Chapter 51: Prologue (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 51: Prologue (1)
On the afternoon of the academy's closing ceremony, a torrential downpour began to fall. The clouds I had initially mistaken for harmless cumulus turned out to be heavy nimbostratus.
In the end, I had to cut my training short and retreat to Doris Hall.
Once I had washed away the rain, I decided it was time to finalize my future plans and put them into motion. Now that summer vacation had officially arrived, I needed a solid roadmap.
I took a seat at my desk, spread out a sheet of parchment, dipped my quill in ink, and began to write.
‘First, there’s the matter of next semester’s tuition.’
Each semester cost 50,000 gel. I had the option to use external currency converted into gel—though that was strictly limited to tuition purposes—or I could pay directly with the gel I had earned.
I had made a significant amount of gel by selling the zephrim I’d harvested in bulk from the Tantak underground cave. However, after the massive expenditure on the Armana Wand, my current balance was a bit short of the tuition fee.
Considering my living expenses for the duration of the break, I needed to dedicate some time to earning more gel.
I knew of a part-time job that increased [Elemental Efficiency]. If I took that job during the vacation and combined those earnings with my current savings, I should be able to cover the tuition. The fact that it doubled as training was an added bonus.
‘As for my vacation schedule…’
Excluding work hours, my schedule would be packed with continuous training. While engaging with external academy content could help me grow, repetitive training remained the most efficient path.
If it weren't for my status window, I would still be Isaac, the weakest student, lagging miles behind everyone else in terms of growth. I had to become stronger with maximum efficiency.
‘So, it’ll be a cycle of a tedious part-time job and training. Then, what’s left is…’
Hilde’s Frostscythe. The absolute highlight of this summer vacation.
During this break, I would have the chance to get my hands on a legendary weapon I hadn't expected to obtain until much later.
To claim Hilde’s Frostscythe, I had to pass a trial consisting of mental challenges. It would take place in a non-reality setting, so I simply needed to overcome whatever obstacles the trial threw at me.
Since the content of the trial varied from person to person, the experience I remembered as Ian in ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱ would likely be quite different from what I would face as Isaac.
‘I’m not sure if my game knowledge will even be helpful.’
I would have to endure the freezing aura emitted by the Frostscythe until the trial concluded. This was why the minimum requirement for obtaining the weapon was an [Ice Resistance] of at least 60—it was the "minimum threshold" required to keep from freezing to death before the trial ended.
In other words, if I couldn’t pass the trial before my body reached its limit, I would die.
‘…Isn’t that a bit too dangerous?’
As the time to obtain the Frostscythe drew near, the reality that I could actually die hit me hard. The weight of it felt heavier now, especially after my brush with death during the fight with the Thunderbird.
Besides, I was specialized in hunting demons. When it came to trials, I was just ordinary Isaac…
“Still… if I get this, the power-up will be insane.”
The merit was worth the risk to my life. I didn't know how to wield conventional weapons, but simply holding Hilde’s Frostscythe would amplify the power of my ice magic. I could use it exactly like a wizard’s staff.
If I activated [Ice Sovereign] while holding Hilde’s Frostscythe, the strongest version of Isaac would be born. The Isaac Coin would soar all the way to Mars.
Of course, I couldn’t properly control the [Ice Sovereign] skill yet. As the ultimate ice element passive, it would be stranger if I could already master it.
Additionally, Hilde’s Frostscythe had side effects. The more the weapon was used, the more its cold aura eroded the user’s body. However, that would become less of a problem as I grew stronger. At the very least, it wasn't like [Ice Sovereign], which I currently couldn't handle at all.
“I should prepare some cold-protection gear.”
Surprisingly, all the ultimate elemental weapons were hidden right here within Märchen Academy.
‘In the future, when the Evil God of the Apocalypse is resurrected and the end of the world draws near, a brave hero will emerge to stop the darkness.’
This was a glimpse of the future seen by the archwizards of each element, collectively known as the ‘Primordial Elemental Kings.’ Naturally, the hero referred to in the prophecy was the protagonist, Ian Fairytale, the Child of Light.
The Primordial Elemental Kings had decided to aid the hero of the distant future. However, because the future was uncertain, they couldn't be sure which element the hero would use to stop the Evil God. Consequently, they left behind ultimate weapons for every element, choosing Märchen Academy—the place where the hero would awaken his potential—as the hiding place.
‘That lore isn't even introduced until the second semester of the second year.’
In the original game, Ian would obtain these weapons during his second year. Well, that was fine. I just hoped he would cooperate with Ciel later and obtain the Luminous Sword safely when the time came.
For now, my task was clear. I had to find the hidden pieces scattered throughout ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱: the ‘Traces of the Ice Sovereign’. There were four in total.
Once I found all four and placed my hand on a specific magic circle in the Ayla Forest, I would have to declare, “I will face the Trial of Frost.” Then, I would be transported to the trial grounds.
‘As for preparations…’
I made a list: heavy clothing, cold-protection gear, and fire-element hand warmers. To survive the trial, I first had to keep my body from freezing.
As I wrote, my left hand holding the parchment caught my eye. A black seal was etched into my wrist—the ‘8-star Familiar Contract Circle’.
I lifted my hand to examine it. It was the exact shape of the 8-star circle I knew, but it was empty, a dull, void-like black. It looked like an ordinary tattoo; it didn't disappear, and I felt no power from it.
After seeing my fate, the Great Witch of Heaven’s Wrath had bestowed this contract circle upon me as her most essential gift. If she had foretold my involvement with an 8-star magic beast, there could be only one candidate.
‘Frost Dragon Hilde…’
The Frost Dragon guarding the Frostscythe. An 8-star ice magic beast.
In ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, all the guardians of the ultimate weapons were 8-star magic beasts. In the late game, obtaining an 8-star Familiar Contract Circle allowed you to form a contract with the beast that matched your element.
Two conditions had to be met: first, you had to obtain the ultimate weapon. Second, you had to defeat the 8-star magic beast to prove your strength.
To make Frost Dragon Hilde mine, I didn't just have to pass the trial; I had to win a fight.
However, unlike demons, Hilde was a pure magic beast. This meant I had to face it as ordinary Isaac, with my [Hunter] trait deactivated.
‘That’s impossible.’
There was no way I could win. I had nearly died fighting the 8-star familiar Thunderbird Galia even with [Hunter] active—and that was when its health was already depleted. How could I, as the "weakest" Isaac, defeat a full-health 8-star magic beast like Hilde? No matter how I looked at it, it was a suicidal feat.
And yet… I couldn't think of any other 8-star beast besides the Frost Dragon.
‘What exactly did that witch see in my fate?’
Or did she just give me something random because it was within her reach?
…I decided to push those thoughts aside and focus on searching for the four ‘Traces of the Ice Sovereign’. With a vague recollection of their locations, I felt a surge of excitement at the prospect of scouring the academy for them.
I set my quill down, stood up, and changed into comfortable navy blue sportswear and a raincoat. Then, I headed out.
For a thousand years, snow had fallen and danced in the air even in midsummer, defying the climate of the Whiteclark Duchy in the northern region. The cause was the swirling ice mana enveloping the Eiffel Mountain Range, which towered at 9,000 meters.
An ice archwizard known as the Primordial Ice Elemental King, the Ice Sovereign, and the Witch with the Scythe, had once battled ancient demons to protect the north. The majestic form of her summoned 8-star magic beast, ‘Frost Dragon Hilde’, had since become the symbol of the Whiteclark family: the ‘White Dragon Emblem’.
Keridna Whiteclark, a pink-haired Class A student at Märchen Academy, had returned to her family mansion and greeted her parents. She hurried to her room and locked the door.
When the maids outside offered to prepare a bath, she stammered in embarrassment, “Uh, um… no!”
“Hehehehehe…”
Once the maid left, Keridna, dripping with cold sweat, began to laugh like a cartoon villain. It was a habit from her childhood; she thought it made her look cool and composed.
“That commoner is about to get what’s coming to him. How dare he ignore me.”
During the closing ceremony, Keridna had taken advantage of the crowd to brush past Isaac, the silver-blue haired student from Class D, and plant a spell on him.
It was the Whiteclark bloodline ability: [Sight Synchronization]. This was a unique magic exclusive to the direct Whiteclark line, similar to Amy Holloway’s [Heart Color Discernment]. By casting it on a target, the user could see whatever the target saw, regardless of distance.
Since mana consumption increased with distance, constant observation was difficult. Keridna’s sister had advised her to check the target’s vision intermittently instead.
Her sister, Aichel Whiteclark, was the one who truly bolstered the family’s power by monitoring the vision of twenty key figures—excluding royalty—using this ability. It was a bold, dangerous game; if caught, it could lead to the family's downfall. But so far, they had never been detected.
[Sight Synchronization] was undetectable because it emitted no mana once placed. The only way to sense it was if the target was also a member of the Whiteclark family who knew the spell. This magic was the secret foundation of their status as a ducal house.
And Keridna was using it for a petty personal grudge. She knew her parents would be furious if they found out.
“What’s so special about that commoner that everyone’s making such a fuss?”
The mysterious Class D commoner. Over this break, she would uncover every single one of his secrets.
Keridna valued connections. She had tried to be friendly with everyone in Class A, knowing a good network was essential for her future, even if her first-semester grades were lackluster. By spying on the commoner who was somehow close to the top students—Luce Eltania, Kaya Astrea, and Ciel Carnedas—she hoped to find leverage or hints to improve her own social standing.
‘No, I didn’t use [Sight Synchronization] for personal reasons. It’s to solidify my social status! Ultimately, it’s for the good of the Whiteclark family!’
Keridna justified her actions to herself. Outside, the world was dark, and the snow fell gently—a sight seen 340 days a year in the duchy.
What was that mysterious student doing right now?
Keridna sat at her desk, closed her eyes, and focused.
A damp space. The sound of falling water. Isaac’s vision was misty.
Wait, is he… taking a shower?
Suddenly, Isaac’s upper body was reflected in the mirror. His physique was… much better than she had expected.
‘Oh, my…’
She felt like the sight was healing her eyes. Was a commoner’s body really allowed to be this well-defined? It was a shock.
“Hu, uh, um…”
Gradually, the realization that she was peeking into someone’s private life in real-time began to trigger a sense of guilt. This was morally depraved. This was an act that deserved condemnation.
Then, Isaac’s gaze started to drift downward.
Keridna gasped, her eyes snapping open as she instantly severed the [Sight Synchronization]. She didn't have the courage to see what came next.
“Heavens… is this what the spell is for…?”
Keridna panted, her heart racing. It was her first time using the bloodline magic. To feel such a psychological burden from just a brief glimpse… she felt like she might die of embarrassment.
Her sister, who monitored twenty nobles at once, must have seen all sorts of things.
‘Sister… just what kind of battles have you been fighting…?’
Keridna never imagined she would feel this kind of profound respect for Aichel Whiteclark.
She flinched and looked around the room, making sure she was alone. Aichel had a habit of appearing out of nowhere, so she had to be cautious.
“Should I keep looking…? No.”
Keridna shook her head. The man was in the shower. Even when using [Sight Synchronization], there were ethical boundaries. Despite having already invaded his privacy, Keridna tried to soothe her conscience with these thoughts.
Did the Whiteclark family truly cast aside such guilt to maintain their power? It was an unexpectedly philosophical night.
The Traces of the Ice Sovereign were four fragments of faintly glowing blue magic stones.
It took me three full days to find them all. It was a humbling experience; I had been far too ambitious thinking I could find them in a single day.
The first piece was in a cave on the Neishin Coast.
The second was inside a tree in Josena Forest. That one took an entire day because my memory of its exact location was so vague.
The third was tucked inside a volume in the ancient books section of the library. Since I knew the title, that was quick.
The final piece was in Changgung Park, a mountain park with a panoramic view of Märchen Academy.
Each time I found one, a system window popped up: [Congratulations! You have found the [First Trace of the Ice Sovereign]!] There was no doubt these were the correct items.
At one point, Luce had spotted me and asked, “Isaac, what are you doing?” I’d brushed her off by saying I was exercising. She had decided to stay at the academy for the break.
─ “Isaac, are you going home for the holidays?”
─ “No. What about you?”
─ “I was thinking of staying, since you’re staying.”
─ “…???”
She claimed there was no reason to leave, as the person she cared about was at the academy, not the Eltania mansion. It was a headache-inducing explanation.
Finally, in the evening after finding the fourth stone, I headed straight to Ayla Forest. It was a trek through Josena Forest and past a long valley.
The trees here were entwined with ice mana, emitting a bluish-green glow that gave the forest a mystical atmosphere. It was why Ayla Forest was known as the ‘Ice Forest’.
As I pushed through the thicket, a vast plain resembling an icy tundra opened up. The grass was sky-blue and pulsed with mana. A sharp chill began to bite at my skin. In the center of the plain lay an inconspicuous magic circle, nearly hidden by the grass.
“I’m finally here.”
This was the site of the trial. Beyond this circle, Frost Dragon Hilde and the Frostscythe were sealed. According to the lore, the Primordial Elemental Kings had masked the mana here so it couldn't be detected from the outside. Not even an archwizard would have stumbled upon this place by accident.
I took out the four magic stones and dropped them onto the circle. Then, I began pulling every piece of cold-weather gear I owned out of my magic pouch.
I layered up until only my eyes were visible. I was wearing so many clothes that I looked less like a human and more like a giant, padded ball.
‘Walking is… difficult.’
But as long as I could move, it was enough. I took a deep breath. Bending my knee was a struggle, so I simply lay down and pressed my thick, gloved hand against the magic circle.
I probably looked ridiculous, but I was about to face a legendary trial for an ultimate weapon. Dignity was a secondary concern.
Finally, I spoke the words.
“I will face the Trial of Frost.”
My vision was instantly flooded with a brilliant blue hue. A powerful light erupted from the magic circle, enveloping me. Feeling a sudden sensation of weightlessness, I closed my eyes.