Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Wall
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However—
Had the mage of blue flames not protected the children outside the platform with a sturdy barrier, the powerful individuals present would have moved instantly.
It took them only a moment to comprehend the scene before them.
His gaze darting between Loan's face and the sphere of fire, Bureau Director Lazaros spoke.
"Do first-year students normally cast Fireballs in class? I had no idea the academy's standards were so high."
Dean of Academic Affairs Daphne replied with an incredulous smile.
"You're the only mage here, Director Lazaros, so you must already know the answer. Even if it were part of the curriculum, it would be impossible."
"What about fifth-years, then?"
"Students learning practical magic might demonstrate a Fire Arrow before graduation."
"Hmm... I suppose casting a Fire Arrow at fifteen is still quite fast."
The eyes of Principal Gregor, a former bishop of Shion, also shone with a peculiar light.
"I've never seen a sphere of fire exude such pure energy. It's almost like witnessing the divine magic of Shion."
Even Diego, the swordsman, could tell how powerful Loan's Fireball was the moment he saw it.
"It may be small, but the sphere's density appears to be remarkably high. It's also incredibly stable."
"Exactly. Its stability is beyond common sense."
Director Lazaros continued, showing off his knowledge.
"A Fireball is simple. You create it, and you shoot it. But to make it float in one spot while maintaining a consistent size and heat? That becomes an entirely different kind of magic, yes indeed."
"His magical power is considerable, but his sense for using mana is exceptional. We conducted a physical fitness test recently, and he seemed to be at the level of a Runner or higher."
"I heard he grew up in hardship at a relief shelter. To possess such power... ho ho."
Lazaros pretended not to notice that Diego and Principal Gregor were praising Loan based on a clear misunderstanding.
Then there were the other two, who held a different view.
Daphne and Sienna did not seem pleased with the current situation.
"It must be taking a toll on his body. Is it really all right to just let him continue?"
"It's not my place to say, but I believe it would be best to have him stop now."
Everyone offered praise and concern from their own perspectives.
Loan himself, however, paid no mind to their gazes and chatter, focusing solely on the sphere of fire.
‘Don’t worry about the size.’
Instead.
He focused on furiously rotating the mana in his heart, drawing in the surrounding mana with his Convection, and continuously feeding it into the Fireball.
At the same time, he had to meticulously control the flow of mana to prevent its inherently free-spirited nature from leading to instability in the flames.
Continuing this bold yet delicate task was taking a toll on his body and mind. His head felt hot, and a stabbing pain spread throughout his body.
Even so, he couldn't help but be distracted.
‘What a fascinating spell.’
The barrier created by Artua.
The barrier, shimmering like blue flames as it enveloped the platform, kept stealing Loan's attention.
In terms of form, there was something similar back at the shelter's annex. An opaque black barrier that had blocked the pit.
Of course, their properties were not the same.
The barrier of blue flames not only prevented the Fireball's heat from spreading outward but also served as a physical, not just conceptual, barrier.
‘What would happen if the Fireball hit it?’
He couldn't tell how sturdy it was.
But seeing the thickness of the flames and the concentration of mana that formed them, he was certain that ordinary force could not break through.
‘You can really do all sorts of things with mana.’
He had never properly learned magic. He had only taught himself using secretly transcribed formulas and an ancient language dictionary.
His comprehension and creativity were abundant, but he lacked the magical experience to make them bloom, so even small experiences always came to him as deep inspiration.
Loan suddenly spoke to Artua.
"Teacher Artua. That's amazing. What's the name of that spell?"
"..."
Artua was dumbfounded.
He himself was concentrating as hard as he could to maintain the barrier, yet this boy was floating a ball of fire and asking such an innocent question?
A sudden sense of competitiveness rising within him, the old mage slowly brought his outstretched palms together, closing in on the barrier.
"Huh?"
To Loan's surprise, the barrier of blue flames began to shrink, eventually becoming small enough to envelop his Fireball.
Loan found the situation quite amusing and watched quietly.
*Sizzle... Pop—*
The red and blue tangled and collided, and in an instant, the mana vanished.
Had they just witnessed a blue and red illusion, or perhaps some fleeting dream?
The children blinked, looking around aimlessly.
As if nothing had happened, the stone-walled classroom was colorless and indifferent.
A strange silence.
Loan tried to understand the interaction and phenomenon that had occurred in his mind—magic colliding with magic, mana entangling with mana.
Artua couldn't decide whether to scold Loan, praise him, or question him about the magic he had displayed.
It was the Bureau Director who broke the silence.
"Young Loan? May I answer your earlier question? That spell is Dean Artua's signature magic. It's called the Barrier of Blue Flames."
The children's gazes all turned to the outsiders who had entered.
Only Loan kept his eyes fixed on Artua.
His gaze wavered slightly.
"The Barrier of Blue Flames... That's a very cool name, Teacher Artua."
"Well, a name is just a name. Besides, I didn't even come up with it."
"Really? You must be so happy. To receive a gift like that."
"..."
Embarrassed, Artua straightened his back and put on a stern expression.
"Then, Loan, does the very dangerous magic you just showed us also have a name?"
"Uh... It's just a Fireball."
"I know that's not what it is, as do those gentlemen over there. And you, Loan, should know it best of all."
His voice was deliberately solemn.
Loan stared at the floor for a moment before giving a short nod.
"I haven't thought about it yet, but since you've mentioned it, I'll give it some serious thought."
"Hah, haha."
Loan's smile and Artua's dry laugh were a strange match.
He had pointed it out to focus on the danger, but Loan still seemed fixated on the name.
With Artua having missed his chance, Lazaros interjected again.
"This dialogue between master and student is fascinating, but as the Bureau Director, I must address this. Why did you do something so dangerous, young Loan? I'm more curious about your intentions than how you did it."
Loan's face brightened as if he'd been waiting for that question, and he smiled again.
"First, I was confident I could control the fire. And I also knew that Teacher Artua would be watching over us to ensure our safety, so there was no reason not to do it."
"Hmph..."
Artua suppressed his embarrassment with another dry cough and asked Loan.
"So, is your purpose fulfilled by showing us this Fireball? First you embarrass me, then you praise me. I can't seem to figure you out."
"Oh, I suppose you could see it that way. I didn't think that far ahead. I'm sorry. Still..."
Loan looked around at the children, who were watching the platform in dead silence, before continuing.
"I wanted to show my friends. To give them confidence. Some of them might be interested in magic but were too intimidated to try."
"Intimidated?"
"You said they'd be lucky to master a Fireball before graduation, but I've already done it. It shows that the path isn't necessarily that long."
Artua couldn't bring himself to say, 'That's because you're a genius.'
He briefly pondered whether it would be pedagogically right or wrong.
In any case, it was true that Loan's words had made him feel a sense of shame.
‘Have I been limiting the children's potential myself?’
He had intended to make them realize the reality of the situation, but now he wondered if he had inadvertently created a prejudice instead.
Lost in belated thought, Artua nodded silently.
Loan, who had been watching him quietly, spoke.
"But asking the other kids to take the magic studies class with me wasn't just to show them this."
"Hm?"
"If it's all right, may I borrow this space and a little more of your time?"
"Umm... Yes. Go ahead."
Granting permission out of curiosity, Artua reflexively circulated his mana, not knowing what dangerous act Loan might attempt next.
But unexpectedly, Loan turned his gaze to the children.
"Lucas? Could you come up here for a moment?"
Lucas looked left and right, asking the other children with his eyes.
They all nodded, confirming that Loan was calling him, and Lucas reluctantly walked forward.
"I'll help you. Try casting a spell."
"Me?"
"I think you'll be able to use magic in no time. Both magic and swordsmanship are about controlling mana, after all."
"Me? You want me to use magic?"
Not just Lucas, but the other children also doubted their ears, wondering if they had misheard.
"Yeah. Don't be so resistant to the idea. Even if you don't become a mage, understanding mana better through magic studies will definitely help your swordsmanship."
"Uhh..."
Lucas looked back and forth between Loan and the other children with an unsure expression.
There were others who also found the situation awkward.
Artua, the Dean of Academic Affairs, and even the Principal.
Loan was about to attempt something that was not, and could not be, covered in the first-year curriculum. They knew they should stop him, but they couldn't.
They were too curious to see what he would do.
"Doing it with just willpower and thought requires a bit of training. It's easier to follow an incantation than a formula or a magic circle, so let's use this. It's short, so try repeating after me."
"Uh... *Ignis Vestigia Spirantis, Imago Aurae Caloris Deficientis. Concurrunt et Surrectantur Ante Meum Oculos Sine Hesitatione.*"
For a moment, Artua and Lazaros tilted their heads, their brows furrowed in disbelief.
With an expression similar to theirs, Lucas haltingly repeated the incantation. But.
"Sonorus Ignis Vestigia... what?"
"..."
Briefly flustered that Lucas couldn't follow along, Loan asked.
"Oh, is this your first time hearing the ancient language? I thought you were repeating your first year for the third time."
"Huh? Yeah. Didn't you know?"
"..."
Loan took a breath and composed himself. And then.
"Then first, I'll teach you the meaning. With the ancient language, you have to understand the meaning and imbue the words themselves with emotion and will so they can exert their own power."
"Uh... okay."
"This is what it means. The footfalls of a silently breathing flame. The afterimage of the air dying from the heat. Collide without hesitation and rise before my eyes."
"Hah!"
Lucas unconsciously let out a sharp breath and rubbed his arms.
Faint goosebumps had appeared.
The reaction wasn't limited to him; the others were no different.
Regardless of age or gender, everyone shuddered at Loan's incantation.
"Now I understand why he said the Barrier of Blue Flames had a cool name."
The swordsmanship instructor, Diego, voiced what the others were thinking, but Loan didn't notice at all.
Instead, he became even more proactive, meticulously explaining the meaning of the words, their pronunciation, and accent as he taught Lucas.
"'Silently' symbolizes the flow of floating mana. Of course, it's not complete silence, but it maximizes the contrast with the phrase that comes later..."
But things didn't go as Loan expected.
It was an incantation he had deliberately made simple and easy so that even those who couldn't directly manipulate mana could use it.
It required some magical power, but it was well within the capacity of the children here.
Yet despite teaching it as simply as possible, Lucas couldn't understand it at all.
He just stared blankly.
After strenuous effort, he finally managed to get Lucas to memorize the first line, but it held no mana, becoming nothing more than an empty recitation.
‘Huh, why? Why isn't it working? Why can't he understand?’
When something he had thought would be a matter of course was blocked right from the start.
‘What do I do now?’
In his ten-odd years of life.
Loan felt a wall before him for the first time.