Chapter 381: Magic (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 381: Magic (1)
Alon looked at Ryanga.
Her eyes, which had been darting around as if lost, steadied for a brief moment.
Tap.
Without a word, she hopped down from Alon’s lap and took a few steps forward.
Swish!
Then, she vanished right before his eyes.
It happened in the blink of an eye.
Alon stared blankly at the spot where Ryanga had just been standing. After a long silence, his face devoid of expression, he finally spoke.
“Penia.”
“Yes, Marquis.”
“Are the people I’m close with… usually all a bit strange?”
“Hmm… in what sense?”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“There are many ways to be strange.”
As Penia answered—
“I was just out at the auction house for a bit. Did something happen?”
Evan, who had been away on business, returned.
“It’s nothing major. It just seems the news of the Marquis losing his memory has spread a little.”
“The Marquis’s situation?”
“Well, it’s not enough to be overly worried about. It doesn’t seem to be widely known yet.”
Penia recounted the day’s events one by one.
After hearing everything, Evan let out a low hum.
“Well, I suppose that’s a bit less than I expected.”
That was his assessment.
“…This is less than you expected?”
“Yes.”
“…By any chance, Evan, were you the one who spread the word that I lost my memory?”
“Hey now—of course not. Why would I go around telling people you lost your memory?”
Evan shrugged his shoulders.
“When I said it was less than expected, I was referring to the reaction.”
“The reaction?”
“Yes. To be honest, I thought if those guys found out you’d lost your memory… something more would happen.”
“…Like what?”
“Oh, you know… like a kidnapping?”
“…?”
Evan uttered the terrifying word with total composure.
Alon looked at him with a questioning expression, wondering if it was a joke.
“…You’re not joking?”
“Why would I joke about that?”
Evan confirmed it with a straight face.
“…Hmm, he might be right.”
As Penia, who had been listening quietly, agreed, Alon’s mind became a tangled mess.
Just what kind of life have I been leading for the past thirteen years…?
A deep sigh escaped him naturally from his confused head.
* * *
Evening soon arrived.
Those who had tried to achieve their own goals(?) using Alon’s amnesia as an excuse finally bowed their heads to him in unison.
Alon ended the situation by letting it slide as if it were no big deal.
It wasn't as if they had done anything truly harmful.
More than anything, the gifts they brought were so magnificent that he could easily overlook their lighthearted pranks(?).
…Though that one is… a bit much.
From the balcony, Alon looked at the statue—which had clearly grown much larger than it was this morning—before turning his gaze toward the noisy dining hall.
The first thing he saw was Blackie and Basiliora, who had been diligently training the new(?) pet that arrived today, now busily eating from their plates.
Next, he saw Nangwon and Deus talking quite amicably.
Then there was Historia, silently watching Blackie.
Finally, his eyes fell on Ryanga and Magrina, who were whispering something to each other in secret.
It was a scene that didn't stray from the bounds of a peaceful daily life.
In truth, for Alon, who had lost thirteen years of memories, it should have felt strange to have any particular sentiment about them, regardless of what he had been told.
“….”
Yet, watching them, he felt a profound sense of stability in a corner of his heart.
It was as if he truly liked this scenery.
He felt a brief sense of wonder at his own contradictory emotions, but soon turned his eyes back to the night sky, scratching his head and sighing.
He had been thinking about it constantly, but a way to supplement his magic still hadn't occurred to him.
…I wonder if there even is a way.
Fundamentally, the magic Alon needed to supplement had clear limitations.
To use magic, one had to use 'Phrases' and 'Hand Seals.'
By using those Phrases and Hand Seals, one could achieve firepower on a completely different level from conventional mages.
In other words, the 'firepower' that was the root of Alon's magic was like an unchangeable law that could only exist because of the constraints of Phrases and Hand Seals.
If he abandoned that law, it would simply become ordinary magic.
In short, what Alon was agonizing over was something close to impossible.
“Teacher?”
Just as Alon was sighing over these thoughts, a voice reached him.
He naturally turned his head toward the sound.
“Yutia Nu—”
He quickly swallowed the rest of the word.
Though he had heard about their relationship from Penia, the first thing he had said to her remained stuck in his mind, and he had almost naturally called her 'Nuna.'
Because he hadn't finished the word, he didn't see the deep sense of disappointment that flickered in Yutia’s eyes.
“You can call me whatever you're comfortable with,” Yutia said, her expression shifting instantly.
“No, still—”
“No, I don't want to see you feeling uncomfortable, Teacher. So please, call me whatever is easiest. I’m fine with any title.”
Yutia beamed.
Why did it feel like she wasn't actually laughing, even though she was clearly smiling?
Alon briefly felt that sensation before averting his gaze and speaking.
“Uh, why did you—I mean, why did you come out?”
“I came out because it looked like you were worrying about something alone. May I ask what’s on your mind?”
“…I’m worrying about my current state.”
“Your current state?”
“Yes. After all, 'I' sealed my own memories to supplement my magic. However—”
Alon hesitated, about to say it was because he lacked creativity.
If he said that, he would have to reveal more about himself.
According to Penia, Alon and Yutia had known each other for thirteen long years.
But even so, had he ever talked about his 'previous world'?
The probability was almost certainly no.
“Hmm—so it’s a concern about magic after all?”
At Yutia’s follow-up, Alon cut off his train of thought and replied.
“That’s right.”
“Hmm—couldn't the answer perhaps be found within your memories, Marquis?”
“Within my memories?”
“Yes.”
“For instance—”
Her characteristically brilliant red eyes fell into thought for a moment.
Then, a gentle smile played on her lips.
“—Like storing magic.”
“Storing, huh….”
Alon muttered, repeating Yutia’s words.
However, it wasn't as if he hadn't thought of that.
Alon possessed 'Gauntlets' that could store specific magic.
He also knew that in the countless fantasy worlds he had read about before coming to this world, there was a spell called 'Memorize.'
But naturally, neither of those provided the answer to the magic Alon was currently struggling with.
In the case of the Gauntlets, they could only unleash a single spell exactly once.
And as for 'Memorize'—a staple spell in the fantasy novels he used to read that allowed one to store and deploy multiple spells—it was simply impossible to implement in this world.
Even if it were theoretically possible, realistically, only one spell could be stored.
In other words, it was no different from the Gauntlets.
Therefore—
“It’s not that I haven't considered that, but it’s impossible.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Theoretically, storing magic is possible, but only for a single use. Furthermore, it can only be used in a state before using the Art of Defying Heaven.”
“Why is that?”
“…It’s a bit of a complex concept, but to 'store' magic in the first place, it must be stored in a Mana Hole.”
“Are you saying that if the mana swells through Defying Heaven, the pre-prepared magic might go berserk?”
“With research, that risk could be eliminated, but for now, yes.”
Yutia remained silent for a moment before suddenly asking.
“But does it really matter if it’s only one?”
“…It doesn't matter?”
“Yes. The problem is the Hand Seals and the Phrases, right?”
“Right.”
“But for Hand Seals, you have the Hand Ice Seal, don't you?”
“…Even so, there are still the Phrases.”
“Hmm—”
Yutia seemed to choose her words carefully.
“…Can't you just make the Phrases out of magic too?”
“…Out of magic?”
“The reason you recite Phrases is to utilize the laws, right? Then is there a need to actually say them out loud?”
She posed the question.
“Well, obviously—”
Alon was about to refute her, but then—
“…?”
An idea suddenly struck him.
A hypothesis he had never considered before—one he hadn't yet attempted.
The moment it occurred to him—
“…Well, I don't really know much, so I was just saying whatever came to mind,” Yutia added with a gentle smile.
“No, it was definitely an idea worth trying.”
“Is that so?”
“Thank you.”
“I’m glad I could be of help. I wanted to be useful to you, Teacher.”
Yutia, her smile never fading, said her goodbyes.
“It looks like you need some more time to think, so I’ll head back inside first.”
She turned and walked toward the dining hall.
Alon stood there blankly, chewing over the inspiration sparked by Yutia’s question.
“Huh?”
Then he realized something.
A realization that had slipped past him so naturally, yet was quite strange.
…Did I ever tell her that I was worrying about supplementing 'Phrases' and 'Hand Seals'…?
Alon stared blankly for a long time at Yutia, who had already entered the dining hall and was interacting with the others.
* * *
To get straight to the point.
In less than a few hours, Seolrang had arrived in Teria, the capital of Asteria.
There were only two reasons.
One was that Asteria was much faster than the Colony.
The other was that she knew Asteria’s City Hall stayed open later than the one in the Colony.
Of course, the documents Seolrang currently held were from the Colony, but that was fine.
Fundamentally, for countries belonging to the United Kingdoms, all laws of this nature followed the statutes of 'Rosario' unless the King personally decreed otherwise.
Thus, having reached Teria at lightning speed, Seolrang ran to the City Hall, rejoicing that she hadn't been caught by Yutia.
Even as she checked the marriage registration over and over, a creeping anxiety that Yutia might be waiting there blossomed in her chest.
She entered the City Hall and looked around.
Yutia really wasn't there.
Only after confirming this did Seolrang breathe a sigh of relief.
With a face full of anticipation, she immediately held out the marriage registration to the city official.
And then—
“…Um. I’m sorry, but I don't think we can process this document.”
“Eh…?”
The response was an immediate rejection.
“W-Why?”
“Uh—did you not know…? A week ago, Rosario announced that from now on, marriage registrations can only be approved if all parties who signed the document are present in person….”
The clerk explained while gauging her reaction.
In that moment.
Several keywords flashed through Seolrang’s mind as she stood there with her mouth agape.
Rosario.
Cardinal Yutia.
Marriage Registration.
Yutia not stopping her.
And, having reached the truth without much difficulty, Seolrang began to sob in a hollow voice.
“Th-This is—th-that’s cheating!”
It felt as if she could hear the laughter of someone who had twisted the very law itself just to stop her, echoing from far away….