Chapter 642: Black Magic, White Magic, and Gray Sorcery - 1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 642: Black Magic, White Magic, and Gray Sorcery - 1
Two new hot spots had emerged in the Celsius territory since the Advent.
One, naturally, was the descended Floating Castle. The capital of the Mage Federation, a miraculous castle that drifted through the sky. Its interior was a world unto itself, where gravitational anomalies allowed people to walk on walls and ceilings. It was an Arcane far beyond anything in the Celsius territory, where the most miraculous thing was that ice froze a little better.
Today, as always, people who yearned for the Floating Castle lay beneath its shadow, mouths wide open, waiting for sweet fruit to fall from its heights.
And the other was the school where the mage from the Floating Castle resided.
In just over half a month, this great teacher, running a small school on the frontier, had already produced five mages and awakened the mana sense of over a hundred people. His achievements in a mere fortnight rivaled the Celsius territory's entire annual output.
Word travels fast, as they say. Every lottery ticket in the Floating Castle was now on the move to meet the man who could confirm their winnings. The demand to see him was so high that scalpers were selling non-existent tickets.
…And then there were the whispers, the rumors that he secretly taught magic even to the irredeemable commoners. The number of people seeking him was immense.
The hope of the commoners. The mage who makes mages. The teacher of the foolish citizenry.
The subject of those rumors was me.
“Hilde. Let ten in.”
“Yes! Alright, the first ten people in line, please come in!”
Hilde went outside and shouted at the top of her lungs. A great commotion immediately erupted from the line that had been waiting in dead silence.
“I was the tenth one! Who’s that person in front of me?!”
“Hey, you! No cutting!”
“The three of us are together. We were just holding a spot.”
“What kind of crap is that? You three gonna go to the afterlife together, too?”
Competition always turns ugly, even one as simple as standing in line. Hilde shouted at the people with all her might once more.
“Everyone! Stop your scheming and take out the number tags I gave you earlier! You'll enter in order! Up to number 10!”
A boisterous clamor arose as the students entered the school, their hearts filled with anticipation, clinging to the sliver of hope that they could become a mage if I chose them.
…And even if they weren’t chosen, they could still learn the magic known as Standard Magic.
“Don’t push! I’m number one!”
“Who the hell is pushing? There’s no one behind me!”
“Whoa! Whoa, whoa…!”
Just then, the students in line were all shoved to one side. The dense crowd slid sideways as if they were items on a conveyor belt. Flailing to keep their balance, they pushed the person next to them, who in turn pushed another in a domino-like cascade of falling bodies.
Chaos erupted. Screams and shouts filled the space before the school. The people vanished in a rolling heap, leaving the area in front of the school empty.
“Pardon me.”
And into the empty street, a group of figures approached.
It was a mage wearing robes imbued with a faint blue light. He was flanked by five bodyguards, skilled Qi practitioners whose sharp eyes scanned the surroundings.
“Move! Get up! My daughter is trapped under you!”
“Mommy! Mooooommy!”
The area in front of the school was a scene of pandemonium. The unprecedented force that had appeared with the mage had swept everyone away.
The mage, who had been watching silently, casually lowered his hand. The pressure that had been weighing on the space vanished. The mage, who had ‘cleared away’ all these people with a single gesture, scanned the area with eyes that looked upon trash.
Amidst the chaos, one person had resisted the magic. A retired mage, now an old man running a small school, pushed himself to his feet and demanded.
“You! What is the meaning of this! There are children here! How could you use such crude magic!”
It was obvious to anyone that the mage was responsible. Logically, no one else had the ability or the reason to cast such a spell.
But the mage shamelessly retorted, “Magic? What magic?”
“That…!”
The old man was unable to answer the mage’s question.
He didn’t know what kind of magic it was. He had been a mage in the past, but his skill had never been great. The magic wielded by an active elite was too advanced for him.
‘The mana has permeated the space. Wind-type? But… there was no wind.’
The old man fell silent, and the mage spoke, looking down on him.
“If you are a mage, then prove it. Prove what magic I used. If you insult my honor without being able to identify it, I will have you charged.”
The Mage Federation has one rule: the party claiming damages must prove their case.
This is, in fact, logical. One cannot prove a negative, so it is incumbent upon the one claiming something happened to prove the damages.
But what if it involves magic? What if you are struck by a phenomenon that defies common sense, a power that is difficult to even perceive without mana sense?
The Mage Federation adheres to the same rule. Even if it is magic, even if it is a fact that cannot be proven by a non-mage, the Federation still demands that the victim provide proof.
As if in retaliation for the witch hunts of a bygone era.
Knowledge is power, and magic is authority.
That has become the ideology of the Mage Federation.
Works for me.
“You used wind and crystallization magic simultaneously. You solidified the atmosphere with a light crystallization, making the space act like jelly. Then you moved it with Pascal, which is why everyone was pushed aside at once.”
If he had truly wanted to clear them away, he could have created a strong gust of wind or pushed them with ice. But the mage had deliberately used a more difficult method to show off his abilities and leave his lessers with no room to argue.
A futile attempt against someone who can read minds. I read the mage's thoughts and gave the perfect answer. The old man gasped as if he finally understood, and the mage twisted his lips in dissatisfaction.
‘They said he was a mage kicked out of the Floating Castle, trying to find a new path. He recognized atmospheric crystallization instantly? He's got some talent.’
That thought was fleeting. The mage addressed me with relative politeness.
“My apologies for the late introduction. I am Temperus Kelvin, a magical scholar in the service of House Celsius. I came to see you after hearing the rumors.”
“Did you take a number?”
“…What?”
I asked again with a bored expression.
“I asked if you took a number. Everyone here came to see me.”
Only then did Temperus notice the numbered tags in the hands of the fallen people. He easily guessed their purpose, and his expression hardened further.
“Haha… what a joke. Do I look like one of them to you?”
“Well, the order isn't always important. In special cases, I can see someone first, regardless of their number.”
“Of course.”
Huh? I wasn't saying you were special. I corrected his misunderstanding.
“I certainly hope your business is special enough to interrupt my work. Otherwise, it's just a waste of time.”
“…!”
“Hilde, pack my things. We're going on a business trip today.”
I sent Hilde inside, nonchalantly put on my coat, and stepped outside. Ignoring Temperus, who was glaring at me, I shouted to the sprawled crowd.
“Today's lecture is canceled. Study on your own while I'm gone. I don't know when I'll be back, but even when I do return, I can only impart magic to those who are prepared.”
“Ugh… I’ve waited for days…”
“That man over there just used magic to take first place without even taking a number. The power to ignore the rules—that is true magic. All of you should strive to become mages like him. That is all.”
Temperus's face turned red and purple as he listened. Why? Did he think my speech was sarcastic? It wasn't. I was just stating the pure facts.
Just as I finished my speech, Hilde came out with my bag. I took it from her and gestured with my chin for Temperus to lead the way. Temperus said.
“This is not a place to bring a housemaid.”
“Then will you be drawing my bath?”
“…Vulgar. Do as you please.”
‘If it weren't for the young lady's orders, I would execute this bastard on the spot. Why on earth is she interested in someone like him?’
Biting his lip, Temperus spun around. His guards widened their formation to include Hilde and me. It was an attitude that felt less like an escort and more like a prisoner transport.
Under this heavy guard, I headed for the heart of the Celsius territory.
The main residence of House Celsius is also known as the Ice Castle. The reason is simple: it's the shortest and most accurate description.
The Celsius estate looked like a castle of ice from a fairy tale brought to life. Its walls and pillars were transparent, tinged with a soft blue light. The clear crystal scattered the sunlight like a kaleidoscope, illuminating the world in place of the sky obscured by the Floating Castle.
The massive walls, the great gates—all were ice. Not bricks of ice, but a single, solid mass, frozen into its final shape from the very beginning. Despite being a colossal fortress, its surface was without a single scratch or blemish. The unrealistically large ice castle was as clear and transparent as if it had been plucked directly from a fantasy.
As I walked, I nonchalantly placed a hand on the ice wall.
It was warm.
For ice, that is. Warm enough that I could believe it was frozen hot water.
Warm ice. Two words that should never go together existed here as a single, perfectly normal concept.
“Do you know the rule of the Celsius territory?”
Temperus, who had been glancing at me, suddenly asked a question. I answered without looking at him.
“The anomaly of freezing and boiling points, right?”
“Then you must also understand the principle behind the ice of this castle.”
‘I wonder if you really know. The Celsius territory is the wealthiest and most distinguished in the entire Mage Federation. It is not a place for the likes of you to look down on!’
A battle of wits already? Hmm. But what can you do? Structurally, you can't ask me a question I don't know the answer to.
I read Temperus's mind with telepathy, calmly mulled it over, and then chose the most elegant words possible to reply.
“Warm ice does not melt. For it has no warmth to take from me.”
“…Your expression is quite poetic, for a mage.”
Sarcasm? You lack literary appreciation. I explained it more clearly.
“The rule of the Celsius territory is the anomaly of freezing and boiling points. In other words, the ice here forms its crystal structure through mana, not cold. This rule has been strongly applied to the castle walls to create ice that is close to room temperature. This is thanks to the unique Unique Magic of House Celsius… and their relic, I presume?”
‘The relic? How could a wanderer, not even from House Celsius, know of such a thing…?!’
Temperus looked bewildered, clearly not expecting me to have figured out about the relic. I enjoyed his reaction and casually added.
“How did I know it was a relic? The answer is obvious if you think about it. Even with a freezing point anomaly, it couldn't be this high. If it were, there'd be no water to drink and everyone would die of thirst. In fact, the water in my canteen hasn't frozen. That means the magic is only affecting the ice structures. It's unlikely this is all the result of white magic, and it's even more unlikely that a mage is constantly projecting their unique Unique Magic. Therefore, a unique Unique Magic manifesting as a will-less phenomenon… that leads to the conclusion that it's a relic.”
A relic would cause this mysterious phenomenon without needing a constant supply of mana. I imagine the Celsius territory has quite a few relics of that nature.
Perhaps because too many words were coming out of my mouth, Temperus cleared his throat, cutting me off.
“Ahem. There is no need to explain.”
“You're wrong.”
“Pardon?”
“Your response was wrong. I was kind enough to explain it since you didn't seem to understand. You should be thanking me.”
Temperus’s face flushed at the blatant disrespect.
Temperus was one of the elite. As a problem-solver for House Celsius, he was skilled enough to ascend to the Floating Castle if he so chose.
He had simply chosen to live large in the Celsius territory rather than scrape by in the Floating Castle. He was a man who looked down on others, but was never looked down upon himself.
And yet here I was, a nobody who had rolled in from somewhere, openly disrespecting him. It was a deeply insulting situation for Temperus.
But what could he do?
With my telepathy, I hold a slight advantage in any contest of knowledge. I know what he knows, but he doesn't know what I know.
In other words, I am one rank higher than anyone else in this Mage Federation.
That makes me the best, doesn't it? And in the Mage Federation, isn't that the truth?
Worn down by my consistent arrogance, Temperus glared at me and said.
“…That's enough. I understand that you are exceptional. I was skeptical at first, but after meeting you and speaking with you in person, I can see it clearly.”
“I understand. People rarely do until they see for themselves.”
“I don't know if you've earned the right to be so arrogant, but I now understand why the young lady valued your abilities so highly.”
As he spoke, Temperus led me deeper into the Ice Castle. I strode forward boldly. The ice doors slid open without a sound.
“However, this land belongs to House Celsius.”
And with that, the gates of the Ice Castle closed behind me, cutting off my retreat. As if on cue, Temperus snapped his fingers. His five guards turned and surrounded me. Their sharp aura made it clear they were no longer serving as an escort.
Hilde, pretending to be terrified, clutched her bag and trembled.
“H-huh? Teacher, what's going on? You said this was a business trip!”
“I suppose this is the business they mentioned. Threatening me?”
In the tense atmosphere, where violence could break out at any moment, Temperus struck the floor with his staff. A section of the ice castle melted away, revealing a hidden facility within.
It was a prison, with long icicles forming the bars. There were no other facilities or furniture; it was a prison built for the sole purpose of confinement. Inside those bars, people were trapped, frozen solid.
They weren't dead yet. That ice, too, was made of magic. It was probably a bit cold, but less so than being submerged in water. They were simply trapped within shells of ice that encased their bodies.
I recognized a few of their faces.
“House Celsius has given me my orders. Hughes. Teacher of the foolish citizenry.”
Richard and his friends, whom I'd met in the outer district, and the underachieving students who had secretly visited the school at night.
All of them were people who had learned Standard Magic from me.
“To recruit you, the one spreading black magic throughout the territory, or… to kill you.”
Presenting this irrefutable proof, Temperus aimed his staff at me.