Chapter 211
Chapter 211
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 211
Chapter Title: The Crybaby Archmage
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“You became an archmage? You're just a crybaby.”
I couldn't figure out why.
This situation right now—it felt like something I'd missed so terribly, so painfully terribly.
Had those five years been that long?
“Is the Chancellor Auntie around?”
Even when I was receiving lavish welcomes in cities across the Empire and Republic, it seems I'd always been yearning for this scene deep in my heart.
“She's been super busy lately because of you. The Magic Alliance keeps summoning her over every little thing.”
Casually sitting on the spacious veranda of the magic tower facing the pine grove, sharing cheap biscuits and green tea with my schoolmates in secret from Auntie.
“Me? Why me?”
“Why do you think? This shameless guy is still subtly showing off! Even after becoming an archmage!”
My schoolmates charged at me again, messing up my hair and slapping my back while bursting into laughter.
“You really became an archmage? Does that mean you can do high-speed calculations for 5th-circle magic too?”
“Yeah.”
Seeing their skeptical looks, I deployed the Neural Blood Barrier magic circle I'd perfected in the south.
My schoolmates buzzed with admiration they couldn't hold back, and for some reason, it made me feel good.
Not because of my own achievements, but because now I could teach this knowledge to these guys.
“Big Bro, it's been almost 150 years since we produced an archmage—maybe this is our chance to become one of the Great Academies?”
“Yeah, and he's the youngest ever. Plus, he's got that title: the Hero Party's Archmage.”
“If we become a Great Academy, we won't have to sneak snacks behind Auntie's back anymore, right? Everyone will be throwing sponsorship money at us to impress us.”
“Ew, no thanks. Even now, the line of guys begging to be taken as disciples fills the academy courtyard four rows deep and then some. It's annoying as hell.”
Amid the commotion, Big Bro—who'd been steadily bringing us more snacks and tea despite us being the juniors—flashed a scolding smile.
“Even if we became a Great Academy right now, our skills are still too lacking. We'd just be a burden to Lin and the Chancellor.”
“It's fine. I'll teach you all.”
At that, my schoolmates gave me disbelieving looks and subtly backed away.
“You're really Lin?”
“Not some demon in disguise?”
“Yeah, our Lin would never act this mature.”
I'd already predicted this reaction with my archmage brain.
“Believe it or not, up to you... But Big Bro, this is delicious. Gimme two more. Aki and Nen would love these too.”
“Aki? Nen?”
Big Bro tilted his head at the unfamiliar names.
I was the one thrown off.
What? Those names? Why did those just pop out of my mouth? I don't even know anyone by those names.
My schoolmates lit up with excitement.
“Comrades? Never heard of 'em. Wait, girls? Did you turn into a playboy while you were gone?”
“Nah, nothing like that.”
“Lin just got back and he's tired—knock it off, guys.”
“Yeees.”
“Lin, the Chancellor should be back by tonight, so why don't you rest now? She'll want to catch up with you herself.”
Meeting Chancellor Auntie again. Talking with her again.
How much had I longed for that... Just thinking about it made my chest ache uncontrollably.
Huh, why had I wanted it so desperately? It's not like we wouldn't meet again anyway. We'd exchanged letters often.
“Yeah, Big Bro.”
Honestly, it was a little touching.
For five years, my room had been kept exactly as I left it, not given to anyone else.
“Exactly” might not be the right word. The straw mattress had been replaced with a feather bed, and the desk was obviously something expensive at a glance.
“The Chancellor always cleaned your room herself. She said she didn't want you nagging her when you finally came back.”
There wasn't a speck of dust or a single cobweb in the room.
The image of Chancellor Auntie cleaning my room flashed before my eyes, and for a moment, my heart twinged with longing.
That's when I noticed the small mirror on the desk.
“A mirror? Why is something this luxurious...?”
The moment I peered curiously into it, bewilderment and dissonance crashed over me, choking my breath.
Who are you?
An elegant, aristocratic face on a tall, handsome young man... This is definitely a mirror, so why is that reflecting?
Is the fatigue from the journey making me see things?
No, it feels like I'm forgetting something important. But what is it?
Aki? Nen?
What are those? Why can't I remember?
* * *
Mangjung Sagok.
The abyssal melody, shaped into a tune, infiltrates deep into the human soul.
The melody draws it out—the thing the soul most desires now, the place it most wants to return to, the day it most wants to reclaim...
Those who hold painful memories, those drowned in deep grief—they can never escape this melody.
‘A human who perfectly wields holy spells... Yeah, a shrine maiden like that arrogant bitch Tureina would've nullified it outright, but she's dead.’
Not mere black magic, but a miracle only fairies can wield—it preys well even on human mages who train reason over soul.
Those guys seem unaffected just because they're Dragonkin.
Her eyes on the red hatchling, Lrelaya didn't stop playing her harp.
‘Humans who've lingered too long in that fool's world are done for.’
The moment the ‘spirit’ the gods imprinted in human hearts is sucked out by the melody, the human reverts to its pitiful, ancient form.
“Now, time to regress, you trash humans. Heh heh heh.”
The metallic stench of blood mixed with the salty sea air. Red liquid began spreading across the bridge.
Screams erupted painfully from lungs...
Fleshy frames twisted grotesquely, interlocking wrongly, and starting with the weak-willed, humans began turning into something not human.
“Yes, back to primitives.”
Primitives meant the ancient humans who scurried on all fours like wild beasts or flapped their arms like birds.
‘More precisely, humanity dominated by the Lizard Lord's abyss.’
The scattered pedestrians shed their skin like molting and surrounded the hatchlings in repulsive new forms.
“I was worried at first that my melody would shatter instantly with a true dragon in tow, but heh, that's no Dragonkin or anything.”
A proper true dragon could've shattered this melody with a single ultra-high incantation.
“...!”
Surrounded by groaning primitives, Aki blinked.
Should she use martial arts?
No. They said not to attack on that island back then.
“You gonna keep hesitating? You're not the only targets.”
At the bridge's entrance, waiting for immigration checks, Valensidis was slumped against the railing, lost in the fool's dream.
- Kill me with your own hand, Valensidis.
A poison-fumed room where breathing was agony. His bloodied master placing a knife in Valensidis's hand.
- We're done for already. Take my head and prove your skill and loyalty to the Black Church.
- But Master.
- If they see your talent, they'll raise you instead of killing you. You have to survive.
Maybe because he'd dreamed it so many times, he realized the instant he heard that voice and saw that face.
- We're just biding our time now.
It's a dream.
When did I even fall asleep?
- You'll meet them someday. A friend who'll understand everything about you and walk the same path. The world's so vast.
As his master smiled faintly, Valensidis jammed his fingers into his own ribs.
He felt it amid the hot blood's heat. His young heart pulsing vigorously.
Without a moment's hesitation, he crushed it—the instant awareness snapped back, eyelids flying open.
“...Valen, Valen, Valen.”
A familiar voice reached his recovered hearing. His vision filled with a hellish sight.
Humans corrupted by the abyss swarmed from all sides, but Pipi was holding them off with flame flights.
Valensidis drew the abyssal relic, Kasyur, from his waist and unfurled it.
“Power of encroaching darkness in twilight, karma of suspension hanging in the heavens—now, by the command of caster Valensidis, enact the binding!”
Swinging the fan wrapped in incantation power unleashed a radial whirlwind of dark purple poison mist.
Dark—defines the spell's attribute.
Bind—halts the primitives' movements.
Suspend—anchors their spirits to flesh, preventing further mutation.
This was originally a wide-area holy spell to block abyssal contagion, a high-difficulty ritual requiring multiple witches gathered in one place.
‘Controlled nearly a hundred with spells, but...’
The situation hadn't improved at all.
“Ugh, ugh...”
Prince Obin's condition beside him was dire.
The Rate Light Stone—legacy of Archmage Rigwind—and Thousand Wave Breath Flute glowed faintly, protecting his body...
But his fingertips' skin was peeling off. As long as he couldn't escape the dream, the mutation would accelerate.
‘Find the caster and stop the tune.’
If I had any obligation to. Might even be grateful if they died here, lightening my load.
- Let me teach you once. It'll be an irreplaceable experience in your life.
Tch. Hoisting Obin over his shoulder, Valensidis turned to the bridge's far end, now a road to hell.
Was Rain Ludwig safe?
No, if so, he'd have ended this mess instantly... Something was wrong.
‘Before it gets any worse, what I need to do.’
The gale rising from Valensidis's fan swept away the invisible sound barrier over the bridge.
Five strings like zither wires revealed themselves.
And there, in the center of one, sat Lrelaya playing her harp... Valensidis leaped to the opposite string.
“Not bad for a human? You're the first to snap out of my dream in one go. Not many happy memories, huh?”
“That's my brag.”
The nightmare minstrel, Lrelaya.
One of the Dawn Brigade, wielder of ancient kings' miracles...
Facing a formidable foe, he calmed the faint tremors in his fingertips.
“Or maybe a pretty skilled caster? Not quite a shrine maiden level.”
While Valensidis and Pipi confronted the mastermind, Aki was nearing her limit.
Trained one-on-one by Celine, she lacked experience in one-vs-many. Especially a special situation where harming enemies was off-limits.
Plus Setsunen on her back, and Rain and Miria behind her...
“Guaaaaa...”
She headbutted a charging primitive's chest.
It seemed about to fall, but it grabbed her shoulder with its barely-boned hand.
Her balance shattered, body floating midair—the moment fingers from all sides seized Aki and Setsunen.
As if to steal their lost life's warmth.
Countless arms crossed, blocking the sky; her uniform ties snapped, dragging Setsunen away; she turned, but couldn't see behind.
[Wake up.]
It appeared.
In Miria's dream.
That distant childhood memory: strolling a wave-dancing beach with father, mother, sister, laughing gaily.
[You have to wake up.]
A woman amid the sea, long white hair flying—beautiful beyond words, poignantly so.
At first, she's beautiful.
Then, she resembles someone.
Then realization hit: that's me as an adult.
[Lin's in danger.]
Adult me?
Right, I'm definitely grown up.
So this... ah, yes, this happy scene... it's all a dream.
[Help Lin.]
The moment those words ended, the memory shattered, her body moving on its own.
Rising, she drew the demon sword from its sheath; veins in her gripping arms burned red, near-omnipotent power flooding her body.
As strength surged, a blood-blade formed ethereally over the broken edge, scattering menacing light.
‘My body's moving on its own...’
Never moved this fast in her life. As if the sword guided her body.
Like that first time in the Crimson Mountains, accidentally unleashing sword aura.
To normal eyes, just a red flash flickering instantly.
By the time it faded, the primitives around Aki had all collapsed from blunt strikes to vitals.
Only when she snatched Setsunen midair from a primitive's grasp did the inexplicable power vanish.
“Aru.”
Aki toddled over, eyes brimming with tears, hugging her leg tight. Too cute.
“Aboo...”
“Sorry, Mommy was too late, huh?”
Mom? Aki looked up, tilting her head—only then did Miria's cheeks burn hot, words tumbling out.
“No, I mean, this is, three days of smoke made it a habit, people do that. Yeah.”
That was the first and last moment they had to talk.
Other humans were finishing their molt into primitives all around, and even the ones she'd felled were rising one by one.
As Miria gripped the demon sword and swallowed dryly, Setsunen urgently pointed behind her.
“Aruu!”
The instant she saw Rain sprawled on the ground where Setsunen pointed, Miria's eyes shook.
“No.”
No time to gather herself—she rushed over. Rain's hand, fingertips burning in eerie flames, reeking of scorching flesh.
“Wake up!”
“Aboo!”
The holy pearl in his soul clashed with his body and soul eroding under Mangjung Sagok.
“Wake up already, you idiot!”
The flames that blackened his fingertips in seconds now chased the abyss's erosion path.
“You can't get eaten! Snap out of it, please!”
Soul of a dragon, body of a human.
At this rate, his whole body would burn away... ending as an incinerated corpse.
Miria frantically shook his collar, Aki bit his head—no sign of Rain regaining consciousness.
“If you go like this, what about Aki?! What about Nen?! Wake up, Rain—!”
* * *
What...
My head's ringing loud...
When I opened my eyes in bed, the night curtain framed the dark view outside.
...Rain, Abu, Aru...
Staring blankly the whole time, inexplicable words rattled in my mind.
Abu? Aru? Hot liquid trickled down my face.
Amid that metallic scent, some fragrance seeped in... like firewood infused with winter's aroma...
“Aki.”
Aki's gone. Setsunen's gone.
Right, this place... Consciousness snapped awake as I bolted upright.
The world in the desk mirror: Ranoa Bridge, Aki and Setsunen desperately shouting at my unconscious self.
‘Those swarming like bees around them—primitives?’
Lizard Lord's abyss?
Tense breaths gripped my gut. Cold sweat beaded my temples.
‘Gotta get out, now.’
But how?
A caster's nightmare can't be escaped without holy miracle aid.
It's not like a normal dream—realizing it's a dream and awakening consciousness doesn't free you.
“Bell Quirius.”
The retinal image remained. Because of the Lin body setting?
‘Feels gross.’
I'd faced this attack 300 years ago too.
‘Fride's help got me through without issue back then.’
Someone knocked then.
“Lin. You up?”
My heart leaped.
So startled, I instinctively formed a magic circle in my palm.
But this voice— one I'll never hear again. My Big Bro... My chest grew melancholic.
“The Chancellor's on her way back. How about going out to greet her and surprise her? She'd be so, so happy.”