Chapter 182
Chapter 182
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 182
Chapter Title: Omen (1)
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The duel was over.
The duel had ended, but the fervor hadn't died down. It was all because of how shocking the duel had been, performed right in front of everyone.
『The essence of a Battle Mage.』
『The textbook Wizard.』
The professors evaluated the duel that way.
Even to them, who had witnessed countless duels between mages, this one was a fresh shock. They couldn't hide their amazement at the duel between the two young mages.
『The pinnacle of circuit utilization. Adapting by changing circuits to fit the situation—an ideal Wizard in every way.』
The ideal Wizard combat style.
The professors knew theoretically that such responses existed, but theory and practice were different. That's why it was called ideal...
『The ultimate utilization, shown solely through basic spells.』
Professor Resti had brought that into reality.
It meant proving the ideal in the real world.
The professors expressed their respect for that fact.
『A battle faithful to the fundamentals of combat magic.』
Lania van Trias.
Her name once again rose to the professors' lips. They had known she was an outstanding Wizard. But they hadn't expected her to be so proficient in the Battle Mage class as well.
『Closing the distance steadily. Pressing the opponent. Cornering them. Always seizing the initiative—the essence of Battle Mage combat.』
Only Professor McHart from the Combat Magic Department, who knew her skills, called it "a natural outcome," while the other professors marveled at this new side of her.
"Mastering even one class is difficult enough..."
This girl, barely past twenty—just twenty-one—handled two classes. More skillfully than they, who had devoted their lives to a single one.
"It's astounding every time."
No petty emotions like jealousy arose.
They could only admire the way she always showed something astonishing.
"You saw the whole duel, right?"
"Yeah, I watched it all. I'm in Combat Magic, and we had a bet with the Elemental Magic kids..."
"And the result of that..."
While the professors focused on the process of the duel, the students fixated on the outcome. Of course, the process was amazing and full of lessons... but it was still a duel with a winner and a loser.
『A duel between a Wizard and a Battle Mage.』
Elemental Magic Department versus Combat Magic Department.
It had happened amid the rivalry between the two departments. It was only natural for the students to focus on who won.
So, what was the result?
"Professor Lania won... sort of."
"She won, but..."
"Well, technically, Professor Lania won..."
"Technically."
The inclusion of that word suggested the winner and loser weren't clearly divided.
"It felt like, somehow..."
Officially, Professor Lania was the victor.
But had Professor Lania won perfectly? No, not really.
"So, does that mean Combat Magic wins the bet?"
"Nah, we just called it off."
"Huh? Why?"
"You saw it. That thing at the end..."
The Combat Magic students hung their heads in shame. Professor Lania had won. She had won. But it wasn't a victory they could proudly claim in front of others.
「Ah, let go of me! I'll forfeit! I'll forfeit myself!」
Unlike Professor Resti, who had calmly accepted the result and left the arena gracefully...
Professor Lania had screamed at the top of her lungs.
「I lost! I lost! I lost!」
It was the ugly sight of a victor who refused to accept the win to the bitter end.
「Shoot it! Go ahead and shoot! Who's gonna let you hit them? Even without forfeiting, I won! I won!」
「Come on, let's go! Please! Referee! What are you waiting for? Announce the result already!」
In the end, the image of Professor Lania being dragged away by the Hounds in front of everyone...
Shared one sentiment among the students.
"So ugly. So very...!"
The Combat Magic students were forced to realize that a victor could look this ugly—not the loser.
"If you just look at the duel itself, she was really cool."
"Yeah, hair flying, slamming down aerial strikes from midair... super cool."
"Her hair tied up looked pretty too."
"Yeah... really..."
The Battle Mage had won the duel.
Yet the Combat Magic students focused more on the process than the result. They turned their eyes away from the excessively ugly outcome.
Professor Lania won, but lost.
Professor Resti lost, but won.
Arguing who the true winner was would just hurt one's own mouth. As the duel incident—which produced an ugly victor and a splendid loser—came to a close...
"...I won."
The ugly victor mumbled the same words over and over, head bowed with a sullen expression.
"I... I won."
"Yes, you ultimately won. In the most ugly and shameful way."
"No, I just won, okay? I proved Battle Mages are superior to Wizards, so this isn't ugly..."
"Senior, you're truly something else, aren't you?"
Kalt clapped mockingly at Lania's nonsense.
"The Hounds who watched the duel dropped their suspicions. They stopped doubting your identity. Aren't you curious why they dropped it, even though you beat a superhuman in a duel?"
Kalt said incredulously.
"Because it's ugly. Because you're so ugly. No one believes a frivolous, green rookie mage like that could be the 'sage' Raniel. The Hounds were saying it's an insult just to suspect it."
Lania fell silent.
Kalt rested his chin on his hand and sighed.
"You're really impressive. Did you plan it?"
"......"
"Right. You can't claim you planned it with a conscience. I'm so ashamed of you I can't lift my head. Really."
A victory that left only wounds.
Lania felt like crying a little.
"Go do your work."
"Yeah..."
In a bizarre scene where a subordinate ordered his superior around... Lania trudged away listlessly. An ugly victor, worse than the loser, had nothing to say.
2.
I won the duel.
A victory that left only wounds, but still a win.
Winning was what mattered, and seizing the core through that victory was crucial.
"Yeah, I won..."
A meaningless victory.
A victory full of wounds.
"Sigh..."
I sighed and kept walking.
The performance I'd envisioned had failed, and the role of the "splendid loser" I was supposed to play had gone to Kelrhalhm. All the plans I'd made before the duel were in ruins.
...Still, I'd achieved the main goal.
"Forget winning or losing— the original purpose."
Reading Kelrhalhm's restrictions.
I'd accomplished that perfectly, the true purpose of the duel. During it, I'd glimpsed the restrictions Kelrhalhm had placed on himself.
"Now, all that's left is figuring out the answer."
I stopped walking.
"Right, Kelrhalhm?"
A little ways from Aphria.
The clearing in the forest where Kalt and I often met. The guest who arrived first looked at me.
"...As expected, that was the real goal."
The madman, Kelrhalhm.
He exhaled shortly, as if he'd anticipated it. Kelrhalhm, leaning against a tree, pushed off it.
"I had a rough guess when you challenged me to a duel out of nowhere."
He narrowed his eyes.
"You're up to the same thing as the Ashen Mage. Who told you the method? The Ashen Mage himself?"
"And if he did?"
"Then I'd have no choice but to believe it. We didn't include keeping the method of reading restriction chains a secret in the contract."
I shrugged.
"You don't sound convinced."
"Can't be helped. Too many suspicious things."
Kelrhalhm stared at me.
His inorganic eyes showed no emotion.
"It's hard to spot similarities in appearance when the only thing alike is the distinctive color. But spell traits. Mana flow. Mannerisms. Skill in handling spells. Considering those... I can't help but suspect."
I stayed silent. Even if my superhuman senses were sealed, Kelrhalhm was still a superhuman. I hadn't planned to hide my identity from him for long anyway.
"So?"
No affirmation or denial.
No need. From how he spoke, the answer was already set in his mind.
"You think I'm the Ashen Mage?"
"Not certain."
Kelrhalhm replied.
"Gender reversal. Body transformation. Soul corruption. Those defy providence. Normally, I wouldn't even speculate... but."
He touched the nape of his neck.
The nape bound by restriction chains. There, to control the madness gained from reaching for the impossible, chains were fastened. Touching them, Kelrhalhm spoke.
"The Ashen Mage has fought closest to those who defy providence head-on. I can't just say it's impossible."
"Then..."
"So I speculate."
He stepped toward me with a click of his tongue.
"That you are the Ashen Mage himself, or... if not, a mage who interacts substantially with the Ashen Mage and has comparable skill."
"Not certain?"
"Nothing is certain anywhere."
A very Kelrhalhm-like statement.
"Truthfully, it doesn't matter much to me either way. What I'm about to tell you is a warning."
A warning.
"You saw it. My restriction."
"I did."
I nodded.
The core of the restriction Kelrhalhm had placed on himself—originally, three sentences should have been there.
『Make the stars fall.』
『Control the madness.』
『Slay the apostate.』
That was the core I'd seen when he was on the battlefield. But now, one more sentence had been added.
『■■ Track it.』
A sentence hidden beyond chains and chains.
Two characters unknowable until all chains unraveled.
"Track."
I pronounced the sentence it was written on.
"Pursue. Predict. And..."
I recited the minor restrictions beside it one by one. The last one was a single word.
"Devour."
I narrowed my eyes.
Devour—I couldn't grasp the meaning of that word.
"Devour what, exactly?"
That's why I asked Kelrhalhm.
"If you read that far, words are faster."
But Kelrhalhm didn't answer my question.
"Warning. No matter what, do not approach it."
Instead of an answer, he warned me.
"It will come without fail. This place has been 'chosen.' Where stars gather, it 'inevitably' appears. Soon, it will reveal itself here where stars concentrate."
An ill omen flickered in his ashen eyes.
"Just as it did with Artia in the past."
The city of scholarship that burned away.
"When it comes, and I step forward..."
Kelrhalhm pointed at me.
"Leave Aphria. Even if you're not the Ashen Mage, if you have comparable skill, do not approach it. If you are the Ashen Mage himself... keep your distance all the more."
Incomprehensible words.
I frowned and said,
"I need to know what it is to avoid it or not."
"...Its name is bound by restrictions. Without authorization, you won't hear it."
Words I'd heard from Cardi, and the restriction I'd gained from past records. I gestured for him to speak, and Kelrhalhm sighed shortly.
"I'll say it once. Don't ask again even if you don't hear."
He steadied his breath and pronounced something.
"Have you heard the word ■■?"
■■.
Mana dwelled in the word itself, inaudible to the unqualified. I furrowed my brow, and Kelrhalhm sighed.
"It's natural you can't hear it."
He sighed and brushed past me.
"When it appears, you'll know even if you don't want to. All light will vanish. When that happens, get as far away as possible. That's for the best."
Leaving those words, Kelrhalhm departed.
Alone in the forest, I muttered briefly.
"■■."
The word Kelrhalhm had just pronounced.
He thought I hadn't heard since the unqualified couldn't, but... that was Kelrhalhm's mistake.
A two-syllable word.
I frowned because I knew its meaning.
"The Shade."
The Shade would appear here.
That's what Kelrhalhm was saying.
3.
"Senior, take a look at this."
"What is it?"
"Last time, we found that 'altar' in the underground sewers, right? We've been monitoring them steadily since... and last night, this appeared."
Clink.
"I don't sense anything from it. Doesn't seem like anything's inside... it's just empty. Felt off. It appeared overnight."
"...An orb? Magic orb?"
"Looks like a magic orb."
"Black orb. Seems like a magical tool."
"Should we send it to the Mage Tower for analysis?"
"No, it's fine. I'll look into it separately. Go on. Keep monitoring the sewers."
"Yes, sir."
The subordinate left. Alone in the office, Kalt stared at the crystal orb before him.
"What the hell is this?"
An ominous black crystal orb.
It looked like a tool to imprison something.