Chapter 144
Chapter 144
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 144
Chapter Title: Beyond the Frost Cloud
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The mages didn’t miss Loan’s gasp.
It was only natural.
When you witness something incredible and are struck with admiration, you can’t help but wonder how others are reacting.
Thus, Loan’s reaction stirred a variety of emotions in the onlookers.
There was the joy and pride that came from witnessing the greatness of their own Tower Master.
And there was the disappointment of confirming that even the magical prodigy who had shaken the world was no match for a 5th-Circle mage.
The mages who had followed Loan, in particular, felt their hearts grow even more complicated.
Seeing Elmaer’s magic had already crushed their spirits, and Loan’s expression didn’t look good either.
It was perhaps inevitable that the hope they had been harboring would vanish.
Josef gently patted the arm of Stipe, who seemed even more disheartened than he was.
“Just getting this far is a great achievement. At the very least, the voices from the outside have been heard.”
Stipe had no choice but to agree with Josef’s words.
However, not everyone reacted negatively.
Uli, who had witnessed Loan’s abilities firsthand, was a notable exception.
He thought that while the Tower Master’s magic was near-perfect in both scale and destructive power, Loan’s greatness lay in his unpredictability, so he wouldn’t back down so easily.
Such individuals kept their eyes fixed on Loan.
Loan simply stared at the ceiling, blinking as if counting the icicles.
*He must be realizing how high the walls of the world can be.*
Elmaer read that sentiment in Loan’s expression.
At the same time, he wondered if he had gone too far. He reflected on whether he had failed to control his emotions.
*Our first meeting wasn’t exactly pleasant.*
This was the boy who already had a record of dismantling his magic.
That alone had been a significant blow to his pride.
Furthermore, no matter how youthful his bravado, the words he’d spoken here, with his head held high, had been incredibly arrogant.
Even considering his unique status as a member of the Union and his age, his remarks had been excessive.
And yet.
In a way, he was a boy you couldn't hate.
The status of mages had risen since his appearance.
Young mages were dedicating themselves more to research and training.
All things considered, his gratitude was actually greater.
It was just that his own position was too lofty to express it.
*But what’s done is done.*
Elmaer hoped the boy’s spirit wasn’t broken.
He hoped that this confrontation would serve as a stepping stone for his future progress.
He spoke in a gentle voice.
“It is called the Frost Cloud. A mana cloud infused with powerful frost. It’s an area-of-effect attack that can deal direct damage to a significant number of enemies before they even notice.”
Loan nodded silently.
Loan knew well that it was a rather useful technique.
The magic the Tower Master had cast wasn’t as intricately crafted as his own, but its destructive power looked to be substantial.
The density of the mana cloud and the size of the hanging icicles were that impressive.
*As expected of a Tower Master, his mana is immense.*
Of course, the caster himself was not unscathed.
Though he feigned composure with a relaxed expression, Elmaer had poured every last drop of his mana into [Frost Cloud].
Right now, he was no different from an ordinary person.
Only enough mana to sustain his own body remained.
It was unclear whether he hadn't anticipated a next step at all, or if he intended to establish a definitive gap with this single demonstration.
His resolve was certainly formidable.
That was why finding a path of coexistence was so difficult.
It wouldn't be too hard to create something that surpassed the magic the Tower Master had shown, but a complete victory wasn't necessarily the best option.
After all, Loan was currently engaged in a match to request cooperation.
But if he were to hold back and aim for a draw, that would also be problematic.
*If we move to a second demonstration, the Tower Master, with his depleted mana, will have nothing left to show.*
How could he secure a practical gain while also saving his opponent's face?
Loan sought the answer first in praise.
Ever since he was young, he had always offered warm advice to those around him. Recalling those times, he remembered they all wore rather moved expressions.
The time he spent searching for a method and reaching a conclusion was a little longer than usual.
It was that difficult a choice.
To the onlookers, Loan’s contemplation looked like the anguish of someone sensing their own defeat.
Eventually, the Loan in the mirror grew impatient.
“Loan, go on and show me. My expectations are quite high.”
He stood with his arms crossed, a broad smile on his face as he watched Loan.
Judging by his expression alone.
Of everyone in this space, the one who believed most in Loan’s abilities might just be the Loan in the mirror.
Loan took a deep breath in and let it out.
“Frost Cloud. A simple name for such a magnificent spell. It's so wondrous it's as if I can see with my own eyes the vast mana the Tower Master has accumulated.”
As if he truly felt it.
Loan’s eyes sparkled as he gazed at the Frost Cloud.
Elmaer felt a sense of pride.
Loan’s words continued.
“Creating such a dense water-attribute cloud in a limited space is nearly divine, and to then induce temperature changes and specify its form truly shows that your understanding of magic has reached its peak. It's clear your claim of specializing in the water attribute was no exaggeration.”
It was praise. Unmistakably praise and admiration.
But as Elmaer listened to Loan’s words, he felt a strange sensation.
As if their roles had been reversed.
That feeling became clearer as the explanation continued.
“The destructive power if those large, numerous icicles were to fall to the floor would be beyond words. The ceiling is currently limiting their height, but with the Tower Master's ability, you could surely position the Frost Cloud at a much higher altitude.”
Meeting his gaze, Elmaer found himself nodding unconsciously.
Loan continued with his assessment.
He filled his words with the utmost respect for his opponent.
“The thought of such things floating in the sky, unnoticed by enemies, sends a chill down my spine. To make the icicles harder, you must have used a method of rapid heat exchange to remove the air bubbles from within, correct?”
“Hm? Ah, yes, that’s right…”
“You could make the icicles rain down or even move them individually. Perhaps you are keeping them suspended out of consideration for a junior mage? It must take a considerable amount of mana just to hold them in place, yet your control is so steady. That too is remarkable.”
“Hmm…”
“But what makes this spell truly great is its setting here in the Tower of Phenomena. The other side of a phenomenon. Isn’t water the clearest example of how what we see can possess different properties in reality?”
“Hm?”
“It shifts between liquid, gas, and solid, but its essence remains the same. Could it be that Frost Cloud is a spell that allows one to observe substance and form, phenomenon and essence, all at once? And that you showcased this spell to impart such a lesson.”
“That’s right… You’ve seen through it.”
“I have learned a great deal. Both in terms of magic, and in the character a mage should possess. Thank you.”
As Loan gave a slight bow, Elmaer reflexively dipped his head in return.
Only then did he understand the feeling that had been nagging at him.
It was the feeling of a student who had just taken an exam. The feeling of an applicant undergoing an evaluation.
But he couldn't say a word, as there was nothing to find fault with.
On the contrary, Loan had elegantly framed aspects that Elmaer himself hadn't even intended, forcing him to re-examine his own magic.
He dispelled the Frost Cloud that filled the ceiling.
It left a strangely bitter taste in his mouth.
On the other hand.
Loan's words also served to console those who had momentarily felt defeat and disappointment.
To frankly and honestly acknowledge an opponent was an incredibly difficult thing for mages.
For a hot-blooded young man known as a prodigy to act so politely was, in its own way, all the more impressive.
The onlookers began to murmur.
“Well, at this point, it’s as good as admitting defeat.”
“Even so, isn’t he amazing?”
“Yes. I heard his ability to analyze and understand is incredible, and it’s certainly true. A lack of mana is something that will resolve with time. He put up a good fight.”
However, Loan’s next action was different from what people expected.
He lightly flexed his hands and composed his breathing.
He hadn’t given up.
“He certainly has spirit.”
“He may not match the Tower Master’s skill, but his challenging spirit is worthy of recognition.”
“I hope he doesn't overdo it…”
Between admiration and concern.
Two circles began their work, and his body quickly entered a state of readiness.
Loan sent the circulating convection straight up toward the empty ceiling.
And he perfectly replicated the spell that Elmaer called [Frost Cloud].
A shimmering cloud began to take shape, billowing softly.
However, its size was less than half that of the one Elmaer had created.
Although the previous caster had saturated the air with moisture, Loan deliberately chose not to use it all.
Crushing his opponent’s spirit was something to be avoided in this demonstration.
The goal was to secure a practical advantage while appearing to be inferior in terms of mana.
Loan immediately began to hang icicles from the cloud, but their number and size were no match for Elmaer’s.
“Ooh…”
As expected, people perceived it as Loan simply copying Elmaer’s unique magic the moment he saw it.
*I can’t concede on that point. This is still a competition, after all.*
And then he went a step further.
Loan began to detach the icicles, one by one, and control them individually.
It was something he had practiced before. He had done it with icicles themselves, and countless times with Sheville.
But to the onlookers, it was an unfamiliar and wondrous sight.
“Hiek…”
“What is that?”
The mages stared blankly at the icicles that flew about above their heads, weaving past one another without colliding.
It was only a moment later that they realized the fluid and beautiful magic was, in reality, a feat bordering on the impossible.
And it was another moment later that they realized this entire demonstration was interwoven with an absurdly complex and difficult array of spells.
But the most shocking thing was…
“This… it was chantless.”
“…”
Not just copying something he’d seen once, but internalizing the formula and instantly casting it without a chant.
It was something they had never imagined.
Not a single person there was not aghast at the fact that he had accomplished something they had never even dreamed of.
“You… you’re absolutely insane.”
The most surprised of all was, of course, the Loan in the mirror.
He pressed his eyes as close to the mirror's surface as possible, staring intently at Loan.
“I can’t even begin to grasp it. I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Loan wondered if that was the expression he made when he himself was surprised or impressed, and he shrugged.
“It’s all thanks to the excellent example the Tower Master provided.”
After lifting Elmaer up one more time, Loan asked.
“So, in the eyes of the Tower's Guardian, have I surpassed the Tower Master?”
He asked bluntly.
The Loan in the mirror suddenly stepped back and began to pace from one end of the mirror to the other again.
As he walked, he spoke.
“Loan did not merely replicate the Tower Master’s Frost Cloud. He incorporated telekinesis to evolve it into a completely new form of magic. Something even I did not anticipate.”
The crowd’s gaze shifted from the mirror to Loan, and then back to Elmaer.
Elmaer was staring at the Loan in the mirror with a blank expression.
The Loan in the mirror spoke.
“Loan’s magic has surpassed the Frost Cloud. I have seen it.”
It was Loan’s victory.