Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Peculiar Dracain
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“There, Master said to me. ‘Follow me. I’ll teach you the true magic.’ But I couldn’t just follow him right away. Back then, I couldn’t use proper magic at all...”
“And then?”
“But Master already knew that problem. And he solved it for me himself. ‘Let mana dwell in your heart and draw a world within.’ When he said that, really... the magic...!”
“Whoaaa...!”
Most of the stories spilling from Durel’s mouth were absurdly exaggerated tales from the past. As the adventure stories continued from the day we met, Simo’s reactions grew more intense.
“If that’s... if that’s true...! I can’t believe you’re only eleven...?! Actually, are you half-elf? That’s why you look so young all the time...”
“Hmph... A natural guess. But Master doesn’t lie.”
“No way...! A human wielding magic like this at eleven...! The world is ridiculously vast!”
What kind of existence was I in Durel’s world? I wanted to correct all the misconceptions, but seeing Durel so excited after so long, I couldn’t bring myself to speak up.
She was a precocious child who matured early. It would be cruel to pour cold water on her when she was this thrilled, like any kid her age.
“Lu-Lumia...! Is this true? If everything Durel says is real...!”
“There’s some exaggeration mixed in, but...”
“So no lies at all!”
I nodded. Durel’s stories were heavily embellished, but there were no outright falsehoods.
Leaving the two behind, I blankly stared out at the rainy scene outside. The downpour showed no sign of stopping, even as late evening arrived.
The dull roar of the rain swallowed all surrounding noise. My mind settled calmly, and my physical senses sharpened vividly.
Blood magic...
They activated magic using blood infused with mana as the medium, without an inner world. But if asked whether it was all that different from human magic, the answer was no. The fundamental principles weren’t vastly different.
So where did they draw the clear imagery and firm conviction needed to manifest magic from?
Should I ask?
If I didn’t know something, I just had to ask. If it was rude, I could apologize later. I turned around and called out to Simo.
“Simo.”
“...Huh? Did you call me?”
“You don’t have to be so formal on purpose...”
“No...! This feels more comfortable for me!”
In Simo’s sudden change of demeanor, I saw echoes of the other mages I’d met before. It seemed Dracain mages treated those who demonstrated higher mastery as superiors, just like humans.
Hayar was a bit different...
It wasn’t a pleasant situation. I slowly opened my mouth.
“I have a question about blood magic. When humans start learning magic, we create an inner world based on our own imagery. Do you Dracain use something similar for your blood magic? If it’s hard to answer, you don’t have to say.”
“Not at all! We Dracain can use magic without anything like that. The elders say the history contained in our blood gives power to the magic... yes.”
“History in the blood?”
“You know we Dracain are descendants of vampires... They say the memories passed down from that great bloodline manifest as magical power.”
I crossed my arms and furrowed my brow at Simo’s answer. According to him, the memories embedded in the blood served as the inner world. Though he didn’t seem to grasp it fully himself.
That’s why mana in the blood...
Bloodline, DNA, instincts engraved at the genetic level—something like that. It seemed this magical ability was inherent in vampire blood.
The excitement deflated in an instant. I’d half-hoped I might be able to use blood magic too. If Simo was right, it was magic humans couldn’t wield.
“Born with magic... That’s one way to put it.”
“Exactly! We Dracain are born with magic. Depending on the bloodline, the types of magic we can use vary wildly. In my case, I can only handle simple stuff like physical enhancement or forming blood armor from my blood to protect my body.”
“Can’t Dracain learn other magic? You seem really interested in human magic.”
“To enter human magic, you need to create an inner world. But that act denies your own bloodline...! Taboo! Of course! Impossible. There have been Dracain who tried... but they all met gruesome ends, I heard.”
If the Dracain blood itself performed the role of an inner world, it made perfect sense. Erkamon clashes, distorted imagery, inner world collapse. Durel had told me that mages who entered two schools at once met such fates.
It was probably a similar phenomenon.
“What kind of ends?”
“All the blood drained from their bodies and they died. Isn’t that just awfully gruesome...?”
“Eek... That’s pretty scary.”
Simo trailed off, glancing at me cautiously. The eager energy he’d shown earlier was gone. He looked like he wanted to ask for something.
“Actually... the reason I left my hometown was something like this.”
He gave a small, bitter smile of resignation, turning his red eyes toward me.
“I envy human magic. That freedom to wield magic you chose yourself, not dictated by your bloodline...”
“You say human magic is free, but it’s not that different. Narrow-minded and dogmatic. Wind is wind, fire is fire—human magic is the same. You delve into just one attribute.”
“But Lumia, you...”
“I’m a special case.”
Simo’s shoulders slumped at my response. The subtle hope in his eyes faded. A deep sigh filled the narrow room.
Silence stretched on for a while. Durel, who’d been watching me, approached Simo and patted his shoulder. They’d grown close in that short time. Finally, after a long quiet, Simo cautiously spoke up.
“I heard from Durel... that you solved his problem with using magic.”
“That was... a bit different.”
“I don’t care if it’s not free. Even narrow, dogmatic magic is fine. I just want to escape the chains of my bloodline. I want to learn magic my own way. Not the path dictated by this blood...”
His voice grew quieter and quieter. By the end, it was a near-whisper, drowned out by the rain.
Dracain blood, the memories and fate it carried, and the gruesome ends of those who defied the taboo. He’d explained it all himself, yet he wanted to learn other magic.
He doesn’t seem suicidal...
The emotion in his eyes was burning longing. What had driven Simo to such desperation?
“You might die.”
“That’s why I’m asking you, Lumia—I don’t want to die.”
“You think I’ll make it different?”
“Hearing Durel’s story convinced me. If it’s all true... there must be a way.”
I looked at Durel wordlessly. He sidled up to me and whispered in my ear.
“He gets Master’s greatness. For our Infinite Archive School, which doesn’t rely on shared inner worlds... it might be possible.”
“You’ve taken a liking to him...?”
“It’s not just that. Didn’t Master say you wanted to see the wide world and diverse magics? Simo’s a Dracain. He’ll be a big help when we travel Levan Pole later.”
“That’s true, but...”
I let out a deep sigh and rubbed my forehead. If Simo weren’t a Dracain, I’d have accepted him easily. But this was a race that died learning human magic. I couldn’t take that lightly.
I’m not convinced yet.
The idea that Infinite Archive School magic might work was just a hypothesis. After hesitating for a long time, I spoke.
“It’s not impossible. But I can’t guarantee it. Still want to try?”
Simo’s slumped head snapped up.
“Yes!”
“You might die.”
“I don’t want to die...! But I’ll learn!”
“If you’re that determined... Fine. Starting today, you’re part of the Infinite Archive School. No regrets?”
“I’ll serve you until I die!”
I nodded and stood up. A new school member sooner than expected. I didn’t have many impressive spells to show yet, but with a new member, I couldn’t just sit idle.
“First lesson of the Infinite Archive School. Simo. Memorize the Erkamon I teach you and place it in your heart...”