Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: The Flood Scroll Phenomenon
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Court Bailiff Willem, who had been blankly blinking and staring up at the Great Wall of Nature.
As the First Minister of the Elector Prince, having personally received such damage reports every summer, the shock was even greater for this middle-aged man.
The western Empire was humid year-round, weakening the soil's foundation. It was land where flood damage inevitably concentrated in the summer.
"C-Can this actually be used in practice?"
"Yes."
"The range. Do you know how far it reaches when actually used?"
"The mana in the scroll is different from when I cast it myself, so it's hard to say precisely, but I think 3-4 km should be no problem."
3-4 km?
No way such a figure was possible—or was it not impossible?
'Last summer, didn't an unidentified ultra-high mage pull off something similar?'
Willem's mouth fell open involuntarily as he recalled that incident.
"Girten."
"?
"The levee in Girten province... Was that really made by Rain Ludwig?"
He had scoured everywhere for similar help but found none. Or rather, he had heard from the villagers but couldn't believe it.
For that heavenly disaster young master to do such a thing—surely they had to say something believable.
But if it was true? At this point, doubting it would be the strange thing.
"Girten? Ah, Girten."
Rain nodded as if pleased upon hearing the province's name.
"That's the magic I used when helping them out. Thanks to that, I found a good spell for the exam, so it's mutual aid."
Then.
That meant.
There was no more need to hesitate. Court Bailiff Willem raised three fingers faster than anyone.
"Three scrolls—all three!"
He wanted to take all hundred stacked there, but unfortunately, each judge could take only three scrolls.
"Please wait just a moment."
Rain immediately pulled out pen and ink, scribbling magic circles and formulas on the parchment. Willem turned to Crown Prince Raida.
"Your Highness, use all three of yours here too!"
Raida, who had been entranced watching the mystery of the magic that effortlessly blocked floods, finally looked up.
"What?"
"This magic is indispensable for us who suffer flood damage every year. Your Highness must know that well!"
He certainly did.
But asking excitedly for all three from someone of lower status—a peer at most—was a bit embarrassing.
"Our palace has a Glados-rank (4-star) mage grandpa too."
"We can use it in places Duke Alfred can't reach! And if we present this as a sample, we could mass-produce the scrolls!"
Right now, he couldn't even if he wanted to. A massive crowd had already swarmed, clamoring for scrolls from Rain.
"Me too, give me one!"
"I'll take two! Damn, why'd I take one of those weird muscle magic ones!"
"I'll take all three!"
Whether small local lords or village chiefs, summer flood damage was a shared concern.
Not everyone could keep a high-rank mage like the Elector Prince as a court mage.
From that perspective, the magic Rain demonstrated was like a secret weapon to safely weather next year's floods.
"Magic for flood damage, huh. Interesting idea."
Chief Professor Marhena's eyes gleamed with interest. Vice Chief Professor Kyle chuckled.
"Yes. Summer floods are a problem everyone faces except the north, so it's an excellent approach."
But with only 35 minutes left, no matter how many orders, if he couldn't make them all, it meant nothing.
'Only three scrolls can be pre-made.'
Scroll parchment was extremely expensive. If he filled that precious paper with magic circles and sold only ten out of a hundred?
The remaining ninety would be discarded.
That's why this exam always followed that traditional rule.
'A bit harsh, but... a late start means no way to reach top 5, no matter what.'
And Rain Ludwig's chosen magic was 3-star. Drawing those complex, intricate formulas alone would consume an enormous amount of time.
'Strange. In this utterly hopeless situation, rather than worrying about what Rain Ludwig will do... I'm looking forward to it.'
Realizing the limits of manual work, Rain paused, called the assistants, and requested spare pens and ink.
"As many as you have now?"
"Yes."
"What... What's the reason?"
"Isn't everything needed for the exam provided?"
Stunned by the unprecedented request, the assistants brought as many as asked to avoid complaints from the great houses later.
And as they watched to see what genius feat he was attempting... a chill of awe swept through their bodies.
"Brushes...?!"
"They're floating...?!"
The brushes floated in midair over spare parchment, swiftly inking magic circles and formulas in perfect unison.
"Telekinesis?!"
By then, not just the judges but everyone in the spectator stands had their eyes fixed on Rain Ludwig.
Impossible to look away.
Like a performance.
The mystical sight of six brushes rising simultaneously, uniformly drawing magic circles on parchment, was a feat money couldn't buy.
"Does that even make sense?"
"Telekinesis with that precise control on six at once?"
"Vice Chancellor, what is that...?"
Mages knew.
And because they were mages, the shock hit harder.
They understood better than civilians what Rain Ludwig was doing.
"Multiple telekinesis operations."
The Chaihak Academy Vice Chancellor muttered in astonishment, swallowing dryly as if he couldn't believe it himself.
"Isn't multiple operations a grand mage's domain...?"
"Yes. 300 years ago, Lin became famous for that multiple operation technique."
Multiple operations—simply put, n formulas calculated simultaneously in the caster's head.
"A realm even geniuses can't touch, let alone ordinary people..."
Was what Owen wrote in his letter true?
- In my humble eyes, the Ludwig family will lead the next generation of magic. Please don't punish Logan too harshly for losing at the magic tournament...
Multiple operations was the pinnacle realm, reachable only by those innately gifted to become grand mages.
Yet Rain, unsatisfied with that, suddenly crossed his hands.
As two more brushes and parchment floated up, Special Forces Tyrintid let out a disbelieving breath.
"He knows Bargante style too?"
Born and raised in the south—how could he handle our northern hand seals so freely?
"That's... that's truly, truly impressive."
Vice Chief Professor Kyle voiced genuine admiration. Marhena, watching Rain with serious eyes, smirked.
"Feels like we're at a magic show."
Tower mages looked down on artistic mages, but they too fulfilled a mage's duty.
They spread dreams.
The dream of magic, across the world.
And those dreams fertilized future mages. Just look at the eyes watching Rain from the stands.
"Wow...!"
"Amazing! Eight brushes moving perfectly in sync!"
"That's real magic...!"
And not just for aspiring mages—it showed magic's new possibilities.
...!
Like the new flame igniting in Crown Prince Raida's heart, watching this miracle up close.
1. Rain Ludwig: 82 scrolls.
2. Christa Warden: 75 scrolls.
3. Nora Reden: 69 scrolls.
4. Kaden: 68 scrolls.
5. Lillian Carline: 67 scrolls.
Weiber, bumped from the top 5 by Rain's surge, stared blankly at the scoreboard.
'No way... Overtaken in 30 minutes?'
Even with exploding orders, Weiber had no confidence in closing the 15-scroll gap and pulling ahead in the remaining time.
This was normal.
That was abnormal.
What was happening down there defied logic. Cold sweat trickled down his back.
"Told you to watch closely."
Elin Ludwig grinned at her niece and nephews, who were entranced by Rain.
...
Brim Ludwig silently clapped, wiping away tears of pride and trembling joy.
'He was toddling around the mansion just yesterday, and now he's grown so splendidly...'
Kevn, if only you could see this proud silhouette too.
"Amazing, Rain is truly amazing!"
Kasena, who had been cheering tensely, turned to Madelia.
"Can I use magic like that too someday? Mom!"
Startled by her daughter's passion, she gently stroked her light purple hair.
"Of course. You can be like that too, Kasena."
Though reaching that level might be impossible, Kasena had the bloodline limit only the Page blood could use.
If she maxed out the power left by magic's founder and sole grand sage, rivaling that would be no issue.
"I've never doubted Director Doran's insight until now, but..."
Special Forces Lunen chuckled wryly.
"I was a bit negative about Rain Ludwig too. But... that's a genius truly worth it."
Tyrintid, always voicing negativity about Rain, replied without looking away.
"No."
"Pardon?"
"Not a genius. That's not it."
Right, not a genius.
Now he got it. Why that irritating Doran Slade said Rain Ludwig didn't belong in <Delaiten>'s golden generation.
'Not that he 'couldn't' join... he just 'doesn't.' '
Shivering from the goosebumps of absurd realization, he added.
"The Ludwigs... produced an absurd monster after three generations..."
When the bell signaling the exam's end echoed through Dragon Hole Field, the top five on the scoreboard were:
1. Rain Ludwig: 100 scrolls.
2. Christa Warden: 87 scrolls.
3. Nora Reden: 80 scrolls.
4. Kaden: 79 scrolls.
5. Lillian Carline: 79 scrolls.
Kyle, thrilling with awe, said excitedly to Marhena as they viewed the passers.
"Did you know, Master?"
"You fool, say what you know."
"No one but the Second Sage Liart Warden ever sold out all hundred scrolls in the finals!"
Rain Ludwig matched that feat. Marhena narrowed her eyes as if scolding.
"Yes, until now."
"Pardon?"
"If the next generation has someone selling out a hundred, shouldn't we update the phrasing?"
Kyle smirked, instantly grasping her meaning. For praise-stingy Marhena, this was the highest accolade.
"'An achievement no one but Liart Warden and Rain Ludwig has accomplished'... something like that?"