Chapter 318: Something is Strange (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 318: Something is Strange (5)
Heinkel, the Archmage known as the Primordial Cup and the one who had interpreted the Light magic for Alon, actually hadn't been all that interested in this demonstration, despite a lingering curiosity.
There were two main reasons for this.
First, Heinkel could not use the magic that Alon used.
She didn't know why she or anyone else besides Alon was unable to cast it. However, she had a vague inkling. She suspected the reason Alon could use such magic was because of the eye behind him, or perhaps because of her, the entity attached to him.
Furthermore, the only new piece of information Heinkel had gained was that the magic Alon used was the kind employed by those called 'Magi' in the forgotten era.
The second reason was that the magic interpreted this time was Light, a 1st Tier spell.
It was incredibly simple. It was a foundational spell that no one walking the path of a mage had ever failed, nor should they ever fail. Thus, she hadn't given it much thought.
Of course, there had been many interesting aspects while searching for hidden information within the spell. But even considering that, it wasn't the kind of magic one would pin new expectations on.
...At least, not until Alon demonstrated that version of Light.
[...]
Heinkel stared blankly at the mages, who were lost in a stunned silence. Every single one of them was staring at Alon with wide, bulging eyes.
Normally, Heinkel would have been secretly watching and mocking such mages. There were far too many mages who would perform a task as easy as snapping one's fingers and then rejoice as if they had achieved something grand.
But this time, she couldn't laugh.
Though she didn't look in a mirror, her own face likely looked no different from the mages below. No, she might have been even more shaken than them. From the moment she witnessed Alon's magic with her own eyes, she was already naturally preparing to deconstruct other Tier spells to extract information from them.
Her inquisitiveness, which had spent hundreds of years merely soothing a tedious life by teaching mages who caught her interest, was now spinning at full speed. Alon's magic had captivated Heinkel so much that it reignited the greed she had been suppressing while waiting for a new 'time.'
While Heinkel watched Alon with trembling eyes, her mind a swirl of desires...
'I think I'm going to puke!'
Alon felt a wave of nausea and frowned slightly. At first, he hadn't noticed because he was too surprised by the true power of Light, but once that emotion faded, he realized he was suffering from mana depletion.
"Ahem—"
Alon suppressed the rising urge to gag with superhuman patience. Honestly, if no one had been around, he would have emptied his stomach right then and there, but he was a normal person. He was well aware of the atmosphere.
Feeling everyone's breath hitch as their gazes remained fixed on him, he didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of so many people. Thus, he naturally turned around and began walking toward Penia, who was staring at him with a shocked expression.
Just as Alon was about to move...
"May I ask... just one question?"
A mage in a green robe, who had been sitting in silence until now, slowly stood up. Alon swallowed his nausea and turned back toward the mage as if he had no choice.
The mage, his throat bobbing nervously under Alon's gaze, asked the question.
"...What on earth was that magic you just showed us?"
It was the question every mage present wanted to know, yet none had dared to voice. Once again, all eyes were pinned on Alon.
Struggling to endure the pressure, Alon contemplated how to answer.
"Light."
He told the truth.
"...Are you saying that was truly Light?" the mage asked back, his voice trembling.
Alon debated whether he should explain in more detail, but it was becoming difficult to hold back the rising nausea.
Nod.
He simply gave a short nod, turned around, and left the demonstration hall. Immediately after Alon's departure...
"That was really Light?"
"That's impossible—"
"But it clearly was. Didn't everyone see that faint light?"
"I know. There's no idiot here who wouldn't recognize at least that much."
"Then—what on earth was it that the Marquis showed us?"
As if the heavy silence had been a mirage, the demonstration hall instantly became a cacophony of voices as the mages began to speak the moment the person in question left.
"Then what the Marquis showed us... could it be the next stage of Light...?"
At one mage's suggestion, the room erupted.
"Does such a thing even exist?"
"That's nonsense!"
"But if not, there's no way to explain the magic the Marquis showed. It wasn't an Origin."
"...True. What the Marquis showed was undoubtedly Light."
The demonstration hall, where silence was usually considered golden, suddenly became noisier than the middle of a marketplace.
Exactly one hour later.
The mages who had been dawdling and finally showed up at the half-destroyed hall to begin their own demonstrations...
"...I mean, the Marquis's magic was amazing, but..."
"What about our research results...?"
...couldn't help but feel a sense of futility as they looked at the empty space where not a single soul remained.
* * *
Immediately afterward, Alon, who had recovered his body using the Primordial Elf's Divinity, muttered as he felt the lingering aftereffects of mana depletion.
"...I feel like I can live again."
He let out a long sigh, but only for a moment. Evan, who had been wearing a dazed expression, called out to him.
"Marquis."
"What is it?"
"That... was really Light, right?"
"How many times are you going to ask?"
"No, I mean... no matter how much I think about it... it felt way too different, didn't it?"
Evan scratched his head. Honestly, Alon inwardly agreed with him. He himself had never imagined the spell would possess that much power.
"To be honest, I thought there would be a difference. I did, but I didn't expect it to be this much. Isn't that natural?"
As Alon gave a silent affirmation, Penia, who was standing beside him, nodded.
"Right... Light is just a lifestyle spell. But there's something even scarier than that."
"What is it?"
"...You didn't use any Hand Seals, did you?"
At Penia's words, Alon slowly nodded. It was exactly as she said. What he had gained with Heinkel's help were only the five Phrases. He hadn't obtained the Hand Seals. In other words, the magic Alon demonstrated wasn't even the finished version.
"...Wait, you're saying that power wasn't even from a completed spell?"
"It's like the Ice Crystal Flower Spear from before. You followed the Marquis, so you must have seen it, right?"
Penia answered Evan's dazed question sharply. Evan remained silent for a moment before speaking firmly.
"Marquis, when you use that, please use it from as far away as possible."
"...So suddenly?"
"I just don't want to be turned into a rotisserie chicken."
He spoke decisively, recalling the Ice Crystal Flower Spear. Seeing this, Penia continued.
"The ability probably won't be fixed like that. It's highly likely it'll take a different form."
"I think so too."
Alon nodded in agreement. In fact, most of Alon's magic research had been like that until now—clinging to tiny hints in a vast ocean and moving forward bit by bit.
But now? A signpost Alon had been searching for had appeared. And it was a signpost both of them knew very well: Tier Magic.
Thanks to that, Alon's mind was currently filled with anticipation. He recognized that extracting information from magic itself was an incredibly difficult task, but the anticipation was enough to drive him.
Therefore...
'Should I spend a bit more time and find the Hand Seals first? No, knowing the Hand Seals is important, but it might be better to learn more accurately from Heinkel how to extract information from Tier Magic—'
Just as he was burning with motivation...
[Is your body feeling better?]
Heinkel appeared, walking through the wall.
"I'm fine."
At Alon's affirmation, Heinkel immediately brought up the main topic as if she had been waiting.
[Then I'd like to get to the point.]
"...Which is?"
[I want to research Tier Magic in earnest. Will you cooperate? It's a bit awkward to say this, but you're having trouble exploring Tier Magic, aren't you?]
Alon nodded. Indeed, he was finding it difficult to extract information from Tier Magic itself.
[I'll help you with that.]
"Then I—"
[What you need to do is simple. Just keep showing me your magic. That's all.]
Heinkel seemed to flinch as she looked somewhere, but she quickly composed herself and looked away.
"I don't see any reason to refuse."
[Then it's a deal.]
They both shared satisfied smiles.
* * *
A day passed.
After properly learning the additional method of extracting information from Tier Magic from Heinkel, Alon left the Magic Society. He wanted to stay a bit longer, but he couldn't leave Ryanga neglected for too long.
"Mmm—I wish we could have stayed a few more days to learn. It's a shame."
Penia muttered with slightly slumped shoulders, to which Alon replied.
"We learned everything we needed to, at least."
"That's true. Plus, we left that person—Sparrow, was it?—with her, so Lady Heinkel should be able to make faster progress in researching Tier Magic."
When leaving the Magic Society, Alon had handed over the gem containing Sparrow, thinking it might be of help to Heinkel.
"Since Lady Heinkel said she'd handle the 1st Tier, should we start with Magic Bolt?"
"First, let's find the Hand Seals for Light."
"Well, that's obviously the first step."
As he was discussing future plans with Penia...
"Ah, Marquis. I have something to tell you."
"Information?"
Evan came over with a report.
"Yes. Regarding the anomalies discovered in Ashtalon. It seems the Strongest are being deployed to stop them."
"...The Strongest?"
"Yes, it looks like about three of them are being sent in."
"Is Historia participating as well?"
"No? I don't think Historia was on the list... I heard it's some guy from the North, the Dragon King, and the Stealth User. Those three."
"I see."
"Oh, and there's news regarding our Divine Land as well."
"What is it?"
Alon listened intently to Evan's voice. Evan made a humming sound and scratched his head.
"Well, I heard the population in Divine Land has increased."
"The population...?"
"Yes."
"...Didn't you say it would likely decrease?"
"I don't know the exact reason. But it's true that people are still continuously entering Divine Land."
"...Why?"
"...How should I know? Maybe... it's because there are still more people coming in than leaving?"
"It's been quite a while, though."
"That's true... Oh, why don't you check your divine power?"
As Evan suggested it as if the idea just struck him, Alon immediately caught his drift and closed his eyes.
And then.
"...?"
He opened his eyes.
"Did you see it?"
Evan asked immediately. However, Alon didn't really answer and closed his eyes again.
"?"
Evan tilted his head in confusion. But Alon, snapping his eyes open once more...
"???"
...looked as if he had a dozen question marks floating over his head in disbelief, and closed his eyes one more time.
And there, he saw it.
'...What is this?'
...There was the planet of Divine Land, which had grown to an absurdly massive size.
In the midst of this bewildering situation, he gained one instinctive realization.
'What? What on earth is happening...???'
The fact was, something uncontrollable was happening to his cute little Divine Land Tycoon.