princess began to tremble at the ominous atmosphere.
Her lack of tact was her crime.