Chapter 114: Archmage (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 114: Archmage (4)
‘Haha, it feels like we’re out on a camping trip.’
A crackling campfire blazed.
Above it, a deer roasted, giving off a savory aroma.
And several people sat gathered around the fire…
Given the situation, no one was making it obvious, but everyone looked quite excited.
“Reminds me of when we were young, doesn't it? Lena?”
“Fufu, it does. Back then, I used to fall asleep under the stars in fields like this with you, Sister…”
Helena and Natalia shared memories of their youth.
Crunch, munch… Grrr.
“Hahaha, no one’s going to take it from you, so eat slowly.”
Andrasta was stroking the head of Panthera, who was tearing into a whole deer carcass.
‘Hmm~ Now, as for our Archmage Marshal…’
Sure enough, she was sitting there with an expression that made my heart ache just looking at her.
Her hands and eyes were busy sorting herbs and poisons, and checking various scrolls.
However, the light of anxiety, impatience, fear, and worry—emotions she couldn't possibly hide—flickered across her face every second.
Naturally, my steps led me to the side of the lovely elf Archmage.
“You seem busy, Your Excellency.”
“Not particularly… but… um… didn't I ask you not to call me that?”
“Ah, my apologies. It’s a habit of etiquette, so I seem to have made a mistake without realizing it.”
The Roycen Empire and Korea didn't have many things in common, but they shared a few similarities regarding manners.
For instance, when addressing someone formally, one uses their highest position or status as a title.
Of course, I remembered that Irene had told me to call her by her name, but I used the title "Your Excellency" on purpose.
Why? Because if you see one thing, you can figure out ten.
‘There’s usually only one reason why people of such high status ask to skip formalities…’
It’s when their sense of authority is thin.
The position of Chief Court Mage is on par with the former Sword Saint.
Considering how much the late Loengram used to put on airs, Irene, who asks to be called by her name, is a major outlier.
Which, of course, works out very, very well for me.
So, I took a seat right in front of Irene.
“Irene-nim, is there anything I can help you with?”
“I appreciate the sentiment, but I must politely decline.”
A natural response.
Sorting herbs and poisons is impossible without specialized knowledge.
Scrolls, which manifest stored magic when unfurled, are also items that cannot be handled without expertise.
‘And while I might not know herbs and poisons, I’m confident when it comes to magic.’
Just then, Irene was unfurling another scroll.
I didn't know how much my unique magic, learned from Sitri, would work, but I stole a glance at the scroll Irene had opened.
‘Hmm… interesting.’
A complex magic circle was drawn in the center of the scroll, surrounded by densely packed incantations.
I couldn't understand the magic circle, but fortunately, the incantations were written in the Common Tongue, so I could read them…
‘Whoa, good grief.’
‘Hmm? Sitri?’
‘Look at that incantation, Leon. How does it look to you?’
‘Hmm… it reminds me of the English questions on the CSAT [College Scholastic Ability Test] back in high school.’
‘…And what is that supposed to mean?’
‘It feels like they took a simple sentence and twisted it in a dirty, petty way just to make it difficult.’
That was why, despite learning English for twelve years, the only things I could say were "How are you? I’m fine, thank you, and you?"
I hadn't learned a language; I had learned the technique of solving problems.
Perhaps sharing a similar sentiment, Sitri sent a telepathic message in an exasperated voice.
‘Exactly. Hmph, foolish things. They’ve built a tower of deception with stolen knowledge.’
‘You’re being quite scathing today…’
‘I had some expectations since they called her an Archmage, but I’ve lost interest. It would be more constructive to watch the manga in your memories that I haven't seen yet.’
With that, Sitri retreated back into the "cinema and manga cafe" inside my memory.
I wonder if she’s going to turn into an otaku Great Demon at this rate.
Anyway, as soon as I finished my conversation with Sitri, I carefully pointed to a sentence in the next scroll Irene unfurled.
“Is something the matter?”
“I’m no match for an Archmage, but I do have a bit of knowledge regarding magic. That’s why I’m mentioning this… this incantation here seems a bit inefficient…”
“Inefficient? What do you mean?”
“Here, the part that increases the temperature of this Fireball.”
If I were to summarize the incantation written on the scroll, it felt something like this:
Create fire in the air, gather it into a spherical shape, increase the temperature, and hurl it at the designated target.
Simply put, it was the Fireball you’d see in any game.
The reason I pointed out the temperature-increasing incantation was also simple.
If you’re throwing a ball of fire at an enemy, the part that determines its power is obviously the temperature.
Rather than abstract and pedantic language like "the essence of fire existing in nature" or "the inner passion hotter than anything else," there was a much more certain and faster way to raise the temperature.
Of course, having no way of knowing such a method, Irene was looking at me with an expression that said she honestly found me ridiculous.
“The formula for Fireball is a perfected magic that was established and proven 200 years ago. Sir Leon, I do not know how much knowledge you have accumulated, but to me, this looks like mere bravado. I apologize if I have offended you.”
“Haha, I understand. Hmm… then I’d like to ask you this. Is a field of study that does not accept challenges truly a field of study?”
Irene’s fine eyebrows twitched.
Since a mage is ultimately a scholar as well, she must have understood exactly what I meant.
A field of study that does not accept intellectual challenges is not a science, but mere blind devotion.
Those who only say "If you don't know, then learn!" in the face of such challenges are not scholars or intellectuals; they are just fanatics.
Thanks to that, Irene’s eyes were full of absurdity as she looked at me… but I also felt a bit of interest, and a very, very faint trace of fear.
The fear that perhaps the magic she had spent her life acquiring—the magic of this world—might be wrong.
“If you go that far, I assume you have a theory to increase the efficiency and power of this incantation? Pointing things out blindly is something even a thoughtless child can do.”
“Of course. If you’ll allow it, I’d like to make some adjustments… what do you say?”
“Fine. I will lend you writing tools, so go ahead and try.”
As Irene’s slender finger swept across the scroll, the incantation vanished as if erased by an eraser.
Oh… that really looks like magic. No, it is real magic, isn't it?
Before I could even be amazed by the phenomenon, Irene immediately held out a pen that looked like a fountain pen and some ink.
“Here, this is a writing tool for engraving incantations onto scrolls.”
“Thank you. Now then…”
Of course, I was a liberal arts major.
However, I at least knew the fact that fire is a type of oxidation reaction called combustion.
So… I wrote this incantation in the empty space on the scroll.
At that, Irene’s amethyst-like purple eyes widened.
“Concentrate the oxygen in the atmosphere…? What does this mean?”
“Oxygen is, simply put, a part of the air. Hmm… rather than explaining it in detail, it’ll be easier to understand if you think of a blacksmith’s bellows.”
Irene’s eyes widened even further.
She had a look that said, Why didn't I think of that?
Thanks to that, the Archmage who had been looking at me with disdain vanished, and in her place sat a mage overflowing with intellectual curiosity and thirst.
“P-Please excuse me for a moment. Right… if we do this, the temperature will rise enough to melt iron. Why did no one think of this…?”
Before I knew it, Irene had stood up with the scroll.
Not only that, she grabbed both corners of the scroll and ripped it apart.
Immediately…
—Whoosh!
A red fireball the size of a head appeared before Irene’s eyes.
The fireball immediately absorbed the surrounding air and grew as large as a house, and the red flames soon turned blue.
The temperature of a red flame is roughly 600 degrees Celsius… while a blue flame is said to go up to about 2,000 degrees.
Irene stared at the Fireball, which was shining like a blue sun, and wore an absurd smile.
“Ha, haha… good heavens… this is a Fireball…?”
Of course, the Fireball vanished immediately.
Because the massive blue fireball was emitting such overwhelming heat that it was difficult to even keep one's eyes open.
However… Irene immediately grabbed my hands and looked at me, her eyes shining like the morning star.
“T-This is incredible! Sir Leon, how on earth did you come up with such an idea?! This is an innovation!”
“Is it that much…?”
“It is! As you know, Fireball is the most basic attack magic, but the Fireball we just saw has power that doesn't fall behind even the lost Hellfire! Magic of this caliber will surely work against a dragon! My goodness, it is a massive loss of human resources that Sir Leon became a knight instead of a mage! Oh, oh, what should I do? Would you happen to have any intention of learning magic from me—no, no, of teaching me magic?!”
What is this, an incantation?
Irene fired off a rapid-fire rap so fast that I actually had that thought for a second.
Furthermore, she leaned her face in so close it felt like she was about to kiss me.
Because of that, the soft scent of an elf wafted to the tip of my nose, and I almost accidentally pounced on her…
Barely restraining myself, I gave Irene a light smile.
“Um… aren't you a bit too close…?”
“Ah…! Ah, ahhh…! I-I-I’m sorry! I got too excited without realizing… p-please forgive me…”
Wow, her blushing face is really pretty too.
It’s enough to make my lower half throb in spite of myself.
But then, Andrasta had approached Irene and me.
“Fufu, you really are amazing.”
“It’s nothing special.”
“It reminds me of the day I met you in the finals. The light and sound that erupted from the ground were quite troublesome.”
“Haha, I felt like I could never win with swordsmanship alone. So it was a magic I thought of right then and there.”
At that, the glint in Irene’s eyes grew even sharper.
Irene grabbed my hands again, sticking close to me as she began pouring out questions.
“A trap of light and sound?! What kind of magic is that?!”
“Um… Your Excellency…?”
“Furthermore, you used it immediately after thinking of it on the spot? Just how quickly did you construct and stabilize the formula?!”
“That’s… um… first, please step back a bit…”
“I can't, I’m too curious to stand it! Sir Leon, even if it’s just for today, please teach me! I beg of you! Or how about the improvement and reinforcement of these scrolls?!”
Hmm… well… it seems… our Archmage Elf Maman is a severe magic otaku.
Plus, the situation where her kin were attacked by a dragon overlapped with it.
So… I was helplessly subjected to Irene’s barrage of questions all night long, and for the first time in this life, I had to fill pages with dense notes…
‘Well, I guess I can properly hook her with this…’