Chapter 141
Chapter 141
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 141
Chapter Title: A Grand Welcome
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Loan fixed his fingertips beyond the bridge and read the flow of mana.
He soon grasped the flow's velocity and confirmed the volume passing through specific points.
The mana volume was above average in five distinct locations, leading him to surmise that magic circles, where the formulas manifested, were located there.
The method of creation was crude and messy. It was a barrier magic that felt as if it had been forcibly constructed with powerful magical energy, which, in a way, made it feel unique.
For a moment, Loan was engrossed, like a child who had discovered an interesting new toy.
He soon made a comprehensive judgment of the velocity, volume, pressure, and external forces governing the entire movement, then devised a way to return this abnormal flow to its natural state.
His two hearts whirled fiercely.
They reacted before thought, before will and intention could manifest.
*‘Yes. This will require a considerable amount of magical energy.’*
The exceptional mana density on the bridge was actually a good thing for Loan.
A moment later.
Loan slowly merged the Convection swirling around his body with the vortex of magical energy.
He focused on the weak points in the wind's path.
He intervened in the flow by drawing it in, making it his own, and then releasing it again.
The method itself wasn't unfamiliar.
It was merely on a larger scale, not much different from how the Stone of Goetia manifested a magical vortex within itself for sealing.
It was easier to understand if he thought of the entire bridge as a Stone of Goetia.
Loan watched this entire process from above the bridge with the detached eye of his mind, calmly guiding the wind to his will.
The massive Convection led by Loan collided with the vortex, and the magic circles, unable to withstand the counter-current, could not endure the impact.
*Crack—*
They vanished.
The sound of stone breaking could be heard from various points on the bridge, but the onlookers didn't understand its meaning.
This process repeated five times in succession.
The first one took a little time, but as the Convection grew larger and more powerful, the next four magic circles were destroyed much more quickly.
Even so, the entire process took just over a minute.
It was an excessively short amount of time for breaking the defensive barrier that the Magic Tower prided itself on.
However, the people standing behind him were not ordinary either, and they soon sensed that the powerful energy that had filled the bridge was gone.
“I-It’s gone.”
“What in the world…”
“Is something like that even possible?”
Not just passing through while protecting oneself with magical energy, but eliminating the barrier itself.
It was an act that lay outside the realm of thought, not even worth pondering if it was possible.
Thus, to those who hadn't seen or understood the process, it was simply a baffling event.
Loan asked.
“I’ve dispelled the magic itself. That won’t be a problem, will it?”
There was no answer. They had never even imagined such a thing.
Loan shrugged and continued.
“Commander Magda likely told me this location so I could meet all of you, gather my thoughts, and then enter. I believe she’s probably waiting at the Magic Tower.”
The matter of dispelling the magic seemed to have already faded from their minds.
His attitude suggested he didn’t consider what he had done to be the least bit remarkable.
Loan asked the bewildered people.
“I plan on crossing. Would you like to come with me? If your next plan is to enter the Magic Tower, you’re welcome to join.”
The mages’ expressions became even more interesting at the sudden offer to accompany him.
After a moment’s hesitation.
Stipe adjusted the brim of his hat and replied. His voice was quite heavy, as if he were deep in thought.
“That is the plan. We have finished analyzing the phenomena, predicting the expected effects, and then listing and systematizing the points for improvement. All that remains is to propose and see it through. It will be a difficult fight.”
“A fight?”
He didn't think it was a fitting word.
Josef answered Loan’s question.
“You can understand it as a peculiarity of Schwerin politics. Since the Magic Tower also handles politics, an opinion must gain consensus from all five towers to be applied to law and policy.”
“Furthermore, as mages, we must prove our words with magic to add to their persuasiveness.”
“So you’re saying that to convey your intentions to the Tower Master, you must pass through the Towers of Phenomenon, Perception, Sensation, Ideation, and Manifestation in order.”
As he said this, he looked up at each of the pillar-like towers, craning his neck back as far as it would go.
Stipe’s voice came from behind.
“I will go. If I can offer you advice about Schwerin and the Magic Tower, that will be enough.”
Soon after, Josef and three others expressed their wish to go as well.
Simply entering wouldn't change anything, but in truth, their desire to see what Loan would do, what he *could* do, was greater.
“Let’s do that. It seems we have a welcoming party, too.”
With a bright smile, Loan was the first to step onto the bridge.
Mages who had perceived the disappearance of the magical vortex as an external intrusion were rushing out towards the bridge in a line.
Loan walked towards them with perfect posture, not the least bit intimidated, followed by the others in a single file.
In the middle of the bridge, the peculiar procession of five met the mages of Schwerin.
“I am Loan, a Runner of the Union’s Faith Division. I’ve come to meet Commander Magda, as I was told she would be here.”
From among the mages whose mouths were covered by their robe’s mufflers, a man with a red muffler symbolizing his rank stepped forward.
He gave an order to one of the mages, who, after hearing it, looked startled and ran towards the Magic Tower.
Soon after.
“It’s been a while.”
“Pardon?”
The man lowered his muffler.
His beard had grown bushy, but it was a familiar face.
The mage Ulli Marco, who had been defeated by Loan at the Magic Exchange.
After being carried away with a nosebleed, they hadn't even had a proper chance to say goodbye.
He had skipped the after-party and hadn't exchanged a word with the Union Academy representatives at the farewell.
Even so, it was a pleasant surprise.
“Ah, Senior Ulli. It’s been a long time.”
“Don’t call me that.”
Ulli looked Loan up and down and let out a long sigh.
“It’s only been four years, yet you’ve become even more of a monster. I thought something major had happened when the magical vortex broke, but to think it was just one person…”
His expression and tone were surprisingly light and gentle.
No, it was more like a sense of detachment.
He continued.
“Well, seeing you now, I suppose it’s possible.”
Ulli briefly recalled the Magic Exchange.
How impatient he had been, wanting to show off his talent to the world. Then an opportunity arose. He had seen it as a chance to show the greatness of magic to those who called themselves the world's protectors.
There was no need to consider the age difference with the Union Academy students. He was the youngest mage in the Tower of Phenomenon, yet also the most outstanding.
But then.
Unable to comprehend the extraordinary formula unleashed by a mere eleven-year-old boy, he had collapsed, bleeding.
This was why the subsequent four years had been such a difficult ordeal for him.
“The tower has been studying your formula for a long time. The advice you gave the mages at the after-party was also a great help.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“It’s based on imagination, not limited to just understanding and interpreting magic. It took quite a long time to approach magic in that way. Just when I thought I was starting to get it, I heard about your exploits.”
Ulli shook his head with a look of resignation.
“Once I accepted it, I felt at ease. I wanted to apologize for my rudeness that day if I ever met you again.”
Ulli suddenly bowed his head to Loan.
A flustered Loan extended his hands and said.
“There’s nothing to apologize for. Please, raise your head.”
A moment later.
With a relieved expression, Ulli gently tapped Loan’s arm and turned towards the Magic Tower.
“Let’s go inside for now. Everyone will be happy to welcome such an esteemed guest.”
The mages from the Tower of Phenomenon formed two lines, allowing Loan and Ulli to pass.
Their posture was as straight and disciplined as soldiers, but their gazes remained fixed on Loan.
A sense of wonder and admiration could be felt.
Loan and Ulli walked side by side between them.
The modernist mages following behind were not stopped either.
It was only because they were with Loan, and for a moment, they doubted their current situation, wondering if it was really this easy to enter the Magic Tower.
Loan asked Ulli.
“Is Commander Magda inside?”
“I believe she’s in a meeting with the Tower Master in the Tower of Manifestation. You’ll have to wait to see her.”
That was a relief. At least he had confirmed she was in the tower.
But he wasn't trying to meet someone unreachable; it didn't seem right for a member of the Union on a mission to be restricted.
It was also inconsistent with how other nations were treated.
No matter that this was Schwerin, Loan couldn't arbitrarily make an exception for himself.
This was especially true since he hadn't received Commander Magda's next message.
“What if the Commander told me to wait?”
As if expecting this, Ulli shook his head and said.
“Even so, I can’t send you up to the Tower of Manifestation on my authority. Even if you’re from the Union, an outsider is an outsider.”
No matter how esteemed the guest, no matter how welcome he was, they couldn't just send him up.
With this, their mutual resolve not to allow exceptions was confirmed.
“You’re a mage too, so you should understand. We can’t just freely show a space filled with various secrets and formulas to another mage.”
“I understand that point. Still, there must be a way.”
To get one's opinion through, one had to be acknowledged by each of the five towers.
That’s what he had heard.
“That’s right. The Magic Tower of Schwerin operates on a strict meritocracy. If you want to voice an opinion, you just have to show the corresponding ability.”
The Magic Tower was both an institution for training mages and a research institute for studying magic.
There were two ways to demonstrate one's ability.
One was to compete in skill against the representative mage of each tower. The other was to debate with the mages about formulas and magic circles.
It was similar in nature to the Magic Exchange Loan had experienced.
“Well then, let’s save the rough talk for later. Let’s go in for now.”
After Ulli spoke, a pair of incredibly ornate doors swung wide open.
He felt a rush of pure mana billowing out from within.
Loan stepped inside. Ulli said.
“Welcome to the Tower of Phenomenon.”
A magnificent and opulent reception hall.
He instinctively looked up.
A massive, ornate chandelier hung from the high, arched ceiling supported by giant granite pillars.
Light from the windows reflected off the chandelier’s jewels, scattering brilliant and elegant light in all directions.
He walked slowly across the dustless marble floor.
Everything was excessively luxurious and beautiful.
It was like magic in itself.
“It’s very ornate and wonderful. But there are fewer people than I expected.”
Ulli gave a strange smile at Loan’s words.
He followed him up the central staircase to the second floor.
The mystery was soon solved.
A great many people were gathered there.
The spacious hall instantly grew boisterous at Loan’s appearance.
Applause that started with someone grew into a huge roar, rolling towards him like a wave.
Gazes of joy and longing, admiration and wonder. And cheers.
Ulli leaned close to Loan’s ear and said loudly.
“This is the main hall. All the important events in the Tower of Phenomenon are held here. Everyone is welcoming your arrival.”
Not only Loan but also the mages who had come with him were bewildered by the grand welcome.