Chapter 14
Chapter 14
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Path to the Ultimate
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Mage.
One who performs miracles.
To ordinary folk, they seemed like gods.
But the mages themselves said otherwise.
"A mage is one who imbues mana with will."
Those were the words of Androsen, Master of the Tower of Light.
Magic was not some unimaginable miracle, but a tool that could only be brought into being through imagination.
A catalyst called mana, clothed in will—that was what a mage wielded.
Just as a farmer tilled the fields with farming tools, a mage wielded magic through mana.
That naturally led to a question.
What exactly was mana?
How could one imbue will into something invisible and intangible?
"But research into mana is still ongoing. With 217 magic towers across the continent and 274,365 registered mages in them."
There were well over 200,000 mages registered in the towers.
The number of unregistered mages was even greater.
That was because they'd set the bar at 4th circle for official registration—not just anyone could call themselves a mage.
"And if you include the unofficial ones, you're looking at at least a million. Out of them, only about twenty have reached 8th circle archmages—including me."
It was a path one could only enter through superhuman training and enlightenment beyond imagination.
That was the realm of the 8th circle archmage.
"Even I don't know exactly what mana is. They say realizing that is how you reach 9th circle."
"Master Androsen. Isn't mana the fundamental component of nature and life?"
The mages brought to the imperial palace were mostly promising talents.
The next generation of the towers' faces.
Genius prodigies who'd all broken through the 5th circle wall at young ages!
They'd come to the palace lightly, to get acquainted with the imperial family and get some fresh air.
They were originally scheduled to leave the day after watching the princes' demonstrations, but three days later, they were still stuck there.
Androsen shook his head.
It was time to reveal the truth.
"Humans instinctively reject knowledge that contradicts their 'concepts.' The idea that mana is nature and life is an artificial, fabricated falsehood born from that."
"Don't all mages learn it that way...? That it's fake?"
"Reaching 6th circle begins with that very question: 'What is mana?' Let me ask you all. Is nature artificial?"
"No."
They answered in unison.
Nature was nature.
It moved on its own, untouched by human hands—that was nature.
Androsen nodded.
"When it passes through human hands, we call it 'artificial.' But humans can't manipulate nature to begin with. Nature can never be artificial."
"That's why we learned it's a privilege granted only to mages."
"No. Mana is not natural. It doesn't arise spontaneously. That's precisely why we can artificially imbue it with will to cast magic."
It felt like being struck in the head with a club.
But it was just a feeling—they still couldn't grasp exactly what Androsen was defining.
This was the clue.
Grasping enlightenment from this clue would elevate them to 6th circle.
Androsen continued.
"A mage's circles are ultimately just a measure of how well they handle mana. But that's limited to mana that aligns with their affinity and is inscribed in their heart's circles."
It was a truth common to all 'mana users,' mages included.
Mana couldn't be seen or felt.
But those with affinity and adaptability could harbor a tiny amount of it.
They wielded that harbored mana to perform feats like magic or auras.
The harbored mana instinctively resided in the heart, tracing a circle. They called that circle the 'origin,' and defined circles by how many laps the mana made around it.
"That's why we can't touch others' mana. We can't even sense it. Even as our circles rise, we might exert a slight influence on the mana permeating the earth, but we can't control it."
"That must be why we can't stop 'surges.'"
"Exactly. Mana surges come from one's own mana. No one else can interfere. Unless it's the legendary 9th circle mage said to wield others' mana and ambient mana."
"Then does that mean the Crown Prince is 9th circle?"
Androsen shook his head.
"The Crown Prince isn't 9th circle. Even if mages can't sense others' mana, reaching that realm awakens a 'sense' for it. There's no mage aura from the Crown Prince at all."
But one person had figured it out.
Croft.
The Sword Master, Sword King, the continent's strongest swordsman—he was the first to notice the Crown Prince had healed the 3rd Prince.
It wasn't as if he'd known first.
'A typical Sword Master is comparable to 7th circle.'
Comparisons between mages and knights had persisted for centuries.
How many mage circles did a Sword Master's aura equate to?
Roughly 7th, but it varied wildly by individual.
Just as there were disparities among 8th circle mages.
Croft was probably the human closest to 9th circle if measured in mage terms.
That was likely how he'd realized the Crown Prince was the one who quelled the surge.
It'stung his pride, but he had to acknowledge it.
"Then how did the Crown Prince heal someone else's surge?"
"Either he's one of the rare owners of void attribute—one or two per generation—or a human blessed by the 'Mana God' after achieving divine feats. Or... it could be a scam."
"...All of that sounds absurd."
"Or maybe he's a human with some 'something' we don't know about."
Four possibilities.
All implausible.
The void attribute was only known from legends.
Divine feats?
There were occasional 'starfall' visions granting revelations.
They said achieving all twelve feats granted godlike power, but most gave up after three.
And even three was one in a thousand.
Just three feats granted a specific god's blessing and superhuman power.
No one in human history had completed all twelve.
The record holder was ten—the being called the 'Absolute One' who founded the empire.
Blessed by the Mana God? Possible in theory, but how could the palace-bound Crown Prince achieve feats?
It had to be a fraud or true mystery.
"That's why we need to find out. He might quench our thirst. Even if not..."
The ability to mitigate surges.
That alone was monumental.
Mage research always carried the risk of surges.
Deaths from accidents never ceased.
If there was someone who could drastically reduce those incidents?
Magic would advance brilliantly.
Decades, centuries ahead—perhaps even a milestone to the ultimate '9th circle.'
'9th circle.'
Just the name stirred excitement. Stepping into that realm first...
He could become master of all towers.
It was the pact all 217 official towers had sworn.
—All towers and mages would serve the one who reached the pinnacle.
But no 9th circle mage had appeared in a thousand years.
Ancient texts spoke of them, but no one had verified their existence.
'We have to make contact first.'
The other tower masters weren't leaving the palace for the same reason.
Everyone was watching and waiting.
'At least we have a connection to the 3rd Empress.'
Since Crown Prince Reinhardt had treated the 3rd Prince, the Tower of Light—with ties to the 3rd Empress—had a slight edge.
But blind contact wouldn't solve it.
They knew he differed from the rumors, thanks to what he'd shown.
But... they had no idea what he wanted.
'Too many eyes watching.'
Carelessly approaching the Crown Prince could even draw the imperial family's ire.
It was a dilemma all around.
"Ah, Master Androsen!"
Androsen scowled at the mage bursting in without knocking.
"What is it? No knock?"
"W-We made contact."
"Contact?"
"The Tower of Ice made contact with the Crown Prince!"
Androsen's face hardened further.
While he'd been taking it easy, they'd snatched the lead.
***
"You'd do well not to."
Those were the words of Edis, Master of the Tower of Ice.
It was during a stroll down the same path as yesterday.
'Didn't expect him to approach me directly.'
I was a bit surprised myself.
I'd figured it'd take a few more days before they sent a subordinate mage under pretense of coincidence.
Never imagined the Ice Tower's master himself would come.
I'd assumed mages, unfamiliar with palace politics where every breath was political, would be extra cautious.
But Edis, of all people.
Over eighty years old.
Yet he maintained a youthful appearance.
8th circle mages underwent a 'mana shower' once, rejuvenating their bodies. They could live up to 200 years.
Some kept an elderly look for authority, but Edis had chosen youth.
'He must be desperate.'
Edis's granddaughter had died from a mana surge.
Not instantly, but probably clinging on today or tomorrow.
That arm was proof.
And after her death, he'd step down as tower master.
"What do you mean?"
I feigned ignorance and asked brazenly. Edis replied coldly.
"Mages are tougher than the imperial family thinks. Move so openly, and who knows what they'll do."
"Am I worth that much to the mages? Enough to defy the imperial family?"
"You know you are."
I knew.
Too well, in fact.
That I'd mitigated a surge. They were imagining there might be an 'ultimate' method in how.
But there was no ultimate.
Only [Nano Machine Zero].
No one would believe me if I said it, so I just shrugged.
"Didn't expect the Ice Tower Master to move personally."
"I believed it was worth that much."
"Oh? Then you know what associating with me means here in the palace?"
Associating with me in this palace?
It meant death.
Isolation.
The imperial funding to towers was beyond imagination.
Roughly over 80% of a tower's annual budget.
That was why even sedentary tower masters dragged themselves to the distant palace.
Aligning with me would have the empresses cut that funding without hesitation.
There were plenty of towers craving imperial support.
"...I have no greed for the tower master's seat. I planned to retire soon anyway."
He emphasized the tower and himself were separate.
Meaning he'd shoulder all fallout himself.
"Still, there must be a reason you sought me out."
"...Won't you heal my granddaughter?"
"Fine. Bring her."
I said it openly.
Edis had taken a gamble, so no need for haggling.
But Edis shook his head.
"That's impossible."
"Why?"
"Because I froze her entire body."
"You mean like that arm—you froze her whole body?"
"Yes."
Insane.
Now I understood why he'd gambled by coming to me directly.
I'd have to go to his granddaughter myself.
But leaving the palace meant my death.
Honestly, 99.9% chance.
"If she's just frozen, can't you move her?"
"I fixed her completely for life support. Move her carelessly... and she'll die."
Meaning it was impossible to bring her here.
I had to ask.
"Do you know what leaving the palace means for me?"
"I'll stake my life to escort you, Your Highness."
Escort from an 8th circle archmage.
Truly reassuring.
Reassuring, but...
'One hand can't beat ten.'
And those ten were all top-tier powerhouses.
Biggest worries: the 1st and 4th Empresses.
Contact with Ice Tower? The 4th Empress would act for sure, and the 1st—who itched to kill me—would scheme the moment I left the palace.
The 3rd Empress Josephine was leashed for now, so safe there, but hoping Edis alone could protect me from those two's assaults and other towers' moves was folly.
And if the 2nd Empress moved too?
Despair.
It was a golden chance to win the Ice Tower Master to my side.
With him, dominating the Special Prison would be far easier.
"Not feasible right now."
"I... see."
But reality was reality.
Though ways weren't impossible.
"Unless something huge happens in the palace that keeps the empresses from minding me."
Something so big the empresses couldn't focus on me.
"Could such a thing happen?"
I smirked and said,
"If you help me, it could."
I rolled up my right sleeve simultaneously.
"Th-This is...!"
"You recognize it."
"Spirit Language, isn't it?"
Spirits.
Ancient beings with no ties left to humanity.
The language they used was inscribed on my right arm.
'I smashed the [Light Seeker].'
Right after getting the [Light Seeker] staff from Empress Josephine.
I destroyed it to check the Spirit Language inside.
But [Nano Machine Zero] made the inscribed letters—unnamed 'unlicensed nanomachines'—parasitize my right arm.
A situation even I hadn't anticipated.
"What if a spirit appeared in the palace?"
"It'd be chaos. Not just the palace—the whole continent."
"You know what you need to do."
I straightened my clothes and smiled at Edis.
Edis's eyes wavered.
But soon, with a resolute expression, he nodded.
"I'll make it happen, Your Highness."