Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Fate 64: Guidance
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Hainya Ye Mastien
The youngest master in the history of the Gray Magic Tower.
Hainya Ye Mastien.
People used to talk about her.
She might become the greatest mage in the history of the Gray Magic Tower.
Her life as a mage had been filled with brilliant successes.
Not a single failure, not a single setback.
At the end of every problem and conflict was the conclusion that she had been right all along.
Thus, the genius mage awakened absolute faith in herself.
...
Thus, the genius mage forgot how to doubt herself.
Hainya Ye Mastien.
People talked about her.
She might have become the greatest mage in the history of the Gray Magic Tower.
"You haven't taken the elixir yet...?"
Hainya stared blankly at Rishir for a moment before letting out a "Hmph!" and smugly crossing her arms.
She was interpreting Rishir's actions as [Embarrassed excuses after getting caught having taken the elixir before the spar].
"Right. So you do have some self-awareness that your actions weren't exactly honorable?"
"Is that so..."
"It's fine. You don't have to make excuses like that. Honestly, I'm rather glad you took the elixir. Know why?"
Hainya spoke with exaggerated swagger.
"..."
She'd felt it since they first met—this arrogant young lady.
Dealing with her was seriously draining.
Rishir suddenly felt parched and took a sip of tea.
"Here."
And as always, Didoa promptly refilled his cup.
Her emotionless eyes subtly sparkled as she gazed at Rishir.
As if beholding something precious.
"Thanks?"
Jackpot. Another natural conversation.
Didoa entered standby mode with evident satisfaction.
Draining from both sides.
Rishir thought he needed to play along with Hainya's tune and send her on her way soon.
"Why are you glad I took the elixir? I'm dying to know."
Hainya's expression twisted briefly at Rishir's half-hearted tone of playing along.
But she quickly regained her composure and spoke in her swaggering voice.
"Truth is, I've been feeling a pang of conscience."
"A pang of conscience? That's random."
Tsk.
Tsk.
Tsk.
Hainya wagged her finger side to side, matching it with the sound.
"Random? Nah. You're aware of it too, right? You rushed to get and down an elixir right before the spar."
"...So that's it? You belatedly felt bad about challenging someone way below your level to a spar, and seeing me secretly chug an elixir eased your mind a bit?"
"Exactly. But—to be honest, my mind still isn't fully at ease."
Hainya gauged Rishir's mana.
When they first met, he had just barely entered the early 4th circle—
Now he was just barely past the early 4th circle.
An impressive achievement thanks to the elixir, but still far short of catching up to Hainya, who was preparing to enter the final stage of the 4th circle.
"Even after going to the trouble of getting and taking an elixir, you're still below me, right?"
"While we're on the topic, should we just call the spar your win too?"
"Well, I know a mage's prowess isn't solely determined by mana. But—"
Mana gathered in Hainya's palm.
Not pure mana, but mana infused with her own energy.
Homogenization.
The power to fully make mana one's own and wield it.
The foundation of unique meditation methods and magic, a power only mages who had reached the 4th circle could wield.
"Impressive homogenization. I heard you just started learning it, but you're already proficient?"
That was Didoa's assessment as she observed Hainya's homogenization from the side.
Hear that?
Hainya shot Rishir a smug glance.
"Remember clearly. Back at the magic shop, you had just reached early 4th circle. So I'm asking—do you actually know how to handle homogenization?"
"I just learned the concept of homogenization."
"See? And yet you accepted a spar with me?"
"..."
Rishir tensed his eyes while looking at the homogenized mana.
That thing. It feels familiar somehow?
Interpreting Rishir's reaction somehow, Hainya chided him.
"What the hell were you thinking accepting my spar challenge?"
"It's just a spar."
"It is just a spar—but you didn't forget, right? The loser grants the winner any one request, no matter what."
"Of course I remember. Just watch. I'll use it to turn my life around."
"Turn your life around?"
Hainya inexplicably got chills.
"What request are you planning anyway? Whatever, doesn't matter. You won't get to make it anyway."
"Well, we'll see. So, to ask now—what brings you here? You didn't come all this way just to scold me for taking the elixir."
"Ah, that—call it giving you one last chance?"
"One last chance?"
Handicap.
As she said it, Hainya dispersed the homogenized mana.
"If you just ask, I can exclude homogenization from the spar. You might think it's no big deal since you don't know it, but think carefully. A spell's level differs starkly depending on whether mana is homogenized."
A moment of contemplation.
Rishir recalled the 'homogenization' he had just seen and felt before him.
"I'll graciously decline."
"What?"
"If I accept a handicap like that, I'd feel bad making my request after winning."
"...Ha!"
Hainya sneered as if it was utterly ridiculous.
"Fine? Then I don't have to hold back either, right?"
"How about we both go all out, no holds barred, so no one can talk later?"
"Sounds good."
"You said it sounds good."
"?"
Rishir pulled out a vial and handed it to Didoa.
"Master Didoa. Shall we get started?"
"Shall we?"
"What? Starting what?"
Sensing inexplicable unease, Hainya feigned disinterest.
Didoa replied in her characteristic emotionless tone.
"Elixir ingestion."
"...Pardon?"
Hainya's feigned disinterest shattered.
She panicked, alternating glances between the elixir in Didoa's hand and Rishir.
Soon, she shouted in disbelief.
"Another one!?"
Rishir burst into laughter.
"Another? Do I look like I come from money?"
As Rishir said, taking elixirs twice in a row was a luxury even royalty couldn't easily afford.
"No, that's not the point! Taking elixirs twice in a row? Your body won't hold up! Master Didoa, shouldn't you stop him!?"
Didoa asked Rishir with the most serious face imaginable.
"Rishir. Have you taken an elixir recently?"
"No. Not recently—in my entire life, never."
"That's the case, Miss Hainya."
"No—wait—Master Didoa? Weren't you the assistant helping this guy ingest the elixir?"
"I'm about to help now."
"???"
Hainya kept alternating glances between Rishir and the elixir vial in Didoa's hand.
Her expression—and her world—crumbling bit by bit.
"No— no— no—"
Leaving Hainya repeating one word like a broken recorder behind,
Didoa examined the elixir closely, then bustled around the lab gathering various reagents.
She mixed them on the spot and said.
"Rishir? Could you take off your top for a bit?"
"Pardon? Ah, sure."
Rishir promptly stripped to the waist as instructed.
"Feels bad making only Rishir strip. Embarrassed? Should I join you?"
"I'm fine. Really."
"Rishir's so kind. Alright. Mind if I touch?"
Didoa cautiously extended her rune-covered hand.
"Of course."
Soon, various reagents were applied all over Rishir's body.
Didoa explained the reagents to Rishir as she applied them.
Rishir's expression grew complicated as he listened.
"Um, Master Didoa? Just to check, these reagents—they're valuable, aren't they?"
"It's fine."
"...So they are valuable? Is assisting elixir ingestion always like this?"
"No. It's supplementary. Not essential, but helpful if—"
"So I'm consuming expensive reagents I don't even need to take right now?"
"I'm doing it because I want to, so don't worry."
"...Thank you, Master Didoa. How can I ever repay this kindness—"
"If you insist on repaying, calling me Didoa casually instead of Master Didoa would be nice."
"...Didoa?"
Jackpot. Felt closer to Rishir.
Didoa nodded in satisfaction, her face emotionless.
With all preparations complete, Didoa uncorked the elixir vial and handed it to Rishir.
"Remember. After taking the elixir, you must follow my instructions completely."
"Got it."
"Was I too harsh? Sorry if I upset you."
"Don't worry about me—speak freely."
"Thanks. As I mentioned several times, that's a top-grade elixir. Meaning it contains immense power. Such elixirs inevitably bring tremendous pain during absorption. Let me warn you upfront: you won't be able to endure it fully, Rishir."
"What should I do then?"
"Even so, endure as much as you can. While enduring to the max, control the elixir's energy. Fifty percent. Even absorbing half the energy would be amazing. Don't be scared—I'll be right here. Got it?"
"Got it."
Rishir exchanged a glance with Didoa before downing the elixir.
Then braced for the massive backlash to come.
Like his heart pounding madly—
Or his blood boiling hot—
Or his insides flipping upside down— that kind of backlash.
"...Master Didoa. When does that pain hit?"
No matter how long he waited, no backlash came.
Rishir asked Didoa like a patient awaiting an injection.
"..."
"Master Didoa?"
Didoa's emotionless eyes were trembling.
She spoke in a dazed voice.
"Seems like it's over."
"Pardon? Over? Nothing happened? Did something go wrong? How much was absorbed— what percentage?"
To the flustered Rishir, Didoa replied even more flustered.
"All of it..."
"Pardon?"
"It seems all of it was absorbed."
"...Didn't you say absorbing half would be amazing?"
"...Anywhere uncomfortable?"
"...Not that I notice."
Didoa nodded.
"Whatever it is, congrats. Elixir ingestion was a huge success."
Hainya, who had watched the entire process from the side, muttered blankly.
"What the—"
Rishir.
He was now gazing toward the 5th circle.
***
The next day.
At the promised spar time in the afternoon, at the promised spar venue in the magic tower's inner courtyard, Rishir and Hainya faced each other.
Hainya had to convince herself countless times just to arrive here safely.
It's fine.
His mana surged a lot—but
Fact is, he's a newbie 4th circle who knows nothing about homogenization or anything.
I can do it.
I can win.
Mana means nothing.
Superior mana control, superior magical prowess—that's what matters.
With her final resolve hardened, Hainya nodded firmly.
The usual confidence filled her eyes.
That absolute confidence bordering on arrogance.
A man watching from afar spoke.
"Are both sides ready?"
Master Lardros, acting as the impartial third-party referee for fairness.
Rishir and Hainya nodded while looking at each other.
"Then, begin."
Hainya immediately drew up her power.
A ferocious momentum reinforcing all her mana with homogenization.
"...Wait!"
Hainya's momentum fizzled out weakly.
She stared at Rishir and shouted.
"What the hell is that!!!"
"?"
Attribute magic.
Beyond homogenizing mana with one's energy—
Using the homogenized energy to freely convert mana's properties: the subtleties of qualification.
Qualification was unequivocally the next step after homogenization, something generally only graspable upon reaching the 5th circle.
...Heterogeneous winds swirled around Rishir.
Undeniable attribute magic.