Chapter 154
Chapter 154
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 154
Chapter Title: The Magic of Daily Life
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“Then let's begin right away.”
Reinhold said cheerfully. His face was full of excitement, eager to show Loan what they had accomplished.
I followed him up the stairs.
The mages followed in a line, then dispersed to their respective floors.
Reinhold stopped on the 7th floor.
This was where one could see the narrowest part of the hourglass, and the building was a bit wider and extended further out than the other floors.
The sense of openness was considerable.
Reinhold and Loan stood side by side, facing the hourglass. Their gazes met at the same point.
“It's even more beautiful from here.”
I had never seen such a massive device. And a mystical one at that.
The falling and the rising unfolded simultaneously.
Infinity or eternity.
Inside, there were no boundaries, so what fell was also what piled up, and what rose was also what piled up.
Semantically, there was no distinction between up and down. No inside or outside either.
The gentle mana emanating from the entire hourglass soothed the space with a pleasant sound.
*Shhh… Shhh?*
Listening to the sound of the sand falling, or rising, it felt as if someone was gently stroking my head.
It was a very familiar sensation.
Ever since he was young, whenever he showed he was good at something, adults would often pat his head.
Being able to feel a tactile sensation from a sound was no longer that strange to Loan.
It seemed the guardian of the Magic Tower, the subject itself, understood Loan's appreciation, understanding, and feelings about the hourglass.
It felt good.
For a brief moment, I understood the mages of Concepts here.
‘I could stay here all day.’
The feeling that just blankly gazing at that infinite hourglass, at the distillation of the mind, would be a form of training in itself.
It felt as if the model of mana circulation he sought had been constructed externally.
Thus, one couldn't help but harbor the hope of reaching the primordial, absolute, and complete spirit and will that would be the beginning of all magic.
“Please, show me. I want to quickly feel the joy of encountering new magic.”
Therefore.
I wanted to quickly confirm what level those here had reached.
Reinhold replied with a smile.
“The new spells created in the Tower of Concepts are shared by everyone. Since they haven't been announced to the world yet, they should be considered new magic.”
“I understand. I will also present spells that I have not yet announced.”
“Good. The magic created here can be called both an individual's unique magic and the Tower's unique magic, so would it be alright if the creators demonstrate them one by one? We will provide ample recovery time in between to account for the mana consumption.”
It was no different from a many-against-one confrontation.
It was a consideration to minimize the unfairness, but Loan didn't mind much.
Not only was he no longer greatly constrained by mana consumption, but new magic didn't necessarily have to consume a tremendous amount of mana.
“That's fine.”
“Thank you. Then we shall begin.”
After the Tower Master's words, the sound of falling sand echoed a little louder in the space.
The meaning that it was anticipating something reached my heart on its own.
“The first one we'll show you was created by Oliver from the 12th floor.”
As Reinhold finished speaking, a presence was felt from behind.
A mage approached with a slight nod.
Like the other mages of Concepts, he was gaunt and pale.
One slightly unusual thing was that his clothes were particularly wrinkled.
As he took a position between Loan and Reinhold, Reinhold spoke.
“The magic Oliver created is a spell for smoothing out wrinkled fabric.”
“Pardon?”
I asked back without thinking, but Reinhold pretended not to hear. His gaze turned to Oliver.
“Would you explain and demonstrate it yourself?”
“Understood. As you know, the mages of Concepts spend all day training in a seated position. Once clothes get creased, they don't straighten out easily. As someone who values neatness, I disliked that. That is the background behind the creation of this magic.”
Oliver explained very seriously.
Loan suddenly felt ashamed of his reaction.
He had only been a little flustered because it was unexpected; he had absolutely no intention of looking down on it.
“Please forgive my rudeness and proceed with the demonstration.”
He apologized politely and took a few steps back.
Oliver smiled and took his stance. Other than opening his palms and letting his arms hang loose, it wasn't a particularly noticeable posture.
And then, suddenly, a warm energy spiraled up his body.
Along with the energy was water vapor.
His body looked as if it were submerged in mist.
After the water vapor shot up past his body, heat began to slowly sweep down over him again.
Soon, the heavily wrinkled fabric began to smooth out perfectly.
“Ooh…”
Gasps of admiration flowed from the watching mages.
It was indeed ‘a spell for smoothing out wrinkled fabric.’
His face slightly flushed from the heat, Oliver said.
“That is all.”
Reinhold's expression as he watched was gentle. The rustling sound of the sand conveyed a similar sentiment.
A negative reaction was seen from only four people.
The four modernist mages watching from a distance could only look at each other with bewildered expressions.
In contrast, Loan, unlike them, clapped and expressed his admiration.
“That was a splendid spell, Senior Oliver. Thank you for the wonderful demonstration.”
“Do you really think so?”
Reinhold asked instead of Oliver.
Loan nodded.
“Yes. The understanding of mana and the delicate control using water vapor and heat were very impressive.”
“I knew you would understand.”
All the mages of Concepts smiled brightly.
Why were they so pleased to be acknowledged by a young mage from the outside, a junior from a far-off generation?
But Loan was by no means just flattering them.
Because he genuinely felt that way.
As Loan was always enveloped in Convection, his clothes rarely got wrinkled, but if he were asked to use magic for the same purpose, he would have done it just like Oliver.
Though he would have handled it a bit more delicately to avoid damaging the skin.
Of course, depending on one's perspective, it could seem like an overly simple or insignificant spell. The reaction of the modernist mages wasn't that strange.
The Tower Master and the mages must have fully expected such reactions.
That's likely why they intentionally adopted such a confident attitude.
But just because it was simple didn't mean the process was also simple.
In reality, it involved meticulously coordinating two types of magic simultaneously: water and fire attribute magic.
It was a complex and difficult spell that used mana from the atmosphere to generate water vapor, created a flow called a vortex with the generated vapor, and then produced a temperature around the body that wouldn't damage the fabric or skin.
Moreover, it was accomplished without formulas, magic circles, or chants, just by feeling the invisible mana.
It was a truly fitting demonstration of their principle of valuing only the will and concept.
“Your disposition of valuing neatness also aligns well with mine, Senior, so I see room for development. Something has come to mind. Would it be alright if I create and demonstrate a new spell related to the one you've shown me, right now?”
“Hmm?”
Reinhold and the other mages showed various reactions.
Tilting their heads, widening their eyes, or furrowing their brows and leaning forward.
Presenting a pre-made, unannounced unique spell was already a big deal, but to say he would create one now…
It was natural to think they had misheard.
“You wouldn't be teasing us.”
“Of course not. If I may be so bold, there were a few areas for improvement. Such as the heat being applied to the caster's skin. Additionally, it would be nice to have other effects. Wouldn't it be better if it could also remove contaminants from the clothes? A simple cleaning effect, so to speak.”
“…”
“However, my clothes unfortunately don't really need it, so I'd like to use someone else. If it's alright, how about you, Tower Master?”
In fact, among the people around, Reinhold's clothes were the dirtiest.
He had been very neat when I saw him before, but perhaps because he was engrossed in training, or because he was burdened with heavy duties as Tower Master, he seemed to have neglected his personal appearance somewhat.
Perhaps the reason all the mages of Concepts wore black was to hide similar flaws.
“Ah, is that so? Well then, let's do that.”
Having accepted Loan's request in a daze, Reinhold stood in an awkward posture and looked at Loan.
“I will begin.”
Loan extended his Convection, lowering the temperature around Reinhold to instantly draw in the surrounding moisture.
Confirming the clothes were wet, he created rapid vibrations in the fabric. The contaminants released by the friction of the fibers mixed with the Convection and dispersed, and the resulting heat transformed the moisture into a gentle vapor.
After completely retracting the Convection along with the mist that enveloped the body.
“It is done.”
The fact that Reinhold's clothes were now clean and neat was proof that Loan's magic had succeeded.
“My… It's true. He really created it.”
There was an improvement in the process, but since it brought a completely different effect—cleaning—it could be called a new spell.
The amazing talent to understand, analyze, and improve a principle just by seeing it.
The divine skill of materializing magic on the spot, without chanting, purely through will and concept.
To Reinhold and the mages, he was no simple genius.
It was something possible only because of a noble, perfect, and complete mind that transcended issues of wisdom, knowledge, and intellect.
“Well then, shall we continue?”
Reinhold asked, his voice somewhat excited.
The subsequent developments followed a similar pattern.
The Tower would demonstrate first, and Loan would express admiration and then create a new spell on the spot.
The spells that emerged were very minor.
And so on.
A significant number of the spells were created to solve the difficulties that arose from training in one spot for a long time, and Loan improved them in a slightly better direction, adding novelty.
In the end, the match was the Tower's loss, as they could no longer present any new magic.
Loan concluded the confrontation by materializing a dazzling and fantastical phenomenon in the air—a mixture of flames, pillars of fire, water, ice, and mist.
It was a splendid diversion for those who always spent their time in stillness.
The Tower Master said.
“Honestly, I didn't think we could beat you. Thanks to you, we've learned a great deal.”
It was a very valuable time and experience for Loan as well.
That's why he was a little upset.
“I thought you might be stuck in a state disconnected from the world, focusing only on overly static training, but that wasn't the case. You are based in practicality and reality. That's amazing.”
“I appreciate you thinking so, but… from the standpoint of pursuing strength, wouldn't it seem unnecessary and useless? We're not oblivious; we know well what the other Magic Towers think of us. It's just that the time is not yet right.”
Watching Reinhold speak as if to pacify him, Loan shook his head.
“It wouldn't be wrong to say you are striving for the popularization of magic. Yet you are reclusive. It's a contradiction. You've taken the wrong direction. You should have entered the world.”
They were words that could sound arrogant, but they had to be said.
Loan's gaze as he looked at the Tower Master was exceptionally clear.