Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: A New Path
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Did he perceive the act of drawing a circle with a finger as something magical?
The old mage raised his own hand and mimicked Loan.
“A circle…”
“To put it simply, it’s a method of casting magic by maximizing the circulation of mana.”
He said he was putting it simply, but that was by Loan’s standards.
Arthur asked, mimicking the long oval Loan was drawing on his body.
“The circulation of mana, not mana itself?”
“Yes. It allows you to use external mana as well, so it’s fundamentally different from the existing methods.”
Typically, magic involves formulas, magic circles, and incantations. Inevitably, this requires comprehension and mana.
That’s why the current magic system is classified into classes based on difficulty and mana capacity.
The so-called ‘-class mage’ title is determined by the highest tier of magic they can perform.
* * *
This classification might seem natural, as it requires both an understanding of the spell and sufficient mana to cast it.
But in Loan’s case, there had always been an ambiguity.
He had dismantled spells close to the 3rd Class using only a 1st-Class spell that directly affected mana, and he had even wielded destructive magic comparable to the 4th Class by borrowing mana from Aul.
Furthermore, although it was difficult to assign a precise rank since it hadn’t been officially announced, the [Infinite Void] Loan had recently created could be considered a 4th-Class spell or higher based on the complexity of its formula alone.
This also made it difficult to create a standardized formula for it.
“Of course, a fundamental understanding of magic will still be necessary, but once you can use Circle Magic, you’ll be able to cast spells without being heavily restricted by your mana capacity. Simply ranking mages by their mana reserves will become meaningless.”
Countless spells would instantly change in difficulty.
“Heh, heh heh.”
Arthur could only let out a hollow laugh.
‘He was a genius difficult to handle from the moment I met him…’
A child who had accomplished the absurd feat of rewriting the Fireball formula to his own standards just one day after being introduced to magic.
As the one who had recognized Loan’s talent before anyone else.
Arthur had believed Loan would overcome the constitutional limitation of his mana deficiency in his own way and had always encouraged him.
And so.
When he saw Loan dismantle the spell during the Union entrance exam, he was certain his assessment hadn't been wrong.
He had believed that would be enough.
But he had never imagined Loan would overcome his constitution by shaking the very foundations of magic.
Moreover, if what Loan said was true, it wouldn't be an achievement that ended with Loan alone.
“Not being restricted by mana capacity… Does that mean we could also overcome the greatest weakness of us mages—efficiency?”
“I can’t guarantee it will improve dramatically. You’ll still have to memorize formulas and imbue them with intent. But perhaps it will reduce the instances of mages being forced to retreat to the rear of the battlefield due to mana exhaustion?”
Arthur fell silent for a moment, recalling his own past.
If it was just as Loan said, the world’s perception of magic and the treatment of mages would surely change.
‘The theory of magic’s uselessness would also become meaningless.’
Arthur felt a small thrill in his heart.
He had thought his was a life with nothing more to desire, a life as a mage with no further path to tread.
But now.
The desire to learn was sprouting within him.
“But isn’t that a kind of magic only you can wield?”
He asked cautiously.
“I’m not sure. I’m still in the beginning stages myself. But a distinguished mage like you, Teacher, could probably pick it up quickly, don’t you think?”
Were those the words he had secretly wanted to hear?
Arthur burst out laughing and stroked his beard.
“That’s pleasant to hear… but I’m already old and not as sharp as you. Even with instruction, it would be difficult for me to follow. Still, I am curious. You couldn't have learned it from someone. Where did you get the inspiration?”
“From a demon.”
“A demon?”
Arthur’s eyes widened as he repeated the question.
What a bizarre story.
This child draws inspiration even from demons?
“There are mages among demons, it seems. The one I met called himself a great mage, and he was quite skilled.”
Loan held up his necklace for Arthur to see.
“Hmm? A strange energy. Is it a magic tool?”
“I’ve named it a Mana Magnet.”
“Now that you mention it, it does feel like it’s drawing in mana. Like a magnet. So that’s why you called it a magnet.”
“Yes. As expected, you recognized it right away, Teacher.”
Arthur felt a sense of pride inwardly and smiled again.
However.
As Loan explained the magic of the demon Naberius—
and demonstrated the process of reverse-engineering the demon's magic to replicate it in the necklace—
“So, the rotational force that forms the basis of circulation. The beginning of Circle Magic is to embody that same image within your body.”
Arthur found the process leading to that conclusion utterly incomprehensible.
“…”
Afterward, Loan, looking utterly delighted, chattered on about the hypotheses he had derived from his two days of meditation, the attempts he had made based on them, and the realizations he had gained.
Unable to keep up, Arthur eventually had to restrain his student-turned-teacher.
“It’s astonishing in many ways. And fascinating. However, it doesn’t seem to be systematized yet, so it would be best to organize your thoughts and discuss it again later. Besides, isn’t today the day your new schedule begins?”
A look of disappointment crossed Loan’s face.
But his teacher was right in many ways.
“Yes, Teacher.”
“Well then, that concludes today’s lesson… no, wait…”
As the line between master and student blurred, Arthur, with an awkward expression, said they should talk more next time and left the house.
He didn’t forget to add a word of advice.
“Always think of the people waiting for you. And that this is the place you will return to.”
Shortly after.
Having finished his preparations to leave, Loan headed straight for the Administration Bureau.
Everyone seemed incredibly busy.
Staff members were even running around, carrying stacks of documents.
As he watched the lively scene.
“Oh, the shining future of the Union has arrived.”
Bureau Chief Lazaros greeted Loan with a bright smile, as if he truly felt that way.
He was a bright person in many ways.
“Quite the commotion, isn’t it?”
He joked that the information Loan had sent was so vast and in-depth that the bureau’s staff had been pulling all-nighters.
Loan felt sorry for having caused such a nuisance.
“I apologize for the unintentional trouble.”
“It’s our job. Besides, when dealing with such incredible information, everyone gladly accepts even the overtime.”
Looking at the staff, that didn’t exactly seem to be the case.
“Now then, could you please sign here?”
Lazaros held out the receipt for the meritorious service awards Loan was to receive.
Just as he had made the bureau busy, the rewards for his contributions were substantial.
He received a considerable amount of money and prizes, which included a small house in the civilian district within the castle walls.
“You are also entitled to one item from the Union’s treasury, but unfortunately, the Governor-General is away, so it would be best to claim it along with the merits from your next mission.”
Loan was about to ask where she had gone but stopped himself.
He felt he was not yet in a position to inquire about the Governor-General’s whereabouts.
After confirming a few details on the expense report from Ferrara submitted by Oscar, Loan concluded his business at the Administration Bureau.
“Well then, I’ll be off to my mission in Scion.”
“Yes. It’s said a cooperative relationship is forming among the Graves. Information about you has likely been widely shared among them. You could become a target, so be careful.”
He was grateful for the concern.
With a reply that he would distinguish between recklessness and confidence, Loan left the bureau and passed straight through the Union’s eastern gate.
He rode for a long time afterward, but when he glanced back, the towering castle walls were still there.
‘The place I will return to.’
It felt different than before.
Recalling Arthur’s words, his heart suddenly felt warm.
Two days passed.
Loan, who had been closing the distance to Scion mainly by camping, first stopped in the city of Olen.
It was a natural course of action.
‘They called it a transportation hub.’
From here, one could travel to Schwerin, Scion, or the Grafton Kingdom.
Thanks to this, people flocked from each duchy, creating a very complex and chaotic cityscape.
‘It’s become a completely different place.’
It felt entirely different from when he had been active on his first mission.
First, the quarantine zone surrounded by high barriers was completely gone.
The shadow that had loomed over the city had been lifted.
As the scenery changed, the people coming and going stood out more.
There were more of them than before, and they were louder and more energetic.
Yet, there was a sense of stability.
This was thanks to the replacement of the mayor and officials, and the hiring of the mercenaries who had been recruited to deal with the ghouls as full-time guards, strengthening security.
After enjoying a civilized meal for the first time in a while, Loan didn’t linger and moved southeast again.
A landscape that was somehow familiar yet strange.
It was now open on all sides, but it was once the slum area inside the quarantine zone.
It seemed there had been a large-scale population shift, as the empty buildings exuded a sense of desolation.
From the moments he fought ghouls and collected their body parts for merits to the moment he first participated in a large-scale battle.
Memories flowed by with the scenery.
Just as Olen had changed, Loan, too, had changed a great deal in that time.
If back then he was awakening to practical magic like movement spells, now he was contemplating the fundamentals that made them possible.
‘I thought I’d be able to add at least one more circle.’
That was too greedy.
During his two days of training, confirming the possibility and correcting his future training direction was a noteworthy achievement in itself.
He realized that blindly forcing mana in wasn’t very helpful.
Even an explosive influx of mana was useless.
It was like trying to open a small sluice gate during a flood. Impatience wouldn’t solve anything.
His approach of forcibly opening a path of circulation was revised to focus on intensively exploring the existing path.
The plan was to understand the principle, then design and pioneer a new path accordingly.
The original path that allowed the first circle to form.
In a state of ignorance, his body had followed the most natural flow.
It was a path forged through mana breathing while he was a beggar.
‘I wanted to be like Blake.’
When seeking inspiration, he had trained while keeping Blake’s dense aura in mind, which naturally led to a method of breathing that reached his lower abdomen.
And with that, the path for mana movement opened.
However, since sufficient mana couldn't condense in his lower abdomen, it took on a circulating form instead.
The starting point was the entrance of the trachea, the gateway through which breath passes.
Starting from below his lips, mana flowed vertically down the front and center of his body, reaching the end point below his lower abdomen.
The method of circulating mana between these two points and distributing it throughout the body was the foundation that created the first circle.
And so.
‘Next, it would be good if it flowed horizontally.’
His desire naturally led to that thought.
However, just as he had studied Blake at the beginning, he felt a slight regret that his training would be easier if he had someone to compare himself to.
‘I wonder if any decent enemies will show up.’
From experience.
Learning through actual combat was the most efficient way.
That was why he had spread his [Barrier of Perception] wide among the desolate buildings.
Waiting for prey to get caught in his web, Loan held a small sense of anticipation.