Chapter 88
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Mirror (3)
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"Here, eat this."
The man shoved a long stick of candy into my mouth.
Startled, I looked down to see it was one of those cheap street vendor sweets. It was coated in so much sugar it was overwhelmingly sweet.
I'd been hearing those snapping sounds earlier—it was the man breaking off bites of the candy stick with his teeth.
"Liberic, let me introduce you. This is Miles, the resident mage here."
The Silver Guard Knight introduced him in a flat tone.
After handing out pieces of the candy to me and my father, Miles cackled as he offered me a handshake.
"Nice to meet you, Liberic."
I reflexively shook his hand, and the vigorous grip left my palm dusted in sugar too.
"I've heard the gist. You're here as the new barrier master, huh? Looks like that old coot's finally lost it..."
"Miles."
The Silver Guard Knight's voice hardened, and Miles flinched, glancing nervously at him.
"We'll talk about this somewhere without prying ears. Like inside the sealing chamber. Hunter, you just want me to show him around the sealing chamber, right?"
"...Keep any unnecessary chatter to yourself."
"Got it, got it. Alright, let's go. The sealing chamber's this way."
Miles threw an arm around my shoulders and started dragging me along.
The weary-looking Silver Guard Knight, my father munching on his candy with keen interest, and Ash followed behind us.
The Silver Guard Knight clearly intended to monitor whether Miles gave a proper explanation or spouted any nonsense.
"Want more candy?"
A few steps in, Miles jerked his head toward me. More candy sticks kept poking out from the sugar-crusted pockets of his robe.
"Oh, no thank you. I'm good."
I refused calmly.
Up close, Miles gave off a thoroughly unimpressive first impression.
His skin was grimy, and patchy stubble sprouted wildly from his half-shaven chin. Streaks of gray mingled with his short, unkempt hair.
His yellowish tunic was stained in spots, and the long black robe mercifully hid the worst of the dirt.
Strangely, the Prius Knight insignia hanging around his neck clashed hilariously with his appearance.
"You're the resident mage?"
I wasn't doubting the Silver Guard Knight's introduction, but I had to ask again anyway.
"Yeah, that's me. Fren's out on a mission right now."
Miles replied casually as he pushed open a door to the left of the break room.
I blinked in surprise. They'd said at least two mages were stationed here to manage it.
"Uh, so... you're handling the sealing chamber all by yourself right now?"
"You should be grateful it's me and not someone worse."
Miles cackled again.
Amid my bewilderment, I glanced back at the Silver Guard Knight to confirm if this was acceptable.
He let out a heavy sigh, his face grave. It seemed like the situation displeased him enough to warrant that.
"So, what'd you think?"
"Pardon?"
Miles asked out of the blue. He strode ahead down the corridor with his hands stuffed in his robe pockets.
"You must've seen it on the way in. The maze I built."
"Oh, you made that maze?"
"Yep. Pretty impressive, right? No one can find their way through it."
Miles boasted proudly. I couldn't help but be genuinely impressed.
"Seriously. It was incredibly intricate."
"And yet it's harmless. Anyone who wanders in gets quietly escorted back to the first floor."
Miles rubbed his temple like he was drunk on his own genius.
"How did you even make something like that? I didn't spot any ecronium or magic circles."
"This is a dragon vein, kid. A mage's playground. Here we are."
At the end of the corridor, Miles shoved the door open with his body.
The space ahead brightened suddenly, and I reflexively raised my arm to shield my eyes.
"But this is the real masterpiece."
Miles's voice barely registered as I lost myself in the sight before me.
The sealing chamber was far too vast to imagine it buried underground.
The ceiling loomed at least three stories high, wider even than the branch's training grounds.
At its center undulated a massive sphere cloaked in silver glass.
I approached it as if entranced.
The sphere was enormous, filling the vast room up to the ceiling.
Its shimmering silver surface constantly reflected light, making it hard to stare directly at.
It resembled a slow-moving liquid, yet felt like an unbreakable solid.
"This is the seal?"
My father's voice snapped me back. He and the Silver Guard Knight stood at a distance, gazing at the sphere.
"Claus Sage created it after taking charge of the barrier here. He explained the structure once, but..."
The Silver Guard Knight shot my father a look that said, Want to hear it? Father quickly averted his eyes without much thought.
"Nah, I don't need to know the details."
Miles, who'd been listening, burst into cackles.
"You laymen just spectate from there. So, new barrier master—what's your take?"
Miles flicked a sharp glance my way.
Suddenly, I felt like I was being tested.
I regarded the sealing sphere seriously.
"My master gave me a basic rundown, but... he must have been truly desperate to create something like this."
I reached out toward the undulating surface.
Miles's eyes widened for a split second, but he couldn't stop my hand from touching it.
Whoosh!
The mana enveloping the sphere contracted like a flinch before exploding outward, sweeping through everything around.
This was the dragon vein's mana.
The immense natural force I'd barely sensed on the way here due to its perfect stability...
I closed my eyes briefly and opened them. The surroundings had completely transformed.
We were inside the sphere.
"Whoa, that kid's got some guts."
Miles collapsed to the floor.
The Silver Guard Knight, my father, and even Ash were equally stunned by the sudden turn.
"What the...?"
Father crouched instinctively, hand on his sword hilt.
The Silver Guard Knight tensed his shoulders in shock before frowning at me.
"...Liberic, warn us before you pull something like that."
"Sorry. I didn't expect it to suck everyone in."
I really hadn't. I never imagined it would expand that much.
Ash anxiously scanned the area, his silver fur sparkling and floating from the dragon vein's mana.
"Lib, where exactly are we?"
Confirming it was safe, Father relaxed a bit.
I gave a wry smile, my apology sincere.
"The heart of the dragon vein—and the mirror barrier inside the sealing chamber."
"Mirror barrier. Claus Sage called it that."
I nodded at the Silver Guard Knight's words and looked around.
Unlike the outer surface rippling like silver liquid, the interior was a wholly different world.
A transparent space of mirrors.
Every direction—right, left, up, down—reflected myself, layering endlessly if I focused.
Just me and those pulled in with me. Nothing else.
"Phew, this place always makes me nauseous."
Miles stood, shaking his head, then clapped loudly overhead.
Clap.
The crisp sound echoed startlingly through the space.
The bright, dizzying mirrors dimmed, morphing into a living room.
A drab red carpet, tacky green wallpaper, grimy ceiling, dim lighting, wooden table, and worn sofa.
"Ah, much better."
Miles flopped onto the sagging sofa. I surveyed the messy room with a small sigh.
"So this is where you usually stay."
"Hey, I'm 'resident' here, aren't I?"
Miles waved it off dismissively.
True enough, but still...
Unable to hide my unease, I perched on the edge of the shabby sofa.
"Lib, what is this place? Feels like a dream."
Father approached, looking flustered. The Silver Guard Knight and Ash were equally thrown by the alien space.
"It's the same place as before. Just a different appearance."
Father's expression turned queasy at my explanation.
"You explain it just like Luwen. Make it clearer for me."
I chuckled softly. Where to begin?
"It's the mirror barrier, like I said. More precisely, a 'converging space barrier using mirrors.' Among kingdom barriers, it's the most difficult, complex, and low-success-rate one."
"Even rarer to succeed in a dragon vein."
Miles added from his sprawl on the sofa. Ignoring him, I continued.
"Simply put, it overlays multiple spaces into one via mirrors. That's how we can use different areas without moving."
Father curiously scanned the room.
"Most see the mirror space at first, but it can be styled completely differently like this. And somewhere in here..."
"The seal's hidden, right?"
"Exactly."
Father nodded in realization, even tapping the wooden table to test it.
"These furnishings aren't real either?"
"Nah, the furniture's legit."
Miles drawled lazily, rolling deeper into the sofa.
"Stuff from my room. How do you fake a sofa's comfort with illusions?"
"You shoved furniture into the barrier? What if something goes wrong...?"
Miles just cackled and waved it off from his comfy spot.
"Relax, I'm a veteran resident mage. I can handle about 0.7 of this beast's management."
"Not a full 1...?"
"If I could do 1, I'd be barrier master. Fren's stuck at 0.5. Last time, he couldn't even fit a single book in here."
A 0.2 difference between Miles and Fren, then.
As I calmly noted that, the Silver Guard Knight approached Miles with a stern expression.
"So together you're 1.2, but right now it's just 0.7."
"Uh..."
Miles faltered, his upward gaze shaky with unease.
"Tr, treating people like numbers feels kinda offensive, you know..."
"Miles, report to the office later. Continue the sealing chamber explanation for now."
Miles grumbled openly under his breath.
Stuff like, he knows the situation and still nitpicks, what a petty guy, no fun holding jokes against me—it was audible enough, but I pretended not to hear.
To change the subject, I asked him,
"So, Miles, where's the seal?"
"It's in here, but the knights should step out first."
Miles dusted off his grubby robe and stood.
"Smart call. We don't need to know that much."
Father nodded in agreement.
I taught the three how to exit the barrier space.
"Turn that way and take one step forward."
"Hm?"
Father looked puzzled but followed, vanishing instantly.
Out of the space. The Silver Guard Knight and Ash followed suit.
Soon, only Miles and I remained inside.
Miles eyed me with a meaningful hmph.
"Fine, I acknowledge you."
"For what?"
Despite knowing him briefly, this was his first serious expression.
"As barrier master. You clearly get this space. For a first-timer."
"My master showed me once."
I smiled, but Miles didn't, waving it off.
"You can't learn this from words or books. It's experience—or instinct? Whatever. The seal's this way."
Miles raised both hands and clapped once.
The living room vanished, reverting to the mirror-surrounded space.
On the empty white floor sat several fingernail-sized red fragments, stark and alone.