Chapter 137: The Big Picture (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 137: The Big Picture (2)
Kidad Hall’s residence was located deep within a forest, far removed from the bustling city streets.
While the decent brick house appeared no different from any ordinary home, its basement was a great mage’s hideout, fully equipped with all manner of magical research facilities.
This was the first time Kidad had ever allowed another person to visit this place.
With Jin seated at the living room table, Kidad brewed some tea.
‘What on earth is happening? A Hister! And if he truly inherited their mana, this boy must possess a Complete Mana Body…!’
Thump, thump. Kidad’s hand trembled slightly as he held the teapot. In contrast, Jin sat with his back straight, calmly waiting for him.
Hister.
A legendary family of mages that, for a brief period between 1400 and 1500, had threatened the Zipple clan with their sorcery.
And as was often the case, it was a name that had eventually been defeated by the Zipple and erased from history. Now, not a single book related to them could be found, and their brilliant magic had seen its lineage completely severed.
However, Kidad knew that name and the great magic they had achieved.
‘Back when I was at the Zipple’s higher magic education institution, I visited a secret library just once. The brief history of the Hister family I found there… it was nothing short of a dream for all mages.’
From that point on, Kidad had begun researching the Histers. He traveled through academies and auction houses across the world, buying up any traces of the family that the Zipple had failed to recover.
Artifacts, magic books, and even trivial items presumed to have been used by the Hister family.
They were all trash. Anything of high magical value or containing their true spirit had already been absorbed into the Zipple’s classified records.
But a few years ago, he had miraculously obtained a single magic tome from a small kingdom in Huphester.
That book had allowed Kidad to complete his own unique magic, which he had named the ‘Reverse Flow System.’ It had provided the final piece of the essence of Reverse Flow magic that had eluded him even after reaching 9-star.
‘Kidad, you must be going out of your mind right now, wondering how I’ll prove I’m a Hister, and how you’ll coax me into becoming your disciple once I do… Just like you did to my teacher.’
When Kidad set down the teacup, Jin gave a light nod.
“Thank you, Amel-nim.”
“If I had known you were the last survivor of the Histers… I wouldn’t have treated you so roughly. At first, I thought you were Kelliark’s bastard son or the disciple of some other great mage.”
“To be honest, I never wanted to reveal my surname. I intended to live my whole life hiding it. The chances of me dying like a dog are quite high, after all. Since you know of my family, Amel-nim, I don’t need to explain why…”
“Ah, yes. I know it well… The moment the Zipple learn of your existence, you won’t survive.”
“…But you won’t hand me over to the Zipple, will you, Amel-nim? If that were your intention, you wouldn’t have served me such fragrant tea. I don’t know much about tea, but even I can tell this scent is magnificent.”
Kidad gave a faint smile.
“Heh, it seems you haven’t known the secret of your birth for very long. Do you know how much of a bounty the Zipple have placed on your head?”
“I do not.”
“At least a million gold coins. And since you’ve even inherited their mana, it would be ten times that.”
Pffft!
Jin intentionally spat out the tea he was holding in his mouth.
“Ugh… I… I’m sorry. That’s just an unfathomable amount. Ten million… even if I emptied the entire treasury of the Marquis of Meltador, it wouldn’t be nearly enough.”
He was genuinely surprised. If that were true, it meant the bounty on his teacher in his previous life had been just as high.
“Ten million gold coins. It’s more money than this old man could ever spend before he dies. With that kind of money, I could buy an entire island and turn it into a laboratory instead of living in a brick house like this. So, there’s no reason for me not to sell you out.”
“Hmm.”
“In other words, your fate is entirely in my hands. My real name is Kidad Hall. I had already reached 9-star and become infamous long before you were even born.”
“Are you saying… you are Kidad Hall of the Reverse Flow?”
Kidad smiled, looking satisfied.
“You know my name? I haven’t been very active in your time.”
Kidad gathered mana in his palm to show him.
Whirrr, whirrr! The mana rotated like a whirlpool, creating a sharp noise. It was the initial form of the Reverse Flow magic that had symbolized Kidad in his prime.
“Ever since I became a student of magic, the person I admired most was you, Kidad-nim. You have no idea how many times I reread books about you during my studies.”
“Why?”
“Because unlike me, you didn’t hide your abilities or run from the Zipple, Kidad-nim.”
“Oh?”
“Even after realizing my own power and potential, I decided to graduate from the Meltador Magic School and live the life of an ordinary, low-ranking mage. I thought no one there would recognize my talent.”
Not third-rate, but fifth-rate. Kidad’s assessment of the Meltador Magic School was cold and accurate. It was a school where the faculty barely reached 4 or 5-star.
“Certainly… those hacks at Meltador would never have recognized you. You intended to live with bated breath. Yes, I understand. I once worried about such things, fearing my talent would be crushed by the Zipple. As a Hister, you must have felt that even more keenly.”
Jin swallowed a sneer.
Until he had established his ‘Reverse Flow’ magic, Kidad was a man who had desperately tried to suck up to the Zipple by any means necessary. It was only after he had formulated the Reverse Flow system that he began to distance himself from them.
“But in the end, Kidad-nim, you achieved the great feat of reaching 9-star. And you did it without the Zipple’s support. Compared to that, I… I’m saying too much. I should be hiding my identity as much as possible. Actually, I’m feeling a bit moved right now.”
“What is so moving?”
“Think about it. While I was on my way to hide from the Zipple, I met you, Kidad-nim, by sheer chance. And you’re showing me favor.”
“Favor! Why would you think that? I could knock you unconscious within three seconds and sell you to the Zipple right now. It’s ten million, ten million.”
“If you were a man blinded by money, Kidad-nim, you would have already secured a position within the Zipple or Viment. You would be enjoying wealth and glory as their subordinate, receiving the respect of all mages.”
After choosing his words for a moment, Jin spoke again.
“But you didn’t. You left the easy path and always kept a certain distance from them. The Kidad Hall I read about in books was a steadfast man who held onto his obsession and conviction for magic without a single powerful backer. That is who you are.”
From start to finish, Kidad loved every word. As the conversation continued, he became increasingly fascinated by Jin.
It wasn't just the flattery. It was the boy’s confidence, which didn’t wither even before someone who held his life in their hands, and those eyes that held a certain dignity.
Such things were capturing Kidad’s heart. More accurately, they were capturing his desire for a ‘successor.’
‘Meltador Magic School? He’s an unparalleled genius who can never be allowed to rot among such fifth-rate hacks! And that dignified gaze, a sign of a strong and solid inner self… this boy possesses exactly what I dreamed of in my youth.’
A long silence followed.
Kidad needed time to suppress his surging emotions.
‘I never even dreamed of establishing a magical house of my own. But how many years have I wasted searching for a talent to become my successor?’
If this was a coincidence, then the heavens had taken a liking to the life of a man named Kidad and bestowed this gift upon him.
If it was fate, it was a connection that would never come again.
At this point, Kidad was already convinced that Jin was the last successor of the Histers, but there was no harm in being certain.
Whirrrr…!
Kidad increased the intensity of the mana in his palm and looked straight at Jin.
“From now on, you must prove to me that you are a true Hister. And then, you will have to make a choice.”
“…What kind of choice?”
“I will tell you after you prove yourself. Show me evidence that you are a Hister. An item is fine, or an ability.”
Jin pulled a book out of his worn leather bag.
“This is a magic tome given to me by the mercenary captain who raised me when he told me the secret of my birth. The author is Shuziel Hister, said to be one of my ancestors. I don’t know exactly who they were, however.”
“Give it here!”
When Kidad reflexively reached out his hand, Jin shook his head.
“I can show it to you, but you cannot touch it.”
“What?”
“I made a vow to myself. Even if I were to die, I would not let anyone else touch this book without my permission. Observe it from a distance. Unless you intend to kill me.”
The lines he had prepared in advance struck a chord in Kidad’s chest. He couldn’t even think of it as arrogant. The initiative in the conversation had already shifted to Jin.
“Fine… then you flip the pages and show me yourself.”
Flip, flip, flip… With every page Jin turned, Kidad’s mouth opened a little wider.
‘This cipher system… it’s a real Hister magic tome!’
As soon as Jin closed the book, the sound of Kidad smacking his lips could be heard.
“I am sixteen years old, and as you know, I possess 7-star mana. I was told that this mana, obtained from a heritage site, can only be held by a pure-blooded Hister with a Complete Mana Body.”
“You said you were raised by a mercenary captain, yet you know what a Complete Mana Body is? That is a term lost even to history books.”
“I learned it when I went to the heritage site. As soon as I entered, all sorts of Record Magic activated and explained what a Complete Mana Body was. It said I met the qualifications and transferred the mana to me. I have no other way to prove this.”
“Re—Record Magic! You experienced even that…?!”
The reason the Zipple had destroyed the Hister family was partly because their potential threatened the clan.
But the biggest reason was the Histers’ unique ‘Record Magic.’ To the Zipple, who were adept at manipulating history as they pleased, the Hister family’s Record Magic was a thorn in their side.
It was a miracle in itself, something even the geniuses of the Zipple could not replicate—closer to a brilliant civilization than mere magic.
“Is this enough proof, Kidad-nim?”
“Who is the mercenary captain who raised you?”
“A mercenary named Oakley Ben from the southern region of the Schuteron Kingdom. He ran a small mercenary group called the Gray Owls, and they were all… murdered by the Zipple. They died trying to save me, so I came to Meltador to ensure their sacrifice wasn't in vain.”
Jin lowered his eyes with a bitter smile.
Every lie he was telling was something his teacher had actually experienced. His teacher, who would be fourteen by now, was likely missing the Gray Owls and weeping every night.
‘I am using your pain for my revenge. I’m sorry, Teacher. When we meet again, I will repay the debt in my heart until the day I die.’
Kidad let out a long sigh.
“…Fine. It has been proven that you are a Hister. Now, make your choice.”
“Please, speak.”
“Do you wish to live a meaningless life as an ordinary mage in Meltador, or do you wish to inherit the name of Reverse Flow and leave your mark on history?”
When Jin whispered his answer, Kidad’s clenched fists trembled violently.