Chapter 325: Dog (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 325: Dog (2)
“Of course I came. Because of someone’s absurd lies.”
Alon was bewildered by the blatant hostility in Sharan’s gaze, but only for a moment.
“Lies? Did someone lie to you?”
When Selaim asked as if he truly had no idea, Sharan’s expression soured.
“They did. The lie that one can create magic with a 6th Tier—no, an even more complex formula—using only Light.”
“Why is that a lie?”
“Ha—are you serious?”
“Sharan, you must know how many mages the Marquis has already demonstrated his magic in front of.”
When Selaim countered, Sharan shook her head and spoke with conviction.
“It must be a trick.”
“A trick?”
“...Do I really have to say it out loud?”
She looked at Selaim with a pouting, exasperated expression.
“Hmm.”
“Someone like you should know how baseless and nonsensical that claim is, shouldn't you?”
“Well—I think it might be possible if it’s Marquis Palatio.”
“...You’re coddling him more than your own top disciple, honestly.”
“No, it’s purely a matter of probability.”
“...Ha.”
Sharan shook her head repeatedly, then turned her gaze toward Alon.
“If you’ve truly achieved the next stage of Light magic—that is, Reconstruction—I’ll bark like a dog and beg to be your disciple.”
Having said her piece, she spun around and vanished as if she had nothing more to say.
Alon watched her disappear into the distance without even waiting for an answer.
“Please understand. She has quite a bit of pride when it comes to magic.”
“...Ah, yes.”
Alon nodded at Selaim’s explanation, but he couldn't help but think.
‘...What was that about?’
He certainly realized she was trying to belittle him. However, from Alon’s perspective, her words were far too disjointed.
“It’s obviously because of her pride.”
Penia, standing beside him, let out a long sigh.
“Pride?”
“Yes. The Green Tower Master is famous for having an overflowing amount of it. She is the youngest Tower Master, after all.”
“...Was she?”
Alon searched through his memories for a moment.
...There might have been a setting like that.
‘She certainly is young compared to the other Tower Masters.’
While the others generally looked to be over fifty, she had been in her late twenties even when she appeared late in the game.
‘In the original story, Penia had become the Tower Master. Since the title of "youngest" had passed to Penia, I didn't give it much thought.’
While Alon was processing the situation, Penia muttered to herself in confusion.
“But still—even if the Green Tower Master has a nasty personality, she’s not usually the type to charge in like that... Why is she acting like this?”
“Is she different from usual?”
“Ah, she’s always had that kind of vibe, but... she feels a bit more vicious than usual today. Marquis, is there something between you and the Green Tower Master?”
“Not a chance. There are very few people I have any connection with as a mage.”
“Mmm—that’s true. Well, it’s not strange for her to react that way, but still... I wonder what it is.”
Penia fell into deep thought.
But it didn't last long.
“It’s a problem that will be settled once the demonstration happens tomorrow anyway.”
“That’s true.”
Penia agreed with Selaim’s words, bringing the conversation to a close.
“I’d like to have a chat since it’s been a while. What do you say, Marquis Palatio?”
“That sounds fine.”
Alon moved to speak with Selaim.
* * *
The following day.
Even though Marquis Palatio’s demonstration had been scheduled abruptly, the arena was more packed than ever before.
The atmosphere was split into two distinct camps.
“Is it Light magic again this time?”
“Finally! Last time, the magic orb for recording the footage burned out completely, so we couldn't verify it properly.”
“I brought my own this time just to be sure.”
“What? Something that expensive?”
“It belongs to the Magic Tower, of course.”
One side consisted of those who had witnessed the Marquis’s previous demonstration.
The other half—
“Hmm, what do you think? The Marquis’s magic.”
“Honestly, it’s hard to believe.”
“But I don’t think the Marquis is the type to lie—and there were witnesses.”
“It’s hard to believe until I see it with my own eyes.”
These were the ones who had not seen the demonstration. Every one of them looked down at the arena with skeptical expressions.
And.
“So you were here.”
Sharan Poranu was no different.
“You came, Selaim,” she greeted him bluntly. Selaim nodded.
“Of course I came. This is an important moment.”
“...Do you truly believe it?”
“Why shouldn't I?”
Sharan sighed at his nonchalant response.
“I understand why other mages believe in Marquis Palatio’s magic. But shouldn't you know better?”
“Well. I haven't seen anything yet.”
“That’s exactly why I’m saying this.”
“I truly believe there is a possibility.”
“...Like I said yesterday, you’re really coddling him...”
“And why are you being so emotional toward the Marquis?”
“...”
Sharan Poranu, the Green Tower Master, let out another sigh.
She had harbored a grudge against Marquis Palatio from the start.
It wasn't that the Marquis had done anything to her. She had never even properly met him before. Most of the rumors she had heard were the kind that would improve his image rather than tarnish it.
However, the reason she couldn't help but look at the Marquis with a jaded eye was because of Selaim Mikardo.
Selaim, the Master of the Blue Magic Tower, stood on equal footing with her.
Of course, Selaim hadn't badmouthed Alon to Sharan. If anything, he had praised him.
While he hadn't shared his suspicion that the Marquis was a Magus, he had praised the Marquis’s talent as a mage until his breath ran out.
Ridiculously enough, Sharan had been "triggered" by Selaim’s praise of Marquis Palatio.
Yes, it had gotten under her skin.
Why?
Simply because the speaker was Selaim Mikardo.
‘...This is truly absurd.’
Sharan scowled, looking at Selaim, who was leaning forward with a relaxed attitude beside her.
By now, the prevailing opinion was that Sharan was closer to the 9th Tier than Selaim. However, before she became a Tower Master, the person evaluated as being closest to the 9th Tier was Selaim.
And Sharan, despite being from a different Tower, had admired Selaim as a mage in the past—and still did.
In fact, while her talent played a part, the reason she had become a Tower Master faster than anyone else was her goal of being recognized by Selaim.
Yet, Selaim had never particularly praised her or held her in high regard. No matter what achievement she reached, it was always the same.
In short, the resentment Sharan felt toward Marquis Palatio was—to put it nicely—"pride," but to put it bluntly—
It was "inferiority."
“I’m not being emotional; isn't this the only logical reaction?”
Of course, that wasn't the only reason for her current opposition.
‘In the first place, does he really think it makes sense for there to be a next stage to Light magic...?’
Fundamentally, the construction of Tier magic is relatively flexible. Because of this, there were cases where specific spells were altered using unique patterns or arrays within each Magic Tower.
However, that was strictly limited to changing the array and structure.
“You know it too, don't you? No matter how easy it is to arrange Tier magic, a ‘next stage’ cannot exist. Our predecessors have proven this for hundreds of years. Does it make sense to believe that?”
Tier magic was, by definition, a legacy of knowledge passed down to all mages and a collection of completed spells.
They were spells that had been perfectly systematized over hundreds of years—more accurately, spells whose "research" was already complete.
And yet, someone had found the next stage of such magic?
That was no different from treating the mages of the Magic Towers, with their centuries of history, like fools. It implied that no one among the countless Tower Masters and mages who had researched Tier magic had been able to discover that fact until now.
This was why those who had not seen Marquis Palatio’s magic all wore such skeptical expressions.
“Hmm.”
Selaim pondered for a moment, about to say something.
“Oh, he’s out.”
He stopped speaking as soon as he saw Marquis Palatio emerge.
“Well—let’s just watch and see.”
Leaving it at that, he turned his gaze away.
And.
“...”
Sharan, who had been looking down at Marquis Palatio with a dissatisfied expression, immediately focused on the magic as soon as she saw him take his place in the center of the arena and cast Light.
What Marquis Palatio created was indeed Light.
A Light without any special characteristics or arrangements.
“——————”
At that moment, the mages who had been chattering just a second ago focused on Marquis Palatio all at once.
‘Could it be—just maybe...?’
The moment she felt a flicker of possibility at the sight of the Marquis calmly unfolding his magic—
Snap!
The Light magic that had been unfolding before Alon vanished.
No, to be more precise, it didn't just vanish.
It was...
‘...A failure?’
A failure in manifestation.
The sight of the mana structure in front of Alon shattering flickered past the mages' eyes.
“...What was that just now?”
“Did he dispel it on purpose?”
“No—it was a failure. The structure is breaking apart.”
“...It really is.”
The mages began to stir.
“What—a failure? With Light magic?”
“Is he nervous?”
“No, is that even a spell you can fail at?”
The voices of the mages who doubted Alon grew louder.
“I definitely saw it back then, though?”
“...Did we see wrong?”
“No—that can't be. That was definitely Light—even the Professor said so! Back then, it was definitely—”
“What’s going on?”
Whispers even broke out among the mages who had believed in Alon’s magic without a doubt.
The atmosphere inverted in an instant.
“Ha.”
Just as Sharan was about to turn to Selaim with a hollow, mocking laugh—
Marquis Palatio, whose face remained unreadable, suddenly raised both hands.
The mages' eyes were drawn to him once more.
Alon’s hands...
“That’s—”
...formed a hand seal.
Then.
As Alon muttered something, everyone present witnessed it.
Something was devouring the Light in front of Alon—that very radiance.
And then.
“Divine Light.”
From Alon’s lips, the Phrase flowed out.