Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: The Special Division Scout
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The man took a seat at a table in front of a modest street stall. When the server approached, he politely ordered, “Two chicken skewers and one mug of wheat coffee.”
“Get to the point already. What’s with dragging a busy guy like me out here?”
“My explanation must have been lacking. No need to be so on guard, Fake. I’m not here to interrogate you about why you’re heading to the black market.”
Young nobles who hadn’t yet inherited their estates were all called Fakes.
Most people just referred to them plainly as young masters or ladies, though... This guy carried himself with an oddly formal air in every word and gesture.
His constant grin made it hard to read his expression, but the depth of his mana was clearly substantial.
“That’s why I said get to the point.”
“First, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Doran Slade. I work for the Magic Alliance Special Division.”
To prove his words, Doran pulled an iron pocket watch from his pocket and placed it on the table.
It bore the rune for Alliance—symbolizing the Magic Alliance—embossed in gold, with the dragon word Dirutus, denoting Special Division, engraved beneath it.
“On a personal note, I served as first-year clerk when Kevn Ludwig Marquess was student council president. Oh, those were fun times.”
“So?”
“I’m telling you there’s no need to be so guarded. I’m on the side of the Fakes. I just need to confirm a few things.”
Doran gripped the watch, blew the dust off it, and continued.
“The magic that took down the variant queen in the Crimson Mountains—was that spell cast by the Ludwig Fake?”
Rain’s eyebrow twitched for a split second.
This guy’s nonchalant way of prying into the truth was no joke.
“The Bard Party hasn’t visited a magic shop recently. Even assuming they bought it beforehand, there’s no seller. No Glados-rank mage has produced a fire magic scroll that powerful in the last ten years.”
“...!”
“So I asked Skalji Ludwig Marquess if he’d made it for his grandson as a protective charm, but that wasn’t it either. Which leaves only one conclusion.”
Doran rested his chin on his interlaced hands, staring at Rain. The smile vanished from his eyes, exposing his pupils—cold, serpentine eyes that already knew everything.
“It wasn’t something I was hiding anyway. I just had one thing bothering me. If you’re trying to blackmail me with that, you’ve got nothing.”
“The concern you mentioned—ah, you mean the black mage, perhaps?”
Rain inhaled sharply.
Did this guy know the queen was being controlled by black magic? Or was it just a probe?
How long did that suffocating silence last? Suddenly, footsteps approached.
“Your chicken skewers are ready~!”
Doran’s face broke into a gentle smile again as he licked his lips.
“Ah, no need to split them into two plates. Just bring them all here. I’ll eat them myself.”
The server looked flustered, and Rain blinked in disbelief. Wait, don’t people usually share?
“This is ridiculous... You just keep circling around. I’m out.”
As Rain rose from his chair, Doran wiped the juices from the skewer he’d bitten into and spoke.
“Let’s wrap up the preamble and get to the main point. I want to recruit you Fakes into the Magic Alliance Special Division.”
“I’m still a student.”
“Of course, I mean after graduation. Even with Kevn Senior correcting things, it’ll take time before you inherit the house, right?”
The Magic Alliance Special Division handled executing mages who committed magic crimes and independently investigated black magic incidents—a combat organization.
Composed solely of elite young battle mages, getting selected for the Special Division was akin to building an immense career as a mage.
But Rain, who cared little for social prestige and was jaded from battles against black magic, turned away without regret.
“Not interested in the Special Division. Later.”
Doran halted Rain’s steps with a playful tone revealing a profound truth.
“The Dark Church is getting more active.”
“...!”
“Of course, the Magic Alliance leadership, drunk on peace, denies it. But something big is coming. We need to prepare now, or it’ll be too late.”
It was serious, probably.
But Rain felt no particular duty to fight the Dark Church. If anything, unless they came for him first, he’d pass.
He’d fought enough in his past life. Just thinking of those madness-fueled bastards still gave him chills.
“No idea what you’re talking about. I’ll think about it.”
Handle it yourselves now.
This senior wants a break.
If it really gets bad, he’d help then... He tried to end it there, but Doran grabbed his ankle one last time.
“If there’s something you absolutely need from the black market, after midterms when the holiday starts, check the guild for ‘VIP Escort’ missions.”
“...?”
“They’ll mostly be for those attending the black market at <Ledacabel>.”
Rain glanced back. Doran, with his gentle smile, was tilting his teacup.
“Information as thanks for your valuable time. Of course, promise to join the Special Division, and I’ll tell you an easier way.”
Rain shook his head with a sigh and walked away.
Scary guy.
The type he really didn’t want to get involved with.
* * *
How long after Rain left? Four people—eating, performing magic tricks, going about their business on the streets—gradually gathered around Doran.
Their outfits were too varied and shabby to pass for elite Special Division mages.
But that wasn’t surprising. Civilian disguises to hide their mage status were a hallmark of the Special Division.
“How’d it go?”
“He said he’d think about it.”
“That’s basically a no.”
The mustached man who’d been doing magic tricks chuckled, and the woman who’d been napping on a tavern roof yawned as she jumped down.
“Why pick the disaster young master of all people to scout, you fool? This year’s <Delaiten> first-years are called the golden generation. Grab any one of them, and they’d be better than that guy.”
Doran Slade donned his worn fedora and grinned.
“True, the Rain Fake probably doesn’t belong to that golden generation.”
“But why!”
“I had something to confirm. He doesn’t seem to have contacted Tureina, so let’s check the next suspect.”
“You really think one of those <Delaiten> chicks has connected with Tureina?”
“It’s a hunch, but yeah. Maybe they’ve been linked since before enrollment.”
As he spoke, Doran glanced at the spot Rain had left, his eyes devoid of mirth.
‘Yeah, how could he possibly belong to the golden generation?’
To lump him with those so-called golden first-years... the gap in level was too overwhelming. Soon, his eyes curved like crescent moons again.
‘Kevn Senior, Brim Senior. You two created a monstrous freak. Never met a prospect this terrifying for the future.’
* * *
The librarian Karen gave a wry smile upon hearing he couldn’t get the book.
“It’s fine, Young Master. I’m already in enough debt. What worries me is you getting into trouble while trying to obtain it.”
“No need to worry. Everything’s going smoothly. By the way, did you talk to some guy wandering around like a beggar about me and the black market?”
Karen tilted her head.
“Like a beggar? Come to think of it, someone from the Magic Alliance Special Division did visit the library briefly... but he didn’t speak to me, a lowly librarian.”
“Then who did he talk to?”
“The senior librarians. Seemed like old acquaintances; they just reminisced and he left.”
He came after all. But didn’t even talk to Karen... So how did he know?
Though doubts lingered, he had work to do and hurried back to the dorm.
The task wasn’t grand: it involved the new ability he’d acquired, Mental Image Barrier. He couldn’t wait until his mana reached 20,000.
“Oh, perfect timing.”
In front of the dorm door were two 86cm-diameter glass orbs delivered from the magic tool shop on the way, bought for one gold coin each.
These orbs were called Spirit Pearls.
Used for mana reaction experiments or teaching mana usage to five- or six-year-olds, they could hold mana for up to 24 hours.
‘Bought the biggest, priciest, best ones, so each should take about 4,000.’
Combining his stored mana and current mana would barely exceed 20,000. If his calculations were right, he could test the Mental Image Barrier.
“Here goes.”
Placing his hands on the Spirit Pearls and focusing, a squeezing pressure from his core surged as the orbs began emitting intense blue light.
By the time cold sweat drenched his body, the blindingly glowing glass beads swirled with mana in bizarre waves.
“And... done.”
He steadied his breath, then immediately sat cross-legged and entered meditation.
He sorted his disrupted mana flow and stabilized his core to generate new mana.
By the time all mana recovered, twilight filtered through the window the next day. Opening his eyes, he formed hand seals with both hands.
Ra (羅).
The attribute-granting form that envelops and expands.
The hand seal symbolizing this rune formed two triangles and a circle with both hands.
“Mental Image Construct: Stream Measure Sovereign.”
In that instant, a ferocious mana storm raged, then—crack—the glass beads shattered, cracks spiderwebbing where mana had swirled.
Simultaneously, a clawing pain scraped his core, and he spat blood.
‘A failure after all...?’
As he sighed in defeat, the § pattern on his left palm burned with searing heat, birthing a new world of light.
<流> <量>
O
<世> <尊>
A vast mystical magic circle unfolded centered on Rain.
The circle held five rings total; excluding the one Rain sat in, the four cardinal rings each bore one of Stream Measure Sovereign’s runes, gleaming and flickering.
Yu (流): The attribute of ‘flow.’
Ryang (量): The attribute of ‘measurement.’
Se (世): The attribute of ‘world.’
Jon (尊): The attribute of ‘augmentation.’
Even more astonishing was the mana circuit linking the central ring and those runes.
Yin (蝡), Ro (癆), Eun (齦), Lin’s infinite functions, variable waves, and more...
Weren’t these the incomplete runes and mathematical theories Lin had devised, densely fused into lines?
It was the Mental Image Barrier in name and form—his mind’s thoughts built into a barrier.
“No way...”
He tested it with the flame magic he’d experimented with in the Battle Dragon Field before.
Whoosh!
The Yin (蝡) rune and matrix calculus theory needed for the spell lit up and rose—then Yin (蝡) corrected to Yin (蜳), and new formulas added to the matrix theory.
‘It can’t be.’
He rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Was it providing the optimal choices for the magic he thought of? Supplementing his inadequacies like this?
‘This is insane...’
Truly absurd ability.
No one could teach magic beyond 5th rank. It was solo study territory, yet learnable like this?
“Totally OP.”
His laughter burst out there.
A stabbing pain pierced his core, and soon the magic circle blanketing the room dissolved into particles of light.
Mana depletion, no doubt.
“Hoo, hoo, hoohihihihi...!”
Rain flopped backward, giggling like a child, heedless of the chills from his sweat-soaked body.
「The Mental Image Barrier is like a mirror reflecting the caster’s mind.」
The Second Sage, Liarth Warden, had said that. Referencing it explained the uniqueness of Rain’s Stream Measure Sovereign.
A mirror of the mind—and in the boy’s mind dwelt only pure, infinite, innocent pursuit of truth.
That ‘thirst for truth’ manifested as Stream Measure Sovereign.