Chapter 105: I Can, Though? (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 105: I Can, Though? (2)
Selaim Mikardo, the Blue Tower Master and an 8th Tier mage capable of using Origin, could not comprehend the current situation.
He opened it? How on earth?
He blinked, his eyes widening.
The scene before him remained unchanged.
The gate that had taken Selaim two long years of grueling effort to open had been breached by Marquis Palatio in less than thirty seconds. The man was already stepping inside.
Dazed, Selaim finally snapped out of it and tried to call out to the Marquis, but the man had already crossed the first gate and vanished from sight.
Selaim hurried forward to inspect the remains of the first gate and was struck by another wave of shock.
To an ordinary observer, it would have looked like a simple wall, but Selaim, having reached the pinnacle of his craft, knew better. He knew exactly how complex the mechanism to open this "wall" truly was. It was a door that required the dedicated time and effort of a mage of his caliber—an 8th Tier.
Furthermore...
...The method he used to open the gate is identical to mine.
The technique used to breach the barrier was exactly the same as the one Selaim had spent a year of agonizing labor to discover.
...What is this?
Questions swirled in Selaim Mikardo’s mind.
He stared into the passage beyond the gate where the Marquis had disappeared.
He had been interested in Marquis Palatio before. After all, he was the man his arrogant disciple, Penia, was infatuated with, and he had heard rumors that the Marquis used primitive magic—a craft modern mages had long since abandoned.
However, meeting the Marquis in person had actually dampened that interest.
Of course, as the saying goes, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. The rumors surrounding the Marquis and Penia’s behavior suggested there was something special about him. But the Marquis Palatio he saw with his own eyes didn't seem particularly accomplished in magic.
His mana pool is small, and his magical achievement is, at best, the entry level of the 4th Tier. He hasn't even achieved Awakening. Even if I give him credit for using primitive magic, he’s below average.
The numerous flaws visible to Selaim’s eyes were enough to make him view Alon as a junior far beneath his level. To be honest, he had even wondered what Penia could have possibly seen in this man to make her feel such fear.
But those thoughts were short-lived. Selaim followed Alon toward the second gate.
Before long, he spotted the Marquis standing in front of the second barrier—one that even Selaim had yet to properly open.
Alon stood there, seemingly lost in deep thought.
Selaim considered speaking to him but decided to remain silent and observe the Marquis’s next move.
“…….”
Selaim had never opened the second gate. In fact, he had often wondered if it was even possible to open it at all.
Like the first gate, it looked unremarkable on the surface. However, through Selaim’s Awakened eyes, he saw thousands of magic circles overlapping in a dizzying, complex array. The sheer variety and intricacy of the intertwined circles were so overwhelming that even Selaim had yet to fully decipher them.
Yet, even amidst that complexity, his brilliant mind had already deduced the ultimate solution.
...To find the one magic circle that acts as the key among these thousands.
The reason Selaim hadn't progressed was simply that he hadn't found that key yet. To use a metaphor, the second gate blocking them was like a locked door with tens of thousands of keyholes. Even if one tried to activate the magic circles one by one to check them, each of the thousands of twisted circles had to be individually interpreted and unraveled. It was a task bordering on the impossible.
Even if it were possible, it would take decades.
As Selaim felt a pang of gloom at that realization, Marquis Palatio—no, Alon—was having his own thoughts.
...Isn't he paying a bit too much attention?
Alon was acutely aware of Selaim’s gaze behind him.
There was no reason for Alon to be nervous around Selaim. While befriending the Blue Tower Master wasn't a bad idea, it wasn't exactly life-changing for him either.
The reason Alon was feeling pressured was the strange look of anticipation in Selaim Mikardo’s eyes.
Earlier, when Alon had mindlessly opened the first gate, Selaim had stood there with his jaw dropped in utter disbelief. Now, he had crept up close, watching Alon with the wide-eyed wonder of a child waiting to see a magic trick.
...Did he say it took him a year just to open the first door?
Alon didn't think Selaim Mikardo was a fool. On the contrary, he thought the man was a monster.
As far as Alon knew, the two gates guarding the Hermit's Hideout were designed so that twelve standard 7th Tier mages couldn't solve their secrets even after six months of collaboration. The fact that Selaim had opened the first gate alone, regardless of how long it took, proved he was an absurdly powerful mage.
And because Alon knew that, Selaim’s expectant gaze felt like a heavy burden.
The only reason Alon could open the gates of the Hermit's Hideout was... simply because he already knew the answers.
The key to the first gate is mana interference. You just have to twist the linear mana flow into a semi-circle... And for the second gate, the key is the fifth magic circle on the upper diagonal, relative to the far-right vertex.
He could open the door just by channeling his mana, but the blatant expectation radiating from behind him made it difficult to move casually.
If Alon were to open the door so easily with a simple flick of mana, Selaim would realize a tragic truth: that his year of research had been a complete waste of time.
“Hmm—”
Of course, Alon didn't necessarily need to care about Selaim Mikardo’s feelings, but as someone who also studied magic, he knew that hollow feeling all too well.
...Should I use a spell?
Just as he decided to tell a white lie to Selaim...
As expected, is the second gate too much for him?
Seeing the Marquis glance back at him, Selaim instinctively tried to hide the anticipation in his eyes.
And at that moment.
“Phew—”
Marquis Palatio, who had been silent until now, let out a small sigh and formed a seal with his hands.
Selaim watched with curiosity. He knew the Marquis used primitive magic, but this was his first time seeing it actually implemented.
As he watched Alon manifest the magic with great interest...
“—”
Alon muttered something in a tiny voice, and a small sphere manifested between his thumb and index finger.
At the same time, Selaim felt it.
“?”
Sensing an instinctive threat, Selaim Mikardo immediately frowned and began drawing up his mana to manifest a spell of his own. It was a reflex, a lightning-fast response born of pure instinct.
But then.
“!”
What entered Selaim Mikardo’s vision as he prepared to unleash his completed spell...
Were two eyes behind Alon’s back.
Selaim’s thoughts ground to a halt. Or rather, he forced his own mind to stop.
The moment he perceived it—the moment he saw it with his own eyes—he realized the immediate future that would follow if he tried to understand it.
Death.
However, there was one thing he couldn't control: his own eyes.
Having reached the 8th Tier, his eyes could now see through almost anything. Contrary to his conscious mind, his eyes began to perceive the entity instinctively.
In that instant, Selaim felt the world around him grow dark.
And then.
The moment he realized it, what was reflected in his eyes was a circle.
A circle like an abyss, threatening to suck him in.
Next, he saw a white pupil within the darkness.
And the last thing he saw...
“—Gasp.”
Was a giant eye.
An eye so massive it made him feel like a mere speck of dust.
And that eye... was looking at Selaim.
I’m going to die.
The moment that thought crossed Selaim’s dazed mind...
Rumble—!!!!
A thunderous sound echoed in his ears.
“!”
He suddenly snapped back to reality and looked forward.
There, the second gate—the one he hadn't been able to budge no matter what he tried for a year—was opening with a heavy, grinding noise.
Beyond the opening gate, Marquis Palatio was looking back at him. His face was indifferent, devoid of any emotion.
“……Ha.”
Seeing this, Selaim Mikardo couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.
He was hiding his true power. So that was it…!
In that brief second, just by seeing that, his mana had been thrown into disarray and the hand he had used to manifest magic was trembling.
And yet, he couldn't stop laughing.
Even though death had been inches away just a moment ago, he couldn't stop. His scholarly curiosity was screaming. The same curiosity that had driven him to become the Blue Tower Master and an 8th Tier mage.
He was captivated by the magical knowledge Marquis Palatio must possess—a man who hid power even greater than his own.
And so, Selaim laughed.
Alon, watching him, thought:
...Wait, he’s that happy about it?
While casting the spell, Alon had worried, He’s an 8th Tier mage. Surely Selaim Mikardo won't be fooled by such a showy spell?
But contrary to his expectations, Selaim was grinning ear to ear, leaving Alon with a bewildered expression.
* * *
After passing through the second gate, Alon finally entered the Hermit's Hideout and surveyed the interior.
There wasn't much to see. It looked like a typical fantasy-style home tucked away inside a dark cave.
However, he hadn't come for the scenery. Without hesitation, Alon headed toward a desk in one corner of the hideout.
There, he found what he was looking for.
Found it.
Unlike the ink-black bracelet he had obtained before, this one was painted white. He tucked "The White Hand of the Wanderer" into his robe with a smile. Then, he noticed something else.
“?”
He realized there was a piece of parchment with Ancient Language written on it lying on the desk. He leaned down to read the words.
“To the half-baked Magus who did not compromise and did not forget the Phrases, I leave my remains…”?
Alon paused. He had seen a similar sentence when he obtained the Spirit Dragon’s egg.
Hmm….
Alon stared at the text for a moment before shrugging and setting the parchment back down.
He turned around to find Selaim Mikardo still wearing that radiant smile.
Feeling a bit pressured by the grin, Alon spoke.
“I’ve taken everything I need. If there’s anything you want, Tower Master, feel free to take it.”
If there had been any books on magic, Alon would have taken them, but since there were none, he had no further business there.
“Is that so? Then I shall gratefully take what I can.”
“Very well.”
As Alon finished speaking and looked around to see if there was anything else worth taking...
“……Hmm—”
Selaim walked over to the desk Alon had just left and picked up the parchment the Marquis had clearly been reading.
It’s in the Ancient Language.
Realizing he couldn't read the script, he quietly tucked it away. Normally, he would have asked, but since the Marquis had let him see it, Selaim felt he understood the man’s intention.
He’s probably telling me to stay silent.
Assuming he wouldn't get an answer even if he asked, Selaim decided to take the parchment to the Red Tower Master. He knew the man was skilled in deciphering such ancient scripts.
“Phew—”
Regardless of the parchment’s contents, Selaim desperately wanted to discuss magic with Marquis Palatio. His curiosity wasn't something that could be suppressed just because someone told him to.
And so...
...I need to get closer to him somehow.
As Selaim pondered how to do that...
Right, there’s Penia.
He suddenly remembered Penia. Finally understanding why that arrogant girl had lost her heart to Marquis Palatio, Selaim began to hatch a plan.
Rather than being complete strangers, wouldn't it be easier to get close if he were my disciple’s husband?
Whether he was prioritizing Penia’s happiness or his own scholarly greed was unclear.
I’ll make sure to give them a push.
Burning with determination, he looked at Marquis Palatio.
In response...
...I have a bad feeling about this.
Alon felt an inexplicable sense of dread as he watched Selaim’s smile turn into something quite bizarre.
...It felt like something very strange was about to happen.