Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Rista Alter Shyrfang
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Rista Alter Shyrfang.
Hero Rista.
FakeWarriors had existed in every era, but not all of them were recorded as heroes. Including Rista, only two FakeWarriors had been immortalized as heroes.
‘Hero, hero.’
Up until now, living as Rain, he’d had plenty of chances to hear tales of Rista’s party’s exploits, but he had deliberately turned a blind eye and deaf ear.
Because it was a story everyone already knew?
That was part of it, but the biggest reason was sorrow. Whenever he heard his comrades’ names, the grief etched into his soul would overflow.
‘And yet the reason I’m reading this book right now is just one…’
The hunch that the one who sent it to him might have left some kind of hint here.
[When Great Mage Lin first joined the party, he was a kid with zero affability or flexibility.]
Oh, they know me pretty damn well.
[It’s said the sole reason he became a member of the hero’s party was his overwhelming skill.]
Ah, that’s spot on too.
To confess out of a guilty conscience, there was a bit of embellishment. Back then, there were several other mages at the Glados (4-star) level besides me.
[Orphan-raised Lin was dishonest, perpetually surly, and the type to gripe about everything—a textbook disagreeable brat.]
Who the hell wrote this?
No, I’m seriously curious. Not that I’d go track them down and punch them or anything. Abso~lutely not.
How do they know me this well?
[That Lin followed only Rista closely, perhaps sensing a mother’s affection in her.]
?
[One day, when Lin was hit by a black mage’s curse that regressed his mental age, Rista confessed he said, “Wahh, I baby Lin, gimme boobies!” A true glimpse into Lin’s heart.]
“Ah, what the fuck.”
A curse word burst out loud. It was the first time since taking Rain’s body.
You messing with me right now, Rista?
He’d never been hit by a curse that regressed mental age, and even if he had, he would’ve bitten his tongue and died before saying something like that.
[To Fride, he apparently said, “Wahh, Fride big-eyes, squeeze-hug me!”]
???
[To Kies, “Big bro, my pee-pee hole feels weird…”]
????????
For a moment, he doubted his own eyes. It was so absurd he choked on air, coughing uncontrollably.
“Have these guys all gone insane? Think I can’t talk back frozen in ice, so they’re screwing around?”
He grumbled like that, but before he knew it, he was blankly turning the pages. His eyes swiftly and meticulously scanned the text.
‘Of course, there’s a ton of novel-like embellishments…’
Still, the overall context rang true.
A brat ignorant of the world and people learned about both through Rista… and gradually grew into an adult. That process was laid out in the book.
‘When we entered the Black Forest, Kies nearly died from eating a poisonous mushroom.’
‘Fride found a treasure vault and charged right in, only to trigger a wild boar trap…’
He realized they’d traveled so many places. Even in those chaotic times, everything had seemed dazzling and beautiful.
[Finally, when they confronted the Black Church’s core forces after opening the dimensional gate, Lin deployed a defensive barrier to protect his comrades.]
The problem was, he didn’t know who, but the enemy’s dark sorcerer was a cut above him. The barrier couldn’t hold.
[In the end, Lin switched the barrier’s runes from “Impact Defense Rang (艆)” to “Damage Absorption Ron (論),” concentrating all damage on himself.]
“…”
[Lin was thus poisoned by instantly fatal dark toxin, yet he didn’t withdraw the barrier protecting his comrades.]
Had he maintained the barrier?
His mind had been such a mess, he couldn’t remember.
[That act wasn’t mere self-sacrifice. It was proof the boy who’d only cared about himself had become a man. So confessed Bow Star Kies.]
Kies?
Where the hell are they selling these drugs?
Kies was mute and illiterate; no way he said something like that.
“Uh…?”
But turning the page revealed the evidence attached. The moment he saw the squiggly mass like earthworms, his vision blurred white.
[▲Note left by Kies. He says he learned letters from Lin.]
Kies, you idiot…
Even teaching him one or two words had him clutching his head in agony, and now he could write proper sentences?
- What’re you gonna do if you can’t talk AND can’t write? How’d you even become Bow Star?
- ……!
- On skill alone? Don’t shrug like you’re proud! Get over here. I’ll teach you letters. It’s easy.
- ……?!
- Don’t need ’em? Bullshit you don’t. You’re healthy now, but when you’re old and your brain slows, you’ll suffer.
He could almost hear Kies’s groans as he grimaced through each lesson but studied diligently.
[In his final moments, Lin cast the secret art of a 5-star spell he’d developed himself, attempting to reverse death.]
“…”
[That spell’s name is Juyeo Soge Daeban (主濾小計袋反), a near-divine ability fusing the essence of imperial magic and republican sorcery. No modern mage has deciphered it even now.]
It wasn’t that he was exceptional; he’d completed it with help from Fride, who was versed in sorcery.
[As the spell activated, Lin promised his comrades. That he would definitely return.]
Yeah, he’d made that promise.
He’d promised Rista.
[And as everyone knows, even 300 years later, Lin hasn’t returned. Or perhaps he couldn’t.
Hero, Rista.
Bow Star, Kies.
Shrine Maiden, Fride.
Great Mage, Lin.
In this era, where all comrades have returned to the gods’ embrace as dust, even if Lin awakens, can he truly be said to have returned?]
He thought the same.
This isn’t a return…
His heart throbbed painfully, breath quickening, when the final line entered his vision, halting the lump in his throat.
[So Rista left a letter for Lin. To give purpose and guidance to the returned Lin. Along with apologies for breaking their promise.]
* * *
Part 1 covered Lin’s life, while Part 2 detailed the magic and combat style he mainly used.
‘No need to read this part.’
He skimmed through halfheartedly before slamming the book shut. Nothing more to glean.
‘Why send this to me? To tell me about the note? I already knew that.’
Do they know who I am? Is one of my comrades still alive?
No, even if alive, how would they recognize me? My appearance’s totally different. If they could, why no contact?
It was an incomprehensible puzzle. Makes math problems seem straightforward and neat…
The most likely sender was Haraderiman, the Light Dragon who could pierce all myriad phenomena.
One of the immortal Three Divine Dragons, leader of the Light Dragon Church…
If so, why send it?
To make him seek out his comrades’ stories? But if not Haraderiman?
‘Been ignoring it so far, but… maybe hit the library soon.’
To find out what happened to his party comrades.
He already knew Rista was ‘missing.’
A FakeWarrior, humanity’s strongest soldier and symbolic hero, could never officially die; any death was processed as disappearance.
‘But Fride and Kies… hmm.’
Reading the book, time had slipped to 23:00.
Dormitory curfew, mandatory lights-out. Unless he’d applied for a night lamp in advance.
“Better turn off the light before the dorm supervisor comes.”
As he moved to stand, Lin’s diary caught his eye.
Come to think of it, this…
He felt an eerie sense of déjà vu as he opened the notebook.
──Flutter.
A butterfly of light scattered beautiful mana particles as it rose, making his heart pound.
It was RudiyËn.
Not the one Rain had made, but the one from his Lin days—twice the size. Strangely, its color was even deeper and richer cobalt blue than before.
“How is this thing…”
Preserved intact for 300 years? By whose mana? Wary in the unbelievable situation, his hands and feet trembled.
Right then.
No sooner had RudiyËn alighted on Rain’s head than the blue particles it shed coalesced, forming text in midair.
Socrafres.
- Inheriting progress on ‘unique magic’ research from surrounding environment.
- Progress: 37%.
* * *
Unique magic is the pinnacle of the mage’s path, mandatory for reaching 6-star sage realm.
It’s said one can wield it only upon creating one’s own rune and a formula to alter reality with it.
Unlike standardized public magic, unique magic can only be used by its creator (impossible to teach), interpreted via personal runes and formulas, with power and performance varying by the mage’s individuality.
The Imperial Magic Alliance recognized only those who could wield unique magic as 6-star, ‘Renpage.’
「The truth shall set you free.」
Just as first mage Emitsa Page declared, only those who behold magic’s end—truth—and wield it freely become sages.
Renpage rank meant erecting a statue in [Golden Rose]’s Sage Plaza, the dream of all mages.
“I was researching this, yeah…”
After realizing reincarnation, he’d prioritized mana training over restudying the theory because he had no clue how to restart from scratch.
■ Yun (蝡).
- Seems possible to imbue ‘molecular wriggling’ property, but equations get complex; compatible magic squares limited to fire attribute.
- Casting equation named ‘Matrix Dynamics.’
■ Ro (癆).
- Seems to have property of ‘prolonging and splitting’ magic strike time. Succeeded in extending fireball damage time like poison magic in battle vs. Roomalden.
- Casting equation named ‘Lin Infinite Function.’
……
…(excerpted)…
……
■ Eun (齦).
- Confirmed able to imbue ‘biting and pulverizing’ property. Potential for unique magic development, but issue is overly limited uses.
- Casting equation named ‘Variable Wave,’ formula representing magic coordinates probabilistically.
Twelve self-made runes researched and battle-tested in the era of war. He’d thought all failures, yet progress at 37%?
“RudiyËn, aren’t you a 4-star spell?”
A 4-star spell gauging 6-star progress was inconceivable. No such thing in his previous life.
‘Who the hell…’
Did the sage who appeared before reincarnation silently help?
Impossible.
From Lin’s death to Rain’s birth, one great mage emerged, but no sage.
‘But if this is real…?’
The reason great mages despaired advancing to sage wasn’t complex.
Lack of certainty.
Was he on the right path? Would this rune complete? Even if, could he form the equation…?
“Ha.”
A short laugh escaped.
He’d figured pouring this life into it and glimpsing truth before old age would be lucky, but with this milestone, things changed.
‘Different from last life.’
No need to conserve mana for unknown fights or risk life testing incomplete runes in battle.
‘Now, time’s what I’ve got plenty of.’
Environment perfect too. <Delaiten> had training facilities and the finest magic library.
Time for new goals.
Best: glimpse truth before graduation. Worst case, before 30s.
“Ah, this is too good. Driving me crazy.”
Rain leaped onto the bed, hugging the suspicious RudiyËn with both arms and rolling around gleefully.
Speculation on the sender instantly shoved aside. Rain barely suppressed boyish giggles.
He was fairly composed usually, but regarding truth-seeking, he’d always retained that innocent childhood wonder.
‘Starting tomorrow morning.’
That night, too excited to calm down, Rain couldn’t sleep. Heart racing, eyes wide till late dawn.
‘Straight into research from morning.’