Chapter 627: The Dream of Rising in Status
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 627: The Dream of Rising in Status
The Mage Federation is a nation of magic, divided between the ‘Enlightened,’ who have encountered its great knowledge, and the ‘Ignorant,’ who have unfortunately not received its grace.
Surprisingly, the gap between these two classes is not that wide.
Look at the nobles of the Empire. They wield absolute power, reigning over the common folk with their monopoly on strength and wealth. To a noble, the people are merely a stepping stone to elevate themselves.
Look at the Blood Lords of the Duchy. They enjoy eternal life through the Progenitor’s blood, wringing the people of their own blood and wealth to quench their thirst. To a Blood Lord, humans are merely livestock to be raised.
Look at the knights of the now-fallen Kingdom. They exercise their innate martial prowess, killing the weak under the pretext of duels to achieve their desires. To a knight, a commoner is merely lusciously fattened prey.
Compared to those who reign, squeeze blood, and hunt through duels…
The ‘Enlightened’ are merely more rational, logical, and wiser citizens.
The reason is none other than their acknowledgment that there is no innate difference between the Enlightened and the Ignorant.
Is anyone born a mage? At birth, we are all nothing more than ignorant beasts. A newborn learns language and emotion from its parents, and grows by absorbing knowledge and norms from society.
If a child raised in this way comes into contact with the great knowledge of magic and possesses the ‘wisdom’ to accept it, they can become one of the ‘Enlightened’ and enjoy all the Mage Federation has to offer.
Does that mean children who lack ‘wisdom’ are persecuted? Not at all. The systems of the Mage Federation—its institutions, facilities, and magical tools—are open to the Ignorant as well. It’s just that the Ignorant lack the knowledge and mana to use them, even if they wanted to.
Though they enjoy comparatively fewer benefits, the Ignorant are also recognized as members of the Mage Federation, and they and their children are provided with a fair opportunity.
The opportunity to ascend the Gateway and encounter greater knowledge.
“Respect for those with intellect. That is our ideology.”
When the Blue Tower Master flicked her finger, the writing on the blackboard made of smooth crystal melted away in an instant. Having finished her summary, she dusted off her hands and spoke.
“We are different from those primitive and barbaric monarchies, you see. We don’t oppress people with outdated customs and old orders. The Mage Federation is a progressive nation built by the mages with the most brilliant minds. We judge people by their ability, not their bloodline.”
And I am a genius, one of the top five in this Mage Federation.
Mana detection, mana control, and magical knowledge. With just those, anyone can become Enlightened and earn the right to enjoy the civilization of the Mage Federation.
The Blue Tower Master emphasized this as she continued.
“In other words, you two can also stay in the Floating Castle, provided you prove you are qualified.”
“But we’re already staying here, aren’t we?”
“You’re able to stay because you’re here under my authority as the Blue Tower Master, as persons of interest to the Intelligence Division. You’re bound to me. Are you okay with that?”
“Bound to you? If it’s you, Master, then by all means. Ack!”
What was that? Did the wind just smack me in the back of the head?
When I turned, Shei was feigning ignorance with her arms crossed. The Blue Tower Master covered her mouth and chuckled softly before continuing.
“Hee hee. However, even I cannot keep an Ignorant who does nothing but flatter me by my side forever. If things continue as they are, I’ll have to send you down during the next ‘Descent.’”
“Descent?”
“When the Floating Castle lowers its orbit to float closer to the world below, we call it a ‘Descent.’ During that time, there’s a great deal of exchange between the world below and the Floating Castle. By principle, you two should also leave the Floating Castle during the next Descent.”
Unless it was a sentence of exile, they couldn’t just throw people out, and assigning a mage to escort them down was inefficient. That’s why, the Master explained, they got rid of the Ignorant during the Descent season.
“However, the Gateway also opens during the Descent season. It’s a fair opportunity for all citizens of the Mage Federation, Enlightened and Ignorant alike, to display their capabilities. If you can prove your worth there, you can stay in the Floating Castle with your heads held high.”
I still had things to investigate in the Floating Castle, and Shei had business with the Mage King. Getting kicked out now would be problematic in many ways. I had planned to rely on Lankart or the Blue Tower Master, but if this was her attitude, that was out of the question.
It might not be a bad idea to learn magic while I had the chance. The more skills, the better. However…
“Do you really think we can learn magic now and pass the Gateway?”
“Impossible. If you were an ordinary Ignorant,” the Blue Tower Master answered immediately.
“The Floating Castle is a place only those who have achieved results among the many Enlightened of the Mage Federation can set foot. Many mages dedicate their entire lives to magic and never make it here. An Ignorant climbing the Gateway by cramming? That’s something only the chosen among the naturally gifted can do.”
Like me, who awakened my Unique Magic at the age of ten and came to the Floating Castle. In my case, I came here on my family’s recommendation, so it’s a little different from the Gateway.
…Ah, right. I see.
Reading her thoughts, it seemed that mages from prestigious magical families who had awakened their Unique Magic could come to the Floating Castle without going through the Gateway.
It wasn't special treatment, but a consideration. Apparently, if mages from renowned families dominated the Gateway, there would be no spots left for others.
Then I guess an ordinary person like me couldn't even dream of it.
Just as I was about to give up, the Blue Tower Master brought something up.
“But Lankart climbed the Gateway. No matter how much magic he learned in the Military State, black magic and white magic are fundamentally different systems, yet he achieved an overwhelmingly high score all on his own.”
“Lankart is a renowned genius, even in the Military State.”
“Honestly, I was surprised. I thought that even if he was praised as a genius in a primitive and backward country like the Military State, he’d be nothing more than a clever savage. But he won, surpassing all the distinguished Enlightened of the Mage Federation.”
The Blue Tower Master muttered, recalling the memory of Lankart ascending the Gateway.
Lankart, ascending the Gateway with aloof grace. With the despair of the ‘Enlightened’ who had slipped and fallen beneath his feet, Lankart climbed to the Floating Castle impassively.
As if winning was no big deal.
“What about you, the genius Lankart himself vouched for? Perhaps, with just a short period of teaching, you might be able to climb the Gateway?”
Lankart called him a genius greater than himself. I’m purely curious to see how far such a child could go under the tutelage of a genius like me.
Ah, so that’s what she’s thinking.
…I feel bad. She’s probably going to be disappointed. This humble body of mine has rarely ever lived up to expectations.
But there’s no rule that says I have to meet 100% of her expectations, right? An opportunity is an opportunity. I decided to gratefully accept it. I bowed my head deeply to the Blue Tower Master.
“I am in your care, Master.”
“Very well, my disciple. From now on, listen to my words carefully.”
With a confident smile, the Blue Tower Master took a jewel from her pocket and shook her fountain pen. An unmeltable crystal grew around the blue sapphire, soon forming a blue insignia.
“This is the insignia given to a disciple of the Crystal Tower. With this, you can freely access the training grounds and archives of the Crystal Tower. Be careful not to lose it.”
“I’ll treasure it for the rest of my life.”
“Pfft. You’ll have to work hard if you don’t want it taken from you. Now, stand up.”
The Blue Tower Master rose and personally pinned the insignia on me. After confirming it was properly attached to my chest, she smiled with her eyes and patted my shoulder.
The treatment here is so different from the Military State. If a cool, smart master gives me a precious insignia and teaches me, I’ll study hard too.
“What about me?”
I was in the middle of cultivating my respect when Shei spoke up, showing her displeasure. The Blue Tower Master turned towards her.
“You’re Shei, correct? Do you want to learn magic too?”
“No reason I can’t. Hughes is learning.”
Something’s irritating me. Why? What is this feeling?
“Hmm. But…”
The Blue Tower Master trailed off, taking out her fountain pen and changing the ink cartridge. Pressing down on an ink labeled ‘Lens,’ she soaked the nib and drew five circles in the air. The crystallized ink became magic lenses, revealing things unseen.
Looking at Shei through the magic lenses, the Blue Tower Master spoke with a troubled expression.
“There is nothing I can teach you.”
Surely she wasn’t saying she couldn’t teach Shei because she’d seen through to her intelligence… right? Of course not.
The Master’s lenses were for observing the amount of mana. And right now, in her vision, Shei appeared to be cloaked in a mana more immense than that of most mages.
“You already possess sufficient mana. With that much, you can naturally detect mana as well. Isn’t that right?”
“…I can.”
It’s only possible because I have the Seven Colored Eyes, but still.
“The most basic conditions for a mage are mana detection, mana control, and the knowledge to utilize them. And you meet all three conditions. Your system is different from ours, but you cannot be called an Ignorant.”
The Master of the Green Tower had also said Shei wasn't an Ignorant upon seeing her. It was because he couldn't believe someone with so much mana could possibly be one.
It was the same for the Blue Tower Master.
“No, in the first place, that amount of mana is something you couldn’t have obtained without learning magic.”
“…Ugh.”
I did learn… I did, but…
“I can give you an insignia too, if you want. But it won’t be of much help. After a certain point in magic, it’s important to carve out your own path.”
“Uh, okay…”
“Here. Take it.”
A blue insignia was placed in Shei’s hand. However, this one was slightly different from the one she gave me. It was an access permit given to an outside guest, not a disciple.
Giving her a guest’s insignia instead of a disciple’s was a sign of respect. Holding the insignia, Shei seemed lost in thought with a complicated expression.
I… I learned magic from you in the last timeline…!
Oh, you did?
It seems the Blue Tower Master taking on disciples was a fairly common occurrence. Then again, to her, the Regressor Shei must have looked like a raw gem brimming with talent.
You taught me magic for a few months, then told me that using my head didn't suit me! You said since I had a lot of mana, I should just learn to use it instinctively! But why are you teaching Hughes from the very beginning!
Huh?
That hint of jealousy… was it not directed at the Blue Tower Master, but at me? Because I became her disciple instead of you?
What the. I guess I was getting ahead of myself.
I’ve been with Shei for a long time, and we’ve grown close. It’s only natural that she relies on me now. After she grabbed my sleeve this time, I was convinced she had moved beyond relying on me to being conscious of me… and I was planning a bit of push and pull.
I guess we’re not at that stage yet.
Since my mind-reading doesn’t work perfectly on her, errors keep popping up. It would be one thing if it didn't work at all, but being able to read her vaguely is even more fatal. I’d better not be too hasty in my approach.
If I want Shei to rely on me in the next timeline, I need to build even greater trust with her in this first meeting.
…Ah, that was too calculating. Relax, relax.
Shei is sensitive, so I can’t let her find out. I should try not to be conscious of it.
Okay, again.
“So, Master. I have a question. When do the lessons begin?”
The Blue Tower Master smiled like a mischievous child and replied.
“Right now, of course.”